tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12141955411084800782024-03-05T18:09:24.409-06:00Home Schooling GoodnessIf you teach your children anything, you home school. This blog's for you.Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-80109133500867224402011-10-18T14:05:00.000-05:002011-10-18T14:05:18.336-05:00CurrClick - great site, great sale plus freebies!<div style="color: #783f04;"><b>I love CurrClick. If you haven't discovered this site yet, now is a great time to check it out. You can snag some great freebies and discover lots of great downloadable resources plus live classes and online learning clubs.</b></div><b><a href="http://www.currclick.com/index.php?affiliate_id=95418">Trunk or Treat Sale</a> </b>Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-77033299618891104462011-10-07T11:38:00.001-05:002011-10-07T11:42:42.078-05:0050% off at CurrClick!<a href="https://www.currclick.com/cclick_appreciation.php?filters=0_0_0_0_0_30511">CurrClick</a> is a great site with lots of freebies and thousands of downloads available for a great price for all subject areas and grade levels. It's one of my "go to" sites. Right now is an "invitation only" sale. <a href="https://www.currclick.com/cclick_appreciation.php?filters=0_0_0_0_0_30511">Use this link</a> and the coupon code <b><span style="color: #660000;">"appreciate"</span></b> at checkout then download away!Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-41984439079259353422011-08-31T13:09:00.000-05:002011-08-31T13:09:53.739-05:00Highlighting a great site - Education.comIf you have not yet found <a href="http://education.com/">education.com</a>, you should do it now. It's awesome. I've blogged about it before but wanted to bring it up again. There have been some minor changes - when you find something you like, it's added to your collections so it's easier to find things. I've used some of these worksheets as file folder games. There are tons of activities as well. Have fun!Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-8141130029605151272011-08-15T14:05:00.001-05:002011-08-15T14:09:46.472-05:00The Plans of Mice and Men (and moms)...Once again, I spent some time this summer tweaking the school room and the basic plans for curriculum and schedule and such. I thought we were ready to move into the official school year. Apparently, Baker was not as ready as I though or maybe he is just being ornery. For the past two weeks, he has spent quite a bit of time on the laundry room stairs. The Lord really encouraged me the past few days with similar stories from other moms. I have spent quite a bit of time in prayer for me and for my son. As you can imagine, I have delayed getting this post up because I have been so worn out. All you mommas that school more than one child, my hat is off to you. To think about having a sibling around that Baker would feed off and vice versa, I'd probably throw in the towel. LOL!<br />
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Here are the pix of our spiffed up room. We found out that Baker is just slightly nearsighted so he now has a lamp on his desk since good lighting will help him see more clearly. I have built a break into the morning which seems to help us. We are continuing with the work box system. It has been such a tremendous blessing to us.<br />
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I am loving the "morning meeting" board that has his memory work, calendar, a critical thinking activity, visual art from our artist of the month and our We Choose Virtues card. It has made it easy for me to incorporate some of these things that I have and probably would continue to forget to do - namely, critical thinking and learning about the artist.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ5IG0Mg94nc3Yvjb-pXUo6jLdEeLqprbp7Qa7yLZvq4bj3qMy-rRESGW5_zYGZBO8q3iCnMEdbjZUzuMQyjbuXhp_Zs0r2qvTCKx9nY8diB7jDxoyjcOSbqGR4P6Mx9TZDMte_c33fRY/s1600/100_0120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ5IG0Mg94nc3Yvjb-pXUo6jLdEeLqprbp7Qa7yLZvq4bj3qMy-rRESGW5_zYGZBO8q3iCnMEdbjZUzuMQyjbuXhp_Zs0r2qvTCKx9nY8diB7jDxoyjcOSbqGR4P6Mx9TZDMte_c33fRY/s400/100_0120.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The art card that you see on the board is from the Usborne decks, <a href="http://www.myubam.com/ecommerce/details.asp?sid=D3213&gid=119288667&title=Famous+Paintings&sqlwhere=submit%3Dsearch%26search%3Dfamous">"Famous Paintings"</a> and <a href="http://www.myubam.com/ecommerce/details.asp?sid=D3213&gid=119288667&title=Impressionists+Paintings&sqlwhere=submit%3Dsearch%26search%3Dimpression">"Impressionist Paintings"</a>. There is information about the artist and the style on the back of each card. It's a mini art course in a deck. Let me know if you want to order. We are loving them.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.wechoosevirtues.com/?ap_id=amloften">We Choose Virtues</a> card has been a great introduction to our curriculum. Right now we're doing one a week. The back of the card has a clear definition of the virtue and a verse. We review it every day. I downloaded the coloring book so we are making a book as we go. For every virtue, there is a color sheet followed by a page with the verse in cursive that he traces (I use <a href="http://abcteach.com/">abcteach.com</a> to make those). He even hugged his "book" to himself one day and said, "I love my virtues book!". Granted he was disobeying within a few minutes but now I know we are deliberately working towards better behavior. To purchase these materials for your family or church, use "AMY" at checkout to get $8 off the flash cards. The coloring book is $1. The teacher manual is now in a downloadable format for $4.99. The fridge poster is on sale and it's one our fridge so the material is in front of us all the time.<br />
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I love seeing your home school spots so please share!<br />
Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-11737026869898153272011-07-18T15:58:00.003-05:002011-08-30T11:55:41.913-05:00Purposefully Teaching VirtuesI'm a big fan of the Duggars - not because they are from AR or because they are famous. As a matter of fact, I initially thought they were nuts. However, after watching the show and having the chance to cross paths and be a "friend for a season" with them, I am in awe and in a good way. I have read both books and have been convicted of several things. One is that I need to be more deliberate about discipleing my children in Godly character and virtues. Yelling at them to obey when I have hit the end of my rope has not led to long term change; imagine that. Any success I have had in teaching character has been mostly accidental. Just because my child can recite Bible verses doesn't mean that he is always acting as he should (for that matter, neither do I but that's another confession). I looked up many of the resources listed in the Duggar's book and while they work beautifully for their family, I just wasn't "feeling it".<br />
In that wonderful, mysterious way that God works, I saw an little ad on Facebook one day for "<a href="http://www.wechoosevirtues.com/?ap_id=amloften">We Choose Virtues</a>" and fell in love. This creator had essentially brought virtues and character into a modern era. Each virtue is Biblical and clearly defined. The graphics are charming without being cheesy. That's when it dawned on me - I was expecting my son to learn what these virtues are by osmosis when what I should be doing first is defining them clearly and then correcting behavior. Well, duh! I should know better...(yes, I do have a teaching degree; why do you ask?)<br />
Anyway, I kept visiting the web site and I just could not shake the "I should buy this" voice. So I did. After all, these are the <b>real </b>lessons of life. Math and science are great but Godly character is priceless and has eternal value! I'm so happy to have found something affordable and appealing and Biblical to help bridge the gap from knowledge to application. I'll blog later on how this will be worked into our school day and life in general here at Chez Loften.<br />
<a href="http://www.wechoosevirtues.com/?ap_id=amloften">Visit the site</a>. Fan <a href="http://www.facebook.com/wechoosevirtues">"We Choose Virtues" on FB</a>. Read their story. Pass the word on. When you're ready to buy, use the code "<b>AMY</b>" at checkout for an $8 discount on the flashcards. You'll be glad you did! I'm looking forward to a generation that will turn it's face to God and model virtues for the next one.Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-71811416452439586922011-06-02T23:44:00.003-05:002011-08-12T14:47:44.397-05:00What I Use and Why - Curriculum"Hi, I'm Amy and I'm a curriculum addict." I think it's the school teacher / book junkie / nerd combo that makes me such a fan of checking out curriculum and constantly supplementing with all kinds of things. I didn't have much freedom in this arena when I was a classroom teacher so this has been new territory for me and I have been having too much fun. I've lost lots and lots of sleep surfing and adding to my stockpile of web bookmarks and ideas. Truthfully, far more than I will be able to realistically implement. Maybe if I had full time household help so that all I had to do was teach and write...(moment to dream, please). OK, I'm back.<br />
