Mom Song by Go Fish Guys!!! Love 'em!

The only reward I seek is to raise Godly children, who in turn, raise Godly children.

Child COURT ORDERED to go to Public School

and we are naive enough to think persecution isn't happening today. Certainly we are not persecuted like our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world, but THIS is certainly a form of persecution.

The Alliance Defense Fund is reporting today on a story concerning a child named Amanda who has been ordered by a New Hampshire judge to go to public school because her divorced parents could not agree on where to send her.

Amanda's mother, Brenda Voydatch is a devout Christian who has home schooled her daughter since she entered school. Martin Kurowski', Amanda's father, who is not a Christian, believes his daughter should be removed from homeschooling and put into public school because of issues having to do with "social interaction".

The court looking into this case found that Amanda's mother Brenda was using curriculum that exceeds all state review standards, and Amanda going to public school for supplemental classes, and having also been found to be well liked, social and actively involved in sports and other things that keep Amanda involved with her peers.

However, this isn't the end of the story. Despite the findings of the court, an investigator working on the case discovered that "Amanda appeared to reflect her mother's rigidity on questions of faith" and her "vigorous defense of her religious beliefs to [her] counselor suggests strongly that she has not had the opportunity to seriously consider any other point of view." Because of this the judge has ordered Amanda into public school.

Now the Alliance Defense Fund is fighting for the parent's fundamental right to make educational choices for their children.

"Parents have a fundamental right to make educational choices for their children," said Simmons. "In this case, the court is essentially saying that the evidence shows that, socially and academically, this girl is doing great, but her religious beliefs are a bit too sincerely held and must be sifted, tested by, and mixed among other worldviews. This is a step too far for any court to take."

If this court feels it has the right to take this step...what's next? Will a Christian school be forced to hire a teacher who engages in homosexual activity to bring "diversity" to their students? Will public school districts feel free to ban Christian clubs from campus because they believe there is one way to heaven? Will Christian students and teachers be forced to remove cross necklaces, "WWJD?" bracelets or T-shirts with a Gospel verse because they might improperly influence other youngsters?

Please remember little Amanda in your prayers... and all home-schooled children for that matter.

Update

Well we are at the end of our 6th week. Aidan got his first two certificates of completion. Awhile back I found packages of award slips in the dollar bins at target, each package has something like 20 awards in it. So I decided that whenever we complete a workbook, or a new concept is mastered, or a theme is finished Aidan will earn a certificate. Then when he gets a certain number of certificates (number is undecided as of yet) he will get a prize (also undecided as of yet). His first certificate came on Thursday when we finished the first book we were using for Bible School. He got the second this morning for finishing up the alphabet in English. He's got all 21 consonants plus the 5 short vowels sounds down! He's also starting to put together some digraphs on his own but we don't officially start those until next week.

I somehow managed to get us so far ahead in math that technically we don't have to do any work until Thursday of next week. I don't know how I accomplished this as it certainly wasn't on purpose... So after finishing up the alphabet with the letter X in English this morning we headed out for our first field trip. We had planned this outing to be the zoo since we have an annual family pass, but of course it was rainy and icky out. So, we ended up at the Children's museum to see the butterfly exhibit. I had planned on getting a family membership for $80 anyway and so it seemed like a good day to go ahead and do that, seeing as if we had just visited for the day and seen the butterfly's it would have been $40.

The butterfly exhibit was ok, I wasn't that impressed with it to be honest and we've heard quite a few people go on and on about it. I mean there were plenty of butterfly's and they were flying around but after you climb around inside a 40 foot child, well a few butterfly's don't seem nearly as exciting.

Yep, we were inside Eddie today. You can climb EDDIE'S vertebrae to his brain, crawl through his heart, bounce around inside his stomach and slide out his intestines. As a model of learning through immersion, EDDIE allows children to use their gross motor skills to discover what’s inside their bodies.

The only problem was that the boys were frightened by some of the sounds Eddie made. When you were in his intestines/stomach I guess the noise was to imitate digestion? Of course you heard the heartbeat when you were in the heart, but the part that really got them was when we got up to the brain, it was very loud and I guess the noise there was to simulate synopsis... that's my theory anyway. There was also A LOT of climbing involved, and a lot of dark tunnels, both boys found this pretty frightening and intimidating the first time through. Then after seeing the butterfly's Aidan asked to go back through, promising not to fuss, so Darren sat with Asher and Aidan and I climbed back through Eddie. Not a peep from Aidan, it was like a completely different kid. When we were finished Aidan was begging to do it again. So he did, this time with Darren.

We also explored a bit in the body works exhibit. They talked about the different types of joints in the body, had a skeleton the boys could control by pulling ropes, a game that determined what/who had the fastest heartbeat: bird, elephant, child or adult. Aidan guessed child, it was acutally the bird. We learned how many bones are inside the body-206! There was also this computerized volleyball thing that put your pictures up on the screen and you had to try to move your real body to hit the computerized volleyball, it was quite difficult actually. The also had an x-ray station, which was perfect since we had gone over the letter x in the morning!

Darren and I were both VERY impressed with the museum, and thought that just the few exhibits we explored were so neat!!! Can't wait to go back!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Oi!

It's been busy around here lately. When I last posted we were at the end of our 3rd week of school and now we are the middle of our 6th week.

School is going...
It is either great or it is horrible. Aidan either puts forth 100% effort or -0% effort, there is NO inbetween. Since labor day I have slacked off on the sticker chart. It worked wonders the week I used it though! Hmm, maybe I should take a cue and start it up again?

Anyway most days school does go just fine. There are a few things however that get up my nose like fingernails on a chalkboard. Aidan has this habit of doing his work and then asking after every single stroke he makes if he is doing a good job, but for crying out loud, I can't even finish answering about the first mark he made before he asks about the second. Therefore, he is not allowed to ask if he is doing a good job until he is finished with an assignment. Besides, he knows when he is doing a good job and when he is not doing a good job, I don't need to tell him.
Our school day is cut in half because it's what works for us. Bible, Math and on Friday's Science too in the mornings, then gym and lunch, then we resume and do English and History/Social Studies. We've been at this long enough that Aidan knows the routine, besides this kid has the memory of an elephant-truly. With that being said I've nixed the asking "are we done with the first part of school yet?" Again, he knows the routine, he knows we're not finished until Math, or Science is done. Also, he wiggles. A lot. He thumbs the pages at the bottom of his workbooks. All the time. He plays with his erasers. These things drive me absolutely bonkers, but I see no proof that they are distracting him-just annoying me, so as of yet he still gets these boyish privileges.

