School is going amazingly well the past week and a half. It is crazy, but I feel much better about everything when we are doing school. I think it is the routine where I have just been kinda lazy all summer.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
this and that
Posted by Jackie at 1:36 PM 0 comments
Labels: Life
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
First Day of School 2009/2010
Nathan 4th grade
Abby 6th grade
Posted by Jackie at 4:53 PM 1 comments
Labels: homeschool
Fall activities
This fall here is what is planned:
Posted by Jackie at 4:09 PM 2 comments
Labels: family, homeschool
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Go read this book!
Posted by Jackie at 9:53 PM 0 comments
Beth did it again!
Some of the ladies at church and I are doing a summer Bible Study by Beth Moore based on the Book of Esther. I have been privileged to do several of Beth's video based studies and every single one the Lord used to teach me and this particular Bible study seems to relate so well with what is going on on my life.
Posted by Jackie at 9:51 AM 2 comments
Friday, August 7, 2009
Yeah What she said!
Isn't Jon Gosselin's fifteen minutes over yet? From author Kristen Billerbecks blog
I'm so tired of seeing this loser in his bad Ed Hardy tattoo clothing with his young "I'm so in love" bimbo hanging off his arm. Girls, if you're out there. Please, don't ever announce publicly that you're in love with a married man. It's beyond bad taste and you're going to get hurt in the end. It's the same advice I give to women standing by their man in a sex scandal. Let him take this one for the team. K?
As a mother of four, I am TICKED at Jon and his loser self. Do you have any idea what I have to do to go to a writers' conference for a weekend? How does this loser have time to fly all over the world and keep an apartment in NYC? Listen, he is divorcing his wife, not his kids.
She's taking the brunt for what a witch she is, but I'm telling you, this guy is without morals and she tried to make him act like a man. And he can't man-up unless it's to act like an oversexed teenager. He didn't man-up and get a job. Then, he whined that she made him do the show. Hey, here's an idea, go to WORK and she won't make you be on the show. Take control of your family and she won't have to.
I realize that marriage takes two, but talk about your underfunctioning husband. I hope his new girlfriend's daddy plans to support them, because I can't see Ed Hardy's clothing line lasting forever to be their meal ticket. That's another thing, why do I want to dress like a loser with no job, who abandons his children?
Not going to be blogging for awhile since I'm moving and finishing up a book, but I will be back for the Bachelorette Finale. Can't help myself there.
*** Oh and she is a fab christian writer if you want some real world chick lit without the smut!
Posted by Jackie at 7:45 PM 1 comments
Labels: jackie
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Homeschool year number 6!!
I cannot believe this is my 6th year homeschooling.....really? 6 years?? Well, I homeschooled Abby from November on in Kindergarten. There was a lady in our church named Martha Sherrill who totally inspired me to homeschool after watching her relationship with her children and how much fun they had together. After a disastrous half a year for first grade I brought Abby back home for the rest of that year. Her and Nathan went to the school my Mother in Law taught at for K and 2nd and then I began homeschooling again after that year and have been since and Abby is going into 6th grade. Sooooo year # 6 baby!!!
Posted by Jackie at 8:31 PM 1 comments
Labels: homeschool
I love this story
The Starfish Story
(adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley 1907-1977)
Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.
One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked fast to catch up.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.
He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"
The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."
"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.
To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."
Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"
At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one."
The statistics are staggering.
Their plight is overwhelming.
Yet, you can make a difference in the life of a child.
Posted by Jackie at 10:06 AM 0 comments
Labels: Adoption
Love this!!
www.homeschoolheaven.wordpress.com
For 2500 years the world has watched as two competing philosophies of education have vied for prominence. The Greek philosophy exalts knowledge above all else. Socrates said, “There is only one good, knowledge, and only one evil, ignorance.” The Greeks spent hours debating truth and arguing among themselves.
Within the Jewish culture however, there was a different priority. First was a search for relationships. The Jew wanted relationship on two planes- both the vertical and the horizontal. The first quest was to love God. The second quest was to love your fellow man. These two truths were inseparable. John says in 1 John 4:20 “If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”
After these relationships were firmly established, THEN Jewish philosophy began to pursue wisdom and knowledge. 1 Cor. 8:1 says “…knowledge puffs up, but love builds ups.” Within these few words Paul clearly articulates the contrast between knowledge and relationships. Loving edifies while knowledge for the sake of knowledge only makes one prideful. And without doubt- the Greeks prided themselves on their knowledge, thinking of themselves as better than anyone else in the ancient world for this very reason. But Paul argues that knowledge apart from loving relationships is a waste of time- foolishness that only blinds us with crippling pride.
