Homeschool Diva

Please change your links and follow along…  Previous content will stay here, as I slowly work on transferring to the new diggs.  See you there!

http://www.amberbishop.com/blog

as you can tell, I am still having major issues with this space.  My dear sweet husband is working away at it.  Stay tuned as we sort it all out.

Firstly here is something pretty to look at.  Why you ask?  Because, I feel the urge deep within my being to change some things around.  I think it is the right of every woman to want to redecorate, and the cheapest and fastest way to do that, is by moving a few pixels around online. Namely, a blog redesign.  I know, I know I can’t help myself.

So, I will be back to the drawing board, with my blog design and basic CSS.  Trust me I have a love hate relationship with that but I will not let it conquer me.  The problem is, I wait too long between redesigns that I can’t remember what I did last time, and have to learn it all over again.  Nice. I also need to update my linky love because it is terribly out of date and sparse, so I will work on that too.

I think I am finally laying to rest my thoughts on moving this blog to a different domain name. It’s gonna stay right here. Other then that, my kids are doing some art at the table, my son is reading through Robinson Crusoe and I am packaging stuff to send out from an ending eBay auction.

Have a great weekend everyone…..look for some changes coming shortly.

that is what I call it when Mike and I  sit down and hash through all of the “things” going on in our life.  I remember when we were first married and an older married couple made a mention that they hadn’t talked about some given event that happened a week earlier.  They just had not had the time.  I thought it was strange then, now I understand completely.

So, I thought I would give you all a SOU on my life so you are in the loop.  I will do this via bullet points as I don’t have a ton of time this am before our day starts with a BANG! Rest assured, I am thinking of you, as this little blog space keeps me energized most of the time.

• I have a stress fracture in my hip and it is hurts like mad.  A common sports injury and will only heal with time and rest and that is it.
• I am not doing any training, I can only swim with a pull stoke and no kick which is a serious bummer.  I had to postpone my races reluctantly.
• I am learning how to rest and be still. (I am always learning that one!)
• We are still bunking with my parents for another week before we move yet again in to our own home.
• My Mom has had knee replacement surgery while we are here. Wow is that one wicked painful thing to recover from.
• All of my techie stuff is in pieces sitting on my parents dining room table, which doesn’t really call me to be creative with it. My camera is forlorn, my ipod is rarely charged, my computer has some dang virus and we can’t find the cables for my disc drive and can not burn discs without a lot of maneuvering, which has been a serious thorn in my side.
• I haven’t uploaded to flickr in about a month and my blogging is spotty at best.
• I realize I miss them, they help me keep my mental life sorted so to speak and my creative life on track.
• Our children are doing well without their own space and their own things although I am seeing signs of weariness around their little edges.
• I had to spend a junk load of money for dental cleanings and then a cavity filling on our kids teeth.  Dang make sure you floss your kids people, heck floss yourself too while you are at it.  I have been a bit tardy on that for various reasons….I will leave you to guess what.
• Then I had to spend a junk load of money on figuring out my hip.  Here is a tip, never get attached to money or things….they never last only Jesus does.
• Homeschooling schedule has been crazy but  thankfully we are getting it done.
• Our older 2 are joining a local swim team and my  youngest is learning the strokes so he can do the same.
• I have been praying about what to do with our oldest as he needs some new things in his growing life, so I am signing him up for a local co-op next year for 2 classes.  Latin, possibly Art Appreciation and definitly Learning with Legos.
• I am moving into the season of parenting that causes me to be in my van non stop.
• I want to travel overseas again…….like mad.  I am itching for us to go on a little “walk about”.
• Mike and I are seriously overhauling our schedule in the new house….to carve out room for dormant things.
• I am in need of a silence and solitude retreat, like yesterday.  I understand why Dallas Willard plans his out for 5 years that way NOTHING gets in the way of him getting away to be alone and silent with the Lord.
• I still love photography and am starting to clear the decks enough to start some photography  projects I have been wanting to work on.  Maybe June will be the month?
• I believe I will do this tomorrow with my dear sweet kiddies. Today I will prepare supplies and make them guess at what we are doing.  I love making them guess and be held in suspense.  It is the right of every mother, no?

So there you have it.  Now you know why I have not been very good at blogging lately.  As a matter of fact, I haven’t read another blog in I don’t know how long….hope to get to that one day soon. Thanks to all you who still stop by even in my tardiness. I’ll try to show up a little more often;-)

Grace and Peace to all those muddling through~

my blogging mojo that is.  I am not sure if and when I will get it back. It makes me kind of sad as I have so enjoyed all you dear friends I have met along the way through this blog.  I sure would hate to not hear from you any more.  I think, I am on overload from my whole life right now, and I just don’t have it in me to be thoughtful or interesting.  I have just enough to be “with” my dear kids and husband in a helpful way….and then a bit left over to get some training in and be with my local faith community.  Above and beyond that, I am toast.

Don’t take it personally.  I am sure I will get  it back sooner or later, as blogging has been so good for me on so many levels.  Maybe you could just pray me through it.  I bet I will be out there swimming or running or biking and have something run across my brain that I want to tell you all about but not today.  Maybe I will come back and have a whole new look?  or a new something?

I will miss you while I am gone, but will think of you often and fondly.  Any wagers on how long I am gone?  a day, a week, a month…gulp…for good?

Wow, now when I say that I have something very interesting I want to think through by way of writing.  Actually, I could write about it and it would actually be refreshing to me.  It will help be grab hold of something deep in my discipleship to Jesus.  I am inspired to think of a way I can photograph it.  Isn’t that funny?  Maybe I am not done.  Maybe I am just beginning.  Maybe I am one Hot MESS! Excuse the incoherence….blame it on dehydration….carry on everyone!

Blessings to you all!  May you know the kindness of God even when you are tapped on every level~

Do you see anything new on my page?  I wont tell you, you have to see if you can find it yourself. Stay tuned, as I add fun tips and facts on everything from homeschooling, marathon/triathlon training and of course photography.  Life long learning is our hope, prayer  and dream for our kids, so what better way to instill that, then to model it day in and day out for them and, of course,  leave a digital trail on this blog for you.  Come on learn something new with me.  It is so much fun!

