Does your child LOVE to read?

It is finally raining here in West Virginia.  We need it really bad.  These are the days when I want to just relax, in front of the fan and read a good book.  These are also great days for our children to read.  Teaching them early to LOVE to read is important.  You can possibly be poor at History, Science and even Math and it not affect you like being poor in Reading. 

A good student starts with being a good reader.  Now a days they can find anything they need to know on the internet.  But what would happen if the internet was no longer available?  Easy, find a library and read. 

Challenge your kids.  Give them 3 questions and tell them to find the answer by using any book source.  NO INTERNET!  Have them write the answers and which books they found them in.  Then, have them find the same answers to those questions on the internet.  Compare the answers.  We forget that the things that are posted on the world wide web may not be 100% accurate and some are  opinions.  I think the internet is a wonderful thing, let's just make sure our children can live without it if need be. 

Again, readers make better adults :)

Happy Memorial Day

Please take the time to remember our fallen soldiers and the families who lost them. 

I want everyone to have a wonderful Memorial Day and be safe!

my first review

I am so excited to receive my first TOS review curriculum!  I can't wait to get started!  What is it?  It's a surprise......

Remember yourself

We homeschool mothers need to remember that we need a little TLC at times.  We are not only the teacher, we are the principle, the playground attendant, the counselor, the chauffeur, the spiritual advisor, the financial advisor, the food distributor, the cook, the nurse, the maid, the supplier of hs materials, the referee, and last but not least.... the washer of the shorts.  We get so caught up in our children's lives we sometimes forget that 'moms' need a little pampering. 

So do something nice for yourself!  Go get a hair cut, nails done, shopping or just sit alone in a quiet restaurant and have dessert.  Just do something for mom.  You deserve it :)

Beautiful day today!  Too nice to do traditional homeschooling ;)  My oldest loves to read so he did his reading outside under some shade today.  I love these days. 

Home economics day

What an awesome home economics school day yesterday!  Started out by taking the boys strawberry picking.  (They also had a free lesson on how to ask for direction when you can't find your destination as well.)  We picked about 17 pounds of strawberries in 10 minutes.  We had a blast!  It took longer to drive there, than to pick. 

When we got home, they helped me wash, trim, cut, mash, add sugar and put them in freezer bags. 

I think they realize now just how much work is involved in their 'strawberry shortcake'.  We didn't make homemade shortcake though.  I was just too beat.  We not only did the strawberries, but we made two loaves of banana bread for my father in law, two desserts to go with dinner for a family who's mother just died, and then of course the clean up. 

This is a homeschool day the boys will never forget.  These are the days that remind me why I homeschool.

Curriculum expense

I cannot get over how expensive curriculum is now a days.  I am at the end of my 8'th year of homeschooling and the price is going up every year.  I know my children are getting older and older students require more work, text, etc. but I am still amazed.  Some have a good return policy I'm sure.  But the big problem is that you may not know if it works for your family until you try it for a few months.  By then you have already spend a fortune and you are stuck with it until you can find someone to buy it from you.  

My oldest doesn't like History, but he loves to read..... perfect.  So this year I am going to have him read (most Newberry award metals) from a list from a certain curricula I have used in the past (his age level of course).  Most of these books are FREE at the library by the way.  I can question him on these books and what he has read myself.  I am lucky that 2 out of my 3 boys love to read.  I'm working on the 3'rd :)

I am also so excited about being on the TOS CREW!  I can't wait to try some new History curricula through them as well.  I am always open to new suggestions or ideas from others.

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day!  My hubby made steaks on the grill, smothered with grilled onions & mushrooms, sweet corn, potato salad and cake!  The boys cleaned up.  It sure was nice (and a big change) to just get up from the table and walk away when we were finished! 

Then we watched 'chick flicks' all day :)  Even all three boys watched with me.... well, not quite all day though.  After the first chick flick they started to venture off.  But my hubby stayed and watched three with me!  Yes, I am blessed.

I am also blessed and getting excited to be part of the TOS crew!  Yippy!  Look for my upcoming reviews on homeschool curriculum.  I have to say, I am a little bit nervous as well.  But I hear that I'll have a wonderful bunch of ladies on the TOS crew to help me :)

Is removing textbooks from public school wise?

