Boarding school.........or not?

It always happens about this time of the year. I quit homeschooling. Next year, the children, God bless their little souls, will be happily learning at a boarding school.......or boot camp, depending who I'm talking to. The moment i ask a certain child for the 20 millionth time what a common noun is, and said child looks at me with a big smile and happily gives me a completely wrong answer, i know it's over. I am a terrible teacher and my students are terrible learners. There is no hope for us, we are doomed to be ignoramuses forever. I resign. I quit. I hand in my resignation. And then the ranting begins. What IS the point of learning common nouns? I mean, when's the last time you led someone to Christ using common nouns? Let me guess. You haven't had TIME to lead anyone anywhere because you were to busy teaching how to "correctly" diagram a sentence or add great numbers in their heads. And what's up with Roman Numerals? I remember almost zilch about roman numerals and you know what? I've birthed 7 children naturally, sewed many a dress, wiped many a small, poopy hinnie, and kicked many a cat out of my house just fine without knowing what XVIII means. And yet we must learn. The government says so and you KNOW the government only cares for the well being of your mortal soul.

And then i look at pictures like this and remember that in the end, it really DOESN'T matter whether they learn English perfectly. However, it DOES matter that i have their hearts and i can assure you, I am far better at capturing their hearts than i am at teaching nouns or roman numerals, and for that, I can only thank an almighty God.

Happy Birthday mama. I felt like the richest woman on the planet that evening, and it wasn't because of the presents.

A Good Day......

Today was a good day. I needed a good day, and God knew that.....so He gave me one. Isn't He awesome?

I have been feeling discouraged lately in regards to the history and geography, or lack of it, in our home school. I had some really good plans all laid out, and between the cows, adjustment to farm living, the flu and my lack of planning, it simply hasn't happened. So i started praying about it and one evening a light bulb went off in this dull brain of mine. I was so excited i almost couldn't fall asleep that night but somehow i managed.........you see, i am one of those fortunate women who truly enjoy teaching her children. That fact has surprised even me, and much of the time i feel like i don't have a clue what i'm doing, but sitting beside my children and explaining what an adjective is just does something for me. Go figure.....But the thing that really gets me going is history, geography, world culture and big discussions on how it all applies to us. I love getting all passionate and waving my hands in the air while i create word pictures in the children's mind. I inherited this trait from my father and you know what? I'm ok with that....and because it's school, the kids have to listen. Hah! So i was feeling rather depressed that we had done no formal studying (whatever that is) on any of those subjects this year, in spite of the fact that i know our children are getting a rich education in so many other areas.  And then i realized that the answer was right in front of my nose, FOR FREE! Isn't that just like God?

So what's my plan? Well, we try to sit around the living room every evening and mama Weav reads from a  "living" book (which means a book rich in real life and since our goal is to have children that are not "american dream" minded we tend to lean towards missionary stories) and right now we're going through, "Lady on a Donkey." No, the book isn't about me..... It's about a woman named Lillian Trasher who moves to Egypt in the early 1900's and ends up starting an orphanage. It's an amazing story, rich with meaning and yet brutally honest about the realistic problems and trials she walked through. So we are now doing a study on Egypt, complete with a lapbook, Egyptian food (fig cakes anyone?) and dress up, Egyptian style. I had a friend send me this link to an amazing website where i'm getting my stuff from. http://www.homeschoolshare.com/ancient_egypt.php 

I was a little nervous Eric would think he's getting to old for this kind of stuff but he loved it. I told the kids that we were skipping normal school today such as math and instead we worked on our new project.  They colored and cut, wrote and pasted. We studied the map, finding Egypt and the route that Lillian Trasher took from New York city into the Alexandria port. We discussed the religion of the country, mainly Muslim, and talked about the Nile river, the longest in the world. I was in my glory and my kitchen looked it after we were finished. It was awesome and i just couldn't get done praising God for showing me how to use what i have to teach history, geography and world religion. And yes, i took pictures. For you, my blog readers........


After school and cleaning, Big Daddy Weav got the skid loader out and made a dream sledding hill down the back pasture. Let me tell you, when he decides to create a sledding hill, he goes all out. If you bring food, we might let you sled down the hill too. ;)


It was a good day and tonight, my heart is full.

Sorry for the long distance shot, but i was standing barefoot on the back deck...getting any closer wasn't an option.

Lap-books part way finished......we'll add pictures, vocabulary pockets and more.

Now THAT is a cowboy worth taking pictures of!! Handsome!!

One of the local natives we're reaching out to.......he's worth my effort, wouldn't you say?

