Even though we have yet to finish all our projects, and our last day is still slated for June 4, school is “out” this month.
School is outside: With gorgeous sunny weather, we’ve done lots of schoolwork on the patio.
School is out of order: Lately we seem to be doing schoolwork in the afternoon rather than our usual morning routine, especially on hot days.
School is out-and-about: More and more we take a field trip and call it school for the day. We may not make great progress on book work, but field trips are an essential tool in keeping everyone’s attitude in check.
Even though most of the book work is wrapping up in the next week, school at home doesn’t really end just because it’s summer. So much of what parents do on a regular basis relates to their child’s education somehow: taking them to swimming or piano lessons, teaching them to ride a bike, reading together, visiting the library, modeling behavior and teaching life skills like cooking, cleaning, laundry, money management etc. All are significant learning experiences.
Perhaps the best advice given to me when I was first considering homeschooling was from a dear friend of mine who said, “Diana, you’ll be surprised how much schooling you are already doing.” And indeed, I was surpised by how much of life outside of our curriculum is educational when you really think about. Two years ago I didn’t consider myself an experienced educator, yet homeschooling seemed like a natural next step because I had been my child’s teacher since Day 1. So, I encourage any homeschool newbies out there to read this article and take comfort that it’s really not-so-new territory afterall.
Even though this time of year makes me realize how ongoing and seemingly endless every parent’s job is, I’m feeling a little sentimental, too. And I’m not the only one. I was so touched by this homeschool mom’s letter to her child. It says so much of what I hope my children will remember someday when looking back on their education at home.
Homeschooling — that’s what I having been doing with my daughters since birth, though I didn’t really realize it in those early years. Yes, I considered myself a stay-at-home mom, but I never thought of myself as a homeschool mom until much later. Even so, in those early years, we spent hours playing with playdough, baking together, digging in a makeshift sensory tub, going on field trips, coloring, pretending, making up stories and reading, reading, reading all sorts of children’s books. It was very challenging many days, but it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
Taking my oldest to preschool when she was almost 5, on the other hand, felt very unnatural. Yes, she had a wonderful time there and made friends. Yes, we both liked her teacher and the teacher’s assistant very much. But I just never had a peace about sending here there, especially after the terrible asthma episode she had that fall. She constantly needed breathing treatments and was still too young to use an inhaler. How I fretted each morning, trying to fit breathing treatments into the already tight morning routine. Then every time I kissed her goodbye, I wondered what her oxygen level was and whether her lungs were working well. Yes I prayed, but I also worried a lot.
In retrospect, I can say that God spoke to me that preschool year. Through my daughter’s asthma and the trials we faced, God showed me that He was calling our family to do something different. He showed me that — at least for now — homeschooling is an opportunity for Him to reveal Himself to our family and display His glory, power and strength.
In her book Discerning the Voice of God, author Priscilla Shirer says,
“When you face two options and each seems to please God, consider the one that displays God’s glory, power and strength. This makes room for God to reveal Himself to you and show Himself through you. God wants us to see the wondrous things He will accomplish in us. Don’t be fearful about the hard road He may ask you to take. Be encouraged and excited about seeing His divine, supernatural activity in and through you… God’s voice commands the option that will display His power. He desires to show Himself strong in you and will encourage you to do things that require trust and faith.”
In deciding to homeschool, I came across many, many reasons why it would be a good fit for our family. But this one is paramount — that God’s power could be displayed through homeschooling. For me, it requires much trust and faith to educate my kids. Since I don’t have a background in teaching, God really has to show Himself strong in our homeschool. And He does. Even in planning the little details, as you may recall in this post about orchestrating the swans. God is faithful to equip me and encourage me and do it also!
So, whether you are contemplating homeschooling or contemplating some other hard road, may you listen closely to God’s voice and allow Him to display His incomparably great power in your life!
“For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” – Deuteronomy 20:4
You’ve read about Goliath and maybe even Jack and the Beanstalk. Tucked safely inside a storybook is indeed a wonderful place to keep a giant. But did you know there are bigger giants lurking around your homeschool?
