Home-schooling With a Meek and Quiet Spirit (a book)

I am currently reading this book. And what a great find it is!!
I know this book as been out for awhile now, but I have just came across it. And I am so happy I have!  Home-schooling with a meek and quiet spirit is just what I desire and long for. 
  It takes a close and growing walk with the Lord .   Anxious to see what all else it contains as I grab minutes here and there to devour it!
 If you would like to learn more about this book and several more that Teri Maxwell and her Husband Steve Maxwell has written please check out their wonderful web-site at www.titus2.com
   Their web-site contains many great resources for home-schooling families. They have something for everyone.
 In Him,
Mae

packing/road-trip/seven kids/schooling

Packing for 4 day road trip.
That is what I am suppose to be doing right now anyway.
Fun huh!? I wish!
  Packing for 2 adults and 7 children ( of course they do most of their own packing, but still I over-see it all, and make sure all is in order)
 And knowing that in just few short days, we will be all stuck in van ( all nine of us) for 4 VERY LONG days. ( seems long anyway with all the noise, little ones, fussing, big ones sometimes arguing, some sometimes sick)


Then at the end of the 4 loooooong days on the road, a month at a home away form home, schooling ( though we are trying very hard to get as much as possible done now, so we will have less to do then), and all my other mommy duties! Oh fun!! not!


Not the best attitude going into a trip like this which is always excited for the rest of my crew.
 So I am working on changing that.


 I am taking it to the Lord in prayer. ( Isn't that so awesome how we can take EVERYTHING to Him, and he understands, cares, and provides all the help you need)
 Praying that He will give me the endurance I need for this trip, patience when the little ones are fussing and going crazy, and a good dose of humour  to handle it all!
 Also praying for joy as well. JOY in stead of DREAD ( yes, I have been dreading this trip ever since our last one)
 And praying that some ones life will be touched by our presence, either on the trip or at our destination. That God will bring great things out of what normally would be a long, hard, weary trip. ( unless that is you love traveling with a van load of young-ones that get tried of being on the road after just one hour!)
   Praying that we can be a blessing to others, and that others will be a blessing and encouragement to us as well. And that we will be witness for Him everywhere we go. so that others can see Him in us.
 Praying for His protection over us as we travel, and with those sharing the road with us.


So in just few days this big ol' 15 passenger van will hit the road, ready or not!
 To traveling across many a miles, and different states, stopping at gas stations, rest-stops, restaurants, and at the end of the weary, long days and biggest highlight of the day, a motel with a swimming pool!! ( if we are lucky) 


   There is few bright spots in road trips: for the kids it is restaurants and swimming pools.
For me it is having sit-down time for reading my Bible, taking notes and letter writing, and reading good books!    ( busy moms now what that's like) I try to make the most of all that sitting time.


If you have a road trip coming up soon too, I hope and pray you too can find joy and peace of mind in it all. I wish you all the best in your travels!  And I know God will be with you where ever you go!


 And don't forget, nothing is to great that our God can not handle or two small that He does not care, so carry all your troubles and concerns to Him! ( the One who holds the world in His hands!)


In Him, Mae

school 2012-2013

Just a run over of what we are using for schooling this year.

New for us this year is Switched-On Schoolhouse , which we are using for Nathan (grade 7) for science, and language arts, Clayton ( grade 4) for science, history and geography, and math.
 What i like about it is that is totally hands off for me, I do not have to correct lessons, and score or nothing, except for a few assignments I have to view and grade. I do miss having their work books to go over though and see what all they need to do, and get to see their work they did.

We are using Teachers Texts books for Math for Nathan. That is our second year using that. He loves it!!
I think I will use that for Clayton next year. It really explains the math concepts step by step. so easy to understand, and Nathan no longer struggles with math!!!!

I am using Rod and Staff English for Clayton. That is going well.  He found the English on Switched-on School house to be very difficult so we switched to this. Much easier!! This is my first time using anything from Rod and Staff.  It does not seem to have any spelling words though.

I just purchased the book Spelling Power, and we are using that for spelling for Clayton. It seems to be very good, though I was put off at first with the several pages of instructions in the front of the book. But now that I got it figured out, it seems very simply and easy to use. 

For Bible curriculum they all are doing the Bible light units form Christian Light Publications.

Nathan is doing the Canadian Social Studies  from Christian Light Publications.

I am using the complete curriculum from Christian Light Publications for Sam for grade 2.

Nathan and Clayton have typing lessons using the Typing Instructor Deluxe cd- rom.

For art we are using the Art For A Purpose by Christian Light Publications.

For music we are using the Music lgiht units by Christian Light Publications.

