Origami Boxes
I made one of these tonight using some old cards I had in the girls art area. It was easy, especially with the pictures.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Back home again
Last week the girls and I went to my parents while Nathan was in Atlanta at a company meeting. We had a great time with family and friends. We got to see both grandmas, my nephew, sister-in-law, brother, best friend and her beautiful daughter, another friend who has been in my life since the high school, and some good friends on the way up. It was a lot to fit in, but so worth it. We tried to see my brother and his girlfriend too, but he was working.
I received my dSLR in the mail at my parents. I haven't taken it out since we got home, but I used it a ton up North and I love it. It's so fun to take pictures with it. I really never enjoyed using the point and shoots we had, but I enjoy this camera.
I finished Heartfelt Discipline by Clay Clarkson today. While I think he had a lot of good things to say, I had such a hard time getting through the book and I'm not sure why. Three things I got out of the book:
1. To not only teach our children to obey their parents (us), but also to honor their parents. But not just to honor (or to give value to us) us, but to honor other people around them too. AND that we must also honor them (or show them they have value) by being attentive to them and listening to them and spending time with them.
2. Pray for our children and with our children because it's ultimately the Holy Spirit who works in them. Pray before I talk to my child about something, asking the Holy Spirit to give me the words to say and to help me be patient.
3. Read your Bible and hide it in your heart. Sounds simple, yes. But it just hit me (again) that it's hard to really be speaking the words of God into their lives if I'm not interacting daily with His Word. I'll be trying to read through and look up the passages in Concise Theology by J.I. Packer in my devotional time and when we actually sit down to breakfast, the girls and I will be continuing to learn Becca's baptism passage: Colossians 3:12-17.
I started Calendar: Christ's time for the Church by Laurence Hull Stookey today. I kept falling asleep, though. Not because it wasn't interesting, but because it was Sunday afternoon and I was laying down all cozy under a warm blanket. :)
Last week the girls and I went to my parents while Nathan was in Atlanta at a company meeting. We had a great time with family and friends. We got to see both grandmas, my nephew, sister-in-law, brother, best friend and her beautiful daughter, another friend who has been in my life since the high school, and some good friends on the way up. It was a lot to fit in, but so worth it. We tried to see my brother and his girlfriend too, but he was working.
I received my dSLR in the mail at my parents. I haven't taken it out since we got home, but I used it a ton up North and I love it. It's so fun to take pictures with it. I really never enjoyed using the point and shoots we had, but I enjoy this camera.
I finished Heartfelt Discipline by Clay Clarkson today. While I think he had a lot of good things to say, I had such a hard time getting through the book and I'm not sure why. Three things I got out of the book:
1. To not only teach our children to obey their parents (us), but also to honor their parents. But not just to honor (or to give value to us) us, but to honor other people around them too. AND that we must also honor them (or show them they have value) by being attentive to them and listening to them and spending time with them.
2. Pray for our children and with our children because it's ultimately the Holy Spirit who works in them. Pray before I talk to my child about something, asking the Holy Spirit to give me the words to say and to help me be patient.
3. Read your Bible and hide it in your heart. Sounds simple, yes. But it just hit me (again) that it's hard to really be speaking the words of God into their lives if I'm not interacting daily with His Word. I'll be trying to read through and look up the passages in Concise Theology by J.I. Packer in my devotional time and when we actually sit down to breakfast, the girls and I will be continuing to learn Becca's baptism passage: Colossians 3:12-17.
I started Calendar: Christ's time for the Church by Laurence Hull Stookey today. I kept falling asleep, though. Not because it wasn't interesting, but because it was Sunday afternoon and I was laying down all cozy under a warm blanket. :)
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Books to read in 2010
Number seven in my list of goals for this year was to read one book a month. While sitting in Nate's office today reading, I started looking over his bookshelf and before I new it, I had a stack of books next to me to read for this year.
This stack only contains non-fiction. I may insert a fiction or two in there, but those will be unplanned.
