Tuesday, 30 June 2009
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Rocky Road
Rocky Road. Not the ice cream. We have been enjoying an especially busy time here. We've had at least one outing every week, and some weeks up to three outings. We've had a blast! Our garden harvest has started in earnest, and we will soon have all sorts of wonderful things canned, frozen and dried for the months ahead. I'm in the midst of revamping some routines in my home for the summer and planning ahead for fall. The intense heat of the last week has kept me busy watering and irrigating, and I'm ever so thankful for our good, deep well. The weather is slowly cooling down, and I'm thankful for that as well.
In the midst of all of this, my husband has been waging war for the last week with not one, but two, kidney stones. He's won the battle with the first stone. He and Stone No. 2 are still at war, though a cease fire seems to now be in effect. There may be some difficulties with the second stone.
I just wanted to let you know that I have not fallen off the face of the earth. I am, as always, doing my best to see well to the ways of my own household.God bless you as you look well to the ways of your household!
Proverbs 31:27
Monday, 22 June 2009
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Find Time for Stillness
"But here's what I've discovered: The people who find time for stillness are the people who have the energy and perspective to stay on top of their hectic "outer" lives."
Emilie Barnes
The Spirit of Loveliness: Bringing Beauty, Creativity, and Order to Your Life -
Marvelous Monday - Phonics!
When I was four years old my parents enrolled me in a private, church day school. It was an interesting choice. My parents were not Christians, but they joined the church so that I could be enrolled in kindergarten, though I was only four. Their reasons for making this choice were quite simple. Though it was the very early 1960's, they both worked full time. The church school provided a cheaper solution for what to do with me, their only child, than a baby sitter. I don't mean to make them sound unloving, because that certainly wasn't the case. However, it was a financial decision. I now know that this was providential as I was then exposed to the Savior that I now claim as my own.
In another act of His sweet grace, the church school taught reading by way of phonics. The public schools, at that time, were teaching reading through the sight, or word, method. I truly credit my early and solid phonics instruction for my love of reading today!
My girls began their school days at the same private school that I attended. We began homeschooling when our girls were in 4th and 1st grade, respectively. Corin was already a strong reader, and had been reading since she was three. Dani was not reading, but she had had such a thorough introduction to phonics, she began reading fluently with very little help from me.
So, when Aaron was ready for phonics, I was hitting every booth at the homeschool conference, checking out every phonics curriculum on the market. I settled on Sing, Spell, Read and Write . It was highly recommended by many folks. It was slick, and it had all the bells and whistles that I thought would make the program fun. It was an expensive program!!! I know many families who have used it successfully. The truth of the matter is that Aaron was not ready to read at four. Or five. Or six. Aaron was a late reader. By the time he was ready to read, the Sing, Spell, Read and Write program was too immature for him. This, of course, is not the fault of the program. Please keep reading.
When Aaron was about six, I bought a used copy of Samuel Blumenfeld's Alpha-Phonicsfor around $5.00. When Aaron was ready to read, Alpha-Phonics' simple, yet solid, phonics instruction was perfect. He had the instant gratification of being able to read real words within days. The program progresses at your child's pace, and really requires no prep time on your part. It's simple, effective and low cost. New copies are available for under $20. William began Alpha-Phonics when he was five and moved through the book rapidly.
I know there are other programs out there, and I'm sure they are effective. For my money, though, nothing beats Alpha-Phonics
I paired Alpha-Phonics with some good phonetic readers. We started with the ever-popular BOB books. These are pretty silly reading, but for the young beginner they are real confidence builders. I also invested in a complete set of Phonics Practice Readers, though I bought them one small set at a time. You can buy them from the publisher and pay shipping, or buy them from Amazon for $.50 more and get free shipping. These were loved by both of my boys, and my grandsons have read a few of them, too. (Corin, you do remember I have these, right?). I'd also recommend the God is Good series from Rod and Staff.
Whew! We're done! The Marvelous Monday series has been fun to write, and I'm sure Kendra joins me in hoping that you've found something of benefit in these posts. Head on over and see what Kendra recommends in her Marvelous Monday - Phonics post!God bless you as you look well to the ways of your household!
