It has been 10 years since we first started homeschooling our children. At first, I was against homeschooling and thought that the public school should be the one to school my son. You see, I was praying to God, actually telling Him {ahem} that he needed to tell the public school what to do with my child.

However, God had something else in mind.

He worked on my heart and convinced me that what my son needed was to be home with me. I put my faith in God, brought him home from public school and haven’t looked back since.

He has since graduated from homeschooling and I have continued to homeschool his 3 younger siblings.

Prayer has always been a part of my life, but I have learned that God cares about everything I do, no matter how big or small.  Had God always answered the prayer the way I wanted? No, He hasn’t. I would like to share with you a little about how prayer has been a big part of our homeschooling.

John 14:13-14

13  Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14  If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

If you are considering homeschooling, you and your spouse should pray and ask God if it is right for your family. Homeschooling is not an easy decision and some families may possibly have to sacrifice an income for the spouse to stay at home. Ask God to pave the way for your to have your children home with you. God can open the door and provide the way!

Matthew 21:22
22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

When the decision has been made that you will be homeschooling, ask God to help find the curriculum that will work for you and your children. Just because your best friend is using it or a big time homeschooling blogger is using it, doesn’t mean that it will be a good fit for you! God has a plan for your family. He has a plan for your children. We just need to be obedient and listen to what God wants for us and not what we want.

I do know that if it wasn’t for the grace of God and Him leading my life and answering my prayers, that I wouldn’t be where I am at today.  This homeschooling  journey is tough.  There are some days I don’t think I can go on, but God has my back and when I reach out to Him through prayer, He is there for me. God does care about you and your family.

He does care about the little things in your life.

He just wants you to trust Him enough to ask Him.

Do you have a burden on your heart?  Please let me know so that I can pray for you!

Praying through the journey is a post from: The Homeschool Village

As moms, we all know how hard it can be to get some time alone for personal Bible study and prayer.

Somebody always needs Mommy!

Especially as a homeschool mom, the dream of a quiet morning with a cup of coffee and our Bibles isn’t very realistic.
I don’t know about your kids, but even if I try to wake up earlier for some quiet time, my girls seem to have a “Mommy’s Awake” sensor or something. It seems like they just know Mommy is up and so they wake up.

In this season of life, there are times that I simply long for silence and quiet time with God.

I can imagine getting in the car, renting a room at a hotel and just spending the day by myself… or finding a beach, pulling out a towel and sitting there alone with God… a park bench in the woods… a small table at Starbucks… so many options. so many reasons why those things aren’t part of my life right now.

Now, I know that God understands that I’m a busy mom with young kids who need me. I learned long ago that I can take small amounts of time and pray while the kids play or read my Bible while the girls color. I can choose to bring them along with me in my personal time with God.
I know that He honors the time that I give Him in this season of life. And, I know the impact my personal time with God has on my children when I seek Him in front of them.

But, there are times when I want more, times that those small study moments just aren’t enough, times when I feel the need to just get away from life for a few hours and spend some time with Him.

Quiet. Peace. Alone time with God.

Sounds so nice… so impossible.

Sometimes, in my heart’s tearful prayers, I tell God of my struggle to have more time with Him. I ask Him to help me hear His voice in the midst of the loudness of life.

And, in God’s patient loving way, He answered my cry. God led me to Psalm chapter 55 and wow… can I just tell you how personal our God is when we seek Him?

The cry of my heart was to break away, find relief and experience some quiet.  Obviously, there was a moment when King David felt the same way!

Psalm 55:6-7 “I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest- I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.”
Psalm 55:16-17 “But I call to God, the LORD saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. “
Psalm 55:22 “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.”

The study notes of my Bible say it like this: “We often seek relief by trying to escape our troubles. However, in most cases we cannot simply escape the situation. THE REAL SOLUTION is found in seeking God. Call on Him constantly. Giving Him our concerns and trusting Him to take care of everything in His own time and way.”

The end of verse 23 says, “But as for me, I trust in You.”

So, I might not get any time alone today but God is still here with me in the craziness of my young household. He hears me when the girls are playing, screaming and singing. He enjoys our time together even if there is a girl or two climbing on me. He listens to my conversations with Him even if I can’t close my eyes to pray.

I can trust Him to grow me, change me and use me even if I can’t get 2 quiet minutes to put together.  He and His love are right here with me.

