A Simple Christmas

It is 5:30 am and I am sitting here by the light of the Christmas tree enjoying the quiet stillness of a December morning.  The wind is howling outside, but my coffee is hot and my home is filled with gentleness and warmth.

The Christmas season can be so full of excitement and busyness, but I always find a magical peace sitting by the glow of Christmas lights.

I am 39 weeks pregnant.  As my children are counting down the days 'till Christmas, as we prepare our hearts through this Advent season, we are also waiting for our baby boy due on Christmas day.

This has, by far, been our simplest Christmas.  I've given up on my expectations and guilt.  I am only doing what I can do.  We've missed a few traditions, but maybe started some new.

We took off an extra week of schooling and I have used this time to read stories to my kids snuggled up together.  We've cut out paper snowflakes and made ornaments for the tree.  We are baking cookies just for us and watching Christmas movies.

I am just enjoying my children, soaking in their joy and anticipation.  I am learning to rest and quiet my heart.  I've let go of the stress and accepted that this Christmas will be what it will be.

And that, in itself, has been a gift.

Lessons in the Garden

We made some ambitious garden plans this year, more than doubling our existing garden plot.  I was a little nervous about how I was going to manage it all with a new baby and a toddler.

At first, I would wait until they were napping, grab the baby monitor and sneak outside while the big kids played in the yard.  But they didn't always sleep at the same time or I would soon hear them stirring in their beds and have to head inside.  They also took their naps during the hottest part of the day, which left me baking in the afternoon sun.

I decided that if I was going to tend a garden, the little ones would just have to join me and this soon became some of the sweetest moments of my summer.

I spent our days taking the little guys on a wagon ride while I walked around the yard watering plants.  It wasn't easy trying to pull a wagon full of kids and drag the garden hose along, but they loved being a part of my garden chores.

They helped me drop seeds into the dirt, and while all my rows grew crooked, I would never trade perfectly lined up plants for their beaming smiles.

The kids and I talked about everything.  We examined the shape of the seeds and they were amazed that something so small could grow into something so big.  They learned to identify plants by their leaves.  They practiced self-control to not pick every pretty flower because the flowers turn into fruits and vegetables.

My two year old learned his colors because "we don't pick green strawberries, only the red ones".  Green beans have purple blossoms and snap peas have pink ones.  Sunflowers are bright yellow. 

They sniffed my lavender and mint and felt the prickly leaves of the zucchini.

We talked about which garden bugs are good and which are bad. 

Potatoes and carrots grow underground and harvesting them is like digging for buried treasure.

We counted as we picked and took guesses as to how much we would harvest that season, keeping tally marks in my garden journal.

And now as my summer garden is fading, they are learning where the seeds are hiding and helping me save them for next year.

The garden is a family project, full of lessons and moments that we will never forget.  I am so thankful that I let go of my perfectionism and let the kids get their hands dirty.  This summer spent in the garden, surrounded by my children, was my favorite place to be. 

Back to School

School has started up again and life is feeling full.  I have to admit, it does feel good to have more structure to our days again, though the Summer was a wonderful break for me to get through my first trimester.

I wanted to share with you the curriculum that I chose for this year.  I am currently teaching 2rd and 3nd grades and kindergarten...with two toddlers making the day much more interesting!

This year we are using My Father's World: Exploring Countries and Cultures.

We used MFW last year and loved it.  It was my first experience with a pre-planned curriculum, the previous years I just pieced everything together myself, but having it prepared for me made life so much easier.  I was concerned that having a curriculum would take all the me out of teaching my kids...but it has actually been the opposite.

MFW is very flexible and forgiving and allows me to change up activities to fit our family or just be creative myself.  It has also taken a lot of work out of my part and allowed me to just enjoy teaching.

This year the focus is on World Geography. 

Bible is a study and memory verses from Matthew, as well as character qualities and biographies of missionaries, and learning about the prayer needs of other people groups and countries. 

Geography is focused on map skills, country studies and world cultures.  We will be doing a variety of activities for each country such as recipes, games, and crafts as well as worksheets for a geography notebook.

For Science we will be studying ecosystems and animals from around the world, and a weekly nature walk and journal.

World music, foreign language, and art are also explored for each country.

Language arts are weaved into the whole curriculum in a natural way.  The kids will be keeping journals, writing letters, learning new vocabulary words, practicing handwriting, and preparing pages for their notebooks. 

For Spelling, I chose Spelling by Sound and Structure (2nd grade). 

