My Southern Young Living Monday's : Brain Power

If you are new to My Southern Young Living Monday's please take a moment to visit the Introductory post, Science of Young Living Essential Oils and then come on back over here to check out today's post!

Today we are going to talk about how you can help your brain!!!!  As homeschooling mom's it is crucial that our brain stays 'fit' and it is our job to make sure that we give our children every opportunity to have the strongest brain possible!

 

•Do you think what your children eat today, will affect their academic success?

•Do you think that what your children eat today will affect their brain function as an adult?

In today's culture we are living on the move, everyone is living in the fast lane unless you are purposing to live your life differently.

So for most people, that means that you meals consist of drive through dining or out of the box meals. Both of these options, while sometimes affordable and quick. Your body is paying the ultimate consequence.

What do we need to consume in order to improve and maintain proper brain function?

•Fats

–Omega 3, Omega 6, and other fatty acids

•Carbohydrates

•Protein

•Vitamins

•Minerals

•Water

Compared to 100 years ago, Omega 3 (Essential Fatty Acid) is down 80%,

B vitamins are estimated to be down to about 50% of the daily requirement. Vitamin B6 consumption may be low as it is removed in grain milling and not replaced. Vitamins B1, B2, B3, and E have also been lost in food processing. Minerals are depleted in a similar way. Fiber is down 75-80%. Antinutruients have increased substantially—saturated fat, 100%; cholesterol, 50%; refined sugar nearly 1000% salt up to 500% and funny fat isomers nearly 1,000%”.  ~Dr Donaldo Rudin

 

Take away all the fluid out of your brain and you will find that 60% of its mass is fat. Most of that fat is composed of DHA. DHA is one of 2 beneficial long-chain omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil. EPA is the other one, but it’s found in very low concentrations in the brain. The tissues that have the highest concentrations of DHA are the retina of the eye (essential for taking in visual information, the synapses that control the flow of neurotransmitters between nerve cells in the brain and the mitochondria in each brain nerve cell that provide the energy to keep those cells alive.

If DHA is deficient in any of these 3 critical brain components, your mental functioning suffers and your intelligence begins to fall.

We are eating less Omega-3 fatty acids now than ever before. Diets used to contain Omega-3 and Omega-6 acids at a ratio of approximately 1:1. Today’s ratio stands between 1:10 and 1:20-25 (Omega-3:Omega-6)

 

We are not getting enough Omega-3 fatty acids to grow a healthy brain. Corn and safflower oils provide most of our Omega-6 fatty acids, but it is Omega 3 fatty acid (DHA) and (EPA) that are critical in the development of brain tissue, forming the very membrane that encases each of the 10 trillion neurons in the brain.

To complicate matters, mass-produced animals don’t contain the same amount of Omega-3 acids that wild-raised animals contain.  For example, farm-raised fish like salmon have a different balance of Omega-3 fatty acids from salmon that jump the waterfalls in icy-cold rivers and feast on natural foods.

WITHOUT A BALANCE OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS, DHA, AND EPA, THE BRAIN WILL BE INADEQUATELY DEVELOPED.

So what are some of the affects of Omega 3 deficiency?

• Depression


• ADD/ADHD


• Eating Disorders


• Cognitive Disorders

•40% of 4th graders can’t read at a basic level.

•SAT scores have declined every year since 1980.

•It is said that it is difficult to assess how our kids are really doing in public schools, because the tests have been progressively “dumbed down”.

•For example, California lowered their standards by changing the tests and still the scores keep dropping.

Do you want your children to have more brain power?

Give them free-range eggs, Omega-3, good saturated fats from olives, Avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, non-processed butter (store bought butter has natural flavorings) meats that are grass fed and no steroids and antibiotics. Nuts and seeds like almonds, cashews and walnuts. Fish free of mercury, lead, PCB’s or dioxin.

I believe in whole foods over supplements. However…making sure that our children and my grandchildren are eating sufficient amounts of Omega 3’s I have found supplementation of this vital nutrient absolutely necessary.

Over the past 100 years, consumption of fresh produce has plummeted.

The USDA recommends 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.



The average American eats less than 2 servings of both fruits and vegetables per day with a quarter of servings in the form of greasy, nutrient-dead french fries.

