Pinterest Laundry Shelf

We have been cleaning up and cleaning out around here.  I hired a friend of mine with a cleaning business to clean for a few hours every other week in the "maintenance" areas (Kitchen, Dining Room, Living Room and Main Bathroom) so that I can get busy with the deeper clutter and organizational issues in our home.  With the time I gained during the summer I was able to...

• wade through two years' worth of school papers (we home school and I never knew what to save those first few years, so I saved EVERYTHING!)
• Clean out our storage room of boxes - some we have been holding since we moved in eight years ago!
• Organize much of what was left over in the storage room
• Organize our School Supply Closet 
• Build a Laundry Basket Shelf.  

This last project is the one that has made the biggest "daily life" impact.  Here it is:

I found this shelf on Pinterest one day, and thought that it would really help us with laundry. The link was to a blog post by Ana White. We didn't have that much room in our laundry area, so I followed her link to another size found here. Ryan agreed to build it with me, and tried to let me do most of the work.  I got to use all his power tools, which was fun!  It was great to do the project together and I have loved how functional it is.

We always had a problem keeping up with laundry. We have laundry baskets in each bedroom and it was difficult to know when we had a full load to throw in the washer.  We would always end up with all the baskets full.  Then, I would dump it out in a mountainous pile in the middle of the floor and sort through it.  We would spend days catching up.  It would always be so depressing to bring the baskets back to the rooms, just to have something else sitting on the floor that needed to be thrown in.  Now, each person is responsible to carry their laundry basket from their room every few days and separate their laundry into the bins. Whenever a bin is full, I run a load.

The original plans were for a wider shelf, with bigger baskets.  I didn't see the bigger baskets at Wal-Mart when I went shopping, so I bought smaller ones.  We had to adjust the size of the shelf, but I think the basket size is just right.  I did end up finding the proper ones at Target a few weeks later, but I personally like the ones we ended up with.  I also made one addition to the baskets. The little signs on the front:

I didn't want to be carrying all the laundry down myself every day, so I had to have a way to visually show where things go. The older kids can read the signs, and our youngest uses the pictures to sort out where her things go. As the kids get older, I will teach them to do a load when the basket fills up. For now, we have a much easier time keeping up with the laundry. We have had the system for about a month, and I have not had a mountain of laundry to separate since we built it.  An added bonus is that I have to pack for an upcoming trip and I don't have to catch up on laundry to be able to get that packing done.

I will show you the School Supply Closet next time, and maybe give a peek at the progress on the bathroom project that we finally have both the time AND the money to invest in.

Hello Mornings

I have still been involved with the accountability group for the Hello Mornings challenge, but the summer has looked much different than the rest of the year.  I have failed in almost every aspect of doing this challenge that you could.  When I struggled through sickness last winter, I lost my momentum and never really got it back.  My normal reaction to such failure is to quit.  I mean, if it isn’t working, why keep trying?  So why am I planning to keep going in the Fall?  Because it has still had a positive affect on my life.

I Read My Bible More

One “success” that I have definitely had through the encouragement of this group is time reading the Bible.  When I am in a routine, I find time to read the Bible easily.  I love to have those quiet times of reading and reflection.  I enjoy the mental stimulation of pulling apart each section of the reading to learn from it and I gain a sense of peace that seems to carry me throughout the day. There have been so many times in my life, though, that I just got overwhelmed with my day to day activities.  When that happens, I find myself putting out fires that I had not anticipated and important things like reading the Bible get left out…especially if I happen to be reading through the genealogies in the Old Testament.  Directly as a result of the other women posting their study thoughts each day, I was constantly reminded while on Facebook (a great time sucker!) to get back to what was important.  I got back into my Chronological Reading plan, stealing little moments of reading throughout the day.  I was actually reading more than the plan calls for each day.  At first, I was a little discouraged that I wasn’t getting any really cool insights.  Then one night I realized that since I had started reading the Bible consistently again I was thinking more clearly.  I was remembering teaching moments, prayers and song lyrics that had spoken to me over the previous months right when I needed to remember them.  I was choosing more wisely how to spend my time and I was more willing and able to take action on the unpleasant things that needed to be done without having to give myself a pep talk.  (Been there?)  As with the Bible in 90 Days challenge, when I read my Bible I was more open and receptive to hearing God’s voice. 

I Learn From the Group

I have been so encouraged by the others in the group as we all stumble through this together. It is very encouraging to know that everyone else has rough spots, too. We all fail. We all fall short of our goals for ourselves. But we are all learning things as we go. We are encouraging one another as we go. One person posted a song called “Holy Captivating” that was particularly touching for her one day, and I had never really heard anything by the artist – Nicole C. Mullen. Not only have I played that song countless times since hearing it that day, but my daughter has decided another of Mullen’s songs is her favorite, too.  It is really encouraging to hear your 7 year old singing, “When I call on Jesus all things are possible!” at the top of her lungs.

