>> He hates homeschooling and will be enrolled back into the public school system next week and it is breaking my heart!!!!!<<

Dear Kathy, I feel for you! I am sure you are SO frustrated and really want to homeschool. I homeschool 5 kids–10 & under. It is NOT always easy, and the first couple of years were full of our oldest complaining ridiculously!

However, I was thinking maybe it would help you if you start with the view point that Homeschooling is the only option you are willing to accept. Period. THEN see what might help you and your son do it more happily (for both for you).

We were using a curriculum that pretty much drove my oldest CRAZY. Too much of me instructing, too much written work, and WAY too long of a school day. I would like to suggest that you may want to check out other homeschooling philosophies and methods than what you are currently using. We went from a very teacher-led method (like public school) to a curriculum that places more responsibility on the student. We switched to the Robinson self-teaching curriculum and went from the picture you’re describing at your house to children happy to do their school work, shorter days and more time to enjoy the kids even during school time, with quality work still getting done!

It sounds like you really want what is best for your son and have just considered giving up because you don’t think the constant negative feelings are the best for him. It is so nice of you to consider how he is feels. I am sure you have discussed the reasons he wants to go to public school with him, but a couple of thoughts:

If it is friends that he already has~homeschooling IS easier if he has more home-schooled friends–a co-op or other homeschool support group where there are boys his age would be a good choice. You mentioned that he also plays football~ if this is with public schooled kids then that would be a major cause for wanting to be part of the crowd and maybe you could find a homeschool league instead? If it is a long school day you may want to change to a different curriculum or method. If it is just a bad attitude in general, he is probably going to have that a public school too. If other family & friends are not supportive of homeschooling he may just feel un-cool about it~more homeschooled friends really helps here to establish that “This IS the norm and the public schooled kids are getting the short end of the stick”, but this is very hard to convince a kid of if they are often hanging out with a group of mostly public schooled kids. We have almost all public schooled kids at our church but we purposely hang out with another home-schooled family quite often so the kids will have people to relate too. (it could take just 1 homeschooled friend to share experiences with for him to change his view point)

If however the problem is that he feels like he has the right to give you grief because he is being forced to do something he doesn’t think he should have to do you may have just a discipline issue in general. The Robinson Curriculum that we switched to is founded in the child developing discipline within them self for them to feel the sense of legitimate accomplishment for a job well done. (Rather than just slapping some answers on a paper because they had to.) And the expectation the the child will ultimately obey you if given no other choice. (You are going to sit in your seat with that math book until this set is done so you might as well do it sooner rather than later and then you can go have fun.) If it is just a discipline issue you may want to check out the website “Raising Godly Tomatoes” (the thought there is that if the “tomato”/child’s only option is to hang out with you (the vine) they will become more like you and you are right there to correct them as soon as a bad attitude pops up, but you are also right there to praise/encourage every good choice they make.)

I am in agreement with the last commenter that a year of homeschooling doing too little, too easy but happy is better than a year of public school–or even a trial month of public school–where your precious boy is getting worldly ideas pushed at him through the curriculum, other kids etc. The Robinson curriculum we are now using is set up to start wherever a kid is presently at and go from there and is very low priced compared to every other curriculum I have checked out. It also is set up to start out at whatever ability level they are at. You can Google it as “Robinson Self-teaching Curriculum”. It has SO much info on it that you may not even need to buy it, but just use their philosophy but it is worth every penny if you do! I do not sell this curriculum or anything like that, it is just seriously that good. It has made all the difference in how our school goes which in turn effects how our LIFE goes!

My opinion on your question:
>>Do I tell him he can’t play football anymore unless he homeschools????<<
YES! Exactly! Football, while fun, is not crucial to life–his attitude and doing what you think is best for him is.

OR , You may like better: “Yes you may play football, and yes you are homeschooling. Period.” My children don’t even mention going to public school anymore because they know it is NOT an option, just like letting them play with guns or eat tin cans. The answer is just “No. Period. Let’s find out how we can make homeschooling awesome instead.”

I will be praying for you,
Suzanne

http://www.robinsoncurriculum.com/

http://www.raisinggodlytomatoes.com/

My mom calls these Egyptian eyes.

To make it I used a large cookie cutter, but we used to just cut a hole in the bread with a Tupperware cup.

Butter a med/hot skillet, set the bread in and the “biscuit” you made out of the hole beside it, then crack an egg into the hole and sprinkle it with salt & pepper. Once you can lift the edge without egg running out you flip it over with a spatula and wait until the other side is fried. The longer you wait the more the yolk cooks, so if you want it runny don’t leave it on too long. : ) If you’re trying to make it pretty, I use a fork in the other hand to help balance the toast when I flip it.

For this one I whisked the egg first so I could add green food coloring, but by whisking it, it fluffs it and nearly overflows the bread, so you only need 1 egg for 2 breads.

Because Abigail wanted hers green, but with a runny yolk. I also tried separating the yolk first (instead of scrambling it) and dyeing just the egg white then pouring them both together into the shamrock. This tasted great and worked fine, but again, you get too much liquid by scrambling the white so you only need half the white or so plus the intact yolk.

This one happens to also be a grilled cheese sandwich with a piece of cheese and bread on the back of what you can see.

It’s the memories we build that they’ll remember!

: o )

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I am currently NOT letting 4 of my 5 kids watch cartoons at 6:14 pm while eating stale rice cakes to tide them over until I quit blogging long enough to cook dinner…nope, NOT me!

