Friday 31 May 2013

HSMJ - the one about Bird Books, Monet Garden and Handel.

In my life this week…
Nominations for the Circle of Mom's Top 25 opened and Every Bed of Roses has been nominated.

I have so enjoyed remembering each of my children and learning to look at them afresh in the Releasing the Butterfly's series this month.

I'm so excited Mary from over at Homegrown Learners has finished her book!  I have been blessed with a copy of SQUILT {Music Appreciation Made Simple} to preview.  It arrived yesterday and I am looking forward to using Chapter 9 next week.

I have enjoyed looking at photographs of famous creative people: 40 Inspiring Work spaces of the Famously Creative.

In our home school this week…

    Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…




    Notebooking Pages 
    is having a 7th Birthday 
    Save $25 for just 1 more day!










    I am inspired by…
    Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
    • Lots of Dr and Physiotherapy appointments!
    • Tennis and Kelly Sports
    • Science experiments at the T Family
    • Play group with the L family
    • Catch up with the M family.
    My favourite thing this week was…
    Full Scale Lego X-Wing

    What’s working/not working for us…
    • Quitting my gym membership and sleeping in in the morning.  I'm more of a night owl.

    Questions/thoughts I have…

    Things I’m working on…
    On My Bedside Table ...
    • Nothing has changed
    In Bloggy world I’m reading…
    I’m cooking…
    • Nothing inspiring this week.  We're in survival mode and I'm grateful my sister has been here to pull up the slack from me.
    On Pinterest I found...
    I’m grateful for…
    A photo, video, link, or quote to share…


    Blessings



    Photo collages made with: Photoscape a FREE photo editor

    Wednesday 29 May 2013

    Preparing the Butterfly


    Meet Sir N the star of this blog. His name means
    One who is asked of the Lord and Brings much joy

    Our journey to receiving the news of his pregnancy was a very long nine years on the roller coaster of hope and disappointment. In fact two weeks before our positive pregnancy test I had given up on the idea of having any more children and decided that this was it the Lord had decided our family was complete with two children.

    This little man has been an amazing blessing in our lives and has brought each and every one of us smiles. His name is just how we felt when we were blessed with the news of his impending arrival in our family.  He makes my heart melt and shows me what unconditional love looks like every day.

    More hope . . . 
    During my pregnancy I experienced so many highs the main one being:  we are going to have the large family we always wanted. After he was born I relaxed and spent so much time waiting each month for a sign of another I didn't fully immerse myself in enjoying the one in my arms. One year, two years, three years . . . went by.
    Finally one beautiful Sunday morning in Spring - two little blue lines appeared. Joy! Excitement! Anticipation of another little person to love hold and cherish. Morning sickness, yes all is well.
    In a twinkling it all changed with the words "I'm sorry Mrs R ....." tears, grief and a little boy who told me to tell Jesus to put the baby back!
    Sir N faithfully prayed every night for three years. One night two beautiful brown eyes looked at me and said there is no point in praying Jesus does not hear.  My heart broke. What do I say ?
    So far it's been five very long years of secondary infertility and failed IVF cycles. Feeling like everyone was pregnant BUT me. . .

    Looking back
    Having two teens means that I have learned not to think too far into the future as sometimes the dreams are met with closed doors and you need to find new hope for your butterfly or just when you anticipate having another five or six years you find that you need to let go and watch your butterfly find itself.

    Source: Pinterest

    In the Future
    I am learning ever so slowly to appreciate the today's because they are ever so fleeting. My heart still longs and the conflict rages within. Conflict between being fully satisfied and wanting just one more chance. I'm learning to look at the little butterfly growing in front of me and appreciate him. I am so grateful to Susan for encouraging me to look at my child and see him for the person he is.  I'm learning to look to the One Who created him and ask "Lord just how should I prepare this butterfly ?"

    I would like to encourage you to enjoy your butterflies.  Enjoy each one in their individuality. Enjoy them for their differences.  

    Blessings
    Chareen



    During the month of May I would like to introduce each of my children to you.


