A new season

I really don't know how six months has gone while I blinked, maybe once or twice, but it has.

It is a new season for us. And God is faithful in it all.

When I got home from work one day last week, I encountered a battlefield, but a great one. Learning was happening in the midst of plastic soldiers, rulers, dice and lots of imaginative fun. Yeah for homeschooling with the Daddy!

Journeying with a friend

For the past couple of months my best friend, who lives on the other side of the world, and I have had a weekly skype chat time. We talk about our hearts, our days, our joys and challenges with the kids, we swap and collaborate on homeschooling ideas - it is such a blessing. She is such a blessing.

It is so good to have someone to share with. And someone safe - who has known me for years and walked with me through the good, the bad and the uglies.

I am so grateful for my friend.

Reading

We've been doing something simple that has been really encouraging for me and for the boys, so I thought I'd share it here.

In our morning Bible time we have been reading through "Leading Little Ones to God" by Marilyn Schooland. In each of these short devotions there are Bible passages to read. S is our only fluent reader at this stage, so he enjoys reading aloud. But both B and N know all their letter sounds and can recognize some words, so we don't skip over them, but they follow along and when their turn comes they pronounce the first sound in the word and then I read the word. If it is a word they know they read it and keep going.

This has seemed to give all the boys great encouragement in reading - and as I see it, it's probably for multiple reasons.

1. They are actively engaging with us in family reading time.

2. They are reading something real and solid in reading the Bible.

3. They are practicing what they know and interacting with what they don't.

One of those wonder moments came when at the end of the day when V returned from work and B met him at the door exclaiming "Dad, I read a whole verse from the Bible! Almost as fast as S."

A pause

Hi all.

I probably won't be publishing much (if anything) to this blog for about 4 weeks. I have begun my final teaching practicum placement, which means I am planning lessons for high schoolers on such subjects as writing a letter to the editor, poetry analysis and Egyptian hieroglyphics.

So, the boys are having a blast with their Dad - somedays I think he gets more done than I do. What a guy!!

I'll be back. See you then.

Letter Work or Fun

Finger painting.

Handwriting.

Letter practice.

All rolled into one.

It was fun.

Honestly, though, it was a bit difficult to persuade the boys to practice their letters rather than doodle only. And, yes, we did do plenty of doodling too! :)

Adventure Fridays!

We have decided that Fridays are, at least for now, Adventure Fridays!! (hear the da-da-ta-dum music)

Last week I stood at the top of our driveway watching the boys construct castles and forts and privateer ships - and enjoying every moment of it.

True Treasures - a foray into character building

As I thought and prayed about the coming year with the boys, the issue of character kept coming to my mind. That is one of the major reasons we are homeschooling - to instill (or sow seeds of ) godly character.

Where to begin stumped me for a while, but then Colossians 3:8-9, 12-14 kept cropping up.

"Now, you must rid yourselves of all such things as these anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to one another . . . Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity."

I decided to use this passage to guide our first foray into deliberate addressing of character issues. So we are beginning our days together with "True Treasures" - coming from Proverbs 22 and from Matthew 6. I introduced Colossians 3 with this activity - I wrote some notes afterwards with the boys, I've left them on the last page of this document.

We are touching on one character quality each week. I am trying to address the character quality from a variety of different angles: the Word of God, application in our lives, stories, activities - anything to try and plant a seed of understanding in their hearts.

Our first week we looked at Compassion - to "rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn" (Romans 12:15). We read stories on being Tenderhearted from "A Child's Book of Character Building" by Ron & Rebekah Coriell.

Our second week we looked at Kindness - we listened to a story and song by Steve Green from "The Adventures of Sir Bernard"; we talked about how kindness is showing God's love to others; we read from the Bible and acted out a story of Robin Hood and a poor knight as read by StoryNory.

This coming week we'll be looking at Humility. No plans yet - I want to ask the Lord for some ideas.

The grace of a schedule

I wrote this earlier this week to a friend...

Here's a classic for you. We had one day on a schedule - then muffed it all up the second day. I was so tempted, as I have done in the past, to just give up again and throw it all out and focus on how I failed, etc. But then, God's grace caught me - and I remembered that with a schedule I now have something to return to - I don't have to give up. I can begin again! It might not sound monumental, but it was liberating for me.

Vikings - Part 2

I just realized that I hadn't finished the posts about our Viking projects... (an earlier post)

"To the boats, lads! To the boats!"

Now we were on to the boats...