Proverbs 31:27
Saturday, 20 June 2009
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Reality...........revisited
Reality......................
..............revisited.
My desk was a mess. It's tiny to begin with, so having it littered with stuff didn't help. I took everything off of it and emptied all the drawers. I polished everything with orange oil and now it glows (and smells heavenly!). I tossed tons of stuff, and have three completely empty drawers. Empty drawers! Bliss!
I switched the locations of our telescope and the tiny little table. I can now place my laptop on the table when I'm writing at my desk, but I can pull the laptop over to the desk when it's needed there. The top shelf of the table holds my Bible study materials and the bottom shelf holds my scrapbooking journal, and a couple of oversized binders we need for school.
I'll need to keep my eyes open for a better chair. I've had my mom's sewing rocker at the desk, but a rocker isn't a good desk chair. I tried an extra kitchen chair, but it's too tall for the low writing surface of the desk. In the meantime, I can still enjoy a wonderful work area!
Hoping that your husbands and fathers will all enjoy a wonderful Father's Day.
Have a blessed Lord's Day tomorrow!
God bless you as you look well to the ways of your household!
Proverbs 31:27
Thursday, 18 June 2009
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An Excellent Mystery
Mystery has not been a genre that I've read much. It's not that I don't enjoy mysteries, I've just not read many. This past January I saw Ellis Peters' An Excellent Mystery: The Eleventh Chronicle of Brother Cadfaellisted as the Book of the Week at The Bayly Blog. Their hearty recommendation, added to my somewhat limited knowledge of the Brother Cadfael mysteries, caught my interest. I found a used copy on Amazon for a couple of bucks and added it to my reading basket.
I won't tell you what the Bayly brothers said in their recommendation because it was sort of a "spoiler" for me. I will tell you that this story, beautifully written by Ellis Peters, is a wonderful tale of true devotion, unfailing love, and commitment. The story, set in and around a monastery in twelfth century England, is well told and intricately woven. I may not become a true lover of mystery novels, but I definitely plan on reading more of Ellis Peters' wonderful Brother Cadfael stories.
An Excellent Mystery: The Eleventh Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
I think it is vitally important that you read. The Bible first and foremost, and that daily; but beyond that, you should be reading other books, too. Please read this article to learn why. The books I am currently reading, as well as the books that I have already completed this year, can be found on the side bar. Read!God bless you as you look well to the ways of your household!
Proverbs 31:27
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
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Summer Rhythm
Our days and weeks will take on a different sort of rhythm for the summer. It's my responsibility, of course, to keep that rhythm from becoming so fast paced that we cannot find the time to catch our breath. Though the rhythm's pace may pick up during the summer, it's my responsibility to keep the rhythm as steady as I can to help Will to not become too overloaded. We will still homeschool throughout the summer - just not everyday, and just not everything on the days we do. We will still keep up with the homemaking chores that keep us healthy in mind and body. We will still tend the garden and orchard and berries, watering, weeding and harvesting as needed to be faithful stewards of what the Lord has blessed us with. We'll still enjoy the pool and quiet times at home.
One of the things that I've done to help Will deal with the next few weeks is to pen each day's events onto the calendar. I plan to keep the calendar filled in a couple of weeks in advance. The BIG events were all on the calendar for the whole summer, but Will needed a bit more fine tuning to his schedule. Half school days, and the things we will cover on those days, have been penned in. The days when extra chores will be required to cover for the days we'll be gone are noted as well.
Actually, the idea of penning things on the calendar came after my husband requested that I give him a "daily reminder" of each day's plan the night before. His memory circuits are overloaded, you see, with no capacity for any additional information. The idea of my ancient memory circuits remembering to remind him each evening of the next day's agenda didn't seem like a reliable plan to me. When I considered Will's probable response to our busy summer, the calendar idea seemed like a good fix all the way around. It's not rocket science, but it works for us! Will was so cute, he brought his own calendar to me from his room and asked me to fill in the squares on his calendar, too. I was happy to oblige.
All the calendaring of events and chores and homeschooling has given me the desire to redo my own planning systems a bit. It's nice to change things up once in awhile. I have the better part of the summer to decide what I'd like to do and how I'd like to do it. I'm not sure if I'll continue keeping my planner on my computer, or if I'll move back into a paper planner.
