Notebooking with Boys-CC Cycle 2

         Guess what? We've finished our homeschool year, which means I'm starting to look forward to next year. The teacher in me totally loves planning what we'll be doing. The teacher in me also loves summer break! I personally need this time to recharge and just be mom to my kiddos. After reading some great books*, I am trying to streamline some of our learning so that I have more time to read great books with my kids and let them explore different things they're interested in and less time spent on busywork. After all, I don't need to keep them busy just for the sake of keeping them busy, I'd rather invest that time a little more wisely.

         We just finished up our sixth year of Classical Conversations. Although I am far from being an expert, I know that I am constantly looking to those mamas who are a few steps ahead of me to figure out what might work better than what we've been doing, so I thought I would share for those who might benefit from what is working well for us. In the past we have used pages from CC Connected to give each of my older kids (they just finished 3rd and 5th) what we call a "CC Notebook" with one page of copywork from each subject we cover with Classical Conversations. This has been great reinforcement for my boys as they have both gone on to become Memory Masters for the past couple years. My youngest son, Will, is 5, and not really up for all the copywork the other two boys do, but I think he can do some. I am trying to make him an age appropriate notebook for the fall. I have listed below the usernames that I am planning to use for my older two and made a note if I think I will use them for Will, too. For now, I'm planning to give him a history page with a coloring portion and some simple printing and a simple science copywork sheet. I'm considering a timeline matching page and possibly a geography page as well. We'll see. For now I thought it might be helpful for others to see what our notebooks look like and which users we'll be using for Cycle 2. Please feel free to comment here with any questions, or send me a message on Facebook. :) Also, check back later because I plan to post about what we're going to be doing besides our CC notebooks this fall!

Things we are using from CC Connected: 
History color and copy pages by Melissa Corkum (cursive for my older two and print for Will)
Science copywork pages by me (heatherg) (I made a younger version for Will and shared them on CC Connected, too)
Geography blackline maps by Tara504 (and possibly her lapbooks if I get crazy! ;))
English Grammar pages by me** (heatherg)
Latin by abbycarp and anniepat
Math by me** (heatherg) for Sam and Will and
         chart to be laminated by JosephsAprilAnn for Jon who is over 10 and can't do skip counting
Timeline: I might use the pages by user whitmanmc for Sam and Jon, or I may create my own.
         I may also use Sheri Ellis' timeline sheets for Will

*I cannot recommend Teaching from Rest by Sarah Mackenzie enough! Read it and be encouraged homeschool mamas!!
Also, any of Leigh Bortins books are an excellent help us mamas to understand her vision and plan for using Classical Conversations to help our kiddos blossom under this program! :)
**I have been told that the files I uploaded to CC Connected are not working right. If you find this to be true, please let me know. I can open them from my computer, but that may not mean anything!
You might be interested in reading about why we homeschool, getting started with CC or about how we use Audible.

New Year, Old Goals, New Resolve

I keep seeing posts about new resolutions and goals, and while they are great, I feel like speaking up because my goals aren't new. The year is new. My resolve is new. My goals are the same. Maybe that sounds better, same goals rather than old.

I love marking the passing of time and reflecting on where we were last year at this time or 5 years ago or a decade ago. However, the start of a new year did not change my goals. It did not change my hopes or dreams. It just makes me realize that time is continuing to pass. I can either get more serious about accomplishing those goals, or I should probably change them. I'm not changing mine, but I am reminding myself of some ways to help accomplish them.

So while the goals remain the same: Love God, Love Family, Love Others (there's a mouthful), there are a few things that I want to try to remember this year.

Be gentle, with others and with myself. Frustrations come, and it's easy to get angry and harsh. That harshness never accomplishes good.

Be kind, with others and with myself. This quote says it all, "Be kind, everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."

