THINGS I'M THANKFUL FOR TODAY...

* Cooler weather, finally!

* My friend, Kristen, whom God has blessed me with. Today she came over and helped me fold at least 6 loads of laundry! Not too many friends will do that! :)

* Myah's attitude towards school has been VERY pleasant and eager to learn.

* I feel like we're getting into a good routine with school.

* Myah sat and read to me for 20 minutes straight today -- no complaints! (& SHE WAS READING!!!)

* A long weekend ahead to be filled with family time.

* Jesus' love which fills me new every day!

* Forgiveness of my sins and His gift of salvation!

* A husband who loves me, but loves Jesus more.

* Food in my cupboards and a bed to sleep on.

* Two of my children are getting good naps!

* It's almost 4:30 and that means Evan will be home soon!

A GREAT QUOTE

"Here is my Bible. Here is all the money I have. Here is me. Find some way to use me, God!" --Gladys Aylward

MORE THOUGHTS ON HOME SCHOOLING....

Sorry if you're getting tired of all my home schooling posts, but that is what is encompassing my life right now. I recently read a really interesting article on Unit Studies, of which I've always been a fan of, and I'm tucking this information away in my mind (& my files!) for possible use in the future. I sort of feel like I'm using unit studies, but with children's literature right now through "Five In a Row".

I find myself never content. Whenever we're in the middle of something, my mind is always racing to "What else could we be doing that is better?" even if what we're doing is really good. I struggle with enjoying the journey and finding joy in every moment, when my thoughts are always focused on the end result. I don't want to be caught up in the mindset that "we have to get through this so we can check it off our list", but so often I catch my brain playing that game.

Just some random thoughts for today...

FULLY INTO HOME SCHOOLING...

...and life is crazy! I just wanted to reflect after a week into this new year of tackling the books. So far, for the most part, I have stuck with my schedule like I had hoped. We do morning jars first thing to get our day going, and then we sit down for Five in a Row. I haven't incorporated all the calendar stuff into it yet, but Myah has a pretty good handle on that stuff, and Joel just isn't interested so I just haven't felt the pressure to do that.

"The Story About Ping" was our first FIAR book we used. It's a great story about a little duck who lives on the Yangtze River in China. It's a great lesson about how sometimes it's just better to suffer the consequences for our actions than to run away from them. We had a really good discussion on discernment, and how usually tempting situations aren't always what they seem. We've had great lessons in art on reflection and drawing water. We talked about the terms classic, repetition, fiction, illustrator and author. We made a vocabulary box, where she draws pictures to help her remember the words. We had a geography lesson and talked a little about the traditions and culture of China, and what it might be like to live on a house boat. We counted all 60-some members of Ping's family using tally marks and rocks. We made egg rolls, fried rice and egg drop soup for dinner tonight. I think her favorite part was rolling the egg rolls and eating the rice. Tomorrow we will finish up with a science lesson on buoyancy. It's been a fun week with Ping.

We do Phonics and Math with our Lifepacs in the afternoon. I must confess I'm a little disappointed at this stage with this curriculum. Hopefully things get better as time goes on. Right now, it just doesn't seem to be challenging her at all. Kind of makes me miss Horizons! (Did I just say that???) Also, I'm not sure I would recommend the Bible set at all, at least not for a first grader. I would use it more at the Pre-school/Kindergarten level.

Just my reflections after a busy week of getting back into a routine.

POST CARD BUDDIES??

I was wondering if any of you may have a child willing to be a post card buddy with Myah. I read a new idea today in Family Fun magazine (I finally subscribed to it -- only $10 when you do it on-line!) about having your child choose, write, address, stamp and mail their own postcards on a weekly basis. Obviously grandparents will be recipients, but I also thought it might be fun to interact with other kids her age. If you may be interested, just let me know via e-mail or in the comments section. It doesn't have to be a big commitment. Just maybe even replying one time once you receive a card from her. I really think this could be a fun project for all those involved! Kids love to get their own mail, and it would be great practice for letter writing as well.

CAN'T BELIEVE HOW FAST THEY GROW!!!

Click here to see the latest studio portraits of my kids. These were taken earlier this month. They are growing up way too fast!!

MY FAVORITE SEASON IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!

Fall is and for as long as I can remember has been my favorite season. I love everything about it...the changing colors, cooler temps (after a HOT summer!), pumpkin patches, apple picking -- (which isn't possible where I live now, but I can still make apple pies & crisp!), enjoying the hard labors of our gardening, pulling out my sweaters, etc. Though spring is close behind, fall still rates at the top of my list.

