2013-2014 Educational Goals for First Grade

Goal: the end toward which effort is directed : aim

This is by no means set in stone, just our aim and also a work in progress! You can see the curriculum choices our family made here. 

Bible - Scripture memory from Truth & Grace Memory Book 1 - Catch up to 1st grade approximately 30 verse.  Catechism questions 1-45

Reading - Read at grade level & tackle short chapter books. Be able to give a brief story summary. 

Writing & Spelling - Correctly write letters and space them accordingly. Know the basics of cursive. 

Math - Understand place value, addition & subtraction of single digit numbers with ease, basic knowledge of time.  

History/Geography - Nail down Classical Conversations timeline. Continents and Oceans

Science - enjoy nature!!

Bits & Pieces | My Blessed Life

I came home from a meeting to UNO attack on the deck! Best dad ever!

New Bible and book on homeschooling! 

Family Bible Time

Coffee and Editing

Sweet moments with my boy! 

One of my favorite things.... So hard to saw no to! 

Popcorn at Nancy's! 

Chubby hands on chubby cheeks! Melt my heart!

Silly girls! 

Organized chaos! Lesson planning! 

Classical Conversations Prep!

Two of my greatest blessings! 

Have a great weekend!

Friday Favorites

One blog I follow is Home with Purpose she often does a purposeful links day and I LOVE that! I love seeing what others find useful from the internet! I have posted a few Friday Favorites and am hopefully going to be posting more of those soon. 

A friend of mine posted started a Facebook page for her non-slip headbands. I bought one a few months back and just ordered three more! Check out Hottheads on Facebook.

Here is an image from March with my Hotthead headband!

(Forgive the gooberness, just look at the headband! I was headed out the door to a session)

Sovereign Grace Music has a new album out, Grace Has Come: Songs from the Books of Romans. It is theologically rich in true sovereign grace fashion and the style of music is right up my ally! I listened to it on spotify. (If you are new to spotify watch the commercials they can be a bit crass!)

 

(my little man loves to jam out to Come Praise and Glorify by Sovereign Grace on The Gathering Album)

 

This post from Grace Filled Living on Why I don't want good children was excellent!

Love this, "Good limits God. Good lacks grace."

 

I am always a sucker for Read-Aloud books lists. Did you see my last post about how I am not a good read alouder! :) Check out this one from Simple Mom!

When you work at home and communicate often by e-mail it is easy to get sucked into checking your email all day long! I loved this post by Tim Challies, 8 E-Mail Mistakes You Make from a few weeks ago!

I loved the encouragement from Mom's Mustard Seeds post Making Disciples Begins at Home.

I am learning what it means to come to the end of myself and trust Jesus more fully so I can love my these two rightly!

Happy Friday Folks!

1st Grade Read Alouds

I confess, I am not the best homeschool mom read alouder... I realize alouder is not a word but you get the point. It is hard work to read to little people who barely listen. It takes time to sit down and read books. Especially ones without pictures!!! 

We have managed to make it through a few books over the past 2 years. We started with a beautifully illustrated copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Followed by Flat Stanley. We had a smattering of Winnie-the-Pooh until we finally complete the first book. A few others we have completed are, Pippi Longstocking, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,  My Father's Dragon and Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. Needless to say we are not plowing through our read aloud books at lightening speed.

 

After listening to a lecture by Andrew Pudewa of Institute for Excellence in Writing I became convinced and convicted about the need for and lack thereof read aloud time in the life of our family. I love to read and get lost in books! I just lack the drive to read aloud regularly to my children. To remedy this situation I am created a 1st grade read aloud list.

• Little House in the Big Woods (currently reading)
• Wind in the Willows
• Mr. Popper's Penguins
• The Door in the Wall
• Stuart Little
• Swiss Family Robinson
• The Moffats
• The Hundred Dresses

This book list is intended to be a goal and a target for our reading. I used various book lists I pinned on pinterest and my favorite resource recommend to me long ago, Honey for A Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt to create my list.

 I am looking forward to cuddling up and diving into these books with my kiddos. (Who am I kidding my cute two year old will be running circles around the living room) What are your favorite read aloud books? What books do you remember from your childhood?

Happy Reading!

