tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118010792024-03-14T05:41:23.819-07:00Little Bits of LifeStill napping at 48, but no longer have to sedate children! Miracles do happen.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger468125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-797366277970480052020-07-17T09:48:00.001-07:002020-07-17T09:48:52.830-07:00I'm Not Here to Reinvent the Wheel, People: Curriculum. So Much Curriculum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hand-writing-curriculum-marker-concept-260nw-472534459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="390" height="229" src="https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hand-writing-curriculum-marker-concept-260nw-472534459.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
To say there are a lot of choices for homeschooling families is a massive understatement. I couldn't possibly go over even a small fraction of what is available here. But, there is a website that has a wealth of information about all things math, science, history, and language arts. <a href="https://cathyduffyreviews.com/#" target="_blank">Cathy Duffy Reviews</a> has pretty much everything you will need. Pros, cons, other parent's experiences.<br />
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So, what do you need? If you have chosen to piecemeal your curriculum, what are you looking for? Most families will choose the core pieces for math, language arts, history, and science. You can find curriculum that combines all of those in literature-based units, such as <a href="https://fiveinarow.com/" target="_blank">Five in A Row</a>. This was a personal favorite of mine when my kids were in elementary school. Please don't take all day to school your children who are kinder through fifth grade. It is completely unnecessary. They will be exhausted and there's too much fun to be had to sit at a table all day. You may feel accomplished, but they will feel drained.<br />
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<u><b><i>Math</i></b></u><br />
We have tried all the math things. I'll be honest here and say that math was not my favorite. My guess is that this is where many homeschoolers struggle. My one piece of advice is this: find something and, unless it's just the worst, try and stick with it. I was busy hopping around curriculums hoping to find something my children loved. That was not going to happen. Instead, we ended up with some significant gaps. Math ended up being more of a battle than it should have been. But, we live and we learn! Maybe you will learn from my experience.<br />
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A few of the things that we tried were: <a href="https://www.mathusee.com/" target="_blank">Math-U-See</a>, <a href="https://www.lifeoffred.uniquemath.com/" target="_blank">Life of Fred</a>, <a href="http://www.teachingtextbooks.com/" target="_blank">Teaching Textbooks</a>, utilizing a co-op teacher, and <a href="https://www.hmhco.com/programs/saxon-math" target="_blank">Saxon Math</a>. There are pros and cons to each one. I understand <a href="https://rightstartmath.com/" target="_blank">Righ Start Math</a> is an excellent option. These options will have placement tests.<br />
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If math comes easily for your student and is pretty self-directed in this area, check out <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/" target="_blank">Kahn Academy</a>. It's free, online, and covers more subjects than you can imagine, all with video teaching and practice problems. Another great online practice resource is <a href="https://www.ixl.com/?partner=google&campaign=71588128&adGroup=11909172808&gclid=CjwKCAjwmMX4BRAAEiwA-zM4JsxoEfze1nu5Zx8-gHz8xP1M2_RLAE5iIGDQcRaRSQTU7FeWJjZeZhoCncYQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">IXL</a>. (I've not looked there in a while. Apparently, they also offer a complete curriculum now! )There is a fee associated with IXL.<br />
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<u><b><i>Science</i></b></u><br />
In our homeschooling world, <a href="https://www.apologia.com/product-category/science/" target="_blank">Apologia</a> is the program I see most often used. It's very user friendly. If you buy the student workbook, a lesson plan is laid out for you. We used Apologia through Biology for my kiddos and then utilized co-ops for the upper classes. If you love science, you can do ANYTHING. There are a ton of science activities on <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?rs=ac&len=2&q=science%20for%20elementary%20students&eq=science%20for%20ele&etslf=8820&term_meta[]=science%20for%20elementary%20students%7Cautocomplete%7C2" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> that you can do as a family. Explore specific themes like weather, geology, human anatomy, or chemistry. The sky is the limit! So much freedom here for your kids to explore what they are interested in or follow a guided curriculum.<br />
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Recently, I have moved to <a href="https://www.masterbooks.com/" target="_blank">Master Books</a> and <a href="https://www.bjupress.com/page/Home" target="_blank">BJU press</a> for my co-op science classes. Both offer multiple subject options. Plus, you can head to Mardel, sit on their floor, and look through the books thoroughly before you by. Yes, I have done that.<br />
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<u><b><i>History</i></b></u><br />
If you are homeschooling multiple children (or even if you only have one at home), <a href="https://themysteryofhistory.com/" target="_blank">Mystery of History</a> and <a href="https://welltrainedmind.com/landing/story-of-the-world/?v=7516fd43adaa" target="_blank">Story of the World</a> are excellent choices. You can tackle the subject at one time for everyone. If your children are older and ready to self direct, <a href="https://history.notgrass.com/" target="_blank">Notgrass History</a> is nice. What to do each day is laid out for them, it covers geography as well as having a literature component in which you can take care of a language arts requirement by using a novel unit study.<br />
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Consider using historical fiction to teach history. This allows you to teach the time period and get some good Language Arts in as well. Two birds, one stone.<br />
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<u><i><b>Language Arts</b></i></u><br />
For our family, this includes reading and writing as younger students, as they grew up, we were specific in adding vocabulary and literature. Here are a few of my favorite things, that I still use in my co-op classroom:<br />
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<u>Reading</u><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Teach-Your-Child-Read-Lessons/dp/0671631985" target="_blank">Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons</a> and Five in a Row for elementary students. For upper students: read, read, read.<br />
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You can find reading lists based on grade level at <a href="http://goodreads./">GoodReads.</a> In addition, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Honey-Childs-Heart-Gladys-Hunt/dp/0310242460" target="_blank">Honey for a Child's Heart</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Read-Heart-Whole-WholeHearted-Families/dp/1932012974/ref=pd_lpo_14_t_2/136-2321915-8657762?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1932012974&pd_rd_r=318ca6bb-66b9-4581-b6d4-bfcbd326cd6d&pd_rd_w=9MxrD&pd_rd_wg=N0QUB&pf_rd_p=7b36d496-f366-4631-94d3-61b87b52511b&pf_rd_r=5Q3AZ7WNHJAKT1BEVAV1&psc=1&refRID=5Q3AZ7WNHJAKT1BEVAV1" target="_blank">Read for the Heart</a> are good resources/books lists for books at different stages.<br />
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<u>Vocabulary</u><br />
We started using <a href="http://wordlywise3000.com/" target="_blank">Wordly Wise </a>to build a strong vocabulary when my kids hit fourth grade, and <a href="https://cathyduffyreviews.com/homeschool-reviews-core-curricula/spelling-and-vocabulary/vocabulary-resources/english-from-the-roots-up" target="_blank">English from the Roots Up</a> is an excellent resource on the basics of our language.<br />
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<u>Writing</u><br />
For a structured approach, <a href="https://iew.com/" target="_blank">IEW</a> (Institue for Excellence in Writing) can't be beaten. If you want a little more freestyle approach using dictation passages which include a literature component check out <a href="http://bravewriter./">Bravewriter.</a> I use their dictation units to help teach grammar, mechanics, and writing to my fifth and sixth-grade co-op students.<br />
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<u>Grammar</u><br />
<a href="https://www.easygrammar.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html" target="_blank">Easy Grammar</a><br />
<a href="https://www.winstongrammar.com/" target="_blank">Winston Grammar</a> I personally love this because it is so kinesthetic.<br />
<a href="https://www.shurley.com/" target="_blank">Shurley English</a><br />
*A note on grammar. Don't feel like you need to start too soon on this. Grammar is a complicated subject. I have a mentor that says wait until their brains are a little more developed, which I did for my oldest. She was 12 when we started formal grammar and she blew through it easily. My younger daughter started sooner simply because we did Winston all together.<br />
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<u>Online Resources</u><br />
I've already mentioned Kahn Academy and IXL, but some days you need a good worksheet or literature unit with study guide questions or vocabulary already planned. For those, I suggest <a href="https://www.edhelper.com/" target="_blank">EdHelper</a> or <a href="http://superteacherworksheets.com/" target="_blank">Super Teacher Worksheets</a>. There is a yearly fee, but you can use and print as much as you like. Of course, there are plenty of online games for math, geography, and English practice.<br />
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With the exception of Right Start Math and Shurley English, we have used every single one of those pieces at different times during our homeschooling. I like a literature-based approach, and use it most often, but for some seasons, having the curriculum broken down was the best fit for us that year.<br />