The doubt, frustration and even guilt that I feel for not having that picture perfect quiet time is not from God. We put that on ourselves.
God reminded me through His Word that He is always with me and that my time with Him is precious in His sight.

I don’t have to fly away or run away to find Him.

The real solution is found in seeking Him right where I am in this moment.

Jenilee is a homeschooling mom to 3 girls – Elayna, Annalise and Abigail. She serves with her husband, Jeremy, a Children’s Pastor in Ohio, in full-time ministry. Jenilee loves a good book, coffee and blogging! You can read more about her family life, homeschooling adventures and other humorous Goodwin moments by visiting Our Goodwin Journey

The Real Solution Is Found In Seeking God is a post from: The Homeschool Village

Summer is fast approaching. For many of us, that means a break from our formal home education. The textbooks go on the shelf and we get a break from grading and evaluating. As much as we enjoy the time off, we really enjoy studying science during the summer. It’s the perfect time to get outside in the backyard, take trips to the zoo or to other nature parks.

Last summer, we worked through most of the Apologia Zoology 3: Land Animals curriculum. The kids and I took trips to a few different zoos and wildlife parks. That experience made the text come alive. Since it was summer, we didn’t do tests or assignments beyond the reading and the notebooking. I am convinced that the kids learned more without the pressure.

You don’t have to work through a text or follow any kind of curriculum to study science this summer. Just go with what your kids are interested in and pursue that with no pressure or expectations. The most important aspect of summer science is keeping it fun!

Ideas For Summer Science Study

Unit Studies - Unit Studies are lots of fun. They actually incorporate many academic areas around a main topic in a really fun way for kids. In our experience, kids learn without even realizing it! We enjoy Amanda Bennett’s Unit Studies. She has some really fun topics for summer: seashells, summer, trees, baseball, dolphins, oceans and gardens. You could always create your own unit study based on your child’s interests.

Experiments - Go to the library and grab a couple experiment books. Choose a few that look interesting and gather the supplies needed to carry them out. Have your experiment list and supplies on hand to pull out throughout the summer when the kids get bored.

Nature Field Trips - Make a list of all the zoos and nature parks within driving distance. When you have a free day, pack a lunch, binoculars, nature guides, sketch pads and cameras and take off. Pay attention to what interested your kids most about the trip. Grab some corresponding books at the library to keep the fascination going.

exploring backyard bugs

Backyard Nature - The backyard can be a fascinating place. Put out a bird feeder or bird bath and observe who it attracts. Plant flowers for the butterflies and hummingbirds. Spend time outside. The more the kids are out there, the more they will see.

Science Kits – There are lots of fun boxed science kits available. I have seen them at Michaels, Hobby Lobby and online at place like Nature’s Workshop Plus. We have built and launched rockets, made our own ice cream and made a bug habit – all from a kit! You gotta like science in a box!

Do you have any fun summer science ideas?

Summer Science is a post from: The Homeschool Village

We’ve talked about doing occupational therapy at home, but now that the weather is warmer, we’re taking it outside! In the backyard or at the park, here are some ideas for strengthening those motor skills:

• Swinging-Kids with autism and sensory process disorder are calmed by the rythmic back and forth movement. Swinging is one of our favorite things to do!
• Climbing- Strengthening those gross motor skills and major muscle groups is so important. Let him pull up the rock climbing wall, climb a tree, or do the monkey bars.
• Balancing- Over a bridge or on a balance board, work on his sense of balance when he thinks he’s just playing. Try balancing on one foot and then the other to strengthen those skills.
• Moving- Just getting him moving helps a lot! Walking, running, jumping, skipping, and even wheel-barrel walking with your help
• Swimming- Because of the all-over pressure when you’re in the water, most kids with autism LOVE swimming (and bath time too!).
• Grasping- You can work on fine motor skills, like grasping, too! Let him squirt you with a water gun, draw with sidewalk chalk, and pick wild flowers.

Change up your therapy routine by taking it outside! You’ll see improvement and have fun!

Occupational Therapy Outside is a post from: The Homeschool Village

Most moms I meet are worried or stressed. They worry about schedules, children, and chores. They stress about not doing enough, discipline, curriculum and what other families are doing. They aren’t living a joyful life. Clearly, they aren’t living much of a life at all.

