Homeschooling While Grieving

Grief is a hard thing to struggle with daily but that is my current situation. Getting up each day to keep doing the things that need my attention are harder some days because of grief. Sometimes it is a fleeing thought or a portion of a book that brings fresh tears to my eyes. Since last summer, a family member has been dealing with some health issues and then my dad passed away unexpectedly earlier this year – and the grief has hit me hard.

It has been by the grace of God, which is my faith foundation, that I have been able to keep going. I am blessed to have a small but close support system of those that love me and help when the burden gets to be too much. I have wrestled with if I should even write about this on the blog, but if it could help even one person going through the same thing, then it will be worth it.

So how do I keep homeschooling while grieving? The short but powerful answer is prayer. Prayer has been my lifeline even more so during this time. When things get too much or when the tears will not stop, I have to find a quiet place to pray to God. According to 1 Peter 5:7 I can cast all of my cares upon Him, because He cares for me. Then He strengthens me to keep going a little more down the road. One of my favorite Bible verses is There are days where I alternate repeating that verse and John 3:16. By faith I know that eventually things will start to settle and life will begin a new normal for our family, but the grief is still fresh right now.

 “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” Psalm 34:18, NIV

On the days that business takes longer than usual, my husband steps in and helps with the homeschooling. My oldest two are able to do some of their learning independently, and the rhythm of our family studies is soothing because of the routine. There have been days where we just had to take off and reconnect as a family. We will go outside and enjoy the warmth of the sunshine or play a couple of rounds of the card game Uno. The last thing that I want is to feel like I am drowning in the grief, and distant myself from the ones that I love.

If you are in a time of grieving too, please know that you are not really alone. God in heaven loves you more than you can comprehend. All you and I have to do is turn to Him and call out to Him for help. Please know that you can email me to ask for prayer. Blessings to you!

GMG - Summer Bible Study

GMG - Summer Bible Study

Week 5 - Psalms

We are now half-way through our study of the book of Psalms! This week's chapters are some that I am more familiar with than some from the previous weeks. Today's reading is from chapter 23 which is probably one of the most often quoted passages of scripture. 

Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

GMG Summer Bible Study Week 3 & 4

Summer Bible Study

Psalm 3 & 4

I have been learning a lot from reading through Psalms this summer. I especially love it when it is one written by David. The life of David was not prefect at all yet he is considered "a man after God's own heart". There are verses that stick out as ones I memorized as a child or a song lyric. I normally read a chapter from Proverbs that corresponds to the day, and it has been enlightening to also read a Psalm.

What have you been reading for your Bible Study this summer? You can still join the Psalm Bible Study group on Facebook. I would love to have you join!!

GMG Summer Bible Study ~ Week 2

Welcome to Week 2 of Our Summer Bible study!!!

How did last week go for you? What did you glean from your Bible Study?

This week we will be continuing in the Book of Psalms, reading chapters 6 ~ 10. You can leave your observations here or click on last week's post for the link to join the FB group. 

Good Morning Girls Summer Bible Study

Good Morning Girls Summer Bible Study

        Today starts a 10-week study of the book of Psalms covering chapters 1-50. Each Monday and Friday we will be meeting here on the blog as well as in the FB group to talk about what we are learning. 

Link to request to join the FB group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1833088310334642/

Grab your favorite drink, Bible, pen, highlighter, and notebook. 

The Hidden Village - Book Review

The Hidden Village

By Bonnie Rose Hudson

This blog post may contain affiliate links. Thank you for your support! 

Title: The Hidden Valley
Author: Bonnie Rose Hudson
Publisher: JourneyForth (BJU)
Release Date: June 2017
Genre: Children's Fiction/ Christian Fiction 

 The Hidden Village is a children’s Christian fiction book about a boy named Manju who lives in India. When Manju finds a village hidden in the mangrove forest, he wants to do everything he can to help his new friends. But what can he do when the people in his own village won’t believe his story, and even the weather keeps him away from the hidden village?

