Blogging A to Z – “M” is for Memories,

Welcome to my next installment for the 2019 Blogging A to Z challenge.  The letter for today is “M” which is for Memories and Music.

Homeschooling has provided our family with a lot of memories.  From attending homeschooling activities to places we have been to homeschooling conventions we have attended, our family has made lots of memories.  My oldest son, many years later, still talks about his ride in an elevator with Mr. Andrew Pudewa of the Institute with Excellence in Writing.  Our children remember our many trips to Busch Gardens Williamsburg and to the cabins we have stayed at in at Fort Eustis.  We also have memories of particular products we have used and the topics we have studied.

On another trip from Pennsylvania, we took our children and three of their friends with us.  The three young ladies who came with us had never seen the ocean before.  The looks on their faces were priceless, especially when we were able to spot a school of dolphins in the ocean.

One of our most recent memories involves my second word for “M”, which is for music.  Our family loves to sing and for the last two years, we have also enjoyed playing musical instruments.  Our children have picked up various instruments including the flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, Contra-Bass (or Upright Bass), guitar, cello, viola, violin, trombone, french horn, trumpet, baritone horn, and the piano.  I love seeing our children, even at 22, 20, 18, and 16 exploring and discovering musical instruments for themselves.  Moreover, I love how my husband and I are able to play with them.

Through the years our family has sung together both as a family and in various church choirs.  We have even sung over the radio with my husband’s parents and some of his aunts (even though they were completely unaware of the fact until afterward).  The church we attended broadcasted the Sunday Service on a local radio station.  One Sunday, my in-laws and my husband’s aunts had come to Pennsylvania to visit and our immediate family was scheduled to sing a special number.  So we invited them to sing with us.  It was not until after the fact we realized they did not know it would be on the radio.  So it truly is one of our best memories.  Last fall, one of the same aunts came along with my in-laws to Texas to visit us.  Again, we made amazing memories while they were here.

One of my other favorite memories happened when we were visiting North Carolina while we were living in Pennsylvania.  We decided to take the children back to see the ocean.  So we left my in-laws house and drove to the ocean.  When we arrived I cautioned my husband that we needed to stay on the walkway since we did not have any towels with us to clean sand off our feet.  Before my husband and I had barely stepped away from our van, our daughter had run to the end of the walkway, took off her shoes, threw them up in the air and took off across the sand.  Needless to say, everyone ended up walking in the sand.

So what does the letter “M” bring to mind for you?  I would love to hear from you.

 

 

Blogging A to Z – “L” is for Love, Laughter, and Listening

So here is the latest installment for the Blogging A to Z challenge for 2019.  The letter for today is “L”.  “L” is for Love, Laughter, and Listening.

The love of our children for each other was always around us.  But when we began homeschooling, the love for each other became more visible.  Also, I love watching how our three sons and our daughter interact with one another.  Friendships one child makes often spill over to their siblings. Where one child went, other children often followed.

Our home is constantly filled with laughter.  Our children laugh with each other.  My husband and I laugh with one or more of the children.  We share jokes, funny stories and more with each other.  Our children can be heard laughing with their cousins and friends while playing or talking with each other online.

Finally, listening plays a crucial role when homeschooling.  Being together all the time has its ups and downs.  Moments arise where tempers could easily flare, but if we take the time to listen to what the other person is saying things can often remain calm.  Also, listening allows us to hear and understand someone else’s viewpoint and opinion.

So what comes to mind for you when you see the letter “L”?  I would love to hear from you.

Also, if you want to read my other posts in this series, click here.

“D” is for Daughter, Drawing, Decisions, and Determination

Welcome to day 4 of my Blogging A to Z series.  Today’s letter is “D”, which stands for daughter, drawing, decisions, and determination.  Early in this series, I talked about our three boisterous boys, so today I feel it is only proper to give some time to our only daughter.  She has been a blessing since the day she was born.  And all the other words I am going to talk about today will relate to her in some way.

Our daughter adores drawing.  She has managed to learn a lot just by using books, watching videos online, and observing things around her.  Her artwork never ceases to amaze me.  Check out some of her artwork:

These represent a variety of art styles, art techniques and mediums (including computerized drawing), but show how much our daughter has done.

