Homeschool commUNITY

OK, moms, let's talk community. Specifically your homeschool community.

Homeschooling is as varied as...well, as the people who choose to homeschool. 

Classical versus unschooling, Apologia versus anything else, government directed versus parent directed, organic versus non-organic, attachment parenting versus schedule driven, religious versus non-religious, skirts versus yoga pants...the list is endless and unfortunately, so is the list of people who've been caught in the crossfire.

Somewhere along the way, probably as far back as Cain and Able, it became an "us versus them" mentality. We looked around at how others were homeschooling their children and felt...threatened, prideful, fearful, insecure...and we began to let those feelings erode our homeschool community. Instead of embracing and loving our differences, they have become the rocks we've used to bludgeon each other to death, leaving many wounded homeschool mommas in our wake.

We seem to have forgotten just how alike we are and have instead chosen to focus on the differences. Consider the fact that most of us have given up livelihoods, careers, newer cars, vacations and Pinterest worthy homes in order to focus our attention on our kids. That in itself is a point of unity. Friends, we're all on the same team! Your homeschool may look nothing like mine, but we're still working toward the same goal - a desire to train our children's hearts in the midst of educating their minds. 

I know some amazing families whose homeschool experience looks nothing like mine. The beauty of these differences are the opportunities they afford us to learn from one another. 

• A college professor/homeschool dad whose kids could talk circles around me on the subject of politics on any given day.

• A sweet mom whose laid back approach has allowed more time for her daughters to perfect their various skill sets and interests.

• The family who travels extensively, forgoing traditional learning in favor of an interactive experience.

• A friend with a child in public school, one in private and one learning at home as they search for the best fit for each student.

• One of my closest friends using the resources offered by IDEA to help her kids get an amazing education.

I am a stronger mom and teacher (heck, I'm a better person) for having known each of these families. I could easily have looked at the different ways they chose to approach their kids' education and assumed them to be wrong based on the fact that they're different from mine. Had I done so, I would have missed out on amazing friendships and experiences. I would have missed out on community.

If you were to drop by for the afternoon, I would offer you my cozy chair, along with a cuppa joe and ask you about your story. Your story is what makes your homeschool unique. I want to understand your journey in order to come alongside and encourage you. Imagine what would happen in our homeschool community if we set aside the "my way or the highway" mentality and genuinely sought to understand and encourage one another on this crazy ride called homeschooling? The impact would be significant, not only for our generation, but for future generations as we lead by example.

So how about you? What does your community look like? Would you say it's characterized by a heaping dose of grace or maybe a bit too much criticism? Have you been guilty of judging? If we're honest, I think we all have at some point along the way. It's time we recognize we're on the same team. It's time to come alongside one another with love and grace in an effort to build bridges rather than burning them to the ground. Time to stop walking in fear of the unknown and recognize that our differences are our greatest strength. Time to lay down the rocks and pick up the pom-poms. Time to become each other's biggest cheerleader. 

Gimme a U! Gimme an N! Gimme an I! Gimme a T! Gimme a Y! What's that spell? UNITY!

And UNITY homeschool mom, starts with yoU!

Homeschool curriculum - what if it's not working?

There are certain curricula that seems to be the "holy grail" or gold standard among homeschoolers. You know, the ones that get mentioned every time someone asks, "So, what do you use for science (or math, or latin...)?" While I'm incredibly thankful for the plethora of things we have to choose from these days, what if the gold standard just isn't working for your family? What if (gasp!) you really just don't like it? Do you keep plodding along, or put on the brakes and reevaluate?

We've used a popular science curriculum for several years now and it worked fine for our oldest. He's more of a "by the book" sort of learner. While I can't say he loved it, he did learn a lot. Enter son #2. Different kid, different learning style. Whole different ball of wax. Trying to make the popular science curriculum work for him has been a painful disaster for us both. He's an incredibly bright kid. He just doesn't learn best through the standard textbook approach. Time for mom to stop trying to put that square peg in the round hole.

