PLAYING

He sits and plays and plays for days.

 

 

What a privilege to have the time.

 

He googles notes he doesn't read and turns them into melody.

 

It's beauty, a gift from the Lord, the way he plays. It moves the heart of home.

 

How worth his time...and mine I decide, and thus he spends his days...playing.

 

"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!"

Psalm 95:1



SUMMER READING

We're always reading and the library is one of our favorite outings...

 

 

...especially this one.

 

(The kids had buddied themselves up this particular morning with matching outfits for their buddy teams. :))

 

Each year when the library hosts summer reading programs, the kids get really excited!

Who's not motivated by some sort of reward??

 

We sign up promptly (giving the librarian grace as she juggles our crowd).

 

The kids sift through books, helping their little buddies.

 

 

This time I gave the older kids a challenge to pick as many non-fiction books as possible.

 

 

Brodie has been especially interested in the stories of the Titanic since recently watching a documentary

highlighting the "women and children first" chivalry of the men aboard that fateful voyage.

 

Elka loves the craft books and also found some historical books about

women's clothing over the centuries which were fascinating.

 

Brodie's main job at the library is to keep India happy.

 

 

(Good job, Daddy!)

 

And these guys tend to find books quickly,

then move onto some of the more amusing aspects of the library.

 

Checking out all on their own tends to be a highlight...

and Elka is always right there to cheer the younger ones on.

 

Guess who got his very own card...finally???

 

Boden was so cute checking out with his big sister, so subdued and serious.

 

However, when he got outside he quickly celebrated by running and throwing things...

so much more himself. :)

 

 

The kids love to wander around the courtyard, finding quiet corners to read...

 

hug...

 

climb trees.

 

This day, the girls had gotten a sign language book after having studied Helen Keller's story.

I'm always amazed at the spider web of learning that develops from one source of inspiration.

Even the little ones are spelling words in sign language now as a result of their interest in Helen's life.

 

 

We love our peaceful library and our quiet memories there.

 

  

With bookmarks safe in Jesus Act Stick jars, the kids are working heartily

to earn their Rubio's kids meals...woohoo!...thanks to summer reading.

 

 

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."

Colossians 3:23

PRESCHOOL

 

One of my favorite things about homeschooling (especially in a large family) is observing how much

children learn without interventions such as we've culturally believed we must have in order to learn.

 

Preschool is one such case.

 

 

The 2 year old counts to 15 without flashcards. The 3 year old knows colors, letters and sounds, though I'm quite sure I never sat down to teach him how. The 4 year old is writing and sounding out words, asking to be read to constantly, acquiring skills without step-by-step lesson plans to follow. It's a marvel, the mind of a child. What a wonder to see how children learn...

 

...naturally.

 

And, thank you, Lord, for older siblings, the ones who orchestrate elaborate crafts and songs, organize games and stations.

 

 

My heart fills full to watch them nurture and teach as they learn too through the giving.

 

 

This is preschool at it's finest if you ask me...and we never set foot in a classroom.

 

 

"God called the light Day."

Genesis 1:5



PEN PALS

Letter writing has always been one of our favorite ways to practice things like spelling, grammar,

handwriting, etc...and pen pals have begun to add to all of that...friendship. What a gift!

 

 

The kids have friends who live across miles and they love keeping in touch with letters. The more and more we move away from workbooks for language arts, the more I realize how much there is to learn through things as enjoyable as having a pen pal...if we're eager to point it all out and capitalize on the opportunities. There's so much to learn by simply doing life. 

 

The kids always write their own letters first from fluid thought, but then afterward we sit down to discuss things like sentence structure, spelling words on side lists that are incorrect, and appropriateness of content. It's both fun and educational (just my kind of writing lesson), so our pen pal writing is here to stay, a multifaceted blessing to our home education.

 

"And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with
the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts."
2 Corinthians 3:3


INADEQUATE

I'm so inadequate. It seems when it comes to homeschooling most people feel inadequate, or at least we should.

It's good to know we're dependent upon the Lord for strength. Come to think of it, I'd say an awareness of

inadequacy is the number one reason I hear as to why people choose not to homeschool. I get it.

It tempts me to turn back, the thought of failing my children.

But how could I? How could He? God will never let us down.

Inadequate.

The greats of the Bible were inadequate time and time again. Ah, the paradox of God's best stories...Gideon, David, Moses, Sarai, Mary...the list goes on and on and none of them were extraordinary but rather simply ordinary...and willing.

God uses commonness to display how exceptional He is. He's excellent in that and we marvel.

Inadequate.

It's true. I'm undeniably incapable of producing any good. I accept this, might as well, anyway. But God, He is able.

His plans are wise and purposeful and He has chosen me to train up my children for His glory. HE chose ME.

