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thought I would share a few books we have enjoyed...
First, I have to share the one about chickens, of course!
The Problem with chickens by Bruce McMillan is a very cute, humorous story about village women in Iceland who bring in a flock of chickens for eggs. What happens when those cheeky chickens stop laying eggs and spend their time thinking they are ladies? The village women decide, "we have a problem". Their solution is unique. The illustrations are very folk lore-ish and beautiful. The pictures of the chickens being busy made me laugh, having my own chickens and having observed the same manners on mine...

The Berenstain Bears' big book of Science and nature is a book we have taken our time with. It is part of Sonlight's curriculum. I actually do not allow the Berenstain bears other books or videos into our house, I find them rude, depicting meanness between siblings and disrespect towards dad. I did go ahead and order this book however, because Sonlight commented in their catalog that they did not recommend others in this series. I decided they must have the same feelings I do about the Berenstain bears in general and that this book must be unobjectable. We have really enjoyed it, Demi loves to have me read it to him, loves all the different meandering illustrations and the rhyming text. It is not deep with factual information, but provides a good introduction to nature and offers a sweet love of reading experience.

When Autumn comes by Robert Mass is rich in beautiful fall photographs. The pictures are a visual treat and a great conversation starter on the topics of leaves, weather changes and seasons. I know most of the country is experiencing snow right now, but here in California it is still fall-and so this book is a very fitting treat.

N.C. Wyeth's Pilgrims is rich in beautiful paintings. We have enjoyed several books on Thanksgiving which were more factual, but for beauty this book is first class. I used this book as a subject for art, not history. We have a Wyeth print in the house and I enjoyed letting the children compare the works.

I've been tagged! Factor 10 over at Did you ever get the feeling... has tagged me for this meme:

We had so many people to be thankful for.

Pictures are:

Our Rand and Amie on family portrait day. Wearing blue, our family's designated color.


Kevin with Dad and brothers.
Tom, (from no. Ca) and Greg (from Washington)




Cousins at the park- Catherine and Elizabeth from Washington with my Brianna and Chelsea.

Thanksgiving Day- everyone was here, which is amazing. We are usually missing somebody. We had one family come from Washington state, and two families come from Northern California.

We enjoyed dinner, and then gathered together for worship and communion. A tradition in this family. Also a tradition is sharing what we are thankful for that year. Dad is fighting cancer this year. His children shared memories of their dad's faith, the stand-out memory: seeing him on his knees in the early dawn hours, praying for his family before he went to work. This year it was our priviledge to gather around him, and pray for God's will for his life, and our request of healing. Kevin's family is indeed special. Their love for eachother is bright, and their ability to cover all with love is remarkable.

We ended the evening with this parting song, taken from the book of numbers. Special to all of us, because it is sung every Sunday night at the church we all attended before we grew up and scattered.

"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee. May the Lord make His face to shine upon thee.
And be gracious onto thee, and be gracious onto thee. The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."
-taken from Numbers 6:24-26

*This photo is owned by me. Permission is not given to use or copy. Copywrite 2006

Dr. Phil's axe piece on homeschooling is scheduled to air this Friday. There is alot of talk about this show in homeschool circles.

Kristen wrote a thoughtful piece on her blog about her experience applying to be in the audience that day, and also some thoughtful background on other hit pieces Dr. Phil has done and insight into his methods. Her account includes behind-the-scenes details of audience manipulation (they brought in busloads of school students and teachers to pack the audience) and the bait-and-switch tactics the show used to lure homeschoolers to participate. The families who agreed to be on the show did so imagining a fair introduction of what homeschooling is, and discussion of homeschool styles and methods to be on the agenda. They were unaware of the title of the show until they arrived. "Debate" was not what happened, however. Go here to read her account. Homeschool mom, Jane, was also at the show that day, here are her comments and observations go here.

Thank you, spunky homeschool for listing these bloggers all in one place. Spunky is the place to go for education and homeschool news. California homeschool network also has a discussion happening about the show. Go here.

