Homeschooling at Hospitality Lane

Homeschoolers Are Quirky!

2012-02-02T07:29:00.000-05:00

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'!

How Is Your School Year Going?

2011-11-17T15:43:00.000-05:00

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?

It Happened....

2011-11-04T07:37:00.000-04:00

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.

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

2011-08-06T06:42:00.001-04:00

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

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.

Learning

2011-08-05T06:40:00.000-04:00

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!

Creation Museum, Part Two

2011-08-01T11:01:00.000-04:00

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!

The Creation Museum, Part One

2011-06-30T08:34:00.000-04:00

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.

A Field Trip!!

2011-06-18T08:06:00.000-04:00

Just because we are done with the official homeschooling thing

doesn't mean that we won't still learn and grow as a family.

We are headed to the Creation Museum in Kentucky today.

Should be a wonderful experience.

I'll post photos.

Dyslexia is not a Sentence to Life without Books!

2011-04-14T07:30:00.000-04:00

A group of ladies from church were out on Tuesday

evening. We were at a local cafe enjoying great food

and conversation. As is often the case since three of

us are actively homeschooling our conversation turned

to things of education.

Kelly, of Cozy Comforts, was describing the way their

youngest is learning to read. He loves it and she told

us how careful she is to maintain that enjoyment.

Keeping his lessons short and rewarding his efforts

with related activities which he greatly enjoys.

I was so very happy to hear Kelly say this.

So often, I think, we have the tendency to

take what is a good thing and stretch it out

too long. It wears out it's welcome.

I think that just like anything else in life

it is best to leave them wanting more.

This brought to mind my own son,

Jonathan.

He is now twenty and sees himself

heading into a life of writing and

film making.

Jonathan has dyslexia and other

issues with his eyes that make it

incredibly difficult to read...

in the traditional manner.

However, as we discussed on Tuesday

evening, it does not stop him from

treasuring books and the library.

Many days find him walking

to our local library.

He loves to spend time there perusing

books and books on tape.

You see, I was his living book on tape

throughout his school years.

I read most of his lessons to him.

At his level.

Because his eyes and dyslexia

made reading at his level nearly impossible

for many years.

But his intelligence far exceeded those abilities.

The library was our friend.

We would go through many, many books

in a week.

Books on tape opened up a whole new

world for Jonathan.

One that fed his need for literature beyond

what I had time to read to him.

The result of those long,

and sometimes hard, years?

A young man who decided this week to

do serious research on filming.

He wants to study lenses and special

effects in filming.

Where did he go?

The Library, of course.

I listened quietly to his plans.

I think he thought I was disapproving.

However, when he was done decribing

his ideas I just shook my head and

quietly told him....

"You make me proud!"

And he does.

Not letting the things that are

hardest for him

stop him from reaching for his

dreams.

He makes me proud!

And his face lit up when I told him so.

Have you told your children

how proud you are of them...

lately?

Nature Study - A Great Foundation For Science

2011-02-10T08:51:00.001-05:00

Join me over at my regular blog for a post about nature study!

Creekside Cottage

See you there!

World History Resource

2011-02-04T08:07:00.000-05:00

Chelsea is enjoying books by

T.L. Higley.

They are fiction

featuring some of the Seven Wonders

of the World.

The research that Higley does

is intense and she makes every effort

to be historically accurate.

The titles in the series are:

The Shadow of Colossus - Featuring the Colossus of Rhodes

City of the Dead - Great Pyramid of Giza

Guardian of the Flame - Lighthouse of Alexandria

The website describing more about these books is HERE.

I highly recommend these books for your high school student studying

World History. Of course, you need to do the research and make sure they are a good fit for you.

I Didn't See That One Coming!

2011-01-28T08:30:00.001-05:00

Chelsea has two ten page papers to write

this year. That is my requirement....not the

State's. She loves to write and this is not

the challenge it would have been if I had

assigned it to either of our boys.

You have to know that at the beginning of this

year Chelsea decided that she wanted to do

two year's worth of work this year in order to

graduate early. She was already a year ahead

at the end of the last school year. So, technically

she will "graduate" three years early.

When I say "graduate" I mean that she will be

able to participate in the County-wide ceremony

and will not have any more of the required coursework

that does not fit into her future plans to complete after

this year. Mostly this means formal math and history.

However, this does not mean her education is complete.

We are in the process of figuring out next year's educational

plans. They are most likely to include a Serve Safe Course,

at least one college level class in business, contact with the

small business association to get advice on opening a cafe,

and real time experience at work at the bakery and cafe.

So, anyway, back to the report that caught me by surprise.

Her topic of choice?

The Ocean.

Fish of the Ocean.

Cool!

Perhaps it was vacation to the ocean,

field trips to science centers

and aquariums.

I would definitely do all of these

things again if the kids were young

students. It really exposes them

to things that we couldn't see in

our daily lives.

One fun thing we did from home

was to bookmark a live webcam

from the National Zoo that

had an underwater

camera.

The kids loved to put that

on and watch the

fish swimming.

Simple...but effective.

Chelsea had a great time doing research today

and getting this

paper started.

Last night's dinner?

Tilapia and Tuna melts.

My choice.

Fitting, don't you think?

Co-op Begins Again Today....

2011-01-13T06:15:00.000-05:00

It is so hard to believe that this is the

first day of the last semester that our family

will participate in. We have been with

this co-op since 2001!

We have made so many special friendships

and I have loved teaching history and music

classes over the years.

It has been very strange for Jonathan not

to leave with us this year when we go.

There have even been days when he asked if

he could come along or co-teach something.

But, he is a graduate and must move on

with finding a job.

So...today I will begin teaching music

for our Spring Concert for the

very last time.

In ten weeks it will be history.

A very pleasant memory

and many forever friends!

Teaching Classical Music Appreciation

2010-08-09T10:11:00.002-04:00

I happen to love teaching music to children.

Taking them from wherever they are on the

spectrum of music appreciation and showing

them more.

For several years now I have been involved

with the music classes at our Co-op.

First I was the assistant in the more formal

choirs taught by a certified music teacher

and then as the teacher after she

moved out of state.

As a person who just loves music but is not

a certified teacher I don't even pretend to

be an expert at all aspects of music. I do,

however, have a lifetime of singing, playing

piano and listening to music to fall back on.

I have sung in several choirs, was in a vocal group

that traveled and found a love for classical music

in an early morning class at Penn State.

One would think that getting up early, rushing

to class and then sitting in a darkened auditorium

listening to the classics might put one right back

to sleep. But, instead, it invigorated me. I learned

to love the harmonies and creativity of so many

instruments working together.

So....when I teach young people about classical

music I let them listen to it. Not for lengths of time

at first. We listen to pieces and identify the instruments

we hear. I tell them stories of the people who have

written the music. Such interesting stories!

We laugh together at Beethoven's Wig and other

silly lyrics put to classical music.

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

I highly recommend this series of CD's if you are

teaching music at home. Truth be told, even my

teenagers get a kick out of them. I would put them

in while we were driving here or there and tell them

that I was prepping for my music class and my guys

came to love them too.

Teaching music to children is a joy.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to
have done this for so many years.
This will most likely be my last year with
our co-op.
I will miss my young students and
hope to make the most of this last year.

What do you do to teach your children

to love music?

Becky K.

Schooling Outside the Box

2010-07-16T08:51:00.000-04:00

Chelsea and I have a plan for this new

school year. It involves a field trip per

week. Not just random field trips, mind you.

We are going to visit cafe's and eateries

all over our area.

You see, it is Chelsea's dream to open a

Cafe' one day. I can think of no better way

to do research and plan than to go to see

what others have done. Perhaps we will work

up the nerve to speak with the owners.

We will have a list of questions prepared

in case it is convenient.

In any case, Chelsea will have a notebook

and pen, with an assignment of writing down

the top three and bottom three observations

at each establishment.

I know that she is serious as her first notebook

is getting to be full of lists of coffee drinks and

baked goods she wants to offer. Next on her

agenda is to work to develop her own recipes for

each of these items. She wants to be as original

as is possible.

I think this is lining up to be a very fun

and tasty school year at Hospitality Lane!

Working Together

2010-07-02T23:08:00.000-04:00

This past week has been wonderful.

I have seen such growth in Jonathan and Chelsea.

You see, we had several large projects that

needed to be completed. Warren and Mikey

are at work all day so that left Chelsea, Jonathan

and me to get them done.

It has been a blessing to work together.

To strategize.

To implement.

And occasionally to rethink.

We have made lists.

We have delegated.

And then we have flown by

the seats of our pants when

things didn't work out as we had

pictured them.

It has been good to leave a lot of

the planning in the kids' hands to

let them work through the process.

They have come through very well.

We are pleased.

This did not used to come

easily to me.

I am the type that would

rather do it myself.

However,

the kids are earning my

trust each and every day.

Are you raising young people who

are able to troubleshoot, process and plan?

We don't do them favors by hand holding them

past a certain point.

My philosophy is to give them enough

freedom to prove themselves but to

be available to help

whenever and however they ask for it.

This is all a part of the learning

process. They are not going to

get it perfectly right every time

but we should see

progress.

Reviewing The Past Year And Looking To The Next

2010-06-25T19:32:00.000-04:00

www.allposters.com

The school year is officially finished. Today, I turned in the evaluations for Rachel and Emily and the required 5th grade testing scores for Rachel. They did well.

I don't know about you, but at the end of every school year I like to take some time to review how the year went and to spend time planning for next year.

This year was a weird year to me - it seemed so often like we weren't working as diligently as we should and yet the kids learned and grew both academically and spiritually.

Sarah, had been struggling with her reading and was getting frustrated. So we set it aside for a time. I know that may be shocking to many of you but in my 16 years of experience teaching my children, I have found that it works! By the end of the year it was all starting to come together for her. She was bored with her math this last year, so we are going to try Teaching Textbooks for her this next school year. She also wanted to improve her drawing skills and so she worked at it, asking Lindsay for help now and then, and we all could see a big improvement!

Rachel, who reads so well, struggles with her math, but I got smart this year and set aside what she had been using and tried a different workbook with more variety and then also did Teaching Textbooks for her and she started to take off! Why is it that we cling to the old thing that is not working? Lesson relearned for me!

She also grew in her ability to work on her own. This is a wonderful thing for students!

Emily doesn't love academics but before this past year started she realized that she hadn't been trying very hard and wanted to stretch herself this year, and she did! Biology, Advanced Literary Analysis, British Literature...this on top of doing some intermediate level sewing, creating Fraktur art, and working a summer/autumn job at a local adventure farm.

The longer I home educate my children, the less curriculum I use. Oh, I use a math curriculum and science books as well, but for real learning of history, and language arts and government etc., I use real books - living books. Ones that have been written by someone who loves the subject they are writing about. Books that can capture my children's attention and get them thinking. Then we do a lot of discussion, and processing and relating the information to our lives.

I believe this teaches them more than anything how to be life long learners.

This next year, I will be starting Kyle on a bit of formal education and am now responsible for Sarah to the state. But we will continue to learn together as we have always done. Always our goal is that of discipling our children, to love the Lord and to walk with Him always.

What a terrible thing it would be if we taught academics and college preparation and yet the hearts of our children were far from the Lord! So as this next year of learning starts, I hope to encourage you to focus on the eternal things, gain the hearts of your children first and foremost. The rest will all fall into place.

Deanna

The Learning Doesn't Stop

2010-06-05T13:06:00.000-04:00

The great thing about learning is that it is a 24/7 kind of gift.

While we can put the books down and stop recording every

little thing we do for "school" we can have the most fun and

find the most interesting of things all around us.

Our chickens are a hoot.

We have learned valuable lessons about diligence,

motherhood and protectiveness as we have a new

chick. We have observed the little one learn to drink

by carefully watching the hens and then mimicking their

actions. Such bright little eyes and a happy dance after

the very first drink. Mikey wondered if the water acted

like an energy drink to the chick. It was very funny.

It makes me aware that always the kids' eyes are watching

and learning from my actions and attitudes. This week

I found out that when we had last been at Sight and Sound

Theatre to see the drama about Joseph,

one of our sons had spent a lot of time watching me for my

reactions because I had told him that there were many parts

that made me cry. He was curious as to which ones.

Good grief!

Now we have to take him back so he can

actually watch the show. It is just an example...but one I

know to be so very true. They are designed to watch and

learn...just like the little chick.

What are your children observing in you?

You are teaching them just as much, if not more

from your life than you do from all of that nifty

curriculum you hope to re-sell someday.

Well, two other little eyes are watching me

at the moment.

Little Bandit needs to go outside...

desperately she thinks!

So, since I have learned from her past

actions...I'll be taking care of that right now!

Happy Learning!

I Need Your Help...

2010-05-26T07:18:00.000-04:00

Hello Again,

I am working on a Reading List for Chelsea.

This next year her History and Literature are

going to work together. She will be reading

books that feature Missionaries from all over

the timetable and all over the world. She will

then construct a journal of what impacted her

from each book including the time period, culture

and key lessons learned.

She will study the geography of the country

that each book is set in.

I was wondering if you would be willing to

share titles of books from this genre that you

have enjoyed?