Ideally, 75% of your daily diet should include raw vegetables and fruits. Raw veggies and fruits can go beyond just veggie and fruit trays and salads. There are thousands of wonderful raw food recipes that can be found just on the internet.

Be careful of potatoes and carrots  because they have a much higher GI.

Grapefruit, apples, cherries, oranges, and grapes have a low glycemic index.

FYI about whole fruit vs. fruit juice… the GI of whole fruit ranks lower than juices, because the FIBER in the fruit slows the absorption of the fructose or fruit sugar.

Building a Supernormal Brain

•Supplement diet with Omega-3 pure fish oil*

•Maintain an insulin controlled diet

–Low-glycemic sugar foods only

•30 to 40 minutes of aerobic exercise daily

•Anaerobic strength training 2 or 3 times a week

•Meditation / Prayer

* Dr. Sears actually advocated 5-10 grams of a pure pharmaceutical pure Omega-3 fish oil, but with  a monthly blood test to check your AA/EPA ratio.

Bad Brain Foods

•Artificial food colorings & flavorings

•Artificial sweeteners

•Bleached flour

•Candy

•High fructose corn syrup

•Hydrogenated fats (trans fats)

•Snack foods

Good Brain Foods

• Avocados

•Bananas

•Lean Beef

•Brewer’s Yeast

•Broccoli

•Brown Rice

•Brussels Sprouts

•Cantaloupe

•Chicken

•Collard Greens

•Eggs

•Flaxseed Oil

•Legumes

•Oatmeal

•Oranges

•Almond Butter

•Cashew Butter

•Walnut butter

•Peas

•Romaine Lettuce

•Salmon

•Spinach

•Tuna

•Turkey

•Wheat Germ

•Yogurt

In addition to these nutrient dense foods, supplementation is highly recommended. Our family uses; Omega Blue and Ningxia Red. 

"Omega Blue provides a clinically proven dose of omega 3 fatty acids, which support heart, brain, eye and joint health. {Young Living's} Omega Enhance preservation system blends pure blue chamomile, lemongrass, and clove essential oils to increase shelf life and ensure freshness. "

NingXia  Red are made with NingXia Wolfberries, which have been used for centuries for anti-aging, and health enhancing properties.  "NingXia Red is infused with the power of lemon and orange essential oils. NingXia Red is a nutritious wolfberry supplement that energizes, fortifies, and replenishes the body. Along with wolfberries, natures most powerful super-fruit, NingXia Red combines five other nutrient dense fruits like blueberries, raspberries and pomegranates to provide energy and an a array of health promoting antioxidants."

If you have questions on these, or other Young Living products, please contact me at JenniferSouthern@marketingscents.com or visit my website for more information!

DISCLAIMER: The content of this article is solely for educational purposes.  It is not meant to diagnose, treat or mitigate any health condition.  As always you should consult the health professional of your choice for specific health information. The author, products mentioned or Young Living is not responsible for its mis-use.

Monday Morning Musings

Good morning! As I sit here in a dimly lit room, ready to start my day and sipping my hot cup o' coffee. I am listening to my children get ready to walk out the door... Nope, they are not headed out for school. Well, maybe they are, the school of life.

So, what is on our plate for today? First off we are headed down to the 'city' to have a doctor's appointment for my son. No, he is not sick, this is our regular check up for his epilepsy.  The whole gang is coming with me, because we are going clothes shopping! They are so happy! And so am I!

First stop the suit outlet store for the boys! Keeping 3 boys in suits is a hard thing to do. Our friends have clued us in to an awesome place that throws in the shirts, ties , socks, etc....

The girls will be learning the art of patience! As we will need to actually shop for them! Store after  store to find the best deal! I am hoping to teach them to not allow the money in their pocket to burn a hole right through! And to think through their wants and their needs!

The last part of the day will be spent getting chores done, and doing quiet school work! I am thankful for the flexibility of homeschooling!  We can educate anytime we like. So today, we will educate into the evening!

What has your Monday ( or Tuesday, or Wednesday......) looked like? Leave a comment and let me know!

Happy Homeschooling! And don't forget to enjoy those children!

For What Are You Thankful For??