Math

AAACCCKKKKK!!!!!!!!!! That woman over there banging her head against a wall? That's me, trying to teach one of my children how to count money. This is math curriculum #5 since we started teaching this certain child several years ago. Yes, yes, yes, i know, DON'T CHANGE MATH CURRICULUMS!!!! EVER!!!! Horizons moved WAY to fast, MathUSee to slow and too far behind where this child needed to be, ACE didn't even sink in at the most basic level, and i can't even remember what other ones we tried. I think we finally found the one that works, however, it takes me sitting beside said child (named omitted to retain child's dignity) and carefully explaining each concept, step by step. Over and over and over and over and over............Every so often i leave the room, clutching my head and wishing i could take a long walk on a short plank. And God forbid i EVER show a trace of impatience in my voice or the child will dissolve into tears.....i think we will do a ceremony of tossing the book out the window when we're finished. However, math needs to be learned, come what may and so help me God, WE WILL FINISH!!! Having said all that, i do like the math we're doing this year. It's basic, nothing fancy, and black and white. It's nothing professing christian, but i figure you can get only so spiritual about 1+1, although there is nothing obnoxious that i've seen so far. It's also inexpensive and it's mastery, not spiral learning, which is a MUST for this dear, math handicapped child of mine. MCP. Modern Curriculum Press. And through the tears and head clutching, our heart strings are tied together yet some more as we slay this math dragon. So there you have it, a homeschool moment in the Weaver household.

School and Sanity

So how does a woman home school around farm life and keep her sanity? One word.....flexibility. Make that two words. God and flexibility. And don't compare yourself, your life and your children with others. Seek God's heart, pray that He would show you how HE wants you to teach YOUR children, and enjoy the ride. I have to remind myself of that on a regular basis. On the farm, no two days are alike. Take for example the week that a cow had a dead calf and almost died in the process. Marlin made up some wicked tinctures with garlic, cayenne and vodka, (left over from vanilla making) and him and Eric spent most of the day working with her. That week we also had a cow that was growing a fifth quarter (we have a knack of buying freako cows) so he got to watch surgery first hand. So how did we do "school" around that? That was his school for the day and if i can keep that focus, i can walk in peace. So for now, this is what our curriculum looks like. Kind of.

Math-Emily and Zac are doing MCP math, Eric is finishing up last year's that he needed brush up on.

ENGLISH-copywork from Queen Homeschool,and language arts from a book i bought at a yard sale for 50 cents. We're sitting down and working at it together. We'll see......they also have a journal they write in that we are also incorporating spelling with.

SCIENCE-live cow surgery, dead kittens, sick cows and home remedies, mama cows eating placenta's and finding out why they would do something so sick, elderberry hunting only to discover that we're preparing to harvest pokeberries.....on and on and on the list goes, every day something new. I would like to study the human body this winter but for now this is more than enough.

HISTORY-Listening to countless stories from Grandpa around the table. He has a wealth of stories ( He is a HUGE reader and a very expressive story teller) and if that is all the history they get this year it is enough, not to mention that they will remember for the rest of their lives the time spent with him. However, i do have a plan for a bit later but we'll see if it works out.

They are also doing cursive, and have reading time, and more importantly than anything else, they are building life skills that will benefit them into eternity. Yes, i most definitely see gaps and Lord willing, we'll be working on that but my constant prayer has been that God would show me how to teach them what they will need for the future. I do not have lesson plans or a schedule, we simply work each day on the next lesson or do review if needed, and while there's a big part of me that would love a schedule, it's not even feasible at this point. Every year i always had a basic routine, but i've had to lay all that down and trust that God and Marlin know what they're doing. As i continue to lay down my control and simply surrender and TRUST, i walk in peace. The moment i start comparing and worrying that they will NEVER learn, i lose any sense of peace and panic builds.

You know, i'm convinced that homeschooling will look different for each family. This is where we're at and as long as my heart is to glorify Jesus Christ and not big mama Weav, i truly believe He will honor that and our children will have a far richer education than i could dream of. Our relationships as a family over the last several months has gotten so incredibly richer and i treasure that far above anything else. So Emily may never get very far in algebra? I could give less of a hoot as long as her heart is to follow her Lord.......and since she just informed me the other night that she longs to be a missionary, i may need to put her on a path to language study instead. :) The fact is, we don't know what God will call our children to, so there is no one better to place our trust in on our homeschooling journey.

Panic attack anyone? Have some gravy........

I just recovered from my yearly panic attack in regards to school. It happens every year around this time. I wonder when i fell and cracked my head, making me think it's possible for me to actually teach my children enough knowledge to make them capable adults. I lay awake at night, fear gnawing at the pit of my stomach, convinced we are permanently damaging our offspring. When people raise their eyebrows at finding out that not only do we have 7 children but i HOMESCHOOL, i find myself agreeing and thinking that i may as well line up some local counselors for my suffering children. I find myself working at a furious pace, trying to conquer the fears through slave labor, only to find myself chewing my fingernails instead of praying. And when i do pray, my prayers fall flat, smacking me in the face. And then i do the one thing that i should've done in the beginning. I start. I take that leap of faith, drag the books out, take the children on a shopping trip for new colors and pencils, and voila! the fear is gone. We sharpen our pencils, start a new book for read aloud time, play follow the leader in break (my new best breakthrough. Have a 10 minute break part way through the morning lessons, and actually play with them. Peek around the corner, hide and seek upstairs, anything that's active and gets the blood flowing, even if you do have to carry either a 3 year old or a 1 year old on your hip. They LOVE it, you will laugh hysterically and somehow it doesn't matter as much that you've got dust bunnies under your bed) and whether i'm teaching double multiplication or chasing someone around the room, i remember again why i homeschool. I remember why we've chosen this way and somehow my fears fall back to the pit where they came from. I had plans of buying certain history and science books this year, but for now that's been put on hold. We will take (Lord willing) many trips to the library as a family, bringing home stacks of books and oh the fun of cuddling in blankets, surrounded with many small bodies as we read through book after book. And for those mornings when i feel like taking the books over my children's heads? That's what chocolate is for, even if it means eating it in the bathroom. Nothing wrong with the bathroom.......especially if you have magazines.

