Why I Love Homeschooling #2

I learn about 20 new things every day. I can add better than ever now. I notice the little things more. I am forced to stay on my toes. I am learning right along with them, get excited about what we are learning, and then they catch the excitement (most of the time).  Maybe there is a reason why I wasn't an A student the first time around?

If I remember right, they graded by S+, S, and N (the N is for needs improvement.) I remember reading my report card in...around first grade or so...and it was SSSSSSSSSSSSSSS every single one. I was average. Wow. I don't remember much but I remember that.

Now I know that 7 + 5 = 12 right away because they are sandwich numbers....6 is in the middle and 6 + 6 = 12 as well. So much easier. I give myself a S+, Mrs. Corrall.

Anyway, my point is I'm learning it all over again MY way! I love this!

The Worms In My House

The other day at the park we saw a worm on the sidewalk squirming for something to crawl in. We studied him and then moved him a few inches over into the dirt.

During our walk today I pointed out hundreds of dried up worms on the sidewalk and reminded the girls of how we saved the worm from a similar fate. That reminded me of a wormery idea I had bookmarked for just the right time, so when we got home (the same time the girls threw on their swimsuits because it was sooooo hot outside) we started making a wormery.

We dug in the mud looking for worms and then put dried up leaves from the compost pile. It was really messy...

Brooke has been scared of worms and other creepy crawly things this spring, but by the end she was picking them up and putting them into her wormery.

We even found a few worm stickers to decorate them with. So now I have worms living in my house!

Reasons Why I Love Homeschool #1

Flexible schedule

Math and reading in the morning, a beautiful spring day, Daddy at home- gotta take advantage of that!!

The Most Beautiful Thing in My House

I'm almost done painting the living room- FINALLY!!

I'm not ready to contact Better Homes and Gardens yet, but this was a BIG step to making it more comfortable for me. There are many things that I put in my house because I just like it.

Art and plants, mainly.

I think dust adds character, do you? :)

These aren't my favorite things, though.

The most beautiful thing in my house is the sound of laughter.

It'll Come.

There are a few things that I have tried to instill in my kids this year that just don't seem to come. Like cleaning. We've done chores and sticker charts and tried everything else I know of but it has not seemed to do any good. Well, Ellie is a natural. My kids, on the other hand, are just like me.

Today was a breakthrough. Okay, well, we have ants. We get them every year and I have not called the bug people yet becuase I know they can come and spray all they want, but in this weather the ants just come. It could be worse.

On 2 different occasions 2 different kids decided to clean the bathroom in order to minimize ants on the counter. WITHOUT ME ASKING!!!! They didn't want praise or a prize. They just wanted a clean bathroom. So, I am encouraged to keep at it. It'll come.

All of a sudden Savannah and Ellie just got on their bikes without training wheels and rode...like they've been doing it for years. Now Summer is inspired, too.

We've worked HARD at obeying right away. Now, they don't do it 100% of the time yet, but all I have to say is "you are not choosing to obey right away" and they drop what they are doing, listen, and obey.
Yea! Today was encouraging. It'll come.

PS. Blogger changed! Where's the spell check?

Fears and Joys

Why would anyone in their right mind choose to bring a child into this world? I think about that every time I am about to have a baby. That poor little soul will have to endure heartache, confusion, rejection....what else have I missed?

This place is really horrible. I don't have to give examples to convince people of that. Just watch the news.

There is also a great deal of beauty on planet earth- and beyond.

You know, Jesus really wants fantastic blessings for our lives, despite the ugliness surrounding and sometimes inside us. He has given us exactly what we need for success but sin makes it really hard to see that at times.

The Bible talks about refining fire, perseverance, and patience. Throughout it the theme of overcoming hardships make the rewards so much more enjoyable.

The hardest thing in the world is to see you child or someone you love suffering and you cannot do anything about it. Rest assured, the potential for tremendous growth is worth every tear shed.

Would you appreciate a monetary gift more if at one time you had to live without?

Would your prayers before a meal mean a little more if you have had to skip a few?

I still would prefer to never see my loved ones suffer. That is when I must (and encourage them to) turn my eyes upon Jesus. His perfect plan has fantastic endings- sooner or later.

Unfulfilled Expectations

In my experience, disappointment is often followed by bad feelings and sometimes terrible behavior.

How many marriages have quickly dissolved because the romantic, idealistic picture we paint as engaged couples turns into, well, two people that are human trying to mesh their dreams, values, and way of living together? We might as well just except the reality that we were wrong. Very, very wrong.

What if your child has not grasped the concept of time yet and you tell her you are going to Grandma's this weekend on Monday (MISTAKE!) and they think that means tomorrow. They pack up and sleep in their shoes ready to go. Even though you explain the days of the week while they are wiping away the tears, reality to them is pure disappointment.

Your basketball team has the tools for being the champions! Complete excitement before every game and stellar moves build up hope for victory! But it only takes one bad game to mess it up which can result in some very upset fans. (The greater the excitement, the harder the fall, and the more potential for unthinkable reactions.)

You are mistreated and used by your king and someone has claimed to be the Son of God. According to prophesy, this person will deliver you from bondage and make your life so much better. You cheer Him as He comes through the city, ecstatic! But it appears he will loose, so you turn on Him. One day you love Him and the next you hate Him. You find yourself cheering for His death.

What I know:
People will disappoint. You can count on it.

You (I) will disappoint. Then you will need to do damage control- or not.

Communication can save much heartache.

Even if you do communicate properly, someone may still misunderstand, and maybe even hate you.

Jesus was horribly misunderstood and was painfully murdered. Here is the Good part- He did it as part of God's plan. God uses anything for Good. Jesus still had the victory and so do I!
http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1tGLJjY7Ds