100 Days Survived

Today we celebrated the one hundredth school day of the '11-'12 school year. Generally the only reason to keep track is in case a social worker comes to the door and asks for school records. Because really when you school at home or where ever you find yourself, you realize that learning can take place without a math worksheet sitting at the table. But for record keeping purposes, I keep a calendar of the days between fall and spring that we do sit at the table with a math worksheet.

Until recently, however, those numbers were not posted for the students to see. This year is different. Drew's special ed coordinator recommended us count days using numbers and coins. The thought is to help him see the numbers increase and see a value for the number. Also to see the value of 10 pennies equaling 1 dime and now 10 dimes equaling 1 dollar. I told the kids at the beginning of the school year, we would celebrate the 100th day. I wasn't really sure how, but I said we would do something different.

As the day approached the questions started increasing about what we would do. One child (Clay) said that maybe we wouldn't have school that day. Another (Paige) responded that if we didn't have school then it wouldn't be the 100th day. That would be a dilemma. hmm. So we settled for no chores (so the house isn't looking the greatest right now, but oh well), a special snack, the bare essentials of subjects (everyone had their math worksheet to do of course) and games. Several games.

I got a chuckle at lunch when MacKenzie prayed for the meal and thanked God for allowing us to survive 100 days. Yes, we did survive. And yes, we still have quite a few more days before we can call it a school year and put away the calendar. But we are over half way there!

Proverbs 19:21

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand"
Proverbs 19:21

I am a planner and organizer by nature. In high school I was voted the most organized girl. Not only that, the category was actually made up specifically for me. Schooling my children at home requires me to plan. Planning the hour, the day,the week, the school year and even long range with what I want to have accomplished by the time they leave the house.

Today was like most every other school day. The plan was in place, we were to start school at 8:30 with Bible and everything else that follows. But 8:30 comes around and I can't find my Bible memory CD. Paige is sick with a fever needing a bit extra care this morning. Ok, so we will skip to Science. Science, done, now we will draw what we just learned and I will look for that CD, I find it GREAT!, but right when I start to get excited I hearing fussing and yelling between two children and now they are coming down the hall fighting over who tells the story first. After sifting through the stories, I find I have a significant discipline issue. Now an hour later because the child refused discipline we are ready to do Bible. But we are way behind schedule and I am starting to get frustrated.

A couple of days ago I read this verse from Proverbs in my quiet time. "many are the plans in the mind of a man" yes I remember several years ago being hit over the head with that verse when my plans didn't work out exactly the way I planned. "but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand." I remember realizing that there is a bigger purpose in all of this. And you know what? I don't see the whole picture like the LORD does. So I learned this lesson several years ago, right? Then why is my first response when I am doing Bible at 10:00 instead of 8:30 like I had scheduled get me so out of sorts and to be honest angry?!? Why can't I just say it is the purpose of the LORD that stands. The heart of my child who I had to minister to is more important than my time table. Caring for my sick Paige is more important that getting worked up over who is going to help with vacuuming today because that is her job.

Just sharing my heart right now. I am still in the refining process and as you can see have a ways to go. Lord willing, tomorrow when Math isn't finished in the allotted time, I will see God in it and show my children a proper response to a change in plans.

Grapes + California Sunshine =

RAISINS, of course.

When you live in this dry climate for very long, you see how it is perfect for drying grapes to make yummy raisins. Nothing against the Sunmaid brand that you can buy at the store, but when you do it yourself, you can dry to the plumpness that you like. And oh, are they good!

The kids and I read a book on raisins, so when we went to the farmers market and saw Thompson grapes, one of the best grapes for raisins, we bought some to dry. We washed our grapes, measured them, spread them out on a baking sheet, slipped it into a pillowcase (keeping the birds from getting to them before we could) and placed it on the flat roof above our patio. A week and a half later we had beautiful raisins, not too dry, just right. The kids made guesses on how much three cups of grapes would produce. It turns out the way we like them, it produced one cup of raisins.

