Go Switchfoot!!!

"A" had her first soccer game today. Her team's name is Switchfoot, named after the Christian rock band, Switchfoot. It was pretty fun because a lot of her friends are on her team but it was very cold! I was a little curious as to how "A" would play because she's very much a girly girl. Maybe it's a good thing that it's still cold out & there's not any flowers to pick or butterflies to catch ;-) She actually did surprisingly well & kept up with the ball most of the time. Thanks to Jose' (whose mom "claims" he's never played before), I think they might have won - but whose keeping track?!

Kerusso t-shirts for sale...

My friend, Liz, is selling Kerusso t-shirts to raise money for her brother-in-law's family that are serving as missionaries in Thailand. They will continue to stay in Thailand and serve for at least another year.

The T-Shirts come in both Youth S-L and Adult S-XL. They are $6 each and ALL the profits will go to support The Pennington Family in Thailand. The colors are RED, WHITE and BLUE. They are perfect for 4th of July and has John 1:16 quoted on the front. This is a beautiful message to share during this presidential year, plus you get to offer the gift of supporting missionaries. XXL and XXXL are also available for $8 on special order.

To place an order, please e-mail Liz at lizzipenn@yahoo.com

Easter 2008

This Easter, the week before Easter day, we spent a little time each night reading the Easter story. The night before Easter, we made Resurrection Cookies & checked them the next morning. The "Easter Bunny" brought gifts and then we went to a great church service. After that, we went to Steve's parent's for Easter lunch & to hunt eggs. It was a fun day ;-)

Calling all bow heads...

My friend, Leslie, whom I mentioned below, entered her daughter in a bow contest for an on-line company called "Bodacious Baby". Anyway, you have to check out this site! They have the cutest bows I have ever seen! (And now they have the cutest bow model ever!) They also sell bags, bedding and wall hangings. Check them out!

Say cheeze!!!

I have to brag on a friend of mine, Leslie, who owns a photography business in the Owasso area. She owns L.E. Portraits and her photos are amazing! She will come to your house or you can meet her at a location of your choice. She also offers "Portrait Parties" which are a fun option. Information from her site reads, "Picture This! Portrait Parties are an exciting new way to have professional portraits made. I bring my portable studio to your home (if you are the host) or we can set up outdoors if appropriate. The host invites a minimum of 5 families to her party and each family receives a free 15 minute mini-session. After the proofs are placed in an online gallery for viewing, the host is responsible to collect orders and payment and in turn, earns up to 15% commission on the sales to use for her own prints. Portrait Parties are so much fun that they fill up fast - Contact Leslie soon to schedule your party!!

What's in it for me?

-Guests....FREE mini session, special Picture This! print packages, and a fun time out with friends!
-Hostess....Free 11x14 print for having 5 families attend and up to 15% of sales as a print credit with the potentional to receive ALL your prints free!!

If you are interested in hosting a Picture This! party, contact Leslie today!"

So what are you waiting for? You know you need some fabulous spring pictures! Contact Leslie today!

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Easter Lesson Plans...

http://www.dltk-bible.com/guides/easter-index.htm

http://www.sermons4kids.com/colorpg.htm

http://schoolathome.blogspot.com/2005/03/easter-lesson-plan.html

http://www.squidoo.com/EasterBonnet

http://www.funlessonplans.com/holidays/easter.htm

http://budgethomeschool.com/favorites.asp?f=/Holidays/Easter&o=t

Tulsa Air and Space Musuem

We went to the Tulsa Air and Space Museum today with our family from OKC who came in town for the day. We had a great time sitting in the planes, learning about space & pretending like we were astronauts!

Nooma - Luggage

This is a very powerful video on forgiveness. Why is this such a hard lesson to learn?! (To listen to these videos, you'll need to scroll down to the bottom of this page and turn off the music.)

Part I


Part II

Can we have a cat?! PLEASE!!!

The girls want a pet so bad. They used to have a hermit crab until "M" forgot to give it water for about a week or possibly two. When she realized it died, she cried, "I did everything I could for that crab!" I was thinking, "Yeah, but it helps to give it water every now and then."

So now they want a cat. They have several friends that have cats so they think they need one, too. What they don't realize is that their daddy is anti-cat, actually make that anti-pet - mostly because he thinks he'll be the one that will have to take care of it.

