Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Hubbard's Cupboard...

H does not stand for Hubbard. Honestly.

Last night LittleH#2 had a raging temperature and put himself to bed at 6pm. 2 lots of meds later it was lower and he had a full night's sleep. Combined with that and scouts (for Matthew aka 'Bandicoot' and our Joey LittleH#1), the hoped-for trip across the road to Foodland didn't happen. Temperature high again this morning, doctors' appt fixed for later. Cool calm and collected I have explained to LittleH that he has a high temp because sore throats always do that, let's see if your throat is red... bingo.

Anyway, so the temp has been and gone and come back again - paracetamol not touching it (think Australians prefer to use the word 'fever' but I find that a little melodramatic, but yes, it is actually a fever) but ibuprofen on TOP of paracetamol not too bad.

School in the midst of this is not quite as planned, but actually LittleH#1 has done a fantastic bit of writing for me from a volcanic writing prompt thingy I found somewhere on the internet and had planned for doing with a few other activities today we now haven't done. Still, we are making up a nice little volcanic portfolio. This piece of writing is a landmark (particularly as it is brilliant after initial extreme reluctance once he realised I meant write not type).

Anyway. No shopping. No babysitter for shopping or delivery driver able to bring supplies. Doctors appointment at teatime. When I got there the cupboard was bare... or so I thought.

Lunch: found English muffins and the boys had ham and cheddar, I had ham and brie. We had rocket on the side or inside, or both, depending on the individual requirements. Most had inside, one had inside then took it out and didn't actually want it, I had both...

Tea: Whilst 3 asleep and 1 working, I have made pea, potato and ham soup. Not only that but thanks to the Flylady kitchen we thought we ought to wake up to this morning, I realised I had time and space to make something to go with the soup. (Besides the home made bread...). So I am rooting around in the cupboard wondering whether there's any plain flour for the egg free fairy cake recipe that I have decided to use in experimental fashion to make syrup sponge pudding (Tate & Lyle syrup, no less) and I find a White Wings lemon cheesecake promising 15 mins preparation time shoved right to the back, waiting for suitable occasion.

Not exactly a bare cupboard, hey?! Even Matthew made a muffin to take to work this morning so he hasn't had to buy lunch.

You can actually sometimes eat very well on a 'bare cupboard'.

Oh I forgot to mention that while I was in the doldrums this morning about having no fresh fruit and veg to give them - I remembered frozen raspberries and made my own concoction of raspberry milkshake - not rocket science is it - rasps, as much as I could break off the solid block - milk, much as I dared, and spoon of honey after initial taste revealed that they probably wouldn't be as keen once they'd tasted it unless some sort of sugar went in.

I was booking Joyce for this afternoon, I knew I needed a good talking to and was going to watch a podcast in the kitchen while I made tea for later. Didn't really need her though - if I already know I need a good talking to, then I can pretty much pull my socks up without a great deal of difficulty.

I am sure that those bags of groceries I fantasise arriving mysteriously on the doorstep on a day which might otherwise look like this one, could in theory arrive some day. God knows today I didn't need it (or much else), and we seem to be managing pretty well under our own steam after all.

I will repent of my doldrums, and we will definitely praise God for his provision tonight when we eat our tea...

Monday, April 19, 2010

Volcanoes...



Eyjafjallajökull Volcano 2010

Today we started a topic on volcanoes! The opportunity is too good to miss and we have so much available at the moment from which to learn and use.

So we started the day by watching this BBC Animated Guide to Volcanoes. I explained each slide to the boys and their understanding and interest was so encouraging.

After that they sat down to read with me a sheet of information I found on the internet and pasted into Word to make a 'worksheet'. They love it when we make worksheets up for them ourselves, particularly science ones. This was read aloud by LittleH#1 and me, and LittleH#2 did a fantastic job of reading a paragraph too. His reading is really coming on.

