Homeschool and Mother's Journal 5/2

In my life this week:

I finished the spring clothing switch, gave the house a good cleaning on Thursday, continued with the regularly-scheduled homeschooling, and battled headaches, for which I have a doctor's appointment scheduled next week to request the drug Topamax, which helped a friend's migraines. Last but not least, I read this book every spare minute. It's a collection of stories about heroic, faithful women, some missionaries, some not, but oh my...it's a beautiful, inspiring book.

These are the stories of five ordinary women - Sarah Edwards, Lilias Trotter, Gladys Aylward, Esther Ahn Kim, and Helen Roseveare - who trusted in their extraordinary God as he led them to do great things for his Kingdom. Noel Piper holds up their lives and deeds as examples of what it means to be truly faithful. Learning about these women will challenge readers to make a difference for Christ in their families, in the church and throughout the world. Contents: Thank You Crossing - Introduction Sarah Edwards - Faithful in the Mundane Lilias Trotter - Faithful in Weakness Gladys Aylward - Faithful in Humility Esther Ahn Kim - Faithful in Suffering Helen Roseveare - Faithful in Loss

In our homeschool this week:

We're in the Africa portion--the last portion--of our Eastern Hemisphere study. The boys and I have read, or are reading, these books since my last homeschooling post, which was three weeks ago:

David Livingstone, Africa's Trailblazer

Mary Slessor, Forward into Calabar (Africa)

"The lion's jaws gripped David Livingstone's arm. Razor-sharp teeth pierced his flesh as the lion savagely shook David in the air like a rag doll. A gunshot rang out. 'God help us,' David moaned, as the lion dropped him and turned to charge David's friend Mebalwe."

With the heart of an explorer and the passion of an evangelist, David Livingstone mapped vast, unexplored areas of Africa, sharing the gospel with whomever he encountered. His stamina, perseverance, and dogged determination created the legacy of a trailblazing explorer with an undying hunger to make Christ known wherever his steps led him.

David Livingstone's captivating adventures and tireless zeal continue to inspire countless men and women to bring the gospel message of God's love to those souls who have never heard.

"Mary Slessor pondered David Livingstone's words, 'I don't care where we go as long as we go forward.' I'm not going anywhere, Mary mused. I'm twenty-seven years old. I work in a cotton mill twelve hours a day. God, Mary prayed, send me somewhere, anywhere, just send me to be a missionary."

God would indeed answer the prayer of the fiery, red-haired woman from Scotland. For thirty-nine years, Mary Slessor would labor in love among the unreached, often treacherous, tribes of Africa's Calabar region. Braving sickness, danger, and death on all sides, Mary became the cherished "White Ma" to entire tribes. Her faith, steadfastness, and pioneering spirit brought her beloved adopted people their first brilliant, contrasting example of the life and freedom found in Jesus Christ.

Mary Slessor's story is an ageless epic of a woman who would stop at nothing to reach the lost with the life-giving gospel of Christ.

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Louis Braille: The Boy Who Invented Books for the Blind

Louis Braille, blinded at age three, was determined to learn and be as much like other people as possible. In the early 1800s disabled children did not go to school; instead, they became outcasts. But Louis was the exception. He relied on his memory, which enabled him to do well — but he still wanted to read. When he was 12, he invented a raised dot alphabet. This alphabet became known as Braille, and is now used around the world
Louis did not use his blindness to disable him, instead he found a way to experience and enjoy life. Fast paced and engaging, this story gives us a man who is an inspiration and wonderful role model, and the reader will be anxious to find out what happens in each of the dilemmas Louis encounters. As a hands-on bonus, the Braille alphabet can be found at the back of the book: readers are asked to close their eyes and read with their fingers. An excellent choice for young readers.

