The Homeschooler's Philosophy

 The approach to school work by a Christian educator should be quite different than that of the secular world.

I remind my kids periodically of the "why" behind their subjects, to keep from falling into drudgery.

"I want your school to be meaningful to you, and your days to feel purposeful," I tell them.

Instead of cramming facts and dates to pass a test, the subjects are meant to work together to help them grow in wisdom, knowledge, character, and to point them to the Lord.

A reminder of the "why" behind the subjects...

* Science ~ By studying science, you learn to recognize God as Creator, and develop a greater reverence for Him who designed all things.

"There is one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

- Ephesians 4:6

* Health ~ God created you and values your life. Because your life is important to God, He wants you to learn how to take care of the body He's given you.

"For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

- Psalm 139:13-14

* Math ~ We study math to see facts, patterns and formulas as a part of the truth God has built into reality. To understand there's a right and wrong answer helps you see there's right and wrong in God's creation. (2+2 always equals 4)

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forevermore."

- Hebrews 13:8

* Language Arts - Language is the most important subject because it is through effective communication that you can show God's love to others and defend your faith. It is through reading that you can study the Bible, which has the power to transform your life. If you want to be viewed as intelligent, and if you want people to listen to your message, you will learn how to use words correctly in speech and written form.

"How forcible are right words!"

- Job 6:25

* History ~ Each person's heritage is a gift given from those who have lived before. History is the true story of what man has done with the time and resources God has given him. When you read about courageous people, your own faith is strengthened.

"Remember the former things, those of long ago. I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come."

- Isaiah 46:9-10

* Music ~ Music has a way of lifting the spirit and proclaiming Christ to those around you.

"Sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, praise His name."

- Psalm 96:1

By working on and completing your school each day you are learning to master a received body of knowledge. It's a way of obeying the command of Genesis 1:28 which tells Christians "to subdue the earth and exercise dominion over it."

Happy homeschooling!

💐

~ Courtney 

The Next Installment of Discover Green Bay, and the Start to a New School Year

A noticeable change in sunlight 

and cool, late-summer rains

are helping to usher in a new season.

I am ready to say goodbye to summer and slowly embrace autumn.

By slowly I mean, I am not willing to bring home mums or pumpkins just yet, but I am enjoying early fall flower arrangements, cozy family suppers, and preparing for a successful new school year.

Our family study on "Discover Green Bay" has been going well.

We recently did a scavenger hunt downtown on a beautiful, warm evening.

You download an app and follow the clues, working together as a team.

Then, you submit a photo of your group accomplishing each mission to move ahead in the game. 

Sometimes it had us making fools of ourselves, ( like acting out a silent drama scene in front of the main doors of the theater ) but the whole evening was a lot of fun!

We stopped to eat here, at Al's hamburgers, for a greasy, delicious burger and a milkshake when our hunt was finished. After running all around the streets of downtown for two hours, we were starving to death!

One unexpected "discovery" in our Discover Green Bay series, has been that not everyone in our six-member family wants to do the same things!

One person mentions, "Museum," another shouts, "No!!" 

Someone suggests a walk along the river, someone else announces they're ready to head for home.

(You get the idea.)

In a way, having babies and toddlers was easier, because Micah and I were in control. You strap them in their stroller and you GO! .....

As a result of this, the valuable lesson of yielding to others is woven throughout our downtown journeys together.

We have talked about how going with the flow and doing what others want to do, with a cheerful spirit, is a matter of character.

Do you have the strength of character to spend two hours in a museum you don't care to be in, without pouting, because that's what the family wants to do?

Hmm, yes, these are life-long, important lessons.

Back at home, we have launched into school again with a promising, strong start.

I am excited about the 2023-24 academic year!

Because of good routine habits that were nailed down early on, our school schedule feels like second nature to us.

 Bible and Arithmetic always come first in the early morning hours, when the house is quiet and our minds are fresh.

After breakfast, we diligently work through the rest of our core subjects until after lunch, when we can finally dive into some noisier pursuits, such as piano practice, play time, and nature walks.

(Sometimes you need a buddy to do Algebra with...)

We have never had a formal, actual school room in our home. Throughout the years any table, couch, rug, or fireplace hearth had the capacity to turn into the school "room" for the day. But now that my children are older, they each have a corner of the house for their studies that is their own.

I've tried to place each of them by a window, because that's what I would like if it were me...

Nola is the only one who prefers not to be by a window, however, because she says it's too distracting for her.

Elsa, on the other hand, takes her books right outside whenever she can! 

It is the privilege, the responsibility, and the on-going challenge of the homeschool mother to learn her children's unique learning styles, and do her best to accommodate them.

