Do you ever find yourself astonished by God? Does He answer your prayers, spoken or not, and just take you by surprise? That’s happened countless times in my life, and after awhile, I began to think that I shouldn’t be so caught off-guard. He IS God after all. The same God who parted the Red Sea (Exodus 14:13-31). The same God who caused the sun to stand still (Joshua 10:12-14). Obviously, His power has no bounds, so why should I continue to be surprised? Just about the time I started to think that I shouldn’t be surprised, God showed me that I was heading down the wrong path. I believe that God really enjoys blowing my socks off. If I don’t remain in awe of my holy and wondrous God, I can become apathetic and begin to take Him for granted. That’s the last thing I should ever do.

Carnivals

Amanda @ The Daily Planet will be hosting this week’s Carnival of Homeschooling. If you haven’t sent your submission in, today is the last day! You have until 9EST to submit something. Please make sure to check it out on Tuesday!

You can also check out the Homestead Carnival, which Amanda also held at The Daily Planet today. It’s number 38!

And you thought I was done… well Amanda also hosted the The Carnival Of Principled Government: Presidential Birthdays Edition at her blog too!

A new carnival is coming to town.. SisterLisa is hosting the Share Your Faith Carnival : Homeschool Edition at The HomeSpun Life. Please go by and join the fun as we testify why and how the Lord led us to homeschool our children. Grab the icon too!

Giveaways

Growing in Grace is getting ready to publish their March issue, but for now they’re hosting a photo contest for the girls!!! Come by and check it out!

A Pondering Heart is hosting a Family Photo Contest and giving away a The Old Schoolhouse Magazine subscription or if you already have one - an extension! Contest has been extended to MARCH 1ST.

Curriculum

The E-store always have some free curriculum…

Something New:

Also, the new book we will be reading for the HSB Literary Club is: Helen’s Temper - Lamplighter
Helen and Betty could not be more different in their perspectives of the destitute people that live around them. When Helen, the old sister, hears the story of the Good Samaritan she is rewarded for her classroom achievements, while the other sister chooses to live the example of the Good Samaritan. As Helen lives for herself and is constantly worried about the opinions of others, Betty searches for ways to be a blessing to others. When faced with the realities of living the life of the Good Samaritan, Helen reveals the treachery of her own heart as she mercilessly withholds good from a dirty street urchin. This is a story that reaches the heart, especially when you read how Helen responds to unexpected mercy and forgiveness she did not deserve.
Author: Mrs. George Gladstone
Written in: 1872
Pages: 168

We have not been disappointed in the touching Godliness of these stories. We would LOVE for you to join us!! You can sign up HERE!

A CD I have not been asked to review, but I will give you a blurb right now anyway:
‘Tis So Sweet CD by Steve Sensenig - Worship Keys
If I can sum it up for you: LOVE IT. You can find it at The Schoolhouse Store. There are a few technical things, like fading, but I honestly had asked Jocelyn the very night before if we had an instrumental hymn cd or something similar, and the next day, an envelope came from our dear friends Paul and Gena, and there it was! I immediately popped it into the laptop. I love it. Steve is an extraordinary pianist, and we all love it! Amanda even asked me if she could take it with her the other day when she was going into town. Sorry, I said, “No way!

Seasons at Home Magazine by JoyousHome.com

LOVE this magazine. It is all-encompassing. It is for girls and moms, but also sets a family atmosphere. The present issue is supposed to have articles about home birthing, and I cannot WAIT to read it! I love the issue I have with its recipes, crafts and even a couple of articles that, as Amanda pointed out, could be used as unit studies.I am looking forward to writing a very positive review for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.

Have a BLESSED week!

I am such a true love romantic. I love it when through trials and lessons learned that two people who loved each other from the beginning finally get to get married. It is so sweet!

Lately we have been watching “The Complete Jane Austen” on PBS. I have always like Jane Austen, but had only read and seen Pride and Prejudice. Well… since PBS has been showing all of her works in movie form, I found I REALLY like her!
My favorite so far as been Persuasion, and then Mansfield Park. I just finished Persuasion and am trying to get the other.

Jane Austen’s personal story is a sad one. To have written all those love stories and then never to have found your own “Mr. Darcy” or “Captain Wentworth”. There was also a movie made about her life. It was neat, though, to see how much of her own life she put into her stories.