And if I move back into a paper planner, will I buy new pages for my pretty Day Runner?
Hello gorgeous planner. I think I've missed you.
Or will I move back into my homemade Mom's Brain in a Binder? Or will I choose something completely different? Or a mixture of previous ideas?
The possibilities are limitless and the process of pondering and deciding is actually a great deal of fun!
It seems the Lord has restored my health fully just in time, or rather perfectly in His time, because Copper, Dani and Will are both coming down with my little bug now. That makes me sad. So do the emails my husband is sending me from work thanking me for sharing. sigh........
Our beautiful new cat, Spats, is not well, either. We've never really been cat people, though we love all of our animals. We are definitely dog people. Spats, however, is a really great cat, and he has won most of us over with his charms.
We've only had him for a few weeks, but he knows his name and comes when he is called. He follows us around when we are outside, sometimes generally making a nuisance of himself while we are trying to work. This picture is a good example - Spats thought I should play with him rather than continue to move the hose I was dragging toward the strawberries. He is very affectionate and Will adores him. Dani shares the details, and the frustration.
The rhythm of a home is important, even though we don't all enjoy the same rhythm. I think it's fun that the Lord has given each family a different beat to march to! Some families stroll along at a leisurely pace, while others move at a quick march, and still others fall somewhere between. Whatever your family's pace, it's important that you, as the keeper of the home, manage that pace well. We all experience seasons where the rhythm of our home, and of our family, changes for a time; but it's crucial that we look well to those particular seasons and manage them carefully, looking out for the well being of those we love. It's also important for us to find ways to bring the normal rhythm back into our homes as soon and as often as we can.
God bless you as you look well to the ways of your household!
Proverbs 31:27
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
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We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Life............
We interrupt your regularly scheduled life, to bring your summer! Those are the words that best describe my life right now. Sweet!
We homeschool year round. Our family is best served not by a rigid schedule, but rather by the comfortable, normal rhythm of our days and weeks. Last year our summer months were spent in a somewhat relaxed version of that rhythm; but we didn't vary from the normal too far. The only exception was the one, action packed, adventure filled week we spent at Disneyland and California Adventure, paid for from the hours and hours of overtime my handsome husband worked.
This year, with overtime shifts rarely available and promising to disappear completely by July 1, we thought we'd content ourselves with a few day trips - a couple of fishing trips, a big day at an amusement park, and a return trip to the beach. We had a budget for these outings and were really looking forward to three or four days of fun. Oh, but the Lord blessed us!!!!!
Monday afternoon, Copper and I sat down with the calendar to schedule in those fishing trips, the amusement park day and a return trip to the beach. Copper commandeered the calendar and a pen and I manned my trusty laptop to search on-line for information. As it turns out, we have at least one great, fun outing planned for each and every summer week right on through the end of August!! Though we were content to have just a few day trips, the Lord multiplied that for us.
First, a local theater chain is offering free family movies for nine weeks. A couple of us have seen a couple of the movies, but none of us have seen all of the movies, and some of the movies are new to all of us. How's that for a confusing statement of fact? We now have nine movies penned onto our calendar. Copper took the boys to the first of these this morning. (The movies are at 10:00 a.m.) Our budget is sufficient to cover a big, refillable bucket of popcorn and shared sodas for these movies. How fun is that?
I'll be sharing more about our other outings as they happen, but I am still just overwhelmed at the abundance of fun that my family is going to have this summer! I am just so thankful to the Lord for showing us the wealth of opportunities available to us this summer, and for His provision of the way to make it all happen.
While the guys were gone this morning, I made the best of things in a couple of tangible ways. First, I spent some time leisurely enjoying emailing and messaging a couple of friends and my married daughter, all the while enjoying a second huge cup of tea while it was still hot! Not lukewarm. Not cold. Steaming hot!! Bliss!!!!
I also ran a couple of loads of laundry, started the outside watering for the day and watered all of my houseplants, as well as my front porch potted plants. I've been purchasing a few houseplants here and there (using buy one get one free coupons from the Home Depot Garden Club), and I'm enjoying having them in my home.
