Our phone and internet went down on Friday afternoon, Feb 19. When we called, they said it should be up by Monday at 5pm. Well, we were actually without a phone and internet for a whole week. All they can credit us is $15!! Whatever happened to customer service! Okay, enough of my whining!!
What were we to do without internet! Isn’t it amazing how much we use the internet.
With the weather warming up, the kids and I headed outside and raked the yard and picked up pine cones. It was nice to get outside! I definitely need the exercise.
The second day, I started bagging the leaves, but I didn’t even get to half the yard before my back was killing me!! I only got three garbage bags full. To top it off, the past few months when I exert myself, such as mopping the kitchen, I start to wheeze. The wheezing is in my throat and not my chest, so I am not sure if it is asthma. I have never had asthma before, so I am not sure. It goes away about an hour later; during this time I also cough up phlegm. A doctor’s visit is [...More]

My son will begin to copy the book of Proverbs. I am thinking for both him and his sister, they will alternate chapters. So after they finish a chapter in Proverbs, then they will do one in Psalms. MaryEllen right now is copying Psalms.
He will only be doing a verse a day, but I want him to concentrate on neatness and letter formation. For now, I am giving him a little, but expecting neat and legible work.
I only made this one in primary lined because only Donnie will be using it. MaryEllen copies straight from the Bible or if I print up a page with the verses on it, she will copy them onto notebook paper. She prefers it that way.
I did include the verses printed out in a size 14 font for the older children.
Proverbs 1

1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto [...More]

Donnie is going through the Italic handwriting course, which is going great! I have seen a great improvement in his writing. He is in the third grade, and I never really concentrated too much with him on writing his letters. We did a lot of his work oral up to this point because his writing was so shaky. His letters would come out squiggly. So I figured it was a fine-motor issue.
Well, this year as he was entering 3rd grade, I knew we would have to work and improve on his penmanship because more writing would be required. So, I bought the italic course because it seemed the simplest to do.
I started him out on the first book, the very basic book with just the alphabet. He did a page a day, sometimes two. We made sure he took his time. Sometimes I had him recopy the page on a primary writing pad we had bought some years ago.
He then moved to the second book. And now he is beginning the third book. Even in his everyday writing that he does outside of studies, I can see an improvement.
But as he did his other writing for other subjects on wide [...More]

We are in the process of memorizing this WHOLE chapter. I am guessing it might take us (or me) about a month or so. I am going to shoot for 2-3 verses a week. More if the kids can handle it. Their reward for memorizing this chapter will be a Beanie Baby stuffed animal. They are so into Beanie Babies right now. They are collecting quite a few, most of them bought with their own money or as gifts for Christmas.
Okay, back to 1 Corinthians 13. As we go through each verse, we are also discussing what they mean, looking up words that might not be familiar and sharing how we can apply them to our lives. We just started 3 days ago, and already have the first one memorized.
I do want to find a commentary on this chapter so I can read it and glean from it so I can better answer any questions the kids might have.
I know I memorized most of this verse as a child when I was part of Missionettes. I remember having to replace my name in the place of ‘charity’. I think I will have the kids do this also. Maybe I will [...More]

As I was looking for material to do a short study on Hanukah, I found that it can be said and spelled different ways. I am not Jewish, so I am not sure if the ‘c’ in Chanukah is silent so we just say Hanukah (one k or 2), or maybe the ‘h’ is silent too.
Now if that didn’t confuse me, than the Jewish calendar did…for a while anyway. I made up this calendar for a friend. It has both the Jewish holidays as well as the Christian holidays. It also has the Jewish months and year next to our month and year.

~Download~
Here is a nice piece of copywork that can be done one section at a time during ‘Hanukah week.
The Eight ‘Hanukah Lights
With fervor and joy we give thanks to the Lord,
And glory and praise to His name we accord,
While we greet with great gladness this glorious night
And piously kindle each ‘Hanukah light.
To God who is ONE, and whose name is but One,
We’ll ever feel grateful for what He has done;
When all for our race was as dark as the night,
Said the Guardian of Israel, “Let there be light!”
The Commandments God gave to our nation alone,
Whose words were [...More]

I am SO glad to report that I have my computer back. Yippy!! I have spent the last few days trying to get my computer back to how it was before I sent it off. They completely wiped clean my hard drive. I am starting from scratch. I did back everything up except my Windows Mail before I sent it off… so I am okay on all that. I just have to remember a lot of my user names and passwords wherever I go now.
With Christmas coming up, I wanted to remind you all of our Nativity Copywork (Luke 1-20) found on our copywork page and our Nutcracker Lapbook.
Now for today’s, Psalm 23.
Psalm 23 [KJV]
1. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth 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 thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest [...More]