Thanks,

Becky K.

Thr Fruits of Home Education

2010-05-15T10:50:00.001-04:00

The days go by.

We work on spelling, science,

history and more.

At times we wonder if anything we

do means more to our students than

another day to check off their logs.

However, there comes a day when it

all comes together.

This has been a year of many such days

in our lives.

As the children get older and face new

experiences we are able to watch them

put their years of learning to use.

Sometimes it is how they relate to things

at a job or volunteer opportunity.

Sometimes it is just an outpouring of words

in the form of a poem.

Not an assignment.

Just an expression of intense emotion.

There's something about this storm,

that I can not ignore.

This is not the norm,

this is something more.

There's electric in the sky,

there's water on the ground.

There's thunder in the air,

it's beauty all around.

It's like a song

that's playing in my head.

It's like a strong command

that God has clearly said.

Electric beauty

What an incredible sight.

It is still the daytime,

but yet it's dark like night.

It is a symphony

beautifully composed.

it is truly wonder

fantastically exposed.

So, on those days when you feel

like nothing is sticking.

Don't quit!

When you are so very discouraged at the

progress of your little writers...

hold on!

If one day you feel inadequate...

You aren't!

YOU are making a difference.

YOU are teaching the future.

Be encouraged.

The future looks good,

if we judge it by the fruits of your labor!

Hugs,

Becky K. (and Chelsea too)!

Working on Portfolios

2010-05-10T09:24:00.000-04:00

In Pennsylvania the final thing most of us do each year is
to prepare a portfolio with and for each child.

These portfolios are then shown to our evaluator who
reviews the curriculum covered and confirms that the
required days were completed and subjects covered.

In the early years our portfolios were huge!
Massive.
At that time the kids were learning to write and
process math problems. They loved to produce art
projects and frankly their writing was huge.

Lots of paper...lots of trees consumed.

As the years have gone by our portfolios have
gotten smaller. One could get discouraged and
begin to believe that this means we are doing
less. To the contrary, we are covering so much
more material. Most of it verbally. Lots of it
in practical real life projects.
What is written is most often typed
and therefore is very efficiently
contained to a page
or a couple of pages.

That is...except for a story Chelsea is co-writing with
a friend. It is up to 27 pages so far. They take turns
writing chapters. Each girl is a character and that chapter
is written from their perspective. Cool stuff!

Anyway...I am deep in the midst of gathering our year's
accomplishments. To get it all together in one place,
organize it so that our evaluator can understand and
quantify it. Part of me loves this....Most of me hates it!

You know, if I had nothing else to do it is fun to review and
see all that has been done. But graduation is in just 11...
ELEVEN...days!!!!!

I must find a diploma to print out for the boys.
Sadly, I have not even sent out their invitations.
I've been sick for three weeks and just don't have
that get up and go that I should have. So...family
and friends...they are coming. Really.
But keep May 21st open...would you?
Two really special boys will be walking down the
aisle in funky caps and gowns.
You can all point and giggle.

I'll be the one blubbering
when they hand me a rose.
OH my.

Maybe I'll skip it.

NEVER!

We have worked way too hard.
It is going to be great!

That is what is happening around
Hospitality Lane....
What are you up to?

Becky K.

An Excellent Devotional For Today

2010-04-27T09:46:00.001-04:00

This is from a Daily Devotional from Alpha Omega - Thanks to my friend Tamara for forwarding it to me!

The Lone Tree
Tuesday / April 27, 2010

"And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper" (Psalm 1:3).

Attempting to find a few moments with the Lord before the beginning of our homeschooling day, I hiked the ragged bluffs in the pasture near our ranch. As I walked through the dry stubble, sage brush, and yucca plants, I came across a small cottonwood tree. With no other trees of any kind close by for miles, it looked completely out of place. The rocky ground in which it grew offered little nourishment, and I knew months had passed since any rain had fallen. "How does this little tree stay alive out here all by itself?" I asked myself.

Are you interested in a printed version of this devotional? Then check out the new Daily Focus devotional book, perfect for your own Bible study or as a gift. Order your copy today!

Reflecting on the tree's life, I began to see it as a symbol of my own. For the past ten years, I had been homeschooling our children and had felt like a loner. Not only was homeschooling going against the flow, but it was also completely out of the main stream. I found no encouraging nourishment from family or church friends and wondered, like I did about this little tree, how much longer I could survive. But then the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and showed me something amazing. I noticed a difference in the soil's color near the tree's base. As I looked closer, it became evident that this tree's roots went down many feet below the surface. I remembered then what my son and I had learned when studying the topography of the area. Deep below the surface, there was an aquifer, an underground river bringing life-giving water to this little tree. I smiled and said, "Thank You, Lord," as I learned God's lesson for the morning.

For the next several years, I remembered the lesson of the lone tree whenever I felt lonely or homeschooling became difficult. Each time I felt used up and dry, I stretched my roots of faith a little deeper and found the nourishment and life-giving water of God's love. Even though I couldn't see Him, the Holy Spirit's peace was always present. Best of all, this isn't just my story. If you are a homeschooler finding yourself alone in the middle of a dry day, the same life-giving water is waiting to bless you, too. "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).

Lord, thank You for refreshing me when I am empty. Teach me to reach for You whenever homeschooling leaves me feeling afraid or lonely and fill me with Your strength and love. In the wonderful name of Jesus, Amen.

Jonathan is Done!

2010-04-14T13:41:00.003-04:00

The days of vision therapy,
tutoring, intensive study,
phonics lessons, planned field trips,
and so much more are done.

The evaluation is complete.
180 days are in for this school year.

His book is incomplete...but
he intends to continue writing at that.

So...this week for the first time when
I called for school, only two came.

Interesting.

Next year...it will be just one....

Crazy!

But, you know, I think it will be fun!

Chelsea and I will do just fine!

Becky K.

A Fun Science Article

2010-03-17T11:45:00.002-04:00

The March 2010 Reader's Digest
has an interesting article titled
Mad Science, The craziest discoveries,
inventions, and experiments ever!

This is written in a fun style by
Andy Simmons.

I just threw it into one of our very
full days as a quick way to get some
science and discussions going as we
were on the go. It worked.
They brought some of these things up
to Warren later.
Funny.

I edited a couple of the inventions...
but that is just me.
Sensitive.
You may not find the need to do so.

Becky K.

A Few Thought Provoking Blog Posts

2010-03-11T11:21:00.002-05:00

www.art.com

I occasionally read a blog written by a pastor's wife who home educated her own children - who are now all grown. She writes encouraging posts about the home, and family life and I found two today regarding the The Importance of Homeschooling and Personal Reasons to Homeschool. Both of these posts were reinforcements to me to remember why I have chosen to home educate my children.

A Book List

2010-03-08T08:35:00.003-05:00

Some of you have asked for more
specifics on the books we have
used in our Homeschool...

I reviewed some of my notes from
years past and have a partial list
for you....

History:
The Thieves of Ostia
The Secrets of Vesuvius
The Assassins of Rome

The Broken Song
Fire in the Hills

The Earth Dragon Awakes

Anastasia
The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds
Isabel, Jewel of Castilla

Mary Slessor

The Hittite Warrior

Cooper Kids – Just for Fun...
Secret of the Desert Stone
Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea
Door in the Dragon’s Throat
Escape from the Island of Aquarius
The Tombs of Anak

Sutter’s Cross

Many of the books on this list were from a school
year where we worked more in Unit Study.
I had the kids make a geography map book
about each place we studied. They enjoyed
documenting the many places and I loved making
the history, english, science and literature
connections.
I would place many of these at the 5th - 9th
grade level. Of course, you should always
preview the books and judge for yourselves.

Enjoy!

Where are You in Your School Year?

2010-03-01T11:50:00.002-05:00

We are hard at work completing our
goals. I just thought I would share
what those are for the time being.

Literature:
The Time Machine - Reading and discussion in coordination with a Class all three are taking at our Co-op.

Mikey is finishing a sci-fi trilogy for his independent reading and has
subscribed to a couple of Horticulture Magazines.
He constantly reads online about dirtbike interests.

Chelsea is an avid reader and writes a bunch too.
She has a pen pal this year to whom she emails long,
long epistles at the same time they play geography
games online. Choosing a location and letting the
other try to figure it out by asking questions.

Jonathan reads online very frequently about music.
He loves contemporary Christian Music and is very
well versed in the various groups and their new
releases.
I do want to find one more novel or non-fiction for
him to read before the end of the school year...
not necessary but I would just like to have that
one last thing completed.

US History - Using mostly BJU's The American Republic.
The kids are also taking a Political Science Class at Co-op.

Vocabulary - Vocabulous!, an online resource, and is also covered in the Time Machine Book Study.

Body By Design - An awesome, if somewhat complex, look at the human body.
The boys took a Health and Body class at Co-op last semester.

Math - sigh...our weakness. However, we are attempting to do a real life look at math in our daily world. They are paying bills, budgeting and managing both real and pretend money.

Jonathan- Writing a novel. He is currently painting his cover illustration with watercolors.

Mikey - Making a Terrarium. He is designing, purchasing supplies and will make at least one of these as his Spring Horticulture project.

Chelsea - Continuing her love of baking. Cakes, cookies, pastries. Since we are more than saturated with sweets at the moment her project for today is to make Red Lobster's Cheddar Biscuits to go with dinner tonight.

Other classes and interests...drama class for Chelsea at Co-op, Jonathan and Mikey are in a Leadership Class. We bowl weekly, Chelsea and Mikey rollerblade weekly, I count the Bible from Church as well as what we do here. Pastor Mike is very good with World and Bible History. He teaches this intensely during our Sunday School Times. There is rocketry, Risk, Chess, Ultimate Frisbee...we have a very busy world as a classroom. And that is just the way we like it.

I am out of time for this post...but this is a snapshot of where we sit at the beginning of March 2010. Much to do....Much has been completed.

Have a very happy Homeschool Day!

Becky K.

A Vocabulary Web Site

2010-03-01T11:36:00.003-05:00

This morning Chelsea could
not locate her vocabulary book.

I moved it when I was working
on the living room for my posts
on the decor makeover.

Before I located the existing
book I hopped online to see
what I might find for Chelsea
to go ahead and do some vocab
today.

This is fun.
She liked it.
I let her use an online dictionary
and it went quickly but the words were
mostly new to her.

Vocabulous!

Online Dictionary

Have a great day!

Why the photo of the shoes?
I don't know.
It was there....
~Smile~

Becky K.

A Book Recommendation

2010-02-03T13:21:00.002-05:00

This is for your High School age Students.

Think Big by Dr. Ben Carson.

This book is one that is great to do as a
read-a-loud and discussion. Dr. Carson's
style is very repetitive and at points
you wonder if he forgot he told you that
already, however, I have come to think that
it is more about driving his point home.

I will caution you that there is a part in
an early chapter that is about his mother
and involves her being taken to a
hotel room for wrong purposes.
I skipped over this part when reading out loud.

Call me crazy, but I just didn't want to go there
with both the boys and Chelsea in the room.

You should know that nothing happens to her there
but the intent is clear.

Other than that caution...I highly recommend this
book. Dr. Carson finds the best in the people
around him and uses them as examples of points
he is making.

I have found myself thinking how much I would
enjoy finding a way to sponsor him to speak
to the Homeschoolers of our area. This is not
as crazy as it sounds since he lives and works
just over an hour away from us at Johns Hopkins.

At least I think he is still there.

Let me know if you do read this.
I would love to know your impressions.

We have a personal indirect connection
with Dr. Carson as it was one of his
students who operated on my Father-in-law.

As he talks about the Pediatric Neurosurgery
areas at Johns Hopkins I can see it clear as
a bell. We visited there several times.

Happy Homeschooling!

Becky K.

Using Technology in Your Homeschool

2010-01-21T06:58:00.003-05:00

I love to talk to my children.

I do not love to give them their
school assignments verbally even
though this has been our primary
way of communication
all of these years.

When we were at Longwood Gardens
this week we talked a while with
one of Mikey's Supervisors from
the time he spent there this past
Summer. Harold was intimidating
to Mikey at first but it wasn't
long before a real respect grew
and this was the one person that Mikey
wished to seek out on this visit.

We went to the gate near
Harold's office and stood there
awkwardly trying to get his attention.

Finally we succeeded and we had
opportunity to chat.

Harold was very open with us about
things that will be important in
Mikey's application and interview
for the Professional Gardener's Program.

All of the things he shared made
perfect sense...nothing earth shattering.
Keep your grades up,
have a Plan A and a Plan B.

Study, research horticulture,
work in a related job.

He let us know that the coursework
is rigorous and that Mikey needs
to be ready for that.

This, of course, got me thinking.

Today it hit me...at 5:30 am!
That is when most things get my
attention....

I can use Mikey's love of email
to get links and class assignments
to him.

So, I got up.

Found some awesome resources.

And have several lessons in the
pipeline already.

I cannot wait to see how this works
out. Our kids are so tech savvy and
I don't see why we can't use this to
our benefit as homeschool parents.

Would you be interested in these classes
if I did them in separate posts on the
sidebar?