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One thing that I have noticed that all home schooling mommas (and the occasional dad) do is to ask, "What are you using for (insert subject / topic / theme here)?" I love these discussions. I usually pick up all kinds of information that I might not have otherwise since it usually involves some sort of evaluation from an actual user - invaluable information to me. I actually dropped one publisher off my radar because of one of these conversations; how nice to do that BEFORE I invested any $$. I also feel no guilt because no matter how many rave reviews that any curriculum gets, <u><i>it must work for your family</i></u>. That's right - family. You have to take into account so many things - your child's preferred learning method, your teaching method, time required to prep and teach, budget and so on. When I found out that Singapore Math was going to require me to relearn how to add (just to get started), I said "no way". I knew that I didn't have the time (or the brain capacity) to teach this well. This is not a "dis" of Singapore; it gets rave reviews. I just know that realistically, it will not work for me as a teacher or for Baker who is more of a visual / hands-on learner. As a result, I felt comfortable investing in a different curriculum. The ultimate result will be the same - a working knowledge of math and numbers in general. The process of getting there will be much easier for both of us and maybe we can both have better attitudes about math! It's still work but it's not overwhelming for either of us.<br />
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One thing that I have really considered was to see how far I could get without purchasing actual books. There are endless resources on the web that you could teach and/or learn most anything with a computer, a good internet connection, a printer, paper, writing utensils and a library card. I found out rather quickly that doing this requires far more time than I have to devote to it unless my husband takes over all household chores or I give up sleeping. Neither of us is willing to make that sort of sacrifice. I have also found that I crave the security of an actual book to guide me; old school, yes, but that's how I roll. Again, this is a curriculum option for our family that works perfectly as far as budget but not at all in terms of time and teaching style.A few years from now, I might be able to go book free but not right now.<br />
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A disclaimer for this post: I'm reviewing just what we use right now. I'm not qualified as a curriculum specialist but I never seem to be short of opinions. In a personal conversation, I would share what I have rejected and why if you asked me but no need to do that here. Since I'm a planner / organizer by nature, I lean toward curriculum that has well organized materials which some of the more free spirits might see as stifling or boring. I am not receiving any sort of compensation for the purchase of any of these materials through this post. I provided the links as a courtesy so no worries if you don't buy through these links. Brad does Bible Study Fellowship with Baker so I haven't taught any specific Bible curriculum. He has lots of memory verses from BSF, Upward Sports, school group and church so we might go over those on any given day.<br />
<span style="color: #990000;">Update: I am now an affiliate with CurrClick and All About Spelling. Any click-y love you give me is appreciated. It helps fund my addiction - I mean supplies...</span><br />
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So, without further ado, the Loften Academy curriculum roll call...<br />
<b><a href="http://mathusee.com/">Math U See</a></b><br />
I can't say enough about this one. Baker went from dreading math to wanting to do it first. It's very hands-on and very visual. It builds a very strong base of the basics of the decimal 10 number system. The teacher's manual is very easy to follow and even has game suggestions. It also includes a DVD to assist you and your student(s). Don't let the black-and-white, utilitarian pages throw you. Baker doesn't even notice. He's too busy working and since he can be easily distracted by pictures, it has been a good thing. The program is leveled but is not tied to a specific grade so the student doesn't get upset that he's working below or above grade level; he won't know. You can move as fast or as slow as needed. There is plenty of practice opportunities in the books and on-line.<br />
It is a bit on the pricey side. Thanks to a friend who loaned us their blocks set (since they don't need it right now) and finding teacher and student comb-bound sets for the level I wanted to start with on clearance on the site, the price for us to try this out was very reasonable.<br />
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<a href="http://allaboutlearningpress.net/go.php?id=244"><b>All About Spelling</b></a><br />
This is a new addition for us. So far, I'm very impressed. It incorporates every learning style, the teacher's manual is well-laid out and spelling and phonics are taught together, not separately. This has saved me a lot of planning time since I was going back and forth between books trying to coordinate this myself. Yippee! (I still haven't figured out why more publishers don't intertwine the spelling/phonics/reading programs but I digress.) There is a companion reading program called "All About Reading" but since Baker is already reading, it was suggested on the web site that I skip it so I did. The basic starter supplies are meant to be used for many years; a big plus to me. I purchased the student and teacher manuals and kit as well as the magnets and cards box. I'm so glad that I did. The price came out to be about the same as the separate spelling and phonics programs that I ended up not being so impressed with after all. It is designed to move at the pace of the student and has plenty of review built in. This program is also labeled as levels not grades; again a great advantage when your child is working above or below their specific grade level. It also has a 1 year money back guarantee, lots of free reports and emails for additional advice and support.<br />
FYI, it will work best with a magnetic chalk or white board that's about 2 feet long or so (measurements are in the teacher's guide) so the alphabet tiles can be lined up. I had one already that is a little smaller than suggested but it works fine for us. <br />
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<b><a href="http://www.welltrainedmind.com/store/">Story of the World</a></b><br />
There are quite a few history programs out there that are wonderful. This just happens to be the one that our classical education group uses. I really like it and so does Baker. I told my hubby that if I had learned history in this way, I would have found it much more interesting and more would have stuck with me through the years. I think the author does a great job of presenting the major religions in a balanced way. I feel this is important since as Christians, we need to be educated about all religions, not just Christianity. It's amazing how much those other religions have influenced cultures and history through the ages. The teacher's manual / activity book is well worth the extra money in my opinion. It gives recommendations for encyclopedias and literature suggestions, countless activities, maps, color sheets and on and on. I just found the chapter review cards in the back of the book that we will use to make a timeline on the school room wall. I wish I had found this sooner! I can imagine a whole time line wall that would be a multi-year project with Biblical figures, inventors, musicians and so on. There are activity suggestions for all ages which is great when schooling multiple levels together.<br />
There are so many resources and activities that we can't do them all. It can be a bit overwhelming. The reading book is a lower reading level but the same authors have released higher level history texts which I'm tempted to get just for my own reading "pleasure" (o.k., really just so my son doesn't begin to show me up too soon). The focus is really on the political and religious side of history so very little comes up in the way of artists, musicians and so forth. These could be added in as you study those disciplines - which is really how the classical method is meant to be taught.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hwtears.com/hwt"><b>Handwriting Without Tears</b></a><br />