As homeschool moms we take the task of choosing curriculum very seriously. After all, it's not a cheap investment. We want something that's going to get the job done, stay within our budget AND instill a life long love of learning...that's a very tall order.

So what do you do if the curriculum you purchased just isn't working? 

1. Stop! You've heard the definition of insanity - doing something over and over and expecting different results. There's no reason to continue on with something that you've already recognized isn't working. Pitch it and start over. Breathe here ladies! It will be OK...I promise.

2. Research. Post your questions to on-line forums or blogs. Chat with other moms whose kids have similar learning styles. If your child is old enough, ask them why they think it's not working. Get their input on what they might like to use instead. Pray...and keep breathing.

3. Regroup and charge ahead again! Once you've found something new to use, don't focus on how much of the school year's already gone or stress over switching things up midstream. Instead, focus on the fact that the new curriculum will give your student the tools and opportunities they need to succeed. 

So we're setting aside the "holy grail" of science curriculum for something I think will work great for him. And therein lies the beauty of homeschooling. We do what works best for the STUDENT. A novel concept don't you think? 

Homeschooling when you don't feel like it...aka Perseverance

The word for this school year is PERSEVERANCE. The first week of September we chose a word or two to represent something we want to work on over the next few months and decorated rocks as a reminder. PERSEVERANCE and JOY topped my list.

This past week tested my perseverance to the limit. Just two weeks into school and I came down with a raging head cold. The "I can't breath and it feels like my head is in a vice" kind. Oh, it was bad. Bleh! I wanted nothing more than to curl up on the couch in my jammies and watch unending hours of decorating shows and reruns of The Middle. 

Problem is there's these kids who need schooling. Oh sure, they'd be thrilled to have the day off. That's the thing about homeschooling...there are no substitute teachers and if we took time off we'd lose the momentum we worked so hard for the previous week. So armed with Advil, peppermint oil and my box of tissues we forged through and got every single stinkin' thing on the list DONE! That doesn't even happen when I'm NOT sick! I didn't give in. I didn't curl up on the couch...although I did stay in my jammies most of the week. I persevered when I wanted to give up and tonight I'm celebrating a job well done...happy Friday to me!

Now about the JOY thing...pretty sure that one gets tested on a daily basis, but that's a story for another post.

Hiding God's Word in our hearts...and the shower

Here's something I never expected about having teenage boys...the incredibly loooong showers. They don't have to spend much time on appearance, but apparently the shower is where they do their best thinking. Who knew? 30 minutes into it we're banging on the door and interrupting their watery reverie. Yes, we're dream killers like that.

For school this year we're memorizing what I'm calling the A-B-C's of scripture - a scripture passage for each letter of the alphabet. Should be a fun way to shake things up a bit. I'm not sure where the second part of my brainstorm came from. Probably a lack of coffee or something. I decided since they spend such an inordinate amount of time chillaxin' in the shower that I would give them something to stare at while they're in there. Sorry for the poor pic quality. I took it with my phone...in the shower.

Taping a large Ziplock bag in an area that doesn't get too wet allows me to change out the page inside each week. Around here, we call this multitasking at it's finest.

And in case you're wondering, anxious starts with an A.

Back to school - seriously?

Normally this time of year we're already back in school mode. Seeing all the back to school supplies in the stores usually makes me giddy. Getting boxes of curriculum in the mail...oh man, that's like Christmas! I put the date on the calendar and go into full on planning and organizing mode.

But not this year. OK, I did buy some new pencils and composition books, but even that lacked the usual excitement. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that summer is already over. I've put off the start date until after Labor Day, hoping my feelings will catch up soon. I'll let you know on Tuesday how that works out.