And now that we've got that out of the way, let me tell you about our new favorite breakfast. It's delicious, feeds many people and best of all? It's really, really cheap. I'm talking like seriously cheap with only 5 ingredients, and when you're feeding 11 people on a daily basis, that's kind of important.

Cracked Pepper Gravy. There's one must. It MUST, i tell you, MUST be freshly cracked peppercorns. You must buy the whole peppercorns along with a pepper grinder, or your gravy will lack and your man won't look at you at the breakfast table and wink. Yours doesn't wink? Try this gravy, he just might. So here's the recipe.

Cracked Pepper Gravy

Cracked pepper is different from freshly ground pepper because the former is stronger in flavor and aroma. Grind them in a food processor or blender, only pulsing them once or twice just to crack them.

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
5 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 teaspoons cracked pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. When the foam goes down, whisk in the flour. Continually whisk until the flour cooks, becoming a fragrant light brown. Slowly add the milk, continuing to whisk to keep lumps from forming. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer gravy for 10 minutes to cook and reduce.

Serve hot.

Makes 3 cups.


See? How simple is that and my man doesn't even miss meat when i make this. We actually prefer this above sausage gravy, although we happily eat that too. And i like when he winks at me at the breakfast table. I'm not quite as quick to take to the bathroom later and eat chocolate during school.

So that's pretty much what's been happening lately. Panic attacks, school, gravy, winking......

I Like My Kids

They are truly some of the funniest people i know. They are a BLAST to be with and i'm crazy about them. And i can't imagine not homeschooling them. Each year i get more excited about learning with them and more jealous of who they are developing friendships with. Don't get me wrong, i want them to have healthy friendships along with diversity, but they are so incredibly precious and this time of life is so incredibly short. So when i came across this post from "Passionate Homemaking" i knew i had to copy it and post it here. She says it beautifully. Enjoy.


Why Do We Want to Homeschool?

by Lindsay on Aug 06, 2010 in learning at home

As we begin planning and preparing for the education of our children, my husband and I have been prayerfully considering and discussing why we would like to homeschool them. I was personally homeschooled through high school, while Aaron was homeschooled through junior high, and we both loved the experience. But I know that in order to persevere and be successful in it, we must have a mission and vision to keep us on track. My personal homeschooling experience was far from perfect, in fact there were many areas that were lacking, but overall, it was so influential in my life because Christ was the center of my education and we loved learning together. Please note my desire in sharing our motivation is in no way to condemn any of you who have chosen a different path for education. I know that God may have a different route for your family. I simply find it helpful to establish our foundation from the beginning in this manner. May it help encourage and inspire you in your pursuit of educating your children.

These are the five primary reasons we have decided to pursue this form of education:
1. In order to keep Christ the center in our home

We want the cornerstone of our children’s education to be centered around a Biblical worldview. We see great value in learning how to discuss the many worldviews of our culture all through the lens of the Word of God. We desire for the foundation of everything we learn – from geography to history – to be centered around God’s beautiful redemptive plan. Homeschooling gives us the freedom to design our curriculum around the core message of the gospel.
2. We want to be the primary influence in the lives of our children

Our primary responsibility is to train and disciple our children to love and serve the Lord all the days of their lives. I believe being their primary teacher is the best means for me to impart a love for Christ to our children and a love to serve and bless others with their lives. We are passionate about teaching our children as we sit down, as we rise up, and as we walk along the way (Deut. 6:7), and we believe homeschooling is an excellent fit in fulfilling this calling.
3. For the cultivation of strong family relationships

The beauty of homeschooling is learning together, of always being together and learning to love and work together in peaceful manners. It birthed over time beautiful friendships among my own siblings. I love spending time with my little ones just learning about the world together. It’s delightful and I cannot imagine exchanging it for anything. I want to walk hand in hand as we explore God’s creation, as we marvel at the plan of history throughout the ages, and as we glimpse the complexity of His design. I want to talk about it every step of the way.
4. To encourage a love for learning in our home

Another benefit we appreciate about homeschooling is the ability to design and organize our own curriculum focused on what each child desires to learn, and meet their own particular needs and learning styles, rather than forcing them to read a certain textbook or agenda. We call it delight-directed learning. Does your child love World War II? Why not package geography, history, and writing into one as you borrow books from the library on that topic? Our children will retain that which they enjoy. We want our children to love to learn, read, and study God’s world, and homeschooling is a great means of accomplishing that in numerous creative options. We can learn and explore the world around us together through everyday activities.
5. For the freedom it provides to focus on the Kingdom work

Lastly, we love the freedom that homeschooling provides to allow us to get up and go as needed. If we need to set aside the day to serve another family, take a day outing or field trip, or simply take a break, it does not jeopardize anything. We want our children to know first and foremost that walking in light of the Great Commission is our first priority as a family.