I rearranged a couple of my plants as I worked this morning. I put this colorful plant, that has tinges of pink and red in its leaves, into one of my Old Country Roses china soup bowls and placed it on the chest in my entry way.
One of the African violets from my parlor is just beginning to bloom, so I took it into my bedroom and put it in front of a window that has an eastern exposure. I'll enjoy the blooms there when I open my blinds every morning.
I'm working on filling a couple of otherwise hard-to-decorate areas of my home with plants. The top of our headboard and the top of the armoire in our bedroom are a couple of those areas. I have plenty of wonderfully grand decorating ideas for those two places, but I've not had much success in finding what I want at prices I can afford. Houseplants will fit the bill nicely in the meantime!
Ideally, I hope to have the plants housed in lovely baskets or pretty containers of some sort, but in the meantime I'm enjoying the plants! As mentioned in the quote from my commonplace book posted earlier today, we should never use an imperfect situation as an excuse for inaction. I could have waited until I could afford six or seven nice plants and their decorative containers, so that the plants would look lush and full in pretty pots. I could have even waited until I could have decorated the top of our headboard and armoire to match the magazine clippings I've saved in my scrapbook journal so things would be just right.
However, that waiting would have resulted in nothing happening for a really long time! Instead, I'm purchasing plants as I can. Five dollar plants, purchased with buy one get one free coupons, are very budget friendly! I'm keeping my eyes open for the right sorts of baskets or containers to house the plants. (I'll know them when I see them.) In the meantime, we have a few pretty plants that are growing and thriving and improving the look in there.
This afternoon I pulled the spent marigolds out from under the Blood Orange trees on my front porch. The soil was crawling with ants, which led me to discover that the minor scale infestation we had a couple of weeks ago, had spread. A quick search on the Internet and I had my solution. I soaked cotton rounds with rubbing alcohol and then rubbed it over the scale infestation. The scale wiped right off. The ants were not only tending the scale and using them to produce food for their colony, they were also discouraging the scale's natural predators. I'm not big on spraying a lot of chemicals, but the ants are gone.
The Portulaca I planted under the trees will love the hot, afternoon sun and they should soon fill in and fill the area under the orange trees with blossoms. I am slowly, but surely, getting all of the flowers I bought last shopping day planted.
Dixie always keeps a careful eye over things on the front porch. Lying, with her head in the front window sill, is her all-time favorite warm weather spot.
Our apple and pear trees were absolutely loaded with fruit.
On the surface it seems wasteful to thin so much fruit from the trees, but allowing the limbs to remain overloaded results in smaller fruit and possibly broken branches. The crowded fruits can also harbor pests and disease, so thinning is a good thing, painful though it may be! Dani and Copper have worked on this job for a couple of days.
Dani gathered all the thinned fruit from the ground. Leaving it can also spread disease and it will certainly invite pests.
We are looking forward to late this summer when we can harvest the still plentiful apples and pears. This is just one of four pear trees in our orchard.
All of the winter planted onions have now been harvested and they are all curing. I am hopeful that the winter onions will last us through the summer and into the fall when we harvest the spring planted onions. The spinach finally bolted, so it has been pulled and tossed into the current compost pile. My husband tilled the area where the onions and spinach were and I transplanted a couple of zucchini plants that were planted too close together. We're still harvesting sugar snap peas and the first of the Italian green beans, bell peppers, tomatoes and jalapenos are coming on strong.
I appreciate all your prayers and well wishes for my health these last several days. That bug did not want to let me go, but I am at last feeling much better! I am thankful for Dani's loving care and her keeping things moving along in our home while I was under the weather. And she makes me laugh, too!
Ours days will be blessedly busy all summer long, but I am so thankful for all of the fun outings and day trips that we will enjoy throughout the summer! Do you have any special summer plans?God bless you as you look well to the ways of your household!
Proverbs 31:27 -
Excuses, Excuses
"But never, I repeat never, let an imperfect situation be an excuse to do nothing."
Deniece Schofield, from her book,
Confessions of a Happily Organized Family
Added to my Commonplace Book 6/15/09
Monday, 15 June 2009
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Hither and Yon
While I've been under the weather, I've enjoyed some time catching up on my blog reading. A few posts have been worth sharing.