Miss Austen only was able to write 6 novels because her life was a short one.
A list of her works is in written order:

Northanger Abbey
Mansfield Park
Pride and Prejudice
Sense and Sensibility
Emma
Persuasion

I am going to read all of her works during my senior year of high school. I would highly recommend this novels! There is such real life situations. There are real life lessons too that we can learn from.

Here are some quotes I quite enjoy:

“Provided that nothing like useful knowledge could be gained from them, provided they were all story and no reflection, she had never any objection to books at all.” - Northanger Abbey

“There will be little rubs and disappointments everywhere, and we are all apt to expect too much; but then, if one scheme of happiness fails, human nature turns to another; if the first calculation is wrong, we make a second better: we find comfort somewhere.“ - Mansfield Park

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book! When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” - Pride and Prejudice

“If you observe, people always live for ever when there is an annuity to be paid them” - Sense and Sensibility

“There are people, who the more you do for them, the less they will do for themselves.” - Emma

“One man’s ways may be as good as another’s, but we all like our own best.”“ - Persuasion

In other literature news… the HSB Literary Club has finished The Inheritance and have decided on a new book, Helen’s Temper. If you would like to join in the discussion this time, there is a Mr. Linky you can sign. We would love to have you join. And no, you do not have to have an HSB blog to join us!
Prayers and Blessings,

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Food for thought:

The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will and the other from a strong won’t. ~ Unknown

Today we’re interviewing a 2005 Homeschool Blog Award’s winner, ClassicalEducation4Me. Mrs. Kris Price is a Christian homeschooling mom of two great kids, and lives out by the great Smoky Mountains. She is the senior editor for HomeSteadBlogger.com, and designs beautiful templates, which you can see all over blogworld.

1. Please tell us about your family and your home-life.

I am happily married to my high school sweetheart and we have 2 children - a 14 year old daughter in 9th grade and a 12 year old in 6th grade. I truly enjoy being a stay-at-home mom and wouldn’t leave my house if I didn’t have to

2. How and where did you grow up? What did you aspire to be when you “grew up” as a child?

I grew up all over the US (nope, not military either!) and went to 3 high schools. I thought that I wanted to be a Dr., but I didn’t want to go to school for so long. So, I then planned on becoming a psychiatrist, but ended up not going on to get my Masters. I got married instead about a month after graduating from The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA.

3. You use the electic education method in your homeschool.What is an average homeschools day for you and your family?

A typical day is starting school around 9am. My son works until about 1pm or so. My daughter gets her work done throughout the day taking breaks here and there to draw or read. I do the chores in the morning while the kids work and I work for Gena Suarez, Publisher of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, as her assistant in the afternoons. Evenings and weekends are for family!

4. When did you decide that homeschooling was for your family and why did you pick the EE method?

Once my son was diagnosed with Aspergers & ADHD, I knew that homeschooling was going to be an option. He only lasted one semester in a small private school classroom and it was very apparent that I needed to bring him home. We’ve been homeschooling for over 6 years now. I guess I like to put my own curriculum together because then I can be sure that it all fits with the kids and the way that they learn. They are very different - my daughter has skipped a grade and I held my son back for a late-start to Kindergarten. They should only be one year apart in school, but they are now 3 years apart!

5. What does your homeschool space look like? Can you show us a picture?

My daughter does her work in her room and my son does his work on the living room sofa and sometimes in his room or in the reading nook area.

6. How long have you been blogging? Is it something you thoroughly enjoy or just something you do with spare time?

I started blogging almost 3 years ago and still have my first blog up, but I don’t blog much there anymore http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/classicaleducation4me even though it is the blog that I won the blog design for. I thoroughly enjoy sharing my life with others, but since beginning a part-time, work-at-home job, I have to be careful not to stay online too much and remember to balance my time wisely.

7. You design templates and graphics… where did you learn all your html-smarts?

I am self-taught and enjoy changing my blog template on almost a monthly basis - LOL! I get bored very easily. Someday, I would love to learn how to draw graphics, but I don’t have the time to tackle that right now.

8. What are some hobbies you enjoy?

I am learning how to make my first quilt right now and am really enjoying it. I also like to scrapbook and make homemade greeting cards. I know the basics of knitting and crocheting and hope to improve my skills someday. I also have my head in a book every night before heading to bed!

