This year I signed my 13 year old up for Scrapbooking Club at our Homeschool Co-op. We aren’t taking classes this semester and we are new to this group, so I thought it would be a fun way for her to get to know people.

At our first meeting. The project was covering a composition book. We were to bring:

1 or 2 composition notebooks.

Your favorite pieces of scrapbook paper.

Glue tape.

A sanding block, scissors and your favorite embellishments!!!

Specific directions are here:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQUkcN7PJXM]

Here is my daughter’s (with my help) finished product. She made 2 in contrasting decor, one for her and one for BFF.

She loved doing it so much she made me one later that week at home!

This would be a great prayer journal.

Projects planned for the next meetings-

Class Projects (these won’t necessarily be scrap pages):
Watercolor (on anything, pages, cards, watercolor paper) using paints or wc pencils/markers/ink.
Chalk art
card making
sticker techniques
photo tips
lettering techniques by hand
gift ideas (fun little boxes or purses)
quilling
stitching or faux stitching on paper
embossing
make a personal journal
punch art
specific page techniques

This a great outlet for tween and teen girls…oh and Moms too!

Hi!  I’m Alicia.  I blog at Confessions of a Snowflake where I hope to encourage other women by keepin’ it real and sharing my life, both the good days and the flaky ones.  I’m honored to be a part of The Homeschool Post and I’m excited to write about one of my favorite subjects:  homeschooling.  As such, I thought I’d share a little about our homeschooling journey…

“It almost makes me want to consider homeschooling,” I told my husband late one evening. 

We were trying to decide what to do about school.  Our son, who was eight years old at the time, attended a private Christian school that was moving to a new location the following school year, adding 10 mins to our drive time.  At a time, when gas prices were continuing to rise, the 35 minute drive seemed impossible.  Because we live in a rural area, our choices for private schools are limited and public school was never an option to us. I was tired and felt like I was running out of options.

As we discussed the situation that evening, I began to consider the formerly unthinkable.  There were many more late night talks and serious prayers for God’s direction.  But after our first homeschooling conference, we were convinced this was God’s plan for  our family and more specifically for our son’s life.  We didn’t fully understand it.  But we decided to trust.

In reality, though, I shouldn’t have been surprised.  It wasn’t the first time I had had to trust God with a major change of plans.  I had put my faith in God at the age of seven and learned to trust Him through a difficult childhood.  But the real challenges of faith did not come until I was older and making decisions that would affect the rest of my life. 

As the daughter of divorced parents, I didn’t want anything to do with marriage and motherhood.  Instead I had plans of going to college, getting my degree and moving to a big city to pursue a career.  Meeting Gerald during my first month away at college changed all that.  Three months later we were engaged and six months after that we were married.  People tried to convince me not to get married so young.  But I was sure this was God’s plan.  I didn’t fully understand it.  But I decided to trust.

After we married, Gerald and I thought we would wait until after I finished my degree to have children.  Again God showed us that was not his plan.  Within three years of marriage, we were the proud parents of a bustling busy baby boy.    We didn’t know anything about being parents.  But we knew this great big God who did.  So we decided to entrust our son to Him.

Although, I had not thought much about marriage and motherhood, I did know I did not want an only child.  I wanted our son to have brothers and sisters.  I also didn’t like the stereotypical bratty spoiled only child.  But after a difficult delivery that almost resulted in my death, my husband did not want to talk about any more children. 

At first I was heartbroken.  Then I did the only thing I knew to do:  pray.  It wasn’t easy.  I thought it was my life and I should have a say.  Now 13 years later, I’m at peace with that decision.  God has shown me that He has a plan for my son’s life and I have to leave it in His hands.  I don’t understand it.  But I’m learning that trusting God is always better than trusting my own judgment.

I had the same concerns about homeschooling.  I didn’t understand why God would ask us to homeschool an only child who was a social butterfly.  Didn’t he need to be around other children?  Didn’t he need the social interaction?

But as we enter our 5^th year of homeschooling, I see the wisdom in God’s plan.  I see a budding young man who is bright, vivacious and loves to learn.  He plays the piano and the trumpet and loves to sing.  He studies history and writes in his spare time.  Even though he can never sit still, he loves a good book almost as much as he loves his video games.  Plus he has more friends than he ever did when he was in private school.

I also see a family that has grown together, not only in the knowledge of this world, but also in the things of God.   We love to play together, learn together and read together.  Most nights you can find us studying history or discussing some concept my son and I had a hard time understanding that day.  We also share a mutual geeky love for Star Trek.

Homeschooling isn’t always easy.  If I am completely honest, there are days when I want to pull out my hair.  There are times when I lose my temper.  There are times when we’re both in tears.  But through homeschooling, we’ve learned the art of grace, the art of loving, and most definitely, the art of trusting God.

What started out as an exercise in trusting God has become a way of life.  I tell people that I am an accountant by trade and a homeschooling mom by passion.  I’m not only passionate about giving my son a quality education; I’m passionate about helping other moms do the same.  I try to do this by serving as the Assistant Director of my local homeschool group and as a Classical Conversations Challenge B Director/Tutor.  Both roles keep me busy.  But I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

Thanks for letting me share my story!  I look forward to getting to know you through The Homeschool Post!

Just keepin’ it real,

Alicia

I remember going shopping with my mother for school supplies.

We’d get packets of paper, pencils, pink erasers,
and glue sticks for myself and my sisters.
When we got home,
Mama would put all of our pencils in a mason jar, pointy end up.

We could just FEEL the new school year beginning.

*****

Its funny how things are different when you are homeschooled.
My backpack was used for picnic lunches,
rather than for carrying textbooks from locker to classroom.
Our kitchen table was where I learned multiplication
–taking an occasional break to feed the fish—
rather than the usual desk.
For us, home-teaching was always
Life along with Learning.

*****

As a freckle faced girl, it never crossed my mind
that one day I’d be teaching my own little homeschoolers.

Now, I march through the supermarket with a trail of wee men behind me.
(one who has spent the morning insisting I call him Captain Hook)
The bob-haired baby in the front of the cart,
is still fingering her new haircut and grinning through a mouthful of raisins.
I send my emissaries to grab construction paper,
on the low shelf where they can reach,
and grin as I wrap my own fingers around a pack of number 2 pencils.

I hear the echoes of my long-ago childhood excitement
as crayons are carefully chosen and placed in the back of the cart.
My pupils are skipping behind me as we leave the store,
crinkling through bags as we drive back home,
and asking for sheets of fresh white paper as soon as we walk in the door.
I watch as they each pull up a chair around the kitchen table,
drawing books in hand and new crayons ready to be broken in.

I should probably make them wait.
I should probably keep those crayons nice and fresh for our first day of school.
Probably.
I smile as I arrange our pencils pointy end up in a mason jar.
Who cares if they crayons are a bit worse for wear.

