Today's Blessing- A Dead Cell Phone

Mondays are a rush day for us. The girls get out of school at 3 and then Isla has ballet in Dallas at 3:45. It's a 33 minute drive giving us 12 minutes to pray traffic cooperates, I don't get lost (which happens ALOT) and to get Isla properly dressed. (there is a strict dress code)

By the time I packed kids in the car Monday to go sit in the school pickup line I realized my cell phone was about to die. I knew the kids would be in the car for awhile so I turned on "My Little Pony" which meant no radio for me. (I thank God for built-in DVD players in Dallas)

So there I was sitting in line for at least 30 minutes, with an hour roundtrip plus another hour sitting in the car during ballet class while the babies napped. 2 1/2 hours of no radio, no Facebook, no Twitter, no Instagram, no Pinterest!!! I thought to myself , "This is going to be miserable! What am I going to do?"

I then looked over and what did I see? My bible. I just started laughing. You see just that morning as I was running errands I was thinking about how I didn't get up early as I had planned to spend time in the Word. I thought about how in college I would go to my quiet spot (and no, it wasn't a locked bathroom) and I somedays would spend two hours studying God's Word. I had time to use fancy things like the Strong's concordance and such! :)  I quickly thought about life's different seasons and how they are continually changing. I have read enough mommy books and blogs to know not to beat myself up over a skipped quiet time.  I assured myself I would one day return to  having plenty of "me" time and I will dust off our library in the garage and become the bible scholar I have always dreamt to be.   

But as I sat there looking at my bible I realized God had set this moment up. My phone was almost dead and He put me in the car for 2 1/2 hours with sleeping babies and the older ones in a "My Little Pony" trance. I spent the next 30 minutes reading. Once I started driving I thought it would be best not to try to read (My driving is bad enough without extra distractions) so I started praying. Not just rattling off my prayer list but I spent time with my Lord. It was a sweet couple of hours. 

On the drive home I talked to God about all of this.  I realize my life looks different than it did in my early 20's.  I have children, a husband, a house, laundry, etc. etc. It's okay that I don't have hours on end to read my bible and pray. Well, is it? Have I been using God's gracious blessings of children, a husband, and a home as an excuse not to spend quality time with Him in Word and prayer? That's scary.  I agree with the need to give ourselves grace and understanding as moms with young children. But most importly we need to give ourselves to the Lord each and everyday. Not so we can check it off and add stars by our name. But so we can be fed with God's Word and give Him our praises, thanksgiving, and supplications everyday. 

Now, I almost daily read my Jesus Calling or Morning & Evening devotionals. (Don't judge me! I run at the mention of a Beth Moore study, knowing it will take such time and discipline. Please Note -I LOVE Beth Moore) I pray everday for my family and urgent needs.  But today I am talking about truly studying God's Word and spending time in prayer and meditation. I know for me this means turning off my TV and phone before midnight so I am not too exhausted to get up in the morning. For you it might mean something else. It's true that life has many seasons. But no matter the season our need is always the same, an intimate relationship with our Lord that only comes from studying His word and prayer.  

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.   2 Timothy 3:16-17

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 
Psalm 119:105

But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Mathew 4:4

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 

Romans 15:4

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.    Hebrews 4:12

With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:10-11

  

Blessing of Routine!

Although I have been homeschooling now for a while, I am still always trying to figure out the best way to do it.  This year, I have 3 kids in school and so it is a greater challenge.  (K, 1st, and 4th grades)  Somewhere along this journey, I read that one of the best things to do in homeschooling was to teach your kids to be self-starters.  The person (whom I can't remember) said something to the effect that you should never have kids wait on you to start a subject.  After 2 years of having one of my children constantly needing me for every little assignment, I decided this year to try a new approach.  Today I am going to share one of the tools I am using.  It is a "Morning Notebook".

Each morning, my kids meet me at the kitchen table (Ok actually they drag me out of bed first!)  and we have Bible time with breakfast.  Then, they grab their morning notebooks and get started. No more waiting on mom to start school!  I love it! This allows me a little time to get other things going around the house.  While their morning notebooks vary each day and each week and from child to child, I can show you a little bit of what goes into them.  Below is the calendar portion that they work on about 3-4 days a week.  I also insert math drill sheets and other fun worksheets that they can do on their own.  (I know some HS families HATE worksheets but my kids don't mind them especially in a sheet protector.  There is something about writing with a marker that makes everything fun.)  
 