This story is a wonderful read for children and adults alike. The story is told through the eyes of the main character, Manju who lives in West Bengal, India. He lives in a small village surround by mangrove trees. One day while climbing a mangrove tree he noticed smoke from a fire in another clearing of trees. Since he knows what can happen if a fire breaks out in the forest, he investigates to find out where it is coming from.  This investigation leads him to the hidden village that this story is centered around. From there on, the story continues with the daily life and adventures of Manju, his village, and his new friends. The vivid details and descriptions transported me to India with Manju.

This short story is great as a read aloud or for an emergent reader to read independently. The chapters are short and leave you wanting to know what is going to happen next. This is a Christian based children’s book, and I think it would be a great tool to use to teach children that they too can share the Gospel of Jesus with others.  As a homeschool mom, I have been looking for books and resources to teach my children about missionaries and examples of children sharing the good news of Jesus. I thought this book was interesting and encouraging that no matter a person’s age they can be a light for Jesus. Some of the extra features that I thought were great include the pronunciation guide, information about Manju’s home country, and ideas for the readers to help others like Manju’s village.

About the Author:

Bonnie Rose Hudson's heart's desire is for every child to feel the love of God and know how special they are to Him. She works as the Director of SchoolhouseTeachers.com, the curriculum site of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. She would love for you to explore the wonderful curriculum available there and to stop by her author's blog WriteBonnieRose.com for resources to help teach your children about missions and the persecuted Church, free history and writing printable, discover how you can write for the homeschool market, and check out her newest release from JourneyForth, The Hidden Village, an early reader  set in India. 

I received a copy of this book from the author. I was not required to give a positive review. I enjoyed this book very much and all opinions are my own.

What God Is Doing: Old Testament Object Lessons for Kids - Book Review

What God Is Doing: Old Testament Object Lessons for Kids

by Anne Marie Gosnell

This post may contain affiliate links. Thank you for your support!

Title: What God Is Doing: Old Testament Object Lessons for Kids
Author: Anne Marie Gosnell
Publisher: FutureFlyingSaucers
Publication Date: November 13, 2017
Genre: Children's Books, Christian Books



Build family relationships as you discuss biblical history and truths with your kids. Teach your children the Old Testament by using critical thinking questions and hands-on lessons. I love the kinesthetic approach that is presented to help children grasp abstract concepts. The object lessons use easy to find items, easy to complete, as well as a great visual for children. This book is a great resource for anyone who teaches Bible to children.


One of my favorite lessons from this book is about the tower of Babel with the language cards. My children like to ask me to Google how to say different phrases in other languages. This lesson helps children to understand the importance of why we should learn other languages so that we can share the Gospel with others from around the world. I can't wait to share more of the lessons from this book with my children.


She has a BONUS available this week ONLY when you buy her new book! From November 27th through December 1st the book will be 25% off on Amazon. The bonus includes the eBook Walk This Way and digital downloads of color posters for both of her books. To get the bonuses, email your receipt from Amazon to the email address: wgid@futureflyingsaucers.com



About the Author:

Anne Marie Gosnell has a graduate degree in education with a focus on developing curriculum and instruction. Her life journey includes over 25 years (so far!) in Children’s Ministry: Sunday School, puppetry, Vacation Bible School, Children’s Church, and various outreach ministries.
She is  also the author of Walk This Way: Ethics and Sanctification Lessons for Kids.





You can checkout more information about her book and other resources by visiting her website:
https://www.futureflyingsaucers.com/what-god-is-doing/


Amazon Link
https://www.amazon.com/What-God-Doing-Testament-Lessons-ebook/dp/B077H51FN9/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511903634&sr=8-1&keywords=what+God+is+Doing+Anne+MArie+Gosnell

I received a copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.  

The Austen Escape - Book Review

The Austen Escape

Katherine Reay

Title: The Austen Escape

Author: Katherine Reay

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: November 2017

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Christian Romance Fiction

                                                       A NEW Austen Fan Fiction Novel!