In no particular order:
1. Heartfelt Discipline by Clay Clarkson (almost finished--from library)
2. Concise Theology by J.I. Packer (hoping to read this during devotions and look up reference passages as I read.
3. Calendar: Christ's Time for the Church by Laurence Hull Stookey
4. The Mark Experiment by Andrew Page (Nate has talked about wanting to memorize the gospel of Mark again like we did at SLT)
5. Against Christianity by Peter J. Leithart (a re-read for me)
6. Knowing God by J.I. Packer (a re-read for the second time--one I like to re-read periodically)
7. My Life for Yours: A Walk Through the Christian Home by Douglas Wilson (another re-read)
8. Keep in Step with the Spirit by J.I. Packer (can we see a pattern of authors here?)
9. The Baptized Body by Peter J. Leithart
10. When Children Love to Learn: A Practical Application of Charlotte Mason's [Education] Philosophy for Today edited by Elaine Cooper (a re-read I thought would be good to read at the same time we are working on choosing curricula)
I think it will be some sort of miracle if I get through all of them. I'd like to at least get through 3/4 of them, though.
Number seven in my list of goals for this year was to read one book a month. While sitting in Nate's office today reading, I started looking over his bookshelf and before I new it, I had a stack of books next to me to read for this year.
This stack only contains non-fiction. I may insert a fiction or two in there, but those will be unplanned.
In no particular order:
1. Heartfelt Discipline by Clay Clarkson (almost finished--from library)
2. Concise Theology by J.I. Packer (hoping to read this during devotions and look up reference passages as I read.
3. Calendar: Christ's Time for the Church by Laurence Hull Stookey
4. The Mark Experiment by Andrew Page (Nate has talked about wanting to memorize the gospel of Mark again like we did at SLT)
5. Against Christianity by Peter J. Leithart (a re-read for me)
6. Knowing God by J.I. Packer (a re-read for the second time--one I like to re-read periodically)
7. My Life for Yours: A Walk Through the Christian Home by Douglas Wilson (another re-read)
8. Keep in Step with the Spirit by J.I. Packer (can we see a pattern of authors here?)
9. The Baptized Body by Peter J. Leithart
10. When Children Love to Learn: A Practical Application of Charlotte Mason's [Education] Philosophy for Today edited by Elaine Cooper (a re-read I thought would be good to read at the same time we are working on choosing curricula)
I think it will be some sort of miracle if I get through all of them. I'd like to at least get through 3/4 of them, though.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Homeschool curriculums
edited to add something else we are considering
Nathan and I are checking out homeschool curriculums. I don't think we'll start anything formal until Becca is 6 (she'll be 5 in May). We'll just continue living life and maybe teaching Becca to read when she is ready. Ally will keep learning her letters, as she seems to be picking them up as she goes without any help from me. That's what's nice about having a big sister. She's also started drawing people way earlier than Becca ever did, which I think is from seeing Becca draw them all the time.
Anyway, the following is the curriculums we're considering and what we're looking at. We've already crossed out Tapestry of Grace mostly because Nathan was totally annoyed with their site and how locked down they were. He couldn't even find out what was one their booklists because they are so secretive. He didn't like how you had to do everything digitally using their special reader and could only use it on one computer.
I'm open to more suggestions. I've seen Sonlight, Math U See, Sequential Spelling, and Handwriting without Tears in person. There are a lot of things I like about Sonlight and would be willing to go with that one, but I wanted to make sure we checked out our other possibilities.
Here are the things we're considering as we look at each:
1. How much planning is needed each week?
2. What is the Biblical worldview that is woven into the curriculum (mostly in the main curriculums)?
3. How does the curriculum fit in with the Charlotte Mason philosophies? (narration, good literature, shorter subjects periods, etc)
4. Does the curriculum use good literature throughout?
5. What is the cost for each year's curriculum? Can we use the same curriculum for more than one child?
6. Can we teach the curriculum in 4 days instead of 5 days a week?
7. Fits or can be adapted to our teaching styles and our children's learning styles.
Any others you can think of?
Main curriculums:
Sonlight
Tapestry of Grace
Ambleside Online
My Father's World
Winter Promise
Math curriculums:
Math U See
Right Start Math
Singapore Math see also this site
Other:
Sequential Spelling (for later)
Handwriting without Tears
edited to add something else we are considering
Nathan and I are checking out homeschool curriculums. I don't think we'll start anything formal until Becca is 6 (she'll be 5 in May). We'll just continue living life and maybe teaching Becca to read when she is ready. Ally will keep learning her letters, as she seems to be picking them up as she goes without any help from me. That's what's nice about having a big sister. She's also started drawing people way earlier than Becca ever did, which I think is from seeing Becca draw them all the time.
Anyway, the following is the curriculums we're considering and what we're looking at. We've already crossed out Tapestry of Grace mostly because Nathan was totally annoyed with their site and how locked down they were. He couldn't even find out what was one their booklists because they are so secretive. He didn't like how you had to do everything digitally using their special reader and could only use it on one computer.