God’s Voice is More Clear

Even when I don’t get up on time, exercise or have a long quiet time in the morning, I have still had a focus on reading the Bible and praying throughout the day. One of the times I was praying at the end of the last session, a line from the song above ran through my head.

“I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else to do what God has called me to do myself.  I could choose not to move, but I refuse.” 

The song is actually referring to reaching out to lost and hurting people, but that day it convicted me about my life at home. I can’t tell you how many times I have refused to do something at home because I thought it was someone else’s job. I don’t think it was always a conscious decision, but as a direct result of hearing this song I was convicted that I was sitting around and waiting for someone else to do the hard jobs.  I got motivated and cleaned out a cooler in June that had been sitting around for months! It is amazing the freedom that comes when you just get done that thing that has been bugging you. It also is amazing the kind of momentum that gets going when you refuse to “just sit around and wait for someone else.”  Not only did I get moving, but Ryan did, too.  We have had an amazingly productive summer – getting things done that have been on our “to do” list for years.

The other example of how reading the Bible has made me more “in tune” with God was a time when God brought to my memory a quote from a seminar.  I had attended a Homeschool Convention in May that included some classes by Kirk Martin of Calm Christian Parenting.  He had some really good insights.  One morning, as the children decided to all have meltdowns while I was in the shower and could not “control” them, I was reminded of a quote from Martin.  “You can only control one person and that is yourself.”  What perfect timing!  I could have gotten upset, and gone in there with an angry outburst of my own, but God was giving me time to step back and be the peacemaker instead of escalating the situation with my own anger.  (This is something we have been working on with the kids.  I will ask them, “Are you being a peacemaker, or are you escalating the situation and making it worse?”)  I am so grateful that He helped me to see a time that I was about to make things worse!

As for my “failure,” I think another line from a Josh Wilson song sums it up quite nicely.  “How can I come to the end of me and somehow still have all I need.”  God is everything I need for life.  If I focus on Him, everything else always falls into place.

So, I am excited to start the Fall session of Hello Mornings.  Not because I have grand visions of being "successful" in meeting all my goals this time, or of conquering all my shortcomings from the past, but because I know I will be changed through the focus on prayer and Bible reading and the mutual encouragement that comes from being accountable to others.  If I am able to accomplish my goals, I will take that, too!

Homeschool Conventions, Vendor Halls, and Choosing Curriculum

A friend of mine asked about how we knew what to look at when we went into the Vendor Hall of the Homeschool Conventions we have attended the last few years.  After our conversation, I compiled a list of thoughts on the subject and sent her an email.  I decided that I would post the contents of that email here because I know of a few people who will be heading to the convention in our area next week.  I thought it might help someone else.  So, here are my thoughts on choosing curriculum and going to Vendor Halls.

Education Method:

One of the first things I have learned about choosing curriculum is to know what your preferred “education method(s)” are.  There are “Traditional,” “Charlotte Mason,” “Unit Studies,” etc. I don’t think I adhere to any one method, more a hybrid of a few. But if you have an idea of how you want to teach, it might help you when you visit the vendors.

Know Your Goal:

I remember at one convention, we did a seminar and the woman speaking had worked for “My Father’s World” as a representative for years. She said that people would ask her why they should buy that curriculum and she would ask them what their goals were. Most people did not know their goals, so she had a difficult time knowing whether the curriculum would work for them or not. When she went to conventions, she would go to the Vendor Hall with a written list of her goals and hand it to the representative and ask them if their curriculum could meet her goals. I have never gone that far, I don’t think we even have our goals written down.  However, when I thought about it, I realized that even in the first year we had some pretty strong feelings about what direction we needed to go in. 
Here are a few examples of some overall goals I had. My goals were for a history curriculum that would expose my kids to other cultures/world views from a Christian Perspective and have a lot of Historical fiction included so that History would be more than just dates and memorization. My goals for a math curriculum were that it would engage them visually and have a cyclical review of concepts learned. My overall goal? I want my kids to love learning…that is the most important thing to me. If I can see that a curriculum is going to motivate them because it makes learning more engaging, I will choose that. As I looked at curriculum with these goals in mind, I also started to be a little more specific. I realized that Little Man would not do well with Horizons Math, it had way too much repetition for someone who HATES to sit still. I realized that some curriculum had a Christian perspective, but it seemed to shy away from some of the difficult subjects. (We have books that show some nudity in illustrations of tribes from early history.  I know some users of Sonlight are offended by that. But I don’t have a problem with my kids seeing how people really lived. It gives me an opportunity to point out the differences in the definition of the word “modesty” in different cultures.  Some things that are acceptable to us are considered unacceptable to other cultures, too.)
Learning Styles will probably figure in the equation, as well.  If you get a chance to look at the book “The Way They Learn” by Cynthia Tobias, I strongly recommend it. The book covers Learning Styles and was very helpful in realizing how MY learning style can affect how I teach.  While I had thought about the need to know how to present information the way they would receive it best, I didn’t think about how my learning style affects how I teach.  I am actually going to read it again this summer as a review of the learning styles in our family and how I can best help my kids to succeed. 
There is also an article on “Lesson Plans” on the Early Years section of The Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) website that I think could be helpful in thinking through your goals.  It also may be helpful in planning how you are going to use your curriculum in your weekly plan.
 