He chose to work through me. And here I am, run-of-the-mill open hands...willing.

In my weakness He is strong. In my failures He is faithful. In my inadequacy He is quite capable and He will accomplish His will in all of our lives, one way or another. I'm defaulting to Him. Confession: That's the best that I can do and praise God He loves me anyway. He will not forsake my children even if, truth be told, I'm plain and simple inadequate.

"But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise;

God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

God chose what is low and despised in the world,

even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,

so that no human being might boast in the presence of God."

1 Corinthians 1:27-29

 (From the CD, The Story, this is Moses.)

"But Moses said to God, 'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the

children of Israel out of Egypt?' [God] said, 'But I will be with you.'"

Exodus 3:11-12

READ ALOUD

It was so many years ago now, I can't remember when, but somewhere in history past I found
myself wishing that I read aloud chapter books with my kids. But...I didn't.

 

Rather than beating myself up about missing out on this captivating pastime,

I decided that everyone has to start somewhere...and so...I did.

 

One day turned into two. A week became a month. The months rolled into years and we never looked back.

We savored our time together with children draped on laps and stillness while I read. Inside, outside, morning, afternoon, nighttime, bedtime, the children would beg for one more imagination-filled chapter. And I loved it. We all loved it.

 

Then...after our adoption in 2012, read alouds came to a screeching halt (along with everything else, so it seemed).

We went through transition and trauma and adjustments (and everything else, so it seemed) until...little by little,

day by day, we began getting back on our feet again. Things slowly returned to normal(ish).

 

Recently, it's dawned on me that our beloved read aloud season might be re-added again from

the list of things that disappeared in transition mode. How could I have let this one go? But...I did.

 

Oh, where do we begin? It's been so long and the little ones won't sit still. And, it feels like I'm shooting myself in the foot. These, the thoughts that swirled through my head as I considered the seemingly daunting task (as I had long ago) of read aloud chapter books with my nest full of kids. Surely, it'd be easier to give up before failing. But...I wouldn't.

 

Rather than beating myself up about my hiatus, I decided last week that I'd have to start somewhere...again.

I'd need to remember how one day turned into two last time (just like anything new), how a week became a month,

then months rolled into years of mama/children blessed read aloud and we can do this again!

 

And so we did. We started. Week one under belt and I'm not giving up.

This crop of little people will sit still (or wiggle, whatever!). They will learn to savor, as the older ones had before them, the beauty of imagining words to life in their creative, inquisitive minds. They may squirm at first (or somersault) and I'm prepared for that. (Fruit of the Spirit training, here I come!) Expectations are low for starters. But, WOW does it feel good to have taken that first intimidating step toward memories in the making, years of children draped on laps and treasured nostalgia piling up, days gone by of dearest worthwhile investments...cherished read aloud.

[Not an atypical scene above to my chagrin...but we're working it out with the little people. (Yes, India is pulling off her Band-Aid.) I remember it working well before to have our toddlers sit on their special blankies with a toy for daytime reading...maybe I'll try that too. And oy, I'll accept the patience that God's grooming in me all the while. I'm committed. :)]

 

 

[Here we go, starting back at the beginning, round two of our favorite read aloud series. It's been many years since we last read through Little House and we're eager to start again. We love this special read aloud edition of Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder because it's an extra large hard cover copy. I highly recommend for Little House fans!]

&



[The Story For Kids - We've never read through this one before, but we're giving it a try as well. So far it seems to be a concise rendition of God's whole story with questions at the end of each chapter...perfect for nighttime devotions.]

 

"Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God."

Psalm 84:3

CATCH OF THE DAY - BUTTERFLIES

 

Just because it's summer, that doesn't mean school is out for us.

 

{Life is Learning + Learning is Life = Homeschool}

 

One of our favorite ways to explore the world of science is by making discoveries in nature.

 

This week we found caterpillars,

 

 

(These particular ones were very spiky!)

 

 

chrysalises,

 

 

and BUTTERFLIES!

 

 

We've seen them here before...a butterfly habitat of sorts we frequent.
It's great hands on exploration to see the caterpillars crawling around on the ground and up walls,

forming chrysalises,

and even new butterflies ready to spread their wings for the 1st time...

 

 

...and soar!

 

 

We found them on the grass and (sadly) a few were lifeless which allowed the children opportunity to really touch and feel the butterflies. No textbook needed for this lesson plan, just curiosity at it's best and good old fashioned outdoor fun.

 

 

 

With a library of butterfly life cycle books at home and the beautiful analogy of new life in Christ as we marvel at His metaphorical creation, we're sure to learn even more this week as we follow up on our recent discovery,

our newest catch of the day...BUTTERFLIES!

 

 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
2 Corinthians 5:17