Is your life art? I think it is. Remember earlier this week when I shared the quote about changing the eyes that see reality? Perhaps you just don't see the art that is your life. Read what Ann has to say, and ponder anew.
Brenda continues her Pantry Talk posts, this time dealing with fancy foods. I heartily "amen" this post. Having special ingredients, fancy cake sprinkles, and the like can make the everyday extra special. Check Brenda's side bar for links to all of her Pantry Talk/Recession Pondering/Stocking Up posts.
Barbara Curtis tells it like it is, and I like that! I don't always agree with her, but she does make me think about why I disagree. This post is pretty hard hitting, and I'd recommend you read it all. However, if it's just a bit too over the top for you, do me a favor. Scroll to the bottom of the post and read her list of ten things you can/should do. It's excellent advice no matter what the times may bring!
My friends in real life know that I am struggling to figure out exactly what I think of all the new technology that's out there. I'm thankful for one friend in particular who is challenging me, in love, to reconsider my position on Facebook. She might be making in roads with me, but I still enjoyed sending her this link to further the conversation. I'd love to hear your opinions on Facebook.
While I may be hesitant about Facebook, I do embrace most modern technology. I love the ready access to information on the Internet, I love email and I especially love my laptop! However, there's a time and place for everything, no? Before disagreeing with the author, be sure you read all of his thoughts on the matter.
No matter how far technology may go, nothing will ever replace perfect technology in my book. Pun intended.God bless you as you look well to the ways of your household!
Proverbs 31:27 -
Marvelous Monday - Preschool & Kindergarten
Kendra and I are winding down our Marvelous Monday series. We'll have our final installment next week, unless one of us (or one of you) brings up something we've missed! It seems as though we are ending where, perhaps, we should have begun. Today we are talking about Preschool and Kindergarten.
I'm stepping into dangerous territory here, since Kendra is widely known for her preschool advice. However, I have had four preschoolers of my own, and I still have grandbabies who are preschoolers, so I'm not totally out of the loop.
I will have a few resources for you at the end of this post; but first, I want to just talk to you about this wonderful, delightful, ends-all-too-soon age group of very young children.
The best thing, the very best thing, you can do with your young children is simply to delight in them. Of course you must discipline them when they misbehave, and you must correct them when they are wrong, and you must say "no" quite often. But how often are you smiling at your little ones? How often are you laughing at their childish antics? How often are you saying "no" when you really could say "yes"? How often do you simply gather them up in your arms, spin them around and kiss their chubby little cheeks before setting them back down to go their merry way?
I know these years can be hard, especially if all of your children are quite young. Might I remind you that God makes no mistakes in sending children our way. He knows, far better than you, what you are able to handle. If it all seems way too overwhelming, stand back and evaluate what you might be trying to do that He has not called you to do. Volunteer work, weekly ladies Bible studies, leading Awanas or Missionettes, - these are all good and worthy pursuits, but are they the BEST things you can be doing in this season of having little ones in your home? I cannot know your circumstances, but I do know this. God does not give us more than we are able to handle. If we are overwhelmed, we are doing more than God has given us to do. Learn to let go of the things that are not yours to do right now.
Smile at your little ones. Take time to listen to their silly stories, watch their made-up play, and do it without looking at your watch every two minutes. Talk to them, and with them. Tell them about God as you marvel with them at the butterfly in the garden, or the mountains as you travel, or the new kitten you've just brought home. Tell them about God's love for them and how He sent His son Jesus to die for their sins. Be sure they know that He rose again and that He has gone ahead to prepare a place for them in eternity. You have nothing better to do than this! There is no mission field better suited for you to work in than that of your own home.
Rather than sending them off to play while you work, let them work with you. Yes, you'll work slower, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, now is it? In the process, you will be training them to be efficient household helpers as they get older. Count the socks as you fold them. Talk about where milk comes from as you fill the cups for lunch. Stand him on a chair next to you while you peel the potatoes or wash up the dishes, and splash a few soap bubbles on him in the process!