The Vendor Hall:

Even for my first year, I had researched all the curriculum I was thinking of using before I left home. Then, I had already narrowed it down and only needed to look at a few things when I went. I really think that the online research I did first really prepared me. The Vendor hall was not really intimidating because I had an idea of what was out there already, and I could tell quickly whether something was going to work or not. Having an idea of my goals also helped me to pass up curriculum that may have been great, but did not fit in with what we wanted to accomplish for the year.  God was making it really clear to me what was going to work way before we stepped in the building. The act of walking around and seeing things in person was more a confirmation that the curriculum I was leaning toward was really the right choice. When we chose the math this year, it was a little different. I had looked at Teaching Textbooks and Math-U-See, and I knew about Switched on Schoolhouse. After talking to a friend who homeschools, I thought for sure I was going to go with Math-U-See – Ryan and I had even talked about it the first time we saw it at a convention. When we got there and looked through the three options, though, both of us were in agreement pretty quickly that Teaching Textbooks was a better fit. In both cases, though, we were relaxed about it and came home to think before we bought.  HSLDA has a page specifically on how to prepare for a Homeschool Convention that might be helpful.  A blogger I read, Amy at Raising Arrows, has a blog post on “Surviving…the Vendor Hall” that may be helpful, too.  While I found this blog post helpful, one thing we have never done is buy curriculum at the Convention.  We always get catalogs and come home and take a breather first.  We sometimes buy things we see that we think might be helpful (like a clock face with moving arms I got a few years ago), but I think it is worth waiting until I get home and decide what we want and can afford for curriculum that year.
 

Online Research - Some Curriculum Options:

If you want to get an idea of some of the tables you will see at the Convention, here are some examples of the tables we have seen the last few years:
Some of the curriculum companies that offer full packages that I am aware of are: My Father’s World, A beka, Sonlight, Rod and Staff, and Alpha Omega.
The Math curriculum we are using next year is called “Teaching Textbooks.”  The other two we looked at were Math-U-See and Switched On Schoolhouse (by Alpha Omega).  We have also used Horizons and Singapore Math.  We have never used Saxon Math, but I know some people like it.  For any of these curriculum, it is a good idea to take the placement tests.  We bought Singapore math for Princess her second year, but after looking at it we knew it would be too easy for her.  We knew it would be good for Little Man, so we kept it for his K year.  This year, both children will be in Math curriculum that is one year ahead of their grade level.  For math, I think it is a good idea to be sure that the level you buy really fits.  You don’t want a frustrated or bored student.  :)
Some of the Handwriting curriculum we compared were: Handwriting without Tears, A Reason for Handwriting (we went with this one), and A beka (they believe in teaching cursive from the very beginning, so even the K curriculum is “recommended” in cursive. They do offer K in Printing, though).
I would look at the sites first to make sure that you are even interested, you might be able to rule something out just by seeing the website.  Then, if you still want to look closer you can visit the tables at the convention.  If you go to Sonlight’s website, they use a variety of curriculum options for subjects like Math, Handwriting, Spelling, Grammar, etc.  It is a good place to compare some of the different curricula from one site.
 

Online Homeschool Convention:

I read on a blog called “Meet Penny” about an online “Homeschool Convention” where there is a virtual vendor hall that you can visit to check out curriculum.  I haven’t visited it myself, yet.  But it may be helpful in getting an idea of what the Vendor Hall will be like in person. 
I hope these links help.  If you pray about it and let God lead you, He will give you peace about the right curriculum for you.  I loved this quote from the HSLDA article on Lesson Plans I linked to above,

“Your curriculum is a tool, not a master.” 

It is really helpful for me to remember that.  NO curriculum is going to be perfect.  You are going to have to adjust it to fit your family.  So, don’t feel pressured about making your family fit the curriculum.  Keep what works, and throw out what doesn’t.  You will find a groove that works for you.

Hello Mornings - Messy Middle

I think I have referred to the "Messy Middle" before.  It is a term I first heard from Donna Otto at Homemaker's By Choice.  She described how she likes to start something new - it is fun and you are full of anticipation.  She also likes to finish something - it brings the sense of accomplishment that you have achieved something.  But, the phase of hard work in between the starting and the finishing is the "messy middle."  It is that place where things are not so fun or exciting, that place of monotony and challenge that you have to work through if you are to reach that place of finishing strong.