This is a curriculum that was pre-chosen by our classical education group. And now the state of Arkansas will be using this in all public schools so we were just ahead of the game by a couple of years. I like it. I think it is well laid out and in an order that builds on the development of the writing strokes not alphabetical order like many programs do. The on-line and off-line support for this program is tremendous! It's reasonably priced and easy to teach. I think it's fun; Baker not so much. But, he is a boy and I have yet to see any boy that actually enjoys handwriting. Cursive is not introduced until 3rd grade so he has plenty of time to develop good printing habits. I know some students (girls, of course) that skipped a year and went to cursive early. That is not a problem with this program. One thing that is great is that there are instructions for left and right handers. Since I'm a lefty who was taught to angle my paper correctly, it was natural to me but I know that a lot of right-handed parents really struggle with teaching a lefty. (Just for the record, Baker is a right-hander even though Brad and I are both lefties; ironic, huh?)<br />
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Now you know my core curriculum for a classically educated 1st grader. Again, there is SO much great stuff out there and I have not had experience with most of it; that would be impossible. Please don't see this post as some sort of promotion or endorsement. If you have something that works for your family, then by all means keep it. Don't change just for the sake of change. There is NO SUCH THING as the "perfect" material. I just get asked often what I use and why and I know how much us home school mommas like to chat about such things. I'll cover some of the supplemental curriculum in a later post. I will also do a post on our new science curriculum when we begin using it in the fall. I'm excited about it and hoping it lives up to my expectations.<br />
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If you have a blog and have posted about curriculum, please share some linky love so I can check it out!Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-57224473019749719912011-05-16T15:33:00.000-05:002011-05-16T15:33:03.420-05:00What She Did Right - Spiritual Parenting Lessons from Princess DianaI must confess that I love, love, love weddings in general. One of my fantasy jobs would be to have the Kleinfeld Bridal of the South boutique. As you can imagine, I enjoyed all of the Royal Wedding hoopla. I caught a couple of programs on TLC (accidentally, I swear) that profile the princes. As I watched these shows, I noticed that one thing that comes up often is how Princess Diana was very deliberate in exposing her sons to real people of all classes. She wanted them to be aware of the world beyond the privileged one they were born into. Wow! That took <u>guts</u>. That took some <u>deliberate planning</u>. That took a <u>humble heart</u> on her part. The fruit of all that effort is two men who are very down to earth, who have done such things as serve in a homeless shelter, walked side by side with wounded soldiers for a fundraiser, visited orphanages full of children with AIDS, slept on the streets of London to experience a night of homelessness and Harry has even served on the field in Afghanistan. Now you're thinking, "So what? Those people might be a bit daft and most of those actions were probably for show." You're entitled to your opinion. Since you're reading this, you're now entitled to mine. LOL! Here it is...I think we are all a bit daft in our own way. And, personally, I don't know of anyone who has ever served on the field during war time "just for show". Neither of these men have lived a lifestyle that I agree with completely; I live by the moral code of Christianity which would be counter to some of their choices. So why, exactly, am I holding them up as examples? I'll tell ya.<br />
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I do remember bits and pieces of their upbringing over the years as different things made news but I didn't give it much thought then. As a mother, I started really thinking about it. I probably would have made very different choices - I think I would have chosen to shelter my children from danger, from unpleasantness, from lifestyles that I would have considered "beneath" them. As Diana exposed her children to such things, she was right there with them to help them process and navigate all that they saw. She became beloved world wide for this (and other things). She was not removed and hiding. She walked among the common folk, befriended many people in many classes and walks of life. What a contrast to her in-laws who had lived for generations removed from most of the world, living in imposing castles, isolated and protected. Notice that they commanded awe and respect but not love or admiration. People are drawn to those who will walk with them. Do you see where I'm going yet? Jesus, GOD HIMSELF, who could have commanded everything and lived above all chose to walk among us. He walked with sinners, He loved, He healed, He touched.<br />
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As parents, we should do this as well. Children NEED their parents to help guide and process and think about this world of contradictions that we live in. They NEED us to guide them in truth. They NEED us to help them build their spiritual armor so that they can stand for truth, for Christ, for love and grace. <br />
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I think too often parents, especially Christian parents, want to build a castle and keep their children inside it. We assume that we are in control, we should be protecting them from worldliness, from temptation, from pain and suffering and the best way to do that is to isolate them. Believe me when I tell you that I really do feel like doing that as well. When we were first coming to terms with my daughter's diagnosis of Down Syndrome, I had this overwhelming instinct to grab my children and my husband and run away to someplace that was perfect, where neither of them would suffer through all that this diagnosis might entail. But, I trust in a God that knows best and works everything for our good.<br />
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That doesn't mean that I'm hustling my precious babies to homeless shelters and leaving all of our worldly goods for the depths of Africa. We have not been called to do that - at least not right now and probably not ever. However, I am called to raise children who are willing to risk in the name of Christ. I need to be willing to risk and sacrifice for Him as well. I'm called, as an individual, to walk in the world but not be of it. I'm called to be humble as a lamb and wise as a serpent. I'm called to be a light for Christ and continually reflect Him to everyone regardless of their station in life. I'm called to serve. I'm called to teach my children with words and example about Christ. I need to step out of my comfort zone and take my children (as they are ready) with me. As I do these things, people will be drawn to God; they will wonder what makes our lives and our family unique and will want what we have.<br />
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Our children don't need isolation; they need to see and experience life, they need me and their daddy to help them process the difficult things in life and they need us to point them to Christ. When we do this, we are preparing them for life outside of our protective arms, we are teaching them about God and His love for the souls of people. We need to teach our children to see others as God sees them - lost people in need of a loving God. In this process, God will direct their hearts to the path that He has chosen for them and created them uniquely to do. This is a daily challenge. It's a holy tension that keeps us dependent on Christ. I look forward to seeing what God does with our children for Him. What a humbling, honorable work we do. God bless you in it.Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-55273664419503089972011-04-12T20:57:00.000-05:002011-04-12T20:57:06.052-05:00Some Musings on Rest<div style="color: #783f04;">For this post to make much sense, I need give you a little personal background. I have spent many years of my life known as the "high energy" person - not hyper but one who prefers to be busy doing and going. In my mid-20's, I was on a business trip and started feeling ill. I drove from Springfield, MO to Little Rock, AR (appx. 4 hours) straight to my doctor's office. I was diagnosed with a sinus infection, ear infection and thyroiditis. The sinus and ear infections probably triggered the thyroid swelling and such. This is not uncommon and no one was initially worried. I will skip the long, involved details of the next 5 years. The end result was surgery to remove my thyroid which was covered in growths and all were cancerous. This was followed by weeks without any thyroid hormones whatsoever - either natural or manufactured - and then radioactive iodine to kill any rogue cancerous thyroid cells in my body; not fun at all. Now for the quick biology lesson, the thyroid controls an enormous amount of bodily functions and hormones. In fact, low thyroid hormone levels are a common cause of dementia, miscarriages and a host of other issues. If left untreated long enough, a person would die because the vital functions of the body would shut down. Over those long years, I gained an enormous amount of weight, was treated for clinical depression, slept countless hours, ached, ran fevers, visited many doctors and generally felt very lousy. The best way to explain the physical toll - if you have had a bad case of mono or been in the 1st trimester of pregnancy where you can hardly put one foot in front of the other, you are starting to get the idea of how this affected me. (I've since been pregnant twice and pregnancy was a piece of cake compared to this.)