TEEPEE

old sheets + twine loops + ceiling hook + Indian costumes = Native American history

 

Who wouldn't want to learn in a teepee??

(teepee memories...where has the time gone?)

"The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy."
Psalm 65:8


HEROES OF THE FAITH

I'm an observer.
I watch, listen, ask questions, take in, and formulate prayerful decisions in light of my observations.
(I'm hoping our children will do the same.)

At some point in history past I observed how often missionaries would say their lives had been
influenced, even from a young age, by exposure to the lives of heroes of the faith...I was paying attention.

 

For me, this wasn't the case growing up. My parents were a living example of committed service to the local church,
but international missionaries weren't among my common sphere of influence. As a young adult, however,
on my first mission trip to South America I caught the bug.

 

Now as adults raising children, taking into consideration all the missionaries who say they remember reading biographies of other missionaries in their maturing years, Brodie and I are intent to expose our kids to as many life-changers as we can.
We all love learning from the greats and just as Steve Saint encouraged our kids in his documentary recently, we
likewise tell them you don't have to be "super", "great", or even "grown up" to be a life-changer or missionary.
Even children can stand for Jesus on an ordinary day and we pray our children will!

 

Homeschooling allows us the advantage of tailoring our learning to our interests and inclinations. We spend much time learning about heroes of the faith and view it as eternal education. Here are just a few of our favorite resources, both for kids and adults alike...and here's to a new year of gleaning with eternal implications from the heroes of the faith!

. . . . . .

 

YWAM Biographies


 

(We collect more of these from YWAM Publishing every year and are building a large library of inspiring true stories. These biographies are well written and factual. They are excellent for both adults and kids, though some contain intensity which is to be expected in light of the lives these life-changers have lived.)

. . . . . .

 

The Torchlighters Heroes of the Faith DVDs


 

(These DVDs can be a bit intense and sometimes our little ones need to close their eyes for some parts, but considering they are non-fiction, we feel our children can benefit from understanding the real life persecution Christians endure around the world. Also, the documentaries in the Bonus Features are well worth the purchase in and of themselves. We have all been inspired repeatedly by The Torchlighters and add a few new ones to our collection each school year.)

. . . . . .
 

10 Boys/10 Girls Series


 

(As a resource, these are especially nice for younger readers or devotions because they are concise. We like to use them as an easy learning tool to read then write about one hero of the faith in a day due to their brevity.)

. . . . . .
 

Hero Tales (Volumes 1-4)


 

(These, like the 10 Boys/10 Girls, are more brief in their content and even have questions at the end

of each biography section. They are an excellent resource for devotions or daily independent study.)

. . . . . .
 

Trailblazer Series


 

(These biographies are slightly controversial in that they mix fact with fiction. The characters are real and their stories are real, though fictional characters or situations have been added. In our family, the children enjoy the action-packed stories, but we are careful to point out the parts that are not factual. We also point out that we don't think it's necessary to add to these already exciting life stories in order to gain the attention of children, though we wouldn't shun the series for doing so.)

. . . . . .
 

Trailblazers Series


 

(Not to be confused with the other Trailblazer books mentioned above, these are
completely factual and another excellent resource to learn about heroes of the faith.)

. . . . . .

It's my intention to add on to this list as time goes by and we add more great resources to our collection. We often buy our books and DVDs used on Amazon which is a great tip for budget friendly collecting. Among others, these are the resources on high rotation in our home as we learn from the inspiring lives of some of the great heroes of the faith!
 

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
For by it the people of old received their commendation."
Hebrews 11:1-2

"BACK TO SCHOOL"

We're "back to school" though we never really left.

 

(Our big {teeny} kindergartener this year, sweetest Nova!)

 

Each year we grow more relaxed and year round in our homeschooling approach and this year is no different. Add SEVERE nausea from blessed little surprise baby in my tummy and we have a recipe for homeschooling the most natural of ways.

 

(Big siblings are giddy about their new little brother or sister on the way!)

 

I'm sure I'll be back to my old self again in about a month...Just about the time our two

new precious ones will join us home from China. And the cycle will rinse and repeat.

 

 

Go with the flow...THIS is why we homeschool...

 

 

...To live and love and create and play and research and read and learn all the while...instinctively.

 

Oh yes, good to remember.

 

 

The point is to go at our own pace and absorb the countless learning opportunities that ebb and flow

throughout life at home together, well outside the spectrum of workbook/textbook learning.

 

(What would I do without my dinner helpers?!)

 

Truly, THIS is why we homeschool.

 

(India...one of our most helpful preschoolers.)

 

And so, indeed we're "back to school" (though we never really left) and we're learning and growing in beautiful ways each day.

 

(Thanks for your photography, Aida!)

 

I thank the Lord for these days...the ones where miniature people climb all over me and big siblings teach little ones ABC's,

where paints and crayons are on high rotation and the sky is the limit to what a day might hold.

 

 

THIS is why we homeschool and I can't imagine it any other way.

 

(Learning Mandarin Chinese with Mei Mei.)

 

 

So we say goodbye to summer's end.

 

 

It's been a ball as always...

 

 

 

 

...and we look forward to a bright new year full of laughter and LOVE!

 

 

September brings us new beginnings as fall finds it's way to our hearts. 

We welcome in the year ahead, acknowledging after all that it's nice to be "back to school". 

 

"For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven."

Ecclesiastes 3:1

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