Backing up a few years, I have some wonderful memories with Evan in the fall season as well. When we were dating, we took this great hike along the Kalamazoo River. It was so gorgeous! We took some great pictures, but I remember them not doing the beauty of what was around us justice. Hiking in the fall is one of my favorite things to do, and though we've taken many hikes together in the fall, that one just stands out in my head as being one I'll never forget.

I also remember my first hunting season with Evan. I sat for hours up in a tree stand just waiting for a deer to come by. I had done it all -- showered with non-smelling soaps and shampoo, wore all the camo gear and froze my buns off just waiting. When my deer finally did come by, I didn't want to shoot it because it was this goofy looking thing. I wanted a pretty deer for my first deer, not something that everyone would laugh at me for! Last year, I did actually take my first animal -- an antelope. Evan & I had such a great time that day. I think he was pretty proud of his wife -- just the fact that I FINALLY had a successful hunting trip. :) There's something about antelope hunting, too. They are just beautiful animals and amazing creatures to watch. I'm really looking forward to getting out with him this year as well. I have an elk, antelope and a deer tag. We'll see what all gets filled.

We are also looking forward to one last mini-vacation this fall yet. Some friends of ours are driving out from MI to spend some time camping with us the end of September. We plan to take about 5 days or so, and do some trail-riding and exploring, both in and outside of Yellowstone Park. Fall is one of the best times to visit Yellowstone. The elk are in rut and and their antlers are just beautiful. It's a great time for photographing, both animals and the family. We like to try to get good pictures of the kids and even a family photo there when we go in the fall. It's just beautiful.

Anyhow, just had some reminiscing thoughts about the fall season. Tomorrow looks to be 95 degrees here, so even though some of the trees around here are already starting to change colors (most likely due to the drought!) it still just doesn't seem like fall yet. I'm waiting, though.

GREAT TIPS TO MAKE LIFE EASIER
(I got these off an e-mail and thought they were good enough to post!)

Reheating Pizza
Set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy.
No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.
Mona, Orlando, FL

Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all
broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up
mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into
egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.
Janet, Killeen, TX

Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it
with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You
get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat
less sugar/calories per serving.
Kathy, Mesick, MI

Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place
them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will
keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.
Dave, Camden, DE

Newspaper weeds away
Start putting in your plants,work the nutrients in your soil. Wet
newspapers put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover
with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some
gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.
Linda, Monmouth Jct., NJ

Broken Glass
Use a dry cotton ball to pick up little broken glass pieces of
glass- the fibers catch ones you can't see!
Olive, Santee, CA

No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
Diane, Moran, SC

Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with
cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the
squirrels won't come near it.
Kathy, Maumelle, AR

Easier thank you's
When you throw a bridal/baby shower, buy a pack of thank you cards
for the guest of honor. During the party, pass out the envelopes and
have everyone put their address on one. When the bride/new mom sends
the thank you's, they're all addressed!
Jessica, Saint Johns, MI

New Bike
If you purchase a new bike for your child, place their picture
inside the handle bar before placing the grips on. if the bike is
stolen and later recovered, remove the grip and there is your proof
who owns the bike.
Janet, Carthage, IL

Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with
hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup. Next, add
your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it
comes right out.
Kim, Goldsboro, NC

Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the
glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser!
Works better than a cloth!
Alicia, Tampa, FL

Reopening Envelope
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include
something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for
an hour or two. Voila! It unseals easily.
Mary, Lockhart, TX

Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper
than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a
great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when
you tried it in your hair...
Kerry, Canada,

Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1/2"
with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dishwashing liquid, mix
well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!
Barbra, Birch Run, MI

Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it
"home," & can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or
so, esp. if it rains, but it works & you don't have the worry about
pets or small children being harmed!
Teresa, Mitchell, SD

Take Baby Powder to the Beach(Embedded image moved to file: pic01278.gif)
Keep a small bottle of baby powder in your beach bag. When you're
ready to leave the beach sprinkle yourself and kids with the powder
and the sand will slide right off your skin.

5 IN A ROW

I am SO EXCITED about this curriculum this year. I just got it in the mail, and am even more pleased than I thought I would be with it. There are 4 volumes to 5 In a Row, and also a "Before 5 In a Row" and an "After 5 In a Row". So far, I only ordered Volume 1, which is designed to get me through January.

It's set up like this. Basically, you spend one week focusing on a particular book. The first story is "The Story About Ping" by Marjorie Flack. Each day, you focus on a different aspect of the story -- Social Studies, Language Arts, Art, Math and Science. The neat thing is, they give more ideas for each subject area than you can possibly cover, so something offered will fit each child. For example, Ping takes place along the Yangtze River, so in Social Studies, one of the ideas is to locate that river on a map and discuss how long 4000 miles really is in comparison to something familiar with the child. It goes into discussing the population and culture of China, etc. The biggest benefit is that it gives you all this information right there, and you don't have to do the research yourself! I appreciate this!