They aren’t often named, but giant pitfalls do threaten our homeschool families, says Rachael Carman, a homeschool mother and an author and speaker for Apologia Educational Ministries.
In some families, these giants take the form of unrealistic expectations, over-spending, over-scheduling, or isolation. In others, the giants are making family an idol, having a tendency to judge, being overly dependent on authority and control, or striving to convince everyone else that they should homeschool, too. Still countless other giants threaten to steal the abundant life Jesus offers us.
“There are giants in the land,” Carman says. “But God is bigger.”
So whatever giant you face, don’t minimize it. Take it on in the name of the Lord. And be sure you give that giant a name!
“Acknowledge them. Write them down. Lay them before the Lord,” Carman says. “Acknowledge the giants, and then when God slays them, celebrate what God can do.”
God doesn’t want us just to survive homeschooling, she says. He intends for us to soar beyond survival. He wants us to love Him, love each other, and learn something. What’s more, He wants us to pass it on – not because homeschooling is the answer, but because Jesus is the answer.
Carman says we are called to total satisfaction – an abundant life that is beyond what we could ask or imagine. We are also called to faithfulness.
“God is going to walk with you when you put your hope in the Lord,” Carman says.
Likewise, Isaiah 40:29-31 says: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Carman offers four sure-fire tactics for taking on these giants in our homes.
1. Set your mind on God’s word. Meditate on it and memorize it.
2. Fix your eyes on heaven. Imagine heaven and press on toward it, she says, just as Paul talks about in Philippians 3:13-14.
3. “We are in a battle and not at a tea party,” she says. “Fight! Use the shield! It is not your imagination; you are being shot at!”
The word of God is the sword of the Spirit, and that sword is heavy. You must build up your muscles in order to use it well, she says.
“The only real word of encouragement comes from the word of God,” she says.
Stand firm and suit up for battle. Carman points to Ephesians 6:10-17, the passage which details the full armor of God.
4. Train your mind to think on the things listed in Philippians 4:8 – “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
*Note: Rachael Carman spoke at the Hearts-at-Home Conference in Rochester, MN, last fall.
God has led me to the first chapter of Ephesians this week and — as He would have it — the passage I am focusing on is the same one that Pastor John Piper (Desiring God/Bethlehem Baptist) preached from on Easter. He titles his sermon The Immeasurable Greatness of His Power Toward Us.
Ephesians 1 is also the topic of this Daily Reflection post over at The High Calling of Our Daily Work.
May the eyes of our hearts be truly sharpened to spiritual reality so that we may know this resurrection power now.
A few of my friends with young kids have asked for help finding books and other materials for preschool at home. So here’s my quick list of 12 helpful resources!
scissor happy
1. Crafts and activities for preschoolers abound at Danielle’s Place. Some pages require a subscription.
3. My favorite bible for preschoolers is The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally-Lloyd Jones. The illustrations are rather unique, but what I love about it is how the hope of Jesus is part of each story.
4. Another great book for the spiritual training of preschoolers is Leading Little Ones to God by Marian Schoolland.
5. A few years ago, I ordered several learning toys from My Father’s World. I especially love the rubber crepe puzzles by Lauri.
6. Peaking at the blogs of other homeschoolers can be helpful. Since my homeschool blog tends to be a tad “girly” at times, moms of boys might also enjoy Tons of Sons. The Well-Trained Mind also offers this overwhelmingly long list of homeschool blogs to peruse.
7. For helpful articles on homeschooling, check out Homeschooling Today. Be sure to click on the tab for “Get Started Homeschooling.” And be sure to check out their upcoming May/June issue because I have an article running in it!
8. Another fantastic site for all sorts of homeschooling tips, encouraging words and inspiring ideas is Heart of the Matter.
10. Tap into the variety of free downloadable homeschool forms and other printable resources at Donna Young. They are fabulous and very helpful!
11. Another extensive list of links to free online resources for homeschooling preschoolers is available at Homeschool Diner.
