TOS – Special pricing about to expire

Going . . . going . . . almost gone!


The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine is saying good-bye to their $7.95 subscription price (one year, U.S.) and international sale prices of 40% off at midnight on December 31, 2009. There is still time to treat yourself or share the gift of homeschool encouragement with your family and friends.



Receive 4 issues of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine RIGHT NOW for only $7.95 (U.S.)! That is less than $2 per issue. Canadian and international subscribers save 40%! Your subscription will start with the Spring 2010 issue. This includes one-year gift subscriptions!


Order the one-year plus current issue option and enjoy the Winter issue in January 2010 for only $12.95 (U.S.)!


Plus, new and renewing U.S. subscribers receive bonus gifts!

 

Get all of the details here.



http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/Homeschooling/Almost-Gone.htm



Hurry! December 31 is the deadline for the sale prices!



I am a subscriber to TOS and I LOVE it! I don't know what I would have done without TOS this past year as I journeyed into homeschooling my 3 angels. Just a thought, folks, just a thought.

Fantastic Deal on TOS! WOW!

I love The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. Now they have made it even more affordable for folks. Check it out because this is a fantastic deal!!!!! Here's the offer, but hurry. It ends at midnight tonight, Oct. 30, 2009. 

 

We are a magazine with a heart for homeschooling.

Through the years, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine has reached thousands of homeschooling families like yours around the world--each with different homeschooling styles and needs, but the same goal of providing the best education possible for your children.

Each family is unique and TOS Magazine provides a variety of content from experts and homeschooing families just like yours. They share their triumphs and trials, ideas and resources.

Now, you can enjoy a one-year subscription for only $7.95!

The Real Deal--Get at least $100 worth of gifts for FREE!

These are tight economic times. Many homeschooling families are sacrificing extra income to provide an education for their children.

At TOS Magazine we support and stand with you, in your convictions and in this economy. That is why we are delivering big savings on subscriptions and at least $100 worth of free gifts!

Subscribe or renew for one year (U.S., print) and pay only $7.95. PLUS, receive 10 FREE gifts--while supplies last!

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Hurry! The 10 gifts are gone at midnight on October 30!

How do you get the 68% savings and 10 free gifts of your choice?

It is so easy to get all of these goodies!

Here's what you need to do:

1. Place the one-year, print (U.S.) subscription in your cart. Or you can purchase a one-year subscription plus current issue (U.S.) for only $5.00 more. Or purchase a gift sub for friends!
   
2. Enter coupon code 10GIFTS at checkout.
3. Complete the checkout process.
4. We will email you a gift selection form after your purchase.
5. Complete and return this form via email.
6. We'll U.S. mail you 10 gift cards which can be redeemed for the gifts via U.S. mail, though several companies will allow you to redeem online or by phone. All of the companies will pay the shipping to get the product to you--no strings attached. 
   
   

For our returning customers, you'll enjoy a FREE bonus gift.

With your renewal, you'll receive a FREE copy of Dreams and Designs--Homemade Supplies to Complement Your Homeschool! This bonus E-Book is in addition to the 10 FREE gifts! Renew now!
 

You'll receive one year of The Old Schoolhouse®
Magazine at a 40% savings and the E-Book Dreams and Designs for FREE!

With a spark of low-cost creativity and a few simple instructions . . . you'll be amazed! Design fun, easy-to-make learning aids and imaginative organizing tools using household items--and dream of your best homeschool year yet!

Read more about the Dreams and Designs: Homemade Supplies to Complement Your Homeschool E-Book.This $12.45 value is yours FREE, when you renew your Canadian or international subscription.

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What's going on?

Wow! Talk about slack. Whew! Can't say that I am the most "with it" can you? Well, I guess I can blame it on tons of things - but the main thing is that I just haven't made time to post. Have you ever felt that no matter what, you just can't seem to get your act together? Well, the past few weeks have definitely been that way for me. BUT that's ok. Because as my dear, dear friend, Patti pointed out to me, we homeschool to live not live to homeschool.

