Learning with Legos!

I know all the homeschool moms already KNOW that Legos are a wonderful educational toy, but how about some clever writing prompts, language arts materials, and other great educational items?  Yeah, me too.  Downloading now.  Wahoo!  My boys are going to love this!

Organizing School Supplies

I know I'm not the only mom that has taken advantage of the bargain prices on school supplies in late summer, but then manages to not know where on earth any of the stuff is by January.  (Or October)

After thoroughly cleaning, purging, and taking stock of the school area, I found various caches of school supplies, and some half-broken pencil boxes with motley collections of broken crayons and buried child-sized scissors.  Sick of the situation where people never know where to find OR return commonly-needed items, I turned to Pinterest for inspiration and that got the ball rolling.

This door leads to our coat closet, and this side of it faces the right side of where all of our work stations/desks are for the boys.  In other words, all they have to do is turn their little heads to the right and their gaze shall fall upon this beautiful scene:

All you need is one of those inexpensive over-the-door shoe organizers.  I got a clear plastic one.

As I started filling each section and figuring out what would make sense for where to place items (for instance Sharpies:  Up top.) I decided on some modifications.

I didn't want crayons to mark up the surface of the organizer and make it look junky.

I didn't want scissors and sharpened pencils to poke holes in the bottom of the pouches.

I didn't want to have kids up-to-their-armpits trying to dig out crayons from the pouches.

I had a stash of clear containers from the bulk section of Whole Foods.  They fit perfectly into the pouches, and solved the problem of potential pokes as well as made items like crayons, markers, and colored pencils portable. Now a child can help themselves to the container, take it to their seat to use it, and then return the whole thing.  Perfect!

I also save parmesan cheese containers (they are perfect for childen's banks, bug catchers, and a zillion other things) and those also fit nicely and worked well for certain items.  

If I hadn't had these plastic containers handy, I could have used clear plastic cups that could have been obtained inexpensively from a discount store or yard sale, or even canning jars.  If you look around at what you've got available, you may find that you have a free solution to your needs without having to buy anything.

My children are all old enough to not go berzerk with overuse of school supplies, so I'm comfortable with leaving everything out where they can help themselves.  I love it that now that the supply sales are here, I can easily see that I already have more than enough crayons, but could definitely use more pencil-top erasers.  I won't be buying stuff we don't need.

As you can see there is plenty of extra space.  I can see that these pouches could also be useful for additional art supplies, craft supplies, math manipulatives, flash cards, and other small items that need to be kept track of and made available to the children regularly.

I'm a visual person that really likes to see my stuff.  With all the bright colors and the ease of keeping it organized, I feel like this will be handy, practical, and easy to keep up on.

Of course, that's what we all say, with great hope, before the school year begins.  :)

Relationships Before Rules (or, What Went Wrong? if your kids didn't turn out to be Just. Like. You.)

I recently witnessed a conversation where mothers were discussing their shock and dismay in observing the breakdown of relationships between adult children and their parents.  I have some thoughts on the subject.  :)

Perhaps like many of you, it is somewhat humbling to wade into this discussion because, you know---none of us knows what is to come with each of our children in the future.  Even for whatever experience we have with our grown children, it is by no means a perfect blueprint for what will come with others.

My oldest son is nearly 21 now.  My next oldest child is 17, so only one "launched" adult child so far here.  (We have six children in all)

I may have mentioned here before about my appreciation for the Parental Guidance required program from Andy Stanley. The biggest takeaway I got from this class was that 

we are on a continuum in our relationship with our children, moving from total "control" of their life when they are born, to eventually having *influence* 

WHICH WE CAN ONLY HAVE 

IF OUR CHILDREN ALLOW US TO.

This is scary for many parents, particularly for those who have very firm ideas about how their child should grow up and do things.  In a short time you will not be in a position of power or control with your grown children, and that is as it should be.  IF you have the sort of relationship with your child that causes that child to want to ask your advice or follow your life example or whatever, then that is a wonderful thing, because you will have many opportunities to help them along the big, serious things that come along in the adult life.  Everything from buying cars and houses, to getting married, choosing jobs, relocating, and parenting!  But if your relationship is one where your child has pulled away and cut you off, you are left on the outside while your child finds their own way in the world.

I believe that those strong, enduring love relationships with our children start from the very beginning and are nurtured all the way through.  

Your children are learning whether they can trust you, 

and whether your love for them is unconditional.  

They are seeing how you talk about people that you disagree with.  

They are observing our shortcomings, 

and the ways we solve relationship problems.  

They have a front-row seat for all of our flaws and hypocrisies and missteps.  