So which philosophy is the foundation for your homeschool? Are you following the Greek model in the headlong pursuit of academic achievement and knowledge above all else? Or are you following the Jewish model that stresses loving God and loving others as the safeguard which prevents the pursuit of knowledge from turning us into proud, arrogant fools?
Different curriculum publishers, homeschool speakers and book authors have all made a choice as well. It shouldn’t take you long to discern whether they have built upon a Greek or a Jewish philosophy of education. One seeks to exalt the human mind and it’s potential first and foremost- while the other seeks to ground us in a knowledge of God and a love for others to avoid the pride which inevitably results from the relentless pursuit of knowledge for the sake of knowledge.
Share these truths with your children today. Talk with them about your priorities in education. Ask them what we mean when we say someone is a “know it all.” Even a child knows that someone who has lots of knowledge but doesn’t care about the feelings of the people around him quickly becomes despised because of his pride and arrogance.
Before you crack open the math, history or science book today, think of at least one way for you and your children to express your love to God, and at least one way to express your love to another human being. Perhaps a simple prayer or worship song might express your love to God. And perhaps cleaning up a sibling’s room for them, or offering to help weed an elderly neighbor’s garden might be a practical expression of love for others. NOW you can dig deep into geography or grammar knowing that your priorities are rightly grounded today.
Go back and look over the verses above and talk with your children about them.
And please- don’t ever say that Steve is against knowledge and education. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am 100% in favor of academic excellence and achievement- as long as it’s in its rightful place after we have nurtured a relationship with the Lord and a love for others.
Posted by Jackie at 9:34 AM 0 comments
Labels: homeschool
American Girl Club
I am teaching an American girl club at our co op this year. Here are some of the things I have planned
American Girl Club
American Girl Club is for girls ages 7-10. We will study a different American girl each week. We will play games from that era, create a craft from her time period and look at some of the events happening in each girl's life during that time.
$5 supply fee and 2 clean baby food jars with lids are needed. Limit 10 girls
Week 1
Kirsten~ 1854
Welcome to Kirstens World..... review book/lapbook page
Icebreaker : The apple dance ( place an apple between 2 girls foreheads and let them dance)
Supplies:
book
cream
salt
horses
paint
brushes
newspaper
apples
pioneer music
cd player
baggie for each girls lapbook minibooks
Week 2:
Kaya ~ 1764
Welcome to Kaya’s World...review book/ lapbook page
Icebreaker: Moccasin game (hide a marble in one shoe and guess whose)
Do teepee art
Doll dress with rope and beads
Supplies:
Book
marble
paper bags
teepee printable
doll material, scissors, beads, rope
lapbook printable
Week 3:
Molly ~ 1944
Welcome to Molly’s World...review book/lapbook page
Icebreaker: play the sculpter game/listen to 1940’s music
Make a decopoge on a baby food jar in red, white and blue paper
Supplies
Book
cd player/cd
modgepodge
tissue paper
lapbook printable
Week 4:
Addy ~ 1864
Welcome to Addy’s world...review book/lapbook page * Still working on Addy**
icebreaker ~
craft ~
Supplies
Week 5
Kit ~ 1934
Welcome to Kit’s world...review book/lapbook page
icebreaker - throw the smile
dance to 1930’s music
notebook craft....decorate a reporters notebook with beads/sequins
Begin assembling lapbook
Supplies
cd/cd player
notebooks
glue
sequins
lapbook printables
folders for lapbooks
Week 6
Felicity ~ 1774
Welcome to Felicity’s world...review book/lapbook printable
icebreaker: curtsy and introductions
a fan craft and a sachet
Supplies:
lapbook printable
scrapbook paper
ribbon
sachet fabric front
sachet fabric back
potporri
Week 7
Samantha ~ 1904
Welcome to Samantha’s World....review book/ lapbook printable
icebreaker : Balance books on head
craft: calling card boxes and calling cards
Finish lapbook
Supplies
lapbook printable
books
music
boxes
scrapbook paper
calling card paper
markers
sequins
scissors
Posted by Jackie at 9:07 AM 0 comments
Labels: homeschool