You know, as we walk through this life, so often, we are so wrapped up in our own little world that we really don't even take the time to see the world we are living in.

The problems of the world and circumstances of life can keep us from seeing the gifts that each day bring us. Which leads me to this question....

For what are you thankful for? While there are many things that are a challenge in my life, at this very moment, there are far many more things, for which I am thankful. I thought I might share a few of them here...

• I am thankful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and His free gift of salvation!


• I am thankful for my 5 beautiful children!


• I am thankful the Lord has given me the opportunity to home educate them for the last 10 years.


• I am thankful that no matter our circumstances over the years, God has provided a way for us to continue to homeschool.


• I am thankful for an awesome church and church family!


• I am thankful for children who love the Lord and long to live a good life!


• I am thankful for a family that loves and supports me, no matter what!


• I am thankful that JR has not had a seizure in over a year!


• I am thankful that Sybrina is healing and able to leave the hospital!


• I am thankful for the awesome homeschool group that I am privileged to serve and be a part of!


• I am thankful for The Homeschool Crew!


• I am thankful for the new opportunities the Lord has laid at my feet!

And believe it or not, I could go on, and on, and on! I have heard it said, the best way to change our attitude, is to have an attitude of gratitude! The children and I have started a new  'assignment' every morning.  As part of our family devotion time, we are listing at least 5 things that we are thankful for.  It is amazing the difference it makes in your attitude towards your day changes when you  are thankful for the gifts you have received.

So what is it that you are thankful for? Please share them in the comments below!

Have a wonderful gratitude filled day!

Joy in a Quiet House

It has been a quiet day here on the home front. Quiet for many reasons!
Mom, has lost her voice! Yes I am talking about myself in the third person!


It is amazing how much you use your voice every day! I mean, I know that I use my voice every day, but boy, when you can't use it, you realize what a helpful tool it is.

However, it has been a wonderful way to take a much needed rest! Isn't it amazing how God will give you exactly what you need even when you don't realize you need it!

You see, the month of May has been a whirlwind of activity around here! We took a vacation, a school vacation. We went on several awesome educational field trips!

The TOS Homeschool Crew was winding down our 2nd voyage, I had a few reviews due, and at that time Homeschoolblogger changed their format. Which I am loving, though it is taking time to learn!

We also were planning our homeschool group graduation, for 8th and 12th graders. It was an amazing day! But alot of leg work! Though very worth it. At the top of this post, is a picture of me and my daughter on her special day!


Here is one with our daughter and our Pastor's Son, Larry Chappell, who was our speaker at the graduation. Bro. Chappell works with our teenagers, and they all just love him! We were honored that he spoke to our teenagers!

Here is one with a couple of her friends!

If you can't tell from the pictures, the day turned out lovely. What started out as a small affair, grew into a ceremony and reception for 200 people!

So needless to say, a much needed rest is in order. However, my nature is not to rest! I tend to try to just keep on going!

With the loss of my voice, I have been able to stay off the phone!!! I have been able to finish up on some reading that I have been meaning to do!

One of the best parts, is I learned a great lesson! And that is.. if I speak quietly, my children respond quietly. I love it! Yes, I knew that, however, I , often times, much like my children, have a hard time with my volume control! Just ask my mother! This has been a long time issue! So now that I am speaking softly all day.. for several days now, their responses have been nice and soft! I like it! Note to self, keep speaking softly, even when voice returns.

Thank you Lord for giving me the rest, You knew I wouldn't take on my own!

TOS Blog Cruise ~ Many Ages ~ Many Stages

  Often times when people see the number of children I have, (5) they have often asked, 'How do you manage teaching all the different grade levels?'  So here is a little peek inside our home.

  In essence, our method has not changed very much, since we started homeschooling 10 years ago. We do the bulk of our learning together. My children range in ages from 10-17. You might be thinking how in the world is this possible?

   I must admit, our family is eclectic, when it comes to our method of homeschooling. So, what I have done, is create a model that works for us.

  Through the years, I have heard the experts say that when answering those tough questions your kids ask you, that they only hear what they are ready to hear. So even if you go off on a tangent, and give them way more information than they are ready for, the child still can only process what they are ready for, and essentially will turn off when they have received the information they need.
 