The girls are thriving! Absolutely, totally thriving. They love homeschooling. It's so funny to me that I used to be one of those "what about socialization" types of folks. You know the ones I'm talking about. Yep, that was me. My poor, poor girls! I think some days they wouldn't mind going back to public school just so they aren't run to death! Seriously, they really are loving it AND they are still learning!

So, what has been going on? Well, we have been hit with a few medical hic-ups. My MS has flared up big time over the past month. I have a new neurologist (one of the best MS specialists in the area) and he is running tons of baseline tests so we can try to get a handle on everything NOW instead of waiting until it is so bad we are playing catch up. So the past few weeks have been a little nutsy with tests and all. Just to tell you how awesome my girls are though (yes, I am about to brag!): went for an updated MRI which was supposed to only take about an hour. Well, it ended up taking over 2 and 1/2 hours. My baby girls were sitting in the waiting room that entire time, reading, playing their DS, taking naps (ok, so only Taylor slept!) and just chilling. I had so many folks come up to me when I FINALLY got out of the tube telling me how fabulous my girls were. Can you just imagine the pride that overflowed from me that day?

Then Kenne got this mulluscum thing. So we are tea tree oiling her twice daily and it is really helping. (ask me about Tea Tree oil if you don't know what I'm talking about! AMAZING!)

Then Taylor (why is it always Taylor?) got an infected belly button. That's right - her belly button is infected. Looks so nasty. But she may have scratched it while digging in it (you know, lint removal!) and it got all crusty and bloody. So after trying to treat it at home for a week, we ended up having to take her to the doc and get her a topical antibiotic.

So the past few weeks have been a little nutsy. Oh and on top of all that, my darling SBC (sister by choice) Erika felt called to start a soccer league for Northern Wake County homeschoolers. Well, who do you think just had to volunteer to be her admin coordinator? Oh and our co-op starts this upcoming week so I have been preparing for that. And finally, finally I have actually been working. Yay!!!!!! Maybe, just maybe the real estate market IS turning around. I just hope it's not a false turn around - know what I mean? But let's stay positive and that's for another post.

Love to all and may God bless you as richly as He has surely blessed us!

Our Curriculum

So many people have been asking us what curriculum we are using or "where do you get the stuff you teach?" It's so neat to talk about our curriculum choices. We are doing things pretty "normal" around here with the occasional jump "outside of the box."
Our main curriculum is Sonlight. Our history, geography & writing all center around the stories in Sonlight. For math and science we use Switched on Schoolhouse.
We love everything we have tried as of right now. Sonlight allows the girls and I to share in the learning experience and it is all laid out for me - virtually no planning on my part (well, not as much as it would be otherwise!). The SOS makes Kenne read the instructions. Because of that, she is learning to actually follow directions. Imagine that!?!?!?!
We have just started using a FREE (that's right, FREE) lesson plan based on the Book of Virtues. Loving it! Loving FREE! Loving what the girls are learning! For the twins we are using Sing, Spell, Read and Write for their Language Arts. For their math we use Horizons - which I got for FREE from a friend in our co-op.
Anyway, I could go on forever and ever about the FREE resources out there. . . .oh, wait! I think I will go on and on - in another blog post down the road.
Love to all!

May I introduce . . . Kelli, the patient one?

So many of my friends and family have asked me lately how I am managing to stay calm and actually have tons of patience. Well I am going to share my little secret with you. But first, let me tell you a little about the "old Kelli."

Back in the day, you know, back when the girls were NOT homeschooled (It seems like FOREVER ago!) I felt like a chicken running around with its head cut off. It was go, go, go – constantly go!!! After the girls had spent 7 hours in school they then came home to do their chores, then homework, then dinner, then soccer (or karate, or piano, or church, or . . . . . ). Then it was time to go BACK HOME and get their showers and throw them in bed. And Tim wondered why I was short tempered back in those days.

