Teaching Textbooks

I've had mixed feelings about the popular math computer program, Teaching Textbooks. Arielle completed the sixth grade program last year and I thought it seemed very simple. She didn't seem to be challenged at all. It was easy for me because I just let her do the lessons on her own. I didn't pay much attention to her work, but could check the gradebooks each day. I felt kind of guilty. Arielle MUCH preferred this to Saxon Math that she had done previously, so reluctantly I ordered the next program for her.

In a few more weeks she will have completed Teaching Textbook's 7th grade program. This time I am not allowing her to do the lessons on her own. I sit with her every day. The lessons are becoming increasingly more difficult and Arielle really has to think. She is doing a great deal of work with percents and decimals. I also ordered the just published 4th grade program for Liana last spring. It is not as advanced as the Abeka she did last year, but with her learning style, it is perfect for her.

Here is what I like about Teaching Textbooks:

Every lesson begins with a lecture only a few minutes long. It doesn't really take long to teach a new concept. There are practice questions and then about 20-22 problems to work. The authors use a spiral approach so there is lots of review every single day. There is a good balance of challenging problems and easy problems. This is especially good for my easily frustrated child, Liana. The easy problems build confidence too. The voices of the men speaking are friendly and helpful. I think that's important because the girls are listening to these guys every day. On the 4th grade level there are periodic drills in addition and multiplication. These drills are in an exciting format, kind of like a game show. Liana, who despises timed drills, doesn't complain too much about these.

I've noticed something interesting watching Liana work on her math. She hardly ever uses paper! Even with addition and multiplication problems with carrying, she does them in her head. She even does borrowing mentally! She looks at the problem on the screen and then she types in each number as she completes each computation, from right to left, just as if she is working it on paper. Even when the problems are written horizontally instead of vertically, she can still do them without paper. She is learning math in a whole new way. I never could do any math in my head.

Because we worked on math all summer, Arielle will soon be ready for the next program--Pre-Algebra. And Liana in just a few more weeks will begin the 5th grade program. I am ordering both from Teaching Textbooks.

New Week, Bad Start

The girls' school work has been disrupted over the past five weeks because of Fred's injury. We left in the middle of the day to pick him up from his school and then had to resume in the afternoon. We had Thanksgiving the next week, along with out-of-town guests and lots of cooking and cleaning and shopping. But here we are in a new week! Fred finished his classes and besides, he's driving now! I had big plans for the girls in getting back to our routine.

But Liana is growling. Arielle is grumbling. They are bickering. It's impossible for them to learn when they are in that frame of mind. Lord, help! I throw up my helplessness in this situation to heaven. Then I remember the book my friend Leslie let me borrow. A book we didn't even look at yet because we have been too busy.

The book is called Poetry Speaks to Children, edited by Elise Paschen. It comes with a CD of poems actually read aloud by the poets. I bring down the little CD player and open the book. (Amidst sighs from Arielle. She says she hates poetry. Liana, however, looks a bit interested.) We begin. We read a couple of the poems ourselves, written by some poets I don't know, but they are cute children's poems. Then we listen to the CD and hear the author's intended rhythm and cadence. We hear Robert Frost's actual voice reading his beautiful poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." And then another poem about a wolf reading fairy tales at night in a pine forest. Then, we begin school. Both girls are calm. Liana's blanket of frustration has lifted. Poetry certainly speaks to this child.

Beautiful Book

We have begun a study of China-- geography, history, and culture. I am right now reading Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng, so the Cultural Revolution is on my mind. Maybe that seems a strange place to begin history with the girls, but since I am studying it myself, it is fresh on my mind and I can teach it better now. I am determined my daughters will know the truth about the history of their native country.

I wondered, are there books for children on the Cultural Revolution? Yes! We've read two so far. My favorite is a beautifully written and illustrated memoir called Little Leap Forward: A Boy in Beijing by Guo Yue and Clare Farrow. The story is tender and poetic, with nothing too disturbing for children. We also read Mao and Me by Chen Jiang Hong, a true story about the author's childhood and his family during this time. This book is a little more graphic, but considering we have been reading about our own bloody Civil War, the book was appropriate for my girls.

I also found a book called Sparrow Girl by Sara Pennypacker. It is written like a folk tale about the time Mao declared sparrows the enemy of the farmer and announced The Great Sparrow Campaign to kill them all. Of course, this contributed to the great famine in China, but that is not addressed in the book. It is sweet story about a little girl who hides some birds in a barn over the winter.

I just searched the library website of our local inter-county loan system (it's fabulous for homeschooling moms) and ordered a few more books about other periods of Chinese history. The girls remember the stories of real people. Facts and dull text are soon forgotten.

A New Routine

Kids are so adaptable. We are making do with our new routine for school. This has been another great learning experience for me in letting go of my preconceived ideas of what school should be and look like. The girls are still learning despite our change of circumstances.

First of all, we've changed bedtime! I never thought I would do that, but since it wasn't working for Liana, we decided to do things differently. I kept thinking about what our doctor said, that Liana might just have a different inner clock, that she might be what we call a night owl. So bedtime is now 10pm. That's a little late for me, but miraculously, it has been working fine and Liana's sleep issues seem to have disappeared. She wakes up cheerfully on her own around 8am, so I know she is getting plenty of sleep. Problem solved!

We still begin school at 9am. That way we can get in all the core subjects before Fred calls us to pick him up from school. The girls certainly don't like the long ride, but we just got The Secret Garden on audiotape and all of us are enjoying this beautiful story. The girls have read abridged versions before, but to hear the original has been a joy.

By the time we get back home, maybe run errands on the way and then eat lunch, it is very hard to go back to school! But having language arts and math done, I feel we can do projects or reading in a relaxed way. We're almost finished with our study of the Civil War and I suggested they make a timeline to tie it all together. Arielle readily started to work on hers. Liana groaned, "Why can't I make a Civil War lapbook instead?" Well, that's fine with me. She is working on one for her insect study, so I didn't think she wanted to start a new one. We looked at one on-line: http://www.jimmiescollage.com/ Jimmie has great homeschooling resources! Her daughter's lapbook provided inspiration for Liana, but she wanted to do it her own way and set to work.

The girls spent about two hours on their projects. It was way beyond what I required of them that day. Arielle finished her timeline. It is so large I could only show a portion of it in one picture, and her small, precise handwriting doesn't show up well in a photo. Liana has more plans for her lapbook. I will post pictures of that when she is done.

Changes

"It is well for us that, amidst all the variableness of life, there is One whom change cannot affect, One whose heart can never alter..." Charles Spurgeon.

God is teaching me to be flexible. Our school has been turned upside down and we are adjusting to the changes little by little. Fred fell and seriously broke his leg a week ago. It will be at least 6 weeks until he heals, so we can't just give up on school. We have to work around it. I have to juggle doctor appointments and caring for my husband along with teaching my daughters. The girls and I need to leave the house between 11am and 12pm every day to pick Fred up from his classes--about a 40 minute drive. Then we must drive back home and run Fred's errands. The first few days I was so exhausted I couldn't do any school work in the afternoon with the girls. But we are forming a new schedule. Late afternoon work, reading in the evenings, even some creative, light work on the weekends. The girls protested about that, but they realize too that we all must adjust.

In times like this I think how much easier it would be if the girls were in a public classroom. If I just sent them off to school and then did what needed to be done with Fred without them. But I think it is good that they are part of the process. They learn how a family adapts to injury or illness, the concessions we have to make, and how we deal with fatigue and impatience. They see how we press on and serve each other. The girls don't need to be protected from this; they need to participate in it.

In the midst of life's changes, it is good to know that God doesn't change. His character remains the same and His promises still hold true, no matter what goes on in our little physical world. We call upon Him and He answers. Everything will work out.