This is exactly where I have found myself in the Hello Mornings challenge.  I tend to be an all or nothing kind of person.  So when I jumped into this challenge, I did so with complete abandon.  I was surprised how good it felt to be getting up in the morning, reading my Bible and exercising. When I faced the kids in the morning, it was with a cheerful attitude - even if they interrupted me or were misbehaving.  The afternoons were not so pretty, as I was exhausted from poor discipline in the evenings.  I was still staying up way too late.  Still, I felt I was succeeding. 

Then, my knees started hurting from the morning exercise...

Then, I gave myself the weekend to recover from my late nights and lack of discipline... 

Then, I got sick...

The days I made myself push through and get up, I ended up feeling ill the whole day - dizziness, headaches, nausea.  So, I let myself have a break; but I felt like a failure.  I did not give up on the idea, and still have not.  But my momentum is gone.  I am starting over.  Only this time, I am missing that sense of starting something new, and instead have the discouragement from my failure to perform.  This has been really difficult for me, and yet I am so thankful I "failed." 

Why?  Well, if this is going to be a long term change, I will fail.  I will have times when I cannot find the strength to do what I know I want to do.  And during these last few weeks, I have received so many encouragements from unrelated sources that show me that I can survive the low periods and NOT GIVE UP.  That is the only thing that can  stop this positive change God wants to perform in my life - if I give in to the voice of the accuser (did you know that is what Satan means?) telling me, "You failed.  It is over."

Here's the thing.  God hasn't given up cheering for me from the sidelines.  He is still there supporting me.  And He doesn't care if I win or lose this "game".  If I "fail" at this Hello Mornings Challenge, He still wants me to try.  What he cares about is how I play.  If it were just my efforts that mattered I may win the game, I may lose it, but the Hello Mornings Challenge is not what matters.  The character that God wants to work in my life is what matters.  Jesus paid the price for my life.  I will NEVER perform well enough or consistently enough to win every challenge.  I will NEVER be righteous enough to make it into heaven on my own merit.  I need Jesus to play the game for me.  That doesn't mean that I just don't try anymore - it means that I try my best and allow Him to pick me up when I fall.  That is hard for me.  I want to do it on my own.  I want to perfect my game and succeed on my own terms.  If I could do that, though, I would not need Him. I don't ever want to get to the place where I believe that I don't need Him.  I want to get to the place where I am absolutely dependent on Him.  For that reason, I am so glad I failed.  So glad that He has continued to encourage me when He knows I would rather quit and accept defeat.

There are also reasons that I hate that I failed, so I will talk about those next time.  But I will leave this time with one of the encouraging words I read that came from a discussion about budgeting, of all things. 

"Victory Over the Lack of Discipline

  Discipline and self-control must be applied one day at a time.  If you can establish one daily discipline and stick with it for three weeks, you will form a new habit that will lead to the ability to become more disciplined in every area of your life.
  A spiritual battle will be waged to keep you from believing that you can be disciplined.  The Enemy wants to rob you of the fruit of the Holy Spirit and cause you to constantly feel defeated when it comes to areas of weakness.  Make this a matter of daily prayer, asking God to help you live one day at a time, to give you self-control and perseverance.
  Like any endeavor, you may experience discouraging setbacks, frustrations or obstacles.  That is when you must not give in to the temptation to quit.  It will be far more encouraging at the end of the year if it simply takes you longer or a few more attempts to achieve your goals than if you had quit early on."

Chuck Bentley, Crown Do Well Magazine, Volume 2, Issue 1, article Stay the Course, italics added.

Hello Mornings - A Month In

There is one song that I did not include in my last update about this challenge. I am glad, though.  The experiences that I have had over the last few weeks have confirmed some of the things that this song made me realize about this challenge. Here is the update I posted on the day I listened to this song:

My favorite Song today:

Definition of Me - Steven Curtis Chapman
(The link above goes to a video, though I don't like the version.  The link I included at the time on Facebook was much better, but has been removed from YouTube.)

"Here come those little thoughts
of all I ought to be but I'm not
I try talking to myself
but I'm still not convinced
I'm good, I'm bad, I'm everything in between
I'm this, I'm that, but really God we both know

It is Your love that defines me
and Your love that reminds me
it's not what I do"

When I was listening to this, I knew it was "Your love that reminds me," but I kept hearing it, "Your love that REFINES me, it's not what I do."

This whole process is a refinement, and it was such a comfort to realize that it is not MY EFFORTS that are refining me, but the power of JESUS and the HOLY SPIRIT'S work in my life that are making any change possible.