I'm open to more suggestions. I've seen Sonlight, Math U See, Sequential Spelling, and Handwriting without Tears in person. There are a lot of things I like about Sonlight and would be willing to go with that one, but I wanted to make sure we checked out our other possibilities.
Here are the things we're considering as we look at each:
1. How much planning is needed each week?
2. What is the Biblical worldview that is woven into the curriculum (mostly in the main curriculums)?
3. How does the curriculum fit in with the Charlotte Mason philosophies? (narration, good literature, shorter subjects periods, etc)
4. Does the curriculum use good literature throughout?
5. What is the cost for each year's curriculum? Can we use the same curriculum for more than one child?
6. Can we teach the curriculum in 4 days instead of 5 days a week?
7. Fits or can be adapted to our teaching styles and our children's learning styles.
Any others you can think of?
Main curriculums:
Sonlight
Tapestry of Grace
Ambleside Online
My Father's World
Winter Promise
Math curriculums:
Math U See
Right Start Math
Singapore Math see also this site
Other:
Sequential Spelling (for later)
Handwriting without Tears
2010 goals
edited to add two more goals
1. Get to bed by 11pm.
2. Get up by 6am.
3. Date night with Nate once a week (at home or out).
4. Pick a homeschool curriculum to use (when Becca is 6).
5. Teach Becca to read.
6. Memorize one new Bible passage with the girls a month.
7. Read one book each month.
8. Physical activity with girls each day.
9. Finish Ally's scrapbook.
10. Learn to knit socks.
11. Catch up on photo albums.
12. Call grandmothers 2-4 times a month.
13. Email with brothers and sister-in-law once a month.
14. Learn to make sourdough bread and starters and such.
15. Take one day (Saturday, most likely) a month to go hiking as a family.
edited to add two more goals
1. Get to bed by 11pm.
2. Get up by 6am.
3. Date night with Nate once a week (at home or out).
4. Pick a homeschool curriculum to use (when Becca is 6).
5. Teach Becca to read.
6. Memorize one new Bible passage with the girls a month.
7. Read one book each month.
8. Physical activity with girls each day.
9. Finish Ally's scrapbook.
10. Learn to knit socks.
11. Catch up on photo albums.
12. Call grandmothers 2-4 times a month.
13. Email with brothers and sister-in-law once a month.
14. Learn to make sourdough bread and starters and such.
15. Take one day (Saturday, most likely) a month to go hiking as a family.
2009 Goals review
I really should be unpacking and I'll do it after this, but I'm motivated to review my goals after reading everyone else's New Year's posts.
Here is my original post on my goals for this year. It was a little ambitious. :)
Goal #1: To read God's word to and with Becca and Ally everyday
We did pretty well. Over the past few months the girls and I have memorized four good size passages from the Bible. It's such a joy to hear them reciting scripture. I hope to continue this in 2010.
Goal #2: To be active with my kids for at least 30 minutes a day
Not so good. The girls did enjoy gymnastics once a week from September to December, though. Now that it's really cold, I have a hard time getting outside, but I hope to take them out once we get some good snow.
Goal #3: To read living books to Becca and Ally everyday, throughout the day. We already do this, so we want to continue it.
It seems to me that I don't read to them as much as I used to. We do sit down at least twice a day and read a couple books/chapters at a time. And Becca listens to audio books during her rest time.
Goal #4: To "do art" with the girls at least once a week--painting, drawing, paper mache, cutting paper, embroidery, etc.
Not so great on this. I hope to have an art day on off MOPS Wednesdays starting in February. We'll see.
Goal #5: To get up early enough in the morning for both Nate and I to shower and our family to eat breakfast together before Nate goes up to work.
I was doing really well with this in June just after my miscarriage, but starting in August, I started sleeping in again and then had a brief time again in November when I did well.
Goal #6: To attempt to call our parents once a week, our grandmothers twice a month, our siblings once or twice a month, and my close friends once or twice a month.
I've done this off and on. The most important ones I try to get in are my grandmothers who both live alone.
Goal #7: To find spare moments for prayer.
This is all really depressing to not meet any goal. Anyway, I have been trying to pray in the moment, like when I first read or hear about a prayer request. Trying to pray on the phone with people when they mention something to me that needs prayer. It feels awkward at first, but I know it's a good thing to do.
Goal #8: To do at least one thing each day that serves my husband and nurtures our marriage.
