It’s February and spring is fast approaching. We have chicks in the incubator and plans for more. Ducklings and goslings are on the way. My seed starting shelf is set up and ready for my first planting as we wait for the garden to thaw. We have a chicken house to repair, a duck house to build and fencing to put up. This alongside fundraising efforts to build a children’s home in my son’s memory and the first craft shows of the year for my jewelry business. The busiest season of the year is about to begin.

I don’t have time to homeschool.

Now that statement seems a little strange to me. My children work alongside me all through the day. They peek in the incubator and ask what the chick inside looks like. They help fill tubs with soil for our seeds while we talk about what contributes to good soil health. They helped decide which breeds of poultry we should acquire based on our needs. And they have sat at craft shows with me learning the fundamentals of running a business.

But as demands on my time increase, I am not ready to fully let go of sit-at-the-table-and-do-your-work school. So we instituted our first ever mid year curriculum switch and began (loosely) using the Robinson curriculum. Now, instead of me calling everyone to the table and me giving lessons and me setting up projects and assigning work, I wash dishes, bake bread, finish jewelry. My children get started on their lists. My daughter has a bible reading plan she is working on, my son reads the next section of his devotional. They both read a chapter from a book selected from a list of 500 great works of Western Literature, have a brief writing assignment and do some math.

And then they’re done. With the formal part of their day, anyway. We’ll eventually add on more subjects to their independent time, but for the moment, we are focusing on the discipline of getting up and getting started without mom’s reminders. And I am finding more time to attend to other tasks in our home.

Advantages for our family:

• I have more time and am not feeling as stressed with everything that needs to be done in a day.
• The children have stopped complaining about school. This surprised me, honestly.
• Without the complaining, they are getting to their work and finishing rather quickly.
• They’re gaining independence. If they graduate with the ability to complete their work by reading a syllabus with no one to nag them, they will be more prepared for college, work or whatever comes next than most young people their age.
• We’re a little more consistent. It doesn’t matter how busy the day is, they get this formal part of their day done.

Disadvantages:

• I miss learning together as a family. I like the reading and the discussion and the more project based learning. But it was a lot of work, too. I think with some of this extra time, however, I will put together some units to do together every six weeks or so.

So far, so good. And the best part, I think, is that we can get on with some of that life learning without me feeling like we “skipped” school for the day.

Dana Hanley is homeschooling her five children while moving to the country. You can follow her plans and adventures while seeking to live life more abundantly at Roscommon Acres.

Feeling a little blue?  A little cooped up?  Are the kids stir-crazy?  Is anyone (or everyone) complaining about school work?  Yep.  It’s February in the life of a homeschooler.  There’s no need to feel defeated, though!  Adding a little spice to the schedule is sure to perk up the homeschool spirit!

Rather than “talk” a lot, I’m going to be short, sweet and practical.  This is an emergency and I know you need nothing less than wordiness!  Try one, two or all of the ideas below and find attitudes refreshed fast.

Warning: Adding spice to your homeschool may mean shaking up the regular schedule.  That means (gasp) you might have to replace a grammar lesson or two with something different… or even fun.  It might even mean that your children will demand that these new and exciting things become part of the “new regular”.  You have been forewarned that creative schooling is addictive!

• Take field trips.  Get out of the house to visit museums, community businesses, plays, musicals, indoor historical sites, or to participate in special classes.

• Plan homeschool group events.  Get together once every week or two with homeschooling friends to go bowling, play basketball at a church’s gym, swim at the YMCA, bake cookies together, or learn a new skill together (like sewing or woodworking.)

• Take nature walks.  Getting outside for exercise, sunshine and fresh air invigorate the mind, body and soul.

• Do a unit study.  Take a break from the textbooks to complete a family unit study.  Be sure to include lots of family reading time, art, crafts, cooking, science experiments and other motivating learning activities.