Once she makes a decision on what she wants to draw, she works hard to achieve it.  And thanks to her father and other extended family members, she has acquired some pretty interesting tools to use including a posable hand.

She also shows a great deal of determination in completing any art projects she starts, regardless of how long it takes her to do so.

So that is my post for the letter “D” today.  What comes to your mind when you see the letter “D”?   If you would like to read all my posts in this series, click here.

Blogging A to Z – “C” is for Charity, Church, Children, and Calm

This is my third post in my 2019 Blogging A to Z series, which means the letter for today is “C”.  “C” is for Charity, Church, Children, and Calm.  But I may change the order I discuss these.

First, we have four children living in our house (or at least they are still my children in my mind since I am their mother).  Our three sons are 22, 20, and 18, and we have a 16-year-old daughter.  So needless to say our home is anything but calm at times.  They fill our home with laughter, love, and noise.  And I know I will miss the noise when they all move out.

Also, “C’ is for charity.  Our family loves to use the King James Version of the Bible, and 1 Corinthians 13 is one of my favorite passages.  Here is a graphic for the last verse of this chapter.

And in this final verse, we are reminded that the greatest of faith, hope, and charity is charity.  Of course, charity is the same thing as love. So we need to show love for those around us.

If you would like to read my other posts in this series, click here.

#BloggingAtoZChallenge – “C” is for Charlotte Mason and Classical Methods of Homeschooling

 

Today is my third post in my 2019 Blogging A to Z challenge, so today’s letter is “C” which will be for the Charlotte Mason and Classical Methods of Homeschooling.

Throughout the years, we have used a variety of homeschooling methods, including the Charlotte Mason of homeschooling.  Charlotte Mason believed students should be exposed to high quality living books rather than what she referred to as “twaddle”.  Students should spend time in nature, observing and learning from it.  Nature Studies, Dictation, and narration all play a crucial role in helping students retain what they are learning.  Rather than simply memorizing endless and often meaningless (or at least meaningless to the students), these living books help the subjects come alive for the students and keep their focus and attention.

One of my favorite curriculum choices from my children’s elementary school days was the Trail Guide to Learning Series from Geography Matters.  This selection allowed our two youngest children to work together and explore history from the perspective of literature, science, language arts, and art.  I loved how this curriculum was essentially an open and go curriculum since we purchased the entire package.  You can read more about this curriculum here.

Another favorite site offering Charlotte Mason materials is Simply Charlotte Mason.  This site offers everything about explanations about the Charlotte Mason method, curriculum choices, lesson plans, a lesson plan organizer and more.  So if you are interested in the Charlotte Mason method, check out Simply Charlotte Mason for yourself.

Another popular method of homeschooling is the Classical Homeschooling method.  Classical Education involved three stages:  The Grammar Stage, the Logic Stage, and the Rhetoric Stage.  In the first stage – the Grammar Stage, students concentrate on learning facts, memorizing things and gathering knowledge and information.  The second stage is the Logic Stage where students begin to apply logic to what they already know.  Finally, the Rhetoric Stage is when students apply the skills of wisdom and knowledge.

One popular resource for the Classical Method of Homeschooling is Trivium Pursuit.  You can find their site here on the Internet.  This site offers background information, books, free downloads and more to assist parents on their Classical Homeschooling journey.

An Internet search will provide a lot of helpful information regarding both the Charlotte Mason Method of Homeschooling and the Classical Method of Homeschooling.  So check them out for yourself.

If you would like to read my other posts in this series, click here.

 

“B” is for Brilliant, Boisterous, and Not Boring

Today I am continuing my Blogging A to Z series with the letter “B”.  First, “B” is for Brilliant.  Homeschooling allows your child’s brilliance to shine through.  They have the opportunity to demonstrate their strengths instead of highlighting their weaknesses.    The abundance of curriculum choices also lets parents choose brilliant curriculum selections that capture the minds and spirits of their children.

Second, “B” is for boisterous.  Since we began our homeschooling journey I have had three boisterous, rambunctious sons who love moving and being loud.  Homeschooling allows them to channel that energy into useful and meaningful endeavors rather than being forced to be quiet and stationary in a classroom.

Finally, “B” does not stand for boring, or at least not the majority of the time.  The variety of choices and activities homeschooling allows for keeps our children from complaining they are bored.  Plus, through the years, we have had a wealth of opportunities for social interaction and other interactions.

