Thursday, February 2, 2012

Homeschoolers Are Quirky!

I mean that in the best possible way.
Wink!

I used to wonder if it was just our 
family but as time rolls on 
I notice it 
in the lives of and 
on the blogs of other 
home educators.

Their kids are just a tad
different too.

They are different in that they are not 
afraid to be so.
They wear funny hats,
they dress up and make movies
on a whim.






They might spend hours researching
an interest that no one has assigned
to them....just because.

I've noticed that homeschoolers 
often don't put themselves in an 
age range box.
If they are playing with younger kids
they aren't afraid to act silly....


all the while being perfectly comfortable 
speaking with their elders at church.
What's up with that???
LOL

I've noticed that home educated 
children tend to grow up 
to be unusually 
close to their siblings.
They are the best of friends 
in many cases.

Interestingly,
Many of our home educated friends
head into service and missions
not because their parents make them go....
but because they have heard through
their schooling years about missions

 

and have learned compassion
in a way that is as natural as breathing.

But, yes, there is no doubt at all that 
homeschoolers are a bit quirky.

And that is good.

They will not be pushed around
or led down a distressing path....
unless that is where they choose to go.
They are definitely 
a group who thinks for themselves.
A group who doesn't follow the crowd.

Must be the influence of parents
who aren't followers.
Parents who do the unusual
and do with less so that their
young people have this opportunity.
Parents who develop thicker
skin to deal with the stares,
the snide comments 
and the 
skeptical questions.

Parents who decide that some things
are more important than academics and
yet tend to turn out highly sought after
students for colleges all around the Country.

Yep!
Could be because the parents 
are quirky.

Just sayin'!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

How Is Your School Year Going?


This year we got a jump on our school year by being in early August.  People were surprised and when they asked 'why' I told them that I like to give myself flexibility during the year.

This is how our year has gone so far....

August 1st - we had our first day. Most weeks after this we did 5 day weeks, but a few we only did 4.  

In early September we did a field trip to Hawk Mountain with some friends from church. Near the end of September the kids were able to be a part of making a commercial for Cherry Crest Adventure Farm.  Several of our kids participated in the Western equine events at the Lampeter Fair.  The next week we went on a fall foliage trip to New England and ended up with so many educational opportunities...we studied the seashore during low tide along the Maine coast, toured a Maple syrup museum, traveled from Vermont to New York on a ferry, hiked in the Adirondacks and experienced Whiteface Mountain and ended the day at sunset on Lake Ontario.  At the end of October we went to Florida for my Mother in Law's 90th birthday! We surprised her with us, a family dinner and a party with many, many old friends!  


We also managed an evening with Grandpa and his telescope and spent the evening looking at Jupiter and the four Galilean Moons.

Believe it or not we have 71 days of school under our belts, and with the schedule I have planned for the rest of the year, we will hit day 100 of school on December 30th.  

This has encouraged me to continue allowing for flexibility in our school year.  Frankly we have needed it.


This is the blessing of home education.  We can work hard and diligently and yet take advantage of opportunities to serve, travel, work, etc...this is like real life.


So how is your year going?  What things have you struggled with?  Any tips you'd like to share?

Friday, November 4, 2011

It Happened....

Chelsea,
 who graduated last May 
and who has been working 
on her music and enjoying
her new job,
came to me and said,

"I feel like I should be 
reading substantial books.
I want to keep learning."

Oh yeah!!

That is the fruit 
of years of introducing 
a love for learning.

Home Educators....
keep at it.

Even on those days when 
they are resistant.
When they tell you they aren't
"getting it".
They are getting something.
Most importantly a deep 
dependence on learning.
A desire to know more.
They are getting discipline.
It is so good.

Chelsea has been studying her
Bible this year....
intentionally.
Of her own doing.

These are the things that we parents
would love to "make happen"
but have to wait to see come to 
fruition.

What joy it brings
when it happens.

Want to share your 
joys?

I'd love to hear them.

Are you struggling right now?
Hang in there and share that too.
Others have walked those paths
and can share encouragements with you.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

For Sale....You Get First Dibs....

Please pass the word to any and all homeschoolers....
our curriculum/books can be yours!
If they need to be shipped you'll pay actual
media rate shipping.

The American Republic
Second Edition
ISBN 1-59166-425-X
In very good to excellent condition
$8.00

America Land I Love
A Beka
Copyright 1994
Good Condition
$4.00

Body By Design
Alan L. Gillen
ISBN 978-0-89051-296-8
Very good Condition
$4.00

Anatomy Coloring Workbook
I. Edward Alcamo, Ph.D.
290 pages
ISBN 0-375-76342-2
Very good Condition
no marks or coloring
$5.00

Historic America Series of Six Books
all are hardcover with dust jackets in like new condition
I love the photography in the books!
The Mid-Atlantic ISBN 1-59223-118-7
Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C.
The Northwest ISBN 1-57145-713-5 
Washington, Oregon, Northern California
The Heartland ISBN 1-57145-858-1
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, 
North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin
The South ISBN 1-57145-985-5
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, 
Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, 
Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia
The Southwest ISBN 1-57145-560-4
Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, 
Nevada, Texas and Oklahoma
New England ISBN 1-57145-857-3
Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, 
Rhode Island and Vermont
$15.00 for all six books

Signs and Seasons
Astronomy from a Christian Perspective
Jay Ryan
ISBN 978-0-9792211-0-1
Like new condition
$15.00
Biological Science - 1st Semester
Physical Science - 2nd Semester
Science texts/workbook in one
From  Landmark's Freedom Baptist Curriculum
New and Unused
$5.00

