Homeschooling for His Glory

Here is snapshot of our plans for this summer: Visit the Creation museum in Kentucky (on our way today) Go to the Science Centre (we have a membership) and see the CSI exhibit and show Go berry picking: strawberries, cherries and blueberries Go to Center Island the boys love going there Go to Ontario Place Finish TOG: we are at week 29/36; almost there Keep up our math with games and videos Keep up with our science Go to the Ontario Zoo Family camp with our church in August (first time camping in tents for me) DVBS in July Keep up our hour of reading daily Keep up our violin practice and try out a new teacher Start Joho in piano (done)  

It is this time of the year yet again. I am joining up with the Back-to-School Blog Hop again to share our plans for the next school year. Throughout the year I start researching for the next year curriculum and this year was no different. The challenge around this time is to cut down on all the choices that I have made during the year. I think I have pretty much finalized my  list for my 3rd grader (who will be 8 in November) and my 1st grader (who will be 6 in October). We pretty much school year round. No big break but lots of small breaks. Together: Math on the Level : it is not  a graded Math curriculum but concept oriented, so I can combined my boys pretty easily, as my youngest catches up on concepts quicker than my oldest. Also because it is more of a living math approach, there is not as much sit down work, which makes my oldest hates Math. Tapestry of Grace year 2 : My oldest loves history, so does my youngest but not as much. We are still finishing up year 1 this summe

  I totally forgot to share about this promotional subscription to the new canadian homeschool magazine: Homeschool Horizon. The magazine is set to hit the mail boxes in September and will run every other months, that is 6 issues /year. The promotional price is $25 which is  15% discount off the cover price. In addition to the saving, if you subscribe by June 30th you will receive the funny yet informative, all-Canadian homeschool e-book Humouring Skeptics by  Kathleen Forde Meyer absolutely FREE and  you will ALSO have your name entered into a Special Prize Draw ! Hurry, head on to the subscription page, the promotion ends tomorrow.

  I just stumbled today on this cool giveaway and thought I would share it (it does help that I get an extra entry for sharing!) The prize: "A Journey Home" from Franklin Springs Media "Beside Still Waters" by Tricia Goyer Well Planned Day Planner, 2011-2012 1 year subscription to Home Educating Family Magazine To enter head on over to  Home Educating website.

Name Above All Names From the brightness of His glory Jesus the Son of God descends Takes on the nature of a servant Jesus, obedient to death The Father willed to crush Him As a sacrifice for sin He satisfied God’s justice And in victory rose again  Chorus You are highly exalted Name above all names Worthy of all praise You are reigning in glory Jesus, You’re the King Over everything Exalted to the highest place Given the name above all other names The tomb is empty, Christ has risen Jesus, the Lamb, once crucified The angels never cease to worship Jesus, in heaven glorified To Him belongs the power The wisdom, might, and strength All glory and dominion To the Lord of every age Bridge Our knees will bow Our tongues proclaim That You are Lord of all Music by Pat Sczebel and Joel Sczebel, words by Pat Sczebel © 2011 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP) [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgeH2qLCFxE[/youtube]

It's been a while since my last Link Treasures post. As my followers will have noticed I do not post often nowadays and that is simply because I have not been spending as much time on the computer as I did before. As a consequence I have not been reading my google reader as much either. I found that I was spending way too much time at the computer when there are dishes waiting, books to be read and time to spend with the boys and outside, as well as preparing for DVBS of which I am the director this year. That said here are some posts that I have come across in the past few months which I thought I would share: 30 ways to Practice Spelling Words Just This 1 Thing 10 Quick Kitchen Organizing Tips 10 Containers to Reuse or Recycle for Craft Supplies Solving the Crisis in Homeschooling: a must read. Staying on Schedule 8 ways to provide an Interest-Led Learning at Home Mother as the Coach While you are at The Legacy of Home make sure to check her carnival: The Christian Home, you