That being said, my goals are not that we would have the most smart or well-educated children on the earth, but rather that our children would first love the Lord, desire to serve Him, love to learn, respect and steward God’s creation, and learn to articulate their faith from a Biblical worldview. We will utilize homeschool co-ops in the future to glean further learning from other knowledgeable people, in addition to speech and debate groups so that we can think logically in understanding and relating to our culture. We will learn music skills so that we can lead others in worshiping our Creator.

Our goal is not to be overly protective of our children in anyway. We want to equip them effectively to be sent out to share the love of Christ with others. That is what this life is about. Education matters little if my children do not love the Lord.

I'm still alive.....

Just in case anyone cares and wonders where i got to. As i told the women at church, it's been a whirlwind of cows and milk. Yummy milk and pretty cows, but that doesn't help that whirlwind feeling. We started milking at the farm last Friday and made hay this past weekend. I've been over on a regular basis, both to take food and to start organizing my parents place for the upcoming auction. They're downsizing big time, so it's been interesting to clean out dresser drawers that haven't been touched in a long time. I'm finding things that mom put away when her mind was better and finding pictures of a different time. It promises to be a busy next month or two (who am i kidding, next decade!) but it's worth it when i see the manly way Eric handles the skid loader and the way he sticks to his daddy's side on the farm. Zac and Josh are too young to help as much, but they're loving having hay bales to climb and cows to herd. Boys and farms just seem to go together. It's a dream coming true for us, to work as a family and to be a team. It's certainly not all peaches and cream, (although we've definitely got the cream, ;)pun intended,) and there's been a number of apologies that had to be made. Anyone who knows us well won't doubt that, but we're a work in progress and we want this to be God's farm and God's plans. That brings such a peace to my heart when i feel the pressure mounting. I surrendered my heart to Him 8+ years ago and that surrender has only deepened, at least i WANT it to deepen. There's no other way to live and to walk with confidence and joy in today's scary world. Especially if it involves dairy cows and farms in this economy...........hey, if all else fails we can always drink milk. Haha, i'm funny, aye?

Onto other things. I took Eric and Emily for their evaluations today and walked away feeling encouraged and relieved that i can now focus on packing and getting ready to move. The evaluator did give me many things to think about, mainly that i'm still too focused on workbooks for school. Huh? Eric's eyes gleamed and he commented how he really liked her. Yeah, no kidding. Definitely food for thought and prayer. As with anything else in this life, i need to take it before the Lord and my man, and trust their guidance. Marlin tends to think outside the box in this area, so i can get a little nervous.........i like boxes. They make me feel calm, neat, and in control. Oops, maybe it's the control part that God is working on.

Speaking of control, i will have none tomorrow if i don't find my bed. God bless each one of you!

Another homeschooling post

It happens every year around this time. The school year is winding down and while i'm ready for the break, i find myself getting all excited about next year. I find myself researching late into the night, and i lay awake, rolling books and ideas around my head. I'm passionate about teaching my children, in spite of those days when i wonder if i'm crazy to even think i can teach my children anything. This year went well, in spite of a new baby and screaming toddlers. And i learned new disciplines for my own life. Disciplines such as getting up early and spending time with God. Drinking hot tea with Eric and Emily while we discussed spelling rules and watched the early morning sun peek through the blinds. It wasn't a perfect year. I messed up, closed the books some days and walked away fighting tears and frustration. I spent time worrying that i wasn't doing enough. I wondered what God's heart really was for our little home school. What God's best really looked like fleshed out in daily life. Was i making life altering mistakes? Mistakes that would haunt my children........and i discovered that making that time to meet with God early every morning made those fears melt away. We're homeschooling for character and relationships, not perfect scoring children who can quote the times tables backwards but fail to learn the real meaning of respecting authority.

And this weekend is the homeschool fair. I think we're going.......with all 7 children. This could be interesting. I love Marlin and how he loves taking our children with us. To him they aren't a bother but a complete joy. A joy that sometimes makes him want to drive the van over a cliff, but a joy none the less. So if you see a man with a mile long line of children following, and a woman who is trying to look calm and collected in spite of the fact that she's carrying not only a baby but sippy cups and books and whatever else she can't load on the stroller, that would be us. Wave and smile and yes, we take donations. :) On second thought, i may just stay home.

To kill or not to kill, that is the question........

I open my freezer for a pack of blueberries to make my morning smoothie, and instead of blueberries i'm staring into the frozen eyes of a monarch butterfly, neatly packaged in a ziplock freezer bag. There are several more frozen specimens in my freezer, the freezer that i'm expected to EAT out of. However, frozen butterflies are better than the ones i find in jars, still fluttering after 2 days, refusing to succumb to a slow suffocation. Those are the ones i take to the back porch and give them their freedom, feeling like an Adolf Hitler of butterflies, my counter lined with half dead and dying specimens. So tell me people, how can i humanely kill these beautiful creatures that my oldest son is so obsessed with? I made him let a few go free, not able to stand seeing them die, but i realize i can't expect him to do that on a regular basis. I know well adjusted and emotionally healthy people who have butterfly collections, so i'm asking for your help. I went online and i'm just not interested in shooting our butterflies in the thorax with a chemical to kill them immediately. And if i miss the butterfly and inject myself? Totally possible and i'm not taking the chance. For now i've forbidden Eric any more long slow jar deaths, but i'm going to need some ideas. Soon.

