Weekly Homeschool Report–November 1, 2009

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From where I sat this past week,

As an individual, I…

would be able to better describe where my head’s been by writing about what’s happening in the other areas of life.   I am stuck on the 27^th Psalm; more on that later.

As a wife and homemaker, I…

am thinking about ways to stay mindful, at a “grass roots” level, so to speak, of who I am, what I’m about, and what this family should be.  Like everyone else, our lives get so hectic, and amidst all the busy-ness, it gets hard to stay focused on the basics.   I was so inspired by Keri Mae and her blog post regarding scripture wall words until I spent Saturday morning “decorating” the walls with God’s Word.   Keri writes so beautifully about the loves of her life until I continue to try and give her a bigger audience that she doesn’t want.     At any rate, now I’m embarrassed that I actually didn’t think of this on my own for all my enjoyment of interior decorating.    Then again, I don’t guess that you see these ideas much from my HGTV-watching days.    That’s a whole different post on what we find our minds.    In the meantime, I’m always one to say that the Word works if you work it, and so I’m putting it to work.  I’ll post pictures later of my initial efforts.

As a mom and homeschooling parent, I…

am feeling my hand to the plow lighten as we grow nearer our Christmas break.  The weather is just cool enough in the mornings to warrant a little extra snuggle time.   This has actually worked well for me as I am now up before the kids, with my internal clock still set to daylight savings time.   That will change I’m sure, but I hope to ride this wave right into December.

Our youngest is an amazing study in child development.   We wrapped up Leading Little Ones to God, and with the oldest reading so well, I thought she was ready for her own “real” Bible and a seat at the table with the big kids.   So armed with her own God’s Word for Girls (in pink, of course), she now joins the table.   Fro where I sit, we’ve gotten mixed results.   On one hand, she’s very proud of sitting among them, reading with little assistance, and using her own Bible.    On the other hand, even she admits that she’s not understanding as well, and she hasn’t yet learned to remain at the table and mentally engaged while the others are reading and sharing.   So, we’re having to train as we go, and I think the quality of our overall lessons is suffering.   Perhaps other lessons are more important right now, like having patience with someone who’s not where you are.   It’s in God’s hands, and we’ll wait on Him before I change anything.

Another thing the youngest does is to emulate her older sister in a quiet activity during read-alouds.    Though I struggled with this in the beginning, the oldest often whips out her sketchbook and creates new designs while I’m reading.   She says it helps her concentrate, and though I’d prefer that her eyes are on me, I have to admit that her narrations haven’t slipped one bit.   So now, we see that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.    The youngest gets her paper and is scratching out her designs as well.

I so appreciate friends with teenage girls.  Though I know that any parent of a teen in general needs a special grace, I also think that, because moms have been there and have such a passion to see our girls not make the mistakes we made, every ounce of passion and energy we have tends to be spent on them, and sometimes with no appreciation or thankfulness. Earlier this past week, I was able to pull such a mother’s ear and heart about how to have the tougher conversations with the oldest that even we as adults don’t always look forward to.   How do you give “constructive feedback,” as the corporate world calls it, to someone who’s still trying to figure out who they are?   How do you speak honestly to your teen’s skills (or lack thereof), and work ethic without crushing their spirits and dreams?   So after the reassurance from another mom that I was not going crazy (thanks, Marci!), I waited for the right moment.   It’s amazing how a less-than-positive word said at the right moment can have a totally different impact than when it’s said in frustration at an inopportune time.   I think that’s why the Lord calls it a word in season.

As a business owner, I…

am working on the elementary series and struggling with finding kids’ versions of certain stories.   UGH!   I’ll get there.   In the meantime, the revised version is coming together.   I’m also in prayer about making this easier for some.   The curriculum itself is priced lower than comparable works, in part so that parents can buy the books and enjoy the story with their children.  I also select books that can easily be found through a public library or, at most, via a used online book store.    I feel bad when parents write me and say that they liked the curriculum but didn’t get to use it because they couldn’t afford any books.    Yet, I know the reality of homeschooling is that people buy things all the time that, for one reason or another, don’t work for them.   There is a value to what I’ve done; it relieves the problem that most of us have when we try to find history that is told from something other than a Western European perspective–the stories aren’t all in one place.   I have no plans to give away my intellectual property.   Yet, how to get it into more people’s hands without compromising such that I’m losing money is an issue that continues to evade me.

  May the Lord bless your week as well.