The following is a poem in praise of the God of creation by biochemistry Professor Walter Hearn.
SCIENTIST’S PSALM — by Walter Hearn, Ph. D.

Praise the Lord, created thing!
Let all space with praises ring!
Space itself, Hosanna sing
Unto God, Jehovah, King!

I Particles in smallest cracks,
Known but by emulsion tracks:
Let all mesons praise Messiah!
Songs of praise mount ever higher!

Alpha, beta, gamma rays:
Join the chorus of His praise!
Be you ultimate or not,
All created, all begot.

Parity’s been overthrown–
Something He had always known,
Antimatter, fragments odd,
Quantum jumps to praise our God.

II Now from unexplored domains
Up to where the atom reigns;
Forged from state once hyperdense,
Praise your Maker, elements!

Atoms of increasing mass,
Nuclei from solar gas,
Orbital electrons twinning:
Praise the God who set you spinning!

Rare-earth metal, halogen,
Amorphous glass or crystalline,
Solid, liquid, vapor phase:
Join in everlasting praise!

III Molecules from atoms made
According to plans He laid:
Praise the God of Angstrom units!
God of Abraham — and Kunitz!

Carbon compounds by the score,
Hundreds, thousands, millions more;
Helical configuration
Structured into God’s creation.

Proteins now and DNA,
Intertwining overlay;
Prototype of living cell:
Praise the God of Israel!

IV Viruses and protozoa:
Praise the faithful God of Noah!
Coral on the ocean shelf:
Praise the God of life itself!

Mildew, mosses, redwood trees,
Birds in air and fish in seas.
Crawling cockroach, roaring lion!
Praise Jehovah, God of Zion!

Now with man, a new dimension–
Culture, science and invention;
Man who can subdue the earth:
Praise the God who gave you birth!

V Earth we live on, merely one
Planet of a minor sun:
Join this entire galaxy,
Showing forth His majesty!

Beyond our own galactic rim,
Billions more are praising Him.
Ten to some gigantic power
Times the height of Babel’s tower.

Past the range of telescope:
God of Faith and Love and Hope.
Praise Him every tongue and race!
Even those in outer space!
Selah (~Think about that!)

However far space does extend
From beginning unto end,
Praise the God who does transcend!
Every knee before Him bend!

God of whom these words are penned:
Against You only have we sinned.
Almighty Author of creation:
Visit us with Your salvation

I had noticed  a certain 3-year-old girlie of mine terrorizing her siblings.  This wasn’t exactly new, it was just more of the same but worse.  She was really getting out of hand.  How did it get so far? She didn’t throw temper tantrums in the store…not exactly…she just cried and pouted until I gave in.  She didn’t bite other kids…much.  She didn’t run around and hit kids… except for her older brothers & sisters…and only when she was mad….hmm.   Maybe it got so far by my excuses to myself.  The other 4 were behaving well…or were they?

So after cleaning my house the other day, and being so much more content because of it.  I noticed my little one’s behavior.  It was no longer tolerable.  I started out by reminding her of the behavior that was expected, then spanking her for the egregious infractions, but still over looking the little stuff.  Then Daddy came home.  BOY did he ever notice more than I was noticing.

So as was suggested on the Raising Godly Tomatoes website, I kept her right with me for a day, not letting her out of my sight, reminding and/or disciplining her of anything she was doing that went against our rules, and spending extra time with her loving on her and playing with her, and praising her when she did right.

AND…….

Today I have seen more smiles and hugs and obedience than ever.  She is saying “Yes, mam” and obeying quickly.  I tried to help her with her pull-up this morning and I usually get “NO!  I do it! Ngh!”  but this morning I got, “I do it…But thsank you! : )”  Yay!!!

I don’t give the other kids candy hardly ever, but I give it t her quite often, because she asks nicely, but if I don’t she starts a crying fit.  But just now, she asked for some of my candy and when I said no she just smiled, shrugged and walked away.  Wow!

Not fun to discipline, but great are the rewards!

He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.    Proverbs 13:24

We love our friends the Bryants!

Recipe for Smothered Chicken from my Awesome friend Debbie Bryant, who got it from her equally awesome friend Lori.

This dish is the first I have ever cooked by repeatedly reducing it down to concentrate the flavor (besides chili).  I love the process.   It feels like I actually cooked something, but I was able to do other things while it cooks, and not just tend to it constantly.  Yay!

2 lbs. Chicken Breast
1 Onion
1 tsp Garlic-minced
1/2 bottle Worcestershire Sauce
Pepper
Salt
1 tbs Olive Oil
Brown Rice
Tiny thin frozen Green Beans (2 bags)
Butter

*”Brown” Chicken with chopped Onion & minced Garlic in Oil in a large pot.
*Add Worcestershire sauce & enough water to cover.
*Boil, Reduce heat to slow boil
*Keep adding water & reducing 1-1 1/2 hours

*Cook Rice in Rice cooker, Microwave, or however you like it.

*Brown Green beans in Butter & Salt then add water & put lid on to steam.
*Turn down to low; don’t take the lid off until you’re ready to eat.

~You can add pepper when you add the Worcestershire, but I left it out for my kiddos.

SO Yummy!!!!

I saw why they could not tell us the true story, they would have to admit that our great country was found by a missionary explorer sent by God to spread the good news. I will tell my children the truth, and this year, we will celebrate Columbus Day.

: ) HI!  I’ve been a bit busy!  Here’s what I’ve been up to!

School’s going good, my birthday was fun, enjoying life…Please pray for Sawyer, he has a fussy tummy almost every evening, and most days. PLEASE pray for him!  Thanks : )