We are beginning again.

What are some traditions your family has for the first day of school?

I truly believe that kids learn more from one field trip than from hours of book study. Field trips make concepts come alive and allow kids to experience what they are learning.

I try to go on one field trip a month with my kids during the school year. While we don’t always hit the mark, I do make it a priority.

Here are a few tips for making field trips happen in your homeschool:

Look for Homeschool Days

Sure it is more crowded, but usually the tickets are deeply discounted or even free. Even though it is crowded, it is crowded with homeschoolers- which could be a good or bad thing, depending on your perspective. If you want to find homeschool days in your local area set up a google alert for “your local area homeschool days.” You will get an email whenever information on homeschool days in your area hits the web.

Use Groupon and The Entertainment Book to Save Money on Field Trips

I have written about Groupon on my site and I am sure everyone is familiar with the Entertainment Book. Both of these resources are a great way to find coupons for local attractions. Many times the coupons are available for up to 6 tickets so even large homeschool families can benefit from these resources.

Go with a Homeschool Group or Co-op

Even if you aren’t part of a co-op many times they allow non-members to attend field trips. This is a great way to get discount prices on tickets as well as have extra hands to help with the kids.

Go with Dad

There were times when I just couldn’t manage all my littles without an extra hand from dad. During those seasons we went on field trips on either Saturday or Sunday after church. Those were some of our best trips!

You Stay Home/ Kids Go With Dad

There were also times when it was just easier for Dad to take the older kids and I stayed at home with the little ones. This was a great way for the older kids to get special time with dad and the little ones had fun with me.

Make Your Vacation a Field Trip

A few years ago we took our family vacation to Colonial Williamsburg. We visited Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown and Virginia Beach. We took advantage of the military discounts and visited many places. It was definitely a vacation, but the kids learned a ton. They still talk about that trip!

Ask for Season Passes for Gifts

There are times when I truly believe we own every toy ever made. The thought of getting more for Christmas or Birthdays usually induces migraine like pain in my head. Over the past few years I have asked for season passes to local attractions over gifts. This saves us money and it is truly the gift that keeps on giving all year long.

Think Outside the Box

When it comes to field trips, anything goes! A field trip can be anything from a trip to the grocery store to a trip to Disney if you make it an experience for your children. Capitalize on the moment and remember that living is learning.

This is our first week of round 3! A perfect place to jump in if you haven’t been playing! In three more weeks we will be giving away another prize. Not sure yet what that will be, but we’ll think of something. You can join in at any time – and it never matters which letter you start on. Check out the original ‘return of the A B See Photo Meme‘ post for more info.

Don’t forget to use our graphic when you post your pictures on your blog (and you can add them to your sidebar!):

Week 9 Picks:

Check out these top 5 alpha-themed photos that our readers uploaded to the flickr group over the past week:

D is for dinosaur. ~ by Following in My Shoes

T is for teeth (or lack thereof). ~ by AJCoombs

U is for unifix cubes. ~ by The Shades of Pink

V is for Viking. ~ by The Bagel Factory

Z is for zinnia. ~ by bandkgriff

- – – – -

What letter are you on this week?

Click over to our flickr group and add your pictures! You may add one photo each week. When you blog your pictures, please use our graphic that links back to the instruction post (which is also linked above in the first paragraph of this post). The only thing you need is a flickr account, a camera and a good knowledge of phonics to participate. Any age is welcome.

Happy clicking!

Hello everyone! I’m Shannon, and I’m a new contributor here at The Homeschool Post. I am tickled pink and honored to be joining this great team of Moms. In fact, this has been one of my favorite go-to homeschooling sites since I entered the online world a few years ago.

I am a child of God, wife to my best friend, mother to three terrific children, ages 5, 7, and 9, and keeper of two kitties and one goldfish. I’ve lived in the Midwest my entire twelve years of married life, but I’m a sweet-tea drinking, grits-eating Southern girl at heart, born and raised in Georgia. However, I have found that it’s pretty nice up here north of the Mason-Dixon line too. (And no, I haven’t tired of the snow yet. I still feel like a kid when I wake up to the first snowfall of the winter.)

I love to read, walk, travel, spend time outdoors, giggle with my kids, blog, and have popcorn/movie/laundry-folding date nights with my hubby on our couch. I’ll also occasionally sit down at the piano and play some Beethoven, Liszt, or an old hymn. I was a piano major in college, and what was once work for me is now an outlet for stress.

We began homeschooling when our oldest was five. Shortly after he was born, we were introduced to homeschooling through some families in our church. Being a former public-school teacher, I was intrigued with the idea, so I filed it away for later.

When our son turned three we were adopting our baby girl and were about to bring her home from China. Quite honestly I was ready for a break and wanted some one-on-one time to bond with our new daughter, so we enrolled our son in a 3-year old preschool that met twice a week. It was a wonderful experience for him, and all thoughts of homeschooling flew from my mind.

The following year he attended 4-year preschool three days a week. In a nutshell, it was not a fun year for my son. We had assumed (incorrectly) that 4-yr. preschool would mainly be filled with play, story-time, arts, and crafts. Instead there was a huge push for the kids to learn to write all of their letters and numbers neatly and to be ahead of the game when they entered kindergarten. My son was not ready for this, and our usually happy little man began to cry every school morning.

God used that year to give my heart the little nudge it needed and help me realize that I wanted to teach my children at home. That spring my husband and I made the decision to homeschool, and we haven’t looked back since. The homeschooling lifestyle has been a blessing for us in so many ways:

• Our children get excited about things like a new bird visiting our backyard feeder or stargazing on a clear night. In other words, they love to learn.
• We have made some wonderful memories reading, playing, and exploring together.
• With my husband’s crazy work schedule, he would see our kids very little if they were in traditional school, so homeschooling insures plenty of time with Dad.
• We are able to pick up and travel whenever we want to see out-of-state grandparents. This proved to be especially important as my mother-in-law entered the advanced stage of Parkinson’s disease. For the last three years of her life we were able to visit her in Florida about every three months, and the kids have some precious memories of spending time with their Grammy.
• Most importantly, having our kids at home gives us more time with them in which we can teach them how much God loves them and also lead them in their relationship with Him. The extra time helps us to help them discover the gifts, passions, and plans that God has for them.

Even though we have our good days and our bad, I enjoy our lifestyle and like having my kids at home. It’s hard for me to imagine it any other way. (Well, maybe on the hardest of days I can almost imagine it some other way!)

I started a blog in the fall of 2007 to journal our homeschool activities. In the process I met some wonderful Mommy-bloggers and discovered that I enjoy writing. I’d love for you to drop by and visit me at Song of My Heart to find out more about our homeschool and our life in general.

Here at The Post, I’ll blog about favorite books, curriculum, learning activities that are a hit with my own kids, joys and challenges of homeschooling, and anything else that comes to mind.