We are nearly finished with our first Bible School Book that our pastor Dr. Sinclair Ferguson wrote. The Big Book of Bible Truths 2. I like it a lot, it's fun for me because he uses some of his Scottish phrases, most of the time Aidan is on the same level as what is being taught or communicated, but there have been a few times I've felt it's just beyond what he can wrap his little mind around.

Math is going so well. At this rate he will need a tutor by 3rd grade. He is so smart. Probably around the time I last posted I began teaching counting by 10's. He caught on so fast it was ridiculous, then all on his own he started counting by 5's which hasn't even been hinted at in the curriculum. He is adding and subtracting crazy big numbers and asking me constantly things like "what's 40 + 40 + 9 +9?" As was my question tonight that made me second guess myself. Then little Mr. Smartypants proceeded to tell me that "yes, that is correct mommy, because two 40's is 80 and two 9's is 18, so the answer is 98." Who is this kid and where did he come from?!? We did introduce place value, which I was so nervous about, but my friend Stephanie who teaches elementary school back in Colorado gave me some great ideas. The first time I introduced the concept he stared at me, but he's caught on and is doing just fine with it now. We've also learned pennies, nickles, dimes, quarters and dollar bills. He knows his ordinal numbers, tally marks.. the kid is a math whiz. He loves it and it shows.

Science... ya. Science I haven't done since my last post. Which I still need to write about, I will-eventually. But we had the labor day weekend, so no school the 4th. And then last weekend I decided to trade Friday for Saturday so Aidan could have Friday with Darren before he had to leave for his drill weekend in Atlanta. When Saturday rolled around I completely forgot about doing science. Plus Aidan really looks forward to having Darren home to do Science with so no big loss there. But as I mentioned in my other blog we've been building an ark in the garage, so I suppose that would give us at least partial credit in Science.

English is our longest subject. We will finish up the alphabet this week with X, Y and Z. Next week we start learning Digraphs. Until today I didn't even know what a Digraph was... Awesome, my kindergartner's curriculum makes me feel stupid. Hurrah! Aidan is doing really well at learning the sounds and it seems like he reads better every day. As part of the curriculum he is required to read a short one page story either before or after our lesson, and then I try at least a few nights a week to spend time reading other books we have around the house with him. I think I am going to introduce spelling tests either this week, or perhaps I'll wait to next week, but he's ready for the challenge. His one issue, and I'm beginning to think it's a boy thing, is penmanship. Now, he actually has very nice handwriting WHEN HE TAKES HIS TIME, does it slowly and stays focused. However, he tends to start off doing a good job but by the time he is halfway through he is so sloppy it's absurd. I don't tolerate this kind of work and typically make him erase it and begin from the beginning, he is less then thrilled with this and I think is beginning to catch on to the idea that if he does it right the first time it really does go faster. I also have learned that this is one of the few areas he needs someone "breathing down his neck" so to speak. As I mentioned he typically starts off writing and does a great job, if I stay right next to him and remind him every so often he needs to do his best, and why(because we're supposed to work as if we were doing our work for the Lord) he stays on task 90-95 % of the time. If however I allow him to work alone he ends of redoing his work 90-95% of the time.

History remains my favorite subject to teach him, I can't say enough about the curriculum I'm using, I just love Love LOVE it! So far we've had 3 memory verses. Genesis 1:1, John 1:1 and right now we're working on Genesis 11:9b. We've covered the Creation week. How sin and Corruption entered the world, and how through that the world became cursed but that God made a promise that He would one day send a Savior. We've talked about Cain and Able and how anger leads to hatred and hatred to murder and how because of that God see's the attitude of hatred and anger as the same as murder. We've discussed the Catastrophy of the worldwide flood and how it was God's judgement on sinful man, and that Noah was saved because he trusted God. This week we'll finish up chapter 3 by learning about Confusion at the Tower of Babel.

Social Studies thus far has really just been busy work or fun activities, which I'm fine with, and I think is a welcome change for the both of us.

Russian is going well, he is learning... slowly. He does surprisingly well understanding what they are saying, he has a harder time saying it himself... normal.

Phonics... I don't have him use the supplement as regularly as I thought I would, our days are pretty full and I miss playtime with the boys so tonight was the first time he's done phonics on the computer since my last post. But he's doing so well and his English curriculum incorporates and teaches phonics that I'm not going to sweat it. It's just a good resource to have to supplement with from time to time.

Shewww, I think that sums it up. I will post about our last science project, probably this weekend.

For now here are some pictures from the last few weeks.

Working on his phonics computer program, September 2nd.
It tells you the proper placement of your tongue and everything!

Aidan watching President Obama's speech to students. Now don't go getting your panty's in a wad. I think it was a great speech, especially coming from a secular worldview. I am not endorsing everything the man stands for nor do I agree with any or all of his policies or agendas. HOWEVER, he is THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. The Bible clearly states in Romans 13:1-7 "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God" and thus in my house the man will be treated and talked about with respect. Now that I've got that out of the way, when I asked Aidan what he learned he gave me the following report, "we should always do our best, even if we don't like going to school, and listen to our teacher and have a good attitude." And that's where the worldview made a difference, the President encouraged doing a good job so the students can make something of and feel good about themselves, when a Biblical worldview would be something more along the lines of, yes, we SHOULD do those things, BUT we should do those things because by doing our best we are honoring God. Doesn't mean what he said was wrong, he just has a different starting point, Aidan knows the difference, I went over it with him and all was good.

Reading and Writing and so darn adorable! September 9th.

Aidan showing off his reading abilities to Darren. Poor Darren was so tired he could hardly keep his eyes open.

Sneak Peak.
Boys after first day of painting the ark.


Asher has a thing for balls. Have I mentioned this. He LOVES them. Give him a ball and he is good to go. This is how he occupied himself one morning during school.