Here's the thing - if I waited to start school this year until I felt like it, I'm pretty sure not much would get done. Feelings can't be trusted. How thankful I am that my God isn't like that! I don't have to doubt his promises or that he'll do what he says he will do. His Word is not dependent on whether or not he FEELS like doing something. Can you imagine if he were like us humans? Fickle and changing depending on the temperature outside, the time of the month or how much coffee he's had?

Nope. His faithfulness and mercies are new every single morning. 

Times when parenting gets hard and we're feeling worn out.

Times when we lack the joy or excitement we expected. 

Times when life seems overwhelming. 

It's times like this we learn the meaning of perseverance, of doing what we need to do despite how we feel. The Lord honors our obedience when we do what he's called us to do. Obedience has nothing to do with feelings, but calls us to a new level of sacrifice. 

That means getting my act together and starting school with enthusiasm whether I want to or not.

It means continuing in prayer when I don't see the end.

It means letting him be my strength when I have none.

It means complete and total dependence on him. And that my friends is exactly where he wants us to be.

5 Tips for Easy Homeschool Planning

You've scoured the curriculum catalogs, stalked the on-line sites and attended every used curriculum sale within a 50 mile radius. You've found everything you need...or think you'll need, for the coming school year. Now it sits, piled high on the dining room table and you find yourself wondering - NOW WHAT?

Homeschool planning can seem an overwhelming task, but take heart! It doesn't have to be. By breaking it down into five easy steps you can plan your way to a great year!

1. Make a list of goals for each child. It doesn't have to be a long list, just a few key things you want to see improved on. Maybe for your kinder aged child your goal will be teaching them to read. Everything else will revolve around that main goal. For your fourth grader it might be to improve their mental math skills and your preteen may need to focus on working more independently. Keeping these goals in mind will help keep you focused on what's important and allow you to work in opportunities for growth in those areas.

2. Assess your child's strengths and weaknesses when making your schedule. Are they great at reading, but struggle with new math concepts? Then plan on tackling math first thing in the morning when they're feeling fresh and let them read on their own after lunch. Do they love to tackle creative projects, but don't want to sit still to get their basics done? Reward them for completing their math lesson with time to work on their own pursuits. In doing so, you're working with, rather than against, how they're naturally wired. 

3. Get your child involved! Show them what subjects you have planned for the year and get their input on what their day should look like. Obviously mom has veto power, but involving them in the planning makes them feel more responsible for accomplishing the tasks given them. It also sends the important message that you care about their ideas and how they spend their time.

4. Go with what works for YOUR FAMILY! Some families prefer a more rigid, time enforced schedule, while others function better with a general outline. You can pencil in math every morning at precisely 9:30 and history at 10:00 or you can say we will accomplish math and history before 11:00. Either approach is OK. Forget the fact that your neighbor has her kids sitting at the kitchen table doing their work promptly at 8:00 a.m. Don't kill yourself trying to make your family fit someone else's schedule.

5. Write out a tentative schedule...in pencil! Know that no matter how U-MAZING your schedule looks on paper, it will not always go according to plan. In fact, it may rarely go according to plan! Flexibility and a really good eraser are a homeschool mom's BFF.

Take a deep breath mom. Homeschool planning doesn't have to be a daunting task. With a little bit of thoughtful focus, you can have a awesome year.

Homeschool days - what do they look like?

Our homeschool days rarely look the same. Each one has it's unique set of challenges and joys.  Take today for example. It's been a busy week, with several extra things thrown in that needed my attention. Couple that with a three day headache and well, mamma slept til 8:30 this morning.  

As everyone slowly began waking up, we found ourselves sipping coffee in the living room together. That turned into our oldest teaching the youngest two how to play a G chord on the guitar.  They're excited to learn to play so why not start today? Then Emma, Greyson and I finished up a geography book/unit we'd been working on.  In our discussion we were looking up states and capitals, which led us to find a fun quiz app on the tablet to sharpen their skills.  After a quick math lesson, we pulled up Pinterest and chose an art project to work on while listening to a Jonathan Park episode on Fibonacci numbers.