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One additional note: BUY USED! Buying for every subject, for each child can add up quickly. There are many ways to buy used. FB homeschool groups are a great place to find used material. <a href="https://homeschoolclassifieds.com/" target="_blank">Homeschool Classified</a>s has always had the science I was looking for. Or simply look for titles under <a href="http://abebooks.com/" target="_blank">Abe Books</a>, <a href="https://www.betterworldbooks.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwmMX4BRAAEiwA-zM4Jrj4yMqpHg4viQcNARRU6xRKuAQ6WQEfig09fGmY3miwNLc-yoeQYxoCtvsQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Better World Books</a>, and <a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/" target="_blank">Thrift Books </a>will all have a decent selection at a great price. Your local library may even have a selection of homeschool materials that you can at least look at before you buy. (Life of Fred Math books, for example).<br />
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Shew, that's a lot and not nearly enough. As usual, I welcome suggestions or comments. You never know who might benefit from your experience!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-13283399517578252212020-07-15T05:43:00.001-07:002020-07-15T05:44:06.742-07:00Homeschool Co-ops and Home Extension Classes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://image.shutterstock.com/z/stock-photo-group-of-diverse-teenagers-together-in-urban-city-using-smartphone-taking-selfies-photos-with-fun-1183141045.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1101" data-original-width="1500" height="185" src="https://image.shutterstock.com/z/stock-photo-group-of-diverse-teenagers-together-in-urban-city-using-smartphone-taking-selfies-photos-with-fun-1183141045.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have plenty of pictures of my actual children enjoying the relationships they have built over the years at our local co-op group activities, but I am more reticent to post their pictures on my blog anymore. Safety first, even if it's only perceived. ; )</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Co-ops and extension classes are two different organizations from my viewpoint but offer similar benefits.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Co-ops (short for cooperatives) are typically a group of homeschool families who come together once a week for classes taught by the parents. This group will meet socially outside of "class" as well as have group field trips and events such as Christmas parties together. They can range from a few families to larger groups. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Strictly academic as well as strictly social co-ops are available. If you can't find a co-op that fits your needs, you might just be the person to start one that does! More and more families are choosing to homeschool. Therefore, more and more coops will be needed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our family was fortunate enough to join a co-op the first year we began homeschooling. My beautiful friend, Deleise, had started a co-op a few years earlier and invited us to join. I think she was as excited for us to be homeschooling as we were. This group has been a tremendous blessing to our family. (Thank you, Deleise!) We have had the opportunity to build community over the years, and these kiddos have been friends of my daughters through lots of thick and thin. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In this type of group, the parents decide what they would like to teach over the course of a year. They may have expertise in an area (science or history) or simply want to share an elective type class. My children took mostly "electives" like PE, Art, Drama, and character-building classes when they were younger. As they became middle and high schoolers, we took advantage of parents who wanted to teach science or other core classes they would need for credit. Our particular co-op also had some traditional items like yearbooks and graduation ceremonies. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Everyone participates in some way throughout the year, even if they don't teach. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Homeschool extension classes function slightly different than traditional co-ops but still offer community, once a week classes (most often academic), geared toward middle and high school students, and some traditional aspects of a school such as spirit days, yearbooks, traditional graduation ceremony, etc.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When my daughters started the eighth grade, we partnered with an organization where they could take core classes, some electives, and frankly, I had a half a day to run errands or have lunch with a friend. Alone. I placed this decision under self-care. Plus, my daughters loved the freedom it provided for them as they became teenagers. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There is usually a higher financial investment involved in paying teachers. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Both traditional co-ops and extension class style co-op start registration in the spring and fill up quickly. If you are new to homeschooling and interested in either of these, my suggestion is that you look into them ASAP.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Neither of these options is necessary to have a successful homeschool life for your family, but if you find the right group, it can enhance your experience and extra friends never hurt!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Obviously, I don't know about the co-ops in any area other than OKC. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><u>Extension Co-ops:</u></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/College---University/COACHCentral-Oklahoma-Alliance-of-Christian-Homeschoolers-432727443452623/" target="_blank">COACH</a>: Extension classes that meet in the Norman area</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://okcstorm.com/index.php/academics/">Storm Academy</a>: Extension classes that meet in the Edmond Area</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.excelnwokc.com/">Excel</a>: Extension Classes that meet in NW OKC </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Post a comment if you know of any that should be added. These are the only three I'm aware of in our area, but I would guess there are more.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><i>Traditional Co-ops: </i></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://shinesupportgroup.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Shine</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.limitlessokche.com/" target="_blank">Limitless</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">LAB</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Education/Keystone-Homeschool-Co-op-1656325474614990/" target="_blank">Keystone</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.fellowshipcoop.com/" target="_blank">Christian Fellowship Homeschool Coop</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Just to name a few. A Google search will show many more. Asking your homeschooling friends will garner results and more information as well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*In the interest of full disclosure, I do teach classes at Excel. The teacher in me couldn't stand not being a part of this group. =)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">** All information is based on my personal experience and may differ from others.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fafafa; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Previous Posts in this series</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fafafa; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://robinstorch.blogspot.com/2020/07/homeschooling-for-newbies-aka-ive.html" style="color: #009eb8; display: inline; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s;" target="_blank">Homeschool for Newbies (#1)</a></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fafafa; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://robinstorch.blogspot.com/2020/07/school-online-is-it-really-homeschool.html" style="color: #009eb8; display: inline; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s;">Online School (#2)</a></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fafafa; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://robinstorch.blogspot.com/2020/07/want-curriculum-delivered-to-your-door.html" target="_blank">Curriculum Delivered to your door (#3)</a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-16232322102586661752020-07-14T08:18:00.002-07:002020-07-14T08:26:24.645-07:00Want Curriculum Delivered to Your Door?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://image.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/shipping-boxes-room-3d-render-260nw-1179263185.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="317" src="https://image.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/shipping-boxes-room-3d-render-260nw-1179263185.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We used to live across the street from a neighbor who regularly ordered Blue Apron. If you aren't familiar with this company, or the now many like it, you order selected meals online based on your eating preferences and they ship your meal with the ingredients and recipe to your door in a cooler box. Occasionally, my neighbor would run out of time to make all of the meals at her disposal and ask if I was interested in making them for my family. Well, of course I was! I have found some of my favorite meals from that company. I still make them; I just go buy the ingredients myself. Because I am frugal. I am very frugal. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Had I not been as frugal as I am, this option would have appealed to me a great deal as a new homeschool mom. I have always labeled this "curriculum in a box" because after you pick your program, they will send you all of your student materials plus teaching materials (including daily lesson plans) right to your door! Expect the curriculum version of Blue Apron. You choose, they send, you teach. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Please note: we are a family of faith. I bring this up simply because I am most familiar with Christian-based curriculum. I did find one curriculum that offered a non-religious option. I will share that as well but know very little about it. If a secular option is what you are after, a simple google search gives you more than I will here. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This may be the best fit if your student is on the same grade level for all subjects, you are ready to leave public school curriculum, but would still appreciate continuity in the curriculum, or would like to tackle teaching without the planning. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Pros: </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>You receive everything you need for your student based on their current grade level in one package.</li><li>A variety of lesson plans based on the number of days per week you plan to homeschool are often included. For example, if you attend a coop one day a week, you might choose the 4-day option for your family so that you don't have to do school on a day you are out of the house.</li><li>These programs are typically very thorough.</li><li>You can sell your used materials.</li><li>You can buy used materials.</li><li>Option to use Textbook or Video options.</li><li>Literature-based learning. (That is a personal pro for me!)</li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Cons:</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Can be expensive. Did I mention I was frugal? =)</li><li>If you decide the curriculum isn't for you, you eat the cost unless you try and re-sell.</li><li>If you are a "follow the letter of the law" type, this could be very overwhelming. You will receive a lot of material that can be hard to complete and still have a fair amount of downtime. (Keep in mind, just because they send it, doesn't mean you HAVE to do it. One of the perks of HSing!)</li><li>The material can be a bit dry according to some.</li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Some Options (and a few thoughts from friends who have used the programs):</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.abeka.com/" target="_blank">Abeka</a>: made for classroom-style learning; a lot workbook/textbook work; great phonics program</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.mfwbooks.com/" target="_blank">My Father's World</a> I have a friend whose family enjoyed this curriculum; it's a combination of several popular homeschool options. But, I didn't get a comment for her in time for this post.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.sonlight.com/" target="_blank">Sonlight</a>: Originally written for missionary families </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.aop.com/curriculum/horizons" target="_blank">Horizons</a> I could not find one source for this material, only distributors. Mardel bookstore has this in stock if you want to see it in person.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://timberdoodle.com/collections/curriculum-kits/secular" target="_blank">Timberdoodle</a>: This is the one I found that offers a non-religious option</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://biblioplan.net/" target="_blank">Biblioplan</a>: "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.05em; text-align: justify;">A Classical History and Literature Curriculum for Christian Home Schoolers, Home School Cooperatives, and Schools"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.05em; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/" target="_blank">The Good and the Beautiful</a>: You do buy individual subjects, but each subject comes with the supplies you need. "One thing that I love about them is that their assessments for math and language arts to determine exactly what level they should start with regardless of age." </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The more I look at websites to post here, the more I wish I could do this all over again. So much good stuff out there!! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am re-arranging my content so that tomorrow we will be looking at coops and home extension classes. You can buy curriculum any time, but coops fill up quickly. You will want this information sooner rather than later. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As always, I'm happy to answer any questions in the comments. Or if you have a suggestion, I'd love that too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Previous Posts in this series</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://robinstorch.blogspot.com/2020/07/homeschooling-for-newbies-aka-ive.html" target="_blank">Homeschool for Newbies (#1)</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://robinstorch.blogspot.com/2020/07/school-online-is-it-really-homeschool.html">Online School (#2)</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-57855472770190672152020-07-13T05:16:00.001-07:002020-07-13T05:16:46.425-07:00School Online: Is it REALLY homeschool?I have a good friend and mentor, Robin Meadows, who consistently reminds me that "life is school". You are in a position to constantly educate your children. And trust me, they are learning from you the most unexpected things. (insert face palm, eye-rolling, winky face emoji here)<br />
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I decided to cast the homeschool net broadly today and work my way in with these posts. Why? Because bringing your children home can be daunting enough without having to make curriculum decisions or figure out what they need to know by when. Making a transition to "at home" may be all you need to do this year. This post is for you.<br />
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There is the argument that online school isn't really homeschooling. And while it's not what traditional homeschooling looks like, I would disagree. When you are the person sitting with your student at home having to make sure they are paying attention, understanding the material, etc. YOU ARE HOMESCHOOLING or at the very least schooling at home. I do see the difference, but in the current climate, I hardly think the difference matters. <div><br />
This may be for you if you don't want to send your child to a brick and mortar school this year for any number of reasons: you aren't sure about sending your child to school not knowing how the year will go; your child spends a lot of time doing club sports and you would like to have more time with them; you would like a more at your own pace option for your student; you would like to be able to travel more easily during the year, you have parents that need care who aren't close, if your school district is offering virtual classes you would prefer an organization with some previous experience, just to name a few.<br />
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We chose not to do online schools even though the stipend was very tempting. Mostly, I didn't want to engage in the state testing required. I know a lot of families who go this route and love it. Again, a reminder that there is no one way to homeschool that is right for every family. If you have experience with any of these programs and have something to add, please do so in the comments.<br />
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<b><u>Online Public or Charter Schools</u></b><br />
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<i>Pros:</i><br />
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<ul>
<li>Your children are at home.</li>
<li>You are in charge of your schedule.</li>
<li>They are learning time management in a more independent way.</li>
<li>You do not need to make many decisions regarding curriculum.</li>
<li>Often, a teacher is available to you and your children.</li>
<li>This can be a "free" option in that you are given a stipend to spend on the curriculum chosen or toward other activities.</li>
<li>Students are able to finish their school year rather quickly if their ability allows it and they so choose.</li>
<li>If your child is heavy into sports, this allows them more free time or family time.</li>
<li>If you are already used to and like public school, this is an easier transition.</li><li>Secular and religious options are available.</li>
</ul>
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<i>Cons:</i><br />
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<ul>
<li>Much of their school/content is done in front of a screen. This can be hard for younger children.</li>
<li>You are accountable to the online company or charter school for progress.</li>
<li>Some programs require a certain amount of time spent on the computer each day regardless of your child's abilities to finish sooner. </li>
<li>Many of these programs require state testing.</li>
<li>Your children are at home. hahahaha. kidding. ; )</li>
</ul>
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<br /><i>Some Options:</i></div><div><i><br /></i>
<a href="https://epiccharterschools.org/lp2?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6ar4BRDnARIsAITGzlCb9nw_ecXlZ2D-lJQqkow7QZ-6hvynF2waBI4kuNwqCqpLVengEmcaArOIEALw_wcB" target="_blank">Epic Charter Schools</a> (favorite where I live in Oklahoma)<br />
<a href="https://www.connectionsacademy.com/" target="_blank">Connections Academy</a><br />
<a href="https://www.k12.com/" target="_blank">K12</a><br />
<a href="https://www.liberty.edu/ms/online-academy/?acode=D80538&kwid=43700041766087165&trafficsource=56414556862&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6ar4BRDnARIsAITGzlDU8SqF1YcsppCB-UzRvQEEvf-jon1FAKoKOkfpYE_g35S71-XOWAMaAmd-EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">Liberty University Online Academy</a>. (This program offers dual enrollment credit for college.)<br />
Know of more? Let us know in the comments!<div>Google Online Charter Schools in (insert your state name)<br />
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If this sounds like a good fit for your family, check out the above options. Keep in mind some programs require enrollment before Oct. 1 or you have to wait for the next school year. </div><div><br /></div><div>Again, I do not claim to know it all. There are surely more programs, pros, and cons. If you are interested in autonomy and complete freedom in your school choice, this is probably not the right path for you. </div><div><br /></div><div>Have a thought? Leave a comment. Tomorrow we look at a handful of "curriculum in a box" options for the family that wants to be out from under the state programming but would still like a pre-decided curriculum that keeps your student on a traditional learning track.</div><div>