Cover – I made the cover plain so that the kids could decorate it any way they saw fit.

My Name As We Go – On the first day of each month, they write their name.  This is really for my younger kids.  It will be fun to watch them get better and better.

 

My Name Is – Each day, they will practice writing their name.  For my youngest, she is learning to spell her name.  My older two are learning to write in cursive.

 

100 Days of School -  Why not have a count down and a celebration when we hit it?  Each day they fill in a square. 

 

Tally Up the Days – Each day, they make a tally mark. At the end of the month, they count the days up.  My kids love this one!

 

Calendar -  I use a blank one for my older kids and one with the numbers to be traced for my younger girls.  Each day, they write in the number for the day.

 

I Can Write the Date – Each day, they practice writing the date two ways.  My younger ones simply copy it.

Weather – Each day, the kids record the weather. 

 

Where I live? – On the ones I made for my kids, I put our phone numbers and address so that they are copying them once each day. In a few weeks, I’ll switch to this blank one and see if they can write it from memory.  Then, I will just use it here and there to review.

My Daily Calendar – While I wonder if the kids might get tired of this one, for now, they will complete this one every day.  My youngest usually looks over her big brothers shoulder for help.  I put this one in a sheet protector.  

 See file below

Days in School – My two oldest will complete this one.  They will look back to their days in school tally sheet to help if need be.

Write Your Numbers – In CC, we have been learning our skip counting songs for 2 years.  I have the kids practice skip counting with this sheet based on whatever # we are learning at CC. I also have one to trace for my youngest because she still gets her numbers flipped most of the time.

 

Days of the Week – This one is for my younger kids to help learn the days of the week and abbreviations. Every once in awhile, I’ll have my oldest fill one in to work on spelling.

 

I Know my Colors – This is another for my younger kids.  They can color it and practice writing the names of the colors.

 

I Can Draw It – Each day, they make a daily drawing.  Of course, it is a favorite. I like to look back and see how much they improve.

My Idea/My Questions – Once a day or once a week, the kids can jot down an idea or question they want to explore.  They have fun with this one!

  See file below

My Goals – This one can be done daily or weekly.  The idea was to have them make a goal and celebrate when they complete it.

  See file below

 On the first few days, I had to help them to understand each page.

 Johnna Katherine's cover

 Julianna Marie working on her calendar.

 She can spell it even though it takes up 2 lines!

" I love this!"

 "Oh wait, I changed my mind!" LOL

 The weather page was a hit until they realized we live in Texas and it will always be HOT AND SUNNY!

 

And that's it!  I add to, take things out, put some pages in sheet protectors, etc...  Please comment below if you have any ideas to help make it better!  The kids love it and it is been a blessing to me!  

To download the whole file, go to the link below.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8Y6_N0OuGteblB0RkIwcHdLOUU/edit?usp=sharing

Weekly Bible Verse- 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Download a printable version and print as 4x6

"I Can Read!" Celebration

It's FRIDAY! 

Wahoo! Friday in itself is a reason to celebrate

so we have decided that Fridays will

be our day to share our celebrations!

There is nothing we love more than to 

throw a good party! (Julia, more so than Jessica!)

Between our 9 kids we can probably

share a different party for several months! 

We don't hire caterers or 

companies to decorate. (not when I have Julia!)

We don't spend a fortune. 

We just try to make every

celebration detailed and unique. 

We feel it's important to listen to what 

the kids want and make their day special.

And sometimes we just throw a 
party because we want to celebrate!

In honor of back to school, we are going 

to share Nixon and Julianna Marie's

"I Can Read" Celebration. 

A few years ago when John Mark was in Kindergarten, I (Jessica) watched him struggle through learning to read.  (Later, we discovered he needed glasses.)  At the end of the school year, he was pretty down on school. (This is before we started homeschooling!)  I didn't want his year to end so badly and I certainly didn't want him to not like school.  It was then that I decided to throw him a "I Can Read" party!  I sent out some request to friends and family to participate by sending their favorite book (as you will see below).  And the first "I can read" party was born.  I can still remember how John Mark's face lit up when he got home that day.  (We lived in NC with no family around so it was just the girls and I!)  He still talks about it and reads his books to this day. I can't think of many better reasons to celebrate than learning to read!  I think the only thing that makes me smile even brighter is knowing that my son's favorite book to read is the Bible. God has instilled in him a deep desire to seek wisdom.  