Now, let's meet the NEW KELLI!! Patient? Me? PUHLEASE!! But wait! It's really true! Kenne, my oldest, tells me everyday how wonderful her "new mommy" is. I do NOT feel rushed, I do NOT feel crazy! I do NOT feel like it is go, go, go . . . . .constantly go anymore! It is truly amazing how wonderful I feel by NOT going bonkers trying to fit my life (and that of my family) into the public school schedule. Here is a sample of our new daily schedule:

7:00 – I wake up, take my shower, brush my teeth, you know that kind of stuff.

7:30 – I have my quiet time with God (or QTWG)

8:00 – I wake the girls and they make their beds, get ready and all that jazz.

8:15 – I actually feed the girls. (that's right, breakfast! Before breakfast was a pop-tart or granola bar as we ran out the door! Now it is muffins, sausage biscuits, cinnamon rolls, cheese toast, and yes, bowls of cereal!)

While they are eating, I read the daily bible story to them from Studying God's World from Christian Liberty Press. They even have comprehension questions so I can make sure they are listening.

After they eat, they run and brush their teeth and brush their hair – all that "girly" stuff. By the time they finish, it is normally bout 9:00.

9:00 – 10:00 they do their chores (so do I) like emptying the litter box, dusting, putting clothes away, laundry, bathrooms etc.

10:00 – the school bell rings. No seriously, it really does. I have my computer scheduled to sound the alarm!

From 10:00 until 12:30 we are in class. We have morning announcements where we: Pray, say the Pledge of Allegiance, sing from Sonlight's Wee Sing and then we all get started on our materials for the day.

12:30 – we eat lunch

1:00 – Kenne (my 5^th grader) finishes her math and science and anything else she hasn't finished (like reading etc.) Taylor and Morgan (the twins) take this time to be QUIET!!!!! Ok, ok, so really this is their time to read, color, do some computer work – quiet time type activities.

2:00 – DISMISSAL!! That's right – after only 4 hours in "school" my girls are done. Now, once Kenne hits high school, I expect her hours will get more intense. However, she STILL will not have hours upon hours of homework to do once she gets home so she still comes out on top!

As for me – from 1:00 until 4:00 I get to work. Being a Realtor, business is pretty slow right now. But we are seeing a turn around so maybe it will pick up some and my husband won't have to carry the burden of supporting us all on his own.

So that is why, my dear friends, I am a happier person – there is actually TIME to enjoy my kids, myself, my job, their jobs blah, blah, blah, blah!!! Go ya get me?

Ok – so new Kelli is here, hopefully to stay. Do you know my girls ACTUALLY ask me why I smile all the time? I thought it was a given that I smiled all the time – but evidently I hadn't been smiling so much and now they are just ecstatic that mommy is smiling. Amazing, huh?

Thank you God! Thank you so much!!

The Homeschool Buyer Co-op

Boy oh boy am I slack, right? I may not have been posting like I should but I guarantee I have been far from idle. One of the things I have been researching is The Homeschool Buyer Co-op. And let me just tell you this. . . . IT IS AWESOME!! Take a peek for yourself and you will see why I haven't posted.

The Homeschool Buyer Co-op is a free homeschooling organization for both new and veteran homeschoolers. Co-op membership is free and confidential, and entitles homeschooling families to discounts from over a hundred educational suppliers. They also sponsor "Group Buys" for curriculum packages that save homerschooling families lots of money. On the site you'll find lots of free information, such as databases of free curriculum, field trips, and educational contests and scholarships. Highly recommended. Click here for more information.

Be on the lookout for more "freebie" hints coming your way! Take care!

Week 3 – sorta, kinda . . . .Maybe?