This post is linked up with:

 

1st Grade | Here We Come

I can't believe it is happening, I have a first grader! Facebook has been plastered with back to school photos and I feel like a bit of a slacker since we haven't officially started yet. I can't nail down a good Monday to start so I am just going to have to pick a day and get going! I am really looking forward to this year.Our first week or so will consist of reviewing and getting in a routine.

1st Grade Curriculum:

Reading - Institute for Excellence in Writing Primary Arts of Language

we are continuing this and we BOTH love the program

Read alouds and books for her to read

Writing - Institute for Excellence in Writing Primary Arts of Language

the reading counterpart, again LOVE THIS

Copywork, often from scripture

Prescripts - Introduction to cursive, from Classical Conversations

Math - Math-U-See Alpha with Rightstart Math Abacus Work

I have never been strong at math. I am re-learning math along with my daughter. The abacus is used to reinforce the same lessons in a different way.
Spelling - All About Spelling Level 1
This actually came with our Primary Arts of Language Writing

Classical Conversations - will form our spine this year for Geography, History & Science
Geography- Europe and The World, the focus will be on location and tracing
Science - using the CC memory work about Ecology, Astronomy & Physical Science, we will delve deeper by learning additional information about our memory work. Also will be using Christian Liberty Press' Nature Reader
History - using CC as our spine we will be studying Pre-Reformation to Modern History. We will add to history with books from the library about certain subjects. We also will use our timeline from Classical Conversations to work on history.
Art - We may chase any art projects done at CC. She will also be taking piano lessons.
Bible - It took me some time to figure this out!! We will continue the Truth and Grace Memory Books working through scripture memory and A Catechism for Boys & Girls. We will also be reading through a bible story from The Child' Story Bible and getting and overview of the storyline of the Bible. I will be using The Bible Story Handbook as a teaching resource. We will follow up the story bible with the actual text out of the Bible.

I have a few things left I would like to plan before we get started. I still need to map out educational goals for the year. Create our read aloud list. Plan a few field trips for the fall.

Ready or not, 1st grade, here we come!

Linking up with:

and

Friday Favorites

I have a few favorite things I have been wanting to share. 

Feedly Reader

 

I love reading blogs and I go through seasons where I read more of certain "categories" Feedly has really simplified my reading and made it  enjoyable. There is also an ipad app, which is really user friendly! 

Plan to Eat

I am a horrible menu planner. Okay that is an exaggeration, I go through seasons but I am overall a bad meal planner. I would like to get to the point of making my meal plans once a month. Shopping once a month (we buy some of our food from a coop I would love to be able to know what I am cooking so I can stay out of the grocery store!) is a goal of mine! I have been reading about Plan to Eat for a number of years and finally decided to try it! I love it! Here are some highlights of why I like it:

• 30 day free trial! Try before you buy!
• I use LOTS and LOTS of online recipes, there is a bookmarklet feature that allows you to easily copy and paste recipes online. 
• Easy menu planning with drag and drop features. 
• You can have "friends" and share recipes. 
• All my recipes can be (will be if I can get sit down long enough to enter some) in one accessible place. 
• Decide you can't afford it or want a year off? You can export your recipes!  
• Seem to quickly answer questions or their facebook page which means great customer service.
• You can become an affiliate if you wish!

It does cost money, it is either $39.00 a year or there is a monthly option. Give it a try! If you click on one of the links above and decide you want to subscribe I will get a small kick back. You can read about become an affiliate yourself. When I signed up I found a coupon code from Heavenly Homemakers.  

Van's Natural Foods - Crackers

We have moved away from so many processed snacks but with small kiddos it is nice to have easy snacks on hand. We are also giving a gluten free diet a go for awhile so these are an awesome snack to have on hand. They have made going gluten free much easier! 

For When You Don't Like Being a Mom

I was blessed and encouraged by this blog post yesterday. It might not be for you today but tuck it away for when you have "one of those days!" I know it blessed many others when I shared it on facebook yesterday! 

Have a fantastic weekend!  

Restored

There are days when I wake up to the gentle boom of thunder and a bedroom that is still dark when it should be light. I hear the light tapping on the window as I roll over and close my eyes. I breathe a prayer of thankfulness for the rain that washes over the earth and the rest that I received that restores joy to my soul.Today was one of those days, for that I am thankful!

You see this week I have struggled to find joy in the mundane, to fight guilt and condemnation that was nailed to the cross, and find rest in my Savior. 