This year, it was Julianna-Marie and Nixon 

who was finishing up Kindergarten.  

We were so proud of them both for learning to read. 

In April, we sent out little messages 

to several of our close friends and family. 

My note (Julia) said something like the following:

"Hi! Jared and I are so excited and proud of Nixon. She has worked really hard the past several months and we want to do something special for her for learning to read! So we are throwing her an "I Can Read" celebration at the beginning of May. 

I am asking that her favorite friends and family send her either a book you think she might like or one that maybe you enjoyed reading as a child. Please write a special note to her inside the book. Don't worry about the reading level. I would really like for her to get all types of books. (Right now she loves listening to her daddy read a chapter of The Hobbit each night but she also loves being able to read to us lower level books!)

We really want to instill a love of reading in Nixon and we hope this celebration helps! This is a surprise party so don't say anything to her!"

We then got to party planning!

We kept the decor simple. 

I (Julia) had seen wreaths made out of book pages on Pinterest and decided to try to make one of my own. I bought children books at the Dollar store for $1 and tore the pages out.

Honestly, the middle was a little

messy so I covered it with

a Dr. Seuss quote.

This is now hanging in the

reading corner of our playroom.

I stumbled on this canvas in the

Hobby Lobby clearance aisle.

Perfect find!

We found cute reading quotes 

online and framed them. 

John Mark made a few

signs with his Legos.

We made party hats 

with book pages and lace.

I think they turned out 

super cute!

My favorite part was the food! 

All the food went with

a theme of a book. It was quite easy to plan.

"A Bad Case of Stripes" Cake!

"Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?"

Teddy Grahams and Chocolate Chip Dip

"The Rainbow Fish"

Rainbow Goldfish

"If You Give A Pig A Party"

Pigs in a Blanket

"The Very Hungry Caterpillar"

Fruit with a Fruit Caterpillar

"Who Took the Cookie

from the Cookie Jar?"

Chocolate Chip Cookies

"Amelia Bedelia, Bookworm"

Gummy Worms

"Ladybug Girl"

Crackers with Cherry Tomatoes

and Black Olives

(kids favorite) 

"If You Take A Mouse To The Movies"

Popcorn and M&Ms

"If You Give A Moose A Muffin"

Muffins

"The Giving Tree"

Brocoli 

The food was fun and

delicious!

Jessica was in charge of party favors

and crafts. She ordered most 

everything from Oriental Trading. 

Each child recieved 

a book and cute bag!

In the bag, they got a few Reading Reward Cards.

(which has come in handy to get my girls to read) 

We go to Sweet Fogs when it is

full! They also got a pencil, 

handwriting booklet, and End-Of-Year Journal!

The party was set to go!

Our two guests of honor

arrived not knowing what

was about to take place!

Everyone hid to 

prepare to yell

"SURPRISE!"

And the party began!

They were so excited!

I think these two were only

 really excited when they realized

 they were next up on the reading train!

Jane Maddy joined in the fun.

We ate!

Julianna-Marie stole a 

cookie from the cookie jar!

The worms were a huge hit!

After we ate Nixon and Julianna

read a short book to everyone. 

It was then Craft Time!

The kids made bookmarks.

Then the kids wrote

their very own giant book!

It was then time to 

open up the presents (books)!

They received so many great books! 

From classics, to childhood favorites 

to devotionals!

I wish I could have caught all 

of Julianna-Marie's expressions

 and reactions.  She was so full of joy!  

She slept with her books for

 weeks and still carries them around with her!

Nixon's grandmother

sent a few of her daddy's

childhood favorite books!

Junie B. Jones was a definite 

favorite!

This was one of my favorite's 

as a child (Jessica).  I can't wait

 for them to be a little older to read this series.

I LOVED that Nixon's

kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Rose from Alabama

had each child in Nixon's 

class write a page and make a book 

for her. It was sooo special.  

(and still makes me cry when I read it) 

They received their 1st 

devotional.

Although Julianna-Marie can read well, 

I think she simply has these 3 memorized!  

She reads them OVER and OVER and OVER!

They loved all the 

books they received!

Nixon with all her books.

After opening books,

I read "A Bad Case of Stripes".

We then ate cake!!!

Everyone had a wonderful time. It actually 

got all the kids excited about reading!

We are so proud of our little readers!

And very blessed to live

so close to cousins to celebrate 

all of life's blessings!