Well, another week down, but I don't know if we should count this one towards our hsing journey or not. Kenne did 2 days of hs but then we just quit for the rest of the week. BUT WAIT! Don't get your knickers in a twist. (I have always wanted to say that!) She participated in Science Camp this week through the public library system. FREE and she loved it. Wow! This year's focus was Chemistry, so every afternoon from 1 to 4 she went and hung out with 19 other boys and girls and completed these awesome science experiments. She really had a blast.

Oh, and one more great hurdle was jumped this week. We have officially (as opposed to unofficially?) committed to hsing the twins, NOW! Their first "official" day of hs will be this Monday. We are very excited and they are really into it. They were feeling left out and while they wanted to go to school to see their friends, each day they would ask why they couldn't stay home and homeschool, too. Evidently God did want them home because he allowed me to get my brain wrapped around everything and he guided me towards a very workable schedule so that I can teach each child, do my chores AND work some. Gotta love that. So folks that are clients . . . .please know that I have changed my office hours. They are now 1:00 until 4:00, nights and weekends by appointment.

Ok – what else, what else? Hmmmm. We are really doing great. Truly. It takes me a bit longer to realize that we do NOT have to stress about scheduling but once it does hit me upside the head, then all is good (like this past week! Why the heck was I going to make Kenne go thru basically 12 hours of school if you count the science camp plus the work she had to do before and after just to stay "on schedule?" Oh – and I realized that when we go to Gettysburg in September I am NOT going to do any hsing curriculum stuff, but instead focus on the experience itself.

We are just so blessed to have this opportunity to be with our girls. I told Tim, Oh darn! I forgot to buy a lottery ticket. Oh well! Anyway, I told Tim that my main reason for wanting to win the lottery is so he can stay home with us and quit having to work so hard to provide for us. He is missing out on so much of their growth that it just depresses me. Now, before you get all sappy, ask me if it depresses me enough to make me want to go and work a real, 9 to 5 kinda job so he can stay home with the girls. The answer to that is HECKARONI NO!!!!!!! Love him, mean it. . . . .but I am so selfish that I do not want to give up my time with the girls.

Ok – well, off to bed now. We had a very successful yardsale at my office in Wake Forest today and I am beat. Not only do I have a "heat" headache, but I am just plain exhausted.

Love to all and God bless!

Field Trip & Fun!

You know, I'm an old fashioned southern gal and I am used to having fresh vegetables and fruits and all that jazz. But since we had the twins, our time tables have gotten all messed up and we haven't had a garden in years! Trying to change the family's eating habits & save money really got me thinking. Then what do you know, the HS group I joined (Generations) posted a link about a produce co-op. When I was too late to the table (ha ha, pun definitely intended folks!) a wonderful lady in the group by the name of Anita, shared her knowledge with me. So, being the exploring kinda gal I am, I decided what a great field trip for Kenne! On Thursday morning, we packed up, dropped the twins off at public school (more to come on that) then headed to The State Farmer's Market. Oh My! Talk about a great experience. Now, folks, I have been to the market before & taken the girls and we all loved it. But I have never been to the bulk market. I got everything you see spread out on the dining room table . . . .are you ready for this? . . . . . $65! Now, I know with 1 dimension pictures it is hard to truly see what is there so I'll tell ya! I got a case of squash, case of snaps, 10 pounds of tators, 113 apples, case of peaches (case seen plus 18 more because I had already set up the dehydrator and the girls were wolfin' them down left and right) and 5 pineapples. Can you believe that? Oh my! Oh my!!!

Is that not amazing? So, Kenne's field trip for the week consisted of economics – she had to decide what we bought and which vendor to get it from (who had the better deal). In the next part (that comes from the field trip but is really conducted here at home) she will help me put up all this food by dehydrating, canning or freezing. We will also make some apple sauce later next week or early the following week once the apples of ripened a bit more.

So I would have to say our 2^nd week was another great success. Of course, we did have a bad day or two, but even those ended up ok. Oh, and we had our first "anti homeschooling" run in with one of Kenne's old friends. I knew it was inevitable but it still depressed us. Maybe I will be able to write about one day, but right now, let's just leave it at this: I am praying very hard that God wraps this little girl (the friend) in his arms and shows her his love because she needs it, very, VERY, badly.