"I am the Lord; I change not." Malachi 3:6.

Literature Class

We joined the co-op at our church! Arielle used to go years ago every Wednesday morning for art, music and P.E. but when Liana started school it was just too much time away from our regular studies. Neither of the girls could settle down to classwork at home after being away all morning, so we lost a whole day of the week.

I had to convince the woman in charge that Arielle really is a 7th grader even though she is not yet 12 because this afternoon class is for the older kids. We only have to go four times during the year as a lot of the work is done at home. Arielle has to read four books throughout the course and do a written report on specific topics. The first assignment was to read The Yearling. The other kids had much more time to read it than Arielle because we found out about this class a little late. We checked it out from the library just two weeks before the assignment was due. This is a 400 page book! I divided the chapters up for her and gave her a reading schedule. We had a lot of interruptions with family events too, so many days she had to double up on her reading. She complained about it initially and said she didn't want to do the class and why was I making her?

Arielle did finish the book and now had to write a two to three page typed report on one of the suggested topics. She wrote (and re-wrote and re-wrote) on Jody's changing relationships with the other characters in the book. She did a fine job! And she went to her first class yesterday. I am very proud of her that she worked hard to complete a task.

In the class the children read their reports and discussed the novel. Arielle had the opportunity to interact with others in a group setting and to gain more insight into this novel, plus learn to read other novels with a more open mind, looking for particular ideas and symbolism. In a way, I wondered if I had ruined this beautiful story of The Yearling by forcing it on her. Maybe she would have enjoyed it more reading it on her own? Would she be sick of it now? We went to the library in the afternoon and she found the DVD and wanted to check it out. So she isn't ready to leave Jody and Flag behind.

The next assignment is to read an autobiography of someone who made an important contribution in history. She has to present a report on this person, plus add something of her own personal autobiography. She's not ready to tackle this yet. At the library she chose "fun" books, the kind she truly enjoys.

Chemistry

If you ask Arielle, she would say she hates science. When she was younger we did a couple of years of zoology and then later botany, astronomy, and an introduction to physics. Nothing much has interested her. This year we are doing a middle-school level chemistry. Still, no spark, except for one brief moment yesterday.

We were learning about acids, bases, and pH. We made an acid/base indicator with red cabbage. Do you know how to do this? Very easy! Put 3 cups of distilled water in a pan and add a whole red cabbage, chopped in several pieces. Bring to a boil and continue boiling about 15 or 20 minutes. Strain out the cabbage and save that dark purple juice.

After preparing our cabbage juice, Arielle cut a white coffee filter in strips and with an eye dropper, dripped the liquid over the strips. We made our control acid--vinegar mixed with a little water and our control base--pure ammonia mixed with a little water. Then we gathered several light or clear colored liquids: Sprite, tap water, milk, lemon juice, orange juice, a little squeezed juice from a ripe tomato, Windex, bleach (careful!), dishwasher soap.

Our coffee filter/litmus paper was not dry yet and we were anxious to begin, so we just put a little of our vinegar in a glass bowl and added the cabbage juice. The vinegar turned bright pink! Then came the even more exciting moment. Arielle dropped some cabbage juice into the ammonia. Instant green! She said, "Cool!" She tested our other liquids and had fun observing the results. (Caution! Never mix bleach and ammonia. I warned Arielle that this is a chemical reaction we don't want to see.)

Well, it wasn't enough interest to spur her onto a career in chemistry, but it was something! She now has all these cool strips of paper too that she can dip into any liquid to see if it is an acid or base. I think we need more hands-on projects.

Begin a Happy Morning!

Liana always has music playing in her head--her own music. She also loves poetry, so she spontanaeously sat down and wrote a song and then sang it for me. I wish I could tell you the tune because it is quite nice.

Work

Working, oh working, all the day,

Never getting a chance to play,

After work's done, play in the sun,

Oh my, oh my dear, it's so much fun,

When the stars are overhead,

You go in and jump in bed,

When the sun rose,

Put on your clothes,

And begin a Happy Morning!

Spanish

A friend of mine let me borrow Rosetta Stone, Spanish 1 for Arielle to use. We tried it last year and kept getting sidetracked. I know from my experience with learning a foreign language, you have to be consistent. That's why Chinese school for the girls years ago did not work. You can't learn another language by attending a class an hour and half once a week. I told Arielle I wanted to learn Spanish with her. So finally we got serious about it.

Rosetta Stone is fun! And I am convinced it is the best way to learn, apart from actually living in another country among native speakers, of course. The program has so many ways of interacting with the language that you can't not learn it. Our study really took off when Arielle and I began competing! We have a notebook with each exercise and our scores in time and percent correct. (Also, this will provide documentation for the portfolio next year.) Right now Arielle is beating me by a small margin, and she is loving that. I should have an advantage, considering I learned a lot of Spanish during my time in Spain. But that was many years ago.

Liana wants to learn Chinese and not Spanish. We don't have Rosetta Stone for her yet, and I don't think she is quite ready for it. I do think either Chinese or Spanish is the language to learn though. To spite my mother who pushed Spanish on me when I was in middle school, I decided to take French. I continued with French all through high school and college, and a lot of good that did me. It would have been much more useful to know Spanish.

Arielle has a natural talent for language. She is so quick to learn and has quite an ear for it. We haven't done much with the speaking portion of the program, but that will be coming soon.

The letter

I was mailed a copy of the letter the Home School Legal Defense Association sent to our school district on my behalf. It was an excellent letter and quite lengthy, part of it quoting the law in our state. The bottom line is "local school districts are without any authority to establish any policies or procedures which add to or contradict the provisions of the law."


It reminds me of what God said about his law in scripture: "Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it." Deuteronomy 12:32. I will do my best to obey state homeschooling laws and, above all, God's word.

Still waiting

No, I haven't been locked up yet for my "non-compliance" and I haven't heard one word from the school district. No one ever returned my call. Do they want me to guess what to do next? Well, my application to Home School Legal Defense Services was accepted. An attorney contacted me and said he would be writing the district a letter explaining to the administrators that my evaluator's report was perfectly legal. I will post more when I hear the results of this.

The Saga Continues

Early Monday morning I left a message for the Director of Pupil Services. She never returned my call (and this is now Thursday night). Later on Monday her secretary called, not knowing I had already contacted their office. She was just calling to say the wrong date was on the letter, but new letters were coming out. So I asked her what the problem is with the portfolios. She said the evaluator needed to "write more things about the child." More "things"? What things? I told her anything more goes beyond what the law requires. She admitted she doesn't know about the homeschool law. I told her if I need to pay my evaluator to do more work, I need to know exactly what the district wants. She did not know.

Later in the day the secretary called again. She said, "Don't do anything right now. We're trying to contact our portfolio evaluator. She's not in the district." Who is this portfolio evaluator? The superintendent of our local school district is the only one who is supposed to review our child's portfolio. I think the person non-compliant with the law is right there in their office. When the letter asked me to reflect where my portfolios were deficient, it was not because they were trying to make me guess what went wrong, but that they didn't know what was wrong! Some elusive person with all the power is calling the shots, and the rest of us, including that clueless secretary, are jumping through hoops.

Yesterday I received a new, revised letter with the correct date on it. I called my evaluator to ask for a longer narrative report on our school work to make the district happy. I wanted to put this all behind me and move on. She was going to re-charge me the entire fee that I paid in June! It was not cheap. She said I should use that money instead to join HSLDA, our legal advocate group. So I did. An attorney already contacted me. We'll see how this goes.

With the political climate in this country right now, I think we all need to stand up for our rights when it comes to our families. If we don't, we might be surprised to find we have none.

