Christain Books at Vision Forum

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I just love this catalog and we will be ordering from it this Christmas...shh don't tell the kids. I have been very pleased with the products we have purchased so far from them. I really enjoyed the Passionate Housewife book and also Large Family Logistics. A few years ago the kids got the walkie talkie watches and still enjoy using them when we go camping or hiking. Mostly I would love to order some of the great books for our homeschool library and personal christian growth.

A Great Book

The girls and I watched 'Miss Potter" and since they have been very interested in Beatrix Potter. We found a real gem at the local Library- NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE- THE STORY OF BEATRIX POTTER BY DOROTHY ALDIS copy write 1969. This book is exactly what Charlotte Mason would call a living book. It is inspiring! We want to go outside and live the life Beatrix lived...thanks to her governess not her parents. It could serve as a manual of home education. She had an excellent govorness who taught her through her (Beatrix) own interests! Just amazing. Infact, we have enjoyed it so much we will be looking for a used copy at Amazon to add to our own library.

On Sunday, coming home from grandma's, our tired family turned the car around to observe a Snowy Owl on the top of a barn roof. Thankfully, we had the camera with us! It was the largest one I've ever seen. It was so beautiful and sotic sitting up there scaning the feilds for food. Today the girls looked up the owl on-line and listened to its call. I was disapointed it wasn't in our book HANDBOOK FOR NATURE STUDY- BY ANNA COMSTOCK. We did however find fun and interesting information on-line and in some nature magazines we already own.

Overscheduling your kids time

I know for a fact that this really bothers some of my friends and maybe family but I am of the mind that my kids don't need every moment of each day occupied. I know it is hard for us mothers who seem to think that we need a plan an activity or a learning experiance for the day...I've come to disagree-- after a little heart searching and prayer. Why not just let the child play? You know I don't think that if Thomas Edison's mother would have given him little lessons or activities she would have even come close to the amazing lessons he taught himself. God instilled in each child creativity, enthusiasm, a sense of adventure, and some ingenious ideas. Think of all the scientists, authors, billionaires, adventurors, presidents, and the like who spent their free time discovering who they really are...teaching themselves their own trades. So, no I think my children just need to play, explore, and create. I don't need to help them along... their imagination is far better than anything I or anyone else could possibly teach them!

Frugality (you may think I am crazy after this)

I clean a house once a week to help pay for music and dance. I end up taking home the numerous newspapers for our wood stove almost weekly. They put them in a big black garbage bag along with other things. I bring this whole bag home and sort it. Here comes the crazy part that may make you think that I am insane. But that's okay I have been called worse. These are the things I found in the bag that were useful to our household.

- 1 30 gallon garbage bag to reuse
- 3 dry cleaning bags (w/ a knot in the bottom they can be used for small garbage bag)
- 1 hanger which we always seem to need
- Almost a whole ream of paper for the printer (1 side used)
- Newspaper for the fire and making baskets
- coupons from 4 different newspapers! I end up giving some away!


Crazy, but I rarely buy any garbage bags, hangers, or paper for the printer. And to top it off the coupons often come the same time the store is offering a sale! I can get name brand 3 pack of razors for .99 cents and so on! Walgreen's actually had $10 store coupon and the paper a $10 manufactures coupon for teeth whitening making it cost $14 instead of $34! I don't know if I will buy it. But, someone I know may use the coupon. You don't always have to go to all the stores to get the sales. Most store match prices if you bring in the competitors ad. So, you can still have one stop shopping.

So, on top of getting paid I get paid again! I don't know on average how much this saves me; but it saves me and helps pay for music and dance for my girls making this effort very worth my time!

Auditions and More

Well, yesterday Michala had her Audition with Grand Traverse Musicale. We will find out either late tonight or tomorrow morning if she will receive a scholarship. Her chances are small but it was good experience for her. It was a last minute deal. We found out that they would open the scholarship up to her last Tuesday, which isn't a whole lot of time to find a music piece ( usually only 8Th-11Th graders- can try out, M is in 7Th). So, we found some music she already knew well to play; but, they were fiddle tunes. (next year we will prepare a classical piece). The genre was more classical music than fiddle/folk, but it is always worth a try. Plus, some of these kids have so much experience and good teaching under their belts that it is hard to compete. Don't get me wrong; I love our teacher but these kids go to camp after camp and have professional musicians for teachers.

