Good Times

Last night Ben gave Sonora and Nate a guitar lesson.  It was Sonora's first.

Sonora's First Lesson

We had an unexpected visitor this afternoon.  Judah was SO pleased.  Later this afternoon Judah's Bible Verse said "A friend loves at all times."

Working hard

Almost got it!

Later on this afternoon I played Dog Lotto with Judah.  I told him to say BINGO after he covered his board.  Every time I would hand him a new card he said something new.  The first time it was "Bingo!"  Then, "BingDing!"  And Finally, he said "DingDong!" when he got the last one.  Harper and I laughed and laughed.

Yikes!

Good times.

Apologia Science

I LOVE Apologia Science.  This is our third year to use their Elementary series and our first for their Middle/High School books.  I am SO impressed.  They not only teach everything from a VERY Creationist viewpoint, they also teach the kids to use this knowledge to defend their faith.  Preparing them to give an answer for the HOPE that lies within them.  LOVE APOLOGIA.

That said, this semester we have chosen Zoology 3 - Land Animals of the Sixth Day.  We did our first lesson today.  It was basically just an introduction to what all they will be learning.  The books look like textbooks but Jeannie Fulbright writes directly to the students, even giving personal examples for the topics she is covering.  It reads like a story.  LOVE APOLOGIA.

Sidenote:  Today while I was reading, Sonora was doing a coloring page from the Junior Notebooking Journal.  Hard to see, but it's just a picture of a Prairie Dog with Genesis 8:17 below it.  What impressed me however, was the fact that Sonora identified the hills in the background as The Badlands.  My heart SOARED.  She remembered that we had seen white Prairie Dogs in The Badlands and made her picture reflect her memory and even colored them correctly.  Ahhhh...Sweet sigh.  Vacation was worth it.  For many reasons.

Back to science:  The girls and I discussed predator/prey relationships and how it wasn't always this way.  Also, how it won't be this way forever.  1 Corinthians 15:26 says that the last enemy that will be abolished is death. We talked about how this applied to animals and used passages in Isaiah to show that the wolf will dwell with the lamb.  Harper was SO excited and said when Jesus comes back she's getting a pet cheetah.  The passage in Isaiah says that "the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den".  We discussed and Judah overheard us.  He piped in (LOUDLY as always) and said, "I don't like snakes.  I like caterpillars."

On a different note: Years ago, we had the privilege of hearing Jay Wile speak at a homeschooling conference.  We were so inspired by his lecture that we KNEW when our children were older we would be using his textbooks.  He also speaks directly to the reader which I personally love.  Nate is using his Exploring Creation with General Science this year.  It's Nate's first year to do all the reading, experiments, and lab reports on his own.  So far, I am impressed with his effort and with what he is learning.  We are on week 2 and he takes his first test on Module 1 soon.  The grades are weighted with the tests making up two thirds of his grade so I am holding my breath.  Today, I did see the following in the front of the teacher's manual:

"Finally, I must tell you that this course is user-friendly and reasonably understandable.  At the same time, however, it is Not EASY.  It is a tough course.  Thus, a letter grade of "C" would represent the score of the average student who will most likely be college bound."

Whew.  We're up for a challenge.

LOVE Apologia.

Best Laid Plans

I'm a planner, and a list maker.  Always have been.  And as a former classroom teacher, my 'bent' is to make a schedule and then adhere to it with rigidity.  The bell rings and it's over, or it's lunch, or time to change classes, or whatever.  Therefore it stands to reason that one of my biggest challenges as a homeschool mom has been in letting go of THE BELL.  I have at times drifted, and reverted back to my former way of thinking and tried to make the kids stick to a very strict time schedule.  THIS NEVER WORKS.

"Ok kids, we are stopping right here in the middle of this exciting history lesson to...yes, you guessed it, have our handwriting lesson.  Forget Alexander the Great, get your pencils."

It just doesn't work.  Never has and never will.  And in truth, why would I want it to work in that manner?  The short answer:

For my own ease.  To make ME feel better.  Because crossing things off MY list makes ME feel like I've accomplished something.

But have I?  Have I really?

Yes, in life, my children will have to be on time for work (I require them to be on time to our schoolroom now), and yes, they will probably have times in their lives when they are required to follow someone else's bell.  But, right now, RIGHT NOW they are privileged to learn at their own pace.  When phones ring, cars break down, family members are sick, or LIFE just happens, it's not the end of the world.  When we are really enjoying the day's science lesson we are not required to 'finish up' so we can move on.  We CAN do just one more experiment or take a spur of the moment walk.  Do we always?  Nope.  In fact, most days we go with the flow of our schedule and plan.  But we CAN change if we so choose.  Education is integrated with life.  As it should be.

I am writing tonight because I am/was frustrated with our day not turning out as I planned.  Not EVERYTHING got checked off MY list.  On days like today I need to be reminded of the goals that Ben and I wrote years ago.  They are pasted into my planner and always will be.  We should probably revise them someday, but for now they give our home(school) a strong spine.

• Have a relationship with Christ
• Study and understand God's Word
• The ability to think for themselves
• Do anything or be anything
• Know how to find answers to questions
• Have solid relationships with others
• Question things
• A college education if required for their desired profession
• Be creative
• Be inventive
• Be men and women of character
• Appreciate music, art, and literature
• Cooperate with others
• Derive self worth from God not man

When I bring today's events into the light of our lifelong learning goals, my mind shifts.  Just as when I focus on heavenly things vs earthly things.  I can relax.  Still having a goal ( read plans/lists :), running for the prize, but resting in the knowledge that when things don't go as I planned they ARE going as He planned.

 Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.  Proverbs 19:21

So tonight I am taking off my former classroom teacher hat and replacing it with my forever homeschooling one.

This happens often.  

Expensive Expanse

Tonight at dinner, Ben asked Q~ to read from Genesis for the devotion. Q~ looks up Genesis 1 verse 6 and this is what he sees:

Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters...

This is what he said:

Then God said, "Let there be an EXPENSE in the MIDWEST...

The current economic condition must be on the poor child's brain!