Working on our timeline for history. So far we've got: Eternity Past, and the first four of our seven C's. Creation, Corruption, Catastrophy and Confusion.


Coloring in his history coloring book. IT IS OF HIS OWN ACCORD TO MAKE IT LOOK IDENTICAL TO THE PAGE IN THE BOOK. In the second picture he is explaining to himself that it's ok if the colors don't match exactly, because after all they're close as he can get.

The finished work. OCD? Perfectionist? Nah... he's not at all like his mama. ;)

Until next time, thanks for stopping by Iz'achestvo Academy!

Yes, we're a HOMESCHOOL family!

Week three...

...and he's reading!!!

My baby is reading. Wow! Unbelievable to think my chubber bug is big enough to read all by himself, ok, almost all by himself... But still, just two months ago I thought he'd NEVER start blending sounds together, and here he is READING!

Have a listen.



This last week we went over the letters u, f, n, k, and l. Each lesson has him blending the consonant with each short vowel sound and it's (obviously) done wonders! I love this curriculum! We're still having some difficulty in enunciating the difference between the short i and the short e. Then when we introduced the short u on Monday that seemed to add to the confusion and Aidan has begun to mix up the short u and the short o. Can't say that I blame him, it's all very confusing, even to me. So, my evening free time (HA) is spent looking up ideas to teach the difference between the sounds and creative ideas to reinforce those differences. Found a short vowel workbook that I can supplement with in the $1 bins at Target today, was pretty excited about that..

Math is STILL review!!! We're starting our 4th week, and we'll be on lesson 31 come Monday morning. There have been 4 new concepts introduced, but he picked them up the first day they were introduced. These new concepts include tally marks, using a number line, counting by 10's which I thought for sure would throw him, but he did really really really well with that! If there is one area I need to review more it's the calendar. He's got his ordinal numbers down and can recite them back and forth and pick objects out of line ups no problem. But I think it really messes with his little brain when for instance, he is asked to determine what the 4th Friday in September will be. He'll point at either the 4th day of the week, or the 4th of the month. So, again in my free time (HA) I am searching for a good calendar program to use, as my creative juices have all but dried up.

Science this week was a lot of fun, but I'm going to write a separate post about that.

History is going well, this last week we went over the beginning of history, that is to say, the creation week, what was created day 1-6, and we added those things to our time-line.

Social studies we went over the five senses and did blindfold games. Aidan and I took turns leading each other around the house... I have to admit he was NOT a very good guide. I also sat him blindfolded at the dining table and had him guess different household noises, such as turning on the faucet, opening the pantry door, clapping hands, clanging cups together, and the garbage disposal (which he guessed was the lawnmower). Then I moved him to the kitchen counter and had him taste and smell different items, lemon juice, salt, instant coffee grounds, brown sugar, carrots and a tiny drop of liquid dish soap (which he guessed was yogurt).


All in all it was a much better week. I instituted the sticker chart. He earns a sticker for every class he does well in. He loses a sticker every time he complains, doesn't try or put forth what I know to be his best effort, anytime he asks when school is going to be finished, etc.. At the end of the week if he has 10 stickers left that were not crossed out his reward was going to Chic-fil-a. I can't remember exactly how many stickers were left on the chart but I think it was about 15, so it seemed to work. My plan is to up the required amount of remaining stickers, so this week he'll need to have at least 15 stickers not crossed off to earn a meal at Chic-fil-a, 20 next week, and so on...


Russian and Phonics are going well. He has already learned probably 6-8 new Russian words and has experimented using them, so YIPPEE!!! Phonics, well, if anything gets left out of the program that does... I have him scheduled to do Phonics Tuesday and Thursday evenings for 30 minutes, just as a supplement to our morning "English" class... I think on average he's done it once a week.

His choir class with church starts next Sunday, so that will be one more thing added to our schedule, and in November he starts flag football. So when people ask me what I plan to do for field trips, or if when and how many support groups I am going to join I fight the urge to laugh. I have enough on my plate thank you, I think the company would be nice, but not the stress of having to schedule anything else into our days. I'll be pleased if I can get us out and somewhere that both boys will enjoy once a month, but even if that doesn't happen it's not something I'm gonna sweat this year.

Well, apart from the separate science post I think that about sums up week three! Thanks for stopping by Iz'achestvo Academy.

Second Week of School

Well, our second week we did better then the first, but still have some kinks to work out. I think Aidan is getting more acclimated to the idea of more work and less play, but still has his moments where he is testing to see if this "school thing" is really gonna stick around. Overall though we had a much better week and zero meltdowns. I had instituted a candy reward, but after eating all the candy myself I quickly discovered that wasn't going to work. So instead decided to do a star chart. If, at the end of the week Aidan has 10 stars remaining on his chart I will take him to chic-fil-a. So, he earns a star every time we get through a class without any complaints and any time he does exceptionally well. Therefore he has at least 4 chances per day to earn a star. However he looses a star every time he complains, every time he says "I don't know" (unless there is a possibility that he genuinely doesn't know) instead of taking some time to think about the question, and every time he doesn't follow directions. At the end of last week he had two stars. That may come across like he is doing a terrible job, but in truth he really is an awesome student! I just run a tight ship around here and refuse to tolerate any nonsense.

Last week we reviewed letters a-g, and short vowel sounds of a, o, e and i. I have issues with the difference between e and i, so if anyone wants to throw out some suggestions!?!?! For instance I pronounce den the same way I say the first half of the word dinner. Pen is said the same way as pin, therefore it is very difficult for me to explain such things to Aidan....

Math we are still doing two lessons per day and it is still mostly review. There have been two new concepts introduced, tally marks, and bar graphs, but he has those mastered already.

In History we started our time line. So far, we have Eternity Past, Creation, the Cross, Consummation, or Jesus Return, and Eternity future on the time line. Our time line spans the length of the wall in the dining area. And of course one time line wasn't enough so Aidan had to draw one himself and put it up on the kitchen wall. Part of me cringes and wants to take it down, but I am keeping it up for as long as he lets me because I know all too quickly those kinds of things will fade away.

For science we did the Celery Experiment that spanned the course of the weekend. It was great because this past Friday marks the beginning of Darren having every Friday off until October 9th so he should always be home to do the science experiments with us.