They see if we are operating from a place of love and grace, or a place of anger and offense and judgment.  

Their hearts are hopefully being knit closer to ours, 

but could be pulling away.

Their outward behavior when they are younger doesn't always tell the truest tale, either.  Some parents are very good at requiring a certain outward behavior, but that is not a guarantee that you have their heart or that their mind is open to you.

I see so often that Christian homeschooling families expect a certain outcome with their children.  They tend to be shocked when they invest so much and don't get "the product" they expected from it.  Here are some thoughts I have on this:

--If you homeschool, do it for the joy of it.  Do it because you enjoy spending time with your children.  Do it because you have a way of giving them a great education. Don't do it because you hate the local school system, or because you don't want your kids hanging out with non-Christian kids, or because you think that by keeping them at home for the first 18 years of their life you are purchasing a carbon-copy of yourself within your child.  Sure, there are a bunch of reasons why homeschooling happens, but don't let the angry, negative, judgy reasons rise to the top of the list.  All of that anger and gunk is unattractive.  Your kids will see it.

--Start letting go sooner than you have to.  There's nothing healthy about kids going from being under your thumb all the time to suddenly having freedom when they turn 18 or 20 or whatever.  You should start backing off years before.  Let them have some space to figure some things out.  Let them have space to figure out what they believe.  Let them have space to stand on their own two feet, or to make some mistakes, or to consider other possibilities in life.  Homeschool families love to say that they are Teaching Their Kids to THINK! and yet they are terrified when their kids do exactly that.  Part of the process of growing up and figuring out what you think is to pick apart what you've been taught, along with everything else that you're hearing, and weigh and measure and consider and grapple with the ideas.  This can take a long time.  It is part of the process.  

I know you may *think* that you want your kids to grow up and just believe what you taught them, but that would be a weak faith.  

THEY NEED SPACE TO COME TO OWN IT THEMSELVES.  

And what they need from you is the space to do that, 

and for you to not 

freak out, 

lecture, 

and panic 

while they are in the process.  

You can allow your home, 

your relationship, 

and your family bonds

 to be the safe place 

for all of this wrestling through beliefs, 

or 

you can allow your home 

to become rejecting of the process, 

and push your child away 

to places where others are open 

to hearing their developing thoughts 

and ideas 

and beliefs.  

Personally, I want my home to be the safe place.  

Always.

--GOOD NEWS!  18 or 21 or whatever is not the final answer on who we turn out to be.  That is not the end of the story.  So often *pride* gets in the way and parents get upset when their high school graduate isn't a shining example of whatever they thought they were producing. 

"What will people think?!"  

Or maybe they looked like they were a shining example at age 18, but by 20 or 21 they no longer are.  

Stop freaking out about this.  

GOD IS NOT DONE WITH YOU, 

GOD IS NOT DONE WITH ME, 

and 

GOD IS NOT DONE WITH YOUR KID!  

God has got this.  

Back off.  

Go play with your other kids. 

 Take a deep breath.  (or 200)

Let this experience 

of loving your young adults 

through this stage 

show your other kids that 

your love is BIG ENOUGH 

to love them while they figure stuff out.  

Let your younger kids see that 

YOU ARE THE SAFE PLACE.  

Now, all of that being said, I can read the minds of some of you.  You are thinking of many unacceptable extremes and wondering if I am saying you should just let your kids run wild, set a terrible example for the younger kids, endanger themselves, or whatever.  Obviously, no.  You certainly do have to be wise.  If you have a child that is determined to destroy themselves, you may not be able to intervene.  You may have to let go and fully entrust them to God's care.  You can still love in whatever ways are appropriate and safe, though.  Use your good sense, and let love lead you.  (Real love.  Not that junk where you act like a big jerk and call it love.)

What I too often have seen is parents that are fussing and fuming about peripheral issues that are near and dear to their heart, but should NOT be huge deal-breaking crisis issues.  

So what if your son wants to grow his hair out a little longer than you ever let him?  

**OF COURSE HE DOES.  

He never got to do it before!!!**  

Now he's gonna try it and see how he likes it.  He might keep it.  He might not.  But you parents?  You should let go of expectations about his hair.  Frankly, I don't care if my kids have pink polka-dotted spiked mohawks---no hair style will ever be able to change my exuberant love for my children, nor will it ever change God's exuberant love for them!!

So your daughter was raised to wear dresses and skirts and now she's wearing jeans?  

Same thing: 

 This should not be a crisis.  

If you are going to put jeans vs. skirts ahead of a loving, friendly, growing, open relationship with your adult daughter, I believe you have made a poor exchange.  If you can't handle jeans, how can your daughter trust you to handle any other decisions she might make as an adult?!  You could very well be putting yourself outside of having a position of influence by making a big deal out of these issues.

