The Christmas Stocking by Avonlea

It all started by Mommy telling us we weren't going to have stockings this year. Instead, we decided to earn money for little children in other countries so we hung up our stocking for them. We started in early December and by Christmas Eve our stockings for the children were bulging. We opened the stockings up on Christmas Eve night and had ...... $960.86 for the children from different countries! We were so excited! We each got $160.00 to spend. I spent it on a goat and two chickens for $100 plus a fishing kit and another pair of chickens for $65.00(Mom gave me five extra dollars) and so we'll make some people happy for Christmas. It makes me feel joy in my heart to share with other people.

Christmas Break

We took three weeks off for Christmas break this year. The kids worked really hard during the fall and I wanted to reward them. I also wanted to focus on different types of education. It is often quoted that "learning is a lifestyle." Sometimes that concept can be hard to grasp. I think of it in the same way I think of cooking. I usually cook my tried and true, I always have the ingredients on hand recipes, but sometimes I branch out and make something wild. Either way eating is consistent around here. It's automatic, yet it requires planning and diligence. So with schooling.
We do the tried and true, daily work and I see mental growth in my children. Then we take a break, go somewhere fun or do something different. The three focuses of this Christmas break are literature, social graces, and philanthropy. I discovered a newish book entitled, Read For The Heart by Sarah Clarkson. Sarah is a young girl who made a compilation of her favorite books. I went through it with my laptop on my lap and my library card in hand. Saturday, the weekend before our break started, everything was in, and it was Christmas before Christmas. Avonlea and Grant have been imbibing all sorts or good literature and Rowan has fallen in love with the Billy and Blaze series.
The second thing we are focusing on this season is social etiquette. Really, December is the best month of the year to work on this. All it entails is preparation. If I take the time to prep my kids on where we are going, how to address the people we'll be seeing, and tips on ways to make others comfortable and happy, our social engagements go so much more smoothly. They are learning that if an adult (or anyone really) asks them a question they are to ask one back after answering. We have gotten huge reactions (which is sad) over this in the grocery store. The cashier asks the kids, "How are you today?" They respond, "Good thank you and how are you?" Inevitably, the cashier freezes, stares is disbelief and comments on how rare it is for kids to care or even answer! This has led to some wonderful conversations between the cashiers and my children. The cashiers feel valued and my kids see how little it takes to bless another.
We have brainstormed together this season for ways to bless people. The kids participate in the planning and the execution. We have a Christmas stocking hung at the fireplace where they deposit all the money they make from extra chores. We'll count it on Christmas eve and use it to buy a cow or a chicken (depending on the amount) for a family in a third world country. We danced at a nursing home. We're babysitting a family of kids so the parents can go out shopping. We picked out and wrapped presents for a struggling family. At Christmas opportunities abound and it's such a joy to draw our children into them, to open their eyes how they, even they, can show God's love to others.
So I try to teach these things but I can really only model. The Holy Spirit will be the one to truly instruct their hearts. So I pray and I do all in my power to alter the menu and make it appealing for little appetites. God please give them appetites for You!

The Craft Table by Annie

The first semester of the school year is almost at it's end.
It's been a very busy, full semester. No complaints of boredom, that's for sure!
However, as the holidays and the cold come, I feel they need a new venue for their energy.
I did a craft table a few years ago and it was a huge success. Sometimes I show them some fun projects they can try. I might leave out needles, thread, popcorn and cranberries. Maybe strips of colored paper and a stapler. Sometimes cardboard and straws and directions for fairy wands. Or maybe nothing but stickers and crayons and stuff......

They end up making all of their Christmas presents for their family and friends. And as you can see by their smiles, they have a great time doing it!

Counting Books by Avonlea

We found out an amazing fact! We're counting all the books, to see how much we have. Me and Grant counted 1,634 books in the basement. We still have 2 storys up to do. Pray for us!!! I alone had 164 books that were mine. WOW!!!!!



I love reading good books. Some of my favorite books are Nancy Drew, Daughters of Faith, Jack and Annie [Magic Tree House], Moccasin Trail, and tons of other nice books!

Grant's Photos

Grant's assignment on Thursday was to take 10 pictures. The idea was for him to take pictures of the reasons he loves being at home and home-schooled. He will write his reasons under the pictures.
I like playing with my sister at home. I like listening to her music.

I like tackling my cat. He's fun to play with.

I like catching food for my frogs and I like to play with them. I catch flies, crickets, spiders, and soldier bugs.

I like to feed my big frog crickets and watch him eat them. He's fun to hold.

I play with my dog lots. We have races. Her name is Winnie-the-Pooch.

This is Tim and Monk. Tim is the dog and Monk is the monkey (it's really curious George). I like throwing them.

This is Guinevere, my cat. I like to play with her, she's very nice.

This is my very nice mommy, I love her very much. This is little Rosy. It is fun to kiss them.

This is my brother Rowan. I really like to play with him. I like to throw stuffed animals at him and I tackle him.

This is Tim again. He is my favorite stuffed animal. I had a no platelets and Nancy Jackson gave him to me and when they looked at my platelets again I had just the right amount.

Opossum by Avonlea

We had an opossum in our back yard. After the San Diego trip we thought we'd chop some of our wood. So as were standing there on the wood pile, and Dad feels this pressure on his foot and he looks down, to a huge opossum snapping at his toes. Luckily he had work shoes on.

A couple days later Mom read in a article about a lady who would go out on the beach and play the flute and all the seals would come and listen because animals like music. And Mom joked that I could get out my violin and play for the opossum, and I intend to!

Planning......cont. by Annie

I just came home from a helping a friend organize her home school stuff for the fall. It's so exciting. There's such a sense of peace when you've outlined some basic goals for the semester and lined everything up in it's place.

I had stated previously that I did school with Rowan first. These boxes entertained Rose when she wanted attention. I have a box of play dough things, one of rubber stamps and ink, a cork board with a hammer and shapes, magic sand, a box a matchbox cars, and a caddy of crayons, scissors, glue, etc. I also have a basket of old magazines that has occupied children in making collages for hours. They also like these things. Another big hit with them is when I trace their bodies on the big rolls of white paper and let them decorate themselves.
Here are the kids list's of things they do on their own. I used to write out the exact directions for each category but it took forever. Now, they just know to do a line of handwriting, a chapter of Bible, the History assignments that are on the board, their math page for the day, the next poem in their poetry book, etc. This list is great to have because there are days I'm running behind, but they don't need to be because they can get started on their stuff. The art tab has 10 page protectors in it to hold their art projects. At the end of 12 weeks, or on some subjects, the end of the school year, I empty the divisions into their grade folder in the filing cabinet.

It's always fun to work towards something. One goal that we work toward is having an open class-room night at the end of our semester. Last year we had the grandparents over and gave them a taste of what we do in school. We started with the pledge of allegiance and a song. The kids recited poetry, Bible, history, and geography. Rowan pointed out his continents and oceans on the map. They dissected sentences. We had a spelling bee with grandparents included. The kids displayed their art work, etc. It was tons of fun and such a good reward for all their hard work!