None of that was on my radar when I woke up this morning, but it was far better than anything I could have planned. We laughed, built relationships, enjoyed art, music and storytelling, learned geography and marveled at how God created order through math. When we submit our hearts and homeschooling to the Lord, he directs us in ways that will delight our hearts and the hearts of our children.  

Planned or not, I'd say that makes for a very good day.

Back to school scavenger hunt

The countdown to the first day of school has begun.  For the kids it's how many days left to sleep in and relax.  For mom it's how many days left to finish my to-do list and plan the whole school year.  Sigh...either way, the answer is eight.

Currently my brain is on Pinterest overload from trying to plan our weekly art lessons, but I did stop long enough to create this fun back to school game.  We'll start off slow the first week, adding in some fun activities and only doing a few subjects.  Considering how competitive our family is, this scavenger hunt should be a hoot.

Feel free to print one for yourself, or use the idea to create your own.  Creativity begets creativity!

Sunrises and God's amazing faithfulness!

When we moved back to Idaho nine months ago, a view was really not on our list of must-haves.  Quite frankly, I was not in any condition to think or wish that big.  I just wanted some place to unload those pods! But the Lord gave us a gift...a gift we didn't even think to ask for.  This is the view from our back patio.  I have at least one million sunrise/sunset photos taken over the last nine months and I honestly don't think I will ever tire of looking it.

I sat yesterday and watched yet another AMAZING sunrise over the mountains and was reminded of God's incredible faithfulness.  As you plan and organize for the new school year, what "mountains" are you facing?   Are there things for which you find yourself waiting? Just as the heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1) and the sun never fails to rise from behind the sleepy mountain, so He will be faithful to what He has called you to do.  Trade your worry in for a dose of WOW as you marvel at what He will do.  He is planning and orchestrating YOUR circumstances at this very moment and will bring it all to pass in His timing.  

No matter how long I sit on my patio in anticipation, I can't will the sun to rise any sooner than it's appointed time.  And so we wait.  Because just like life and whatever we find ourselves waiting for, when it finally rises, it is glorious!

Creating your own homeschool lesson plan book

Well, the anticipated curriculum has arrived.  Thankfully I found it before the boys or I'm pretty sure they would have hidden it in the cornfield out back.  I'm sure they're excited...on the inside...in their own pre-teen/teen sort of way.

Today I tackled the "homeschool closet"...aka the tornado closet...only we live in Idaho now where there are no tornadoes, but I digress.  While organizing said closet I came across a brand new pre-algebra student pack that APPARENTLY I had purchased at a used sale somewhere along the way to use for our next student.  Hmmm...that would have been nice to remember since I just ordered a brand NEW set last week.  Pooh!  So much for thinking ahead.  Hoping the nice publisher will take pity on this poor, unorganized homeschool mom and take it back.  Here's hoping.

One thing I'm really excited about this year are our personally designed plan books for each of the kids.  I searched high and low, but couldn't find a planbook that fit our HOMESCHOOL needs.  We don't need all the extra stuff teachers need (attendance, seating chart, sub info).  If the teacher is sick, there is no sub! Since necessity (or in most cases desperation) is of course the mother of invention, we're making our own books.  We included things the kids felt were important, along with some things I thought were important (see list below).  Using Publisher, each kid designed their own cover.  I love this because it's a great representation of their interests.  We'll have the whole kit and kaboodle spiral bound at Kinkos.  I'm excited to see how they turn out.  Below is a sample of the weekly plan portion of my daughter's book.

 

Want to give it a a try?  They are easy to create and completely customizable!  I used Publisher for the two-page spread, then used Google images for several of the other things.  The Crafty Classroom is a great place for printables.  I also found some fun academic calendars at New Bee Homeschooler.  And of course there's always the amazing Donna Young for all things homeschool.  