King of the Wind, a Newbery Medal Winner

He was named 'Sham' for the sun, this golden red stallion born in the Sultan of Morocco's stone stables. Upon his heel was a small white spot, the symbol of speed. But on his chest was the symbol of misfortune. Although he was as swift as the desert winds, Sham's proud pedigree would be scorned all his life by cruel masters and owners. This is the classic story of Sham and his friend, the stable boy Agba. Their adventures take them from the sands of the Sahara to the royal courts of France and, finally, to the green pastures and stately homes of England. For Sham was the renowned 'Godolphin Arabian' whose blood flows through the veins of almost every superior Thoroughbred. Sham's speed, like his story, has become legendary.

The Rat-Catchers Son and Other Stories

A delightful collection of folktales from Africa collected by SIM missionaries.

Listening for Lions, by Gloria Whelan 

Historical fiction with a wicked twist.
Listening for Lions is a breathtaking story of tragedy, deception, and triumph against all odds. National Book Award–winning author Gloria Whelan sets this richly historical coming–of–age adventure in British East Africa in the year 1918.
This irresistible novel entangles an orphaned girl in a deceit filled plot. Young Rachel Sheridan is made to leave her beloved Africa for England, where she must pose as the deceased daughter of a nefarious couple in an effort to gain them an enormous inheritance. Her irrepressible spirit and extraordinary wit turn her from victim to heroine in a surprising and empowering tale of a remarkable young woman.

Dry Bones and other Fossils by Gary E. and Mary M. Parker

Join the Parker family on their annual fossil hunting adventure. Dr. Gary Parker and his wife Mary explain to their children what fossils support Noah?s Flood and contradict evolution. The Parker?s give answers for many questions, including, ?Did the Grand Canyon require millions of years to form or could it have been created very quickly?? Learn how to conduct your own fossil hunt and how to prepare the larger fossils for moving.   Gary Parker, Ph.D. , is a zealous creationist and professor of biology at the Institute for Creation Research in San Diego. He lectures worldwide for both ICR and Answers in Genesis, has written 5 science textbooks and 7 creation books (translated into over 10 languages), and appeared in numerous films, videos and television programs. Gary and his wife, Mary, also run family camps, workshops, and credit courses through the Creation Adventures Museum near their home in Arcadia, Florida.

The Glorious Age in Africa

Ghana, Mali & Songhay: The Story of Three Great Empires

Peter is finishing up The Rat-Catcher's Son and then he'll have completed his Sonlight year. My plans for the rest of the school year, which for us closes at the end of August, is to have him read classics and some personal requests.

Introducing a Christian Children's Author

Through Sonlight we discovered author Patricia St. John, one of the most prolific Christian children's writers from the twentieth century. We have 4 more of her books on order, shown below. A wonderful storyteller, Patricia leads children to the Lord and deepens their commitment to bringing glory to God, through honoring Him with their lives. Her books weren't available in our library, so I decided to buy used copies to bless my girls too. Peter's the one who requested more from this author.

While we wait for these books, Peter will start the Frances Hodgson Burnett classic, Little Lord Fauntleroy. Burnett also wrote The Little Princess and The Secret Garden.







Grade Level 6.4, Lexile 1070

Overview: "Little Lord Fauntleroy" is the story of Cedric Errol who is living in poverty with his mother in New York. When his father, an Englishman who was disinherited for marrying an American, dies, Cedric is summoned to England by his grandfather. Cedric's grandfather, an Earl, intends to transform Cedric into a lord so that he may one day take his place as the lord of the manner. However, it is Cedric who transforms his grandfather with his kind-heartedness and helps to bring his estranged mother finally together with grandfather.



Preschool and First Grade News:

The girls are enjoying:



A Little Princess Rewritten for young children (labeled for preschoolers), my girls have asked for this every day for a week.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: A Classic Illustrated Edition: This one, being long, will take us some time to finish, but the illustrations are beautiful.

