First Day of School 2012

Today was our first day of school!  It's crazy to think that I have a 2nd grader, a preschooler, and a 2 1/2 year old! 

Of course we had to take our first day of school pictures!

Liam - 2nd Grade

Ainsley - Preschool

Kallan - 2 1/2

My Students

Love them! Either this picture just cracks you up, or you instantly start praying for me!  :)

For a first day back, our day went pretty well!  I kept the schedule pretty light as we eased into things.

Want a little peak?

Our morning started with reading and talking about Proverbs 2:3-5 and then looking up the word, PERSISTENCE in the dictionary and how that word applied to the verse.

We read a story about how the hymn, Holy, Holy, Holy, came to be

and then listened to it and sang along.

We did a little grammar review about capitalization, nouns, contractions, and sentences.

We reviewed the names of the seven continents and four oceans of the world and where we can find them on the map.  We did a little worksheet about that and then went into our history reading starting with Columbus as a young boy.  We read about how people at that time thought the Atlantic Ocean was the "Dark Sea" and if they started to sail across it they thought they might run into Asia.

We talked about what a biography is and "interviewed" each other just in case we ever wanted to write a biography on the other person. 

Then we started a read-a-loud biography about Benjamin Franklin.

Liam did his math lesson on the computer.  After two years of struggling to find a math curriculum that really fits him... I think we've found it.  Do I dare say he was giggling after the first lesson?  I love it too... so smiles all around!

We had my 2nd grader's favorite foods for lunch... Ravioli, corn on the cob, and grapes! 

And for a special treat... a trip to our little town bakery for cupcakes! 

 

Even this teacher got a little treat... a Cookies and Cream Cupcake that stayed on my mind all afternoon!  Yummy!!!!

 

To finish up our day... we read a science book about high and low tide in the ocean and what causes it.  We actually even found some great videos on U-Tube so we could watch the tide in action. 

Then, in keeping with the biography theme...

Liam started his reader which is a biography book on Louis Braille.

After that an afternoon of computer games, playing Legos, riding bike, and playing baseball with friends. 

 

I think 2nd Grade is going to be a good year!

Back to School Dinner - 2012

So this year our back to school dinner looked a little different than the last few years.  With a birthday party thrown a few days ago, and a daddy who is out of town all week, I decided to trade in the fancy table cloth, china, and special home-cooked meal for a supper out at Applebee's to celebrate the new school year.  And it was wonderful!

I had picked out a verse for our year, so I made some verse cards and brought those along with us.

Our verse this year is...

Show me your ways, O Lord,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.

Psalm 25:4-5

Before our food came, we chatted a bit about the verse and how it might play out in our lives and school year. 

OK - so it was more me reading the verse to them and telling them why I think this verse will be important for our year as they looked at me with hungry and glazed eyes.  But God's Word doesn't return void... so I was content in at least showing them the verse and know that we'll learn more about it as we memorize it.

Next came a few back to school gifts for the kids.  Liam was thrilled with his Lego folders and new pack of pencils while Ainsley was excited about some origami paper and a new dot-to-dot book. 

 

Of course Kallan loved his little trucks and in true Kallan fashion, the first thing he did was line them up.

We had such a fun evening together... and even in it's low key fashion, it was a great way to kick off our new school year!

The Beginning of a New Year

It all started out like this....

Back towards the beginning of July, a box of curriculum shows up at my door step waiting to be opened.  My heart gasps a bit, and I pick it up and set it inside my door.  Then I walk away.  For the next two weeks, I pretend it isn't there.

"Can I really do this again?"

A few weeks later, the calendar flips to August, and yes, the said box is still sitting by my front door.  By this time it has been opened up a few days prior to grab one or two books from it, (to ease my guilt of not touching it) but the rest are left untouched. 

"But I haven't even had a summer yet!"  "My mind can't even go there right now!" 

As the calendar days start ticking away, I feel like a deer caught in headlights.  I'm sure people look at me and see that my eyes are bulging out of their sockets every time the subject of school comes up.  One Sunday afternoon, I finally take a deep breath and dig into the box.

(And yes, that is a big pile of chocolate wrappers on the table and somewhere is an empty bowl of M&M's.

This kind of work cannot be done without chocolate.)

I look through, sort, and label all the books which will become our year of 2nd Grade.

I don't think I will ever be able to put my heart into words as to why we homeschool.  It is definitely one of the best and hardest things I know I will ever do in my life.  Many days seem like a fine dance to me between the awesome things about homeschooling and the hard things about homeschooling.  They are intertwined, overlapping, and sometimes are the same thing.  But I continue to take steps of faith forward because I know that for this season of life, God has called me to do this. 

I love this quote from Priscilla Shirer because for me, it applies to homeschooling. 