</div><div style="color: #783f04;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #783f04;">Fast forward to present day and I'm now (cough, cough) forty-something. The vast majority of the time, I feel fine - as fine as any other mother with young ones. However, I still struggle with weight, depression and general lethargy sometimes. Part of this is due to the fact that my body can not on it's own regulate how much thyroid hormone is in my system at any given time. When I start feeling "off", it takes time to get back to normal. It takes time to see a doctor, get blood work results, change the dosage of medicine accordingly and then check again in 4 weeks to see how the levels are and if anything else needs to be adjusted. (Before you decide to dispense any nutrition, exercise or other such wisdom - please, don't. Thanks for love, though.)</div><div style="color: #783f04;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #783f04;">What does all this have to do with rest? One of the great medical mysteries is exactly why living creatures require rest and sleep. There are many theories and research projects and so on but still no clear cut answers. Not only is it a physical requirement for life it is also Biblical. It's a command both in the Old and New Testaments. Since God created us, He must know best. </div><div style="color: #783f04;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #783f04;">Unfortunately, I prefer doing and going. Then halfway through my life, I was forced to rest in a way that I would not have believed until I lived it. To this day, I have to rest more than I really want to. In fact, these past couple of weeks have been those kind of weeks - needing lots of rest, overwhelming lethargy, slow mental function and on and on. You would think that I would be used to such spells after all these years and just go with it but nope, I still get frustrated and irritable and try to fight it. Recently, I was praying and asking God exactly why I have to rest. I have too much to do. Why didn't He just create all of us to go and go and go? We'd get so much more done for our families and for Him. Can you imagine the accomplishments? Then a thought occurred to me. If we had that kind of continual energy, we wouldn't feel our need for God. We would be even more arrogant than we already are - assuming that we can do it all without Him. I know that I would (and did) fall into this lie from Satan. Rest reminds me of my total dependence on God. God has taught me much through these times of rest despite my frustration with it all. </div><div style="color: #783f04;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #783f04;">So, rest is good. Rest is Biblical. Rest is healthy. I'm going to try to accept it; you should as well. So quit reading this and go rest.</span>Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-6589445885236296742011-04-12T10:13:00.000-05:002011-04-12T10:13:16.060-05:00I Corinthinans 13 - Because I need this reminder...If you're like me, you are stressing a bit that summer is right on the horizon and all you can think about is what you did NOT accomplish - textbooks not completed, math facts still not conquered, handwriting is still a mess and so on. Maybe it's just me. After all, I'm a goal oriented person and I like to revel in the results of my completed work. (Needless to say, that makes home keeping a challenge but that's another post all together.) So seeing the spelling lessons that we didn't get to yet and watching Baker make his "O's" the wrong way can be discouraging and stressful.<br />
God has been gently reminding me that ultimately what matters is Baker's character. He can learn math facts anytime and most people go through life just fine with passable handwriting but if he becomes selfish and lazy or turns from God's truth, nothing else will matter. If I focus on the Godly things, then the rest is less significant and I can exhale. This does not excuse me from teaching the academics but it certainly shifts my eyes where they should be all the time anyway - on Christ. When I do, the "things of earth will grow strangely dim" and I will have peace.<br />
(God put this on my heart today and my fingers are flying across the keyboard which usually means that God is moving in my heart and mind and that He is calling me to share what He is teaching me with someone. So, here goes...)<br />
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</div><div style="color: #990000;">I Corinthians 13 type of encouragment for Home Schooling Moms:</div><div style="color: #990000;"><i>"If I can quote Shakespeare but do not speak encouragement, I am only an annoying showoff. </i></div><div style="color: #990000;"><i>If I have the gift of a high IQ and can explain and understand many complex things but do not have patience, I am prideful. </i></div><div style="color: #990000;"><i>If I have a determination that can build businesses from scratch and make a lot of money but do not have a generous spirit, I am selfish. </i></div><div style="color: #990000;"><i>If I mold my body into perfection through hours at the gym and the track, but do not have the discipline of Christ, I am an empty vessel. </i></div><div style="color: #990000;"><i>If I have handwriting that is beautiful, but do not write words of love, I have no honor. </i></div><div style="color: #990000;"><i>If I can identify all the major works of art but do not appreciate the beauty in God's creation, I am blinded."</i></div><div style="color: #cc0000;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="color: #cc0000;"><b>"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." </b></div>Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-78146577843182470872011-03-15T12:17:00.000-05:002011-03-15T12:17:54.603-05:00Just had to share...<div style="color: #783f04;"><b>Tips for reading with your preschooler (and your older ones, as well) from education.com - one of my fave sites. Reading is the cornerstone of all learning. Have fun with this. Don't try to do it all; do what you can when you can. It WILL make a difference!</b></div><a href="http://www.education.com/magazine/article/12-ways-engage-preschooler-literature/?cid=80.">12 Ways to Engage Your Preschooler with Literature</a>Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-62780134245456427262011-02-06T13:55:00.000-06:002011-02-06T13:55:01.398-06:00"Monitor and adjust!"When I was in college, this was the popular phrase from our education professors. "Monitor and adjust! Monitor and adjust!" Of course, at the time, that seemed very intimidating. I'm supposed to teach AND monitor the students' responses AND adjust on the fly as needed?!?!? Talk about sending a rookie teacher into sheer panic... (We are all familiar with those teachers we have had that paid no attention to us at all and just droned on with no interest in anything other than their agenda for that class for that day; that usually translated into B-O-R-I-N-G and little real learning on our part as students. But I digress...)<br />
Like anything else, this monitoring and adjusting thing got easier over time. I am quite sure that I was never even close to great at doing this; chalk it up to being young and terrified of veering too far from the pre-chosen curriculum. That phrase became one of my sarcastic phrases to say to other teachers when I was frustrated with a less-than-smooth day. When I was training in the corporate world, no one else really "got it" so I would say it myself as a pep talk (sort of).<br />
Well, 5+ years after leaving the formal world of education and training behind, I found myself with a kindergartner to home school. Somehow, I left that phrase behind but should not have. Home schooling offers the ultimate opportunity to monitor learning and adjust as needed. Of course, this is much easier said than done. I'll be the first to tell you that I can get very focused on the agenda of tasks that is in front of me and don't really like having to adjust. That meant that Baker and I had (and still do sometimes) days that were more frustrating than fun. I picked up some great insight at the webinar that I attended last spring. I shifted some thinking and some methods and ta-da! Things improved.<br />
Now that you want to reach through your computer and throttle me, think about it. Moms do this ALL THE TIME - day in and day out. You planned to run some errands but someone wakes up with a fever. It's a snow day; now what? And, on and on it goes. By now, it's almost second nature. You're already an expert! It should be some sort of Motherhood Merit Badge.<br />