Becky K.

Yet Another Plug for Living Books

2010-01-06T15:17:00.003-05:00

They groaned as I pulled out the
U.S. History Textbook that I have
been reading from over the past
weeks. While I have no intention
of reading it cover to cover there
are pages and even chapters that we
are going to cover...from this book.

One sad voice said, "Why don't you
read one of those interesting books
like you did last year?"

Aha!

"Interesting"!

Got them!

So, its back to the Library for me.
I've got to find the next interesting
Living History Book. One set in the late
1800's should do it.

Love it!
I can't wait!
The Library is one of
my favorite places!

Becky K.

Nope, Don't Feel Like it Today....

2010-01-05T09:56:00.003-05:00

But going to do it anyway!
How about you?

Feel like doing school?

This getting back after a
break is often tough...
but then I remember
Why...

To give our children the best
start in life possible...

To train them in the ways of the
Lord...

Because no one loves these
young people like their
Dad and I do!

Back to School!

Becky K.

Encouragement For Mothers

2009-12-28T18:16:00.004-05:00

Sally Clarkson is an author, speaker and owner of WholeHeart Ministries with her husband Clay, and home educating mother of four.

I have read her several of her books, including "Educating the WholeHearted Child," "Seasons of a Mother's Heart." I have always been encouraged to continue on this path of educating my children the way God called my husband and I to.

She blogs at 'I Take Joy'.

Her post from today was one of seeing the 'fruit' of her years of home educating now that her children are all adults, or nearly adults. It is an encouragement to keep our vision and keep doing the invaluable work of mothering and educating.

Here is a bit...

"Often, I find that in the absence of a clear enough vision for their children and homes, mothers replace conviction and vision with lots of activities and distractions for their children. This hyper-activity and rushing around to an endless list of expensive lessons and experiences and toys, and the buying of the newest expensive curriculum and technological options make moms feel like they are accomplishing something.

However, when the home-life of children is rich with excellent, classic literature and great stories, passionate Biblical devotions, rousing dinner-table discussions around sumptuous, tasty meals, lots of love and affection given and household chores attended to— a child will become committed to all that is good and excellent and develop a moral and compassionate soul for all the divinely important values."

Go here to read the rest of today's post.

Blessings,

Deanna

World Views...What are You Passing Along?

2009-12-21T09:47:00.004-05:00

Can you believe I have heard
parents say they don't believe
they have the right to influence
their children's belief systems?

I KNOW!

It blows my mind.

That the culture of wishy-washy
thinking and "no absolutes" would
creep into our homes and families.
So very sad!

Scripture is so plain on our
responsibility to pass wisdom and
knowledge from generation to generation.

As homeschoolers we are in a unique
position to teach our children what
we believe and why. We can share the
scriptures in very natural and systematic
ways. There are many, many resources
available to us that teach a Christian
Worldview as it relates to Government,
Science, Bible and Literature.

Non-homeschoolers have it a bit tougher
as it is hard to find quality time for
such things. However, I do hope that every
family is taking time to study the Bible
together whether homeschooling or not.

If you think about it...there is absolutely
nothing we do, short of breathe, that isn't
impacted by our worldview. So...even if we
aren't aware of conveying it to our children
a message is getting through.

What is the message you are
giving your children?

Our three children can tell you what the
evolutionists arguments are...
and they can tell you the truth of God's
Creation. We have not sheltered them from
opposing beliefs, however, as it was age
appropriate we have taught them both points
of view and what we believe and why.

Just because we want them to believe one thing
is not reason to keep them in a bubble of only
that train of thought. This kind of sheltering
leads to uncertainties and often troubles later
as the young people grapple with ideas that are
totally new to them. It is much better as the
parent to bring other views into the open and
deal with them in your timing. Sometimes we
don't have all of the answers to their questions
when in discussion. These are awesome learning
opportunities as we search out the answers together.

Teaching our children to learn.
It is fun!

Some things to think about as it relates
to your children:

Are they getting a scriptural basis?

Can they defend their Faith, if necessary?

Do they understand the importance of
Faith in your life?

Do they see you ministering to others?

I do hope you enjoy passing on the
Faith to the next generation.

Just for the record, I didn't make this
up...Some scriptures that encourage us.

He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children...Psalm 78:5

Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. Proverbs 1:8

When you walk, they will guide you;
when you sleep, they will watch over you;
when you awake, they will speak to you.
For these commands are a lamp,
this teaching is a light,
and the corrections of discipline
are the way to life...Proverbs 6:22,23

Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning...Proverbs 9:9

The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death...Proverbs 13:14

Happy Homeschooling!

Becky K.

Never Give Up!

2009-12-17T09:20:00.002-05:00

We are in our eleventh year of home education.
There have been highs and lows.

We began this journey as what we thought would
be a "catch-up" year for our eldest son, Jonathan,
for third grade. It was our intention to give him
intensive intervention and then put him back in
the very "wonderful" public school he was in.

Well, those plans certainly were changed.
There were many factors in that decision.

However, this post is a success story.
One that was all of these years in the making.

You see, Jonathan is dyslexic, and has
processing delays. Those are the titles
he wears. He has an extremely high I.Q.
and is a very smart young man with certain
undeniable challenges that make learning
harder for him than some.

Over the years we have done vision therapy,
tutoring, many unique programs. I have
visited special schools to see if they could
teach him better, we have cried together and
very often laughed together. We have prayed,
studied and I have read aloud for hours and
hours.

It has been quite a journey.
I would do it all again....
no questions asked!!!!

This year we discovered the Dragon
Speech Recognition Software.

You see, for all of the difficulties
Jonathan has with reading he absolutely
loves books! He loves many kinds of books.

Somewhere along the line we received some
excellent advice...Don't let Jonathan's
physical ability to read stop his progress
in the books he is exposed to. So...we
didn't. Through my reading to him and the
depth of availability of Books on Tape or CD
Jonathan has continued to progress with his
interests without hesitation. He loves to
visit new libraries as he has exhausted our
library of new, to him, material.

At the end of last year, Jonathan mentioned
that he would like to write a book but the
process of using pen and paper or typing is
just stifling. He has to think so very hard
about the processes involved in writing and
typing that he loses his thoughts and gives up.

So...we investigated speech recognition software.

Bingo!

Jonathan has written chapters in his new novel.
There is a sequel forming in his head...
and a second series that he wants to begin in
between this book and it's sequel.

Do you know what else?

The Dragon Software sometimes messes up and Jonathan
has begun to override it and type first and speak
second. He is consumed. He will type as long as
he knows the words and now just uses the software
for those big words that he wants to use but is
clueless to spell.

Maybe one day you will know his name as a published
author, maybe not. But what I know is that he is
finding satisfaction in the one area that we never
would have guessed he would.

So...people, please be encouraged. Everything you
do in an effort to assist your children pays off.
It may take years...eleven maybe...but it is not
wasted!

Hugs!

Becky K.

Some Days We Just Have to Listen...

2009-12-14T22:05:00.002-05:00

In my last post I tried to encourage
you in thinking outside the box when
it comes to fulfilling your role as
a homeschool parent.

It is so easy to fall into the textbook
trap. Ask me, I KNOW!

Textbooks are easy for us...but they are
not always the best for our students.

Before you go crazy, I am not saying that
I do not use textbooks. I do use them, but
in their place. They are a great resource for
timelines, dates, names of important people.

They are a wonderful resource to see what has
been deemed worthy of covering during a school
year. Then I take that information and break
it down at the library in biographies, quality
historical fictions and videos.

By offering information in multiple sources and
in varying types you will hit most students
learning style at several points during the
year. This means that our students get the
discipline of working at things that may not be
their favorites...for me that would be textbooks...
but they also get a break as they read a living
book about those they are studying.

Also, I believe strongly, that our high school
students are not too old to be read aloud to for
some of their coursework. It is fun...there can
be discussion at any given point as there are
multiple people at the same point in the book
or text.

If you are not accustomed to this it may seem
strange at first, but it is something that works
very well for us. We are now at a point where
we take turns reading out loud to each other.
It is amazing to hear how everyone's reading skills
have improved and how much more they get out of it
when they have these opportunities to "teach" each
other.

There have been many days where I have seen one of
my children somewhat distressed by an assignment I
have given. On my better days, I am in tune enough
to take that child aside and ask what is wrong and
how we can make it better.

On my really, really good days after I ask that
question, I shut up! I listen to what they are
saying and then I make adjustments. Do I take the
responsibilities of the work away? No.
But, if possible, I make it more tolerable.
Learning does not have to be a painful experience.

Learning is something we should be doing all of our
lives and enjoying the process makes it more likely
to continue even after graduation. That is my goal.

Not to make it to graduation...but to watch my kids
love to explore and gain new knowledge about life,
God and career...always!

Happy Homeschooling!

Learning or Work Processing?

2009-12-14T10:08:00.006-05:00

When I was in High School I attended a
small Christian School where I got quite
behind. In the 11th grade I transferred
to another Christian School where the standards
were much stricter. In order to graduate I
had to cram three years worth of work into
two.

I am sure this had its benefits in my life.
I definitely learned goal setting.
I excelled at memorization,
which helped me pass fact filled tests.

The down side was that there is very little
from those years that impacted me or made a
long term difference in my life.

As we have homeschooled for many years I have
come through many phases. This means my children
have been subjected to many phases...poor things!

Initially, there was the attempt to be a
"School" at home. We were very, very structured
and I was very demanding.
Mikey still bears some of the ill effects of this
approach. Chelsea thrived with it.

Important lesson learned....
Know your child's learning style.
Embrace the differences whenever possible
and use them to your advantage.

Then I went through the many, many
field trip phase. We were so busy
and put so many miles on the car.
Of course, my fear of school district
intervention had us doing stacks and stacks of
paperwork during these years as well
so that our portfolios could be thick
and impressive.
Again, poor kids!

Finally, we have reached the High School
Years. What an eclectic blend of learning
styles in our homeschool.

I have one artistic and creative learner.
One busy, active and practical learner.
And one work processor with a creative bent.

Before school began this year I purchased
expensive Accounting curriculum for the two
youngest. We learned the terms and tried
valiantly to go farther. I am not totally
giving up yet...however, for the months
of January through April we are using the
concepts in a very practical manner.

Each child will run their own "financial
household", so to speak. They will maintain
their own checkbooks, pay their own "bills"
and "repair their own vehicles"...all on paper.

They have already estimated the expense of
living on their own...now they will experience
the time consumed in being a responsible
budgeter and billpayer.

Each of these months will find "bills" in their
"mailboxes", "medical emergencies", "company for
dinner" to drive up their expected grocery bills, etc.

Will they learn accounting?
Not in the most formal sense of the subject.
Will they learn something of value?
I'll let you know!
Based on our first couple of sessions on the
subject, I would have to predict - definitely!

I hope that you will always keep in the front
of your mind..."Are my children learning today
or are they busy processing work?"

Every subject can be approached from many sides.
Not all are as effective.
Always seek the most effective for the giftings
and skills of your students.

Happy Homeschooling!

Curriculum Suggestions...

2009-12-09T06:57:00.004-05:00

As our boys near graduation
they are seeing the light at
the end of the tunnel and can,
at times, be just as happy to
pass on the daily schoolwork that
has been such a part of our lives
for years.

It is a struggle for all of us
to focus. That is just a fact.

We are in between our co-op semesters
and I have been leaning on the
classes they take there and expanding
them for Literature and Science...
so that has taken us out of a couple of
subjects over the past few weeks.

We have focused on Government, Music,
Writing and French (for Chelsea) as we await
the beginning of the new semester.
There has been a lot of baking, cooking
and gift making going on around here.
Mostly by Chelsea.

However, the other evening I got
a new infusion of enthusiasm as
I found two new pieces to fit into
the rest of our year.

One is Dr. Ben Carson's book called
"Think Big". Dr. Carson is very
special to our family because he
trained the neurosurgeon that performed
the tricky surgery on Warren's Dad, Gene.

Our surgeon referenced Dr. Carson with
the utmost of respect and awe each time
we would visit Johns Hopkins with Gene.

Then we watched a video biography about
Dr. Carson in a Sunday School Class.

So...this was a great find.
I do so want the boys to think big.
To get excited about the possibilities
that lie before them.

The second piece that I am adding to
our curriculum is a dramatized version
of C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters.
Focus on the Family has produced it.

At about my kids age I discovered this
incredible work and listened to it as
my parents played it in small group studies.
What an impact it made in my life.
I am hopeful that some of it sticks in
our children.

We are implementing a budgeting class
that is helping the kids to see what it
costs to live today. I had thought that
they were pretty savvy about these things
but it is obvious that they have a lot to
learn. They were pretty interested and got
quite animated in their discussions.

I first had them estimate the cost of an
apartment. Alone or with roomates.
Then all of the costs that go along with
setting up and maintaining a household.

They were stunned.
They said it was depressing.
However, I think that in combination
with Dr. Carson's book it will come
together for them.
At least, that is my prayer.
I know they have a tendency to
think that they are not smart enough
or good enough to do anything special.
But, with God's help and a lot of
hard work the possibilities are
endless. Time will show them these
things...I can't wait to see it
come to pass.