Okee dokee – signing off for now. Y'all take care and thanks again for reading this. I'm doing it to keep all our friends and family posted on how it's going, definitely. But I am also doing this to keep a journal for future years so I can remember (we know how that memory thing just isn't a great thing with me!). So, love to all!

First week down, only 35 more to go!

Hot diggity dawg! We have had a blast this week! Being the type triple A personality that my great friend, Buck, accuses me of being, you know I had scheduled and spreadsheeted myself to death over homeschooling! I had a schedule for my schedule! But hey, it gives me something in writing to follow and if it is in writing, well, I tend to actually do it! So after this week, we are so excited. Kenne loves hsing. She loves it. I know it has only been a week, but she has made remarkable progress. It's like she has grown up overnight. I haven't had to string her up by her toenails just to get her to do her chores. She also is in love with reading – how the heckaroni did that happen? Tim and I both love to read, but she hated it! Well, when I say she hated it, she didn't really hate it! She just picked out a book because she thought the cover looked cool. Then that book would sit on her desk or her bed for WEEKS and she would never open it!

Now this rugrat BEGS to read. She is loving it! I thank Sonlight for that. Anyway, today she is having her spelling test and then moving on to Chapter 2 in her history and then she will read some more of her "living history" book and then she has the rest of the day off. I am just so proud of her!

I truly thank God for giving us this opportunity! It is a blessing to be able to do this with our children. I am trying to imagine life once we get the twins out of public school and I have to say, I am scared! Really scared! But oh well, God will provide the patience for me as I try to do His will.

Love to all! Oh – a friend asked how does she follow this blog – just click on the box up above that says "Follow Blog" it should show up in the Blog toolbar above. If it doesn't, just shoot me an email. Love to all of you! Off to watch School House Rocks right now – so we can watch a "Noun is a Noun." Gosh, I love this!

Happy 4th of July

Happy Independence Day everyone! I sure hope I homeschool better than I blog! J I haven't been too regular have I? Uh, regular as in blogging. . . .not anything else that needs regulating. (yep, that's what I'm talking about!)

Ok – seriously, I hope you guys had a fabulous 4^th of July and truly celebrated our independence. The girls got so excited thinking about how blessed we are to live in a country with as many freedoms as we have here. We are truly blessed you know. Sure, it's not perfect. But when you think about other countries and other trials folks face – we have it pretty easy, don't we?

Thank you, Lord, for the freedoms you have bestowed upon us and for allowing it to be our CHOICE to follow You. We love You so very much and truly hope to please You in all we do. In Your son's holy name, Amen.

Trials already . . . .and we haven’t even begun!

Happy Thursday to you! Well, I sure have gotten off to a horrible start, haven't I? Let's just say that we have had the crud passing through our house like crazy these last 2 weeks. Add to that a good friend from high school passing away and you have a lady who hasn't really been with it. Anyway, I guess you can tell that I finally got around to posting #9 on the must have's list. I will try my best to be more diligent in posting – but it has just been a quacky 2 weeks. So, enjoy and hopefully I will get into the habit and be better at posting regularly. Love to all!

Newbie Must Have’s #9

The willingness to learn from your child(ren). How many times did you hear as a child " . . . because I said so!" If we can take a step away from that mentality, we will see that our children can teach us just as much as we can teach them. Not only will we learn from the curriculum we choose for our children, but we will learn from their innocence. How many times have you listened to your child ask a question and then think to yourself, "I don't know and why do you even care?" It happens to me on a regular basis. So one day, I actually listened to the question being asked and I became determined to find an answer. The question was one of those simple questions, "Mom, why is the sky blue?" So we started researching and that research led to more research and the next thing we knew, we had a whole list of questions we wanted to answer. That was the day that I realized how much I stand to gain by listening to my children and learning from their own naturally curious natures.