After lunch, we read a little of this, which will also take some time to finish:

Hitty Her First Hundred Years

Hitty is a doll of great charm and character. It is indeed a privilege to publish her memoirs, which, besides being full of the most thrilling adventures on land and sea, also reveal her delightful personality. One glance at her portrait will show that she is no ordinary doll. Hitty, or Mehitable as she was really named, was made in the early 1800s for Phoebe Preble, a little girl from Maine. Young Phoebe was very proud of her beautiful doll and took her everywhere, even on a long sailing trip in a whaler. This is the story of Hitty's years with Phoebe, and the many that follow in the life of a well-loved doll.

Our yard is full of mud, and my lovely, mud-caked children are on their way inside, so I must close for today to minimize the mess. Have a wonderful weekend!

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.



Biblical Womanhood

I just finished a short biography of Sarah Edwards (1710 - 1758), wife to the famous Jonathan Edwards (1703 - 1758), who is regarded as "America's greatest theologian and probably our greatest thinker." Noel Piper, Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God, p. 36.

As I read about Sarah Edwards, it struck me that as Christian women today we have too few role models of biblical womanhood. Sarah was exemplary, as a pious, loving mother of 11 who respected her husband and supported his life's work by building a nurturing, God-honoring home in which the great Jonathan Edwards could encounter God and grow of Him.

Fourteen hundred people can be traced back to the Sarah and Jonathan Edwards marriage, and among them are many pastors, political leaders, doctors, authors, lawyers, and influential thinkers*.

13 college presidents
65 professors
100 lawyers and a dean of a law school
30 judges
66 physicians and a dean of a medical school
80 holders of public office, including:

~ 3 US senators

~ mayors of 3 large cities

~ governors of 3 states

~ a vice president of the US (I did some research on this one. The Vice President was Aaron Burr 1756 - 1836, who was not a Christian and is famous for killing Alexander Hamilton in an illegal duel, for which he was acquitted. Aaron Burr lost his mother, father, and grandparents within a year of each other, and was left an orphan as a 2-year-old boy, along with his older sister. His grandparents were Sarah and Jonathan Edwards. While Burr was powerful and did some good in government, as a lawyer, and in the Revolutionary War, he was also immoral and restless and made some powerful enemies, namely Thomas Jefferson, whom he served as vice president after the 1800 election. One only wonders how Burr would have turned out morally had he been raised by his own parents--a minister and the beloved daughter of a minister.)

~ a controller of the US Treasury

Members of the family wrote 135 books, and edited 18 journals and periodicals. They entered the ministry in platoons and sent one hundred missionaries overseas, as well as stocking many mission boards with lay trustees.

*Family statistics from a 1900 A. E. Winship study of two contrasting families, reprinted in Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God, Noel Piper, p. 22

Sarah's legacy is a Godly, far-reaching one that helped shape America. She loved the Lord deeply and with passion, loved to be alone with Him, and thrived on being a keeper at home. God sustained her and built her up when needed, when excessive stress and change came along, in the form of her husband being ousted from his church for an unfair reason, after twenty years as a pastor there.

After a year of no salary and living amongst those who ousted her husband, the family moved to serve in another location, with the former parish reconsidering and coming to agreement with Jonathan's stance (I don't know the nature of the conflict, except that it seemed to be doctrinal) shortly after his obtaining another position. Especially after his death at the age of 53, Mr. Edwards became influential in many New England colony churches, and is still influential today.

While many around Sarah and Jonathan lost children to illness, disease, wild animals, etc, Sarah's 11 children all lived until at least adolescence. At the time of Sarah's own death, only one of her children had died (Aaron's Burr's mother). Sarah had a newborn every two years starting at age 20, which for that era was miraculous, considering the high numbers who died in childbirth, due to unsanitary birthing conditions, for one.

There was some jealousy in the parish because of Sarah's good fortune in birthing and raising children. And it's notable--at least to me--that she had no thorn of the flesh (at least not one mentioned by historians). God had a mighty plan for this woman's legacy, and Sarah cooperated easily and with joy.