FRIDAY 10:45am
Put a piece of celery in an empty glass.
Observations according to Aidan:
The celery looks hard. It is standing up. It smells like salt.


Saturday 11:35pm
Pour water into empty glass containing celery.
What has happened to your piece of celery?

Observations according to Aidan:
The celery is soft. It is falling down. (After taking a bite) "It tastes like green pepper". It smells like salt still.



Sunday 8:00am

Observations according to Aidan:
The celery is hard again!!! (WOW-he found this to be super cool!)
The celery is standing up again.
It smells like celery, and it tastes like celery.

The Biblical Application for this experiment came from the fact that just as plants receive their energy from the sun, soil and water that they grow in, we receive it from the food that we eat. Then incorporate Romans 10:17 and Hebrews 5:12 "Our faith comes from hearing the Word." and also in Matthew and Luke when Jesus says, "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." In other words, our soul or spirit needs to be fed as often and as regularly as our body does. In fact we need to remember that it is MORE important to "eat" daily from God's Word (the Bible) because our spiritual food is even more important than our solid or liquid food. This is true because our souls are much more important than our physical bodies!

First week summary

Well, here we are finished with our first week of school together. A few complaints from Aidan's end regarding the loss of free time that became a little more then irritating on a few occasions, but I think that will pass as he adjusts to this new schedule and routine. Monday went by with a few glitches that caused us to start about 90 minutes later then I had planned, but even with that hiccup we got everything accomplished AND I still made it to the gym! Yahoo!!! Tuesday was perfect, Wednesday was even better, well minus Asher's speech therapist showing up 30 minutes early and me answering the doorbell in my pajamas in a sleepy stupor. Thursday came and went and we had so much fun in our last "class" of the day! More on this later. Friday all was well until the end of the day when Aidan all of a sudden decided to cease being the cooperative, pleasant, smart and easy going kid that he is. We were reviewing some material from throughout the week, he had answered one particular question repeatedly throughout the week but decided for some unknown reason to act as though he didn't know the answer. Ooh, this resulted in a time out, a spanking, regrouping, Aidan answering the question correctly and then sitting back down at the table. I asked Aidan the question again for clarification he looked at me and said he didn't know and then started laughing!!! UGH! By that time I had reached my boiling point and the result was not perty. After a few minutes when we were both calm I went and repented and asked Aidan to please forgive mommy for yelling at him. I then explained that his job is to be a good steward with his brain, to listen and learn, and answer questions when asked. Mommy's job is to teach, and I can't do my job if he doesn't do his job, so we need to work together.

So to review, we had a great first four days, the second half of Friday was a train wreck. But as a whole I'm pleased with our week. I'm praying for a better week, and more patience come Monday.
Here are some pictures from our week, enjoy!
Special breakfast of choice on his first day of school. Cinnamon rolls and eggs!

First day of school! August 10, 2009.

Playing hopscotch at the end of math "class" =)

Asher getting in on the fun!

Building the walls of Jericho during "recess" on Wednesday. What a great use of the Jenga blocks, plastic army men and Asher's swift fist!


Our schedule is almost identical everyday. The day (except for Friday) is broken up into 4 classes, 5 on Friday. Bible first, follwed by Math, Monday-Thursday we break at this point and head to the gym or do "recess" at home. On Friday's we do Science before we break. Then after returning home from the gym, we have lunch, put Asher down for a nap, and Aidan and I hit the books again. Monday, Wednesday and Friday it's English and History. Tuesday and Thursday it is English and Social Studies.

Thursday's social studies lesson had us reviewing our address and discussing the type of house, neighborhood and community we live in. As an activity I decided we would postulate how many items of a particular "thing" we had in the house. Aidan got to guess, and then we went around the house searching to see if he had guessed correctly. He thought this was SOOOOOOOOOO cool! He loved going on an adventure to see if he was right.
Here is our worksheet:
Hypothesis/Finding
Clocks: 4/Clocks: 6
Lamps: 0/Lamps: O
Tables: 1/Tables: 1
Bookshelves: 2/Bookshelves: 9
Sinks: 3/Sinks: 4
Trash Cans: 3/Trash Cans: 5
Mirrors: 3/Mirrors: 4
Pillows: 8/Pillows: 20
Steps: 15/Steps: 17


And here is our bulletin board thus far...
A paper plate face that Aidan was to decorate to look like himself. A name puzzle I created to help Aidan learn the placing of his names. He's had the hardest time grasping the concept of a middle name. He's had first and last name and their spelling down for quiet some time now, in fact he knew how to spell his last name before his first, but that's just because he had memorized it from hearing me spell it out so many times, lol. Anyhow, his middle name was a challenge, if you asked him to tell you his middle name he would rattle off one of his many nicknames, and then when he ran out of his nicknames revert to his first or last name and then start going through the list of nicknames again. Funny, he knows his middle name is Jeremy, but for some reason it just wasn't making sense or sticking around in that brain, so I made this little name puzzle to hopefully help in that department, and what'da ya know it seems to have helped seeing his name written out with Jeremy in between Aidan and Wokurka. Huh, who knew it'd be that simple?
Friday's science experiment dealt with chromatography. We mixed green and pink food coloring together (chemicals, which Aidan insists upon calling minacles or miricles) and put a drop on a paper towel, then we stuck the paper towel so just the very bottom of it dipped into a glass of salt water which then caused the colors (chemicals) to separate back out from one another and climb up the paper towel, this process of colors separating is called chromatography. The Biblical application comes from the creation week when God separated the light from the darkness, and then again after the great flood when He put the rainbow in the sky.

A close up of our chromatography strip.

So there you go, our week in review.

Oh and just because I can, and I'm a proud momma, take a look at this picture that Aidan was instructed to draw at the end of his english class on Monday.

Yes, he really drew this... outline and all, BY HIMSELF!

