Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic

Sorry it has been so long since I have blogged. I'd like to say that it is because I am so busy teaching my children, but that would not be entirely true. The truth is that I just haven't had any idea of what to write. With that said, I will try harder and inspire myself to write more about homeschooling ideas and thoughts in the months ahead.

It has been brought to my attention that I have filled my children's schedules up and maybe not discussed the importance of the basics. I admit that I do have alot of things available for my children to do. If I didn't, I wouldn't be fulfilling the dream I have for them to actually have more opportunities than what the public school system has the ability to allow. I have never stressed before on this blog that the true basics; reading, writing, and arithmetic is ultimately the most important at stake in our children's lives. My friend has a child that is really good at reading and took the standardized test for her state requirement to homeschool. The child had never before been exposed to science. Because she was great at reading, her test scores excelled in science even though she had lacked in that area of learning. I am not encouraging any of you who homeschool to necessarily eliminate subjects just because this child did well in science with only the skill of reading. What I am saying is that homeschool teachers do not need to stress on many subjects at any time as long as the basics are being taught. If the basics are the only thing learned because of time, or finances, children can still succeed. They can still find exposure to areas of study through everyday living.

Do my children complete everything I have to offer in a day? I have one overacheiver that cannot get enough, and one child whom works at his own pace completing maybe two subjects in a day. The question is, do they learn? Yes. Even my child that completes two subjects a day at the moment is two grades ahead in his reading level. This is only because I have stressed more to my children on reading, writing and math in the beginning years.

I hope that this blog is only a tool to you to see what is available for your children to do in a day. What works for me may not work for you, but please focus on the basics so your children can succeed in the world ahead of them.

First Day of School

We've had a great first week. I started last Wednesday with our new schedule. The children seemed to be excited with doing school. They actually looked forward to their last subjects since it involved computer time. I am trying to teach my son how to type. We have a very basic typing program that teaches with a series of games. He seems to be catching on.

My other children love computer time too. Learning Spanish with Switched on Schoolhouse was somewhat of a last minute idea of mine, since I will be having my son do Latin and didn't purchase enough curriculum for anyone else. The Spanish program can have up to eight different students learning at a time. This seems to be really working out for us.

All in all, this last week was great. I hope the rest of the year turns out to be just as fun!

The Newest in Interactive Game Systems

We jumped into society this summer and purchased the most popular game system out there right now, the Nintendo Wii. For those of you that are unaware of what it really is, I will tell you briefly. This is I believe the first game system that you can literaly run, jump, box, play a real tennis game, and so much more! It took me a week and a half of going from one game seller to the next just to get my Wii Fit Board. I love it. Now I have someone that will hold me accountable for my weight loss/gain that can't pass judgement on me. The Wii Fit Board is loaded with excersizing tips and information. My posture is better and I have a pretty good awareness of my weight vs. strength levels. Unfortunately, the Wii Fit does not cater to children as well. I have to tell my children that gaining weight and growing is actually in their best interest. The Wii Fit is only programmed to celebrate at weight losses. So when my child gains 2lbs. and grows an inch, the program will respond concerned and ask why, while adding a tip on how to lose weight or something of such.

All in all, for you homeschool moms out there, it really is a great way to take care of yourself if you get the Wii Fit Board and game. It is nice to have something you can do anytime and will hold you accountable without anyone knowing what your measurements actually are.

My Trip to Germany

My last post was about not being able to travel. I should have added anymore. Having children is great, but with finances the way they are when having them, traveling sort of go's on the back burner. I did get to go to Germany when I was 17 as part of an exchange student program. I loved it, and this is probably what sparked my love of travel. I visited many of the cathedrals, the Feirnsetuerm, and Muenich to name a few. My favorite was the visit to Trier (the oldest town in Germany dating back to 12BC).

If I could, I would send my children for an experience in another country. I really began to understand a real appreciation of my country. The scenery was very different over there. It was hard to communicate because my German language skills was not so good. People are not as naturally polite. I had to look real hard for water that didn't "sparkle". Milk was purchased in a box and tasted like really thick, creamy butter with the same consistency that milk we have has.

