Our Girls' First Ballet Recital

Grace and Abigail had a ballet recital this week. The pictures of the actual recital were too dark to see well, but here they are before hand--and very excited!

We gave them flowers after the performance. They were thrilled to get flowers, especially Grace. And what did she do with hers? She gave them to her ballet teacher! She made her momma's heart proud!

Our Budding Weather Reporter!

To see Sam's first weather report click here. My hubby says that he did this totally off the cuff! I just happen to think he's adorable...

Happy New Year! May you and yours be blessed in the New Year!

Peace for Your Heart

God often uses my husband to bring His peace to my heart. Richard puts out a podcast called "Notes From the Way" that blesses me. I hope this one blesses you, too.

Nim's Island--A Review

Title and Review by Samuel, age 6 1/2

First, we knew the Buccaneers were coming to invade the island. They were coming back in two days. When they came back, Nim threw rocks down from the volcano, and then she accidentally got the biggest rock inside of it. It made ashes rush up into the air! Then the buccaneers were grabbing and pushing stuff. They were pushing everyone to the boats.

So, I thought it was a good movie! I think it would be appropriate for big kids because little kids might get scared.

But my favorite part was when the daddy came back.

More reporting soon!

Q: How does a homeschooler change a light bulb?

A: First, mom checks three books on electricity out of the library, then the kids make models of light bulbs, read a biography of Thomas Edison and do a skit based on his life. Next, everyone studies the history of lighting methods, wrapping up with dipping their own candles. Next, everyone takes a trip to the store where they compare types of light bulbs as well as prices and figure out how much change they'll get if they buy two bulbs for $1.99 and pay with a five dollar bill. On the way home, a discussion develops over the history of money and also Abraham Lincoln, as his picture is on the five dollar bill. Finally, after building a homemade ladder out of branches dragged from the woods, the light bulb is installed. And there is light.

~Author Unknown

Brain Development and Children

Interesting report about children and brain development on NPR.

Our Girls Rock the House!

Our girls joined a band (ON STAGE! Oh, they are so brave!) to sing the blues. Click here to see my husband's post--and cute pix!

Back to School (Not!)

We start official "schooling" a bit early in our family--because we love taking off the entire month of December for Christmas festivities! Here are a few of the things we did this week:
















Sam is trying to figure out why it's dark on the other side of the world when it's light here. The flashlight represents the sun.















Here we are mailing letters that they wrote to family.

(Sam decided that now that he's a first-grader he needs to wear a button up-shirt. That only lasted a day!)















Soccer at our YMCA (the girls enjoy playing in Kids Club during soccer!)...















Swimming is a favorite activity at our house.















Practicing penmanship...















Our Kindergartener jumps right in...















Our two-year-old will not stand for being left out! I love the concentrating lip-action!















Experimenting with light refraction...















How'd they do that tap step?




















Oh! That's how!

Next week: pictures of everyone in gymnastics!

The Graduates

Sam and Grace both graduate this Spring. They were excited to try on their gowns and mortar boards!

We enrolled Grace in preschool one day a week--she loves all the fun messy painting activities that I don't always have time to set up and clean up before going to work in the evening.

Sam's ISP (Independent Studies Program) offers an optional Kindergarten graduation. Would we pass that up? I think not!

Easter Break at Our House

We were on Easter Break last week. I thought it would be interesting to jot down what Sam does when we're not schooling. Here's a quick list of his free activities:

• Climbed his tree
• Created a pulley system through trial and error in order to take books and water up into his tree
• Read some of his Magic Treehouse books aloud (He was reading chapter books, people--this is my kindergartner!)
• Put together a puzzle of the United States
• Built with KEVA planks
• Went to the zoo, located places on the map, and read the signs
• Read some signs on the freeway
• Went to the grocery store, weighed produce, learned to read prices (Those pesky decimal points are important--who knew that onions weren't really $99 a lb.?)
• Cooked and washed dishes
• Drew and wrote in his journal
• Rode his scooter
• Learned to jump on his skateboard
• Attended swimming lessons
• Counted by 2s, 5s, and 10s just for fun
• Worked on teaching his two-year-old sister to recognize A
• Explored the properties of water
• Built with zome tools
• Organized his books for the sheer pleasure of it (He said he wanted his "research" books to be in their own special place.)
• Browsed through the dictionary

This isn't even a complete list! It's amazing what kids will do when learning isn't treated as something to be done in a school building. I'm so excited to see my kids view learning as a fun and interesting part of everyday life.