Most of us don't have the same circumstances she had, so we can't compare ourselves, but we can glean much from her example. God blessed her faithfulness and singlemindedness in caring for her family, and for the many people who came through her door.

When I think of the typical Christian woman I see at church I don't often think...now there goes a woman who is pious, modest in all things, and family-focused. Her beauty comes from within and her love for Her Savior is palpable.

The fault doesn't lie entirely with today's women, who are imitating their own mothers, friends, and culture. I don't judge my fellow women so much as have a bleeding heart for what we're missing. I know the Lord wants more from us as women. Not more work--for most us certainly do plenty of that--but more focus on God and who He is, rather than on us and our desires, and what think we deserve. Not enough examples exist to turn our hearts toward something lovelier, in God's eyes.

Somehow through the years it became about us as individuals, rather than about us as builders of home. We need the likes of Sarah Edwards in our midst to turn our hearts toward God, and toward His vision of "a wise woman who builds her home". (Proverbs 14:1)

I don't think a woman should live as a slave--something we can feel like when the children aren't well trained. But God has designed a woman to be a servant, building up her husband and children spiritually for posterity sake, if she has a family. Ideally, she doesn't seek to make her mark personally, but through her offspring and through her husband. Her legacy is a quiet one, a behind-the-scenes one, wrought through prayer and sacrifice and service.

Do you find many women in your own church who are godly examples of Christian womanhood? What stands out about their lives? Where do you think women have taken a wrong turn, in modern culture, if at all?

Some of the most inspiring and worthwhile reading I do comes from biographies of missionaries and faithful believers from the past. Do you have some inspiring favorites to recommend? Something that really stretched you and gave you a clearer picture of biblical womanhood?

Proverbs 31: 10-31 An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.   

Titus 2:3-5 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.   

1 Peter 3: 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands,   

Tasty Tuesday: Baked Spaghetti Meatball Casserole

image via dreamtime.com

I found this recipe one day after I had already started cooking my own spaghetti sauce with lean Italian sausage. Thus, I left out the meatballs and it was still delicious. Admittedly, it seemed strange as I was putting it together and I didn't have high hopes, but wow! It was delicious and different and just the variety we needed in our Italian menus.

Other spaghetti casseroles I looked at were too much like the baked ziti I make; I don't use ricotta in my baked ziti so it's really more like baked Mostaccioli, but layered.

This casserole has a unique taste and even the kids ate heartily (okay...well...the five year old was underwhelmed, but otherwise it was a good night. She comes around eventually.)

Source for original recipe is spendwithpennies.com. It's a recipe site I highly recommend for families.

Ingredients for meatballs (Optional-- you could just use your own meat sauce)

1 lb lean ground beef (I use 93/7 lean ground turkey)
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1 T. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
2 T. fresh chopped parsley
1 egg

Directions for meatballs:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all meatball ingredients and form into 1 inch balls. Place on a foil lined pan and bake 18 - 20 minutes. Remove meatballs from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Ingredients for casserole:

12 oz. package thin spaghetti

1 T. olive oil

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, (reserving 1 1/2 cups for casserole topping; 1/2 cup needed for casserole mixture)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (reserving 1/4 cup for casserole topping; 1/4 cup needed for casserole mixture)

1 large egg slightly beaten

2 T. fresh parsley

28 oz. pasta sauce (or more to taste; I used a cup more)

Directions for casserole:

Boil the pasta until al dente. Drain and toss with olive oil. In another bowl stir together egg, parsley, pepper, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and pepper. Toss with the pasta and place in sprayed casserole dish.

Yes, at this point it will look dry and unappetizing, but trust me--it turns out tasty. :)

Top with meatballs and pasta sauce. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes. Remove foil, top with remaining cheeses (1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan), and continue to bake until cheese is melted and browned.

