Those who know us well can probably tell you of our struggles with our second son, Peter. Since turning three he has become increasingly challenging as 2007 passed us by. We would have so many discussions over the fact that he is growing up and that we expected more from him in respect to his behavior. Each discussion and each consequence for inappropriate behavior seemed to be as a resounding gong, occurring without an impact at all. It was to the point where friends had offered us books and I had already polished off several on child training and I was still as close to wits end as I was prepared to get.

read more

What's a six letter word for the place your children go each day to learn important life lessons? It's not a trick question. The answer is SCHOOL. Unless, of course, you live in the United Kingdom. Students attending Watercliffe Meadow Primary in Sheffield, UK no longer attend "school.

For many years, we were the only homeschoolers in our neighborhood, our church and our family. We got used to being the oddballs. Even after homeschoolers began popping up in our town, we remained the only homeschoolers in our church (other than a brief period when Indiana Jane and her family attended there) and our family. Until now.

I have three sisters. Ironically enough, two work in the public school system. The third has been a radio personality in California for over 20 years. But last year, she lost her job when the station she worked at switched to Spanish-only programming. A single mom, she’d had her son in daycare during the day. But the daycare recently closed down because so many out-of-work parents had brought their kids home. So she’s decided to homeschool our 3-year-old nephew for a while.

I’m no fan of formally homeschooling a child before the age of five or six, but I understand why she wants to keep this very bright little guy challenged until she finds a job and puts him back into daycare.

She asked me for suggestions of online resources she can use with him. Here’s what I wrote back:

You’re homeschooling! 

Read to him A LOT, do little fun crafts, play games like Chutes and Ladders so he picks up number concepts (not just identifying numbers) easily.  Keep it low-key, a little a day, very little desk work. Anything with music is a big plus.

Some cool sites with lots of free and fun stuff, like printables:

http://www.starfall.com/

http://www.dltk-kids.com/

http://www.letteroftheweek.com/index.html

http://www.learningpage.com/

http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/

http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/

Animal cams: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/default.cfm

Printable preschool games: http://www.preschoolprintables.com/filefolder/filefolder.shtml

Can any of you (particularly those homeschooling young children) recommend any other sites for them? Thanks!

She can walk, talk, sing, dance, print words, read (some) books, heck, she can even beat an egg better than most of the guys I dated in college. But, there is one major age appropriate milestone my 4-year-old has yet to achieve: Blowing her nose. It's true.

Answer: Well, it is to God, and to me, too. Christianity is a word that describes my whole being, who I am, if you like. Being a Christian makes me who I am, and what I am. It makes me a Mum, wife, homeschooler and friend, somebody that you could entrust your life to. It gives me the values that people say they like in me.

This means that whatever I write will reflect the bias of Christianity, just as this blog and my homeschooling forums will reflect a Christian heart. This doesn't mean that I am intolerant of other people's faiths or perspectives on life.

Does this mean that I am perfect? No, not at all, just forgiven. I make mistakes, just like anybody else, but I am forgiven for them if I seek forgiveness with a repentant heart. In other words, if I say sorry to God and turn from whatever wrong I have committed.

What does the name "Christian" mean? The name "Christian" appears only three times in the New Testament, in Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28 and 1 Peter 4:16, but essentially it means 'like Christ', and disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

Are Christians extremists? Well, some are, but all Christians should not be tarred with the same brush. What makes an extremist or a hardliner Christian? I believe that these are people who won't listen to other people's points of view and are intolerant of other people's faiths or lack of faith.

Jesus died on the cross for all people, not just for Christians. As a good Christian friend wrote, we are all under the same Shepherd.

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
John 10:11

Girls rule in Hollywood! It's a girl and a girl... and another girl for some of Tinseltown's biggest names. Earlier today actress Jennifer Garner and her actor hubby Ben Affleck welcomed a second daughter into their family.

The holidays are over, the kids are back in school and you're back to performing magic in the kitchen with what's left in the pantry. Such is the life of a creative home cook.

The church leaders have announced that they are changing the young women's theme by adding a new value to it. The new value will be virtue. This will help the young women to focus more on being pure and having the psirt with them at all times.

