Hip Homeschool Moms

Homeschooling: Good and Bad Days

Wendy — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:01:53 +0000

You know how you read posts filled with scripture, that lift your spirits and make you feel as tho you must strive for more …
This is not one of those posts.
You know how you read posts that make you feel as tho you will never measure up, that you don’t have it together and you should just throw in the towel …
This is not one of those posts either.
But if you struggle some days, soar on others and are a real, live, breathing Mom dealing with the real day to day stuff that life throws at you … then this just may be a post you should read.Let us face facts here, not every day is a good homeschooling day. Well, with that said, not every day is a good parenting day really. Even if you stayed in your pajama’s all day, drank several cups of coffee – while that may sound perfect, it is not if it was because you couldn’t make the time to shower – and coffee was holding it all together.

You know the kind of day where instead of starting your day peacefully, maybe a moment of quiet reading, a reflective time, or time in prayer … instead of a guiding prayer it was more of a Dear Lord, please give me the strength to not put this child in a box and tape it shut … the kind of day when you give serious thought to stamping your feet and yelling ‘its just not fair …’
What you don’t have those days?
And here I thought we were going to be friends …

So back to those of you that are still here, why am I sharing this with you? Just yesterday, another Mom said that she wished she could get it together like me.
I was floored. Me?
With the nights I go to bed praying that I will be more capable tomorrow. Hope I will do right by my children and guide them on the right path, and nurture them so that their lives are rich.
When I wake in the morning, light a candle and turn on soft music, hoping for a day where the stars aline, trying to create a peaceful place …

But truth be told, it made me feel good that she thought I had it all together. Even as I hushed her kind words and went on a self deprecating rant, because we all know it is impossible to accept a compliment.
Your hair is lovely. Really, I have not even washed it today.
Just love your blouse. This old thing? I picked it up on sale for $5.
You did a great job on this project/party/fundraiser. Oh not really, it just all came together.
See yourself in there?
But when I was told that another Mom wished she could get it together like me … inside, there was a little glow that someone thought I was doing a good job even tho I had many days where I felt so lacking.

***

So what is my point here?
Look around you and compliment the Moms you see each day. They are all doing the very best they can, but I bet not one of them thinks they are doing enough or doing it right. Smile, encourage, tell them what a great job they are doing … ask that Mom with the crying toddler in the store if you can give her a hand. Help load groceries for Mom with the newborn and the needy, younger children clamoring for her attention. Smile, encourage, compliment.

Because really, we all have have days where we doubt every single thing that we do. Where we never think we are doing enough. You, yes you, may be the difference between them having a good day or having a bad day.Because we all know that there are always days that are worse than others,
and there is a reason that some species eat their young …And as always

Nicole, was born in England, raised in South Africa, and recently became an American that talks funny. A Liberal Christian Mom, currently living in sunny Florida, married to the man affectionately referred to as MR 51% in her blog. Has homeschooled her two cherubs since early 2008 and embraces the ‘World is our Classroom’ by traveling as often as they can. When she is home you can catch up with them in their outfit of choice – jammies, most days, exploring the beach in flip flops and devouring books. She loves Jesus. She says, What would Jesus do? A. Lot. Nicole fills her blog with stories on life, travel, homeschooling, infertility and adoption. She does not write about dieting or exercise. Some days – you should bring wine. You can find Nicole blogging at By Word of Mouth Musings.

Hip Homeschool Hop – 5/15/12

Danielle — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:00:01 +0000

We’re Hip, We Homeschool…..

Now, let’s HOP!

Looking for homeschool supplies/books at a great price? Have something you’re not using and would like to sell?

Visit our Hip List!

Now, on to the HOP…

Don’t forget to grab the Hip Homeschool Hop button located at the very bottom of our page!

Is this your first time joining the Hop? Welcome! Be sure to check out our link up guidel ines before you join the FUN.

Learning To Let Go

Wendy — Mon, 14 May 2012 04:01:45 +0000

I began this year anew. I spent the summer embarking on a new planning method for our year. One where everything was planned out ahead of time over 36 weeks and placed into file folders. As I read about doing this from others who had pioneered it before me, there was one piece of the puzzle I knew would be both part of the key to the plans success, as well as the hardest part for me.

