I have gotten into the habit of checking email, posting on my FaceBook Wall and updating the DFM FaceBook page. I need to get back into the habit of updating here and DFM instead. However, we are currently using a 3G Broadband USB for internet. It is what you have to use here for high-speed. We brought our router, but it is not for 3G, so we had to buy another router. Yeah, and we haven’t been able to get it set up yet – and we can take it back for credit, but not for our colones back. SO, all that said to make the point that Jocelyn, Rachel, Hannah and I, who blog and run businesses online, as well as Matt, who gets online to research and read… are doing it on the one connection.

As I went to update my FaceBook Wall today, I thought, why am I not just writing about this here on my blog? [that's easy: it's just so easy to post on FB, and I have instantaneous replies from friends!] A friend posted what she did today for school, and I thought, hmmm…. what have we done for school? Barn chores and cooking/baking as life’s lessons have changed dramatically since we arrived here. We have no barn and no oven presently. Kinda’ hard to do that as Living Learning Moments, huh? Time for a new Home School Schedule 2010…

So I pondered what we did today for learning. I updated our Passports and have been trying to take it easy with a sore back. Of course, all day, I am nursing, holding, playing with/caring for Samuel. Matt and Eric went into Tilaran to get groceries, and I know that Eric always learns when he goes, because he has to think converting colones to dollars to find out how much it is, not to mention that everything is en Espanol, so he learns as he reads it and hears it. He always has a story to tell me.

Isaac and Caleb are learning how to read by sounding out letters ALL DAY. Isaac has gotten into the habit of answering me, “Si’, M-O-M.” Or my personal favourite, “Gracias Senorita M-o-m!” They count all day, en Espanol. Lucy even counts in Espanol. Grammar in our home is a given. I have workbooks, but haven’t delved into them quite yet, becuse at any moment we can have a discussion about their grammar or even Espanol.

Presently, we are planning our visa renewal trip to Nicaragua, which made me think we need to get back to our clases de Espanol, and then Eric asked me the same thing yesterday. So, confirmation, and will do. The Master Bedroom is actually outside, though still attached to the house, and we have most of  play things and school books out there. I really wanted to give Jocelyn and Eric their own rooms, but this is how it worked out.I really had hoped to give all the girls the master bedroom when we moved, so they had plenty of room, but I’m not ready to have all the girls out there with an outside entrance when there is not one to the house. Weird. But, it will be nice for guests! ; )

So, a good reason to keep up on our Espanol is because we will be going to Nicaraugua before the end of the month. We get to go with a friend who has to renew his visa also and who has already been there, so that’s really nice.  I can’t believe it has been 90 days. In a way, it’s as if  “it has already been 90 days?” and then, in a way, too, it’s like, “It’s only been 90 days??” Life is just life here, but it is so different not being life. If that makes sense…

All righty, well, I need to go. There is a gecko everyone is all excited about that is chasing a bug around. I’d better go see… Living Learning Moments are alive and well in the Dixon household!

[I do miss having a camera though... hopefully we can get another soon!]

Shalom friends!

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“My promise to my children:
I will:
*stalk you,
*freak out on you,
*lecture you,
*drive you crazy,
*be your worst nightmare,
*embarrass you in front of your friends,
*hunt you down like a bloodhound
until the day you understand why I do it.
Then I”ll know you are a responsible adult. All because I love you. You will never find someone who loves you & cares about you more than your Mother.
I AM your biggest fan!”
(from Jocelyn) THANKS MOMMA!

You are welcome, Jocelyn. -and you are also welcome, Amanda, Rachel, Eric, Hannah, Isaac, Caleb, LucyLillie, and Samuel!!
I love you more than you will know!

Keep ‘em close Mommas! Time passes before your eyes, and so much will try to take you away from your role as Momma. Don’t let it. Don’t be deceived by the world and the worldly ways of Believers today. Follow in the paths of YHVH and teach these ways to your children.

Jeremiah 6
16 Here is what ADONAI says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask about the ancient paths, ‘Which one is the good way?’ Take it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not take it.’

May you have peace in your home and may you seek his ancient ways~

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It made me think of how there are just some little things I love about each of my children that are special to them.  So, here is my list:

Amanda~ I love the way she cares for her brothers and sisters. She is always there to help and offer her lap or her shoulder.

Jocelyn~I love the way she notices me when I am happy or sad and asks how I am doing.

Rachel~I love the way she searches out new recipes and hones the ones she makes to share with all of us. It is a delight to her, and I love how it brightens her face to prepare meals and even clean up afterward.

Eric~I love the way he is so thoughtful of me as his Momma. He always tells me good-bye and kisses my cheek before he leaves the house, no matter what.

Hannah~I love the way she follows in her sisters footsteps. She is a little bit of each of her older sisters, and that warms my heart.

Isaac~I love the way he gets up in the morning before everyone else to share some time with me and Samuel. I love how he sits and talks and sings to Samuel to keep him smiling. I also love the way he, like Jocelyn, Rachel and Hannah, will pick up paper and pencil and draw just about anything, anytime.

Caleb~I love the way he smiles. I also love the way he calls me “Mother”.

LucyLillie~I love the way she runs to me and melts into my arms every morning when she wakes up

Samuel~I love the way he is. I love it that he is. He is such a ray of sunshine: quiet, smiling, loved by everyone.

Alright, so maybe this post is about how they love their Momma, or their family, but either way, these are just a few of the things I love about my children. They are each wonderful, and I sure do love them! Bless Yahveh for allowing me to mother them. I am truly thankful.

I would love to put an updated photo on here, but I don’t have one. I just told Amanda last night we need to set the timer on the camera and take one. I have also determined that I am no longer going to let the lack of photos or resizing them keep me from posting. So, here it is, with no photo. Maybe I can add one later! I did link each of their names to either their blog or a photo of them.

