Posted by Cindy on March 29, 2008
I am so excited! Back in February when we went to the Creation Museum, I was browsing the bookstore and came across a book I just knew I had to have.
Creation Club Idea Book
After reading about the nature club that Dawn is a part of and knowing I need to do more nature study with the kiddos, this book just called to me. I only briefly browsed it at the museum’s bookstore before buying it. I was excited when I bought it, but after diving into it at home, I was even more excited. It’s packed full of factual information, activity ideas, active games, craft ideas and Bible tie-ins. Much of it can be done with an individual family, but it’s going to be oh-so-much more fun with a small group!
I’ve been wanting to start a nature club for quite a while. We live on a farm with so much opportunity for serious study within a short walk from the house. But why am I drawn to a group idea for nature study? Have you ever tried to play the Food Chain Game with two people??
We will continue to enjoy quiet (or not so quiet) nature walks with our family alone, but this once-a-month Creation Club is going to be great fun!! I’ll keep you posted. 
Posted by Cindy on March 26, 2008
I found the following quote on the Formation of a Habit page at www.charlottemason.com.
“Charlotte Mason taught us that when you find yourself always telling (your children) to do the same thing, you have not trained them in the habits you wish they would perform.”
Boy, do I find this to be true. And before I give myself an anxiety attack thinking about all the things I say over and over again daily, I think I’ll try to focus on an area where I believe I’ve done a fairly good job of habit training – daily chores.
On *most* days, you will find my children’s bed made, dirty clothes in the laundry, clean clothes put away, teeth brushed and fresh clothes on before they come down to breakfast. After breakfast, they will *usually* go about their other assigned chores without much prompting. Has it always been this way? Ha!
There were days when I felt like all I did was fuss and nag, only to walk into their bedrooms and see the bed still unmade, clean and dirty clothes mingled together in the floor, with the rest of the house in the same general condition. My children were living as pigs. I whined and complained, but in the end, I was the one allowing the little piggies to exsist.
So, a system was set in place. Really, it only took me about a week of being actively involved in making sure the jobs were done appropriately. Chores of some sort have been a part of their lives from very early, so the new system didn’t take long to “get”. What’s the system?
I’ve told you before how pleased I am with Motivated Moms. Since no two weeks are exactly the same, I couldn’t just create a basic checklist for the kids that I either copied every week or laminated as I have in the past. I guess I could have, but then I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the Motivated Moms plan very easily.
So, I write out a chore list at the beginning of the week for each child. I no longer write out the everyday chores like “make your bed”, “brush your teeth” because those are now a wonderful habit! Before they were habits, though, I kept these things on the checklists.
I look at the Motivated Moms list for the week and decide what I want my children to do from the list for the week. These become their after breakfast chores. I quickly write out a weekly chart for Mahayla because she is able to keep up with the chart and likes knowing the “plan” for her week. (The charts were in color. I’m not sure why they scanned in black and white.)
For Caleb, I write each day’s chores on a small piece of paper. If it’s small, he thinks the chores are fewer. Also, he likes being able to pitch his list when it’s done. A weekly chart overwhelms him. Sometimes I’ll type out his week and cut each day off as a little slip for him – like I’ll do with this list.
So, they automatically know the daily chores to accomplish and never rarely give me grief about the after breakfast chores. This habit makes for a cleaner house and a happier family.
Now, I’m off to make a long list of the other habits we need to tackle. One habit at a time…….
Posted by Cindy on March 19, 2008
I know I’ve said it before, but I’m part of a WONDERFUL co-op. Our leader, Cathy, is celebrating her 10th anniversary since starting the group.
I’ve been incredibly blessed this year to help Cathy out by leading the Mom’s Room. The best way I can describe the Mom’s Room is in a series of words and phrases: prayer, devotions, homeschool information, homeschool workshops, marriage support, parenting support, homemaking support, friendships, encouragement……
Every year, we’ve always held a banquet (similar to a mother/duaghter banquet you might have a church) to honor the mothers. It was a hard act to follow to organize the banquet myself after so many years of being pampered and uplifted by Cathy! But, I pray that everyone was blessed and encouraged by our day Monday. I went home exhausted, but incredibly blessed, too.
Nancy Carter was our speaker for the day, and let me tell you, her message on grace was perfect! She spoke about the importance of remembering God’s grace as we strive to be great moms, wives, and homeschoolers. And reminded us to show the same grace to our families in good or not-so-good moments.
Two thoughts really stood out in my mind from her talk:
-DON’T compare yourself to others, whether it’s as a mom or a homeschooler or whatever. If God had intended for your children to have different parents, He would have given them different parents.
-Treat your family with grace whether they “deserve” it or not.
Not only did Nancy, and her lovely friend Candace, drive nearly 3 1/2 hours to be with us – they came bearing gifts as well! Nancy brought The Old Schoolhouse Magazine for each of the ladies and Candace’s husband donated a copy of his The Star Spangled State Book and Workbook for a door prize!