(Point by point might be easier to follow.)

We got our basic design from Technology in the Time of the Vikings by Peter Hicks. We borrowed it from our local library.

1. We drew a basic Viking longboat shape onto a piece of cardstock.

2. We cut it out - then traced it onto another piece of cardstock.

3. We stapled the ends together - gave it a little squeeze together to create a boat shape.

4. We used a piece of standard paper to trace the size and shape needed for the deck, and cut it out.

5. Then we cut that out and traced it to cardstock adding a 1 cm border (except at the bow and stern points, which needed to be kept to the pattern in order to fit back in the boat).

6. We cut out a small piece of cardstock to use as the mast support (see photo).

7. Then we painted the body of the boat and the deck.

8. To attach the deck cardstock to the body of the boat, we made small cuts in the outer edge of the deck cardstock and then stapled it in the body of the boat.

9. For a mast, we glued five popsicle / iceblock sticks together using a hot glue gun. We used one stick in the centre of the other other four to stabilise the mast and to create a slot at the top for the sail to attach. (see photo)

10. We attached the mast support to the deck with hot glue and cut a small slit in the deck for the mast to slide into. (nope, she's not seaworthy. :)

11. Then we slid the mast into the mast support and the hole in the deck. I turned the boat upside down and added a bit of hot glue for an extra solid mast. Those stormy northern seas can be rough on a ship, you know.

12. The boys spent time designing and decorating their own square sails. The we attached the sail to the mast by gluing a popsicle stick to the top of the sail - only at each end. That way we could slide the sail into the mast.

Now, that gave us the basics of the boat. We also added a top flag, shields around the outer edge (in true Viking flair), and a dragon masthead and tail.

This was a fun project with lots of designing and creative opportunities... for all of us.

My attempts at getting organised...

I have been realizing that if I want our homeschool days to have a rhythm, then our home has to have some rhythm too. So I have begun to sketch out some ideas... feel free to print and use them if you find them helpful.

A 2-week dinner schedule - with room for to-do's and shopping needs. I got the quote from a story I read about Ruth Bell Graham who had this quote above her kitchen sink.

I really wanted the boys to be involved in helping, but all too often I would forget and be unprepared for their help. I find if I schedule it in, then it is there in black and white - it's a way of holding myself to it, too. A Helper Schedule.

Read-Aloud list - to keep a record of the books we read aloud together. I'll be putting together some form of reviews for each one too (any suggestions?).

Read-Aloud Ideas list - to keep a record of those books that other people mention to me and I write on random bits of paper which I am always meaning to compile.

I am working on our schedules, so when I nail down some forms for those I'll post them as well.

Beginnings

I am attaching here two things I used with the boys to start off our year.

A list of Goals

and

A 'Who Am I?' sheet

For those of you who know me well, don't fall over when you think of me helping to set goals, although I must say I feel highly inadequate to help anyone set goals. I am not by nature a forward thinking person, yet I am beginning to see the great benefit that we can reap from setting goals. I explained it to the boys like an archer aims at a target, goals give us something to set our sights for - to head towards.

The 'Who Am I?' sheet was adapted from another homeschool mum's idea. (Jessica Fisher at lifeasmom.com) I like the idea of having a snapshot of the boys at the beginning of each year.

A chore chart

The other day, 0ne of my closest friends and I were talking about chores and helping our kids be responsible for their own chores. I mentioned that right now we have a system that seems to help keep the boys on task at least for their set morning responsibilities (brushing teeth, making bed, unloading the dishwasher, etc.). So I thought I would post it here in case it is beneficial for anyone else. (To give credit where credit is due, it was actually my husband's idea, and I carried it out).

The basic premise is 'to do' and 'done' columns with magnets that the boys move across when they have completed their chore. I did little drawings and the words of the chore on each magnet (which is just simply drawn on paper, laminated and then a magnet stuck on the back with double sided tape - I'd tried hot glue too, but the double-sided tape worked better).

We've used our fridge as the chart. I made the lines out of black duct tape, and wrote the headings with permanent marker. And if others might not want to deface their fridge in such a way, any metal surface would work: a white board on the bedroom door or other communal area might be an option. I like the chart in the kitchen because it is central and I don't have to go far to keep track.

