Kristen Blog

Snow, Snow, Snow Well, the snow hath fallen. We've got about 6 inches, and it is still coming down with a fury. I went out and shoveled for The Hub. (Don't feel sorry for me, I actually like getting out there. I know you homeschool moms will understand!) I shoveled our huge shared drive, our sidewalk, our neighbor's sidewalk, and our OTHER neighbor's sidewalk and drive. It just feels so good to do something nice for someone. Plus, it gives me a little exercise and quiet time...a two three birds kind of thing. (Notice our deck doesn't appear to be shoveled at all...my work was totally covered within minutes. That's okay. Our job will still be easier tomorrow!) In preparation for the snow, we went to the craft store and stocked up on yarn. (I'm selling dishcloths at a local store!) We also went to the library and stocked up on good books for the kids to read. Our trip took all morning, and I was exhausted when we got hom

Why I Homeschool Friday, January 20, 2012 Honestly, by instinct, I think I always knew I would homeschool. Well...technically, thought I would open my own school. (I tend to dream big.) I remember sitting in elementary school and thinking, "There's got to be a better way." O.M.G(oodness), I AM a nerd, aren't I? Really, though, I was so extremely bored, and I couldn't imagine the value in repeating the same things over and over again day after day. Now, part of that was the little creative rebel in me who can't stand to conform to ANY kind of set standards or rules. But I think there must have also been a little girl who just saw the inefficiency in trying to teach a variety pack of kids the same educative lunch menu day after day.  

We're BAAAAAACCCCK! Tuesday, January 3, 2012 Okay, well...technically, I'm a little behind getting back to homeschool. Yes, right, I'm way behind. As usual, I'm trying to manage too many ideas, and I have a hard time letting go of even one. Currently, I'm managing a website with four separate blogs and a newly created directory with several individual pages. Did I mention I'm not even trained in web development?! A little hair brained? Probably. I've also been knitting like a mad-woman, and I'm generating a lot of links to the site through my free patterns. That's a good thing. So, I'm thinking knitting might be a good niche for me. Therefore, I've upped the ante a bit. I'm knitting for a locally-owned shop, and my fingerless gloves have taken off. (Like...people on a waiting list...seriously???!!! Keep in mind, I can only knit one slow stitch at a time. Production isn't that great, and it didn't take long to

It's Potty Time! Thursday, December 1, 2011 Happy December!  We've had a crazy November. As usual, I've taken on more projects than I can handle. So, I'm having to re-assess and ask God which ones are from Him, and which of them I can let loose. I had to give up leading a women's small group that I've lead for several years. Sad...especially since we had such an amazingly productive year last year. (We actually saw people healed in the context of a small group of women in my home!) However, it leaves the door open for God to move in my life, and I am sensing change. For one, I am taking on the missions webpage for our church. A Little Homie has really brought out the geek in me. Yes, I can now admit it, "I am a geek!" And I'm actually kind of proud of it. Missions has been very strong on my heart. The kids and I are even learning French...just in case. We may branch into several other languages, too. (Espe

The Joke Is On Me November 16, 2011 These are the kind of moments that make it all worthwhile: Xander was having a rough morning. She didn't understand her math, and I couldn't help her. I asked her to sit and think until I could get to her. Since I had my hands in bread dough, she knew it would be awhile. She grew anxious. On the one hand, she HATES waiting. She likes to get things done, and she lacks patience. On the other hand, she assumed she would get it all wrong if she started the page, and she REALLY hates having to redo her work. We had a near crisis at one point, when she thought she had indeed completed half the page in error. At that point I was able to spare the time to help her. She hadn't been wrong, after all. I calmed her down and set her going again with confidence. She eased into a comical sarcasm and continued on with her homeschool work. I told her it was time for spelling. "Oh great!" she blurted, alon

Our Homeschool Routine I'm feeling a bit spoiled, since The Hub has been off for about 12 days! He's getting more diligent about taking time off, and I love it. Unfortunately, I know that it is soon coming to a close, and I am going to have to face reality again. I'll admit...this homeschooling thing can be pretty overwhelming at times. This is probably the hardest year I've had, since Dillon is little enough to need constant supervision (and attention) and old enough to have a LOT of very dangerous or damaging ideas. I figured out today that he really needs to be challenged. I spent some time with him on starfall.com . I've decided I'm going to start "teaching him to read," because I need him to have something other than Super Mario Brothers (yes, he's 2!) and The Wiggles to keep his interest. I have no idea what benefit this will bring as far as speeding up the reading process. The girls both learned late...

Halloween November 3, 2011 We had a great Halloween! We had debated not participating this year, given that the tradition seems to be so solidly rooted against our faith. However, I had this tug at me to let the kids have fun. I really had to spend some time in prayer about it. I didn't want to allow the pull of the culture to force me into misleading the kids. So, we printed off a little Halloween history , read it together as a family (and counted it for credit), and prayed together. Then, Matt and I prayed together, without the kids, and discussed what we felt God was speaking to us about our participation. We concurred. As for our participation in Halloween, we make it very clear that evil is evil. Our children are not allowed to wear blatantly scary costumes. They are not allowed to watch scary movies, and we openly discuss the difference between human imagination and reality. Our focus is to avoid dramatizing what is real and co