Disturbing Video

You need to see this post on my husband's blog. It's a disturbing look at evil...

NPR Reports on Play

Take time to listen to this wonderful report on Old-Fashioned Play!

Considering Homeschooling, Part 2

When deciding whether or not to homeschool, it is vitally important that you spend time thinking about your family's dynamics. Several things come into play here.

1. Do you enjoy your children? Do you truly delight in their personalities, creativity, and zest for life? Does it give you joy to see them conquer skills that they've struggled to learn? Do you have fun together? This doesn't mean that your children don't sometimes drive you batty or that your never have times of frustration or impatience. But if you really do not like being with each other it may be best not to homeschool. But don't discount the possibility that more time spent together may increase your family's capacity to enjoy one another.

2. How do you discipline your children? Do you get angry easily and regularly? Do you spank your children? If you do spank, how do you spank? Dr. Sears, a prominent pediatrician, has some very helpful guidelines for those who choose to spank, as well as some very compelling reasons not to spank. If you are spanking in anger or out of frustration, YOU ARE AT RISK FOR ABUSING YOUR CHILD. Get help. Be accountable to someone. Dr. Sears offers this advice to help parents handle their anger. Do not homeschool your children if you do not successfully handle your anger. Do not homeschool your children without being committed to building a full "parental toolbox" that includes a variety of noncorporal ways to discipline your children.

3. Do both parents agree to homeschool? Homeschooling is a big decision that takes everyone working together. Both parents must agree in order for it to be successful. This is especially true in divorced or separated families.

4. Is your family currently encountering stressful times? Are you dealing with lost wages, a death, or serious illness? Are you facing a divorce or separation? Will you encounter any other major life changes? If so, it may be best to put off homeschooling for a year or so.

Considering Homeschooling, Part 1

The other day a friend asked for advice about homeschooling her child. These kind of inquiries always throw me off a bit because there are so many things to consider: legal aspects, curriculum choices, physical education, socialization, the physical space used for schooling and storage, costs, record keeping, family dynamics...the list can be daunting. Richard and I spent an entire summer actively researching homeschooling options--the year before our son was to enter kindergarten. Because of all the information swimming around in my head--and the fact that I am so very new at it--I often just mumble something about loving it. But that really isn't enough information to facilitate good decision-making. So, finally, I think I can articulate what I think is the first, most important thing to consider before homeschooling:

MAKE SURE YOU DO IT LEGALLY!!! Do not put your family at unnecessary risk by ignoring the law.

Homeschool regulations vary from state to state. The Homeschool Legal Defense Association provides summaries of the laws for each of the United States. Click here to find out about laws in your state. State homeschool organizations can also be a good source of information. Research your state department of education. In my state the education code can be accessed directly through the department of education's web site. I was able to read the law myself and feel confident that I wasn't merely making choices based on someone else's opinions.

The state in which I live has a few ways to homeschool legally. We chose to enroll in an ISP (independent studies program). There are many types of ISPs, so it's important to find one that is a good fit. Ours provides us with administrative support (including filing paperwork and keeping cumulative records), opportunities to socialize (through Friday school and field trips), and the fun "trappings" of a traditional school (graduations, year books, etc.). It gives us flexiblity by respecting our freedom to choose our own curriculum according to our son's needs and interests. Our ISP provides testing resources and experienced people to look over lesson logs. The tuition is reasonable. So far it has been a very good fit for us.

Happy New Year!

Praying that God blesses you and yours in 2008!

Our Family Advent Celebration

The word advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming.” It is a time of contemplation and worship as we look for the coming of our Savior. The season of Advent is celebrated for the four Sundays before Christmas.

We love to celebrate the Advent of our Savior during this season. Our family chose colors and meanings for each candle of the Advent Wreath. We aslo chose to add a fifth candle that we light on Christmas morning. We remember Jesus using the following symbols:

White candle—Jesus, Our Peace
Purple candle—Jesus, Our King
Blue candle—Jesus, Our God
Red candle—Jesus, Our Sacrifice
Yellow candle—Jesus, Our Hope

We developed a "script" of sorts with related Scriptures and Christmas Carols to use during our worship. Last week we decided to make our Advent Celebration part of breakfast. Since then our children have been asking to hold hands and sing together at each meal. It has been a special time of family bonding and teaching.