I have come to the realization that I can, by sheer willpower, make changes in my everyday schedule. The real reason I am doing this, though, is not just to have more order in my life, but to put Jesus first. I want to look at Him, my husband and my children as being more important than myself. The reason I thought, "I don't want to live like this" in the past was not just because I was tired but because I was spiritually weary. I was not receiving strength from my times with God and therefore was walking through life on my strength alone. It takes it's toll on my patience, on my level of self-discipline, on my energy - every area of my life. Kat, from Inspired to Action where the Hello Mornings Challenge originated, visited our Facebook group and posted something that worded it perfectly for me.

"But this isn't about trying harder, really. This is simply about putting ourselves in a position to hear Him and receive His grace to be the best moms we can be." 

Amen!

Here are some thoughts I have jotted down at random times over the last few weeks:

John 15:5 - "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

This verse confirmed to me my feelings on willpower. Yes, I can power through this challenge; but it will not change my heart. If I remain in Christ, not only will my schedule change, but I will change. The week after I heard this verse at church, my Pastor said something like this, "Happy thoughts will not help you...they may get you through the moment, but they won't change you.  But hope - that changes us." My hope is not just for my mornings, it is that I will be transformed by the power of God into someone who is more like Jesus.  My hope is that when I step into Heaven, I will really have done everything I can to hear the words, "Well done my good and faithful servant."

2 Peter 1:5-9 - "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins."

 I need to "make every effort" to make the changes that I feel God is asking me to, so there is discipline involved. I want this to be a life change, but that doesn't mean I just want to get up at 6am for the rest of my life.  I want the commitment of obedience to Christ to be my life change.

As I was considering these areas of change , I ran across an article about an amazing story about an Olympic athlete. I was impressed and wanted to learn more about him personally. It was very sad for me to learn that this person's marriage had ended because of their infidelity.  Why is it that people of such strong discipline in some areas - physical, professional, etc - can be so very lacking in the disciplines of character?  I think it is because we can have self discipline without relying on God to change us from the inside out.  I want Him to change my character, my values, my heart - until I want what He wants.  This journey, for me, began long before I can remember and it will continue probably for the rest of my life.

Philippians 1:6 "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."

I am still impatient with my kids.  I am still not getting enough rest.  I am still not so great at getting up.  I worry about facing the times I am sick or I am traveling.  Will I even have the desire to obey at those times?  I don't know.  What I do know is that He has begun a good work in my life, and I trust Him to finish it.

Hello, Mornings!

So, I've started it - the Hello Mornings Challenge. I know that it may come as a shock to those of you who don't know me, but I usually get up late every morning. Yep, my dear husband has been the one who gets up and takes the kids every morning while I sleep in. I only have to get up when he leaves for work, or his home office. I have been spoiled.

Ryan and I have always agreed that I would take any child-related duties until about 4am, He would take them between 4am and 7am. He ended up feeding them breakfast because he was used to eating early. As the kids got older, we started having late night/early morning visitors who knew Mom would have mercy on them and let them get into the bed. I didn't get much peace until they went to eat with Dad. It got to the point where I would wait until he was feeding them to actually sleep peacefully for an hour or more. I was sleeping way too late, and waking up to crazy activity that I was too groggy to deal with. I have been trying to change this for a long time, but I was not having any success. I thought, "When I train myself to go to bed earlier, then I will get up early." or "I will set my alarm for a half hour earlier and try to work my way back." I also wasn't sure what to do when I got up. I wanted to use the time to read my Bible, but sitting on the couch quietly was guaranteed to put me back to sleep. A nice hot shower was out of the question, as well. I wanted to be exercising more, eating right, planning my days, doing cleaning projects...the list was endless. What was I going to implement as my daily routine?

Enter the Hello Mornings challenge from Kat at Inspired to Action, and my good friend Jen. Jen told me months ago about how good the challenge had been for her, and suggested I check out the website. I loved the idea of "waking up FOR your children, not TO your children." Waking up FOR your children means being ready for them when they get up, waking up TO your children was the crazy activity I was already experiencing. I looked forward to finding information that would help me do that, but never did check it out. A few weeks ago, Jen invited me to do the challenge with her and I immediately agreed. I was added to a Facebook group for the purpose of accountability.

I was not optimistic about my ability to get up early, so I wanted to try this out before the challenge started so that I would have a head start. I set my alarm for 6:30 and planned to make the change! I had heard someone talking about their prayer times while walking/exercising and I thought, "Of course! Do quiet time while exercising!" So, I even knew what I would do when I got up. The first day? FAIL. There was a child in the bed when I woke up and I rushed to turn off the alarm so they would not wake up. Second day? FAIL. Two children in the bed when I awoke. I took a break for the weekend and decided to try again Monday.