I look forward to getting to know you and being a part of this community. I’d like to leave you with a verse that popped up in my Bible reading this week. It’s my prayer for you as you start or continue your school year…

The LORD bless you, and keep you; The LORD make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.

~Numbers 6:24-26

My hubby bought a whole watermelon and although we like watermelon, it wasn’t going away as fast as I needed it too… those darn things take up a lot of space in the fridge!  I came across a recipe in my Taste of Home magazine that sounded good, so I gave it a try.  It was surprisingly cool and refreshing.  Super easy to make too!

Watermelon Cooler

• 2 cups lemonade
• 3 cups seedless watermelon, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup crushed ice

In a blender, combine all ingredients; cover and process until smooth.  Pour into chilled glasses; serve immediately.

Notes:  I didn’t crush the ice or measure the watermelon too closely.  Just tossed it all in the blender.  Makes 4 servings and 1 cup equals 86 calories, 0 fat, and 1 gram of fiber.

Who knew a simple picture could be such an educational power house?

Each day I present Parker with two or three pictures that represent an item on his schedule for the day.

Block building? Markers? Trains? Stringing beads? Matching?

Parker can then choose which activity he wants to participate in first. This helps to develop both speech and cognitive skills. It also gives Parker the feeling of having control of what goes on in his day.

Did you know that a great way to cement a new concept into a cute little mind is to give a kid a chance to do a movement activity afterwards?

Something like swinging.

Or bouncing. On a great big ball.

Today I’d like to introduce you to a special needs teaching formula. This is how I introduce any and all new concepts to Parker. This is how I build the foundation. Once the foundation is built, I can build off of that with more abstract and more fun activities.

Level One

*Present two choices. Say yellow and red.

*Ask child to “Give me (red), please.”

*Wait five seconds.

*Repeat.

*Wait five seconds.

*Top the right hand object (in our case the color red), then repeat “Give me (red) please.”

*Wait five seconds.

*Then proceed to hand over hand.

Level Two

*Switch the placement of the two items. Repeat level 1.

Level Three

*Put the two colors down in front of your child. This time you will repeat the steps in Level One, except asking for the other object. (If I had been asking for red first, I would be now asking for yellow.)

*When one color is mastered use the first color (the one mastered) and present every other color one at a time consistently asking for the target color.

Teaching a child with Down syndrome isn’t like teaching a typical child. Things that a typical child just kind of absorb, a child with special needs must have broken down for them.

Remember, we all have our own individual learning style. Identifying your child’s style will make you a stronger teacher and your child a stronger learner.

Some of us homeschool like lone rangers. We have few support networks and don’t have many chances to “talk shop” with other homeschoolers. Others may answer to a local school board or an umbrella school. Whatever your particular situation, you may desire more personal or ongoing accountability for your homeschooling.
Why would you want such a thing? Actually there are some real benefits to accountability:

1. The accomplishment of goals.
2. A smoother homeschool day.
3. A sense of validation and encouragement.

Do any of those sound good? Then consider looking for an accountability partner.
Possible Accountability Partners-

A More Experienced Homeschool Mom- In the spirit of Titus 2, find a mom who is ahead of you a few years to serve as an accountability partner. Don’t forget empty nest moms whose children are already off at college. They offer the big picture perspective that moms of younger children can’t yet see. Discuss your homeschool goals and plans and set a time to meet in person at least monthly if not weekly.

A Respected Online Mom-Maybe you’re all alone and don’t click with the moms in your coop. Face to face accountability may be best, but email or Skype conferences are a possibility too. So don’t let isolation keep you from the accountability you desire. How about a blogging mom you respect or someone who you know from an online forum?

Your Husband- I don’t mean simply asking your husband to manage your curriculum purchases. Actually, many men want more involvement in their children’s education but they don’t know how to help or what to offer. If your husband is one of those eager-to-engage dads, seek his input and accountability at regularly set meeting times.

Your Mom or Mother-in-law- Who else besides your husband has as much of a vested interest in the success of your homeschool as your children’s grandmothers? Choose the one who supports homeschooling and with whom you communicate well. Not only will you find encouragement but your children will get the benefit of grandma’s gushing over their progress.

Working with Your Accountability Partner-

When seeking an accountability partner, realize that you will have to take the lead and teach your partner how to help you. Give her specific questions tailored to your situation, your goals, or your weaknesses. For example, if you tend to procrastinate on planning your homeschool lessons, you may want your accountability partner to ask you, “Did you write out weekly plans? Show me.” If you tend to slack off in the area of math, add the question, “Did your children do math each day? What was it?”

Generally, yes and no questions aren’t enough to provide accountability. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, accountability means “required or expected to justify actions or decisions.” So you’re not just reporting your actions but also telling why you chose them. You need to have your accountability partner require details or maybe even proof. That’s exactly why a great follow up to most any answer is to ask “Why?” Did you do what you did for a conscious reason or was it an accident? Was it a habit, or an impulsive reaction, or a deliberate choice? Accountability isn’t all negative.

On the contrary, you should work in questions to allow time for highlighting victories, “What was your greatest accomplishment this week? What did each child do that really impressed you?” Because every homeschool mom’s educational philosophy is different and her particular goals vary from year to year, there is no way to provide an exhaustive list of accountability questions. But here is a list of possibilities to get you started:

• Did you allow your child to veg in front of a screen rather than encourage a more productive activity?
• How many days each week did you read aloud to your child? How many hours total?
• How much art and music did you do? What did you do?
• How much of what you planned did you actually accomplish? Why?
• Did you require your children to offer their best work or did you accept slipshod products?
• Did you get outdoors for a weekly nature walk?
• Did you pray for/with your children?

Let’s say you can’t find anyone to serve as an accountability partner or your accountability relationship peters out. What can you do?

You can be accountable to yourself through scheduled introspection. Write your questions down and ask them of yourself each week or month. Write down your answers and evaluate. If you didn’t do so well, don’t fall into the failure mentality and give up. (Give yourself the pep talk that you would give your child if he wanted to give up a worthy but difficult project.) Start afresh with a new week. Pray for grace, and keep pressing forward.

Jimmie is a homeschooling Mom of one, you can visit her at Jimmie’s Collage.

This is our fourth week of round 2 – the final week for this round! Today we are announcing our randomly chosen prize winner! If you haven’t joined us yet, don’t think that we’re way ahead. You can join at any time – and it never matters which letter you start on. Check out the original ‘return of the A B See Photo Meme‘ post for more info.