I would also encourage you to spend a lot of time reading aloud to your little ones. This comes naturally if you started when they were babies, but it can become natural even now. Choose books that they love, and expect to to read the same story over and over and over again. Try to read it every time as if it were the first. From time to time introduce a book with a bit more advanced vocabulary, but be sure to read it with as much emotion as you do your favorite picture book. Use voices for the characters. Use accents (they don't have to be perfect!). Laugh when the story is funny and DELIGHT in the fun of laughing with your little ones. Be sad when the story is sad.
If your home runs best on a schedule, then schedule in two, three or even more, short times every day to read aloud. Certain times of the day seem naturally suited to this - before naps and bedtimes, for example, as your children are finishing up their breakfast or lunch, or when you're nursing the baby. If you're more of a fly by the seat of your pants kind of household, just keep a few stacks or baskets of read aloud books here and there around the house and read whenever seems best. You can read aloud to children playing quietly with blocks or coloring, they don't need to be still and quiet for this. Put two or three picture books into your diaper bag or purse (we all carry huge purses anyway, right?), and you're ready to read aloud while at the park or in the waiting room.
Keep lots of arts and crafts materials on hand and give your children access to it. If there is any way that you can set up a table (child-sized is best) somewhere in a corner where they can create and make messes and leave projects-in-process out, all the better! A messy child's art project laid out, but contained to the art table, passes for excellent housekeeping, and mother-of-the-year award status in my book!!
Take walks together in the forest, on the beach or just around your neighborhood. Pick up nature samples along the way and admire them with your children. Perhaps you can give them a small nature treasures box to keep their finds in. Most important, enjoy your time outdoors with your children.
While I'm really not an advocate of pursuing formal academics with little ones, there are some children who are hungry to learn and are ready for academics. I wouldn't hold those who are ready back. However, if your young children aren't ready for formal academics, don't worry about it. All children are different. I've had children read as early as three and as late as 9 1/2. By the time they were 12, it had all evened out and everyone was working at or above age/grade level. One of the biggest benefits of homeschooling is being able to accommodate the needs of each child as far as is possible.
Here are the resources that I've used in my own home.
Slow and Steady Get Me Ready: A Parents' Handbook for Children from Birth to Age 5by June Oberlander. True to its title, this book has all sorts of activities you can use with your children, week by week, starting a birth. No, I did NOT use this whole book with any of my children, but I did refer to it from time to time and found some great little activities that my children and I enjoyed and that met them where they were developmentally. My copy is ancient, but I still like it. A newer version
, which I've not used, is also available.
102 "I-Can-Do-It-Myself" Activities for Preschoolers- 102 Activities to happily occupy preschoolers for 15 to 30 minutes with minimal adult supervision, by Leslie Retchko and Peggy Zorn. This is out of print, and pricey online, but watch for copies at homeschool used curriculum swaps. Again, I did not use all 102 ideas, but I did use dozens. Stencil drawing, book making, flashlight play, funnel play......there's really nothing "new" in this book, but here's the deal. When you are in desperate need of 20 minutes to help an older child with math, you are not going to be at your creative best. I used this book to help me put together four or five activities, when I had a few spare moments, that I would then have ready to go when those moments of "desperate need" struck.
Before Five in a Row, by Jane Lambert. This was new on the market when my children were younger, but I used it with one of my late readers. From the web site,"....includes 23 FIAR-style mini-units (plus an extra mini-unit!) on outstanding AND simple children's books for ages 2-4 as well as a large section on learning readiness activities in everyday life; things to do in the kitchen, at the store, at bedtime, bathtime, etc. You'll find an entire treasury of ideas to prepare children for learning- making sure that they've covered all the basic but oh-so-important steps to ensure that they are ready to begin more formal schooling. The perfect introduction to the joys of parent-directed learning in just a few very special minutes each day."
We enjoyed this study, using one unit every other week or so. There are other volumes available to use after Before Five in a Row for those who like the unit study approach.
Conservative Mennonite publisher Rod and Staff has two excellent series of workbooks for the preschool/kindergarten set, Preschool Activity Books (set of four books for $9), and the A-B-C series (set of 7 books for $19.95) Modestly priced and time tested, both of my boys worked their way through these two series, developing and honing necessary early learning skills. One son loved them and would have loved more. My other son one day wailed, "Pleeeeeeeeze, Mommy, no more cut and paste!". Truth be told, the boy who loved them was my late reader, and these were right up his alley; and the boy who didn't enjoy them was ready for something more. I still recommend them.