• Let your kids watch TV.  That one got your attention, didn’t it?  I have all sorts of documentaries and other educational shows on DVD and on my DVR.  We never get around to watching them other times of the year.  When it’s too cold to get outside, I allow a little more TV time in order to catch up on these educational programs.

• Celebrate theme nights.  Spend the day (or week) learning about a particular holiday, culture, or historical event.  Everyone in the family can help prepare food, decorations, music and maybe even costumes appropriate for a family theme night.

• Learn a handicraft or two.  Winter is a great time for your child to learn a new handicraft like sewing, knitting, painting, decoupage, scrapbooking, woodworking, wood burning, or photography.  Library books make great teachers if you don’t know how to teach something yourself.

• Splurge on a new educational toy or kit.  A fun kit full of science experiments or other projects can often take the place of textbook lessons.

• Replace some regular assignments with projects.  Instead of assigning a test at the end of a chapter, allow your child to create a project to show what he knows.  He might create a diorama, a mobile, a poster report, a play, a 3-D model, a poem, or a song to prove he understands the material.  From experience, projects “stick” way longer than test questions any time of the year.

With a little effort, you can enjoy your children and your homeschool – even in the winter.  And just in case you still need to hear it, spring isn’t too far away!

Cindy West is an eclectically Charlotte Mason mom of three who loves learning alongside her children. You can find her blogging at Our Journey Westward
and find her nature study curriculum at Shining Dawn Books.

We are so fortunate to have so much immediately available to us in our homeschool day.  The internet is full of wonderful websites and opportunities for our children to learn and practice their skills.  But it can be so intimidating to try and find that needle in a haystack; choices are endless and not always appropriate.  I rely often on suggestions from fellow homeschoolers and teachers who have led me to good sites to check out for our learning.

Here are some places we have enjoyed over the last couple of years, categorized by subject:

Art

Deep Space Sparkle – This site is jam-packed with wonderful project ideas that are well-organized, varied in difficulty level, and unique.  Some are for purchase but many are free.

Made by Joel – I love this guy’s creativity and simple style.  I have used many of his printables and taken inspiration from other projects, adjusting them to fit our family.

Harmony Art Mom – This blog has so much to enjoy!  Barb hosts Sketch Tuesday, with an art prompt and display of readers’ artwork through a photo slide show.  There are artist and composer studies, art projects and lots of printables and great resources.

Creativity Portal – This site has many articles, resources, links and projects in multiple categories.  Not all are visual art, you can find creative writing prompts here too.

Science

Handbook of Nature Study – A wonderful Charlotte Mason style site for nature study.  Includes projects, resources, and printables, as well as a ton of beautifully organized information.

Ology – A part of theAmericanMuseum of Natural History, this site has a dozen or so science branches/topics to study, including genetics, zoology, and astronomy.  Very interactive and interesting, though it has an evolutionary bent.  Pick and choose what you study based on your family’s desires and convictions.

eNature – This great site has virtual field guides as well as articles, links and pictures.

Nature Detectives – I love this site for outdoor exploration.  There are sections for each season with very unique ideas, printables, activities and games, all aimed at getting kids to get out of the house and enjoy nature.

Math

20 things to do with a hundred chart – I have used so many of these ideas to help my kids practice different concepts with a hundred chart.

Khan Academy – You can find videos for tons of different math concepts at this site.  Sometimes our kids just need someone else to explain it to them.

Sheppard Software – Dozens of great games here to practice all sorts of concepts in various levels.

Create a graph – A very nice site for kids to explore as they make graphs from data they have collected.

Cool Math 4 Kids – My kids love to play around here.  The games are varied and fun, and aren’t all of the typical geometry or facts practice ilk.  Try Rotate and Roll for some addictive enjoyment.  (My husband played this game obsessively until he was able to complete all the levels, then proceeded to race my son on dueling laptops!)

Language Arts

One Word – A very simple concept laid out in a clean and simple way.  Write (type) for one minute on their one word prompt.  Then submit your entry.

Pictures for writing prompts – A great collection of 50 fun and interesting pictures to use as writing prompts.