Aidan

I can't believe you're 5. I can't believe it. Where has the time with my little man gone? How is it possible that you're now school age, when just "yesterday" you were learning to walk, climb stairs and welcome your baby brother home? Granted I missed a lot with you during your early years because I was so focused on myself,MY goals and MY aspirations that I came first even though I was "home" with you. The last 18 months have been different because God graciously and drastically changed mommy's heart, her focus, and her priorities.
(The time goes so quickly with your children it needs to be treasured, appreciated and valued for the gift that it is. There are still moments I take my kids for granted, don't get me wrong, I am by no means crediting myself with being the perfect mom, or even a great mom, what I do know is that I don't ever want to feel like I've gone from this

Aidan's birthday, January 30, 2004

to this
Aidan's first day of kindergarten, August 10, 2009.

again and not even know how I got there, not enjoyed and savored every moment.)

I love you buggy, and I'm so sorry for those first three years, I'd do anything to get them back. You're one of my mommy's very best friends and I love you so much! You are a gift from God and such a joy to be around, you light up the room, and you light up my life!

Interesting article

The most comprehensive survey of homeschoolers in America in more than a decade found a large gap between students educated at home and those educated in public institutions.

In the nationwide study conducted by Dr. Brian D. Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute, homeschoolers were found to have scored 34-39 percentile points higher than the norm on standardized achievement tests. The homeschool national average ranged from the 84th percentile for language, math, and social studies to the 89th percentile for reading, reported the Home School Legal Defense Association, which commissioned Ray to conduct the survey in 2007.

According to HSLDA, anecdotal evidence of homeschooling’s success has been backed by multiple research studies. However, it has been at least 10 years since any major nationwide study of homeschooling was done.

During that time, the number of homeschooled children has grown from about 850,000 to approximately 1.5 million, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

"Homeschooling is a rapidly growing, thriving education movement that is challenging the conventional wisdom about the best way to raise and educate the next generation," commented HSLDA president Michael Smith in his group’s announcement of the study Monday.

For the new study, touted as “the most comprehensive study of homeschool academic achievement ever completed,” Ray surveyed 11,739 homeschooled students from all 50 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico, and drew from 15 independent testing services.

Aside from the academic results, the study found that the achievement gaps common to public schools were not found in the homeschool community.

Homeschooled boys (87th percentile) and girls (88th percentile) scored equally well; the income level of parents did not appreciably affect the results (household income under $35,000: 85th percentile – household income over $70,000: 89th percentile); and while parent education level did have some impact, even children whose parents did not have college degrees scored in the 83rd percentile, which is well above the national average for public school students.

Homeschooled children whose parents both had college degrees scored in the 90th percentile.

"These results validate the dedication of hundreds of thousands of homeschool parents who are giving their children the best education possible," commented Smith.

"Because of the one-on-one instruction homeschoolers receive, we are prepared academically to be productive and contributing members of today's society," he added.

According to the study, 82.4 percent of homeschooling parents identified themselves as Protestant Christian, 12.4 Roman Catholic, 1.1 percent atheist/agnostic, 0.8 percent Mormon, 0.4 percent Jewish, 0.2 percent Eastern Orthodox Christian, and 0.1 percent Muslim.

The vast majority (97.9 percent) of parents in the study was also married and had an average of 3.5 children compared to the general population’s average of 2.0 children.

The title of the study is “Progress Report 2009: Homeschool Academic Achievement and Demographics.”

Science Problem...

Darren is science oriented. I am not.
I am the homeschool teacher. Darren is not.
I didn't purchase a kindergarten science curriculum per se, but I did purchase a series of coloring/informational books when we visited the creation museum in June, I thought they would serve our purposes just fine this year, upon closer inspection however I have discovered they will not.
Uh oh. What's a mom to do when the coloring book starts discussing all the different type of wave lengths and I, myself have no clue what they are talking about, or the differences between the different rays, let alone trying to explain these things to my son. Ugh. Now granted the suggested age range is 6-10 years old and I think that Aidan would grasp alot of the ideas found in the book, but...

For starters, after developing the first month of the science part of our curriculum, I GOT STUCK!!! That's a problem, and like I said this isn't an actual curriculum because I couldn't find one I liked for kindergarten, so I was trying to improvise. But a month into the books I purchased I'm scratching my head as to how I will explain some of these concepts... that's not good.

Secondly, Science is not a required subject for kindergarten, at least as far as I know.

Third, THIS IS KINDERGARTEN. KINDERGARTEN isn't even a required grade, what am I stressing out about? Oh, just that I take my job as mom and teacher seriously and I don't want to screw up or neglect Aidan's education.

Fourth, I've been so worried about how to fit all subjects into our day, still accomplish all our other daily routines, have one on one with both boys, not serve turkey sandwiches or order out for pizza at every meal, still find some moments for my sanity's sake, continue caring for the house, and when the time comes begin working on the dossier. If I "cut out" science from our daily routine that will give me an extra 20-30 minutes a day.

Fifth, I am not suggesting that we won't do ANYTHING related to science, just not a daily segment set aside for science. I did order the Backyard scientist, as well as the companion book of Biblical Application and so my thought is to just use that this year. Get Aidan acquainted to experiments and make science fun and special. The book includes 25 experiments, so I figured I'll use the book and do an experiment a week. The remaining weeks we can do things like ant farms, send for a caterpillar/butterfly thingy (yep, see how science oriented I am?) cooking projects ect... I think for this first year that will help take some of the pressure from off my shoulders, as well as give us more time together to still enjoy these early years and playtime.

Sixth, Answers in Genesis has recently come out with curriculum for first grade, so that'll be good for next year.

So there you go... my problem solved.. well kinda, now I feel like I am a horrible mom/teacher for "cutting out" science from our daily schedule.

Now our schedule will look like this:
Pray/Pledges
Bible
Math
Break for gym and lunch
English
History/Social Studies
And then one day per week we'll do a science experiment.

Aidan was also recently invited to join the children's choir at church and will be starting that the first Sunday after labor day. As well as playing flag football in November.

Also, Tuesday and Thursday evenings Aidan will be doing 30 minutes of a computer Phonics program, which he's already tested and approved. ;)
Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings we'll do Rosetta Stone's Russian Program together.

Whew, I feel better now.

Aidan says his pledges...

