whooooo

This is our friend across the street. I laugh at our little 'forest' we have right across the street from us, but I love getting to see this guy. He comes out late in the evening as its getting dark to hunt. And during the day we are almost always sure to find him watching his nest.

So true!

Not travelling more

http://simplehomeschool.net/sarahs-mistake/

I love this article and its something that speaks to my heart! I think we get caught up too much in the 'must be 5 star, and must do all the activities', but its amazing what you can see in a day without spending money any place that you travel!
My advice, just go. Get in your car and drive. There is something so wonderful and refreshing about seeing something new for the whole family! And it doesn't even matter if there is no amusement park, or beach or great museum. There is something great about everywhere you go :)

Something I love

I've noticed something that I find really inspiring... I love it when men are not afraid to share their faith publicly, and actually live out their faith instead of hiding it.

I'm not saying that all men need to be like this, as I understand all people are different, and that's okay. But knowing how hard it must be for a man to even admit he's a christian in today's world, well I just find that it inspires me to not be so afraid.

Diapers

We don't always use cloth diapers, but have off and on over our 13 years of parenting. I think its neat how far they have come. With our oldest 2 girls we used old receiving blankets folded up and pinned with pull on vinyl covers. By girlie #3 we had a small selection of the sears brand fitted diapers. At the time they were *so* awesome! LOL
But over the course of the 3 boys we've collected a lovely stash of pockets diapers and all in one diapers that makes cloth diapering not only easier, but much more stylish! I love looking at all the fun colors and styles now. And lets face it, cloth diaper bums sure are CUTE!

skipping

Yesterday I skipped down the street with my boys, while I pretended to fly. Let me just say, I recommend everyone doing this when you are feeling down and the weather is cold and gray!
Its amazing how just taking a minute to be a kid again can lift the spirits so much. :)

How we do it

This is how we homeschool :) We often get asked 'when do you start?' or 'are you finishing up?' but the truth is we are really seasonal homeschoolers, and don't really follow a traditional style curriculum.

http://simplehomeschool.net/seasonal-education/

Remember spring fever? I recall sitting in a desk looking longingly out the window, waiting for the bell to ring so I could answer the sun’s call.

We sense it in our homeschools as well, spring drawing us outdoors–away from worksheets and responsibilities.

What if it’s meant to be this way–this inner impulse and desire for nature this time of year? Maybe it doesn’t mean that we’re lazy or undisciplined after all.

One message most of us received from the traditional education we grew up with is that school days should follow the same pattern, no matter what is happening outdoors. It tells us to bring uniform productivity to our days–with math always followed by English followed by science followed by recess, and so on.

But I’d like to make a case for seasonal education–the idea that different lessons are best taught at certain times of year, and that we aid our efforts as homeschooling parents when we work with the seasons instead of against them.

Here is a list of the seasons and a few of the lessons they teach. (Apologies to those in the Southern Hemisphere–adjust these as needed to suit your situation!)

Spring

Photo by morning_rumtea

Science, including the following:
Gardening
Nature study
Experiments
Spring is also a good time for getting our environments/homes in order. (Think spring cleaning!)
The perfect season for a six month inventory, evaluating what each of our students need most
Summer



Family time
Travel learning (think vacations)
Building & nurturing bonds with extended family
Working together on projects
Summer doesn’t have to be completely without academics; hot afternoons are perfect for indoor study or reading times.
In our home we learn year-round, which gives us plenty of flexibility in all seasons. In summer I restructure our day so we have extra time outdoors in both mornings and afternoons. This still leaves us with a big portion of the day to devote to indoor learning pursuits.
Fall



Autumn is for beginnings; the perfect time for kicking off new starts and goals.
It represents a return to normal rhythm & routine after the expansiveness of the summer.
I like to do another six month inventory at this time of year.
Winter



Winter is the ideal time for stories and study.
Before indoor heating, the cold used to draw families together around a wood stove for warmth. After chores were done, time was used for the learning and studying that couldn’t happen in other seasons because of the farm work required.
It’s a time for drawing inward and passing on important life lessons.
Resources for a Seasonal Education

Many of the ideas included here originate from the book Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning by Oliver and Rachel DeMille. I highly recommended it–I find myself rereading and flipping through this book often.

The Waldorf tradition also emphasizes schooling through the seasons and celebrating seasonal festivals. Popular books include All Year Round, Festivals, Family and Food and The Children’s Year. Another helpful resource is The Rhythm of Family: Discovering a Sense of Wonder through the Seasons by Amanda Blake Soule.

It’s important to maintain basic rhythms to our days–after all, meals must be made and cleaned up no matter which season it is. But we can create our rhythms with an eye to maintain a seasonal education as well.

Let’s use these guideposts of nature to our advantage in our homeschool.

Spring snow

Ahhh yes, spring snow. I love big heavy wet spring snowfalls. I like to think of it filling the ground with all kinds of goodness to make the grass turn green (someday!).


I'm also thankful I finally beat my 13yo at a game of scrabble last night. She usually spanks me, but not last night!! Hubby said it was cause of the legislature and political stuff i've been reading recently, it woke my brain up ;) He might have a point. LOL

4 months

My little tiny man is 4 months old.
I love how God knows what I need, when I don't have a clue :)

This is what I was thankful for over the weekend

Lead me to the Cross -- The Passion of the Christ

I do love food :)

Yummy! French onion soup and egg salad sandwiches (of course with the eggs the kids colored yesterday!)

Well I might not be able to grow this yummy food here, but I sure am thankful I have the ability to buy it!

signs of spring

This is my journey

Life can be hard. It's true. There are bills to pay, crying babies to tend to, relationships to work on, and many other stresses each day to deal with. When we get caught in the mundane we forget about all those little tiny things that can bring us joy. Its my goal to each day find something to be thankful for. On days like today when the sun is shining and the kids are getting along its an easy task. But on those dark days where nothing seems to go right, it will be a very difficult challenge, and I can only hope and pray i'm up for it!

This blog will just be a random mess of stuff about my journey to live intentionally. Its for my own personal growth, but I hope that maybe someday, someone will be encouraged by something I post.