This is new to us this year, but so far the kids are really enjoying it.  I am using 2nd grade with both of them because I felt that my oldest needed more practice in this area and it is actually making it more fun for them because they can do the activities together, and I only have one list of spelling words to test on at the end of the week.

There are only 2 workbook pages for the week.  We split the pages up over 4 days and use the spelling drill suggestions to make a game out of learning their words.  The first day I had them each write their spelling words, leaving out the vowels.  Then they switched papers and had to fill in the vowels.  It was really simple, but they loved it.  It was a complete change from the workbook pages I had to beg them to do last year. 

For English we are using Primary Language Lessons.

I was nervous about this one.  It is completely different from anything I have used before, but we needed something new.  It is this sweet, little book that covers 2nd and 3rd grade.  It is an old fashioned, classical approach to English. 

When this book first arrived, I flipped through the pages and just had to smile.  There are different activities for each lesson.  They are short and sweet, but so full of rich content.  In our first lesson for 2nd grade, my daughter did a picture study.  She looked at the black and white painting and answered some questions about what she observed.  It was a great way for her to put her thoughts into words, learn to be more observant, and use her imagination. 

Other lessons include memorizing poetry, dictation, letter writing, etc...many can be done orally which I think is a wonderful break in a day full of writing.  It is very gentle, but I feel confident that they will still be learning the basics without even realizing it.  Punctuation and grammar and weaved into the lessons without a formal lesson.

Reading will come from our selection of library books related to our country and animal studies, and well as daily Bible readings.

For Math we are using Horizons Math.  We have used this for the last few years and really loved it.  It is a spiral approach, so lessons are constantly being reviewed, and new concepts are taught a little at a time.  I am shocked at how much my kids have learned in math without feeling overwhelmed. 

My Kindergartner is following along with us in Bible, geography and science, but I don't put pressure on him...he just soaks it all in and is having fun with us. 

I was given a set of Hooked on Phonics tapes, so we are trying them this year.  He loves them and can follow along independently which is a big help for me.  We will see how it goes, if I am not impressed, I will use Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.

I make ABC worksheets up for him and we have a variety of games and activities in the house that he can play with while learning. 


Overall I am really excited for this year.  As I typed this all out it seems like a lot of work, and it is more than we have done before, but it is all coming together in a very natural way that fits our family.  We have only done two days of school so far, and I am still trying to figure out how to manage my home in the midst of such a full day...but that's another post for another time.  

I hope you all are enjoying the excitement of a new school year in your homes.

Our Schoolroom

I woke up this morning to a quiet chill in the air.  Autumn is almost here and a new school year is about to begin.  Our new schoolbooks have arrived and we've cracked open the fresh boxes of crayons.  I've spent the past few weeks rearranging things and making room on the bookshelf.  Things are fitting into place and there is a new season of excitement in our house.

But lately, I've found myself coveting my friends' schoolrooms.  These perfect and sweet little classrooms inside their homes.  There are desks for the children, matching shelves for supplies and precious nooks for curling up with a storybook. 

But I don't have any of that.  We do our lessons at our kitchen table.  I have a crowded bookshelf that holds our supplies and everything is packed up again before each meal.

Today, as I was putting things away, I was thinking about our homeschool.  We are not a school...this is our home.  I want our home to encourage a love of learning.  That doesn't only happen in a beautiful schoolroom, it happens because we are living a life of curiosity.

Yes, these rooms are beautiful and inspiring, and I'm sure they make managing home and school much easier, but I realized today, that for me, having a school room would be all about me.

I'm the one who doesn't want a world map on my dining room wall.  I'm the one who doesn't want science projects growing on my kitchen counter.

But it's not about me.

Kind of like all those baby nurseries I never got to decorate, and my babies never missed.

No, this is our home, and in our home we learn.  It may not be pretty, but we make it work and we are having fun.  And that...is a thing of beauty.

The Power of a Storybook

(Credit)

One of my favorite memories with my mother was that she would read to us everyday.  We would snuggle up in her bed with a stack of books and she would read to me until I fell asleep.  It didn't matter how many times we had read those books before, or that I had them memorized, it was always exciting to hear them again.  She had a way of bringing the stories to life.

When I had children of my own, this was the first tradition that I couldn't wait to carry on.  All of my childhood books had been lost in a fire, but I have found a few of my favorites again at yard sales and in thrift stores.  It is amazing to me when I flip through these old books that the pictures can instantly take me back and I still have them memorized, though it's been over 25 years since my mother read to me.

The power of a storybook can calm an energetic toddler and ignite imaginations.

I thought that when my older children learned to read for themselves, that they wouldn't want to curl up on the couch with me for a story.  But they love it more than ever and it has opened up a whole new world of stories.