Don't misunderstand me. I am only trying to say the things that made me appreciate America. It was a great learning experience. I hadn't traveled much outside of my home state before this. Anywhere one go's, there are differences. Even in America. Maybe even within ones own state they live in.

Getting out of my home helped me see the world and remember the differences that we all have. I now am a better person because I know that these differences are what make us who we are. It is very interesting also to see how other countries do things. The medical system, government system, and even agriculture is managed very uniquely. I wonder at times if the every day American could learn from how other countries do things and improve on our own system by comparing and contrasting the way we do things against the way others do them.

Traveling

I really wish that I had the opportunity to travel. I would love to go to Italy some day, or even Scotland. There are so many things to be experienced out there. Things like walking across the London Bridge, or visiting the Eifel Tower. The encyclopedia has so many good ideas of places to visit, only I haven't been able to figure out an easy way to pay for traveling. Guess I'll just have to let my imagination take me where I want to go. Maybe I will get to go somewhere grand one day. Better yet, maybe my children will grow up and pay my way for a great, expensive, family vacation! Do you think that will ever happen?

Camping

We just went to the most beautiful campsite I have ever been to in my life! There were miles of creek for the children to play and hike through. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking! I was having so much fun enjoying the freedoms of nature that I didn't take any pictures. Mmm. Maybe I could describe the experience. When we arrived I almost didn't want to stay at the site that my husband chose because it was the farthest from the out-house. After biting my lip, I looked up. There was a forest covered hill right in front of me, and forest beyond the campsite. This site was by far the most private one for the whole campground. There were only two other campers in the whole campground. I was truly in heaven when we chose to stay here. We had some friends come with us, and that proved to be the most fun of all. My friend and I went for the first nature walk, looking for firewood. We went into the thick forest to find many fallen trees just a few yards away from the camp. This would have been great had the men remembered to bring axes. We had a great time though eating toasted marshmallows, smores, homemade chili, baked potatoes, and some Indonesian food another friend cooked from her experiences on the mission field. The children had alot of fun being free in the forest. I am glad we went, and hope to go again next year.

Annual Assessment

Well, I did it! Or my son did I guess. We went for the annual evaluation to see if I did a good job at schooling my child for the year. He has an excellent reading level, testing 3 whole grades above average. I love the teacher that does my assessments, because my son left with such a good self-esteem. I did learn that he is not a phonetic speller. The teacher said that some people just aren't. I really don't understand. I have been teaching phonics since before I began homeschooling. This is something I will certainly be researching. It just doesn't seem right. In any case, we did a good job this year, and are greatly inspired for another year of homeschooling.

Blueberry Picking

Just think about it. The cool breeze blowing off of a pond near by. The evening sun beginning to set. Spending time chatting with some of your closest friends, while picking blueberries with your children laughing not far away. The blueberries were the biggest, juciest, ripest berries of the season. The caretaker suggested going down closer to the pond for the bigger ones. They weren't really any bigger than the ones closest to him, but I took his advise anyways since the area was much prettier than the congestion of the noisy parking lot. My children had a great time too! They had more fun giving their berries to our friends though. I didn't care, just being out picking has a certain sense of peace to it that words just can't describe. It sort of reminds you of all the things in the world that go unappreciated. Produce is readily available in the supermarkets. The general public doesn't have much time to experience harvesting crops, or sowing a garden. It really is sad. They are missing a great thing.

My Favorite Math Curriculum

I have so far used two different math curriculum's. The one I am using right now is by far my favorite. Math U See uses blocks for manipulatives. They really take the time to make sure each child really understands the math that is being learned. Algebra and fractions are not just taught as a level in math. They are integrated into every level of the curriculum so that when the student reaches the time to learn them, it won't be such a shock. Being brought up in a school system that waited until 8th or 9th grade for algebra, did make it very difficult to understand. I feel confident that my children will not experience this. One other thing that I love about this curriculum is the fact that each curriculum level comes with a DVD showing an instructor teaching each lesson. This gives the homeschool teacher the ability to observe the class with the student so that each lesson can be reinforced. I love this for the really hard concepts that I don't quite know how to get my child to understand. The instructor is great in his way of explaining to the students at their level of thinking. Over all, this is a great math program to use, and I highly recommend it to anyone in search of one that takes the time to explain each math concept until it is understood.

