Minivan Moments

One question we all seem to ask (or at least wonder about) when we are thinking about homeschooling or we meet someone who does for the first time: how do you know what to teach?   For me, it was " How will i know what to teach? " I believe this to be a valid question because it stems from genuine curiosity and it is mixed with a touch of doubt, generally self-doubt, so it is a fair concern. Traditional Answer: buy a reputable curriculum and follow it to the letter.  As you get the "swing" of things, you will be able to supplement or skip pieces.  This is a valid answer, but it didn't fit our style around here, so.... Less Common Response: learn about whatever the kids are interested in!  What could be more fun than learning everything from the world around you rather than textbooks!?!  Also a valid answer, but it was a bit too loose for me - i am still struggling with my self-doubt too much to lean too heavily on unschooling (as this method is often called)...

We have been receiving quite a bit of math products here in the TOS Crew , and my kids are getting a bit weary of me "trying something new" every month, so consider yourself warned about this review not being totally about the product . { wink } When we received an online subscription to MathScore , I didn't know what to expect. We have run the gamut in math products lately, and I no longer have any idea what one company might have done differently from another (and WHO KNEW there were so many ways to get kids to "do math"?!?!). Well, unfortunately for my kids, MathScore was not a hit. They really didn't give it much of a chance, but I can certainly see their points: ~ timed sessions (all timed sessions stress out my children, especially my oldest, and we have a very relaxed homeschooling environment to support this) ~ drills (although drills are useful, and some parents find them necessary, we are not really thrilled with the idea of drills in our ...

So, it is Wednesday.  I am halfway through the week, still have so much to do, and i am running out of steam!  On top of the Wednesday Blahs, I decided to give into my craving for Doritos and i am REGRETTING IT. {ergh} Among the other great choices i made today: ~ washed and dried 2 loads of laundry (you're thinking "Way to go!" but actually, that just means i have to put all those stupid clean clothes away... sigh ) ~ asked my son to complete a competency exam in math (uh-huh, should've been a good thing, but Alas ! He couldn't be bothered to take it seriously, so we'll keep plugging 1st grade math... sigh ) ~ attempted to add a sidebar item to my blog with copied html code, which resulted in complete abandonment of the idea... at least for today.... sigh ~ investigated the situation when a neighbor took it upon herself to yell at my child... which just made us both feel bad because we were both being overly dramatic cautious... sigh Plus, my dog r...

As a member of the 2009-2010 The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew , I received en electronic copy of Keyboarding for the Christian School : Elementary Version (a.k.a. Christian Keyboarding ) to use and review. At first, I wondered if it was another piano program, but I was wrong. Christian Keyboarding is a typing program! Wow! What a concept: a typing program that includes Bible verses and references. So, after looking it over, I printed off only the first few lessons because I was sure that alone was going to be a nightmare to get through. I'll tell you why, and then I'll tell you whether the program met my expectations. My initial reaction to Christian Keyboarding was that it was going to be boring. It looked, at first glance, like a high school typing course: straight forward, efficient, but dry . My children are 10 and 7 years of age... the three-year-old doesn't count for this curriculum yet. :-> Anyway, my children have played a typing tutor game alre...

Yes, let's talk about that. Probably some of you who drop in wonder if my kids get enough socialization, and if you rely on the world for your answers, you can pat yourself on the back for letting your child attend "regular" school, whether it is private or public. However, let's take a moment to talk about what "socialization" actually is. The most basic definition of socialization is "to interact with others." Okay, so unless you homeschool so your child can sit in her room all day and you can have a life, i can't see how a homeschooled child is not getting socialization (especially if there are siblings in the home!). A more profound definition of socialization is "the process of being raised within a culture and acquiring the characteristics of the given group." Hmm. That sort of sums it up for me. So, in essence, socialization under this definition is to allow a person to be enmeshed in a certain way of living so as to becom...

Okay, Middle Tennessee, you are being given a mission: Let's FILL Grace Chapel's Food Pantry this weekend! This week, the kiddos and i are collecting non-perishable food items with the knowledge that God will meet the needs of the poor through our efforts. Things to consider: Jesus met people's basic needs for food, water, healing, love, and compassion; Jesus offered both actions of love and words of salvation; the pairing of deeds and truths is the ultimate demonstration of the pure, redeeming love of Christ. Won't you join me? A can of peas. A bag of rice. A box of pasta. A jar of sauce. A little can mean a lot. In the right hands. Grace Chapel's Food Pantry is filling those hands daily. email me for more information: athomeandhappy@gmail.com God Bless You, whether you can give or not.

Ever notice you can look back on your life and see all the times God was leading you toward something great and you didn't even know it? Do you ever realize that God has protected you from something you didn't see coming? Ever look back over your journal and mark off all the answered prayers? Do you ever wonder how you doubt God's faithfulness after you witness Him in an amazing way? Me, too.