Be gracious, with others and with myself. I once heard grace defined as kindness undeserved. Others may not deserve my kindness, and sometimes I might not deserve it, but grace...oh, grace. I'm so thankful for it. Even when I have done nothing to deserve kindness or mercy, grace.

Forgive, others and myself. As one who has been forgiven, I can say it is a powerful thing. Sometimes we are slowest to forgive ourselves. If you're holding onto something and beating yourself up over it, maybe it's time to let it go. Ultimate forgiveness comes from God and brings freedom, joy and peace. If that's something you want to know more about, please ask me. But even those of us who know the forgiveness that Jesus brings are still guilty from time to time of holding onto hurt, anger and bitterness. Whether it is something petty, like a child giving attitude or something larger and deeper, anger is a poison and brings only death. Forgiveness brings life.

These are words I need to remember this year.

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and if one has complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." Colossians 3:12-14

Thankful

I know it's a little cliche to have a blog post right after Thanksgiving with the title Thankful, but there really isn't another word that sums up how I'm feeling right now. I have always loved Thanksgiving. A time to gather with loved ones and reflect on our blessings, what could be better? Then on two separate occasions I had babies the week of Thanksgiving. I am always reflective and grateful around my children's birthdays, so this just added to the thankfulness.

Will at just a few days old

Maggie, who was 6 weeks premature, at one day old

My grandma recently lost her battle with cancer, and while the pain of that loss is still fresh, it that has only made my heart more thankful for the times when my family can be together.

Precious time I got to spend with my grandma in August

In the past week, I have gotten to spend time with my husband's extended family, and with my parents and both of my brothers and my sister in law. My brother and sister in law, who live in Peru, have actually been with us for a week, much to our delight.

My brother, Scott, and my sister in law, Julia 

While I love routine and structure, the fun we have had, the laughter we have shared and the joy on my kids' faces is better than any routine I've ever known. Tomorrow, we'll try to get back into those routines, which I anticipate will be a bit of a struggle, but I am hoping to face that struggle with grace and to cling to this heart full of thankfulness. After all, even if Thanksgiving is over, next is Christmas, and what better reason to be thankful than the time when we celebrate the coming of our Savior?

Next week, I will be posting about the ways we are trying to be intentional this Christmas as a family. Stay tuned! ;)

A Work in Progress

My husband and my oldest, Jon, recently went to church time where the focus was on making your life count. Ironically, while they were gone I was incredibly lazy and watched more t.v. than I'm willing to admit. Towards the end of the week, God grabbed my heart and reminded me that my moments make up my days which make up my life...is this the life I want to live? One of watching this series on Netflix followed by that series on Amazon Prime? I was reading a blog that talked about reading quality books with our kids and how we model for them with our actions. I was reminded that I will never be the kind of woman that I hope to be unless I start making better decisions now. Most of the summer I have spent my kids' nap times watching television. Meanwhile, I have a list of books that I want to read. I have a list of projects I want to complete. I have a list of things I want to do with my kids. We're over half way through July...time to get going.

This week, I determined to use nap time for working on projects or reading books. It was great. Honestly, I did not miss that time in front of the t.v. at all. I read two books in a series that I have been wanting to read and can't wait to start the last one. I accomplished several projects for school in the fall, and I even took the older boys to Kings Island one afternoon while my mom graciously watched the littler two. I still have many projects left on my list, but the feeling of progress is priceless.

I'm realizing the truth in sayings I've heard millions of times before: If you don't have goals, what are you working toward? I am thinking and praying through specific goals for our home and my life. Friends of mine have shared that they talk through family goals with their spouse. I like that idea. I'd also love to sit down with my older two boys individually and set some goals for the school year-not just academic goals but all aspects.

Also, as I realize that I am far from perfect and will most likely stumble again as I travel this path, I love the saying that, "God doesn't call us to perfection, he calls us to obedience." We will fail. Our children will also fail. Am I modeling how to fail graciously? I am I sharing with them my mistakes and how I am trying to overcome them in His strength? Or do I hide those mistakes from them and try to act like I've got it all together? Hopefully, we can graciously grow together as we walk through our days in His grace, mercy and love.