“I was tired of always finishing math in August instead of May, and it dawned on me one day that we always fall behind because of all of the extra unexpected things in life that take over like sick days, etc…

In the school system, if one person gets sick, the teacher doesn’t stop teaching while that child is missing. They keep on going and the child either skips the work, or does only the important parts (even if just orally).

So, I decided to split up all of our work into 36 weeks, and told myself that if the week got away from me, we would just keep on going the next week, by either throwing out the work we missed or doing it quickly out loud. This was crazy, but worked so well for us. You see, it’s ok to miss a math sheet here and there throughout the year. There’s enough review etc, that it’s not a big deal… But it IS a big deal if you miss the last big chunk of your book. This way of doing things helped me to finish the whole year by may with lots of breaks throughout.”

We started out the year with our 36 weeks all planned out, and everything moved along so much more smoothly this way! Science was even getting done as I had a little note card of supplies needed, handy for each week. Then a week would pop up where I forgot to get the supplies and wasn’t heading out at all where we could stop and pick them up. While breathing deeply, I took that science experiment out and let it go. Guess what? We all survived and still learned each concept! Sometimes we shift things to an evening, weekend, or into the next week, and others I truly walk away from.

Onward and upward through the year….we enter April and Spring Break. I spent two weeks reflecting on how things were going, and realized I was failing at letting go, at least in the big ways.

We had been doing a grammar program which had become drudgery for all of us. It caused stress and frustration for all. Did I let it go? Nope. While science had been great for awhile, the monotony of the curriculum got to us and it was no longer fun. Did I let it go? Nope. Instead we entered Spring Break mentally exhausted and at least partly unhappy with each other.

Not what I had envisioned or wanted for our homeschool. You’d think after 6 years I would have all (or at least a lot) of the answers, but I don’t. We ebb and flow as moods, seasons,…the weather changes, oh, and hormones rage! Then somewhere along the way I lost sight of what matters most, from our family ties, to the love and joy of learning.

Now for the learning part! After realizing things weren’t working, and that something had to give…..I learned to let go! We came home and dropped the formal grammar for the rest of the year, and dropped the science curriculum too! What we gained was a whole lot of outdoor time, art time, learning time, and together time because we picked up doing nature studies in place of the things we dropped.

I am all about schedules and checklists, dotting i’s and crossing t’s and somewhere in there I forgot about the joy of learning. There are many ways to learn, and while I believe in a set plan, I also believe you have to know when something is doing more harm than good. Homeschooling isn’t the easiest path, it is not the path of least resistance, and the road map for it isn’t very clear. We need to trust ourselves, our will for our children, knowing we have their best interests at heart and that one way isn’t the only way.

Realizing things weren’t working out like we wanted them to, and me learning to let go of those things has opened another door for us. There is so much to be seen and explored in our own backyards, streets, neighborhoods, parks, etc. We are learning so much about plants, animals, and the weather, as well as poetry and art. We find poems, or write poems relating to the world we are exploring; take photos of the things around us; search books and the Internet to find out what those things are; and we are seeking tutoritals to learn to draw – draw flowers, tress, and animals.

So for now, I let go. In the coming year we will spring into action with a new plan for formal grammar, and a less structured, more hands on/interactive plan for science. Until then we are on a slightly different path, somewhere in the knee deep Indian Grass (ok more like over our heads deep) next to the sidewalk, and life is good here.

We need to remember that there is no one right way, no magical formula for raising/teaching our children. Love them first, enjoy them second, then grow, live, and learn with them for a lifetime!

Heidi is a 35 year old, happily married wife to one self proclaimed computer geek. Through their 14 years of marriage they have added 3 children: Chloe (12), Jayden (9), and Ava (5), as well as 2 dogs: Muffin and Oscar, to the mix. When not totally engrossed in homeschooling, or taxi service for the children Heidi likes to read, blog at Starts At Eight, and chronicle their lives in photos, as well as working at new hand projects like gardening, knitting, and crochet. You can also catch her on Twitter, and Facebook!

CoolPencilCase.com Review & Giveaway

Cindy — Sat, 12 May 2012 04:01:17 +0000

Did you know there is a world of pencil cases? Seriously . . . entire websites dedicated to pencil cases. I was so excited to review this Pencil ‘Roll’ because everything at CoolPencilCase.com is so NEAT. Talk about some perfect stocking stuffers . . . for public schoolers and homeschoolers alike! Hey, even Dad’s desk at work or Mom’s purse could benefit from one of their products!