Five Different Ways to Show Love

Quality Time, Quantity Time, Acts of Service, Giving Gifts, and Physical Touch and Closeness. These are the five love languages according to Gary Chapman. Which of these are most important for your children? Gary Chapman says that all children under eight years old need to have all of these all the time. They don’t have any preference to any one, and prefer to have all of them met. This is a bit overwhelming. To have to give my children all of these different kinds of love seems to me allot of work! It’s a good thing children are resilient, or I would be a failure! I love Gary Chapman’s concept though. He is right. Children need lots of love, and in many different ways. This is how we impart God into their lives. God is love according to 1 John 4:16. If we can give love to our children, we are giving them God. That is deep. So even an infant can be ministered to.

I have learned through much trial and error, that children respond the best with patience and love. If you have frustration, and a quick temper, children begin to lose their self-confidence. They no longer feel like they are good enough for you. YOU are the one they most value. YOU are the biggest influence in their lives. YOU are the one they want to please. You are their image of what God wants them to be. If we as parents are not imparting God into their lives with love, what are we showing them?

Now, Gary Chapman has found five different ways to show love to a person. A child can receive any one of these and feel love. This is not so very overwhelming now, since I can choose any one of these at any time for my child. It is like having five different books to read and asking your son or daughter which book they want to read today. Of course they like them all, and would want you to read to them every single one, one right after another, and then all over again. So, which book are you going to read to your child today?

Read this Book to Get Your Child to Sleep Through the Night

Going "Baby Wise" with Gary Ezzo takes much discipline. One of my closest friends at the time my first child was born helped me get more involved with "Baby Wise". At the beginning of the book, it clearly states the importance of being flexible within the schedule of a child. It is very easy to put yourself in a box and not deviate from it. This is how babies can be deprived if parents use this technique unwisely. I myself found that it followed an already established routine that the preemie ward at the hospital started with my first born. The only thing that I did differently from the hospital that Gary Ezzo suggests, is to allow the baby to demand feed at night.

All in all, this book really helped me get comfortable in being a first time parent. I needed something that would help me feel like I was doing something right. There wasn’t very many influences in my life at the time that could look over my shoulder and cheer me on. So, fortunately, with this book in hand I took the milestones as accomplishments and kept going forward. The whole point of the book is on how to get your child sleeping at least six hours a night by a month old. It was a success on all of my children. However, on the last one, I relaxed quite a bit, since I already knew how to be a mom, and didn’t need any self-gratification. She still was able to sleep 6-8 hours a night by a month old.

This is really a great technique, if you are looking for a way to get your baby to sleep through the night.

Collectors Books

I went to a local used bookstore last year. It was small, but full of fascinating books. I was in search of one particular book though. You should know it. The Old Mother Goose book. You know, the one with the checker board look, and the Old Mother Goose lady on the front. If you have one of these books, do not read on in the post. Just give me the book as a Christmas present. Heck, I’ll even pay you what you paid for it.

You would never believe what the book collector said to me about this one book. First of all, I had to be schooled in the fact that books are like baseball cards. Their prices fluctuate according to popularity, availability and age. Books are not just made in masses. They are made in numbers. It just so happens that since The Old Mother Goose book went out of print because of it not being “politically correct”, it drove up the price dramatically. If you have this book in mint condition, you may want to hold onto it until you are really poor and need that money for your house payment or something, because this book last year was priced at $1400. Can you believe that? I used to have this book when I was 12 years old. Now I really wish I kept that book. What a stupid thing I did the day I gave it to goodwill!

It Is Healthy to Get Away Sometimes

“Mommeeee, I don’t want to go with Daddee, I want to stay with youuuu.” Sound familiar to you homeschool moms out there? The little, precious, whiney voice of your wonderful child needing only you, only to say this dreaded phrase in front of your ‘out-of-words’ husband. I cringe every time it happens, because I know my children love their daddy, but how does that make him feel when they don’t want him?