I hope anyone who is interested in homeschooling, or who is planning on commenting to homeschoolers about the show-would first seek out a few homeschoolers and ask them about their lifestyle and methods, maybe read a few informative books such as: Homeschooling; a patchwork of days by Lande, Educating the whole-hearted child by Clay Clarkson, The conspiracy of ignorance by Martin Gross, Teach your own by John Holt, and of course...The underground history of American Education by John Taylor Gatto. Homeschool magazines are also a great window into homeschooling, a favorite is The Old Schoolhouse. I hope that anyone looking to form a strong opinion would not let a very short, obviously biased, television show form it for them.

We are so very blessed that we live in a country where parents are free to choose the best education for their child. And really, we do want a good education for our children. I don't know any homeschoolers who are aiming at having their adult children live at home forever because they cannot hold a job. Really. We want them to go to college and get a job, and do their own laundry and buy a house. Really.

Labels: homeschool

I have seen links to this floating around the boards, thought I would share it. Click the link here, and watch a fascinating short movie called "the Animal school".
I think I was the duck, how about you??

Table-work with all four kids-Sky captured this picture of the kids and I doing our normal morning routine at the dining table.

After breakfast, the kids dress and tidy up their rooms and bathroom. Table-work consists of handwriting-the 3 oldest are doing their own levels of Abeka handwriting, Demi-Sky is doing manuscript. Amie loves to join us for a bit, she is doing a little Abeka pre-k handwriting and a lot of coloring/drawing.

Next comes math, Abeka again. Meg usually completes 3 sides of a worksheet a day, Josie completes 2 sides of a worksheet, and Demi usually does one side, on a good day 2. For Demi, I usually get out some kind of manipulative, such as chocolate chips (a favorite), goldfish crackers, or wooden cubes and bars.

On this day, Demi wanted to work on his calendar. He was a little consumed with knowing exactly which days we would be celebrating Christmas-on different days-with the 3 sets of Grandparents. He worked on filling in the days on the page for December and outlining the calendar grid (great handwriting/number writing practice). The picture on the calendar was of children in a village in Africa, we discussed the huts pictured and talked about different styles of houses and different materials used. Demi circled the days in question, and added stickers of presents. We also looked at the month of November and placed a sticker for Thanksgiving in anticipation of all his cousins being down to play with.

While Meg and Josie finish up their work, I work with Demi on his phonics- Abeka, again. After phonics Demi is free to go get a snack and play outside, Amie has drifted off by then to play. During table time I am bouncing back and forth between kids explaining and helping. The bulk of instruction is with Demi however. If Josie is waiting a turn at help from mom, she will usually go to the piano and practice. Josie finished first on this day and then I worked with her on grammar.

Once we were finished with general table time work, we broke for lunch. On this day, we finished up and then went to the park, eating lunch there, the kids played on the playground equipment and I read. Later at home, I read a story from Africa with Demi and Amie, some from a nature book and then Demi was free to play game- cube. Meg and Josie did chores, played with the chickens, then listened to "The witch of Blackbird pond" on tape. I then went out for an appointment, when I came back, the kids were out in the front yard helping dad with yard work. Amie found a dead butterfly and carried it around all day in a small tin pail. (the next day our neighbor helped her identify it in an insect book, she came home with the book to very excitedly show us).

Our day chronicled here was a Friday, a typical day, some days we cover more subjects, but this is the base I build on each day. Described is our routine in time to my "gypsy ways", I do really desire a more structured routine-I'll let you all know when I achieve it! Our kids are happy, are progressing, and do many interesting things, play well together and occupy themselves alone. They love to read. All in all we are very happy with our homeschool adventure.

Labels: homeschool

Saturday morning with the Prelude string orchestra. This was Larissa's first performance with the Orchestra, she had a great time.
Pictures are:
The whole orchestra on stage.
Larissa close-up
Her admiring fans- Brianna, Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa, Grandma, Grandpaw, Amie.

The Orchestra played four pieces, followed by the Prelude Chamber strings playing five pieces.
The concert was incredible, these were all kids!!