Here's a list of "extras" we included:

• To-Do list (this one is laminated for daily use)
• Academic calendar
• Doodle pages (for my artistic, creative one)
• Story ideas (for my budding novelist)
• Journal pages (for my little girl who loves to chronicle everything!)
• Periodic table
• Apologia Biology vocabulary 
• Editing marks
• World map
• US map
• Reading log

The possibilities are endless!  Since each is customized by the student, it will make a wonderful keepsake at the end of the year.  

Now, if only I could figure out how to get the kids as excited about all this planning as I am.

Homeschool - ideals vs. reality

"Hey buddy, let's sit down and look at this book together.  It's going to teach you how to READ"!  These were the words this eager first time homeschool mom uttered to my active, wiggly then four year old boy.  I was sure he was ready.  After all, he'd learned all his letters at 18 months.  Surely he could begin deciphering the sounds and would be reading at a 3rd grade level by the end of the week, right?

Wrong!  I'm still pretty sure he could have learned to read, but he was not the least bit interested.  LEGOS and cars held greater sway over him than putting letters together to form words.  That would require sitting still...something his four year old self just didn't have time for.

So I put the book away and waited.  Six months later we gave it another go and he was reading fluently within a few weeks.  The difference?  He was ready.

We all start homeschooling with preconceived ideas.  Some of those ideas are good, some not so good and some just downright crazy.  We may picture ourselves sitting around the kitchen table, supplies organized and kids listening attentively while mom teaches vast amounts of knowledge to eager learners.  Reality may look more like a table strewn with papers, crayons and juice boxes.  One kid is listening (probably the Type A first born), the middle child is standing on his head next to his chair and the toddler is pulling magazines off the shelf onto his head.  

Yes, reality is often very different than our picture perfect ideas of homeschooling.  The wonder is that after awhile you begin to realize which of your ideas needs to be let go of and you settle in to what homeschool looks like for your family.  Reevaluating your initial dreams for homeschooling is a part of the process...one that every family goes through.  It doesn't mean you stray from why you began homeschooling, just that you shift your plans to fit your current reality.  It doesn't mean you lower your expectations (unless your expectations were too high to begin with), but that you readjust plans to fit your kids' needs and learning styles.  With a high school junior, freshman, 7th and 3rd grader, our homeschool days look vastly different than when we first started out.  Homeschooling through the baby/toddler years meant some creative planning and schooling during nap times.  Each year finds you in a different season.  Embrace where you are, even if it looks nothing like you thought it would.  Remember, God is in each and every season.  He planned it before you were born.  He's got this. 

Check out these 10 things homeschool moms wish they could go back and tell themselves.  I would venture to guess you'll see yourself in at least a couple.  I did.

Goal setting for the new school year

Summer is in full swing.  Snowcones, movie nights, and water balloon fights are being crossed off our bucket list.  4th of July has come and gone and we're enjoying our time to sleep in and work on projects.  But it's niggling around in the back of my brain.  It's waking me up at night and becoming the main theme of my prayer time. Try as I might, I simply can't ignore it any longer.  What's the "IT"?  Homeschool planning.

It's funny...some years the very thought of homeschool planning and routines causes me to break out in a cold sweat.  Other times I find myself looking forward to new adventures and the familiarity of the schedule.  The jury's still out this year, but I can't put if off any longer or come September I'll find myself checking into the looney bin.

Before I jump in and start ordering curriculum, I'm taking some time to pray and ask the Lord what HIS goals are for our year.  One size does not fit all when it comes to how we learn.  This year we'll have a high school junior (did I really just type that???) who will also be working on college credits, a freshman, 7th grader and 3rd grader.  Whew!  It's important that I consider each of their passions, interests and how they learn. How is the Lord going to use these passions for His kingdom?  What areas of weakness need shoring up?  Are there any gaps that need filling?  Asking these questions allows me to know what to focus on for the coming year.  I can come up with amazing goals, but if they don't line up with His plans then we're wasting our time.