Summer, Summer, Summertime

We finished up our school year last week with shouts of joy! I was just getting over a nasty sinus infection, so I was just as glad as the kids to be done with the normal routines and tasks. Here's a glimpse at what we're planning  to spend our summer days doing:

~Splashing at our neighborhood pool, both for fun and swim lessons for all three boys

~Going on a Faith Expedition with our church's Vacation Bible School

~Enjoying thrills and fun at Kings Island

~Participating in our local library's summer reading program

~Cheering on our favorite swimmer and his team, the Windwood Warriors

~Church Camp will be a first for our oldest, and his dad is going along to be a counselor

~Learning about US History with Veritas Press' self-paced online class (this wasn't my initial plan, but the kids love it and wanted to get started. Now they are eager to do each days lesson right after breakfast. Who am I to argue?)

~Watching Pete's cousin and his beautiful fiance get hitched in Indiana (Sam will be the ring bearer)

~Switching rooms around. Jon switched with Will. The school room is moving from the basement to the formal living room.

~Cheering on two baseball players on a Y league team for June and July

Somewhere in there, we'll be doing read alouds, playing board games, having water balloon fights, some math workbooks, and finish building a tree house, etc. We're going to enjoy all of those things listed above and soak up some less structured time together.

Why We Choose to Homeschool

Sam built this bridge at Classical Conversations today

Recently I blogged about our homeschooling schedule and was asked why we've chosen to homeschool. Before I answer that question, I want to preface it with this: I realize that many reading this have chosen differently than we have. In this day and age, disagreeing with someone is translated to mean that you hate them and/or their choice. This is simply not the case. I can disagree with you and your choice and still love you. Or I can choose one thing and you can choose another and we can both be right*. Sadly, I can even choose the same as you and not love you. Somehow, our culture has gotten this all mixed up. Agreement does not equal love or acceptance. Likewise, disagreement does not equal hatred or exclusion. Many of my best friends have chosen to send their kids to school in public schools or private schools. So, just as my previous blog was not the best schedule for homeschooling, it is simply what we've found to work for us, this blog post isn't why YOU should homeschool, but rather why WE have made that choice for our kids right now.

The number one reason why we have chosen to homeschool is our faith. We believe that Jesus Christ is our Savior. That we are all born sinful and in great need for a Savior. God saw that need before we were even born and sent His Son to live a sinless life and die a cruel death for our sins. He defeated death and the grave and was raised to life again three days later. We believe that through His death and resurrection we can have life, if we repent, believe and follow Him. We believe that the Bible is the true Word of God, given to us that we might know Him and how to live this life for His honor and glory. That is our chief end, to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We want to raise our children to do that as well. When given the option of sending our kids to someone else for 7+ hours a day, or let them stay home and spend that time with them, it seems to be an easy choice for us. I'd rather spend those hours pouring into their character, seeing their sinful little hearts (because trust me they are sinful--they come by that just as naturally as they do their brown eyes!) and pointing them back to the One who loves them in spite of their sin. Along the way, we typically do a little math and reading, but the goal at the end of the day is not to have the smartest kids on the block, but kids that love the Lord and want to their gifts and abilities to serve Him.

Jon playing peak-a-boo with Maggie

all four of our kiddos enjoying playing together

Another thing we love about homeschooling is the way it promotes family relationships. My boys are each other's best friends. When I asked my boys this morning why they thought we homeschooled them, they answered, "because we like being together--you like being with us and we like being with each other and you." I love that they thought that was THE reason. It's definitely a big bonus!