<br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-13846338708932729592020-07-12T08:04:00.001-07:002020-07-12T08:57:43.387-07:00Homeschooling for Newbies AKA "I've decided to homeschool...now what?"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>If you are reading this post, you have either decided to take the leap into homeschooling or you are wondering "If I do this, what do I need to know?" I have had enough people reach out to me about homeschooling lately due to the impact of the Coronavirus on schools this fall that I thought a series of blog posts might help. My guess is there are many blogs that dive into the information I'm going to lay out here and many different voices about how homeschooling should look. If you have another great resource, I'd love to know, so please leave it in the comments. This is simply information based on my personal experience. Take what helps you, disregard the rest.<br />
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First of all, a little about our journey. We started homeschooling when my daughters were in the first and fourth grades. This next year, my oldest will go to college on an honors scholarship and study molecular biology. My youngest will be a sophomore. Our "homeschool" looks significantly different now than when we started. We started with a very traditional hs style and now participate in what I lovingly call "outsourced homeschool". I wouldn't change one single thing.<br />
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Next, a to-do list for you.<br />
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Find out what requirements you have to follow in the state in which you live. We are very fortunate to live in a state that is hands-off when it comes to homeschoolers. It is recommended a family keeps records in the chance you are audited, but I don't know of one family that has ever been audited. States like Florida require you to have an umbrella school. Other states require a portfolio to be turned in at the end of the year. This is important to research, as you don't want to have to backtrack and fill in the blanks after you've completed one or more school years.<br />
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Commit to one year. Every year we gave ourselves the option to opt-out. You never know what path you will be on from year to year. Moving, having babies, major life events. You may end up with a year in which public or private school is the best option for your family. There is no shame in that game. But, I do encourage everyone to commit to a full school year. Children do need stability and continuity as much as it can be provided. Knowing your family is all in for this school year gives them a sense of "we are in this together" as well as "if this ends up being the worst idea ever, it's not forever". There is freedom in both of those mindsets.<br />
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If your student has been in school in the past, the rule of thumb is that he or she will need one month of decompressing from a traditional routine for each year they've been in school. That was true for us. When I say "us", I mean ALL of us, myself included. This transition impacts everyone differently. My oldest took about three months into the school year before we finally found our rhythm.<br />
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That being said, you will need to be flexible particularly if you are coming from a traditional school set up (public or private). Their day will not look the same. The time it takes to homeschool two children on different levels is significantly less than it takes to teach a classroom of 20+ kiddos who are learning the same material. ( I was a public school teacher before stepping into this journey.) You will have days that fall apart with the weeping and gnashing of teeth. Those are good days to go to the park or use the Science Museum family pass you purchased. I promise they WILL learn. The biggest reason that flexibility is important is that your relationship with your children is the most important during this season. They may be the most academically trained children at the end of their school days, but if their relationship with you is damaged in the process, it won't be worth it.<br />
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Lastly for this post, start to determine what homeschool style fits you the best. The greatest joy at Baskin Robbins is that they have 31 flavors to choose from. The most challenging thing to do at Baskin Robbins is to decide which flavor you want. Homeschool options range from "unschooling" (yes, that is a real thing and it really works for some) to choosing an online public school that you do at home (which can also be the best fit for some families). I'll be bringing a new post every few days on these choices. Unfortunately, there can still be a lot of judgment on your choice inside the HS community. The choice that is right for you might not be right for another family. It may not be right for your family five years from now, and that is ok. Listening to the HS naysayers is hard enough without the internal posturing. Listen to advice, learn what works for others, decide what works best for you and march on.<br />
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There really isn't a right or wrong. Your child's education is your responsibility regardless of whether you use a public school curriculum or homeschool your child. I'm looking forward to diving into the variety of options at your very fingertips.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-31281579409852916152019-03-28T19:00:00.004-07:002019-03-28T19:00:52.392-07:00The Knower Knows<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="eg6rc" data-offset-key="81mfo-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span data-offset-key="81mfo-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">My feeler is still off today, but my knower better. It's funny how you can have feelings that are you know are not in line with God's best for you--non-righteous anger, insecurity, or jealousy. Sometimes feelings are due to the uncontrollable. Hurt from betrayal. Sadness from a loss. We can't always control what we feel, but we can control what we do with those feelings. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="4jf20-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">I experienced a flash bout of insecurity this week. Massive FOMO which led me to start manipulating for an outcome I thought was best for my kid. An outcome, for the record, I'm pretty sure my kid didn't care about one bit. The Holy Spirit interrupted me mid "problem-solving" text. "Think you could pray about this for one second?" Ugh. Sure.</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="151rm-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">After a conversation with God about my insecurity, I was challenged to weigh my feelings against what I know about Him, His character, His word, His promises. He reminded me He had a plan and it was good. Also, He wasn't going to share it with me until it was time. And you know what? I did NOT feel better after that convo. I like to know and be assured of future success. He didn't give me that. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="a97ad-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">I didn't feel better but the prayer allowed the Holy Spirit to kick my knower into high gear. I still don't feel better, but I know better. That is enough for today.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-54886500467219406382019-02-09T11:02:00.000-08:002019-02-09T11:02:00.949-08:00Holy Moly. Do people still "blog" anymore? Do we call it something else? My last post was seven years ago. SEVEN. I had a ten-year-old and a seven-year-old. Bless. (Also, I didn't use the phrase "bless" seven years ago.) Sigh. But here I am again, blogging. Why?<br />
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I hate Facebook.<br />
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People don't think. It's easy to hit a share button. To not really research what you're sharing. Is it true? Is it the whole picture? Are you griping or helping? I'm over it. Plus, I have stuff to say. That I've thought about...a least a little. =) We will see how this goes.<br />
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As an aside: I like Instagram and Pinterest! So it's not all bad.<br />
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To be continued...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-54640045232733757032012-08-12T06:09:00.000-07:002012-08-12T06:09:49.715-07:00How Healthy is Your Family Organization?This last week I had the opportunity to attend a satellite edition of the Willowcreek Association's Global Leadership Conference. Since I am a stay at home, homeschooling mom, I looked at the "talks" through the lens of family. Family, our family, is my business; the group I help lead. And although I am called to lead in other areas of my life, they are my first responsibility.<br />
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One of my favorite talks was from Patrick Lencioni. I've already tossed the brochure for the conference, so I don't have his credentials. Sorry. But he was dynamic, funny and his content was great. Feel free to google him. <br />
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His speech was about organizational health. As I listened to him, I started to consider my family in terms of an "organization" and wondered if ours was healthy. He listed four disciplines to a healthy organization. This seemed to be geared toward the leaders, in our case, parents.<br />
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1) Build a cohesive leadership team. (Build a strong marriage.)<br />
2) Create Clarity (more on this in a minute)<br />
3) Over-communicate clarity (If your staff/kids can't make a good impression of you when you're not there, you aren't communicating enough)<br />
4) Reinforce clarity through systems<br />
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All good stuff to consider. He landed on 2) Create Clarity for a while and this is where I felt like my family would most benefit. He gave six questions to ask that are critical to your family's health.<br />
<br />