We have been reading the Little House series, which I never read as a child, and we are discovering the joys of the simple prairie life together.  I love that when I close the book they beg, "Just one more chapter, please?!"

When we read to our children we are giving them a beautiful gift.  We are making memories and instilling a love for literature that will last a lifetime.  We are also giving a gift to ourselves.  We slow down and enjoy our children and bring life back to where it should be.

Homeschooling with Little Ones

Of friend of mine recently decided to homeschool and asked me for ideas of what to do with her younger children.  Oh, I feel like I am in the thick of it!  This year I taught our 1st and 2nd graders and had our busy little ones, who are now ages 4, 2 and 11 months.  I am being pulled in 5 different directions and it can be very frustrating.  There are many days where I just can't think straight.  Here are some of my tips for homeschooling with little ones:

• Keep them close.

When my little guys are out of my sight, they are usually getting into trouble. If I can keep them in sight while I am teaching it saves me from cleaning up a bigger mess later. 

While we are schooling I have them work on some quiet activities.  You can check out some that I've made here.  Most of these were made during desperate moments when I had to find something to keep them busy.  I'm planning on making more this summer.  We also have a supply of educational toys and activities that they can play with during this time.

• Keep them close...but not too close.

Sometimes when they are at the kitchen table with us, they are trying to color on someone's math book or making a distracting mess.  So I set them up on a blanket on the floor (which they have to stay on) or have the older ones sit at the counter instead.  This way everyone has their own space.

• Naptime is your friend

If you are blessed to have toddlers that take a nap (or 2!), use this time to your advantage.  Naptime used to be my "me time", but now that I have older ones to teach we use this time for our more involved subjects, science experiments, and projects.

• But, if your little guys decides to protest his naps, all is not lost!

We went through this transition with our 4 year old this year.  I panicked a little because we really loved this quiet time, but he has actually done really well and just tags along with us.  I was so surprised at how much he actually learned. 

We use the "Bus Stop" approach.  While we were studying magnets, we did an experiment together.  Then, while the older ones were writing in their journals about what they observed, he would play with the magnets.  He could learn with us, but at his own level.  And then I moved on with the older ones.

• You are a Home, not a school.

Homeschooling does not need to be from 9am-3pm.  You can make it fit your life.  Some states require your kids to work for a certain number of hours, but that doesn't mean that they have to be in a row.

We like to start our day with Bible, but I know a lot of families who save this for family devotions when Daddy is home.  Reading time might work best before bed, when your house is calming down for the night.

Work around naps and take advantage of mealtimes.  When they are all sitting still and busy eating lunch I read to them our read-aloud for the week.


I have really struggled with frustration with my little ones.  They have a way of making all our plans so much harder!  But God has been working on my heart.

When I am really overwhelmed I try to think of this verse.

"...(Jesus said) "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."  And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them."  Mark 10:13-16

Jesus wants us to welcome and cherish these little ones, not shoo them away (or just park them in front of the TV).  They are only little for a short time.  I don't want to miss this time because of my agenda.  Nothing is more important...especially not schoolwork.

Learning Styles

As this school year is winding down I've been assessing what has worked for us and what hasn't.  I am making plans and am nervously excited for next year.  I think our 4 year old will be ready for kindergarten so this will be the first year where I am officially teaching 3 kids.  (Though I do believe we teach our children every day from the moment they are born just through living our lives together...but that's another post for another day...)

When I look at my kids, it still amazes me how different they all are.  They all have their own little personalities shining through.  They each excel in different things and struggle in their own ways.

One of the hardest things for me as a homeschooling mom is being "one-size-fits-all".  I am trying to teach each of them individually in a way that interests them.  I am trying to lean towards their strengths, but still challenge their weaknesses.  I am trying...

Ever year I learn more about my kids...and myself.

I am starting to understand their learning styles.  Our oldest is an auditory learner.  He loves to talk (sometimes too much), he loves to listen to me read or explain a lesson.  It always surprises me how much detail he will recite back to me.  But, you put a pencil in his hand...and he completely loses focus.  He can't sit still and becomes frustrated.  I've learned to adapt.  Sometimes when a page of math problems is too much for him, we will close the book and go through a set of flash cards.  Being able to yell out the answers is much more exciting to him than writing them down, and he usually ends up answering more than were originally on the page without even realizing it.

Our daughter is the complete opposite.  She is a visual learner.  She gets bored with listening to me read a long chapter, and when I ask her what I just read, she just shrugs her shoulders.  But, she is the first one to notice the details in the pictures in that book.  She loves to read things for herself.  She is incredible at puzzles and likes to have everything organized.  She is always drawing and thrives on workbooks.  I see so much of myself in her which is probably why she has been the easiest for me to teach (so far).