  That is about how we look at educating our children. We want to challenge them all, as well as meet them where they are. We do that by purchasing curriculum that lends itself to group teaching, as well as using the Unit Study Approach and Charlotte Mason as a guide.

 How? Spelling? Really? We use a program for spelling called Sequential Spelling. We started using this program several years ago. And we have been working steadily through it. It is comprehensive and extensive. My younger one is challenged, and has met that challenge! And my older children are learning words that they need as well. It really is a great program for group teaching, as they do not teach by grade level. Just level 1-7.

  Bible, prior to this year, we would read the bible aloud together, and I would have put together some sort of devotional. As the kids grew, I was adding in teaching them out to study the bible, and how to use bible study materials. (Concordance, Topical Bible, Bible Dictionary) This year, we are using Grapevine Studies, and studying an overview of the New Testament. I am loving it and so are they!

    For several years I used KONOS, which was wonderful. They took bible character traits, and created a study on each one. Which included History, Science, Geography, some creative writing, and much more. I only had to supplement Math and Language Arts. What was great, is that they did the leg work for me, all I had to do was follow along!

  Okay, so what does this look like? Say we are learning about World War II, I would read a book aloud to all of the kids. I would strive for a book that would be above the level of reading as the younger students reading ability. This allowed them to hear vocabulary, they were not yet ready to read. I would also assign reading at the reading level of each student on the same content. You can use the library for this, in order to keep your costs down.

 Then they each would have to give me a 'report'. You might have a 5 year old draw a picture, And perhaps a second grader a picture and a paragraph or two.  And as they children get older, you just meet them at their ability level, and challenge them. Your high school could be writing a research paper on a subject, while your elementary student is simply writing a few paragraphs.

 In science, you can do experiments with all of them. However, the older students may have additional experiments, or research work to do. The younger students are exposed to all of this learning at the same time.

 Why teach in this fashion? Well, for one, it is a great way to maintain family

cohesiveness.  It is one of the aspects homeschooling that I have loved! That our family is not being torn in 5 different directions. We are moving in the same direction!  It also gives mom the ability to spend less time on those topics that are being learned together, and gives her to mental acuity to focus on the math and reading, that will need to be done at their respective grade levels.  For me, one of the most difficult things to do, is switch back and forth at the different grade levels for Math. I am thankful that I do not have to do that for every subject!

 Now when my youngest was a preschooler, she would still be in on what we were doing, though she always had something to  keep her hands busy while we were doing our read alouds. So she would coloring, sorting, building blocks, etc.. while we were reading, and she was able to listen to all that we were doing. I would have coloring sheets and such for her to complete, because she often wanted to do school.

 One of the beauties of homeschooling, is the fact that we can make it fit for our family. We do not have to home educate in cookie cutter form!

Be sure to check out the crew page, to see what others are saying about this topic as well!

Happy Homeschooling!
 

 
 

What I have Learned While Homeschooling!

While working on a mom’s night presentation for our homeschool group, some
things came to mind, that I wanted to share with you. These are those lessons I have learned from being a mom, a homeschooling mom of children with special needs.  Even if you do nto have a child with special needs, I think you might pull something from this as well!

You know, I can remember back to when I was a brand new mother. And we had our first child, a perfect little boy. A few months later we were told that he was having seizures. From that moment our world was changed.. and it has never been the same.

Our homeschooling journey has been defined by the learning disabilities and health struggles in our family. There has been no room in our home for comparing to others. Looking at other children to see how our child
is doing, if they are at the same skill level etc..

In some ways this is so very freeing. Because, you realize in short order that each and every one of us are created uniquely by our Creator. We all know this, for sure, but it is a totally different thing when you work with your child who is struggling to read or to write his name, or maybe even, to simply to sit in a chair.

In homeschooling, we often times get so caught up in what the world is doing, what the world is expecting, that we forget that we are raising these children up to glorify the Lord.

Recently, I was having a conversation with a mom about labels. There are some families that have the thought that labels are a bad thing and should be
avoided at all costs. While I understand their thinking, I do not agree with them. I agree, you do not want your child to become their label, you also do not want them to use the label as a crutch.