Challenged

Over the weekend I got a letter from the Director of Pupil Services of our school district. It stated, "questions or concerns have arisen as a result of our review. The issues raised are non-compliance with the Home Schooling Act...I would ask that you reflect upon your submission to the school district and provide an explanation where you may have had deficiencies."

Say WHAT? In June every year I turn in a huge portfolio chock full of my girls' work over the course of the year. This includes our daily schedule, every book they read or I read to them (an extensive list), textbooks used, pictures of special field trips or experiments, a subject by subject summary of what we did, standardized test scores, and a report from our evaluator who reports that an appropriate education is taking place. I am a stickler for detail. NOTHING is deficient. The letter hinted that my evaluator's report was brief. I know the law. It does not specify anything about the length of that report, only what it must include. And it included everything.

Each year we must meet with an evaluator, previously approved by the district, who goes over this huge portfolio, reviews the work, and interviews the child. She then writes a report for the district. Our evaluator has been doing this service for many years and for many districts in several counties. Even more amazing, I have used her reports in previous years with our district, without any word from anybody. The law has not changed, so what has?

I couldn't call anyone since it was a Saturday. But I surely let my anger distract me over our beautiful fall weekend. I don't need to "reflect on" anything. I know exactly what is in the girls' portfolios. I already know I prepare above and beyond what is required. If any school official actually bothered to look over the work, they would know my daughters are receiving a great education. And isn't that the whole purpose of all this paperwork and evaluation and reviews?

Finally, I remembered the study of Nehemiah I did over the summer. Wasn't I warned that the enemy would try to defeat and discourage and destroy God's good work? "And they plotted together to come and fight against us and to cause confusion..." Yes, confusion. I am confused. I don't know what is going on.

When the enemy tried to get Nehemiah to stop building, he said, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?" I have spent way too much mental energy on this. I let it fill my thoughts as I prepared the girls' lessons this weekend. I will call the district on Monday morning and let it be. I also realized that just maybe when I put together the portfolios at the end of the year that I am being boastful, showing off what my daughters have done. Am I on some level trying to perform for the school personnel so they will respect my work as a teacher? God forbid! What a repugnant thought!

Those who review the portfolios are trying to find fault, not applaud my effort. I will never have their respect. I need to put this matter to rest and get on with teaching my daughters.

Tearful Monday

Liana had another sleepless night. But it was the first in two weeks. She woke up ready to do battle with the world (and with me). We started math and she sighed and complained. I reminded her we can always go back to book work. Right now she is doing Teaching Textbooks on the computer and generally much prefers this math program to her old one. When she insisted on doing a triple digit addition problem in her head instead of on scrap paper, she moaned, "Why is everything so confusing?" Later, "This is NOT a good day."

Liana has an excellent memory, so she is a good speller. For the beginning of the year, I am assigning her spelling words from a list that all 4th graders should know and spell correctly every time no matter what they are writing. She does quite well with this list. We were using Spelling City, a great website initially, for providing games to use spelling words. But the two girls' lists were becoming transposed and Liana got frustrated when Arielle's words got mixed up with hers. Since Liana likes to create, I have been having her write sentences each day with some of her words. That brought on the tears this day.

Her spelling word was "whether". She wrote a perfect sentence for the word "weather", spelling it correctly and using it correctly. I calmly corrected her, explaining "whether" was a word easily confused. She burst into tears, saying she can't do this, it is too hard. She just couldn't think up a sentence for "whether" and on and on. When the morning disintegrates to this, learning stops. I really don't know what is best at this point.

The next day was better. In the afternoon her best friend was coming to play, so Liana was motivated to finish her work. Once Julia got here, I tried to engage the two of them in Arielle's science project of making molecules from gummy bears and marshmallows. Julia and Liana were too busy making sculptures to learn anything. Arielle learned about the bonds of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, but she was frustrated with the younger girls' antics. We are using a new science book that seems to be perfect for the middle school age. From now on, Arielle and I will work on it alone.

After Liana and Julia ate most of their creations, they got busy playing. Not once did I see them just hanging around wondering what to do. Not once did they watch TV or ask to use the computer. Julia was here for about 6 or 7 hours and here is what they did: got dressed in Liana's fanciest dresses and put on make-up, set up a Polly Pocket town with the old-fashioned Polly Pockets, played a game of 300 Wishes with Arielle, drew pictures of black-haired women in colorful evening gowns, played with their identical Build-A-Bear dogs, and wrote and rehearsed a play. I got them to stop for a hasty spaghetti dinner. Then they went back to their rehearsing. By the time Julia's dad came, they had the play memorized. A couple of days ago I typed up the beginning of this play, titled "Best Friends Forever". It was three typed pages and then they wrote more on it this night.

After Julia went home, I found Liana still downstairs working on the play. In this picture she looks like a studious student working on her homework. No, she is working on the props and scenery for her play. She tells me how I am to videotape it, making sure I zoom in at the proper times. Three digit addition is not part of her world. Neither is the difference in whether and weather. Those things are unimportant to her. How do I encourage her to do what she does best, yet learn what is necessary to live in this world? It is a challenge.

Flexibility

I am very rigid with school. I like schedules and order. I've been gently chided by my homeschooling friends to lighten up. And God is teaching me more and more about the importance of being flexible.

We had a great first week of school with everything and everyone right on time. We started at 9am, took a break at 10:30am, and had a 45 minute lunch at noon. We ended pretty much the same time every day and even bedtime was right on schedule.

Then Sunday night Liana couldn't get to sleep. She went to bed at 9 but was very restless. I checked on her an hour and a half later when I was going to bed, and she was crying silent tears. She occasionally has this problem because her overactive mind just won't shut down. I knew she would be out of sorts all the next day without enough sleep.

I asked myself, why do I homeschool anyway? Isn't it to provide an individual education to each of my daughters, teaching each one according to her individual talents and abilities and learning styles? I told Liana I would not be waking her up in the morning and to sleep as long as she needed. She immediately relaxed. I told her to play quietly with a toy until she was sleepy, which she did.

The next morning Liana woke up about a half hour later than usual. While the girls ate breakfast I read aloud the next chapter in a biography on Amy Carmichael. Then while Liana got ready for school, I did math with Arielle. We shuffled around our schedule that day and each day this week and nothing has been lost. Much was gained though--a more cooperative child.

Some would say that would never work for a child living in the "real world" of public school. And it wouldn't. Am I being indulgent, or am I extending grace and accommodating my child's needs?

For a long time my insistence on having school my way has clashed with Liana's way of learning and her need for more time to accomplish her work, more time to transition to new activities, more time for projects rather than worksheets. She just plain needs more time. Arielle and I are efficient types. Give us a task and we'll quickly do it and be done. Liana needs time to think things over and to apply her creative talents. I need to let go and let her be who she is. She has years to go before being thrust into the "real world" of adult schedules.

The girls had their school physicals today. Liana wanted to talk to the doctor about her sleep issues. After we explained about her getting to bed late but being able to start school later, our doctor said, "She's in the right family then, isn't she?" Yes, she is.

Ten Days in Asia

We are beginning a new continent study this year and the girls chose Asia. Liana has been interested in India for quite awhile, so I thought it was a good place to start. This morning at breakfast I asked her if she knew what countries border India. She immediately rattled off, "Nepal, Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka." She only forgot Pakistan. My nine-year-old has a map of Asia in her head because of a game I bought! I wrote about this game when I first got it, but now we are seeing the results of playing it for a couple of months. It was well worth the $20 I spent on it.