I am trying to post a short video of Larissa playing, can anyone tell me how to put a quick time video player onto blogger??

conversation from the backseat:
(my two youngest who both lisp!)

Amie: (in a grave, important voice) Mudders are very bad.

Demi: (in shocked, offended-you are so wrong tone) No they are not! Mudders are good!

Amie: (now aggrieved and near shouting) No, Mudders are very bad

Demi: No

Amie: yeeess

Demi: No!

Amie: uh haaaaaa....

Amie: Mudders are two really bad, they go to jail, huh Mom?

Demi: they are not, they are nice!

my husband is rolling his eyes and about to issue a threat, when I tell him, laughing that Amie is saying "murderers" and Demi is saying "mothers". They couldn't understand each other either!!
The lisp thing makes teaching phonics really interesting...


It was, it really and truly was, the only right word....

I am reading Beatrix Potter's tales to my two youngest. A few days ago we read
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, which begins, "This is a tale about a tail..." -delicious! It's a very cute story about a very naughty, excessively impertinent squirrel. So daringly naughty I knew my boy would love it. And a running hint of danger to keep him asking to hear it again...the story is supposed to read the same everytime, but for little ones, the possibility that the old owl just might gobble up the squirrels, is always there.

This quote from Madeleine L'Engle came to mind while I was reading and enjoying Beatrix Potter's lovely big words that are sprinkled throughout the story (read with a British accent of course!)

"The simplest word is almost always the right word. I am convinced that Beatrix Potter used "soporific" because it was, really and truly was, the only right word for lettuce at that moment."

So, we read Squirrel Nutkin and reveled in words such as excessively impertinent, and obstinately. For school I had Demi draw a picture from the story and then dictate what he remembered back to me. He did a wonderful job remembering the story.

Secure enough in his manliness...

We celebrated Demi's 7th birthday last night, having cake and ice-cream and inviting a few friends and family over. Demi requested a strawberry cake. When I went to the store to buy the mix, they did not have strawberry, so I bought a white cake and strawberry frosting. When my husband saw my purchases, he was highly indignant. I didn't see his point, and my reply was that it was his birthday and he wanted strawberry, so strawberry was what we were having. It wasn't until later when I was frosting the cake that I saw his problem. The cake was light pink. This is what ruffled my husband. We had a good laugh over it, and philosophized that Demi was secure enough in his own manliness to not notice.

We bought him a skateboard....luckily the pediatric E.R. Doctor lives a few houses down...

"Wasn't I Real before?" asked the little Rabbit. "You were Real to the boy," the Fairy said, "because he loved you." -The Velveteen Rabbit

This post has been rattling around in my head for a while now, so I thought that tonight on the occasion of my man-child's 7th birthday, I would share this memory I treasure of my son.

This summer I took all four kids with me to a used homeschool curriculum sale. This sale was held at a homeschool store that also offers classes to homeschoolers. They have a playground next to the store, and so, having been there before and having had my kids very welcomed on the playground in the past, I left them there to play while I browsed the books for sale on the lawn. A lady connected with the store saw at one point that all of the mothers sitting around the playground had drifted away, and since my two youngest were the only ones in the yard she thought maybe she should let me know.

The conversation went something like this...Lady: "Who's your mommy?" Demi: "mommy". Lady: "what is your mommy's name so I can go find her?" Demi: "mommy." Lady: "what is your last name?" Demi said our last name, which sounds like a common first name but is spelled differently. Lady tried again: "what do your mommy's friends call her?" Demi: "Mrs. (blank)" she tried again: "what does your dad call her?" Demi-looking puzzled: "Mommy" (not true, not sure why he answered that way). Finally the lady asked "what does your mommy look like, so I can go find her?"

Demi: "she's wearing a dress, she has long hair and blue eyes, and she's beautiful!" this part said in a stage whisper, as if he was imparting a wonderful, exciting secret.

This sweet dear lady did find me. And she took the time to tell me all that had unfolded. I got teary eyed and thanked her from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to share this with me. I treasure this because I am with my kids all the time as a homeschool mom and I am on the front lines as a disciplinarian, and with the unending questions, the chatter, the disagreements. Sometimes I feel like I spend much of my time correcting, ordering, instructing, wondering if my negative interactions are outweighing my positive interactions. This memory means so much to me because it paints a picture of how my son sees me. I am so grateful that to him, mother represents beauty.

