Thinking Eric was in on the computer at midnight last night, I called to him,

“ERIC!!”
Unexpectedly, he answered from my bedroom.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Reading my Bible.”

Wow. I was not expecting that. What a joy to hear!!

I am now hearing him read Exodus 45 to Isaac and Caleb. He called them into our room, they grabbed some pretzels and ranch dressing, and they are having “boy time”.

Just what a Momma wants to hear! Boy, that does my heart good.

May you be blessed today!

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Outside my window… slanted, blowing snow.
I am thinking… that I am sitting too much to get enough done.
I am thankful for… sitting holding Samuel. See the pattern here?
From the Learning Rooms …
*Littles: Music Ace Starter. and Old Yeller. There has to be a lesson in there somewhere!
*Middles: Music Ace Starter. Reading, and cooking. Rachel is a reviewer for Tropical Traditions and other home school books, so that is something she does weekly.
*Older: Amanda is on Livemocha.com, learning Espanol. I need to get everyone else on this!
From the kitchen… cold homemade pizza: hamburger, provolone cheese, olives and pineapple. -with pepperoncinis!
I am wearing… the black skirt Amanda bought me for my birthday and a blue maternity top. Funny, that is what I was wearing last week too…
I am creating… piles of things I need to pack away and piles of what I need to keep out.
I am going… crazy trying to figure out exactly which Creative Memories we need to keep out for home schooling and family fun time.
I am currently reading… still reading“King of the Jews” by D. Thomas Lancaster, sent to me by our lovely friends, the Humphreys at Consider His Ways. I will likely be reading it for awhile. I have been able to share it out loud with the family.
I am hoping… we have a buyer real soon.
I am hearing…. Old Yeller again after Caleb found it in the giveaway box… I need to find that on DVD. I wonder if it is on YouTube?
On my mind…. getting to where we are going as soon as possible.
Noticing that… It is almost February 2010.
Around the house… deciding what to do to have a more public moving sale.
One of my favorite things……nighttime, getting our children ready for bed. I can hold them and nurse the babes, and love on them without them going after other things.

A picture to share:..

LucyLillie {2} Drying Dishes

Shalom~

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Outside my window… still cold and snow.
I am thinking… that I am going to hurry through this so I can get off and clean.
I am thankful for… everything. My children, my husband, my home, my life, my ELOHIM-Yahveh.
From the Learning Rooms …
*Littles: sharing. I need to get out some Scripture verses. I will be using the For Instruction in Righteousness as a basis.
*Middles: multiplication and reading.
*Older: menu-planning, Bible studies.
From the kitchen… leftovers. Amanda is making a menu plan, checking all the leftovers and uncooked food to see what we need.
I am wearing… the black skirt Amanda bought me for my birthday and a blue maternity top. Yes, they are much more comfy than others!
I am creating… hopefully an empty room in here as soon as I get this finished!
I am going… nowhere. I hate to go places. I am much happier staying in my home, on my property.
I am currently reading… still reading“King of the Jews” by D. Thomas Lancaster, sent to me by our lovely friends, the Humphreys at Consider His Ways. I will likely be reading it for awhile. I have been able to share it out loud with the family.
I am hoping… just hoping.
I am hearing…. Isaac shake a box of toys as he holds them on the top of his head… and the toilet flushing. LOL
On my mind…. all I have to do before Friday. Rest on Shabbat. No packing and working.
Noticing that… my children are older every day. It is a huge blessing, but oh so sad that it goes so quickly.
Around the house… Samuel is getting more alert. Matt is home and helping. We are all working together.
One of my favorite things……my children’s smiles.

A picture to share:..

My friend, Jamie, whom we met last summer took this of my Parlour. I know it is dark (and I should have had Jocelyn lighten it!), but I love this view. If you want to, you can see more photos of our home (which is currently for sale) here: For Sale: Large Country Home and Hobby Farm

Have a wonderful and blessed week!!