What if your child has rejected the Christian faith? 

 Again, God is bigger and better at this than you or I.  

Get out of the way and let Him do His thing.  

No matter what age your child is at, 

they are not outside the reach of the Lord.  

Live your life, 

and let it be filled with 

pure love and grace.  

Love your kids 

while they 

doubt, 

disagree, 

and reject.  

LOVE THEM ANYHOW.  

LOVE THEM EVEN MORE!

If you can't love your own child through this, what kind of witness can you be to anyone else?!

At my house, the health and value of relationships comes before peripheral beliefs and rules. I'm trusting that this will continue to bear good fruit with my children.  I've never known an adult with a good relationship with parents who couldn't let go, couldn't give them space to be themselves, or respect their grown-up decisions.

Looking for non-college options for your homeschool grads?

Not everybody is looking toward college after high school.  The good news is, there are plenty of decent-paying jobs available that don't require a bachelor's degree!

Check out this article that shares The Highest-Paying Jobs You Can Get Without a Bachelor's Degree.  Lots of good ideas there for those of you with up-and-coming graduates.

As a mom of a homeschool grad myself, I feel that choosing to delay (or bypass) college is a valid choice.  My own son hasn't chosen to go to college at this point (he graduated from our homeschool a few years ago) but he has used the time in a variety of worthwhile ways:

--worked full time in the hotel industry
--started a business with me
--learned web design and many ins and outs of growing an internet business
--lived in Texas for awhile, waiting tables for the regular paycheck and managing his friend's music career to live the dream!
--is currently working in NYC in sales and is doing *great*!  (He's pulling in more cashola than his parents are, so HUZZAH! for him! Right?!)
--hopes to relocate to Florida later this year to continue his sales career

He's been working, learning, traveling, and doing things he loves to do pretty much non-stop since he graduated!  Frankly, I call this a success for someone who is not yet 21.  I have no doubt that he will continue to find what works for him, and that his choice to not go to college right away will be ok for him.  College will always be there if he wants or needs it.  In the meantime, he's learning a whole lot from real life, and that's ok with me.  In fact, I'm mighty proud of him.  :)

Let It Go

Beautiful, encouraging, and wise words (as always), from Julie at Brave Writer:

"As you find your way in the world,

I've discovered (mostly by way of the 'hard way')

that I get further in my life

when I pay less attention to what other people say about me,

and instead get busy doing what I know I should be doing,

what I say I want to be doing.

The most appealing homeschooler to a non-homeschooling family

is the one who has nothing to prove,

enjoys all families,

and relishes the chance to participate in the big world

as a friend and fellow parent.

Read the entire post here.

A Strengthened Resolve

My 16 year old daughter was sitting between my mom and me at the dinner table.  We got into a discussion about her school stuff, her AP Biology class, and some reading assignments she has had (and didn't do, and isn't planning to do).  In the course of the conversation she said many things which showed/reminded me that what she is learning about learning from being in her school is:

-if it isn't going to be on a test or quiz or be graded in some way, I don't need to know it or do it
-hard things are not worth doing if I cannot see how it will be fun or rewarding for me
-I do not see learning opportunities as opportunities, only as a thing that gets in the way of my facebooking and texting
-doing the bare minimum to play the game of How To Get OK Grades in High School is the goal

There was more, but those are some of the highlights.

My mom and I both tried to engage her and challenge her thinking about these things.  I know that usually she thinks more about these things later when she isn't feeling defensive, but in the moment she was quite resistant.   While keeping part of my mind focused on the conversation with her, another part of my mind was comparing and contrasting her educational experience with that of kids in CC.

CC kids learn early-on that big, hard learning goals can be reached, and that they can have fun doing it. 

In the grammar stage, CC kids become accustomed to learning about things that they have no frame of reference for, but they embrace it, memorize it, have fun with it, and then are delighted when they learn more about the world around them and they see where their knowledge plugs in, and they love it.

CC kids are getting an experience that I believe (hope?!) helps mold their attitudes about learning into that of acceptance and enjoyment of challenging things, confidence that they can do tough stuff, and the pride and satisfaction of achieving big goals. 

CC kids are learning that what they are given to learn, memorize, and, in the upper levels, debate and discuss are things that are worth knowing.  The develop trust in their tutors, and an appreciation that they are being lead through an educational process that is worth their time and efforts.