12. One resource that I have heard great things about but haven’t yet used is Five In A Row. I plan to investigate it further soon.
UPDATE: A reader asked me to add her blog to my list of resources for preschoolers. I checked it out, and Homepreschool and Beyond looks like it’s packed with helpful ideas from author and child development expert Susan Lemons. I especially like this article on what a 4-year-old should know. Thanks for the tip, Susan!
I’m knee-deep into a feature story I’m writing this week before Holy Week, but my brain needs a quick break from all things beef-retail-related. So I thought I’d escape by sharing some random thoughts about Easter.
I love Easter, and one tradition we added a few years ago is telling the passion story with the help of resurrection eggs from ChristianBook.com. (With a little work, you can also make your own.) Our daughters really look forward to opening each egg. I took the eggs to church last year and opened them with my Pre-K/K Sunday School class, and they also were captivated by what was inside.
A few weeks ago I purchased a new Easter book called The Sparrow’s Easter Song, which we’ve already read a few times. It’s a wonderfully written and illustrated story about a sparrow who witnesses Jesus’s death and resurrection and tells all the other animals about it.
Another favorite Easter book just for kids is The Parable of the Lily by Liz Curtiz Higgs. It paints a beautiful picture of forgiveness and is especially fitting for little girls.
Linnea, Laurel and I are working through a book/music CD called Passion Hymns for a Kid’s Heart to help them learn some of my favorite Easter hymns. This week they’ve been learning “Up From the Grave He Arose,” which has such a lively tune. Hearing it brings me right back to the pews of the Methodist church where I grew up.
I also have a new favorite Easter hymn, one I just learned last year. It’s “Jesus Paid It All,” and I absolutely love this version of it by Kristian Stanfill. You will, too! (Side note: This hymn is not one of those included in the book Passion Hymns for a Kid’s Heart.)
Also, just for fun, check out my cute little snow bunnies in the Good Friday post I wrote two years ago: Whiter Than Snow. They’ve grown so much even since last Easter!
“Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.”
– 1 Thessalonians 5:24
As the ice and snow struggle to melt here in the “spring” of Minnesota, the lake near us valiantly strives to resume its liquid form. That’s when our restless family piles into the minivan and takes a meandering drive all the way around the lake. Just to see what we can see.
Seeing the lake through the trees before they begin budding out — it can be fascinating. Sometimes, before the green leaves obstruct the view, sometimes, for a just short while on the open water, sometimes, we see swans.
(Disclaimer: I found this photo on Google images.)
Trumpeter swans briefly pause here every spring. For a native Minnesotan, seeing swans might not be a big deal. But for a transplant like me, seeing swans out in the wild is one of the most prized aspects of living in the Frozen Tundra. It brings back words and pictures in my head from one of my favorite books, The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White. If you’ve never read the book, stop reading this blog at the end of this sentence, find the book at your nearest library, take it home, and read the book aloud to any small person within arm’s reach. It’s a captivating story.
But back to the swan sightings. Last year, through the bare branches, we caught a glimpse of a flock of swans on the lake’s north side just as the sun was setting. We counted more than two dozen birds in that flock. Oh, I truly will never forget that glorious sight! It was surreal and dreamlike, especially the way the sunlight made their pure white bodies appear so radiant. One or two swans would have been impressive enough, but 26 swans? ‘Twas a God-sighting indeed.
Recently I had another swan-related God-sighting, but this time it wasn’t anywhere near the lake.
We were in week 20-something of our 34-week curriculum, and I found myself fighting guilty feelings for not being as far along in the curriculum as I originally planned to be. Any other homeschool moms with me on this one?
I blamed week-long trips to Oklahoma and Florida for our being behind. Even though those were educational, first-hand experiences that enriched our studies. I also blamed a week’s worth of sick days. Sickness is to be expected in life, of course. But it wasn’t in my planner. So I felt guilty and doubted my planning abilities.
