Great start of school!

It has been such a treat to teach your children these first couple of weeks! The Lord is so evident in our class; it makes teaching them such a blessing. The first graders are really "rising up" to be an example to the younger ones....it is so encouraging to see! Thank you for everything you do.
Jennie

I am loving this blog! God has been so faithful in the past few days as He is teaching me to live out Psalm 143 in my daily walk with Him. A couple of neat things have happened that have totally been His Spirit prompting me, and have been so fruitful. First, Sunday night I had told Hannah that we would have a special date night. I was just feeling like we needed some time to just "be". I prayed about what we should do, and of course, she wanted to go to Blackbeard's Cove, but I felt a tug on my heart to go "simple. We packed a picnic for dinner, and I gave her the freedom to pack our "activities". She chose Uno, books, and freeze tag! We walked down to a park down the street from us that has a big pond and a fountain. I cannot tell you the quality of time and the presence of the Holy Spirit that surrounded our time together. It will go down in the journal for both of us as a precious memory. We laughed, ran in the sprinklers, ran until we were out of breath, underneath the stars. For that hour in time, God reminded me that this is not only what our children need from us from time to time-no agenda, no expectations, no distractions-but what God longs for us to want with Him. Just time to "be"! I cherish each of you moms as a great treasure in my life! God is such a faithful God if we just stop to listen to His gentle pull to place us in His lap and sing over us! Blessings!

In Our Amazing Savior,
Julie

PS Spanish was a huge hit for Hannah today. She loved Senora Downs and learned so much! Thanks, Janelle! May your time and gifts be returned to you ten-fold!

PSS GAPS fellowship with each family is going so well! God is unraveling some amazing things as we go, so continue to pray for us!

Mamie,
I just quickly looked it up on the Internet because I had never heard of it. My computer was acting wierd so the only thing I got to read was the title saying what it was (I was thinking North / South Pole!) - so I was surprised. I would love more info. on it.

Thanks.

See You At The Pole

Is everyone familar with "See You At The Pole?" I have some wonderful information concerning that day around the world and thought involving the children would be great. Let me know if you would like for me to post some information about it.

Mamie

This is a terrific idea! I look forward to my first blogging experience - just happy it was with people I know and love so much!

I had teh pleasure of teaching art to the kids on Friday and it was so fun! They are each so wonderful! I just love their little faces! This is going to be a great year!
Sally

Good luck

Good Luck everyone!!

Hi Guys,
I thought it might be nice to have a place where we could come and share homechooling tips with each other - things that worked - things to avoid...

I also thought it could be a place of encouragement. Maybe if we share with each other the things we're doing and the results we're having, we'll motivate each other.

I'll start... on Thursday, I DID NOT want to get out the hose and get all wet doing the rainbow thing, but I had decided ahead of time that would be our one biggy for the day. I thought, okay, this is one of things that because we're homeschooling we can do - but when the time came, I have to say, it was all I could do to drag myself out there. (It was 2:00 or so - my "I need a nap time.") We ended up having a great water fight, watering the neighbors mushrooms, and eventually seeing the rainbow. Since we were all wet, we rode our bikes to the pool and played for around 30 minutes.

It ended up being one of our best homeschool days ever.

Another big factor to that was, I finally followed the directions after a year and one week of homeschooling - of really setting up a special, specific place for us to do school each day. Following a visual I got from Mamie, Riane and I moved her little red desk upstairs in front of a window in the FROG. We brought up all the supplies we needed, construction paper, markers, crayons, scissors, all her homeschool books, etc. and stocked her desk and a special drawer just for her (setting it up together was fun - it was like playing house - or school I guess).

Usually we're just at the kitchen table - haphazardly - or she's at her desk while I'm at mine doing my own work, but this year I wanted it to be different. I wanted to really be focused on her while I'm teaching her. This new set up really gave it a whole different feel - our own little special "classroom".