Tidbits for January 31st

The Ultimate Book List for Boys - I love book lists, and this is a great one. (The Modest Mom)

7 Way to Show Your Children You Value Them, Every Day - "I got to thinking that I wanted to share more with my children what I value about them, helping them see themselves through God’s eyes and not through the lens of the world with its unrealistic and sometimes ungodly expectations." (The Purposeful Mom)

Epidurals: Do They Or Don't They Increase Cesareans? - Henci Goer examines the evidence for and against. (Science and Sensibility)

Two Years to No Lies - Fascinating. (The List)

How I Simplify My Homeschool Day With Textbooks - "When I first started exploring the possibilities of using textbooks I felt guilty inside. I was betraying everything I had been taught!" (The Modest Mom via Intoxicated on Life)



From the Bookshelf

Already Compromised by Ken Ham and Greg Hall

"A stunning revelation about the nation's Christian colleges! Apologetics powerhouse Ken Ham teams with Dr. Greg Hall for an eye-opening assessment of 200 Christian colleges and universities from across America. During the unprecedented 2010 study by Britt Beemer's America's Research Group (ARG), these colleges were polled on core faith questions...and the results are revealing and shocking! Examine the beginnings of the Ivy League schools and their now forgotten purpose at their formation. Observe the views, responses, and answers to basic questions from these Christian colleges that will surprise and alarm you."

Fascinating and enlightening (though not particularly surprising) - a good read, and an interesting study in competing worldviews.


Have a wonderful weekend!

The Three-Year Homeschool Learning Curve (It Really Exists!)

Several years ago, I read a wonderful article by Amy over at Raising Arrows, and it has been a source of encouragement ever since. Hop on over and check it out:

Homeschooling and the Three Year Learning Curve

To summarize:

"'The first three years are the learning curve. Give yourself a break.' Those are the words a veteran homeschool mom spoke to me my first year homeschooling. Those words gave me permission to mess up, regroup, and try again. Those words are now the ones I give to every new homeschooling mother I come in contact with. They are priceless."

We are now nearing the end of our fourth year of home education, and I can attest to the truth of those words. Things really started to fall into place at the end of the third year. While I have not "arrived," and most likely never will, I no longer feel that I am floundering hopelessly in a foreign universe.

I have found my homeschooling feet.

Just starting on the journey.

In my (brief) time in the homeschooling world, I have seen many mothers give up on home education within their first couple of years. They give it a try, but end up calling it quits a year or two in. (I did it too!) In any conversation that I now have with struggling mothers, I always reference this "law of homeschooling." If you're serious about homeschooling but don't think you're making it, purpose not to give up before you've completed three full years. Most likely, you'll be okay by then.

What does it look like "on the other side" of three years?

Here's what it looks like for me (some of these are elaborations on Amy's points in the original article):

I have learned about myself

I have learned so many things about myself - things that are vital to shaping our family's homeschool environment. For example, I have learned that I am not a super-crafty person. Continual large messes pretty much make me lose my sanity. I need to have the house reasonably clean to be able to think clearly (or even be civil). That may seem basic, but learning things like that about myself is also part of learning about how home education will look in our family. It's different for each family, and every mother has to figure out her own style and how homeschooling needs to work to be successful for her unique family and situation.

I have learned about my child

Had I put my child in school, the 8yo and I would now be complete strangers to each other. We are very, very different and tend to butt heads often. But being together around the clock has forced us to learn to work together and to become closer rather than growing further apart. I am so thankful that God led me to home education, because otherwise this child and I would already be well on the way to total estrangement from each other. As it is, I have been able to learn more and more about him while growing closer to him.

Homeschool science experiments. 

I have faced harsh realities

The harsh reality about home education is that it all comes down to parenting. If I'm not willing to tackle my parenting weaknesses and really enforce cheerful obedience, respect, responsibility, etc., then home education will not work - or will be a nightmare for the mother who has to suffer through it. This has been an awesome reality check for me, and it has helped me greatly in my parenting journey. Like it or not, the basis of successful home education is first producing teachable children, and that involves being willing to face my parenting weaknesses - and deal with them.