I think this goal could actually be listed as met. Maybe it's not perfectly done every day, but I really think our marriage is being nurtured right now pretty well.
Projects:
Project #1: Ally's baby book of her first year.
I did make some headway on this, but it's not done yet. Scrapbooking is just not my thing. When I finish this, I'm sticking to photo albums with hand written notes and baby books with fill in the blanks and places for pictures.
Project #2: Catch up to the present on my photo albums...this is after Ally's book is done.
Obviously not done with this, since I'm not done with number 1.
Project #3: Put together our wedding album...we've been married nearly six years and still don't have an album since I didn't order one from our photographer. I have all the photos, just not put in an album.
I don't think I'll ever get to this one. :)
Project #4: Plant a garden.
This one really needs a post of its own. I did this one! Yay, one goal met. :) I'll be planting another one next year. Putting the tomatoes in a separate container since they tried to take over my small square-foot garden. Becca wants to plant some of her own seeds too.
Project #5: Landscaping the front yard.
We have this about 1/2 done! We planted a burning bush, maiden grass, a Black Hills Spruce, tulip and daffodil bulbs, and transplanted the geraniums. We still need another maiden grass, a globe Blue spruce and something else on the right side that likes shade (ferns?).
I really should be unpacking and I'll do it after this, but I'm motivated to review my goals after reading everyone else's New Year's posts.
Here is my original post on my goals for this year. It was a little ambitious. :)
Goal #1: To read God's word to and with Becca and Ally everyday
We did pretty well. Over the past few months the girls and I have memorized four good size passages from the Bible. It's such a joy to hear them reciting scripture. I hope to continue this in 2010.
Goal #2: To be active with my kids for at least 30 minutes a day
Not so good. The girls did enjoy gymnastics once a week from September to December, though. Now that it's really cold, I have a hard time getting outside, but I hope to take them out once we get some good snow.
Goal #3: To read living books to Becca and Ally everyday, throughout the day. We already do this, so we want to continue it.
It seems to me that I don't read to them as much as I used to. We do sit down at least twice a day and read a couple books/chapters at a time. And Becca listens to audio books during her rest time.
Goal #4: To "do art" with the girls at least once a week--painting, drawing, paper mache, cutting paper, embroidery, etc.
Not so great on this. I hope to have an art day on off MOPS Wednesdays starting in February. We'll see.
Goal #5: To get up early enough in the morning for both Nate and I to shower and our family to eat breakfast together before Nate goes up to work.
I was doing really well with this in June just after my miscarriage, but starting in August, I started sleeping in again and then had a brief time again in November when I did well.
Goal #6: To attempt to call our parents once a week, our grandmothers twice a month, our siblings once or twice a month, and my close friends once or twice a month.
I've done this off and on. The most important ones I try to get in are my grandmothers who both live alone.
Goal #7: To find spare moments for prayer.
This is all really depressing to not meet any goal. Anyway, I have been trying to pray in the moment, like when I first read or hear about a prayer request. Trying to pray on the phone with people when they mention something to me that needs prayer. It feels awkward at first, but I know it's a good thing to do.
Goal #8: To do at least one thing each day that serves my husband and nurtures our marriage.
I think this goal could actually be listed as met. Maybe it's not perfectly done every day, but I really think our marriage is being nurtured right now pretty well.
Projects:
Project #1: Ally's baby book of her first year.
I did make some headway on this, but it's not done yet. Scrapbooking is just not my thing. When I finish this, I'm sticking to photo albums with hand written notes and baby books with fill in the blanks and places for pictures.
Project #2: Catch up to the present on my photo albums...this is after Ally's book is done.
Obviously not done with this, since I'm not done with number 1.
Project #3: Put together our wedding album...we've been married nearly six years and still don't have an album since I didn't order one from our photographer. I have all the photos, just not put in an album.
I don't think I'll ever get to this one. :)
Project #4: Plant a garden.
This one really needs a post of its own. I did this one! Yay, one goal met. :) I'll be planting another one next year. Putting the tomatoes in a separate container since they tried to take over my small square-foot garden. Becca wants to plant some of her own seeds too.
Project #5: Landscaping the front yard.
We have this about 1/2 done! We planted a burning bush, maiden grass, a Black Hills Spruce, tulip and daffodil bulbs, and transplanted the geraniums. We still need another maiden grass, a globe Blue spruce and something else on the right side that likes shade (ferns?).
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