The worksheet had a colour labelled diagram, and I also found on the same site a colouring sheet of the same diagram so they coloured it in exactly the same as the first picture, getting all the colours exactly right. Of course during the colouring there was talking about the subject, the terminology, they pointed out interesting features to each other and to me as they worked. LittleH#3 also had a colouring sheet and did a lovely colourful job of his too. He is also keeping within the lines with the colours more, but chose to do the lava green, so his was still very '3' !!

I read through the Psalms this morning before we began our day - I was sure there were volcano references in the Psalms but instead of cheating with Google I decided to sit and read a 'real' Bible to find a good reference. Psalm 18 was just the job! I loved this description of a volcano (and more) and thought it was perfect to read to the boys, although I started at the beginning of the Psalm and we discussed the context:

7 The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry.

8 Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.

9 He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.

10 He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him— the dark rain clouds of the sky.

12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

13 The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.

14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies, great bolts of lightning and routed them.

15 The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

We read it a few times and we all enjoyed the imagery. I need to do more research on this Psalm, and we will look at it again. I have earmarked for myself the comparison with the Roman god, Vulcan, after whom volcanoes are named - the boys have learned the origin of the name today. The worksheet explained the name for them.

I explained to the boys about the plates on the earth's crust - we looked at a diagram of that on the BBC slideshow. I told them that the plates fitted together a bit like a jigsaw, and they understood it well. This really helped them to understand why the volcanoes erupt, and of course we will also get to earthquakes - not least because in the last 2 years we have had 2 earthquakes - one in Norwich in 2008 and the other last Friday here in Adelaide. Unfortunately for homeschool, but fortunately for the family, the boys slept through both!!

I also found them a map of the world showing the different plates, and they coloured one in each. I told them about the 'ring of fire'. We looked at satellite images of the ash cloud, and tracked its path. Good opportunity to remind them about satellite use for the images too. :)

This afternoon, LittleH#1, under my supervision (but very little help) made the plaster of paris volcano that he had for a late birthday present last month. What fantastic timing and perfect for this week.

Here are some photos of the 'making':




Above: The mould was really good, it even came with 2 elastic bands and a groove for them to fit in to hold it securely, and right, LittleH#1 poured in the water and had a good go at mixing it. I finished off the job and we poured it in to set.

Tomorrow he will paint it, the day after that it will be erupting...

Below: Proud boy did well!















After that, I set him reading to himself an article I found on the Guardian UK website Floods and rotten eggs... It was great. Kept him ensconsed for a nice independent reading time. The best part of it was when he came to find me and told me about what he had read, in his own words, without any prompting. It was a good account, his reading comprehension was excellent, and it was an article for a broadsheet newspaper (rather than a rag with a reading age of 8 or 9! :)

At teatime they all (including, sweet boy, LittleH#3!) explained to Daddy what they remembered from the day (which we had also discussed over lunch) and their new facts about volcanoes. We were both very impressed with their understanding and interest.
For bedtime, instead of a story, they sat on the sofa with Daddy in their PJs looking through his Iceland trip photo album, talking about the landscape, the volcanoes and other features, and then some 'hands on' feeling of the solid 'froth' (not lava, or pumice, apparently!) he brought back with him.

Voilla. Did today more than I expected but plan to start lapbook tomorrow with Little H#s 1 & 2 and some painting of Mount? What shall we call it? Mount H, I suppose. Or Mount St H!!!!

Monday, April 12, 2010

What we are doing with our days 'off'

This is our Easter break. It is more than that. I am wanting to make sure we do have a real break from school work because we really haven't had one since we began homeschooling last year - around this time or just before.

The boys are keen to get back into work. I don't really want to do that because I need the break even if they don't [think they do]. Actually I do think they need it as well.

So we are pottering, seeing friends and family, shopping for this and that, including today at the charity shop looking for second hand books, and also the second hand book dealer next door.