9. Who would you say has been your biggest influence and inspiration?

My husband! He believes in me 100% with regards to anything that I want to take on and he supports me through all of the ups and downs that life has to offer. I am so glad that I married my best friend!

10. Out of the following where would you vacation:
1. Camping in the great Smoky’s
2. A trip to the beach…. Cali, FL, or NC
3. Alaska
4. Waterpark
5. Touring the USA and all the historical places

I would like to take an Alaskan cruise with my husband someday. My MIL went on one and said it was fabulous!

11. What is one of your fondest memories?

Oh, wow - that’s a toughie! I would have to say that the 9 weeks that my husband (then my fiance) and I spent in England the summer before our senior year at college was incredible. We were there with a bunch of college students and earned 9 credits for studying Shakespeare, great art and other British literature. It was an intensive 9 weeks, but traveling all over England, Scotland and Wales was inspiring. We hope to take our kids there for an extended vacation someday.

Thank you so much for taking some time to answer my questions. It’s been a pleasure getting to know one of the mom behind the beautiful blog design on ClassicalEducation4Me. You can visit Mrs. Price @ her new location here: http://www.homesteadblogger.com/athomewithkris/

Introduction

My grandmother grew up as the sixth child of ten in a small rural Texas town that was named after her grandmother. Since I have been able to walk, each year my family took me to an annual family reunion in the old schoolhouse where my grandmother and her siblings attended school. A glass of sweet ‘reunion tea’ in hand, we all ate together ‘pot-luck’ style and listened to tales of our relatives who came before us. They were men and women who built our family; and even, in some small way, our nation before us. A love-affair began in my heart on one of those hot summer days - a love for history: not the dry kind of history that lives inside a textbook - but the real blood, sweat and tears of yesterday that was waiting to be discovered each time I entered that schoolhouse.

It amazed me that my grandmother - whom I knew and loved so much - was only a few years too young to be a real western pioneer lady! I used to stare at the black and white photographs that lined bulletin boards at the entrance of the schoolhouse. The eyes that stared back at me belonged to a ragtag band of tall and short children on the schoolhouse steps. They hardly smiled. Was life hard back then? Was that why they looked so serious? The photos and newsclippings there were fading like the memory of the way of life for their generation. I looked intently at my grandmother’s face to see if there was any resemblance of myself. I wondered what it really was like sharing shoes, having only one fancy red dress, learning to can vegetables so you wouldn’t go hungry in winter, living through the Great Depression, or going to school with a motley group of children - of all ages. I ran my fingers across the chalkboard and listened to my shoes click on the wooden floors. The green school grounds looked inviting outside through the window. I could hear the cicadas singing their June song outside in the sunlight. I wondered what it would have been like for me - growing up in the 1800’s to 1940’s and going to school in that old schoolhouse. I think we all have those kinds of imaginative thoughts as kids when we are faced with true historical connections.

In this issue of the Homeschool Carnival, we want to share with you some pictures of schoolhouses that have ‘housed’ the minds that went before us - that have shaped the nation in one way or another. Our heritage as a nation and as a people is intricately linked to our education and experiences. Homeschooling is a ‘return to the schoolhouse days’ on some small scale. Our house is our school and our pupils range in ages from infants to high-school… and possibly even a few college kids. Most homeschools have one teacher. All homeschool teachers are underpaid! We each are struggling to keep attention-spans set, make sure the children are fed, impart wisdom, and aspire to academic success. Most of all, we want to BE with our kids and love them… to go with them on their journey to adulthood - and to still like them when we get there. Similar to the old schoolhouses and community ties of times gone by, homeschoolers want our homes to be the center of a well-rounded educational experience - learning from all age groups, promoting responsibility and respect for others. It isn’t just about education of the mind, but also education the heart.

Submissions

Now for the meat of the Homeschool Carnival - the entries from homeschool bloggers and friends of homeschoolers on the net! This week we have simplified the entries to make it easier on the eyes and quicker to access for those of you wanting to make time while leaving “no link behind”. There were 50 posts entered this week, so you might want to bookmark this page and come back on your ‘teacher breaks’ with a cup of warm tea or hot coffee! This carnival is not for the teacher who is ’short of time’! Priorities first, blog posts later!

If you haven’t ever been to a carnival before and find yourself confused, raise your hand and I’ll be around to answer your questions at the bottom of this post!