Ms. Shirer says, “When you face two options and each seems to please God, consider the one that displays God’s glory, power and strength. This makes room for God to reveal Himself to you and show Himself through you. God wants us to see the wondrous things He will accomplish in us. Don’t be fearful about the hard road He may ask you to take. Be encouraged and excited about seeing His divine, supernatural activity in and through you. God’s voice commands the option that will display His power. He desires to show Himself strong in you and will encourage you to do things that require trust and faith.”

It can feel overwhelming to homeschool.  At the beginning of the year, I look at the books and all the plans and I'm fearful about the road ahead that I'm walking on.  My heart yells, "I can't do this!" 

No, I can't.  And God doesn't call me to do it on my own.  He doesn't want me to.  He wants me to rely on Him and Him alone.  And I fail at this every day.... sometimes every moment!  But He continues to call my heart towards Him and remind me to try again and look to Him.  I know that if I keep my focus and trust on Him, I can do this.  He wants me to depend on Him and die to myself so that He will work through me.  He wants to increase my faith and trust, and most days He uses school to do this. 

So as the beginning of a new school year starts, I have a little chorus from church that has been playing over and over in my head the last few weeks, encouraging my heart...

"I may be weak... but Your Spirit's strong in me.

My flesh may fail... but my God You never will!"

 

God, thank you for being strong in me when I feel so weak.  Thank you that you never give up on me (even when I neglect a curriculum box for weeks and tell You that I can't do what You've asked me to do) and that You continue to work Your plan in my life.  May You alone be glorified in my life and through this school year.

 

She Turned Five...

She turned five... and no one asked me if it was OK.  She just went ahead and did it... the day passing by in the blink of an eye.  As quick as it took to blow out five candles, my little girl turned five years old.  To me it feels old and very "grown up".  Her words and mannerisms and actions are reflecting more of a girl than a "little girl".  All of a sudden before my eyes I see this long, lean, beautiful girl with sparkling eyes, deeper thoughts, and a sweet personality that shines.

She wanted a ballerina party, so ballerina party we did!  Lots of pink, lots of tulle, lots of giggles, twirls, and delight.  It was a perfect day to turn five.

My sweet girl, this is what I want to remember about you at five....

Your creativity:  Ainsley, your mind is constantly creating and crafting.  Whether it is coloring a picture or cutting out tiny pieces of paper, anything you touch you turn into a work of art.  Your favorite thing to do right now is to use boxes and "rescue" anything you can from the recycling container to turn it into a "creation" of yours with a story to go with it.  What your mind thinks of and what you create blows my mind away... and I think some day you and I will spend days together making all sorts of crafts with each other.

Your imagination:  Not only are you creative, but your mind is constantly imagining stories to go along with your day.  Whether you are celebrating Bunny's birthday or setting up your Barbies and playing out a story in your mind... you always have something like this on your mind.  Today I watched as you sat on the sidewalk for an hour, talking to yourself and just "playing".  I could tell you were making up and playing out some sort of story... and it made me smile.  This is probably the part of you that reminds me the most of me.  I see this more and more in you each day, and I love it.

Your heart:  You have a big heart.  You love big.  You give big.  You wear your emotions on the outside of your heart constantly.  You love to snuggle.  You love to give good gifts.  You love to hug and just be close.  You cry hard when you have to leave someone you love dearly.  You love big when you are with them.  You are starting to understand what it means to love and serve God... and I can see this love start to grow in you.  I love the heart God has given to you, and the heart you are starting to have for Him.

Your girly side:  My dear, you are ALL girl!  For the first time this summer, you wanted to wear shorts some days, but for the most part, you are still my dress girl.  You love purple and pink.  You love lip gloss and jewelry.  You love getting your hair done and putting bows in it.  The night before your birthday you asked if I could put your hair in rollers to sleep in so you could have curls.  You love clothes and frills and pink and anything that is just GIRL.  You are my girl, and I love you!

Other random things:  You love cottage cheese.  You like to dip your peanut butter sandwich in jelly.  Dogs scare you.  You love to watch Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  You love the Disney Princesses, Barbies, and American Girl dolls.  You love your yellow bike/trike.  You love milk.  You love to dance.  You love stuffed animals.  You are very interested in extended family and how everyone is related.  You don't like spiders.  You cry easily.  You love to joke around.  You always have to have a Bible story, book, prayer, and song before you go to sleep.  You love your Bunny and Blankie the most.  You are a good sister to your brothers.  You love to plan dates with daddy.  You love rides - the faster and scarier the better.  You are everything I never knew I wanted in a little girl.  You are so precious to us.  You will never know how much we love you!

Happy 5th Birthday Ainsley!

       

What we've been doing the last week....

When did he get this old?



(Any and all activities that can be done on hard surfaces are good!)



Staying close...

