Cutting Back

Since daddy left about four months ago there has been a lot of television and movie watching around this house. First trimester yuckiness also added to the laziness around here, not to mention the extremely rainy summer. Sadly, the television has been on A LOT!

I have been thinking about cutting back for a long time but never had the real energy it takes to stick to my guns! All that has changed in the last two weeks. I do not know what did it but I am on a mission! I have found myself saying no just about all day long. We are far from where we should be. We still watch way to much but at least that box isn’t on all day long anymore. Even the Wii is on a break because it needs the television to be on to use it!

It has been hard. Like any addiction, it is hard to kick the habit. It takes more energy to use your imagination than it does to just sit and watch. Even though I have my 8 year old and 3 year old trying to convince me “it doesn’t rot their brain, they learn”, I am sticking to my guns! So, there have been a few tears. There has been a lot of “I’m bored!” There is still the constant asking. BUT there is a light at the end of the tunnel. My children are starting to play again. They are using their imaginations! Their toys are actually being played with! We are making progress.

The television is still on too much but we are moving ahead. Once we are in full school mode we will be cutting back even more. It is so refreshing to see my children playing, imagining, and learning rather than just sitting zombified in front of the television! It is hard but so very worth it!

Does any one else struggle with this in their home? If so, do you have any tips or tricks that made it easier?

All is Quiet

All is quiet on the home front today. Not sure exactly how to handle it! ) One child is out looking for another job. Two children are at Bible study. One child is over at a friend’s house. Three other children went to the park with the neighbors. That leaves only the two little ones at home. They are strangely playing nicely together in the other room at the moment. What do I do with this QUIET!!!! Not sure I can stand it! I will do my best to enjoy it thought. It is just strange I tell you, STRANGE!!! )

Draw, Write, Now

This school year we are trying something new.  I saw this at the curriculum fair this year and I just couldn’t resist.  For my younger children we will be using this three days a week.  It is a basic handwriting (manuscript) program combined with a drawing (art) program.  It is colorful and fun.  There are also book lists and thematic study suggestions if you want to expand you study.

I bought the entire boxed set but you can purchase each book individually.  I also purchased the workbooks to go along with it.  It is just easier for me to keep everything organized that way.

We have not begun yet but I have all three of my little girls asking when, when, when we can start on it.  I think it may be a highlight this year!

If you are interested take a moment to visit their website, HERE.  They also have sample lessons so you have a first hand look at the curriculum.  You could even try it out with your children before purchasing.

Have any of you used this curriculum before?  If so, what do you think?  Did your children enjoy it?  Did it improve their drawing skills?  I would love your input!

Who’s The Audience

Context, context, context.  We often hear these words when it comes to understanding the scriptures.  Unfortunately, too often when people refer to context they simply mean three verses before and three verses after the main verse they are interested in.  Sometimes people broaden their view to the whole chapter but it seems it rarely goes beyond that.  What about the context with in the whole of the book or even in the whole of scripture?

One aspect of context which is very often overlooked is that of the audience.  In Sunday school we have been studying through the book of Mark.  One thing that has stuck out to me over and over again is the context in respect to the audience.  Why was this never pointed out to me before?  Why have so many churches and teachers overlooked this?

Now it is true that everyone can glean from the miracles and teachings of Jesus but the lessons being taught are not always what we tend to pull out of them because we neglect the audience.  In the book of Mark, Jesus’ main audience was the disciples, the twelve.  He was preparing them for ministry.  It wasn’t the multitude of the crowds that was the main audience.  This can change everything.  When we focus on what Christ was teaching the disciples and why it takes on new meaning than it would if that fact was neglected.

As we studied the illustration that kept coming to mind was that of a field trip.  Maybe it is because I am a homeschooler who knows but it fits!  Jesus was there teaching, training, and preparing his disciples as they wandered the region.  Many people were there, many saw, many heard, and many followed but they only had glimpses and didn’t know the intent or real lessons being taught.

It is like my hubby and I taking our children on a field trip.  We are teaching, training, and preparing our children.  We are leading them in the ways of the Lord as we teach and go about our daily lessons.  Sometimes people over hear us.  We have even had people follow us around in a museum to listen to my hubby’s commentary.  Do they learn and glean from that?  Maybe, maybe not.  If they do  that is wonderful.  But they are not our main audience.  We do not adjust our teaching for their benefit or understanding.  These other people do not know they full context of what we are teaching our children.  They do not know what we have already poured into them and are building upon.  They are missing the big picture. They really do have a limited awareness of the lesson at hand.

If we see the teachings of Jesus in the same manner and neglect the whole context, neglect the main audience, then we really only have a limited understanding of the lesson.  Sometimes the lesson is missed completely because we are looking at it the wrong way!

We are allowed to come along on Jesus’ field trip with the twelve (in Mark) but let us make sure to remember who his main audience was when we are studying.  That way we do not miss the real lesson being taught.  You will be enriched if you remember and do not neglect the context of the audience at hand.

Almost There

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Lessons plans for the entire year will be finished and printed today.  School supplies are purchased.  The children’s school buckets are cleaned out and organized.  Morning wake up times move earlier this week in preparation.  School begins next Monday and the school bell will be ringing early.!  (Can’t you just hear the squeals of joy?)

We are almost there.  Everything is pretty much ready except for the students.  We are easing in to it a bit though.  There will be several breaks in August due to camp, visitors, and jelly making.  AND if Mr. sunshine ever decides to show his face in Alaska then we will run out to meet him.  The days we do have lessons though will be full!!

Anyone else starting this early??

Baby Powder Bonanza

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you put a three (almost four) year old, a twenty month old, and a full container of baby powder all together in a tiny one person shower stall completely unsupervised?  Well, me neither!  BUT, I found out!

Apparently, when I thought the children were all downstairs playing nicely, I was correct but missing one vital piece of information.  The older siblings were not actually paying attention to the younger ones as they played.  I think I would have been angry if it hadn’t been such a funny sight!!

Now the three year old didn’t look too bad.  Either it was because she was smarter or maybe just taller, or even maybe because she may have been the instigator(first thing she said was her little sister wanted to play with it–hmmm) but she only had baby powder on her clothing.  The shower stall and the few other items they took with them were completely covered!  The one year old on the other hand, my oh my!

She even had it caked in her eyelashes!!  I carried her up the stairs and down the hall to the bathtub in record time leaving a trail of baby powder behind.  I had to have someone vacuum up the hardwood flooring fast because people were trying not to slip on the baby powder as they traveled in to see the sight.  I think there may even still be baby powder footprints on the carpeted stairs!  All I have been able to smell for two days is baby powder.  I am thankful, there are definitely worse things to smell.

I did manage to get a photo of my one year old.  The photo doesn’t even do the situation justice though because of the level of powder that fell off of her from the carry upstairs and her realizing something was wrong and trying to wipe it off.  BUT to answer the question of what would happen if you put a three (almost four) year old, a twenty month old, and a full container of baby powder all together in a tiny one person shower stall completely unsupervised, I will share the photo.  Don’t you just love the look?  I love the expression even more, it is as if she is asking, “What?????”  LOL!