Grace and Peace to all~

Well, my time in Wisconsin was beautiful in so many ways. This is just a quick post to drop by and say hello. I hope to post a bit more tomorrow. Here is my friend I went to visit. We made our husbands watch the babies and we went off on a photographic adventure. Then we missed our kids and hubbies so bad, we had to end it and go back to real life.

I learned a ton. I laughed until I cried, and cried until I laughed in that order. I am nailing my manual settings, shooting in RAW (which is crazy by the way if you are a photog) and missing my dear friends in Green Bay.

Looks like the artist co-op is taking flight. I will tell you some about that too. I did upload a few pics to flickr but saved a few for the artist co-op so you will have to check them out on the etsy store once it is live.

Peace to all on this big and wild journey of faith as we follow our King,

Pax Vobiscum

Last week, Vicki gave me this award. I completely forgot about it until now.

I will work on tagging some of my favs later. For now, I am packing and getting ready to go to Wisconsin. Gotta love frequent flyer miles:-)

I will be posting to flickr so stay in touch. See you all next week.

Thanks again Vicki, I am flattered that my little scribbles here are considered “Brilliant”.

Just checking in. I will be back in a day or two. Until then, you can watch this and shed a tear with me.

Peace to all~

1. What one thing could you do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?

Worship. For me this is where the rubber meets the road. In years past, I have led all types of worship all over the world, but since having little guys, I haven’t worshiped as much until recently. Up until now, I would worship by taking a “holy nap”. You think I am joking, but I am not. How can you praise the living God, when you are barely living yourself. Now, I feel God gently calling me back to the heart of worship. A way of being in the presence of the Lord that is like no other. Worship is singing to God and not about him - so that kind of guides what I do sing. Read the words of some of your church songs, and see if you pick up on a difference.

2. What is the single most important thing to increase your family time this year?

As we all grow together, I find we need to be more places more frequently and I can’t remember it all. So a family calender will help us all stay together. This last year I double booked myself, and stood people up more times than I care to remember. Say no to more, and organize what I do have better. Mike keeps recommending an online calender, so I will nag ask him to do it again.

3. What one thing could you do to increase your prayer life this year?

Schedule 2 silent retreats within the next 12 months, where I do nothing but sit, and be still before the Lord. No body else, no agenda, just letting go of all my little plans, and letting God do some rearranging as needed. This is a must in the basic essentials of being a disciple of Jesus. Hate to be so blunt, but if you aren’t getting this in, you are missing something huge.

4. What one biblical doctrine do you want to understand better this year, and what are you going to do about it?

I think the historical narrative is what is calling me right now in understanding the deeper hermeneutical circle. I know that is a big term, but it is the only one I know to describe what I mean. Just click the link and it will give you the diggs. As in, when was each book written in relationship to the history of the world. I am going back to my history major roots and putting some ducks in order in my mind so to speak. I am using Winn Griffins, God’s Epic Adventure as I study and it is mind blowing. I encourage you to get it and read it!

5. What does your devotion time look like?

It is fluid and dynamic. Changing as needed. I think the biggest mistake Christians fall into, is doing the same thing the same way all the time. Think about it, if you were training for a marathon, you would definitely do your running, but stretching, strength training, rest, diet and nutrition are all important components of running a healthy race. It is the same with our time with the Lord. I practice silence, solitude, worship, Lectio Divina, read many of the late mystics, read the Psalms over and over and right now I am on a Paul kick. That Dude - Rocked IT! I read Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence in my college years and it radically transformed my idea of quiet time. I do have a time first thing in the am, where I dial down and ask for grace to be obedient in my work for the day, and that Jesus would reveal more of himself to me each day, and then my day starts, and I just keep talking and the Lord keeps responding, and we roll like that all day, until I lay down at night and I lay it all down again. Sorry it isn’t very black and white.

So whether you blog or not, I encourage you to play along. This was very helpful for me.

So if you are reading this~ officially, Tag - You are it! Leave me a comment so I can stop on by and learn from you, and give One Thoughtful Momma some love while you are at it:-)

Peace to all!

Okay - now I am calling you out for REAL people! I have had so many private emails and face-book contacts from you people out there, who don’t like to comment. I know, I know, it seems a bit scary, leaving your voice out there for others to see and hear. I understand, but trust me you will get over it:-) A few months back, I took the Google analytics and map off of my blog. I didn’t want to care how many read my blog from day to day. So now, I have no idea who comes around these parts.

There is something I have learned over the past 18 months or so that I have been blogging on my own. Something amazing happens when you join a conversation, leavening your tracks, speaking your mind. I learn every day as I process through my thoughts and journey here in my little virtual space. I promise I don’t bite, and others will learn along with us as we have a little online convo.

I will say, that some of my previous lurkers are now some of my dearest friends….well because I left a comment on their blog or they left one on mine:-) One thoughtful Momma tagged me for a meme and stopped being a lurker. Props to this new blogging diva. She will become a regular read of mine.

So here is the deal, I will continue to share a little bit of my life from day to day - and maybe you will start sharing some of yours with me!

The whole world can be divided into those who write and those who do not write.
-Soren Kierkegaard

Think about it!

Peace to all lurkers today!

So, as you can tell, I ‘ve been

• playing with our camera (The header is an original shot.)
• playing with paint shop pro (free test version to see if I like it. YES I LIKE IT!)
• playing with new skin ideas
• because of playing with the skins, learning basic coding CRAZINESS (which makes my eyes hurt) .

and now that this is up, I realize the sidebar is WHACKED! So now, I am going to practice the art of walking away, and returning later, with a fresh attitude and desire to conquer a new skill and now I will go play in the pool with the kids!

Peace to all wanna be web designers today!

I was miserable the first 3 days of this fast and kept asking my husband to check something online for me. He kept responding with “I’m not your dealer!” ouch! loved the media fast. I stayed away from doing anything that resembled a “have to” like cleaning the garage got so much accomplished. I will go without phone, tv, cable, and a dishwasher and dryer but don’t take away my online access can’t wait to do one again!

Seriously, after I stopped pacing in circles, and relaxed, I found all sorts of wonderful things to do. I painted, and I sewed 3 new things for my mini-me. (”I’ll post pics later) Mike calls her “Mommies little dress up doll”. I listened to a series by Eugene Peterson from Regent called Jesus and Prayer. It was great. I highly recommend downloading some of their teaching series.

