With these last few days of intermittent rain, I feel like I fell asleep one muggy summer night and woke up in October.  All of a sudden, the time I thought I had spread out before me to plan for the start of our school year seems to have disappeared and replaced itself with an anvil of pressure to have everything settled and planned out.  There are plenty of summer days left (despite the weather pattern), and I am trying to remind myself of that every time I look out the window and feel like I should be canning applesauce instead of enjoying my last couple weeks of leisure.  

I'm looking forward to seeing all of you at the C.H.E.B.W.A. meeting this Thursday, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to be "back to work" just yet.  I'll bring all of my info packs and be ready to answer some questions, but I really just want to visit with you and encourage you to enjoy the time you may still have to prepare your hearts, minds, and schedules for school.  Don't be tempted to stress yourself out of the present by obsessing too much about the future (coming from a fellow obsessor).  

See you Thursday!

- Jessie Wiegand

I want my children to read the Bible.  We all do.  Yet telling my school-age children, "You should read your Bible each day" wasn't really helping them in this process.  I did not grow up reading my Bible every day.  I still struggle with this as an adult who loves the Lord.  I want better for my children ~ I want them to WANT to read God's Word each and every day.

So I began searching the internet for "Bible Reading Plans for Children".  I actually got quite a few results.  As we are heading into a new school year (in just a few short days!), I thought I would share with y'all what I have come up with....for now, at least!

I started here:  "Understanding Charlotte" 
While I love the "idea" of Charlotte Mason education, I find the reality a bit more than I can deal with on a day to day basis.  Yet I do find myself drawn to this style and try to fit in various ideas as I am able. 

I then found this page at the above blog:  "Bible Reading Plans for Children" 
Now I was getting somewhere!  This family's reading plan is based on "themes" in the Bible, in realistic "chunks" for her family/children.  Since many of my children are the same ages as hers (younger/middle elementary or preschool), I thought this looked promising!

From these plans, I came up with this simplified .pdf file:

I can use this list as a guide to our daily reading.  We sit down with our "Bible Journals" (after breakfast & A.M. chores are done) and I read aloud to the children as they draw, color and write in their journals based on the selected reading.  The little ones may have a small toy and I'm just praying they are able to learn to sit quietly during this important time in our day!  I can then hi-lite what sections we were able to read that day and keep track for the next reading session - be it later in the day or tomorrow.

At the end of the year (or however long it takes us to work our way through this list), the children will have a nice journal recording their thoughts, pictures, ideas & understanding of God's Word.  These journals are a great tool for more than simply keeping kids quiet during Bible time!  And what a great portfolio piece for remembering how their little minds work at this young age...

So there you have it.  Simple, I know.  Yet for someone who was struggling with daily Bible reading time, this is a fresh idea with the promise of so much more than just reading & writing!

God Bless you, your family & your daily Bible time~


~Lori

And so it begins. . . the arduous task of organizing and bringing closure to the school year.  I feel like I am drifting back and forth between the school year we have completed and the one that we will begin in August.  I have a stack of books that need to be stored as proof that my kids were educated well in 2010-2011 (for my own peace of mind) and a growing number of brand new books that we will conquer in the coming school year.  I have also been blessed by a friend that has just retired from years of public school teaching and made me the prime recipient of the mountain of supplies that she had to clean out of her classroom.  My school room is an intimidating place right now!

I have never had a problem starting the school year off well.  After a nice summer break I am always rested and eager to get back to the routine of school and learning with my children.  The end of the year is always my nemesis.  My state of mind today is a perfect example.  I sit here with absolutely nothing on my calendar.  My house is *mostly* clean, my husband is working, my kids are occupying themselves with games and independent projects, and my school room is begging to be dealt with.  I have records to finalize, supplies to organize, items to pack away, and, when I find it, a floor to vacuum.  Instead of working on that, however, I am talking to you about it!  This seemed like a much more enjoyable way to spend my free time!