Tomorrow: #8: The faith that you CAN teach your child.

Newbie Must Have’s #10

Over the next several days I am going to share with you the steps that I passed through (decisions, trials, night sweats, etc) as we begin changing our lifestyle to that of a homeschooling family. These are just my opinions and my experiences. They are not meant to offend anyone with different ideas. If you don't like what you read, move on to another blog.

The desire to take on the responsibility of your child's future. So many times we willingly give the government the responsibility of raising our children and we don't even know that we have done it. The public school system, in theory, is a great thing and it is the right choice for a lot of children. So please do not think this is a bash session against public school. Remember that I am leaving the twins in until I get my ducks in a row because I am too scared to pull them all out together. What I mean is this: until a parent makes the decision to be 100% responsible for their child's future and not rely on the school system (public or private) then the homeschool decision is not the decision for them and before you can decide that homeschool is the right decision for you and your family, you must be willing to take that responsibility away from whatever institution you have entrusted with your child and plant it firmly on your very own shoulders.

This is probably the scariest part of the whole ordeal - assuming the responsibility. That is why it is listed as the #1 on my list.

Tomorrow: #9: The willingness to learn from your child(ren).

What the heck are they saying?

I was recently on a homeschooling forum and I couldn't understand what folks were saying. So I searched (on that forum) thru the FAQs and found this information. Thought I would share it with the rest of you just in case you were wondering, too.

• TIA = "Thanks In Advance"
  
• [S] = "Smile"
  
• [BG] = "Big Grin"
  
• IRL = "In Real Life"
  
• ETA = "Edited to Add"
  
• ITA = "I totally agree"
  
• BTDT = "Been There Done That"
  
• ROTFL = "Roll On The Floor Laughing"
  
• [VBG] = "Very Big Grin"
  
• [LOL] ="Laughing out Loud"
  
• OTOH = "On the Other Hand"
  
• FWIW = "For What It's Worth"
  
• FS = "For Sale"
  
• WTB = "Want To Buy"
  
• DH = "Dear Hubby"
  
• DD = "Dear Daughter"
  
• DS = "Dear Son"
  
• DW = "Dear Wife"
  
• ILs = "In-Laws"
  
• MIL = "Mother-in-Law"
  
• FIL = "Father-in-Law"
  
• SIL = "Sister-in-Law"
  
• IMHO = "In My Humble Opinion"
  
• IMVHO = "In My Very Humble Opinion"
  
• KWIM = "Know What I Mean"
  
• FYI = "For Your Information"
  
• BTW = "By the way"
  
• HTH = "Hope this helps"
  

How neat! Ok – well love to all!

What a sad, sad day! (ha ha!)

Yesterday, the girls returned to school after being tracked out for 3 weeks. They only have 19 more days left of this school year as they are year round but you would think from the way I acted that they were never coming home! I know it sounds crazy but I used to look forward to them heading back to school after being tracked out for so long. I remember craving the time when I would just drop them off then return home, childless and FREE! Yesterday, however, I felt like I was sending the girls to the guillotine! What in the world is wrong with me!?!?!?!

I guess since we have made the commitment to homeschool, my mind has just turned anti-public school. But it shouldn't be that way. Really it shouldn't. The public school still has a lot to offer a child, especially here in Wake County. After the NCHE conference I couldn't help but feel like we should go ahead and pull the twins, too. But, you know, the thought of homeschooling ALL 3 at the same time NOT knowing what I am doing is just too scary. So as of right now, we will continue with the plan of just pulling Kenne for the 2009/2010 school year and letting the twins go back and start 1^st grade.

Tons of love to you all!

Working full time AND homeschooling?