We have Writer's Work Shop for creative writing but have not yet put it in to use.


There I think that about covered everything! We keep busy doing it all!!

To fellow homeschooling moms, KEEP UP THE FANTASTIC JOB YOU DO!!!

In Him,
Mae

fall happenings , Bible verse memory and recent thoughts

Well its been a few days since a post. I apologize, but busy with mommy life!
I know all you moms understand though!

Fall
I am very thankful for the cooler weather. Though at the moment i am rather hot here in my house because this morning was cold, so had our wood heater going. Now its very pleasant outside ( actually very warm), and the heater is still putting off heat. Ugh!! But when i get off here i will get out side for awhile where its lovely! Its 78F.
Fall time is my most favorite season. I love the colors, the cool breezes, wearing sweaters ,( although that is very seldom we have to here) being out in the crisp cold air!

Pictures
I had good intentions of putting on pictures of our fall drive we took up in Oklahoma a few weeks back. Pretty in that area we went with the fall colors. I had trouble though up loading the picture's. So that will have to wait till a later date.

School is going well.
Nathan in grade 5 is working along much quicker than when we first begun and now school does not go all day long! In fact he was done by lunch time today! His handwriting has also improved! He has been my sloppy one, and Clayton my neat and careful one.

Clayton in grade 2 always got done early just because his school does not take as long. But a change for him is that his reading had greatly improved since we begun the year! Yea!! His reading is faster and much smoother. He reads almost all his instructions now. So that means less hands on from mom!!

Sam age 5 is enjoying learning to read from, 100 Easy Lessons To Teach Your Child to Read. We are taking nice and easy, and its going good. He loves reading his words and printing his letters.
Sarah lat 3 loves to copy Sam while he does his sounds and reads words. I think she may be an early learner!

Bible verse memory
I am excited about what we are doing now. We are learning whole passages at one time ( 4-6 verses). And we do them altogether, instead of Nathan learning his, Clayton his own and so on.

So on Sunday ( that's our fist school day of the week), I introduce the passage we are to learn for that week during our morning devotions. I will read it through once and then we read it all together 2 times more. Then through out the day a few more times, and again before bed time.
This is done every day till Sabbath morning. Then on Sabbath the children are to recite it to us by memory.

Since we have started doing it this way, the passages we have learned are Psalms 23, Matthew 6 : 9-13, and this weeks- John 3: 15- 18.

Nathan recited Psalms 23, and Math. 6:9-13 perfectly.
Clayton missed 1 verse on Psalms 23. I am also repeating Matt. 6: 9-13 for him this week because he did not do well.
So Nathan is on his own this week with John 3: 15-18. I want to keep at us all doing the same verses together but I wanted Clayton do learn the previous one better before moving on.

Sam and Sarah are learning snippets of those verses. They love repeating the verses together with us.
I reward little prizes for memorization. It keeps them spurred on!!


Thoughts
Some of my recent thoughts.
Our time on earth is short, we need to make the most of it! I believe the time of His return is near. We need to more than ever be impounding and instructing our children in the Word of God. Get them prepared to with-stand the many winds of doctrine out there. Give them the truth and nothing but the truth.

It's time more than ever to weed out the unimportant things in life, and give more time to the important!

There's so many little things in the world and in our lives specially in our lives as mommas, that our pulling and demanding our time.
We need to get rid of those things that pull us away from the house constantly. And get rid of those things that keeps so darn busy that we hardly have time to cook and have a family dinner every evening. The things that pull us away from daily Bible reading and devotions .
Get rid of the things that do not edify or build us up spiritually.
Look into what God wants us as moms to teach our children, not what the world says we should.

And don't forget the weekly Sabbath rest! God knew we needed it, that's why He gave it to us. I sooo look forward to it each week.

May you have a blessed day, as you enjoy your fall weather where ever you are!!
And remember i love your comments and your thoughts!

my new excting schudle!! We did morning devotions!

I started off this morning different than usually or atleast part of it, and I am so happy!!

First thing is Sarah woke up first this time and woke me up just after 6:00 a.m.
So i came out to the living room, put in Little House on the Prairie for her,
and sit down to check my e-mail.
Then Samuel wakes up next.
By that time its 7:00 and i get breakfast going. By 7:30 Nathan is up, and i have breakfast on the table ( dry cereal, sliced fresh fruit, Amish cinnamon bread, and ramen noodle soup for Sam and Sarah which they requested).
Nathan wakes up Clayton for me.
I serve up the 2 little ones, while the older ones help them selves.
I grab me a couple slices cantaloupe and pick up my Bible and read!!
That was so exciting for me!
My very first day of having all the children at the breakfast table at the same time ( minus the baby though) and reading to them.
We fed the physical bodies as well as the spiritual all at the same time!!