I’m sharing this because a lot of people wonder what homeschooling is like during these transition years into further study and/or work.  For every homeschooled teen, their days are different.  Even within this year, Brit’s schedule will change quite a bit.  It’s this flexibility which makes homeschooling very suitable for the teen years, I think.  [...]

Today the church is in danger of absorbing the ideas and values of the world, rather than the ideas and values of God as taught in the bible.

Our turkey has just hatched four chickens and one bantam chicken. They make such good mums. Originally, she was sitting on turkey eggs, but they were unfertilised and didn't hatch. She still wanted to sit, so we sat her on a dozen chicken eggs and two bantam eggs.

About halfway through her sitting, a brown snake ate five of the chicken eggs. The turkey still continued to sit, and here is the result so far.




The bantam chicken is the one in front, with the GT stripe. What is even more miraculous about this is that all of the eggs came from refrigerated eggs.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Matthew 23:37

Right Now:

Out of my window:  rain, rain and more rain- freezing now , I think.- Dillan just came back from Turkey Hll and said he flipped on the steps and his orange soda went flying (yeah, I'm trying not to laugh...)
I am wearing: jeans,New York &co. shirt with BLING

I am hearing: The shower running and the boys eating in the kitchen...
I am thinking: about life in general, all thats going on with some friends....wondering if it's soon Friday..
I am thankful for: A warm home, a wonderful family, my faith, good jobs, awesome friends, LCBC!!!!,this list could go on and on....

I am creating: nothing, absolutly nothing right now.....
I am going: to bed- soon

I am hoping: .for "Greater things......"
I am reading: nothing  at the moments but I am going to read -The Shack by William P. Young (can I borrow it , Dee?)
Around the house: Fairly quiet, Mark just left for the coffee shop with Leslie, TV has been banned, Devan playing his new legos, Ash is down in her room getting things ready to leave me and that shower is still running....sigh
One of my favorite things: this has already been posted:)

A few plans for the rest of the week: school, school school......awana, work, work, the weekend!!

German researchers have found that different smells can influence your dreams. When study participants were exposed to bad smells (researchers used rotten eggs), they generally had bad dreams.

After reading some of the forum posts by tmwhalens, I thought I'd share a story of lives and one marriage that has had more than the usual problems and every day hassles to overcome.

“But if you’d like to hear from her...” HA! Love that line from Batman Begins! I feel so out of the blogging world. I have been working nonstop on the GGM PDF’s for our one year anniversary! They are coming along so nicely, but take up a lot of my time! So I haven’t commented or posted for days because of that reason. And I am hardly keeping up with Twitter and Facebook. But it sure does bring a smile to my face to see your comments, tweets, and status comments and wall posts! Anyway, I t

Why Homeschool is hosting the Carnival of Homeschooling, which is celebrating its third anniversary. There’s still time to send an entry to the Carnival of Education, which will open tomorrow.

"It is, in fact, nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for what this delicate little plant needs more than anything, besides stimulation, is freedom. It is a very grave mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing and searching can be promoted by means of coercion and a sense of duty." ~Albert Einstein When I think of what we're doing as a family, I tend to find myself calling it "life learning"

The Carnival of Homeschooling puts you in great companyby Andrea Hermitt If from time to time you feel alone in your homeschooling endeavors, never fear, you are not... not by a longshot. As proof of this, I submit to you the Carnival of Homechooling. The Carnival of Homeschooling is a roving blog hosted by a different homeschooler each week.

If from time to time you feel alone in your homeschooling endeavors, never fear, you are not... not by a longshot. As proof of this, I submit to you the Carnival of Homechooling. The Carnival of Homeschooling is a roving blog hosted by a different homeschooler each week.

Carnival of Homeschool - The 3rd Anniversary Edition Digitally remastered... Three years of Carnivals and counting. Hosted by the Cates at Why Homeschool. Where has all the time gone? Three years ago my wife and I launched the first Carnival of Homeschooling. The carnival keeps going strong. Every week we pick up new bloggers. There is a vast number of people who participate. We are also blessed to have several dozen people who take turns hosting the carnival. Read more...