Learning At Home, Preschool and Kindergarten. - a Christian Parent's Guide with Day-by-Day Lesson Plans Using the Library as a Resource. I loved this book with one of my boys! If your children are ready for a bit of academics, but you don't want to spend a fortune on prechool or kindergarten curriculum, this is a terrific resource. Each week's plan includes Bible, Reading, Math, PE, Storytime and a memory verse. Other subjects (music, art, health/manners, God's World (which incorporates several subjects), and character building) are appear on a rotation. All materials necessary will be common to your home, and most books can be found at your local library (if not on your own shelves). If I had it to do over again, I would use this resource almost exclusively for those ready to learn aged 4 and up.
Okay, head on over to Kendra's blog to read her thoughts on preschool and kindergarten! She's included lots of fun, hands on resources. Next week: Phonics!God bless you as you look well to the ways of your household!
Proverbs 31:27
True
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In the WORD
These are the books and tools that are in my basket for my personal Bible study time in 2009:
The Holy Bible
Reading most days in the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs.
The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions
Listening on my Zune
Here is what I am currently enjoying on my pretty pink Zune
AUDIO BOOKS:
PODCASTS:
Money Life A daily thirty minute podcast. Highly recommended!
MUSIC: The albums I'm listening to most often these days:
Michael Card: Joy in the Journey
The Beegie Adair Trio: The Frank Sinatra Collection
Shopping at Amazon?
I will always encourage you to shop wisely and to shop for the best prices. However, if you plan on purchasing any items from Amazon.com, I would very much appreciate your considering clicking through the link below. This blog, as well as my website, are maintained and paid for solely by my wonderful and generous husband. I very much appreciate those of you who have chosen to make purchases at Amazon.com through my blog. Amazon keeps all of your transactions private, and I have no idea who may or may not click through my links to shop there. However, Amazon does pass along a very small percentage of all sales made through my links to me in the form of gift certificates, which I use to purchase books for our homeschool or for our own Heritage Library. My sincere thanks to everyone who blesses my family in this way!Click Here to Shop at Amazon!
Marvelous Monday - Homeschool Review Posts
Links Coming Soon!
This Year's Reading Basket
This year's list started with more than three dozen books, and a few more were added along the way. The list is in random order.
Books marked with ** are currently being read. Books will disappear from this list as I finish them, and will reappear on the Books Completed list in the box just below. I will, generally, post a very brief review of each book as I finish it.
Please remember that I think it is vitally important that your are reading!! The Bible first and foremost, and that daily; but do not underestimate the importance of reading other books.
Please read this post for more information and to understand why I think it is so very important that you have a good book or two to read at all times.
Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist
**Beacon Lights Of History, Volume I
The Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy and "Women's Work"
Passionate Housewives Desperate for God
Training Children In Godliness
Treasuring God in Our Traditions
What to do on Thursday (A Layman's guide to the practical use of the scriptures)
How To Get Your Man and Hold Him
**The Commodore (Aubrey-Maturin Series)
**Confessions of a Happily Organized Family
Father to Nobody's Children: The Life of Thomas J. Barnardo
A Mother's Heart: A Look at Values, Vision, and Character for the Christian Mother
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
The Wine-Dark Sea (Aubrey-Maturin series)
True Spirituality, How to Live for Jesus Moment by Moment
**Back to Basics: Rediscovering the Richness of the Reformed Faith
French General: Home Sewn: 30 Projects for Every Room in the House
We Had Everything But Money: Priceless Memories of the Great Depression
Sanctuary: Creating a Blessed Place to Live and Love
Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be: A 90-Day Guide to Living the Proverbs 31 Life
Standing on the Promises: A Handbook of Biblical Childrearing
Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had
Books Completed in 2009
1. Common Sense Christian Living
4. The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity
5. A Time to Play: Reflections on Childhood and Creativity
6. The Art of Romantic Living: Simple Touches to Enhance Everyday Life
7. The Truelove
8. The Private World of Tasha Tudor
9. Family Driven Faith: Doing What It Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God
10. Animal Farm
11. The Apron Book: Making, Wearing, and Sharing a Bit of Cloth and Comfort
12. Daniel Deronda
13. (Audio Book) The Mystery of Edwin Drood
14. (Audio Book) Ten P's in a Pod : A Million-Mile Journal of the Arnold Pent Family
15. The Coming Economic Earthquake
16. Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Passion and Power of Easter
17. Atlas Shrugged
18. Don't Think About Monkeys. Extraordinary Stories Written by People with Tourette Syndrome
19. Living a Beautiful Life: 500 Ways to Add Elegance, Order, Beauty and Joy to Every Day of Your Life
20. An Excellent Mystery: The Eleventh Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
For a brief review of each of these books click here.