Spring fever

I have a problem. It's called spring fever. Ever try to teach your child to write a limerick when all you want to do is ditch the books and head outside? I never did either before this week and let me tell you, it's not easy for me or the child. Yesterday 2 of my friends and i met at the park for lunch and it was wonderful. The children played and the women talked and ate. And ate. At least i did. My friend Carol made the food and it was awesome! Chicken salad sandwiches and the BEST chocolate chip cookies. I ate so many i had bellyache the rest of the day. Seriously. I comforted myself by eating a popsicle that i had gotten for a special treat for the children. I then jumped on the rebounder in the vain hopes that 5 minutes of jumping would cancel out a whole day of eating.
So to give the children and myself a boost to get the last of the schoolwork done, i've planned a few special treats. If they get a certain amount of work done by April 1, we'll have an ice cream party with another homeschool family. Marlin will make the ice cream and each school age child will get to go to Weis and pick out a topping of their choice. To my kids, that's a big deal. They NEVER get to pick out ice cream toppings, cause we make our own, but this time i've promised them no health regulations. If they fail to make the deadline? We all suffer. Especially me. And then i marked on their schoolbooks a number of pages later, "BIG SURPRISE!" They don't know what the surprise is and won't find out until they reach that page. I'm not sure on the big surprise yet. Hershey Chocolate world? (yeah, baby!!!), a real kite? (as compared to the $2 cheap ones)............
So far it's working fabulously. They've been doing double, and for Eric that's a big deal. This child went from not knowing his multiplication tables a couple of weeks ago, to now multiplying doubles and carrying. I aim to have his 4th grade math book finished by early May. I hope.....
We have also found a wonderful way to do spelling. We use "All About Spelling" (love, love, love it!!!) and we used to do it around the kitchen table early morning. Cold table, cold feet, and a cold kitchen. We now cuddle on the couch under blankets, a child on either side, and work through the lesson together. They have a pillow under their book for support, and it's been working great. I don't have to freeze my delicate system (ahem) and they get to snuggle with mama, all the while learning how to spell. What more could you want from spelling?
I am so ready for spring and summer, and to be honest, i'm ready for a break from school. Iced tea, fresh vegetables, lots of walking, picnics..........bring it on!

Black beans and multiplication

First of all, thanks to all of you who leave comments. Every time i consider shutting my blog down, someone either comments something encouraging or sends me a personal email. That, and the fact that Marlin says i'm supposed to keep on blogging for now.

A couple reviews. Remember that black bean chocolate cake that almost had this house lifting off it's foundations from the gas fumes? Weeellll, i tried it again last night, the right way, and it was a success. Rich, moist, and nary a bean taste in it. I served it to some guinea pigs we call friends, ;), and they seemed to enjoy it, although i couldn't help but wonder if they had any "aftereffects", if you know what i mean. Here's the recipe, if you care to try it.

BLACK BEAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

In blender combine:
1 1/4 cup black beans, rinsed
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
6 T. cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

In bowl, whip til smooth:
1/2 cup honey
7 T butter
Add 2 eggs and whip til smooth
Pour butter mixture into blender and blend with bean mixture til well blended.
Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.
Serve with side of Beano.

Actually, i've had far worse side effects with chili. The only side effect i had was a bloated feeling, and that might have had more to do with eating 2 cupcakes while making them (need to check the product), a cupcake after supper (need to check the frosting) and a few while serving company. (make sure they're still edible) Yeah, that was the problem, not the beans. In all seriousness, i will definitely be making this cake again, since i love having yummy recipes that don't use flour and white sugar.

Onto another review that has nothing to do with food. It has to do with math and multiplying. I came across "TimesTales" the other week and was sold quickly on the product, since who doesn't like a fun way to do not fun things. Eric was working on his multiplication and i was feeling a bit stressed, since i also want to finish division before we end the school year. But while he understood the concept, memorizing 3x4 isn't high on his priority list, not that he had a choice, but you know how it goes. Along comes TimesTales and within a couple lessons he has almost all the upper times tables memorized, which means he automatically has simple division down also. Check it out, it's worth it.

And now it's time for breakfast. I'm thinking black bean chocolate cake........

The newest band on the block.......

Our children have joined a band and it's amazing the lessons they are learning. It's an interesting band, composed of different age levels, which teaches them the art of being patient with younger children. The music is the kind that makes you feel like leaving this world far behind. Far, far behind. We only believe in the best for our children, so in light of that, i've surrendered my stainless steel kettles, lids, and spoons to the cause. Rock on, children!!

Snow and School

Batten down the hatches, throw on some hot chocolate, and pray the electricity doesn't go down. More snow is coming!!

The children (and daddy) are excited at the thought of more snow. There's another sledding party planned for Wednesday evening, and excitement in the Weaver family is running high. The children are lighting candles and feeling cozy. I'm trying not to feel claustrophobic. I think spring will be extra special this year with all the snow we're getting.