In our home, the boys know that they are not free to play until all their morning chores are finished. Some chores are personal (brush teeth, make bed, get dressed, feed dog, check goats) and some are rotated weekly (set table, unload dishwasher, laundry helper). The boys also check with me after all their chores are done with "Anything else to do, Mum?" This keeps them accountable to do their morning responsibilities with minimal nagging from me. It also lets me know when they've finished. And then if there are any other things to be done we can get them done, then the boys know they are free to play. I think I started that as well to begin to instill a habit of serving and offering to help.

I still have to remind them at times about being diligent, but this way I don't hear myself saying "Have you brushed your teeth? Have you made your bed?, etc." quite so often. I simply check their chart and if everything is not in the 'Done' column, then I remind them "Work before play." And 'check your chart'.

A new year!

Well, today is the day.

We are beginning our 'school' year today - and in a new way. We've been teaching the boys since, well, since the womb, I suppose. (I used to read out loud to my eldest when he was in my womb - mostly, JRR Tolkien, at that time)

But it is a bit different now. I've been feeling the need, for the good of us all, to be more organized, consistent and purposeful in our learning. This week we will begin small with a few new things - and move our way towards a schedule.

I've often thought how God ordered His world and gave us seasons - a rhythm to life. I'd like to order our days like that with a purposeful rhythm.

Alphabet games

I was just reading a recent article on the Simply Charlotte Mason website about teaching the alphabet and it reminded me of an activity I used to do with the boys.

When my eldest was 2 or 3, I made the letters of the alphabet using a single sheet of paper per letter – drew a fun stick figure on it and then coloured the letters in with fun, bright colours. Then I laminated them – for longevity.
We played a wide variety of games with these letters. One of our favourites was to lay out a selection of the letters and then I’d say “Jump to the P” or “Put one foot on the G”, etc. As their letter recognition got better, I’d add things like “Walk to the L, Put your right hand on the H, then hop over the Z”, etc. As the boys were able to spell simple words, I’d lay out the letters and have them collect and then spell “CAT” or others. I also used the letters for phonic recognition rather than letter name recognition.
It was a fun game for the boys to use their bodies and minds.

Right now...

We just finished reading Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder. We loved it. It was especially interesting to use the Internet to research activities mentioned in the book that we weren't familiar with (like carding wool and using bobsleds to haul timber through the snow). I am still new with the practice of narration, and would like to grow in my creativity in narration avenues. It always amazes me how much the boys recall of a story though - even N (who's 4) follows the stories well and pipes in on our discussions, which are often at dinner time with Daddy.

We've been having fun with geography: using Ann Voskamp's A Child's Geography: Explore His Earth and HM Hillyer's A Child's Geography of the World. We've also been using Geography Songs by Audio Memory starting with the Continents and Oceans song. I've printed off world maps and we've coloured them for the different continents and oceans, and the boys labelled them too. I really love geography - it gives us a framework in which to place so many things that we hear or read about.

I'm using Hillyer's book as a read-aloud as the boys colour in and discover maps. I've skipped over sections (only 2 chapters in so far) either because the sections were too outdated, or because he speaks of the formation of the earth as happening over millions of years, missing out on the beautiful majesty of the Creator. But I do like how Hillyer approaches geography as an adventure. I am looking forward to more.

We have been enjoying Jesus: A to Z by Yvonne Riley. I created a little booklet for us to interact with the book - and spur discussion. It has often led to wonderful little conversations on Who Jesus is and what He has done for us. It is such seemingly small and simple things that I hope will take deep root in the boys' hearts and bear good fruit for my Lord.

Vikings - Part 1

Vikings are what they're 'into' right now. So we've gotten books from the library - and one book had some great ideas for making things, as well as interesting information on Viking life.

(Technology in the Time of the Vikings by Peter Hicks) We adapted the ideas from Mr. Hicks' book and that's what this post is about.

Viking shields: the boys planned their own designs on paper. We googled 'Viking shield images' to give them some ideas and then off they went.

Then we cut out a circle of cardboard from our old moving boxes.

Next we cut out strips of cardboard (from another old moving box) to look like wooden slats. And trimmed them so that they matched the shield circle.

Then we used a hot glue gun to stick it all together. (**Note: if I was to do this again - I would attach the handles at this point by cutting slits in the back circle of cardboard, sliding the ends of the handles through and glueing them to the front; using either strips of webbing or strips of cardboard. The 'slats' would be glued over the ends of the handles creating strong handles)

Painting time! The boys enjoyed painting the shields to their designs with their colours. We discovered that the centre of a Viking shield features a 'boss', which is a metal disc. We created ours by glueing together circles of cardboard in decreasing diameters, so we ended up with a raised disc that we covered in aluminium foil. For fun, we made designs with hot glue on the cardboard disc before we covered it with foil so that when pressed the foil on it had raised areas.