I also did something surprisingly healing for me. You may be shocked and horrified to know, I don’t have completed baby books or albums for our dear children. So I wanted to create a framed group of pictures of all of them from birth to now, one for every year to see their progress. I was SO THANKFUL that my dear, amazing husband documented all of the early years with photos and videos and has them neatly archived on our computer. I have just recently been able to go back through them all and enjoy them instead of being overwhelmed. It was so fun to see their growth and our families growth all in a very compressed 2 hour period. I got to relive the time without the pain, sleeplessness, vomiting etc. and remember the beauty and joy of it without needing to have it back again. Wow it is amazing how much older we look in the past 5 years. I had been freaking out dealing with the fact that our middle child turns 5 in a few months and I am sadly solidly out of the baby phase. After reviewing the pictures and family videos, I realized I was as present as I could be and enjoyed every minute to the best of my ability and hope to keep that in view as we move forward. Life is alwasy changing, I can’t hold on to any season, I just need to be present in every season so that I will live with no regrets.

More later!

This week, I will be doing a media fast.   This week is spring break for us, I celebrate my 34th birthday and I hope to finish cleaning up the garage.  I say hope because I hope it will happen, but I don’t really want to do anything about it. hmmmm, we will see how that goes. This is a time to slow down, listen to what is bubbling in me, pray, create.

The point is, to not be pushing away what is going on with you with outside stimulation.  I’ve done media fasts before off and on over the years and they always prove to be fruitful.  So, no emails, no blogs, no reading just waiting and listening.

So, here I go, I am shutting the computer off and hope to see you next Sunday night with all the new things God has brought up in me.

Peace to you and all you love!

True tagged me for a six word memoir. I must say it is hard to do, although I do believe Foster is right when he says an economy of words can be good for the soul so….

“Big changes are happening for us.”

I tag the following illustrious bloggers:

Elizabeth at MommyZabs

Jordan at Momma Blogga

Grace at Kingdom Grace

Amanda at Hidden Art

Kiva at Southern Girl Musings

Betsy at Lily’s Blog

Vicki at Simply Vicki

I went to Goodwill today and got 2 canvases for ten bucks.  I am very excited about that. I see a little painting in my future.  Ah yes, one of my favorite ways to unwind ……and… I found a new blog through dollymama.  It is her Moms story of dealing with her Mom’s journey through Alzheimer’s.  I am hooked after 2 posts.  If you know anyone who is dealing with this in their family, this blog may be a great source of encouragement.  Ma is Losing it will become a favorite read of yours.

Zabs or Lora or anyone else there out there know how to import their blog post to their face-book?

Thanks Cathy!  The kids are counting by 2’s up a storm. When we grow out of it, I will pass it along as well. 

I know I know… you missed me! So who is Ollanta you ask.  The terrorist who tried to become president of Peru a few months ago. He actually got 49% of the vote and just got our of prison. The day we left for Lima, the plane we were set to go out on, was delayed because he was coming in on that plane.  There were flags waving and a band playing and tons of “supporters” cheering him on, and oh yeah riot police making sure nothing got out of hand.  He looked very normal in jeans and a white t-shirt. I guess terrorists look like everyone else.

So Lima was good.  We had a restful time with The Morgan’s and Mike was able to make that trip to Chincha.  I never made it to the market. Carol was sick.  I felt so bad for her. It was pretty bad. Oh darn, I guess we will have to go back! The weather was hot and felt a bit more like home.  We processed even more of our trip.  It is always helpful to have a good idea of what you have just come through in order to own it more deeply.

Our trip home was uneventful. The kids did well and we got home around 8 and went to bed at 9.  Wow is it good to sleep in your own bed. Today we unpacked, reorganized did laundry and spent time with our church family.  Tomorrow we begin getting back into our school rhythm and getting used to being in our own home again.  For those of you who are wondering.  Our house is still standing and in one piece.  So renting out your house turned out to be a pretty good deal and we plan to do it again. 

So in the next weeks, I plan to write a series of posts hoping to unpack all that God said and clarified for Mike and I over the last 5 weeks.

Talk to you Tomorrow!

Warning you may want to skip this post! 

Well, I havn’t blogged in several days.  Our time is coming to an end here in Peru and I typically like to leave a small account of daily thoughts or experiences as a way to process what God is doing from day to day. However, the last few days, my heart has been too heavy to write. I have been unable to really process our time here. I’ve been walking around with a lump in my throat, like a good deep cry may bring some clarity.  Many questions are running through our hearts and minds.  What I do know, is that Mike and I need some answers from God. 

Thankfully, I am not my emotions and Jesus is in control and brings good out of everything.  I kept thinking, this will pass, I am over tired and too emotional.  But it isn’t passing. Have you ever been there?  Felt like you where following Jesus and then one moment you look up and you think, “Oh Man, I think I really missed it?”.  Wow that is a hard place.

I guess one of the challenges of being a disciple of Jesus is to really be in tune and listening and watching for what He is doing at all times…and not make assumptions for what you think He may be doing. Maybe I will go cry a river and wake up tomorrow and be “by still waters”.  The good thing about times like this, is that it makes you hungry for the Lord.  Just becuase things are hard doesn’t mean that God is not working and that a better place will never come.  It does…it will.  I feel the need to apologize for this post, but then again, this is my blog and my process.  I am just not going to apologize for myself anymore.

So, Today I am quitting.  I am throwing in the towel and going to go out and scream at the sky, because I know I can and that I am still loved in the midst of it.  I guess I will hire myself again tomorrow, or maybe I won’t. If we didnt’ have jobs and people who love us back home, Mike and I may just keep on travelling, looking, asking, knocking. 

Anyone want to knock with me?  Better yet, anyone want to knock for me, becuase today I can’t even knock.

I am in the mood to change my skin and want a clean, clear skin that lends itself more towards photography.  I am thinking black background, one column.  Clean things up a bit.  I will probably move my nature blog and just upload our nature photos here.  I want to do a ton of photo work in Peru and I want you all to be able to see it, live and in color.

Got any word press recommendations?

So there are a few things I have been thinking about.  I will write a few more developed posts next week, but for now I just want to capture them here as I continue to think and pray through them.