Sunday night I asked Ryan if he thought I would beat the kid traffic if I set the alarm for 6:00 instead. I decided to try it. First day? SUCCESS. Wow. I was surprised. Second day? Stayed up too late the night before and still, SUCCESS. Third day, stayed up too late again and still, SUCCESS. I knew that exercise upon waking was going to be important, but who knew that setting the alarm earlier than I thought I could get up would end up being good for me? Yes, it is only day six, and only 6 am. But I have not missed a day yet. The peace and encouragement I have felt are worth it, the accountability is motivating, and the duration of the challenge is long enough to help this be a lasting good habit. Who knows, maybe I will

I thought I would end with some of the thoughts and songs I have shared with my accountability group. I hope you find some encouragement for whatever YOU are working on in your life, too.


Facebook Updates:

Day 1 - I am on the treadmill right now...I am shocked. Gonna do some Bible reading now. =0)
Day 3 - I can remember thinking over the last year, late at night when I finally got to bed, "I don't want my life to be like this!" I never got up early enough in the morning, never exercised, and wasn't eating right. Since the first, I have been keeping track of what I eat and have noticed a difference in how I feel. Then, this morning, I was getting ready to get on the treadmill and I thought, "Some people live like this. They do this every day!" It was so peaceful to wake up in the morning and I thought, "I want my life to be like this." I will have to remember this over the next few months, because I know this challenge will be harder for me as time goes on.
Day 5 - I was reading the Hello Mornings ebook yesterday, and I am glad I did. If I had not read the lines, "Get out of bed...Tell yourself that's all you have to do," I don't think I would have made it today.

Songs that spoke to me this week, along with some lyrics from them:

This is Your Life, by Out of Eden

"This is your life God knows what it's meant to be
Know you've got a destiny; time is now so won't you see
This is your life no more waiting to begin
Have some faith and know you'll win...

Put on your best foot and step forward
Knowing that God will see you through
So when you get tired and you feel a little faint
Know somebody's watching you and will help you on your way."

Strong Enough, by Matthew West

"I know that I'm not strong enough to be everything that I'm supposed to be....Lord right now I'm asking you to be strong enough...for both of us"

One Heartbeat at a Time, by Steven Curtis Chapman  (If you're a Mom, just listen to the whole thing!)

Bible in 90 Days challenge

I had decided in December that I was not going to make any resolutions for the new year.  I just wanted to refocus on the goals I was already working toward.  So, no real changes...just back to life after vacation.  There are a few areas I will continue to focus on:  Making sure to actually eat during the day, paying attention to our budget so that we can plan better, planning my time instead of reacting, and getting the schoolroom more organized and streamlined.  As January approached, I read from Amy at Raising Olives about reading the Bible in 90 days.  I had never heard of that reading plan before.  I was intrigued.  I decided to check it out.

My first reaction to the idea of reading the Bible in 90 days was that if I started it, I may actually get through the Bible in a year.  The more I thought about it, though, the more I thought maybe this was a good idea for me.  Here are some of the questions and thoughts that have come up as I embark on this challenge.

Why read the entire Bible, just to say you did it?  - Although I have not actually read the Bible cover to cover, this is not the primary reason why I am reading it.  I think that we are affected by everything that we put into our minds - TV, movies, books, magazines, even conversations we have with others.  I have had a difficult time really studying the bible, of late, so I haven't been reading very much of it at all.  I liked the idea of reading "straight through from Genesis to Revelation, just a like a novel."  This is not a study program, it is a reading program.  I think this is good because we are told in 1 John 4:1 to "test the spirits" to see if they are of God; but how are we to know if something lines up with the word of God if we are not familiar with it?  I want to read the whole Bible so that I will be familiar with the word of God, so  I will know Him more fully.

Why try to finish in 90 days?  As I said before, I hoped that by setting the goal of 90 days I would actually finish sometime this year.  However, as I have read more, and started the challenge, I think I might actually make my goal of 90 days.  One of the reasons for this is just my nature.  When I have a difficult deadline, I usually accomplish more.  I think that is why I liked my accelerated degree program when I was in college and why I find life easier with three children than just two (most days... *smile*).  I also signed up early enough to have a mentor, which builds in accountability.  I need this!  Knowing that I have a group of people doing this with me, and that I need to check in every week, gives me motivation.  I love that they are encouraging whether you are up to date or not.  Amy at Mom's Toolbox, whose blog is the hub of this challenge, took 97 days to read it the first time.  My mentor, Laura, fell behind and ended up reading about 2/3 in 30 days.  So, I know that I will not be condemned if I fall behind.

When I told my husband that I wanted to do this challenge, his response was, "You are going to have to give something up."  He is right...I will have to give up time spent on other things to accomplish this.  I think this will be good, too.  I have wanted to have a consistent quiet time, but have not found my groove with that.  It takes 20 days to make a habit, so I am hoping 90 days will really make it stick!

