God's Provision in Homeschooling

As promised, here is the follow-up to my last post on homeschooling.

I had made the comment that I've watched the Lord step into our homeschool to provide for a need.

I'd like to share one example of that in today's post.

(A winter arrangement on my dining room table...)

I'm sure it goes without saying that a homeschool mother is in constant prayer to the Lord, asking for direction and wisdom.

To forfeit all help and support from the education professionals is a realization that frequently finds me on my knees.

Am I messing these kids up? Are you sure you want me to do this? I ask the Lord... Will you please come and dwell here, and have full reign over our school day, and honor our efforts! I plead.

"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act."

- Psalm 37:5

(The view from my bedroom window. The temperature is -1 at the moment...)

Around two years ago a close friend was over for a visit.

We were sitting in my living room and the children were all clamoring to talk with her.

My friend has a degree in Speech Therapy, and has worked with children in the past, so when Nola began talking I whispered to my friend, "Hey, listen to her speech, and let me know what you think..."

I had noticed a pattern with Nola's "th" blends. They always seemed to come out sounding like "f's". I really just thought she'd outgrow it, so I never worked with her on it.

But my friend confirmed that yes, she cannot say "th".

"If you were to bring her to a Speech Therapist, she would be seen in a clinic," my friend said.

"But she's so young, won't she just outgrow it?" I asked.

"If you'd let me, I'd love to work with her," my friend offered. "I think it's something we can correct fairly quickly."

(Nola bringing apples in from the orchard this past summer...)

So, my friend came out to our house a handful of times that school year, and worked privately with Nola.

She made flashcards and games, and it became something Nola really enjoyed.

My friend made it so pleasant, that after a few visits Roman asked when it could be his turn! Haha!

She also made a few charts and lists for me so that I could work with Nola in strategic ways in-between her visits.

My friend encouraged me throughout that school year that Nola was making progress. And at the start of the following year offered to continue coming out.

I was so thankful for the help!

I felt as though God was using her to minister to our family.

By this past summer my friend assured me that Nola was doing well and speaking better!

Now you would never know there used to be a problem.

(Nola making sugar cookies this past Christmas..)

 I have always begun each school year with the prayer that God would expose any gaps in my children's education, and either empower me to fill them, or allow a resource into our lives to fill them.

When the resource (like my friend in this example) is brought into our lives, I want to make sure I humbly back off and let God work.

Because this homeschooling journey really isn't about me. It's about what's best for the children.

I don't believe God would place the call on a mother's life to homeschool, then turn His back and allow her to falter.

Struggle and question at times, sure. But not fail.

"The Lord stood at my side and gave me strength."

- 2 Timothy 4:17

"You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great."

-Psalm 18:35

"But He knows the way that I take, and when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold."

- Job 23:10

(Nola playing with her sister...)

I hope this has provided some encouragement for you, dear readers.

The Lord provides what He requires.

I know not everyone who stops by here homeschools, but to those who do...

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

- Galatians 6:9

xo,

~ Courtney ~

A Winter Getaway

Hello again, friends!

How has your New Year been so far?

I always look forward to getting through the holidays so that I can just relax and enjoy the winter months.

Winter can be a time for rest and for being home, but sometimes it's nice to get out for a change of scenery.

This past weekend we had the opportunity to do just that.

My parents took the kids for us, and we said goodbye to home sweet home for the night...

We were only away for a little over 24 hours, but it's always hard for me to leave my home.

It's like saying goodbye to a dear and loyal friend.

I look forward to the adventure and the memories we're about to make, but I also take care to prepare the house for our return. Sort of like looking forward to coming home before I ever even leave! 

I like to make beds, wipe counters, put fresh towels out, and have the laundry under control.

I am always glad when I have taken the time to do this.

Then coming home feels like a breath of fresh air!

Our little trip was really nice!

We visited a small town in Door County, Wisconsin, and stayed in a lovely hotel on the water.

Our room was beautiful and spacious, and we were so happy to be there!

I decided that comfort was going to be my top priority, (I hate being uncomfortable while traveling!) so I wore stretchy leggings and soft dresses on both days.

This was the view from our room right after arriving on Friday night, and what I wore...

Having a fireplace in your hotel room on an icy winter night is such a treat!

We felt very lucky!

This was the view and what I wore on Saturday morning...

Door County sure has a different feel in the winter.

A visit in the summer is costly, and the towns are booming with tourists, boaters, and campers.

It is peaceful here in January.

The marinas are empty, the water is grey ice, and the streets and sidewalks lack the hustle and bustle of the summer crowds.

But a lot of the restaurants and shops are still open!

Yippee!!!

We were there as part of a conference-type event through our church, but whenever we could break away for an hour or two, we did!

 We sat in warm, bacon-scented cafes sipping coffee, and chatting up our darling waiter who told us it was his first day on the job...

We meandered through antique shops leafing through 100-year old books, Micah eyeing the old clocks and tools, and I contemplating an English Ironstone purchase (even though I have all the ironstone one person could need).

We drove up and down the back streets, oohing and ahhing over houses like this!... 