I received their Kaleidoscope Asian Roll Pencil Case in the mail and it is beautiful! The colors are so vibrant. The case is a teal shade and would work well for a boy or a girl (or a momma ).

The quality is also top notch. It’s extremely thick fabric with very sturdy stitching. My toddler immediately ‘tested’ it with his teeth when I took it out of the box, and there has been no damage between my 3 little boys fighting over it. (Which, trust me, is a testament to quality).

When you unroll the pencil case, there is a sturdy zipper compartment that my son likes to store his erasers and pencil grips in. The pencil compartments are sewn in such a way that a regular No. 2 pencil fits nicely. However, my son’s jumbo pencils and even slim markers fit just fine. There is a flap to cover those sharp points of your pencils when not in use as well.

Our favorite use for this case has been church because it doesn’t make noise and you only take one pencil out at a time. When I bring a bag of pencils and markers to church, they are usually all over the place! This case makes travel quite tidy.

Overall this case has great quality and amazing customer service from the folks over at CoolPencilCase.com. I’ll definitely be adding them to my bookmarks bar!

Connect with CoolPencilCase.com on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Liz was a cheerleader swept off her feet by the football player back in high school. They’ve been married nearly eight years and are the proud parents to three young boys. She’d always envisioned working and sending her kiddos off to school so she could live the ‘normal’ American dream. However, life and the Lord surprised her and she’s learning to ‘redefine having it all’ while being a homeschooling housewife. She enjoys finding strength from God’s word, the Today show, talking on the phone with friends, and being real about finances and parenting. She’s blogging about homeschooling and much more over at The Hesitant Housewife.

CoolPencilCase.com Giveaway

How would you like to win a pencil case of your own? How about two? One Hip Homeschool Moms winner will receive two pencil cases from CoolPencilCase.com – one for the kids and one to keep for herself!

Ready to enter?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Welcome Summer with a New Craft!

Wendy — Fri, 11 May 2012 04:01:59 +0000

With the school year coming to a close, I find that I am trying to come up with a stockpile of activities to keep the kids busy when it is rainy or when temperatures are too sweltering to enjoy outdoor fun and games. Crafting projects are fun and are a great way to get everyone in the family involved in something.

One of my favorite crafting projects currently involves repurposing t-shirts. If you have kids, you have t-shirts. I used to just cut up old t-shirts for rags, but, everywhere I look these days, something else has been made out of an ordinary old t-shirt. If you think about it, this really a frugal and earth-friendly idea!

I have made a few scarves from t-shirts, and they are always a big hit. But the ideas I have found lately are way beyond just plain scarves, they are tons of fun!

One of my favorites is the shag rug made from t-shirt rag pieces. Wouldn’t it be fun to get some use out of a favorite tee even after it is too small or to worn to wear? One of my other favorite ideas is to crochet or knit dishrags from ‘t-shirt yarn.’ There are numerous methods for making ‘yarn’ out of t-shirts. These rags make up really quickly because of the size of the ‘yarn’ and they are super absorbent.

So, go clean out the closets and drawers and start repurposing all of those t-shirts that are just taking up space. Check out the ideas on these web pages. Each page has tutorials, links, pictures, and more ideas for repurposing t-shirts.

hellogiggles.com/diy-t-shirt-scarf

myblessedlife.net/2011/10/t-shirt-scarf-tutorial.html

simpleorganic.net/refashion-repurposing-t-shirts-and-more/

craftingagreenworld.com/2010/06/18/memorable-ways-to-repurpose-old-t-shirts/

www.ehow.com/how_4895298_make-tshirt-shag-rug.html

Sarah Dugger is a pastor’s wife and busy mom. Sarah has been married to her husband André since 1986 and they have six children. She has taught in both public and private schools and currently homeschools her three children who have not yet graduated. Sarah is a contributor to many areas of TOS including the TOS Homeschool Crew, Molly’s Digest, and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. You can follow her blog at www.myhomeschoolcrewreviews.blogspot.com.

Grapevine Studies Review

Danielle — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:30:26 +0000

Have you ever heard of Grapevine Studies?

Grapevine offers a truly impressive array of both New and Old Testament Bible studies for age groups all across the spectrum, from Pre-K to adult. Their wonderfully fun and simple approach, ‘Stick Figuring Through The Bible,’ offers a creative and multi-sensory learning experience that gives kids and people of all ages a chance to experience and really grasp the stories and lessons God has for us in His word!