This has come up the past few years in our area here in WV.  Is removing textbooks from our public schools a wise choice?  Personally, I think it is not.  I am all for new technology, but our children still need to be taught HOW to retrieve information.  The library is becoming obsolete in our public schools I'm afraid!  My oldest is in 10'th grade and he tells me that he 'hangs out' in the library at lunch, not to read, but to chat with friends.  I'm happy he is in the library, but does anyone ever USE it? 

Well, homeschooling my younger two, we are at the library several times per week it seems.  It is the core of homeschooling for our family!  Children need to be taught how to get information they need or want to know.  For the record, the library in our area is awesome.  They are very homeschool friendly and are very helpful with requests as such.  The library offers several things people may not realize such as fax machine, copy machine, different types of free classes, internet, genealogy, tax and voting information, and much more!

It is a shame to hear that books may be replaced by technology.  Is it just the next generation or something more?  With facebook, twitter, cell phones, instant messaging, etc. we have no use for books?

What if our power source fails for any period of time and we don't have any technology use available?  I'm afraid this next generation and our civilisation would be lost!  Our banking, college classes, employment, etc. would be in chaos! Our bank accounts would be non-accessible... ouch! 

The Bible tells us that we should not fear times such as these but to trust God and he will take care of all your needs.  So at least there is peace and hope in our worries and concerns. 

Here are a very Bible verses I lean on when thinking about these things.

Jeremiah 29:1  
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

Romans 8:28 
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

Amen.

It is really getting hard to keep the normal homeschool routine now that the end of our schoolyear is creeping up on us!  I think I will tilt the schoolhouse tomorrow and go on a bee search!  My youngest has been interested in bees for a while and what better time to learn more about them than now?!  We have studied bees in previous curriculum, but who says we cannot study them again right? 

We have been some of our homeschooling in the garden as well.  Checking on our plants everyday, making sure they have sufficient water and no critters are getting into it through the fence.  It is so important to teach our children how to be self sufficient in our living and not to depend on the food industry. 

Have you ever watched the movie "FOOD INC."?  Wow!  A must see!  It will totally change the way you see your food.

Another good educational movie on what goes into your body is "FOOD MATTERS".  Did you know that 100,000 mg. of vitamin C through IV kills cancer cells?  Yep.  Now just get the hospitals to do that.  Not easy.  Sad, but true. 

Well, I don't want to go on a rampage so if you want more "WOWS", just watch these movies listed above.  Don't forget to have your children watch them too; very educational!

    Do you have days where you are just finding yourself going to your room and crying?  I'm coming to an end of my 8'th year of homeschooling and still find myself doing that a few times a year.  :)  Life throws us curve balls and it doesn't care that we have English to finish or 5 more multiplication problems left.  We have to cut off the distractions and give our children (students) our 100% attention.  I find myself relaxing this time of year with allowing the distractions, but I have a new perspective on this coming school year!  I will go back to my old ways.....turning on the answering machine that plays my recorded message..."We are homeschooling at this moment so if you'd leave your name and number we'll get back with you after 2:00pm.  Thanks for understanding."  But it doesn't do any good if you leave the ringer on and check the caller ID.  It sounds easy, but it is harder than you realize to shut out the outside world for even hours!  

   Where did all this come from  you ask?  Well, I've leaned a great parental lesson this week!   I was checking my facebook page and my sons asked if they could get out the spray on tattoo kit.  I gave my permission.  Then they asked if they could have the skull and crossbones tattoo.   "Sure, no problem" I replied.  Before I knew it my 9 year old had the skull and crossbones tattoo on his forehead!  My oldest son (who is 13 yrs. old) said, "Mom, I asked you if you were sure if he could tattoo his forehead and you said 'yeah'"!  Really?  

Parental lesson #574 learned.  HAHAHA!

Wow, it's May 1'st already!  And I am soooo glad!  Yes, I am ready for a summer break from homeschooling!  The kids are ready too.  Even though we are all ready for our school year to end, it seems like yesterday I had the two oldest at the kitchen table with their new books ready (and excited) to start our homeschool adventure.  My littlest one was at the table too, still in a diaper, with pacifier in his mouth grinning ear to ear wantng to do 'his school' too.  How the time has passed.  I am wrapping up my 8'th year and feeling so 'tired and experienced' yet there is so much more to learn from other homeschool mothers.  I do love to hear all the 'typical' homeschool days of other families.  It is very inspiring. 

Feel free to tell me how a 'typical' homeschool day is with your family.