Don’t forget to use our graphic when you post your pictures on your blog (and you can add them to your sidebar!):

Week 8 Picks:

Check out these top 5 alpha-themed photos that our readers uploaded to the flickr group over the past week:

C is for cave. ~ by hstravelermom

F is for frog. ~ by AJCoombs

R is for reflection. ~ by The Shades of Pink

R is for racoon. ~ by The Homeschool Chick

S is for sunset. ~ by y @ mf5

- – – – -

We have a total of 20 pictures and our Random.org number generator has chosen number 6 for the grand prize:
This round’s prize is the gorgeous camera strap cover by Ruthanne over at Eclectic Whatnot:

- – – – -

Here’s our winning picture:

N is for Nails. ~ by AJ Coombs

Email us to collect your prize! We just need a shipping address!

Thanks so much to everyone who made this past month’s A B See Photomeme so fun! In our book, everyone is a winner!

- – – – -
What letter are you on this week?

If you are just joining in – there are no rules as to what letter you have to start on. Click over to our flickr group and add your pictures! You may add one photo each week. When you blog your pictures, please use our graphic that links back to the instruction post (which is also linked above in the first paragraph of this post). The only thing you need is a flickr account, a camera and a good knowledge of phonics to participate. Any age is welcome.

Happy clicking!

I love to organize. I love to sort, purge, and file. OK. Not so much filing.

But, I love to find just the right container for each little thing.

I strongly believe, there is a place for everything and everything should be in its place. And, yes, everything in Heaven will be color-coded.

I love having just the right calendar. I love having a plan.

But as a most-of-the-time-too-busy-of-a-homeschooling-mommy, I feel as if all I do is organize. Prepare. Plan. School days, field trips, craft projects, menus, schedules. For anything to be successful, it takes planning. Yet, I find myself a lot of times planning more than doing. Only because I want everything to be just perfect.

For example, I make the calendars. I layout our plans in Homeschool Tracker. We purchase the supplies. We purchase the manipulatives. Yet, something always seems to come up when we are just getting started. When we are just getting in *that groove*.  Some things are out of my control, and with those I have to learn to just BE. To let God take control.

Others are distractions. Sometimes the insecurity of is this what we should be using? What if I looked at this curriculum? Or what if I did it like (the thought-to-be-perfect-homeschooler) is with her kids?

Yes, we need a plan. We need to be prepared. Yet, that should not be our goal. It’s only a step in the preparation. We won’t receive an award for having a great plan, but only for producing fruit.

So which are you, a PLANNER or a DOER?  Are you hard at work planning the most perfect year of homeschooling?  Are you spending all your time researching the latest and greatest curriculum and activities? Making changes to that nearly-perfect calendar? Or are you putting into action what you know He has led your family to this season?

There will always be another curriculum. There will always be another activity. There will always be another organizing system that you can try. There will always be a little more detail to add to your perfect-plan, yet if you are consumed with the planning, nothing will get done.

Don’t fall for the “planning trap.”  Once you decide on your curriculum and activities for your family, do them. Don’t spin your wheels in the planning mode. While you are actively working on them, check your progress. Make sure you are moving in the direction for your family. Tweaking may be necessary, but don’t fall back in the trap of the over-planning mode. You will lose momentum and once again be starting at square one.

The perfect plan you may have for your homeschooling family is worthless if you never get around to putting it into action.

Sometimes DOING means getting comfortable with a situation before you know its entirety. If you are walking in the direction He has intended for your family, He will guide you. He will give you a sense of direction that without Him you would not have. He will give you peace over your days

“While they were still talking…., Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” Luke 24:36

As we approach another season, I have found peace in knowing that things are not going to be perfect. Days are not always going to be just as my to-do list has planned. The calendar will not be followed exactly. I have had to learn to use my plan as a guide. To be OK with things not always falling right into place throughout the day as I expect them to.  And know that He is in control of it all.

“I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,  my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:2

Greetings!

My name is Cindy Adams and I’m thrilled and humbled to be invited to join the HSBA Post team.

We’ve been a homeschooling family for 8 years now, and it gets better every year.  It’s incredibly rewarding to watch our children grow in God, in character, in academics, and to know the part we’ve played in their training.

My blogging career started in 2004 with gooblink.com where, for more than two years, I posted family humor, rants, raves and other nonsense.  Thanks to my two delightfully witty boys and one wonderfully goofy husband there is no shortage of material.  As he says, “I set ‘em up, you knock ‘em down, Baby.”  Somewhere along the line I fell off the blog-wagon, but am ready to jump on and try the reins, again.

Some things I look forward to discussing in coming months are good books, favorite curricula, caring for diabetic children and the challenges/rewards of living gluten free.

As for writing – it’s always been part of who I am.  Most of my ramblings never escape the confines of the hard drive, but I have had a couple of humor pieces published; one appeared in Parent Wise Austin and another in Writer’s Digest .  I was also a winner in the 2009 NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month) challenge!  All that means is I accepted and met the challenge to write 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days.  The only thing my manuscript has in common with any good book, though, is that it has a beginning, a middle and an end.

I look forward to spending time here, getting to know you and the talented writers at the Post.  I’ll leave you with one of Paul’s benedictions, as it captures perfectly my prayer for you:

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.”

2 Corinthians 13:14

Peace,

There’s something you should know about me:  I used to go to a regular school.  I went there for preschool, kindergarten, and first grade.  At the end of the first grade, my mom took my brother (who was in 3rd grade) and me out and started homeschooling us.   When mom took us out of school, she took us away from standing in line all the time, raising our hands to speak, and being bullied on the playground to going on fun field trips, making new friends at our homeschool co-op, and spending lots of time at the library and the park.

Helen

Time for the next swap! Did you enjoy the last one? Hopefully you are all wrapped up and ready to move on. If not, just do your best to get things finalized (we understand that life sometimes gets in the way of deadlines). For those of you that missed the last swap, be sure to check out the links below and see what sort of booty was shared between homeschool mamas. It will inspire you to join up this time!

Ready to swap, sisters?

Here are the latest swap links that were emailed to us from happy swappers (a few are from past swaps that were accidentally turned in late):

LATEST SWAP HIGHLIGHTS:

Renita’s swap gift (July 30)

Blossom’s swap gift (August 4)

Summer’s swap gift (July 27)

Jen’s swap gift (July 25)

Angela’s swap gift (July 24)

Jennifer’s swap gift (July 13)

Jennifer Sikora’s last swap gift (June 17) … we had a lot of Jennifers this time!

Jen Steed’s last swap gift (June 15)

Heather’s swap gift (August 16)

Yours not listed here? Email or comment with a link and we’ll add it! It is never too late! People still like to click back and see all the gifts, so by all means – share!

Are YOU interested in getting a groovy care-package in the mail (instead of bills)? Then leave a comment below to let us know you want to participate. It’s ever so easy. Make sure to leave a valid email address. We’ll send you a questionnaire form and pair you with another swapper. When you get your gift, just take a picture of it and post about it on your blog. How easy is that?!