Let’s begin…

1 What’s a homeschool blog for? ~ by Yellow House Homeschool

Penny shares about the unexpected disappearance of her blog that led her to reflect on her purpose in having a homeschooling blog in the first place.

The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.

~ Robert Maynard Hutchins

2 Our Day (homeschool and all) ~ Laura Williams’ Musings

Laura shares about a day in her homeschool and some links to her basic menu plans.

3 Handling the Student with Difficult Behaviors ~ Colleen Palat

Colleen Palat shares methods on handling students with difficult behaviors.

4 Unit Study for Medieval History (The Middle Ages) ~ My Home Sweet Home

Dawn gives us an overview of her 9-week unit study on medieval history.

5 10 Things That Were Better “Way Back When” ~ The Weekly Muse from Love 2B Homeschoolers

Love2B Homeschoolers says, “It’s amazing how I am so ensconced in my role as mother, that even a simple list that might start out elsewhere leads to my children and why I homeschool…”

6 “Doodle 4 Google” Logo Competition ~ Understand Media Blog

Trends on commercializing our kids… “Google has launched a competition for kids to create a Google Doodle: drawings based on Google’s logo. The company has even created a curriculum that teachers can use for incorporating this competition in their classrooms.”

I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.

~ Albert Einstein

7 Where did you get it? If I had only asked. ~ Cricket’s Corner

Mama Bear and Baby Bear use Daddy Bear’s toothbrush for a science experiment. Too funny!

8 Why Do You Love Homeschooling? ~ Mom Is Teaching

Summer says, “Give a little Valentine’s day love to homeschooling.”

9 Do you have enough food for your family? ~ The Reluctant Homeschooler

Faith says, “I am VERY new to homeschooling; this article describes one reason I’m excited about it.”

10 Are Schools (Cognitively) Nutritive for Children’s Complex Thinking? ~ Brain Fitness Blog

Alvaro says, “All of us concerned with education should view children as wearing signboards saying ‘Under Construction’.”

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.

~ William Butler Yeats

11 Please Consider Entering This Contest ~ Percival Blakeney Academy

Sebastian shows a way to both practice research and writing skills and lobby for homeschoolers in Germany.

12 Budding Author, Playwright, Filmmaker ~ Rational Jenn

Jenn says, “My kindergartener has been writing a book (which he plans to turn into a play) in his head. This post is about how I’d like to help him actually write his book, since he doesn’t read yet, and how I’d like to encourage him in his literary efforts. I’d also love some ideas from experienced homeschoolers!”

13 There’s a First Time for Everything… ~ Barbara Frank

Barbara says, “Even a long-time homeschooling mom can get a little rattled when the county sheriff shows up on her doorstep.”

14 Boxing the Compass: A Printable Compass Worksheet ~ Little Blue School

Lydia says, “Useful practice for mariners and of course pirates.”

15 Love Bugs: Learning about the Natural World ~ On Living By Learning

Have you ever made the classic newbie homeschooler mistake of using school curriculum materials to avoid education gaps? You aren’t alone. If you have one that is not liking school any more, be sure to check out this post aimed at looking for ways to reawaken a love of learning.

16 How To Introduce Young Children to U.S. Presidents ~ HowToMe

This little post is in honor of President’s Day: sharing some ideas for teaching children about our Presidents.

17 What Do I Know? ~ Life Nurturing Education

Renae remarks on ‘How do we teach our children the subjects we don’t fully understand?’

It is not what is poured into a student but what is planted that counts.

~ Hildebrand

18 Family Photo Contest ~ A Pondering Heart

Don’t miss out on Miss Jocelyn’s contest! You could win a copy of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine!

19 Scheduling ~ House of Pink

Anna at the House of Pink wants to know about how you schedule your days. How do you find balance? What works for you?

20 The Scientist Reviews: The Daring Book for Girls ~ Little Homeschool on the Prairie

Rebecca shares a book review that has us intrigued: “This book is peppered with bits of history… focusing on women, such as queens of the ancient world or Clara Barton — as well as manners, grammar, and poetry.” Yet it still teaches you how to change a tire and knot a friendship bracelet?

Parents who wonder where the younger generation is going
should remember where it came from.

~ Sam Ewing

21 Leonardo da Vinci For Kids ~ Diary of 1

Jennifer remarks that it is easy to understand why this genius of a Renaissance man is a favorite of young art students!