A few nights ago, Steve went to check on the girls before he went to bed and they left us this cute note. The next day he told the girls if they show him for a LONG while that they can be responsible and keep their bedroom clean and do their chores, that he MIGHT consider letting them get a cat. "M" was so excited, she cleaned her bedroom spotless & even vacuumed it on her own! We'll see how long this keeps up!

"A's" Journal...

I just love kid's beginning or "invented" writing. It's so cute! I scanned a few pages of "A's" journal and made yet another slideshow. It's pretty neat to see the progress she has made. From big handwriting all over the page to smaller handwriting and actually staying on the lines. Her pictures have become a little more detailed, too. When "A" does her journal, I have her write about whatever she wants to and draw a picture to match her words. Then I write it correctly and she reads back my writing. The pictures go by fast on the slideshow so to see it more slowly click on the picture and it will stay still and I think it will enlarge a little bit. (I couldn't think of another way to display her journal pages without taking up a lot of space on my blog!)

In honor of my grandmother...

My Montage 3/17/08
My grandmother, Judy Wilson (a.k.a. "Gammy"), is still today one of the greatest inspirations in my life. She was a very strong Christian lady who lived out biblical principles in her everyday life. She had a wonderful way of telling stories and had a great outlook on life. She never met a stranger and always had a smile on her face. She loved her family and had a true servant's heart. It has been three years since her passing to be with the Lord and I still miss her deeply. It feels like I have a hole in my heart where she once was but I know she's having a great time in heaven and I'll see her again someday ;-)

(This is a picture of her giving me a perm when I was about 4 years old. Click on the picture to see a video montage of the last 35 years of her life.)

"Resurrection Cookies"

Annie's "Resurrection Cookies"
Found at http://www.annieshomepage.com/resurrectioncookies.html

This is a great recipe to teach your Children the REAL story of Easter. Teach them that the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior is not dead but He has Risen.

You will need:
1 cup whole pecans
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
a pinch salt
1 cup sugar
a zipper baggy
1 wooden spoon
scotch tape
Bible


Instructions:
These are to be made the evening before Easter. Preheat oven to 300F.
*** (this is very important --- don't wait until you are half done with the recipe).
Place pecans in zipper baggy and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested. He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read: John 19:1-3


Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross He was given vinegar to drink. Read: John 19:28-30


Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life
to give us life. Read: John 10:10&11


Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest
into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read: Luke 23:27


So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the
sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to
know and belong to Him. Read: Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16



Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins
have been cleansed by Jesus. Read: Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3


Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.
Read: Matthew 27:57-60


Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.


Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read: Matthew 27:65-66


GO TO BED!

Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read: John 16:20&22


On Resurrection Sunday (Easter) morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read: Matthew 28:1-9

Starting to think about curriculum for next school year...

It's that time of the year for us homeschool moms to be thinking about what curriculum we'll be using next school year. Here are a few I'm thinking about.

For "A's" kindergarten curriculum, I'm considering...

Click N' Read Phonics - "It is the latest in beginning reading phonics instruction used in thousands of schools and homes in over 60 countries." Save $10 off the purchase price of ClickN' READ Phonics. Just use promotion code info@heartofwisdom.com when you purchase. Simply go to www.clicknkids.com to try a free lesson with your child.

Letter of the Week - "This site has grown from my first curriculum, Letter of the Week, to now offer curriculum and resource suggestions for children from birth to age 8. I truly believe these early years lay the foundation for all future learning. Little children's young minds are like sponges ready to soak up all the wonderful information to be found in this world. By providing age appropriate activities in an environment of love and play, we can help our little ones begin a journey of life-long learning. Children are a gift from God, and I believe it is very important to develop the whole child. These are the years to also focus strongly on character & religious training, work habits, and life skills. Working and learning together builds strong bonds among family members and promotes confidence in young children. All children develop at different rates and I feel it is important to never push preschool children to do an activity that they do not want to do. Always keep learning fun, and follow your child's lead. I hope you will find ideas on this site that will help your own children, or the children you teach, develop and grow."