I don't really think of this as a "resolution," but it is a commitment.  I am four days into the challenge, and I am really enjoying it.  It is not too late to join, there is plenty of time to catch up or go a few days over the end date set.  If you are interested in learning more, you can visit the FAQ page at Mom's Toolbox to see how to link up.  I don't think there are mentor groups to join, but I think you still check in on the main page.  They also have connections through Twitter and Facebook that are helpful reminders.  If you do decide to do the challenge, let me know.  I would love to have some friends do it with me.

Creativity and Inspiration

Thanks to Jessica over at Confessions of a Homeschooler, I found a "blog hop" the other day where the Jessica Sprague Art of Digital Design Alumni were sharing the backgrounds and clipart-type images that they made as a showcase of what they have learned.  They each had a few elements you could download for free, but they all kept to the same color palette so it would be interchangeable.  Here are two images they used to show some of the elements:

The people from Jessica's classes came up with amazing images.  These backgrounds and images are used for "Digi-Scrapping" which is like scrapbooking, but you use digital images to put your layout together instead of physical papers, brads, etc.  I did this last few years for our Christmas Cards.  Here is last year's card:

When I visited the Jessica Sprague site, I was delighted!  They have so many classes that you can take on everything from digital photography and Digi-scrapping to Digital design.  They also sell their work, which you can then use to create with.  Even if you scrapbook with paper, you can print out some of the images or background papers and use them.  On the blog, they also have days where they share layouts and such for inspiration, which you can use for anything from Scrapbooking to Cardmaking to Blog design.

I am over-the-moon excited!  I can't wait to use some of the free stuff I got from the blog hop the other day to make our Christmas Cards for this year, and I am already adding classes to my "wishlist" that I am hoping to do after the Christmas season is over.  I have always liked the blog layout over at Confessions of a Homeschooler, and have been looking for some way of updating my layout in the future.  I even have a theme I have been thinking about.  I had already made the background and header that I currently use, but I used images that were available to me.  I have never made my own image before and I was not sure how I would get the logo to look like what I see in my head.  I was thinking I would have to hire someone at some point.  Maybe if I take some classes, I will have enough design experience to make my own little logo.  I can dream, right?

Travel Checklist

Okay, so we have taken about a trip a month since the beginning of the year, and I have gotten really good at packing for all of us. One of the best tools I have found for this is my Traveling Checklist. I found the original list in the book "Secrets to Getting More Done in Less Time" by Donna Otto.

I liked the idea of the list, but it was not practical for me. There is no color coordination of my "uniform"...namely jeans and a t-shirt. I didn't need to remember pantyhose or tennis clothes. However, I did need to remember to bring the kid's special sleeping items EVERY TIME. There is no forgetting bedtime buddies. Well, there sometimes is forgetting of them, but there will not be as much sleep. So, I tweaked the list to be more in line with what we need, and thought there might be other moms that could benefit from my version of a packing list. Every time we have traveled, we have added to the list. This last time, we did not forget anything we needed.

Here is a look at the list:


For clothes, I just think about how long the trip is and list the number of each item I need in the column for each type of clothing. Then as I fill each person's quota, I check them off. My favorite thing about this list is that I added a "Which Bag" column. For all the items other than clothing, I list where I packed everything so that we can find it easily. It also makes it easier when re-packing (for the trip home) to remember where everything fits!

The other thing I think is great about this list is that if it is a long time between trips, and I am no longer so used to packing, I will still know what we need to bring with us. I hope you get your own list together to help you in this process, too. If you are interested in the excel version of the list, email me and I can send it to you. =0)

Above Average

I have read that most parents think that their child is above average compared to other children their age. By definition, "above average" cannot be the status of the majority of children. Most of us have average children; average, individual, special, precious children who have been given the skills they need to achieve their purpose in life. I think we see them as so advanced because we get to watch them as they discover about life and explode into new areas of knowledge that we know are new to them. It is amazing to watch. Because of this, I think it is good to gain some perspective on what an average child of our child's age is learning or knows.

Proverbs 1:8 "Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching."
Whether children are in private school, public school, home schooled or even UN-schooled, I firmly believe that their education is ultimately the responsibility of their parents. We are the only ones with the unique knowledge and perspective of our children to know their strengths and weaknesses. We are the ones God entrusted with their little hearts for this season, and we have a responsibility to them. (Proverbs 22:6, Proverbs 31:26, Eph 6:4, 2 Tim 4:2) How well do we know what they should be learning, though? What kinds of things are they learning in school, and what kinds of things will they learn only at home?

I think, as a society, we have assumed that if we send our children to school they will learn all they need to know. How many parents in the past have thought that their child was learning because they were progressing through the school system, only to learn that their child can't even read? Nowadays, I think that is less common. However, all of the children I know that do the best in school have their parents backing them up, checking up on them and making sure that they learn the work habits they need to succeed in school and in life. We, as parents, should know what they are learning in school and supplement whatever else we know they need to be learning.