The following is in accordance with my yearly goal of recording the children's grades and also their courses.

Elsa ~ 4th grade

Soren ~ 6th grade

Nola ~ 7th grade

(Elsa plays piano, too. I'm not sure why I left it out on her daily guide. Come to think of it... she is one who never needs reminding to practice each day, so maybe that's why. Also, Health is crossed out on Nola's guide because I forgot there is no separate Health book in 7th grade Abeka. There's a chapter in the Science book that covers Health, instead.)

Roman ~ 9th grade

We are tackling high school! I'm so proud. These are his courses in rough draft form. I'll type up a proper transcript later in the year when I have a better handle on things. For now I am still learning how to get him up and running for his freshman year. So far it's been great!

As for continuing homeschooling through high school, I have Hebrews 6:10-11 underlined in my Bible...

"God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end."

It does take diligence, but we've been easing into the school year quite comfortably, and for that I am truly grateful.

Yesterday, we had our afternoon walk down to the swing for fresh air and our family read-aloud, and on our meander back we stopped in the orchard.

Our plums were juicy and sweet and ready for picking!

That was all the inspiration I needed to spend the rest of the afternoon baking.

Elsa helped me get the plums washed up...

Some were used for spiced plum bread, and the rest were placed in a bowl for easy munching.

"Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers, we more than gain in fruits."

- Samuel Butler

As the years progress, it seems the Lord continues to show me Scripture verses that confirm my decision to homeschool.

This morning during my quiet time I read this:

"All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and great will be your children's peace."

- Isaiah 54:13

I am thankful my children have grown up on curriculum that has faithfully pointed them to the Lord.

Homeschooling really is a lifestyle of peace, and I feel quite fortunate to be able to do it another year.

Thanks for reading,

💐

~ Courtney 

Discover Green Bay, part one

 Our first assignment for Discover Green Bay was fulfilled today.

We took the kids down to the Farmer's Market.

We have done the Farmer's Market with the kids in the past, but it's been several years.

It was fun to do it again.

The weather was perfect! And the people there seemed energized and happy.

We purchased fry pies for everyone to snack on as we walked. As we admired the colorful produce from booth to booth, I told the kids to pick something out and I'd make it for dinner.

They selected a pound of green beans.

But the big splurge of the day was candy planes...

and a sunflower that I happily used as my prop as we strolled along.

We visited the river...

As well as some of the impressive murals downtown.

We stopped for a few pictures with the ones we liked.

Most of us agreed the lion was our favorite.

As we walked past this beautiful church on our way back to the car, I suggested we go in.

Not everyone was enthusiastic about the idea. 

"Why? What for?" one child asked.

"Just to see it! Catholic churches are beautiful," was my reply.

"But we're not Catholic, so it feels like we're going somewhere we don't belong," another child remarked.

I assured everyone that city churches like this are open to the public. 

As this chatter was going on we approached the entrance. Admittedly, I wasn't perfectly certain the door would be open, but I shushed my children as we tried the handle.

"Shhh..." I scolded. "We must be somber."

The door opened, and no one stopped us, so we quietly entered.

The stone silence, the statues, and lit candles were all what I was expecting as we made our way down the long corridor, trying to find the sanctuary. But we quickly sobered up when we saw the hallway lined with people sleeping on the cold stone floor.

We slowly walked on.

One lady perked up when she saw us. She greeted us warmly with a clear, sweet voice. We mustered up as much friendliness in return.

The winding passageway finally led us to the sanctuary, but it was closed off for renovations.

It looked like they were getting new pews. 

Once we were back outside in the sunny, noisy street, the kids asked if the people we saw were homeless.

This led to a great opportunity for raw, honest, and important conversation.

I was thankful for all their questions, and Micah and I answered them the best we could.

"Is that why the church was unlocked?" someone asked.

I said the church was open for more reasons than to provide shelter. People go in for confession and to pray.

"But you don't need to be inside a church for God to hear your prayers," one of my older children pointed out.

I said I agreed, then reminded them that when a person becomes a Christian they have the Holy Spirit living mightily within them, (Colossians 1:29) interceding for them when they pray. (Romans 8:26)

We are truly blessed.

We drove back home in gratitude for the gift of salvation through Jesus, and for an overall lovely morning together downtown.

🌻

Once home, it felt good to accomplish some chores. I scrubbed my kitchen sink and bathtub with bleach, tidied the house, then cooked the green beans that we had purchased to go with our spaghetti dinner.

The meal was enjoyed here at our family table.

A nice end to a really nice day.