I have learned about home education

Attending my first homeschool convention was one of the most inspiring events of my life. It was also one of the most frightening, intimidating, and completely overwhelming events of my life. In fact, my decision to stop homeschooling was due to that feeling of being completely out of my element and overwhelmed with too much information. I couldn't handle it, and I turned tail and ran.

Since then, I have learned so much. I have learned the terminology and the lingo. I have learned the authors, the books, the key personalities in the homeschool community, the curriculum options, the educational styles. I have spent the past years reading (and reading and reading) about home education - on blogs, in books, on websites - and listening to talks, lectures, and convention break-out sessions. Finally, at some unknown point, it stopped being overwhelming. I started recognizing terms and curriculum names. I could talk the talk. I no longer had to sit there looking like a soon-to-be-flattened deer in the headlights.

I don't have it all together. In fact, on the average, I would still rate myself as rather behind rather than ahead when it comes to home education knowledge and abilities. But I am now at home (rather than completely at sea!) in the home education world. Conventions are no longer overwhelming, but a delight. I can handle the information without bursting into tears of frustration.

Dear homeschooling mother, if you are still in the "I'm so overwhelmed and I don't know what to do!" stage, don't despair. Just hold on, keep breathing, and keep reading (and reading and reading). Sooner or later, it will start to make sense, and the feeling of being overwhelmed will fade.

Homeschool craft time. 

I have learned about homeschool curriculum

Thirty years ago, curriculum selection was super-simple because there were simply so few options. Today, even a mother who has been homeschooling for twenty years hasn't seen all of the available curriculum choices. There are hundreds (thousands!) out there. However, I have finally made it to where I know the major names, the major styles, and the major options - and that's a huge relief. I can now "talk the talk" and know what my major options are in different subjects, even if there are still hundreds of options that I haven't yet seen.

Unit studies! 

I have found the local homeschool community

Discovering and getting to know your local homeschool community is incredibly important! Here are some of the things that I've learned about my local community:

• Local support groups - I've found two that work for me, and know of countless others (and where to find them!) if I ever need them.
• Resources - Testing locations, homeschool stores, etc.
• Classes, groups, and co-ops - Whether it's theatre, archery, speech and debate, science co-ops, homeschool P.E. - I know where to find the homeschool groups and classes (and we have many!).
   
• Homeschool days - Many museums, etc., have annual homeschool days when homeschoolers can get reduced admission fees. Knowing these by memory is a huge blessing and a big stress-reliever as well.
• Annual field trip schedule - In addition to homeschool days, there are local events that occur annually, and I now know these by heart as well (our city's Jazz Festival, the Christmas parade, etc.). Having these in my memory saves me so much time scrambling for field trips.
• People - Getting to know people in the community, making friends, letting your children make friends - it's a big part of feeling connected rather than lost and floating. Also, getting to know various persons' strengths and interests means that I know where to go when I need help or information on a certain topic.

When we first started out, feeling alone was one of the biggest obstacles. Now that I've gotten to know the community, I feel much more settled and at home. If you're just starting out, I do recommend finding a few support groups! They can be intimidating at first, but after a year or two of getting to know people, they're priceless.

I have learned lots about what doesn't work

We've spent lots of money on curriculum that was shelved in the end. I've tried schedules that didn't work, ideas that didn't work, discipline techniques that didn't work. You name it, I've tried it. And most of it doesn't work. But for the odd 5% that does work, it's worth it. Each time I try something, I learn something - even if it's how to go back to the drawing board start again.

I have learned about the practical side of home education

There is so much more to home education than just "doing school." Let's see - my short list would include home management, teaching chores, time management, marriage, parenting, blogging, cooking, meal planning, laundry - and biggest of all, putting all of that together into a doable package on a daily basis. This is a sharp, steep learning curve, and it is not easy. However, I have come a long way, and I'm learning more and more every day.