Little Hearts for His Glory - "Little Hearts for His Glory was written with the busy homeschool teacher in mind. It provides a way to do great activities without all of the usual planning and preparation required. Simple daily plans are divided into 9 boxes, which can be spaced throughout the day as time allows. Quick and easy activities require little or no preparation and use only materials you're likely to have on hand."

For "M's" 3rd grade curriculum, I am considering...

My Father's World: Exploring Countries and Cultures - "Take a trip around the world and explore diverse countries while learning geography and being challenged by true stories of missionaries. Our easy-to-teach unit study includes a teacher's manual with daily lesson plans and all books for Bible, geography, science, art, and music. Supplement these with picture books and information books from the library for the countries you study. (Library books are general resources and you will not need to find specific titles, although we list resources we have found helpful.) Add math and language arts for a complete curriculum."

Konos - "Welcome to KONOS...from our home to your home. That’s what KONOS is about... one home schooler talking to another home schooler... sharing curriculum designed by two homeschooling moms for their own children. It’s about sharing 24 years of homeschooling experience. It’s about passing on a vision to build families that honor God. It’s about instilling Godly character in the next generation. It’s about building relationships between family members. It’s about achieving excellence in education. It’s about reading wide and deep. It’s about recognizing "God put the wiggle in children, and we should not try to take it out." It’s about hands-on activities capturing children's attention and increasing their retention. It’s about teaching a child, not a curriculum. It’s about fun and laughter and shaping memories. It’s about creating a love of learning that lasts a lifetime. Mary Pride, author of The Big Book of Home Learning, calls KONOS "the greatest set of home school activities ever!" We think you will too."

Apologia Science - "Well, it has finally happened! After years of searching for an elementary science curriculum that is truly God honoring, user friendly, and scientifically sound, we were introduced to two books by Jeannie Fulbright. It’s no wonder that we want to publish her books. As one of the parents who has already used Mrs. Fulbright’s astronomy book says, 'It reminds me of Dr. Jay Wile's Apologia Science, only yours is on an elementary level while his is written for high school age.' We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Mrs. Fulbright has written four books: Astronomy, Botany, Zoology 1, the first in a three-part series on Zoology, as well as Zoology 2. The next, and last, part of the Zoology series should be published in early 2008."

Spelling Power - "This famous, award-winning spelling program by Beverly L. Adams-Gordon just became better. Now featuring 21st century technology, it still teaches solid back-to-basic spelling skills. Since 1994, Spelling Power has given home educators the perfect way to teach comprehensive spelling skills to their whole family. (See What's New in Spelling Power.) Your students will use this research proven program to master the 5,000 most frequently used words. These words are divided into 11 levels based on their usage. Each level of Spelling Power’s unique word list is then further organized by phonetic principles and spelling rules."

My, I'm getting old!

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, my 20-year high school reunion is coming up this summer. 20 years?! How did that happen? Well, I recently came across a lot of pictures I had from high school & created this slideshow. It's pretty funny how the hair and clothes styles have changed...

How embarassing

As some of you know, a few years ago, I put a lot of decorative home items and clothes for sale at the "Hand Me Downs Consignment Shop" in Owasso. Well, the owner closed her shop suddenly and did not give notice to any of her consignors. I tried for several months to get in touch with her to get my things back, but to no avail. So, I contacted Channel 2 in Tulsa to see if they could do anything for me. To my surprise, they took on my problem & after many, many months finally got it resolved. The first interview they did with us was actually last summer then they did a follow up interview I think in November. They told me they would let me know when it would air on t.v. so I could watch it. They never got back in touch with me so I assumed they weren't going to air it, which was totally fine with me because I had NO interest of actually being on t.v.

So, about 2 weeks ago, friends of mine & even people I don't know kept coming up to me telling me they saw me on t.v. I thought, "Surely not!" because my interviews were so long ago & Channel 2 said they would notify me when they were going to show it. Well, apparently they did show it - must have been a really slow week for news & they had to put something on ;-) So, here's our story - you can tell I was totally embarassed & not sure what to say but at least the problem got resolved!

Kid's Festival

The girls, along with some of their friends, went to a Kid's Festival last night at Discovery Church. The Festival featured games, food, prizes, jupiter jumps, jugglers, clowns, and their favorite thing was the face painting - as you can tell by the pictures. "A" says each little dot under her eye represents friends and family members that she loves and prays for. And she says the big heart on her forehead represents Jesus. They had a great time at the festival!