I'll explain why this has been coming to my mind so much lately. We are in the middle of a winter full of dangerous weather and viral illnesses - it seems to be one or the other or both here at Chez Loften. I've had to take a deep breath many days and think "monitor and adjust". If one of us was not up for the full workload, I pare it down to the essentials so that we don't get too out of our routine. I then have to readjust my lesson plans for the next week. Baker was not catching on to some things in math as quickly as I thought he should be able to so I took some time to make a couple of new games and bought a couple of things at Mardel. (I'll do separate blog posts on those later.) It worked - progress; happier student, happier mommy/teacher!<br />
I encourage you to do some monitoring and adjusting of your own. Is somebody not catching on to a concept? Put it aside for a week or two. Is somebody getting bored? Have a game day or an "independent study" day. Is somebody reduced to tears because your child is being so stubborn? Look at what skills he or she is supposed to be using (finding the answer and writing the number) and "fix" it. For example, I bought some small circle stickers at Staples, found some addition worksheets, wrote the answers on the stickers (not in order) and let him have at it. He did great! He knew the answers but it was the writing of the numbers in a small space that was frustrating him so this solution worked well. And, hey, show me a kid who doesn't want to work with stickers? Do they hate reviewing spelling words? Let them quiz you; Baker gets quite a kick out of this one. I have one friend who dropped everything when she found out about a science fair so she and the kids did a great display board and lots of activities based on the armadillo that had been in their garden the day before. To make it even crazier, their car wouldn't start the day of the fair so she did a video clip of their presentation and posted it on Facebook. How awesome is that? Talk about the ultimate in monitoring and adjusting!<br />
Remember, your child IS getting a high quality education. God had called you and He will equip you to do this. I read an article the other day that really resonated with me. Basically, the author was saying that it's easy to worry that your child is getting less academically (odds are that they are not). However, they are getting intense character training and good character will take your child much farther in life and make them more like Christ than good grades ever will. Carry on, my fellow travelers. This is a road less traveled but one with an amazing destination at the end.Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-39359162580946728322011-01-21T12:45:00.000-06:002011-01-21T12:45:35.625-06:00FREE samples from Dover for teachers<a href="http://www.doverpublications.com/ts001/index.html?s1=Dover-Yahoo%20Store&s2=Teacher%27s%20Store&s5=ts002">Dover Publishing Teacher Samples - sign up</a><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;">I have been receiving the weekly Dover Publishing sampler weekly email for some time now. Some of the things are great and some just don't apply to us. But, today I just stumbled on this offering - sample pages specifically for teachers!! I'm so excited. They have such great stuff and to have samples more geared to our family is a bonus. </span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">These will be great to have on hand to supplement lessons, add to lap books and what not. There is also great stuff for preschoolers so the littles can be busy and learning with minimal assistance.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;">They make beautiful coloring books and I've ordered a couple recently to go along with our curriculum since Baker loves to color while I read out loud. Many times it's cheaper to get a published quality coloring book than to print pages at home (our printer has tiny tanks plus the amount of paper we use - wow!). </span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"> </span>Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-84483997968246701342010-12-10T09:47:00.000-06:002010-12-10T09:47:46.252-06:00Super-cala-fraga-listic FREE site<div style="color: #660000;"><b>Just a super quick post to share a new (to me, anyway) site - actors reading books on line (including several from the <a href="http://www.bookwormfavorites.com/">Usborne Books & More line</a> - wink, wink)! What a great way to supplement your own read-aloud time. Enjoy!</b></div><br />
<a href="http://www.storylineonline.net/">Storyline Online</a>Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-31645887039145860862010-12-06T16:02:00.000-06:002010-12-06T16:02:58.854-06:00Math - fun?!?!? Yes!<div style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>I have to confess that math is a weak area over here. It's not ever been my fave and it's really not Baker's either. Reading and history are more up his alley. Needless to say, I'm always on the lookout for ways to make math F-U-N. If it's free, I practically do a dance of joy. I have found several. I hope they help you, too!</b></span></div><div style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/">Sheppard Software</a> </b></span></div><div style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>I don't remember how I found this site but regardless, we love it. Baker was having a great time playing games. We even played some together. There are lots of great things about on-line activities but this time of year, the biggest bonus for me is that he can be working while I wrap, work on Christmas cards and so forth. There is more than just math games here, by the way. One caveat, the Google thumbnail ads blend in a little too well with the game thumbnails so you will want to be close by to make sure that your child goes where you intend.</b></span></div><div style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=2602&e=gamesLanding&mcat=game_infant,game_toddler,game_preschool&site=us">Fisher-Price games</a></b></span></div><div style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>If your family is like mine, the littles want to do whatever the biggers do. This is a cute way for the littles to feel "big" and learn. This would be a great way to keep all them occupied - the biggers can teach the littles. Again, there is more than math here. Since it's a Fisher-Price site, there are specific toy ads on the side but they are on the sides of the page, not mixed in with the games.</b></span></div><div style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://www.mathnook.com/">Math Nook</a></b></span></div><div style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>This site has games for K and up. Baker enjoys this site as well. Again, ads but they are on the side so it's pretty clear where to click to get a specific game. There are worksheets available as well. I try to keep the focus on the lesson on the math as opposed to math plus writing the digit(s) so I use worksheets sparingly.</b></span></div><div style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span></div><div style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://currclick.com/">CurrClick</a></b></span></div><div style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>This site has TONS of stuff that is free and/or very low-priced. For example, I paid 75 cents for some winter-themed skip counting cards, sent the document to Staples for printing (since my printer has tiny ink tanks), cut and laminated them at Mardel. Suddenly something as tedious as practicing skip counting became fun to Baker. It was a small investment of time and $$ but it's a reusable, versatile resource. I can use these as a "center" and have him put them in order on the floor or in the pocket chart. They could be slipped onto a ring or into a photo album instead of laminated and used as a flip book. </b></span></div><div style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>You probably have games on hand. Games are a great way to reinforce math skills without the kiddos even knowing it. Chutes and Ladders is a classic. I've even done something as simple as taking the larger, foam dice with digits (instead of dots), we each roll one and the person with the highest digit wins that roll. We keep score using tick marks (another skill to reinforce) and the first one to win 10 rolls is the winner. Baker LOVED this and it was so easy to do.