1. Fostering an atmosphere where God is the primary and central theme of our day, without going into overkill and suffocating your children.  I am running into so many homeschool moms who are hyper frenetic about making sure their children are “getting the word” that I fear they may be smothering them over zealously.  I want to be mindful of this.  Charlotte Mason talks about this too in one of her volumes.  I need to go find that again, does anyone know off hand?
2. How to help your siblings be friends.  I have  a few theories on this.
3. Praying for the Holy Spirit to keep me soft to his leading in regards to training our kids.   Not too much and not too little.  It is a fine balance.
4. Starting early with your children in regards to how to treat the opposite sex and how to work in the home.
5. I finally have a plan for how I will tackle school in Peru and it feels so right for us.  I have been thinking through it for some time and the other day it all just came to me.  I am excited about it!

I have been reading through the past few posts and I realize I am writing about tons of training issues and not as much about practical home school ideas.  The reality is whatever year you start homeschooling, your first year is really all about getting down a rhythm.  I am taking as much time as I need to weed my little garden as far as family dynamic is concerned.  We are moving along with our readings etc., but I really feel like it is much more important to have good foundation in habits then it is to be hitting every cylinder with our curriculum.  

Ok - that’s it, have a great day!

OK - so I have been hearing about it forever. 

Anyone else out there a face-book junkie?  I am not sure if I am so down with it but I am slowly looking at it.  You know, knew things tend to take me some time to get my head around. I am still trying to figure it out so give me some pointers people!

and in with the new.  All of the Christmas paraphernalia is put away, leftovers are eaten, normal life and eating and schooling have resumed.  We will have  a church new years party at our home tonight and the kids are thrilled.  I heard we will have a game of  ”pin the tail on the donkey”!  Good times people.

In other news, I have been working on my book list for 2008(things I want to read personally) and have been invited to contribute on a group Kingdom Conversations blog.  I think they wanted a female voice so I guess I am flattered.   I have  a few posts I am working on for that (they take a bit longer to think through) and I am steadily thinking through our international trip to Peru.  Which food items need to go, which school items need to go…you know a woman needs a plan people!

 So, I just stopped by today to say, how thankful I am for 2007 and how hopeful I am for 2008.  Thanks for all you kids that have stopped by this year!  I hope to see you tons in 2008.

I am keeping it real for my Peeps Monday! 

• Well, it is 11:38 and my kids are still in their pj’s.   I realized the time when they started saying they were hungry.  I was about to say, you just ate breakfast, but realized it has been hours since then.
• They have played together all morning.  They have been so amiable and peaceful I just couldn’t switch gears this morning.
• I have a ton of dishes in the sink, and clothes to fold and put away.
• The kids rooms are  a mess and their beds are not made.
• I don’t have any presents wrapped and still have a few to finish.
• My kids had hot homemade cocoa for breakfast and have been eating corn chips all morning.  I didn’t even make the cocoa.  It was left over from last nights church Christmas party. 
• There is a small toy store located under our sofa.  Things have been lost for so long under there I am considering wrapping them up and giving them to the kids on Christmas morning.
• I have the strangest desire to eat all manner of junk food today.
• and I haven’t exercised in weeks.
• As I type this, my youngest is literally drinking honey form the sticky jar left on the counter from breakfast.

The weather is nice and crisp and cool today, so now, I am leaving the house a wreck, and we are packing up to go play today. There you have it people!  That is about as real as it gets.

There was a day I didn’t think I could have kids.  Mike and I tried for 2 years to get pregnant and then our first pregnancy sadly ended in a miscarriage.  I almost needed to be checked into the loony bin.  My whole world was rocked, and my ideas about prayer stretched.  It was a pivotal moment for me.  And then, in His time, our family was born. Life changing to say the least.   I cherish every moment with them. 

They teach me so much. How to stay grounded and in the moment, connected to what I am doing.  How to NOT “Have a care in the world” and not think of tomorrow or the next day just enjoy the time I have now.  The time I spend with them daily, keeps me young.  It is seriously good medicine for the heart.

Thanks Jordan for a great group writing project.   Here are some other thoughts on children.

Hi all~

My dear blogging friend Mommy Zabs has created a fee downloadable word press skin for homeschoolers.  She will continue to create and add more to her repertoire so keep checking back!

This week I wanted to host the carnival around music/composer study. For the last 8 years I have taught music and movement to Moms and young children( including my own) in a variety of venues,  preschools, library sessions, private studio work and birthday parties.  I feel like I wanted a fresh perspective on music instruction for children especially as they grow past the early childhood stage and hosting the carnival around this theme has been inspiring. 

In all my years of teaching, there have been a few valuable resources I have used that I thought may be helpful for those of you with young children.  Firstly, I used the international Musikgarten curriculum for all of my studio teaching.  It is a wonderful program that is inspired by the seasons and introduces children from birth through age 6 to beginning rhythms and tonal patterns, composers, chants, poems and early instrumentation.  I was bouncing  our kids on my knee (literally ) to Vivaldi and other famous composers at birth so they all have a strong sense of rhythm and pitch.  If you have the time and additional resources,  look for a local group class in your area. It may be a fun home school activity to add to your week.

I also used The Remarkable Farkle McBride and Zin Zin Zin a Violin to introduced the orchestra and their many instruments.  We still read and look through them often. We have a large and eclectic musical tastes as a family and my husband keeps my ipod well stocked with music from around the world.  Between car time and house time, the children get a little taste of it all.  I usually ask them a general question at different times like ” What do we want right now for music? Worship, Celtic, French, Portuguese, Latin or Classical”  It is interesting to hear them develop their musical tastes.  Usually during quiet play we have a classical selection playing in the background.  I find it really helps them focus and play quietly.

There are so many valuable resources available to us online.  The following Moms have put together a great collection of tips and ideas for music/composer study for you to implement in your own homeschool.  Take some time and see what might inspire you and leave a comment for these inspiring Mamas.

Dewey’s Tree House shares her homescool’s Music Appreciation for the Fall 2007: Glenn Gould

Heart of Harmony has some ideas on Russian National Composers.

The Educational Life gives helpful hints for music study for AO year1.

Yielded Heart offers tips for music study from home.

Higher Up and Further In offers thoughts on composer study.

Liberty and Lilly  shares on hymns and their importance in her life.

The Dusty Frame  shares about their term’s composer, Rimsky-Korsakov.

Eclectic Education provides great links on Mozart.

Thanks to all who participated in this weeks carnival.  Your entries will be helpful to homeschoolers around the world.