In the end, it all seems like such
little time we have with our children.

But, it is good.
They are such a driving
force in all that we do!

Enjoy your homeschool day!

An Encouraging Day

2009-11-12T07:37:00.003-05:00

I was invited to speak briefly at a
homeschool co-op yesterday. It was
a definite pleasure to go and meet new
families who share similar goals.

What I did not anticipate completely
was how totally blessed I would be by
my conversations with the leaders of
this group. These are Godly ladies
who face real challenges of their own.

From these challenges they have gained
wisdom that was great to be reminded of.

I'll pass on one tidbit that has been
repeating itself in my head.

"You cannot allow yourself to compare
your children against each other."

Oh, how true this is.

I was struck by how often we, as parents
are tempted to do this. After all, isn't
this how we determine health of a baby.
We look to see how they measure up on a
chart...against all others in their age bracket.

Don't we have to take those mandatory achievement
tests that tell us where our children are on that
massive educational curve.

It is how we think.
We compare and contrast.

But, when it comes to our children and their
unique differences comparing them is not necessarily
a great idea.

We have three uniquely different children.
It is a good thing.

One is slow.
He moves slowly and is proud of it!
He gets things done in his own timing,
thinks things through before doing anything,
and generally makes excellent choices.

One is FAST!
Can't grow up fast enough,
can't get his dirtbikes to go
fast enough or fly high enough,
and has tendency to make quick
decisions. He gets a lot done and
is very popular for his outgoing
and fun personality.

The third is somewhere in between.
She has yet to show all of her
unique style, although I have to say
that this year is a big one for her.
She is stretching and growing both
physically and mentally.

So...as you can see...I can do comparisons
but I should stop that process when I pass
from recognizing differences that are helpful
to judging and criticizing because of those
differences...

I have to say that God knew what he was
doing. Two slow and steadies would make
a fast and busy person like me a bit nutty...
Two fast and impulsives would have me in my
grave already.
Yes, God got the
mix just right.

All of our children are unique and need to be
accepted and treated as such. Always striving
to bring out the best from those traits.

It is so good to sit with Godly women and just
chat from time to time. It brings out possibilities
for encouragement that would not happen any other
way.

Hope you are having a blessed day.
Homeschooling is not easy but it is
certainly worthwhile. We are, with
God's help, making a real
difference in the lives and futures
of our children.

Melissa shared this verse and an
excellent clip by Voddie Baucham in
her post this morning. Stop by and
say hello if you have time...

"Here O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength. These words which I am commanding you today are to be on your hearts. Teach them diligently to your sons; talk of them when you sit in your houses and when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. They are to be bound as signs on your hands and frontlets on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Blessings,
Becky K.

Science at our fingertips...

2009-10-28T11:39:00.002-04:00

Yesterday and today we have had our television
volume turned down and kept an eye on it as we
did our other work, while waiting for the launch
of the test flight of the Ares I-X rocket.

At one point yesterday we stopped watching after
learning that the weather was not cooperating.
Today looked as if it could be a repeat and then
suddenly they were counting down.

Watching this event brought questions from Mikey
and just a few quick clicks on the keyboard brought
some answers. I thought perhaps you might be interested
in the NASA sight on this particular launch...

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/ares/flighttests/aresIx/index.html

For example we learned that this mission lasted:

2 minutes

After this two ships were assigned to gather up
the important items which fell back into the ocean.

The rocket flew at Mach 4 - Four times the sound of light.

...and more.

Enjoy!

On another science topic...
we were so sad to see a fire cause
much damage and destroy more than
$120,000 of neighborhood property
while costing the life of a family dog.

This morning I looked at this link
http://www.qfd57.com/fullstory.php?95265
and found out more information about
our fire company and this fire.

Most 911 systems are likely linked
to similar fire house blogs where you can
follow stories that are pertinent to your
young students. I had mine write a page
about this fire and their feelings as
they processed this, too close to home, tragedy.

High School Curriculum Recommendation

2009-10-23T11:19:00.003-04:00

John MacArthur takes all of the knowledge and history of Truth that we, as Believers, claim to understand and states it with such clarity and organization that you will find yourself saying "Amen!" and "Oh, so that's where that came from!". These are the things I have not been sure how to communicate to my children and it is clear as clear can be in this book. All in one lovely package!

Granted one son has complained about the large vocabulary employed, but, as we progress into the book his mind is adjusting and he is understanding and interested.
Just because something meets with resistance is not good reason to set it aside. Especially when the content is so filled with important nuggets.

If you are not clear on Modern and Postmodern thinking you will be after reading this.

If you wonder why it is possible for our world to be so deeply committed to the philosophy of no absolutes, Pastor MacArthur will trace the steps philosophers have taken to arrive at this grandios idea.

I highly recommend this for all teens and adults,high school, college and beyond.

Becky K.

I Pay More to Educate My Neighbor's Children Than My Own!

2009-09-16T16:49:00.005-04:00

I've been doing just a few minutes worth of
research. I read the headline and some highlights
of an article talking about the additional millions
of dollars being directed into a neighboring school
district. This got me to thinking....

How much per student does the average PA district
spend?

I found out that it is between
EIGHT and TEN THOUSAND...PER STUDENT...PER YEAR!!!

Oh..my..goodness!!! I wouldn't know what to do with
that much money in our homeschool. If I calculate the
books, electricity, prorated mortgage for "school time",
prorated maintenance, field trips, co-op fees, craft items,
music lessons and everthing else I still don't think I
spend more than $500 per year per child.

Even if I spend that much I run out of time to get everything
done that I think we will. There are just too many great
ideas each year.

So many good books, so little time.
Free Art shows, museums, senior citizens to teach living
history. A kitchen full of math and homemaking lessons.
A community full of people who are delighted to allow our
children to serve and learn in real time.

Teaching our children does not have to
cost a fortune.

So...it occurs to me that by the time I pay my school
taxes, I have spent more to educate the neighbor children
than my own.

How does that strike You??

Grrr.....

Bowling Leads to Thinking...sometimes.

2009-09-15T14:56:00.005-04:00

Chelsea, Jonathan and I have just returned from bowling with other homeschoolers. At one point it was only families from our group that came to Tuesday Bowling but over time our group has really slacked off and others are coming in. This makes me sad but, at the same time, allows us to meet other local families.
That is really fun!

Today a new mom and son joined us. It was as we were chatting that she told me that she had plans to put her son into public school in a year or so. She stated that she is very nervous about her abilities to get him through the high school years.
I don't know what came over me but I just had to say...
kindly, I hope,

"If it truly is about your fear of teaching him,
please reconsider,
because you didn't get this far
in your own strength".

Oh, my...did I just say that to a near stranger?
She was very gracious.

But, I have to say that it got me thinking.

We have not homeschooled our three children because we have all of that much to offer them when it comes to the academics. I am confident in my ability to teach reading...very weak when it comes to math....History is good, Science is o.k.

We have a son who is very motivated for his future,
we have one who is unsure of his plans.

One who would have gotten into all kinds of trouble
in public school,
and one who really doesn't care what others think and would
have been "fine"... when it came to peer pressure.

We have a daughter who might be more outgoing had she
gone to public school, but at what cost?
Does it matter as long as she is respectful, polite, energetic
and complimented this morning by her physician for her
involvement in many things.

None of this even takes into account the Christian heritage
that we are able to teach our young charges. What a major
change for the future if more and more of our young people
understood this heritage and the gift that it is for all
of us.

If God has called us to homeschool our children He WILL
give us the means to accomplish it. Praying that you will
feel His pleasure in the work and love you are pouring into
your children.

You are not in this alone.
It is not in your strength that your children
are set to succeed or not....and we could go
on for days about the definition of success.....

Love to all who read this post,
whether you homeschool or are just
curious about those of us who do.

Becky K.

Schooling over the Years....

2009-08-31T18:34:00.003-04:00

....As we begin a new one.

Today, we at Hospitality Lane,
officially began our 2009-2010
School year. While much work
has been done independently
already, this was the first day
we sat together and studied in
this school year.

Mrs. Rabe and her gang have been
back to school for a couple of
weeks, I think.

I celebrated our first day by making a
mosaic of the kids on field trips
over the past several years.

It was a fun day.

It is bound to be a challenging
year as we stretch and learn new
things. Chelsea is particularly
concerned...I think she will be
just fine. I have purposely set
the bar high. She is feeling the
challenge. A necessary part of
the process, I think!

Hope your school days are going
well. We are here to encourage you
and share with you...Your feedback
and questions are very welcome.

Becky K.

Reading Suggestions for Middle Grades

2009-08-25T10:03:00.002-04:00

Nicole had this to say
after Mrs. Rabe's last
post:

"I am looking for books for Alex, he is in the 3rd grade but at a 7th grade reading level. He loves adventure. Do you have any thoughts?'

I have been thinking about it and
remembered a series of books that
we enjoyed. It came to me yesterday
as it was the anniversary of the
Mt. Vesuvius disaster so many
years ago.

Caroline Lawrence has written a
series that is set in Roman Times.
It follows Flavia Gemina, the daughter
of a Sea Captain, and her friends, as they
solve mysteries.

We found the series to be believable
to the time period and interesting.

The book titles are:

The Thieves of Ostia
The Secrets of Vesuvius
The Pirates of Pompeii

I see at Amazon that there are many other
titles by this author. It seems that the
characters in these books are involved in
some, if not all of these.

I found these three books at the Library but
will have to look for more titles. Chelsea would
likely still enjoy them.

I think you would find them interesting for
Alex. Of course, I always recommend previewing
everything for yourself.
Our childrens' personalities
and likes are all different.
You know better than
anyone what he would like.

For example, in the first book,
someone is killing dogs. That is
the basis of the mystery. If this
would be too upsetting to your child
it would be best to skip this book.

We didn't find it to be so gruesome
and we understood it to be fiction.
The story was very intriguing.

Does anyone else have recommendations for
Alex?

Book Talk!

2009-08-17T11:08:00.003-04:00

We have tons of books! Whew! Where to begin?

Beth, I would recommend Louisa May Alcott's "Old Fashioned Girl." This is a sweet book. I do not know whether you are thinking of books for boy or girls so I will just share some of the books we have enjoyed here at our home. We love the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis. We also have these in Radio Drama form from Focus on the Family! They are so well done and we enjoy reading or listening to them. As always the books are much more detailed and richer but the radio dramas are great for listening to at bedtime or in the car! We wore out our first set and had to replace them this year!

Another series that has been beloved by one of my children is the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. This child of mine learns by delving deeply into what she is interested in. She read these and the appendices. She has learned some dwarvish and elvish.

We have read Little House of course, but we also have enjoyed the whole Anne of Green Gables set of 8 books.

My kids have enjoyed a variety of books, there are books by Ann Rinaldi dealing with Henry the VIII time period. "Red Headed Princess" about Princess Elizabeth (Henry's daughter by Anne Bolyn, and a book about Lady Jane Grey called "Nine Days A Queen." These were fascinating to my 9th grader last year and she even ended up doing a big report on what she learned. The are historical fiction and not written like a textbook or anything.

Of course I definitely recommend all of Jane Austen's books. Many of the sequels are excellent too although not all are. I do NOT recommend the books by Linda Berdoll. They are very inappropriate!

I also love the books by Grace Livingston Hill. They are old fashioned "romances" but in a sweet way. The characters always grow spiritually, and she has really neat domestic scenes in them. Great for encouraging homemaking!

I love Emilie Barnes books! I have the one you mentioned, it is my favorite! I learned so much about making a house a home - I definitely will have my girls read her books!

We read alot of historical fiction - Sonlight curriculum has great lists of books that are age appropriate. Although if you read aloud a child can enjoy a book at a much younger age.

Hope this is helpful to you!

Deanna

Some Favorite Girl Preteen and Teen Reads...

2009-08-15T11:09:00.004-04:00

I find my self perusing the web a couple of times a year for books to recommend to our children. I admit that finding books for Chelsea is somewhat easier than the boys.

Therefore, most of the books I will recommend will likely appeal more to girls...but not necessarily.

First, if your daughter has not read the Little House on the Prairie Series, it is an excellent place to start. Chelsea is reading it through for the second time after a few years. She loves it, as did I.

Two books that I enjoyed so much and passed on to Chelsea, who also loved them are by Kate Seredy. They are The Good Master and The Singing Tree. The author is also the illustrator.

She is fabulous! Kate Seredy is a Hungarian born author who draws from this background and knowledge to weave wonderful stories. These are older books so they may be harder to find, but in my opinion, they are worth it.

This year a sweet little book that I have asked Chelsea to read is In Grandma's Attic by Arleta Richardson. She is probably older now than she would need to be to enjoy this book but I just got around to buying it for her as I think it will be a keeper.

Some of Chelsea's favorite series and authors are Nancy Rue and her Lily Series as well as The Sophie Series, Sandra Byrd's books Island Girl and Chopsticks.

I found another series at our Library Book Store.
It is called Tales from Grace Chapel Inn.
Guideposts is listed as the Publisher. There are different authors but they are all of a similar genre. Chelsea really enjoyed these. Two Titles that are in front of me now are...The Way we Were by Judy Baer and Steady and Slow by Anne Marie Rodgers.