Grammar Blast – A host of middle school games to learn and review grammar.  Organized in 6th, 7th and 8th grade categories.

Sheppard Software – Tons of online games here to practice all sorts of language arts concepts.

History

This day in History – Children can see, and record (in a calendar journal, for example), what happened in history on each day.

BBC – My children and I explored theIndusValley activities for a couple of hours one day and they were completely enthralled with our adventure online.  Great information and interactive play here!

Growth of a nation movie – Someone led me to this great video of howAmerica spread to include all it is today.  Good geography and history lesson in a 10 minute video.

Birmingham museum for kids – Explore ancient history and resources here in this well-developed and visually-pleasing website.

What are some of your favorite sites for learning?

Christine Hiester is a Christian, homeschooling mom to three boys and a girl, ranging in age from 10 to 3 years old. She is a musician by trade, eclectic in homeschool style, and continues to grow and learn along with her children in this journey of life and discipleship at home. Visit her blog at Fruit in Season.

Taking Care of the Kids

Let’s face it: a household need a certain number of things done daily in order to run smoothly (or at least stumble along). And moms with chronic illnesses don’t always have the energy to do them. That means we often have to ask our kids (and hubbies) to step up to the plate. But what’s a mom to do when the kids resent being asked to do extra chore or being told mom can’t do something for/with them?

One of the biggest advocates for Mom’s health and kids doing chores is Dad. A father sets the tone for the whole house. If Dad plops on the sofa every night after work and asks about dinner and clean clothes when Mom is clearly not up to either, he sets up false expectations for the kiddos. On the other hand, if he willingly pitches in and encourages the children to help as well, he’s not only blessing his wife, he’s also exemplifying an attitude of servanthood.

What happens if a chronically ill mom is all your kids have ever known? That’s okay! They’ll learn how to do household chores early on. They’ll learn to be independent (in a good way). Hopefully, your kids will have extra compassion towards those who are physically weaker.

What happens if a chronically ill mom is suddenly sprung on our kids, especially if they have previously not had to do many chores? They’re in for a surprise. It’s all about expectations. In general, change leads to frustration. When a major life change like this occurs, it’s best to sit the family down and address these issues at the current level of expectation. It may be a bumpy adjustment, but don’t back down when the kids start whining about never having to do their own laundry before. They’ll adjust eventually. Promise.

Here’s what one friend had to say, “If Dad is frustrated and complaining, the children will follow suit. My husband never hesitated to clean do dishes, scrub floors, do laundry, etc., when I was down with pain. He encouraged our daughters to serve similarly. There were times when my girls were frustrated (junior high/high school), but they eventually grew to appreciate all I was able to do despite my pain. Also, I feel that my chronic pain was a plus in homeschooling. I was physically unable to hover over them or spoon-feed information. They were on their own. I wrote the lesson plans, and they carried out their work without me. They learned to dig for answers and be resourceful. Community college professors said they had incredible study skills—but that’s because they had no choice but to develop those skills. It’s all good.”

It may take a few years—or more—for our children to appreciate hard work, responsibility, and serving, but it will probably happen. Proverbs 22:6 reminds us, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

How can we try to keep our children’s attitudes in check?

• Model servitude
• Model a good attitude
• Don’t ask them to perform extra chores when we’re able to do them ourselves
• Study together biblical examples of people serving others
• Be patient when they are frustrated and unhappy, but don’t feed into it
• Encourage them to snuggle in bed with you to talk
• Let them express their frustrations in an appropriate way

How can we make sure our kids know that we appreciate them and the sacrifices they’re making on our behalf (at least in their minds)?

• Say thank you. A lot
• Spend time with them on their terms when we’re able
• Say yes when possible
• Take them on special outings when possible
• Give them little, unexpected treats just because
• Make an effort to ask someone else to take the teens on field trips and other outings
• Give hugs and kisses
• Write them thank you notes for special (or even regular) acts of service
• Let them hear you praising their actions to others

Of course, kids and teens will be frustrated from time to time, but aren’t we all? It’s that root of bitterness that we have to watch out for. Ephesians 4:31 admonishes, “Let all bitterness . . . be put away from you.”