Now what does...

1 cup of raisins + 4 kids =

An empty cup!

Fun Fact: 90% of the world's raisins are grown right here in the Central Valley. So every time you have raisins for a snack, you can think of us!

Another interesting tidbit, the raisins shown above where made from green grapes.

Backyard Science Lessons

Some of our best Science lessons have been impromptu in the backyard. We do use a curriculum for Science by Answers in Genesis, which I think is wonderful. And probably because of that curriculum, the kids tend to look at their surroundings a bit closer. The past couple of weeks, we have had several backyard Science Lessons.

Spiders:

We got an up close and personal look at a spider with its prey stuck in the web. After looking closely at it, Paige asked Clay to teach us more about spiders. So he had them all sit around him and he gave a "spider talk". The other three were all ears to what he had to teach them and I even learned some things.

Plants:

One of my favorite is spending time in the garden and watching the change in plants. The kids have enjoyed our fruit trees and few veggies that we have planted, grow and produce their fruit. Lots of lessons on the seasons, pollination and harmful and helpful bugs, etc. I am excited because during one of our recent backyard plant observations, I found 5 lemons on my new tree! This will be its first harvest. And my Bird of Paradise plant that I planted about 1 and 1/2 years ago is now blooming! I have 4 planted, 2 were just planted this summer. Only one is blooming, but it happens to be the one located right outside by bedroom sliding glass door.

Backyard Pets:

Monday, I got home from taking "M" to an appointment and Jathan and the kids were excited to show me their two new finds: a grasshopper and a praying mantis. Jathan and the kids had a science lesson while we were gone. They had researched these insects finding where they lived, what they ate and so forth. They even found out that the praying mantis is one of the five types of Kung Fu taught. If you have ever seen the movie Kung Fu Panda, you can guess what the other four types of Kung Fu are. Apparently there was a reason for making the crane, tiger, praying mantis, monkey, and snake the furious five in the movie. If you watch a praying mantis for a while you will see why a type of Kung Fu is named after it. It looks like that is what it is doing. Ok, that is a bit off of the science talk. The kids and Jathan set the praying mantis up in a home, they decided to offer the grasshopper for food, since that is one of the things they read that they ate. After watching for a while to see if it would eat the grasshopper, we left it alone. Jathan even checked on it before we went to bed. I am not sure if the kids were more excited or he was. Still it hadn't eaten. Well this afternoon, the kids found the praying mantis dead and the grasshopper still moving around. So we will see what will happen with their backyard pet.

3 Weeks Down, 33 More to Go

I probably shouldn't have titled this post that way. It sounds like I want the school year to be over, when that isn't the case. It is hard to believe that we have officially done 3 weeks worth of school. Of course they are always learning, even if it doesn't count as an official week to put down in the books.

There has been a bit of a learning curve this year. The biggest is having two addition students. We are still working on the schedule to get everything in that needs to be covered, figuring out what they can work on by themselves, what can all four do together, what can "M" and Drew do together, and what can Paige and Clay do together and what do I need to individually do each one. We are figuring some things out, a lot by trial and error. I figure by week 34, I'll have it all down. The second challenge is just that we are still figuring out "M" and she is still figuring us out. Authority is a new thing to her, so getting to realize she has to do what I ask, not just what she feels like. She still wants a lot of attention, like wanting me to watch her do everything including erase a letter. I still am learning what all she knows, since I haven't had her from birth or even close to that time and I wasn't around during her few months in Kindergarten, I still am not sure what she has mastered and what she hasn't.

But despite the challenges, we are learning, and I believe we are having fun (of course that may depend on what day you ask the kids).

Today was a day that was rewarding with the older two. (I won't mention the morning with the younger ones) Paige has a few science experiments she is working on, including testing pollution, freezing water and starting a compost pile. She is most thrilled with the compost pile, which she began today. I like it because she is cleaning up leaves from the yard and taking care of all my kitchen scraps. Clay was asked to write a story in first person point of view. So now he is excited to begin a series on "The Monkey Brothers", which is the name of the club he and some other boys started. He published his first story this afternoon and he already has a fan. Paige was delighted with it and said she couldn't wait for the next one to come out.