The truth is, I often find myself slave to this trap. You know why? Because I’m not perfect and it is so easy to get caught up in a whirlwind, wondering:

What if I tried this schedule? What if I tried this curriculum? What if I did it like this family? What if I did this, went here, or read that?

Would I finally be satisfied? Would I ARRIVE?

The answer is NO.

It is the classic grass is greener syndrome. No matter how many times I change curriculum, try to pattern myself after someone else, or read just one more homeschooling guru’s book, I will not be content.  Those are just surface things.  Before I rest at the feet of Jesus, I am just going to be restless.  In our family, we call this “The School of Mary”.

To put down our good work, lay down our busyness, and just sit at the Masters feet.  For no other purpose but to be near Him.  To see His face.  To hear His voice.  To feel His presence.  Our homes, our children, our blogs, our very lives will just be a list of words put together in story form.  We must first wait before the Lord in order to have purpose.

People talk of perfection, of having THE homeschool experience, but I am here to tell you, perfection doesn’t come this side of Glory. We are blessed with just a foretaste of perfection here on this earth. We are also blessed with enough imperfection to know we aren’t there yet. Every now and then, we will have a homeschool day that looks and feels perfect. Those days are encouragements.  They are lovely.

But those days are like the water Jesus spoke of to the woman at the well…they leave us thirsty again.  Always wanting more.  Trying to duplicate that day so we can say it was perfect.  Instead, we need to drink in the Living Water, realizing He is perfect, and all that we need.

I know what it is like to second guess every move you make in your homeschool day (Trust me, the planning for 8 can be overwhelming). I want to be certain I have the right curriculum, the right schedule, the right everything. But friends, if you are always right, there is no room for God.

As a homeschool mom, you will find your education has just begun and it will last until that last little one has graduated. Don’t stress over it, but see it as a chance to put your relationship with Christ to work! You can expect interruptions, frustrations, and other things that take time away from your actual homeschool day. It is school, AT HOME. You are not in a bubble. Life happens. It’s ok.

There will be rough days. Don’t let the rough days ruin the good of what you are doing. Homeschooling is a labor of love. It is work, but it is good work. The bumps may slow you down, but they should never to beat you down. So, put Christ first in everything. Take a step back and rather than analyzing curriculum and schedules, analyze your walk with Christ, and how your day falls in line with God’s Will.  Step away whenever you feel as if you are going to drown. Step away into your place of solitude. Pray. Rest. Be at the feet of Jesus. It is there you will find what you are looking for.  It is at His feet, you will arrive.

Has your homeschool Arrived? is a post from: The Homeschool Village

It’s the end of March. I’m packing for a conference. This daughter of mine who shoots it straight and makes me laugh out loud, she asks, “Why are you packing?” To which I reply, “I’m going to a conference for homeschooling moms where maybe I’ll learn some new things and help us to do schooling at home better.”

She stands there and I lift my eyes to watch her. I can tell she is thinking, processing what I have said. Then out of the blue she shoots words across the room straight at me, “Well that’s good ‘cause this house is miserable.” [insert knife into heart here]

Yeah. That right there pierced so deep. I suck in a breath and try to process what she has said – but I can’t begin to wrap my mind around her words. Her truth. Our truth.

Our home is miserable? We’ve lost the joy? And I can’t help but think it is all my fault. I’ve lost my footing and focus.

So I drive to a conference put together by Apologia and I listen to women who have lived in the trenches and survived… thrived. I listened to moms who have graduated students. I listened to moms who struggled and were real. I listened and I prayed. I asked for His guidance to show me truth. (be brave enough to ask God to show you the truth about your home - He will rock your world)

You see I had been doing this homeschooling thing with half my heart. I wasn’t all in. I was waiting for the day when there would be “better options.” I was waiting for the someday. I was not fully invested in the here and now. Ultimately I wasn’t invested in them… in us. I was too focused on other things. I was lazy and distracted. I was disobedient.

I wept on the floor of that conference room and prayed: confessing, listening and seeking to be obedient. And as hands were laid on me in prayer – I heard a call to be the best option. To be the change my kids need. It starts with me.

So I brought the Joy of the Lord home with me.