We're less then 48 hours away, I'm making slow progress on the lesson plans, but they are coming along. I am especially excited about our History curriculum (I may have mentioned that already)...
;)

Aidan, however is doing great learning his pledges, he's almost got 'em down. Way to go son!
(Of course some of the silliness was for show... it's amazing-EVERY TIME the camera comes out he seems to loose all sense of seriousness).

I love my children

You want proof?

Over the last two months, my dining room has slowly transformed from this

nice, neat, organized and clutter free,
to this...

and this...


Someday, when V is home and finances are no longer an issue we will finish out the garage and make that into our school room, but for now I forfeit (gladly) my dinning room.

We start school 2 weeks from today. I am almost ready, still have a bit of organizing to do, and some field trips to plan, and some time I need to spend in prayer but I am so excited about being Aidan's teacher and being right there to share all these early years with him. To be able to not just be there, but to be the one teaching him when he grasps a new idea or concept... what a privilege, what a blessing!

Gearing up...

for school. We've only got 19 days left. Wow! where did summer go?

I'm actually fairly excited, and have been doing some experimenting and "review" with Aidan in the mornings for the last few weeks. I am trying to accomplish a few things by doing this.

1. It will help establish a typical morning/school routine for both boys.
2. It allows Aidan to get into the mindset of "school time" and what is expected of him.
3. It lets me experiment and get some kinks worked out with Asher (hopefully) before I actually try to teach Aidan with Asher's many interruptions.

So far Asher does great sitting at the table with us for the first 20-30 minutes. Then he starts fussing, and if I am not needed to be directly involved with what Aidan is doing I can typically squeeze a few more minutes of cooperation out of Asher. Once I let him down from his chair he'll occasionally go to the playroom and entertain himself for another 20 or so minutes, which leaves us with the final 20-30 minutes which can be, ahem... not so much fun. At this point we typically break, and during the school year this is the time we'll be heading to the gym. We'll return, eat lunch, put Asher down for his nap and then Aidan and I will finish English and History/Social Studies while Asher is sleeping. Then Aidan will take a rest and I will most likely pass out on the couch??? Nah... I have unending amounts of energy-HA!

I plan to do Rosetta Stone with Aidan in the evenings after Asher goes to bed. It'll be something educational and fun we can do together, we'll both have the opportunity to learn it, and it will give us someone to practice with. Not to mention it will, I think, help Aidan not feel as though he is doing school all day long with the day being spread out like I am planning... of course I also know that with all the planning in the world the kids could totally rearrange what I am thinking... so I know there will be some degree of flexibility... but ya know... can't blame me for trying.


Aidan doing his flash cards. He made it through half the stack, and the ones he doesn't know from memory or just thinking about he has to do with his "pasta bag"

Asher making Mmmmmmm noises with his blocks, I THINK he was eating an ice cream in the first picture, and the second was a moment of cuteness after a horrible outburst of boogerdom.

Our Four Pledges

This school year we will be making 4 pledges every morning before school starts.

Pledge to the Bible:
I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God's Holy Word, I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path and will hide its words in my heart that I might not sin against God.

Pledge to the Christian Flag:
I pledge allegiance to the Christian Flag and to the Savior for Whose Kingdom it stands. One Savior, crucified, risen and coming again with life and liberty to all who repent and believe.

Pledge to the American Flag:
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Pledge to the Russian Flag:
I pledge allegiance to the Russian flag. It is our son and brother's first flag and therefore it is our flag. After Christ we do uphold: generosity, frankness, loyalty, wisdom, courage, forgiveness and love, the qualities the flag represents. We promise to learn and respect the Russian culture, to daily pray for our dear one's homeland and to encourage him to one day return as an Ambassador of Christ's glorious Gospel.

Love Love Love It

So... all of my curriculum is finally here, minus Rosetta Stone which I haven't ordered yet. We had company over the weekend (see other blog) when the History and Reading/Phonics items arrived so I just started looking over them in detail last night. Can I just say I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooo pleased with my choice for history!?!? It is AMAZING. I was already planning on beginning the Westminster Catechism for young children with Aidan during our Bible "period" and as I was flipping through the teacher's manual for history last night what should I see but footnotes that say "To begin implementing the truths of God's Word in your child's heart, you may want to us the Catechism for Young Children. Have your student answer and memorize the first three questions at this time." Yipee!!! Another area I get to reinforce the most important subject being taught!

Each Unit is designed to last two weeks when taught every other day, therefore we will be doing History on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tuesday and Thursday will be Social Studies/Geography. Here is an excpert from the teacher's manual for the introduction to:

Unit One, God's Great Story.
Memory verse: John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
This unit introduces the student to the concept of history from a Biblical perspective. Although we define history as "the story of what really happend long ago," it is far more than that. At its core, history is the study of man's response to the creation mandate (Genesis 1:28); it is the story of man's faithfulness (and unfaithfulness) to God as He establishes families, tribes, and nations. Since God guides all human events, history views all aspects of human life in light of divine providence.
The student will see history as God's great story of redemption which unfolds from Genesis through Revelation. He will also learn about the central figure of history - Jesus Christ. Everything that took place prior to His incarnation points forward to Him and everything that has happend since looks back to Him. He is the center of history because He is the Savior of the world. When the fullness of time comes, Christ will return to judge all people and nations as King of Kings. "

And if that isn't reason enough to be excited, take a look at the people we will be learning about!
Creation
Adam and Eve
The Fall of Man
God's Promise of Salvation
Noah and the Ark
God's Covenant with Noah
Tower of Babel
Abraham
Passover
God Gives the Law to Moses
David and Goliath
Birth of Christ
The New Covenant in Christ
Apostle Paul
Polycarp
Augustine
Patrick in Ireland
Boniface in Germany
Martin Luther
John Calvin
First Thanksgiving
Jonathan Edwards
Patrick Henry
George Washington
Lewis and Clark
Noah Webster
Robert E Lee
Dwight L Moody
George Washington Carver
Thomas A Edison
Theodore Roosevelt
Douglas MacArthur
Christ's Return

Our first week we will be creating a gigantic timeline (on the kitchen/dining room wall) so that through the year we can fill in all the details we've learned about. I can't wait!!!!

