Kristen Blog

Closing a Chapter: Evan is Born November 24, 2013 I had really resigned myself to never being pregnant again. We had such a difficult time getting the three children we had, and Matt was hard set against trying for a fourth. Our four miscarriages were rough on us both, and he particularly couldn't stand to watch me go through the emotional pain of losing a child. A person's a person, no matter how small ! - Dr. Seuss "Horton Hears a Who" (Interpret the story how you want...I like to consider it in the light of miscarriage.) It was a little painful for me. I had dreamed of becoming pregnant and having a child since I was very young, and my first experience had satisfied ALL of my desires. It was a surprise pregnancy in the first year of our marriage. Everything went well. I felt better than I had ever felt in my life. I was out raking leaves on our hilly yard only 2 weeks before our due date. (Of course, that is only because Matt was recover

Homeschool Math Help - Adding Decimals October 2, 2012 Xander was struggling in her math book this year.  She had been using Spectrum and Evan Moor.  This year, we switched to Bob Jones University Press.  I saw that the “appropriate” grade level 5 was going to be challenging, but I offered her the choice of 4th and 5th.  She chose the challenge. Whew! We started out with some intense place value…including high value (billions, etc.) and DECIMALS!!!!!  Fortunately, I found some math help aids online at http://www.math-aids.com/ .  I added about 5 pages to the two in her book on place value.  She still struggled with certain aspects of the concept, which was evident in her final test, but after a few weeks of pounding the same topic, she needed to move on. AND…we moved on right into the hands of addition with random place values!   So, she needs to be able to recognize place value to organize the numbers by their place value in order to ad

We are back in the swing of things, as of mid-July.  In fact, the girls have managed to complete 200 credits already this homeschool year! I felt led to get an early start this year, so that we don’t feel pressured or forced on any particular day.  I assume that allows us to be more flexible to the spirit.  There are days when someone has need, and if I feel pressured to complete hours, I might be tempted to choose homeschool over our mission from God.  That is a continual worldly pull…number and credits and proof, quantity over quality, etc.  I am making a point to fight that, but it is sometimes a fine line.  I do want my children to receive a good education, AND I want them to be focused on God’s work.  The only way to meet both needs is to focus on God Himself and allow Him to guide me step by step and day by day. So far, I’m pretty thrilled with our curriculum for the year.  I noticed that I tend to neglect a few things in their education.  For one,

Homeschool Blog: Ups and Downs August 10, 2012 Seems like it's been heavy on downs in the last year. It's as if every time I go to pick up my homeschooling responsibilities a bomb drops. It leaves me wondering: am I somehow falling off the path, is it the enemy, or is it the normal strife of a homeschool house that includes three kids - one a toddler! I'm guessing it's a mix of all three. I've been purposely quiet on all fronts for awhile. I felt strongly that God was calling me to lay it all down. That was hard for me. I noticed feelings of regret - as if, by not pursuing these things, I would never become what I knew I could be. ...and then He hit me with this revelation: You are struggling, because you want to be something more than who I've called you to be. By doing what He calls me to do, I am following His best for me and His call for me. My wanting more is just selfish and self-glorifying. I want to do something big. I want

Multitasking and the Homeschool Mom May 1, 2012 I've read that multitasking is actually counterproductive - that by multitasking, and continually redirecting our brains, we are actually wasting valuable time. Apparently, we are more efficient if we eliminate the time it takes to switch back and forth between tasks. I'm sure the data included mistakes, which are most likely more common when we are trying to do more than what our brains can handle at once. I would argue to tell that to the homeschool mom who is preparing dinner (which has to be completed and consumed in time for 5:00 lessons), staring at her two-year-old son (who is telling her he just "soiled" his underwear) AND trying to silence her daughter who is FRANTICALLY begging for help with her schoolwork. Multitasking is my life! We multitask homeschool and sub-urban farming! Sure, I would love to put everything down and go at it all one at a time. Well...actually, I probably w

What Did You Do Today? April 4, 2012 Look around my house right now, and you may wonder, “What did you do today?”.  Okay, the kitchen has been much worse than this, right? The clothes mess is from the essential winter/spring switchover, which I hope to complete tomorrow?? Allow me to defend: I spent my prime homeschool time working out some INTENSE emotional and spiritual healing with someone whom I love dearly. I spent some time recuperating with the family on a trail we’ve never visited and at the library. I tried to take a nap, woke up to pee and vomit, lost my temper with the kids, and made it up to them by having a play date with cousins. (Thus, I spent time with my niece and nephews.) Bonus: I got my nephew to help make my first batch of powder laundry soap. I helped out a neighbor in need and had a VERY important conversation about God. I pottied trained for the third full day in a row! (Oh, Lord will it ever end?!) I got

Homeschool Organization March 12, 2012 I recently purchased the cutest calendar on sale at JoAnn’s.  It was a glass frame with a pre-printed blank calendar, which I could fill in with dry-erase markers. The whole concept got me thinking…I’ve always wanted a chalkboard in my kitchen.  I have several friends who have them, and I always notice their sweet messages.  However, I don’t like to shop, and I never saw a chalkboard when I was out. This calendar gave me the idea to create my own.  Here’s how I did it: I found an old frame in the basement.  It’s about an 11 x 13 in, but you could use any size.  This frame was already painted blue.   I loved the color, but I didn’t like the color with the photo in it.  So, it worked well for a re-purpose. I picked out a piece of muslin that I had lying around (also in the basement).  I focused on light cloth without a pattern, so the message would be easy to read.  Also, I chose the plain cloth, si