We sat down together as a family and prayed. We thanked God for each other. We thanked God for placing each child directly where He has placed them and we thanked God for giving us a solid marriage and home. Then we got up off the floor and literally rearranged the furniture. We are all in. We removed distractions – the computer to an area outside our normal schooling/living space which freed up room for children to learn and create. We removed the excess. We organized our daily life. And we intentionally began to pursue laughter and God’s Word in our home. It is no longer God’s Word as a curriculum choice – it is God’s Word alive and active in our lives. It is no longer about my own personal quiet time, prayer time… it is about us.

“I was requiring them (my children) to live at a standard that I wasn’t living myself…God has a better plan. It starts by discipling you so you can discipline your children.” (Rachael Carman, Apologia Live, March 2012)

So my challenge to you this month is threefold:

1. Clear the clutter and distractions

2. Pursue God’s Word daily with your whole family not just a part of your curriculum choices

3. Be intentional about laughter in your home.

There is no reason for your home to be miserable…

The Homeschooling For Realz Challenge is a post from: The Homeschool Village

 Eight years ago, when my oldest son was in Montessori preschool and my husband and I were researching the option of keeping him home to learn, I called a woman I didn’t know at all simply because she happened to be a homeschooler.  I clumsily introduced myself and told her why I was calling, and she proceeded to allay my anxiety and turn an awkward conversation into a wonderful connection between two hearts that shared a desire to find the best for their children.  And after that day, after she answered my questions patiently and joyfully, I never spoke to her again.

Somehow in the past couple of years– in subtle small steps, successes and failures large and small– I have become an on-the-fly homeschooling mentor.  This fact has taken me by surprise and frankly I don’t feel as if I deserve the privilege, seeing as how I haven’t graduated anyone and I still have struggles and questions of my own.  Nevertheless the phone calls, emails and texts come in regularly asking for advice and tips and encouragement.

I fielded one of those phone calls this past week.  A precious friend, one who remains close to my heart even though thousands of miles separate us, is finishing up her first homeschooling year with her twin Kindergarten boys.  She asked question after question, gently sighing at my answers, relaxing into my words as I reminded her of her purpose and spoke grace to her anxious mama’s heart. A few times she apologized for taking my time, for only calling when she needed advice, and then another question would pop into her mind and she would quickly add it to the conversation.  I tried to assure her that I love helping her and encouraging her and untying the guilt-knots she has tied herself in, and she believed me.  I think.

But what I don’t think I made clear enough was how the conversation benefitted me.

The coin of mentoring- flipping between our need for encouragement and our ability to provide it to others- is one that benefits both sides.  The woman who helped me all those years ago had a profound effect on me, though I don’t even remember her name.  But a bit surprising to me is the truth that I, in all likelihood, also had an effect on her.  Maybe she was in the midst of a difficult week.  Maybe she needed to be reminded of why she chose the path of homeschooling and speaking her reasons to me gave her a much-needed boost.  At the very least our conversation probably made her feel like a link in the chain that connects all of us on this challenging and rewarding journey.

As we come to the end of a school year, and as we start to plan for the next one, I’d like to remind you that we as homeschooling moms are often better together.  That reaching out- either as a mentor or a mentee- benefits all involved.  Isn’t that what we’re doing here, in this online place- I learn from you, and you learn from me?

So I say to you: thanks for being here.  As you come seeking encouragement in this place, you bring some for me as well.

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Mentoring, Encouragement is a post from: The Homeschool Village

I have been so blessed to be apart of the great homeschool community that has made up The HSV the past 2 years.

HSV Writers at Apologia PJ Party

We have brought you articles on how to’s, science, pe, reviews, recipes, veteran insight, book lists, garden challenges, games, sharing faith, unschooling, frugal schooling, giveaways, lapbooking, special needs, newbie diary, and so so many other beneficial posts.

But rather than give you more things to read – the most important thing is to spend time with your/our children.

Rather than tell you how to homeschool better, teach better, organize better, or even blog better … we want you to live better.

The HSV team and I believe “living better” requires time well spent with our families.  Time for you and I to unplug from the computer and plug into our families and God’s Word.

Starting this month and throughout the summer The HSV is committing to only updating 3 days per week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays).  Our team of 24 writers will split and rotate contributing each month to bring you articles written according to their passions, experiences, and spiritual gifts.  First and foremost writing what God leads them to share with us!

Thank you so much for your time, encouragement, and support of our community.  We have enjoyed building bridges and desire to keep working – but just at a slower pace putting our priorities in correct alignment.