Mary Davies finds the safety in her ordered and productive life. Working as an engineer, she genuinely enjoys her job and her colleagues - particularly a certain adorable and intelligent consultant. But something is missing. When Mary's estranged childhood friend, Isabel Dwyer offers her a two-week stay in gorgeous manor house in England, she reluctantly agrees in hopes that the holiday will shake up her quiet life in just the right ways.

But Mary gets more than she bargained for when Isabel loses her memory and fully believes she lives in Jane Austen's Bath. While Isabel rests and delights in the leisure of the Regency lady, attended by the other costume-clad guest, Mary uncovers startling truths about their shared past, who Isabel was, who she seems to be, and the man who now stands between them.

Outings are undertaken, misunderstandings play out, and dancing ensues as this company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation, work out their lives and hearts.

The Austen Escape is truly an interesting read for any Jane Austen fan! There are beautiful evening gowns, dancing, feasting together, an exquisite mansion, and of course the reader's eye view of how relationships between people work  out. The main characters, Mary and Isabel, couldn't be any more different, and let's not forget Nathan the love interest. Even though this novel is set in modern times, the chapters about Mary and Isabel's time in Bath were well-written and true to a good Jane Austen-inspired story.

My favorite character was Mary. I loved her dedication to her father and her job that she loved. I thought she was a well-written character, and I was just as crushed as she was with that one phone call. I felt like she was dependable because when Isabel needed her the most she was there taking care of her, even if she didn't think she was doing that great of a job.

After reading The Austen Escape I need to make a date to reread Jane Austen's novel again.

About the author:

Katherine Reay has lived all across the country and Europe and has enjoyed a life-long affair with the works of Jane Austen and her contemporaries. Her first novel, Dear. Mr. Knightley, was the 2014 Christy Award Finalist and winner of the 2014 INSPY Award for Best Debut aw well as Carol Awards for both Best Debut and Best Contemporary. Her other works include Lizzy & Jane, The Bronte Plot, and A Portrait of Emily Price. Her stories are all contemporary with a bit of "classics" flair. 

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Science Spotlight - Schoolhouse Teachers

Science Spotlight  

Schoolhouse Teachers

This post contains my affiliate link. Thank you for supporting my blog and our homeschool!

Does the thought of teaching your children science make you squeamish? Or even cause you to hide in your bathroom? Well I hope not, but maybe if it is not your (or your child's) favorite subject then Schoolhouse Teachers.com can save your day!

Schoolhouse Teachers.com has a variety of science courses and unit studies for your kindergartener up to your 12th grader. Science can be fun to explore. You (or your child) just might find out that you do indeed like science!

Check out this fun course, Curious Science, that is geared towards 3rd-4th graders! In this 18 unit course your child will study about some of God's unique creatures. Younger and older siblings can also join for the learning.

Exploring God's World with Kindergarten Science is a fun course! During this course you read short sections from a story about a brother and sister who are curious about the world around them. They ask a lot of questions and each week your child gets to learn with Harry and Dora and their adventures. 

Marine Biology is one of the newest High School courses recently added to Schoolhouse Teachers.com. This course is 30 weeks long and includes videos, slideshows, and both online and printable resources. It covers 5 units and topics such as oceanography, marine plants, invertebrates, jellyfish, marine turtles, and whales of the world. 

There are so many fun science courses to chose from at SchoolhouseTeachers.com! And if you can't tell I love teaching science as well as learning more about God's wonderful creation. 

Blind Spot: Chesapeake Valor #3 - Book Review

Book Review: Blind Spot

Chesapeake Valor Book 3

Dani Pettrey 

Title: Blind Spot

Series: Chesapeake Valor, Book 3

Author: Dani Pettrey

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: October 2017

Genre: Romantic Suspense/Christian Fiction

"The wrath is coming"!

From the back cover:

"The wrath is coming" were the final words that FBI agent Declan Grey heard the suicide bomber say. Now Declan is in the chase of his life-but isn't sure exactly what he's chasing after or when the threat will be unleashed on American soil. When his investigation's best clue leads him to a closed immigrant community, he turns to Tanner Shaw for assistance. She's sought justice for refugees and the displaced around the world, and if there's anyone who can help, it's Tanner.