Bottom line: there’s no guarantee that our kids won’t spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours stretched out on a therapist’s couch whining about their forced slavery. But there’s also no guarantee that kids who have been raised in church won’t forsake it, either. While we have no control over how our children choose to feel, I believe our number one defense against the root of bitterness in our children, especially as it concerns how our physical limitations affect them, is prayer.

Bethany LeBedz is a veteran homeschooler, professional editor, writer, and speaker. You can check out her business website at www.bethanylebedz.com. Bethany contributes regularly to Heart of the Matter Online, has a regular column in the Home School Enrichment magazine, and occasionally writes for other magazines, websites, and newsletters. She lives in North Carolina with her family and she enjoys music, reading, scrapbooking, sewing, genealogy, and keeping up with friends in her spare time. Be sure to follow her blog, Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom, at www.bethanylebedz.blogspot.com.

My daughter watched the TV show about hoarders with studied focus. She stared frozen as the show shared the lives of people who collect things to such an extent that they can no longer move through their homes. Stacks of newspapers, unopened packages, garage sales finds, dirty dishes, and mountains of clothes are piled often to the ceiling, creating tunnel-like paths through their homes.

She glared, unblinking at the screen, while the camera painstakingly worked its way through a woman’s home. Apparently, years ago this mom had suffered the loss of two children, only six months apart, and her inability to cope had sent her into a hoarding downward spiral. Suddenly, my eleven year old turned to me in utter seriousness, put her hand on mine and said, “Don’t ever do that. Just don’t. If, heaven forbid, I were to die. . .. . .take up knitting.”

I laughed out loud. Her concern was so heartfelt. Her face so serious. Yet, the idea of me as a hoarder would bemuse most of my family. I was raised in the military. And that means every few years you throw away everything you don’t feel like packing. This usually leaves me with several books and a coffee pot. I feel practically giddy when throwing things away. I look at a horizontal piece of table or shelf that was once covered with stuff, and find that once it’s cleared, I have a reaction that must be something like smoking crack. Who needs drugs. . .when a polished cleared table produces such an effect?

A few members of my family however, hover dangerously near the hoarding disorder. They have a very difficult time throwing things away. My youngest child believes that almost everything “would be perfect in my room!” My father has long collected obscure and odd-shaped things “that we just might need one day.” And my husband believes that anything that our children have ever breathed around is now precious, and must be preserved with sacred solemnity. The beginnings of tell-tale piles easily form around them.

I pick my battles carefully. My father and husband are on their own. But the daughter is still under my influence, and I decided that perhaps we should watch LOTS more of this show, Hoarders. Why? Because I remember so well how watching another TV show impacted my son to change how he views reckless and rash behaviors.

Previously, I had spent vast amounts of breath telling him not to climb on the roof, not to walk with scissors point-up, not to open the car door before the driver had stopped, etc. He constantly thought I was just over-reactive mom. Hyper-worry mom. Dismissible and amusing over-careful mom. Then one day we accidentally stumbled upon a TV show, 911 Emergency, that showcased actual ambulance calls. Each show started with a recreation of the accident, then followed up with the emergency action taken to rescue the victims. My son was hooked. Suddenly he saw, in vivid detail, just what happened when kids run through a glass window, ride a bike without a helmet, or venture out on thin ice. The show fascinated him; it also validated me. In time, he became the voice of caution, the resident crossing guard, the home monitor and safety patrol. It should come as no surprise that he also eventually became an EMT and firefighter.

So the question then becomes, why did this show work where the words of a wise and experienced mother did not? I think it has something to do with repetition and visual imagery. This TV show brought its message with sight, sound, color, and drama. And not just drama, but drama that was safe, while still “experienceable”. All the wise words in the world can’t compete with that.

But I also believe that some kids need more. More of everything. More intensity. More voices. And most of all. . .more repetition, to get some concepts.