My family was given the opportunity to review Grapevine’s New Multi-Level Joseph Study. It’s a small thing, but as soon as I opened the envelope containing our new curriculum, I knew we were going to have fun with it.

Multi-Level sets are advertised for ages 7 & up and I would agree with that age grouping. All three of my boys were excited to get started with this and all tried to draw along with me as I taught the lessons. However, my 5 year old quickly got frustrated when he couldn’t make his stick people look like the ones his brothers and I were drawing. My two older guys (7 & 9) we’re definitely able to keep up and would race to guess who I was drawing before I narrated the next part of the lesson. My younger guy enjoyed listening to the story and talking about the pictures but kiddos under 7 will probably have a tough time making the drawings.

There are definitely other Grapevine packages that use this same unique approach but involve less drawing. Something to keep in mind for the littler people!

The Joseph curriculum is broken up into 14 lessons, the 1st being a chronological timeline overview of the story that will be covered. The subsequent lessons dig more in depth into the different sections of the story.

I was impressed with how well laid out and helpful the teacher’s guide was. I am not usually one to buy the manual when I have an option, but I think we would have missed out on much had I not had this one. I also appreciated that the license allowed me to make copies of the worksheets for all three boys from one package. It can be frustrating to buy a curriculum and then find you needed to order one copy per student to stay all legal like.

We really enjoyed the combination of reading the story, learning scriptures, review, drawing and conversation that happened with this curriculum! Each lesson offers suggested memory verses and discussion topics but gives you the flexibility to lighten or really dig deep into the story as time and attention span permits!

My 7 and 9 year old boys thought this was the most fun we’d ever had in a Bible lesson! We laughed constantly, had great conversations about what we were learning and walked away after every lesson with some new fact or perspective on a much-loved and often studied story. I honestly had not heard of Grapevine Studies before I was blessed with the opportunity to review their Joseph curriculum, but we will most certainly be ordering more in the future!

Find Grapevine Studies on Facebook and Twitter.

Danielle is a born and raised, big-city Southern California girl that has been joyfully transplanted into a beautiful small town in Southern Montana! She’s married to her stud of a high school sweetheart and together they’re raising three handsome, rough and tumble young men. Their family loves the Lord and feel like homeschooling is just one of the many ways they have endeavored to give their whole lives to Christ. Danielle loves to read and doesn’t go anywhere without her Kindle! She also loves to cook, organize, hike in beautiful weather and spend entirely too much time playing with all things tech-ish. Danielle also harbors a fairly new-found love of all things DIY! You can find her blogging at Organizational Hysteria.

Giveaway Day 5/10/12

Danielle — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:51 +0000

Are you hosting a homeschool mom-friendly giveaway? Want a chance to win some fun stuff?

Come check out . . .

Giveaway Day!

Bloggers & Giveaway Hosts: Come on in and link up those awesome giveaways homeschool moms would love to enter!

Homeschool Moms: Have fun entering all the great giveaways listed here this week!

If you are linking up a giveaway, be sure to first read our link-up guidelines HERE!

*** PLEASE NOTE ***

Giveaway sites that do not link back to Hip Homeschool Moms in some way

will be moderated

Considering Homeschooling? Consider These Things!

Wendy — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:01:11 +0000

Homeschooling is a tough job! It’s very rewarding and has many benefits, but it’s just not an easy thing to do. I’ve been thinking lately about what makes some families successful at it while others give up or think it’s just “not for them.” While my list is absolutely not comprehensive, here are a few things that I’ve found to be particularly helpful to me personally as I homeschool my children. (These are not in any particular order. I think all of these things are very important.)

Support from my husband.
Curriculum that fits my children’s learning styles and my teaching style.
The knowledge that it is God’s plan for my family to homeschool.
Flexibility!

I think it is very important to have the support of your husband. If your husband does not support you in homeschooling the children, it will create so much stress and conflict that your homeschool probably won’t be effective or enjoyable. If your husband agrees to let you give it a try even though he doesn’t wholeheartedly agree with the idea, that’s ok. Go ahead and give it a try! He’ll probably become a supporter. However, if he is absolutely against the idea, I believe it’s better not to homeschool. I would definitely pray that, if it’s God’s will for you to homeschool, He would change your husband’s heart about it. In the mean time, though, I would suggest waiting to homeschool until you have his support or at least his “ok” to give it a try.