Submissions for the carnival are due by 11:59 tonight and will be posted in all their glory here tomorrow.

See you then!

My thought was to do a little school each day while we have been away at Sea World.  Firstly, I forgot my computer so Kim and I have been sharing one and secondly, WE ARE AT SEA WORLD!  What was I thinking?

We have  loosely read through our literature and listened to some extra reading in the car thanks to librivox. Life is learning and petting dolphins qualifies as a bit of school if you ask me.  Not only that, we have been experimenting with tons of nature photos around here.  I will post those soon.

We pray all is well with you all, where ever you may be.

Grace and Peace to you.

I am happy to announce that I am hosting the second Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival. It will be centered around music/composer study. We would love to have your submissions no later than October 1,st by 11:59pm. The carnival will be hosted on this site on the 2nd and you can submit your entries here. I look forward to learning new tips from everyone.

I’ve been hearing a bit about blog rush here and there.  Then my husband sent me an invitation to join his blog rush, so I thought I would take a look at it:-) It seems our blogging friend Andrew Jones is implementing it on his highly read and successful blog.  Years ago we first read his blog about his life and faith and that encouraged us to start our blog at the mustard seed. It is an interesting concept so I thought I would experiment with it.  You know me, I love to experiment.  Check it out and experiment away!

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. As a homeschooling mom with three young children who has a home based business I have had a hard time fitting everything in.  It wasn’t until recently, that I finally took the plung and realized that nothing was going to change unless I did something different.  

So I did it.  I set the alarm and starting waking up at 5am.  It is revolutionary what it has done in my life.  Less stress, more space, more time for me. True, I have had to sacrifice sleep, but I have found I don’t really miss it.  It has been so life giving that I actually wrote an article on Tips to Getting Up Early so that I could really own my process.  I hope you find it helpful.

This post is sponsored by Middle Zone Musings group writing project on change.

A Study in Brown had some great thoughts on blogging.  I wanted to highlight them here and encourage you all to keep laying down your tracks.  They are valuable. 

We are leaving tracks for the ones who come behind.  Here in these pages lie our stories, the playbook of our lives: hilarious and humdrum, simple and profound, dull and surprising.   Here we testify of what it means to walk out our salvation, to trust in God, to worship in spirit and in truth.  

If you are interested in driving traffic back to your website or blog, a great way to do it for free is through article submission or written press releases.  Consider an event that is newsworthy or a topic you would like to explore and write an article on it.  (around 500 words)  You then have the opportunity to list an author bio at the bottom of the piece with link backs to your blog or website.  These articles are then viewed constantly for addition to newsletters, blogs and other forms of online media.  Here is an example of a piece I wrote on building Christmas traditions.

I have been invited to be the “Resident Homeschooling Expert” at WHAM-Articles .com. I will be writing a monthly column about homeschooling, tips, resources and reviews.  I was very honored to be asked and am excited to add it to my writing mix.  I will be on the look our for great ideas and tips so if you have something that you think is newsworthy, drop me a line and let me know.

Honestly, I don’t know how I will top this today, but give it a read and see for yourself.  This Diva is “off the chains”. She is on my reader now!

I took the personality test that Emerging Grace highlighted on her blog on Sunday.  I haven’t done one of these in years.  Kind of interesting.  They say I am a mentor.  Maybe this is why I get negative feedback from people about being too intense, or that I am trying to “teach” them something.  I used to have some baggage about that, but right now, I am totally accepting who I am.  Love it or leave it people.  How is that for mentoring?

Take it for yourself and let me know in the comments what personality type you are.  

Hi all,

I am testing some new plug ins and different colors etc.  Which do you like better, pink or blue?

I will be back to some serious writing tomorrow. My mind can only think about a few things at a time and this is one whole “new” thing for me.

Do me a favor and try something new today!

Peace to all~

and tech support, and then you call the cavalry in (your brilliant husband) to tie things and up and here you go…..my very own hosted blog.  Isn’t it grand?  I still have some housekeeping to do, curtains to hang, plug-ins to figure out etc. etc.  but for now I am “in like Flynn”.  I did as much as I could solo until I was about to cry from frustration and then my husband stepped in.  (But only for a wee bit of help)  So please update your links/readers.

 OK - what are you gawking at?  Go learn something new for yourself!

Thanks Amanda!  I am honored that my pondering makes you think.  We will think together and I will pass it on:-)

Ok -people.  I said in December of ‘06″ that I wanted to be more proficient with technology and not rely on my dear technologically advanced hubby.Well you know what… be careful what you set your mind to.  I am up to my ears in plug ins and the going for “hosting my own blog” route.    I feel like I can speak a whole new language….kind of.  But I have a plan for where I am going and I need to host my own space.  What have I gotten myself into?All I can say is pray for me:-) A little emotional support from the peanut gallery would be much appreciated!

Today is the end of the 40 day fast that Kat put on.  Take some time to stroll over and view all of the great causes highlighted there. 

Jesus said the poor will always be with us.  It is true in every corner of the world.  Isn’t it true that it is where we find Him most…with the poor and the marginalized?  I am still wrestling with how I can take part in that in my suburban context. I am reminded of  Hindsfeet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard.  “Sorrow” and “Trails” were her two great help mates that lead her to the high places.  If you haven’t read that book I highly recommend you picking it up. 

I am highlighting Zoe Children’s Home. It is a fact the poorest and most marginalized people in the world are children,because the have no voice. Their voice is unheard unless an adult stands up and speaks for them.  In the states, we rush our children around to palydates and birthday parties.  Many have no idea that around the world, children are being rushed into sweat shops and brothels for money.  Childhood prostition or slavery is rampant around the world. They fall into two camps, sold into slavery by families who are desperately poor looking to make a few cents or those orphans with no family at all victimized for a buck.  It is nauseating. 

What do we do…here…in our nice cushy homes, with AC and all the modern amenities? You can send money to organizations lie Zoe Children’s Home and help support those working on the front lines.  You can pray that God would open your eyes to things that are going on right in your own backyard.  You may even be called to adopt internationally for the express purpose of raising a kingdom minded individual.  It is too much you say.  There are too many.  What good is helping just one?  Well, I would say, it is good for that one.