On Christmas morning we read Isaiah 25 and reflect upon the Babe the manger Who brings us the sure hope of salvation through His sacrifice.

Isaiah 25 (New International Version)
Praise to the LORD

1 O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
you have done marvelous things,
things planned long ago.
6 On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare
a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
the best of meats and the finest of wines.
7 On this mountain he will destroy
the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
8 he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove the disgrace of his people
from all the earth.
The LORD has spoken.
9 In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God;
we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the LORD, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."

New International Version, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Oh My Word!!!

Don't my girls look angelic? Well, tonight they outdid themselves when it comes to mischievous experiments. I was in the kitchen making dinner when they approached me. Gracie started off with, "Sorry, Mom. I got salt and pepper on the red chair in the living room." Abby piped up, "Sorry, Mom. I did it." I took a deep breath, composed myself, and summoned up the best Dr. Sears' wisdom I could. I went into the living room thinking that it would be bad, but I could handle it. What I saw was the worst, most unspeakable thing I've encounterd since The Great Poopy Wall incident of 2004. The red chair was sopping (and I mean sopping!) wet with olive oil and sprinkled liberally with toasted garlic. I was so angry that I had to send the girls to the other room while I pulled myself together.

Sam came in, looked at the chair and said, "Oh, no!" That was all that could be said. He offered to pay for a new chair with his trash job money. We figured out that it would take him 4 years to afford to replace the chair. He'd be ten--that's double digits. No, that wouldn't work. We prayed together that God would give me wisdom about what to do. Then I thanked Him that my girls came to me and took responsibility for what they had done--even though I might be upset. That is, after all, what Richard and I want them to do. Well, there was nothing to do but teach the girls how to clean it up. We cleaned up the garlic and researched what to do about olive oil on fabric.

Dr. Sears was right, I did feel better about myself as a parent by handling the situation proactively rather than sapping my strength with ranting and raving. I offered my girls a moment of grace, and isn't that what God does for us when we come to Him and admit we've screwed up again? I also taught my son that God will help us control our anger and figure out how to handle difficult situations.

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard of Aaron. Running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, for there the LORD commanded the blessing--life forevermore." Psalm 133

Thank You for the oil, Lord.

Live With Joy and Abandon

Avoid collagen Bloom late Celebrate Dance at weddings Eat more chocolate Fall in love again Go grey Hold hands Inspire Jettison grudges Kiss like you mean it Laugh Mend fences Nurture friendships Open doors Perspire with aplomb Quit whining Rekindle romance Spoil babies Teach someone to read Upset convention Volunteer Wear red eXpect joy Yield gracefully Zing

--Unknown

God has blessed us so much, shouldn't the way we approach life show our gratitude?

We're Not Buying Anything Made in China

We're not buying anything made in China. Not because of lead toxicity. (Though, this would be a good enough reason. And can I just say that I am astounded that we're usually the only parents reading packaging for those often tiny "Made in" words!)

We don't buy from China because of human rights violations like these and these and practices like these.

When shopping with Sam we look over packaging together. He asked once why we don't buy things made in China. I told him it was because they use slave labor. He had recently been introduced to slavery in a biography about Mark Twain and had already decided that slavery was wrong. He suggested we just tell people about China using slaves. In his mind it's obvious that no one would buy stuff made by slaves because it's a wrong thing to do.

The other day Sam lost a small toy that was very special to him. He wanted to return to the place he lost it, but we were in a serious time crunch. I suggested we look for a replacement while at the grocery store. After going through a wall o'toys we still had not found anything made anywhere other than China. Then Sam said seriously, "That's okay, Mom, I don't need anything." He didn't mope or pout. He was just quietly resigned to doing the right thing.

Shopping with little children in tow can be daunting. It is sometimes easier to grab and go rather than pour over packaging. I'm ashamed of the number of times I'm lured into what's easy at the moment. I came away from that experience with Sam having a renewed commitment to reading all those small print labels even if it is inconvenient. Why? It's the right thing to do. If a 5-year-old can see beyond want he wants now, I can too.