Do you have a baked spaghetti casserole already in your repertoire? What do you love about it? How does it differ?

 

Simple Woman's Daybook 4/28

Outside my window...

It's supposed to be sixty degrees today with rain expected. We still wake up to a 64-degree house. Spring means warmer days, but the nights and mornings are still cold. The grass has greened up beautifully, but the leaf buds are late on all the trees around here, and many people, like us, were disappointed that their tulips didn't bloom (too cold for too long, with one April snow). Or, it's time to put in new bulbs this year. The library's tulips look great.

The girls are riding their bikes around the driveway and the boys are playing basketball.

I am thinking...

This is nearly impossible to answer because I'm always thinking. My life is lived in a cloud of thought, and only the children's needs, my love for them, and my responsibilities toward them and toward God propel me forward, doing the next thing. If left to myself, I would read and write all day. The good news about this is that it's easy to remember to pray throughout the day, and the bad news is that I'm not always fully present, unless a lesson, cuddling, or read-aloud is happening.

The chores give me plenty of time to think, though a mother's thoughts are always interrupted. My need for quiet solitude keeps me up late at night at least 4 nights a week. In fact, Jane Eyre was finished at 3:30 AM one morning, because I couldn't read uninterrupted during the day. I can survive on 5 hours of sleep, but it isn't ideal. The kids get up between 7:15 and 8:15 every morning.

I am thankful...

~ for spring and the joy the outdoors gives my children.

~ for online friends and church friends.

~ that the fuel pump went out in the van in our driveway last night as we were getting ready to go to the spring church picnic, rather than in the AWANA church driveway twenty minutes earlier. That would have been a disaster. Only the boys and my husband went to the picnic, as husband's car is 25 years old and can't accomodate car seats or all six of us. The girls were crying and angry at first but they got over it.

Paul entered the dessert contest at the picnic with peanut butter eggs, which taste better than Reeses. You won't be able to stop eating them so don't try the recipe. Just my two cents. :) He didn't win but he did get complimented, so he was happy.

~ My father-in-law's air conditioning went out a couple weeks ago in Florida, and he had just gotten it fixed the day of our regularly scheduled phone call (4x week husband talks to his father for 90 minutes at a time. His father is still living alone and doing well, at 91 years old).

Our AC has been out since last fall. Husband mentioned it and asked if it was the motor or the compresser that went bad on his father's. Anyway, the next phone call his father said he sent money to help fix our air conditioning. We have thus far collected $300 in an envelope for AC repair, so we didn't really need money for it, but for whatever reason his father took this problem to heart. He sent money for the children's education funds, but he doesn't otherwise send money. This is a new thing.

About the same day he wrote the check, we had prayed earnestly at morning devotions and lunch prayer about the $76 we owe for our two sponsor children. We usually pay it at the first of the month, but that couldn't happen this month. The AC money from Grandpa was God responding to our prayer on the very day we prayed it. I had great faith and I wasn't worried (this learned from experience only), because if you seek first His kingdom, your daily bread and your tithes and offerings will be provided for. Not so all your wants, but that is part of God's chiseling of our hearts and minds--that we wouldn't crave so many things.

The rest of the AC money will go to the fuel pump repair on the van. God is so amazing always--especially when we give him the chance to be amazing.

I wish we could meet all our obligations ourselves, but if that were the case we wouldn't see the hand of God in our daily lives, and we wouldn't pray for our daily bread. Being low-income is bittersweet, but without choosing it I wouldn't be able to homeschool.

In the kitchen...

It's roast chicken tonight with sweet potatoes and steamed veggies, and homemade chicken noodle soup with honey cornbread tomorrow. Other plans this week are navy bean soup, shepherd's pie, chicken enchiladas, and spaghetti casserole. 

I am wearing...

long jean skirt, nylons, long-sleeved pretty fitted tee, and a sweater. The house is still cold around lunch time.