So I find myself in an odd position of advocating television use. Carefully. Moderately. And with a noble purpose. It may seem counter to traditional educational thought, but there it is. I’m putting the TV show “Hoarders” on our schedule. I’m hoping that my daughter will eventually develop a fear of becoming what she sees on the screen. And that she might, one day, view her room with a different eye.

Carol Barnier is a fresh, fun and popular conference speaker unlike any you’ve heard before. Her objective is to have the wit of Erma Bombeck crossed with the depth of C.S. Lewis, but admits that most days, she only achieves a solid Lucy Ricardo with a bit of Bob the Tomato. She is a frequent guest commentator on Focus on the Family’s Weekend Magazine broadcast, has been a guest on many radio programs and is a speaker to conferences nationwide. She’s the author of three books about dealing with (or possessing) a non-linear mind in a linear world: How to Get Your Child Off the Refrigerator and On To Learning, If I’m Diapering a Watermelon, Then Where’d I Leave the Baby?, and The Big WHAT NOW Book of Learning Styles. Her main websites are CarolBarnier.com and SizzleBop.com. You can also find Carol at her blog for moms with distractible kids at SizzleBop. And for fun, see her church humor blog at CarolBarnier.

By all measures, I have a great life. I have a simple life. I have an uncomplicated, joy-filled, hopeful life.

Ah, but some days….

None of us live a life of perfect ease and bliss. There are always “things” that get in the way of total joy and contentment and satisfaction. Wouldn’t you agree?

What do you do when a major wrench is thrown into your plans for peace and functionality? How do you handle the disappointment of an unpredicted, and undesired, change of plans?

Me? I quit. Just the other day, I quit homeschooling.

I’ve been teaching my kids from day one. They’ve all been educated at home and I’m so grateful that I’ve been given the opportunity to make this choice for our family. My husband always wanted to marry someone who wanted to homeschool, and I always thought it would be the coolest thing ever to homeschool even though I had never known anyone who had done it, or if it was even legal!

And so we married. And so we started. And it was good. I mean, not perfect. And not ‘easy’ all the time, but it was good.

Just last year, however, there came a couple of twists into our school at home that made my husband and me stop and reconsider how we did a few things. This is the benefit of homeschooling, yes? You get to change curriculum and philosophy and style along the way to suit the needs of your students.

However, I was finding that these changes we made (that are the right changes: of that I am convinced) were hard, and exhausting, and outside of my scope of ability.

I found myself driving in my car, weeping, saying out loud, “I am a failure. I do not know how to home school. I can’t do this anymore. I quit. Today is my last day of homeschooling.” And I thought about how I could work it so that my children would no longer be subjected to having me as their teacher.

I was done. D-o-n-e. Done.

And in the middle of my ranting I heard that small, still voice say to my heart, “Finally. Finally, you got the lesson.”

You see, there in the middle of my ranting I was reminded of the fact that I, truly, can do nothing. Period. Nothing. Nothing apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in my life. From a standpoint of working in the flesh, it will all be a failure. It is all for naught. And that’s the place from which I was functioning. I was striving in the flesh. How can I do this? How can I squeeze this new thing in to my schedule? How can I arrange everything on my precariously full plate so that I can handle everything?

Simple answer? I can’t.

And so there in my car, I quit for real. No, I didn’t quit homeschooling. Rather, I quit homeschooling in my own strength. I remembered that “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” in more areas than just my salvation. He called me to homeschool. And before that he called me to have these children. He is faithful. He will surely do it.

Am I required to do the actual teaching and training and discipling and housework and ministry? Yes, of course. But the position of strength and usefulness in His Kingdom is the place where I have surrendered my will to him who is my Sabbath Rest (Heb. 4:9-11) and say “Yes, Lord. You are my strength. You are the one who works and wills within me for your good pleasure (Phil. 2:13-15). Apart from you, I can do nothing (John 15:5).” That is the position I need to adopt as I work this life (and live this work) He has given me.