I have learned the faithfulness of God

A year or two back, I heard a veteran homeschooling mom say the following (paraphrased):

"Do I have regrets? No, I don't have any regrets. God has been faithful. Every day I asked Him to show me what His will was for our home education journey. He did, and I followed His leading. I have no regrets."

At the time, I was a bit baffled. What did she mean, she had no regrets? Didn't she know how many mistakes I make on a daily basis? How could she make such lofty claims of perfection for herself?

But over time, I realized the difference between regrets and mistakes. All of us make mistakes. But we press forward to the goal, and we can do so in spite of our mistakes - and we can do so with no regrets. God is faithful. And if He has called us to the journey of home education, then we can trust Him and lean on His leading to get where we need to go.

God is faithful.

Thus, dear mothers, if you're still in the trenches of the first three years - don't lose heart! Press on! The challenges and the struggles continue, but there really is a breakthrough at the three-year mark.

Veteran homeschoolers, I would love to hear your input. When did you feel that you passed the initial learning curve and found your homeschooling stride? I'd love to hear your story.

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Tidbits for January 29th

13 Ways You Waste Your Money - Always good to review. (Challies.com)

One Simple Way to Encourage Obedience in Your Child - She's right, this DOES work. It's just a matter of remembering to do it consistently! (The Purposeful Mom)

Why Our Family Leaves Santa Out of Christmas - Okay, I'm a bit late in posting this! However, I only started this series in January, and this one's too good to miss. (Kids in the Word)

Raising Counter-Cultural Sons: What We Don't Allow - And the follow-up article, What We Encourage. Good stuff here. (Treasures from a Shoebox)

My Secrets to Taking Common-Sense Care of Your Sick Child at Home - Oh, goodness - so much good stuff here. (Like Mother, Like Daughter)


From the Bookshelf

"Eat That Frog: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time"

"The legendary Eat That Frog! (more than 450,000 copies sold and translated into 23 languages) provides the 21 most effective methods for conquering procrastination and accomplishing more."

This is an easy, fast read that is packed full of great time management techniques. While it's written for the worker in the corporate world, all of it applies to the life of the home educator as well. Really enjoying this one!








Have a wonderful weekend, dear readers!

Tidbits for January 26th

1915 Mother Resolutions - Interesting from a historical perspective as well as the personal! I especially like #4. (The Common Room)

Hurrying the Unhurriable - "'You cannot grow a beard in a moment of passion.' I wish all managers and customers understood that, but too often they don't. The problem is: Christians usually don't seem to understand it either." (Scratchings)

Downtown Abbey - What Are Americans Really Watching? - I don't watch the show (or even know what it's about), but that's beside the point! This is a fascinating analysis of the political, social, and religious trends that shaped 19th and 20th century Britain. (AlbertMohler.com, hat tip to Challies.com)

Motherhood Shouldn't Be a Sacrifice - "If we really know that our child is more precious than our waistline, or split-ends, or that yearly trip to Paris; then why do we mourn such things in such a way?  Why do we label them as sacrifices?" (Children Are a Blessing)

God Created Women for Pouring - "'God created the woman for pouring.  They are "all or none" type vessels. Keeping a home, loving your husband and children is a huge undertaking and it takes ALL of a woman to fill. This is why God created the woman to pour of herself completely because he knew it took all of her heart to care for her family. When you take the modern woman who finds a million other things to pour into, important things suffer. There is only so much in that heart to pour.'" (Always Learning)

Curriculum Review: Christian Light Math (I'm in Love!)

For the first two years of our home education program, we used a math curriculum that was enthusiastically recommended to us (separately) by two dear friends. For both mamas, the math in question was wonderful. However, for us it didn't work out. When the second-grade materials arrived in the mail and I sat down to review them, I realized that I needed to consider using a different math curriculum. This was far outside of my comfort zone (I prefer to pick something and stick with it), but I had to do something.

