The Books Are Back

Since having the twins, I haven't been able to read nearly like I normally do.  I have always loved to read, and when I am sleep-deprived and going non-stop, I just don't have the time.

And when I'm nursing twins (mostly early on), I had a hard time concentrating on much...and the Facebook app on my phone kept me entertained, and I didn't have to think.

That has all recently changed.  Thank the Lord.  I have missed reading.  I have completed two books this week and started another.

1.  I started reading this back in March.  It took me awhile since I have still been in "baby fog" land.  I just finished it, and I LOVED IT.  I can't even put into words how fantastic this book is.

Buy one.  Buy some more for your friends.  Read her blog.  Be blessed, and be a blessing.

One Thousand Gifts

by Ann Voskamp

This book has helped me to really SEE.  To SEARCH.  To BE THANKFUL.  To BE A BLESSING.

To realize HE IS GOOD.

2.  I am in a discipleship group in our church.  Our pastor leads the group, and he asked us to read this next book.  It's pretty popular right now, though I don't know why--its topic is not a popular one.  I'm just going to trust the Holy Spirit is moving and using this little book.

Radical

by David Platt

The ideas and concepts in this book (discipleship, multiplication, wartime lifestyle, Great Commission) were not new to me.  In fact, I had three years of training in these ideas back in college.  I've lived as a mobilizer in the past, we regularly give to missionaries and have committed to long-term service overseas, we support a child with Compassion (that's her in the photo--Umutesi).  But, for the million things I'm NOT doing, this book was a GREAT reminder.  I didn't feel guilty when reading it, instead, my zeal for giving my life to the Great Commission was renewed.  I feel recharged and encouraged to press on.  There are companion materials online as well.



3.  The book I am now reading is to help prepare me for homeschooling.  I homeschooled Samuel last year, and we were successful.  He learned what he needed to, he blew me away with his brilliance, and unfortunately, we fought a lot.  This year, I will be homeschooling TWO kids.  Maryn will be in kindergarten, and Sam will move on to first grade.  And then there is busy 2-year-old Lucy and the baby twins.  I turned to my friend, Annette (who is a missionary is East Asia with 6 children that she homeschools), and said, "I want your advice."  THIS is the book she told me to read first.

For the Children's Sake

by Susan Schaeffer Macauley

I had been curious about Charlotte Mason, the woman whose ideas this book is patterned after.  She was a teacher/philosopher in the late 19th century.  I had read bits about her and how she viewed children as persons, not merely as containers to be filled with information.  I am excited to see what I learn from this book.  So far, I am enjoying it, and it is helping me to look at my children differently--each as unique creations by God with their own ideas and personalities.  I think when it comes to school, it is easy to lump them all together and do the same thing for each.  The beauty of homeschooling is being able to play to your child's strengths and to meet them on their level--to listen to them and learn from them as well.

I've been informed about a couple of online communities that espouse the Charlotte Mason philosophies:

Simple Homeschool

Ambleside Online

Thank you, Melissa and Laurel, for your suggestions.  I can't wait to spend more time on these sites.


Finally, I have another Charlotte Mason book (the Companion, actually) that I am going to read/peruse (cuz it's so big!!!).  And for fun, I am going to start with the first of the popular, new trilogy, The Hunger Games.

Happy Summer Reading!

The Little Light House: Vote NOW!

Please click below on the widget to go vote for The Little Light House in Tulsa, OK. It is a great school for kids with special needs. My friend's little boy, Elliot, is a student there, and this school has been such a blessing for their family. He has learned so much while he is there. Here is a link to read about Elliot Bennett.

The Little Light House does not receive ANY government funding. They rely solely on donations and are non-profit.

You can vote 5 times for The Little Lighthouse--they can win $500,000!!! This would be a huge blessing for them. This is not a scam, and you won't regret it!

School in July...almost as fun as Christmas in July

School has officially begun at our house.

You say, "It's only July, Amanda. Stop and smell the roses."

Well, yes, that is true, but I think I will wait to stop and smell the roses when the babies arrive in the winter. We started early so that I will be able to take some time (a couple of months) off when they get here.

Sam is in kindergarten this year. We are doing A Beka Phonics and Reading, Bob Jones Math for K5, and Handwriting Without Tears. It's pretty low-key, takes 45 minutes to an hour a day. And Sam is zooming. We are doing two phonics lessons a day right now because it is all review for him (because I did Hooked on Phonics with him in the winter). The math is all review too, and I think it will go faster as I get a feel for the teacher's guide and how much I want to put into each lesson.

Maryn has a packet every day that I made for the whole year. I bought those ginormous workbooks from Sam's Club (at Joanna's suggestion!!! THANK YOU, JO! BEST IDEA EVER.). I ripped out all the pages and made packets for each day and stapled them together with coloring sheets from the many coloring books we have lying around the house. She is proud of herself for getting to do school too. I am also doing the Hooked on Phonics with her as well. She is getting all her sounds down right now.

We are also doing a bit of Bible memory as well and discussing the meanings behind the verses we memorize. It is amazing how quickly kids memorize.

It has been great so far. I'm very proud of both of them. The hardest part so far has been finding things for Lucy to do. I don't do school during quiet time/naptime because I need that time to unwind or nap. She doesn't quite have the dexterity for coloring yet, and her attention span for TV is way too short. If you have any ideas for a nearly 20 month old, I will gladly take them. This girl is way too busy and into everything!

