A Time For Every Season....

The boys made Roxaboxen and had to come up with transportation and money for their new town. Abby played along too! It was her  favorite unit study yet! I manage struggle to get Drew to focus  2x a day for 20 minutes  - the rest of the day is for learning through play! Studying the Life Cycle of the Hummingbird Hawk Moth. We also have caterpillars that will change into Butterfly's. We're going to compare and contrast butterfly's to moths! Nana got out all her tapes and Drew enjoyed many hours listening to all of the songs and books on tape! Learning about weight and balance. Daddy made a teeter totter and taught them about balance and force! Abby has  been getting in on our Science Museum trips! Learning about pirates? No, just working on Drew's lazy eye.    Thanks to Papa Tractor, Drew is sporting a new camo patch! Spent a few mornings at the Science Museum! We've been learning about the Venus Fly Trap - looks a...

Homeschooling has been an adventure! It was NOTHING like I had imagined, yet our  family has grown closer in ways I never dreamed were possible. Our days have become a routine of integrating learning into everyday life. Here are some lessons I've learned during our first  three quarters of home learning: Schedules are great for telling you what to do when you can't remember, but life rarely goes by what is on the agenda!  Don't take myself so seriously Have fun learning, you'll be amazed at  how much you've retained. Homeschooling has taught me way more than it has taught my children. Closeness within our family is more important than anything I could teach, it is within that closeness that learning develops and lasts - like learning how to solve conflict, learning how to say "I'm sorry please forgive me!" When you homeschool, your children are always there -embrace it!  Set aside 1-2 hours when everyone is quiet! Don't compare ...

This week is going to be new - different - we're learning from last week and moving forward, The ugly attitudes and trials from last week were overshadowed by the learning, the fun, the smiles, the giggles, the books read, the time shared... imperfectly together. There is newness in our week forthcoming. I shared with Drew last night that regardless of last week's problems, or even 30 minutes ago, right now we're praying for God's blessing upon this school week - a new start, a new beginning. We're taking what we gleaned from last week and this morning is going to be full of God's mercies. We learned that if hearts, mommy's and the kids, aren't in line with the Lord then we're walking in our own flesh. Our character is being built - one day, one dilemma, one choice at a time. We're now working on character as our primary goal. As a mother I set the tone for my children. if they eve sense a hint of frustration or business on my part bo...

I survived week #1 of homeschooling. It was a lot of work and fun. I learned a lot, hopefully the kids learned  a lot too. We tweaked out circle time a little, worked a lot on character, a short weekly  memory verse, some catechism's, and read a lot of books. I was sad that we didn't read as many books as I'd have liked, between Abby fussying and Gabe not wanting to sit still or read the book we'd picked it always seemed to end in turmoil. So we're going to move reading time to the front of the circle time agenda and see what that does. This week our unit was Bubbles, we learned all about them and made three recipe's. Then tested them all to see which ones made bigger, stronger, and more colorful bubbles. It was a fun topic for the first week, now we're off and running with Apples! We also hit the park for a fun nature walk and tree climbing expedition. Drew  enjoyed all the fun learning this week. He wanted to consume everything and wouldn't stop ...

Just as this life is all about the journey, so I believe it will be as we tackle this journey of schooling at home. Today was such fun yet so exhausting. I've  been "playing" school all summer trying to work through the differences between the boys learning styles and how to accommodate an almost 3 and 6 year old at the same time. I planned on not really homeschooling Gabe, just including him in on what we're doing so he doesn't feel left out, but he is so challenged by his older  brother that I think he might be learning just as much as Drew. It is fun to  watch the boys grow towards each other by playing, working things out, and talking to one another. I heard a lot of, "... come on Gabe, lets go...." from Drew today which is such a nice change from arguing!  I love how Drew is very inclusive ... most of the time. Here is what we did today, in pictures, since I need to get to sleep! We had a great day, looking forward to another day or fun tomorr...

A cup of tea may temporarily satisfy the palate, but a tea time can satisfy the soul if you take the time to unlock the beauty that is possible there. ~Sally Clarkson, Seasons of a Mother's Heart We're unlocking beauty today....... Pray for us on this beautiful & humid August morning - our homeschooling journey is trepidatiously beginning! The "schedules" have been written, the lap books are ready, the bubble experiment will be made today.  Our candle will be lit to begin our new days beginning, tea is waiting on the breakfast table for excited little boys,  a verse will be memorized, a new song learned, memories will be made today. Please pray with me: for hearts to be drawn to the Lord, intimacy to take place, little hearts to be shepherded and lives to  be changed. My little boys can turn out to be genius', but if I fail to capture their hearts with a love for Jesus, if I fail to shape godly character, if I fail to entice their imaginations with...