Everyday Homeschooling

A Poem Just For You | Oct 17, 2012 by MaryAnn Gaver

One of my favorite books about mothering is Verses of Virtue - The Poetry and Prose of Christian Womanhood, compiled and edited by Elizabeth Beall Phillips of the Vision Forum. If ever there was an inspiring, beautiful book extolling the virtues of motherhood, this is it! There's a particular poem in the book that I would like to share with you. I've given copies of this poem to all the young moms in my neighborhood, and always recite it when I speak (in public) to homeschooling friends.

The Calendar: Don't Let It Get Too Full | Oct 15, 2012 by MaryAnn Gaver

Autumn can be a particularly busy time for homeschooling families. With lessons to coordinate, a household to manage, children to nurture, & a marriage to maintain, sometimes it's hard to juggle everything! Keeping the family's calendar is often an extremely challenging task, especially later in the fall as Thanksgiving approaches.

Talking with Your Children about Death | Oct 12, 2012 by Tracy Klicka

Many people have asked me these past three years how my children worked through the death of their father who they were all very close to. I’ve given that some thought, especially since I’ve talked with others who experienced the death of a parent while still young. What priorities did God most impress on my heart for my children after their daddy died?

Peeking Through The Fence | Oct 11, 2012 by Jeane and Megan Hendrix

This conference was a time for leaders to come together to renew, refresh, and re-tool - but definitely not retire! I was so encouraged to see many still in leadership roles providing wisdom and guidance even though their own children had long ago completed their academic schooling. HSLDA is the kind of organization that fosters that type of commitment.

I was excited to see young people who attended college with Megan now in places of leadership and innovation. These young people with fresh ideas and insights are contributing and learning from the experience and wisdom of their elders. How refreshing to see a living, breathing organization that is replenishing itself in order to leave a legacy for future generations!

Good Citizenship: See You At The Polls | Oct 10, 2012 by MaryAnn Gaver

I'm reading The Connector, a newsletter from the Intercessors For America. Their tag phrase reads: Connecting Hearts Of Prayer For The Nation To God And Each Other! As we are in the final 40 days before the election, they are urging the Christian community to pray, understand the issues, & vote according to conscience as led by the Holy Spirit. I couldn't agree with them more!

Autumn Arrives: A Wonderful Time For Field Trips | Oct 8, 2012 by MaryAnn Gaver

Welcome, autumn! This is definitely my favorite time of year! With its graceful falling leaves, brilliant hues of orange, & cool nights --- Autumn makes a bold arrival! Time for apples, song birds, cinnamon, sweaters and new colors. Time for all five senses to be awakened.

Teach Me To Listen, Part II | Oct 5, 2012 by MaryAnn Gaver

It's a brilliant autumn morning, and I've already got the coffee brewing, the screen door opened for some crisp air, and the dog fed. Jay's working at home today, so we'll have a light breakfast together..... a big change from the hectic mornings, say ten years ago, when I would juggle two skillets of French toast while I thought of chores to coordinate & lessons to teach. Mmm... I can still smell the cinnamon & maple; I can still hear two little boys bounding down the steps, bright-eyed & hungry.

Teach Me To Listen | Oct 3, 2012 by MaryAnn Gaver

Have you noticed how ultra visual our society is becoming? Everywhere you go, there's a screen of some sort -- Walmart, the bank, even doctor's offices. And everywhere you go, there are younger & younger people with hand-held screens in their hands! Heads down, eyes glued to a screen.

Growing in Relational Wisdom | Oct 2, 2012 by Tracy Klicka

How well are you growing in relational wisdom? “What is that?” you might be asking. Before last week, I didn’t know what relational wisdom was either. As long as there is relational conflict, breakdown in communication, God’s call to grow in how we relate to one another in godly wisdom will be there for us as parents. The really good news is that He is there to give us grace and help in time of need in this area. Here are some helpful truths I gleaned from HSLDA’s national leaders’ conference last week in Orlando.

Homeschooling On The Difficult Days | Oct 1, 2012 by MaryAnn Gaver

Homeschooling would be easy if...

If I didn't have all this laundry to do, if I didn't have to prepare dinner, if I didn't have to juggle the family calendar, if my kids were older, if we didn't have these pesky appointments, & so on!

Just when we get on a schedule & things start to run somewhat smoothly -- one (or several) of the children need to go to the doctor...

A Homeschooling Mom's Secret Power Source | Sep 23, 2012 by Tracy Klicka

Paul Miller in his book, A Praying Life, from which I shared some quotes in an earlier post, talks about us coming to Him empty-handed, pouring out our hearts to Him like a little child. I came to know the Lord Jesus as my Savior in just this way. As a young person my life had been pretty messed up; there was brokenness everywhere. I don’t recall ever being able to run to my earthly father for comfort, a gentle word, or patient help. How incredibly alone and broken I felt!

As I entered my teen years, I became even more aware of how broken I was. I was desperate for God’s healing, forgiveness, love and help. He heard my cry for help, redeemed my life from the pit, and crowned me with lovingkindness...

Reading Aloud | Sep 19, 2012 by MaryAnn Gaver

I'll never forget being in Mrs. Clark's third grade class. I was in one of the lowest reading groups ---the Sparrows. Who were they trying to kid? All the students knew that the best readers were the Blue Jays & Cardinals! It was embarrassing seeing the other kids try to keep from giggling as I mispronounced words & got tongue- tied. I needed patience, time & encouragement -- something Mrs. Clark didn't provide -- but something we can give to our kids as homeschooling moms!

Lessons from The A-Team | Sep 17, 2012 by Jeane and Megan Hendrix

Our children loved to watch re-runs of the 80’s TV series The A-Team. You may remember the band of misfits led by Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith. Even though the team was in hiding while waiting for amnesty from a false indictment, they went around helping people out of trouble. They always faced overwhelming odds with no way out, yet they always came through with a creative solution by putting their heads together and never giving up.

Delicious Apples For September | Sep 14, 2012 by MaryAnn Gaver

What mom doesn't love the versatility & ease of serving apples? Apples with peanut butter, apples in pies, crisps, sauces, cider & jellies. You name it -- there are a myriad of ways to use apples.

And what's with the warm smell of cinnamon and apples wafting through the house? If my family had to describe a wonderful smell in our house, I hope they would say either freshly baked oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies (I'll share my recipe with you soon) or apples with cinnamon. Nothing says autumn like a mouth-watering apple pie made with fresh Granny Smith apples!

The Exercise Of Choice For Busy Moms | Sep 12, 2012 by MaryAnn Gaver

Through my eleven years of home teaching, part of the way I kept my sanity was by walking -- No, seriously -- I always felt that I needed a good walk around the neighborhood to think, plan & unwind. Some days, walking was a way to have some quiet moments by myself to pray, get some fresh air & move around after some sedentary hours teaching. Sometimes on beautiful fall days when everyone was dreamily looking out the window, I'd say, "Guys, drop everything. We're going to the park!"

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