Read Alouds
Here are the books that we are currently reading aloud in our home:
Morning with Mom:
FINISHED: Boyhood and Beyond - Practical Wisdom for Becoming a Man
CURRENTLY READING: Mr. Pipes and Psalms and Hymns of the Reformation
NEXT: Gladys Aylward: The Adventure of a Lifetime (Christian Heroes: Then & Now) 
Late morning, just for Will:
FINISHED: Freddy Goes to Florida
CURRENTLY READING: The Great Brain
NEXT: Homer Price
Mid-afternoon with Mom (and a cup of tea!) :
CURRENTLY: Swallows and Amazons
NEXT: 100 Cupboards
AND AFTER THAT: Jungle Doctor and the Whirlwind
Recipes
Not to worry, all of the recipe links are safe and sound, but I cannot simply copy and paste them into this new system. Please be patient as I work on importing them to the new format. Thanks!
RECIPES FOR THE HOME
2. Favorite Fall Simmering Potpourri
3. Winter Citrus Simmering Potpourri
OUR TYPICAL SUNDAY MORNING FARE
(Coffee Cakes, Sweet Rolls and the Like)
8. Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Rolls
9. Apple Upside Down Coffee Cake
10. South of the Border Coffee Cake
BREADS, MUFFINS & BREAKFAST DISHES
5. Copper's Wife's Health Nut Muffins
BREAD MACHINE RECIPES
1. Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread
2. Copperswife's Everyday Whole Wheat Bread
HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK BAKING MIX RECIPES
1. Homemade Buttermilk Baking Mix
APPETIZERS & SNACKS
2. William's Peanut Butter Balls
MAIN DISHES
(including soups, stews, sandwiches & pizza)
3. New Year's Day Bean & Ham Stew
4. Focaccia
6. Double Decker Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
10. Chicken and Dressing Casserole
13. Mexican Corn Bread Casserole
14. Chicken Waldorf Salad Sandwiches
17. Cowboy Casserole
21. Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder
22. Lisa's Stuffed Loaf (Sandwich)
23. Cranberry Glazed Meat Loaf
24. Coke Steak
25. Hamburger Patties with Mushroom Gravy
26. Quick Chicken & Noodle Stew
28. MooBockOink (Rolled Chicken Breasts)
SALADS AND SIDE DISHES
6. My Mom's Scalloped Potatoes
DESSERTS
2. Grandmother's Applesauce Cake
3. Chocolate Crazy Cake (No Eggs)
10. Reverse Chocolate Chip Cookies
11. Thelma's Berry (or any fruit) Cobbler
Special Note
PLEASE BE CONSIDERATE: All original written material, photographs, recipes and tutorials on this blog are the sole property of the author and may not be copied, in whole or in part, or re-printed elsewhere, without the express written permission of the author. If you see something you’d like to share, just ask!
Contact Me
You can reach me by e-mail at: copperswifeATsoftcomDOTnet
(Be sure to replace the words in CAPS with the appropriate symbols)
OR
You can send me a private message, using your Xanga account, by clicking "send me a message" in the "Connect" box below
I would be delighted for you to visit my website, too!
Please know that I read each and every comment, e-mail or message that is sent my way. If you've asked a question, or raised an issue, it is quite likely that I will be able to answer or address your issue in an upcoming blog post. However, in order for me to honestly live the life that I share with you on my Copper's Wife's blog, I must spend my days looking well to the ways of my own household. My days are very full with the things the Lord has so richly blessed me with! Therefore, I may not be able to answer or respond to you personally. Thank you for your understanding.
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