The July Mama Blogga Group Writing Project has ended with 28 exceptional entries! Feel free to click on the links below to read other bloggers giving their mamas a little sugar.  This was a great process for me.  I suggest you process through this yourself.  You’ve got one life and you don’t want to wait until your mom is gone before you think this through.

Peace ya’ll

• No Market For Used Teenagers by Robin
• Thank you Mom! by Michelle Buck
• July MamaBlogga Writing Group - Thanks Mom! by Jennifer Hitchcock
• Thanks Mom! by Mama Zen
• To my mom by Deb
• If She Were Alive Today by Mommy Zabs
• Danke Rot Koph by Kymberlyn
• Will she ever say it? by Lisa
• Thanks, Mom. by Kulia
• Thanks, Mom! by Laura Spencer
• Thanks Mom - Group Writing Project by Amber
• Dear Mother…Thanks Mother! by Corey
• Thank you, mom by Lynnae
• My Mother, My Mentor, My Friend by Jill
• GWP - Thanks mum. by Amanda Regan
• Thank you Mother by Donetta
• I wanted to say thanks by Summer
• Thanks to my Mommy by Southerngirlmusings
• Group Writing Project - July by Jenn
• Blue Denim by bellevelma
• Thanks, Mommy! by Stacey @ Look, Mom, Look!
• Naming the Mother by Daisy
• I’m turning into my mother… by Summer
• I learned by example by Heather Erbe
• Making Memories with Your Kids—Be Crazy, Unpredictable by Karen (Pediascribe)
• There’s Loving and Then There’s Liking by Dawn
• Thank You Mom in Law by Julie
• Right from wrong by Jordan (MamaBlogga)

Here is the nature blog as promised.  I think it is going to be a fun addition to our homeschooling rythm.  Jackson would love a comment or two, so Grandparents, please chime in:-)

Mommy Zabs and MamaBlogga should love this! 

I am experimenting!  If you care about such things as page rank, than read along, and if you don’t then move on:-)

 More thoughts from…..Death By Suburb.  I know, I know, I can’t help it. 

Mending is the key image for  embracing the Sabbath in the suburbs, letting us “experience the depths of Jesus Christ,” as the classic work by Jeanne Guyon puts it.  The trick for the lover of God is to learn how to become better at mending ones life, making small adjustments on a regular basis to avoid the speed and clutter of modern living.

Mending is a verb.  An ongoing action that is consistent and small.  Mending is a thing that reverses the affects of the fast paced business of suburban life.  It is a bridge that leads you to the thicker life.  The deeper life of Jesus Christ.  It is obedience in the small mundane things.  

Now this may seem bizarre to some, but for me right now, home schooling is mending my life.  Our family rhythm is decidedly slow.  There is no rush.  There is no fire to put out, no hill to conquer.  Just deepening of roots and building of relationships.  This is my Sabbath YEAR!  It is a lovely, yummy, comforting thing.  God is moving deeply in the quiet.  Maybe hovering is a better word.  Yes….I think hovering describes it well.

Find the Quiet today!

You never really know how much you love your mom and how much she really does and did for you until you are a Mom yourself!  Thanks to Mammablogga and her group writing project for July, I get to expound on what makes my Mom so special.

Most Moms are biased of their children. (i.e. our kids are the best, brightest most talented children alive)  In healthy parent/child relationships, I think the thought holds true for adult children of their parents.  My mom is the best Mom in the whole world.She’s not perfect, none of us are, but she is generous, and funny (man can she make me laugh) and smart and encouraging,not to mention supportive.  There isn’t anything she couldn’t do if she put her mind to it.  I think she passed that on to me.

Growing up she worked hard, (she still does)  She went back to school for her masters when I was in high school and has had a very successful career. My brother and I learned the value of a dollar early, and we always had chores and responsibilities around the house.  Our family worked as a team and I am so thankful now as an adult for that chance to learn how to do real things early.  We grew up in an environment that honored God and followed Jesus.  She and my father instilled that in me.  I remember sitting at the desk in her bedroom one summer and teaching myself to type as she guided me along.  I just got to replicate that with my own son.  It is funny how times fades away in an instant inside those memories.

The neat thing is…she always gave me room….just enough room to hang myself if you know what I mean.  She let me sit with my choices and loved me through the bad ones. Now as a parent I KNOW how hard that is.  Even today she encouraged me to take 100% responsibility for myself.  She keeps me grounded with her parental experience.  She wishes she could of been home more, and constantly tells me time flies and that this time is so short.  Do whatever you have to to be home with the kids.  Take family vacations…build memories you’ve got one life with these little buggers.  Cherish it!

She is still a better cook than I am.  She can fix or sew anything and at 33 I still call her first when I am unsure about what temp to cook something at or if one of my kids has some medical issue I am worried about.  She still parents me, in a healthy way even now.   Maybe that is the way it is supposed to be.  Maybe we get to be the kid for a lifetime and even into the next.  Always having that bond that grows and changes through the years.  Will we ever stop worrying as parents, or stop wanting to help or stop wanting to deepen relationship with our children?  I hope not.  I hope I get to ask her advice when I am 55 and she is 78 and I want to know how to be a wonderful grandparent, or that just right ingredient to keep my skin soft.  She will know…and be sure of this…I will ask. 

I am ALWAYS finding myself stuck on Lindafay’s home school blog Higher up and Further In.  It is very comforting to read through her many years of home schooling experience for tips, ideas etc.  I have been slowly reworking my blogs organization.  It is becoming my home school dashboard.  Thoughts, wonderings, resources and other inspiring people to read found in my blog roll.  Jackson is on it as much as I am tooling through the resources.  He LOVES THIS! My hope is that one day this site would be an encouragement to a brand new home schooling mama who is excited and nervous and wondering if she can ever pull this off.  And then voila, she will find this blog and she will say to herself, “Oh my goodness if SHE could do it I will have no problem!”  So keep watching the links come in.  (I hope you find them as helpful and inspiring as I do) I will soon begin adding book reviews and the kids and I will be starting a nature blog here soon.  Their sketches are still scribble and I want them to have a place to see what they are recording.  I taught Jackson how to use the digital camera and he routinely goes out and snaps shots of local wildlife.  Mostly flowers and trees.  Yesterday we went to a little park called “Peanut Island”.  During the summer we go every Monday night with my parents in their boat.  We saw a spotted manta ray with a 5 foot wing span and 2 mini hermit crabs walking along.  I wished we had our camera.  So now we wont leave home without it.     Speaking of blogging…I wish other really experienced homeschoolers I know (not to mention any names, Chenoa Styron and Carolyn Hanson) would start a blog like Lindafay’s so more newbie’s can bask in their wisdom.  It is such a gift.  I am thankful for their encouraging words along the way.  Anyway….no pressure, I was just thinking how cool it would be if I could scroll through their brain and not bug them all the time with calls and emails.