Some days are hard and there is a temptation to call the school and enroll them all, but that isn't most days, and there are even days like today where they are excited to learn and use their knowledge or skills. I love those days!

Butterfly Habitat - Part 1

One thing I love about homeschool is that I get to learn and discover right along with my kids daily. Right now, one of our science studies is the butterfly. On Paige's birthday, two weeks ago today, our larva arrived in the mail. After crawling around in their little jar and growing lots, they started looking more and more like what we think of as a caterpillar.

The kids loved watching them crawl around and change size almost literally right before their eyes. Then, starting on Saturday, they began crawling to the lid of the jar and hanging upside down. We had been waiting for this to happen. This, we knew, was what to expect when they were about to harden into chrysalids. Later that day one hardened. Then by Sunday morning, they were all in the chrysalid stage.


Now it is time to move them into their butterfly habitat. We will wait, and Lord willing, in 7-9 days a beautiful butterfly will emerge.

(There they are pinned to the side of the habitat.)

Scripture Memory

As we begin a new year, many of us have set all sorts of New Year's resolutions. Anything from losing weight, exercising regularly, eating healthier, stop smoking, being more thankful, etc. Unfortunately many of those New Year's resolutions last until the middle of January or maybe to February if we are lucky. I am the same way. Unfortunately. I do want to make it through the entire 2010 keeping my resolutions. That takes discipline, and I do not have any quick fixes for it. So I will try with God's help to keep them. Maybe some of our resolutions aren't the end of the world if fail by the end of the month. But I know that many of us are resolving to read our Bibles more and memorize scripture. Both are absolutely necessary in the Christian walk. A little while ago, a friend posted on his blog here, some tips for scripture memory, so I wanted to pass those helpful tips along. I also wanted to put a plug in for a CD that friends of ours have made. There is actually a whole curriculum that you can buy, which I would like to do a post on someday because it is absolutely wonderful. But the foundation of the curriculum is scripture memory, memorizing God's Word. Passages are put to music, made easier to memorize and meditate on. The CDs that are available for purchase now are based on God as the Creator. It is absolutely amazing. My kids (and myself) have memorized as much as 10 - 12 verses a week, just by listening. The music is not kid music, either, like Row, Row, Row Your Boat. It is music that captures the emotion of the passage. And it sticks with you, so you find yourself singing it throughout the day. Kinda like when you hear an 80's song and can't get it out of your mind, but this is God's Word. And you remember it for the long term. (which I think should be the goal of scripture memory) Anyway, I highly recommend the CDs. You can check out the CDs here. You can even scroll to the bottom of the page and listen for yourself. I have to say there is no greater joy than to hear your kids around the house singing scripture. But of course, it isn't just for them. I have memorized it right along side of them. It is truly a blessing.

How to make olive oil

This post is not going to contain a "How to" video, or even go through the steps one would take to make olive oil. Number one, because I couldn't really tell you all of the steps and number two, most of the people reading this do not have easy access to an olive grove anyway, so it wouldn't be too useful. This post will, however, show you some pictures of a place that does press olive oil and maybe you just might learn a little bit of how it is made.

We are trying to ease in slowly to school, so today we joined a homeschool field trip group touring an olive oil plant. It was very interesting, indeed.

Here are some pics below...

Above: Olives are taken through and the rotten olives are taken out along with any leaves that are still attached.

Below: The olives are washed and ready to be ground.

Below: The olives are ground up, seed and all. The result is a something of an oatmeal consistency. Then the liquid will be extracted.


Below: Here is the olive oil after the water has been separated out. There are still some impurities that froth up to the top.


Below: Paige and Drew in front of some olives that are about to be pressed.


