The boys waiting anxiously in line.
Jason the drummer.
Mike the lead singer.
Jeff the electric guitarist. 
The family with Tenth Avenue North.
The fun "monster slide" that they did at least 10 times in a row!! 
Superman on his first rock climbing experience.
Shane and...
Shane
Butterfly enjoying a little bounce house with a friend that she later poked in the eye upsetting her mother, I apologized 4 time. 
The coolest and biggest slide ever!! Or so they said :0)
The amazing David Crowder Band. 
We went to the front yard for the finale: a Lightning McQueen pinata
Here is the birthday boy surrounded by his friends singing the birthday song to him!
The birthday boy with his friend from down the street playing in the sand.
Daddy showing them all "how it's done"
Before the party started just enjoying it all to himself.
Him racing down to the slip in slide while I catch a pic of the baby area.
Adding a crucial bug to his Bug Mountain cake :0)
The finished product: the 4th Birthday Cake for my T-Rex, All Things Creepy and Crawly lover.
I have not participated in the Heart of the Matter meme in a while. I really like them because they challenge me to think about our homeschool and encourage me to make improvements and enjoy this homeschool journey. Here is Friday's meme...
We want to know how you schedule your lessons and your day to day activities. How do you decide what to teach each day. Are you a morning or afternoon schooler, or does school in your house span the entire day? Please share your methods.
We started out this 2007/2008 year fairly structured with a good schedule and we followed it better than I had expected. I am not by nature a very organized person nor am I one to "follow" any real daily schedules though I thouroughly enjoy the idea of them and especially making them. As of right now we do not have any laid out daily schedules and where a part of me likes this (the lazy part of me :0) there is that other part of me that knows I really need to lay some sort of daily plans down. Last year I planed everything out and left our the dates that we knew we would be out of town but being in the ministry it has been difficult to stay in line with our schedule and I know that this is how it goes and that it is one of the huge benifits of homeschooling, tweaking and rearranging. I planned out 42 weeks in all studies minus all of the weeks off, which were rather sporatic at times. This year is going to be different. We are not going to be taking as many weeks of family/holiday mini vacations because of our current position with our church. So instead we will do a 3 weeks structured and more formal and 1 week relaxed, hands on, field trip learning to make the last 3 weeks really come to life in their little minds and my own :0).
Considering how I decide what to teach each day I am always sure to include math, history and reading in our daily schedule. Science always, whether planned or not, gets it's time in our day so I don't worry about it plus we love science so there is no need to. We also enjoy spelling and copywork is not something that we really ever fret over so it is usually simply done. Grammar is something I started this year but ended up dropping it half way through but will begin again this coming year but again it is never a struggle. I tell you, my Superman enjoys all subjects to a certain degree, the only thing that he struggles with is the not being able to spend the time he is wasting on these subjects playing with his toys and outside.
We have typically been morning schoolers but we are going to transition to an all day schoolers with less formal education and more living education aka Charlotte Mason philosophy. We are currently in the begining of our summer and since we were not able to finish some of our studies we are going to continue casually with them until August. HERE is our year at a glance for 2007/2008 and one of our daily schedules HERE, these were our in the year schedules and here is our little Summer Schedule (not charted out) that we will begin to loosely follow this Monday:
6:00 (I am going to work down to 6:00 by 15 minute increments, starting with 7:00am) This is my block of Morning Quiet Time where I will first get dressed, wash face and apply make up and then start coffee but begin with water as I spend some time in prayer and in the word.
6:45 Turn on the radio and grab a cup of coffee, check email, bank account, bills and other things and if time allows enjoy a few pages of a current book and then begin a quick straighten up along with laundry.
7:30 While laundry is going begin breakfast for soon to be awaking family.
8:00 Instruct/train boys to make bed, get dressed and find themselves ready to serve and eat. then they will take turns washing dishes and clearing table every other day with some assistance.
9:00 Finish up laundry and then have a little family Devotional
9:15 Outside nature walk/study time.
10:00 Play a math game Outside if not to hot or windy other wise at the table.
10:30 Spelling time with words taken from current reading books and other while T-Rex has a 15 minute sit still training time (and this will vary according to his current struggles)
11:00 FREE PLAY
12:00 Lunch, clean up and discussion on our memory verse
1:00 Music time and family play time!!
2:00 Rest hour... while Butterfly and T-Rex rest/nap Superman and I will quietly read, create and just enjoy some alone time. :0)
3:00 Superman will enjoy some time to do puzzles and various other kinds of quiet play(Tuesday and Thursday 45 minutes of video game time) while I learn Latin from Memoria Press and do other needed activities.
4:00 Book read aloud time with small snack
4:15 Everyone is up and given a special 30 minute video time while I start dinner
4:45 A special clean up time to prepare for Daddy to arrive home from studying, this includes faces, hands and feet cleaned up along with a nice and tidy house with joyful attitudes.
5:00 Family dinner and table prepping time (all littles will be envolved) while daddy is given 30 minutes to just enjoy being home without any expectations!
5:30 Dinner and Discussion and then family clean up.
6:15 Desert and History with Daddy! and then family free time!
7:30 Bath, pjs, clean up and family worship.
8:00 Bedtime for all littles!! Special clean up time for Momma.