As day one started, I remember how much I strongly dislike this whole process.  It feels intense when you are in it... and day one was really bad.  It was a "one M&M for you... a handful for Mama" kind of day.  (And yes, I did get Dark Chocolate M&M's to reward him with for that very reason!  But thankfully I can look at my other two and be encouraged that we will get there and to just keep going.

Now a week into it, and I'd have to say he's doing good overall.  We haven't "arrived" yet, but we are heading in the right direction.  A few days ago Tim commented, "So there's no turning back now..." meaning that we have come far enough and have been successful enough in the whole process to not call it quits and try again at a later time.  Nope... We are in it to win it!  So here we go!

Mountains

It was one of those times when the words hit me like a ton of bricks...

"You have the power to move mountains inside of your spirit..."

The Power?

To move mountains?

Inside of me?

I know this... I've heard this many times before... but for some reason on this day in church the words hit me in a different way.

I have all the power I need to move mountains inside of my spirit...

Lately I've been feeling like I've been standing at the base of alot of mountains.  Mountains in my life that seem too hard to climb.  Mountains that make me feel small and weak.   Mountains that feel hopeless and overwhelming. 

Where do I start to climb?  Do I even know how to climb these?  What if I fall while trying to climb?  Do I even have the strength to climb up to the top?

And then this song starts to play, and as I'm singing, my heart starts to hear the answer to my questions...

Oh You bring hope to the hopeless
And light to those in the darkness
And death to life, now I'm alive
Oh You give peace to the restless
And joy to homes that are broken
I see You now, in You I'm found...

I don't have to climb these mountains alone.  In fact, my God doesn't even want me to try.  He wants me to trust in Him... the One who gives hope, the One who brings peace, the One who fills, and rescues, and finds...

Oh You fill those who are empty
And rescue those in the valley
And through it all You calm my soul
Oh now You find me in my weakness
And heal the wounds of my heartache
And I worship You in spirit and truth...

And I'm reminded that God says in His Word, "He replied... I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there', and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you."  Matthew 17:20

Nothing?  Nothing.  Even mountains.

And all He asks of me is just a glimmer of faith.  Faith in Him.  Faith in my God who is faithful.  Faith as small as a mustard seed is what it takes to move mountains.

And I do have the power... For Paul exclaims that we would "know the incomparably great POWER for us who believe. That POWER is like the working of His mighty strength,  which He exerted in Christ when he raised Him from the dead and seated Him at his right hand in the heavenly realms..."  Ephesians 1:18-20

I can know that same power.  I have the power to move mountains, and that assurance from Him is all I need to keep trying and climbing.  Is this easy?  No.  But is it what He's asking me to do?  Yes.

And maybe some of the mountains won't move.  Maybe God knows that it is those same mountains that He has placed in my life to make me depend on Him and seek Him more in my life instead of relying on myself.

In either case, I'm resting and trusting in Him because there really is no other place I'd rather be than under His wing when the days feel hard and the mountains feel tall. 

   

Crazy Summer Days

Our summer has been anything than normal.  Since the beginning of July, Kallan has either been fevering, on antibiotics, or on steroids... leaving this mama extra tired, stretched, and a little boy just not feeling like himself.  Our calendar has been full to the brim of activities, events, trips, and vacations.  The combination of these two things has made our days feel a little bit crazy around here. 

Crazy days can tend to draw me down, frazzle my heart, and scatter my mind.  In the midst of these days, when my heart starts to wander, I try to remember to give thanks.  Smile at the little blessings from God, and in this way cling to Him.  It isn't always easy to give thanks when your child is fevering at two in the morning, or my calendar screams at me that there is no time to get everything done.  It isn't easy, and it doesn't come natural, but I'm finding more and more that it is necessary.  This act of worship realigns my perspective, calms my heart, and draws me to my Strength who carries me though crazy times like this. 

So, remembering today to give thanks to Him for all things...

Seeing cousins show their pigs at the Hog Show and meeting their bucket calf, Ruby.

Spending a HOT evening at a Storm Chasers game... riding a Merry-go-round for the first time.

Seeing my little girl get to try on flower girl dresses...

And knowing that in the blink of an eye, I will be shopping with her for her own white dress.

A memorable Boys' weekend in Kansas City...

Taking in a Royal's Game...

And enjoying Lego Land.

A weekend trip to Texas to visit friends...

Getting to go swimming...

Water balloon fights with friends...

Enjoying a trip to the zoo...

And looking at the seven children between my friend and I... and just feeling blessed.

Enjoying the Sarpy County Fair, entering Lego creations in the Open Class Division...

And making their own snow cones.

Spending a week at Jedi Training Camp....

And spending a weekend with just my husband, celebrating 12 years of marriage...

A thankful heart, a full heart... in the midst of crazy summer days... remembering Him...

remembering to give thanks.