Lord, you know that I am unfit for the tasks you lay before me. You know that you alone are able to make me fruitful and useful in your kingdom as it is built in my home. And I know all this, too. I know that I am helpless apart from your great strength. I am thankful for my weakness so that through it I can see your perfect strength. I throw up my hands in surrender today, and today I quit trying to do this in my own strength. I pray with the Psalmist and proclaim: “The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. (Ps. 28:7) Amen.

Barbara Postma and her husband, as they homeschool their 7 children, are finding out that no two children are alike! Between lessons and lunches, Barbara blogs at Fuel by Barbara.

Not long ago, we completed a study of Charles Dickens. As a teen, I was not a fan of Dickens; I found his work far too long and even more boring than it was lengthy. Consequently, I wanted to introduce him to the kids differently than I met him while in high school. We took the time to learn Dickens’ writing style courtesy of Invitation to the Classics. After reading Tale of Two Cities, (which the kids said had nothing to do with all those Disney-like spinoffs they have seen), we actually looked forward to delving into more of his work. Besides, I have not yet seen the day when the kids turned down the chance to watch television for school (smile). First, we watched “Great Expectations,” then “David Copperfield.” What I loved most was hearing all of their conversation, first with one another, then with me, regarding their thoughts on the stories, and on Dickens. It was the rare Socratic dialogue that is a homeschool parent’s dream.

Often as homeschooling parents, we play hit-and-miss with our older children and having transformational discussions about what they are learning. Schools focus on exams as a test of comprehension, and for many of us, we transfer this same approach into our homeschools. As a college instructor, I spend numerous hours helping adult learners move past the memorization required for most exams, and instead engage in Socratic dialogue. Over the years, I have helped my high schoolers get a jump on this same dialogue using exercises that deepen their understanding and help them think more critically about their history and literature studies. Most of these ideas require little planning to implement, and the educational bang for the buck, so to speak, is well worth the effort.

Probing for Prior Knowledge
Believe it or not, what sometimes stymies a child from learning about a subject might be what he thinks he already knows. As an example, following the classical cycle of study, a student will see the same periods of history on three different occasions. By the rhetoric stage, a brief moment spent learning what the child knows can help in at least two ways:

1) Any misconceptions can be clarified.
2) As an educator, you use your time wisely.

Discuss with your child that you are going to study _______, and that before you jump off into an extended lesson plan, you want to see what he already knows. His response does not have to be a paragraph or a report; a simple listing of facts will suffice. As an example, if you ask “What were the major accomplishments of Leonardo da Vinci?” and your child can list most major achievements of his life, your time might be better spent elsewhere. You might even be delighted to find that your child loved a particular area of history enough to dig out new information without your lesson plans. There is a caveat here: be sure that you understand what answer you are looking for before evaluating whether your student is competent. Note that there is a distinction between what your child knows and what you taught; the child will repeat the former, not the latter.

Learning Matrix
A learning matrix is a simple grid that can be modified to gather a number of facts regarding any study. It takes light preparation to think about how a layout for the grid, in a fairly objective snapshot, what a student understands.

To help your student with higher order thinking skills, this table can be modified such that a student lists pros and cons or a categorization of facts. Also, remember when you shopped for that appliance and used a comparative list to help you make a decision? Do not discount this same type of listing to allow your child to fill in the blanks. This is not geared toward a Socratic dialogue, but as a methodology to seal in facts from which your child can build deeper insights.

Major Civil War Battles

One-Minute Paper
The one-minute paper can be a dream for a reluctant writer, but it also gets a student to think about what he/she has read, and to summarize it in a matter of a few words what was the primary idea. From the parent’s perspective, only one question sparks the written discussion: what was the most important thing you learned about ____________? A related, or possibly an alternative question, might be what important question remains unanswered? An expansion on the one-minute paper, if you are considering it for more regular use, might be the commonplace book, in which the student collects these same types of insights on a more regular basis. We use commonplace books extensively in our home as an extension of our notebooking, and I can see very quickly where the kids are in their command of a given topic.