They are learning all the time. They have questions about everything. I am so glad they have questions about everything. I can categorise some of the conversations we have had recently into the following headings:

Understanding of continuing sin, repentance and forgiveness - Little H#1's comments and observations in that regard were extremely profound.
Pride
Media Studies / Advertising
Economics
Motor Mechanics
Film making / animation
Difference in climactic conditions, decomposition etc

I am sure that many many children are learning these things all of the time, and not all of them are homeschooled. The difference for me, though, is that I am thinking differently than I otherwise would. The proverbial 'teachable moments' are never lost. I have the privilege of a window on their thoughts. the opportunity to help them develop those thoughts and learn something more. We come back to these conversations later, they add bits, and I am just amazed by the way that children learn. More than that though I am amazed by what I am learning as a parent who is now prepared to listen to the endless questions, build on them, marvel at their learning methods and be prepared to admit what I don't know (but I know a search engine who does...)

Some holiday. Ha ha. A change is as good as a holiday... (my mum always says!)

Before I was a Mother I didn't know that...

How does one complete that sentence? My list of practical tasks I could have before not even have thought of, definitely not aspired to be able to do, let alone do on a daily basis is endless. I wont ruin this blog entry by sharing those here, because I want to share the thought that I finally came down on as I sat at the table for my allotted 2 mins of porridge eating time before getting dressed, cleaning the kitchen, starting the washing machine and
those basic tasks essential before the baby wakes up...

So here is my Before I was a Mother:

Before I was a Mother I didn't know that I could be myself, explore who God created me to be and having finally found it, realise that is who I am - therefore, finding my independence, rejecting expectations of who I should be and slowly realising that I have never truly been ME before now. Not that I couldn't be without children, just that for me that is when it has occurred. Not only finding out who ME is, actually discovering that other people would love or like that person, respect her, and not least of those people myself.

I no longer have to create a 'front' hiding ME from others, I have enough confidence to allow anyone I meet to know who I really am and because I now like this person (ME) too, others' opinions, like/dislike, respect or otherwise affects me very little. I have learned to accept and truly say "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Ps 139:14).

So its only taken 34 years and around 7 years of motherhood to get to this point, but without the opportunity to carry out full time this God-ordained. lifelong work that is raising His future generation of workers and ambassadors for Christ, I would not have had the opportunity to take stock of what He wants for me, and I would still be on the conveyorbelt of professional ambition, always feeling inadquate and not as good as the person sitting next to me who got the promotion before me, and being underpaid for what I did, persecuted for my faith and trying to make (for me) two incompatible jigsaw pieces fit together.

Standing Firm

We have been rudely awakened to the fact that there are certain things in our life at the moment that honour God but that put us in the enemy's firing line for attack. We are not as prepared as we should be. Sometimes I wonder whether we will ever learn to be ready and prepared for these moments, which quite definitely exist and are not the result of an overactive imagination.

I sent an SOS message to a forum friend I saw online when I was panicking because we were under direct spiritual attack (in the form of an extremely critical and attacking telephone call) and desperately needed someone else to pray. That one prayer from that one person... was extremely powerful and most definitely answered. That person was also God's provision for me - she perfectly understood the need and prayed exactly right without me having said a great deal. I couldn't have messaged just anyone with that need, so was blessed by the timing.

I don't know why sometimes our own prayers are 'not enough' but sometimes that is the case. (When I say 'our', or 'we' I am referring to the House of H, by the way, not generalising for everyone). Sometimes I want to ask for prayer on a subject not necessarily (ie most of the time not) a spiritual attack, but I am unable to get in touch with anyone or just do feel it is not something God wants me to ask others to pray about, because our own prayers will be 'enough' and He wants us to go straight to Him rather than asking for others' to help us pray about it. Some discernment needed in that area, but last night was a definite attack and we were not big enough by ourselves. It was a strong specific spirit that came against us through someone else. Not one we feel we need to 'cast out' or do anything like that, but it is one we recognise from the specific pattern, the people it uses, and just need help standing firm against.