Finally, we glued (with hot glue again) the finished 'boss' to the shield. And presto! The boys were off on another adventure.

An anchor

This is one of my all-time favourites.

"Parents, your children are children of the Kingdom, the Kingdom of God in heaven! Hold and love and train them for God alone. From God alone is your hope and your help. Seek it in much prayer. Accept it in childlike faith, believing that you will receive what you ask. Yield yourself to God, denying self, not allowing self any say in the guidance of your life or home. Yield yourself to God, keeping an ear open every hour to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, who alone can work in us the laws and powers of the Kingdom."

Andrew Murray

Raising Your Children for Christ

Mother vs. Drill Sergeant

I am missing something. Too often I feel like a drill sergeant rather than a mother. Maybe it's easier.

A mother needs to stop, to care, to guide - a drill sergeant barks orders and metes out discipline for infractions.

A mother needs wisdom from the Father - a drill sergeant makes sure the rules are obeyed.

A mother smiles - a drill sergeant glowers.

A mother patiently sows seeds of life into hearts - a drill sergeant, well, drills.

A mother recognizes that seeds take a long time to grow a good harvest - a drill sergeant is concerned about the outward, the now.

A mother needs to live by the Spirit from whom comes life - a drill sergeant lives by the law.

A mother gives - a drill sergeant demands

A mother conforms herself to the One who laid His life down - a drill sergeant requires recruits to conform to his standards, his schedule.

Lord, help me this day to seek to love, train, teach my children by Your Spirit - and not by the law, not by the flesh, not for my own convenience.

Mache Mayhem

Paper mache. I thought to myself this will be a fun light-hearted project to end the week. That was before we began. Twenty minutes later, on the third batch of flour/water mix and up to my elbows in slowly crusting floury paste, my mood was also getting crackly.

Part of me wanted to laugh - at the oozing mess, at the boy who didn't want to touch the slimy stuff, at the giant pileup of mache on another boy's balloon (oops, a little more supervision and instruction, Mum), at the 'is this the right way to do this' thoughts running around in my head, at the whole thing. Another part of me wanted the project done so I could tick an imaginary box off in my head "Project complete". I pushed a little too hard, helped a little too much, sighed at least once too often; the desire to 'achieve' something won out over the moment.

After cleaning up the mess, I sat down and read this blog post at "At the Well". Ah yes. That's what it is all about - being remade into His likeness. In the midst of chaos, mess, and slippery pieces of gooey paper. Yet again, my Lord reminds me to slow down and to measure achievement differently.

Molasses

Today was one of those 'slower than molasses in winter' days. Those are the days when two pages of maths can take all day. An opportunity to grow in patience and grace for me. At one point today I sought refuge on the kitchen floor, head between my knees: "Father, please help. Give me the wisdom, the patience to walk through this with the boys."

Such days bring me a conundrum (oh how I love that word): I want my boys to love to learn, to be diligent and hardworking in whatever is before them, I do not want to nag, nor do I want to use only entertaining items for learning. Yet sometimes these desires feel antagonistic toward each other. Hmmm... The first three of those things most parents would want for their kids - but some might disagree with me about the fourth. My reasoning behind such is that we all encounter situations and tasks in life that are not enjoyable in themselves but are necessary (washing dishes at least twice a day, picking up dog poo, reminding the boys to put away the obstacle course of shoes in the doorway for the fourth time that day... and more). These are the things which can be burdens or blessings simply by the attitude we take as we do them. I long for my boys to learn the power of this choice early in their lives, so that they might shoulder responsibility with joy and strength.

I was talking to my eldest about the power of his attitude this morning. Sometimes I wonder how much goes in or if my words are like the static from a non-broadcasting radio station.

But I am called to be a seed sower - frail and faulting as I am. So I sow seeds. Seeds of truth: "Consider it pure joy..." Joy is not a feeling, but a choice, an attitude. Seeds of hope: "Any of you who lacks wisdom should ask God..." Seeds of faith: "Seek and you shall find. Ask and you shall receive..." And you know, I think as I sow these seeds to the boys my own heart is fed.

May the Holy Spirit water and grow the good seeds planted today.

PS. If you want to share how you deal with such 'molasses' days - I would love to hear it.