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Here is the previous post:

Monday, February 18, 2008 – Things to do Inside “When the Weather Outside is Frightful”

Home schooling is not the same as a winter break or a public school vacation time, but sometimes we need some creative ideas of what to do when we have to keep our sweet little darlings inside! I would much rather bundle them up and send them outside, rain or shine – and we do that then – but the bone-chilling winter weather we are having is not ok for them to be out in. Besides, it takes as long to get ready as the time you can spend out in the weather, so it is hardly worth it!

While our five oldest do go outside twice a day to take care of our goats, chickens and dogs, playing soldiers and running races is quite out of the question!  Yes, some of these may be lame… but you know what they say about desperate times!

Read a novel out loud with your children. Let them read; you read; act it out.

Bake cookies. Warm up the house and your tummy as well with a great time of baking!

Snuggle up on the couch under a giant blanket and watch a favorite movie together.

Take some silly pictures! Print them off, get out some scrapbooking supplies and let them have at it! Who knows what silly memories you will come up with!

Organize your pantry.

Get out the Legos and have a building contest.

Pull all the bedding off the beds and wash them. Talk with your children how nice it is to have clean sheets and teach them how to make the bed.

Go through a closet. See if there are any toys to give away or throw away. Any clothes that can be donated?

Get out a board game.

Play charades.

Hand out paper and pencils and sketch something. You can all sketch the same thing or each choose your own.

Dust. Give everyone a damp cloth and let them have at it! The older children can reach up high, while the Littles will get everything they can get their hands on.

Clay or play-do.

Write a short story. Read them out loud to each other.

Write parts of a short story. Have the next child add on to the story just read.

Sing together.

Clean out the refrigerator.

Play the quiet game. This usually turns into the giggle game, but try it if you like!

Just sit and watch your children sing or play.

Play hangman.

Play I Spy.

Play the alphabet game.

Look up Scripture.

Read Scripture and have everyone guess where it is found.

Sing Father Abraham with the motions.

Get the spices out of your cupboard, clean them off and talk about the spice of life or how We can be a sweet smelling savour or a foul smell in the nostrils of God. Teach them which spices are which, let them smell them, and tell them what they are used in.

Use safe colors and paint faces.

Make some homemade soap.

Write a book of devotionals.

Scrapbook

Make notecards.

Clean up and organize boots and winterwear for when it is nice enough to go outside.

Make popcorn balls.

Churn your own butter.

Do some needlepoint.

Give your children quilt squares and a needle and thread. Even young children can do this with supervision.

Wash the baby toys.

Match socks.

Fold clothes.

Organize your thread or yarn by colors.

If you have any candles, get them out and let them smell them.

Type up blogposts.

Discuss politics.

Watch a debate.

Talk about your favorite Bible characters.

Read the Old Testament

Memorize the Ten Commandments

Have an oral impromptu spelling contest.

See who can fold towels the fastest. Or diapers. Or match the most pairs of socks.

Rearrange the furniture.

Wash the windows.

Make up your own Psalms and Hymns

Memorize math facts.

Talk about their future and what God is doing in their lives.

Make a tent with chairs/tables and blankets

Use blocks and set up a ‘dominoes’ trail.

Take a nap.

Alphabetize movies or books.

Learn the piano keys.

Read the encyclopedia or dictionary.

Play hide ‘n seek.

Clean out behind the washer and dryer.

Vacuum the refrigerator vent.

Learn the Books of the Bible in order

Study the genealogy of Jesus

Make up Unit Studies with your children. Let them pick a topic and resources – books and videos – and make up ideas of things they would like to do for it.

Boil water or turn the humidifier on high and watch windows crystallize and frost.

Draw things on Paint on the computer.

Plan a gourmet meal

Exercise.

Count things. Everything.

Name things that are a particular color.

Legos work well for both of the last two things to do.

Turn on some lamps, get out some lawn chairs or beach towels in the living room, put on the sunglasses, lotion and pretend you are in a warmer climate.

Let your children give you a shoulder rub. Or rub your feet. They love it… and so will you!

Pick an animal character and follow each other around the house, acting like that animal.