I also ordered the Cookbook to go along with this series, and am so glad I did! Along with a wealth of information about setting the table, table manners, kitchen safety, etc., each week there is a meal that coordinates with the story for the children to help cook. This goes right along with my idea for Myah cooking her own thing each week! For example, to go along with Ping, we will make egg rolls, fried rice, & egg drop soup. We may even attempt to use chop sticks to eat it with! Fun ideas! I'm so looking forward to diving in this year! I just hope my kids enjoy it as much as I will!

A GREAT ARTICLE ON HOMESCHOOLING...

... written by Steve Walden, editor of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, is available here. This was especially good for me to read as a former teacher who still often doubts my ability to homeschool. The following are a few quotes from the article.

"Even now, [statistics] show that there is no difference in test scores [in homeschooled children] from parents that have only a high school diploma as [compared] to one who actually has a PhD. Actually, in some cases they score better, because it's harder for parents who have PhDs and teaching degrees to homeschool. . . . Some of the people I've helped the most to dispel their fears of homeschooling [their kids] are teachers.

Steve: Really? You would think that someone from such a high level of education would be able to say, 'Well, I've had training. I should be able to handle this. I should at least be able to carry them through high school.'

Treon: Well, you know, some of them--what they've told me is that they're taught more crowd control than anything. They're taught how to manage a classroom. They're not taught how to individually teach their students. And that frightens them. . . . As a matter of fact, just this last year, one of the moms came up to me . . . who was a teacher and decided to go home. [She] was terrified of teaching her own kids. I spent time with her at this meeting just reassuring her that 'Yes, you can do this. Absolutely. Basically, just forget everything you've learned in teachers' college and get real and be a mom.'

A lot of parents, especially moms, feel inadequate to teach some subjects like science. I have my doubts about my abilities at times. But then I remember some key Scripture passages that bring me around like smelling salts."

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. - 2 Cor. 12:9 (NIV)

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." - 1 Cor. 1:26-31 (NIV)

TRIPLE-CHOCOLATE QUICK BREAD

I realized it's been a while since I've posted a recipe. I made this yesterday, and though it's more like a dessert than bread, my family all gave it the thumbs up! :)

1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips, melted (I used regular size)
1-1/2 cups applesauce
2 tsp. vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. each baking powder, baking soda and salt
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

GLAZE:
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. butter
2-3 Tbsp. half and half cream (I used whole milk)
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla

1) Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and melted chocolate; mix well. Add applesauce and vanilla. Set aside.

2) Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.

3) Spoon the batter into four greased 5-1/2 X 3 X 2 inch loaf pans (or 2 regular loaf pans). Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until done. (Longer for larger pans) Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

4) For the glaze, melt choc. chips an butter in saucepan; stir in cream. Remove from the heat; stir in sugar, vanilla. Drizzle over warm bread.

FUN ON THE FARM

Myah getting some target practice in with Daddy

Mommy and the girls playing on the hay bales

Kiana

Joel...boots and all with those shorts!

Myah

...and yes, even Mommy had to jump the hay bales! :)

MORNING JARS

I was recently reading an article in Family Fun magazine, which I don’t currently subscribe to, but hope to someday, about how to make chores more fun and less of a battle. One of their ideas was to give each child their own jar. Every day, mom writes on strips of paper different tasks to be done. Then the child picks one strip at a time, goes and does that, then comes back for another strip. The neat thing is, they don’t all have chores on them. I got really excited when I started to think about all that could be incorporated in this activity. For example, some papers will be fun tasks, like "Choose 1 piece of candy" or "Give mom a hug". In reality, there may only be 2-3 chores actually in the jar per day, but they are learning to do them, and at the same time, they are having fun! Here were some of my thoughts, and feel free to submit any more ideas that you may have to add. I tried this today for the first time, and my kids loved it, and accomplished everything in their jars. My only fear is that unless I have new ideas all the time, this may get old. I’m hoping not, but we’ll cross that bridge if it comes. Here were some of my ideas:

CHORES:
 Get dressed
 Brush teeth
 Make bed
 Feed dogs
 Unload dishwasher (or just the silverware, which is Joel’s job!)
 Dust living room
 Wipe down bathroom counter
 Fold a basket full of towels and put away
 Etc.

FUN IDEAS:
 Enjoy 1 piece of candy from the candy jar
 Give Mom a hug
 Give your sibling a high five
 Do a summersault!
 Do 5 jumping jacks
 I need more of these!!!

ACADEMIC:
 Set timer for 5 minutes and review flashcards
 Write/draw a journal entry
 Look at 3 pictures, write the word for what each one is and color them
 The ideas here are endless and could go right along with whatever they’re learning at the time as a way to review before starting the day.