Tanner Shaw has joined the FBI as a crisis counselor ...meaning she now has more opportunity to butt heads with Declan. As they work together to uncover the mounting threat, the tension between them also includes a spark she can't deny-and she's pretty sure Declan feels the same. But before anything more can develop, they find themselves in a race against time to stop the coming "wrath" that could cost thousands their lives.



My review:

I love a good mystery or in this case a suspense, and that is exactly what Dani did in her third book- Blind Spot. It was another "can't put down" read that I enjoyed. I liked the tango that Declan and Tanner's characters had between them. They liked each other, but neither seemed willing to let their guard down until it was almost too late. I am drawn to books that not only have a great hero but also a leading heroine. Tanner's character reminded me of Ziva from NCIS but that is all I am going to say about that. I think one of the best parts about Blind Spot is that Dani has more than one major crime happening in this book. Griffin and Finley from Cold Shot, Parker and Avery from Still Life, and Kate (who is still looking for Luke) join Declan and Tanner to solve both cases. I just love the group comradery! I would recommend reading the books in order even though you could still follow along if Blind Spot is your first time meeting this group of characters. If you enjoy a clean romantic suspense then get ahold of Blind Spot for your next good read. 

About the author:

Dani Pettrey is the author of two great series: Alaskan Courage and Chesapeake Valor. She is a wife, former homeschooling mom and author. She feels blessed to write inspirational romantic suspense because it incorporates so many things she loves - the thrill of adventure, nail-biting suspense, the deepening of one's faith and plenty of romance. She and her husband reside in Maryland, where they enjoy time with their two daughters, son-in-law, and two super adorable grandsons. 


 You can connect with Dani by visiting her website. -  Up All Night Suspense - Dani Pettrey 

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for review. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own. 

Elementary Math Spotlight - Schoolhouse Teachers

Elementary Math Spotlight

Schoolhouse Teachers.com 

This post contains my affiliate link. Thank you for supporting my blog and our homeschool!

Math may come easy to you but I for one have had a doosey of a time making math fun at my house. Math has been one of those subjects where I am constantly trying to strike a balance of fun and work. If this is you too, then please take heart friend, this is where Schoolhouse Teachers.com comes into play!

With SchoolhouseTeachers.com I can pick a class, even one I’m unsure of, like Starting Out With First Grade Math and then I just have to assist, not truly “teach” math. This makes my homeschool mama heart very happy. I can be confidant that the math course I choose will be taught well and that my student is learning.

 When each of my children reach about the age of five I start them with simple math workbooks from the Dollar Tree and real-life application with daily living. Once they start first grade we start a more "formal" approach to math. This class is just right for my first grade learner. It starts with simple one-to-one correspondence in lesson one and builds to mental addition and subtraction. This class  has colorful and interactive slides that teach a specific math concept before the student completes a related worksheet or activity.

More times than not, SchoolhouseTeachers.com comes to my rescue with just the course I need. And since math is a subject that isn’t my favorite to teach, I’m grateful to see so many math courses and workshops that are right at my fingertips!

There are also math workshops geared for elementary aged students and links to World Book Online articles about math.  I love the idea of having math workshops for my elementary-age children. We lean more to a mastery approach in math since my children start to get bored with repetitive review. 

Whole Number Place Value Workshop is one of the workshops that my third and fourth graders will be starting soon. This workshop goes beyond just ones-tens-hundreds place values. 

Other math workshops include the following:

1. Decimals Workshop

2. Fractions Workshop

3. Multiplication Workshop

4. Understanding Fractions Workshop. 

You can learn more about each of these workshops as well as all courses math-related on Schoolhouse Teachers.com by clicking HERE. 

Language Arts Spotlight - Schoolhouse Teachers

Language Arts Spotlight

Schoolhouse Teachers.com

This post contains my affiliate link. Thank you for supporting my blog and our homeschool!