Prior to our decision to homeschool, I was concerned about character development - how to know what to expect at different ages. I knew they would not be taught about character in school, but I also felt I had no clue what was even age appropriate for their school room learning. How was I supposed to know what "reading at a second-grade level" meant? I have found two resources that I hope will really help as I move forward in teaching my children in character development and academics at home.

"What Every Child Should Know Along the Way" - Gail Martin

I first Heard about this book on the Homemaker's By Choice podcast that I listen to. In one episode of their podcast, they had talked about developing your children's character and other skills. They mentioned that this book by Gail Martin included lists of what you should expect from children of different ages in different character and skill areas. I was excited to hear about a book that would address some of these concerns of mine. When I went to look for it on Amazon.com, it was listed for anywhere from $25 used to $375 new (OUCH!). I decided to wait until I could research it more and see if I could find it cheaper. I just found it and bought it on sale for $4.70 from the ministry that apparently originally worked on it (the foreword in the book is by one of the people from this ministry.) The name of the ministry is Growing Families International, and I found the book in their store, here. It looks like they might have more parenting and family resources, so I plan to check them out more later.

"Evaluating for Excellence" by Teresa Moon:

I have read a few posts about this, but I like this one best from The Homeschool Classroom, it was written by Brenda who blogs at Ties that Bind Us. For those of you not interested in reading the post, let me just give you an excerpt:

When I found this book, Evaluating for Excellence: A Handbook for Evaluating Student Progress, in 2004, I didn’t know what a gold mine I had hit. This book is better then year-end evaluations and it helps me plan our following year more effectively. It is full of tools to evaluate your children and yourself and it tells you how to use them. My favorite one is the Character Qualities Review. It has qualities listed such as: attentiveness, brotherly love, contentment, courtesy, cooperation etc… You evaluate your child by checking off weak, improving, satisfactory and excellent. When you place 2 or 3 years worth of this evaluation side by side you can really get a picture of the type of character your child is heading towards. It tells you where to put your focus.

After that, I was ready to read the book. The introduction of the book had me laughing so hard because of the similarities of my experiences to hers. (She contrasted a day when her son got stitches to a day out for a Mocha...my baby just got stitches and I LOVE my mochas!) Her point was this: how we feel about what we are doing changes with our circumstances, but we cannot judge our progress (or our children's) by how we feel. We need to have a better measuring stick than that. Here are some areas that this book can help you evaluate in your child's life:

• Character Development
  
• Student Inventory (overall assessment of every subject)
• Diagnostic Writing Checklist (to track writing progress)
• Family’s Approved Book list
• Reading Genres
• Physical education
• Student Assignment Sheet
  

One of my favorite forms, so far, is an evaluation for me as a Homeschooling Mom - How am I doing? Do I need outside help on anything? I need to be aware of these things so I can make wise decisions for my kids.

Your child may be in a GREAT school. They may be really smart and getting great grades. I think it is wise to consider if there are things you might want to focus on with them, too, though. Are they learning more or do they just already know what is expected in their grade level? Are they being challenged or are they bored? Do they have a lot of academic opportunities, but not social ones? Are a lot of physical activities offered, but not many spiritual ones? Are they given lots of experiments, but not enough artistic expression? There are so many areas of education, and we need to be aware of how our children are growing in these areas. One of the reasons I think homeschooling is so great is that I can tailor their education to their strengths and weaknesses. I can give them opportunities to excel at their strengths and give special attention to their weaknesses. Even without homeschooling, though, I believe you can supplement their education so they are given those extra opportunities or the extra help they need.

I will be looking more at these two books, and maybe I will do more of a review after I have finished them. I like what I see so far!

Let me introduce you to...Homemaker's By Choice

I was never a big podcast or radio person, but that has changed. Over the last few years, I have transitioned much of the time I spent watching TV to listening to radio programs, reading and, well, blogging! I started out listening to Focus on the Family and Crown Financial Ministries, which are both really good programs. But I found myself looking for something with practical advice and wisdom for me as I went through the day-to-day realities of being an at-home mom. I stumbled upon the Homemaker's By Choice Podcast by accident, but immediately knew I found a great resource! When I later found out that their founder, Donna Otto, was mentored for a time by Elisabeth Elliot, I gained even more respect for the ministry. After listening to them for 2 or 3 years now, I have only praise for their ministry.

If you have not heard of this wonderful ministry, I hope you will check them out. As their name suggests, they encourage women to stay at home with their children - however, their resources are helpful for any mother. They do not have a negative attitude toward women who work. They have even had programs that specifically deal with issues working mothers face. I have learned about Organization, Child Discipline, Marriage, and Building Traditions into your family, among other things - and have always felt encouraged at the end of listening. I have also implemented some of their resources which have helped me to improve in my organizational and mothering abilities. If you are interested, you can also check out their website which includes some other helpful resources.