Most recently after our Book Club read a Sisterchicks book, Chelsea has been interested in these books. She is enjoying them very much. The first one we read was Sisterchicks in Somberos by Robin Jones Gunn. I don't remember how many more of these she has read, but CBD had some of these as audiobooks in their clearance section so we have just added to our collection but as audiobooks.

Both Chelsea and Jonathan listen to books on tape as they fall asleep. It is just another way to get literature into their lives. We started this with each of them for different reasons but it has become a fun challenge to keep them supplied with fun literature to listen to.

In another post I will talk about Jonathan's preferences. They are quite different but for a student who struggles so to read, because of physical challenges, he surely does love books! He often asks to go to the Library.

A literature rich home is a blessing.

We are very blessed.

Are You?
I would love to hear what
books you enjoy....
for any age!
We have a housefull of readers...
in all shapes and sizes.

Gearing Up For a New School Year...

2009-08-04T07:38:00.004-04:00

Some of our friends have begun their
formal 2009-10 school year already.
We have not.

We are certainly marking many things
on our log books as our daily life
lends itself to learning, but as of
yet we have not begun the Accounting
curriculum or the American History, etc.

Chelsea can be found on the computer
working on French sporadically. Not
at my direction but out of her own
interest.

Mikey is getting eight weeks of horticulture
through his Internship at Longwood Gardens.

Jonathan can be found perfecting his art
with a friend who majored in graphic arts
in a trade school last year. Just for fun
they have done ink drawings, watercolor and
sketching.

However, my mind is turning to the days when
we will gather in the living room discussing
the merits of a republic over socialism or a
dictatorship.
How God made our various body parts in just
the right ways as we study anatomy.
Reading aloud a piece of literature which
captivates and inspires.

You know,this kind of time with the kids
will be done after this year.
Mikey and Jonathan will graduate
leaving Chelsea and I on our own
for her last three years.

So, I intend to cherish our time this year.
To pack in as much about God, His goodness
and Seeking His will as is possible to do
without making the kids too crazy. This is
the lesson I most wish to get across to the
boys as they head into manhood and the
responsibilities that brings.

It is happening.
I see it daily.

Praying for wisdom and strength as we
have a very eventful year ahead.

Becky K.

P.S. A Partial Curriculum List:

John MacArthur - The Truth War
BJU Press - The American Republic
W. Cleon Skousen - A Miracle that Changed the World- A 5,000 Year Leap
A Beka - America, Land That I Love

Alan L. Gillen - Body By Design
I. Edward Alcamo - Anatomy Coloring Workbook

Alpha Omega - Accounting I

Rosetta Stone - French

Again, this is a partial list of this year's curriculum
but we will use these resources to gain an understanding
of the subjects studied.

eBay and I Are Bonding!

2009-07-22T09:42:00.004-04:00

O.k., admittedly I am sick and tired of
posting items for sale. It would be so
much better to just make a huge post and
sell all of our items in one grouping.

While that would save time.
It really wouldn't be the best way to
go about selling the many, many things
we have collected over the past couple
of years.

If you are interested in seeing what I
have listed so far...go to View Sellers Other Items
on this page.
You will find that on the right under
"Ask a Question".

I have much, much more to list.
The photos are taken but for now
I am headed to plant more pretties
in the flower garden.

Toodles!

Becky K.

What God Is Teaching Me About Educating My Kids

2009-07-07T14:01:00.004-04:00

Why do we parents who are educating our children at home, hold up government schools as the gold standard to be copied? I am speaking about a different thing than following your states requirements. I mean why do we try to copy their way of teaching or their class offerings?

I learned recently that the higher math and sciences that most people struggle with were added to the curriculum in the 50's and 60's when the United States was competing with the then Soviet Union in the space race. Before that they weren't a regular part of the public school curriculum. I am not saying that it is bad for kids to be challenged in education, but just that we need to free ourselves from their pattern and see what works for our own kids and where they are headed.

The most important thing in educating our children is to teach them to love to learn. We do not need to fret over what curriculum to use - we need to seek the Lord for each child and ask Him to show us who each child is and what they need. He created them, He will show you.

You may have a student headed for college, but don't limit them to the government norms. Let them find their niche. You may have students who are not headed for college and this is where you can truly be creative with their education! What are they interested in? What passions do they have? This is your chance to let them take their interests as far as they want!

The most important thing to accomplish during this time is to walk along side them and disciple them in the things of the Lord and encourage them to walk with God themselves.

Freedom is what I found this year after 15 years of homeschooling!

Summer is Here!!!

2009-06-23T09:19:00.003-04:00

Learning never stops!

We are gardening, cooking,
should be cleaning...

We are reading, studying God's Word,
preparing for fun Field Trips.

I am tutoring a neighbor boy...so it
looks a lot like the rest of the school
year around here. That is just the way
we like it!

Our evaluations were great.
The kids are moving into a new
stage of life and learning but
it is good for all of us.

Take the time to learn something new
about a long interesting subject this
summer. What might it be for you?

I am learning a new Web Site Program.
Challenging for this brain but I think the
end result for our church web site will be
worth it.

Happy Learning to you and yours~

Becky K. and Family

P.S. I would have put these photos into the
text of the post but my Chelsea just brought
me the best looking blueberry pancakes...I am
going to press publish and eat these instead.
((Smiles)) and ((hugs)) to you.

Evaluations are Approaching

2009-06-04T07:28:00.002-04:00

In Pennsylvania we are required to
have an independent evaluator go over
samples of the work completed for the
school year. His or Her responsibility
is to verify that State Requirements
have been met.

They will check for the proper number
of days completed, that any testing needed
has been completed and that each child has
made progress.

This has often been a stressful time for
me as I consider it more of an evaluation
of the job I have done than that of the
children.

Every year our evaluators, we have two,
are very complimentary and stress that
I should relax.

Maybe this year!

This Cracked me Up!

2009-05-07T08:44:00.002-04:00

We were sitting on the couch
doing math. Chelsea was using
me for moral support.

Math is not her thing...as it
is not mine.

We were doing a review of
Order of Operations.

I like this particular exercise
because they have to pay attention
and get to review all of the basics
in nearly every problem.

However, apparently it was almost
too much for poor Chelsea.

She suddenly blurted out,
"Someday I am going to need
counseling after this math!"

I lost it in a fit of giggles!

Oh, the drama!

Keeping it Real

2009-05-04T22:29:00.002-04:00

One of the things I have learned about teaching our children is that the more they can do in "real life" as opposed to an artificial classroom setting the happier they are and the more they learn.

This doesn't always translate well to the outside world that considers school to be several hours a day behind a desk.

It is much more common for our school day to have a limited amount of "formal" school time and much more conversation, debate, projects, activities, caring for family members, helping in the neighborhood, investigating things each one is interested in, following Daddy around the garage, and so much more. Learning is endless...our biggest challenge was learning to recognize the value of real life lessons.

When our children are young there is a certain amount of copy work and structured learning that absolutely must happen to lay the ground work for teaching them to learn. As High School students this type of learning is reduced to math, English and spelling, as it relates to the disciplines of sitting down to school.

History, Science, Geography, Computer Lab, Keyboarding, Home Ec, Phys Ed and Civics are most often caught as we read great books, work on a dirt bike, help Mom make dinner, write a blog, learn to use a photo editing program just for fun, watch those favorite shows such as Myth Busters or Netflix DVD's on a specific subject. It is always great to tie our History and Bible together and really get a feel for how the many stories we have learned all of these years fit into the known World History of the time.

We find ourselves making time to spend with friends for skating, bowling, movies, English Country Balls, Bible Study, riding dirt bike, rocketry, playing capture the flag...and so much more.

Each of these things has something valuable to offer the entire homeschool experience.

Mikey is often found outside with his garden or plotting and planning for a friend who has requested his design service...that is when he is not at work learning about business, taking care of customers, keeping a store stocked and other valuable lessons you gain in a work environment.

Our homeschool certainly looks different than it did when the kids were in elementary grades but I wouldn't change a thing.

When I find a resistant reader finishing a book because a friend recommended it...and it is non-fiction and has a great message or another son listens to a short message on the radio and comments on a subject that most kids his age wouldn't care about in the least there is that little sigh...a sigh that says these are the real learning times.

I document them as the valuable school time that they are.

This post is overly simplistic but hopefully you catch the intent.

Homeschool must be practical.
We must adjust and use the real world to prepare our
children to be adults out there.

They need to learn how to learn more than they need to
have statistics and facts shoved in their brains for memorization
for a test. These things tend to just fall back out after the
test is completed anyway.

This may be the hardest way to homeschool.
I say that because it is much easier to feel we
have "done school" when we have processed through
workbooks and texts.

It is harder to quantify a year's worth of work when
it is made up of thoughtful conversations, books read
for fun, projects and caring, added responsibilities.

But it is a worthwhile endeavor!

In the Home Stretch

2009-04-04T16:12:00.003-04:00

We are getting so close to wrapping up another
school year. Chelsea is tracking our days. We
have something less than thirty to complete to
meet our State requirements.

Many of our friends who start their school
year earlier are just about done.

This is the time of the year
that I find bittersweet.

I want to enjoy days to do whatever strikes
my fancy...I see those windows that need to
be washed and the sorting and organizing that
languishes while we do our math and history.

I also think about all of the subject matter that
I still want to cover and hope for the time to
get it all done.

So, I am totally conflicted as we head into this
time of the year.

Making it even more poignant this year is that
we are in our boys junior year. Next year will
be the last opportunity I will have to give them
formal training. What more do they need to go
out into the world? What am I missing?

These thoughts roll around in my head sometimes
to torture and other times inspiring me to stay
the course.

The most important thing to remember as we wrap
up the formal school year is that
the learning doesn't stop just because we no longer
need to document days. It is an ongoing and very
fulfilling process.

We should be able to continue our learning process
no matter what time of the year or what stage of
life we are in.

As an adult I have learned so much about life, how
to do new things and skills with which I earn money
or help others. These are the things that I want
our kids to know.

Learning is life long.

The switch on the brain does not turn off for summer
or immediately after graduation.

The process continues!

Happy Teaching...
and learning...
to you!

Becky K.

Back to Full Swing!

2009-04-01T08:23:00.004-04:00

Good thing, too!

We had a Learning Fair last week.
Chelsea did a display about one
of her favorite series.
The Allison Chronicles
by Melody Carlson.

Chels spent hours and hours putting
her display together and writing a
multiple paged review.

The Rabes were there with displays,
as well. It was great to see what
the students of our co-op had been
busy reading over this past year.

Some photos of the event...

O.k. so you can tell that Chelsea wasn't feeling totally better
yet...still isn't. But she is getting there.

Fun times!

Learning much!

Becky K.

Screech!

2009-03-24T11:24:00.002-04:00

So our plans have come to a near stop
today.

The Momma is sick!

However, thanks to a little thing
called a book...school is going on.

All three are tucked in corners reading
away. They had a choice...read or work
on their Research Paper. Funny, how
reading took priority over those papers.

In a little while Mikey will put his
learner's permit to work and drive all
of us to bowling. I will likely either
drive him crazy with my fear or be nearly
passed out from fever. It remains to be
seen.

If the Tylenol knocks down the fever I will
be good to go, if not, I may not get out of
the van.

Either way, I win as Mother of the Year for
making sure these angels get to fellowship
with their dearest friends and another gym
day is checked off the schedule...lol.

Understand that everyone else I know has already
had this or been very exposed to it. I am slow
to surrender. I am not exposing innocent people
to these particular germs.

Blessings!

Becky K.

All About Books!

2009-03-18T06:37:00.003-04:00

Our Homeschool Co-op is preparing for
our annual Learning Fair. This happens
when students and parents get together
to feature something they have learned
over the current school year.

This year's theme is....Books!

My 13 year old is busily preparing a display
about a series of books she devoured recently.

They are The Allison Chronicles by Melody Carlson.

She has been working on her display board and
writing a synopsis of the first story, complete
with her own drawings that would be more than
enough to meet the requirements of a ten page
report. Funny thing is she just wrote a ten
page research paper on dogs. The boys are
struggling to write ten pages on their chosen
subjects...and she just whips out two major
projects as if it were nothing.

Such are the differences we have with our
own students.

The boys are working together on a project
for the Learning Fair. It is on a book series
that Mikey has been reading this year. It is
a fictional trilogy about Mars. I am just over
anxious to see what they are coming up with for
that.

Some of the Moms were wishing we could have
tables to show off some of our recommended reading.
Now, that would be fun!

May your homeschool day be filled with peace,
love and joy today!

How Chelsea Learned to Read...

2009-03-10T07:34:00.004-04:00

It was so simple.

After having two boys who failed to
enjoy reading after learning in the
local public school, I wondered how
I was going to manage to teach Chelsea
from scratch.

Whether it was that she was a girl,
had different interests...or just that
it was more enjoyable with less pressure
she was a great learner.

I used a very simple reader system
purchased from Amazon.com.