A) Why do we exist?<br />
B) How do we behave? These would be our core values. He suggested no more than one to three truly endemic behaviors and they needed to be something worth getting punished for.<br />
C) What do we actually do? For me this came down to how do we as a family best exemplify our core values?<br />
D) How will we succeed? What is the strategy our family will use?<br />
E) What is most important in our organization right now?<br />
F) Who must do what?<br />
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I love these questions, and by the time he was done talking I had begun planning a series of family nights where our family organization would answer these questions together. My girls are old enough to be a part of this process and I want them to have total buy-in. Terry and I will certainly be leading them through this process, but the girls are old enough to understand what our family is about, and be excited about it! Soon, I hope they will be able to make a good impression of me going on about our core values.<br />
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What about you? Do you have a strong family organization? What could you do to make it better?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-5553781439018716602012-06-27T10:04:00.001-07:002012-06-27T19:22:49.655-07:00Garden Of My Heart: Hardened Hearts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed, for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in." Mark 6:52<br /><br />Yesterday while in my garden, <a href="http://www.robinstorch.blogspot.com/2012/06/garden-of-my-heart-hidden-sin.html">God really revealed some aspects of hidden sin to me.</a> I decided to go out later and check on my squash plants. I had after all done some major surgery on them. Excising the borers when possible, covering the exposed part with new dirt (and a little prayer), and giving them much needed water love. Unfortunately, when I returned, one of my plants looked like this:<div>
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<a href="http://www.storyhouse.org/fish/6258squash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="http://www.storyhouse.org/fish/6258squash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />(Again, not my actual plant. I need to figure out how to put my pics in here!)<br /><br />I sent the pic to my gardening mentor and asked her if there was any hope of it making it. Nope, probably not. But I could try. And the verse at the top of this post came to mind. And I was reminded: sometimes it's too late. <br /><br />If you ignore the conviction of the Holy Spirit or just the good sound advice from Godly friends, you are slowly but surely cementing the damage done in your heart. Even the disciples missed understanding important concepts because their hearts were hardened.<br /><br />After doing some research (read: asking my friends who know the Bible and using YouVersion) I found that our hearts can be hardened on our own:<br />"But <i>Pharaoh hardened his heart t</i>his time also, and did not let the people go." Exodus 8:32<br /><br />Or sometimes it's God:</div>
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"But the <i>Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart</i>, and he did not let the people of Israel go." Exodus 10:20<br /><br />I'm not sure why this happens. Why would God harden our hearts to the point where we can no longer turn to Him? Why do we do that to ourselves? But clearly, it happens. File this under "Trust not in your own understanding..."<br /><br />I hope I never ignore the voice of God no matter how it shows up, but especially to the point where some part of my heart dies and can't be recovered. <br /><br />I'm going to lose that plant. It even had some promising looking squash on it. =(</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-86574780384679000252012-06-26T08:59:00.000-07:002012-06-26T09:05:48.277-07:00Garden of My Heart: Hidden SinThis morning I went out to water my garden and decided to get down to serious business eradicating the squash borer that I was certain had infected my plants. I had been able to ignore the damage at the base of the plants because the tops were lush and beautiful. A sight to behold for my gardener's heart. But when I pulled the leaves back, this is what I saw:<br />
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This is not my actual plant, but I can't get my personal image uploaded. This is pretty close. The plant was smelly at the base and just all mushy. Gross.<br />
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Big sigh. Then I got to work. Put on long sleeves and long pants with socks and tennis shoes so I could get in there without feeling all the creepy crawlies around me. My tools were straight pins, a bottle of insecticidal soap (home made) and a paring knife. I pulled off the nasty stuff, dug around with the knife and was successful three times getting the borer out. The other times I stabbed around a bunch with the pins and prayed it had helped some. Sometimes, I had to even cut off good stems to see where I was going. Frustrating to say the least.<br />
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And then my sweet morning conversations with God. He's so good to me. He gets my frustration. He hates sin as much as I hate those borers. More.<br />
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And here's the deal: hidden sin is the worst. Why? Because it's doing damage on the inside while everything looks great on the outside. Until it's too late. Your life and/or relationships are either beyond repair or you have to do some serious amputation for it to even have a chance.<br />
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The interesting thing for me is the borers were in my plants last year, but I didn't know to look for them, or rather what I was looking for. The signs were there, but I missed them. This year, I had help. Someone to talk to and tell me the truth. (Of course, even then I waited because it was hot and I was being lazy, or because I had other things to distract me and take up my time. Sound familiar?)<br />
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The same is true for us as Christ followers. If we aren't in God's word, we don't know what to look for. If we don't have accountability, some one to be honest with us and that we can be honest with, sin can very easily stay hidden and continue damaging. And even then, getting rid of it can be hard, takes time, and lots of digging. Don't give up.<br />
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<i>"And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes and be thrown into hell." Mark 9:47</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">By the way, my plants look ugly now. I had to push them over and every which way so I could see and I can't get them to stand up straight again. But, I might get some veggies now! Because if there is no fruit, what good is a beautiful plant?</span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-44827902150841374612012-06-18T12:52:00.000-07:002012-06-18T12:52:45.657-07:00The Garden of My HeartSome days I walk away from the garden and feel such a sense of accomplishment. It's as if the battle was all mine. I was victorious! I walked in with produce in hand, my plants look amazing and I've won a round with tomato horn worms, squash borer moths and their eggs, and Japanese beetles.<br />
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And then there are the rest of the days. I come home to find the yard people have sprayed for weeds. (Hello, my tomato plants are a variety of weeds.) The squash borer moth has re-appeared and laid who knows how many eggs. A cicada killer has apparently alerted the cicada killer media that my garden is a great place to lay their eggs on paralyzed cicadas. And they guard those holes mercilessly keeping the gardener scared to death and at bay. Birds are pecking holes in the veggies. Suddenly, I'm fighting a new battle...and it's not looking good.<br />
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I have lots of discussions with God while I'm gardening. It's amazing the spiritual applications that come from planting, tending and harvesting. Today went something like this:<br />
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Me: I'm tired of bugs. And looking for their eggs. Didn't I JUST do this?<br />
God: Yes, and those bugs never let up. It's who they are. Keep going.<br />
Me: Can't you just make all the bad bugs go away.<br />
God: I could.<br />
Me: Would you?<br />
God: No.<br />
Me: *sigh*<br />
God: What have you learned today?<br />
Me: A) I cannot control everything that goes on out here. I have to trust that you have a plan that you share with me on an as needed basis. B) Satan, whom I consider the bad bugs to be from, is seeking to destroy all this hard work. So, I can't ever let my guard down. I have to spend time out here every day. Sometimes in the heat of the day, and work my rear off. And even then I might not see the fruit of my labor for a while. Maybe never. (recalling the bitter tomato disaster of last year)<br />
God: See ya out here tomorrow. =)<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>"Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!" Psalm 34:8</i></span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-63912896659125318302012-06-08T09:31:00.001-07:002012-06-08T09:31:20.550-07:00Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/veg/insect_ID_pics/CH14_Squash%20and%20Pumpkins/squash_vine_borer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/veg/insect_ID_pics/CH14_Squash%20and%20Pumpkins/squash_vine_borer.jpg" width="306" /></a></div>
Ok, this lovely creature does none of those, but I like the title of the post anyway. =) This is a squash borer moth. We saw one in person for the first time the other day in the heat of the day. Reia thought it looked like a red bee. And it sounds like a bee and flys like a wasp, but is indeed a moth.<br />
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After sending a pic of this beauty (ewww) to my gardening mentor, she let me know what it was and I immediately went to google for follow up info. Turns out unlike other moths, this one actually carries on its business during the day. Thank goodness or I would have never know to spend the next two hours in the garden looking for the eggs it laid. Small reddish brown eggs, singly laid along the stems and base of the plants. They hatch in a week and become a big problem. Getting the larvae out of your plants is much more challenging than picking off eggs, so hop to it!<br />