Mommy Zabs has tagged me for a web surfing MeMe! So here goes another MeMe! I think it must be MeMe week   Have you ever heard the saying, show me your 5 closest friends and I will show you who you are. Maybe the same is true of blogs.

This is from my friend Betsy. I thought it would be a way for some of my readers to get to know me.  If you read this and feel the need, then consider yourself tagged.  Let me know in the comment section so I can get to know you too:-)Simply cut and paste these questions onto your blog, answer them and then find other blogs to tag! It’s fun and easy and something a little different!You can only answer each question with ONE word. I did use some hyphenated words, so maybe I cheated a little.  Give me a break it is early!
1. Where is your cell phone? Charging
2. Relationship? Married
3. Your hair? short
4. Work? Home
5. Your sister? none
6. Your favorite thing? Family
7. Your dream last night? None
8. Your favorite drink? water
9. Your dream car? paid-off
10. The room you’re in? Foyer
11. Your shoes? None
12. Your fears? little
13. What do you want to be in 10 years? wise
14. Who did you hang out with this weekend? Leah
15. What are you not good at? golf
16. Muffin? none
17. One of your wish list items? family-travel
18. Where you grew up? Florida
19. Last thing you did? slept
20. What are you wearing? clothes
21. What aren’t you wearing? Make-up
22. Your pet? none
23. Your computer? HP
24. Your life? fun
25. Your mood? Good
26. Missing? Nothing
27. What are you thinking about right now? Family
28. Your car? Mini-van
29. Your kitchen? Clean!!!
30. Your summer? Relaxed
31. Your favorite color? ALL!!!!!!
32. Last time you laughed? Thursday

33. Last time you cried? unsure
34. School? UofFlorida
35. Love? Mike

Tag - You’re it!

Today, I got to pretend I was a Mom of 5 who were 5 and under. It really wasn’t bad at all.   I do so much better with out all the birthing, and nursing and sleeplessness etc. etc.  That and I have a rhythm down and I am not trying to figure out the whole “how to be a mom thing”.  So that has some to do with it.

I am off to Gainesville to have  a week with my girlfriend from college.  She and I knew each other before husbands and kids and our friendship has survived and thrived with the addition of both.  Bonus is her van can fit all 6 car seats without a problem!  

Pray for my drive tomorrow.  4 hours is a hike by myself, but I am timing it over nap time.  Hopefully that will take some of the bite out of it.

I wanted to leave you all with one quote form Death by Suburb before I go.

“Mature Christian faith discerns God behind all the circumstances in life that conceal God - from the mundane to the tragic.”

He quotes Bonheoffer (One of my favorite Christian theologians)

“It is good to learn early that suffering and God are not contradiction but rather a unity, for the idea that God himself is suffering is one that has always been one of the most convincing teachings of Christianity.  I think God is nearer to suffering than to happiness, and to find God in this way gives peace and rest and a  strong and courageous heart.”

Peace to all! 

The Following is a conversation between our 6 and 4 year olds! (enjoy)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma98wzazFlQ]  (Thanks to Dolly Mamma for this!)I live in the “best little” planned community this side of Disney world.  People here drive fast, live large and have little time to really get to know anyone.  Of course this is a huge generalization, but the prevailing thought here, is stick to your self, buy your plasma screen and consume until you can’t feel any pain.   I just spoke to someone on the phone the other night who found our church website.  We related experiences and he said “It is good to hear I am not crazy and that we are not alone in feeling this way!”  

Bev tagged me for a top 8 game, so I thought I would play along.   

Here are the rules:

A. Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves.

B. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.

C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Here we go:

1. I love to travel.  My husband and I want to take our kids on a home school adventure around the world.

2. I love to read.  I was  history major in college.  I learned to read “fast and furious”.  Right now I am reading Graham Cooke.

3. I love/hate to run.  I ran a ton when I was younger and I am just now picking it back up.  Wow what a difference 10 years make.

4. I love our church.  Me familia. 

5.  I used to hate laundry, but for some reason now I enjoy it.  I think I enjoy the order of having laundry folded and put away not so much the process.  I also think, it is due to the fact that I purged our clothing inventory to 1/4 of what it used to be.  Much easier to stay on top of!

6. I hate being pregnant.  It was pretty much “hell on wheels”.  You know how some woman say “Oh you forget.” Not me!  I don’t think I will ever forget.  Kind of like POW’s who are tortured.  It just stays with ya!  All I could think the whole time is “Dear God, how do women in third world countries go through this, and still have to do manual labor, in the heat and sleep on straw mats?”

7.  I love being a mom.  That makes the pregnant thing bearable because we have three beauties out of it.

8. Painting.  I have not picked up a brush in 3 years and I will do it before the year is out.  I need to get some canvas going, but you wait….just when you least expect it, the paint will start to fly.

Now  I need to tag a few.    Mammablogga, Mommy Zabs , The Day of a Mom ,

I think I will think a little bit and tag some more tomorrow.  Have a good night!

….at least I am big enough to admit it!

So for all of you out there who don’t know….never leave a pair of children’s scissors unattended with a 2.5 year old around.  Bad things happen.  My homeschooling diva friend (who is starting home-school high-school this year) said last night.  “It’s OK.  things will happen.  You can’t control everything.”   Good advice form a veteran. 

 In other news, my cell phone was thrown into the pool and is inoperable.  Nice!!! I have tons of numbers on that phone that I did not have anywhere else.  Hope the SIM card still works once the new phone arrives.  Thankfully it was free. My computer is doing something weird and only opens in DOS, so I have strict instructions not to touch it until my husband can look at it.  I am writing from his lap top which is like driving someone elses car.  The seat and windows are all out of place.  I am still working on my list that Bev tagged me with.  I will get it up soon.

Peace to all!