One of my very favorite things about homeschooling is that I can choose curriculum based on my children’s learning styles and my teaching style. If you are just starting out, it may take you a year or two (or three!) to find the curriculum that you and your children like best. It took me at least 3 years when I first began homeschooling 15 years ago to find companies that I particularly liked for each subject. I still change curriculum every now and then. I don’t think it’s a good idea to change curriculum every year for 10 years, but now and then it’s ok.

To me, the most important reason to homeschool is because I honestly believe it’s God’s plan for my family. There are secular families who choose to homeschool, and I certainly believe they should homeschool if that’s what they want to do. Personally, though, I feel like it’s necessary that homeschooling be in God’s will for my family or I don’t believe it will be successful. If God has a different plan for my family, then I want to follow His will!

One of the things that I’ve learned during my years of homeschooling is that we need to be willing to be flexible if we want to avoid being frustrated as we homeschool! This was the biggest surprise to me during my first few years of homeschooling. I really had not considered that homeschooling would necessitate flexibility on my part. For that reason, I learned the hard way! There will be interruptions to your schedule. Things will come up that you hadn’t planned on. You must learn to go with it, do the best you can, and not stress out over it. In fact, I’ve come to believe that we are actually doing our children a great service when we show them that it’s ok to change your schedule–especially when it’s because someone needs our help. We must also set a good example by making sure the missed work gets done as soon as possible too. We don’t want our children to learn that getting interrupted is an excuse for not getting their work done.

There are, of course, many other factors related to the success of your homeschool. These 4 things have proven very important in my own life as a homeschooling mom, and I think they are factors that should be considered by anyone who is considering homeschooling.

What about you? Were you surprised by any particular factor when you began homeschooling? Do you have anything that you would put on your own list of important things to be considered when a family is deciding whether or not to homeschool? We would love to hear from you and read your thoughts and ideas!

Wendy lives in the South with her wonderful hubby and 3 great kiddos! She is a Christian, homeschooling, work-from-home mom. She and Scott were high school sweethearts and have been married for more than 20 years. Her oldest child has autism, and Wendy began homeschooling her at age 2. Her son, a typical boy, would rather do anything than school! Her youngest child is a little social butterfly and people lover. Wendy loves reading and quilting and will hopefully return to scrapbooking some time soon. You can visit her personal blog at Homeschooling Blessings.

Hip Homeschool Hop – 5/8/12

Danielle — Tue, 08 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Thank you for visiting this week’s…..

Hip Homeschool Hop!!

Is your blog listed on the Ultimate Homeschool Blogroll? This fabulous link-up where homeschooling moms connect with one another for encouragement and support is turning one year old tomorrow! That means it’s time to start over with a clean slate. Be on the look out for a brand new 2012-13 Ultimate Homeschool Blogroll this Saturday, May 12, and be sure to re-enter your blog so we can all stop by and say hello!

Now, on to the HOP…

Don’t forget to grab the Hip Homeschool Hop button located at the very bottom of our page!

Is this your first time joining the Hop? Welcome! Be sure to check out our link up guidel ines before you join the FUN.

Homeschooling and Righteousness

Wendy — Mon, 07 May 2012 04:01:36 +0000

Christian. Homeschooler. Two words I once believed synonymous with righteousness. Now, I find myself in this exact same position, and I find that label to be daunting.

One would think that homeschooling offers us a safe haven to be right with God. I mean . . . how many temptations could you come across, really? I’m at home, teaching my children, cleaning, cooking, and running errands. No co-workers, all the hours in the day to get my jobs done and immerse myself in God’s word. It seems being at home would give a woman in this day and age the perfect opportunity to be Godly. Wrong. (At least for me.) I struggle daily.

We ladies of the home have A LOT of temptation nowadays. Huh? TV, Internet, smart phones, magazines, home phones, Target, Hobby Lobby. I know some days I let the house fall down around me and allow the children to run wild just because I want to finish watching ‘my show’ (insert your favorite show here). I convince myself . . . “I’ve earned it!” “I need a break!” “I cleaned ALL day yesterday!” and “I’m the teacher, the cook, the housekeeper! Darn right I’m going to lock the kids in their room, let them watch Scooby Doo and finish this last episode of Dance Moms!!!!!”