“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up”. Deuteronomy 6:5-7

HSV Changes is a post from: The Homeschool Village

I watch as my little girl’s eyes well up with tears for no apparent reason.  “What’s wrong?” I ask sympathetically.

“I’m so sad about my paper princess doll,” she sobs.  “I miss her!  Why did you throw her away?  In those stinky fish?  I should have written my name on her!”

I heave an exasperated sigh.  Again?  I thought we were over this months ago.

Yes, I committed the ultimate crime of motherhood.  I threw away a half-finished mangled paper princess craft.  It had been neglected in our group camping picnic spot for hours.  I was cleaning up and had no idea which of the half-dozen girls it belonged to, or if they were even still at the camp.

It got covered by fish guts as others cleaned their catch of the day.  And THEN 4yo Esmé realized it was missing.  And sobbed most of the 1.5-hour drive home.

Every so often, the memory comes back to haunt her.

Even though she’s currently in love with her Caddie Woodlawn paper doll.

If your house is at all like mine, toys multiply while I sleep.  Toys that were nicely contained yesterday suddenly overflow their container today.

So, how do you purge, declutter, achieve sanity in a teeny house, when you have a kiddo who is sentimentally attached to every single toy in her arsenal?

I can’t tell you how to do that.  I’ve tried to sneak stuff out of the house, only to deal with drama months later when daughter suddenly notices the missing items.  We’ve talked about blessing others with our excess, and that sometimes works.  We’ve made new toys conditional on giving up old ones, but that doesn’t help with gifts from others.

Here’s one spring cleaning event we are making a tradition, though:

We’re creating a memory box together.

It’s something to celebrate each year of change and growth.

We pull out the box, discarding items that no longer have poignant memories.

Together, we decide which current toys she’s outgrown but want to keep for memory’s sake.

We spend quality time discussing memories that I have, that she has, where the toys came from, the relationships they represent.

Not just toys, the box includes baby blankets, favorite dresses, awards, chewed-up toddler books, lullaby CDs.

The box itself doesn’t have to be perfect.  My personal memory box is a cardboard citrus fruit box  – which has memories in itself.  As a kid, I remember gorging myself on the whole big box of Florida oranges we bought every winter.

It’s HER box.  Sometimes I want her to keep something that holds no significance to her, even after I share my memories.  I may choose to keep that for my own, or more often, take a digital photo and pass it on.

I’m still tempted to toss out toys behind her back when the clutter threatens to overtake us.  But thanks to my sentimental daughter, I’m learning toys are not just about excess, about materiality.  Toys are about childhood.

And childhood is too short to discard at a whim. 

Don’t just purge stuff this spring.  Celebrate growth.  Enjoy your child.  And treasure each moment, each memory, together.

Memory Boxes is a post from: The Homeschool Village

I have a toddler who thinks sweet potatoes are the most delicious things in the world.  When I get them from our CSA he goes bananas – asking me to make them for lunch, dinner, snack, and everything in between.

Admittedly I love that my 21 month old thinks vegetables are delicious.  However, even he gets bored with eating them raw, cooked, or sauteed.  Sometimes that means I have to get a little creative.

This is a recipe I adapted from Pinterest {how addicting is that site?!?}.  I love sweet potatoes as much as my little boy, and we both love broccoli.  These were the perfect side dish one night.  I would even eat them alone!

Sweet Potato & Broccoli Cakes

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato
• 2 cups of fresh broccoli {or frozen}
• 1 cup cheese blend {I used Mexican mix, but anything would work}
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• olive oil spray

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2.  Cook the sweet potato for about 45 minutes.  Check regularly with a fork to see if it is done.  You want it a little overcooked.

3.  Meanwhile, chop the broccoli into very small pieces and set aside.

4.  When the sweet potato is done, remove the skin.

5.  Mash the sweet potato in a bowl.

6.  Add the broccoli, bread crumbs, and cheese to the sweet potatoes.  Mix together.

7.  Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with olive oil.

8.  Shape the sweet potatoes mixture into patties.  It makes about 8.  Place the patties on the cookie sheet.

9.  Cook on 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

10.  Meanwhile, heat a large skillet with olive oil.

11.  Transfer the patties to the skillet.  You are going to finish them by giving them a nice black {but not burnt} outer layer.

12.  Serve with anything you want!

Potato & Broccoli Cakes is a post from: The Homeschool Village