    --ooOoo--

    Homeschooling Hearts & Minds
    May is Ichthyosis Awareness Month. I will be partaking in a month long blog hop in honor of Peter and other children with Ichthyosis. Release the butterflies is more than about children with a rare skin disorder it's about each and every one of our children.

    Susan will be having a weekly link up.  Please join me in celebrating each and every child and just how special they truly are.

    Here is Susan's Schedule
    Links will be added here as the posts go live.
    Release the Butterflies Posts:
    1. Wednesday, May 8, 2013
    2. Susan  Embrace the Wild Child, Release the Butterflies
      Nicole Releasing the Butterflies. Turtle...
      Lisa All the Same and Yet Different
    3. Wednesday, May 15, 2013
      Susan Giving the Butterfly Time to Emerge
      Nicole Releasing the Butterflies. Bug...
    4. Wednesday, May 22, 2013
      Susan Hold Onto Your Butterflies, but not too tightly
    5. Wednesday, May 29, 2013
      Susan The Butterfly’s Dazzling Colors Dance in the Sunlight
      Nicole Releasing the Butterflies Wrap Up
    Giveaways this week
    1. Ticket to the Ultimate Homeschool Expo (open Worldwide) ends (6/2) ($89 value) (ends 6/2)
    Freebies
    1. Preschool Butterfly Printables Pack
    2. FREE Math Mystery E-book for Primary Grades  
    3. Free Two-Sided, Full-Color Addition and Subtraction Cards!
    4. FREE Printable Butterfly Notecards

    Tuesday 28 May 2013

    Science in the Junior Years

    Teaching Science - How do you do it?  Good question.  When any of us think of science our minds tend to think of high school / University labs and immediately we are filled with fear and trepidation. We start to panic and wonder how on earth we are going to accomplish teaching science ?? This fear in turn robs us of the pleasure of discovering just how much fun science can be.


    Define: Science
    • The word science comes from the Latin "scientia," meaning knowledge especially knowledge based on reproducible data.
    • Science is the systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation. 
    From this definition we can see that science is not solely about science labs and microscopes, formulas and chemicals it's all about the world around us.

    For us
    Sir N will be eight years old in a weeks time and for us Science is all about discovery and fun.  Personally I am not a hands on learner but he is which has proven to be a little bit of a challenge.  In order to meet his need of hands on learning I have been actively seeking opportunities to join others on science adventures, even when that means traveling a 140 km round trip.  This year we have gone across town and played in a science lab and learned about static electricity and cold ice.

    I have been teaching science using Sonlight - Exploring the wonders of God's World using living books.
    Over the years I took a detour and did The Well Trained Mind path as well using some great Usborne Science Books.  I've also really liked the look of Noeo Science but the postage makes purchasing this curriculum a little out of reach from Australia.

    Nature Study
    Each family needs to find their own personal flavor in studying science in the younger years. For us I have been blessed because Paul's passion is all things nature and he generously shares his knowledge with our children. He has the most amazing instagram


    Instagram @Servalpaul
    In the Future
    The more I learn about Delight Directed education the more I realize that science is about enjoying and appreciating the world around us. In order to do this more formally I would really like to do a lot more Nature Journaling at home.

    Resources to help you start Nature Journaling

    Resources to teach science at home

    Science in Highschool



    "Can I teach 
    high school science?
     NO
    As your student gets older, 
    your role changes from 
    teacher to fellow learner."

    You can read my thoughs on science in the high school years in my Homeschool High School Post.

    Be encouraged Science is not as big as we make it in our thinking and we do not need to feel that only professionally trained teachers can teach science. As home schoolers we can learn and discover alongside our children.  Have fun read some living books and try some science in your kitchen!

    Blessings
    Chareen


    This week

     ---ooOoo---

    Linking with
    Teach Me Tuesdays Hip Homeschool Hop Button The Homeschool Village

    Tuesdays Treasure - Handel: At the Court of Kings

    This week ...