This is what Gary Ezzo calls; Separation Anxiety. I spend most of my time with these children. I am the nurturer. Most of my days are spent in teaching and imparting Godly character into them. Dad makes that possible. He needs the respect due to him. It’s hard for him to have to go to work, and miss all of these precious moments of time that are only here for a short while. He loves these children just as much as I do. Why can’t they see that? I have tried time and again to get them to not do that anymore! But on they go.

Gary Ezzo says in his “Growing Kids Gods Way” series to get away more often if Separation Anxiety is a problem. I have found that helpful. This year, I decided to be the part time homeschool mom, and let my husband take over part of the time. I learned that he is an awesome substitute teacher! Now my children don’t cry so much when I make them be with their dad at the grocery store. They have realized that I am not the only one on earth that can nurture them. So, if you are struggling like I was with separation anxiety, maybe a little bit of separation is the kind of medicine you need?

My Experience in the Public School System

I grew up in the public school system. My district was one of those that passed a student just for effort and not for intelligence. Fortunately, I wasn’t one of those students. When I first started school, my intelligence level was tested above average. My school didn’t believe in skipping grades, so I was placed into a high achievers class in the second grade. This class taught the abstract way of learning. There were allot of problem solving lessons, and theme projects throughout the year. It was assumed that I already knew grammar, so that was the subject I mostly missed as a result of the extended amount of work that was expected of me. I loved the attention of being labeled as one of the smart ones. Unfortunately, I didn’t know it would hurt me like it did.

By the time I made it to junior high, I was put into another test program for high achievers with another level of abstract thinking. I believe that at this point, if my parents were able to support me and help me learn along the way, this level of learning may have benefited me. Unfortunately, they weren’t, and I missed a whole semester of classes that I should have taken, which put me back further in my education. Once I realized that I couldn’t understand anything being taught, I swallowed my pride and stepped into advanced placement classes instead, which at that time, was supposed to be a lower level of learning compared to what I was in. I fit in getting average grades.

Again, I didn’t really grasp the level of learning because I was behind in the work that was being taught due to the experimenting that was done. This of course was never realized by anyone. I had a label, and was treated with the most honor they could treat me since I was tested at above average in the first grade! By highschool it was even worse. I still had my label, so I was placed again into advanced placement classes. Still getting average grades, I couldn’t even write a paper without much turmoil. Going on to college wasn’t any easier. I was told that if high school was difficult, college would be much easier because of how different things are. What was wrong with me? I sure didn’t know at the time. Nothing was getting any easier. The big hopes I had ended, with the low self esteem.

I know now, that I was just merely passed through the system as a statistic. I graduated in advanced placement classes as a number. We all know the numbers. There are a certain amount of students that are special education, there are a certain number of students being average, and then there are the advanced. What I really wish is that the labels would go away, and the teachers to teach according to the needs of each child.

This is why I homeschool. Only the people that need to know what my children’s level is, know. There are no labels. My children learn, and are taught to their abilities. If there are weaknesses, they are not overlooked. I don’t “pass” my children. It is never assumed that they “just know” any subject. They achieve at every level. My goal is to make sure they are happy with who they are, and succeed in this unfair world!

The Bookstore

How many of you have found yourself lost in the bookstore? Kind of fun 'uh? There are so many books to look at. So many to buy. This has become my new hobby. In fact the last two dates I've gone on with my husband, we have found ourselves at the bookstore. I am loving it. Okay, I've only been homeschooling for 5 years now. I admit I am still an amature. Sooner or later the love of books becomes a homeschool family addiction. First it started with my daughter. It was my fault. I was the one who had to teach her how to read! Don't get me wrong, I love to read too. Then I found the bookstore. These books aren't that expensive to buy either. They are only the price of a really expensive mocha! I even found some of J.R.R. Tolkien books for $2.99! Can you believe that? Guess that series has lost some popularity, or else they had a really big shipment come in and needed to make more room for other books. I just wish I didn't have those Tolkien books already, or I would have taken advantage of that killer deal!

I've been reading Peter Pan to my children. They love it. It's too bad the babysitter finished the book with them tonight. Now I need to find another book. Guess I should go back to the bookstore.... But my husband had to drag me out of there already once tonight. Said he didn't want to spend our whole date on books! We had lots of fun though, and contributed our part to the economy. Thank you, God, for the bookstore!

