Grandmother used to say to the idea of an afternoon drive, “Well, if you’ve seen one tree, you’ve seen them all!” Some might call this a practical view, maybe a sign of boredom, or even a glass-half-empty type of negativism. Really the diagnosis is simple – RWS! RWS? What? You haven’t heard of that one? Well, it’s definitely real, and I am here to tell you today that I have experienced it. Thankfully it is avoidable, but first, we need to talk about Princesses. Perhaps, we could even say, “Well, if you’ve seen one Princess, you’ve seen them all!” BUT WAIT – there it is again – RWS! Maybe you have it and didn’t even know it! Let me explain… RWS is otherwise known as Continue reading “RWS and the Princess Problem”
Well…she took Washington D.C. by storm!…or should we say, it took her? Participating in Awake America’s Capitol Connection was filled with many SWEET memories and will be long remembered by AbiNoelle. People, preachers, Congressmen, Senators, and more to meet everyday – how exciting! On our last night in town, as we drove through the streets towards our hotel, she just couldn’t express enough that we must… Continue reading “We should MOVE! The sweet and sour…”
From the hubbub of the holidays to a vigorous start in the new year – life is busy! With the church Christmas play, family events, and other memory-making moments passed, we turned to a new year of scheduling for family and ministry. Traveling for our ministry causes great excitement as AbiNoelle loves to GO anywhere and she loves people and preachers! Daily ministry office tasks are never-ending and constantly growing and vying for attention. Homeschool activities, family time, Ladies Sunday School Tea Party (what a “Tea”-rrific time), personal projects, the list goes on AND the bathroom really needs cleaning!! Life is busy, but life is also brief. Just this month, we have witnessed a lady in a year-long recovery from a horrific car accident, a grandfather’s fall while on vacation causing a tramatic brain injury, and a dear pastor friend passing into Heaven after a sudden heart attack. Busy Life. Brief Life – Two adjectives that give pause when you wake in the morning saying, “There is just too much to do today to do school!” Believe me, I find that thought peeping out from under the covers at least once a week. So, what to do?
- Get up and do it! From day one, we established a routine for AbiNoelle’s school days, and we are so thankful! At four, AbiNoelle doesn’t quite grasp the busyness of schedules. She simply gets up, eats breakfast, gets dressed, and expects school to start. Thankfully, we chose a program that allows Mom to prepare boardwork and paperwork the afternoon before so that each morning the school day is ready to start without wasting time trying to figure out what to do first. The A Beka DVD program is great for busy Moms because it allows you to be as involved in your child’s education as you desire, while enthusiastically engaging the student in learning so that Mom can get some needed things accomplished. Building good habits from the beginning makes life a little easier when times get hectic.
- Finish the Job! AbiNoelle loves Patch the Pirate and one of his songs has been sung on many occasions during school when we think of quitting for whatever reason: “Finish the job, finish the job, get it done! Finish the job, finish the job, then have fun! When you have a job to do, never quit until it’s through. Finish the job, finish the job…go and get it done – finish the job!” From day one, we have had the policy of finishing the school day before playing, lunch, shopping or other activities. Some days that has meant being flexible, getting up earlier, or even eating breakfast during school so that we complete school and move on to other special activities for the day.
- Do it right! I admit, the thought has crossed my mind to just allow “art time” or “craft projects” or cooking, cleaning, etc. to “count” as school time. While those activities are great learning tools to utilize, they can never replace a planned curriculum that insures that AbiNoelle will not miss out on one important topic of learning. I also realize my own weakness in busy times is to skip those needful reviews and extra practices. Life is brief. God has called us to do whatever our hand findeth to do with our MIGHT. That doesn’t mean skimping or half-heartedly. It doesn’t mean talking ourselves into accepting excuses and degrading school from top priority to the bottom-of-the-barrel, extra-curricular option. NOW is the time. Today is important!
And so…with those 3 thoughts, we made up that bed, drank our one-cup-a-day mug of coffee and started school. As each day ended and we returned to the bed, we realized that the bathroom still needed cleaning but much had been accomplished and we had no regrets for completing a successful school day! Enjoy the quick highlights below of some of our fun times!
(From left to right) 1. Our ministry hosted a special Pastor’s dinner with Chef Dave in which AbiNoelle had the opportunity to quote Matthew 28. 2. Time-out for a ministry family pic. 3. Tons of fun in a big snowfall. 4. MeMe, AbiNoelle, and Mommy at our church tea party. 4. AbiNoelle with Chef Dave after the dinner.
What a week! We have so much to tell, but first…..the popping! Language Development class with Mrs. Pintar has been right on time. The Fall-like air has been teasing us a few mornings along with the allergies that tickle the nose. We’ve had a few itchy noses and sneezes around here, so the lesson on Healthy Bodies was a timely reminder. Mrs. Pintar taught and illustrated the fact of germs and the importance of using tissues, covering our coughs and sneezes and washing our hands. One illustration was quite memorable.
To prove how important it is to cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing, Mrs. Pintar brought out what every K4 child loves ( or at least, AbiNoelle) and what a lasting impression. It was a lesson learned with a ooey-yuck and wrinkled nose when Mrs. Pintar took that pin and
Continue reading “It Popped! – And do you know what came out?”
Homeschooling with a MISSION 
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