The girls love playing the game. The challenge is to chart a 10-day trip across Asia using ships through the Indian and Pacific Oceans, trains to bordering countries, or planes between like-colored countries. You don't have to know the geography because you just look at the game board while you play. The strategy is in placing the cards you draw. Arielle almost always wins. I just don't have the logical, thinking ahead type skills she has. (But it frustrates me that I can't beat my eleven-year-old!) Liana doesn't win the game often, but she likes it anyway. In the scope of things, she is a big winner because she has learned the map.

As I mentioned before, the company, Out of the Box Publishing, also makes 10 Days Across Europe, Africa and the USA. Maybe others. I highly recommend our game!

First Day of School

Oh, joy! No, really, despite Arielle's face. She was feeling a little grumpy this morning, but we had a fine day! God has answered our prayers.

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We started with reading and talking about Psalm 1 and then we read the first chapter of a biography about Amy Carmichael because the first country we are studying for geography will be India. Then Liana began to read aloud from her library book. Amazing! I lifted up my eyes to heaven and said a silent prayer of thanksgiving. I confess, my good intentions did not pan out this summer and Liana read few books and none aloud. I did not really know what I would find with her this morning. She read so well and so smoothly I was stunned. I've noticed with her over the years that sometimes new learning needs to stew and brew for awhile before it sinks in and then she knows it well.

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Liana was in good spirits all morning. She actually squealed with excitement when during a lesson she was supposed to combine several unrelated words and create a meaningful sentence. This is a game she made up for herself and often does it with spelling words or random words she gives me to try. She was delighted to see this as an actual assignment. I praised her effort and attitude and enthusiasm in all her work today.

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During our break we took a nature walk and saw a huge cicada protestly loudly as we approached it. We miss our birds. The squirrels won't allow us to keep a bird feeder. They ruin every one. We walked past the garden and realized we need to bring in the end of the harvest of beets, carrots, beans and tomatoes. Work to do this afternoon! But for now, we focus on school. I didn't try to cram in washing laundry and dishes during our time together either.

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Arielle was not so grumpy after all. She said she enjoyed her reading assignment, and when we reviewed some pre-Civil War history from last year, she remembered more about it than I did. As we read our chapter for today, she supplemented with information she gleaned from the numerous historical fiction books she read over the past few months. We finished up and it was only 2:30. Free time! The girls ran off to play. They will have chores this evening after dinner, but for now they are having fun. And no homework!

Guard the Gates

In the last chapter of the book, Nehemiah has been absent from Jerusalem for a time and when he returns, he finds all kinds of trouble.

One of the priests has allowed Tobiah to move into a room in the temple, the sacred place. Now Tobiah was introduced back in the beginning of the book of Nehemiah. "But when Tobiah (and others) heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry. And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it." (Neh. 4:7,8)

Nehemiah confronts the people, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" He prays and he delegates reliable men to take care of things to restore order and get the people back on track. The people had failed to obey God's law in other ways as well. There is much written about the "foreigners." People were buying goods from foreigners on the Sabbath and marrying the foreigners. As applied today, this certainly does not mean racial separation. In the time of Nehemiah, interacting too much with foreigners meant the people were taking on their heathen gods and heathen lifestyles. Today God's people live among every nation, tribe and tongue. But we must guard against integrating our lives with non-believers so much so that we forsake the faith.

Nehemiah says, "As soon as it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, that no load might be brought in...the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem..." He says to them, "Why do you lodge outside the wall? If you do it again, I will lay hands on you." Then he "commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates..."

Later on he finds others who had turned against God's word. "I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair" for "doing great evil and acting treacherously against our God." Before we judge Nehemiah, let's remember all that came before. Nehemiah had invested his life rebuilding Jerusalem, the city of God. No wonder
he reacted so aggressively when he saw his people being led astray. He fought hard to defeat anyone who would tear the people apart and cause them to forsake God.

God is not fooling around when he cautions us about allowing evil to enter our homes and our lives. Don't prepare a room for it! When Tobiah couldn't prevent God's work from the outside as they built the wall, he weasled his way inside the walls! What better way to cause confusion! Nehemiah promptly threw him out. Don't let the enemy camp outside our walls either. Chase them away and guard the gates!

The book of Nehemiah is finished and so is our summer. We start school Monday. We have a couple more fun events in these next few days and then we will battle the enemy. We gather our weapons of prayer and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. We will finish the wall and the work God calls us to do.

Rejoice!

Calling on people who have "separated themselves from the peoples of the land to the Law of God"! All you who have "knowledge and understanding"! Let's commit to "walk in God's law and observe to do all the commandments and not neglect the house of our God." (Nehemiah 10:28-39)

In Chapter 12 we find a grand celebration. "At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgiving and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres...and they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem of heard far away." (Nehemiah 12:27, 43) People were also appointed jobs and others rejoiced over those who ministered. As they worked there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

Our wall has not yet been completed, but we begin a new year. We can rejoice over the progress made so far. We are privileged to be at home teaching our children. We are thankful for husbands who provide for us so we can do this. Each person in the family does his or her part and is useful to all. I thank God for my girls and for Fred and this great opportunity. Let our joy be heard far away as we head into a new season!

Know Your Enemies

We're in our last week of summer. School starts next Monday! I'm excited, the girls less so. I've identified our enemies.

The ones that come from without are: distractions, interruptions, negativity from other people. I have fought hard and have beaten them into submission.

Then there are the enemies from within: Doubt and procrastination. I think I have conquered these too. I know I am doing exactly what God has called me to do. And my will is strong and I will be disciplined to do what needs to be done --on schedule. (I know, I know, that's not how some other moms homeschool, but it works for me.)

These are the Big Three enemies to overcome. They loom ominously like a cloud over our homeschool.

1. Arielle's attitude of laziness and boredom which she expresses in sighs and complaints.
2. Liana's emotional state when the work is difficult, the tears of frustration and lack of effort.
3. My impatience with both of the above, expressed with much anger.

These will derail us and these we must battle daily with much prayer and the sword of the Spirit.

Remembrance

Continuing in Chapter 9, the community is still gathered. "The people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads. And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the Lord their God."

Then their prayer is recorded in Nehemiah. It is a long, long prayer because there is a lot to cover: worship and praise to God for his blessings, confession for the sins of the people going all the way back to the time of Abraham, and a list of all God has done for them throughout history. We would also have a long, long prayer if we covered all this ground.

A couple of years ago when the girls and I listened to The Chronicles of Narnia on audiotape, a line lingered in my mind, and I'm not sure what book it comes from. "Remember, remember, remember the signs." Remembrance is an important part of our walk with God. In the midst of a struggle we often forget what God has done for us in the past. We forget his faithfulness. But when we remember, it sustains us through the tough times. When we recall our failures from the past, we are reminded of God's forgiveness. Our prayers should interweave confession with memories of God's mercy. The result will be gratitude and hope for the future.

In prayer, the Israelites (and we) start with what God has given us all: the beautiful earth and sky and sea he has created. Then we remember he keeps his promises, he hears our cries, he guides us and instructs us. He's given us good commandments to keep for our own good. He provides food and water. We lack nothing. He's given us children and rich land and houses full of good things. "So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness." Despite all this, we do not always follow God. We are rebellious and disobedient.

"But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them...they rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back...they turned a stubborn shoulder."

Yet, despite all that, here is God's character: "But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them...you gave your good Spirit to instruct them...in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them...many years you bore with them."

It is worth the time to remember our history with God and all he has done for us. It is a humbling experience. How many years he has bore with me and put up with me! As I prepare for the new school year, I think of the sins I've committed against my children, these little people God has entrusted to my care. I too often discipline out of my own selfishness and impatience, rather than to train them and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. I think of careless, hurtful words I've spoken, and dismissive attitudes I've had toward them, times I've brushed them away to pursue my own agenda. Any of us moms can remember these ugly moments. We confess them and ask God to make our hearts tender toward our children. We remember God's mercy toward us and we know he has forgiven us. He gives us strength for a new day, for a new year, and another chance.