Goodnight, 

💐

~ Courtney 

Discover Green Bay, Intro

 (Earlier this week a dark and thunderous morning inspired me to create a cozy breakfast for my children...)

We have really had an enjoyable summer.

I've been slowing gathering back-to-school materials and ordering curriculum in segments.

Experience has taught me to place a partial school order in July, with the remainder in August. It is much easier on the budget that way.

I am looking forward to the new school year very much!

Roman will be a freshman and will have a heavy literature load this year. That inspired me to make it a heavy literature year for everyone. So I have been having fun enlarging our home library in preparation.

This is one of the books I just picked up...

I stood in the store to read the preface and was inspired. The author wrote about how when she was very little, before she could read, her mother would show her paintings and ask her what she saw and they would make up little stories to go with them.

It made me wonder if maybe I could do something similar with all the various pictures I have hanging around my home. Not much of a story could be derived from my still life paintings, but there are enough landscapes and portraits that a pilgrimage through the home, making up stories to go with each one, would make a wonderful afternoon this winter.

I hope I remember to do it!

This is why I've loved homeschooling.

Through the years I have made up little lessons and unit studies from my own interests.

This is where homeschooling truly starts. From a mother's prerogative and personality, she creates her own home culture as she goes.

When my children were younger it was fun and easy to create educational experiences for them.

We would walk on our trails and collect treasures, (pinecones, rocks, feathers, etc...) or examine and sketch bugs...

We would go on "color hunts" gathering whatever we could find to match our color board. (One of the kids quickly made this before we took off on a nature walk one day last fall. We've used it a few times and in different seasons.)

We would read about the seemingly countless different trees in a science book, or about the spores on the backs of ferns, then go out the back door to see how many we could identify on our own property.

As my children have gotten older, the lessons I invent for them must mature.

Inspiration can strike at any time, and when Micah and I were out for a special dinner to celebrate my 40th birthday, we were both hit with the same ingenuity at once.

We visited this snazzy hotel downtown and enjoyed a glamorous meal.

We learned that the hotel was built in the 1920s, and was recently renovated. It is just stunning! Micah and I remarked how we couldn't believe we are from this town yet never knew it existed!

That caused us to ponder... what else is downtown for us to discover? The conversation then evolved, and we began dreaming up ways to get to know our own downtown as a family.

What a fun quest!

We decided this will be our unit study for the upcoming school year.

I jotted down a list of ideas as they were coming to us.

Micah titled it, Discover Green Bay.

I'm sure we'll add more to it as the weeks and months progress, but this is the list from our original burst of inspiration the evening we celebrated my birthday...

- City deck/ walk along the river

- Shops/ Beerntsen's candy factory

- The Cathedral

- Foxy Lady tour 

- Northland Hotel dinner

- Neville Museum

- Farmer's market

- Meyer Theater show

- YMCA day pass

- City Hall tour

I personally have visited all these places, but not all of them as a family. Hopefully it will be an enjoyable and educational experience for the kids.

I plan to use this blog to record our visits.

I view our homeschooling journey as my contribution to the Kingdom of God and the surrounding society, as well as a way to bond, learn, and grow together.

A mother's heart can relate to Samuel when he said to the people of Israel, "I will teach you the way that is good and right." 1 Samuel 12:23

Thanks for stopping by to read...

💐

~ Courtney 

A Day of Recovery

 After a week of high temps and dry weather, we awoke this morning to misty grey skies and refreshing rain.

The land is drinking it in.

Similarly, after two weeks of half our family traveling to the other side of the world, we awoke this morning to suitcases and laundry piled high and their refreshing presence again.

I am drinking it in!

Today is a day of recovery.

They made it home safe and well, but in need of proper beds, hot showers, and to be embraced with a sense of home sweet home.

I am enjoying their hilarious retellings of adventure and peril in between laundry loads, as well as listening to them proudly rattle off the few phrases they learned in Swahili. 

I especially appreciated this comment by Roman... After a period of reflection he remarked, "I never knew how lucky we are in America."

Micah, determined to make world travelers out of our kids, took Roman and Nola to Tanzania, Africa, to hike Mount Kilimanjaro and partake in an African safari.

It was a great experience for them!

Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest point. 

Camping in tents on the mountain as they went, it was five full days of hiking to the summit. Plunging temps and altitude sickness were endured, but they assure me it's worth it. They were over comers, literally walking among the clouds.

The safari looked equally amazing... Roman's photos caused me to blurt out, "You could be a photographer for National Geographic magazine!"

I was so thankful for modern technology, as we were able to text and FaceTime regularly. So I always knew where they were and that they were ok. 

That provided huge relief for this mama's heart!