Do you ever have those moments as a homeschool mama that make your eye twitch and you realize that Language Arts just isn’t your favorite thing to teach? No? Well I'm here to share a spotlight on some great Language Arts classes!

Back in my teaching days, I was the Language Arts teacher, but to this day I still do not like teaching spelling. All. The. Rules....now that makes my eye twitch. This is just one of the reasons why I'm grateful that I have access to SchoolhouseTeachers.com. With so many classes to choose from, I know that I can provide the opportunities to help my children to be thoughtful spellers and master the English language.

I had already planned to read several different versions of well-known fairy tales to my children this year, but I had not create the lesson plans yet. (Yes, so much to do and not enough time.) The other day I was scrolling through the Language Art classes offered on Schoolhouse Teachers.com and found this gem: Fun with Fairy Tales. Happy dance!! Now all I have to do is download and print the lesson plans then grab our stack of fairy tale books. As a busy mama of five that is a win-win in my book. 

Each class offered at SchoolhouseTeachers.com provides a clear and straightforward approach to the subject of Language Arts. Visit now to see what classes are available for your child. There are over 350 courses to choose from at Schoolhouse Teachers.com

Here are just a sampling of the classes available:

We have pre-reading, reading, and literature covered with courses such as:

ABC: What Will I Be?

Adventures with Books

African American Literature

All About the Alphabet

American Folklore

American Literature

Christian Values in J.R.R. Tolkien

Daily Puzzlers

Everyday Games

Literature Kits

Monthly Book Lists for Families

Pre-K Activities: Read and Play

Reading Lessons for Young or Struggling Readers 

Teaching Reading through Play
Worldviews in Literature

We can help your kids brush up on grammar, spelling, memorization, and research skills with courses including:

Daily Grammar

Fun with Memorization

Little Language Arts

Research Skills 7th Grade

Schoolhouse Spelling

Ways to teach writing abound with courses such as:

Adventures in Writing

Beginning Handwriting

Benjamin Franklin Writing Method

Creative Storytelling

Creative Writing

Daily Writing

Essay Writing 101

Everyday Copywork

Lapbooking

Sparking the Noggin: Creative Writing with Pictures

Writing

Writing: Advertising Copy

Writing: Mechanics

Round-up of Autumn Learning Fun

Round-up of Autumn Learning Fun

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my blog and our homeschool!

Autumn Fires

by

Robert Louis Stevenson

In the other gardens

And all up the vale,

From the autumn bonfires

See the smoke trail.

Pleasant summer over

And all the summer flowers,

The red fire blazes,

The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!

Something bright in all!

Flowers in the summer,

Fires in the fall.

There is something just refreshing about the fall that I love. The leaves begin their slow fade before dropping to their final resting place, the weather gets cooler, and the pumpkin patches!!! Yes, fall is my favorite season. It also means hay rides, football games, sweaters and boots, and bonfires. Fall also now means fun learning activities for my children that revolve about leaves, pumpkins, acorns, and woodland animals.

In this post I have gathered some links to fun and (some) free learning for children. Please always check the price before checking out. I hope you and your children enjoy all the great things about fall and have fun learning too!

Fall Learning Links:

Free Homeschool Deals by Jamerrill

http://www.freehomeschooldeals.com/70-free-fall-learning-resources-activities-for-kids/

(Hands-down this is my FAVORITE site to visit for free learning activities for our homeschool.)

Proverbial Homemaker
https://www.proverbialhomemaker.com/counting-pumpkins-1-12-free-printable-pack.html
(Limited-time Download)

Pre-K pages

https://www.pre-kpages.com/20-fall-leaf-activities-for-preschool/

The Imagination Tree

https://theimaginationtree.com/50-autumn-play-art-activities-kids/

Education.com

https://www.education.com/worksheets/autumn-fun/

(This site has fun and educational worksheets.)

Little Bins for Little Hands

https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/fall-science-activities-kids-hands-sensory-play/

(This is a new to me site, but it has some great ideas listed.)