A New Start

In Nehemiah chapter 7, the wall is completed and the people move back into the city and build houses. Our summer is almost over and we have our new books lined up, notebooks and pencils purchased, and the school room organized. We're almost ready to begin a new school year.

In Chapter 8, "all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and women and those who could understand. And the ears of the people were attentive to the Book of the Law."

I know I need spiritual preparation before the school year begins. "All the people wept as they heard the words of the Law." Does reading God's words ever bring you to tears? Why is this? Because we are humbled by God's blessings? Because we know we have fallen short of his will? Nehemiah and Ezra and the Levites told the people, "Do not mourn or weep...do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

God's word confronts us with our failures. As I plan a new school year, I am reminded of the bad days from last year. I realize my joy, a contagious joy that should be passed to my children, comes from a restored relationship with God. Failures, yes. But forgiveness and a new beginning too. "And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them." When our vision is clear, when we have understanding, when we know where we're going on this journey, we also can rejoice.

The next day all the people gathered again to study the words of the Law. They were hungry for more. I want to be hungry all year, desiring truth and understanding and guidance for my children as I teach them. Right now I'm refreshed, armed, proactive to head off problems. I'm strong,--I'm psyched! God's word has brought me joy and strengthened me.

Liana's Top Picks

Liana (age 9) has made a list of her favorite books she read (or listened to) this past school year and summer:

• Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff
• Maggie's Door by Patricia Reilly Giff
• Water Street by Patricia Reilly Giff
• A House of Tailors by Patricia Reilly Giff
• Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien
• Year of the Rat by Grace Lin
• Year of the Dog by Grace Lin
• Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm adapted by Kate Douglas Wiggin
• Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
• Shadows on Society Hill: An Addy Mystery by Evelyn Coleman
• Hill of Fire byThomas P. Lewis
• A Doll Named Dora Anne by Yona Zeldis McDonough
• The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh
• Treasure Island adapted by Lisa Norby
• Lewis and Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President by Shirley Raye Redmond
• George Washington and the General's Dog by Frank Murphy
• Breakout! Escape from Alcatraz by Lori Haskins
• Julie Meyer: The Story of a Wagon Train Girl by Dorothy Hoobler
• Across America on an Emigrant Train by Jim Murphy
• Lincoln and His Boys by Rosemary Wells
• Neela: Victory Song by Chitna Banerjee Divakaruni

Liana enjoys reading anything about India and she also likes the Magic Treehouse series.

Please let us know your children's favorites!

Arielle's Top Picks

Arielle (age 11) has made a list of her favorite books she read this past school year and summer:

• Turn Homeward Hannalee by Patricia Beatty
• Be Ever Hopeful Hannalee by Patricia Beatty
• Who Comes with Cannons by Patricia Beatty
• One Month of Seven Day by Shirley Climo
• The House of the Seven Gables adapted by Malvina G. Vogel
• Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien
• Swordbird by Nancy Yi Fan
• Sword Quest by Nancy Yi Fan
• Spring Pearl: The Last Flower by Laurence Yep
• Neela: Victory Song by Chirta Banerjee Kivakaruni
• My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
• The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck
• Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
• The Fighting Ground by Avi
• Island of the Blue Dophins by Scott O'Dell
• My Name is Not Angelica by Scott O'Dell
• Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop
• Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy
• The Overland Escape by Lee Roddy
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
• Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
• Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff
• Maggie's Door by Patricia Reilly Giff
• Water Street by Patricia Reilly Giff

She also enjoys these series: Nancy Drew Mysteries, Mandie Mysteries, and Dear America Diaries.

Distractions

In Chapter 6 Nehemiah's enemies try to sidetrack him and frustrate his work. They are afraid the Jews will become too powerful. They try to stop the wall-building. He responds:

"I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?"

I am going to post these words in our classroom. Not that I want to be mean to people, but to remind me to stay on task. I am so easily distracted! When I get a phone call during school time, I want to take that call! I want a break. I like to connect with friends. But I must take charge of the distractions that threaten to derail us on a daily basis.

My particular distractions: family members needing something, doctor appointments, errands to run, wash to be done, dinner to be prepared, other homeschool moms wanting to go somewhere, a friend's child that needs to be watched. These are all important, worthy distractions and it doesn't mean I say no to everything. But I need to be on guard and remember that for the most part, I cannot come down!

I get intensely frustrated by distractions. It makes me edgy and short with the girls. And it's my own fault for allowing it. Nehemiah says, "Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done. But now, O God, strengthen my hands." There are many kinds of homeschooling moms and I tend to be more rigid. If you have followed this blog, you know I have learned a lot of lessons along the way and I have eased up a lot! But the unschooling approach is definitely not for us. My house may be in total disarray but when it comes to my girls' education I am very organized. I have a plan, but my undoing lies in the implementation when other things crowd into our time. With God's help, I will proceed and accomplish our goals. I must remember this is God's work. Like Nehemiah I have the blessing of the King to go forth with the plan. But the enemy will always try to oppose it.

In this chapter, Nehemiah and his workers complete the wall. "And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God." Beyond my own home, every homeschool success story is a threat to those who oppose us. The failures in the public school system and these successes encourage others to begin this journey. However, we will always have spiritual enemies (and flesh and blood enemies) who try to discourage us, frighten us, demoralize us, intimidate us, and DISTRACT us. Arm yourselves!

People Are Watching

In Chapter 5 there are problems among God's people. Their own nobles and officials are oppressing them. Dangers are not only coming from the outside, but there are problems within.

Nehemiah's response: "The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?"

This is a good verse for us all to think about, how our actions can bring disgrace to the name of Jesus. But for now, let's think about how it relates to homeschooling.

Some of the opposition to home education has been brought on by homeschooling parents themselves. Why do many people have negative images in their minds? They think of a child so secluded he is like a plant grown in darkness, pale and spindly and unable to thrive outdoors. A child backwards in a social gathering. A child who supposedly is homeschooled but instead is playing in the yard all morning and watching TV all afternoon. Kids so different they stand out in a crowd. There are these kind of kids. But I have to say, the most opposing views I've heard have to do with socialization and not academics.

My brother totally dispelled any doubt I might have had about homeschooled children. He has three daughters, one graduated from college, and my sister-in-law has taught them all at home all the way through. These girls from young ages were such delightful, interesting people. They easily could carry on conversations with adults and were full of life--inquistive and full of ideas and opinions. Of course there are shy homeschooled children too. But it's personality, not their educational situation. I can think of a most inhibited, timid, awkward child who never once spoke up and was petrifed to engage in a group setting. This child was ME, a product of the public school system.

I don't raise my children in isolation. They are constantly around a variety of people. By nature, my girls tend to be on the reserved side. They are thoughtful and don't immediately speak up in a social setting. But Arielle is far from shy. She boldly enters new situations and unlike me, is not at all intimidated by people she doesn't know. Liana is more of a one-on-one kind of person and holds back in a group. But that's okay. She is who she is.

So when people meet my children and know they are homeschooled, does that bring on the taunts of the enemy? We just spent two days in a car dealership (more on that on my other blog). Five long hours there and the girls had absolutely nothing to do while we waited and waited. Several people did take notice of them and commented on their behavior. "Most kids would have been screaming and racing around the showroom by now." "They are so mature and well-behaved." "Where do you girls go to school?" Homeschooled...ohhh. "Your girls are so good." Fred said, "I wouldn't expect anything else."

Now my children are far from perfect! And we are not perfect parents. But we spend so much time together as a family. Fred and I have more influence over our children than the public schools do. Homeschooling families need to be good examples. People are watching us, like it or not. We don't need to justify or explain ourselves; in fact, our actions speak louder than words. But let's not bring on the taunts of the enemy.