I wonder? ……….Most Homeschoolers need to pinch their pennies.  I was just turned on to a great idea from a new friend I just met through my buisness forum.   Buying Coupons on ebay!  I remember seeing this when my kids were babies but I never purchased any coupons for myself but I am rethinking the idea.  The Grocery Game is another tool that you can combine with eBay coupons and save significantly.  I am just now looking into this to really make our dollar stretch.  The woman in front of me at the grocery store was “all a buzz” about it and told me of her savings.  I have never been able to make the savings work with the actual items we buy.

Emerging Grace has a list of her 7 favorite books going.  After I read through her reading list, I knew I liked her.  So, today, I will give you my 7 books and tag you to do the same. Firstly, 7 is a bit much for me at one time.  I do have three little kids, a business, a house, and am trying to fit in home schooling so my reading has declined a bit:-) I will say, I was just talking to some friends about how I want to get back into reading more stories and not just theology.  I will read a ton with the CM home schooling method but I also want to read more just for me. So here are my 3!

Blogging is a great medium to not only share your thoughts on life etc. but to learn from people all over the world.  Today I am focusing on blogtipping other DIVAS whose work I enjoy and learn from.  I hope you learn from them too! In no particular order! 

Diva #1:  Higher up and Further In - is an inspiring CM homeschooler in the middle east.  Her blog is a wealth of info.  I have already picked up several things from her site and I am sure you  will too. 

DIVA #2: Yielded has a blog that really gives a ton of nutritional “food for thought”  (Excuse the pun:-)  ) and some home schooling highlights thrown in.  You will get some tasty recipes from her!

DIVA #3: The Truevyne has some funny home schooling stories.  She loves CM, Montessori and Cavaletti.  When she posted about The Forty Day Fast I new this Diva has some serious Social Justice “kickin” and that inspires me.

DIVA #4 Hidden Art Jumps right in and comments away.  I think it is one of the most interesting things about blogging…the interaction!  So Thanks for all the thoughtful comments, I will try to reciprocate:-)

 Diva #5: The SecretlifeofKat   I found her through the truevyne. She is a soccer mom who actually plays the soccer.  What do you know about that.    I think it is funny.  I first read of the 40 day fast through the true vine who took me to Kats blog.  I then see her linked to Brant who is part of our faith community and a very smart Blogger too…even though he is not a DIVA.  Blogging is a really small world.

Ok - people so there you go…go and learn a thing or two, or three or how about this, just never stop learning!

Peace to all!

Bev turned me onto this and now I am addicted.  So if you don’t know what it is, tun in on Sunday and find out. 

Be prepared to be tipped people!

My husband has a brilliant post on following “the voice”.  It will keep you right where you are supposed to be.  It isn’t always safe and secure but it is good.  I look at this whole journey into home schooling and see the whispering that Jesus has been doing.  The timing, the trusting…how so much of this is really about me and not so much about them.

Earlier this year, I was going through a rough spot with my business.  I was praying at the computer and in the midst of my prayer, I felt the impression that God was rescuing me.  And indeed He has.   I am at a really good place now and I am excited to learn new things. 

Some simple observations this past month with our kids.   I think this whole home school process is about really getting to now our kids and not manage them. Does that make since? You manage so much when they are little you miss the small quiet moments of inspiration.  Things that send their hearts soaring.  So I am not managing anymore. I am on a treasure hunt to see what God is doing in them.  I could mess the whole “curriculum” thing up and still have an amazing relationship and insight into our kids that I would of never had if I had not sat down with them everyday in attempt to expose them to something. 

So, the wild west was fun.  We are moving into the ocean and then probably launching into the Charlotte Mason method in August.  It really fits our family rhythm already and lines up with our overall educational/life vision for our kids.  I am still exploring but I am fairly intuitive and this feels right.  Sorry for all of you analytical folks. So I will keep you updated on all of that.  Meanwhile, I keep a painting, and cleaning and organizing and exercising….it occurs to me that I have a lot more time to just be without running the kids to school every day and then errands and then all the other things that crop up in a day.  Anyway..life is Good.  Hope your’s is too!

Here are some great thoughts for first time homeschoolers here.  When I read this article, I heard my friend Chenoa’s voice.  Honestly, I can say I have about 100 friends who home school.  OK that is a bit of an overstatement but she was the first who said, “Don’t read another thing about home schooling, or ask another friend.  Go ask God what his vision for your childrens life and then go from there.”  That was a slam dunk.  It got me right over my fear and right into inspiration!

For some years my husband and I have been relearning and redefining how to be a disciple of Jesus in our whole life and not just for a Sunday morning service.  I’ve had LOTS of work thinking out of the box, so that part of home schooling is coming very naturally. We are learning with our whole life.  I think one of the things that feels the best right now, are the looooong kisses my littlest gives me all through out the day.He is so happy to have his brother and sister home. To be honest…..I am too.   That……. and my kitchen is cleaner. 

Hilarious!

We are here.  Our flights where cancelled and shuffled around but we ending up getting here 7 hours earlier than originally planned.  Today we were able to be a part of the baptism of two wonderful friends.  The Andes are amazing.  I will post some pics soon. 

As far as homeschooling thoughts go…I had an epiphany on the flight down.  You know what…I DON’T HAVE TO BE PERFECT WITH THIS!  For me a recovering perfectionist, that is a huge realization.  I will learn as I go.  My kids will learn with me and my friends will help guide me along the way.  

 That’s all from south of the border. 

Peace to you! 

ok - so a “mild storm” has turned into a tropical depression over night.  Nice…. the day we are to leave for Peru the weather is crummy.    I am preparing for the red eye to Lima and here are a few of my tips.

  Ok - I have a few hours left to blog tip.  Rebekah tipped me so off I go with a few minutes left to blog tip.  I read of it first over at Bev’s blog and forgot this month.  Shame on me!

Firstly, the Dolly Mama   I am sure if we lived within driving distance we would be thick as thieves…and anyone who has 6 kids, home-schools and is a WHAM gets a huge hats off from me.

Secondly, my new find Firmly Planted  Another Homeschooler who has a strong voice.

 Last but not least….  Day of a Mom. Because she is as passionate and driven as I am.  Actually she makes me tired at times but she only has 2 kids so she has an advantage over me.  I love her to pieces and she makes our business better just by being her!

You can check them anytime in my blog roll.  I am on the hunt for new finds who have a stong voice and are saying something the world needs to hear.  Look out you may be next.