"Without a vision, the people perish."  Homeschool translation: "Without some planning the whole year will go to hell in a hand basket."  Need a little jump-start to your planning this year?  Feel free to print off the goals sheet to use with your own brood.   

Yearly Goals Free Download

Homeschooling and depression

Dealing with depression is tough.  Homeschooling is tough.  Put the two together and well, let's just say it has the potential for the perfect storm. Looking back over that year, I know it was only by the grace of God that my kids learned anything in the academic realm.  However, they learned incredible life lessons about dealing with depression, loving people through their struggles, pitching in as a family and praying for one another.  Those are lessons that simply can't be learned in a textbook.  

While I couldn't control the depression, there were some things we could control to keep the learning progressing forward.

1. Make a plan.  If you're currently struggling with depression this one probably made you laugh out loud.  The planning side of our brains seems to shut down when we're depressed. I'm not talking about planning out the whole year here.  Just do a skeleton list of what you would like them to accomplish for the day or week.  Baby steps.  This outline will allow you to keep them on track and to see that you really are making progress, even on your worst days.

2. Keep it simple.  Let go of all the "extra" subjects for awhile.  Yes, your kids will survive without Latin, history, science and literature study until you feel ready to tackle those subjects again.  Stick to the basics - bible, math, reading and writing.  They will be OK...I promise.  Apply the idea of simplicity to as many areas of your life as possible - meals, extra curricular activities, ministry involvement.  Say no to the extras so you can say yes to getting better.

3. Do the next thing.  Depression leaves you feeling like you're in a fog.  The decision making, driven part of the brain seems to shut down, even for us Type A personalities.  I remember standing in my kitchen one day knowing there were many things I needed to be doing, but unable to figure out for the life of me what that looked like.  Then I thought of the old saying, "Just do the next thing."  If you have a skeleton schedule or to-do list, just do what comes next and you won't have to think too much. When you're depressed, that's a very good thing.

4. Give yourself grace.  Struggling through depression is tough enough without beating yourself up for all you're NOT doing.  Give yourself grace, knowing this is just a season.  There will come a time when you can once again do all the things you did before.  Or you might just find that some of what you let go should never have been on your plate in the first place.  

5. Reach out.  I've said this before, but it bears repeating a thousand times - There is no shame in suffering from depression. The only shame is remaining silent.  Find a safe place to share your struggle - your spouse, friend, counselor.  You aren't meant to carry this burden alone.  Don't give in to the shaming voices encouraging you to keep silent.   Allowing others to walk alongside you brings beauty from the ashes and can turn what the enemy intended for evil into something truly beautiful.

Perseverance

It's been a B.U.S.Y week.  School for four kiddos takes up most all of our days and endless amounts of my brain power.  One of our brood is practicing for two different football teams, which entails quite a bit of running him around.  The workouts and practices are just what he needed to help him transition during the recent move, so it's a sacrifice I am happy to make.

I will say however that I am tempted to cancel school today.  I'm tempted to want to sit, drinking coffee and browsing through my Southern Living.  I'm tempted to spend the day piddling around and doing what I want to do.  Oh am I tempted!

But the word PERSEVERANCE keeps popping into my head.  Pushing through. Continuing with diligence. Doing what NEEDS to be done rather than what I WANT to do.  "So let's not get tired of doing what is good.  At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up."  Galatians 6:9  

The harvest of blessing...oh I love the sound of that!  It keeps us going, keeps us teaching our kids, keeps us stayed on His plan for our days.  I surrender my desire to follow what I want and instead push ahead in what I know He's called me to today.  And so we soldier on.  We'll hit the books, work on projects together, study for that Biology test and when all is said and done I'll be glad we did. Sort of like the exercise.  I may not want to get started, but when it's all done I'll be glad we did.

And just maybe I'll still have time for a second cup of coffee and that new Southern Living that I've been dying to read.  Maybe.