Finger paint.

Tie-dye some old t-shirts.

Cut up old sheets into hankies. Let them draw pictures on them with finger paints or markers. Use them as hankies or cowboy kerchiefs…

Make cloth placemats for your table.

Make paper place mats.

Have a tea party.

Make up name plates for each person for dinner.

Give hugs and kisses.

Watch a video and learn a Classical Ball Dance

Learn something in a foreign language.

Dream about the future.

Look at everyone’s baby Albums or vacation albums and remember the fun you had.

Write a letter to Grandparents.

Get all dressed up and eat a meal formally.

Dance!

I am sure I could come up with several more things to do now, a year later… What do you do inside when you can’t go outside?

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Previous comments are transferred below.

A few years ago, in making my own lessons plans and schedules and high school class plans, I found it. And what a treasure it is. It is very full of wonderful information and ideas. One thing it had in it was a Course of Study Checklist for each year.

I have worked on these Course of Study Checklists off and on since 2006. Boy do I wish it wasn’t that way, but it just has to be! I have modified our lists to meet our needs and resources and educational direction. I have the main courses and things to be learned down for each age/grade, but as we learn more and find great resources, they get added or exchanged.

Here is an example of a course of study for age 8, which is about Grade 3.

Child’s Name____________________________________

____ read aloud from Bible daily, 1 chapter

____ write letters in cursive
____ learn addition facts
____ learn subtraction facts
____ learn multiplication facts
____ make sure they know the clock, days, months
____ basic measuring skills

____ read simple sounds
____ learn spelling rules

____ identify states and countries on a world map
____ learn states and capitals

____ be read to daily
____ listen to Simply Grammar lessons weekly
____ A Beka Cursive Writing with Phonics 1 1 lesson daily
____ A Beka Spelling and Poetry 1
____ A Beka Letters and Sounds 2 1 lesson daily

____ Mystery of History -whatever Vol. we are studying for History

____ Creation Science study: ______________________
____ nature notebook to draw in; 1 hour outside, 2x weekly
—–use the Handbook of Nature Study lessons

____ Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? by Richard Maybury

____ piano 1
____ TypingTutor CD-rom
____ CopyWork – George Washington’s Rules of Civility
____ Foreign Language: _________________

Memorize:
____ 1 Corinthians 13
____ Deuteronomy 6
____ Psalm 1

Reading List (make it from books you own and from books you can get from the library. No twaddle. That’s just a waste of time and teaches foolishness.):
____ The Inheritance by Christoph von Schmid – Lamplighter
____ Helen’s Temper by Mrs. George Gladstone – Lamplighter
____ Little House Set

These are, of course, in addition to what is selected by the child to read of interest.

What you want to do to make your own is to pick out the subjects that you have for your child at this age and make it a list of resources or tasks they need to complete.

Include resources you already plan to use or have used with older children and know how they work. That is one thing I am doing: including many of the resources we already own. Resources seem like a great expense, but, if they are really the right choice for your family and the direction you are training your child in, it behooves you to not buy it and use it. If you have several children, that makes it all the better, because you get more bang for your buck!

Reading books are a different story. Unless you have specific books you want them to read or to read to them that your local library does not carry, you can put any book on your list. I made a list a few years back from the IN DOE Reading List, leaving off twaddle and other books with an agenda, and I now have a list I can add from to any checklist. I have not had any problems with reading books. My children, at all ages, are happy to get a book from the library at their own leisure and often read what their sibling has read and suggested.

Ambleside Online has a great resource page, listing many suggested reading books and resources by age/year in school.

Presently, in Indiana, we only have to keep a record of attendance to be in accordance with home school laws. However, having a yearly Checklist of what your child has accomplished is a good record to have. It also automatically sets you up with a yearly guide for each subsequent child and what to shoot for with that child. I do not think a Scope and Sequence such as this is a necessary thing to properly educate, but once we learn what they are capable of at what age and we know our child, we can use it as a guide for their good, and it also keeps us on track in what we are teaching them without a slew of planning each year!

blessings!

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