22 Knowing and Teaching Grammar ~ No fighting, no biting!

“Homeschoolers should be extra careful to use spellcheck and read what they write before they post!” warns Katherine.

23 I wrote a REALLY long answer to a question about electives… ~ MamaBugs

MamaBugs shares a response to questions about electives for highschool.

24 Teaching Our Boys To Recognize Their Emotions ~ A Guide to Raising Great Kids

A quote from Alejandra’s post: “Just imagine how many hours of painful and pointless arguments between future husbands and wives can be avoided if we can help them now - when they are still children - to become emotionally literate.”

25 Navigating the Labyrinth ~ The Life Without School Blog

“The road to learning and development that I once envisioned traveling with my kids, step by step, has turned out to be more of a labyrinth, twisting and turning, often in unexpected directions.” - Steph W.

26 Learn to Recognize Numbers Game for Preschoolers ~ Homeschool Math Blog

Maria Miller shares a little “game” that helped her 3-year old preschooler to recognize her numbers.

The great end of education is to discipline rather than to furnish the mind; to train it to the use of its own powers, rather than fill it with the accumulation of others.

~ Tryon Edwards

27 One Room Schoolhouse—My Thoughts ~ Tami’s Blog

Tami shares with us her thoughts on a one-room schoolhouse.

28 We Need a Childproof DVD Player ~ Learning at Home

Rose shares a silly post and a problem without an answer… and that’s why you can’t ever take a nap with an AWAKE preschooler in the house!

29 Some of my favorite homeschooling links ~ The Sojourner

Lots of great homeschooling links.

30 The Life and Death of Homeschooling, a Eulogy ~ Principled Discovery

Dana shares her Shakespearian parody on Homeschooling… let us lament with her! From her post: “Educators, parents, students, lend me your ears;I come to bury homeschooling, not to praise it.”

What we want to see is the child in pursuit of knowledge, not knowledge in pursuit of the child.

~ George Bernard Shaw

31 ‘Writer’s Block’ ~ The HomeSpun Life

“Handling writer’s block, and guiding kids in English and grammar.” by Sisterlisa

32 Home Spun comic strip #198 ~ Home Spun Juggling

Cristina shares a comic about teaching poetry to her children.

33 Animation and Filmmaking ~ HE Resources

Some ideas for making animations and films with children - including some links for free software that can be used.

34 What can two simple exercises tell us about the value of perspective? ~ Lunablog.net

April says, “These little experiments illustrate for me the paramount importance of striving for a well-developed sense of perspective throughout ones life.”

35 Way to go, boys! ~ Let’s play math!

A homeschool team wins local math competition! Denise’s post also includes links for online math practice problems.

36 The Bigger Picture Speaks Volumes ~ Notes From A Homeschooling Mom

Andrea’s picture is worth a thousand words… definitely food for thought!

37 The Homeschool Support Group- virtual and real life ~ My Domestic Church

Sometimes virtual support groups can be more helpful than local ones!

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.

~ Mark Twain

38 Day by Day Discoveries: Microsoft Student with Encarta - Review and Giveaway! ~ Day by Day Discoveries

Who can resist a give-away?

39 I Disagree … ~ At Home, On Fire

A point of view on the debatable effectiveness of using criticism as a valuable teaching tool - specifically with art students.

40 Griddlers make great “paint by number” puzzles for kids of all ages ~ Wild About Math!

Sol shares some great paint by number puzzles.

Education is not the piling on of learning, information, data, facts, skills, or abilities - that’s training or instruction - but is rather a making visible what is hidden as a seed…

To be educated, a person doesn’t have to know much or be informed, but he or she does have to have been exposed vulnerably to the transformative events of an engaged human life…
One of the greatest problems of our time is that many are schooled but few are educated.”

~ Thomas Moore

41 SoulStretch: Centering Your Spirit ~ Professor Mom: A Personal Productivity and Renewal Resource for Moms

“The 2nd part in a series to inspire moms to develop the Core Elements in their lives so that they can enjoy greater productivity and peace.” - Heather

42 The Critical Thinking Tour- Now Playing at a Blog Near You ~ A Woman On Purpose

“Join me for a little spin around the Information Super Highway as we look at some sites that revolve around the idea of Critical Thinking”, says Sunniemom.

43 A Self-Taught Education ~ The Daily Planet

Miss Amanda shares what she used to dislike, but now likes about the eclectic, child-directed approach to homeschooling.