I know I am not the only one who struggles with forcing myself to do the thing that I know I should do instead of being driven to many less worthy endeavors by the part of me that prefers to stay distracted, unorganized, and lazy.  So, I am sharing this little bit of my current struggle with myself to let you know that if you are in this boat with me, you aren't the only one.  I am also casting away any images that you may have of me being perfectly organized all of the time.  That's not me.  I'll include a pic at the bottom of this post so you'll see my true colors :)  

Have fun working on your own end-of-the-year challenges.  Don't bee too discouraged if it takes you a month or even the entire summer to get things where you want them to be.  Having an organized school environment and keeping a record of what your family has accomplished in the school year has many benefits.  Don't be tempted to take short-cuts that would undermine your ability to give an answer to anyone who asked how your children have been educated at home.  Don't underestimate the blessing of being able to look back at past school years and the mementos that your children have created while learning at home.  And if you need an extra dose of motivation, try this little trick:  write a blog entry to your homeschool community. . . it may provide just the incentive you need!

- Jessie

Yes, tonight is our annual "Exhibitor's Night".  An evening of sharing, learning, fun & food!  This is the night when our children have the opportunity to share what they have learned about a chosen topic over the past year.  I guess you could say it's *sorta* like a science fair ~ yet much broader!

In the past, children have spoken on topics such as artistic styles, with various artwork they have completed over the past year.  Another child has given a presentation about a historic person, complete with costumes & a slideshow.  A young child may read a few sentences, showcasing their blossoming phonics skills.  An older child may recite a few dramatic readings, while yet another child shows off her new knitting skills and gives a simple knitting demonstration.  Science projects are, of course, gladly accepted as well!

Art, history, geography, science, music, yes even math ~ any skill or new topic your child has gained knowledge of is a possible presentation!

Tonight, we have 15 students lined up to give presentations.  How exciting!  Yet even if your child is not in that 15, we would love to have you come anyway.  Bringing your children to observe this event is a perfect way to introduce him/her to the idea of public speaking, presentations & gives them a chance to meet other CHEBWA family children!  If you *thought* about participating, yet you had reluctant children, maybe observing tonight's exhibits will bolster their confidence!   "Exhibitor's Night" really is fun, laid back and accepting of  whatever learning level your child is at. 

So come, tonight, to Exhibitor's Night!  7:00pm @ Colonial Woods Missionary Church Chapel.  Click HERE to visit our "Upcoming Events" page for further information.

Hope to see you there!

~Lori

Since this month's C.H.E.B.W.A. meeting is our "Curriculum Share", it's a perfect time to ask questions about material that you are interested in, but haven't been able to get your hands on.  I find that one of the most stressful aspects of choosing curriculum for my family, is that no matter how fabulous a book or program may be, if I can't teach it, it will soon sit on a shelf unused.  The opportunity to sit for awhile and examine materials that I am considering purchasing saves me a lot of money.  The benefit of being able to ask questions of someone who has used that curriculum (and isn't benefitting from its sale) adds to my peace of mind and helps me make more informed choices when I shop.  


So, go ahead and comment if you are curious about anything.  I'm looking into "Latin Alive" for my freshman.  Has anyone used it?  Does anyone own it?  Let me know what you think!

And. . . 
Don't miss Thursday's meeting (April 21st) and your opportunity to see what works for other homeschoolers in the group and share the items that your family enjoys!  

- Jessie

When our children were little, it was so much work raising them. Training them to have healthy sleep patterns, eating patterns, how to walk, talk, read, write, add, subtract, and so on. The teaching opportunities seemed endless. There were days I felt I was not qualified for the job. Pray, have Patience, Practice,  repeat. That seemed to be a constant pattern for me. We all know, there is no manual on the “perfect” way to raise children, although there are many tools to assist us in the process. Adding to the challenge, while teaching and training our children … God is trying to teach and train us! I remember so many times when God said to me “Are YOU paying attention?”

I am writing this to encourage you, You can do this!
On your own .. NO!
With God’s help .. YES!
I am also writing to encourage you for the LONG HAUL! 

I thought, as our children got older, it would get easier. In many ways, it has. They bathe themselves, cook, clean, do their schoolwork more independently, make choices for themselves, yes, in many ways it is easier.

I recommend though, you start praying for your future teenagers now, while they are young. Pray God will continue to be prevalent in their lives. Pray God will reveal their unique gifts, and how He will use those gifts for His Kingdom. Pray you will recognize character weaknesses quickly, and you and your husband will always make time to address them. Pray you will not just "chalk" attitudes, and failings up to "he/she is a teenager, that is how teenagers act, right?" Wrong. Only if you allow and ignore the behavior. However they are acting, is practice for the adult they will become.