However, by having a label you will be able to have resources on how to help them overcome their struggle. For example, my son has dyslexia. By reading about dyslexia, first I was able to ascertain, whether or not he really did have dyslexia, or if he was simply delayed. Second, I was able to locate the
resources that helped him to overcome his reading struggles. Sounds like a win-win situation to me!

Here is one way to think of labels. When you are sick do you just guess at what is wrong with you, and then give yourself the cure that you think you need?

Or do you go to the doctor, or health practitioner of your choice? Perhaps do blood work, or take an X- ray? Then you know how to handle what is truly
going on within your body. The same rings true with your child! Learning what ‘label’ may be attached to a learning struggle can help you help your child
achieve all that the Lord has planned for him!

Also, figuring out what is going on with your child does not necessarily mean taking them into the local school district. You can do much of the research
yourself, at the library, the book store or on the internet and the other families in your local homeschool group. If you do feel you need outside
help, you can then determine if you need to try to get help from the district, or if you can acquire private help, perhaps through your insurance.

Now, how can this help you with your child, who does not have any learning disabilities? I think that it is helpful when home educating our children to think outside the box. Okay, that is such a cliché, I just really do not know how else to describe it without using another cliché, like, sometimes you will need to take the ‘unbeaten path’!

So, what do I mean by this? What I mean is that as homeschoolers we have the ability to change gears if something does not work. We do not have to wait for the school board to approve new curriculum. We can look at a situation,  if our child is not flourishing with this curriculum, analyze what is going on.

Does he need something more interactive, hands on? Do I need something that does the teaching for me? In order for him to understand it better. Does he simply need to take breaks between math problems, or does he need to do his heavy work (whatever is difficult for him) early in the day, or late in the afternoon? Does he need to run a lap before he sits down to read?

Sometimes when homeschoolers, especially new homeschoolers, hit a
brick wall with their kids, they feel they have failed, that homeschooling is not working. Often times, if we step back and look at what is going on, simply
changing curriculum, or method, or schedule is all that is needed for that
child to thrive! Don’t throw in the towel! Remember what it says in
Galatians 6:9 "And Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season
we shall reap if we faint not." Keep the faith, God enables those He calls!

It has also helped me to realize that the scope and sequences of the world, are arbitrary! Yes, you can use them as a guide, especially if you have no idea
what to teach. However, if you take a a look at several, from different states,
and different curriculum publishers, you will soon find that they each do it a little different. There are some things that you must teach in order, as they build on each other. 

However, many things can be taught when your child is either ready, or if they have the interest. When a child learns about something while they have an interest in that subject, the child is more likely to retain it long term! This is also a great reminder for us as teacher to keep our subject matter interesting! Interest led learning is a great way to go! If your child has a love for something, like animals, or aviation, or railroads, incorporate as much learning as you can about that subject. You will never regret
it! And neither will they!

While homeschooling we want to help our child have academic excellence, however, we want to remember what the bible says, ‘For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?’ Mark 8:36. We want our children to do well  academically in order to live out the purpose God has for their lives, and to glorify Him, not simply to be man-pleasers.

Friends, don’t throw in the towel! Look outside the box, find that unbeaten path, and you just mind find the answers that will help your family accomplish all that God has for you!

Ok, So I am Going to Homeschool Now What??

If you are a new homeschooler you probably  have thought this at one time or another. Or as you plug away through your year, you might be thinking this is not working, now what?

Often times as new homeschoolers, when we start we start with what we know about. If we have a friend using a certain curriculum or program, we try it. If it worked for them it will work for us, right? Not necessarily!

Once you have decide to homeschool, or once you realize that you need to change what you are doing, there are several resources you can use to help you design your own curriculum. What does that mean?

Basically you can either pay someone else to design your curriculum for you, this would be Abeka, Bob Jones, Rod and Staff, Sonlight, My Father's World, etc... these curriculum companies give you the opportunity to purchase all your curriculum in a box. Which is where the term boxed curriculum. Many, many families have great success with purchasing and using boxed curriculum.

However, sometimes the cost can be pretty hefty, especially if you have a large family. Or you may have some special learning needs in your family, and this may require you to design your own curriculum. So where do you start?