5 weeks out

So here I am 5 weeks away from the beginning of our first school year, and guess what? I decided to change my reading/phonics curriculum. Why? Well because I'm no good at that stuff. The curriculum I was planning on using was something Darren was coerced into buying from a telemarketer on the phone a few years back and it has been sitting on our bookshelves since Aidan was 3. I've pulled it out and tried to work on it with him several times but we'd both get so frustrated that each time I'd put it away again after only a few weeks. It offers no practical application, no age range or cognitive ability to target your teaching to, so I have no clue if I am expecting too much or to little from Aidan when we sit down to do the work, and on top of that I have no idea how much of the program I am supposed to cover in a year's time. But.. me being pretty frugal (most of the time) didn't want to spend money on an additional phonics/reading program when there was a perfectly good program sitting on my shelf. However, when the curriculum orders for other subjects started arriving in the mail... wow!!! what a difference, thoughtfully laid out daily lesson plans, suggested activities, manipulatives etc... The more I thought about it the more I knew I couldn't stick with what we had. Aidan's ability to read well and understand the English language will carry over into all other subjects, and so after a long night of searching for curriculum online I decided to go with: HORIZONS KINDERGARTEN PHONICS AND READING SET. I also added COLOR PHONICS because Aidan loves playing on the computer and it looked like a good (and fun) program to reinforce what he'll be learning.
So YAY! I feel A LOT better heading into the school year now. Well minus the sting of having to pay for it. Boo.

So far I've been please with the rest of the curriculum that has arrived. I have a minor scuabble with A Beka's Bible Doctrinal Drill. As a whole the information is great and will be a good addition to our Bible class, but there are a few instances where they use phrases that I think paint an inaccurate and confusing view of salvation, but that will be easy to correct/omit.

We've been using Dr. Ferguson's books this last year for Bible school and we love them! They are excellent in that the first half of the lesson is generally an example of a real life situation that the child may experience and the second half ties that back to a Bible story. We're already half way through: The Big Book of Bible Truths 1. This school year we'll also use Dr. Ferguson's The Big Book of Bible Truths 2, and The Big Book of Questions and Answers. I also plan on going through the Cathechism for young children with Aidan. It's the introduction to the shorter Westminster Cathechism.

For Math I will be using Hoizons K Math Package. It's already arrived and I've flipped through it. The first 6-8 weeks, maybe more will be old news to Aidan, and because of that I plan on doubling up and doing 2 lessons daily until we reach new material. Therefore, we will finish the workbooks fairly early in the year. I haven't yet decided if I will then order the following years curriculum and begin grade 1 early, or if I'll just fill in the last few months with a Kumon workbook for grade 1 from Barnes and Noble.

For Science I was lucky enough to get all but his "experiments" from the Creation Museum when we were there last month. I purchased the Buddy Davis Mega Pack, the God Created Series at the museum. Then in order for Aidan to get some hands on time and do some experiments I ordered The Backyard Scientist and for cooking I got Rachel Rays Cooking Rocks! 30 minute meals for kids. I really really REALLY don't like bugs, even pretty ones like butterflys so I am debating with myself on whether to order fun "boy things" like ant farms and butterfly kits, tadpoles etc.. Right now the part of me that says "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW" is winning, but we'll see.

History I've ordered, but not yet recieved History for little pilgrims, and I'm totally stoked about it, it sounds incredible! For Social Studies I ordered A Beka's Social Studies K. I've also picked up work books covering social skills and self awareness, the United States, and 10 different countries from around the world.

I also plan on ordering Rosetta Stone's Russian program for Aidan and I to do together, I just haven't brought myself to swallow that expense yet.

So there you have it... that's what we'll be using this year. Now I've just got to get it all organized and fit it in the dining room. Wish me luck!

Iz a what fo?

Iz'achestvo.

Many of you know that our oldest son, V remains in Russia, yet we are already becoming a blended family. Throughout the last year when doing Pre-K work with Aidan I diligently incorporated information about his brother's language, culture and country. Aidan can print his name in Cyrillic and English, recognize the American, South Carolina, Russian and Irkutsk flags. He knows that when he wakes up his brother is getting ready for bed, and that when he is getting ready for bed his brother is likely sitting down to breakfast. Aidan doesn't remember a time without his big brother, and consequently doesn't remember a time that Russia wasn't a topic of conversation. Therefore when it came time for choosing a name for our home school I wanted a name that would include all of my children, and at the same time point to the thing I most wish to impress on them and that is the grace that God extends to those who repent of, and forsake their sins and trust in His Son Jesus Christ. I have no greater aspiration then to see each of my three sons bow their knees in repentance and faith...

Thus the name.

Iz'achestvo is the Russian equivalent to our word for grace.

Why I Chose Home School.

"They've already come after your children, and for most of you they've got them. They got them through the public schools and indoctrination at the universities and you wonder why your children come out not serving the Lord. It's because you've fed them right into the devils mouth."

While the above statement may at first seem rather harsh I challenge you to at least ponder the idea.

When we send our children off to a system that on average instructs them 7 hours a day why do we find it so surprising that our Christian culture and Godly heritage is rapidly changing? Or more accurately, disappearing? I've heard all the arguments. You can't or rather you shouldn't shelter your children, let your children be exposed to different ideas and different belief systems, different religions even. As long as you are teaching them correctly at home they'll be fine. Well, let's think about that logically. The average elementary school student spends 7 hours a day at school, IF they are not involved in an after school program or sports, etc. So that by the time the evening comes to a close the average parent will spend two hours with their child before it’s time for bed. These two hours include dinner, homework, daily chores and preparation for the next day. Where is the Biblical instruction? Then there's the weekend. Again the majority of families are so busy doing things and are involved in sports and various activities. Let's just call a spade a spade and admit that a significant amount of professing Christian's leave the religious instruction up to the church, the place their child spends the least amount of time. Really, this is tragic! Christian parents enroll their children in a secular school for 35 hours a week where most if not everything being taught contradicts what the Bible teaches. Those same parents maybe spend 14 hours a week one on one with those same kids (and that is being incredibly generous) and those same kids spend 4 hours a week in church IF they attend on both Sunday and Wednesday. You tell me... who's got the greater influence? The church, the parents or the school?

As the world becomes increasingly evil it is imperative that our children are familiar with the entire Bible, not just the cutesy Sunday school stories that frankly are taught more as fairy tales then factual events.

