"The
goal of all our undertakings should not be so much a task perfectly completed
as the accomplishment of the will of God ."
-----St.Therese
of Lisieux:
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Read Alouds
One of the biggest things that has been different this past homeschooling year compared to others is our read aloud time. Embarrassed to say, I just never found of tried to find time to read aloud to my kids-mostly the bigger ones. Yes, I knew how important it was, but my time was focused more on reading little books to the littles. Last summer, I was deeply convicted on the importance of reading aloud even to the older and middle children and that was my main goal (along with everything else!ha!).
After praying on how to make this happen, God helped me to see that reading aloud could happen, just not when I wanted it but when He did. I found that time and now I truly cherish it and miss it if we go without it.
At night, after I put my lil' Lady to sleep and my 5 yr old (b/c he loves his sleep so he is pretty easy to get down), and after our family night prayers, I begin and it is usually about 8pm. We all hop into my big bed and I lay in the middle while little heads and ears look on and listen. It really is the sweetest thing. I know they are listening and understanding b/c we talk about it and they ask questions and they giggle and their excitment peeks at just the right moment.
We have read a lot of really great classics that I never touched upon before....even ones that I did not even read when I was younger. How sad, huh? I was not the reading type of kido back then. I'd rather be outside riding my bike or playing dolls. But, now that we are reading them, I am so sad that I missed it and it was not a part of my childhood. I did not want this to happen to my own children.
We just finished...
While I am reading on my bed, my husband would read to my older boys in their room. They are in the middle of this book...
As you can imagine, this summer is not going by without read alouds! We have begun this book....
Happy Reading ALOUD!!! The kids will love it. You will love it. It is TIME spent in the most rewarding way.
God bless,
Mary
After praying on how to make this happen, God helped me to see that reading aloud could happen, just not when I wanted it but when He did. I found that time and now I truly cherish it and miss it if we go without it.
At night, after I put my lil' Lady to sleep and my 5 yr old (b/c he loves his sleep so he is pretty easy to get down), and after our family night prayers, I begin and it is usually about 8pm. We all hop into my big bed and I lay in the middle while little heads and ears look on and listen. It really is the sweetest thing. I know they are listening and understanding b/c we talk about it and they ask questions and they giggle and their excitment peeks at just the right moment.
We have read a lot of really great classics that I never touched upon before....even ones that I did not even read when I was younger. How sad, huh? I was not the reading type of kido back then. I'd rather be outside riding my bike or playing dolls. But, now that we are reading them, I am so sad that I missed it and it was not a part of my childhood. I did not want this to happen to my own children.
We just finished...
While I am reading on my bed, my husband would read to my older boys in their room. They are in the middle of this book...
As you can imagine, this summer is not going by without read alouds! We have begun this book....
Happy Reading ALOUD!!! The kids will love it. You will love it. It is TIME spent in the most rewarding way.
God bless,
Mary
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Books Lists for the Littles
I always enjoy learning and finding out what other families are their children are reading. It gives me fresh ideas about books I never heard of and also books I have forgotten about. So, I figured that I would share our reading lately.
Littles:
This ABC one is not the exact one that we are reading b/c ours has the "Can you find it?"/search and find along with it that my kids really enjoy:
This is just a partial list of what we have been focusing on with my littles. I do not have the time right now to post on the others...but check back b/c there are some good ones! :)
God bless your summer and happy reading, my friends!
God bless,
Mary
Littles:
This ABC one is not the exact one that we are reading b/c ours has the "Can you find it?"/search and find along with it that my kids really enjoy:
This is just a partial list of what we have been focusing on with my littles. I do not have the time right now to post on the others...but check back b/c there are some good ones! :)
God bless your summer and happy reading, my friends!
God bless,
Mary
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Zoo pics
We went to the zoo with our co-op for our field trip this year. It was a beautiful day full of memories. We have a great group of moms and kidos. It is a very pricey zoo to go to and we'd always wanted to go. But since the co-op payed for all my kids to go and we just had to pay for myself and hubby, then we HAD to go!!! :) It would have costed us close to $100 if we went but we only spent $24!!! :) Gotta love good deals. Best of all---Daddy was there to join us!!!
Here are some snapshots of our outing:
Aren't they cute??? We would love some of those goats!!!
God bless,
Mary
Here are some snapshots of our outing:
God bless,
Mary
Monday, June 4, 2012
Summer schedules and such
My posts will probably not be too regular during these summer months. Not that I was ever that regular of a blogger! haaa :)
Summer has begun and we are enjoying the not so high humidity for just a wee bit longer till it hits us hard, which is anytime now. I have to make up a new schedule for the family. Just as I imagined, life is a bit crazy when there are not limits and boundaries and set times for things. We all like to relax but with many little kids and the temperaments/personalities of them all, we do much better with some structure, even during the summertime. That being said, we also like down time and free time :) It is a fine balance that I am trying to figure out. At this point, I know a schedule will be helpful. It was last summer that we took the pluge for a real heavy duty schedule.