9:00 Creative and Planning Time for me! Hopefully I will make good use of this time to make special fun things along with important things and plan out things for the next day or week!
10:00 Night time routine and then some scripture reading and prayer with Expresso before I call it lights out!
I am excited to get started with our new homeschool schedule. I pray it fits our little family but of course there will be a lot of exceptions as life comes in and rearranges our pretty blocks of time :0).
When I read my bible, I have always paid close attention to the subtitiles of each section along with the way the chapters are seperated, lately though it has been called to my attention that these can be very hindering to the fullness of scripture. Really? Really! I tried it, I read right past the subs and the chapter numbers ignoring their presence completely and it made a huge difference for me. I didn't disconnect the passage because of the chapter # and I didn't assume what the message was from the subtitle, I was able to allow the word speak directly and unfluentially to me. The reality of each book is that it is a letter, imagine how you would read a letter written to you and how it would be formatted, that is how I think the bible should be read. Man has come in and seperated each book in the way he imagines it should be and has added his little titles to help us commoners navigate the text, but for me I think that these are not advancements but actually quite possibly hinderances in understanding the complete context of the written word. I guess I don't fully understand why these are needed. I would love to see a bible in my favorite version (ESV) written in the format of a letter.
I am not saying that they are not in some ways of use maybe for some advancements or helpers with making the process of reading the written word a little lighter, easier. I do think that there is a point when we should read it how it was actually written without all of the preservatives and additives! Look at the difference in reading this text:
Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be
to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do
evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing
good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people
who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as
servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the
emperor.
Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect,
not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious
thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For
what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if
when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the
sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for
you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He
committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was
reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but
continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our
sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to
righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like
sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some
do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their
wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your
adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or
the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart
with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight
is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn
themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham,
calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear
anything that is frightening.
*Sign made by Superman, don't miss the "Cross Monster" to the left :0).
JOYfully in Him,
Kai and BeBe in her pretty pink kitchen where many memories were made with bacon and eggs.
Amaris and Bebe enjoying a precious moment together on her chair.
"The idea behind self-government is that all of us have a power and authority over life that comes from within that can help us to master problems, obstacles, and can use our self-will to achieve great things. It is not about gutting out life in the flesh without the power of God, but it is the idea that we have a moral character that can be strengthened and under girded by our will and by practice. He who has cultivated this kind of strong character is useful and productive in almost all areas of life. It is what helps a believer to exercise faith and courage and perseverance in the midst of trials. It is what helps a pianist to practice long hours, an athlete to exercise rigorously in order to become a champion, a missionary to master a language and remain faithful in a foreign country until there is a multiplying ministry; a wife to bear up with grace when married to an immature husband; a mother who continues over and over to practice patience with a sick or rebellious child–governing life by mature, faith-based choices, not by feelings."
I found her complete thoughts very encouraging and self convicting. Enjoy some time as you visit I take Joy this afternoon as I always do, swimming in her thoughts.
JOYfully in Him,
Daily I wake up with a goal that I desire to accomplish. Lately it has been the same goal, and maybe you can relate, to control my tone and my tendancy to errupt when circumstances become overwhelming. More simply put controlling my temper and being more quiet and loving with my children. Sometimes I feel like my children see me as more of a drill sergent than their loving mother. I have yet to accomplish or master this goal of suppressing the driller that lives within.
I found this to be inspiring:
"I endeavor to quietly......and calmly.....and determinedly.......endure life's challenges as they roll in and out with the regularity of the oceans's surf
You see my goal my prayer is always that I will not give in, give up, or quit. Instead of becoming incapacitated by emotions, I want to be that soldier who is beautiful in God's eyes....." (Elizabeth George in her book Beautiful in God's eyes.)
I read this the other night and how perfectly it described my desire in my goal for each day! Daily there are challenges or waves rolling in and out and I want to quietly, calmly, and determinedly paddle on my board of endurance through those to catch the big wave way out there and ride it in. Today, as I go about my routine of cooking, cleaning, disciplining, homeschooling, and talking I am going to reflect on this:
*speak less often (Proverbs 10:19)
*speak only after I have thought about what I am going to say ( Proverbs 15:28)
*speak only what is sweet and pleasant(Proverbs 16:21;24)
*speak only what is wise and kind (Proverbs 31:26)
(Elizabeth George/Beautiful in God's eyes)
There are also many waves that roll with in me that I allow to crash over me tumbling me into destructive reactions and today I just want to catch them and ride them in for His glory as He allows me to gently teach, train and admonish my children and my husband.
*Pulled out of my archives from 2006 on my other blog.
JOYfully in Him,
It's to quiet. Last night was my first night spent away from my baby Butterfly. My little home is empty. I enjoyed sleeping in for the first time in my own bed after almost 14 months especially after the terrifying dream I had. I am going to be heading off here is just a minute to attend a homeschool bookfair that I have been looking forward to for months. I have to admit, I am a little lonely this morning, like I said: It's just to quiet here this morning and I miss all the noise.
But, don't worry... I will enjoy some of the quietness here and there. :0) Have a great day and a blessed Mother's Day weekend if I don't talk to you tomorrow!
JOYfully in Him,