Our Great Day

I just recently went to my first Homeschool Convention. It was quite an awesome event. There were so many vendors that I didn’t have time to see them all. I did get to make some much needed purchases. Fortunately, I was able to get everything I needed, and more. I wonder... How many of you purchase more than you need when you go to convention. My husband found mood rings. What does that have to do with convention? Anyhow, we all had a great fun-filled day.

My Science Curriculum is Really Cool!

Wow! Apologia science is awesome! It is written in a younger grade school level of reading, and really captivates the children. Even my preschooler is enjoying the book. We purchased the astronomy book this year, and had so much fun with it. The lunar eclipse this year had a whole new meaning and excitement once it was learned about first. The children enjoyed learning about each planet in the sky, and the sun, moon, and even asteroids! The assignments weren’t very hard to prepare for either. I am not very good at preparing for science experiments. Fortunately this curriculum helped me step out of my box sometimes by simplifying the experiments with things that were around the house. One such experiment had a flashlight and something shaped like a ball. This was to symbolize the earth, and the flashlight was the sun. What a great way to experience the rotation of the sun! My children kept a writing journal to document everything that was learned in each lesson. I liked that idea so much, we also kept a writing journal for each book that was read from the library! We really did build up a better appreciation of the solar system this year. My children retained much information from this experience.

Is Handwriting Necessary in Homeschool?

Reading, writing, and arithmetic are what we know as the three R’s. Is it important to also teach penmanship? I know one homeschool mom who never taught handwriting to her children. I don’t know if they ever learned to sign their name on anything though.

I myself have tried to put off the importance of teaching penmanship to my children, and get embarrassed when other children their same age can sign their names in cursive. Yet there are so many other subjects that are far more important than what a person’s handwriting might look like. I would love my children to be experts in science. Can you tell me one doctor’s handwriting you can read?

I have decided though, that I will make my children proficient in cursive letters, so they can at least sign their names. When I was in grade school, I had to do the constant handwriting drills that never made sense. If I made the letters perfect one day, how could I make them the same the next if I weren’t in a good mood? It takes only one kind of person to write correctly every single time for those drills I had to do. I will never do that to my children.

My favorite handwriting curriculum is the “Draw Write, Now!” series. This is for any grade or any age level. It teaches how to draw first, giving the children an appreciation of perfecting their artwork. Drawing is an art according to this series. The Japanese culture has it right when they have to spend many hours perfecting their art in handwriting. Each lessen with “Draw, Write, Now!” has a few sentences that go with the picture that the student is expected to learn how to draw. Each picture is put into steps on how to draw it. A kindergartener can accomplish this task easily! If you have older children like I do, I grab a cursive handwriting chart and explain to my children to read what is said for each caption to each picture to be drawn, and write it out with cursive handwriting. This worked great with them! My children have finished one book so far, and already built up much confidence in drawing pictures, and I felt better that their handwriting is improving in leaps and bounds. I highly suggest you check this curriculum out. It might really work for you.

Drippy Grape Juice

I want my son to turn out to be the man of God that he is destined to be. When he was first born, I was thrilled that God would give me such a wonderful little baby. Soon I began to realized that I wanted him to be better than anyone else’s child. Little did I know, that God makes us all imperfect. I have learned this by seeing the imperfections in my children everyday. They are noisy, clumsy, unruly, disobedient, and selfish just to name a few.

When my son was just two years old, he began getting into everything! I couldn’t stop him from getting into things. He was everywhere! Have you had this same occurrence? I ran from one thing to the next. One morning before I woke up, my son decided that he was hungry. He opened the refrigerator and spotted the grape juice. I was abruptly woken up to an awful ear-piercing scream. Once I got to him, I saw it. The grape juice dripping down his chin. His pajamas were soaked all the way to his toes! The floor was a puddle mess, and the inside of the refrigerator was all purple. The empty pitcher was forgotten on the floor. How could he make such a mess? I didn’t even know what to do. So I screamed at him. Now I feel guilty for the horrible way I acted. Where do you even start with a mess like this though? I don’t even remember what I did next, but I will never forget the look of fright on his face after I screamed at him.