It was so exciting for me. I have heard that other moms have done this, but i had just not been able too. Because everyone would get up and eat at different times.

I had tried to read after breakfast and before school, but Clayton sometimes woke so late that he wouldn't be eating till 9:00 and of course Nathan had already been doing school for awhile.
It was crazy!

So I realized i would have to have a set time that everyone got up and ate.
For me the kids waking time between 7 and 7:30 i think will work good.
Maybe as they all get adjusted to this, we can work it to 7:00 a.m. ( and I will have breakfast ready when they wake)

That way we will have plenty time to eat and read, and discuss things together and still start school at a good time. ( note this wake time only applies to my school age children)

Nathan starts his at 8:oo almost always, but i have to do a few things after breakfast before I can sit down and start with Clayton, but no later than 8:30 is my goal for him. Sam's school only takes about 30 min., so i work it in as i can during the morning.

I plan for this wonderful exciting thing that took place this morning to be a part of every morning from now on!!!

schoolin and what we use

This is our 4th week of school now. Nathan's 3rd week though, I had him start a week later so i could get the others in a bit of a routine first.

Nathan is 5th, using all Christian Light Education Curriculum. He really likes it. Its 10 little booklets to a subject except reading which has 5. He has Social Studies, Science, Reading, Math, Language Arts, and Bible. Hes mostly all on his own except for a few things he needs my help with from time time. He can even correct hi sown with the answer books, so that saves me time.

Clayton is in 2nd, using Christian Light Education as well,l except for Language Arts. For that we use First Language Arts For The Well Trained Mind. I have used that for Nathan as well. I have really liked it. It is mostly all done orally. It covers grades 1 and 2, so this is Clayton's second year in it.

Samuel is in K. I am using the book, 100 Easy Lessons To Teach Your Child To Read. Its going very well for him so far. I have used this with all 3 of the boys now. We take it kind of slow and break 1 lesson into 2 days. I write all the words that the book introduces on flash cards and go over those with him often.

Our school week starts on Sunday and goes through Thursday. That is new for this year. And i am very pleased with it so far. Friday is used for weekly cleaning , cooking extra for Sabbath, and will run any last minute errands to our local town. And Sabbath is our rest day.

Before i started this new schedule I was doing school Monday - Friday. And Friday was so hard for all of us because we tyred to do a full day's worth of school, and then cleaning too. I always dreaded Fridays. But not no more!!!

School Days and Busy Days

Its been fairly busy at our house here the last while. So have not been able to post anything like I have wanted to.

We have been at school again for about 4 weeks now. Its going good, just was a little slow at first. Takes awhile to get a good routine going again. I have Clayton in first grade that requires my assistance with pretty much everything he does. Then Nathan is in fourth grade this year and he is doing nealy all of his on his own now. I just have to assit him with certain things and correct his work. I am so thankful that I get to stay home and school them rather than them going off to public school everyday, and not getting to spend the good quality time with them that I do. I am truly thankful to God for this!!

Life is busy alright! The little ones, Samuel, 4, and Sarah, 2, keep busy making noise and getting into mischief while I am busy helping their older brothers with school! Its a riot somthimes! I had considered putting them in a mothers-day-out program acuople days a week, but then for cost reasons decided against that, and I am glad I did. I truly do love to have them here with me everyday, but somtimes it does get hectic. Thats when they need a little more structure and discipline though.

Our newest blessing is due Jan. 28 ,2009. I have about 21 more weeks!! Everything is going good. I am so thankful for that! We do not find out what our little ones are ahead of time. So the birth is a great suprise! I do not even have a feeling of what this one may be. For my first 2 I just knew they were going to be boys, and they were! Then for Samuel I was so confident that he was a girl and had really got my hopes up, then at his birth I was very dissapointed!! So for Sarah I tryed not to think about it at all. Will be very happy with what ever God chooses to bless us with this time!! We are planing on a home birth again. Sarah was our first home birth, and it was such a wonderful experience! Looking forward to that agian!!

Our garden is nearly over for the summer now. Always glad when its over, though I do enjoy it! We did plant a few things for a fall garden though, spinach, swishchard, collard greens and turnips, which have yet to come up. Left from the summer garden we have orka, and peppers. I just harvested the rest of our corn yesterday, and got it put away in the freezzer today. All the children helped me, and we had lots of fun doing it. Got some great pictuers too!!

I had better not make this too long this time. I will try to post again soon.

Blessings in Chirst, Mae