44 In the News ~ Why Homeschool

Janine notes that many in the URK are turning to home education (homeschooling) because of fears about safety.

45 Homeschool Teacher Training ~ Just Enough, and Nothing More

Should new homeschoolers get teacher training? What would homeschool teacher training look like?

46 Shakespeare Movies for the Family ~ Higher Up and Further In

“The survey is in and these are the Shakespeare movies you recommend…” - Linda Fay

47 Where I Homeschool ~ Nerd Family

Nerdmom shares a little photo tour of the familiar spots that learning happens in her home.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.

~ Prov. 16:3

48 My Son Is Enjoying Jane Langton’s Children’s Books ~ The Thinking Mother

Christine blogs about her ten year old son’s favorite fiction writing author of the moment, Jane Langton.

49 Things to do Inside “When the Weather Outside is Frightful” ~ Seeking Rest in the Ancient Paths

“Sometimes we need some creative ideas of what to do when we have to keep our sweet little darlings inside!” - Jacque

50 A Healthier ‘08 ~ Gathering Manna

Sprittibee’s shares some ‘Green Hour’ wisdom and photos from the latest nature walk… and explains how her healthy resolutions are going to have to be a life-style change.

Information

Thanks for stopping in at the carnival. These posts were provided by homeschool bloggers who wanted to showcase what was on their mind (and blogs) to benefit other homeschoolers. Carnivals are a way to network with those who have similar interests and passions. You can see past carnivals at the “carnival archive“. You can see where the next carnival will be located at the “carnival schedule“. You can find out more about the carnival at the “carnival info page“. If you want to submit a post for next week, you can read up on “submitting to the carnival email” or just use “blogcarnival’s easy submission service“. It really is as easy as pie. We hope you enjoyed this version and please come back each day for more homeschool goodness here at the HSBA!

P.S. We have a few snazzy graphics on the sidebar that you can snag (even wrote the code for you!), so please be sure to borrow one and use it in a post on your own blog to promote the carnival. You can also take one for the HSBA or subscribe to our feed in the new subscription box we’ve added. If you have any trouble or need further instruction on the graphics, don’t hessitate to email (email available through our contact tab at top).

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Good day to you all! I hope you had a wonderful weekend with your families! I’ve been working extremely hard (haha not really) on putting together Memo Monday for this week and I hope you’ll take some time to check out the links and visit some of the great sites!

Carnivals

Giveaways
Growing In Grace Magazine has some giveaways going on in different articles from the February Issue

A Pondering Heart is hosting a Family Photo Contest and giving away a The Old Schoolhouse Magazine subscription or if you already have one - an extension! Contest ends on the 23rd.

The Old Schoolhouse is having a huge giveaway! One winner who is the 30,000th customer in the store is going to win this amazing prize pack worth $800! The best prize of all is an incredible 12 year subscription to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine! PLUS, this time the gift certificate to our store is going to be not $100, not $200, but $250! Go here for all the deatils on all the prizes!

Curriculum
Heart of Wisdom sale is very big. Many books and ebooks on sale for less than half the regular price.

Homeschool Estore has a free Beatix Potter Ebook this week.

Join
SuperSecretAngels is a Secret Sisters for girls ages 12-22 started by SuperAngel. Here is the SuperSecretAngels Group Information. There are rules for participation you can read. The next session starts March 7th, but the submission deadline is February 28th.

Girls can also join the Feelin’ Feminine Challenge. It will be at A Pondering Heart at the end of the month, but if you would like to read up on it, you can read it at The Feminine Challenge.

February SWAP 2008 here at the Homeschool Blog Awards is now open for submissions.

Tips

Little girls love to bake and cook. They simply do. When they’ve bake some cookies or helped cook a meal they feel proud of themselves. My little sister, when she was seven, could cook a meal for our family almost by herself and boy was she proud. It’s something that you as a mom can do with your girls while doing school. Mixing in ingredients is a wonderful way to accomplish math…. “If we’re doubling the recipe, and we need 1/4 of this ingredient for one batch, how many do we need for a double?” They need to know how to fractions to use them in their home and for other such tasks… you can teach them how to do it by doing it! From toddlers to high schoolers, you will create endearing memories counting chocolate chips or raisins, scooping flour and breaking eggs.

Something New:

Have you all heard about the new place for Homeschool moms to spend some extra time to be encouraged and to glean from other moms? The Homeschool Lounge is a FREE online social network community for Homeschool Moms and it’s to navigate around!