And so I blog...

I started blogging way back when.  I honestly can't even remember how long it's been...best guess is going on ten years now. My early blogging days were filled with newborn induced sleepless posts, potty training thoughts, political rants and endless photo opps of my adorable children.  Oh, and coffee...there's always been the coffee.  

Blogging 'gurus' will tell you to hone in on one thing; to focus your blog so that readers with similar interests can connect with you, allowing you to build a reader base.  Nope.  That's not why I blog.  Blogging is a creative outlet for whatever happens to be rolling around in my brain. Scary isn't it?  There's no rhyme or reason - It's real life in real time.  With me, what you see is what you get.  Obviously the topics I've covered have changed over the years because, well, I've changed.  There are topics that have come up that I would have never considered blogging about when I started this journey.  Things life's thrown our way that have woven their way into the fabric of our family.

Depression, though not at all on my radar way back when, has certainly shaped me into who I am today.  Journaling the struggle helped to process each piece as the LORD peeled back the layers of the onion called my life.  As I sit here now, I can't imagine who I would be had that not been part of my journey and I am grateful.

Our homeschool journey has come a long way over the years as well.  While we've just finished teaching our last little one to read, we've also jumped head long into the world of Algebra 2, puberty and other equally scary things!  We still love homeschooling, but the terrain looks a whole lot different than those days when art projects littered the table, hours were spent at the library and colored counting bears were how we rolled.

Through the years of blogging one thing that remains constant is JESUS.  I've always loved blogging about things He's teaching me through His Word and other amazing people He places in my life.  That hasn't changed, because He never changes.  Without Him none of the other moments matter.  He is the lens through which each of the other moments is viewed; bringing each part of my life into focus, weaving it into who I am becoming...and so I blog.

Homeschooling - it's a marathon

It's a marathon, not a sprint.

A good definition of life; an even better definition of homeschooling.  Each year is a new leg in the marathon and this leg is finally drawing to an end.  We're winding down the last few subjects and looking forward to summer break.  The kids and I have an ongoing discussion about who's more excited - mom or kids....while they strongly disagree, I'm pretty sure it's me.

This year has been about perseverance.  They've tackled some things they've not done before and seen them through until the end with (mostly) great attitudes.  Makes my mom heart glad.  We've worked on character and attitudes...things that can't necessarily be tested in the traditional sense, but will certainly be tested in the school of life.  They've struggled through situations and seen God at work.  They've learned first hand the meaning of ministry and setting healthy boundaries.  They've grown "in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:52).  Academics aside, that's why we homeschool.

But homeschooling isn't just about the students.  Oh no!  I think there are times the teacher learns more than the kids.  In this case the teacher learned to persevere as well.  See, I'm a big picture thinker.  Please don't bother me with details.  Just ask Mike.  He's the detail guy in the relationship.  I come up with the ideas and he asks the questions.  I don't really care about the questions - I just want to jump in and make my idea happen.  With homeschooling, I can see the big picture of what I'd like us to accomplish in a given school year, but it's only by God's grace that I'm able to follow through with the details...with the every day, day in, day out stuff that makes up the big picture. Talk about stretching and learning perseverance.  Whew!

So as we near the end of another year, we may not be sprinting across the finish line, but as one of my kids likes to croon, "Every day I'm shufflin'".  We'll just keep moving, however slowly and I know years down the road we'll cross the finish line and be better for having run the race.

It's peanut butter jelly time!

Today I pulled out an activity from my days as a jr. high teacher.  I love looking for learning opportunities we can enjoy together, regardless of age or skill level.

For the assignment each one was to write down the necessary steps to make a pb&j.  Sounds easy right?  That's what they thought!  The results were hilarious as I followed their directions to the letter. 

"Put the knife in the jelly."  So I put the knife in the jelly...and left it there. 

"Spread peanut butter on the knife."  So I stuck my finger in the peanut butter and proceeded to spread it on the knife.