In the end, I made the plunge. I re-sold the already-purchased math materials locally, and decided to purchase the second grade math curriculum from Christian Light Publications. We have now nearly finished that second grade curriculum after our first year of using CLP math.

And I'm in love.

Christian Light math is simply the best math I've ever seen. It is thorough, well-organized, and excellent quality in every way. It is a pleasure to use.

Each grade of Christian Light math contains ten workbooks. There are seventeen assignments per workbook (fourteen lessons, two quizzes, and one final test) for a total of 170 daily assignments.

(This is cutting it a bit close when one factors in sick days. However, as lesson #16 in each book is always "review for the test," we cut that lesson out - resulting in ten additional days of wiggle room per year.)

Each grade level also comes with two teacher's manuals (each covering half of the year's material), which give teaching suggestions, answer keys, and alternate tests. Though they are intended for use in Christian schools, the teacher's manuals are quite useful for home educators as well (if only for answer keys).

Let me tell you about some of the many things I love about Christian Light math! (And Christian Light Publications in general.)

Christian Light Publications is a Mennonite company that produces educational materials for Christian schools, home educators, and church programs. Their materials are thoroughly Christian, have a rural focus, and seek to give glory to God and set a good moral example. I love this!*

(I should note that these materials are still completely usable for non-Christian families.)

As is the rule with all Anabaptist-produced products that I have seen, the materials are of excellent physical quality. The paper is excellent, the binding is superb, the drawings are first-rate, and the layout is simply beautiful. It is a pleasure to use on a physical as well as an academic level. (By contrast, our last math curriculum had drawings that were painfully poor in quality.)

Each math lesson has a tiny beginning section that covers new material, and then one or two questions concerning that material. The bulk of the lesson, however, is devoted to reviewing previously covered material. Thus, children review almost every concept daily, so there is never time to forget earlier topics. This is wonderful, as children tend to forget material fairly quickly if it is not continually reviewed.

Another huge benefit to this method is that I need to spend relatively little time doing math with our eight-year-old. A few minutes suffice to go over the new material, and he can then work independently on the rest of the lesson. (We spend additional time in the afternoon going over errors.)

While we have found the lessons to be a bit lengthy for one sitting (at least for our fidgety eight-year-old!), that problem has been easily solved by dividing the lesson into two parts. Our son completes the first half in the morning and the second half in the afternoon. In the earlier years, I might consent to write all or part of the answers (while the child tells me the answers orally) for a child who is (like ours) a reluctant writer.

Each lesson also includes a two minute "speed drill," which helps to cement basic addition and subtraction facts. These have been very helpful in helping our son to become accustomed to working under a time limit - a skill which is new to him.

I also like that each book contains two quizzes and one test. Our previous curriculum did not have any tests or graded assignments, so this has also helped our son to become accustomed to a testing environment and to being graded. With his first quiz, on which he did very poorly, we had to deal with quite a few tears. But since then, he has become very used to a testing environment and now handles quizzes and tests comfortably.

(However, if you do not want to begin testing at this early of an age, there is no need to do so - tests and quizzes can be given but not graded.)

While every student, every home school, and every season will dictate different curricula for different families, I can say with full enthusiasm that we love Christian Light Publications math. This is our default curriculum going forward!

Christian Light Publications carries full curriculum in every subject for K-12, so check them out! Samples are available in most subjects on their website.


* The other major Mennonite curriculum company is Rod and Staff, which we also love.

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Tidbits for January 22nd

Tidbits for January 22nd

10 Things Homeschooled Children Don't Miss - Yes! Love this! (Growing In His Grace)

Starting Your Own (Homeschool) Book Club - I'd love to try this sometime in the future! Follow-up post here. (Our Busy Homeschool)

God Takes Pleasure in Your Simple Life - "Whether you are making a pie, working in your garden, teaching your children or fixing your husband's favorite dinner {all the simple things in life}, you can truly say, "I feel His pleasure" since these activities are what most women were made for by God." I just discovered this blog, and I love it! (Always Learning)



From the Bookshelf

 Created to Be His Helpmeet

Now on my fourth reading, this book provides a good kick in the pants when I need it - which is, sadly, often. (My review here.)