Let's be honest, how many parents spend time training and instructing their children in doctrine and theology when they're YOUNG. Don't tell me it's a waste of time! Don't tell me a 4 or 5 year old doesn't understand. I don't for a second buy that excuse! Don't blame your laziness on your child, they are capable of far more then we give them credit for. The law of the Lord is written on the heart of man, there is no age distinction! (Hebrews 8:10)

The Bible repeatedly tells parents that THEY are to train their children. "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4) "And that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 3:15) "You shall teach them (the commandments) diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals (between your eyes) on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deuteronomy 6:7-9) "How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word... Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against You." (Psalms 119:9-11) "My son, observe the commandment of your father and do not forsake the teaching (law) of your mother; bind them continually on your heart; tie them around your neck. When you walk about they will guide you; and when you awake, they will talk to you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching (law) is light; and reproofs for discipline are the way of life." (Proverbs 6:20-23) "Hear, my son, your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching." (Proverbs 1:8) "Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6)

It is clear that just from these few verses (there are many more) that parental instruction is not merely suggested, it's not "if you have time". NO! it is necessary, it is vital and ultimately it is a COMMAND from the Lord. "He said to His disciples, "It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble." (Luke 17:1-2)

As a Christian parent, if you are not teaching and training your children in the ways that they should go, that is to say, if you are not instructing them in God's way, then you my friend are a stumbling block to your own child. What act could possibly be more unloving or despicable then to know the Scriptures, to know the law of the Lord, to know that God stores up wrath for the sinner yet extends grace and forgiveness to those who repent and trust in the salvific work of His Son Jesus Christ and not impress that truth into the heart of your own child! Woe to that parent!

As parents our greatest duty, our RESPONSIBILITY is to prepare our children for eternity. How do we do this? We do that by teaching them Scriptures from infancy. We teach them the value of Scripture. By faithfully, daily sharing the Gospel and the Salvation message with them. And know this, you CAN NOT teach your children adequately, or properly prepare them by only sharing half the Gospel, it won't make sense, it won't be reasonable and they will reject it. If you do not first teach your child that God is infinite, holy, and perfect and that we have sinned against Him and thus stored up wrath for ourselves then they will not see or understand the need for the Cross. You must teach your child that they are a sinner, that they are wretched, that they are fallen and carnal, and that apart from Christ all the good they ever aspire to will be seen as nothing less then filthy rags in the sight of God. (Isaiah 64:6) Teach your children they desperately need a Savior. Teach your children about heaven and hell. Teach your children the 10 commandments, and point out when they break them. Teach your children repentance and model this for them. Anything less would be a dangerous dereliction of duty.

I realize that this is not the popular opinion, even among Christian's. However I am not interested in making friends, my greatest concern lies in the final destination of the souls of my children.

If you told me 5 years ago, even 2 years ago that I would even so much as consider home schooling my children I would have suggested that you have a mental exam done the following morning. But then, in His glorious grace and mercy God saved me.

Now hang on, before you go scrolling down to find the place to leave a friendly comment, I'm not saying that if you are a Christian you must home school, nor am I saying that if a child is home schooled his or her parents are soundly saved because I know full well that is not the case either. What I am saying is that it is THE PARENTS responsibility to teach and train their children, and that anything else our children are taught should be checked against and compared to Scripture. You certainly will not find that to be the case in the public school system. And while I am fully aware that there are wonderful Christian teachers within the public school systems, (some of whom I am privileged to call friends) and that they work hard and effortlessly to be a light in the darkness, it is still not a place I am willing to send my children. I also acknowledge that there are parents out there who don't have the luxury of either the finances to be able to send their children to a Christian school (though I think there can be a danger there as well, we too easily see the word Christian and assume they are what they say they are when in fact they are horribly mangling scripture and teaching bad theology) or to stay home with them, I realize there are single parent families, that given the opportunity would love nothing more then to provide a Christian education for their children. I wonder though if some of those families were to be completely honest just aren't willing to make the sacrifice? If they are too caught up in materialism and things that they are convinced they need two incomes while they send their children off to battle contradicting information. In those cases it's just plain old selfishness, I know, that is why I said it was something I'd never do. I did not want my schedule, my life, my time, my space, my agenda encroached upon. I was the most selfish person you ever met. But then God saved me.

And now that Aidan is 5 years old and approaching kindergarten we have had to make some decisions regarding his education. Our first thought was a private Christian school, so we did a lot of research on the choices in our area and found a school very much in line with the theology and doctrine we hold to. However, at $600 a month tuition was outrageous! We continued to consider that option for a few months until we got news we could once again pick up V's adoption and pursue bringing him home. While God has provided Darren with a job that more than meets our needs, we are not at the place where we could finance both Aidan's education and V's adoption. So we were left with a choice, public or home school? Ultimately the choice was mine. And to be completely honest I did consider public school. It would be convenient, the school is right behind our house and the neighborhood is full of kids which would be instant playmates for Aidan. It's a great school; it's won the national blue ribbon award and a few others. My decision came down to an interview we had with the Principal. We had some very specific questions regarding creation, evolution, the presentation of homosexuality and student prayer and evangelism. Although the principal was nice and said that over 90% of her teachers were Christians and met once a week before school for prayer and Bible study I was very disappointed with the answers she gave. Creation is not taught, even as a theory. Evolutionary ideas are presented though not stressed. Homosexuality is really up to the teacher's discretion but they are permitted to read stories about Johnny having two mommies/daddies etc. and they by no means teach that it is wrong, sinful, shameful or abnormal, and it would be frowned upon if one child told another that lifestyle was wrong. The children are allowed to pray to themselves quietly, but of course it can not be encouraged. And as far as evangelism or children sharing their faith she never really gave an answer, she kind of hmmed and haaed which lead me to believe it wouldn't get nods of approval.

It really wasn't a hard decision at all, was I going to abdicate my responsibility to my son and send him into an environment that stands in direct opposition to everything we teach him at home? Was I willingly, when offered the alternative of staying home and teaching him myself going to subject him to a system that would defy the Word of God that we hold fast as absolute truth? No. I could not in good conscious send him into such a place. Period. End of discussion.