God was responding to my prayers, though, because just when I was feeling glum and guilty about the timing of our school work, He sent just the lovely piece of encouragement this homeschool mom needed. He’s good like that.
In our music curriculum we were continuing our study of Tchaikovsky’s works by listening to a few pieces from the ballet Swan Lake. According to my written plans, we were supposed to do this on a Tuesday a few weeks earlier, but for whatever reason, we didn’t fit it in until this particular Wednesday. So we listened to the music and we read the story of Swan Lake — which none of us had ever before read — and then the girls dressed up in all white and danced around pretending to be swans.
Since we were going to a concert at Orchestra Hall that Thursday, I also introduced the girls to Camille Saint Saens’ “Carnival of the Animals.” They enjoyed figuring out which animal went with which music, and they also enjoyed pretending to be those animals as they danced to the music.
Then off we went the next day to Orchestra Hall, fully expecting to hear only the pieces from “Carnival of the Animals.” But to our delight the orchestra played five other classical pieces first. And, as God planned it, two of them were from Swan Lake! To top it off, Minnesota Ballet Company dancers performed on stage throughout both pieces, dressed all in white with feathers in their up-do hair. What a lovely surprise!
Some homeschool moms might have sufficiently planned the timing of such an experience. Others might say it was lucky coincidence for us. But as I sat there listening to the orchestra play “The Waltz” and watching the dancers float across the stage, I knew. I smiled. I sort of know my weakness and needs, but God really knows my weaknesses and needs. And I am certain He alone orchestrated the timing of our studies and this performance.
During that lovely moment of encouragement, God reminded me that His timing is perfect. He is sovereign and He watches over every little detail of our lives, even the tiny little details in our homeschool planners over which we can so easily fret.
During that lovely moment of encouragement, God also reminded me that when He called me to homeschool my children, He promised to be faithful and promised to do it also.
“Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:24 (KJV)
God alone is the ultimate homeschool planner for our family. My job is to not lean on my own plans and my own understanding, which so often lead to fretting and feeling guilty. My job is to trust in Him and follow His plans. My job is to be flexible. My job is to prayerfully and daily lay my imperfect plans before the Lord and ask for His guidance and direction in rightly aligning them with His perfect plans.
If I am flexible and committed to following God’s plans for our days, I am more likely to see His hand at work in the day-to-day of family life. When I follow His plans, I can be confident that He who began this good work in me — including the work of homeschooling our children — will carry it on to completion (Philippians 1:6).
I want to follow His plans. I want to migrate to the right place at exactly the right moment. I want to be a swan on the lake, peacefully resting with others in the timing of His perfect plan for us, washed pure white and blameless, and reflecting the radiant splendor of the Son’s light.
Our family’s Top 10 of the Florida Keys continues with another favorite sea creature!
Number 2: Dolphins
“Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths…” – Psalm 148:7
You can easily see why dolphins are Laurel’s favorite animal. They are quite lovable, especially as they leap out of the water smiling! Our visit to the Dolphin Research Center on Grassy Key was certainly worthwhile. The DRC is home to a pod of 20 Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and three California sea lions. The animals live in ninety thousand square feet of seawater lagoons with low fences separating them from the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The sea lions exhibit is under construction right now, so we didn’t get to see them. But we saw many dolphins, and two of them were babies. One was just a week old! The babies and mothers were too elusive for me to catch on camera.
This happy dolphin was chatty and awaiting a treat during one of two performances we watched.
Besides the shows, the DRC also offers, for an extra price, “dolphin encounters” such as swimming with the dolphins or having a dolphin paint a souvenir T-shirt for you. Since it was pretty chilly that morning, no one signed up for a swim, but a few folks sprung for the T-shirts. Here’s a trainer handing over the paintbrush.
The dolphins were busy little artists but not exactly talented in T-shirt design!
Did I mention it was chilly that morning? Under-dressed for the weather, we were eager to follow the masses inside the Dolphin Theatre to watch a short presentation. We learned that the DRC is on the site where the classic old movie Flipper was filmed in 1963. Many of the dolphins living there now are descendants of Mitzi, the dolphin who starred as Flipper.
