It doesn't take much for me to get in to a near panic about my kids' workloads. If there are tears and unhappiness, I want to take the foot off the gas. Immediately.
In talking with my oldest and cherished friend today, she reminded me of truths that helped calm me down. So often friends want to take our side, which can mean not taking our husband's side, because they want to make us feel better. Emotion rules the situation, and we gals like to stick together. Sometimes though, we need to be reminded that our husbands are there to guide us and our family. A caring friend hears what we're saying and while listening, determines the real need, and then lovingly and directly says what we need to be told. Today my friend's calming words allowed me to hear from God and remember that work is crucial for young adults.
I knew it when the kids were very young and playing was their 'work'.
I knew it when they were under 10 and needed to be trained in helpful tasks around the house.
I've known it regarding high school graduates who struggle with not sleeping, anxiety, and depression who coincidentally aren't working full time nor are they attending college full time.
The Bible tells us idle hands are the devil's workshop...and I've always realized that regarding adult women. Too much free time ultimately brings misery.
Where I've struggled to understand the importance for work is with kids in high school. I've known this age was my weak spot in general. The young years of disciplining, educating, guiding and training came much easier to me. The reality of high school is that it is a critical time of pushing ahead and staying busy as the hormones rage and thoughts about family, life and God solidify. Too much peer time is hindering and brings a lot of unnecessary drama. Too little work breeds a host of problems from incessant circular self-absorbed thinking to gossip to depression and rebellion.
Teens need to work-- hard and often-- whether it be through sports, a job, or academic challenges that keep them occupied much of the time.
Parents need the foresight of how the years go as they raise their kids. If you want family to be the center throughout middle and high school, start with traditions when the kids are young and everyone looks forward to. Things like a Friday Night Dessert or Friday Night Pizza Night or a Game Night...with just the family, form ties that bind.
Starting Saturdays with getting the whole house cleaned together and the yard work done ties binds as well. Everyone is working together for a common goal. By the time the afternoon rolls around, many kids will want to spend time with their siblings relaxing and reconnecting since the week has been busy and probably prevented them from doing fun things together. For only children, it could be that you have another special tradition like eating out on a Saturday night with perhaps one or two Saturdays being where a friend could come.
I urge parents to guard against fulfilling a child's strong desire to be with friends often, however. Just like in public school where friends become the peer group, this can happen with homeschoolers easily, and not all groups of peers are upholding your family values. As with any desire we feed and feed, it grows and grows and gets to where we simply aren't satisfied.
Too many friends can cause us all to become so outwardly focused we miss what God has put right in front of us to 'tend and keep'. We moms need to be the example to our children on being content and satisfied with a life that isn't continually on the go or requiring stimulation of other people. It is a lesson harder for extroverts, but the reality is that none of us can or should get what we want all the time or even 'too often'.
I hope this helps someone reading to make wise decisions early on with your children and how you shape their use of time and prioritization of it.
Lunch Idea for Busy Tuesday
If I were able to keep mental track of how many recipes I put on here, I'd just number them, but of course I have no idea. :)
I'm making lunch and breakfast a few times each week...well, breakfast at least once during the school week and lunch at least twice, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My oldest has 3 online classes those days and that doesn't leave much time for anything but school work and sitting in class.
Today's lunch started with a simple roux--butter melted with chopped onion and flour stirred in to form a thick paste. Milk added while heating on med/high until a nice sauce consistency was reached. I added salt, pepper and turmeric because we use a lot of turmeric these days.
Next, I chopped up mozzarella cheese (1 block) and about 7 slices of American cheese, and popped them in the sauce. I'd already cooked a bunch of noodles because I was doing some freezer meals today, so I just added in the noodles to the sauce, then about 1/2 bag of frozen peas.
After mixing together, it was ready to serve. I did use a stick blender after adding the cheese to make the melting go faster :).
Leftovers of this went well for dinner. I added more beef, half a container of cottage cheese and baked it.
I'm making lunch and breakfast a few times each week...well, breakfast at least once during the school week and lunch at least twice, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My oldest has 3 online classes those days and that doesn't leave much time for anything but school work and sitting in class.
Today's lunch started with a simple roux--butter melted with chopped onion and flour stirred in to form a thick paste. Milk added while heating on med/high until a nice sauce consistency was reached. I added salt, pepper and turmeric because we use a lot of turmeric these days.
Next, I chopped up mozzarella cheese (1 block) and about 7 slices of American cheese, and popped them in the sauce. I'd already cooked a bunch of noodles because I was doing some freezer meals today, so I just added in the noodles to the sauce, then about 1/2 bag of frozen peas.
After mixing together, it was ready to serve. I did use a stick blender after adding the cheese to make the melting go faster :).
Leftovers of this went well for dinner. I added more beef, half a container of cottage cheese and baked it.
not the meal described :)
CC Timeline
Fall 2016
I remember sitting next to my good friend when the new CC Timeline was revealed. We were both immediately saddened and uncomfortable. What had started with 'Creation' and 'The Fall in the Garden', now said 'Age of Ancient Empires', then moved on to Creation; almost as if Creation was part of a timeline.