Be sure to put the dates below on your calendar and make sure you don’t forget them! This time we are a bit more hurried because the following SWAP will take place on the 9th of the month due to the way the days fall for October (and October is our Nominations month for the 2010 Homeschool Blog Awards)!

Here’s the schedule:

SIGN UP: By August 23 (Monday)
PAIRED UP: By August 29 (Sunday)
MAIL SWAP: By September 18 (Saturday)
POST PHOTOS: By September 24 (Friday)
EMAIL LINKS TO ME: By October 1 (Friday)
NEXT SWAP: October 9

Sign up by August 23 (next Monday) and you have two months to get your present out, get your gift photographed and posted, and email us the link! Our next sign-up won’t be until OCTOBER 2010.

Don’t know what a swap is? Click on the ‘Saturday Swap’ Category on our sidebar and see some of our past swaps. Our very first one was October 2007.

Important: Stumble, facebook and tweet this post (our twitter account is @hsbapost) to help gather up all the swap-loving homeschoolers you know!

We hope you’ll join in the fun! Spread the news and ask your homeschool friends to join.

Here are the basic rules for every swap:

1. Don’t offer to participate and sign up if you can’t get the gift in the mail on time (you have 2 months).
2. Don’t spend more than 15$ on your swap gift (not including postage). You will end up making your buddy feel like they didn’t give enough to you.
3. Get to know your swap buddy. Pray for them! Send them a Bible verse! Email them! Etc.!
4. Do NOT share your swap buddies’ personal information (last names or addresses) with anyone else.
5. Make sure you post a photo and ‘Thank You’ for your swap sister – thanking her and linking to her blog.
6. Email me a copy of your swap post link so I can showcase it for the following month!

Suggestion: Please make sure you take extra care when packaging your gifts if they are breakable or fragile. We have had swap gifts damaged by UPS or the Postal Service!

Who’s in???

~ This swap post is now OPEN ~

Credits: PHOTO for GRAPHIC above by Maximum RABBIT Designs , GRAPHIC design by Sprittibee

This is our third week of round 2. NEXT week, we’ll be handing out another prize! If you haven’t joined us yet, don’t think that we’re way ahead. You can join at any time – and it never matters which letter you start on. Check out the original ‘return of the A B See Photo Meme‘ post for more info.

Our next prize is the gorgeous camera strap cover by Ruthanne over at Eclectic Whatnot:

Don’t forget to use our graphic when you post your pictures on your blog (and you can add them to your sidebar!):

Week 7 Picks:

Check out these top 5 alpha-themed photos that our readers uploaded to the flickr group over the past week:

A is for accident. ~ by dazeofadventure

F is for fishing. ~ by Beverly@HomeForHeavensSake

R is for rainbow. ~ by MyLifeShots

W is for writing. ~ by y @ mf5

W is for weed. ~ by Bandkgriff

- – – – -

What letter are you on this week?

If you are just joining in – there are no rules as to what letter you have to start on. Click over to our flickr group and add your pictures! You may add one photo each week. When you blog your pictures, please use our graphic that links back to the instruction post (which is also linked above in the first paragraph of this post). The only thing you need is a flickr account, a camera and a good knowledge of phonics to participate. Any age is welcome.

Happy clicking!

“A man may esteem himself happy when that which is his food is also his medicine.”

-Henry David Thoreau

I don’t know if I am the only one that goes through this (I doubt it!), but the only time my children ever seem to get sick is on a Friday.  The doctor’s office will be closed over the weekend, and I like to “wait it out” for a while anyway, to make sure it’s not just a fast-passing virus.  But, I always second-guess myself when a fever is involved.  I always wonder if I should just take them in “just in case” when they start to feel sick at the start of a weekend.  Because of this, I have found that it is extremely comforting to have some home remedies available when a child is feeling ill.

            I want to share some of the best home remedies I have found (and some I haven’t gotten to try yet, but have heard great reviews!) for many aspects of health.  If you have some you would like to share, I’d love to hear them!

• Vomiting:  1 tablespoon of Pedialyte every 15 minutes during vomiting will hydrate a sick child, but will not put so much liquid on their stomach that it causes more vomiting
• Sty on eye lid:  warm compress on location of sty.
• Burn:  Break off piece of Aloe plant, and squeeze juice on burn. 
• Insomnia:  1 cup of chamomile tea, and a foot massage with lavender lotion
• Itchy rash/Sebhorric Dermatitis:  Apple Cider Vinegar poured directly on rash, then showered off
• Chicken Pox:  Oatmeal bath
• Strep/Sore Throat:  Break off straight end of candy cane.  Brew warm tea.  Suck liquid through candy cane to make it into a straw.  The combination of peppermint and warm tea are soothing to the throat.  Also, gargle with warm water mixed with 1 Tbsp salt.
• Diaper Rash:  Corn meal applied directly to rash
• Plantar’s Warts:  Drink large amounts of orange juice or Emergen-C.  Vitamin C deficiencies can cause these warts.  Usually, they will disappear within one month of increasing vitamin C intake.
• Heartburn:  Eat an apple or drink milk.
• Yeast:  Probiotic Capsules.  You can take them orally, or break them open and apply the powder directly.
• Stubborn splinters:  Apply a liquid glue (NOT super glue!), and let dry.  Peel off, bringing the splinter to the surface.  If this doesn’t work, apply a hot compress or pour hydrogen peroxide onto the splinter.
• Dry feet or hands:  Apply any oil to the dry areas (preferably vitamin E or jojoba oil), then apply a natural lotion, such as shea butter.  Wear gloves or socks to bed over heavily lotioned hands or feet.
• Animal “accident” carpet spots:  Pour 1/4 cup soda water on carpet.  Allow to fizz.  Blot up with towel.
• Blemishes:  Make a paste out of baking soda and rub on blemish, then apply vinegar with a q-tip.  Wash off.
• Allergies:  Sit in a steamy shower to clear out congestion.  If this isn’t sufficient, buy a nasal rinse kit such as NeilMed Sinus Rinse.
• Sore muscles:  Apply Eucalyptus or Peppermint lotion to sore areas.
• Bags under eyes/tired face:  After drinking your caffeinated tea or coffee, use the tea bag (or dip a napkin in your leftover coffee drops), and apply under the eyes.  There is nothing like caffeine to wake up the skin!

Do you have favorite home remedies?  If so, please share in the comments below!

I’m not a mama, but I can honestly say my mama is my best friend. I also have friends that are mamas. That being said…

Homeschooling high school is tough for you all. I know. It’s also tough for your high schooler to get used to the work load. Here’s what helped me and my mama.