That makes me sound like a total spiritual looney, but I am not, we don't rebuke spirits of this and that, and have read enough to believe that there is something in our discernment of this one that is right, and we will leave it well alone.

I do think that it is possible for us to recognise areas where we are usually attacked
- the things that satan goes for. There are 2 or 3 that spring to mind for me for us, and it is not a coincidence when these things happen. We also notice that there are certain areas in which we have ministry (with a small 'm') and because they encroach on enemy ground in differing degrees - we can usually expect attack when we are ministering in those directions.

So last night did not come as a surprise, but I also think that we had not properly protected ourselves by 'standing firm' in the proper way. When we don't keep up our spiritual disciplines of praying, reading the Bible, worshipping God to the extent we should, or when we start getting back on track and doing those things we can find ourselves exposed.

This scripture comes to mind:


Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8.



It is Biblical to expect that satan will be prowling and looking for our weak points. When we work on those weak points I think he tests us and tempts us back to old habits. If we are trying to seek unity in an area, he will tempt us with conflict. It's not rocket science and sometimes it is so obvious and not clever. Sometimes he is cleverer. Maybe it depends how 'mature' we are in that particular area. I think we can have different levels of maturity within our own walk. New things God is showing us, refining, wanting us to work on. Other things we have worked on for longer, achieved some success - the attacks on these I find are more sophisticated, not easily detectable at first, more like the enemy sneaking in through the side door as opposed to us leaving the front door open for him to wander in and be easily spotted.

There are a few things recently that have been changing for us, particularly since Easter, that I have noticed satan tempting me to go back to old habits, tempting me to do exactly what I have resolved not to do. Other areas where I feel I can see we have made headway into a plan God has for us, and the aspect of that plan that I notice we have victory over the doubts and criticisms in our own mind and stemming from others, has morphed into an attack specifically on another aspect of it.

I am realising that because there are patterns and similarities for us, both in terms of the areas attacked, the effect the enemy is trying to achieve, and what our response to it must be (and also the ministry that has prompted the attack) that journalling is one way that we can keep track and possibly be cleverer both in our anticipation and response. I also realise that we need to protect ourself more by getting into new and better family Bible and prayer habits. Also personal ones.

I realise that as Christians we can use different terminology for what may be the same experiences. Perhaps it doesn't matter, its like different church families having different theology but the effect can sometimes be the same. Not in all circumstances, but some. However we can't escape the fact as Christians that satan hates unity, hates life, hates all things that lead to God. Our response must be to take that seriously. Not by rebuking everything in sight but by fellowshipping with other Christians, staying accountable, and serving God where he puts us. By seeking God in all things and praying for wisdom and discernment in times of trial.

Not all hardship is from satan. Sometimes it is. That can include physical illness as well as family conflicts etc. That is why we need to be discerning and wise. Where there are particular things that we do which provoke spiritual attack as we have found I think it is helpful to identify those areas and those times, and pray about how we can protect ourselves and prepare for it.

There is a difference between standing firm and fighting. We are called to stand firm in our spiritual armour, not go out looking for a battle.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Holiday Club Phonics: Taking the 'I' out of 'Me'

Ha ha. So, my new fitness / headspace / soon-to-fail morning routine now involves a 15 minute brisk walk by myself with LittleH#4 in the pushchair while Matthew makes the breakfast. I will keep it up as long as I can for the headspace (and have realised I don't need to feel guilty for a 15 minute escape from the house at the start of the day, because I don't get to escape for the rest of it, do I?!). Although I am sad to say that after a quick search on the net I discover in terms of fitness, 15 mins a day isn't going to get me anywhere fast.