</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Many publishers have sticker books that are focused on math skills. Baker loves these. Usborne has a couple that we have been using periodically just to add a little fun. </b></span></div><div style="color: #990000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>May all of you have a blessed Christmas! </b></span></div><div style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div>Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-48150475578642617602010-10-27T11:09:00.000-05:002010-10-27T11:09:17.246-05:00The "S" word - socialization<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">First of all, let me say that I am NOT opposed to public schools, private schools, church-based schools or any other group education. One of the things that has made America a great nation in such a relatively short time is our nation's belief that everyone should be educated because educated citizens make a stronger society. For heaven's sakes, I was a school teacher, you know. I loved school. I loved college. I plan on being one of those retirees that audits classes at a university for fun. It keeps the brain and spirit young and vital. I'm also for whatever God has called your family to do be it group education or home school. That being said, I will now turn to the main topic of this post.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">The one question that home school opponents like to throw at you, inevitably with some sort of "Ah-ha, I gotcha!" kind of attitude is "But, what about (dum, dum, dum; dramatic pause) socialization?!?". I must confess that I was a bit concerned about this as well before I started the home school journey. When I read "A Well Trained Mind", I felt much better. The author makes some great points that really got my mental wheels spinning and reassured me as a parent. Group education is actually the opposite of good socialization. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">At school, children are in a room all day with children their age and one or maybe two adults. When else in life do we have this kind of situation? When I made it to the "real world", I was surrounded by people of all ages. Some of the teachers that I was teaching alongside had taught my younger siblings. I had parents of all ages and all walks of life to interact with daily. When I started working in the corporate world, it became an even broader base of people that I was required to use my social skills on - men, women, straight, gay, atheist, Christian, Muslim, American-born, foreign nationals, younger, older and on and on I could go. I'm not sure where we as a society began to believe that a classroom is the "real world" but it is not.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">In a classroom, children are mostly required to be in their seat and be quiet. They will (if they are fortunate) get to have free play for 1/2 hour total with yet more children the same age or close to it. Personally, I don't think the best teacher of good social skills is other children and/or peer pressure. They do learn some things that are good but they also tend to pick up a lot of bad things. Do you really think that those sweet angels are practicing good manners all the time out there on that playground? Think again...</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Just because I home school does not mean that my child never interacts with anyone but me and his dad and sister. He plays with the neighborhood kids who happen to be black and have very different family situations than ours. A couple of the girls are older than Baker and the boys are younger. They have a ball together and can play outside for as long as they like - no 15 minute time limit here. He is in a home school group on Mondays, Bible Study Fellowship on Monday nights, he plays one sport a season, attends church on Sundays and the first service room that he is in has children that are older and younger. He is learning to relate to other people of all races and ages and gender. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Now, this is looking more like the "real world" that I know.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Another advantage in our family is that our daughter has Down Syndrome. She has required therapy most of her life to mitigate her developmental delays. Baker was (and still is) exposed to children with all sorts of disabilities and has never blinked an eye. It's just the way they are. He is expected to use good manners with the parents, other siblings and staff at Easter Seals and doctor offices and AR Children's Hospital. He has been exposed to all sorts of career options that I would never have thought about - therapists and directors plus all of the medical jobs. During Anna Marie's stays in the NICU and CVICU, he was exposed to techs, nurses, physician assistants, doctors, social workers and he even got to get a tour of the Angel Flight helicopters with one of the pilots. (I have to admit I was jealous that I missed that one. My mom was with him for that spur-of-the-moment opportunity.)</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">It has been a joy to see his manners improve and has ability to carry on a conversation with adults blossom. He can stand up for himself with other kids, is learning to be considerate of those less capable and/or younger and is seeing that most of the world does not live like we do - with a solid faith in God and both parents together. He is learning these lessons under my (mostly) gentle guidance as opposed to the (sometimes) harsher group education environment. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Yes, I realize that taking this argument to the next level opens up the whole can of worms regarding cults and other such fringe groups. Unfortunately, we live in a fallen world and these sorts of things will go on no matter what. It does not mean that my family has to fall into line with the current group education mentality. We are not isolationists but neither are we conformists. After all, God has called all of us as Christians to live differently from the world. For now, this is one of the ways in which we are doing that - by home schooling. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">If you are a home schooler, I hope this has encouraged you. If you are not, I hope this has given you some food for thought. </span></span></span>Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-55817103075763303862010-10-17T08:47:00.001-05:002010-10-17T08:48:43.802-05:00Fun Art Resource<b><span style="color: #783f04;">I have to admit that I like the idea of art and music but they are the first subjects to get dropped when I am pressed for time. This is a great site that introduces children to fine art. The animation is very fun and your child doesn't have to be a reader to use it. Have fun!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #783f04;"><a href="http://www.artic.edu/aic/education/CC/index.html">The Art Institute of Chicago Curious Corner</a> </span></b>Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-69295585618089609892010-10-08T10:13:00.000-05:002010-10-08T10:13:07.806-05:00Book Review - Barefoot Book of Knights w/ CD<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #7f6000;"> I have to share <a href="http://store.barefootbooks.com/the-barefoot-book-of-knights-5.html">this book</a>! This is a smaller publisher that I was not familiar with until a few months ago. I ordered this book for our medieval history. I was drawn to it because of the gorgeous illustrations and the CD. I love it now because it's even better than I imagined. Baker has been listening to the CD at rest time and at bedtime. He is hooked. </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #7f6000;">Why do I love it so?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #7f6000;">1. The beautiful artwork (sorry that the image won't load; click on the link) </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #7f6000;">2. The fabulous narration on the CD - even better since I would butcher some of the names</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #7f6000;">3. Stories from all over the world - many (o.k., most) I had never heard</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #7f6000;">4. Reinforces positive character traits such as bravery, humility, loyalty and hard work</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #7f6000;">5. Baker gets productive down time and I get some moments to myself as well. I'm always for that since it gives a chance to "reboot" before the last leg of the day and we are all in better moods as a result.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #7f6000;">If you can't afford to buy it, check your local library. I, for one, consider this to have been a fab purchase on my part. Even better, this is on sale for the next few days. (Christmas is a'coming, peeps, so think ahead.)</span></b></span><br />
