Homeschool Blessings

Friday Photo Bliss -

2011-07-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Rita at the CoffeeShop Blog , I'm posting a photo for "Friday Photo Bliss." The goal is to post a photo that makes you smile, makes you happy, the photo from your week that just puts that big, cheesey grin on your face! You know the one! The goofy grin that you get without even realizing it and then when you DO realize it's spread across your face- you look around to see if anyone else sees you sitting there, alone, with that big, funny smile! :) I LOVE that kind of happiness!

So, thank you Rita for such an inspirational idea! My photo this week is of a dear, sweet friend of mine nursing her gorgeous baby. You only see the baby's feet ;) because I noticed her feet first. They were rubbing together :) so comfortably as if she was the most peaceful, happy, and secure infant in the world! Just an amazing moment - a blessing from God that we dont' always take time to notice. I didn't interrupt, I just snapped those sweet, soft little feet from across the way and smiled.

So, that's my Friday Photo Bliss... and here she is... I hope it gives you a big, silly, happy grin! Or at least warms your heart!
http://www.beatusdesigns.com

Tim Hawkins

2009-05-22T06:16:00.001-07:00

Okay, we've all seen it 100s of times but its still funny everytime I watch it :)!!!

Free Geography Resource

2009-05-17T17:53:00.000-07:00

I happened across this AMAZING geography resource today and I thought I'd share. :) My husband and son purchased me a new computer today with a screen I can actually SEE again :) after my laptop has had a SLOW death over the past few months. I pray this will help me in getting back to my blogs and sharing the great information we find as we journey down our homeschooling road using the Charlotte Mason "style" of education!

We really need to focus more on geography here so as I was looking at some resources I came across this great, FREE page that allows you to print all kinds of maps, flags, river routes, and more. I hope you enjoy it! :)

World Atlas. Com

2009-04-26T16:02:00.001-07:00

HEAV Convention coming! Don't Miss Out! :)

2009-04-21T04:25:00.000-07:00

HEAV’s Virginia Homeschool Convention offers 301-booth Exhibit Hall; a giant Used Curriculum Sale (39,000+ items last year); a Children’s Program; 119+ workshops on preschool, high school, college and career, special needs, character training, culture wars, courtship, home business; and MUCH more. Speakers include Voddie Baucham, Carol Barnier, Joel Salatin, Inge Cannon, Jessica Hulcy, Steve Demme, Dianne Craft, Adam Andrews, Debbie Strayer, and many others! Four FREE how-to-begin sessions on Thursday and FREE shopping Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m. Qualifying parents of preschoolers and non-homeschooling grandparents attend FREE! For more information, call 804-278-9200, e-mail office@heav.org, or visit http://www.heav.org/convention/convention.

Free Birdwatching Resource!

2009-04-13T06:37:00.000-07:00

Homeschool Resource of the Day is offering a wonderful FREEBIE today.

The title of today's "Freebie" is "Birdwatching for Beginners: A Guide for Homeschoolers (PDF ebook) "

How to get started, what resources and equipment you need, where to find birds and how to identify them, how to keep records of your sightings, "etiquette" for watchers, how to attract birds to your own back yard, and much more!

I downloaded a copy for myself and there is some great information - download your free copy today only at

http://www.homeschoolfreebieoftheday.com/

Love & Blessings!

Tiffany

Posting New Lesson Plans, Unit Studies, Favorite Books, & MORE

2009-04-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

Free "Incomplete" Lesson Plans, Units, Book Recommendations, & Ideas

I realized over the past couple of weeks (as I'm ATTEMPTING Spring Cleaning) that I have NOTEBOOKS full of ideas, lessons that we've done, lessons that we're going to do, and other information just stacked on my bookshelf.

My goal in putting them on paper was so that I can use them in our home school lessons - I try to write all of our curriculum with the exception of Math for my 2nd grader - and also to remember them so I can eventually share them with others.

What I have realized is that whether they are completed or not - they are not helping anyone by sitting in books on my floor or bookcase.

I have waited on posting them because they are not "complete" but who am I to knwo what someone else might need. Maybe someone else is studying mammals and just needs a good lagomorph book selection or maybe someone is looking for a nice wind or rain poem.