• (For the high schooler) Get up early and get things done. Most homeschooled high schoolers I know have about 5-ish hours of book work per day. If I get up early (say about 6am), I can get done by lunch time or a little after.
• Especially in subjects that aren’t their strongest (for example, math), you can have them do a few problems and check it with the teachers manual. By doing so, this allows the student to make sure they comprehend the lesson. (How many of your children have had a stack of work to do over on grading day?) They would have to be honest with you or you’d have to be right there, though.
• The work to grade seems to be served up in big piles with time that isn’t served up in the same proportions. I’ve heard quite a few mamas say that they graded tests pretty much only.
• Have you older child(ren) grade some of your younger child(ren)’s work. I grade one of my younger sister’s math and love it!
• Let them elaborate on their favorite subjects with something fun. I love writing and photography. I blog and run a photography business. Let them know that they are free to do something like that to elaborate on what they are learning. By blogging for 4+ years and starting my own business, I have learned a lot more than just writing and photography!

Do you have any tips on homeschooling high school? We’d love to hear about them!

I’m pleased to be an ambassador for Elmer’s Glue’s Bag It Forward program, the goal of which is to inspire others to donate school supplies to families in need. One of my goals is to grow awareness of the need to bag it forward not only in traditional schools, but also in the homeschool community.

As you know, most homeschooling families are single income and pay for their own books, field trips, and school supplies. In addition, homeschooled children often have supply lists from their co-op or other outside classes.

A lot of families are really hurting financially now. We know a few homeschooling families where the dad no longer has work. Two of our friends’ families are moving because they had to sell their homes and the dads couldn’t find a job in our area.

How can you help?

If you have the resources to help another family, Back-to-School sales are the perfect time to do it. Commonly needed items like pencils, crayons, and glue sticks can be found for as little as 25¢ a pack.

Put together an extra bag of school supplies and donate it to a homeschooling family in need. Get your kids involved in picking out the items and assembling the bag. It’s a wonderful lesson in stewardship and blessing others.

Help Raise $10,000 for Adopt-a-Classroom from Elmer’s

Elmer’s is making it easy to do good this summer in the spirit of Bagging It Forward by donating $10, up to $10,000, to Adopt-a-Classroom for every Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward blog meme post. Follow the directions found here to participate. This program ends on August 12.

The blog post link has to be submitted in the comment section of this post for your participation to be counted.

{Disclosure: I am being compensated for the Bag It Forward program by Elmer’s and Collective Bias.}

↑ Grab this Headline Animator

This is our second week of round 2. In two more weeks, we’ll be handing out another prize. If you haven’t joined us yet, don’t think that we’re way ahead. You can join at any time – and it never matters which letter you start on. Check out the original ‘return of the A B See Photo Meme‘ post for more info.

Our next prize is the gorgeous camera strap cover by Ruthanne over at Eclectic Whatnot:

Don’t forget to use our graphic when you post your pictures on your blog (and you can add them to your sidebar!):

Week 6 Picks:

Check out these top 5 alpha-themed photos that our readers uploaded to the flickr group over the past week:

N is for Nails. ~ by AJ Coombs

E is for Easter. ~ by DawnMHSH

T is for Tree. ~ by Y@Mf5

D is for Doctor. ~ by SephysMommy

B is for Baseball. ~ by jaslinn77

- – – – -

What letter are you on this week?

If you are just joining in – there are no rules as to what letter you have to start on. Click over to our flickr group and add your pictures! You may add one photo each week. When you blog your pictures, please use our graphic that links back to the instruction post (which is also linked above in the first paragraph of this post). The only thing you need is a flickr account, a camera and a good knowledge of phonics to participate. Any age is welcome.

Happy clicking!

He sees the bigger picture . . . Do You?

During our recent visit to the Natural Science and History museum we paused in a room dedicated to engineering. Needless to say this is the Scout’s favorite subject . . . give him legos or building blocks and leave him alone for thirty minutes and you will be amazed at the result. Well, the Scout and I teamed up to build something as a team. We chose these flat thin, KEVA, wooden building planks to build with and construct something worth while. We began by finding a design that we liked. We followed the pattern that was given to us. It was frustrating through out the entire process. The building blocks fell easily without a steady hand and careful placement. It took concentration and perseverance in order to keep building. We had to cheer one another on. We also had an outside circumstance effect our building process (a.k.a. a small toddler walking by who could not resist knocking our structure down).

Grrrr . . . .

We continued to build, regardless of the frustrations, trials and circumstance. We began to see the pattern forming into something beautiful. We were encouraged to continue building by others walking by, complementing us on our endurance and crafting abilities. Then finally we were able to look down upon our project and say, “Wow, it looks nice from this view!”
Which, of course, got me to thinking & then blogging . . .

How many times in a day do I want to throw up my hands and say forget it? How many times as wife and mother do I say, “Forget it, nobody cares! What’s the use”? I feel that sometimes, my management of my children and home is like the construction that the Scout and I built with our blocks.

We have a pattern to follow (the Bible) and a drive to see it accomplished in our home and lives. Proceeding with care and caution in building sometimes works and sometimes it does not. Sometimes the only thing to hold onto is the hope that if you continue, the promise of a well-built structure will manifest. The outside circumstances can continually attempt to shake the foundation (your faith), but it is ultimately those who endure that will see the beautiful end result . . . a child, turned adult, dedicated to the Lord’s service.

God made the pattern. He is in control. He sees what you are sacrificing. He will honor the faith and endurance you have applied to your children & home. Stay the course and He will receive the glory! After all, that is why we do what we do.

Blessed & Joyful Homeschooling!
Mrs. Mac is the main contributor from The Mac Rak: Advendtures of a Homeschool Wife & Mother. She is the grown daughter of 2 educators, wife to 1 good man and mother of 5 with a passion for helping others. She works full-time as wife & mommy while working part-time as a case manager. Mrs. Mac is joyfully blogging about homeschool, crafts, homesteading, cooking, crocheting, home-making and more from her little home in the burbs . . . while trying to make the world a better place, one joyful pair of socks at a time.

You’ve been seeing it in the stores… the markers, the mechanical pencils, the shiny new folders and binders. You’ve been feeling it just around the bend (even though the weather outside is still hot enough to melt the leather on your car seats). You’ve been itching to sit down with your planner and books… your checklists and your journal… and start getting ready for the NEW SCHOOL YEAR!

♥ Well, you aren’t alone! ♥

The blogosphere is buzzing with the chatter of homeschool moms gearing up for another year of educating their star pupils (isn’t it great that your mom will always see you as the ‘star’?)…

Check out these wonderful back to school links! If these are helpful (let us know!), we’ll keep watching for more and bring you another list like this in a week or so. I know I’m “in that mode” right now – even though my school year never officially ended … and isn’t likely to – since we are behind after “throwing off our groove” (pregnancy, infants and babies are a hard schedule bump to overcome).

INSPIRING AND HELPFUL BACK TO SCHOOL POSTS:

Goal Setting and Planning for the Year…
at Habits for a Happy Home

Heart of the Matter is hosting Darcy’s annual {Not} Back to School Blog Hop!
Join in or just visit the links to see what everyone is doing this year!