"Put the two pieces of bread together."  And I did...condiment side out!

The funny thing was that all the kids were pretty confident their description was sufficient until they began to see the first one play out.  Then the laughter began.  I loved hamming it up and making it silly, but ultimately it led to a wonderful discussion on both written and oral communication.  As a writer, it's our job to make sure we're writing in a way that allows the reader to paint a clear picture in their mind.  I often remind the kids that writers are essentially artists - words are their medium of choice.  

So now they're outside "communicating" with one another on the kickball field.  Not a lot of "book work" has taken place today, but there's definitely been a whole lotta learning going on.

Better Homes and Gardens we are NOT

My house was clean...yesterday. 

Today however is a different story.  School books cover just about every flat surface.  My cute fall centerpiece pushed aside on the dining room table is now replaced by the remnants of a science project.  Legos...isn't it always the Legos?...litter the floor.

In years past this would have bothered me - immensely.  I think my post-depression self is a whole lot more laid back about most things.  Thank God for that!  Use to be I couldn't sit down and relax in a room that needed to be picked up.  I've learned that if you prop your feet up and close your eyes, you don't know if it's messy or not!

Seriously though, this is the life of a homeschool family.  We are home together all day.  That's a lot of people around to make messes.  When we're not home, we're running from this practice to that, leaving piles of stuff in our wake.  This is life.  I can let myself get stressed over the fact that things are not always tidy, or I can realize that all too soon the kids will be grown, my time as teacher done and I'll have all the time I want for a tidy home.  In the meantime, I've learned to adjust my expectations, bringing them more in line with my reality.

So yes, my house was clean yesterday.  Sorry you missed it! 

Life is messy - wear goulashes

This week kicked me in the butt.

We survived the first week back to school.  I wish I could say it was great...that we all jumped back in with enthusiasm, worked hard and had wonderful attitudes.  I wish I could say that.  No, it was more like slogging our way through the trenches doing the best we could to keep the mud out of our eyes.  We were all exhausted and quite dirty by the end of it all, but we got it all done.  Well, unless you count the two dental appointments on two different days that I completely forgot...but I'm not counting those. 

Along with the usual craziness of wrangling the troops there were some landmines thrown in as well.  You know, the things you never saw coming that totally throw you for a loop.  Funny thing about landmines is when they go off life around them doesn't stop.  You're still left to do all the normal, daily stuff with one hand while trying to clean up a mess with the other.  It's part of life.  Part of living in a fallen world I guess. 

The important thing is we survived and lived to see another week.  Here's hoping it's a bit smoother and a whole lot less messy, but just in case I'm wearing my goulashes.

So it begins

"So it begins." Gandalf in Return of the King

Granted Gandalf was referring to the last battle for middle Earth and the end of all mankind...this is just the first day of school, but if feels a lot like going to war.  We've prepared and prayed and waited.  And now it begins.  Thankfully our outcome is a bit surer than that of our LOTR friends.

Emma and I got a head start last week and had a wonderful time learning about China with Five In A Row and The Story of Ping. This week the boys hit the books along with us. There's still a lot of craziness with multiple football practices, but I've been assuring them they can do it. They are set on convincing me they cannot. I bet I win.

Homeschooling is a lot like living in a one room school house. This year I'll be "attending" high school, Jr. High, 4th and 1st. Deep breathe...deep breathe. Add in sports, church, hs group, hearth and home and I honestly don't know HOW it will all get done, but somehow it always does. It's a lot like tithing. Give 10% to God and He somehow stretches the rest. I can't explain it, but I trust as I do it for His glory that He will make it work.

Our favorite Lord of the Rings characters needed strength, courage and an amazing bow wielding elf to accomplish their task.  I'll need copious amounts of coffee and equal amounts of prayer to accomplish mine.  Come to think of it, maybe the bow wielding elf might come in handy too.