They are Now I am Reading series by Nora Gaydos.
Little books come in small coordinating
cardboard cases. There are stickers for
each book when read satisfactorily.

When you start at the beginning of this
series and work your way through the
foundation is there to learn to read
very well.

Just a recommendation from a system that
worked for us...did not cost a lot of money
and did not take up a ton of room!

Happy Homeschooling!

Homeschooling...The Journey

2009-03-03T07:58:00.003-05:00

One never knows what paths life
will take when you are young.

As a teenager I watched my Aunt
and Uncle struggle through the
trials of being among the first
to homeschool. It was not popular...
it was weird.

Then I had my own children.
We tried the public school
route. I watched their
personalities change.
We saw the tears as they were
forced to get on a bus.

Things happened. We thought we would
just try a catch up year for our oldest.
Then I became "weird" just like my
Aunt and Uncle. I knew that homeschooling
was the way for us to go.

Our kids became "weird".

They had imaginations, creativity,
and the ability to think for themselves
that was in the process of being squashed
in the context of a room of twenty-plus
children and the need for conformity.

We did not need to spend a small fortune
on back to school clothes each year...leaving
more for fun curriculum. Some that worked...some
that got put back on the shelf or handed off to
others with different learning styles.

We were able to directly address specific
learning challenges and deal with behavior
issues in ways that we felt were Biblical
rather than politically correct.

We chose the friends that our children associated
with rather than having to explain why the lifestyles
of their friends parents were not right.
Been there...done that!

As they have grown older we have the opportunity to
discuss these issues. It was over the top in the
elementary ages to be forced in to these discussions.

We have children who truly adore each other.
Sure, they fight and get on each other's nerves
just like anywhere else...but how wonderful is it
that Warren and I can be sitting in a room sharing
time chatting over our day and one by one three
teenagers join us and such a pleasant spirit of
fellowship emerges.

It happened just last evening in the family room,
by the fire. So spontaneous...so pleasant.
These are the fruits of a homeschool family.
The rewards.
Relationships...
Individual lesson plans...
Flexibility...
Spiritual Awareness...
Love...
Respect...
Joy...

We are fast approaching the end of the
boys' formal learning at home...but their
lifetime of learning is just beginning.

We are attempting to prepare them for
the future to make a living and raise a
family of their own doing something that
God has specifically gifted them to do.
Something that will bring them joy and
satisfaction at the end of the day.

We would be delighted if it were something
that paid well but will be just as proud if
that something that they are called to do
meets their needs and allows them to serve
others.

Homeschooling...it is a journey.

It is a beautiful life!

Funny..but True!

2009-02-08T07:33:00.002-05:00

I teach a 4-6th grade music class, as you
are tired of hearing about...but this
week I cracked up when this happened.

I was getting ready to play a piece of music
for the kids. They were to analyze what of their
vocabulary terms they heard in the music.

I accidentally used the word vocabulary when
I said, "You know those vocabulary words we have
been learning." You should have heard the mostly
boys say "No! I can't do English...We haven't
been doing vocabulary!"

I then asked them to tell me what terms like
adagio, aria, opera, orchestra, allegro, presto
and more meant. They knew, of course!

But, just do not EVER call it vocabulary Mrs. K!

Too funny!

Aren't we all like that?

Those things that we think we don't like.

If we just come at it from a different perspective.
Make it fresh and new.

Now...what can I call dusting so that
I can enjoy it?
I know some times we just have to buckle down and
do those things we dislike.
But when it can be fun...why not!?!

Teaching Music is fun!

2009-01-30T07:06:00.002-05:00

It is!

If you use tools.

I was introduced to some videos
of Victor Borge recently.

Yesterday, at Co-op, I shared some
clips with my 4-6th grade music class.

We are learning about classical music.

I have a master vocabulary list that I
am working from each week. For the term,
Aria, I found a very funny clip of Victor
and a soprano named Marilyn. He is so funny
and she plays along so well. The kids loved
it and it will stick in their heads so much
longer than if I had given a twenty minute
lecture on the Aria...

If you are needing some music inspiration,
I highly recommend this.

You will all laugh!

Note: I did preview and pick and choose.
Nothing he does is horrible...but depending
on the age...some of it is suggestive.

Have an awesome day today and a great weekend!

Great Article

2009-01-28T09:36:00.000-05:00

If they Would Only Follow Directions....

2009-01-27T08:57:00.002-05:00

This week has been one of frustration
and fun all at the same time.

We are working on a math concept that
should not be that difficult. In fact,
it would not be if the kids would only
bend their pride and follow my directions.

They are intent on doing the processes
we are working on in their heads. Not
only does this take the fun out of it but
it leads to frequently wrong answers.

Oh, my how often do we do this in our
daily lives. Attempt to shortcut and
"know better"?

God has given us all of the instruction that
we need. It is all in a very handy and
easy to follow instruction manual...it is
called The Bible. But how often do we turn
to the instructions as a last resort...

Sad. But true.

I am working on learning from the object
lesson provided from our homeschool week.

Turning to the manual...

Learning from the Master Instructor!

Watching the Inauguration....

2009-01-20T07:53:00.002-05:00

...and praying for safety for
all involved.

History is surely being made today.

May the Leaders of this Country,
The United States of America,
truly seek after God's Heart.

For we are founded on the Principles
that it is "In God we Trust!"

Blessings on your day today.

Becky

We Are Back...

2009-01-12T16:08:00.002-05:00

We basically took 3 weeks during Christmas and New Year's away from formal learning.

Today we got back to it. Math for all, History too. Right now we are studying Medieval History, pre- Reformation. It is soooo interesting. Lindsay and Emily did a writing activity from The Word Artist and Rachel did some copy work. For Bible we have our family Bible Study, Apologetics in our Sunday School Class, Friday nights at church...the kids are always creating, cooking, playing music so it is a natural part of our day. They also are always reading...Emily is knitting, Lindsay is working with my Dad's horse to get her to load on our trailer, so that she can be taken for trail rides....

I like our learning to flow out of our family life. That makes it a natural way to learn and much more applicable to every day life!

Deanna

Our Most Recent School Days...

2009-01-09T09:51:00.004-05:00

Some history by way of the HBO
movie, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee...
too much for Chelsea...but the boys
and I really got a lot out of it.

Chelsea went and worked on her
writing while we watched this.

More History by way of another
Movie...Anne of Green Gables.
We are watching the third in the
series. This one is about WWI.

Literature, Bible and Vocabulary
come from In His Steps by
Charles M. Sheldon.
We are doing a unit study on this
book.

Math. I am making worksheets
from the internet to do review of
the basics. We have also been enjoying
the process of learning more about
Order of Operation.

Unfortunately, we have decided to
basically ditch Teaching Textbooks
for now. I say unfortunately because
they were great for me...the kids did
them on their own. I found, however, that
they were just going through the process
and not really learning.

Oh well, what works for some...does not work
for all. We also had the issue of not having
enough daily computer time for all three to get
their lessons done.

The classes in Apologetics continue and science
goes on in various forms. Each child is at a
different place on the Science subject.

Chelsea wants to study grammar intensely since
it is her long time goal to be a writer who gets
published one of these days.

The boys continue to work toward their individual
interests basically self-directed with assistance
and support from us.

Thus school goes on....

A Little Phys Ed...over 2008

2009-01-02T08:11:00.016-05:00

Bowling...

Bike Riding...

Frisbee Playing...

Corn Husking...

Skate Boarding...

Bed Flopping...

Playing with Friends...

Baseball in the Park...

Nerf War in the Woods...

Leaf Raking...

Pumpkin Smashing...

Rocket Chasing

Creekwalking...

Apple picking...

Tree Climbing...

Dirtbiking...

Horseback Riding...

Let Them Help YOU!

2008-12-17T08:00:00.002-05:00

Who really wants to just get thier projects done without happy little interferences from sticky little fingers?
Who, you?
Me?
Well, of course.
It is so much faster and more efficient if we just do it ourselves.

Or is it????

I tend toward the independent, just get it done way of doing things...
but this old dog is learning some new tricks.
Boy am I glad I am!

We had a Ladies Tea at church Monday evening.
Mrs. Rabe and I worked together to host it...
she more than I.

Anyway, I, being the idiot that I am said that I
would make sausage balls and fudge. I guess that it
didn't occur to me that we would be spending a large portion
of the day at the church decorating and that I would have a
last minute inspiration to get a pretty tree and decorate it.

Let me tell you that my daughter came to my rescue that day.
The beautiful thing was that she didn't know that I was out
of energy...she just wanted to make the sausage balls and the
fudge because she enjoys these things. She has been doing more
cooking and baking this year and is getting quite good at it.

So...if I stop and think about it...all of those very messy
times when I gritted my teeth and let her "help" were very
well worth it and there was a payoff on Monday as I snuggled
in my bed for a 15 minute nap while she stood in the kitchen
and made tiny little matching sausage cheddar balls.

Want the recipe?
From Cyndi Allison on the Suite101.com site.

2 cups Bisquick
1 pound sausage
10 oz. pack of shredded cheese (or just shred your own from a block of cheddar)
Directions:

Put everything in the bowl and mix. This is easiest to do with your hands though it feels pretty gross at this stage.

Roll the mixture into balls, a little smaller than golf balls.
(We make ours smaller)

Place the sausage balls on a cookie sheet (We put ours in a cake pan...no grease drips in the oven).

Bake at 350 degress F for about 20 minutes. The Bisquick balls should be lightly browned wtih the meat cooked through.

YUMMY!

Anyway, what I learned from this was that it was worthwhile to let those little hands "help" even before they were really capable.
So, grit your teeth and invite them to help you cook, clean,
fold the laundry...one day it will be done the way you wanted,
or even better!

Smiles...
Becky K.

Home Ec

2008-12-08T14:52:00.002-05:00

My home needed attention.

In my mind I was formulating a
list of things that needed to be
accomplished.

I wondered...would my kids know
what daily activities should be
done to keep a home? I am sure
that Chelsea would but what about
the boys?

So...this morning's schoolwork became
primarily about the responsibilities
of housekeeping and maintenance.

We made a list.

Each child with their own notebook.

We took a day...from the beginning...
and broke it down into steps that should
be taken daily in every well cared for home.

We moved on to the regular things that, while
not necessary on a daily basis, need to be done
regularly or the home will not function, smell
or look well.

Our list grew to cover nearly two pages.

There were items such as the obvious:
Vacuuming, mopping floors...to the weeding
and mowing out of doors.

Soon, I had three helpers folding a completed
load of laundry in front of me.

Imagine their chagrin as I told them how to
"properly" fold a bath towel. Huh????

I guess we need a bit more practice on that
one.

Finally, I wrote three assignments each on
separate slips of paper. I had each of them
pull three. Then complete the tasks assigned.

This was good because while the all have chores,
those things are what they are accustomed to doing.
It has been simple to keep those things as each
child's responsibilities but this morning they
drew tasks that were unfamiliar to them. Fun!

There was an attempt at grumbling...but all three
went above and beyond in carrying out their assigned
duties.

Hopefully, they will have a better appreciation
for what it takes to keep a home. Not just the
perspective of those things we ask them to help
with.

Becky K.

Ideas for Schooling During The Holidays

2008-12-03T06:59:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I posted about the great Ruby Doll Kit, and how that would be a fun way to do school during the holidays.

I am going to put on my thinking cap and try to get this ball rolling!

Let's see how many we can think of:

1. Read aloud from great Christmas stories! If you find books set in the same time period you are studying history, so much the better! I don't know if you do oral reading during your regular home school routine - we do all our history this way! My kids learn so much from getting involved in someones story! Even if you can't find good Christmas type stories, you could find historical fiction, maybe something you haven't read before and read aloud.

2. Make Christmas cookies for your neighbors. I found a set of Nativity cookie cutters at Berean Bookstore and we are going to make our neighbors cookies that tell the Christmas story. This could count for math and science (measuring and the chemistry of cooking), history, art.

3. Have your children make Christmas cards. Let them write the a verse inside that pertains to Christmas. This will give them practice on copywork, penmanship, art.

4. Divide up basic household chores. This makes your load lighter and can count as Home Ec.

5. Assign your children a writing assignment on what the Christmas season means to them.

6. Have your kids send Christmas cards to missionaries, especially if the missionary family has kids. This will be so encouraging to the missionaries as well as possibly develop a pen pal relationship for your kids.

Your turn to give me ideas!!!!

More Christmas Schooling Ideas

2008-12-01T09:43:00.005-05:00

This time of year always leads us to doing baking, crafting, sewing, knitting - all great Home Economics projects!

I found a great resource from Doorposts - The Ruby Doll!

This great kit gives you all the materials for making Ruby - a Proverbs 31 woman and her family! They give enough material for Ruby, her husband, 5 kids and a baby! Having 6 children myself, let me tell you most doll sets only include 1 boy and 1 girl! This is great for the larger family!

This kit also comes with lessons on sewing, stitching, baking...so there are lots of possibilities for fun as well as real skills to learn! I really like this idea for Christmas learning - not only do your children end up with dolls they can play with over and over (these would make great church dolls) but the lessons can be used during the holiday season for learning. Who needs to do regular math when you are learning measuring, who needs to do language arts when you are studying Proverbs 31? Bible? Of course! You can find this kit here.