That felt and still feels curious. It might seem minor, but Creation is not part of any man-made age. It stands alone as the single great work of God Almighty.
In time I taught my children the new timeline, except my oldest who was in 6th grade when it rolled out. My middle girl had the option of sticking with the old or taking on the new. My youngest learned the new even though he'd memorized the old one.
Now with my youngest in 6th grade I pulled out our cycle 2 materials and have an old Grammar on the Go, a creation of one of our seasoned and respected tutors of many years. It had all the pertinent memory work in it for our campus only and was colorful and small. I'd adjusted the material that had been shifted to accommodate new printings of the costly Foundations guide, all but the Timeline. My son read the old Timeline and immediately said, "This is way more Biblical".
What started as material that unashamedly glorified our God, gradually shifted. Part was for copy-write issues we continually had since Veritas owned the cards we used, but this also coincided with Bible being dropped from the Memory Master requirements. Later Bible left the classroom all together. A component that reinforced Christian teachings at home fell by the wayside, which was disappointing since the only other place that reinforces those teachings is church. There were reasons, there always are, but what we saw as membership in our community also changed.
An opportunity was lost, passed on as a company focused more and more on marketing and agreeing with a broader ideology.
Our Grammar on the Go has a spot for Bible right along with science and Latin, which is also different from the Foundations guide. Bible was critical- essential- to our CC campus. It wasn't a separate and optional topic, it was required for Memory Master and all the kids knew it.
Sometimes things are looked at as good/better/best. That might be the case here. Could there also be the question of Who is on the throne?
I want to raise discerning Christians who aren't gradually moved away from soundness without realizing it. I want them to ask who they are serving in all things, and not start out strong yet gradually shift away from orthodoxy.
My son is learning the old timeline this year. We do CC on our own, so we can do this if we want. He knows the new one and all the dates and such--it is very good and thorough, but instead of worrying about a 15 minute song, we're chanting a little timeline we still know and love and it starts simply with Creation, The Fall in the Garden, Cain and Abel, The Flood, Tower of Babel...and it feels like we're going home.
He's also got this cycle's Bible as part of his required learning, Ephesians 6:1-24. It isn't competing with other Bible programs we're doing at church or here at home. It is coming alongside and showing that Bible matters as part of our core memory work.
In shaping minds for Christ, why should we ever pass on glorifying God?
I remember sitting next to my good friend when the new CC Timeline was revealed. We were both immediately saddened and uncomfortable. What had started with 'Creation' and 'The Fall in the Garden', now said 'Age of Ancient Empires', then moved on to Creation; almost as if Creation was part of a timeline.
That felt and still feels curious. It might seem minor, but Creation is not part of any man-made age. It stands alone as the single great work of God Almighty.
In time I taught my children the new timeline, except my oldest who was in 6th grade when it rolled out. My middle girl had the option of sticking with the old or taking on the new. My youngest learned the new even though he'd memorized the old one.
Now with my youngest in 6th grade I pulled out our cycle 2 materials and have an old Grammar on the Go, a creation of one of our seasoned and respected tutors of many years. It had all the pertinent memory work in it for our campus only and was colorful and small. I'd adjusted the material that had been shifted to accommodate new printings of the costly Foundations guide, all but the Timeline. My son read the old Timeline and immediately said, "This is way more Biblical".
What started as material that unashamedly glorified our God, gradually shifted. Part was for copy-write issues we continually had since Veritas owned the cards we used, but this also coincided with Bible being dropped from the Memory Master requirements. Later Bible left the classroom all together. A component that reinforced Christian teachings at home fell by the wayside, which was disappointing since the only other place that reinforces those teachings is church. There were reasons, there always are, but what we saw as membership in our community also changed.
An opportunity was lost, passed on as a company focused more and more on marketing and agreeing with a broader ideology.
Our Grammar on the Go has a spot for Bible right along with science and Latin, which is also different from the Foundations guide. Bible was critical- essential- to our CC campus. It wasn't a separate and optional topic, it was required for Memory Master and all the kids knew it.
Sometimes things are looked at as good/better/best. That might be the case here. Could there also be the question of Who is on the throne?
I want to raise discerning Christians who aren't gradually moved away from soundness without realizing it. I want them to ask who they are serving in all things, and not start out strong yet gradually shift away from orthodoxy.
My son is learning the old timeline this year. We do CC on our own, so we can do this if we want. He knows the new one and all the dates and such--it is very good and thorough, but instead of worrying about a 15 minute song, we're chanting a little timeline we still know and love and it starts simply with Creation, The Fall in the Garden, Cain and Abel, The Flood, Tower of Babel...and it feels like we're going home.
He's also got this cycle's Bible as part of his required learning, Ephesians 6:1-24. It isn't competing with other Bible programs we're doing at church or here at home. It is coming alongside and showing that Bible matters as part of our core memory work.
In shaping minds for Christ, why should we ever pass on glorifying God?
School 2016-2017
Boys do things like switch to Airplane Mode in the middle of online classes. Planes are fun, right?