I missed last week's ABC's so we have 2 letters for this week. J is for Jesus As a Christian Homeschool family our primary goal is to point our kids to Jesus. We want them to do well on the academics but most of all we want them to seek and know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. K is for kindness Kindness is part of the fruit of the Spirit, it is showing love to others. Ways to do that would be being helpful, friendly and generous. In homeschooling homes that can be a challenge, but it is also a great place to develop and practice kindness. Siblings get lots of practice in being kind and showing love to each others. They learn to give way, to take turns and to do it joyfully; not because they are forced to, or simply have to, but because it is the better way, it is the loving way, because it is the God glorifying way. As parents we also have to demonstrate this to our kids by being kind and not harsh. I know as mothers we often "yell", we get exaspera

My new favorite song . . . Enjoy this message of adoration to our Great sovereign God Behold Our God Who has held the oceans in His hands? Who has numbered every grain of sand? Kings and nations tremble at His voice All creation rises to rejoice  Chorus Behold our God seated on His throne Come, let us adore Him Behold our King—nothing can compare Come, let us adore Him Who has given counsel to the Lord? Who can question any of His words? Who can teach the One who knows all things? Who can fathom all His wondrous deeds? Who has felt the nails upon His hands? Bearing all the guilt of sinful man God eternal, humbled to the grave Jesus, Savior, risen now to reign You will reign forever Let Your glory fill the earth Jonathan Baird, Meghan Baird, Ryan Baird, and Stephen Altrogge © 2011 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP)/Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI) [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6juePKlRKtI&feature=related[/youtube]

Receive the Glory by Bob Kauflin © 2004 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI) Not to us, but to Your name alone Be all the glory, the glory, forever For Your faithfulness and steadfast love Receive the glory, the glory belongs to You All that we’ve accomplished You have done for us And any fruit we harvest is a gift from Your hand We are only jars of clay that hold a priceless treasure And we exist to bring You pleasure, O God Only by Your mercy can we come to You Though we deserved Your judgment You have called us by name So we glory in the cross of Christ that made us Yours forever That joined our lives together to sing

I just thought I would share some books that my boys have been enjoying recently: In connection with our Ancient Times Studies: Alexander the Great by Jane Bingham The Great Alexander the Great by Joe Lasker Alexander the Great : the greatest ruler of the ancient world by Andrew Langley Pythagoras and the ratios : a math adventure by Julie Ellis What's your angle, Pythagoras? : a math adventure by Julie Ellis Hour of the Olympics from The Magic Tree House Series   Literature: The  Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Trader as audiobooks Peter Rabbit and Friends by Beatrix Potter Archibald Frisby by Michael Chesworth Brave Norman by Andrew Clements   Non - Fiction: Books from How Did they Build That? Series on bridges, Tunnels, School, Stadium, Skyscraper Books from Busy Places series on Building Sites, garage How to Build Your Own Country by valerie   I have started an informal Composer study u sing Living Book: Wolfgang Amadeus Mo

I have really enjoyed reading the different posts on this ABC's of homeschooling meme. I have been inspired and encouraged. Make sure to check everyone's post @ 5 Kids and a Dog. I was really hesitating for this week's word but I think Idea is my choice word. Idea : 1. a plan, a suggestion or possible course of action. 2. an opinion or belief about what something is like or should be like. These are the main 2 definitions of the word idea. There are more but for our purpose this is what I am talking about. One aspect of homeschooling I love is the opportunity one has to implement all sorts of ideas in their teaching and change around as needed. I am not a very creative person but I like ideas. I like new things. I thank the Lord for the Internet and all the wonderful homeschooling blogs and websites out there. They have been such a great source of ideas for teaching each and every subjects  in their homeschool. I love browsing around through them and pick and choose quit

And Can It Be by Charles Wesley (one of my all time favorite Hymn) And can it be that I should gain An interest in the Savior’s blood? Died He for me, who caused His pain— For me, who Him to death pursued? Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me? Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me? ’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies: Who can explore His strange design? In vain the firstborn seraph tries To sound the depths of love divine. ’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore, Let angel minds inquire no more. ’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore; Let angel minds inquire no more. He left His Father’s throne above So free, so infinite His grace— Emptied Himself of all but love, ( More accurately: Emptied Himself because of love) And bled for Adam’s helpless race: ’Tis mercy all, immense and free, For O my God, it found out me! ’Tis mercy all, immense and free, For O my God, it found out me! Long my imprisoned spirit lay, Fast bound in sin and nature’s ni