Jesus said, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16.

You'll Need Your Sword

"And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night." Nehemiah 4:8.

Confusion is an enemy tactic. Many moms are confused by the educational choices available now and are trying to decide what is best for their children. That is not the confusion I mean here. This is for parents who have already been called by God to homeschool. Once in the thick of the battle, we can't be confused. We must be purposeful and focused on our task.

I've often had my doubts--would Arielle be better off in public school? She loves competition and group dynamics. Is Liana's reading progressing as it should? Is there something else that would help her more? The bottom line of doubt is--am I doing the right thing?

I love the yearly homeschool conference we attend. It's always in June after we've finished another year and we are deciding about books for fall--what worked, what didn't. The speakers always motivate me to press on, and the sheer number of other homeschooling parents there amazes me. We must be on to a good thing because there is a whole army of us!

There is also an army who would like to stop our work. "And our enemies said, they will not know or see us till we come among them and kill them and stop the work." verse 11. There are those in government who would like to put an end to homeschooling. Even our friends sometimes say to us, as the Jews did to Nehemiah, "You must return to us." verse12. We must be vigilant and speak against any bill or judge's ruling that limits parental rights. But most of all, we must be on guard spiritually. We have many battles to fight right here at home. More on that later. Nehemiah's advice: "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes." verse 14.

So in a few weeks we will say, "We all returned to the wall, each to his work...half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail." verse 16. Oh, that we would have prayer warriors fighting for us as we worked! Some do. I attended a homeschooling event at a church where about 75 percent of all parents homeschooled their children. The pastor was behind them all the way and the other congregants supported and encouraged them. That is not how it is at our church. Even in a church as large as ours, we are the odd ones out. So in that case...

"Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built..." verses 17, 18. So I strap on my sword and go to work. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God...and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit." Ephesians 6. "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12.

Homeschool conferences are nice, the fellowship of other homeschooling moms is encouraging, but don't forget to carry your sword. Ultimately the battle is fought in the spiritual realm and we can stand firm on the commands and promises of God. We hear this over and over but it is so crucial to stay in the Word and be faithful in prayer.

"The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me...I said, the work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us." verses 18-20.

If you get into trouble, if you get discouraged, by all means sound the trumpet! We're widely spread, but help is nearby. And the best help of all, "This is the confidence we have in him, if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." I John 5:14.

"So we labored at the work...from the break of dawn until the stars came out." verse 21.

People with a Mind to Work

Nehemiah chapter 4 begins: Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?"

These are questions for us. First, can we restore what has been lost in the educational system of America? Can we do it ourselves? What are these feeble people doing, without a teaching degree? It is a grave responsibility to make sure our children have good education. I look back to the days of math manipulatives and phonics flashcards. I took those things seriously at the time, but with Arielle entering 7th grade, the burden of educating her weighs heavily on me. She needs to study literature, and she will be learning chemistry this fall. Teaching Liana to read has been difficult. She will be in 4th grade and I know fluency will be a great challenge for her and for me helping her to progress.

The second question: Are we willing to sacrifice? When I taught young mothers at church, one of their biggest complaints was "no time to myself." I hear you! That's how mothering is. It was hard for me to give up my time the second round of parenting my daughters. I had been living a life of freedom to basically do as I pleased as a career woman. The daily grind of being at home with preschoolers was very difficult at first. Little by little God pulled away all my "free time". I fought back selfishly and with resentment. I see now how he was preparing me for homeschooling.

To teach our children at home we sacrifice that "time to myself." As soon as our school day ends, there is dinner to prepare, laundry to do, and errands to run. I have to sacrifice a spotless house, time to curl up with a good book, and my hobbies. I admit this is still a struggle. There is also the financial sacrifice with me not working outside the home.

When my boys were young I remember the jubilant neighborhood coffee parties on the morning of the first day of school, when moms were liberated from their children. I joined in the celebration back then. Now I eagerly anticipate the quiet one-on-one with each of my daughters as we plunge into the new school year.

The next question: Will we finish in a day? Of course not. But will we finish? We have to remind ourselves this is God's work. "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6.

The last question: Will we raise up stones and build upon the one Living Stone, our Lord Jesus? A good education is necessary in this world, but are we looking at the big picture? What are our goals for our children? To be successful financially and live a prosperous life? I don't know what God's plans are for my children. I want to prepare them spiritually, first and foremost, so they will be equipped to do his work.

Remember, this study of Nehemiah began because of a class I had on spiritual warfare. It's a battle. The enemy taunts us and tries to prevent us from completing God's work, to foil God's plan and purpose for our children. Nehemiah prays, "Hear, O our God, for we are despised...for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders." Woe to those who try to stop the wall-builders.

I love verse 6: "So we built the wall...for the people had a mind to work."

Don't Try This Alone

In Chapter 3, scriptures gives us the names of many men who are working on the wall. This phrase keeping repeating, "next to them". "Next to them," this person worked, "next to them," that person worked. Each worked at his task according to his gift and skill.

Many people have responded to God's call to homeschool and we work side-by-side, in our own houses, but we are next to others all across the country working toward the same goal of educating our children, according to our particular talents and expertise. In the book of Nehemiah, a huge crowd of men worked diligently and faithfully in their common goal of building the wall to protect the people.

We need others. I tend to prefer to work in isolation, but I am acknowledging my need for the fellowship and encouragement of other homeschooling moms. Our kids need to get together with other kids too. Yesterday a generous woman opened her home to five other moms and thirteen other children ranging in age from four to fourteen. The kids played outdoor group games (which homeschooled kids sometimes miss out on) and we moms shared laughs and good ideas. These events are easier to pull off in the summer, but I hope to continue to meet together regularly with other believers, not only in the faith, but also fellow wall-builders.

I'm reminded of the repeating phrase in Hebrews 11--"by faith". "By faith" these Biblical characters accomplished great things. Hebrews 12 begins with: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith..."

Rise Up and Build

In chapter 2 Nehemiah requests of King Artaxerxes to go to Judah to rebuild the wall. The king asks, "How long will you be gone, and when will you return?"

I am asked all the time, "How long will you homeschool?" Some people are concerned for my kids and their "odd" lifestyle. People wonder when I will return to the "normal" life of a woman my age. With Fred's new career floundering, people wonder why I'm not out working to help support the family.

Nehemiah needs letters from the king to pass through the province to get to Judah. He also needs timber to build. The king gives him all he needs, including officers of the army and horsemen. Nehemiah says this is because "the good hand of my God was upon me." God will give us all we need for his own work. Homeschooling can be done on a very limited budget, but we've been blessed by my generous brother and his family passing down many, many books for us to use. What we need now is provision to pay the bills. But that too, God has provided. If I go back to work, I can't build the wall. But because this is God's work, he has been faithful to us.

When Nehemiah arrives in Judah to begin work, the enemies come out. So Nehemiah wisely "told no one what God put into his heart to do." In the middle of the night he inspects the walls and gates. He says to God's people, "You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision." He tells how the king has provided and affirms, "the hand of my God has been upon me for good." And the people were inspired and said, "Let us rise up and build."

"So they strengthened their hands for the good work." It's almost August. Let's get excited about a new school year! Let's prepare our minds with ideas. Let's prepare our attitudes to expect the best of our children and not fall into our mistakes of the past: grumbling, anger, threat, tears, boredom, drudgery, and procrastination. We have a new beginning. Foremost, let's prepare with prayer! Be assured, God will surely bless his work.

So we're eager to begin and we've rallied the troops. What happens now? The enemy rears his head. "They jeered at us and despised us and said, What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?" Are we rebelling against the educational system of the great United States of America? Yes! Yes, we are!

