The Great Backyard Bird Count

The Great Backyard Bird Count Starts today! What a great science and observation lesson. My kids can identify birds better than me and that is very exciting. :) Be sure to let us know what kind of birds live in your backyard.

Oh how I long to live in the country or in some place where there are actually trees in my backyard!

Homeschool 2009-10

I was looking at my blog and noticed that I never did post what we were working on for this school year. Of course that wouldn't be a problem if I didn't have a label at the top of my blog that says "Our Homeschool" LOL

So this year we don't have a lot of changes from last year. We are still using the

Adventist Sonlight Curriculum

Math-U-See (Beta and Zeta)

Italics Handwriting

Moore Formula (Service and Work as many hours as school)

Charlotte Mason Scripture Memory

As a part of the Moore Formula we have been a bit more intentional about working on crafts/hobbies. My daughter is learning to knit and my son is putting together model car kits.

This year my daughter enrolled in the 4-H Veterinary Science Program. It is a 5 year course that trains the students to be a certified Veterinary Assistant. After completing this program, they are then encouraged to study for 2 years to become a certified Veterinary Technician and then go on to complete program to become a Veterinarian. She is very excited and doesn't even complain when I ask her to do her assignments. :)

Carob Milkshake

I made a carob milkshake. I had every intention of taking pictures, but it didn't last very long! The recipe is from a book I got a long time ago. In fact, I don't even know where I got it. Maybe from my Mom? Anyway here's the recipe. I will take pictures next time!

1/2 c. carob chips

2 1/2 c. soymilk

2 frozen bananas

Place carob chips in 1/2 cup soy milk and heat until melted, or blend 1 cup soy milk with 1 tbsp carob powder and 2 tbs honey. Blend bananas, soy milk, and carob until smooth.

It wasn't as thick as I would have liked, but it was definitely good!

Ten in the Bible

It's February and it seems that we are just getting back to full speed with our homeschooling. The good thing is that whether you are intentional or not, learning takes place. I am getting much better about seizing the moments and using them for teaching opportunities and character building.

Today for our spiritual math lesson we went over the number 10 in the Bible. I started out by asking the kids what stories or instances in the Bible they can think of that use the number 10. At first they looked at me with a blank stare and then my daughter yelled out "The 10 Commandments!" like she had found gold. LOL I mentioned the 10 virgins and then my daughter mentioned the lady that had 10 coins and lost one. For some reason in my mind she had 2 coins, but my daughter looked it up and sure enough it was 10.

This moment makes me proud, one because I know they are really paying attention, and two it's actually sinking in.

The Very First Step

There was a time in my life when I felt very close to God. I would wake up in the morning at 5am and have sweet communion. It seemed that whatever I was studying was necessary for a conversation I would have that very day or the next day. It was as though I was being hand fed by God. There was a peace in my heart that I cannot put into words.

Then something happened. I'm not sure what is was, but I wasn't getting up everyday. My worship was not consistent. Sometimes it was in the morning. Sometimes it was in the evening. Sometimes it just wasn't. I felt that desire to be close to God, but I wasn't making it happen.

I have felt that way most recently. Now don't get me wrong. I'm studying and I'm reading, but I can't say that I'm experiencing that burning in my heart that I used to (Luke 24:32).

So I'm going back to the drawing board. I believe that there is a science to salvation. A method if you will, such that if you get off track, if you wake up one day and the burning is missing, you can get back on track by following certain steps.

It is my desire to outline those steps and to (by God's grace and strength) follow them.

The very first step in approaching God is to know and believe the love that He has to us' for it is through the drawing of His love that we are led to come to Him. MB 104,105

The Lord hath appeared of old unto me saying, Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Jeremiah 31:3

Herein is love, not that we loved God, bt that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitation for our sins. I John 4:10

But God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Romans 5:8