(My aunt recently purchased an old Victorian that looks very similar to this. She painted it a cheerful combination of purple and blue! So I sent her this picture and said, "We found your house's sister!" haha!)

Basically, we did all the things a couple with four little kids can't ever really do!

We soaked it all up, and enjoyed every moment!

I don't like to view trips away from home as a chance to escape for awhile. Instead, I like to view them as a chance to gain a fresh perspective... to gather up some piece of inspiration or new knowledge that I can bring back with me to make my home life better than before.

So, it is my custom to always come home from a trip with a small memento to help me with that.

I found this book and knew it'd be perfect...

God and Home and Native Land.

Published in 1912.

I am looking forward to reading it to my children.

The epigraph on the very first page says this...

~ The comfort, hope and blessing assured in living the Christian life.

~The charm of home- the respect of Father and Mother- the joys of childhood and the means of making home the happy, love-inspiring place it should be.

~Valorous deeds and noble achievements that stimulate patriotism and admiration for our glorious country.

Isn't that lovely?!

It feels great to be home and to get to start a new week.

 I hope you have a great start to your week, friends!

I'll blog again soon...

xo,

~ Courtney ~

We Have Chickens!

I have had this blog for three full years now.

A few months after I started it, somebody said to me, "Aren't you afraid you'll run out of topics to write about?"

Well, it's been my experience that it isn't topics that I lack...

It's time!

Because home living is so varied and diverse, I seem to always have ideas for this blog swirling around in my brain.

For example, we were given chickens over the holidays!

 I want to take a moment to compose a quick post on it before I move on to writing about the other ideas that I have...

Friends of ours are moving, and they can't take their chickens with them.

The situation just sort of fell into our laps! 

My friend said that we could have them because she just cares about them going to a good home. 

Our garage has a little coop attached to the back, and my friend knows we're home a lot, so we seemed to be a good fit.

(The entrance to the coop)

Micah built these nesting boxes for the hens...

They seem to like them.

We have thirteen hens altogether.

They are good girls.

Most of them came to us unnamed, so of course I gave them adorable names like Penny, Lucy, and Tilda...

The kids named the rest, giving them names like Freckles, Cupcake, and Arrow...

The lighting of these photos is red because we have a few heat lamps in the coop for them.

It is very cold here at the moment, and we want them to be comfortable.

We check on them everyday, sometimes two to three times a day.

We collect eggs, of course, but we also make sure their water isn't frozen and their feeder isn't empty.

We like to take kitchen scraps out to them.

We've learned they love breadcrumbs, lettuce, and warm oatmeal.

Sometimes at night I will make a big batch of plain, warm oatmeal just for them.

They've already learned to recognize the container I bring it in, and go nuts when I enter the coop!

(An omelette-making lesson with fresh eggs)

The eggs that they lay are mainly brown, but the little speckled chickens lay small white ones.

This is about the amount we get from them each morning....

We eat around four to five with our breakfast every morning, and Roman sells the rest.

He is by far our most motivated and driven child, and he's taken it upon himself to start a little egg business.

In fact, he told Micah and I on New Year's Eve that his goal for 2019 is to make $50 in "chicken business". 

I, on the other hand, am not business-minded at all. I recently gave my hair stylist and my mother free eggs and Roman was exasperated!

He said, "Mom! Please stop giving away eggs!'

Haha!

(Farm-fresh eggs, buttered english muffin, and spinach smoothie makes a great breakfast!)

So, if you like farm-fresh eggs, you'd make Roman's day if you ask him about buying some.

He is selling them for $3 a dozen.

*smile

Micah and I have a short getaway planned, so I'll be back soon with traveling tales to share.

 Until then... take care, sweet friends.

Thank you for stopping by my blog.

It means a lot to me.

xo,

~ Courtney ~

What Our Homeschool Looks Like

We woke up to a beautiful first day of 2019...

There was a little pink leftover in the sky from the sunrise, and the snow was glistening.

Happy New Year, friends!

 Our hens gave us seven warm eggs for our New Years breakfast.

(More on that to come!)

Christmas break has been wonderful.

It's been just the rest and downtime we've needed.

But it's back to school for us starting tomorrow already!

I am looking forward to it.

The Lord put homeschooling on my heart years ago when my firstborn was a baby, and it's been a blessed life for us ever since.

When people find out I'm a homeschool mom, they will say things like...

You must be a saint!

You must be so patient!

You must be so organized!

etc, etc...

I make sure to correct these well-meaning people with a quick, "No, no! I am none of these things! Anybody can homeschool."

And I mean that!

 I wouldn't want anybody who has a desire to homeschool to feel unsure or inadequate, or to feel like they have to be some sort of super mom to do it.

That's the heart of this post...

I want you to see that my children and I are nothing special.

My four-year old is not reading at a second grade level...

My ten-year old is not doing algebra...

And I do not hand sew my children's clothing and bake whole grain bread from scratch.

(Although that last part does sound lovely! *smile)

Our homeschool life is about enjoying our family and our home...