6th grade is a great time to ramp up school responsibilities, so we embark on 2 online classes and a schedule that is mapped out but not rigid. This way my student has to think about how much time he needs to get homework in for his classes...is a 30 min time slot enough, or should he really plan for an hour? What works better? Doing the reading assignment at the same time as the worksheet (which will take longer) may work, or is better to read and then later do the comprehension questions?
Time management. It is so critical to start teaching this before middle school. By high school, I want students who are fully able to manage their time and schedule.
I am enjoying a few slots of down time in my schedule which are allowing me the ability to make lunch or dinner early.
Today we had a soup for lunch. One of my students has a cold, so this seemed a good way to go!
From the freezer: collards, rice, turkey broth, red beans
Fresh: sauteed 1/2 onion, 5 cloves garlic, dehydrated carrots in enameled cast iron till browned nicely. Added in all items from the freezer which deglazed the pot. Seasoned with salt, pepper, turmeric, few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Simmered with a lid on for 45 mins and lunch was ready when the students were, plus we have left overs for tomorrow!!
6th grade is a great time to ramp up school responsibilities, so we embark on 2 online classes and a schedule that is mapped out but not rigid. This way my student has to think about how much time he needs to get homework in for his classes...is a 30 min time slot enough, or should he really plan for an hour? What works better? Doing the reading assignment at the same time as the worksheet (which will take longer) may work, or is better to read and then later do the comprehension questions?
Time management. It is so critical to start teaching this before middle school. By high school, I want students who are fully able to manage their time and schedule.
I am enjoying a few slots of down time in my schedule which are allowing me the ability to make lunch or dinner early.
Today we had a soup for lunch. One of my students has a cold, so this seemed a good way to go!
From the freezer: collards, rice, turkey broth, red beans
Fresh: sauteed 1/2 onion, 5 cloves garlic, dehydrated carrots in enameled cast iron till browned nicely. Added in all items from the freezer which deglazed the pot. Seasoned with salt, pepper, turmeric, few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Simmered with a lid on for 45 mins and lunch was ready when the students were, plus we have left overs for tomorrow!!
Summer Fun
We had a delightful, fun-filled summer! I've been working on making a list so I don't forget. :)
My kids are growing fast and our free summers are fleeting. I got a glimpse of this reality this summer as my oldest started volunteering at the library. Before long she will be working during the summer.
We had lots of things we had to do this summer, but we also fit in tons of activities that have been on Mom's list! Here are a few pictures:
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| impending storm at Solomon's Island |
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| UVA |
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| Liberty University |
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| the dog we fostered, Azalea |
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| my daughter turned 13 and was sent beautiful flowers from my sisters |
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| my cousin married!!! |
Here are some fun things we've done:
- kayaking several times
- fossil hunting (found teeth from 3 different sharks)
- went to Solomon's, MD and had excellent ice cream, key lime pie and toured the museum and light house (came home with more 'found' shark teeth!). Saw a wild otter swimming close by and picked wild apples to eat!
- spent a week at Massanutten and enjoyed grandparents being there for the first time
- toured a beautiful lavender farm and came home to plant a new variety
- planted a garden and have enjoyed the bounty
- went to the pool and enjoyed taking more than 20 guests
- caught up with 2 old friends and was blessed with lunch and a long visit at each of their homes
- my son started fencing
- bought a new laptop in preparation for school and it is our first TOUCHSCREEN woo hoo!
- went to Fairview Beach finally and realized we don't need to go back
- looked at Aquia Harbor and saw 3 huge dead fish, stinky stink!
- on 7-11's free Slurpee day my oldest, a good friend, and I got Slurpees in THREE different states! It was a crazy and fun ride!
- I started volunteering with the humane society through puppy snuggling
- fostered a dog from the humane society for a week who killed one of our chickens
- visited Colonial Beach finally and went back numerous times!
- had a great time at the new Yoder's Country Market for lunch, shopping and animal visiting
- hiked the Canal Trail together as a family for the first time
- went fishing a few times with my son early in the summer
- spent a week in Ocean City
- learned about crabbing from a seasoned pro while on vacation
- husband and son caught 26 fish on the fishing trip they took! son saw a wild sea horse
- oldest daughter spent a week at camp and had a wonderful time
- walked around Bob Jones' campus and toured Greenville
- attended a bridal shower and wedding in MD for my sweet cousin
- attended a baby shower for my other sweet cousin
- was blessed with a successful 'Gotcha Day' shower for friends at church
- attended a sweet 4th of July party in PA at my sister's
- did an overnight trip to Lynchburg and Nellysford, VA to see friends of my daughters' and me
- drove around Liberty University's campus for the first time
- walked around UVA and stood in on a tour we happened upon
- participated in a really great Bible study at my friend's church
- I rearranged the family room to create a sewing area for my middle girl and found a spot for her new 30 gallon fish tank
- bought a new puppy!! (see post below for a pic!)
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| my son's garden |
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| I made pickles and relish from his bounty of cucumbers! |
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| Colonial Beach fishing day |
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| crane at Colonial Beach |
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| the family room |
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