So - for those of you who (a lot like myself) go crazy over "incomplete" plans - BEWARE lol - its probably not for you but for others who just want a glimpse or idea - I'm going to go through these notebooks over the next couple of weeks and blog and post what I have. As is for now - maybe it will strike me to finish some of them early.

So- if you are interested - I pray you can find information, books, or ideas that help you and your children in your own homeschool. It is such an enormous BLESSING to be home with my children and have the power to shape their hearts and their minds each and every day. I know those who have come before us suffered trials so that we can have this opportunity a we should not take any of it for granted. With that - I believe in helping each other and sharing the resources and ideas we have.

Prayer from the book "Bible Verses for Busy Moms" on raising children~

"Loving Creator,

I thank you for the gift of children. What joy my kids bring to my lie! At times, I feel so inadequate, so unprepared to be their mom. Father, as I care for their little odies, help me to nurture their minds and spirits, so tey grow to love you and to be shining examples of your Kingdom on Earth. Amen."

~ As homeschoolers we have such a unique and substantial opportunity to raise our children to be these "shining examples" let us not take it for granted but feel the TRUE blessing it brings each and every day no matter whether the kids are angels or its a day of struggles. The Lord is in control of it all and we are each SO blessed!

Love & Blessings!

Tiffany

Back & Ready to Go...

2009-03-31T06:14:00.000-07:00

As life happens, often things have to be put "on the back burner" as we focus on more important things that need our attention. We must set priorities.

"In everything you do, put God first, He will direct you and crown your efforts with success." ~Proverbs 3:6

In that, we must pray for God to lead us - to help us sort through our "tasks" and responsibilities and He will show us where our focus needs to be and what needs to be set aside for the time being.

In doing this - I needed to let the blogs "rest" for a bit of time. As things are coming back to "normal" - if there is such a thing for homeschooling, busy families-- I am so excited to be back to my blogs and writing again. Connecting with all of you on nature study, homeschooling, Charlotte Mason, our curriculum, Bible Study, and any and everything else that races through this mind of mine!

A brief overview of our week looks like this:

Bible Study - Finish Exodus, Review Passover, Faith

Mon- Old Testament Activity Guide - Read - pp. 57-59 - Passover-

Activity- Making Unleavened Bread

Tues- Leading Little Ones to God - Read & Discuss pp. 23-24 - "God is Faithful"

Wed. - Leading Little Ones to God - Read & Discuss pp. 30-31

Thurs - we have Chapel at our Homeschool COOP

Fri - Each Friday we read a Missionary Story , map out the mission, and discuss. We are currently working on "Missionary Stories with the Millers" I choose one chapter a week.

(We take any rabbit trails with these we find interesting. We did a unit on Gladys Alyward earlier in the year. )

Literature- Blue Fairy Book, wrap up remaining classic picture books
Mon- Read "Mike Mulligan & His Steam Shovel" - Narrate
Tues- Read "Blue Fairy Book - Why the Sea is Salt" - Narrate
Wed. - Read "Blue Fairy Book - Little Red Riding Hood" - Narrate
Thurs- Read "The Story of Ferdinand" - Narrate
Fri - Read "Chanticleer & The Fox" - Narrate
Aesop's Fables - 1 story/ 3 days/ week - Discuss Moral of the Story - You can download these free to audio and then burn them to a CD. I often do this and we play them in the car on the way to our sports classes and practices. You can also downoad "The Blue Fairy Book" in the same way.

Math- 2nd grader- division (we use Abeka Arithmetic 2 for him. This is the only packaged curriculum we use. He is working on LEssons 111, 114-117 this week.
Kindergarteners- subtraction and addition with word problems. They are using "First Lessons in Numbers" which can be found here for free. We are going back and reviewing Lessons 10-15.

Reading - Fluency & Phonics for all 3

Mon, Wed, & Fri -- 2nd grader - McGuffey Eclectic Second Reader. He reads to me Lessons 40-42. Then I ask him the questions at the end of each lesson while we are still snuggled up on the couch. We discuss the lesson and then I have him read me the words listed at the end of the lesson.