It was a very nerve wracking experience for a mom! I actually dreamed we forgot the violin and then couldn't get in the door. Here is a synopsis of the whole ordeal. We ended up getting there late and had to pass the time on to another boy who sang some beautiful song in Latin. (My nerves started in) Then this lady with a watch comes up to us and says looking at her watch, "You got 15 min until you are on. You must be here in 7, and waiting. My watch is syncronized with the judges." I am thinking...oh my, this is the big leagues...I start sweating...I think I have to use the bathroom! But wait, Michala needs me to fill out paperwork and take all her stuff to the other room. Her teacher says, "we need to tune up and run through a practice." I think bathroom will have to wait...I probably don't have to go anyway. They get into the room to warm up and sit down, they play maybe a 1/4Th of the song and the lady with the watch comes to the door with a look on her face like... get out here or you aren't going to audition. Now, my stomach is tuning and I am shaking a little. I think... jeez these people are uptight we don't have to be on for 10 min. But, we go.. and then stand a wait. (I don't get it). So while standing there her teacher who is accompanying Michala on the cello states she is nervous then turns and enters the Chapel. Leaving me standing outside the door fidgeting with fright. (Parents aren't allowed in the room, in fact no one but the accompanist, musician, and judges are.) So, there I stood trying to hear but not peer at her so she could see me and loose her composer. As far as I could tell she did well and her teacher confirmed she did great. When the lady with the watch asked her what Michala thought of the audition she said, " It was great! I had fun!". Here I was nervous, stomach turning, sweating etc...and she was enjoying herself! She never even noticed all these people with watches and papers bossing us around! So, lesson for mom learned... if kid doesn't appear nervous...relax and let them have fun. I also learn something about my daughter...she is one very composed young lady! Scholarship or not I am so proud of her.

Oreo's

Well, the girls decided to finish their school work while I am at a local home school Mom's Night Out. Instead they are baking. They decided to bake the oreo's Carmin is rolling out the dough and Michala is making the filling. She has done a fairly good job since powdered sugar is one of the hardest things to use a hand mixer on and not make a mess. I must admit that they taste increadibly good. I think they taste just like the real thing...but it's been almost 7 years since I've had a real oreo. Carmin who has recently had one says they are great. We made Shepards Pie for dinner and some carrot cake for me to take tonight. Part of me is hoping that the cookies will be gone when I get back. Otherwise, I may eat the whole bunch when I get back!

The very irregular post!

I am really going to try and do this more often.

Over the weekend we were truely blessed by God...a friend invited us to go to Disney in Orlando. We have to pay for our food and flight home which is about $320 for the 3 of us. The kids are really excited as am I, the hubby is not. He gets to stay home and work. Bummer.

You know it is not the vacation I am so excited about but spending time with a friend. Since, my best friend died I've been praying for a friend that could also have girls that were the same age as the girls and homeschooled. Well, ask and you shall recieve. PTL.

Anyway, today is Michala's big day. She has an audition for a scholarship (did I ever mention she plays the violin). I really doubt she will get it, but the experience will be good. She is nervous and I am trying to explain that her only failure will be failing to try. But, I must be nervous for her as well, since I woke at 4am from a dream that we couldn't get there on time. LOL...I am letting her sleep in since she didn't sleep the night before and I want her to be well rested. Plus, they have been fighting something for the last few weeks.

I found an amazing cookbook for you gluten free foodies out there. I just love it and it is so simple to use. If you have ever tried anything from scratch you understand how hard it can be. You feel like you empty your whole pantry into the bowl because you use about 6 flours and most of them are so strange you can't pronounce the names! Well, no more with my new favorite cookbook! Easy Gluten-Free Baking by Elizabeth Barbone .
I got mine at borders books with a coupon. Did you know you can sign up for e-mails and they send you coupons? Yes, they do!

