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.

We received the book, Bertie's War , written by Barbara Tifft Blakey, published by Kregel Publications, to read and review as members of the 2009-2010 The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew . The book is a novel about a 12-year-old girl in 1962 who is dealing with the usual family dynamics issues in addition to her fear of all the talk about bombs and Communists. We started the book together, but I realized pretty early that my children would probably not enjoy this book. One, they are a bit too young (the eldest is barely 10), and two, the main character is quite complex. Bertie 's family involves an older sister - one who is pretty typical, in my opinion, and seems to look down a bit on her more "immature" younger sister ( Bertie ) - as well as a younger brother who is nearly always into some mischief. She also has a fairly detached father who seems overly-critical, and a mother who seems to do the balancing act of mothers everywhere. I can honestly say that I did ...

Today, the kids and i had some friends over, and i decided to do an actual MLK lesson. First, i handed out snack: some kids got crackers and others got chocolate. My kids didn't like that too much! Next, i had them write how that experience made them feel (did they feel good to get the "better" snack? or did they feel bad to get the "bad" snack?). Then i introduced Mr. King. We talked about who he was and what he saw growing up black in the South during the 1930s. We talked about segregation - separate water fountains (and the conditions of each), separate schools, Martin losing a white playmate when school started, and Blacks being forced to give up their seats on buses to Whites. i explained that being discriminated against doesn't feel good or fair, and we talked about their feelings during the "discrimination" snack. Then we read the story "The Crayon Box That Talked," which is about diversity, and we discussed how important it...

...If you live in one of the following states: Alaska Arizona Connecticut Delaware Hawaii Idaho Illinois Iowa Kansas Kentucky Maine Michigan Minnesota Missouri Montana Nebraska New Hampshire New Jersey North Dakota Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Dakota Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia ... We are in need of one family from each of those states to volunteer to send a postcard from YOUR FAMILY to another family in each of the other 49 states. If you think your kids would get a kick out of getting mail from all over the USA, please visit: http://ouradventuresineducation.blogspot.com/search/label/postcards You can leave comments here or email me at: athomeandhappy@gmail.com for more information.

A blog entry right now seems insignificant in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti (praying!), so i will keep it short so you can all go read more about that and pray. Tonight, i learned a very important lesson. It isn't the first time i have learned the lesson, nor will it be the last i am sure, but God knows i am forgetful and He is gracious. :-> It is not about me. It is not about fair. It is not about right. It is not about wrong. It is about good. It is about evil. And it is about choosing which team you want to play for. Not much of a choice, really, but it is one He gives us. I know which jersey i'm putting on... for tonight, at any rate. And i'm praying i always make that choice.

The Wee Wonder and I have been enjoying the Read and Share Toddler Bible we received from Thomas Nelson publishers. She really likes the fun pictures and simple stories, and I like how short the stories are - no losing her attention while telling the story of Moses, or Noah, or... you get my drift! Plus, whenever a story is shorter than her interest, she instructs me to read the next one. She uses the pictures to take us to her favorite stories when she wants to hear a particular story again (they usually involve babies, typical little girl that she is!). She is proud to have her very own Bible, since everyone else in the house has their own, and she calls me to read it to her often. The Read and Share Toddler Bible also comes with a DVD of an hour of short bible story videos. All of my children enjoy watching those. The older children know a bunch of the stories, and the video is a great way to "tie it all together" - which children really love to do! The only downs...

I made up my own version of beef and barley last year just because i wanted to try barley - it's a grain, it's high in whole grain fiber, and it is an inexpensive way to stretch a meal because whole grains make you full. So i thought i would share my recipe with my readers since it is tasty and warm, and there is nothing like a savory stew in the winter! Keep in mind, any measurements are approximate. If you are the kind of cook who follows a recipe to a T and never deviates, this may be frustrating for you!! I apologize in advance. Ingredients : ** beef - whatever kind you want, about 1/2 lb per serving. I like sirloin, cut into bite-size pcs., but have also used ground beef and made mini meatballs (think Italian Wedding Soup) ** beef broth , low sodium if possible, i prefer organic ** Better Than Bouillon Organic Beef Paste (near the broths, in a jar, in the grocery) ** Water ** Carrots ** Celery ** Pearled Barley (this can be trickier to find, but your grocery store ha...

Christmas Eve. Before the kids. Gifts under the tree. Stockings hung neatly. The floor is still tidy. Ah, Christmas Eve. Christmas morning. The children are awake. The gifts have been ope ned. The stockings have been gutted. Ah, Christmas morning. Yes, she's shaving her face. She's homeschooled. What can i say? We let her explore without confusing her with gender issues. :-> Dania got a Baby Alive for Christmas. It pees and poops. Yay! Thanks, MidaGohn and MisGetta! Here she is feeding it a bottle. On the potty. Because who wants to change those yucky diapers? And here she is reading to her baby while her baby learns to use the potty. What a good Mommy! The above is a typical winter day in South Central Tennessee. This one is our freak snowstorm this week. Yes, that's grass. But that's about as much as see here. Now, ice.... that's another story altogether.

I have somehow missed out on the Homeschool Freebie of the Day party happening here . Not sure how it happened, but since i discovered it a day after i could have gotten something we would have enjoyed, i thought i would share that information with YOU. Now we can ALL take part and not miss any more goodies! Also, there is a site for a local daily coupon or deal and i get credits for referring people, but it doesn't cost anything unless you actually purchase a coupon or deal. Confused?? Don't be! Just go here and use your email address to sign up (no spam!), then you will get emails daily about local deals or coupons available. (unfortunately for my out of state readers, you will have a different shopping area, so your coupons will be different from mine, but still!!) These days, you just never know where you will find something to bless your day, and finding something FREE generally appeals to people. We're funny that way. It won't get up to freezing around her...