Let's go fly a kite

March has come in like a lion! It has been so windy lately but the girls love it because it makes for great kite flying weather. Here's a few pics of the girls flying their new "Barbie" kites.

What happens when you mix baking soda & vinegar?

We usually do Science experiments on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Last week, we learned how vinegar and baking soda react to blow up a balloon (see picture). "A" loves coming up with her own "science experiments". In this same picture, you can see her concoction that she created in her cup. It started out with vinegar and baking soda, but then she added pepper, ice, sugar, and salt. I finally talked her into using all of this pent up energy to mix ingredients to help me mix something up for dinner ;-)

The biggest hair from the 80's contest...

Believe it or not, my 20th high school reunion is coming up this summer. I can not believe 20 years has already flown by! I was talking with a friend today about how our hairstyles have changed so much over the years. So...I'm thinking we need to have a contest to see who had the biggest hair in the 80's. I ask you - did anyone have bigger hair than my Aqua Net hair-dos?! I think not!!! Gotta love the bolos, bubble skirts, baggy shirts, light pink lipstick & blue eyeliner, too - so fashion!

What's up with Oprah?!?!

Excuse my soapbox, but...

I personally used to love Oprah. Her shows are interesting & try to steer clear of being a "trashy" talk show - unlike other shows like Jerry Springer and Montel. They can be fun, informative & I especially enjoy the ones that involve decorating, of course! Granted, she has done a lot of good with her money - she has helped feed the poor, built new schools for children who otherwise would not be formally educated and has contributed funds to an endless number of charities. But as my husband says, "she spiritually misguides folks into thinking that if you do enough good, you’ll be a good person."

And why, within recent months, are people commenting that she is the most dangerous woman alive today? The main reason, I believe, is because of the fact she is so powerful, many people take her at her word and believe anything and everything she says and supports is truth. I find her extremely dangerous and at the risk of sounding "religious", I feel Satan has a full grasp on her. He knows she's powerful and has found a great tool through her to reach millions of people.

She is also extremely dangerous because of her increased vocality with her views on religion lately. She openly states, "There is no way that there is only one way to God" even though the Bible clearly states the ONLY way to God is through His Son, Jesus Christ. (John 14:6 says, "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'")

Oprah is now promoting a New Age class that is offered through satellite that clearly speaks against what is taught in the Bible. What do we do with this information? First, and foremost, I think Oprah needs our prayers. She may have, in fact, at one time accepted Christ as her Savior - she often refers to her Baptist upbringing in her shows. (Although being a Baptist obviously doesn't make her a Christian.) She may have believed Biblical Truth in the past. However, as we all know, too much information can be too much information. I believe there is a difference between being "clear minded" and "open minded". Christians must be clear-minded and believe only truth that is spoken in the Bible. The Bible is truth and the ONLY inspired word of God. Oprah is on the other end of the spectrum and is clearly open-minded. We need to pray that God will reveal THE Truth to her and that she will recognize anything other than God's Truth is lies.

Secondly, we must get the word out that her "teaching" and belief system is not truth. She has been given so much information from "outside sources" that have clearly swayed her thinking. For instance, the infamous book that Oprah so strongly supports, The Secret, is not truth and should not be supported as truth. She seems to have come up with her own set of beliefs that sound good to her so they must be true.

Research and decide for yourself your views on Oprah and whether or not you would like to support her. I found the following articles and videos on-line. I don’t know how much "truth" there are to them, but I still found them interesting…

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Wolves/oprah-fool.htm

http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=57827

http://www.wfial.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=artNewAge.article_1

http://www.goodfight.org/hwowinfrey.html

http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/oprahwinfrey.htm

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,31139,00.html

H20 molecules

Last week, we were science nerds and learned about atoms, cells and molecules. We learned that water molecues are made up of hydrogen and oxygen atoms and we created H20 models. The pink marshmellows are hydrogen atoms & the green ones are oxygen atoms - and they are held together by bands (toothpicks). More than anything, I think the girls enjoyed eating the marshmellows and getting a sugar kick. Now for a lesson on how sugar creates plaque on your teeth which leads to cavities!!!