The daily ins and outs of laundry, making lunches, sweeping the floor, folding the laundry, wiping noses and bottoms, putting the way the laundry, doing this dishes can either be a chore that is done out of duty or delight. Duty because it is my "job" or delight because it is what God has called me to in this season of my life. This week it has been out of duty.

I have fought condemnation and guilt about not getting up earlier than my children, not doing "enough" or any school with my 5 year old. Letting them watch to much TV. Having to spend time on the computer vs with them because of editing/website work. I have felt guilty. 

I have fought all these things in my own strength and thus I have lacked much joy, peace and rest that is found in laying my life at the feet of Jesus. 

As I crawled into bed tired and weary last night, more weary than tired, I needed rest, a rest that only God can supply. Rest that is found only in trusting God with the mundane, confessing my failings to Jesus and relying on the Holy Spirit to bring forth change, throwing off condemnation because in Christ there therefore no condemnation, and taking Jesus' yoke upon myself.

I am thankful God knows my heart and granted me rest and peace. I am thankful for the Holy Spirit and how He opens my eyes to my sin and causes me to cast them aside. I am thankful for Jesus' words, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

 

Faith

"There was no water for the people to drink at that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron.  The people blamed Moses and said, “If only we had died in the Lord ’s presence with our brothers!  Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord ’s people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock?  Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and no water to drink!” Moses and Aaron turned away from the people and went to the entrance of the Tabernacle,  where they fell face down on the ground. Then the glorious presence of the Lord  appeared to them,  and the Lord  said to Moses,  “You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.” So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the Lord .  Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?”  Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill. But the Lord  said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!”

Numbers 20:2-12

As I was reading my Bible this morning these verses really struck me. How often do we do the same thing as Moses? We listen to the Lord's commands found in scripture but yet we choose to go our oun way and "strike" the rock rather than "speak" to the rock. That lesson speaks loud enough within itself but this is what really got me,

 "Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel"  

Wow! When we don't exercise faith in His promises we are are showing others that we don't trust God to do what He says and we don't allow Him to demonstrate His holiness in our lives!

The promise I am clinging to today is that God is faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9) and He is working good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). 

It is my prayer that God's holiness will be demonstrated by me trusting God and His promises!

What are your favorite promises?

For the Lord...

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men"

-- Colossians 3:23

This verse has been engraved on my mind lately as I am seeking to mother, run a home, run a business, live out my faith and love others well. I fight a lack of discipline. I think it is our natural sinful tendency to be undisciplined, it sure is mine anyways. What I have noticed is that when I lack discipline my mind tends to lose focus on what is the main thing and my priorities are out of whack! The crumbs on the floor and the dishes in the sink begin to move up the list and quickly become more important than the relationships God has given me. When I am diligent and keeping at task my priorities tend to become less skewed!

During school, we are taking a character trait and matching it with scripture. A while back was diligence! We use this chart from We Choose Virtues.

I am diligent, I start fast, work hard and finish strong!

Why do we do these things? 

For the Lord and not for men!

When my focus is moved back to the cross, off of my situation and sin my diligence is for the Lord's glory and not my own purposes. It is hard to be diligent in a world that causes us to be so idle.
 When we are idle we zone out, get complacent and do nothing! God wants us to be fully His, "train ourselves for godliness" and live for Him! 

I pray today you are living working for God and not for men!

Light

Life Lately {Wrap Up}

I cannot believe we are into the month of March! That means I am gaining an hour of daylight, my hubby is turning a month older and SPRING is here! We are also close to finishing our Classical Conversations year. It also means wedding season is around the corner. I am incredibly thankful for God's provision in our lives and the things he is teaching me! I thought the best way to catch up would be via photos of my life! 

Little man got his first haircut. It helps to keep it out of his face! He is getting super big saying all kinds of words and melting mommy's heart daily! 

Bible time is such a precious time, it can be a challenge with two little people but God is doing great things through His word in our lives!

I know that one of these days when they are grown and gone I am going to want to remember what it was like in the day to day with these two!

My valentines! They are the best of friends and I am so thankful!

Judah means "the one who praises God" we have no doubt that God will use him for His praise and glory! This little guys LOVES music!

Two of my very favorite kiddos came by for the morning and we spent some time painting and playdouging! :) (playdoughing is a word, right?)

Some evening we will pull out the ipad and worship via you tube! One of my very favorite videos is this one. Check out the whole playlist here.