And now for an update on school. Spelling is going well, although i'm confused how they can spell so well in spelling class, but when it comes to a certain child's journal, the words cease making sense. I'm hoping it's the age..........
Math.......hmmm, the jury is still out on that one. I want to push and shove, all to calm that feeling of panic that my children are behind and at 18 years of age will still be having to count on their fingers. However, there isn't the hatred for math that there was last year for Eric and that's a good thing. Emily is working very hard and her spirit is very good about it, even though it's not an easy subject for her. I'm proud of her.
Language Lessons and copywork are going well and i'm planning on buying a writing program as soon as the website stops giving me hassle when i try and order. User issues? It's at "Timestales.com" and i'm excited about it.
The missionary stories that include geography, history, and character lessons are going well, when we get them done. The children don't like when we skip it, but the last 2 weeks we had a full plate so i promised it this week.
Science? What science......actually, we've been reading Pablo Yoders book about nature in Costa Rica. Highly recommended, the children LOVE it. I've also been reading the book "Minn of Mississippi" about a snapping turtle's journey down the Mississippi, and they love that one too. Chock full of science and they get some cozy story time with mama, although with the twins the cozy feeling has a way of disappearing.

The children are doing AWESOME with getting up early. It's what works for us this year, and i'm so proud of them for getting up cheerfully. It helps that they know cheerfulness is not an option. The long arm of the law comes home every evening at around 6.

And now they lighted their candles and are singing "this little light of mine." See what a lovely, spiritual family we are? Just ignore the blood curdling screams in the background. It's the twins. They don't normally act this way. They are teething, have a cold, are expressing themselves, had a bad dream last night..........pick whichever one you want.
Have a great snow day and for the kicks of it, grab a sled and take a ride. You'll feel invigorated and your children will love you for it.

HOW?

The number one question i get asked, when people look at the row of children following us, and then find out we homeschool, is, "how?" Most of the people take one look at our family and shake their heads. I had one dear young lady, who is a missionary to the back country of Nicaragua along with her husband, tell me on Sunday that she looked back at our row of kids and thought i must be one super woman. I wish. I assured her i have a man like no other and that there's a reason the twins were sitting beside their father, not their mother. Without him we'd be a mess. And we don't even have a big family! But back to my original thought of how. I never know what to answer. If i smile sweetly and say, "it's not a big deal, God's grace is sufficient," i run the risk of sounding super spiritual and fake. If i roll my eyes and ask if they're looking to adopt, i come across overwhelmed and wore out. I'm neither. I'm busy, no doubt about it, and i have my bad days, but i never wonder if i'm needed. Or loved. And it's not the big deal that people want to make it. I have come to the conclusion that as americans, (or humans?)we have become so self centered and all about ourselves, that the concept of self discipline and dying to one's self is completely foreign. And i have much to learn in that area for sure. Having 7 kids is helping.....

In answer to the "how," number one answer is time with God. For years i've coasted in this area. My time with Him has been sporadic at best, and i usually had good reasons. Babies, night nursings, you name it, i had it. And there's a place for all that. I've learned to pray while i run but i've often ran on empty and after crashing and burning i'd make it a priority for a while. The last couple of months has brought me to my knees in a whole new way. I can't afford to "coast." For this house to run at all smoothly and for me to not trade the children in for some cats, i've had to seek God. And so i decided to start getting up early again. I was thinking along the lines of 6. God was thinking along the lines of 5:30. He has faithfully been getting me up at 5:30 for the last couple of weeks and that is a small miracle in itself. I have never been a morning person, it can take me a long time to wake up. Marlin will wake up and soon be whistling. I will wake up and stare at the floor for a long time, debating if life is worth getting up for. But i have been loving it. I wake up, make myself some tea, sit down with my Bible and prayer journal, and soak up some love from above. By shortly after 6 i get the two oldest up, and we start school. By breakfast the main portion of school is done, and we have the rest of the day to work, do fun school stuff, and take naps. Unfortunately, the twins have also decided getting up extra early would be fun and now i'm having to deal with that. I'll be honest, it can ruin my peace real fast when i hear little footsteps at 6 am and a little voice say cheerfully, "mama?" There's a reason i need my time with God!!

I get uneasy when people start asking how and when we do school, because i know the responses. WHAT!! You do school WHEN?!?!?!?! I could NEVER do that!!! Yes, you could and no, i wouldn't rather send them off to school. This is the season of life i'm in, and it's worth a little sacrifice. This is what works for us this year but next year might look completely different. That's one of the joys of homeschooling. School fits around life, not life around school. People also don't realize that when you homeschool, you don't spend hours writing in books. At least we don't. I'm still learning how best to teach, but as long as i remember that this was God's plan for us, i can walk in peace. For example, i have tried for the last 3-4 years to get Eric interested in reading. Sure, he knows his phonics and can read, but it's been a long slow process, and one that he simply had no interest in. Until now. He came to us recently, asking questions about how to become a christian etc, and Marlin realized that somehow this young man did not have his own Bible. Yeah, we felt real spiritual about that. So Marlin got him a very nice Bible and now Eric and Emily read along during family worship. And he loves it! I've also started having them read it during the day as part of their reading assignment and he looks forward to it. This is the awesome part. I asked God the beginning of the school year to have Eric become a good reader. And what happens? Eric gets an intense desire to learn more about God and His word. And let me tell you, if you can read the Bible well, you can read anything. What better book to read than the word of God and what better person to have in control of this small school than God Himself. And that, my friends, is how.

School or Relationships?