I love to do some different kinds of learning during the holidays - it helps make it a special time for us all. We have plenty of time during the winter months to "hit the books." Break out and try something different!

It may just ease the stress of the season for you all!

I'd love to hear from you about what kinds of things you like to do during the holidays, to make learning fun!

So, How is School?

2008-12-01T06:50:00.003-05:00

Has the "Holiday Bug" bitten you yet?

Is it hard to focus on the
school work at hand?

How about making your Christmas Plans
these last few weeks before Christmas
Day fit into curriculum?

You could do a history unit on the
time period surrounding the birth
of Christ. This is a time that
we often ignore in our usual Curriculum
Planning. But much happened and it
goes a long way to helping our students
with Apologetics. So often the Bible is
so familiar that we forget that it was a
real time with real problems and people.
Governments that operated well and poorly.
It is neat to figure out why something worked
or didn't. I love getting to know the background
of those who are mentioned in the Bible.
So many resources...so little time!

The younger ones could sculpt a Nativity
from clay or Play-Doh.

The olders could do a fine art piece of the
Nativity in pencil or paint.

The music offers much opportunity for learning.
It is a great time to mesh music and community
service by caroling in a Nursing Home or even
around the block!

Have fun with this time of the year. Know that
the regular curriculum may be looking dreary in
comparison to all of the excitement that the
Season brings. Roll with it....get to the Library
and take out books that are stories relating to
Christmas...see I just can't stop.

Blessings!

Becky K.

Fun!

2008-11-23T21:23:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Lang Lang - A Pianist with Passion

2008-11-22T13:52:00.002-05:00

I love this guy's enthusiasm.

I have been a fan for a few years now.

This is a great demonstration of how he interprets the music he plays.

Beware of the energy...it is something else.

]
The children will relate to his passion.

Here he uses fruit to play a piece:

Hopefully the kids won't go home and make orange juice on thie piano!

Amazing Discovery

2008-11-22T13:44:00.002-05:00

I am working on my music class for the Spring Semester with my Middle Schoolers.

We will be studying composers. This may be the best, youngest current composer I know of.

I will be looking for a way to allow the students to check this out.

In the meanwhile... be my guest.

A Helpful Resource

2008-11-18T18:42:00.003-05:00

A club for Teachers.

This is on the Elmer's Glue Site.
There are projects to try out for art and science.

They don't care if you are a homeschool
teacher or classroom teacher.
It is free to join.

You receive occasional emails full of
ideas or you can check out the website
anytime.

There are many uses for the common products
made by this company.

Have fun!

Becky K.

Literature for the Disinterested

2008-11-17T16:26:00.004-05:00

Here is my theory...

Our non-readers are just readers who
have not found books to be passionate
about yet.

All of my children read at least at grade
level...finally.

I say finally, because Jonathan has real issues
that make reading difficult for him. At seventeen
he is able to read just about anything he sets his
mind to now, but it does not mean that it is easy for
him.

Because of the way his eyes track and see things,
he gets headaches when he reads. It is very hard
work.

We let him use a lot of Audio books for pleasure
"reading" with other reading required for his
school work.

Mikey does not read for pleasure...at least not
in the way I do. He would never pick up a novel
and just read it for fun...however...he reads all
the time!!!

Mikey is an avid Motorbike enthusiast and video
gamer. Another subject entirely...however, his
interest in these things has interested him in
reading absolutely everything he can get his hands
on on either subject. I do limit this when it
comes to the games, due to some
very nasty games that are often reviewed in magazines.
For this he has to get his information on specific games.
he is not allowed to read any gamer magazines because of
the broad content in them.
He knows and has been very good about it.

But when it comes to his own games he knows the game
manual inside and out.

Anyway, over the past couple of years Mikey has probably
read more than ever before in his life...because he has
found a passion.

He zipped through the Driver's Manual. I know he comprehends
what he read because he was using it against me in the
passenger's seat regularly. Tee-hee~ I'm not that bad...

Chelsea has always been an avid reader and will often
be awake late reading her favorite books. My issue with
her is getting her to try new authors. She tends to be
very loyal...lol.

If your child struggles with reading...don't
give up.
Change something.

Try a magazine or books on a different subject.
Read out loud a lot!
Take them to the Library and let them choose whatever
looks great to them.
Encourage story telling of their own.
Act out a chapter in their favorite book.
Have them tell you an alternate ending.

Once you find their reading passion they will be hooked!

Just some thoughts as I think back on how we got three
great readers.

There were some very hard times in the process. I wish
I had been braver and given up the "reader" approach
sooner. While it worked for Chelsea, it was NOT my best
option for the boys. It worked against us.

So, go for it! Make those necessary changes. Then enjoy
the results.

Teaching is about finding what works...not processing
paperwork!!!!

Love it!!!

The Brain and The Ear

2008-11-11T05:52:00.003-05:00

It has been so much fun and so enlightening
to study these parts of the body.

The kids seem to be enjoying it as much as
possible. They find things about it to amuse
themselves with. Little jokes.

It is truly amazing to see how many, many things
must work together in order for us to simply
breathe.

To stand upright our fluid balance must
be exactly right.

To see how even the tiniest hairs inside our
heads have purpose.

The many, many thousands of neuro transmitters
that must interract properly for us to do
anything...anything at all.

I am in awe of a Creator who could put us
together just so and wonder at the creativity
and scientific knowledge that we have yet to
discover about this awesome God.

The Eyeball

2008-10-30T05:41:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I grossed out Chelsea and got the boys
attention by studying the human eyeball.

Thankfully this was not hands on.

We did do some fun exercises that found
our "blind spot" and other interesting
things about our eyes.

The complexity of this thing we call vision
simply boggles the mind. To see all of the
parts that make it up, the connection to the
brain...the neuro pathways that have to work
in order for us to see.

Simply Amazing!

I was such a fun thing to learn about.

Next...we study...
The Ear!

For some reason when I was in Middle School
I was fascinated by drawing the inner ear.
I got over it...but I was really good at it!

Who knew???

Hope you are having fun in your studies.

Becky K.

This Header Photo

2008-09-20T07:53:00.002-04:00

I love this picture of Miss Rachel with her
Grandpa Bob. It is a joy to observe our children
interacting with their Grandparents. In both
the Rabe household, and in ours, Grandparents are
very present and involved.

My Mom is committed to teaching my children
Bible(all), Drivers Ed(boys) and Home Ec(Chelsea)
one day per week this year. I will love that
time for many reasons. Mom has a wealth of
wisdom and a great love for the Lord that she
will communicate, she has a lifetime of experience
to share from and this will make their relationship
even stronger than it is today, if that is possible.

Homeschooling is rich in relationships.
Intergenerational relationships.
This is a good thing!

Becky K.

Homeschool Co-op has Begun!

2008-09-20T07:33:00.003-04:00

Indeedy!

It began with a bang!

Nearly 60 families arrived at
the church auditorium with excitement
and trepidation.

The returning families were delighted to
see each other...the new families looked
a bit tentative.

Nonetheless, it was wonderful
to see every one.

I sat with many high schoolers as the opening
announcements were made. I have known many
of these young people since they were in elementary
grades. My, how they have grown.
And so nicely too.

It blesses my heart to see older siblings caring
for younger as some Moms have responsibilities in
leading the co-op.
There are no obvious complaints.
They just serve like that.

There are always things that need adjustments,
our co-op has those too. We are working them
out. I am so thankful for the solid foundation
of friendship that makes ironing out the wrinkles
possible.

Co-op is not just about the students.
The parents need this connection also.

Most times it is the Moms, however, lately
some of the Dads have been meeting together
quarterly for breakfast . I think this is
great. It is a very good thing to see these
Dads recognizing their part in the homeschool
process and wanting to do more to support their
wives and children.

Well, enough rambling.

I'll be back with updates every now and then.

Becky K.

Fitting in Jobs and School

2008-09-10T07:28:00.004-04:00

Working teenagers have been around for a very long time.

It is a bit different when we homeschool and try to be flexible with our school schedule to accomodate jobs.

Both Mrs. Rabe and myself are experiencing this during the early part of this school year as employers are eager to hire homeschooled teens because of their flex schedule. Our children work in the tourist industry of Lancaster County and will continue working until the end of October.

It becomes a challenge also as our children begin to stay up later and then want to sleep longer. It is known that teens actually need as much, if not more sleep, as their younger counterparts.

How am I dealing with this?

I am struggling, a little, to get everything in.

We are learning as we go.

I am sure that there will be days this winter that the public school students will enjoy snow days and ours will be snuggled up with a textbook. This is life as we know it. I personally love those days.

I also count some of the job time as school time.

Our children are learning so much on the job!

They are learning about working with people, responsibility, going to work when you don't feel like it, handling money (in some cases), doing customer service and so much more. All of our children work in a strong science environment and safety is a huge component of their jobs. They are all extremely physically active in their various positions. I consider it a work/school environment.

This does not relieve us from getting in the required math, english, history and science...those are continuing to be done...

If you are in this position, what changes have you made to accomodate a work schedule?

Becky K.

Food Science...

2008-09-08T17:50:00.002-04:00

Does anyone have a good resource for teaching about food science?

I have two children interested in the subject and a book
on order but we will not receive it until October because
it is backordered.

I will go to the Library and search but I thought if you knew
of something it would be easier than starting from scratch.

Blessings on your day!

Becky K.

Friends, What Friends?

2008-09-04T08:15:00.002-04:00

I put this header up because I love the
good times our children enjoy together.

Over the next few weeks I will change this header out
with other ones that show the active lives our
homeschooled children live.

They are busy, active and a whole lot
of fun!
Becky K.

This Poor Blog...

2008-09-04T07:55:00.004-04:00

Sitting here all alone...

I have been ever so neglectful
of it all summer.

Not anymore!

Things are happening...we are
ready to share our fun and excitement.

We began school only to have our first
week be knocked completely full of holes
since all three kids worked a lot.

I know this is part of the process and they
are learning so much at their jobs. I just
need to adjust my expectations of the material
that we were able to get through for ourselves.

This week is somewhat better in quantity of
work we will get done...but Monday was a Holiday!

I was excited yesterday to get to the library and
find the materials I went for! That is cool!

We are studying Rome. It wasn't built in a day,
you know...sorry, couldn't resist.

I found a series of books about what it was like
to live in different time periods. I need to
preview them as they were not in the youth section.

Some very interesting things took place in those
early days and I need to see just how revealing these
books are...but I just know there will be usable
material there and I am beside myself with glee.

We began our year reading a youth fiction called
Time Shift. It was a great literature jumping off
point. Not because the writing was anything fabulous.
Definitely not a classic, but because the story caught
the kids attention and there are lots and lots of
helpful hints about writing in the story...the main
character loves to write...and everything he writes
actually happens...I used this to have the kids do
writing assignments, exercises in story ideas, etc.

It was a fun way to start lit this year.

When we were at the library yesterday, Chelsea
found the next book in the series and insisted that
we do that together next.

Enthusiasm is a very good thing!

Well, happy schooling to you this year.

Come back...

Blessings!

Becky K.

The CBD Order

2008-08-12T07:59:00.002-04:00

It is an annual ritual.

However, it is usually taken care of long before now.
I've been just a bit busy this summer with moving into
the new Church Building and painting it, etc.

Crazy Busy.

Now it is time to buckle down and get the school stuff
done. So, last night, as I listened to the Olympics on
TV, I ordered math...my most dreaded subject. Hopefully
this year will go well again with Teaching Textbooks.
We are into Algebra. I never got it...not after three
years. Thankfully Warren understands it and these Teaching
Textbooks are a Godsend.

I am looking forward to the beginning of school.

It is coming soon!

Becky K.

It won't be long!

2008-08-06T08:28:00.003-04:00

We are about to begin a new school year.

This is headed into being our most exciting
and purposeful year yet.

Both boys are actually working toward life
career goals and we are able to make that
a major focus this year. Kind of like our
own Vo-Tech, if you like.

Jonathan is already hard at work learning
a 3-d animation program and has another one
just waiting for him. He has plans to shadow
the art department of a large local theatre.
We just need to set a date.

Mikey is excited to jump into his horticulture
studies with the goal of interning at Longwood
Gardens. He prefers to end up in their two year
program but will have to see if he would do better
to start with the summer high school internship next
summer. Grandma Ruth is very excited to help him
with his garden design and learning on this subject.
They share this passion.

Grandma Ruth is also excited to work with Jonathan
to get him prepared to pass his driver's permit test.

What does that leave me?

LOTS!

You know, all of the basics, fun with Chelsea,
and tons to do at Co-op.

How is your year shaping up?

Gearing Up For The New Year!

2008-07-24T10:45:00.005-04:00

I think I could do year round schooling. Truly.

I never used to think so, I looked forward to the summer break as much as my kids. I noticed this year though, that I wasn't ready to stop, I wanted to keep going, but as I was unprepared for that, we didn't.

Normally we start school the first week of August, but since we will have family visiting, I think we will get started a few weeks late. This coupled with my girls work at the maze, makes me worried we will be behind. I need to STOP the worry and pressure. We finished really early this year. I have all the time I need. I don't need artificial schedules.