However, I often find that 30 minutes turns into two hours and before I know it I’m yelling at the boys to be quiet and stay put. The dishes have piled up, and I’m quickly realizing that I’m not right with God, my husband, or my children. Then, just as I’m walking to read the kids a story, I pick up my phone and check Facebook!!!! YEESH! Get a hold of yourself, woman!!!! FOCUS! It’s so hard to avoid these temptations, eh?! To be a selfless, Godly wife, mother, and homeschooler is an uphill climb.

One issue for me is being social and gossip. Phone calls, Face Book, Twitter, emails, even blogging. If you have the internet, a phone, or even a neighbor, you are almost always faced with hearing gossip or spreading it ourselves. Although it may not be malicious, many times I find myself comparing and focusing on my conversations and not God and my family. Solution? I’m posting some relevant Bible verses that have touched my heart near ‘hot spots’ (phone charger, laptop, my desk, bathroom mirror), so I’ll see them often and be slapped in the face with the mere mortal I am and how much guidance I need every second of the day despite the label of Christian Homeschooler. (And that my children need the Godly mother the Lord is trying to shape me to be.)

The other biggie I’m dealing with is sloth or laziness or watching too much Desperate Housewives of Atlanta (however you want to put it) . . .

The Bible warns of idle hands and idle brains – this concept is true for the teacher and the student in our house. They lead to gossiping, laziness, and allow for distractions. In other words, nothin’ gets done and before you know it you’re husband is out of underwear, there ain’t no milk in the house, and you’re three weeks behind on curriculum!

These are just a few things I’m working on as a young homeschooling housewife. Just when I think I’m improving, a conversation, situation, or temptation will come up and I’m back at square one.

Here are just a few of the verses I’ve posted around the house:

Proverbs 10:19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.

Matthew 15:11 It is not what people put into their mouths that make them unclean. It is what comes out of their mouth that makes them unclean. (Boy Howdy, this one really makes me think . . . ALL that time we spend cleaning our homes . . . I don’t spend nearly enough time cleaning my soul . . .)

Romans 12:11 Do not be lazy, but work hard, serving the Lord with all your heart.

How are you working on being a righteous homeschooler, mother, and wife? What helps you stay disciplined and focused?

Liz was a cheerleader swept off her feet by the football player back in high school. They’ve been married nearly eight years and are the proud parents to three young boys. She’d always envisioned working and sending her kiddos off to school so she could live the ‘normal’ American dream. However, life and the Lord surprised her and she’s learning to ‘redefine having it all’ while being a homeschooling housewife. She enjoys finding strength from God’s word, the Today show, talking on the phone with friends, and being real about finances and parenting. She’s blogging about homeschooling and much more over at The Hesitant Housewife.

Apologia Who Is God? Review & Giveaway

Cindy — Sat, 05 May 2012 04:01:57 +0000

This year my family has fallen in love with Apologia as we are just finishing up our first year of their science curriculum. When I was presented with an opportunity to review one of their Bible courses, I jumped at the chance. I was hoping that it would be incredible, and it did not disappoint. It is written in a conversational style to the student and is geared towards ages 6-14. However, I am getting an awful lot out of it myself!

Everything is organized in such a clear manner with the Who Is God? curriculum. With some products out there, I feel like I need a Ph.D. just to understand how it works. That is definitely not needed here. There are ten lessons which have a suggested pace of about two weeks per lesson. The book opens with a How To Use This Book section that is clearly written and super easy to understand. It includes a suggested lesson plan, what key features you will find throughout the book, contact information if you need further help, and the overall lesson structure.

The products for this course are as follows:

A Textbook~

This beautiful book is laid out in such a great way to keep your child’s interest, but at the same time it has not become visually cluttered. The quality of the pages and book itself are excellent. In the first lesson, Where Am I building My Life?, I was hooked. There is scripture, solid teaching, life application, vocabulary, memory verses, and much more.

A Notebooking Journal~

The book opens by saying . . . “The book you hold in your hands is yours. You are the author, editor, and illustrator.” They had my daughter immediately. The Notebook also opens with a How To Use This Book section. It explains in clear detail the thirteen different types of activities the student will find throughout their journal. Such as: Hide It In My Heart, Word Puzzles, Praise Report, and Living Out Loud. What an amazing learning companion and keepsake this book will become.

An audio CD~

A very nice option if you are interested in having someone read aloud the book to your child. The voice on the CD is nice and calm and reads at a very manageable pace.