Questions I am hearing from my teenagers.  How has He created me? For what purpose? What am I going to do with my life? Character? What shows good character? What does bad character look like? Who will be my mate? How do others view me? Do YOU think I can do it? Is there really a God? Do you really love me? Does God Really love me? Can I stand against what everybody else is doing? How do I do that? What do you believe about .......... ?

God blesses us by starting with innocence. Our children believe we walk on water. Mom and Dad can do anything. We are the beginning and the end. They come under our umbrella. They are saved by our faith.

Then, they grow up. They can no longer lean on our faith. It is about what they believe or don’t believe. Their destiny is in their hands, not ours. And then, there is the "watching." Teenagers no longer just do what they are told. They WATCH you. Watch if your words line up with how you behave. They see us. They REALLY see us. For who we truly are. 
Sinners.
Just like them.

I am telling you, this is not easy. As we face our own sinful nature, with our teens. It is really important to live the gospel during this time. If we can’t admit our sins, neither will they. If we can’t say “I am sorry” with a sincere repentance in our heart, neither will they.
   
Moms and Dads schooling young children, GOD BLESS YOU!
The commitment you have made to your children is commendable. This is a wonderful journey. God will give you everything you need, in each of the places you need, if you seek Him.


It will not get easier though, as they age, it will just change. The children God has gifted to our care, are a huge part of God’s plan for our lives. Not only Arithmetic, English, Writing, Science, and History, but helping our son's and daughters be ALL that God made them to be! 

As Jim and I walk through this stage of home schooling our  son and daughter, it definitely has been tough academically. More importantly, it has been tough spiritually. They are  learning to rely on God. Their character and condition of their heart, are being tested everyday in every way. I realize how little time we have left to impart God’s word into their hearts. No, it hasn't gotten easier, but before we know it, we will be done.

Trusting in Him,
Michelle Fisher

With the excitement of what's happening in our CHEBWA group, I've been diving head first into planning, creating, and meeting with next year's Leadership Council.  There is an energy among the leaders that is contagious and we are having a great time working together exploring new ways to serve the group's members.  Everything that happens in my life essentially happens to my family as well.  That means that there is a lot of excitement in the Wiegand home as we make plans for 2011-2012; for our school year and now CHEBWA's.   One of the joys of home education is that we get to mix "school" with everyday life and our children get to be a part of our acts of service and learn first hand how to use their own gifts to bless others. 

That being said, our school day today has been a mix of the usual house cleaning and home making along with a few CHEBWA tasks that I have thrown in randomly when I had a free minute.  It has gone a little something like this:  coffee, email, CHEBWA Teens fb page invites, breakfast, dinner in the crock pot, laundry, start bread making for a marathon bread day, Bible, History, bread, laundry, design CHEBWA business cards, bread, Math 4, print business cards, bread, help Josh with Language Arts, laundry, add veggies to the crock pot, lunch,  bread, find the CHEBWA cards covered with jelly, wait. . . seriously?  Oh, yes.  Seriously.  One of my dear children, and I think I know which one, decided to eat lunch while examining my handiwork.  I had shown the kids the cards after I printed them, but this child wanted a closer look, a much closer look. 

Child raising on its own requires patience, homeschooling just kicks it up a notch.  Since I have been living in this heightened state of character purification for a while now, my Jelly Bandit didn't receive the wrath of a frazzled and furious mom.  God silenced me after my initial shock and I realized that my work was being admired and not maliciously attacked. When I am honest about how that patience was developed in me, it is clearly a Gift from God.  He has managed to use trials and difficult situations to refine my character, and the majority of those difficulties are related to my choice to keep my kids at home and direct their education.  Homeschooling is not easy. 

Even though this was a "little" moment in our day, it was a moment where I was able to catch a glimpse of how homeschooling has, and is, changing us.  Yes, it is is difficult, but that's why I love it.  With kids constantly underfoot, the  never ending demands of house keeping, lessons to correct, and character to refine, it is the perfect "laboratory" for developing strong character.  If we are willing to be teachable, even as we teach, we will find ourselves becoming more faithful servants of the God who is molding us in His image.  It teaches us to serve each other as Jesus did and that gift is worth pursuing at all cost.

Homeschooling has been a blessing in our home for the last ten years and I'm looking forward to sharing the journey of home education with all of you!

To God be the Glory,
-Jessie Wiegand

P.S. If anything in this post gave you the impression that I have it all together: while writing this, I received a phone call from my 12 year old son informing me that I forgot to pick him up from Boy Scouts.  Oh, yes.  Seriously.