AND, I do appreciate my husband. I love the way he has always provided for us, even when it meant working two jobs or very long hours. Even when he told me how he did or didn’t like his job, he has never complained about having to have one(or two) to support his family.

Shalom, and be blessed today!

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We plan – or not.
We want the best for our children.
We buy curriculum – or not.
We have hopes in mind, even if we don’t write them out as goals.
We live day-to-day, teaching our children facts and figures, letting them learn life, perhaps showing them in a textbook.

But, what are our goals? How do we plan to get there? Do we really want them to become what we hope they become?

Chris Davis is a home school father whose home school philosophy changed my view of home schooling our children. It very much aligns itself with Robin Sampson’s methods and philosophy also.

What does Yahweh-God have for our children?
Who has HE created them to be?
Have we prayed about it?

We have the opportunity to see each of our children as individuals, with different loves, hates and learning styles. We can see who they are created to be, if we look closely enough and rely on the Spirit of Yah-God to show us. Do we have blind spots? Of course we do. Do we have expectations that overshadow what HE has for them? I would say certainly. But, we can know HIS plans for them, if we ask.

This is a key to allowing our children – facilitating Yah’s plans – to become just who HE has created them to be. They each have a purpose in this world. It is our job as Mom to seek that purpose and show them HIS path, teaching them HIS ways, so they may fulfill the greatest plans there are for them.

We teach the Scriptures here as many of my home school mom friends do. They are of utmost importance. I look at the fruit in our children: in their hearts; in their words; in their actions. I ask questions of them. I seek HIM in their lives.

What path are they on?
What are their strengths?
Where is it leading them?
What is their interest?
What has the Father put into them?

When we embrace what Yahweh has for our children and let down our expectations as well as the world’s – and others, we experience a freedom and a wholeness in teaching them that which we cannot know otherwise.
HE is their Creator, and HE has their purpose in mind. If we seek HIM and that purpose and plan, we will teach them just what they need to know for what HE has for them.

Is that your ultimate goal? It is mine.

be blessed as you train your children up in HIS ways!

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This article was inspired by my friend and fellow home school mom, Christin. You will find her blog at Journey of Discovery, where she brings up thoughts and questions about her own journey in Motherhood & Homeschooling.

Blogging to Learn History

One thing I am very excited about it our online history site, States and Countries Exploration. It was inspired by our own Miss Jocelyn’s creative genius a few years ago, when she was pretty much a new blogger, to get all of her friends together online to use blogging for an excellent and educational purpose. She created her own weblog to give out virtual history assignments each week and have her friends visit, post their assignments and learn their own state history in a fun new way.

We have moved her cute little blog to our own server now, and we are gearing up to use it for our own home school history assignments. Here are some things I plan to use this site for:

Online State History Assignments 2009 – JOIN US!

We will be posting four months of state history assignments to be tailored to whatever state one chooses. Assignments will be posted on individual blogs (or you could use it at home in a notebook or lapbook if you choose to join us in that manner!). Each week a new assignment will be posted for the student to research on their own and post on their blog. They can participate at the States History blog by leaving a link to their posted assignments.

For this part of our history study, I have signed up Rachel, 15, Eric, 12, and Hannah, 9. They will all be doing research on our state and writing up their posts on their personal blogs. We will be starting out learning about our own state history, and then move on to other history assignments. The great thing about having an open public website like this is that you and your children can also join us if you wish.

Because our Littles will also want to get in our IN state history study, I’m sure, but they are not yet ready to be on the computers – (ok, MOMMY is not yet ready to moderate more children who blog!) – I will be making up photo copies of worksheets and diagrams that they can learn what the others are learning.

Monthly Random History Assignments

Another use for our children on the States blog is that they will be posting their written work for monthly history assignments. Each month has its own historical celebrations, and I will post a list of monthly historical recognitions and celebrations on the States blog that our children will be able to write about. You are welcome to use them if you like.

Writing and grammar skills

HTML and Coding Any blog site maintenance and coding that they might learn while doing their blog posts.

You can read more about how we use blogging in our home school here: Blogging To Learn

Resources we will be using:

Online:

Wikipedia, which is written on by anyone who has an account, can have some bad info, but most of it is pretty spot-on.

Internet searches on historical fact sites.

We have used Diana Waring’s History material, as well as The Mystery of History. They are ok, but I really prefer using information of historical reference. We can do a search of almost anything on the internet and come up with a study, from inventors to scientists, to laws to wars in any given time period.

Maps, hung on the wall: World Map and US map. Probably also an IN map as we study the state. We all love maps. They can teach us so much and are so fun to study. We also have some US map puzzles and a giant world map puzzle we will be putting together this year!

Whole Books: books based on historical facts or at least stories surrounding true historical time periods.

Any landmark in the area. We have several historical landmarks near us. We have never been to the Fort in Fort Wayne, and perhaps that is something we can visit this year. There is a field with a historical marker not far from here that we have sit at in our vehicle, talking about the battles that likely took place there and what they looked like.

IN can boast Abraham Lincoln as one of its founding American citizens, because he lived here for a period of time. Our children love Abe Lincoln, so it will be fun to include him in our studies. We will be using books and movies that are about him. We have some books I grabbed from the library a few years ago for 50 cents that will come in handy.

The Johnny Appleseed Festival is something we went to a couple of years ago. It is a fun time for the family, and has reenactments from the time period and IN history.

Movies about the time periods. As I find them, I will add them to the States Exploration blog.

I hope you have a great year studying history. Our children love history, so I know this is going to be a great year for us!

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