  

It's about training and raising my kids myself...

(They're my kids! Why should I have to ship them off to be taught by strangers?)

It's about comfort and happiness, and making wonderful childhood memories...

Oh yeah, and it's about academics, too. 

*wink

I'm sure I've shown you this before...

This is our schedule - 

It sits a top our school bookshelf.

We have settled nicely into this routine and it works for us, so we don't need to look at it too often anymore.

It's nice to have a general outline to guide the day.

What I enjoy most about the homeschool lifestyle is the freedom and flexibility it offers.

Some homeschool families are quite rigid with their schedules, while others are more carefree...

Some travel and are on the go, involved in every church activity and homeschool group, while others mostly stay home...

Some have entire rooms in their homes set up as little classroom replicas, while others just do school at the kitchen table...

It's wonderful to see all the different ways homeschooling can look!

But it's even more wonderful to settle comfortably into the lifestyle that's perfect for you and your children.

That's the beauty of it!

The homeschool mother can design her schedule, her days, and her home however she wants!

(I tell you all this to hopefully encourage the young mother who maybe wishes she could homeschool but is afraid to try it - there is no right or wrong way. Don't let Pinterest or that picture-perfect homeschool mom at your church intimidate you! You are the mother of your children and you will know what is best and right for them.)

We do not have a fancy or organized school room.

(Although someday we may! I think a school room for the homeschool family is a wonderful thing to have in a home!)

For now we keep our school books on a bookshelf, and take them to the table when we're ready to work. It's worked out just fine for us!

We've always used Abeka curriculum.

Maybe I'm too easily pleased, but I've never branched out and tried other curriculum.

I've always just liked Abeka.

It's an accredited and Christian curriculum, that challenges my kids but also includes a lot of practice and review. And that's good enough for me!

I look at myself as being more of a guide than an actual teacher.

I am available to help and answer questions, but I encourage my children to read their lessons for themselves first, and try to learn it on their own.

"I am convinced that the best learning takes place when the learner takes charge."

- Seymour Papert

I am lucky in that I know several homeschool families in person.

It is growing in popularity so they are easy to find.

I love picking the brains of other homeschool moms.

I ask them questions and we learn from each other.

Whenever I am asked questions, I will try to steer the mom back to the basics.

It's easy to get overwhelmed. Taking on the responsibility of your children's education is a great load to bear!

But I encourage that the basics be held to first, (reading, writing, and arithmetic should be done each and every day!) and the extras, (art, health, science, etc...) can be done here and there.

If you look at the schedule of a private or public school, subjects such as music and gym, for instance, are not done every day. They are done one to two times a week.

So don't feel overwhelmed!

If your child is reading and doing a little math each day, you are doing well. Maybe they go out to play in the fresh air... then they help you prepare lunch and you explain to them why they must eat the raw carrots and grapes before they can have a cookie... then you instruct them to write a one-page essay on whatever topic they would like while you leave to work on laundry, etc... that is a well-rounded, perfectly normal homeschool day.

You are doing enough!

(Helping mash bananas to make banana bread)

Each family will have its own prejudices and priorities.

You will see homeschool kids involved in spelling bees and science fairs...

You will see moms heading up bible studies and organizing field trips...

Wonderful!

Good for them!

But that doesn't mean you have to be doing those things.

What's important to you and your family?

What are your children's interests and talents?

It is important to me, for example, that my children learn how to play the piano.

I just feel it lays a solid foundation for any music they may wish to pursue in the future.

(Their most recent piano recital)

It is important to me that my children grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, (Eph. 6:4) and their character is being diligently trained (Prov. 22:6).

I talk to them regularly about being men and women of their word (Matt. 5:37) and about staying close to the Lord and loving His ways (James 4:8).

I talk to them about obeying me in everything for this is right and pleasing to the Lord (Col. 3:20).

I am always reading to them, and talking to them... reading to them, and talking to them...

We read Aesop's Fables, and talk about the moral of the story.

We read Bible stories and talk about how we can apply it to our own lives.

We read good, old literature and talk about how differently people used to speak, and what the words mean.

We read American history and talk about patriotism and loving our country.

This is what our homeschool looks like.

"... the preparation of the child to take his place in the world at his best, with every capacity for good that is in him developed into a power." 

- Charlotte Mason

Naturally, the homeschool mother may feel there are gaps in her children's education, and wonder if she's doing enough.

I worry about this every school year!

But the Lord provides what He requires.

Just like a good parent would never expect their child to do something he knew they weren't capable of doing.

I have watched the Lord step into my homeschooling and provide for a need or fill a gap.

Sometimes the gaps He has filled were gaps I didn't even know were there!

"Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion..."

- Philippians 1:6

"For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose."

- Philippians 2:13

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

- 2 Corinthians 9:8

Maybe someday soon I will compose a post about the specific ways God has done this for us.

I can think of several examples that might be fun to share!

So check back with me soon!

(My kitchen table when it's not overrun with school books)

Take care, sweet friends!

Enjoy this beautiful, wintery day!

xo,

~ Courtney ~