Ok – so that sounds like a contradiction, right? But think about it and think about me and what I have been doing since 1996. As a Realtor, my schedule is extraordinarily flexible! I mean, come on, what other career would allow me to make money even while laid up in the hospital for 6 weeks! I will continue working as a Realtor forever! The great part about my career is that most interaction with clients is at night or on the weekends. So I really think I can do both, successfully. What's the worst that could happen? Oh, boy, I wish I didn't just write that sentence. Now all I can think of is "dumbing" down my girls or dropping the ball on a multi-million dollar deal.

When I think about everything we will have to do in a day, I know that scheduling is going to play a big role in succeeding. Not only will I have to train the girls to try to live by a schedule, but I will have to train myself as well. I love schedules, love them. But do I stick to them as well as I should? Nope, sure don't. I am a justifier. I can justify anything. Like right now, I should be getting some lunch into my little rugrats. But what am I doing? I am blogging. I justify that by saying it just has to be done. Yeah, right!

Anyway, let's just say a prayer that I get my act together and things go smoothly.

35 Days and Counting!

Switching to Blogger

Hi everyone! A friend of mine thought I would have an easier time of it if I switched to Blogger for my blog versus ChristianBlogsites. So I am going to try it before deleting my Christianblogsites account. I am also going to try to figure out how to transfer my other blog to Blogger. It is sorta hard to figure it out because ChristianBlogsites doesn't allow for us to download content. But hey, I'll figure it out. Just wanted to post here to see how easy it was to use Word as my blog editor.

If anyone has any ideas on how to do this easier, feel free to comment. J you know I love to be taught new things!

God bless!

Kel

Who does what - when - where - why - and HOW?

Just a quick recap of where we are at on our journey:

We just recently made the commitment to homeschool our children as a way to provide quality instruction focused on a biblical worldview. We have researched our curriculum choices and made our selection after attending the 2009 NCHE conference. We are now prepping for the 2009/2010 school year.

So in our prep work, I am trying to come up with some sort of a schedule. Now, one of the #1 rules (the term “rule” being used very loosely) of homeschooling is BE FLEXIBLE. So when I say “schedule” what I really mean is a guideline for our average day. When forming this schedule, I really want to incorporate household duties, learning experiences, “class time” as well as church and civic duties.

I like thinking that we will have a plan in place for how our day will progress. Where do I begin with this scheduling task? Do I place it in my calendar, which is how I normally do things? Do I only do one month at a time or do I try to tackle the entire school year (obviously leaving room for change)? What about details? Do I include as much details as possible or do I just use generic guidelines?

So here is what we finally decided: we are going to start off our homeschool with more structure than we will probably finish off with. The thought behind this is that it is normally easier to slack off than step up. As of right now, we will be allocating times for the following:

Morning Personal Grooming
Breakfast
Bible Time
Morning Chores
“Formal” instruction time
Lunch
Quiet Time
Physical Ed Time (play time)
Dinner
Evening Chores
Evening Personal Grooming
Story Time
Bedtime

Now, let’s just play along here and think positive. Can we do this? Absolutely! WILL we do this? Questionable. Like most families, we are VERY busy. Our schedules are nutsy. Since I will still be working as a local Realtor, I have to factor in some flexibility so that I can accomplish the tasks necessary to fulfill my job responsibilities.

So, we will pray very hard and trust that God will guide us to follow His path.

Dear Father, I come to you today with heavy heart as I try to organize my mind and my day so that the outcome is a testimony to Your greatness. Please guide me and direct me so that Your will is done and that our children learn and grow in their faith. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Take care and God Bless!

Valuable lesson - as taught by a child

Yesterday here was a rainy and gloomy day – a great day to do absolutely NOTHING! After a day of doing nothing, the girls and I woke up this morning feeling . . . .hmmm . . . BLAH is the only word that comes to mind. We really had to motivate ourselves to get up and get going.

Once we got going, though, there seemed to be no stopping us. J Do you sometimes feel like that? Like you could just laze around for the rest of your life and not do a single thing? Then when you finally force yourself to get a move on, you wonder why you ever felt like just wasting the day away?

