Happy Birthday Boys!

REJOICING

17 years ago, on this very day, I had been in active labor for almost 24 hours, and was not even close to giving birth. I remember my O.B. (Dr.Delgado) tenderly breaking the news that we were going to need to do another C-Section. I was relieved and scared all at the same time. Within 30 minutes I was holding my precious Colton in my arms and my anxiety was soon forgotten.

Fast forward four years later, (13 Years ago) on the very same date, and once again I remember having that very same conversation (minus the hours of labor) with my doctor. This time I had developed pre-eclampsia and child #3 was to be born on his brothers birthday!  

It is with bittersweet tears that stop to rejoice and remember.  I gratefully (with a humble heart) thank the Lord for all the many blessings these boys have brought into our lives.  They (along with their older and younger brother) are the JOY of my existence.  As you see me post about Classical Conversations over and over and over again it's because this program has brought us closer.  We have something in common that everyone loves and a goal that we are working towards.  

 

One day it will be over. (Homeschooling, raising them up)  They will begin their own lives...as they should.  My job is to work myself out of job.  But I will treasure always the privilege of raising them.  They will always be a part of my life.  But this particular season is short. 

REMEMBERING

It seems like yesterday when Colton would carry his little Banana In Pajama doll around making us sing it's song.  His little face would light up, no teeth, just gums and big blue eyes.

From early on we knew that Colton was our deliberative, thoughtful, caring, attention-to-detail child.  We just did his adult strengths test and he very much represents his daddy. 

  

Colton's Top 5 Strengths

• Responsibility
• Deliberative
• Harmony
• Input
• Belief

 Seth has not yet taken his Strengths test, but I am pretty sure he will have:

• Relator
• Stratetic
• Deliberative
• Belief
• Command or Significance

These are just guesses, but I've watched him for years, and observed all of these different themes being displayed in his daily activities.  


Seth is my very serious, but loyal and loving child.  I remember that until he was born we were able to train our children not to touch or get into things.  Not so for Seth.  I had to buy door and cabinet locks.  One morning I got up and he had crawled out of his crib.  As I came into the kitchen all I could see was his little diaper butt sticking out of my fridge getting food.  After I calmed down (thinking about how dangerous that was) we immediately went out and bought a fridge lock. Even then he was STRATEGIC.  He could do things that my other children had not even considered.



I love watching God unfold the plans HE has for my children.  He is showing me how to allow my children to become who HE made them to be, rather than me trying to make them into who I think they should be. 




For I know the plans I have for your children.  Plans to prosper them and not to harm them.  Plans to give them a hope and a FUTURE!  Jeremiah 29:11


Go Light Your World My Sons!

Having A Blast!

 

How I wish there had been Classical Conversations when we began our journey in 1998. I know that God's timing is perfect and His grace is sufficient. Classical Conversations is so much more than curriculum. It's a program that teaches students "how" to learn. Our Challenge programs teach children "how" to have cultivating conversations, "how" to research, "how" to argue out thoughts respectfully. 

MATH

Today our highlights we're the conversational math, catechism Jeopardy, studying the skin and introducing the Skeleton.

Mrs. Mullins and I have been discussing basic math in our Challenge A class and have been completely blown away.  We've discovered that many of our kids understand "how" to do the math, but in many cases they do not grasp the why.  As we delve into conversations and work through basic problems using proper vocabulary, we are constantly amazed at how much is learned.

BIOLOGY

Getting ready for Biology!

Each and everyone of my students have become so dear to my heart.  I love how in CC we get to walk with our fellow families for 30 full weeks.  This truly creates a discipleship/mentorship atmosphere that breathes life into the relationship.  That's important because rich, life-long learning can only take place in real relationships.  

One of my students (Katie) made a Skin Cake. (Yes, you read that correctly)  Each layer represents the skin.  She had jello on the bottom that worked as the fat cells, then the dermis and epidermis, pours (holes in the cake) and hair. (Twizzlers)  It was an excellent presentation and tasted good too!

See!  There's a hair in our food!  (Twizzler)

Katie's Presentation

 CC Students not only have to research the organs they are being introduced to, but they also have to sketch and label them.  They did an excellent job.  It's very obvious that these families are working hard.

CATECHISM JEOPARDY

FUN!  We had a blast today working through our catechisms.  We played Jeopardy and it was a tough competition.  Sophie Mullins was our winner, but it was a close race between she, Bethie, and Moriah.  Come on boys.... study hard so you can represent next week!

OUR HOST CHURCH - FAITH COVENANT

Pastor Jim with the Challenge A Class

Our host church Faith Covenant is the best!  Every week we walk through those doors and encounter nothing but gracious hospitality. Today they invited our students to partake of yummy donuts.  It was the perfect way to take a break in between subjects.  

 The spirit of the living God is so ever present as we encounter warm, giving, Jesus-loving people every week.   What a gracious gift God has given us.  We never for one moment take it for granted.  

And these words which I am commanding you this day shall be [first] in your [own] minds and hearts; [then] You shall whet and sharpen them so as to make them penetrate, and teach and impress them diligently upon the [minds and] hearts of your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.~ Deut 6:6-7

Laying Down My Life!

 

Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone Who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the father will honor anyone who serves me. - John 12:25-26 

 

WOW!  Such a beautiful verse.  It inspires my heart every single time I read it.  This morning the Lord had me pause here in my journey through John.  

Mary, do you really your life to come more than this life?