I have all the required paperwork turned into the school district and we are ready to roll. I want learning to be a part of everyday life - I don't like "now it is time for school". I use those words, but I don't like them. I would rather say "do some math, now we are going to learn about the Romans etc...." We don't do school - to me school is desks and timetables and peer groups, and drama....

We are raising our children to love to learn and to do it in a natural way. Yes it is directed, but beyond the basics, we let them learn what they are interested in. It is delightful how much stays with them when they are learning what they have an interest in or passion for.

Now, since we have requirements required by the state, I am going to print off log pages for the girls. One more step toward the new year.

I'm excited!

Evaluations are Complete!

2008-06-23T08:32:00.002-04:00

Hooray!

All of our evaluations have been completed.

All children did well.

Mommy is much relieved!

Now back to gardening!

Becky K.

Deep into Evaluations at Hospitality Lane

2008-06-14T07:53:00.002-04:00

Jonathan has passed into 11th grade. He had his evaluation last week. I am so happy for him. His attitude was great this year and he jumped a couple of grades in math. Knowing how hard this subject is for him...I am very pleased.

Mikey and Chelsea have their evaluations this week. I am not worried about them doing well...they are great...I am worried about finding enough of their work to get the portfolios put together by Wednesday. It has been a "little" busy here of late.

Blessings on your day!

Becky K.

Identification Fun!

2008-05-27T08:18:00.004-04:00

Hey, want to have some fun with your
children? Set them off to identify
these creatures that we have captured
on camera over the past two days...
Click on the picture to see it larger.

Becky K.

Library Visits

2008-05-14T15:31:00.002-04:00

We love to go to the Library.

It seems to me each time I go
there are about 100 books to get
excited about.

Chelsea has been learning to use
the computer search feature to find books
that she likes.

Today I picked up The Girl of the Limberlost
for Chelsea to read.
I loved this book as a young girl.
She is a bit resistant as
she wants to pick her own books, however,
I reminded her that I have never picked out
a book or series that she didn't like.

Since Jonathan's reading is "tortured" due
to his dyslexia and eye focusing/tracking
issues we always find as many books on tape
as possible to keep his mind busy and on the
cutting edge. He reads shorter, simpler things
for school but I feel it is important for him
to enjoy literature at his level
so he uses the recordings
for this purpose.

Our most recent problem is finding decent material
that he hasn't heard. He loves to listen to these
as he goes to sleep every night. I always read myself
to sleep at his age...so it is kind of like that.

Interestingly enough, Jonathan is the child who
loves books the most out of all of the kids. He gets
so excited about going to the library and is often
the one asking to go. Chelsea follows at a close second.
Mikey, the athlete, is a reluctant reader. He is capable,
just not interested.

Working with our children's interests is a definite bonus
to homeschooling. I love seeing what makes them tick
and then focusing in on that.

Blessings on your Day!

Becky K.

Mrs. Rabe's Evaluation and just "stuff"

2008-05-07T07:27:00.002-04:00

Hey people,

I know there aren't that many who read this
blog...but for those few who pop in here,
"HELLO!"

Thanks for stopping in.

Mrs. Rabe and family are enjoying their
evaluations today. I am pretty sure they
will not mind the evaluation since we share
the same evaluator and she is a blessing to
all who know her. She is full of encouragement
with a wealth of knowledge and information
gleaned from observing homeschool families
and their various patterns.

The best part for the Rabe family is that once
this is completed and the paperwork is in to the
school district the formalities are complete and
summer learning can be enjoyed. We never stop
learning, you know.

We just classify it for the school district.

I find it sad that so often we have been trained
to think that when summer comes our brains should
go into neutral...heavens NO! Just look at all there
is to see and do.

Yard Sales: Comparison Shopping, addition/subtraction, reading, public interaction, negotiating skills

Yard work: exercise, planning, volunteer opportunities

Our Pets: Discipline, science, recreation

Church: Bible, music, public interaction, opportunities for service, missions (Geography)

Vacation: Geography, history, science, recreation

Summer jobs: Interaction with people, math, organizational skills, discipline

Whatever you do over the summer don't forget to glean the most out of it. Make every moment fun and let it count. Let's not park our brains in neutral this summer.
ENJOY!

On Being in a Co-op

2008-05-02T07:29:00.004-04:00

Not everyone needs to participate
in a Co-op to Homeschool.
However, it can be very lonely
to go through the homeschooling process without
the fellowship of a co-op.

When I started homeschooling Jonathan
I did not join a co-op. I did not think
they were for me. After all, I was the
teacher and I knew what needed to be done
and why should I then go back to a classroom
type setting for anything...my thoughts.

Well, when I had all three kids at home and
we were in a new area the Lord led me to
a grocery store at least 45 minutes from my house.
I stood in the check-out line behind a very outgoing woman who
started a conversation with me.
Somewhere in the conversation
she asked if we homeschooled and let me know that
she did, as well. Robin was such a blessing to
me that day. I was a stranger in a strange land.

Before long we found ourselves invited to a field trip
with the co-op that Robin and her kids participated in.
It was the educational department of a huge pet store who
brought in all kinds of small animals and reptiles. The kids
loved it.

There were a few friendly faces that I will never forget from that
day. It just seemed that we should get involved. So we applied.
Yes, around here it is not guaranteed that you will get into the
co-op of your dreams...in Lancaster County there are so many homeschooling
families that most co-ops have waiting lists. This was astonishing
to me!

The Lord led us exactly to the perfect co-op for us.
To be honest it was not easy.
I, who can talk to anyone, had a very hard time becoming
a part of this group. There were so many established friendships
that no one really needed another person in their group.

The kids struggled to find their place...there were many days of tears
as we headed toward the church where we meet. But, I was committed and
for some reason I just knew that we needed to persevere through the adjustment.

That lasted for two years!

For two years we felt like outsiders...

Then there were some changes...

I began to teach.

My children began to make friends, very slowly.

One Mom, in particular, reached out over and over
again. She kept setting playdates for our children.
Jana has been such a blessing to my children and I.
As have Josh and Kristen.

Chelsea is so shy. It was hard for her to assert
herself into a group.

Wow! As I think about what I have written it seems
so negative up until the last few sentences. But, I want
to be real. It is not easy every time to come into a
co-op. To be the "New family". But with time, prayer
and diligent effort to serve it is worth while.

I am now serving on the committee and delight in reaching
out to the new Moms if they seem like they are struggling.
I try to hearken back to 7 or 8 years ago and remember those
feelings of not fitting in.

Our children have blossomed and have made forever friends.

I am spending time with the young people in my position as
7-up Coordinator and have found them to be delightful, loving
young men and ladies.

Ours is not an academic Co-op, so much as a support to our
homeschool program. If I am doing a physical science,
there may be a lab offered through our co-op.
If my kids need a boost in writing or speech, I'll sign them up
for a class that will give them a little extra.

In the classes up through the 6th grade, music and gym are mandatory.
This helps to fulfill the needs of group activities. It is
harder to teach these at home. Playing baseball with myself and
three kids is just not the same as forming two teams and learning
how to play together as a team.

Wow, I have meandered through many thoughts on this but I just
want to encourage you. If you have struggled through the
decision or even the first year or so in the co-op, and there is
no real reason for you to leave it...hang in!
Reach out!
Get involved.
It is worth it.

Many thanks to Deanna, Belinda, Jana, Rosalee, Suealyce, Dawn, Marla, Robin, and the many, many others who have made this a safe and encouraging place to call,
"our co-op".
I appreciate all of you so much!

There is a lot of sacrifice in leadership
but the rewards are far greater.

Take the risk. You just might like it!

Your Friend,
Becky K.

A Must Read

2008-04-25T08:52:00.002-04:00

Run, don't walk, over to Pleasant View Schoolhouse, to read an excellent post on helping our children find their life's work.

You can find the post here.

Expelled

2008-04-23T12:52:00.001-04:00

Saturday night Tim and I went to see Ben Stein's movie "Expelled." It was very good. I love the way he laid out his topic which is scientists getting "expelled" or even black listed for even mentioning Intellegent Design.

He starts out talking with a few of these top notch scientists, and then speaks with well-known evolutionists such as Richard Dawkins. It is not a movie to go to if you want a big laugh, or a car chase etc...but if you want to see what is happening in the world of science, which is supposed to be about asking questions and looking at evidence, then you will be throughly educated by this movie.
You can find the website which I believe includes a blog here.

ps - Thanks Becky!

Science and the Christian

2008-04-21T08:59:00.004-04:00

We are discussing World Views in our
Sunday School Class.

It is a discussion that is rather like
candy for me. LOVE IT!

Yesterday, we got into the discussion of
how our world view affects our take on science.

It truly is the key.

Poor, Charles Darwin accidentally set off
a whole scientific chain of events by reporting
what he observed in a very small period of time
which overlooked and misread the long term effects
of these observations.

Later he regretted these conclusions, however,
it was too late to go back and get those who
were also starting from a wrong supposition to
change their minds.

We discussed the removal of the only correct
basis for science from the public school system.
It has been surgically amputated! Any reference
to God or Creation has been eliminated from the texts
used today.

Our Pastor is planning to see the Documentary, Expelled,
this week. I am anxious to hear how it handles the Christian
point of view.

The movie is a documentary about
evolution vs. intelligent design.

I will be waiting to hear what he thinks.

I think that I will be writing a series of
posts for this blog about
World View and Science.
Check back.
This is so crucial to our understanding of
our world.

Becky K.

Writing a Research Paper

2008-04-02T07:21:00.003-04:00

O.k. the subjects are varied.

One is doing research on the band, Switchfoot.
Believe me, after weeks of trying to
get this one to choose a topic I am fine
with this. Wouldn't have been a few weeks
ago....but I am now...

Another is doing hers on Bowling.
Love it!
She has been so creative in the
layout and research for this paper.

The third...let me see...I am drawing a
blank...Oh, that's right...Coins!

He loves money! I took him to the Library and
set him loose in the adult nonfiction area with
the mission of finding a subject that interested
him enough to report on.

It is cool because his Grandpa had quite a love
of coins and because he worked with vending machines his
whole life had quite a collection of unusual coins.
Mikey has been able to peruse the collection and
learn more about the coins that intrigue him.

As far as I am concerned...finding the right topic is
the hardest part of writing a paper.

After that, the kids are on their way with the reading
and actual research. Finding several sources and creating
topical headings for the actual organization of the paper.

Now they are all in the stage of writing the body
of the papers.

Fun?

Would be for me.

Chelsea enjoys it.

Mikey is enjoying it more than he thought he would.

Jonathan? It is too soon to know. He took
so long in choosing a topic that his paper is in
its very infancy.

That is what we are in the midst of at Hospitality Lane.

Blessings on your day,

Becky K.

Homeschooling at Hospitality Lane

Homeschoolers Are Quirky!

How Is Your School Year Going?

It Happened....

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

Learning

Creation Museum, Part Two

The Creation Museum, Part One

A Field Trip!!

Dyslexia is not a Sentence to Life without Books!

Nature Study - A Great Foundation For Science

World History Resource

I Didn't See That One Coming!

Co-op Begins Again Today....

Teaching Classical Music Appreciation

Schooling Outside the Box

Working Together

Reviewing The Past Year And Looking To The Next

The Learning Doesn't Stop

I Need Your Help...

Thr Fruits of Home Education

Working on Portfolios

An Excellent Devotional For Today

Jonathan is Done!

A Fun Science Article

A Few Thought Provoking Blog Posts

A Book List

Where are You in Your School Year?

A Vocabulary Web Site

A Book Recommendation

Using Technology in Your Homeschool

Yet Another Plug for Living Books

Nope, Don't Feel Like it Today....

Encouragement For Mothers

World Views...What are You Passing Along?

Never Give Up!

Some Days We Just Have to Listen...

Learning or Work Processing?

Curriculum Suggestions...

An Encouraging Day

Science at our fingertips...

High School Curriculum Recommendation

I Pay More to Educate My Neighbor's Children Than My Own!

Bowling Leads to Thinking...sometimes.

Schooling over the Years....

Reading Suggestions for Middle Grades

Book Talk!

Some Favorite Girl Preteen and Teen Reads...

Gearing Up For a New School Year...

eBay and I Are Bonding!

What God Is Teaching Me About Educating My Kids

Summer is Here!!!

Evaluations are Approaching

This Cracked me Up!

Keeping it Real

In the Home Stretch

Back to Full Swing!

Screech!

All About Books!

How Chelsea Learned to Read...

Homeschooling...The Journey

Funny..but True!

Teaching Music is fun!

Great Article

If they Would Only Follow Directions....

Watching the Inauguration....

We Are Back...

Our Most Recent School Days...

A Little Phys Ed...over 2008

Let Them Help YOU!

Recommended Video..Madame Curie

Home Ec

Ideas for Schooling During The Holidays

More Christmas Schooling Ideas

So, How is School?

Fun!

Lang Lang - A Pianist with Passion

Amazing Discovery

A Helpful Resource

Literature for the Disinterested