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In all seriousness, if you see this bug, catch and kill if you can. And look for the eggs asap and for days after. They're there!<br />
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Happy Gardening!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-70985440970997938452012-06-04T12:17:00.003-07:002012-06-04T12:17:43.683-07:00Tomatoes: My Achilles Heel?While this is my second official year of gardening, it's about the ninth summer I have tried to grow tomatoes. Every body grows tomatoes. How hard can it be? It's a nightshade WEED for heaven's sake. Ahem.<br />
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Apparently, there are a host of diseases and bugs out to get tomatoes and I'm pretty sure I've encountered most of them. The good news is every year I learn a little more, and clearly, I'm not willing to give up.<br />
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So a little of what I've learned regarding tomatoes:<br />
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Indeterminate vs. Determinate: The former keeps growing and growing. (esp. if you are growing them in the right soil). I had one that reached almost nine feet last year! The latter is great for growing in pots and containers, but only have one set of fruit. I didn't learn that little tidbit until about two weeks ago. If you have the space, go for the indeterminate.<br />
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Hornworms: Pixar made them look so cute. That little fat guy that ended up with wings in the end.<br />
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Caterpillar my rear. They are evil and will strip your tomato plant over night. The first year my mom helped me with a garden I had NO IDEA these bugs were even a "thing". Just walked out one day to fat worms and a naked plant. I was so mad. Once I cut them off the stems of my plant, I flushed them all down the toilet. If you see one of these, (they emerge at dusk and have ginormous poop. Weird, I know.) get rid of it! And then look for more. **My gardening mentor uses a spray bottle with a little dawn mixed with water to kill hornworms. I also use a product called BT from the gardening center. When I see one and can't find anymore, I spray the plants with it.***<br />
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Weather: Turns out tomato plants are picky plants when it comes to weather. Too hot? Won't bloom. Too wet? Leaves curl. Too dry, too cold, too whatever. They like morning temps on the cooler side and a mist will help set blooms. I can't control the weather so I just have to do the best I can.<br />
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Nematodes: Just learning about these. There are good ones and bad ones. Sounds like cholesterol. And all I know is that hybrid tomatoes are less affected by the bad nematodes. However, you can't save seeds from hybrid tomatoes as they don't produce new plants. See? I'm a wealth of info!!<br />
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So, I know a lot of stuff now. And still I sit with plants that have curled leaves, blossom end rot (apparently Romas are more susceptible to this) and a few beautiful tomatoes that still haven't ripened. Meanwhile some of my closest friends are eating their first harvests.<br />
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But you know what? I'm not bitter and I'm no quitter. I'll keep it up. Gardening is so much more about the process for me than the end result I've realized. And maybe something here will help you. I'm okay with that result too.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-90345511444453885732012-05-16T14:10:00.000-07:002012-05-16T14:10:31.224-07:00Long Division and the Boogey ManI am generally a good teacher as long as I enjoy the subject matter. Give me something like say, math, that I understand and can do, but doesn't come all that easily to me, and I'm a fish out of water. I don't like it. Therefore, my students don't like it. (Aren't we all glad I taught English now?)<br />
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Up to this point we've been using a math program called Math U See. I like it for the following reasons: it's cost efficient and a video guy teaches the lessons so I can just answer questions. And if your kid is a more visual/kinesthetic learner, it's great. If your child is like me...it can be hard to follow. (In my opinion.)<br />
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Today when we went over long division Math U See style for the 3rd time and Reia ended up in tears, I knew we had a problem. I did what any normal homeschooling mom who wanted to make something stick in her kid's brain would do. I googled "how to teach long division". After all, I KNOW how to do long division, but explaining that to someone in a systematic way is different.<br />
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After I studied a new "method", which was DUH, so easy I felt like an idiot, we set to work. After lots of hugs and support from me, within minutes the light bulb went on. And the long division boogey man was gone. And trust me, he was terrifying all of us.<br />
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What is the point of this post? I don't know how parents home schooled before google. =) Ok, that's only part of it. The larger part is that there is more than one way to skin a cat (google "figurative language" on that). Our children are all different! Don't be so stuck on one way to do things that you are miserable, or worse, they are, for an entire year.<br />
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(And to Maureen who I'm sure is smiling if she reads this, I'm not loyal. Just frugal.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-87739962184554200482012-05-09T15:53:00.001-07:002012-05-09T15:53:40.214-07:00Pardon me....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm trying to figure out the easiest way to upload pics to my blog. And as a side note: this was the garden on May 3rd right after Terry built the newest three beds and before they were full of fabulous dirt and seeds!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-52478606232885551032012-05-09T15:29:00.001-07:002012-05-09T15:29:21.273-07:00Children's Raised Bed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sorry. I don't look terribly lovely while building a garden bed. It's hard work, the soil mix stinks like crazy, but hopefully in a few weeks the kids will see their individual squares (not shown here) start having little seedlings popping their heads up out of the dirt.<br />
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After we prepared this bed, I took twine and sectioned off the bed into eight parts. Each child in our family, the Russell family and the neighbors that live on the other side got to choose and square and plant whatever they wanted.<br />
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They had a great time today planting beans, cantaloupe, watermelon, zucchini, squash, corn and peppers. I'd post pics, but Picasa has taken out the Blogger button and replaced it with Google+ button. Thanks. (Not really)<br />
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We also printed off <a href="http://www.gardensandcrafts.com/gardenjournals_sets.html" target="_blank">garden journals</a> today. We will be listing what each child has planted, the date, and weekly reports as to what is happening with each squared off portion. I think it will be fun for the kids and hopefully get them engaged in where their food comes from and how it's produced.<br />
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Will keep you posted!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-58961221825065407162012-05-03T01:00:00.000-07:002012-05-03T01:00:05.529-07:00Book Review: "The Quarter Acre Farm"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My basis for a good book on gardening is the following: I learn something I didn't know before reading the book while being entertained at the same time. This book fit the bill.<br />
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The author takes a look back at her first year or so of gardening on her quarter acre lot in town. And as the whole title reads, she "Kept the Patio, Lost the Lawn, and Fed My Family for a Year". <br />
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A wonderful friend sent me this read knowing that I was an amature adventure gardener with aspirations to feed my own family from my own garden and plants as much as possible. While my first year was a total flop (and I'm glad I didn't go into the adventure claiming I would only eat food from my yard because I would have starved), it was fun to read how she managed.<br />
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She also includes a bunch of recipes that I will be trying with homegrown or store bought produce. Except, there is no way in hades I will ever put a snail in my mouth. (Chapter 16) Just sayin'. Also, I doubt I will every own any water foul or chickens. None the less, she does make it seem much less intimidating.<br />
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I loved the basic gardening info peppered in her story. I learned that I can plant fava beans as a winter crop to replenish the soil with nitrogen. I learned that the dragonflies I see all over my garden area are GOOD for my garden. Also, hybrid tomatoes are resistant to nematodes (which I also learned about) while heirloom tomatoes are not, making them harder to grow. See? A plethora of fun information I tell you!<br />
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Anyway, easy fun read. Good garden info. I liked her style. Recommend.<br />
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However, if you couldn't care less about urban gardening, how your food is produced, or geese, you might NOT want to read this one.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-61228203537695728172012-05-02T05:45:00.003-07:002012-05-02T05:45:19.834-07:00A New SeasonWhen I started this blog in 2005, we had preschooler and baby in the house, and oddly, more time on my hands than I do now. Since then we've moved several times, landing in Edmond, Oklahoma; we've started homeschooling our now fourth and first graders; and I've started gardening to the point where I'm beginning to feel like an urban farmer of sorts.<br />