Then there is our 4 year old.  He is very much a hands-on learner.  Maybe this is just part of his age, and I know I will see much more in him when we officially start school.  He's very quiet.  He's a thinker.  He stores it all up and then he lets out his theories.  It's so cute to see the way his mind works.  When you put something in his hands like Legos or blocks he will work with such intensity.  He is so focused on what he is doing it is really hard to get his attention.  He will play with Play-doh for hours and then come out with the most incredible creations.  I think this could make for a really fun kindergarten year if I can let go and let him get his hands dirty.

I know there is no perfect curriculum, and what might be great for one child, could be torture for another.  And then there's me...I need to account for what I can do as a teacher.  I still have a toddler and a baby to chase around during the school day.  I can't be stressed out trying to fit our family into something that we just aren't.

This school year was our best.  Was it perfect?  No.  Did we do everything?  No.  We had our struggles, but we also had a lot of fun.  I think I learned more than the kids.  I've learned that sometimes you just have to close the books, take a step back and let your kids teach you.

Children and Chores

We are a larger family and while this brings a lot more love and fun into our lives, it also brings a lot more mess!  It takes a lot of work to run this house and I can't do it alone.  I have taught the kids from very early on, that we are a family...we each have a special place and we work together to make life easier.

I want my kids to have a strong work ethic and a confidence in their life skills.  Spoiled, lazy children turn into spoiled, lazy teenagers who wake up one day and have no idea how to be an adult.  I am certainly not a slave master over my children.  I don't ask more of them than I think they are capable of, and many times they ask to do more chores than I give them.

I keep the littlest ones close to me.  My toddlers become my little shadow and follow me throughout my day.  When they are out of my sight, they are usually getting into trouble, so until they have earned my trust, they are my little buddy.

I used to get so frustrated.  I felt like having a 2 year old in the house meant everything I did would be undone.  This still happens a lot, but taking a few moments to teach him how to help me has saved me a lot more work later.   My 2 year old helps me unload the dishwasher, pulls the clothes out of the dryer and into the hamper and helps unload the grocery bags.

As they get a little older I start giving them more specific jobs.  My 3 year old is our official sock matcher.  While I am folding laundry, he sits on the floor with a pile of socks.  He finds the matches and hands them to me for folding.  To him, it's a game and he is excited to do it.  At this age they can pick up after themselves, though I don't expect perfection.  I focus more on personal chores, like brushing their teeth and putting their dirty clothes in the hamper.

My 5 and 7 year olds now have a chore chart and receive and allowance.  The charts we are using are reusable and customizable.  They receive 5 cents for each chore done.  If they fill in the whole chart it is about $2.00 for the week.  I personally think this is an appropriate amount for their age.  If they do extra work they will earn a bonus.  Hard work should be rewarded.  My 7 year old actually asked if he could have 2 charts because he was trying to save up for something.

We change the chores every few weeks just to mix it up a bit.  The basic chores on their charts are:  Parent Helper, Set Table, Clean Bedroom, Pet Care, Laundry (mostly putting away clean clothes), Dishes (clearing their plates from the table and putting them in the dishwasher or sink), Empty Garbage, Babysit (usually playing with the baby while I make dinner), and Be Happy (having a good attitude in schoolwork, being kind to each other and joyful obedience).

I knew giving them an allowance would be motivation, but it has also reinforced math skills and taught them how to handle money.

I'm sure as the kids grow things will change, but for now, this is what works for us.

I love the library...

Walls of knowledge to grow and stories to tell.  Walking the aisles and browsing the shelves I am in the most peaceful place. 

Unless I have my 5 children with me...then I am completely stressed out!

My kids share my love for books and no matter how many times I give them the "No Touching!" pep talk before we enter, they just cannot contain themselves.  Little hands are grabbing at every book they desire and before I know it there is a pile on the floor...and the librarian is giving me a dirty look.

Then I discovered the most wonderful thing.  I can go on our library's website and request the books I need online.  If they aren't at that branch, they will find them for me and email me when my books are ready.  Then I just go and pick them up.  I'm in and out and able to check out so much more than if I had tried to find them myself.  Simple.

I don't know if every library does this, but go check it out...you could just start enjoying the library again.

Hidden in my heart

When I was a little girl, I was very blessed to have grown up going to church, Christian school and AWANA.  Memorizing Bible verses was just a natural part of life.  When I was a teenager I committed my life to Christ.  The verses that I had memorized as a child now had a new meaning to me.  Through the darkest moments in my life God's sweet words brought comfort, hope and promise.