My hubby signed up for a marathon! I am so proud of him! Once again, he is going to train for one and we hope he will not get injured such as last time-3 weeks before the marathon! poor guy. His goal is to do one before he turns 4-0! He still has 2+ years so this will be great. It was a family decision for sure, with lots of prayer. It is a big family sacrifice for all of us.
That leads me to how I am trying to get back into the walking deal 3-4 times a week. I would like to turn that walk into a run possibly but not sure if I have it in me again! I have not run in over 12 years! It would be fun to sign up for some 5K's and get back into it b/c I did like it. I wonder if I would like it again? I am not very competitive but enjoy it to a certain degree-not to a marathon degree, though! haaa!!! :) You see, I have this gut. Not the pregnant kind of gut but that other gut! :P Running seems to do the trick to get that extra weight off for me. I have been asked multiple times by my children if I am pregnant and my hearts sinks. We would have been due with our baby just around this time (due early June) and my heart is just a little sad. Of course, we would love another baby and welcome one if God so chosen but for right now, we are not. This is the longest ever between children. My lil' lady is 16 1/2 months and is still such a love, but she sure does have a voice and wants to let her siblings know she wants to do things by herself! :) God knows that it is not good timing for His Will, that is for sure b/c we have some big decisions to make in the next 2 months.
Big as in ....buying a house. Where? Which one? When? The questions are endless. We have been praying so hard to figure out what is God's Will in this. Ultimately, we will ONLY be happy to do what HE wants, not what we want or think is best. So, we are yielding to His direction and praying hard. We are looking for His inspirations and guidance. There are many things that I do not like about this house (which I have posted about) and my greatest ultimate house would be a farm house on a big chunk of land filled with goats, chickens etc... Funny how life changes and interests change, huh? I NEVER would have wanted that years ago but here I am just dreaming about it. And that's all. Dreaming. Currently, we are in no way close to any farm land or much of any land at all, and in a town so full of cars and people. Trying hard to see God's hand in this comes hard at times. But then I think of all the good things I like about this house and there are some big ones such as a wooded back yard, cul-de-sac, good neighbors that home school too!
If you remember, please add this intention to your prayers that we are content and secure in God's will of where we should live no matter where it is. Thanks so much!
God bless,
Mary
Summer has begun and we are enjoying the not so high humidity for just a wee bit longer till it hits us hard, which is anytime now. I have to make up a new schedule for the family. Just as I imagined, life is a bit crazy when there are not limits and boundaries and set times for things. We all like to relax but with many little kids and the temperaments/personalities of them all, we do much better with some structure, even during the summertime. That being said, we also like down time and free time :) It is a fine balance that I am trying to figure out. At this point, I know a schedule will be helpful. It was last summer that we took the pluge for a real heavy duty schedule.
My hubby signed up for a marathon! I am so proud of him! Once again, he is going to train for one and we hope he will not get injured such as last time-3 weeks before the marathon! poor guy. His goal is to do one before he turns 4-0! He still has 2+ years so this will be great. It was a family decision for sure, with lots of prayer. It is a big family sacrifice for all of us.
That leads me to how I am trying to get back into the walking deal 3-4 times a week. I would like to turn that walk into a run possibly but not sure if I have it in me again! I have not run in over 12 years! It would be fun to sign up for some 5K's and get back into it b/c I did like it. I wonder if I would like it again? I am not very competitive but enjoy it to a certain degree-not to a marathon degree, though! haaa!!! :) You see, I have this gut. Not the pregnant kind of gut but that other gut! :P Running seems to do the trick to get that extra weight off for me. I have been asked multiple times by my children if I am pregnant and my hearts sinks. We would have been due with our baby just around this time (due early June) and my heart is just a little sad. Of course, we would love another baby and welcome one if God so chosen but for right now, we are not. This is the longest ever between children. My lil' lady is 16 1/2 months and is still such a love, but she sure does have a voice and wants to let her siblings know she wants to do things by herself! :) God knows that it is not good timing for His Will, that is for sure b/c we have some big decisions to make in the next 2 months.
Big as in ....buying a house. Where? Which one? When? The questions are endless. We have been praying so hard to figure out what is God's Will in this. Ultimately, we will ONLY be happy to do what HE wants, not what we want or think is best. So, we are yielding to His direction and praying hard. We are looking for His inspirations and guidance. There are many things that I do not like about this house (which I have posted about) and my greatest ultimate house would be a farm house on a big chunk of land filled with goats, chickens etc... Funny how life changes and interests change, huh? I NEVER would have wanted that years ago but here I am just dreaming about it. And that's all. Dreaming. Currently, we are in no way close to any farm land or much of any land at all, and in a town so full of cars and people. Trying hard to see God's hand in this comes hard at times. But then I think of all the good things I like about this house and there are some big ones such as a wooded back yard, cul-de-sac, good neighbors that home school too!
If you remember, please add this intention to your prayers that we are content and secure in God's will of where we should live no matter where it is. Thanks so much!
God bless,
Mary
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)