Well, today was definitely that kind of day for all of us. It was 9:30 before we even made it upstairs to have our “Quiet time with God” or “QTWG.” And I seriously doubt we would have made it then if Kenne hadn’t asked “when are we going upstairs for QTWG?”

You see, when I woke up, I noticed HOW MUCH did not get done yesterday: no dishes, no floors, no dusting, no picking up after ourselves. In other words, our house was a wreck! I became so wrapped up in undoing the damage of our “nothing” day, that I pushed aside our daily QTWG.

I think we are all guilty of becoming so focused on what needs to be done in our earthly lives that we push aside God until it is more convenient for us. Can you imagine what our lives would be like if God did that to us – pushed us aside until it was more convenient for Him? I am so thankful that God loves us the way he does and that he doesn’t push us aside until a more convenient time. My house will be cleaned today. Of that, I have absolutely no doubt. But we all have to strive to put God first. What is it someone said recently regarding tithing? “Give God the first part?” Well, shouldn’t we make that our motto regarding all things in life? Give God the first part? Hmmm, I have a lot to think about today!

Dear Father, I have no clue how or even WHY You love us the way You do. But I DO know that I am so thankful that You do what You do, the way You do it. Thank You, God, for EVERYTHING You have blessed upon us and please keep us focused on the positive aspects of Your blessings. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Okee dokee folks – have a fabulous day!

Memory Lane - How in the world did I get here?

A long time ago, in a land far, far away, there lived a woman who actually had a memory. She could remember anything and everything - without writing it down or telling her children to remind of her of it. Sadly, that woman has since morphed into someone who must write down EVERYTHING or totally rely on the memory of her kids!Well, sitting here I was trying to think about something to write. Should I write about choosing our curriculum and the many, and I do mean MANY, conversations with friends about the many, and boy, do I mean MANY, choices out there. Or maybe I should talk about the enthusiasm my entire family has shown regarding our decision. Or maybe I should talk about choosing a year round versus traditional schedule. Then it hit me. What do most folks usually talk about FIRST before going into the details? They talk about how they got to where they are and why it matters. So while the memory is semi-ok let’s take a trip back in time. I was not raised in a traditional "church going" family. My mom took us when she and daddy were having marital issues or if it was a special holiday (Easter, normally). She also made sure we went to VBS every year at the multitude of small community churches around our small town. I was not raised reading the bible or looking to the bible for life's directions. After being invited to start attending my friend’s church at age 15, I accepted Christ as my savior when I was 16. I thought that was enough for the longest time. I never truly realized that it was now my responsibility to learn about Christ and to start following HIS path, not my own. I never realized this UNTIL I had kids of my own and then all of a sudden, it all became crystal clear! My path was turned in the wrong direction while His path for me was headed in the right direction. When my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2001, my faith in His path being the right path was strengthened. Since her passing in 2005, I have continued my journey towards a more Christ centered life. One way I like to think about my journey is to compare it to a cross country road trip. Twists and turns, surprises around every corner, and you just can’t wait to reach your destination. Then when you get there, you can’t wait to get home? Well, “home” is our heavenly home and our destinations are the seasons of life we go through: baby, child, youth, young adult, marriage, kids, empty nester, etc. Well, it is my belief that God wants us to take this road trip with Him as our road map, which is probably why He gave us the Bible (sarcasm, again).My goal as a parent is to raise my children up in His house and to instill in them the righteousness of His word. So, one of our “destinations” is homeschooling our children. After praying and thinking, thinking and praying, not to mention the many pros-cons lists I compiled, we truly felt this is a God given directive and we will do our best, our very best, to fulfill His goals as the guardians of His children. Dear God, thank You for Your love and grace. Without You and Your word, our lives would be dark and hopeless. But You are alive, the true living God and You did give us Your word. Our lives are full of light and hope and it is all because of Your love and grace. Thank You. Amen. Okee, dokee folks – till next time.