The only time I became nervous was when I learned they had an eight-hour layover through the night and into Sunday morning at Doha's airport in Qatar; a country in Africa I had never heard of and questioned if that was safe.

Of course, I would have greatly preferred them tucked into a hotel behind a locked door to the thought of my children sleeping out in the open in a foreign airport. But Sunday morning came without me hearing anything from them, and I had responsibilities to tend to at church. I remembered something I read in a novel last winter that stuck with me... "It is difficult to take an exaggerated view of any personal upheaval when standing in a building that has witnessed the joys, the hopes, the griefs and all the spiritual tremors of mortal men for centuries. In the presence of this ancient, silent witness, it was right that personal cares should assume their own insignificant proportions."

I pushed thoughts of disaster out of my mind and went to church. 

Once I learned they had safely landed in Boston, and were back on American soil, I indulged in a Google search of Doha, Qatar.

To my surprise, Qatar is one of the most high-tech and safest places in the Middle East. Although it is not quite popular yet, it's a great place for tourists. Dubbed Dazzling Doha on the web, this beautifully modern, capital city is situated right on the sparkling waters of the Gulf Coast. And! according to the UN, ranks second in the world in terms of safety. 

Whew! Not only was I put at ease, but now I want Micah to take me to Doha for our next vacation! Haha

Soren and Elsa and I held down the fort at home while the others were away.

We missed them terribly, of course, but did just fine entertaining ourselves with little days trips here and there.

We are fortunate to have a nice beach within 30 minutes of our home.

The key to staying content while loved ones are away is to keep yourself occupied.

While my children swam and played, I read and people-watched. 

This couple intrigued me... 

I was touched to watch this man meticulously clean off his wife's feet as she patiently sat...

He brushed away all the sand, then carefully put her socks and shoes back on her.

It's moving to witness such sweet scenes.

When we weren't out and about, we were enjoying our home...

The kids and I tackled some long overdue organizing projects, which felt quite satisfying to complete.

I've also been getting my mind ready for the next school year.

I will have one still in elementary, but two in middle school and one starting high school.

It's a different ball game when homeschooling older kids.

I long for the time when we played with colorful blocks on the living room floor, read Little Golden books snuggled on the couch, blew bubbles out in the sunny afternoon, then had nap time... that was our homeschool day.

Ahh... bliss!

Now, I am correcting Algebra papers, reminding my older ones to remember the order of operations, and to isolate the variable.

The truth is, more families homeschool in the younger years than the older years, so it's hard to find the same support and resources for homeschooling high school.

When my children were younger and people would ask me why on earth I chose to homeschool, I would simply reply, "I have the desire to do it, and I feel as though the Lord has honored that."

Well, as my kids advance, that desire is still strong within me, so I continue to ask the Lord's favor on our family.

The other day I read 2 Corinthians 8:11 and it struck me...

"Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means."

I never felt "called" to homeschool. I never had a special revelation... I just continue to have a willingness to do it year after year.

Roman only has four more very important, formative years left. And as we enter high school, a point at which a lot of homeschool families send their kids to school, this verse confirms for me and encourages me to press on... to finish the work. 

"According to your means" is a comforting reminder that I am equipped and have all I need for a successful homeschool.

"... in all things at all times, having all that you need..." (2 Cor. 9:8)

*at all times - even high school.

What a comfort and a relief!

I look forward to entering our high school years with confidence!

"Being confident in this, that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it."

Philippians 1:6

~ Courtney 

Another School Year Behind Us

 Last autumn, on our first day of homeschool, I underlined a few verses in 1 Chronicles 22 that stood out to me. These lines were the boost I needed to propel me into a new year with the right frame of mind.

"The Lord be with you, and may you have success...

Be strong, do not be discouraged...

Now begin the work, and the Lord be with you."

Sometimes you just have to get started, as inadequate as you may feel, and trust the Lord will guide you and bless your efforts.

We are now officially done with the 2022-23 school year, and as I look back at the verses that gave me inspiration on our very first day, I realize we had a very diligent and successful year. 

Success in homeschooling cannot be measured by scores or grades, like in regular school, since homeschooling is more about growing in character, knowledge, wisdom, and in the fear of the Lord. But we did complete all of our Abeka books, which always feels like a huge accomplishment!

Our school days are bright and happy, and follow more of a natural rhythm than rigorous schedule.

The early morning hours are for quiet, independent study, and always feel so cozy in the winter. The fireplace and coffee pot are on, everyone's studiously tucked in at their desks, and Beethoven's symphonies are gently swirling in the air like the snowflakes out the window as I scramble eggs and chop fresh fruit for our breakfast.