We've had a rough couple of days this week. I'm fighting a cold and i feel a bit lousy, not mention my attitudes affect about 8 other people. This afternoon i ended up having to apologize to the children and after a round of group hugs and prayer (trust me, we needed it), i decided to completely rearrange our day. I was planning on the kids working on school while the twins were napping and Josh was already in bed. Eric was sweeping the kitchen floor and preparing to do 2 pages of math, which he was dreading. And then I remembered with a jolt that one of the main reasons we homeschool is for relationship. Lately i've been in a bit of a "push" mode, forcing myself and the kids to do school, no matter what. I decided phooey on that and informed the children that we're skipping school today and instead, we're going to drink hot tea, cuddle under a few blankets, and i'm going to read to them. The response was nothing less than dramatic. Eric started using the broom to create a few dance moves and saying how he feels like he's in a dream. Emily and Zac cleaned up the living room in no time, we hauled Josh out of bed ( he kept saying what a "skinny" nap he had), lighted a few candles, and started reading. When i looked at their shining eyes, shining because of joy instead of tears, i knew that it was God who rearranged my day.

Herbs and Chinese Lanterns

It's a typical fall day. Rainy and cool. The perfect kind of day for a cup of tea. And i am drinking the most delicious cup. Dr. Cinnamon from "BulkHerbStore." They gave me a sample when i ordered their immune booster tea, which i use to make an herbal tincture. Dr. Cinnamon has cinnamon (no, really), red raspberry, gingko (for the brain, which God knows i need), orange peel, and green tea. I sweetened it with some honey and stevia and it's warming my insides in the most delicious fragrant way. I highly recommend the products from "BulkHerbStore" as they have wonderful quality of herbs, lots of great advice, and you're once again supporting a small family run business.

We also really like their immune booster tea, as it's full of immune boosting properties and it's a whole lot cheaper to make your own tinctures than to buy them. It's also very simple. I take a pint jar, fill it 1/3-1/2 full of the dried herbs (i grind them first to make sure i get the most out of them), dampen the herbs with hot water, just til they're damp, and then fill with vegetable glycerin and follow with a lid. You can buy vegetable glycerin at health food stores or online. Place a towel in the bottom of your crockpot, set the jar on top and fill halfway with warm water. I turn the crockpot on warm, put the lid on and let sit for 3 days, checking every so often to make sure the water doesn't run out in the crockpot. After 3 days, strain the herbs through a clean cloth into a small bottle, label and store. Use whenever you see signs of a cold or flu, and with herbs, a little used often works best. You can't overdose, so i will give as often as every half hour, maybe a 1/2-1 tsp.

Well, my tea is finished, and the children are clamoring to make their chinese lanterns. We're having a chinese meal tonight, orange chicken over jasmine rice, and i discovered the most delightful, easy to make, chinese lanterns at Enchanted Learning. (can't get the link to work) Of course we'll take pictures, all to put in their portfolios to convince the state that these children are actually learning something. ;)

Enjoy the rain, snuggle with the kids, and drink some tea. All i need is my water to break, deliver a baby, and then my world would be complete. All in God's timing, right?

I'm still here, very pregnant. Very, very pregnant. I have nothing interesting to say but if you want something interesting to do with your children, check out the blog link on my sidebar for "Joy in the Journey," and read her last post. She's the kind of teacher i wish i would've had as a child. :) Great job, Kelly!!

Our Routine

I had promised earlier that i would post what our routine looks like now that we're back into school. We have gotten into a very comfortable, doable routine which is about to uprooted when the next small Weaver shows up. That's ok, babies come first. It's kind of like Eric said yesterday. I was sitting on the couch and he sat forward in shock and asked what the "bumps" on my legs are. He was horrified (dude, the bumps have been there for like 9 months, hello?) and i told him it's from carrying babies. Lots of 'em. He still looked rather freaked out until i asked him if he'd rather have cute legs or cute babies. Without blinking he sat back and and said with complete assurance that he'd rather have cute babies. His words? "Forget the cute legs." Sigh, yeah, i've had to come to that point to. So, back to my original point, babies are more important than cute legs or cute schedules. But for those who care, here's our schedule/routine for now.

I wake up about 6, get dressed (can't believe it either) and wake Eric and Emily up. At least i try and wake Eric up. Emily is up instantly, making her bed and getting dressed. She LOVES school and getting up early and can't wait for Mondays. She's like her daddy, Eric is like his mom. We both have to stare off into space for a while, debating if it's worth the hassle to get our day started. While they're getting up and coming down, i have my quiet time in the living room. We then grab our books and head to the table, often with a cup of tea or hot chocolate.