That is a pretty good summary of my life lately!

Pray you all are doing well!

Happy Saturday

Happy Saturday! 

Squeezed in a maternity session this morning, now I am snuggled up getting ready to edit some beautiful portraits while enjoying my sweats and fuzzy slippers and sipping on some hot cocoa. 

Life Lately

I have really been trying to keep up with life. Lately that had been building into my kids, creating some routine and consistency, housework, school, dinners and photography. I have been trying to take more snap shots because my kiddos are getting too big too fast!

Our life lately via Instagram

Chicken fajitas for dinner

My sweet babies on a laid back day at home!

Homemade applesauce and coffee! <3 cup="cup" my="my" owl="owl" p="p" tervis="tervis">

A much needed afternoon of peace and rest!

Thankful my big girl still likes to cuddle! Getting some bedtime cuddles while enjoying the Andy Griffith Show!

My creative girl & her snowman! 

Me: "why isn't there any black lines for the snowballs"

K: "because mommy, snow is white!" 

Playing some games for reading! We love IEW games!

This is how I spend my New Years Eve! I LOVED it!

Creating a Motherhood Mission Statement: Roles

I started by reading the blog posts I posted about here & this eBook

The first step is to identify your roles. This is my working draft:

 Anyone else written a mission statement for motherhood? What did yours look like? I would love to hear about your mission state or the many hats you wear. 

The next part of writing a mission statement is putting action statements to these words. Hoping to carve out some time this week to get that done!

2013 Goals

Yesterday was a day of getting organized and setting goals. It has been a long time since I have had a vision and direction. I realize that has caused me to lazy and complacent! Thankful that God has laid this conviction on my heart and motivated me to action!

The Bible says, "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." Proverbs 16:9

I am planning my way but asking the Lord to establish my steps! I thought I would share my goals here so that it is a constant source of reminder and a place to check them off.

2013 Goals (in no particular order)

Spiritual:

• Keeping up with Bible Eater Plan
• Pray Scripture over Justin, Kyla & Judah daily! 
• Keep up with our missions map & pray reguraly for missionaries on the field
• Intentionally build and maintain relationships
• Weekly encourage a sister in the faith via a letter, phone call, e-mail, or coffee date
• Plan a ladies event every month to encourage the ladies @ The Gathering

Personal/Homeschooling/Mothering:

• Write up priorities!
• Keep my priorities in order
• Stay on top of homeschooling and lesson planning
• Write a motherhood mission statement
• Plan & do 2 intentional activities with my kids individually per week
• Plan & do 1 intentional 'special' activity with each kiddo per month
• Plan for the week on Sunday afternoon/evenings
• Get away for a few hours to plan once a month
• At least 1 date night with Justin a month
• Stick to our budget, keep up with the budget
• Blog 2-3 times per week
• Read at a minimum of 20 books in 2013.
• Be in photos more often
• Edit & print personal photos
• Read rather than watch TV
• Plan 1 field trip per month
• Plan, plant & maintain 4 garden beds
• Make a mobile chicken coop
• Keep learning about and eating a whole foods diet
• Keep up with some sort of cleaning schedule

Family:

• Plan 2 specific, fun, intentional family nights per month
• Write a family mission statement

KGP Business Goals:

• Pay quarterly taxes
• Increase revenue by marketing
• Update wedding collections
• Create a mission statement
• Attend a conference
• Save for a new camera body
• Take a salary      

I am excited about keeping up with these goals, updating this list with links and seeing how the Lord establishes my steps in 2013!

Intentional Living

I am convinced intentional living only comes through planning. Neither being intentional or planning are strengths of mine. I have been convicted time and time again to be self disciplined. I think it begins with know what I am suppose to do every day. I am sure you are reading this and thinking, what do you mean you don't know what to do every day!! What I mean is focusing on what is most important, often I get sucked in with the unimportant and lost in the laundry.

No more! 

I am going to use my blog to craft out my mission statement and daily priorities. 

I am going to be loosely following these blog posts and eBook from Inspired to action.
Blog Post #1, Blog Post #2, & the eBook.

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
(Deuteronomy 6:5-9 ESV)

2013 | HOPE

A facebook friend shared a few days ago that she does not do New Years Resolutions, she chooses a word for the year! I like that and am adopting that idea. 

My word this year is HOPE!
 

"Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Romans 5:2

A few weeks ago I told Justin that for the first time in a long time I felt hopeful about the future.
 

2013:HOPE  

Failure

If you are a failure please stand up... or at least nod your head.

It all started last night when I turned off the kitchen light before bed and pretended the dirty dishes in the sink and on the stove, okay and a few on the table didn't exist. The Lord has really been convicting me on my need to rise early so I can more fully seek His face, prepare for the day and serve my family. So as I went to bed I set my alarm for 6:00 am. See I was mildly successful the day before rising at 6:30 am after only pushing snooze twice. Well, 6:00 am rolled around and I pushed snooze. Thanking God for his grace and that my faith is not based on how early I get up but on Jesus' life, death, burial and resurrection. 6:15 am I hit snooze again telling myself it isn't a sin to sleep longer. 6:30 am, I hit snooze and put a pillow over my head. 6:45 am I consider rising until the alarm goes off again at 7:00 am. 7:11 am little man decides he wants out of bed. Mission getting up early = failed! Seeking the Lord = failed!

 I cuddle with little man on the couch for a few minutes while I hear the dishes calling my name from the other room. Instead of getting breakfast going and getting my day started I cuddled up in a few blankets and laid on the couch and enjoyed a little cat in the hat and who knows what else until sister woke up a little later. Mission prepare for the day = failed!

The day goes on much as usual and I finally get moving at 10:30 am .I am hardwired to have a relatively clean kitchen before I can cook or do anything else it seems! So I get started cleaning and Kyla has declared she no longer wants the eggs I should of made a few hours ago (she had something else before she asked for eggs) because it was so late. Mission serving my family = failed!

It's true by noon I knew I had failed and the mission had TOTALLY been aborted. I won't even mention all the parenting blunders and mistakes I made today!

 In all my inadequacies and failures I was reminded of a few things,

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21

That God looks at me and sees the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. Though I continually sin and battle in this world Christ is perfect in me.

 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17

That I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. I have been made new and am being made new! Yes, I will battle but I can overcome. Because... 

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

I will continually battle with the flesh and my sinfulness but this life I am living now is by faith in the Son of God who loves me, died for me and make me perfect before the Father! So tonight as I turned off the kitchen light the sink is empty and the dishes are clean. The alarm is set and waking early is the goal. I am once again thankful that...

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

Because there is hope for this failure, there is hope for you. Look to Jesus! Seek his GRACE!

My HOPE and SALVATION

I have started multiple posts since last November when I celebrated my sweet baby's 1st birthday. Many posts about various topics however, words seemed inadequate at times to describe the past six months but what I can freely declare is God's abundant goodness to his children! A few months ago I was reading through the book of Philippians. These verses are ones I have read often, quoted and shared to many but this time the Holy Spirit implanted these truths deep in my heart,

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:4-7

The key to living in the abundance of God's grace is found in rejoicing. Rejoicing causes us to take heart when troubles surround us, rejoicing cause us to place our faith in Jesus continually, and rejoicing will give us peace and will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. When I cast all my cares, desires and plans at the Lords feet I am saying "I trust you, I know you are working for YOUR glory and my good! I know That you are sovereign and the victory is already won!" This brings great peace, causing my love for God to swell and my faith to grow.

 Just yesterday I was fighting for joy! Fighting to live and even "feel" like a redeemed child of God. All I could see was the circumstances around me, the pile of laundry, the phone calls I had to make about a bill, a fussy baby, the defiant 4 year old, my own sin of selfishness and slothfulness! It was caving in on me quickly. Rather than letting it all pile on top of me I decided to be proactive, to fight with the only thing I could, God's word. I remembered my circumstances do not define me, the laundry could wait, I can't do anything about the bill at that very moment, put the baby to bed for a nap, let the 4 year old play on the computer, and poured my sin out at the feet of Jesus and grabbed a bible and take a hot soak in the tub. Soooooooo thankful for God's written word and how it brings life to my soul. I started in Psalm 37 and read to Psalm 42. Ending with,

"Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God." Psalm 42:11

So therein lies my hope, in my salvation and my God. Thus I shall praise Him! Today, my circumstances are the same, the pile of laundry remains, the bill is working itself out, the baby it currently napping, the 4 year old is playing with daddy, I am still very much a sinner but I know that my hope is in God, who is my Salvation and my Hope.