When I became a mother I knew that I wanted my children to have the same start.  I have been amazed at how much they have memorized and understood already.

One thing that has really made it fun for the kids is to make up hand motions for some of the words in their verses.  Sometimes we will use actual sign language, other times they will create their own.  Giving them something to do with their hands really helps them focus.

Another thing that has made memorization come naturally is to use music.  Have you ever had a song stuck in your head?  Or heard a song that you hadn't heard in years and you still knew all the words?  It's amazing how powerful music can be.  We have made up a lot of our own Scripture songs, but here are a few CD's that we love:

GodRocks!
These are so fun and definitely a favorite!

ABC Bible Verse Songs
This is one of the first ones I had ever used.  It is very simple and sweet.  Great for little ones because there is a Bible verse for each letter of the alphabet.

Word of God Speak
I can just have it playing in the background of my busy day and before I know it, I've memorized lots of new Bible verses.

Something else that has really helped me is to write down the verses that I want to learn and place them somewhere where I will see it often.  for me, this is on my kitchen windowsill.  As I am washing dishes or cooking I can glance at it and meditate on my verses.

I would encourage you to try to memorize Scripture.  Start small and work together as a family.  Make it fun and don't stress.  Just take it one verse at a time.

"Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise, apply your heart to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart.  And have all of them ready on your lips.  So that your trust may be in the Lord..."  ~Proverbs 22:17-19

Homeschooling: FREE Preschool Activities

This year I am teaching my two older ones 1st and 2nd grade.  We have Bible and story time as a family, but while we are doing Math and English I need activities to keep my 3 year old close, but quiet.  Here are some of our favorites that I made for free, mostly from things I had around the house.

Color Matching:

I was in the Home Depot picking out paint colors when I came across these cute color samples.  I grabbed two of each of the basic colors and now we have a matching game. ( Free!)

Lacing Beads:

A shoelace and some chunky wooden beads...so simple but he loves this one.  He will lace the beads on with such concentration.  We match by color or bead shape, or make patterns.  It's great for fine motor skills too.  (This is obviously for littles that are past that put-everything-in-my-mouth stage)

Matching Shapes:

I cut pairs of shapes out of card stock.  I glued one set to another sheet of card stock and laminated everything with clear contact paper for durability.  Kids can match the loose shapes to the ones on the card.


Fun with Felt:

I have a huge stash of felt in every color of the rainbow and I am constantly trying to find new things to make with it.  Felt sticks to itself, so I give the kids a small sheet and various cut out shapes and they make pictures with the pieces.

I've also made sets.  We have a felt pizza: a brown circle for the crust, a smaller red circle for the sauce another white circle for the cheese and then lots of felt toppings.  They love designing their own pizza!

For ABC practice, I wrote the alphabet on a sheet of felt with permanent markers.  I cut out pictures that start with each letter.  They match the pieces to the letter sounds.

Junk Jar:

 I have an empty peanut butter jar full of lots of little random things.  Buttons, ribbons, paperclips, trinkets...The kids love to sort them by shape, color, texture, material...

To play "I Spy", they shake and spin the jar, searching for the object that the other is giving clues for.  They can also search for items beginning with a certain letter.

All these activities are put in their own zipper bags and kept in a drawer (or box).  I told my preschooler that this is his schoolwork and when we get out our books for school, he runs over to grab one of his activities.  He is really proud of them and it has been a huge help for me.
A few minutes of preparing these has brought much more peace to our day.

This week I've found myself curled up on the couch with crochet hook in hand.  I love Autumn.  I love the chill in the air and handmade hats and scarves on my little ones.  I'm trying to use up my yarn stash before I start on this year's Christmas presents. 

I go through phases.  It's been months since I crocheted anything...but now that I've started up again, it's hard to stop.  I just love seeing a tangled ball of yarn turn into something beautiful just from my hands and a hook.

There is just something about working with yarn...it brings back that wholesome love that is lost on store bought items.  It makes me cherish so many things more...simple things that we take for granted. 

This week in school we are learning about the early American settlers.  We churned our own butter...not straight from the cow, though my kids are insisting that we need one now.  It was so simple and pure and fun...and maybe it's just the novelty of it...I'm sure it would have gotten old if it were a daily chore.

Life has become so easy for us in modern America...but easier isn't always better.  I want to know where things come from.  I want to be able to meet a need with a little creativity instead of just running out to the store.  I want my children to value time.  I want them to understand putting love in what they do.