Our Curriculum for 2013-14

We are super new at this homeschooling thing. I feel like this year will be the first "real" year of school for Marie. She'll be in kindergarten. Jack will be joining us for preschool!

So for anyone else new to this journey (and for my own reference!) I thought I'd share what we're planning to use this year. I'll let ya know how we like it as the year goes by.

Marie:

• Language Arts - Explode the Code Books 1 and 2
• Math - Math U See Primer
• Science - Our Father's World God's Creation Series
• Social Studies - Maps, Charts, Graphs, The Places Around Me (Modern Curriculum Press)
• Health - A Beka Health Safety and Manners Reader 1
• Bible - Jesus Storybook Bible, review of what they learn in Sunday School, memorization of first 4 tracks.
• Reading - We plan to read every book we own plus library books that relate to what we're learning
• Art - We plan to do Pinterest-inspred crafts related to whatever we're learning

Jack:

• Letter of the Week Preschool
• He'll also be sitting in on a lot of what Marie does

Anyone have experience with any of this? What curriculum are you using this year?

((The links are randomly chosen! I did not necessarily purchase any of it from these specific links))

Weight Loss Update {Part 2}

I promised you an update after Kempton's 1st birthday. My goal was to be wedding day weight by his birthday. By the grace of God, I saw that pretty number on that day! Woot! And I continue to hang out right around that weight.

I still have 6-8 pounds I'd like to lose and am continuing to work toward that. But otherwise, not a whole lot has changed since this post over on my sister-in-law's blog. So if you haven't seen it, go check it out!

Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20

Happy 1st Birthday, Kempton Charles!

Dear Kemp Shmemp,

A whole year has already flown by and it has been the best year of our lives thus far because you have been a part of it.

August 7, 2012

You were not thrilled about being pulled out of your comfy home so close to mommy, kicking like a wild kid when the docs were invading. But shortly after you shocked us with being a boy, you began smiling and giggling. My heart melts just at the thought!

August 2012

August 2012

To this day it does not take much to get you to smile.

September 2012

September 2012

You are also very active. You are still refusing to walk because crawling is so much quicker. And you have places to go, people to pester. You do stop for electronics, though. You knew how to turn the TV on and start a movie at the wise old age of 6 months.

October 2012

October 2012

You know what you want and when you want it. Even Marie's God-given talent of negotiation doesn't work on you.

November 2012

November 2012

You have a lot in common with your big sis. You like to scream, for example. And you love to color right along side of her.

December 2012

Christmas Day 2012

 While you aren't a huge fan of sleep, you are a serious snuggler which (usually) makes up for it! You already know how to wrap your arms around my neck and squeeze. And you let me squeeze you for (almost) as long as I want!

January 2013

February 2013

March 2013

We named you after a man who committed his life to furthering God's Kingdom. He never forgot a name and remembered details about long-ago conversations. He had a passion for people. His love for the Lord was evident from the moment I met him.

March 2013

April 2013

Since you were born, I have felt strongly that you will change the world, just like your namesake. I pray every day for that to be true. I'm so excited about what God is going to do through you!

May 2013

June 2013

And I'm so grateful to get to be your momma.

July 2013

July 2013

I love you more than life, Littlest Dude.

August 2013

August 7, 2013

Day at the Zoo

Our first field trip of the 2013-14 school year was at the Potawatomi Zoo! All of my sisters and my mom gathered with our various kids for some lunch and several hours of checking out the animals.

Here was my plan to make this day both enjoyable and educational...

1. Make sure bellies were full.
2. Read Genesis 1:20-25 and quickly remind the kids that God created all of these animals.
3. Hand out scavenger hunt pages (my husband ROCKS for helping me make these!), clipboards, and markers.

4. Have my big kids help me take pictures to make a "My Day at the Zoo" book.

We only took 3 pictures before Marie lost interest.

5. Have each kid draw a picture and/or write about their favorite part of the zoo.

After Marie lost her scavenger hunt clipboard, she started drawing everything. She's got a gift!

The pictures on the scavenger hunt page are all from the Potawatomi Zoo website so if you plan to head there, print one out!

Zoo Scavenger Hunt

While all my ideas didn't pan out perfectly, the day was a huge success! Missed naps and all!

What field trips do you have planned for this school year? If you are in the Elkhart area and want to hook up with us for future trips, let me know! We are planning one a month.

Another post about Modesty

You know the verse...

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

Maybe I'm the only one guilty of this, but I have often pulled this verse out of context, then wondered what on earth it looked like to eat and drink to God's glory.

To have a better understanding of what this verse means, let's go back to verses 23-24...

All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.

Paul talks about this a lot which must mean it is both important and a very real issue... when we choose to do, say, eat, drink, or wear something, even if we don't personally think there is anything wrong with it, if it causes our "neighbor" to stumble we are sinning. We need to consider our fellow believers, especially those who are weaker, before our own liberties.

How does this have to do with modesty? Some of the arguments against modesty are...

• Why should I have to change the way I dress because of someone else's issues?
• The guy who can't keep his eyes from wandering should learn to control himself. It's not my problem.
• I don't see anything wrong with it so why should I change?

Paul says,

Whether, then, you eat or drink (or choose clothes to wear), do all to the glory of God. Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.

Considering the weaker brother over myself is glorifying God. Isn't that my point in life - to glorify my Creator?

So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Romans 14:19