Sam Noble Museum

This weekend we had a great time visiting the Sam Noble Museum in Norman, Oklahoma with our cousins from OKC, Oregon & Georgia. While the museum was very interesting to visit, I was a little disappointed in it's pro-evolutionary themes and total lack of a creationism view. Other than that, it was still neat to see.

Why we homeschool...

A few years ago, I felt like God was calling me to homeschool. I fought it for a year because I had never even considered homeschooling. My friends were constantly asking me, "So when are you going to start homeschooling?" I would reply, "We're not!" I just never thought of it as an option for us. I was looking forward to my free time when both girls would be in school. I could go shopping, clean the house or even go back to work if I wanted to! Being a former teacher, I was very pro-public school and very pro-Owasso. Well, I slowly learned that God always wins.

I attended a homeschooling seminar the summer of 2006 and it really helped me with my decision to homeschool. After I finally made my decision, for the first time in a long time, I felt peace. I realized I wanted to continue to be a full-time mom - not just between the hours of 4-8 p.m. I wanted to be a part of my kid's learning and not just be known as a chauffer taking them from activity to activity. I wanted them to be raised in a good, Christian home and I realized with homeschooling, you can really put a lot of time into character development.

I also considered the facts - 30 girls in Owasso schools were pregnant in 2006 and 4 were in the 6th grade. Used condoms are being found on buses. Parents really have no idea what teachers are teaching their kids or how they are being treated. Many Christian parents argue that they want their child to be the "salt and the light", but are they really spiritually mature enough? Kids are so easily persuaded and I didn't think I, personally, had enough time to guide my girls spiritually during non-school hours. By the time kids get home from school, do their home work, go to their activities, have a little playtime, take showers and get ready for bed - what time is left?

Being a former teacher, I remember how some teachers treated their students very poorly. I always wondered why those teachers chose their profession because many of them should not be around kids. I remember many teachers talking down to and even yelling at their students. This is not only degrading to the child, it also strips away at their self-esteem and any positive feelings they might have toward learning.

I also considered the actual time that is spent in teaching and learning in school. Sure, kids are in school about six hours a day, but how much of that time is actually being used educationally? So much time is spent going class to class, teachers trying to settle the class down, reviewing from the day before, teachers spending a large amount of time on kids with discipline issues or helping kids who are behind in their work. One teacher told me that she only spends about 1 1/2 hours of school every day in actual teaching/learning time. With homeschooling, we're done in about three hours and we have the rest of the day to run errands, go on field trips, clean the house, play with friends, etc. And an added bonus: The girls can spend quality time with their dad when he comes home at night - going for bike rides, reading books, playing games - whatever they choose.

Many parents argue about the socialization issue with homeschooled kids. To me, it's a non-issue. We have plenty of time when school is over to "socialize". They also get it at their homeschool Co-Op, church and other normal everyday experiences. But the biggest factor I consider is "why would I want my kids to be 'socialized' at school?" Just because kids are exposed to inappropriate behavior doesn't mean they will know how to deal with it in a Christian manner. More than likely, they will become desensitized to it and will soon even become accepting of it. At home, we have time to deal with these issues. We role play and talk about what to do if they are around inappropriate behavior. We have time to grow our kids spiritually which will affect them for eternity.

Another common concern for parents who are considering homeschooling or for those who don't really understand all that is involved in homeschooling is that they are worried their child won't get the best education to prepare them for college. However, there are so many great curriculums out there nowadays that have a strong academic base - with a little research, you can find one that is right for your family. And they do a great job preparing kids for college. In fact, there are many colleges out there who are actually seeking out homeschool kids because they are so successful in their independent learning and academic excellence. (See http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,216847,00.html and http://www.themorningstaracademy.org/daily_education_news/colleges-friendlier-towards-homeschoolers.html .)

Homeschooling has changed so much over the years and is growing in numbers. One article I recently read said it grew by 29% in the last few years. We’ve been homeschooling for two years now and it really was a blessing for our family. It has not only drawn us closer together, but we found that learning together is really fun. I'M NOT TRYING TO PERSUADE ANYONE TO HOMESCHOOL. I am not saying all Christian families should homeschool. You have to do what God is leading your family to do. However, if God is calling you, He will provide you with the patience, knowledge, flexibility, wisdom and organizational skills you need. Rely on Him and He will direct your path.