Schooling update...We have been getting up at 7 am and I have been reading to them aloud while they eat and do some art/handy crafts. Usually starting with the Bible, moving on to a fun read aloud (Treasure Island is our current read), then ending with either history ( Creation to Ancient Egypt and Greece) or science. We are using Apologia's Botany book and Truthquest history (which uses living books)and Diana Warrings Creation to Rome. When I am finished reading the girls usually do math (Carmin is doing Saxxon 4/5, and Michala is using Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra). They then do CQLA or Character Quality Language Arts (which is all LA in one which I love). They then read a mix of their history/ Bible hero's/science/or a good literature book. We are hopefully done by 1:00 when all our other activities start. On Monday" and Wednesday's we have a very long day of school getting much of our history and science done. We have a very light day on Thursdays.

Well, I am going to wake up the sleeping beauties and start school!

Been a long time

It has been a long time since I've been here. What prompted me was my garden. Our computer crashed and I remembered I had a few pictures here of last years garden. I have been busy. My cousin graduated May 16Th. We had our first home school graduate this year. She got accepted into John Brown University. So, not to bad...

This year we decided we didn't like the strict schedule of Tapestry of Grace and will return to studying the Bible with Robin Sampson's Adam to the Messiah. The kids begged me to return to it. When your kids beg to learn...you do it. I have much to plan this summer if we are going to do this next year.

Which brings another subject...we need to be less busy next year. I am not sure how we will do it...it seems we have nothing to eliminate that doesn't 'seem' important. How does one family get so busy? And once there how do you reverse that? I am sure the kids will not like some of the choices Todd and i make. But, we are the parents.

I've come to the conclusion that my kids need to learn to help more. Don't get me wrong they do help quite a bit. But, they've grown and gotten older and it is time to introduce more jobs and living skills to them. How do you do that? Nothing against my mother but she only taught me how to clean. She really didn't cook much. Especially bake. And to add to the complexity of it all Michala and I are Celiacs. Michala also can't do diary. So we can't just go buy mixes or something. So, this summer the girls will learn how to cook a few things and clean a few more. Michala is also learning how to sew. Which has been fun for both of us. She took a class at the home school enrichment day. I learned a few things to. I taught myself to sew the non-traditional way. So, the terminology is all new to me as well as some of the procedures. I did much of it the hard way. No wonder I have little time to do it.

If anyone is still listening out there. Let me know. How busy should we be. How many days/nights a week should we be busy? How many Bible studies do you do? (we have a family one and I have one for myself) How do you stay not so busy? What chores do you expect out of your 9 and 11.5 year olds? any help would be great. It would be nice to see how other moms do this.

Also, how do you get them to do it? do you pay an allowance? do you give lists? Do you have a chore board in the hallway? How do you encourage them to do it? What if they don't? And the real question is do any of you have children that just get up and do their stuff without you asking? If so, I really want to hear from you!

M's photos

The girls both love to take pictures here is a few of M's. One is off our back deck at sunset and then a light house light in Glen Arbor. I guess I didn't download C's picts. Anyhow, I think M does a good job.

4th of July

Over the weekend we went to Empire and Glen Arbor areas. We had a great time just relaxing and drawing on the beach. Here is some photos of the girls. They weere soaking up the sunshine. It was very nice, not to hot not to cold.

redesigning

We had a bunch of old T-shirts to get rid of and I found a book that uses old T-shirts and turns them into new clothes here is our first attempt.

I like all of them. The butterfly one is very cute I wish we could have coverd up more of the logo on the edge. C wanted "God's Team" to show. With M's it is very cute with pockets on the sides. I think this turned out best. The black is hard to see. It will be mine. I like it however I am doubting my first thoughts that it would be slimming?! Just another warm summer day in Northern Michigan.

Square Foot Garden

Okay, I set off on an adventure this year. I decided to try this Square Foot Garden Book. Since our soil is sandy, being here on the water and very acidic, with all the oak trees. I started to look at container gardening and stumbled on the Square Foot Garden approach in the gardening section of the Library. We didn't follow it exactly but very closely. We used some friends cow manure, some compost, wood ashes, some perlite, some peet moss, and some black top soil. We did this all unscientifically just threw it in said "that looks good" and mixed it up. Fairly complex, huh? Well, the ph measured perfect 6.5-7. So, that is good. And here is some of the results. Our plans are to mulch the leaf pile and put it over the ground between the boxes.