My oldest son was in high school for 9th and most of 10th grade.  I saw his attitude go in the same direction as I now see in my daughter.  He resisted being homeschooled again, but I prayed like crazy and eventually one day toward the end of his 10th grade year he told me he was ready to come home, and he did.  While I was waiting and wishing and praying for a way to get him out of public school (without starting a war with my kid) I remember thinking that I would gladly pay whatever ransom was necessary to entice him to leave.  We found a little cottage school option with a la carte classes for homeschoolers, and we enrolled him there so he could have some time with friends and another teacher to answer to.  Ultimately, that didn't turn out to be as great as we had hoped, but the point is that we were happy to do whatever we needed to do to get him out of the environment he had been in.

So here we are.  As my daughter was spouting off her lackluster philosophies about doing as little as necessary to get by, my resolve was strengthened.  I do not know why hand-drawing the USA map and labeling 41 rivers is important to do.  But I do know that my Challenge A son had a good attitude about it (better than mine!) and he was willing to try.  He is surrounded by peers in his class who are also rising to meet these challenges.  He is surrounded by friends that have a good attitude about learning and hard work.  He is not learning that there is a bare minimum "game" to play.  He is not learning that being dyslexic means he will learn less.  He is working very hard every day, and I have been reminded that these habits and attitudes are so important to develop.  They will pay off for the rest of his life. 

On we go!  This was a great reminder.  I am paying the ransom for my children's minds, not only in money, but also in the effort that we put together as a family to master these things. 

CC 2012 Hand Motions

It's almost time for CC to start again, and this year we have a new set of timeline cards!  There has been some difficulty in my own CC community to decipher the meaning behind the timeline motions provided from CC, so boy-howdy! were we all happy to find these motions already made up for us.  I am sure that tutors and parents alike will appreciate having this video available to make this easier on us!

We are always with our children (and our mothers!), and they are always with us

So often scientific discovery echoes what we already know instinctively and in our hearts.  This article is awesome, and so is this video.  And it goes with what I wrote yesterday.  What a beautiful comfort.

  

Inspiration!

‎"A farmer does not throw up his hands at the prospect of drought 

and refuse to plant his crops that year, 

nor does he throw up his hands at the prospect of perfect growing conditions 

and refuse to tend his crops. 

A good farmer knows that there is always work to be done." 

An inspiring comment today from Leigh Bortins. Wow. So true in the life of a parent.

Read Leigh's post here.

Timeline of Classics: Product Review

There is an awesome new resource available to homeschoolers that pretty much every home educating family should get their hands on:  Timeline of Classics.  Gail Ledbetter put together this simple and ingenious resource, and you are going to love it!

This simple book packs a powerful punch for the homeschool families that utilize great literature (as well as audios and film) in their educational approach.  If you use Sonlight, Classical Conversations, Ambleside Online, KONOS, a Thomas Jefferson Education, Charlotte Mason, Tapestry of Grace, Winter's Promise, etc. YOU WILL LOVE THIS.

What it is:  This spiral-bound book uses a simple chart format to take you chronologically from the beginning of time up until modern times, recommending the best of the best resource books, literature, audios, and films for the time period (including specific events), gives you the author information and web site references if applicable, plus lets you know if the book is suitable for elementary, middle, or high school levels.

So, let's say, for instance, that you are studying Renaissance Europe.  You can easily find that in chronological order (it's in the Middle Ages section), and then see the recommended audio book Galileo and the Stargazers: Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, & Galileo.  You see that you can obtain this resource from Jim Weiss' site greathall.com, and that it is recommended for all three age levels.

Does this book include every possible book about each time period and major historical event?  Thankfully, NO.  Gail has used her many years as a home educator to weed out the junk, and only recommends the really great stuff.  You won't have to sift through twaddle here!

I can see that Timeline of Classics will be an excellent resource when you want to find books at your library that will fit with what you are currently studying.  A quick flip through the pages of the book will give you many fine options, and you can easily figure out which of these items you can borrow from the library.  Really, I don't think this book could have been designed to be simpler or better than it is right now.

Absolutely, positively, this is a fresh book that is destined to become a beloved classic by homeschool families everywhere.  You will want to have this resource on your shelves and your desk from the time your little ones start homeschooling, all the way through college courses.  It's *that* complete and *that* good.

Timeline of Classics is available both in a sturdy print version, a CD version, and an ebook version, depending on your needs.  All versions are priced extremely reasonably, particular for such a powerful resource that you will get so much mileage out of!

(I was not financially compensated for this product review, this is not an affiliate promotion, and these opinions are my own.  I did receive a review copy of Timeline of Classics so that I could check it out and share my impressions with you.)