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</span></b></span>Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-67503467778869619642010-09-15T11:34:00.000-05:002010-09-15T11:34:48.994-05:00"I could never..."<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><span style="color: #7f6000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">(Disclaimer: No one has insulted me or anything lately. For some reason, God has laid this on my heart today.)</span></span></b></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #7f6000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Raise your hand if you have heard the beginning of this sentence more times than you can count. I could retire if I got paid $1 every time I have heard that just in the past few years. "I could never ---have a child in the NICU, have a baby with Down Syndrome, home school, run a business, etc." I have been guilty of starting sentences with such statements - "I could never---have 9 kids, remodel/sell/move every few years, have a child in the hospital for that long, etc." Somehow in my warped, human mind I think that this is some sort of compliment to the person. What's odd is that I perceive it as an insult -as in, "Lady, I really think you're crazy!" even though I know the speaker does not intend it to be that. </span></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #7f6000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The truth is that apart from God and my great husband and family support, I couldn't have done any of these things and continue to do them. The same holds true for so many that I have actually said that phrase to - my friend, <i>Amy M.</i> who really does have 9 children (she's one of my all time fave people even though she still looks drop-dead gorgeous), <i>Michelle Duggar </i>with her 19 children but still maintaining a calming, glowing spirit, my fellow travelers on Raising Children with Down Syndrome Road, and on and on I could go.</span></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #7f6000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">From now on, I vow to replace the phrase "I could never..." with "What an amazing thing God has called you to!" Personally, I would feel encouraged when I heard such a phrase instead of feeling like maybe I am a little crazy. God calls us each to our own specific path to mold us into His image and to point others to Him. If we choose not to follow, well...then we <i>are</i> crazy because fighting God and His plan leads to nothing but frustration and heartache. </span></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #7f6000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm going to try to embrace where I am in my life, embrace what God has called me to do, accept the fact that I will never have it "all together" and encourage others who are doing amazing things every day. We are surrounded by heroes - foster parents, single mothers with handicapped children, teachers, doctors, nurses, policemen, firefighters, moms who work, moms who stay at home, dads who coach, dads who go to work, volunteers at church and on and on I could go. Let's be the "cloud of witnesses" who cheer them on with encouraging phrases as opposed to semi-insults. And always, to GOD be the glory; not me.</span></span></span></b>Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-50128992169307053232010-09-04T21:03:00.000-05:002010-09-04T21:03:40.107-05:00One of those weeks...<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Well, I knew that sooner or later it would happen. I just didn't expect it to happen this soon. I have been under the weather in a big way all week so we got zip, zero, nada "real" school work done here. I didn't even have the mental energy to pull out some independent stuff for Baker to work on. I was impressed with Baker's initiative. He did a great deal of drawing and Lego building and reading unprompted. Maybe I'll just say that it was an "independent study" week. The beauty of home schooling is that we can make up for it later. He also had the privilege of spending his birthday with my parents so I could go to the dr. and sleep. He built with his new medieval Lego set for hours over there and laughed with my dad and just felt loved on and special. No amount of school hours could ever duplicate that for him and I'm grateful for that relationship.</b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Anna Marie started at her developmental preschool this week. I still have a lot of mixed feelings about this big change. She is doing well and having a great time - especially outside in the dirt. Who would have thought it of Princess Baby? Her teachers are so precious and understanding that sometimes she needs to be by herself and observe. They are very encouraging. When we picked her up on Friday, one of them told me that he thought she was a bit tired and homesick. That about broke my heart but at the same time I was touched at his thoughtfulness and sympathy for her. I am seeing progress already in some areas. She is seeing a therapist every day in one discipline or another. Combine that with the active day that is focused solely on development of cognitive, social and self-care skills and I know that she is going to blossom in so many areas.</b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Have a wonderful holiday weekend, my fellow travelers. May God bless your extended family time in new ways. May we all return to the trenches of home schooling refreshed. </b></span></span></span>Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-1252804456945006962010-08-27T08:57:00.000-05:002010-08-27T08:57:04.235-05:00Accidental Learning<div style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Sometimes, the best ideas hit me in the middle of a lesson. I was showing Baker pictures of frescoes and we were discussing what a fresco is. It dawned on me - let him "paint a fresco"! I'm not brave enough to get out the paints but I did have him tape some paper to the underside of his desk and use markers to draw. Of course, this project induced some giggles but he got the idea. He even caught on to the fact that these were usually religious scenes painted specifically for a grand church. He loved it and did several pictures.</b></div><div style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><b style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">I say as often as possible, act on those brainstorms and see what happens. That's one of the advantages of home schooling. Classroom teachers also get great spontaneous ideas but it's hard to implement them on the fly with a whole classroom of children. I speak from experience on this one. Have fun! (Uh, yes he is in pajamas / costume and those are Sponge Bob magnets behind him. Don't ask. I pick and choose my battles. )</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSyPDmeypwVP0XP0t-uAx7fZ6yXoUlzV7uUdSDUCXfWX9mTMBIIhh7AaNqw6UifqbhDPbVBipxoF-3N3F8_BX7-t2mDGxKLmVZ1zebZ7piT3UXTVvL1HDhhqfmOKZ7d7eW4Yo3a-y4ws/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSyPDmeypwVP0XP0t-uAx7fZ6yXoUlzV7uUdSDUCXfWX9mTMBIIhh7AaNqw6UifqbhDPbVBipxoF-3N3F8_BX7-t2mDGxKLmVZ1zebZ7piT3UXTVvL1HDhhqfmOKZ7d7eW4Yo3a-y4ws/s320/008.JPG" /></a></div>Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-64815272589746971582010-08-23T08:48:00.002-05:002010-09-05T00:33:45.500-05:00Great Idea for Toddlers / Preschoolers<span style="color: #783f04;"><b>I know that a huge challenge for many of us is <a href="http://www.education.com/activity/article/sensory_table/?cid=50.200&utm_campaign=Activity%2520of%2520the%2520Week%253A%2520Aug%252E%252023%252C%25202010&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=Want%2520to%2520make%2520a%2520sensory%2520table%2520at%2520home%253F%2520Click%2520here%2520to%2520find%2520step-by-step%2520directions%2521">how to keep the littles busy</a> and out of trouble while we work with the olders. I just got <a href="http://www.education.com/activity/article/sensory_table/?cid=50.200&utm_campaign=Activity%2520of%2520the%2520Week%253A%2520Aug%252E%252023%252C%25202010&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=Want%2520to%2520make%2520a%2520sensory%2520table%2520at%2520home%253F%2520Click%2520here%2520to%2520find%2520step-by-step%2520directions%2521">this idea</a> in my email this morning from <a href="http://education.com/">education.com</a> and it's wonderful! I'm going to have to do this and it will be so good for the Princess. Of course, keeping big brother focused on his work will be the new challenge because he'll want to play with her - LOL! Actually, it might be a good project for him to set up for her and they can both play while I get some work done. OK, I'll quit thinking out loud...</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><b>Enjoy this idea. Let me know how it works for you. I'll try to do this today and post pix asap. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><b>Pix as promised. This kept her engaged for approximately an hour. Lessons learned: Popcorn kernels make a very satisfying sound, this worked on more motor skills than I expected, food safe dye will wind up on hands.</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ue4HR4cSVllm1SmFlNowi2etBQ02BKA0noaIlKKuIVIKpdMmSM-F3jwS6slRybCn0NlLqezrf73FXLXkriOIrNDGjqFZGv06mY3g7yDt4PLRkw121hKmTBKfoXbJnEUL7JAQGVZZTlk/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ue4HR4cSVllm1SmFlNowi2etBQ02BKA0noaIlKKuIVIKpdMmSM-F3jwS6slRybCn0NlLqezrf73FXLXkriOIrNDGjqFZGv06mY3g7yDt4PLRkw121hKmTBKfoXbJnEUL7JAQGVZZTlk/s320/005.JPG" /></a></div><span style="color: #783f04;"><b><br />