    • Format: Paper back
    • Number of Pages: 166 
    • Vendor:Zeezook 
    • Publication Date: 
    • ISBN 10: 1933573031 
    • ISBN 13: 9781933573038 
    • Author Opal Wheeler 
    • Illustrator:Mary Greenwalt 
    We have been wanting to start composer study and last week a friend of mine loaned me Handel at the Court of Kings.  This book is such a delight to read and I am pleased to find a living book to read out loud with Sir N.  This book is twaddle free and illustrated with beautiful line drawings.


    My friend originally purchased this from Vision Forum where you can purchase the collection (consisting of a paperback, CD and Study Guide) sadly they are discontinuing this product.

    I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series (available from The Book Depository)
    Blessings

     Welcome to Tuesdays Treasures.  I started these posts as a way of sharing great books in honour of my friend in New Zealand who would arrive with the treasures she had unearthed at her weekly trip to the library!

    There are so many wonderful books out there hiding on shelves so I invite you to blog about a book on your shelf, one you're reading or one you found at the library and add your post  


    Monday 27 May 2013

    Nominated in the Circle of Mom's Top 25 Please support us



    We've been nominated in the 
    Circle of Mom's Top 25 Homeschool Blogs.  
    Did you vote for us today
    Would you please ?
    We appreciate your support!

    You can vote once a day


    Here are some of my blog friends who have been nominated.  Please take some time to vote for them. If you have been nominated leave the link in the comments and I will add you to my list and vote for you daily!

    Marcy @ Ben and Me

    Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts and Minds

    Heather @ Only Passionate Curiosity

    Karyn @ Teach Beside Me

    Christine @ Our Homeschool Reviews

    Sara @ Embracing Destiny

    Sarah @ Ahoy Maties

    Emilee @ Pea of Sweetness

    Lisa @ Home to 4 Kiddos

    Tere @ Teachable Scotts Tots Homeschool

    Jen B. @ Reflections in the Window

    Renita @ Krazy Kuehner Days

    Kendra @ Preschoolers and Peace

    Nicole W. @ Mama of Many Blessings

    Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses

    Lexi @ Lextin Academy

    Blessings
    Chareen 

    Saturday 25 May 2013

    HSMJ - the PC died AGAIN !

    In my life this week…
    My PC died again.  This time it was the power supply.  I'm feeling so blessed that my brother had some spares for me to borrow. It's so annoying!
    Paul has managed to injure himself this week at work and is now at home and has a few appointments with Dr's and Physiotherapists.  Please pray for a speedy recovery.
    The scales numbers went in the correct direction this week and I started doing a walking DVD this week at home.  I have been surprised by just how unfit I've become in the last year. I must say this journey has given me a fresh appreciation for my husbands back problems but I'm now seriously over being in pain all the time!  I wish I could go to sleep and wake up thin . . .

    In our home school this week…
    • We did a refresher on Fire Safety and took a trip to the Fire Station.
    • Have been studying the United Kingdom and exploring the joys of plenty to see on YouTube.
    • We have also completed our second art project with See the Light and enjoyed it.
    • A friend of mine has loaned us Handel: At the Court of Kings.  What a delightful living book to introduce a composer.  We also listened to Hallelujah Handel
    • We made a Chinese Lantern.
          Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
          I am inspired by…
          Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
          • Tuesday we went to Kelly Sports and played all sorts of games.
          • Wednesday was a busy day at Mom's group, cup of tea with the T family
          • Thursday tennis was fun. 
          • Friday we took Paul to a Dr and Physio appointment.
          My favourite thing this week was…
          • Cuddling on the couch with Sir N and reading heaps of books together.
          What’s working/not working for us…
          • My PC dieing. It really puts a spanner in the works.  Especially when I have a lot of work that needs to be done.
          Questions/thoughts I have…
          •  I still do not know what topic to cover in the five day blog hop that is going to be hosted by the Schoolhouse Crew in a couple of months!
          Things I’m working on…
          On My Bedside Table ...
          • Too many good books and not enough time to read!
          In Bloggy world I’m reading…
          I’m cooking…
          • Nothing too exciting this week.
          On Pinterest I found...