Mon, Wed, & Fri - Kindergarteners - McGuffey's Eclectic Primary Reader - Lessons 13-15. I sit again on the couch with each of my daughters indiviually and they read the letters and words at the top of the lesson and then they read the sentences in the lesson to me. We review any phonics rules or sight words they struggle with.

With all 3 of my children - if they have difficulties with any particular word or phonics rules I jot them down. For my K's I add them to their weekly Word Mastery lists and for my 2nd grader I add it to his weekly Word Mastery list AND jot it down to add to his spelling list as well.

Tues & Thurs - Word Mastery for all 3 children - - I may or may not do this in the way that others do. I have to do what works for us. So, we use the word mastery lists in two ways. First - if we have time - I write them each a list of words from their word mastery lesson on our white board and they take turns reading through their lists for each other and myself. If (since Tues & Thurs are sports' class days for us) it is a day that we don't have time to do it on the whiteboard then I make flashcards by simply writing the words from each of their weekly lessons on index cards and flash them up to them as we drive or sit at lights on the way to their sports classes. They can also practice them with me while their siblings are in their classes. It works great :)! And takes some of

Spelling - Final week of Lesson 15 - Various O sounds

Nature Study - Mammals continued - taking a SHORT 5 day break from lagomorphs to do a Nature Study on dogs this week. We will continue talking about lagomorphs in easy conversation this week but focus our nature study on dogs.

Life Skills - We have several things going on with nature study. We are planting seeds and cleaning the gardens because it is required of us this time of year. I have listed this under Life Skills but the children certainly continue to learn nature study as well.

History- Continue our study on Ancient Egypt Pharoahs & Mummies. Complete our Mummy Projects.

Music - Wrapping up our Composer Study on Johann Sebastian Bach.

Art Study- Finishing our Artist Study on Pierre Auguste Renoir.

PE/ Sports/ Excercise - 2nd grade son - Strength Training classes, Taekwondo classes, Forms Team Practice, Sparring Team Practice, Riding Bicycle, skateboarding, and playing outside.

Kindergarten daugters- Dance class, gymnastics class, yoga, and playing outside.

2008-06-15T21:39:00.000-07:00

I saw this over at Bona Vita Rusticanda Est and thought it looked like fun.
How it works:
1.grab the book closest to you
2.open it to page 161
3. find the fifth full sentence
4.post the text of the sentence to your blog
5.don't search around for the coolest book you have, use the one that is really next to you.

Okay, So the closest book to me happens to be, "Ten Apples Up on Top" by Dr. Seuss....
No page 161! Ah the tragedy!

Okay, so the NEXT closest book to me (watch it will be something embarrassing lol)
"Paddle to the Sea" EE Gads - are there too many children here or can you just tell I homeschool? :)

Last chance -REACHING---

FINALLY
It is (still one of the children's but that's okay :)

The Red Fairy Book ~ Andrew Lang of course~
"Then she put on a gorgeous robe of lilac satin
lined with blue, and a yellow petticoat trimmed with violet ribbons, and because
she had heard that queens always rode into thier new dominions, she ordered a
horse to be made ready for her to ride."

Homeschooling

2008-06-11T07:18:00.001-07:00

I feel both called and blessed to be a homeschooling mom. I don't think there's anything more important I could do with my life than to train, love, and educate my children.

It is not always easy - I struggled - especially the first year with decisions and curriculum and whether they were doing okay- until I realized that I need to "Let go and Let God".

And when I let go - I discovered a teaching/homeschooling method that couldn't have been a more perfect fit for us. We now use a Charlotte Mason style to educate our children. It is not perfect, I will never claim to school my children JUST as Ms. Mason did or as she called for. I am still learning along with the children. But - the use of narration, REAL living books, nature study, copywork, and methods from other women such as Ruth Beechick, just FIT us and make us all so much more relaxed and happy. The growth and education of my children using these methods astounds me! I am amazed constantly that this glorious, NATURAL method of living and learning has worked so amazingly well! My children constantly delight and challenge me and I feel so incredibly blessed!

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." - Phillippians 4:13