Below: The kids enjoying a game of tag by the olive grove.

At the end of the tour we got a lesson on buying olive oil. I had read recently about how great California olive oil was because of the purity of the product. I learned more about it today. After the liquid is extracted out, the oil and the water are separated and you have olive oil in a very pure form. Italians do the same thing. Only that olive oil stays in their country. The waste that is left over, after the liquid is extracted, is pressed a second time using solvents and sometimes mixed with other oils. This is what is sent to your grocery store. The Italians won't use it. A lot of the nutritional value that olive oil is known for is now gone when this process is done.

It isn't always easy to find California olive oil, but I was happy to find that I can go directly to the grove (just down the road from me) where it is pressed and buy it by the bottle, case or gallon. So if you are looking for good olive oil, come for a visit, and I will hook you up!

Back 2 School

Well it's back, school that is. We began yesterday, so we now have 2 days under our belt for the Spring semester. Good feeling.

We now have a new school room. Jathan moved all of his church things up to the new loft and we took over his old office. I love it!!! It is nicely organized. School books, the computer, supplies, they are all at my fingertips now. I think the new room helped get the kids excited to start school again.

Jathan isn't quite all moved into his office yet. His stuff is up there, but not all things have found a home yet. It takes time. Plus he needs a desk, that would help with much of it. That will come in time, as soon as he has time to look for something.

The new room is mostly decorated, a few finishing touches will help, but those will have to wait until I have more time. The builder is coming back on Thursday to complete a few odds and ends. I will try to post pictures after that happens. The room looks great though. Plenty of room for out of town guests who want to escape the cold!

So what have we been up to…

August started with construction and school. The construction is because we are adding on to our home. Off of our family, there will now be a bedroom, bathroom and loft. The bedroom is so my mom can stay for as long as she would like and have her own space, the bathroom is for obvious reasons and the loft is for Jathan, whatever he would like to use it for. The builders are great, the kids actually miss then when they aren’t here for a day, but it is definitely a change in our life. For the most part we truck through school, able to ignore some of the extra noises and people around, other times when the drilling is a few feet from you or the hammering is above you, it can be a bit distracting. All and all despite the mess we are surviving. However, we will definitely be happy when it is all behind us and we can have our yard and house back to normal.


School started in August, my third year of homeschooling. I can’t say that I am any closer to being a veteran than I was at the beginning of Paige’s Kindergarten, but I am learning as we go and I do think that every semester is getting better. Paige is now in 2nd grade, Clay in 1st grade and Drew in preschool. I am grateful for the this opportunity.

One of the beauties of homeschooling is the flexibility in the schedule. Labor Day weekend we were able to turn the 3 day weekend into a trip to visit friends from college. Instead of the usual Sat-Sun-Mon holiday we left Thursday afternoon and had a Fri-Sat-Sun holiday. We had a great time playing on the beach, playing games and visiting. Jathan left Saturday, taking the Greyhound back home, while the kids and I stayed an extra day.


On that Sunday, the kids and I picked up my mom from the airport and headed to Palm Springs for the week. We stayed in a condo, had school like normal, but got to enjoy the pool on our breaks. In school we were studying the desert, so we took a few fieldtrips while we were there. We had a great time!

Currently, in October, we have been busy with school, Jathan working and I have tried to get our home as organized as possible. With the construction going on and things a bit out of place, I am fighting for organization in the areas of the home that have not been affected. At least have someplace seem neat and tidy. Jathan is coaching Paige and Clay in soccer. This year they are on the same team, which is so much more convenient than last year. Clay is taking a month of art lessons. We are trying them out to see if this is something we want to continue. Art seems to be his love, to the extent of him telling me that he doesn’t need school, since he is just going to paint. We will see about that! Last week we took a dairy field trip, which was great fun. The kids (actually the moms too) took a hayride through the dairy and got out to see the cows milked. Following the tour we had a nice picnic lunch drinking milk of course with ice cream as dessert. A great time!