Spelling comes first, "All about Spelling" which i love so far, and we work on that together. They're working at the same level and it takes the longest. After that they work on math, (Math-U-See), language lessons, (Queen Homeschool), copywork, (Queen Homeschool) and cursive (Handwriting without Tears). Sometime in there i usually have them take turns sitting on the couch and reading a page aloud to me from their read-alouds. It sounds like a lot of work to get done in an hour and a half, but i'm a believer in short lessons in the elementary years. By that time the other kids are waking, usually around 8, and we eat breakfast and they do their morning and breakfast chores. Sometime midmorning, usually around 9:30-10:00, we sit down and read their YWAM missionary story for the week and they then work on their notebooking. That involves world geography, history, character quality, flag making and anything else that i think would go well with it. They often listen to music from the country we're reading about while they do notebooking. Each week is a little different, depending on the story and mama's mood. This week we had a scottish tea with scottish scones which of course includes pictures to go in their notebook, (along with bagpipe music) and i have a chinese recipe i'm planning on making next week. Each day they work on something different with their notebooks and of course listen to the story again. We also sometimes watch movies about the story (Through the gates of splendor, Chariots of Fire etc)and of course we get into big discussions about these missionaries etc. I bought the books "Material World", "What People eat", and "Children Like Me", to go with our studies. I HIGHLY recommend these books, homeschooling or not. The wonderful thing about the notebooking is that the 2 younger children, Zac and Josh, also are involved, which they love. Some days i also have them do an art project, or creative writing. Eric is constantly doing art on his own, Emily is constantly writing on her own. Never mind she gets half the words wrong, she just loves to write and is always bringing words to me for help. So i guess you could say we never really finish school. My kitchen is often a mess of papers and glue, markers and pencils, but it's a beautiful mess and i proudly display their creations.

By lunch we're more or less finished, although the children often get involved in other projects after that. I also have Eric and Emily doing a computer reading program which they HATE, but it was given and for now i think it's good for them. In the afternoon i have Eric and Emily sit down with a book and they have to read a chapter quietly to themselves. I just started that but i think it's a great idea. No hardship for Emily, she loves to read, but Eric wasn't so sure. Lucky for him, i was given some Horizon easy readers that are simple enough for him to read and enjoy, but gives him great practice.

I work with Zac, math and reading, sometime throughout the day. That's very relaxed and it doesn't always happen, but since he just turned 6 i don't feel any pressure. I have to say that i'm loving our school so far this year, but more than that, i love the time spent with the children. I love looking at their cute faces across the table and knowing that i will never regret the years walking and working with them. I love our heart to heart discussions, anything from babies to salvation to purity. I am constantly crying out for wisdom but i have found a key to peace in my homeschooling. Simply asking God to be in control and then trusting Him to do that. Not always easy but when i do that, and then make a choice to trust Him, there's a calmness and lack of stress. Homeschooling is a tremendous priviledge and one i never want to take for granted.

The rest of the curriculum.....

A couple things i forgot to add to our curriculum list. Eric and Emily both will be doing cursive by Handwriting Without Tears. Eric started it last year and will finish it and start the next book and Emily will be starting it from the beginning. Eric thoroughly loves that book and is always happy when it's cursive time. And that's a good thing. :)

The other thing i'm planning on implementing is a Nature Table. It's simply a table where we put interesting things we find in nature and label what it is. People often have a basket of nature study books, pencils, and paper on the table so you can research and label right away before you forget, which i can't imagine me ever doing. (liar,liar, pants on fire) I would kind of like to put it downstairs so we see it on a daily basis, but i need to find a small table. It's simply amazing all the things i need....:) as of now we have various (dead) butterflies and caterpillars (living) in jars to display. I will be buying sketchbooks for the kids and they will also draw the treasures along with labeling. Maybe it's time for me to stop blogging and time to finish up school shopping. I have so many great ideas and so little time.........

Our "curriculum" plan for the year

We've officially started school, although we're still waiting for a few things. I always love reading what people are using so i thought i'd post what we're doing this year. Of course, it's always subject to change if something is simply not working but hopefully we'll stay on course.

Eric and Emily (are working on different levels on some of the subjects)

Math U See (Eric's actually finishing up math from last year, i'm wavering between Teaching Textbooks and MathUSee for him)

Language Lessons from Queen Homeschool

All About Spelling

Copywork for young boys and Copywork for young girls - by Queen Homeschool

Science, History and Geography - Notebooking using YWAM (youth with a mission) children's missionary stories. Marlin will be actively involved with this end of it. It will also include writing, drawing, researching etc, everything that goes with notebooking. I'm also seriously thinking about investing in the Moody Science Classics DVD's for those weeks around the baby's birth.

Bible - We have family worship every night, with Marlin actively involving the children so at this point i haven't been using a Bible curriculum so to speak. We will be memorizing scripture in school every morning before our read aloud.

Read Aloud - This is a time when i read aloud to the kids, right now we're reading "Tip Lewis and his Lamp." I'm particular what i read, as i want it to be time well spent. The kids will also read aloud to me, using the books they have picked out.

Art - Eric has a drawing book, with detailed drawings of boats, ships, trucks and trains. He will spend hours drawing a very detailed picture, a gift he definitely did NOT inherit from me! We will also be doing art projects focusing on the different countries we'll be reading about when doing geography.

Zac is doing "Learning to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" and will also be doing Math U See. He's only 5 so i will not be pushing him, although he loves doing "school" and the time spent with mom.

Eric will also be doing a reading program on the computer since he struggles still with reading.

So there's the basic "curriculum", although i always add things like stories on cd and any other interesting things i find that relate to our subjects. Of course we always have field trips that Marlin goes along with.

As far as our schedule or routine as i prefer to call it, i'm planning on posting that in the near future. We're still working the kinks out of it and of course, when the new baby arrives, our daily "schedule" will be anyone's guess. I am planning on putting the baby on a relaxed feeding schedule, although that will take a while. So in the meanwhile i pray for much wisdom and remind myself that school is about far more than the ABC's.