The Homeschool Scientist

https://thehomeschoolscientist.com/fall-science-activities/

Our Journey Westward with Cindy West 

https://ourjourneywestward.com/nature-study-3/

(We love Cindy West's Nature Explorer products, and she has some great posts about getting started with nature study.)

Be sure to check out my Pinterest board, Homeschool:Fall Learning for even more ideas!

Don't forget the Harvest Sale over at SchoolhouseTeachers.com. {aff link} The sale will go through the end of October. 

Grace for the Overwhelming Days

Thoughts for the Overwhelmed Mom

Have you ever had one of those days where your toddler outlasted your last cup of coffee? Or you have so many things coming at you at once that vertigo has you feeling sick? Yeah, me too! Life can be overwhelming sometimes...enough said. Right?

I've had my share of those days. Days where I wished I could just hide under the covers. Would hiding solve any of the challenges for that day, week, month or even some times a year? No, not really. Awhile back I was having one of those days that turned into one of those weeks. I would cry during the day and fall asleep exhausted at night feeling like a failure. By the end of the week I had had enough of it. I was tired of being overwhelmed!!! 

See the problem came in when I kept trying to do everything in my own strength, knowledge, and routine. I kept thinking if this situation was different then maybe things would be better, or if  "this or that" could change then things would be better. I knew deep down in my heart what I should have done the first time those despairing thoughts entered my mind. But I didn't, and instead tried to deal with the feelings of inadequacies on my own. I don't know about you, but for me that is a lonely road to travel. 

Once I said "enough already" and turned to God, He was already there waiting on me to lean on Him.

One of my very favorite passage of verses talks about leaning on Him and not on my own understanding. 

Proverbs 3: 5-6 (NKJV)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

I have to trust Him, and know that He is working all things together for my good, (Romans 8:28) I have to lean on Him instead of trusting my own understanding. (Isaiah 55:8-9) When I acknowledge Him, then He will direct my steps. (Isaiah 30:21) So when those tough days come, and they will, I have to keep my thoughts on Him and offer up a prayer. Take heart, He is still there for you and me waiting for us to lean on Him. Blessings!

Our New School Year 2017-2018

Plans for Our New School Year

2017-2018

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my blog and our homeschool!

Wow! Can you believe that it is already October? I feel like this school year is flying by too fast for me. How is homeschooling going at your house? 

I think that our motto for this year is going to be "slow and steady wins the race". We are still working on our routine and line up for some of our subjects, but for the most part we are finding what works for us. 

This year, I have a 10, 8, 6, 3, and 1 year old. We are all learning to be more flexible than before with little ones. I have had to adjust our schedule to make room for those "interruptions" that will happen and really that's a good thing. I want my children to value people more than a to-do list, and since I'm their example I first have to show it. This homeschooling journey is becoming more beautiful the more I am learning to trust God's leading on what it is suppose to look like for our family. 

We are eclectic homeschoolers, with a CM bent, because "one size does NOT fit all" in my house. This year we will be using resources from Ambleside Online, SchoolhouseTeachers.com, Reading Eggs, Teaching Textbooks, and unit studies. I will include links below to each one so that you can check them out.

Last year was the first time that we ventured into a more Charlotte Mason approach to learning, but since I am still slowly reading through her volumes and learning myself we are not doing everything 100%. I get to help design some of the curriculum found at SchoolhouseTeachers.com, and I'm very excited to have this resource this year. I am using Reading Eggs with my struggling reader, and Teaching Textbooks for math with my artistic-driven learner. Then for fun, because my children actually like unit studies, I have sprinkled some throughout the school year. I hope you are having a great school year so far! You can tell me more about your school year in the comments below. I would love to hear from you!

Ambleside Online 
http://amblesideonline.org/

SchoolhouseTeachers.com
https://schoolhouseteachers.com/dap/a/?a=29803 {aff. link}

Reading Eggs
https://readingeggs.com/

Teaching Textbooks
http://teachingtextbooks.com/

Unit Studies by Amanda Bennett
http://unitstudy.com/

Also I am working on my own unit studies for the blog as well!!