</b></span>Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-69910841707961837022010-08-23T00:14:00.000-05:002010-08-23T00:14:37.632-05:00New, Free Handwriting Without Tears "Tool"<b><span style="color: #783f04;">I was so excited to get the new HWT catalog because I found out about this new tool for their customers - <a href="http://www.hwtears.com/APLUS">create your own worksheets</a>. It's very easy to use. After you are registered and/or logged in, click "Get Started", select the grade level of your student, choose the type of layout you need, edit right on screen and print. It's a great way to make your own spelling and vocabulary sheets. There are a limited number of options for layout designs but free is always good, right?</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #783f04;">Another site I use to create our own HWT pages is <a href="http://abcteach.com/">abcteach.com</a>. This site is loaded with tons of printouts that can be used for color sheets, games, lap books, practice sheets, report diagrams and a zillion other things. There is an annual fee for full access which includes the ability to create your own sheets. The bonus is that you can create and save your work. You can also mark any abcteach.com documents as "favorites" so it's easy to find them again. I really liked this feature since I like to work ahead as much as possible. Even if you don't opt for the premium membership, there is still a lot of good stuff on this site.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #783f04;">Enjoy your week and I hope these sites make life a bit easier for you. They certainly do for me!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #783f04;"> </span></b>Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-76414937936304049842010-08-14T12:41:00.000-05:002010-08-14T12:41:24.198-05:00School without Usborne books?!?!? NEVER!<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #783f04;">(Yes, this will be a "shameless promotion". But, I can't help it.) </span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #783f04;">I began using Usborne books for school before I became a consultant. I was trying desperately to keep up with our Classical Education group without Usborne books and realized quickly that I really did need the Ancient History Encyclopedia and some geography books. So, I ordered a few. Right after that, I saw a once-in-a-lifetime consultant sign up offer. I thought about it for a few days then jumped in with both feet and have never looked back.</span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #783f04;">So, you ask, how do I incorporate these books? I'll give you a few examples. The <a href="http://www.myubam.com/ecommerce/details.asp?sid=D3213&gid=100610456&emkt=199&title=Encyclopedia+of+World+History+IL+C%2FV.&sqlwhere=submit%3Dsearch%26search%3Dworld%2Bhistory">World History Encyclopedia</a> is an absolute necessity. We are studying the Medieval / Early Renaissance time period this year and it is so much fun. The encyclopedia is not only gorgeous to look at, it is informative and easy to read in small bits. The internet links are the biggest time saver and homework helper. For example, last week, Baker wanted to report on Clovis. We read about him in Story of the World, Volume 2 and the encyclopedia. We then went on line to the encyclopedia-specific internet links and found some great pictures that we could print to go along with his oral report. He was so excited about it that he wasn't nervous at all about giving his report in class! I couldn't have done it without the Usborne encyclopedia.</span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #783f04;">We used the <a href="http://www.myubam.com/ecommerce/details.asp?sid=D3213&gid=100610456&emkt=199&title=World+History+Sticker+Atlas+-+IR&sqlwhere=submit%3Dsearch%26search%3Dworld%2Bhistory">World History Sticker Atlas</a> (also internet-linked) last year to help him connect the geography with the history. It was also a great way to sneak in some fine motor skill development. We still get to use that book this year since we didn't finish "stickering" last year (only because I held him back from doing it all at once).</span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #783f04;">I have <a href="http://www.myubam.com/ecommerce/results.asp?sid=D3213&gid=100610456&emkt=199&categoryid=3090&submit=Search">Learning Palettes for Math and Reading</a>. These are self-correcting, independent, non-consumable, skill reinforcement activities. (How's that for some teacher lingo?) He has reviewed number order, phonics, rhyming, graphs, ordinal numbers and many others using these. </span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #783f04;">I truly could go on and on - Playtime Activities, Science Things to Make and Do, dot-to-dot books, phonics readers, abridged classics, etc. These materials have added so much FUN to our school days and beyond. Baker's been known to stretch out on the couch with an encyclopedia or atlas just because he wanted to look. Don't you remember how fascinating those types of books were when you were young? I certainly do. I love seeing him have the same experience. </span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #783f04;">I can see that these resources are developing in him a love of learning and isn't that one of our ultimate goals as parents? If it isn't, it certainly should be. I would be honored to help you select some great things for your specific needs, hold a workshop/home show and even sign you on as a consultant if you so desire. </span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #783f04;">Onward and upward, parents! Let's raise a generation of <u>LEARNERS</u> not test-takers.</span></b></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #783f04;"><a href="http://www.bookwormfavorites.com/">www.bookwormfavorites.com</a><br />
</span></b></span></span></div>Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-28414803348784398302010-08-10T00:34:00.000-05:002010-08-10T00:34:32.808-05:00Finally - pix as promised<b style="color: #783f04;">I am finally getting back to my blog. The first week of Loften Academy went pretty well. We had a couple of "sit on the laundry room stairs until you can obey" incidents but I was prepared for them to happen. Fortunately, he decided that having nothing to look at but the washing machine was pretty boring and the 2nd time out was much shorter than the first one - LOL!</b><br />
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<b style="color: #783f04;">I have to say that we are love, love, loving the work box system. Thank you, Sue Patrick! It is so nice to see the work getting done and incorporating centers and lap books and games and other such goodies to reinforce the lessons has been so easy! Baker gets excited to do that sort of stuff and I can really see what he has mastered and what we need to re-cover and/or practice a bit more. </b><br />
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<b style="color: #783f04;">I even got it together enough to set up some "work" for Anna Marie. She has gotten in the spirit of it all as well. When I announced on Friday that it was time for school, she went straight to the door and attempted to turn the knob while saying "bye". She has even sat in her chair and wanted to work like her brother does. She has been "singing" the alphabet song with him, clapping when he recites or reads his memory work and so on.</b><br />
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<b style="color: #783f04;">I have, of course, been tweaking things as we go along so I'm still spending a lot of my time in that "first year of teaching" mode when you are just consumed mentally and physically with getting things "just right". <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=64023&id=1023800924&l=1cef314f3f">Click here to see the pix!</a> Explore the links on the left. There will be many more to add and I'll touch on each one over the next however many months. </b><br />
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<b style="color: #783f04;">Most of all, go and experience God's pleasure in your steadfast home school, mom, wife journey. We change the world, ladies! Don't let Satan try to convince you otherwise.</b><br />
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</b>Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214195541108480078.post-24957492093985859482010-08-02T17:04:00.000-05:002010-08-02T17:04:45.818-05:00Am I alone in this?<div style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>O.K., I know I'm really not alone in feeling frustrated trying to run a business, post on a blog, home school, serve at church, make the occasional visit to AR Children's Hospital as well as love on my family. Don't even mention the laundry and housekeeping and dinner...ugh! I'm always looking for ways to smooth the road. I found this new-to-me site, <a href="http://www.homeschoolfreebieoftheday.com/">Home School Freebie of the Day</a>. This week's series is on time management specifically for families like ours. Sign up and enjoy the freebies!</b></div>Amy Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15122064459550658754noreply@blogger.com0