There are several resources that I have used to design our homeschool curriculum. The first book I would recommend would be; Home Learning Year by Year, How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool Through High School by Rebecca Rupp.
This book has been invaluable to me in the developing a curriculum for my homeschool.  You can either use it to design your curriculum, or you can use it to make sure what you have designed has not left major gaps.
Another great book is, What Your Child Needs to Know When, According to the State, According to the Bible, by Robin Sampson. In this book you will find not only great information aon biblical standards versus worldly ones, you will also find checklists with room for 5 children, to ensure your children are on track. This is good for grade K-8.

You might be saying, that those are great, but you really do not have the budget to spend on books right now. There are also a couple of great resources online that can help guide you on your homeschool journey.

One of those is World Book Encyclopedia Scope and Sequence. On this site you will find a typical course study from preschool all the way up to high school. It is not curriculum, but it will point you in the direction of where you need to go.

Another great website is Old Fashioned Education.
The creator of this website, created this curriculum for her children. She created it from Kindergarten -11th grade. She was a mother of 2 active boys with little to no budget for homeschooling. You can use her website to show you how to create lesson plans, or you can use the ones she created. You can follow exactly what she supplies or you can use it as a spring board or as supplement.
On Old Fashioned Education, you will find a full curriculum. Just about everything you need is there, for free. In the form of free resources on the internet (such as free e-books from the people of Answer in Genesis) , or books that have lost their copyright, so they are available for free. So these books are old.  We have utilized this website many times throughout our homeschooling.
There are many resources available on the site, to help you get started.

If you find your self homeschooling and really have no clue where to start, in addition, to the resources listed here, you can also peruse the big curriculum companies ( listed above) and see what they teach in what grade and that will help you choose how to construct your lessons.

My prayer is that one or more of these resources wil be a blessing to you and  your homeschool.

Happy Homeschooling!

A Little Something New

Is your family like ours? We struggle with the monotony of family life. As homeschoolers we spend all of our time, (okay, not ALL of our time) at home. So the drudgery of chores and school work can get the best of you. Several of my children and I suffer from ADD. Yes, even I struggle with dealing with it as an adult. I easily lose focus. I have the greatest of intentions though I do not always see them through to fruition.

My children, suffer from this as well. A few are  probably from my lack of discipline and a couple actually suffer from ADD as well.

Well, while watching my daughter struggle with it, I came up with an idea of how we could combat this problem for them, and for me!

My idea was born from PECS  that is used in the Autism circles as a form of communication. When my oldest was small we used this method for schedules. I would velcro these pictures onto a velcro strip in the order he was to do his tasks.

So, this concept is simple. Make picture cards for chores and school work. What I did was using Microsoft Word, I made a template of textboxes, and then I inserted clip art and typed in the function I wished to be completed.
I made each box the approximate size of an id card.

I printed them out on cardstock, and then cut them out, laminated them and then punched a whole in the corner.
 

 Like this:

I chose this format, as I am using this system with both readers and non readers. That way I did not have to make two separate batches.

Each child has a set of their own which is on a 1 inch silver book ring.

It looks something like this:

So each day I will add onto the ring the school assignments they are expected to finish. As well as their automatic daily chore, in our house that is "general pick up" and "clean bedroom".  Then we will all come together and the kids will pick from the chore cards. Whatever chores they pick, get added to their ring.

When they complete the card, they take it off the ring and hand it to me.
This serves two purposes. Their ring, helps them to remember what is on their plate for their day. And when they hand me their card, it reminds me to go check their work right away. Accountability for the both of us!

I must admit we have just started this, but it has been great so far. They have even taken to trading the chore cards. Which initially, I wasn't too sure about. However, the only rule I've come up with, is that both members have to want to trade. No arm twisting allowed!

The kids liked that they are not tied to the same chore day after day. And it has brought a since of fun to our day. It has also helped them remember what we have planned educationally to get done, without the verbal cues from me!

So how does your family combat the monotony of the daily grind? I would love to hear about it!  Leave a comment about it below!

Happy Homeschooling!

Feasting Families

  Right now we are running around trying to get everything done for the family that is coming over on Thursday. It is easy to get swept up and forget the reason for being thankful.  Jesus Christ. Not only do we have the gift of Salvation, by grace, through Jesus Christ. But, He sees fit to bless us throughout our lives. We are not worthy!         