Word Journal
The Word Journal has two products that can be used for further analysis:

1) a single word, from the student’s perspective, that summarizes the text
2) a paragraph or two explaining the choice of that particular word

The student is, in essence, giving an abstract of the text. This is obviously best used on shorter excerpts or texts. Also, if the book generates an apathetic response, you can always help your student along by offering a choice of words rather than letting the student belittle the assignment. One of our children, as an example, loves the adjective ‘interesting.’ In reading through an analysis, why a book is “interesting” is well-defined, but I am also looking for expanded vocabulary, so I constantly steer our child away from this description. Also, consider a picture—worth one thousand words—to replace the one word approach. Then, an artistic child can explain the choice of the picture.

Bear in mind that, even after incorporating one or more of these exercises into your lesson plans, a student’s response to the question, “What’d you think of that book?” might be, “Eh, it was alright.” [Groan]. However, seeds are planted, and whether it is immediately obvious or not, you are facilitating thinking skills, which will serve your child in the long run much more than passing a test of memorization.

Belinda Bullard is a wife and homeschooling mother of three, Belinda is an author and the owner of A Blessed Heritage Educational Resources, a literature-based historycurriculum featuring African-American presence in history, as well as the contributions of other races to American history. A chemical engineer by formal education, she also serves as adjunct faculty for college distance learning programs. Belinda blogs at Simply Belinda and Chronicles of a Blessed Heritage.

Apologia Live is a specially designed weekend retreat. A refreshing time for the homeschool mother in the trenches! An Apologia Live retreat will help you find strength for the journey!

I have the privilege of attending (and counting down the days until the weekend!) in Atlanta. I will be tweeting live from the retreat for Heart of the Matter. Just take a look at what this special weekend includes:

More information for you about Apologia Live – Atlanta – March 23, 24

General information about Apologia Live Retreat

List of speakers

The Retreat Schedule 

Special guest speaker at Apologia Live – Atlanta, Pam Tebow

Pam Tebow, mother of Heisman Trophy Winner Tim Tebow, will join us for our March 2012 conference. Pam and Bob are homeschool pioneers who began teaching their children at home in 1982 and homeschooled all five from kindergarten through high school. All five of Pam’s children have gone on to complete college degrees. Pam speaks nationwide and is passionate about encouraging women to trust the Lord with all their hearts for all their lives.

Heart of the Matter and Apologia are giving one lucky winner the opportunity to attend the Atlanta conference! To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post. The giveaway will be open until Friday 2/10 at 10:00pm EST. If you are viewing this post on Facebook, please visit our website to leave your comment. 

Tricia gave up life in the drive thru lane for the joy-filled road home. She homeschools five children from preschool to middle school. You can find her facing that daily dose of chaos at Hodgepodge. There she writes about practical schooling strategies and shares how she is saving bucks and her sanity with the frugal recipes of her Southern roots. Tricia is also known as Hodgepodgemom.

If you are anything like me, life works out much better when it is scripted. “Then the LORD answered me and said: ‘Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it’.” (Habakkuk 2:20) I have found this scripture to be of great importance; reminding me to prayerfully write things down rather than trying to remember everything on my own. Because of the importance of staying organized as a stay-at-home homeschooling mother, using planners has been a wonderful and necessary tool in my life.

Does this describe you? If so, then I have the perfect resource to recommend you!

Recently I had the honor to review the eBook, Planner Perfect: A Fresh Idea on Organizing Your Life by Jenny Penton. The Planner Perfect is unlike any planner that I have ever used in the past. It is truly a breath of fresh air that I know will help me out with planning many wonderful thins to come in the new year. It is well written, well organized, keeps God at the center of your planning, and very simple to understand. The beautiful thing about Jenny’s eBook is that it teaches you how to become a master life planner, taking control of your own scheduling, rather than being held captive by your schedule.