Well, naptime is over; this post is too. :)

Crystal Bowersox and Eagerly Anticipated News

I love me some Bowersox. Seriously. She is the best contestant I've ever seen on American Idol. Of course, I haven't watched every season. She and Casey James are my favorites, and I am pretty dang sure I'll be buying albums from both of them. I'm even contemplating buying some iTunes on 'em right now.

I really like how relaxed they are on stage. I dig that they can play instruments and that they consistently sound good. Anyways, they are my pick for the TOP TWO. Don't know why I felt I needed to share my American Idol picks with you, but there you go.

Also, sorry for being a Debbie Downer over the last week. The funk took over, and I yielded to its pity party. Thankfully, Jesus is still the same, loving me and leading me patiently through it. Please don't worry about me--surely you have days like that too! Thanks for all the sweet love I've received. I really appreciate it.

As for this news I've been referring to for the past week...

DRUMROLL, PLEASE............................................................................................






We are going to homeschool. Surpised? We are! Let me tell ya a little about our journey in this arena. I posed a question, asking for opinions on my old blog a few years ago--you can read the entry and comments HERE. People are pretty opinionated when it comes to what kind of schooling you use for your kids. I have been one of those people.

No more. I have turned over a new leaf.

I am eating crow. Lots and lots of crow. Mmmmm, tasty.

I always said I would not homeschool unless we were in a jungle somewhere. Well, small-town Arkansas is our jungle, I guess. :) When we moved here, I found out about a church-run pre-k and kindergarten. It didn't go beyond that, so public school would inevitably be the destination following kindergarten.

I loved that the church school is four days a week, 8-12. Wonderful. But I knew I couldn't send Sam there for one year and then bring him home. He would be really sad, I'm pretty sure. But, the only other alternative was to send him to the public school. I was not really thrilled that the public school does not teach phonics at all. I have heard that the teachers and administration at the public school are wonderful people. I don't doubt that.

But, I have zero peace about sending the kids there. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth in peace. I got a text the other day notifying me that the applications for church school were available. My head started to swim. I had so many thoughts and questions I'd never considered before.

I hadn't prayed about it--beyond the fact that I knew the Lord said I didn't HAVE TO homeschool. I liked that. I felt peace that my decision was still mine. This time, though, I just realized how my biggest reason not to homeschool was fear.

Fear of failure.
Fear of ruining my kids.
Fear of responsibility.

Dave and I prayed over our decision, and the Lord quickly made it clear that He has equipped me to do this. I love how gentle He is. I love how he gives me the room to make a decision. I don't feel that if I sent the kids to school I would be out of His will--I just know that this is a better decision for our family right now.

That's another thing. We are taking this a year at a time. We are not sold out to it or committed beyond THIS YEAR. We are open to new directions from the Lord. We always want to do what is best for our kids, and for now, that is homeschooling.

Kindergarten.

I have been chatting with homeschooling moms about their kindergarten experiences, and I keep getting the same answer. Keep it simple. So, I am. I haven't fully decided on my curriculum, but I have very good ideas for what I want to use.

It looks as if I will also be joining a LOW KEY co-op in a nearby town. I think it will be fun--especially because I will have friends there already. Sam is super excited about that.

I'm actually excited about this. I never thought I would be!

I'm experiencing a new level of confidence about it as well. That is relieving to have peace AND feel confident.

So, that's my news. We are homeschooling. Kind of anti-climatic, don't you think?

The First Week

This week was not a good one. I got sick on the 2nd. I swear it was a short version of the flu. Horrible, let me tell you. I'm still coughing horribly. I'm just SO thankful that the four days of fever are behind me. My children contracted it as well, and thankfully, they, too, are on the mend. Dave escaped. I'm so glad.

We had a nice time with our families and got to see a lot of people in a short amount of time. It was also quite nice having Christmas spread out. It made the toys not seem so overwhelming. We all received some very lovely gifts, and it was honestly WAY too much. I am in awe at our family's generosity.

Aside from that, not much is going on. Today is my first good day after being sick all week. I don't have a fever, and I actually drank coffee this morning. The sun is coming out and it is pretty with the little bit of snow cover on the ground. We've yet to get any major accumulation.

I'm contemplating now what my resolutions will be for the new year. Have you made any?

I'm also teetering on the edge of what to do with Sam for kindergarten. There is a Pre-K and Kindergarten at our church that is half a day, four days a week. This sounds PERFECT. However, I'm sure there will be advance registration for the Pre-Ks who are moving up to kindergarten, and I don't know that he'll actually get in (there are 2 PK classes of 10 each and 1 kindergarten class of 14). If he doesn't, I don't know if I could send him to full-day kindergarten at our public school yet. He'd probably do fine; it's me I'm worried about. :) However, the kid is already reading, and I know to homeschool him for kindergarten wouldn't be a huge time commitment (after talking to a few moms who've done it). I don't know...I have peace about not homeschooling him (as I've mentioned before--I'm not compelled to do it, but I am open if we feel it is a necessity). Looks like we'll see how things pan out and just PRAY and seek His Peace in the matter.

Just out of curiosity, Arkansas homeschooling moms, do you know if you have to present anything to a public school if your child has been homeschooled--like aptitude testing or your lesson plans or anything?

That's all for now. We have a lot more traveling to do for the next week and a half. I'll be in and out. I'm sorry I'm so far behind on reading many of your blogs. I just don't come back to the sunroom (where the computer is) that often now that it is FREEZING!!! I hope to catch up a bit now that I am feeling better. XOXO.