If you would like to read the other posts in this series, click here.

Blogging A to Z Challenge – “L” is for….

I am back with another entry in my blogging a to z series.  The letter for this post is “L”, which stands for Love, Learning, and Listening.

I love having my children around during the day.  I love the freedom and flexibility that comes with homeschooling.  We can spend time on things that actually interest the children in addition to the required subjects.  I want my children to love learning (even if they do not love every single subject.

Second, “L” is for learning.  I want my children to become engrossed with learning.  I want them to seek to gain knowledge and find things that interest them.  We can use methods of teaching and researching that interests them and involves them in the learning process.

Third, “L” is for listening.  I want our children to become active listeners.  So we use things like audiobooks to help them focus their ears on what they are hearing.  Also, I want them to recognize the importance of listening as well as being able to talk in a coherent manner.

So what does “L” bring to mind for you?  I would love to hear from you.

Bloggin A to Z – “K” is for …..

Today I am continuing my blogging a to z journey.  The letter for this post is “K”, which is for kindness and kingdoms.

One of our main goals in homeschooling our children is to raise them to be kind to others.   By homeschooling, we are able to volunteer in a variety of situations.  So my children have the opportunity to get along with all types of people in all different age groups.  We want them to recognize how important it is to be courtesy and friendly to everyone.

Another thing “k” stands for is the kingdom of God.  We want our children to serve God and advance His Kingdom.  We spend time in His Word daily.  We are able to control what they read, see and do.  We love seeing our children seek after His Will for their lives.

So what does “K” stand for in your mind?  I would love to hear from you.

Blogging A to Z – “J” is for…

So after another brief hiatus, I am back with my blogging a to z homeschooling challenge.  The letter is “J”, which for me stands for Jacob and Joseph – two of the reasons I love homeschooling and joy.

Our oldest son is about to turn 21 years old, and I can not figure out where the time has gone.  Jacob is the reason our family began homeschooling.  He was placed in a classroom with a teacher who did not care for our child in the least.  With only two fifth grade classes in the school, we did not have any options there.  Transferring him would mean transferring all of our children, which was not an option either.  Private school was an even more unreachable possibility due to finances.  So homeschooling became our choice.  Jacob began to love his siblings again versus the typical anti-sibling feelings of his friends.  He also developed an incredible bond with his baby sister, who was 4 at the time this homeschooling journey began, that continues to this day.  I have watched him excel in AWANAS, scouts (making the rank of Eagle Scout in 2012), and a heart for service that includes plans to become a Youth Pastor.  Homeschooling definitely helped this child in many ways.

Next, “J” is for Joseph, our second son.  This child began his homeschooling journey as he began the third grade, a year after we began homeschooling our oldest.  Joseph was one of those children who for the most part was a pleasure to teach.  He quickly decided he wanted to do the same things as his brother – this included receiving his rank of Eagle Scout the same day as his older brother (even though they are two years apart.  Joseph brings a lot of happiness to our home.

Finally, “J” is for the joy that comes from homeschooling.  I find great joy in being with my children each day.  I find joy in the ties that are between our four children.  Don’t get me wrong, they all have their moments, but let someone else mess with one of them and the other three will have their back.  Also, there is joy in knowing we don’t have to follow a traditional school calendar.  Instead, we tend to homeschool during the summer when it is too hot to be outside and can enjoy days off when the temperature is more pleasant.  Since we moved to Texas in 2016, this is definitely a plus.

So what does “J” bring to mind for you.  I would love to hear from you.

#BloggingAtoZchallenge – “H” is for

So even though I fell behind with April’s Blogging A to Z challenge, I have decided to persevere and finish – even if it is at my own pace.  So the letter for today is “H”.  “H” for me is for hearts, helpful, and hard work.

First, homeschooling allows us to keep our childrens’ hearts close to ours.  We get to spend time with them and see the wonderful people they are becoming.

We also get to be helpful.  We can serve in our communities for organizations such as our Army Reserve unit’s Family Readiness group, programs at the Salvation Army and other things that come up in our community.

“H” is also for hard work.  It takes hard work and dedication to keep all of our children on track and to find curriculum choices that satisfy them.

So what does “H” bring to mind for you?  I would love to hear from you.