It's Monday....

and I was able to sleep in. I have a hard week ahead of me, but I am not complaining. Actually, I am thanking God for providing so much work. It certainly takes the stress off when it comes to paying bills. I wait tables at an awesome restaurant and I get to do some catering as well. We
catered for the band Poison a couple of weeks ago, and that was pretty cool. I cut my teeth on heavy metal, so it was nice visit to the good old days of rock concerts, except this time I was backstage feeding them and somewhat attending to their dressing rooms. Twenty years ago, I would have been in heaven doing this, now it's just a job, and my vision of heaven looks very different. I am in a very good place, and I am thankful for my children (my gifts from God), and all the other special people He has placed in my life - you know who you are :).

"This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Life Verse

Whenever we curse our struggles and conflicts, we inevitably squander opportunities to bring glory to God, serve others, and grow to be more like Christ. But when we respond to God's grace by consecrating our difficulties to Him, there is no limit to the good that can be accomplished, even when that good seems far away at the time.

Ken Sande

I came across this quote today. It used to be my signature for all of my emails, but was at some point replaced with another quote that "spoke" to me at that point of my life. But after reading this one again, this has brought home to me that my number one goal in life is to bring glory to God, serve others, and grow to be more like Christ. If I don't live this, all else falls apart, and has fallen apart. But I am in a different season now. I can see the forest for all of its trees, and I know that there is an "other" side to the grief, despair and valleys of suffering. God gave me my life verse this past month, and it was a sweet message, with a great promise:

"I would have lost heart, if I had not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." Psalms 27:13

God is right here, wherever we are, at all times!

Here comes kindergarten...

My little girl started kindergarten this week. It has been such a good week. With the exception of phonics, we love the curriculum. And she is doing so well. She's so cooperative. It's nice teaching a child that wants to do school. My older dd is not so excited, but then again her curriculum is not as much "fun"! I mean, who wouldn't want to do school when you are "playing" with teddy bear counters and popsicle sticks, coloring and making prayer posters, and listening to mom read all kinds of books, and sitting out in the backyard watching all the birds fly and sing amongs the trees. I don't know if mom or daughter is having more fun , but I guess it doesn't really matter, does it. I hope everybody else is having as good a time as we are.

For those of you interested in what we are doing for kindergarten:

• Rightstart Math, level A - Thumbs up for this program!
• Sonlight PreK - DD loves the Lion Storyteller book (we are using Janet's schedule from the prek yahoo group)
• Phonics - right now we are using the Phonogram Fun Packet. This is based on the SWR phonogram cards used in 2 different board games played with mini teddy bears. We were going to use SWR as our main phonics program, but that's changed. I am now looking at a program called Astronauts to Zippers. I believe that it will be a better fit for us. Once we receive and use it, I will post my review.
• Handwriting - ??????????

And that's it for now. Sonlight has science built into the program, and I also have Christian Liberty Press' K book, but I will wait until later in the year (once she is writing) to start that. I believe that it's enough.

Homeschool Open House

Tiany of http://homeschoolblogger.com/Tiany/366106/ is holding a Homeschool Open House. A great way to see what others are doing while on their homeschool journey.

We have been homeschooling for 3 years. I pulled my dd out of public school just before she started 5th grade, and she is about to enter 8th grade. This year I am adding my 5 year old dd to the mix. I'm very excited to teach kindergarten. I also have a 3 year old little boy, that likes to sit in with sissy reviewing the phonics cards. I think he knows as many sounds of the alphabet as she does. Thank you "Letter Factory" DVDs. We actually start tomorrow, and I can't wait.

8th Grader -


We are using a unit study called "Teaching with God's Heart for the World" this year. It's primarily for my oldest, but the Bible part will be done with everyone sitting in. This will cover History as well, using various spine books.

• Math - Lial's BCM with the digital video tutors & the Right Start Math Card Games


• Logic - The Fallacy Detective


• Science - BJUP Life Science (done at our homeschool tutorial)


• Speech - Abeka (done at our homeschool tutorial)


• Foreign Language - Latin in the Christian Trivium and Learnables French


• Literature - Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings


• Geography - Beautiful Feet's Geography through Literature


• Grammar - Rod & Staff English 6


• Writing - IEW




• Art - Meet the Masters @ Home


• Music - Classical Music: A New Way of Listening
  

Kindergarten -

I am starting Sonlight's Pre-K program with my 5 year old, and am anticipating moving into their K program after Christmas.

• Phonics - ????????????
  
• Math - Right Start Math Level A


• Science - CLP's Kindergarten Science, along with various readings from Sonlight and the CLP Nature Readers


• Handwriting - ?????????????
  
  I prefer to schedule the entire year, and also do a daily schedule. It has helped my dd to see her day laid out.
  
  This is also our first year with a homeschool room. We moved last year, and this house has a sun room which we converted to our school room. I absolutely love having a room for all of our books.
  
  My most favorite "homeschooling" books are:
  
  
  


• Educating the Whole Hearted Child


• The Well Trained Mind


• Cathy Duffy's Christian Home Educator's Curriculum Manuals

Homeschooling is not easy, but I love it. And finally, my 8th grader is admitting to others that she loves it too. God is great!

Barking orders from the Bedside

I've been sick this entire week! Sicker than sick! Not the upchucking kind of sick, but the kind of sick where a high fever just knocks you on your feet with chills and joint pains, (actually knocks you into bed, which becomes a prison). Mom's just cannot get sick, the whole house literally looks like an explosion took place in every room of the house. My oldest daughter was at a Red Cross Camp this week as well, so my 2 youngest were basically left the run of the house, with me trying to bark orders from my bedside (which does not work!). I will not be including pictures, so please don't ask. :)
Today is a different day! To quote a song, "I Feel Good!" Gooder than good! Backyard is cut, the kitchen is clean, trash is handled. If you're thinking, "where is her husband, and why hasn't he done anything?", do not worry. My wonderful husband just started a week ago a night job (3rd shift), and is trying to get sleeping in the day down pat. However, he did wake up early a few days and did the grocery shopping (excellently, I might add), made sure the kids ate some kind of dinner each night, and while he was here and awake, brought me everything that I asked for, and listened to a lot of whining from me, because I simply do not like to be sick, and want to be babied when I am (we can blame my mom for that one :))
Most of all, I am in complete praise for God for this week, and especially for this day! I truly don't believe that I would be having a day as good as today, if God had not allowed me to be miserable this week in my sickness. I see God in everything I do today, and I am hearing him clearer today, than I have in a while!

To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Philippians 4:20

This week has spoken volumes to me, and I pray that the lesson learned here will be remembered in my heart forever.

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called
you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen,
and establish you. 1 Peter 5:10

And the winner is....

Shannon from http://gabis-world.blogspot.com/ is the winner of my giveaway! Thank you all so much for joining. This has been so much fun, and has opened a path to other blogs that I would like to read. Please come back to this blog whenever you feel like it!

Love and Blessings,
Heather

Doggy Days Contest is now closed...

I have been sick with a flu like virus for the past 4 days, so it will not be until tomorrow when I announce the winner. My oldest dd comes home tonight, and I will have her help me get all the names together and my little ones will draw the name. I will announce the winner on my blog tommorrow morning! Thanks for joining in! I didn't know there would be such an interest!

Blessings!