As I paused and began to pray I could hear his gentle voice:

Daughter, stop striving!  Stop trying to do it in your own strength!  You cannot love me most by your own accord.  You cannot love that which you've not seen more than what you know, in your own strength!  My agape love is a gift.  I give it to you when you remember that I am the vine and you are the branch and apart from me you can do nothing.  You must abide in me!  As you do, I will do all the work.  I will keep you holy!  I will keep your sights set on heaven!  

 
Thank you that through you, in you, because of you, I can love what's to come more than what is known.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. ~ 2 Cor 4:18

Challenge A Strengths Workshop!

Lots of different, wonderful, and unique personalities! Once again I am reminded of the motto, "We're Better Together".

The book Strength Finder 2.0 has a very humanistic worldview.  The author is very obviously not a believer.  They base their understanding of strengths on the idea that we use our strengths to make ourselves better. 

 

 

The purpose and goal of any Strengths workshop should be to point to the creator of any and all good gifts, Jesus Christ. 

  

 

Strengths discovery apart from Him is fruitless and purposeless to the believer.

  

 

 

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.~ John 15:5

 

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.~ John 15:5

Facts About Strengths:

1-  They can be used for HIS glory or they can be used for personal gain.  When we use them for HIS glory they become a SUPERPOWER, but when we use them for our own personal gain they become our KRYPTONITE.  They can cause us to stumble or they can be the very vehicle God uses to draw us to Him.  Apart from HIM we can do NOTHING!

2-  The order of your strengths is very important.

3-  Strengths without grace and mercy can become a weapon, but when walked out under the authority and perfect love of Jesus Christ they become a bridge to draw others to HIM!

4-  Though we start off by learning about our strengths our true goal is to learn and understand how God made each of us differently and uniquely.  No strength is better or worse, just different, and perfect for your purpose in this life.

Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.~ Psalm 139:16

One of our assignments is to highlight only the part of the definition that truly describes us.  I loved that almost every single line was highlighted in B's description.  This indicator test truly captured who she is. 

Colton finally took the adult test.  

His Strengths are:

1. Reponsibility
2. Deliberative
3. Harmony
4. Input
5. Belief 

From the first time I held each of my boys in my arms I knew that God had made them for a very special purpose.  My job was not to help them become who I wanted them to be, but to walk with them as they discovered who God made them to be. It took me years to understand this truth.  What freedom. 

My pray for any of our Student Strength Workshops is that it would cause us to see Jeremiah 29:11 in a fresh and renewed way!

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~ Jeremiah 29:11

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55:8-9 

Week 23 - Going... going..... going

Conversational math!

Finding patterns while working on the 13 Times tables.

Discussing number lines and how to use them to set yourself up for success.

Joseph and Geography

Today we visited Central Africa

Happy birthday sweet Sophie! 

Colton, sketching his geography.

Bethie, testing on Canada

Biology and Geography integrated.  (You had to be there, LOL)

Katie and Bethie working hard on Catechism's

Joseph having way too much FUN!

Sweet girls

Thinking...thinking....thinking

Matching tennis shoes

I cannot believe that there are only 7 weeks left?!  The years are SHORT!

Conversational Math!

I cannot believe that our class was beginning to discuss how we are almost to the end. Honestly, this has been our families favorite homeschool year, EVER!

Today, we piloted conversational math in our classroom.  It was beyond incredible.  At one point my eyes welled up with tears.  Why?  Because I saw that teaching excludes and conversation includes.  Those that are advanced or on-target were actually discussion MORE math than they ever have, but the biggest blessing was watching those students who are working a little behind light up and come to life! 

I was so in awe of the job Mrs. Mullins did today.  Teaching can be far more comfortable than leading discussions.  You feel in control with a textbook in your hands.  Today the entire class was done simply with white boards, markers, and erasers.  

After Mrs. Mullins left to go be with her daughter in her Foundations class the Challenge A kids and I had a discussion about what they thought regarding this new way of doing math on community day.  Every single person raved that they loved it.  My favorite responses:

• I felt like I got a lot more out of it.
• It made sense!  I always feel like I don't know what they're discussing.
• It definitely did not get boring.

The purpose of community day is to come together with peers to have humble, powerful, deep discussions.  It doesn't matter which math program, which grade level, what skill set your child is working at, they will find that conversational math helps every single student solidify concepts so they stick and stay put.

I love that we are setting all of our students up for success!  I love that Leigh Bortin's consistently seeks the Lord and makes her decisions based on HIS leading and guiding.  Honestly, honestly, Classical Conversations makes homeschooling a JOY!  Something to be celebrated and savored, not just something to check off our to-do list.  Praise the Lord!

May my children delight in the law of the Lord, may they meditate on it day and night.  May they be like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season.  May their leaves never wither, and may the prosper in ALL they do.  Psalms 1:2-3

Classical Conversations Celebration!

Mrs. Ulrich's incredible Essentials class!

The beautiful brain, as drawn by an even more beautiful Sophie.

Brain, brain, brain, brain, BRAIN!

Thank you, Katie Larreau!

 Michelle visiting our class today.

Colton's heart!

Thank you, Thames family!

I heart my precious friends.

Mrs. White

I love watching Mattie and her precious girl.

Serious stuff.....SAT 10 Testing

Love these ladies

Joseph reading his report on, "Number The Stars"

Mrs. Cullum visiting our class today.

Sage, doing a beautiful job sketching the heart.

Colton made a 100% on his biology test!