Older Moms/Younger Moms

This is a post I wrote about a year ago but hadn't shared here yet.  Maybe some of you will find it helpful in some way.


I saw a post on a blog today that partially talked about the way older moms and younger moms relate (or don't), and I found myself replying in the form of a post long enough to be featured here. So, breaking the silence, possibly with something I've said similarly before, here's something fresh:

When I was a new mom I found that the older moms that I knew were too busy for me to get much time with them. The few times that I did get up close with moms I admired were good, but they were rare and I was not able to make close relationships with those ladies, for the most part. 

There were some older women who took an interest in me, but in some cases they were ones who were really looking for a disciple, someone to make be like them, and honestly, I didn't like the results that I was seeing they had. They may have felt that they were equipped to lead or teach me, but I wasn't interested in going in the direction they wanted to lead me. (and I can say that even in looking back on it all these years later, I was spot-on in those impressions. These were unhealthy people with an ax to grind.)

Now I am 40, and don't have any babies or toddlers or preschoolers or sippy cups. There are no outward markers to signal to the like-minded moms that they have anything in common with me. I'm not sporting a baby in a sling, refusing to use a pacifier, or tandem nursing to show my true colors. :) Even when I try to encourage a mom who is making choices that I can identify with from my own baby days, I sense their hesitation to trust others that they do not identify as part of their parenting sub-set. I have to overtly identify myself, "I come in peace!" and still they don't seem to believe it fully.

My oldest is 18. I've homeschooled for a long time. A lot of the younger moms I know seem to think of me in an older mom/big sister kind of way, but know what? I am so busy with what I've got going just managing my own life and children and homeschooling, that I really don't have a lot of time to invest with those gals. I don't have any more days with room for play dates. 

Also, possibly a bigger issue, I have fewer pat answers than I had when I was in my 20s. For moms who want absolutes, I have few, if any, of those to offer. Doesn't seem to speak their language. 

A couple months ago a couple from church asked if they could come over and visit with us and have us tell them about homeschooling. They have four small children and were looking for some wisdom, I guess. Someone to fan the flames of their naiive enthusiasm, perhaps. It was hard for us, not only because our schedule was slammed, but also because we know how long and hard the homeschooling road can be, and at the time we were not feeling particularly positive about all that we were doing or experiencing in regards to homeschooling our kids. What can we say to them, we wondered? Here they were, all stars in their eyes, chomping at the bit to Create All Of Their Own Unit Studies! and have Rigorous Standards from the get-go! and have each of their tiny tots academically advanced and extremely precocious. In the end, I ended up telling them what I really felt at the time: It's hard work. It won't always go well. You will have times when you doubt that you are doing the right thing or doing things well. And in the end, even when you have done all you could, your kids might just disappoint you, scare you, be mean, or make you cry. There are no guarantees that anything you are going to do will give you a particular result. It's a marathon, not a sprint, so pace yourself, young friends. And for goodness sake, take your vitamins, because you are going to need all the good health and energy you can maintain for the next 23 years! I don't think they got what they were expecting, and I don't know if they were really able to absorb it, since of course when your kids are tiny and adorable and practically perfect in every way, how could you really understand how things can develop in the next 15 years or so?

I see the complexity of the whole younger woman/older woman thing differently now. Certainly our societal norms do not make that sort of relationship easy or natural. I'm not sure what the answer is. Moms in my category are probably busier and less available in some ways than moms of babies. Ladies a generation older than me are not often familiar with many of my choices in life, and are looking toward retirement, travel, or careers without the impact of growing children. The internet can be great for a mix of encouragement, but is weak in that we only get to see what the person shows us through their words, and in so many cases people are comparing themselves to a myth, or following the advice of someone that they otherwise would not admire if they could more fully observe their life. 

There I go again with no pat answers. Annoyingly real, I suppose.

President Resources

Later this year we'll be learning the US presidents. I found this video and thought it would be good for my kids to learn since it gives a little bit of historical information about each president. Unfortunately it doesn't go up to the current president, but so far I haven't found a better one. Will keep looking!

CC Preposition Song with Motions

CC Cycle 3 John 1 Resources

CC Cycle 3 Periodic Table Weeks 16-19

CC Cycle 3 Week 16

CC cycle 3 week 15

CC cycle 3 week 14

CC cycle 3 week 13

This episode of Bill Nye the Science Guy does a great job explaining about atoms, and at the end he even does the science experiment we did this week! This video has our science info for weeks 13-15: This version of the video has science for weeks 13-24 English for weeks 13-17:

CC Cycle 3 Chemistry Resources

These might come in handy when learning the periodic table of elements in second semester:




 And also check out the Periodic Table in pictures here.