The summer before Arielle began kindergarten we were at our yearly pool party with the families who traveled to China with us. The women began talking about the upcoming school year. I told them we planned to homeschool. Two of the women, both former teachers, were thoroughly disgusted. There is no better word for their response. They ridiculed my "foolish" choice. Their scorn was so obvious my relationship with them ended.

I have friends who are good teachers and I greatly respect their work. I could never teach a classroom full of children. I do not possess the skills or their patience. These friends have made a different educational choice for their children, but they still respect ours. I even look to them for advice.

Nehemiah responds to his enemies, "The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem." Despite the jeers and the sneers, we will build until the wall is finished. Unless of course, God reveals a different plan for our family.

Building the Wall

I'm taking a class at church on spiritual warfare led by a teacher I greatly respect. Last week we studied passages in the book of Nehemiah and it became clear how the truths in this book can be applied to our lives today, even with homeschooling. If we are called by God to do a task, Nehemiah offers words of encouragement.

Here's the background to the book: The Jewish people were struggling to maintain their identity as a people of the Lord. They had been in exile for 70 years and they returned to their own land as strangers among foreigners. They struggled great moral and religious challenges to remain a distinctive people, faithful to God. At the time of this book, the temple had been rebuilt in Jerusalem, but Nehemiah wants to rebuild the city walls for security and protection. However, he suffers tremendous opposition. What sustains him is his faithfulness, perseverance and commitment to God's work and his belief in God's promises. (Jeremiah 25:11)

Nehemiah begins with prayer, acknowledging the reason his people are in this predicament to begin with:

"O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you." (Neh. 1:5,6)

Then he goes on to say that the people have not obeyed the commands of Moses and so were scattered, just as God had warned. But God promises to gather them again if the people return to him. Nehemiah states their identity (and ours). "They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand." (Neh. 1:10)

Nehemiah's conclusion and our prayer too: "O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy." (Neh. 1:11)

God's people are called out and set apart. We are not to be entangled in this world and its deceit, greed, materialism, lust, selfishness, and self-promotion. Homeschooling parents have actually taken the easy way out. To avoid the evil in the world, we limit our kids' exposure to it. Not everyone can or wants to homeschool, but Christians still need to be separate from the world. We don't isolate our children, but we build a foundation, a wall of protection and security, so that when they are mature, they will be strong and equipped for life on the other side of the wall.

We pray they will not be "taken captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition." (Col. 2:8) We pray they will "walk as children of light and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord and take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." (Eph. 5:8-11) We pray our children will be "blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom they will shine as lights in the world." (Phil. 2:15).

Jesus prayed to his Father for us, "I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one." (John 17:15) He knew the kind of world we had to live in.

Come and explore Nehemiah's lessons for us as we raise our children.

Orchestra Lapbook

My last post about the past school year. Now we are on to new things. I want to recommend two books we used for this project: The Story of the Orchestra by Robert Levine. This one comes with a CD that children can listen to as they read about different instruments and different eras of classical music. The other is The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak.

My songbird

We are listening to an audiobook called Fairest by Gail Carson Levine. The book is delightful, the language lively, and the audio version is superb with a multitude of different voices and music to dramatize it. The story is a fairytale about a girl who is not at all pretty but has a beautiful singing voice in a kingdom of song. This author also wrote Ella Enchanted. We thoroughly enjoyed that one too. (Don't watch the movie though. It was mediocre at best.)

We listen to audio books in the car. When we came home yesterday, the story was at a strategic point and the girls didn't want to get out of the car. So we sat in the driveway awhile and heard more of it until I finally said we had other things to do! The book was in the middle of telling about the Composing Game. A group of people play by taking a passage from a dull book and making up a melody and singing the words from it. It is supposed to be funny but have good musical quality. Liana was intrigued by this. After we got out of the car, she picked up a library book and started singing the words from Make Way for Ducklings. She wanted me to alternate pages with her. We did that for awhile, me croaking along after her high clear tones. Liana certainly has musical talent. She composed the tunes on the spot and her voice is rich and beautiful. Then she picked up an American Girl catalogue and started singing the advertisements! I was laughing so much I could hardly sing my parts.

Liana would fit right in with this enchanted kingdom in the book Fairest. She is my songbird, always singing.

Miss Martha

After winter ends, Arielle heads back to the 4-H center for sewing instruction for three or four hours every Saturday. The first year she made a backpack and a skirt, and the second year she made a sundress and a shrug. This past few months she completed another dress.

Now I am able to teach my daughters to sew. But since we are together pretty much all the time, I think it's beneficial for the girls to learn from and spend time with other women. There are many wonderful volunteers involved in 4-H. But for the past two sewing seasons, Arielle has been paired with Miss Martha, a widow in her eighties.

Miss Martha is beautiful with her sparkly blue eyes, white hair, and clear, rosy complexion. I think skin like that used to be called "peaches and cream." She is elegant in her soft pastel sweaters and she wears her jewelry every week as if she is going some place important. Miss Martha is kind and soft-spoken and she is an excellent seamstress. She used to make suits for her husband in years past. She has sewn for her children and grandchildren for many, many years. She is a perfectionist and she knows special techniques for getting the job done and she is able to interpret those poorly written pattern directions. Best of all, she is willing to pass on these skills to a new generation of young women.

By chance Arielle had Miss Martha as her personal tutor one year. The next, as we arrived on the first day, Miss Martha was sitting quietly, waiting. She said, "I'd like to work with Arielle, if she doesn't mind." If she doesn't mind? We were delighted to see her and I was secretly hoping Arielle could work with her again. They had quite a time together this year. Arielle had a very difficult pattern and there were fitting problems. Miss Martha patiently worked through them all with her, and Arielle patiently took out seams over and over until the dress was just right. To see them work, it was a solemn affair. Heads bent down together, neither spoke much, and when they did, it was softly and with few words. But there was a connection. Martha told me several times how much she enjoyed teaching Arielle. She said, "I just have to tell her something once and she does it."

Once again, Arielle modeled for the County Fashion Revue and once again she qualified for the regional competition. Miss Martha did not attend the fashion show but Arielle got a lovely note of congratulations from her. But we give most of the credit to Miss Martha! Yes, Arielle did the work, but Miss Martha guided her and taught her. As a result, Arielle is meticulous, careful, and willing to work slowly and methodically to complete a project.

What a gift Miss Martha has been to my daughter! She is a wonderful teacher and mentor. Most of all, she is the picture of I Peter 3:4, "the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." As we left the 4-H center on the last day of sewing, Miss Martha was in the parking lot. We said our good-byes and then she told me she didn't think she would return next spring. She said it was getting to be too hard for her. I did notice the past few weeks she's seemed tired. But then she said, "I think I'd like to work with your younger daughter too." Liana also completed a winning outfit this year.

So maybe Miss Martha will come back. A friend of mine attends her church, so hopefully she will help me keep tabs on Miss Martha. I hope the opportunity will arise when we can give back to this beautiful woman what she has so generously given to others.

Australia Lapbook

We finished our unit on Australia. School was officially over but I told the girls it would be nice if we did a little summary of the first continent we studied since we will be doing all the rest of them next year. Then they would have something to look back on to review and compare. Both girls willingly spent an entire evening cutting out pictures and designing lapbooks. Liana wanted no help from me and no suggestions from anyone on how to plan it or lay it out. While they worked, I played around with youtube and found some Australian songs to add to the atmosphere. They especially liked "Waltzing Matilda." Arielle didn't finish hers, but I have included pictures of Liana's book.