A color book~

I was quite pleased to find the color book that has pages that perfectly line up with the various stories being taught in the text book. This allows for a child to color while you read aloud to them or to give a younger child their own special work while the older ones complete the Notebooking Journal. It really is a fun option.

Who Is God? is the first course in a four-part series including Who Am I? Who Is My Neighbor? and What On Earth Can I Do? We will definitely be continuing on. I have zero complaints about this curriculum.

I think the best review I can give of this course comes from the simple words of my 11-year-old daughter. When asked what she thought about the Bible curriculum, she replied, “They just do everything in such a fun way that I can actually understand and remember what I have learned.” Thank you, Apologia!

Follow Apologia Educational Ministries on Facebook and Twitter.

Darcy and her family live in Northern California. She has been married for 18 years and has two sons and two daughters. Her family loves to love Jesus and love people. She supports her husband’s worship ministry at their local church and spends her days lovin’ on her children while homeschooling them. She also enjoys planning parties, decorating, photography, and running. You can find her blogging about it all at Just A Night Owl.

Who Is God? Giveaway

Today we are giving away a Who Is God? gift pack from Apologia. The winner will receive:

• Who Is God? text
• Who is God? Notebooking Journal
• Who is God? Coloring Book
• Who Is God? audio CD – this is the book read aloud

The retail value of this gift pack is $91! Ready to enter??

a Rafflecopter giveaway

When Homeschooling Dreams Meet Reality

Wendy — Fri, 04 May 2012 04:01:23 +0000

When our son Conner was two years old, we decided to homeschool our children. We had some friends who homeschooled, and we loved the idea. We had never heard of homeschooling before meeting them. It was a totally new concept to us. I started researching and planning for the future as a homeschool mom.

Fast forward two years. Conner was four and would turn five in November. I started school at four and thought he would be fine. I learned the very first day of kindergarten that he wasn’t really ready. I pushed forward for a few months and finally stopped in January. I felt like a failure until I learned that most boys aren’t ready for learning until the age of 6 or even older.

The next year we started again–this time armed with lots of advice and a new homeschooling group. I am thankful for the homeschool moms who paved the way ahead of me and listened to many teary conversations in my early years of homeschooling. I was a mess at times; I felt like a failure. Friends and family thought that maybe I was the cause of Conner’s struggles and I wasn’t teaching him correctly.

Our son was articulate, imaginative and curious. We never saw the diagnosis of severe learning disabilities coming our way. When we finally learned that it wasn’t our fault, it was a relief yet a huge burden. What would happen? How could we best teach him? What would his future be like? A diagnosis often brings you to a point of crisis. In a way, it is the death of an “ideal” or dream standard we have for our child and time to face reality. It can be saddening at first, hard to get past or make sense of. I spent many teary nights crying worrying about Conner’s future.

I picked myself up off the floor, set my mind to the task at hand, and became a research machine. I talked with other moms, prayed, gave it to God, read articles, searched forums, and discovered Conner’s learning abilities and strengths. I took the “standards” out of homeschooling and formulated a new plan. Guess what? School became fun for everyone.

By this time, our daughter Elizabeth was five and starting school. This is when I learned that I wasn’t a failure and that I was teaching correctly. She started catching up to her brother, and then another challenge arose. She started passing him. I never said a word and didn’t acknowledge that it was happening. Conner went through a period of his own grief when he realized this was happening. He never knew anything was different until then. Lots of love, prayer, and focusing on their individual strengths helped us through.

Here we are ten years later. I always tell people that homeschooling is like being on a fast-moving train. Once you get on, you just hang on and enjoy the ride. You don’t jump off, and you just keep going until your reach your destination. Sometimes the destination may look different from the dream trip you planned. It doesn’t mean the trip won’t be great, that you won’t enjoy it, or that it won’t be fun. Be flexible, look for the good, and enjoy the journey. It goes all too fast, and soon you will be four years from graduation and wondering where the time went. We have overcome learning disabilities, the serious illness of my husband, and the naysayers. I am happy to report that Conner is right where he needs to be, and that he is headed toward a bright future.

My advice to you is hang in there, be encouraged, and don’t waste away the years fretting or worrying. Time goes fast, and you will overcome!

Julie

Julie is the mom of two great kids and the wife to one very patient husband. A modern day Pollyana with a knack for finding zany adventures. Jesus is the center of her life and she strives to give him all the glory with everything she does. She rambles on about life on her blog Just Jules