Minimalism

I have been reading more about this movement lately. (Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul ) It really rings a bell with me. In evaluating my life, how can I simplify, leaving more time for what's important instead of what's urgent?

I think it actually simplifies things to have separate blogs for separate subjects for me. Thanks to blooger's "unlimited blogs, posts, and post length" policy, I can sort the things I am interested in and my thoughts into categories right off the bat instead of having to come back every once in a while and add labels, etc. This is why yesterday I posted a link to each of these blogs. I will be adding a widget to my sidebar with a link to each one soon. This will allow you all to stay connected:-)

I am working on simplifying school, too (Think Outside the Classroom: A Practical Approach to Relaxed Homeschooling ) . I have observed that a child learns what a child learns at about the same age no matter when I start teaching it. For example, I can start doing intensive grammar in 1st grade every day, 20 minutes per lesson (times 9 kids...sheesh!) And by the time they are in Jr high they are starting to "get it." Or I can just wait until Jr High and use Analytical Grammar Student Workbook (Binder) (which is designed to start and end in Jr High, but still prep a kid for college) and the "get it" right a way. So why work so hard by starting early? This applies to SO many subjects!

I've already hauled close to a pickup load of stuff away, too. Most of it was donated to the local thrift store that benefits the abused women shelter in town.

I'll keep this up as much as I can.






In other family news (as promised to my facebook family:
Mom has a pt scan next week. It's just rutine and we don't expect anything, but I'll let you know.  She is now teaching my girls to sew and they almost have their Easter dresses all done.

Dad is doing much better these days. He and my boys finished painting his house yesterday.

Andy nearly quit his job this week. The boss, however, really values his work and is making adjustments to make his work tolerable again.

We have another bug going through :-(

Jim, with the help of his brothers, has put in a new kitchen floor for me:-) We had a bad leak that ruined the flooring, and dissolved the particle board that was used for the sub-flooring (cheap house). It didn't really look like we had actual rot going on, so Jim put the new "sub-floor" over the old one. This should give extra strength. Dad should be getting us some new linoleum this week. It will be wonderful to have a nice floor again!

Otherwise, everything is pretty much same-o-same-o. Joy works on her book when she isn't sick and helps me- A LOT!

Jon is making great headway on his Youtube channel and is creating his own Universe.
Joe is learning gaming programing and is creating his own universe, too.
The youngers are learning and growing :-)

Have a great day all!

Mothers Who've Shaped the World

Mothers Who've Shaped the WorldGeneration Cedar: Encouragement for Christian Moms with Homeschooling, Saving Money and Raising Children



Betsy Moody



This is truly the most powerful work in the world.

Here’s How the New Christian Left Is Twisting the Gospel

Here’s How the New Christian Left Is Twisting the Gospel

Birth Control is Baby Control

Birth Control is Baby Control

Homemade Marshmallow Peeps {3 ingredients!} | This Chick Cooks

Homemade Marshmallow Peeps {3 ingredients!} | This Chick Cooks



This author is right!



These homemade peeps are MUCH better than store bought!!!



Well worth the work (about twice what a cake from a mix would be. Maybe a bit more).

I Learned A Lot in Public School

I Learned A Lot in Public School


Every parent should read this.

Spring Cleaning and American excess

I got to looking around our house and my Mom's house and something occurred to me;

3/4 of everything in our homes is either decorations, mementos, or projects that "I will get to some day" (but know I probably never will. This includes books to read.)

If I were to take everything out of my house that I don't actually use, just kept what we really needed, It would take mere minutes to clean, and we probably wouldn't feel crowded (11 people under one roof tends to make our average sized home crowded, but, really, it's all 11 people's stuff that fills every corner, not the people themselves.)

I have no intention of getting rid of our decorations (I painted most of the pictures, for example, and what I didn't paint, Hubby took as an amateur photographer.) Nor do I intend to get rid of all our mementos.

But all those "do some day" things? I think they'll go.

And any keepsakes that won't really mean anything to my kids or their kids.

And any decorations that aren't just real special.



Yep. Spring is in the air.

All About Spelling

I have gone back to this program after a bit off. It just is the closest to my ideal program without me having to write my own from scratch.

Now, we don't follow the program exactly. I am not a hands-on person so a good deal of the program (tiles, disks, etc) I find too hard to get to.

I also have one child (10) who has psyched herself out, convincing herself she just can't spell (at least we have gotten off the "I just can't read" part.:-P). So for her, I am just using the cards. For her younger sister (7) too, actually. That's a hard one; her sister is simply gifted in book work and could easily do two levels a year. How do you handle a 10yo who resents her 7yo passing her academically? (never mind the 10yo is the only one in the family gifted in acrobatics. She can't cross the living room without either doing somersaults or standing on her head) Sigh.

My 11yo is simply reading the lessons to herself and then bringing the cards for the day to me to review with her. She is doing great:-)

All together, All About Spelling is the program I would recommend first to nearly anyone.