The story behind the concept is absolutely heartwarming. Jenny has fashioned the planner around the influence of her precious Proverbs 31 mother and the example she modeled while Jenny was growing up. Rather than the typical “task manager” planning, the Planner Perfect is a place where you create your life and can dream up new things birthed in freedom, rather than being tied down by an impossible to-do-list.

One of my favorite things about the Planner Perfect approach to goal setting is the simple fact that it is more about dreaming and living life than about the legalistic aspect of making lists to “check” off. While lists do serve their purpose, the Planner Perfect gives you a whole new understanding about the importance of not overbooking yourself and family. This new “mindset” will help anyone who has been giving their calendar too much control in their life plans.

Some of the many wonderful topics this fabulous eBook covers are:

• creating a space of your own
• secrets to why we can’t stay organized
• the role of your calendar
• daily and monthly pages
• organizing and exploring your strengths and talents
• organizing your wardrobe
• party planning
• vacations
• emotional and physical health
• keeping your home clean
• meal planning
• holiday’s and special occasions
• aspiring for more

I would highly recommend purchasing this eBook if you want a fresh and exciting new start to your life planning. I love the way Jenny teaches us to become the master of our own life planning accompanied with living life, accomplishing goals, creating and accomplishing dreams, and above all else; living a life pleasing to God.

You can purchase Jenny Penton’s ebook here: Planner Perfect: A Fresh Idea on Organizing Your Life.

We have FIVE copies of Jenny’s planner to give away!  To enter, simply leave a comment on this post. The giveaway will remain open until Wednesday 2/8 at 10pm EST. If you are reading this on Facebook, please note that you must enter your comment on the original blog post on our website.

Carlie has been blissfully married to the love of her life, Michael, since June of 2000. She has been a stay-at-home homeschoolin’ mama to their 3 children since 2001. Carlie currently resides with her family in Germany courtesy of the US Army. You can read about her homeschooling adventures and Christian faith at her blog: So You Call Yourself A Homeschooler?

Like many, we homeschool at the dining table. Every day I’m amazed at the speed with which it is covered—books, papers, folders, colored pencils, and sometimes a bowl or a cup is squeezed in there, too. Worse, I’ve seen a kid fill one spot up with books and papers and then sit at a fresh spot for lunch, leaving one of my preschoolers to set a bowl on top of the older kid’s pile of books.

We’ve had nights that we just ate in the floor picnic style rather than try to excavate the dining table. We’ve had disastrous coffee spills and cheerio-encrusted Latin pages. I only confess this because I know you know what I’m talking about.

The table gets that bad with only two students, but this year, my three-year-old and four-year-old have started wanting to “do school,” too. They lug their workbooks and bags of pencils over to my desk, and with round, sweet eyes, they ask if I’ll help. They obliviously pile their things on top of the bigs’ papers some days; other days they just cry out, “There’s nowhere for me to sit!” And then they get stuck, repeating this cry until a spot is cleared.

Last weekend, I had an idea. I marked off the amount of space each child could have for their work and gave them a piece of paper the same size to decorate and label. John drew inventions on his placemat; Grace illustrated the events of The Iliad on hers. Abby and Caedmon colored their names with dots and stripes.

We put the four pieces of decorated paper on the table and covered the whole table with a thick piece of clear plastic I’d bought at the fabric store for that purpose years before. Now they could see at a glance if they were taking up too much space.

So far…honestly, it hasn’t helped at all. But I think that the training will go more smoothly with the visual reminder. I think drawing boundaries will help them to see—in the long run—the importance of keeping their stuff picked up and the finite limits of the square footage available at one dining table.

Aubrey Lively is a homeschooling mama with a loud one-room classroom filled with four children, aged ten to two. She likes a Saturday morning with her husband and his guitar, a good cup of coffee, and a fresh sheet of paper. She has a BA in Literature and a MEd in Teaching, but more importantly, she thinks outside the box. (She believes the box is a conspiracy.) Visit Aubrey online at http://aubreylively.blogspot.com.