I am creating...

chaos with the spring clothing switch. It would be done by now, if not for all the books I've enjoyed reading lately. There's a pile for Goodwill, a pile for a child at church, a pile that will fit the kids in a couple months, and the remaining clothes that need to be washed or rinsed and hung up in the closets. Right about now, it always seems ideal to dress as the Indians do, with a couple leather dresses or loin cloths. We spend too much time with clothes around here, partly because I like the kids to be clean, and our yard is full of mud this time of year. I make them change when we go somewhere, and that only creates more laundry.

I am going...

no where until the van is fixed.

I am wondering...

if anyone actually reads all my ramblings. Daybooks are usually short and sweet.

I am reading...

A Noel Piper (the famous John Piper's wife) book entitled Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God, which a woman from church gave me, and a book entitled King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry, a Newbery medal book that is part of the boys' curriculum this year.




I am hoping...

to be done with the clothing switch today.

I am looking forward to...

a living room cleared of all clothing.

I am learning...

something new everyday about being a mom.

Around the house...

the carpet needs vacuumed, the floors need sweeping, and then there's the clothing and dishes. I had headaches Saturday and Sunday so only laundry, dishes, bathrooms, and cooking got done.

How is your day going, my friends? How can I pray for you?

Kindergarten Teacher Resigns Over Testing

Washington Post image

This filled me with tears. A veteran Cambridge, Massachusetts teacher resigns after the district piled on the assessments year after year, starting with No Child Left Behind. More and more was required of her, taking her further away from the children's needs.

Washington Post : My Job Is Now About Tests and Data--not children. I quit.

Below is a copy and paste of her resignation letter, but click on the link above for the whole story.

February 12, 2014
I am writing today to let you know that I am resigning my position as PreK and Kindergarten teacher in the Cambridge Public Schools. It is with deep sadness that I have reached this decision, as I have loved my job, my school community, and the families and amazing and dedicated faculty I have been connected with throughout the district for the past eighteen years. I have always seen myself as a public school teacher, and fully intended to work until retirement in the public school system. Further, I am the product of public schools, and my son attended Cambridge Public Schools from PreK through Grade 12. I am and always have been a firm believer in quality public education.

In this disturbing era of testing and data collection in the public schools, I have seen my career transformed into a job that no longer fits my understanding of how children learn and what a teacher ought to do in the classroom to build a healthy, safe, developmentally appropriate environment for learning for each of our children. I have experienced, over the past few years, the same mandates that all teachers in the district have experienced. I have watched as my job requirements swung away from a focus on the children, their individual learning styles, emotional needs, and their individual families, interests and strengths to a focus on testing, assessing, and scoring young children, thereby ramping up the academic demands and pressures on them. Each year, I have been required to spend more time attending classes and workshops to learn about new academic demands that smack of 1^st and 2^nd grade, instead of Kindergarten and PreK. I have needed to schedule and attend more and more meetings about increasingly extreme behaviors and emotional needs of children in my classroom; I recognize many of these behaviors as children shouting out to the adults in their world, “I can’t do this! Look at me! Know me! Help me! See me!” I have changed my practice over the years to allow the necessary time and focus for all the demands coming down from above. Each year there are more. Each year I have had less and less time to teach the children I love in the way I know best—and in the way child development experts recommend. I reached the place last year where I began to feel I was part of a broken system that was causing damage to those very children I was there to serve.

I was trying to survive in a community of colleagues who were struggling to do the same: to adapt and survive, to continue to hold onto what we could, and to affirm what we believe to be quality teaching for an early childhood classroom. I began to feel a deep sense of loss of integrity. I felt my spirit, my passion as a teacher, slip away. I felt anger rise inside me. I felt I needed to survive by looking elsewhere and leaving the community I love so dearly. I did not feel I was leaving my job. I felt then and feel now that my job left me.

It is with deep love and a broken heart that I write this letter.

Sincerely,
Suzi Sluyter