Fortunately, eight years later, I have learned to respond to situations like this calmly. Dr. James Dobson wrote a wonderful book I refer to quite often when I need more patience with my son: “Bringing up Boys”. In this book it explains the mental differences between boys and girls. It explains some of the reasons why boys act the way they do, and what a parent can do to divert some of the unruly behaviors of little boys. One of my favorites is the constant running around and getting into things that 2-3 year old boys do. Why do they do this? It’s because they are bored. They need their little minds busy doing something constructive. I loved this piece of advice. I can truly say that I have fun with busy boys. It is a challenge to keep up with them, but with a little patience and lots of things to do they can be the sweetest things in the world. Thank you Dr. James Dobson for your great book!

My Favorite Mrs. March Post

My favorite optimist of all time! Mrs. March should be read by everyone. I love her Aunty Manners posts. I myself am a great fan of manners. Why doesn’t everyone know what good manners are? It really irritates me when you are trying to talk with someone, and they know you are talking, and yet don’t even acknowledge that you even said a word. What do you do, repeat yourself knowing that you are being ignored? Or just dismiss yourself and fume for the next few hours? Mrs. March, please save me from this stressful occurance that just recently happened. Can you tell I am still fuming?

Mrs. Hannigan Writes Really Good

Dear Mrs. Hannigan, I love your name, for some reason I want to think of little orphan Annie. Yet, you are nothing like that Mrs. Hannigan. I love your ideas of natural foods. Just this week, I had the crazy idea of getting my juicer out and attempting your vegetable juice. My husband had to humor me and purchase spinach. It was ridiculous. He was at one of those bulk food stores that everyone go’s to. I didn’t get just 1 pound of spinach I tell you. Now, my family is not going to be able to eat all of this before it go’s bad. I feel a little guilty. The vegetable juice was missing the celery that my husband couldn’t find at that bulk food store. I substituted honey instead. Who wouldn’t like honey with vegetables. Besides, my youngest child was helping me make the darn juice, and insisted that I use the honey. Fortunately, the honey was the only good taste to the juice. I will have to get used to drinking that stuff if I want to use up all of the spinach. Luckily, it takes a lot of spinach to make any juice at all from it. I also have a bulk bag of carrots, but having carrot juice by itself isn’t very fun. So, spinach, carrots, garlic, a few grape tomatoes, and honey will be the juice I will try to like for the next few days. Mrs. Hannigan, thank you for the motivation for eating more healthy.

My Friend, Mrs. Pevensie

Have you visited my friend Mrs. Pevensie? Her wardrobe of knowledge is extremely humorous. You will find her to be down to earth, and real. I love her witty humor. Can’t you all relate to her post about distraction? I am constantly being annoyed by distractions. Lets face it they are everywhere. It wasn’t until this year that I learned to put my thoughts on hold, and address the distraction without forgetting my thought I had. That is very hard to do. I really love my children. Often times I use them as reasons why I can’t get anything done. Is this really true, or is it poor management of time on my part? Am I not praying for grace enough, or is it a lack of focusing in my brain?

I love your article Mrs. Pevensie. I do get distracted with people everywhere. When I am well known, it is worse, but I love the attention. Doesn’t everybody? I try not to forget those quiet ones off to the side though. I was there for a very long time. It wasn’t until most recently that I realized I needed to quit isolating myself (which is so easy to do as a homeschool mom). Naturally, I am not very outgoing, yet I’ve learned that in order for me to build confidence in myself, I need to get out of my box and try to participate in activities going on around me. This also helps in contributing to society which we all should be doing in some way or other.

My Friend, The Vertical Challenge

I will be posting comments about my favorite blogs for the next few days. I encourage you to look them up. These blogs are the best. If you have any favorites, let me know, I will check them out. Maybe they will get added into my favorites.

The first blog I will write about is “The Vertical Challenge” She is a dear friend of mine. I love her background. How does she get that music? It must be the blog site she subscribes to. The massive amount of pictures are inspiring. You will soon see many pictures on my site as well. I like the bits of humor you can find on her page. It definately is a vertical challenge at her site.