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I have decided to re-vamp this blog a bit to include what are now the NEW Little Bits of Life for the Storches. I'm learning a ton about God, gardening and getting my kids an education that goes beyond the classroom. And, I plan to share it here. Maybe, just maybe I'll remember to label posts so I can find stuff later??? =)<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-25329359547055080662011-12-30T15:31:00.000-08:002011-12-30T15:36:40.918-08:00Daniel Fast Plan: 2012This is probably the first year since we started doing the Daniel Fast that I am actually excited about it. (Just being real y'all.) For the past two years the biggest issue, other than my attitude, was meal planning. I don't want to have to over think the menu. It's not about food; it's about spending a purposeful amount of time talking to and listening to our heavenly Father. Sometimes food gets in the way, including during a time of fasting. Seems odd, I know, but true none the less.<br />
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I thought I would post our meal plan for the next three weeks. You might find some of this helpful or you may just think, "Sounds good to me!" and copy the whole thing. I'm all about sharing. I hope your fasting time (regardless of what you are fasting from) is a time of listening and reflection. I hope when God speaks, you deeply enjoy His presence, and He gives you a vision for 2012.<br />
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1-1: <a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/3144">Lentil and Quinoa salad with cashews</a><br />
1-2: cous cous and roasted veggies of your choice<br />
1-3: <a href="http://www.caringcarrot.com/super-easy-potato-corn-chowder/">potato corn chowder (caringcarrot.com) </a><br />
1-4: <a href="http://peppertree.wordpress.com/2008/03/19/southwestern-vegetable-bake/">Southwestern veggie bake</a> (leave out the cheese)<br />
1-5: <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/marinara-sauce-recipe/index.html">Marinara</a> and whole wheat pasta w salad<br />
1-6: ------we'll be out of pocket, eat on the run!<br />
1-7: ------ditto the 6th<br />
1-8: Lifegroup<br />
1-9: cous cous and roasted veggies of your choice<br />
1-10: red beans and brown rice (sausage for kids)***<br />
1-11: leftover marinara, pasta, salad<br />
1-12: taco soup**<br />
1-13: Thank the Lord! Friends have invited us over<br />
1-14: leftover Taco Soup (after church, easy)<br />
1-15: Lentil Tacos (I'll post this recipe later)*<br />
1-16: quick slow cooker veggie soup (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Fast-Strengthen-Spirit-Renew/dp/1414334133/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325287355&sr=8-1">The Daniel Fast by Susan Gregory</a>)<br />
1-17: <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quinoa-and-Black-Beans/Detail.aspx">quinoa and black beans w corn tortillas and avocados</a><br />
1-18: Spinach zucchini casserole (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Daniel-Fast/dp/031033117X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325287772&sr=1-1">The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast)</a><br />
1-19: Marinara w whole wheat pasta and salad<br />
1-20: Spicy red bean burgers, sweet potato fries (served on corn tortillas) (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Fast-Strengthen-Spirit-Renew/dp/1414334133/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325287355&sr=8-1">The Daniel Fast by Susan Gregory)</a><br />
1-21: EMFH (we will have plenty of leftovers)<br />
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*** I buy boxed red beans and rice for this. You can make your own. But again, I want to feel it in my stomach, not the amount of time I have to spend in the kitchen, so the easier the better. Kids are eating meat after day 7, so I will have sausage on the side for them.<br />
**can of green beans, red kidney beans, black beans, corn, petite diced tomatoes, packet of taco seasoning but I do use a homemade taco seasoning during the fast. I also double this recipe. Serve w sliced avocados and baked tortilla chips.<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">* <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;">Put a little oil in a pan and sauté 2 cups of dry lentils w a pack of taco seasoning for about 2 minutes. Then pour in 5 cups of broth. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, maybe a little longer. We serve it w corn tortillas, tomato, lettuce and sliced avocados (this recipe from my awesome friend Deleise!)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Questions?? Just ask!</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-87808679930875746302011-12-15T15:29:00.000-08:002011-12-15T15:29:21.691-08:00MotherhoodToday was a day. And it's still not over. It started at 4am when Reese came to my room with Reia following close behind to let me know she had thrown up. She missed the bed though and got it on the floor. (She was quite happy about that.) Over the next few hours, two more episodes and one where she didn't come get me. Bless her heart, she tried to clean it up herself.<br />
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By the end of the day, we had gone back and forth from vomiting to diarrhea (one time all over the couch), fever up and fever down, naps and a few minutes outside for some fresh air. Yes, I believe in LOTS of fresh air when your house smells like a poop/puke/Lysol combination.<br />
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The washing machine has been running all day. I'm almost out of bleach. I had to console Reia after she realized one of her hermit crabs had died. I'm praying I haven't ruined the couch cushion covers since I just threw them in the cold/hand wash cycle of the machine. And now I've got to figure out dinner.<br />
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You would think that I have really hated this day. You would be wrong.<br />
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About half way through this day it occurred to me, I was doing something I was created to do. We all have gifts and talents. Mine just aren't very glamorous, but they are very important to at least three people on this earth. And I loved every minute of serving them today. Puke, poop, prayer, cuddles, wash, Lysol, and all.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-9051568271942586982011-11-09T17:38:00.000-08:002011-11-09T17:38:41.939-08:00Joshua 1:9...And Then SomeThe thing I love most about God's word is that no matter how many times you read it, there's always something new to learn, to expand on or just plain something new to read. I've read stories in the girls storybook Bible lately and thought, "Really? That story is in there? Never heard it." It's a bizarre feeling for some one who has been reading the Bible (at least on and off) for nearly 35 years.<br />
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This past August when I was considering homeschooling the girls after Terry gave me the go ahead, I decided to pray and fast over the issue for a few days. I was thrilled that homeschooling was now an option, and I didn't intend to take it lightly.<br />
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On the third day during my quiet time, this was the verse I read in my devotional:<br />
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<i>This is a command! Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you where ever you go. Joshua 1:9</i></div>
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Still, one of my favorites. And when I have a rough day, I remember it. Because He promised. I'm not in this alone.<br />
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So, yesterday during my morning time, my YouVersion reading plan brought me back into Joshua. Woohoo! I love Joshua 1:9! But before verse 9 is verse 8. (Go figure.)<br />
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<i>Study this book of instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in everything you do. Joshua 1:8</i></div>
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Well, THERE is some good information to have. BEFORE I get to be strong and courageous, without fear or discouragement, I might need to spend some time in God's word. Meditate day and night and obey.<br />
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I do want to be successful and prosper. Especially with homeschool because my kids are depending on it. And while I've been pretty good about starting my day with God, I'm still not great. I think God wanted me to see that verse 9 is in no way a stand alone. Neither is any other verse in the Bible. It's all so beautifully interconnected. It's the flowing, breathing and living Word of God.<br />
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Of course the kicker is, now that I "see" a little more. I'm held more accountable. I can tell you what I'll be placing a high priority on tomorrow morning. Because God does what He promises. =)<br />
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**On a side note, if you know something more about this passage than has been revealed to me, let's stick with" ignorance is bliss" until I get the hang of this.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-85635495725123762222011-10-07T13:27:00.000-07:002011-10-07T13:27:43.921-07:00Shakeology UpdateAt the beginning of September I was going to rock my 40th birthday by using Shakeology for 30 days along with working out to Jilian's 30 day Shred.<br />
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Bwahahahahahaha!<br />
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We had just started homeschooling, so to say I was already overwhelmed was an understatement. To add one more thing to my "to-do" was a big mistake. What started as an every day plan turned into an every other day use of shakeology as a snack and/or one of four meals and not exercising. At. All. And then running a 5K on September 29th.<br />
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Here's is what I learned:<br />
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I honestly didn't think Shakeology was doing much for me until I stopped taking it for a week. All of a sudden I was sluggish and bloated. I couldn't figure out what had happened at first. Then it clicked. I started back up two days ago and now feel great! I still like my power naps, but Shakeology can't rob me of that joy. =)<br />