"They were all growing so fast. In just a few short years they would all be young men and women...youth tiptoe...expectant...a-star with its sweet wild dreams...little ships sailing out of safe harbour to unknown ports. The boys would go away to their life work and the girls...ah, the mist-veiled forms of beautiful brides might be seen coming down the old stairs at Ingleside.
But they would be still hers for a few years yet...hers to love and guide...to sing the songs that so many mothers had sung." -Anne Of Ingleside

Happy Birthday Demi, Mommy loves you more than she could ever tell.

Labels: being mom, Jen's world

A home-made treasure hunt- a few weeks ago we did this fun activity as part of our school-day.

I made up two sets of clues, one set for Demi(6) and Amie (4) as a team. The other set for Meg (11) and Josie (9) as a team.

We began the hunt at the dining room wall with the first clue. This activity was aimed at Demi's learning needs: he is learning to read and is reading short-vowel beginning words. Demi's first clue to read was "hen bed". This took their hunt out to the chicken coop. The older girls' clue was this..."I have fruit in the fall and many juicy seeds. Look for the next clue in this tree". This lead to the pomegranite tree in our backyard. Demi's hunt eventually led him to "moms bed" where he found a box with the prize. For each child a huge nestle crunch bar. -they were on sale for $1 each, and I thought it would be a fun activity. They really had a good time, and Demi was so proud to be able to read and follow his clues.

We don't do activities like this every day, but it is very worth the little time in thought and planning to add some spice into the normal home routine, and to give a little inspiration to a budding reader.

Labels: homeschool

O.K. drumroll please....
or keyboard chatter, whatever you have handy...

Winners of Jennifer's 100th post contest:

1st prize: Shalee (she wins her choice of a year subscription to Wondertime Magazine or Kiwi Magazine)

2nd prize: Drama Mama (she wins a $10 starbucks card)


thank you everyone for playing, it was fun hosting my very own contest. And, I met alot of new people and got to visit lots of new blogs. Thank you for helpin me celebrate my wordiness...

and my reasons for posting the results in the afternoon, not the morning as planned...Simply, I'm swamped...

"...I've got my country's 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder, and Guilder to frame for it. I'm swamped."
-Prince Humperdinck

Labels: Jen's world

I was over at The lilting house, Melissa Wiley's blog and read her lovely post on her "rule of six", *six things to include in your child's day; which used to be her "rule of five". I found it so beautiful and practical and tangible, I wanted to link to her here and encourage you to go read it. Melissa is a homeschool mom and a writer of books, besides keeping two lovely blogs. Her post is all about six things you should give your children to do everyday, and her tangible way of reviewing their accomplishements at the end of the day. Go on over and enjoy.

This post is number 100! I can't believe I have reached this milestone already. Well, of course this calls for somekind of celebration. I think 100 things about me is a sort of tradition here in blogland...but I don't think I can think up 100 things about me...So, in place of the traditional meme, I thought I would host a contest instead.

Because we all love contests. Because we all love free things. Because I have a blog and I can host a contest if I want to.

This weekend we are giving hospitality to a few college-age brothers for a conference. Well, I survived the house cleaning...of course it had to all collide on the day I needed to turn in homeschool work to our charter school teacher. -It's just a Jen thing.

The brothers have Demi's bedroom for the weekend. Friday evening we were sitting around the dining room table having dessert and getting to know the college boys. As I was herding the children towards bed, Demi in an attempt at supreme hospitality casually remarks to the boys:

"I usually like to sleep late in the moring, but you guys can play my game cube even if I'm not up yet."

We were highly diverted by this demonstration of supreme sacrifice and goodwill. Along with the casual assurance that he indeed has preferences and habits even at age 6.
He just says the cutest things..

Labels: hens

This is our cat, Oliver. Wordless Wednesday is a weekly meme, go here to see more.