Shoot for the Moon

Always striving forward, never looking back. Imagine yourself climbing a mountain. Persevering all the way to the top. Don’t look down, you may lose your balance. I love the story “Pilgrims Progress”. If you strive forward and take on the unnecessary burdens, you won’t get very far without trouble. Think also of Lot and his wife in the story about Sodom and Gomorrah. They were instructed to go forward and not look back. Remember what happened to Lot’s wife? She turned into a pillar of salt. God has really been teaching me to strive forward and not dwell on the things that happened already. I make many mistakes and tend to dwell on them to the point of making myself sick.

When working on the homeschool convention this year, I wanted to have it turn out the best I could do. In order to do that, I had to not look at the little mistakes that were unchangeable. It was imperative to keep my eyes on the goal at hand, and not let anything get me distracted. By the way, there were many things trying to distract me. One person in particular tried her dead level hardest to make me distracted and not think about the project I was working on. Don’t you hate that? I like that person very much, but it was a knawing temptation to give in, and follow what she was trying to make me do. For a while, I was like Christian in “Pilgrims Progress” and carried her burden, but I soon realized that it was only another one of the many obstacles that tried to stand in my way of planning this homeschool convention. If you just shoot for the moon, and don’t look back at the distractions along the way, it is easier to accomplish the goals you have set before you.

School Year is Almost Over

We normally school off and on during the summer. This way the children do not forget all that they have learned. This year, they are realizing what public schools do, and that they don't get the whole summer off. We school in the morning when nothing is going on anyways, and are flexible with schedule changes. Two days ago I decided that a last day of school was needed for our homeschool. I haven't done a last day of school for a few years, however I felt it was important so that my children could have that feeling of accomplishment. They have worked very hard and deserve the time off. Since we homeschool, I can choose how long this time will be. Fortunately, my children are happy with any time off. It makes them excited. Personally, I love to see the joy in their little faces when I have good news. What they don't understand quite yet, is that the public schools take almost 3 months off. We will be taking 3 weeks off, then resume our schedule granting flexibility to accomodate the summertime. I'd love to hear what you do for the summer. Do you school all the way through also, or do you take all the time off you can?

To Persevere...

From what I've found out is that there are two different ways to spell this word. Each way means the same. What do you like better? Perseverance, or perseverence? I like all the e's because it is easier to type and remember. There are dictionaries that only include just one way to spell it. Tell me what you think is right. If you find that "perseverance" is the right way, oh well. I like my way better.

To Persevere.... It means to be patient, determined, and persistent (according to the Webster's Pocket Dictionary). I would like to model my life after this. If I am not patient in my homeschool endevours, than there would be unrest in my family. Why should I yell and scream and get frustrated easily? My family would only suffer. I could have a nervous breakdown from all of the extra mental energy that go's into losing control.

To be patient, means to be accepting of inconvenience (also from the previously mentioned dictionary). Homeschooling is not easy. Sometimes it can be very inconvenient when springtime comes, and you cannot go out and garden because your child needs to be administered a spelling test. Or, the milk is gone, you have to go shopping, but you know if you disrupt the regular homeschooling schedule, it would also distract your childs brain from learning at all that day. Can anyone relate to this?

Let talk about determination. We need this to be able to finish a day's work, whatever that may be. I am determined to finish this year of school with my children. Just recently I coordinated a homeschool convention. This was really hard. It seemed as though there was an obstacle put in my way everytime I overcame one. To complete this task, I needed determination. The end result was satisfying. We had a great convention!

Persistence is a result of determination. This is where you begin school everyday at the sametime. Children work well with schedules. In order to accomplish that schedule, you must be persistent. If you set a schedule for the day, it is easier to find out what time of day your child works best. Mine are morning learners. If my children do not start school by 9am everyday, I lose their focus. After 10am they are pretty much ready for the fun stuff. However, if I start the technical curriculums, such as Math, Spelling, or English by 9am, then I could almost go all day with technical type subjects. If I start school sometime after 10am the children seem to drag more, and complain about being challenged.

So I live my life demonstrating perseverence. If I don't, my children's education would be in turmoil. Nothing would ever get done.