I promised to share the lyrics to a song our 5/6th grade choir sang. The author is Zac G. and the original words can be found here.
Song
“We Are the Homeschool Kids Who Can’t Do Anything” – sung to the tune of the Veggie Tales “Pirates” song.
Chorus
We are the homeschool kids who can’t do anything
We just stay at home and do our work
And if you ask us to do anything
We’ll just tell you we can’t do anything!
Well we can’t pass notes in math class
and we’ve never bought a school lunch
and we’ve never had our homework eaten by the family dog
and we’ve never had a hall pass
and we’ve never owned a locker
and we’ve never had detention after school
Chorus
Well we’ve never been suspended
and we’ve never missed the school bus
and we’ve never got a fat lip from the bully down the hall
and we’ve never seen the school nurse
and we’ve never slapped erasers
and we’ve never had detention after school
Chorus
Well we’ve never changed for P.E.
and we’ve never had a swirlie
and we’ve never had a teacher that we didn’t like at all
and we’ve never had supply lists
and we’ve never answered roll call
and we’ve never had detention after school
Chorus
But we’ve often taken field trips
and we go to school in pj’s
and we often do our work while sitting on our favorite couch
and we finish school by lunchtime
and we find our books on ebay
and we don’t have any homework after school
Chorus
Here are links to the poems that were read.
If You Give a Mom a Muffin
Mother
Raising Boys
Dear Lord, It’s Been a Hectic Day
It was a wonderful day! I can’t end this without a big THANK YOU to Brooke & Mike and Nancy, Gerald & Kelsey!!
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Filed Under: Co-op
Posted by Cindy on March 14, 2008
This is a devotion I had the pleasure of giving at co-op this week.
Living as Children of the Light Leads Children to the Light
Read Ephesians 4: 17-32, 5:1-33
This passage gives us a very clear picture of living in the light vs. living in darkness.
Light being things like:
Truthfulness
Peace
Honesty
Wholesome talk that only builds others up, words of thanksgiving
Kindness
Compassion
Forgiveness
Purity
Sobriety
Submission to husbands
Whereas darkness would be the complete opposite:
Lying
Arguments, anger, resentment
Stealing
Words that tear down, yelling, coarse jokes, obscenity (or even obscenity that “walks the line” – poopy head, stupid – always ask, does this word build anyone up?)
Slander, brushing people off, refusing to help when there is a need
Thinking only of selfish things, turning a blind eye toward a need, greed
Not forgiving, bringing up past grievances, becoming bitter
Lust, adultery, even feasting upon sexual shows, music or books. Impurity would also include media with coarse language, disrespectful actions, anything that promotes “darkness”
Drunkenness
Being disrespectful to your husband, not allowing him to take the lead in your family, defying him, going behind his back to do something, talking ugly about him to your children
How do our children learn? Does it come from the words we speak to them? Sure. Does it come from the books we give them. Yes. Does it come from the discipline we hand down? Yes.
God tells us more than once in this passage things like:
“no longer live as the Gentiles do”
“put off your old self”
“be imitators of God”
“live a life of love”
“now you ARE light in the Lord. LIVE as children of the light.”
“be very careful, then, how you live”
“make the most of every opportunity”
All of these things involve LIVING our daily life in Him. From what do our children learn most? Our actions. How we live daily. How we talk when we aren’t teaching, disciplining or lecturing. How we treat others. How we treat our husbands. They soak in more of US than we probably will ever realize. So, “US” – how we live daily – needs to be full of light if we expect our children to learn to walk in that light.
Have there ever been times you’ve watched your child act a certain way or say something that you’ve been horrified about – only to think back that what they did came directly from you? That’s one of the scariest things I find to being a parent. I know I have lots of growing to do in my walk, yet I desire that my children won’t struggle with the same sins I struggle with.
What to do? First and foremost, turn your children over to God. Pray for them to walk in the light daily. Turn yourself over to God. Pray that you will be a good example daily. Recognize your sins and ask forgiveness from your children, as well as God. When children grow up learning that you aren’t perfect and that you see the sin in your life, they are more likely to learn to see the sin in their life for what it is. When they see you actively trying “to put off the old self” and hear you talking to God about it, they are more likely to go to Him with their struggles. And the closer you get to stepping completely out of the darkness, I believe the fewer sins of darkness your children will have to deal with. For what do they imitate? You. If you live in the light, they most likely will, too.
Posted by Cindy on March 8, 2008
Spring is coming! Spring is coming!
Yes, we’re buried under 5 or 6 inches of snow at the moment, but spring is still on its way – and I can’t wait!
Here are some projects I have in mind to tackle:
Fun School Activities
-Jug Heads
-Wind Chimes
House Projects
-paint the kids’ rooms
-put up shelves in our hall closet to turn it into a game closet
-freshen up the house with open windows and some deep cleaning
Outdoor Projects
-plant the early garden
-paint porch furniture
-bug, nag, pester gently remind my husband to finish the porch railings and steps
-start the process of getting some plants growing around this house! Any cheap suggestions for perennials and/or bushes??