Even now in the springtime, we come together each day for meals...

... and for what we call Front Room time, which is where we have our family singing and recitations.

Our family upgraded from a keyboard to an acoustic piano this past winter. That combined with the fact that Nola took violin lessons and Roman guitar lessons, made everyone feel a sense of musical advancement.

During Front Room time, everyone takes their turn playing a song they've been working on, and the rest of us try to sing along. Sometimes we believed we sounded really good, and Front Room time would end in the discussion of when a family album should be released. 😉  Other times it would end in all of us laughing at how terrible we sounded. 

🎶

Now that our school work is done for the year, I spend my mornings outside walking through my gardens, checking on my flowers, pulling, snipping, and watering...

I enjoyed fresh lilac arrangements in my home each day. Something I look forward to all winter long.

But now that the lilacs are done for the year, I've turned my affections toward peonies...

Both offer up the most decadent springtime scent.

If only they could be around for a little longer!

Once a fresh bouquet finds its home on my table, I feel ready to start the day's work.

I recently pulled all the books off our bookshelves to dust and reorganize. 

(My project manager overseeing my work...)

Spring is a great time to tackle this task, because it makes me feel as though we really are closing out our school year. 

Plus, it just feels satisfying to complete such a large chore.

I enlisted the help of the younger kids to assist me in making decisions on what to pitch, what to keep, and how to arrange them back on the shelves.

It opened a delightful can of worms as they sat on the living room floor for a very long time with books all around them, reading and looking through old favorites.

When an older sibling walked in on the scene it prompted a discussion among us about establishing a daily quiet reading hour for the summer. We all agreed the idea was lovely.

Lately I've been reading an excellent book titled Homemaking by Rev. J. R. Miller published in 1882.

Not to sound dramatic, but it's possibly the best book on home and family I've ever read!

I think everyone needs this book. Everyone wants a happy home-life! I appreciate any piece of art or literature that is rich in meaning and that lifts the mind to nobler thinking. 

As the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:31, "And now I will show you the most excellent way." This book beautifully illustrates the upmost ideal for each member of the Christian family. 

When I finish reading it myself, I plan to read it again aloud to my family this summer.

 It's a wonderful thing to watch my children grow into the people God created them to be, to have another school year behind us, and to look forward to the slower, warmer rhythm of the summer months.

🌺

~ Courtney 

Bouquets for the Home

 The season of fresh blooms in the house is here again!

(My first official bouquet of the season. This was last Monday and it looked great all week long!)

Early morning meanders around the yard, with clippers in hand, is part of my daily routine each summer.

Something about it - the vibrant birdsong, the sparkling dewdrops, the smell of country air first thing in the morning... grants me the most luxurious start to the day.

This morning, when I opened my Bible app to begin my morning readings, I saw thunderstorms were due by 7:00am. I purposed to finish reading as soon as possible so I could get outside to beat the rain.

By 6:30 I had completed a chapter in Acts, two chapters in 1 Samuel, and noticed subtle grayness coming over the sky. 

With Abigail's stunning and noble response to David's men fresh on my mind, I donned my rain jacket, grabbed my clippers, and headed outside.

I don't like to disturb my gardens too much by over-clipping blooms, so I walk all around the property looking for various textures and flowers to snip. One sprig here, another over here... all meld together in the vase at home for a beautiful bouquet.

Abigail's words were still with me by the time I had found my way into the orchard, considering my next clip - pink cherry blossom, or white apple blossom?...

When accepting David's proposal to be his wife, "She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, 'Here I am, ready to serve you.' " (1 Sam. 25:41)

Isn't that exactly what the life of a wife and mother is? A life of service.

How I wish someone would have taught me that when I got married at only 23 years old. 

"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

The barn cats found me in the orchard. Their meows of, Good morning, where have you been? We're starving to death! put an abrupt end to my contemplations on the matter.

After filling their food bowls and deciding I had enough clippings, I returned to the house, greeted by a quiet kitchen, and the strong smell of fresh coffee. 

I set to work right away.

Tall pitchers function nicely for this.

Lately I've been using this hand-painted antique pitcher gifted to me several Christmases ago.

I filled it all the way up to the top with cold water, then stuffed some boxwood down into the bottom to act as a "frog," holding everything in place.

Seeing this fresh bouquet on my table as my first accomplishment of the day motivates me to continue working on my household tasks.

Today's tasks include:

Watering houseplants, mopping floors, cleaning bathrooms, being content in my "life of service," and resting in the truth, on this Mother's Day eve, that God chose me for this home and family.

"He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live." (Acts 17:26)

xo,

~ Courtney