The tomatoes are supposed to climb these fancy cages Todd MDH made out of conduit and tomato fence I ordered on-line. Did you know tomatoes climbed? I didn't. Anyway, you can plant them a lot closer if you have it set up like this. Usually they need 4 ft around them this way you plant one per sq ft. I planted 28 tomato plants, 16 Roma's for canning, 4 cheery for popping in your mouth, and 4beef steak for hamburgers or bean burgers in my case. I have so much planted that I am wondering what I got myself into for canning. Especially after I just stood in the kitchen for 2 days making bread and strawberry jam.

Harvesting

Here is M picking and eating strawberries. The kids were busy playing and eating. In fact I never go one photo of C. She was to busy with friends. I made bunches of jam and need to get up and make more tomorrow.


I made freezer jam. The one without pectin is very sugary and runny. ( I was trying to be thrifty). The next batch was with pectin. I am trying some sugar free stuff tomorrow. It uses natual apple juice for sweetener. I really hope this turns out since the girls music teacher and grandparents are diabetic. I also would like it for us if the taste is good:). I will keep you posted.

Family String Band

If you didn't know my girls play in a band called THE FAMILY STRING BAND. Both girls play instruments. M has played violin for 5.5 years and C has played cello for 1.5years. M loves her fiddle or violin (depends what she is playing) so much some days she plays it over an hour and a half. And for those of you who think she is such a serious musician there are days I still have to make her practice. C on the other hand enjoys it but not to the extent M does. But, M has some years of experiance on her.

Where is this leading to... well M lead a performance at The Spirit of the Woods Festival and here are some photos of it. I wish I had video of her playing. She is really good (of course mommy is talking here) I will have to get some video on and let you guys judge for yourselves.

M is the little one in the front and C is off to the side playing the cello. C is a natural metronome she keeps beat really well. She did so well for being the youngest performer at the festival at the ripe old age of 8.

They play with the Family String Band Studio, Jam before the Bayside Travelers Contra Dances, and also play with the Prelude Chamber String Orchestra. God has blessed them with amazing teachers and a desire to have fun while playing together. I am so pround of them!

My hope and prayer is that God will use their talent and ability to draw others to Jesus and that God will be glorified through their music and love for it. After all he created it!

Mail Woes

Hey there! I hope that someone is reading this since I don't write often enough but, if not oh well. I will consider it my online diary.

Okay, if you are a home schooler or a book purchaser you would know that when most of us buy curriculum and books we will ship it via media mail. Which usually works fairly well, it's a little slow, but cheaper to mail items. Well, May 31st I bought my Tapestry of Grace and it still has not arrived;( The worst part is we didn't insure it or track it!! (Note to self, next time insure and track anything that is $225). Anyhow, the poor soul refunded my money even though she has no books or money since the books are MIA somewhere in the vastness of the US Postal Service. What a nice person, but to be honest I just want the mail man to deliver the box. I don't feel like I can order a new one until the 6 weeks is up just to be fair to her. So, believe it or not I have prayed over a box of 3 ring binders daily! But you know God has given us so many seemingly unimportant things and I know he cares about my desires. It is my desire to give this lady her money so she isn't out $225. The worst of it is her husband is active duty military and I feel so guilty taking money from someone who is serving our country. So, pray God will bless Diana and her family finically if the box never is found.

A New Curriculum!

Okay its been a while since I have blogged. I have to admit that I was and am always looking for a better curriculum for our home school. I love Charlotte Mason but it is hard to follow because it keeps you very busy reading a lot of hard literature .I also had a hard time getting it all done and feeling like I was fulfilling my obligation to what I felt the Lord called me to do in my home school. But, I love her style of Narration, Copy work, and Dictation. Yet, I am searching or was searching for a way to learn and for my kids to learn about Gods word. And somehow when we got side tracked (or on the right track )by reading a lot of Bible, I felt guilty spending to much time there because I needed to hit all the subjects for school. Well a friend, God Bless her, by the hand of God was brought to a curriculum called Heart of Wisdom by Robin Sampson. She gave me the book to borrow and I devoured a 600 page book in a week. Praise God! It was exactly what I was looking for. A curriculum not just sprinkled with Gods word but immersed in it. It also uses Charlotte Masons methods of teaching and all the learning styles! So, I bought the first book which was $15 and a e-text so I could down load it immediately. Our first week was great! The kids loved it, I loved it and most important I am positive it made the Lord smile. So, I am on the wrong computer but I will put the kids work in here in the next few days. I am very excited about this.