Get Organized for a Successful School Year
at Complete Organizing Solutions

Online Homeschool Conference for HOTM is August 9-13!
For less than 20$ you can attend a conference in your PJs.

First Day of School Memories ♥ {Say cheese!}
at Habits for a Happy Home

Sprittibee’s Back to School Breakfast Tradition ♥ {plus goals reviewing and school supply shopping}
at Sprittibee

Studying God’s Word with Children
Some great devotional tips…

No Visible Fruit ♥ (why you should keep on keeping on – even when you can’t tell you are making progress)
at Bunny Trails

Thank you for all the teaching ♥ (From a homeschool graduate to her mama)
by Sarasophia

Naming your Homeschool (and a host of other back to school links)
from Beverly at About.com’s Homeschool Page

From Doing School to the Power of Play
(especially for preschool and elementary moms)

Are you a good enough teacher?
at Simple Homeschool

Where do I start? ♥ Homeschooling a Kindergartener
First timer? Here’s for you!

A List of Good Picture Books
from Ann Voskamp (Author of ‘A Child’s Geography’ and others…)

Planning to delve in to Medieval times? ♥ Check out these 15 great history resources:
at 5 Kids and a Dog

The book I always read before school starts…
My old dogeared, flagged and underlined organizational book for ADD Homeschool moms like me!

Top Homeschool Sites: Cathy Duffy Reviews
Reviews from the Expert

Your Child Needs You to be a Parent
by Dawn at My Home Sweet Home

Wanting to add a little Home-Ec to your homeschooling this year? ♥ Look no farther than Raising Homemakers – a collaborated site that aims to help you build up your home.
http://raisinghomemakers.com/

Keep it real…
homeschool funnies

Add some nature in to your school year…
School @ Home (the very first blog I ever read!)

Remember to put first things first…
by Homegrown Mom

Need to Keep Updated on the Best Kid-related Blog Posts and News?
Check out Blissreads Kids

Last but not least, here’s my big fat homeschool resource list with more links than you can get through in a week ♥ (there are a lot of homeschool helps – printables – and articles of encouragement for the teacher):
Sprittibee’s Big Fat Homeschool Links List

I hope you have a wonderful time planning your year out – and a VERY successful execution of those plans for 2010-11!

♥ Credits: Photo by Margolove on flickr

I had hoped to keep up some (if not most?) of our homeschoolish study routines throughout the summer this year, but alas, with our recent move from TN to PA two months ago, and then painting this house we’re living in while simultaneously unpacking and tending to all those other moving necessities, and then preparing for and enjoying our recent two week trek to and vacation in MS, *exhale*, “summer homeSCHOOLING” just hasn’t happened! Imagine that… and what was I thinking anyways, with such a big move and all?!

So now, during this most wonderful time of the year (when I order more books – Hah!), here I sit amidst my curriculum catalogs, myriad of books, zealous plans, lengthy lists, hopeful preparations and renewed dreams for another wonderfully full year of inspired learning and exploring with my kids.

However, plans and schedules for my kiddos are not the only thing I have going! This year, I am just as excited about my own study program… Among a few other things, I’ll be joining in this great online Charlotte Mason Series study and discussion group.

The 2010-11 Study Schedules were posted awhile back (just pick which volume of CM’s work you’d like to read and jump in!), and thought to myself how nice it’d be to actually read and think through CM’s writings, which always do SO inspire and encourage me!, with other homeschool moms. I’d actually attempted it a few years ago, but fell off the bandwagon when the busyness of life crowded my commitment to this right out of focus.

Then the other day, while rummaging through our storage unit with Chris, I found the box labeled “CM Books” and grabbed it, knowing that this was all of the further incentive I needed to jump on board, determined again to carve out some time for a bit more Mother Culture, which truly is a lifestyle!

When a busy homeschooling mother takes part in Mother Culture she safeguards her enthusiasm, so she will be better able to cope with her responsibilities. To partake in Mother Culture is to feed herself with the Word of God, with ideas from books, nature, art, music, etc., thus taking care to keep growing spiritually and mentally. If there such is a thing as the joy of childhood, there is also such a thing as the joy of motherhood, and Karen admonishes mothers to recognize and live within such a blessing.

~ Karen Andreola, Mother Culture.

I am, once again, both enthralled and challenged by the writings of Miss Charlotte Mason, a genuinely gifted, amazingly perceptive educator and eloquent writer of the late 1800′s/early 1900′s.

And so it is… with my own mind renewed and heart full of inspired anticipation for all that the LORD might have for us this year, in this new place (both literally and figuratively) that I would like to extend to you an invitation;

You are cordially invited:

Please join me, and so many other moms like yourself, over at the CMSeries yahoo group to read, learn and discuss this great challenge we share, of “Training and educating children under nine (Vol.1: Home Education)”, learning more of “The role of the parent in the education of the child (Vol.2: Parents and Children)”, of “Developing a curriculum (Vol.3: School Education)“, of “Improving character and conscience (Vol.4: Ourselves)”, of “Shaping the child’s personality (Vol.5: Formation of Character)” and last, but certainly not least of all, “Curiosity~ the pathway to creative learning (Vol.6: A Philosophy of Education)”.

You wouldn’t even have to buy the books to join us, as they’re in the public domain and accessible to read for free here:

The Original Homeschooling Series: Miss Mason’s original writing.

Modern English Version: Miss Mason’s works, rewritten for modern readers.

Summaries of Miss Mason’s Six Volumes: Summaries of each volume for a quick read.

The Study Schedule we’ll be following, and which is just beginning this week, for Volumes 1, 3 and 5 is posted here: CM Series Reading Schedule

Another invitation:

This post isn’t intended to be an advertisement for Charlotte Mason homeschooling, so much as it is to encourage all of you mamas out there as you’re in the trenches with your kids and families.

Maybe these writings of Charlotte Mason simply do not interest you, or perhaps this discussion group just isn’t something you can do right now during this season of your own life; however, this is only one option of a myriad of creative endeavors mothers are undertaking so as to revitalize and truly LIVE in remembrance of this “joy of motherhood”.

It can be as simple as taking pictures, a personal favorite of mine. I love what Susan Tipton, The Flexible Homeschooler, has to say of Mother Culture,

I’ve attempted to cultivate Mother Culture in my life over the years in different ways; sometimes my children are involved, but usually not… Mother Culture- it’s my anti-cranky, anti-boredom, and anti-future alzheimer medication.  No known side effects.

I encourage you to share with us other ways that you have found to nurture your own Mother Heart. What are you doing to “take care to keep growing spiritually and mentally“? You never know how you might encourage another fellow mama, venturing out into the wild unknown learning journey of another year with her own children. Afterall, we are ever learning ourselves as well, right?

