10 million miles

It seems to me, that when a young woman knows the correct answer to this pivotal question, she uses her time more wisely, and she gives more generously. She enjoys godliness with contentment, which is great gain! A young woman who understands the secret of true beauty will build her home with supreme wisdom and fruitfulness.

In anticipation of this universal question of femininity…(read the rest – and catch a glimpse of the girls! – at Raising Homemakers)

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When a Mommy is home with her children all day, whining can truly be a deal-breaker! Even young children can learn how to think better about expressing their needs.

The next time your two-year-old (or twenty-two year old) comments only about a problem, let her know THAT is whining and ask her to come up the solution to her problem instead. A young child’s solution will usually require your help and attention, but you’ll be happy to grant his sweet request. An older child will realize that – (what-dya-know) – he can take care his own problem by himself. Presto-chango! No more whining!  We discovered this transformative concept from the book Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes in You… and Your Kids.

Here’s what I mean:

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I’m just five years into this parenting thing, but I can tell already that holding a consistent expectation of obedience creates a peaceful home full of healthy people! Though we really try to prioritize obedience here, we go through seasons where we aren’t vigilant about it and things quickly spiral out of control: without it, we all become selfish, distracted, unhappy whiners. With it, we learn how to love sacrificially, obey God himself, and study the peace of our family. I’ve grown to love obedience and am happy to continually return to it, so that it is a crowning jewel in our home.

Resources to check out:

Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes…in You and Your Kids! – Scott Turansky

Subscribe to the National Center for Biblical Parenting encouraging email updates (materials by Turansky and Miller)

Shepherding a Child’s Heart – Ted Tripp

To Train up a Child – Michael and Debi Pearl

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What’s on the docket?

{Yes, yes, Vivienne is only just 5, and other children her age are heading off to Kindergarten this year. But we’re plowing ahead into first grade. I know. True educators are mortified. But we do have good reasons, I promise! I realize that I’ve never explained this to the skeptics or the genuinely concerned educators! Here’s why we feel comfortable calling this “first grade”: I’m convinced that God led us to begin her education a year early, and gave us peace to call it “Kindergarten” even though we otherwise actually support the concept of  helping a child to soar academically, while taking good old sweet time to advance through the “grade levels”.  So, although our decision contradicts our educational theories, obedience to the Lord’s leading just seems more important. We cannot begin to know why this may be important for her in the future, but we feel certain that it will be. And, so, we tackled Kindergarten-level work with gusto last year and are moving smoothly into 1st-grade-level work this year, that’s all.}

And so, glorious first grade it is!

Bible: Mighty Acts of God

Five in a Row: If curricula were love letters, FIAR would be the one I’d keep under my pillow. These week-long units are based upon beautiful picture books, and they cover all areas of study. Both of our daughters can engage at different levels. We paint, sculpt, eat, graph, map, cry, pray, and sing our way through lovely-book, after lovely-book.

The Phonics Museum: Grade 1 (We LOVED the K program. But be warned: it’s totally classical education and comes with a big thick workbook.  For all of our hands-on, face-in-the-wind learning we do, we also love a couple of good workbook pages every day. Yes, I actually wrote that: we love workbook pages. And The Phonics Museum has lovely ones.)

First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind

Saxon Math

Usborne First Book of Science,

The Little Hands Nature Book,

The Berenstain Bears’ Big Book of Science and Nature, and

Kid Concoctions, Creations & Contraptions.

(Don’t you want to be in-the-know when we dissect a frog or blow up the kitchen with baking soda? Subscribe today!)

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(Oh, the inspiration that may come your way through 10 Million Miles… Subscribe today!)

Tip: If you’ve gone to the trouble of developing a voice for a character, use it! Pull it into the parts of the story that aren’t direct quotations, but are expressions of the character’s thoughts or feelings. Here’s what I mean:

Get a real accent!

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Tip #2: Develop the characters based upon what you know of human nature.

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One of the reasons I love homeschooling is because it gives us so much time to read, read, read! How valuable the hours have been sitting at the kitchen table or snuggled up in the rocking chair with my daughters and some good books.

I’ll tell ya what, though, I’d be sunk if I didn’t enjoy the process of reading aloud. Some books appear on my lap over and over again. After the tenth – or twentieth – read-through, even Fancy Nancy can get a little stale.

So, why not spice things up a bit?

Why not grow as readers while our children grow as readers while we all read the same book over and over again??

I’ve been working at making an art of it; and thought I’d let you in on some of the tricks-of-the-trade I enjoy.

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Enjoy the remaining summer evenings by joining the firefly watch!

The Museum of Science in Boston is asking regular folks like you and me (and our firefly-loving kids) to observe the fireflies that frequent our habitats.

We typed in our first field journal entry tonight. The website provides a simple explanation of the differences in color, flash pattern, and behaviors that you and your kids will enjoy. This type of work is a fantastic way to teach kids concepts about habitat, observation, and field data.

Join in the fun!