Bad Days

Okay so in my last blog I was honest about my fears of homeschooling in the beginning and also the on going fears. Now, forgive me, those of you who will condemn me for putting honest and true life and feeling into this blog, but it is my blog and I don't aspire to be anyone but who I am.
On with it, yesterday was a "very bad terrible day" (from the book: Alexanders Bad Day, very cute kids book) I read for a while out loud and Michala could not narrate back what I read because the 18 year old was busy interrupting me and goofing off. Which has been a constant issue, so mommy and cousin (me, one in the same) had to put the crabby face on and scold a person who is supposed to be an adult and send her up to do her own school work in her room. And the second oldest was ordered to reread what I had just read and do without read aloud time until who knows when. I don't enjoy wasting my time and getting a sore throat for nothing. While Carmin the youngest told me the story finished her work and was the only thing that kept me from loosing my mind and patience at the moment. This is when Dad woke up (he works nights) and wondered why Mom was in a foul mood. Surprisingly at the end of the day Hannah was speaking to me. So now today as punishment both girls spend the day doing school work in their rooms and Carmin gets my full attention for the morning. So, will this teach them to be diligent or just afraid of moms (cousins) wrath? I loose my patients when I make an effort to make learning fun and people don't take it seriously. I suppose I wouldn't be a very good unschooler. So, ladies, this is an honest bad day in the life of one homeschooling mother (or cousin).

Daily Digest

Well today I am busy with the daily routine. The girls are busy with school. I am checking e-mail and doing laundry. Exciting! I am very excited, however to go to INCH this year. It is our state home school conference that is held in Lansing. I have not gone since my best friend died and I am ready to go now. In the past it has been geared toward new home schoolers. This year it seems to have more to offer for those of us who aren't quaking in our boots at the idea. Notice I didn't say afraid because you are always afraid. Afraid your child isn't getting enough of each subject, afraid you will fail, afraid they won't get into college. We just aren't terrified like we were at first (LOL). I really don't fear these things on a regular basis. Just once and a while when I hear of how bright someones child is and I wonder will mine make the cut? Then God reminds me I was called to do this and when ever you are called by God. Well he doesn't fail. He always rises to the occasion.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

A little more on Charlotte Mason. First off there is a wonderful website dedicated to CM. It has her books online, many links to other websites , free out of print ebooks, and free curriculum plans and schedules! It is called amblesideonline.org. This is some of what I use with my girls. I don't do every subject (like Plutarch) and do put the grades together rather than having to read many different books for each grade. I also aspire a little to Robinson Curriculum where I do require my kids to do much of there work alone, his website is robinsoncurriculum.com. ( I will talk of him later or you can just visit his website, I find him brilliant and fascinating) Each child has an assignment book that I write down daily reading list, spelling words (usually misspelled words from writing), math pages, and any unusual chores. The chapters they read alone they narrate back to me. We have a world map puzzle that is 1,000 pieces right now that we are doing for Geography. Michala learned the States and Capitols from music and her Leap Frog. She knows them better than I do! Most of our science is done in the Spring, Summer, Fall, and through reading. I love the Thorton W. Burgess books for science if you can find originals they are a treasure. You can find paperbacks at doverpublishing .com otherwise they are out of print. Back to Science, we do garden and when we find creatures we often draw them and look them up. We have also used Considering Gods Creation and that was a great hands on start to Science. I like to keep things simple mostly for my own sanity but also I think to many subjects cause a lot of disruption in the school day. To tell the truth, many days we have spent a whole day outside doing Science and nothing else, the same is true for all of our subjects. If your kids are actually interested and curious why stop to do math? Go with the inspiration. Some of our best learning has happened by chance not through my planning.