          I’m grateful for…
          • My brother who knows how to fix computers and is always willing to lend a hand.
          • Dr's and Physio therapists who are willing to help
          A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

          "Classical education is the cultivation of wisdom and virtue by nourishing the soul on truth, goodness and beauty so that, in Christ, a student is better able to know, glorify and enjoy God." {Circe}


          Blessings



          Photo collages made with: Photoscape a FREE photo editor

          Thursday 23 May 2013

          Schoolhouse Library


          One of the things that I have enjoyed since joining the Schoolhouse Review Crew is learning about all the new curriculum and home school support tools that are now available to us as Home educating families.  This week Schoolhouse Teachers launched Schoolhouse Library.

          For a once off payment of $25 you will receive over 175 eBooks.  The books range from support and encouragement books to popular books by many home school publishers.

          Here is a sample
          • 2 Study Guides from YWAM
          • Draw Write Now Sampler E-Book by Barker Creek
          • Heroines of the Past-Victorian unit study from Amy Puetz
          • Map Trek: Atlas and Outline Maps of World History from Knowledge Quest
          • Teaching Writing E-Book from WriteShop
          • 15 audio E-Books from My Audio School in history and literature
          • A Glimpse at Carnivorous Plants Lapbook from In the Hands of a Child
          • Video from Jessica Hulcy on “Learning as a Family”
          • From Frazzled to Focused: 7 Planning Tools for Busy Moms from Mary Jo Tate
          The library is organised in over 25 topics.
          1. Art and Crafts
          2. Bible
          3. Economics
          4. Electives
          5. Encouragement
          6. Geography
          7. Government
          8. Grammar
          9. Spelling
          10. Reading
          11. Organisation (with several planners)
          12. Nature Study
          13. Special Needs And many more!  
          There is something for everyone.

          Blessings
          Chareen


          *In the interest of full disclosure, I want you to know that as crew mate of TOS, I did receive this product at no charge. However, I was not required to blog about it. I'm doing so because I think that it will greatly benefit my readers to know about it.


          Wednesday 22 May 2013

          Anticipating the Butterfly


          Meet my daughter whose name means
          Beautiful Anointed one who is a gift of the Lord

          On this blog she is known as Miss J.  We received confirmation of our pregnancy two days after Christmas 18 years ago.  We had a wonderful pregnancy.  Our journey to finding Miss J's name was an interesting one. I was pregnant with two of my friends and we lived in a rural farming community. We had a name chosen for a girl during our first pregnancy it was Sarah J******.  Paul had been praying that we have a daughter and we looked forward to calling her Princess.

          Five months into our pregnancy my friend birthed a beautiful daughter and called her - Sarah.  At the time we were living in a rural community. Normally when you live in a rural community it's for a life time and I felt we needed to choose a new name for a girl because if our daughters were going to be in the same class I did not want them to have the same names.  After much prayer and name book searching we found a new name.  Jessica Anne.  Three months later my second friend birthed her first born and named her - Jessica Anne.  We were surprised.  We still felt we wanted a unique name for our baby if it was a daughter.

          Four weeks later we were still searching for a name when I went into labour at four am. We had not settled on a name. As I laboured we searched for a name.  Paul read out names and we discussed them. One of the things I really wanted in names for our children was that they would be a blessing every time we spoke to our children. An hour before her birth we settled on her names.

          Anticipation
          One of the things we do as parents when we are pregnant is we have this deep sense of expectation and anticipation for our children. We dream of a life of possibility. When I began homeschooling there was an added sense of anticipation of what we would do in the high school years

          One of the things I did not expect was how quickly things change. One moment I thought we had another three years of home schooling followed by a few years of tertiary education and the next it all changed.  An opportunity came up for Miss J to attend college at 15 and study towards her Cert III in Children's Services.  Miss J graduated in January last year. Has since worked full time and moved out of home six months ago.

          The teen years hold so many possibilities for us and for our children.