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode

I read (and reviewed) this book last year - now it's time for a re-read! Love this book.









The Recipe Corner

Meyer Lemon Cake - Meyer lemons? In a cake? Yes, please! I haven't tried this yet, but can't wait to give it a go. From one of my favorite blogs. (Like Mother, Like Daughter)

Blackberry Cake - One of my favorite bloggers cooks with my favorite fruit - I can't wait to try this! I'm planning to make it next summer on our annual blackberrying expedition. (The Common Room)

Red Enchilada Sauce - From a friend's blog! We tried this tonight (with Easy Enchiladas), and it was lovely! (Are They All Yours?)

Cinnamon Cream Pie - I found this recipe just after finding out that we were expecting our latest little one. Translation - It didn't get made! Almost a year later, we finally tried it (last night), and it was wonderful! Even our tending-toward-pickiness 8yo loved it - he rated it was "better than Panda (Express)," which is his highest form of praise. Note: Baking time was considerably longer than an hour. (Raising Arrows)

Have a wonderful week, dear friends! 

Enjoying a Diet Break

I have now been off of the VLC (very-low-carb, high-fat) diet for a solid two months. I've been looking forward to this break for years - so how is it going?

Well, that depends!

In some ways, it's been really nice to have a break. The discipline of the diet is very rigorous, and it's nice to be able to relax my standards for a while - especially over the holidays!

Here are some of the foods that I've missed the most (and am now enjoying!):

• Oatmeal and steel-cut oats
• Bananas and apples
• Fruit in general, and fruit desserts
• Beans
• Cottage cheese
• Corn and cornbread 
• Cooked carrots

Bread has never been a passion of mine, so I haven't missed that too much. Oddly enough, I haven't missed desserts and super-sweet things very much either. When I gave up sugar, my ability to taste sweet things skyrocketed - and American desserts now often taste too sweet! When making holiday desserts over the past two months, I have several times cut the sugar by half and still found the dessert too sweet. 

Additionally, I have found myself too busy to even contemplate making many desserts - keeping up with daily cooking and chores has been more than enough to keep me (crazy) busy. 

I have definitely noticed that I am not feeling as well being back on a more standard diet. Here are some of the issues I've had personally over the past two months:

• A long-term won't-go-away ear infection
• Stomach flu
• A super-nasty cold
• Resurgence of seasonal allergies
• Minor resurgence of fatigue issues

In other words, I need to get back on the diet for my own well-being. 

I had originally planned to go back on the diet at New Year's. That didn't happen (somewhat anticipated), pretty much because of sheer laziness, as well as a reluctance to start double-cooking (VLC food for me, more carbs for the family) and dealing with the higher costs of the VLC diet. 

But I do need to get back on the bandwagon. Reform and repent. Get with the program. Just because I have gotten through one pregnancy without hyperemesis (HG), I am under no illusion that it would not resurface if I was not on the diet. I do not want to be caught napping. 

Additionally, I have learned that after the initial weight loss immediately following birth, my extra baby-weight does not leave until I'm on the diet. Natural weight loss simply does not happen for me - the baby weight just stays forever (and ever) unless I do something about it. Thus, I know that I won't lose any weight until I get serious about it. 

I also need to get back to my lacto-fermented foods. I just brewed my first batch of kombucha, and have already gotten back to making yogurt. Next up - kefir, pickles, and sauerkraut! (Lest I look too sophisticated, I should say that those last three items I plan to buy, not make. I am just not that awesome!)

So, my friends - how are your diet resolutions doing? Anyone having spectacular success getting back to healthy eating goals?

Forbidden but oh-so-delicious! Yum.