At the homeschool conference I found a great game. I hesitated buying it because it was $20 and what if it wasn't any good? But it is good! We played it several times over the weekend. The game is called "10 Days in Asia." The gameboard is a map of Asia! You don't need to know Asian geography to play it, but you will learn it while you play without even noticing. It is a good thinking game to get your brain sparked up. The company also makes "10 Days in Europe" and "10 Days in Africa" and also one for the United States. We want them all!

We're Finished!

Where has the month of June gone? We finished school the second week but the next week was very busy getting ready for the 4-H Fashion Revue and the homeschool conference that it didn't feel like summer yet. I was frantically finishing up the portfolios that have to be turned into our school district's administration office because the week after that we had camp at our church. Last week we had to get up and leave early each morning. On top of that, the girls and I had some virus to contend with.

With relief, I unloaded the burden of the two portfolios and turned them in a couple of days ago. Freedom! This task weighs me down for at least two months at the end of every school year. I really need to be more organized and work on it little by little during the year. Now I get about a month before I have to worry about next year's objectives that have to be turned in on August 1st.

As usual, I had big summer academic plans for the girls. And already, as usual, my plans seem to be falling apart. I want them to read every day and I want Liana to do some math every day. We have several craft and sewing projects we never got around to doing during the school year. But nothing got done with our illnesses and with camp. In two weeks my son is getting married and we have lots to do to prepare for them. I remember idyllic summers of my childhood. Being outside in the dry Arizona heat, nothing to do, carefree. No activities to run to, no events to attend. Just endless summer days. Time moved very slowly. What happened?

State Study

Our homeschool law requires that we study the history of our state. So each year we include a topic, usually one tied in with our American history lessons. Since we are in Pennsylvania, it is easy. Our state was pivotal in much of the history of this nation.

As a field trip, the girls and I took a walking tour of Philadelphia's historic section, visiting Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Franklin Court, and Christ's Church. Costumed tour guides that day were recruiting for the Continental Army. The girls love this sort of "school."

We also used Abeka's My State Notebook. It is part of the 4th grade curriculum but I used it for my 3rd and 5th graders. The girls worked on this all year and it is suitable for any state. There are 83 colorful pages. The girls researched and recorded such things as state song, tree, flower, flag, etc., plus there are pages on early settlement, historical figures, famous landmarks, government, weather, industry and agriculture, wildlife and plant life. The girls made several kinds of maps and filled their books with pictures from travel brochures and internet articles they read.

We will be studying the Civil War this fall so I think a trip to Gettysburg will give us good material for our state study to meet the requirement next year.

Great Films

We are wrapping up our study of Australia and I ordered a couple of DVDs from the library. The first is one of a series called "Families of the World" and we brought home "Families of Australia." It was only 30 minutes long and showed a day in the life of a child in rural Australia and one from the city of Sydney. It was excellent! The back of the box says, "Each DVD focuses on a different culture, their way of life, family interaction, foods and celebrations." It is not a lecture but rather a visual glimpse into other lives. The girls noted interesting facts, such as the Australians driving on the opposite side of the road and how the toilets were different from ours. They loved listening to the dialect too.

Yesterday we started to watch the other DVD called "Australia the Beautiful." It is a Reader's Digest film. Since it is 170 minutes long, I figured we would just skip around and watch a little bit of different segments. But we were absolutely mesmerized by the gorgeous, breathtaking photography! Australia's landscapes and wildlife are fascinating. We only saw the first third--"Treasures of the Coast" about the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree, Lord Howe Island, and Shark Bay. We are looking forward to the rest--"Riches of Deserts and Wetlands" and "Marvels of the Mountains". Highly recommended!

Finishing Up

Three more days. "How much longer?" Liana asks continually. According to state law, we have to complete our 180 days, but besides that, we need to wrap up a few things before taking a summer break from school.

Liana finished her study of bats but never finished the lapbook she started. In May I bought a social studies series called Around the World in 180 Days and it looked so interesting I decided to do a short unit before school ended. We chose Australia. The girls (and I) have learned so much about this fascinating continent. Liana wants to visit Uluru someday, after her tour of India. We left our study of the Civil War hanging but I think we found a good stopping point and will continue that in the fall.

Arielle worked very diligently this year and completed Abeka's Language Arts for 6th grade. She will take her final science test on electricity today. She found out a friend of mine who homeschools her children plans to continue their school work one morning a week throughout the summer. Arielle asked if we could do that too. The girls both like Teaching Textbooks, so it will be an easy way to keep up their math skills by doing those lessons. Liana spent the year memorizing the multiplication tables and it would be such a loss to let them go for three months. And of course, there is reading. I couldn't stop Arielle from reading if I wanted to, but Liana will need a little prompting.

With every day revolving around school, I always feel a little lost when the year ends. There are plenty of activities ahead and there is always my house that needs attention after nine months of neglect. But it's a shock to wake up to a day without a schedule.

Transition

I took a class at church and since the girls are homeschooled, we had no choice but for all of us to go together for these three mornings. Their regular classwork was postponed until afternoon while some real-life work was done at church. The girls were asked to help in the nursery.

Arielle loves little children and I knew she would be an asset to the women caring for the little ones. But Liana? I had my doubts. She never seems interested in babies. But the first day after class, the women said she was a big help. Liana entertained babies and fed babies and rocked babies in the rocker. She went home feeling useful and proud of herself. She's growing up. My own baby is nine, after all.

After lunch I found Liana in her room. She was dressing her Bitty Baby, cuddling the doll in her lap. "Doesn't she look adorable?" she asked me. Liana carried the doll around all afternoon, even preparing a dish of "food" to give her. I treasure moments of watching her play like this because these times will soon be gone.

This little girl rejected books in favor of her own imagination played out on the carpet in her room as she created Polly Pocket towns and Polly Pocket lives. Liana would lie down, eye-level, and I would hear the dialogue she invented for each of her tiny dolls. She still does this occasionally, but more often she wants to dictate stories to me as I try to type as quickly as her words tumble out. The girl who delighted in dressing up as a princess now draws her royal designs on paper and reproduces them on her sewing machine. She dresses up in heels, with attention to coordinating accessories, but still loves her tiara.

Liana enjoyed her new responsibility in the nursery, but she isn't ready to leave childhood behind. And I'm glad about that. I'm not ready to give up my little girl.

Chinese Babies

This morning at church a Chinese couple was dedicating their baby daughter. The family sat right in front of me. The baby, about 2 or 3-months old, was sheltered in her mother's arms, round and pink. Her thick black hair was pinned back with a felt clip. Her eyes were thoughtful and serious, watchful. She was calm and trusting, unafraid of the strangers around her. She bore a striking resemblance to Arielle as a baby. And I couldn't hold back tears.

The baby quietly observed us from the safety of her mother's shoulder and I studied her perfect features. Why the tears? Because when my precious daughter was that age, she was not yet mine. I wasn't able to hold and comfort her. I grieve for that lost time. This baby is so blessed. She seems to have everything. I protest again the circumstances that tore my daughter away from her birth family. But then, if not for that, Arielle would not be my daughter. I can't imagine life without this child! She has so enriched my life with her ideas, her laughter, her calm spirit. She has challenged me with her questions. She asks so many questions! She wants to know everything and she makes me reconsider, re-evaluate.

I'm sad as I look at this baby because my baby is gone. The sweet little face with the bright smile that greeted me each morning from her crib. The curious little girl so fascinated with life that she would page through picture books for hours before her world really exploded when she learned to read. The child with the shiny black hair that I danced with in the kitchen while dinner cooked. But look who has replaced that baby--my gracious, poised, intelligent 11-year-old. The girl who is wise beyond her years. She is a deep thinker, still watchful and serious, yet so confident and courageous. I still study her perfect features and imagine the woman she will soon be.