The neat features you can find on TheHomeschoolLounge include:

* Create your own space
* Start or join discussions in our Forum
* Start or join a group
* Start a Blog or Promote an existing Blog
* Create a slide show widget of your pictures for your blog
* Photo Gallery
* Video Gallery
* Live Chat
* Invite other Homeschool Moms, friends and family

I am not a homeschool mom, yet, but I’ve looked around on there with mom, and it looks fantastic! I encourage you to signup and give it a try!

To Keep You Laughing:
With all the politics going on and knowing how everything works I found this quite hilarious… The Republican Fisherman

A woman in a hot air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered her altitude and spotted a man in a boat below. She shouted to him, “Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don’t know where I am.”

The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, “You’re in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude.”

She rolled her eyes and said, “You must be a Republican.” “I am,” replied the man. “How did you know?” “Well,” answered the balloonist, ” every thing you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to do with your information, and I’m still lost. Frankly, you’ve not been much help to me.”

The man smiled and responded, “You must be a Democrat.” “I am,” replied the balloonist. “How did you know?” “Well,” said the man, “you don’t know where you are or where you are going. You’ve risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise that you have
no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. You’re in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but, somehow, now it’s my fault.”

Have a great week, and make sure to stop by tomorrow for the carnival!

I am sure many of you have heard about source of Godly encouragement it is. They have a plethora of homeschool activities and info… and they allow all of us a peak into the lives of other homeschoolers across the world. The Old School Magazine? Well, if you have then you know what a great If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading through a TOS magazine, then you’re really missing out! Here is a chance for you to either win a TOS magazine subscription for yourself or bless another with one (they allow you to tack a new subscription on to the end of your current one!).

The rules are easy and simple… I hope you will stop by and check it out! It ends on February 23rd, 2008! Go here for all the details!

Oh and don’t forget to send in your submissions for the Carnival of Homeschooling, which will be held right here on Tuesday! I’ve already sent mine in! It’s going to be great. Our theme is the One Room Schoolhouse! We provided a submission link on the sidebar to the left for your convenience! See you at the carnival!

Often I find there are things I just sort of ignore or blow off because they are, after all, “little things.” However, God is showing me how it’s really in the “little things” that the substance of my life comes to be. So what exactly are the “little things in your life?” Here are a few of mine.

Thinking that I can do a day of homeschool “flying by the seat of my pants.” Ha! Ha! That is absolutely ludicrous! I cannot sit down and relax once my kids go to bed, thinking this is time just for me. It’s only free time if I’ve wrapped up the loose ends of the day - papers graded, tomorrow’s plans ready to go, perused my day planner, etc.

Thinking that it doesn’t really matter if the dishes aren’t clean before bedtime. Of course, this totally goes against FlyLady’s “shiny sink” theory! The dishes don’t magically get clean and I’ll be scrambling the next day to figure out when they’ll get washed. Come breakfast, the boys are wondering where to find clean dishes - in the cupboard, the dishwasher, or worse yet, do they need to use paper? It’s SO much nicer - for everyone - to start the day with a shiny sink and clean dishes.

Thinking that it’s okay to pay the bills a day or two after the paycheck comes in. That’s financial suicide. Every day that the money isn’t managed, some portion of it (increases exponentially every day) is flying out the window at breakneck speed!

Thinking that one package of Little Debbie Swiss Rolls won’t affect my weight loss efforts. Ha! That one little package came with its friends, the other five little packages and they feel terribly neglected sitting in the cupboard without their friend. Naturally, I feel sad for them and must eat them as well. Nothing like an extra 1,620 calories, 72 grams of fat (30 of which are saturated), and 156 grams of sugar over a few days!! Gosh, one “little” package is 6 points, for all you Weight Watchers folks out there!

Thinking that some things are too little for God to be concerned about; that I don’t really need to ask Him or seek His input because it’s “such a little thing.” If God wasn’t interested in “little things” would He know the number of hairs on my head? (That’s saying something, because I have a LOT of hair.) Would He have formed all of creation so intricately and beautifully? Would millions of snowflakes be unique? Would bees fly?

Habits and character are all built one tiny little step at a time. Life happens one moment after another. It is far too precious and fleeting to think that “little things” don’t matter. They are the building blocks of everything.