          Hold on lightly
          Today Susan's words spoke to my heart -
          Perhaps the hardest part is 
          letting them be, 
          letting them become, 
          and releasing them to God’s Will. 
          Come what may.

          This is the hardest part of all Mom's in their journeys as Mothers.

          I would like to encourage you mom's with little ones enjoy each moment time is short.  To you Mom's of middle year children treasure the exploring, the moment you have now is fleeting.

          To you Mom's of the teen look at these years with the anticipation of seeing His perfect plan for your child unfold, hold on lightly and release them to find who the Father has made them to be. They are created in His image and not the image of your dreams.


          And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. Philippians 1:6

          May you be blessed as you step back and anticipate seeing the fullness of His plan unfold before you for your children.

          Blessings
          Chareen




          During the month of May I would like to introduce each of my children to you.


          --ooOoo--

          Homeschooling Hearts & Minds
          May is Ichthyosis Awareness Month. I will be partaking in a month long blog hop in honor of Peter and other children with Ichthyosis. Release the butterflies is more than about children with a rare skin disorder it's about each and every one of our children.

          Susan will be having a weekly link up.  Please join me in celebrating each and every child and just how special they truly are.

          Here is Susan's Schedule
          Links will be added here as the posts go live.
          Release the Butterflies Posts:
          1. Wednesday, May 8, 2013
          2. Susan  Embrace the Wild Child, Release the Butterflies
            Nicole Releasing the Butterflies. Turtle...
            Lisa All the Same and Yet Different
          3. Wednesday, May 15, 2013
            Susan Giving the Butterfly Time to Emerge
            Nicole Releasing the Butterflies. Bug...
          4. Wednesday, May 22, 2013
            Susan Hold Onto Your Butterflies, but not too tightly
          5. Wednesday, May 29, 2013
            Susan
          Giveaways
          1. Have a H.E.A.R.T. for Your Kids Bundle (ends 5/12)
          2. Character Trails, a Review and Giveaway! (ends 5/19)
          3. My Memories Suite Bundle Giveaway! (ends 5/26)
          4. Monday, May 27, 2013
          Freebies
          1. Thursday, May 9, 2013
            Preschool Butterfly Printables Pack
          2. Thursday, May 16, 2013
            FREE Math Mystery E-book for Primary Grades
            Free Two-Sided, Full-Color Addition and Subtraction Cards!
          3. Thursday, May 23, 2013

          30 % Discount at Confessions of a Homeschooler


          Erica from over a Confessions of a Homeschooler is having a 30 % off everything in her store sale till Friday.

          I am currently using the following
          I hope to use these in the future
          Blessings
          Chareen

          Tuesday 21 May 2013

          Homeschool Support


          Last week we talked about home school Co-ops and what the benefits are for you the home educator this week we are sharing on Support groups.

          Support Groups are fundamentally different to co-ops in that they are an informal get together's which can happen weekly, fortnightly or monthly. A support group can be two homeschool families that connect well or a group of mothers connecting on a regular basis.  Most meet together with their children and some meet without their children.

          I really enjoyed this statement by Renee Gotcher from Next Generation Homeschool: "When you think about it, homeschool support group is a bit of an oxymoron: We choose to homeschool so that we can independently make decisions about our children’s education, and yet we inherently desire the support of others to inform, encourage and assist us."

          Home school support groups are not about education they are about mentoring relationships.  It's for you the mom to access a supportive environment and for your children to know that there are other children out there being home educated.