Education would be so much more effective if its purpose were to ensure that by the time they leave school every boy and girl should know how much they don’t know, and be imbued with a lifelong desire to know it.

~Sir William Haley

Embracing the adventure,

We are starting a new round of 4 weeks for the Photomeme… and at the end of those 4 weeks, we’ll be handing out another prize. If you haven’t joined us yet, don’t think that we’re way ahead. You can join at any time – and it never matters which letter you start on. Check out the original ‘return of the A B See Photo Meme‘ post for more info.

Wanna see what the next prize will be? I knew you would! Check it out…

After we collect 20 winning pictures (displaying 5 each week that we pick from YOUR pix on the flickr group), we’ll give this beauty away! Don’t you want it? I adore my camera strap cover. Melissa of A Familiar Path made mine. I just know you’ll love this gorgeous strap cover made lovingly by Ruthanne, the ever talented homeschool mama at Eclectic Whatnot.

Don’t forget to use our graphic when you post your pictures on your blog (and you can add them to your sidebar!):

Week 5 Picks:

Check out these top 5 alpha-themed photos that our readers uploaded to the flickr group over the past week:

D is for Dairy Queen. ~ by DawnMHSH

E is for eye. ~ by The Shades of Pink

E is evening sky. ~ by Beverly@HomeForHeavensSake

F is for five. ~ by Y @ Mf5

L is for ladybug. ~ by AJCoombs

- – – – -

What letter are you on this week?

If you are just joining in – there are no rules as to what letter you have to start on. Click over to our flickr group and add your pictures! You may add one photo each week. When you blog your pictures, please use our graphic that links back to the instruction post (which is also linked above in the first paragraph of this post). The only thing you need is a flickr account, a camera and a good knowledge of phonics to participate. Any age is welcome.

Happy clicking!

I always wanted to be a teacher.

I’ve worked with children all of my life.  From baby sitting to teaching in church to running summer youth programs, I’ve always been blessed with opportunities to work with kids.  Unlike many of my friends, when the time came to go to college I knew exactly what path to take.

There were those who chose a career in education because it was a good “Mom” job.

But not me.  I wanted to change the world.  One little person at a time.

Instead of relying on text books and worksheets,  my Dad helped me create hands on science projects.  My first graders built electromagnets.  If I had a student who struggled in reading, I’d give them the test orally.  My job wasn’t to fill the vessel and receive back memorized facts and figures, but to create the desire for them to make learning a life long journey.

Because of the way I taught, I would have the resource teachers ask if they could place kids on their rolls in my classroom.  Just because a child may not be able to read on grade level doesn’t mean he can’t learn.  But if you teach with only textbooks, assigning chapters to be read and answers to be written, that child is going to struggle, and after a time give up.

There are all types of learners.  And each one deserves to be taught in a way that reflects their individual style of acquiring knowledge.

I loved teaching.  But as my own family started to grow, I found myself wondering why I was spending so much time with other people’s kids while mine spent time with sitters. So, with the total support of my husband Reed, we tightened up our belts and I became a stay at home Mom.

While Bailey, Brant, McCall, Rigel and Kensley  made my life beautiful,  I kept having the nagging feeling that ‘someone’ was missing.  It took two years of bringing that  thought to my Heavenly Father in prayer before Parker joined our family.

I knew way before the ultrasound tech squinted worriedly at the monitor that Parker would be born with Down syndrome.  Reed and I had talked about it many times, even before I became pregnant.  When my  water broke and I was entering the delivery room I stopped and made it very clear that I didn’t want anyone assisting in this birth that couldn’t celebrate the start of a life that included an extra chromosome.   Reed and I were thrilled to welcome this child into the world and we wanted others to be as well.

Parker was born 6 weeks early, with chronic lung disease, an imperforate anus, a tethered spinal cord, and two holes in his heart. He had his first surgery to create a colostomy when he was two days old.  When he was 5 months old we discovered he had severe pulmonary hypertension.

Today Parker breathes through a trach, eats via a g-tube, and requires O2 24/7 to keep his sats above 95% as a treatment for his PH.

He just underwent surgery to correct his severe reflux and we are in the process of addressing his severe aspiration issues.  We pray that this will help reverse his PH levels.

And, yes, we’d love it if you would pray too.

Instead of following a calendar, homeschool at our house takes place everyday that Parker isn’t sick, or in the hospital. It’s amazing how much a surgery can set a kid back in his education.

Fortunately,  both Parker and I are pretty stubborn.  Anyone who thinks that a medically fragile kid with Down syndrome can’t learn…..needs to think again.

Parker knows his colors, shapes and can recognize his name.  And we don’t intend to allow the non-verbal thing to prevent him learning how to read.

It’s important to me that people understand that a kid with special needs is more like a typical kid than they are different. I have the same hopes and dreams for Parker that I have for his older brothers and sisters.  I want Parker’s life to be filled with learning, growing and happiness.

It’s an attainable goal.  And one that I cherish being a part of.

I must confess.  There is a flaw in my thinking.

I would like to believe that my view of homeschooling is walking along a path, learning as we go, and enjoying the scenery along the way.

HOWEVER…

I find that when I sit and contemplate the coming year, my view of homeschool is more like a chaotic track meet, full of hurdles, races, running against the clock, and some road burns along the way!

I have cleared a few hurdles, such as allowing myself to school my own way, and not in the vision of the government schools.  I have also cleared the hurdle of understanding that plans are guidelines, and that the world won’t crumble if we stray from a plan or two.

But there are other obstacles that tower over me, and when I look up at them, they seem to be growing.  Without a bit of help, these obstacles will not be cleared.

Will my daughter be as far ahead in math as my son is?

Will my plan for the coming year actually work, or will it fail miserably, and put us back in square one?

When I get into the “winter funk,” how will I keep motivated to stay on task?

How will I handle adding another child into the learning mix, now that she is turning 4?

How can I add more Bible study into our day, so that we can achieve my year-long Bible completion goal?

Are we in enough extra-curricular activities, and if not, how could I add something more to my schedule?

I need to understand that my job is to educate my children to the best of my ability, and teach them things that will not only get them into college, but will also help them in life.  My children need to know how to make important decisions, and they need to appreciate consequences.  They need to know Who to turn to when life isn’t perfect, and Who to thank when it is.  They need to understand relationships, and they need to see how certain relationships can affect their lives.  They need to feel confident in themselves and in their decisions, because regret isn’t fun.  And they need to have a loving home life, so they can enjoy the same thing in their adulthood.

If I can accomplish these things, it really won’t matter how far we make it into the advanced courses I hope to cover.  It won’t matter how many times we read The Iliad.  It won’t matter that my planner was erased and re-written so many times that the whole thing had to be scrapped and replaced.

What will matter is that my children had a healthy home to learn in, had loving parents who loved to teach them, and that they will be able to transfer that love onto others that come into their lives.