The irony of the walk, today, is perfect. I like Joyce Meyer's phonics - she was talking to me as I walked about taking the 'I' out of 'Me'. I don't think LEM's 2 sounds for 'e' include that sound, but my 'Me' still does I am afraid! I have long realised God is teaching me about the death of self. A slow painful death, isn't it? Some days I do ok, but of course on the day I start with a brisk walk and teaching on the subject, I spend the rest of the day feeling inconvenienced, tired, stressy and not at all selfless!

The best part of today's lesson was realising I can link to Bible Gateway's verse of the day on the side bar of the blog. What's the verse for today? Galatians 2:20. "I have been crucified with Christ........" I can't read those words without singing the whole passage thanks to Colin Buchanan, so perhaps I will hum it as I walk tomorrow after I have listened to Part 2 of the Joyce Meyer phonics talk.

The Homeschool Cupboards...

Here are the pictures. I am really pleased with them, and the boys were a little impressed this morning too. LittleH#1 even found something in one of his books that he thought he'd lost - a little press out Mercury for a solar system he hasn't finished making yet... he thought he'd lost the planet but now we can complete the model. As an aside, we made a fantastic Space lapbook a few weeks ago - my idea of a nice neat little 'putting a topic to bed' kind of thing. However, our attention span for the Solar System seems to rival infinity itself. I am not fighting it too hard. I am learning more and more from it myself!

The cupboards - before, during and after:







Slight matter of white drawers to the left also needing to be weeded and, brainwave - labelled, but apart from that a 100% improvement. You will just have to imagine the insides of the cupboards - neat shelves, equipment sorted by category - maths supplies, phonics and word cards, duplo letter and number tiles, craft materials...

It's the truth, but Matthew took the final photos and unfortunately didn't think to photograph the perfectly sorted cupboad insides. Never mind! I already said it wasn't a perfectly serene and inspiring homeschooling blog, and I am not going to close up on beautiful objects strategically and artistically placed on shelves. I think they always look wonderful but you would have to know what you were doing first. I will leave that to the experts.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Spring Cleaning. In Autumn.

At least I think it's Autumn, I haven't got used to the order of seasons here yet. I can't help myself calling it spring cleaning. Anyway, what it means is that I am reorgansing the school shelves. With a view to planning the rest of the year.

It is a year since we began educating at home and I am still struggling with terminology - do I want to call it homeschooling, home educating, school work, book work...?

So for the sake of argument (and secure in the knowledge we moved away from the idea of 'school at home' even before we moved out of the school) I find it easier for now to use the 'school' based words and education creeps in every now and again.

One would hope education crept in every now and again, I suppose.

So as well as struggling with terminology, I am also struggling with organisation and am re-organising the shelves and cupboards again to make the most of the space I have, and also to home the supplies and materials that have multiplied over the course of the year. Also to make room for the fair bit of work we have produced, before it goes to the Pool Room. Currently the Pool Room is just a drawer in the bottom of a chest of drawers we brought from England but we need a more organised and bigger Pool Room now that the number of children, learners and beautiful pieces of work worthy of the Pool Room have increased.

One thing that this blog is not going to be, is a place to come and draw serene inspiration for perfect schoolness. But it might give someone else like me confidence, ideas, and satisfaction that their house (and school shelves) isn't as bad as they once might have thought.

I have taken a 'before' photo. I will take a 'during' and sometime later this week, even an 'after' photo might appear.

We are currently on 'holiday' from school after not taking many breaks at all this year. We kept up some sort of school the entire year to allow for getting LittleH#1 back where I want him to be (post school - grrrrrr), and to allow for the time we would lose when LittleH#4 was born. I am amazed that we have done so well, all things considered, so before I burn out and it all falls over, I am having a break to reorganise and plan ahead for our next year.

Currently my school year runs to March, it seems. I will plan ahead to December so we can realign ourselves a bit. We might even get a summer break!

I told the children we are on 'holiday' from school. LittleH#2 asked if we can do work tomorrow. So it looks like I am running a Holiday Club as well.