The Mystery of History Volume I
Creation to the Resurrection
Linda Lacour Hobar
Some writing in the book 
Some exercises are done in pencil
and I wrote some teacher notes.
Very good condition
$15.00

Books for general reading:
Empty Nest
Guidepost's Grace Chapel Inn Series
Pam Hanson and Barbara Andrews
Hardback
.50
Steady and Slow
Guidepost's Grace Chapel Inn Series
Ann Marie Rodgers
Hardback
.50

Eyes on the Prize
Guidepost's Grace Chapel Inn Series
Sunni Jeffers
Hardback
.50
As Time Goes By
Guidepost's Grace Chapel Inn Series
Annie Jones
Hardback
.50
The Way We Were
Reader's Digest Grace Chapel Inn Series
Judy Baer
Hardback
.50


The Girls of Lighthouse Lane
Thomas Kinkade/ Erika Tamar
Hardback with dust jacket
.50 each
Lizabeth's Story
Katherine's Story 
Rose's Story


The Lily Series by Nancy Rue
published by Zonderkidz:
These books all paperback and .50 each
#2 Lily Robbins, M.D.
#3 Lily and the Creep
#4 Lily's Ultimate Party
#5 Ask Lily
#6 Lily the Rebel
#7 Lights, Action, Lily
#9 Rough and Rugged
#11 Horse Crazy Lily
#13 Lily's in London?!
#14 Lily's Passport to Paris

Christian Heritage Series
by Nancy Rue
Ages 8 and up
.50 each

The Secret - The Salem Years(1690's Massachussets)
The Caper - The Chicago Years (1920's Chicago)
The Capture - The Chicago Years (1920's Chicago)

Maggie's Dare
The Great Awakening
1744 Sisters in Time
Ages 8-12
.50
The Saddle Club #39
Purebreed
Bonnie Bryant
.50

A Little House Chapter Book
Pioneer Sisters
Scholastic
.50

Misty of Chincoteague
Marguerite Henry
A Newberry Honors Book
.50

The Journal of William Thomas Emerson
Boston, MA 1774
A Dear America Book
Some Ink Marks on Cover
.50

Fun Facts About the American Adventure
ISBN 1-57748-058-9
Word searches, Match-ups, Riddles,
 Fill in the Blanks, Tongue Twisters
and Cool facts about American History
102 pages
.50

The Light and the Glory for Children
Peter Marshall and David Manuel
ISBN 0-8007-5448-4
Paperback
$1.00

Quiet Strength
Rosa Parks
Hard Cover with dust jacket
$1.00

Vocabulary for Christian Schools
Level A
ISBN Student Book 0-89084-396-1
Bob Jones University
Both Student and Teacher Answer Books

If You Sailed on the Mayflower
the Mayflower in 1620
by Ann McGovern
A Scholastic Book
$1.00

Send me an email at 
beckypfa (@) yahoo.com
with the items you want.
I will take them in a first come
first served manner.


Friday, August 5, 2011

Learning

I think there is a huge difference between
the education I received and what I gave my children.
I was taught to memorize for a test.
I learned to glean material to get "just enough".
It was common to spend 45 minutes in a classroom
where the only one speaking was the teacher.
There was no give and take.

Our home classroom looks lot different.
We don't take tests.
Because of our small class ratio I know what 
my children are learning and where they need more information.
We don't glean just about anything....
if we study something we go at it all the way.
Jumping into a subject with both feet.
With all of us researching and sharing we get a 
pretty good understanding of our chosen study subject.
Combining our various learning styles to 
completely ingest our given topic.


As for a lecture style classroom...
not at this school.
No way!
How in the world would I know what 
they were thinking or that they were engaged?

I totally get that in a classroom of 20 students
the kind of interaction we enjoy would make it difficult
to cover the huge amounts of material the textbook
requires.  However, I would rather have learned
half of the material thoroughly and in an engaging manner
than to have skimmed, memorized and forgotten.

Adding pets to the mix is always interesting...(wink)

Do you ever feel that you aren't getting enough
material into your children?
Ask yourself this.
Are they learning?
Are they learning how to learn?
Can they figure out how to find information to 
answer questions they may have?

This is much more important that you stuffing 
them full of dates and facts.

Homeschool parent,
I challenge you to let go of the old
classroom assumptions.

Teach by example.
Teach by conversation.
Teach by way of excellent books which 
inspire interest in a given subject.
Most of all....
teach the enjoyment of learning!

Monday, August 1, 2011

Creation Museum, Part Two

You may know that this blog is a shared venture
between Creekside Cottage and Hospitality Lane.
We don't keep up with it as we should but perhaps
now that the school year is upon us we will be
better.....

The folks at Creekside Cottage began their
school year today. I can just imagine them
all tucked onto the couch together reading
about history....or at the computer using their
Teaching Textbooks to do a math lesson.

It is our first year without a first day of school.
Chelsea and I will visit a local Bible College tomorrow
to speak with them about classes she may take.

However, I wanted to share more from our time
at the Creation Museum in Kentucky. So much fun....
from creepy crawlies to wonderful flower gardens.
Something for everyone!





















If you get a chance to visit this museum
I am fairly certain you will enjoy it.
We found it fascinating!

Thursday, June 30, 2011

The Creation Museum, Part One

 Do your boys love dinosaurs?
Ours were so fascinated by them as they grew up.


 Real turtles in the lobby area.







A walk through the first chapters of Genesis.






























More photos to come...
I thought you might just enjoy seeing what we 
saw.  This in no way takes the place of a visit
for yourself.  You cannot get a feel for the audio and video
content...the planetarium, the speakers that have such 
wonderful things to share.
However, it is fun to see snapshots of the museum and 
will help you know what to expect.