Jon and Sam jumping while reciting memory work

 the boys sorting their CC timeline cards

A third perk of homeschooling is the fleixibility. Kids are unique. Their gifts and talents are much easier to recognize and encourage in a smaller group setting. Both of my boys are bright and are working ahead in one subject area or another. Occasionally they struggle with something and we can slow down and make sure we really have mastered it before moving on to the next thing. Also, I have been asked by more than one person if my oldest has ever been tested for ADHD, and since we homeschool, the answer is no. Does he struggle to sit still? Often yes, and we are working daily on that. Is his constant movement and ability to do three things at once going to serve him well later in life. I believe the answer is yes, and while I understand why kids need to sit still for long periods of time in a traditonal classroom, I'm glad to not have to make him do that day in and day out. If he wants to pace while he reads to me or jump up and down while spelling words that he's missed, he can. If my six year old wants to do three math assignments on one day and then take two days off of math, why not? 

 Jon reading beside Maggie last summer

We want our children to be lifelong learners. I mentioned this in my first post, but I'll sum it up again here. I really hope to encourage my kids to love reading and understand that if something interests them, they can learn all about it. I believe that the ability to learn about and understand the things around us in this day and age is limitless. I hope that our kids will jump in with both feet, and learn constantly about new things and share what they're learning with me, too! During my education, I was taught how to pass a test. I learned a lot of things very temporarily, and very few things that stuck. The way we are teaching our kids, with God at the center of all things tying everything together, it is my hope that they hide many of the things that we are teaching them away in their hearts. Most importantly, that they know how to learn and enjoy the process. It's something I've only in recent years begun to do.

It's funny, I almost forgot to mention that I enjoy homeschooling because it allows me to do something I love to do: teach. I have mentioned this before, but I love teaching. I have known for as long as I can remember that I wanted to teach. I thoroughly enjoyed teaching other people's children for years before I had my own. Just over a year ago, we considered sending our kids to a classical Christian school nearby and in the end decided that it was silly to pay someone else to do the part of my day that I truly love. People often assume that because I was a teacher, that's why we homeschool, but that's really not why. It's is a great added bonus though! :)

Lastly, lest you think it's all rainbows, butterflies and fuzzy kittens, we do have rough days and weeks. It is a struggle to balance all of this in our home. Here are a couple of the homeschool pitfalls in my book:
1. My kids are wonderful, but they do get on my nerves sometimes.
2. I am constantly confronted with my own issues and sins.
3. I get little time to myself or time to pursue my interests outside of the home.
4. Consistency and discipline is essential and that is not easy.
But just as other aspects of parenting involve a dying to self in order to serve those little ones, homeschooling is just that continued. Lord-willing, I will have years to pursue my interests outside the home after my kids are grown. My kids rough edges and my own issues are being worked out together in the safety of our home. In the words of a friend, "homeschooling is one of the ways God is sanctifying me each day!" And I need to learn to be more consistent and more disciplined, hopefully, my kids are learning right along with me.


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Here are a few blog posts that I find encouraging about homeschooling. Also, the book When You Rise Up by R.C. Sproul, Jr. was a big encouragement to us.
*I do believe in an absolute truth and that there are things that are absolutely right and wrong. I was simply saying that you could choose pizza and I could choose a burrito and neither of us has to be wrong. 

Head Above the Water

We all have limits. As we are all different, the limits we have are unique to each of us. It's good to know what they are. For instance, Sam, my six year old, can't swim yet. He knows that he can't swim, so he doesn't go into the part of the pool that is above his head. I'm fairly certain that is the long and short of the phrase "head above the water." We need oxygen and can't get it when our head isn't above the water, therefore, we need to have our heads above the water.

Last year I had moments of bobbing up and down, barely able to catch my breath. I've blogged about the difficulties of my pregnancy, Maggie's early arrival (in our timing, obviously she came just when God ordained!), my thyroid problems, and just the general craziness of life with four small children, so I won't go into all those details again. I bring those things up just to say that I finally feel like I am starting to be able to keep up with the spinning plates. Every now and then one falls, but thankfully we replaced the ceramic plates with Correlle, so they are much more durable! Besides thyroid medicine, my children growing slightly more independent, and huge dose of the grace of God, I want to share a few of the things that have helped me get my feet back on the ground.