The key to this is to thoroughly explain each strip ahead of time so they know exactly what is expected of them before they do it. The fun thing is everyday the strips can be different and you can add more as time goes on. My goal is to teach them how to do household tasks without them complaining, and also to make it fun. Each jar can be specially made for each child’s ability, but you can also make a race out of it, with inspection time to follow of course! One last thought is to be sure to explain what the strips say ahead of time and even put pictures on them so they understand what the task is without needing to be able to read it. Oh yeah, and crank up the music! It gets everyone's blood flowing a bit faster and keeps things light! :)

HOMESCHOOL ON THE BRAIN!

It’s sneaking up faster than I thought it would, but starting a new year of homeschooling is just around the corner! Unfortunately I didn’t do much “maintenance” with Myah this summer like I had originally planned, but we’ll just take some time to review things before diving back in full force if we have to. I think she appreciated not having to think about it at all, and I know I did!

I just placed my big order for the year to CBD for homeschool materials, and though I spent LOTS of time pouring over sample pages and different options, I still forgot a few things, of course. But, I’m pretty excited about some new changes we’re making in curriculum. I decided to switch from Alpha Omega Horizons to their Lifepacs series with a big portion of our schooling to be done through the “5 In a Row” curriculum, because all my children can participate in that.

As I started to ponder and really pray about where God was leading us this year, I really wanted to keep in mind my two youngest ones and try to have fun including them in projects as well. Horizons, which is what we used last year, was not set up that way at all. It was a lot of “seat work” which required my complete attention most of the time, and though Myah learned a lot from it, she really didn’t enjoy it all that much. I also wanted to focus more on children’s literature this year than I did last year.

More for my sake than yours, here is a tentative daily schedule I’ve been throwing around:

8-9 Morning Jars (later post to come explaining this…)
9-10:30 Reading Time (designed to include all interested children)
* calendar
* devotional thought/prayer time/Scripture memory
* Misc. Reading (History for Little Pilgrims, Nature Readers, etc.)
* "5 in a Row" story time and project (I will focus on Literature, Art, Science, History) – I’ll try to explain "5 in a Row" in a later post as well.

10:30-12:00 Play time
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch time
1:00 – Naptime/playtime for Joel and Kiana
Myah Lifepacs: Math, Phonics, Bible

I can guarantee that every day won’t look like this, but it’s a good goal to aim for. On Tuesdays, we plan to spend doing some school with Myah’s friend, Savannah, in Billings. Not sure what all that will entail either, but it will be a nice break in our week.

THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE MAGAZINE

Though I haven't yet decided if I want to subscribe to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, I've heard many good things about it. It's a magazine for homeschool families. (If you're a pastor, you can subscribe for free for one year...just an FYI...) I have signed up for several of their free e-mail newsletters, so if I like what I receive from them, I may pay the $22 for the magazine. The free newsletters include things like free thematic unit studies, science ideas, this month in history and even homesteading ideas (canning, drying foods, old-time cooking, utilizing alternative power, raising farm animals, gardening, water purification the old way, herbs and uses, alternative health, soapmaking, cheesemaking, bread and tortilla making, candlemaking, spinning, bleach alternatives, etc.) I thought it sounded very informative. Does anyone subscribe to this, and if so, do you recommend it? Michael and Debi Pearl recommend it, so that's what first sparked my interest, and then I also noticed it on Family First blog.

SILVER

I got this off an e-mail and wanted to post it:

Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver , but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

BIG GOD

I loved this section in my "Believing God Devotional Journal" by Beth Moore and wanted to share it with you.

"All human attempts to define God cannot help but minimize Him. We try to make God behave and fit into our textbooks. We want Him to calm down and not be so... God-ish. We decide we will only believe what we can humanly reconcile.

But all attempts to take away the mystery and wonder that surround God leave Him being pictured as something He is not. We cannot tame the Lion of Judah. There is a mystery, a wonder, and, yes, even a wildness about God we cannot take from Him. Nor would we want to take it away -- even if it would enable us to fully, humanly grasp the adventure of Him.

We must beware of recreating an image of God that makes us feel better about ourselves or puffs our desperate, prideful desire to feel smarter than we are. If we can come up with a God we can fully explain, we have come up with a different God than the Bible's.

Of this I'm certain: if in our pursuit of greater knowledge, God seems to have gotten smaller, we have been deceived. I don't care how intelligent the deceiver seems or how well-meaning and sincere his or her doctrine is."

FEW MORE CAMPING PICS!

Kiana picking wildflowers!

Myah and Kiana

Mommy & Kiana hiking to Beauty Lake

Joel & Myah

Daddy reading Farmer Boy before bed


Joel's fish!