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In conclusion: it's worth it. If you think it's expensive, then use it for a week then back off to every other day. Your bag will last two months and that's basically what I do and still feel great.<br />
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Have questions about the product? I can't answer them. But my <a href="http://terrystorch.com/">husband </a>can, so connect with him!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-87341243580466994242011-10-01T07:29:00.000-07:002011-10-01T07:29:53.471-07:00He is the Potter; I am the Clay.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've been saving money. For almost a year now a little stash has been tucked away in the house some where so when Christmas comes, we can go and buy presents without having to take money out of savings or charging on a credit card or stressing the regular household account. I feel like that character in Lord of the Rings who fusses over that ring and calls it "my pretty". Except I look WAY better than him. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then God. Isn't that how a lot of things start on this blog? He likes to wreck me I think. Take off this coat of luster and color and get to what's beneath. Expose what is probably a ticking time bomb within; fix it; refine me in a fire of my own doing really. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back to the money. Yes, saving is a good thing. And unlike my usual self who has a list and half of Christmas purchased by September, I've not touched it. So as we were listening to our pastor, Craig Groeschel, on Friday (the last day of our annual Lifechurch staff get together called Family Reunion) and God asked me to give up the money, I was stunned. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My first response, out loud (so glad we were singing at this point) was "You have got to be kidding me." My second? "Ok, I'm going to see if I can forget about this and if I still feel you when we leave, then I'll think about it." But I couldn't shake it. Not even for one minute. So I cried. Cried because I knew I would do what He asked and cried because it shouldn't be this hard to give to God something that is His anyway. But it is for me. Let's call a spade a spade. I'm not terribly generous. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I now have to sit down with my kids and explain to them what this obedience means and how it will look Christmas morning. I will confirm for my seven year old what she already suspects about Santa. I will tell them that God also told me it would be the best Christmas our family has ever had; and I trust Him. Even if it doesn't look like I think it should. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yep, the Holy Spirit is a wrecking ball some days. But what He builds in its place..... </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>When you take the risk of obedience, you find solid rock beneath you--and markers, evidence that someone has traveled this route before. "The Lord your God will cross over at your head... he will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not be discouraged or afraid" (Deuteronomy 30:19, 20; 31:3, 8, NEB).--Elisabeth Elliot</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**And for the record, some of you may be thinking, good heavens woman, get a hold of yourself, there are people DYING of starvation right now. And you are right. Just so you know, I know. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-47256654153929196802011-09-17T12:26:00.000-07:002011-09-17T12:26:51.090-07:00Our New AdventureQuite a bit has changed in the Storch house over the past 7 weeks. The big stirring up has been the addition of Homeschool to our daily routine. And while there have been many challenges and bumps in the road, we are really enjoying this time as a family.<br />
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Why Homeschool for Us?<br />
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The pursuit of homeschooling for us was never because of the poor schools in our area. I had been very pleased so far with the education that both girls have received at the elementary school they attended. This was all about time and flexibility for us. At the end of last year I noticed how much time the girls spent away from me and Terry. Reia was participating in gymnastics twice a week right after school, Reese was going for one. That in conjunction with church activities and Terry's riding schedule left two nights a week we were home as a family. This was not my favorite scenario. I missed the girls and frankly, with that little time, I wasn't doing a great job of pouring into them like I wanted to.<br />
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I do know quite a few moms, like <a href="http://www.kimheinecke.com/">this one,</a> who is extremely intentional with her kids who attend public school. And if I could have managed it like she does, they'd probably still be there!<br />
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Challenges?<br />
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Yep, we have those. Starting with the girls lolly gagging every morning and not really wanting to get started. What should take about two hours of focused time almost always takes four (with lunch and breaks). The girls do miss their friends, but they don't mope around about it which is good. The biggest challenge for me is getting all of my normal housekeeping done along side teaching them. God is teaching me the art of delegation in this area. They have to help now. Before it was all done when they got home. Now they are actually earning the allowance they receive. =) Which is good for all of us.<br />
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Blessings?<br />
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Yep! We have those too. First is the co-op we are blessed to be a part of each Thursday. It's probably the reason my kids AREN'T moping around about their friends. Reia is taking drama, PE and Zoology while Reese gets to take a cooking class, PE and Magic School Bus science. It's a good part of the day that they are exposed to other adults, other kids and other topics we may not get to cover during our school week.<br />
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Another blessing is the amount of time we have between school and after school activities. I don't miss rushing from John Ross Elem to (insert place here) every afternoon while shoving a snack down their throat and getting them changed. We just have more time and I can use it in a way that is best for us.<br />
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The last and biggest blessing (for me anyway) is my relationship with Reia. Wow, I love that kid. I did before of course, but we've both become much more demonstrative in the past month. Hugs, kisses, working together on projects. I get to talk to her from sun up to sun down about what God is doing in our family and how I pray for them and others.<br />
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So, that's it. The big change. So far, I'm loving it! I know it takes a good while to really get into a groove, so I'm looking forward to that, but if this is how it is for the rest of our school days, I can handle that too..<br />
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Happy Fall Y'all!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11801079.post-40470028784020176902011-08-26T10:35:00.000-07:002011-08-26T10:35:10.247-07:00A Simple Healthy Lifestyle: Perspective of Meat Eating Meal PlannerThis week <a href="http://www.terrystorch.com/">my wonderful husband</a> has been posting about the steps he took to a simple healthy lifestyle. In the past three years, he has dropped 60 pounds, become a competitive cyclist, and a vegetarian. I have done none of those things. =) And at first, I wasn't terribly excited about his new endeavor. After all, I was the meal planner and one who would have to figure out how to feed my new faux-vegetarian as well as the meat eating rest of us. I thought I'd share what this transition has looked like for me and the kids.<br />
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First of all, I'm not a vegetarian. While 99% of our meals are meat free, I often choose meat at restaurants and am happy to eat meat when we are visiting friends and family. Secondly, this was a very gradual change for us. I do have two uber-picky kids.<br />
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In the beginning (Yeah, tempted to throw in a little Genesis here, but you can go to <a href="http://youversion.com/">YouVersion.com</a> for that) I started by making two meat free meals per week. And even then, I usually made a grilled chicken breast for the kids on the side. I also found meals where the meat was easy to add in or remove. Tacos are a great example of this. We would have ground beef as usual, but also a boat load of sauteed veggies on the side so Terry could just have a veggie taco.<br />
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Step two: having three to four meatless meals a week. Still had the option of a grilled chicken breast on the side. Over time, the need for this has lessened as the girls become more accustomed to the flavors in vegetarian dishes. There are several that they even look forward to!<br />
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This is when being a fish eater, which I am not, would be sooo handy. If you are, eat a lot of fish!<br />
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Now, the only time I plan a meal that includes meat is when Terry is out of town (poppy seed chicken is still a favorite for the kids) or we are hosting people for dinner. But the vegetarian option is always there.<br />
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I am happy to answer any questions you have. Also, if you aren't on PlanToEat.com, check it out. I follow several vegetarians for meal ideas and I'm happy to share my recipes with you!<br />
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*I will try and post again soon about the health benefits to me for following my husband's lead.**<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1