1. Asking for help/communicating my needs/accepting help. Amazingly, my friends and my husband are not mind readers. Just explaining when I could use help has made such a huge difference. Whether it's my husband pitching in more than usual with helping around the house, or a friend offering to drive both ways for a play date so that I don't have to wake sleeping kiddos, every little bit helps. This season is full and it's okay to ask for help. In fact, it's probably necessary.

2. Saying no. I am such a people pleaser. If someone needs help, I want to offer. If they are looking for volunteers at church, I want to jump in and help. Sometimes that is good, but I need to wait and pray before I agree to anything extra these days. If I want to do the jobs that are already on my plate well, I need to say no much more often than yes to any new tasks. I keep reminding myself that this is a season, and in another season, I can volunteer and help others then. Right now, my family is my first priority.

3. Lowering my standards.  That sounds horrible, but I think we all have unrealistic standards at times. For me, when it comes to homeschooling, I often have very high expectations for what we will accomplish. In the kitchen, I have lofty goals of trying new recipes. Around the house, I dream of organization and cleanliness. Perhaps simplifying is better than lowering standards. I just need to remind myself that the kids don't need to do every educational craft and file folder game and science experiment. One new recipe a week is more than enough with four young kids at home. And as for the house, well, let's just shoot for somewhat tidy and not a crazy mess! ;)

These are simple truths, but they are things that I need to constantly remind myself of, so I thought perhaps someone else out there needed to be reminded as well. If not, well, kudos to you for being more together than I am! I'll close with one more truth that I hold dear:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

A Fresh Start

For nearly two years, I have been pondering a new name for our family blog. For years now it's been Me and those Gross Boys, a play on our last name and the fact that it was me and my three boys and my favorite guy. Then we found out we were going to have a girl, and while thrilled at the thought, I could barely function through her pregnancy, so although many people pointed out that I should change the name, it really wasn't a priority. The 17 months since Maggie's birth have been a whirlwind of newborn-ness, moving into a new house, struggling with a thyroid problem, plus the usual taking care of the family, homeschooling two boys while taking care of two little ones. Every now and then, I would get a suggestion or think for a second or two about renaming the blog, but until a few weeks ago nothing really stood out to me.

One morning, as we were doing our normal thing (i.e. Will playing trains, Maggie getting into everything, me trying to teach and keep the peace) I searched for an answer to a question that Jon asked. He seemed surprised that I didn't have an answer at the ready, so I told him, "Sometimes I'm just learning as we grow, I mean as we go, too." I misspoke, but it struck a chord with me. Learning as we grow, growing as we learn. That's something that I hope we're doing around here. Our family is a part of Classical Conversations, a homeschool group that meets weekly.  One of the goals as we homeschool is that our kids would grow to have a love of learning. Deuteronomy speaks of teaching our children about God and His Word, when you sit in your house, when you walk along the way, when you lie down, and when rise up, pretty much all of the time. It is our desire that they would learn to love learning about God's Word, but also about the world that He has created. That they wouldn't just learn a lot of stuff for a test, but that as they have a new interest, they would know how to dive in a learn more about it. That throughout our days, whether we are sitting doing math lessons from a textbook or walking through the store, or playing outside, they would constantly learn and grow. I hope that there is always learning and growing, and growing and learning. So, while you can still find my old recipes, and maybe an occasional new one here, I will be posting about our family and how we are learning and growing right here. Usually this is a lighthearted place of reflection and story-telling, silly pictures and fun tales of little ones, but occasionally I get a little more introspective. Other times, it just a place for me to record things I don't want to forget--stats or curriculum choices. Feel free to tune in or out as you please! And know that your comments are more than welcome! :)