After the presentation, the speaker took questions from the audience. Linnea wanted to know how deep dolphins can swim. The Navy has trained dolphins to swim several hundred feet deep, but dolphins typically say within 50 or so feet of the surface.
Next Laurel raised her hand. I always get nervous when my 4-year-old asks questions in public. When the speaker finally called on her, Laurel loudly and clearly asked, “Did you know that dolphins are my favorite animal?” The crowd thought that was pretty funny. At least she stated it in the form of a question!
Back outside, everyone cheered as this dolphin waved good-bye at the end of the show.
That’s all for now, but we’re not even close to the end of our Top 10 of the Florida Keys! Can you guess what was Michael’s favorite part of the trip? Stay tuned because you won’t want to miss this ride!
Don’t re-freeze if thawed. These instructions are important to heed if you are a frozen chicken breast, but they are hard to follow if you are a Minnesotan returning from a week-long Florida vacation in February. Frozen since sometime in November, we did indeed thaw while on vacation. Seasoned in sea salt and sand, we warmed up well in the Florida sunshine and Atlantic water. But now we are back home in the Frozen Tundra and diligently trying not to re-freeze because that would be so distasteful.
While I still feel thawed and still have a little sand between my toes, I am eager to bask with you in the warm memories! I plan to serve up our family’s Top 10 of the Florida Keys. Of course, I don’t want to over-stuff this post with all the photos and stories from a week-long trip. That’d be too messy. A trip like this calls for several small courses! So do enjoy this one, and please come back often so you don’t miss anything!
Number One: Sea Turtles
“So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems… And God saw that it was good.”
— Genesis 1:21
Of the top 10 things we love about the Florida Keys, the sea turtles rank pretty high. The first full day we spent in the Keys, we devoted a large chunk of time to the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, FL.
Sea turtles happen to be my favorite animal — I fell in love with them while Michael and I were vacationing in the Cayman Islands several years ago. Anyway, sea turtles are Linnea’s favorite, too, which made the Turtle Hospital a must-see.
Touring the hospital and learning about sea turtle injuries was quite intriguing. I never knew sea turtles had so many health challenges! Shark bites, boat propeller incidents and entanglement in fishing line are a few primary causes of injury for these captivating creatures. The hospital’s emergency room and operating room offer pretty impressive care, and the folks who work at the hospital are clearly devoted to helping these amazing creatures recover from whatever ails them.
During a recent cold snap in the area, the water temperature dropped into the 50s and many sea turtles suffered from “cold stunning.” As a result, the hospital took in more than 170 turtles in January — that’s more patients than the hospital typically gets in a full year! Most of those turtles had already been released when we were there, but 20 or so were still there recovering in outside tanks like this.
The girls adored seeing the sea turtles up close! We saw Loggerheads, Hawks Bills, Green Turtles, and the rare Kemp’s Ridleys.
Without a doubt, everyone’s favorite turtle was Scooter, an adorable 1-year-old Loggerhead who is perfectly healthy.
Scooter goes with the hospital biologists when they visit schools, and he helps educate students about sea turtles and what the hospital does. While the tour guide was holding him, Scooter waved his fin at Laurel.
Toward the end of the tour, our guide passed around some catfish food for us to feed to the turtles. The turtles were anticipating this, so they followed us closely — they swam and we walked alongside the water.
After the tour, we visited the gift shop. Having saved up her allowance for weeks in hopes of buying a stuffed sea turtle, Laurel delighted in finally wrapping her arms around this one.
Notice it has an orange bandage — the tour guide/reptile biologist carefully treated Laurel’s little turtle before releasing it to her. So cute! Linnea had to have one, too.
Its fin needed a white bandage, as you can see.
I think these turtles are going to be well cared for, don’t you?
Thanks for joining us at the Turtle Hospital. Stay tuned for the next post, when we learn more about another favorite sea creature as our Top 10 of the Florida Keys continues!
Starlight Writer 