    Our Homeschool Group Family gathered on Saturday for our Annual Family Feast. This tradition has been a long held family favorite, among the group. The Lord granted us, perfect weather. In our area, we typically have a lot of wind, however, Saturday, there was just a very gentle breeze. The trees were half filled with leaves of a variety of colors. Our host, has a wonderful piece of land, that God has graced them with.  The front yard was filled with many tables arranged throughout the yard.

   The food and fellowship was quite simply wonderful.  My husband and I sat and spoke with a couple, the mom, I had only met once before, briefly at a "Mom's Night Out" . They have homeschooled their kids for 17 years. 3 have finished school, and 3 more still schooling at home. It was so nice for my husband, and myself for that matter, to share our experiences  with this family. My husband was able to walk away from that encounter feeling like, "Hey, we are not alone. Others do it like we do too!!"

    That was good for him. As the bread winner in our family ,he is not often able to just visit with other homeschoolers. So this was a really nice event for him.

  I walked away from our feast full of great food! That each family brought to share! And with the feeling of gratitude, to be able to gather with like minded Christian Homeschoolers, who put Christ first. And who put raising their children for Christ and serving Him and bringing Him glory in all we do a high priority. I  love homeschoolers! They are awesome people!!!  Thank you Lord for blessing us with so very much.

Happy Thanksgiving my friends!

 

The Park and Books...

What a fun day we had yesterday!!!

Wednesdays are always a fun day at Creative Learners. We spend our mornings at the park with about 200 homeschoolers. It is PE class day. My older children have PE on Mondays as well, however, on Wednesdays the entire family is there. And the crowd is larger.

Our homeschool group has PE classes offered to all ages from Kindergarten all the way up to high schoolers.

So most of us moms, take advantage of being in the park, and have a time of fellowship, with each other as well as, the kids who have the chance to hang out with their friends!

Yesterday was the perfect day, weather wise. It was a beautiful day, probably about 75 degrees!

After PE, we headed over to our local library which is having their used book sale! Oh my, talk about a homeschoolers dream!

I walked out with 29 books, all for a quarter each, so I spent a whopping $7.25. I will be returning on Saturday to see if there is anything left, when I will be able to fill a bag for only $1.

I was able to get so many books that will be helpful to learning this year. We are studying American History and I was able to pick up quite a few on that topic as well as much more...

Here is a list of what we brought home.......

My America- My Brother's Keeper  Virginia's Civil War Diary              by Mary Pope Osborne

Air Raid- Pearl Harbor! by  Theeodore Taylor

Colin Powell by David Roth

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

Billy Sunday by Elaine Cunningham

The Statue in the Harbor by Jeffrey Eger

In the Line of Fire Eight Women War Spies  by George Sullivan

George Washington by Augusta Stevenson

Meet George Washington by Joan Heilbroner

By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The American Boy Anthology by Franklin M Reck

The American Girl Book of Horse Stories from American Girl magazine circe 1949

No Place for Baseball by Alex Allen

Little Leaugue Ball Hawk by Don Creighton

Hey Listen To This Stories to Read Aloud by Jim Trelease

They Called Me Mama by Margaret Nicholl Laird

Bubbles  by Bernie Zubrowski

A Promise to Keep  by James Smart

Everygirls Companion complilation of stores circa 1968

The Call of The Wild by Jack London

The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop

The Girls of Lighthouse Lane Rose's Story by Thomas Kinkade

Mountain Born by Elizabeth Yates

On the Other Side of the Hill by Roger Lea MacBride

Little Farm in the Ozarks by Roger Lea Macbride

The Teenage Years of Jesus Christ by Jerry Ross

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Six by Suess by Dr. Suess ( inside this book are 6 stories...Mulberry Street, Yertle the Turtle,  The 500 Hats, Horton Hatches the Egg, The Lorax and How the Grinch Stole Christmas)

I will tell you this was a homeschool moms paradise! I couldhave spent alot more money ( well not alot, sicne hte books were so cheap) and alot more time in there. I love books!!

So needless to say, if you have limited funds, it would be wise to watch your local library. They usually allhave a sale time each year, or some have a sale table that is always out. You can get some great buys that can really help to stretch your education budget!

Happy Homeschooling!!!!