          Mentoring
          A mentor facilitates personal and professional growth in an individual by sharing the knowledge and insights that have been learned through the years. - USC Mentor Program

          "Mentoring is to support and encourage people to manage their own learning in order that they may maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be." Eric Parsloe, The Oxford School of Coaching & Mentoring 

          Mentoring is a developmental partnership through which one person shares knowledge, skills, information and perspective to foster the personal and professional growth of someone else. We all have a need for insight that is outside of our normal life and educational experience. The power of mentoring is that it creates a one-of-a-kind opportunity for collaboration, goal achievement and problem-solving. “Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” John C. Crosby (Mentor program)

          Caution
          While home school support groups offer a huge amount of encouragement and support on your home education journey they can also become a noose around your neck.  For years and years I was a part of two particular support groups and loved learning and growing with these families. I still miss them. What I did not do however was evaluate some of the choices that slowly seeped into the group.  It was not until years later when I moved away and was confronted with asking myself why I was doing some things (dress code, curriculum choices, etc) that I realized that I had taken on an unwritten 'law' from the group that was not healthy for my family.  Now I am part of several groups but I do so with caution and I constantly re-evaluate what I'm doing with who my family is. So when you are part of a network be sure to take a regular time of de-cluttering your mind and spirit and be sure that you remain true to who you are or you might find that who you are becomes lost in trying to fit in.  If you need to work at fitting in you are definitely a part of the wrong group.   

          Benefits
          Two Sisters by Renoir
          There are many benefits in a joining a support group and I encourage you to find a group of like minded mothers. A good support network will be a place you can take a break, enjoy a relaxing cup of tea to recharge, ask questions and have access to real life help.
          • Seasoned Homeschoolers to receive encouragement from.
          • Encouragement
          • Social opportunity for Mom with like minded people
          • Help
          • Advice
          • Supportive environment
          • Care
          • Networking (knowing who to go to when you need assistance)
          • Contacts
          • Assistance
          • Solutions
          • Access to Information
          • Guidance
          • A place to connect with like minded Mom's

          On the WWW
          On Line Support
          I appreciate that in today's culture we have limited time to invest in meeting together face to face and for many of us the only support we have access to is on the www. Here is a list of place to seek support on line.
          I pray you find a group of like minded woman who will encourage, inspire and support you on your home education journey.  In the last five years I have been blessed with three beautiful woman who keep me accountable and are not afraid to ask the hard questions.  These woman pray for me and do not judge me.  I feel so blessed to have these three woman in my life and I give thanks to Christ for them every day.

          Remember a mentor does not need to be someone older in chronological age just someone older on the journey with more experience and most importantly someone who is still willing to learn and grow and accept you and your family for who you are.

          Do you have someone like this to help you ?  Remember A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12

          Blessings
          Chareen
          This post is featured at The Homeschool Village Link up #19

          This week

           ---ooOoo---

          Linking with
          Teach Me Tuesdays Hip Homeschool Hop Button The Homeschool Village

          Support image courtesy of Free Digital Photos Stuart Miles
          Golden rope courtesy of Master isolated images 

          TT - The Usborne Book of Famous Paintings

          This week ...
          The Usborne Book of Famous Paintings

          The Usborne Book of Famous Paintings

          • Format:  Hardback
          • Number of Pages: 79
          • Vendor: Usborne
          • Publication Date:01 September 2009 
          • ISBN 10:0794525423 
          • ISBN 13:9780794525422  
          • Author Rosie Dickins 
          • Illustrator:Pictures of Famous Paintings and drawings by Philip Hopman 
          Since begining to home educate I have become more acutely aware of the fine arts.  I'm aware that there are many beautiful famous paintings out there but my knowledge of teaching the fine arts is very limited.  It was with delight I discovered this great book at our local library last week.

          Each double page spread features a picture of a famous painting along with a short historical description. The thing that caught my eye are the arrows to parts of the paintings pointing out things to take note of or giving short interesting bits of information.

          We are enjoying this book and it fits in well with the short lesson periods suggested by Charlotte Mason.
          Blessings

           Welcome to Tuesdays Treasures.  I started these posts as a way of sharing great books in honour of my friend in New Zealand who would arrive with the treasures she had unearthed at her weekly trip to the library!

          There are so many wonderful books out there hiding on shelves so I invite you to blog about a book on your shelf, one you're reading or one you found at the library and add your post to the Link Up below

          A Button for you.
          Please copy and paste the code below
          Pop on over and see what others are sharing.
          Add you link below

          Every bed of Roses

          --oOo--