Quote from Forum Archives on September 10, 2004, 10:08 am

Posted by: homenews <homenews@...>

Dear Hope Chest friends,

 

I am delighted to present to you the premiere issue of Along the Journey, a new e-mail magazine by two veteran home school moms, Debbie Klinect and Tinea Bradley.  I first met Debbie about eight years ago in a local home school store, and have been blessed with her warm friendship most especially in the past two years that we have attended the same church.  Along the Journey is not just for home school families -- you will find lots of inspiration and practical tips no matter what your season of life!

 

If you would like to subscribe to Along the Journey, you can e-mail Debbie at the address she provides in the newsletter.

 

Blessings,

Virginia Knowles

www.TheHopeChest.net

 

 

Along The Journey

 

        Vol. 1, Issue 1                                                                     Sept/Oct 2004

 

        Welcome to Along The Journey.  This is a magazine for you, women of all ages, in all stages of life.  My name is Debbie Klinect and I am co-writing this with Tinea Bradley.  We are going to walk with you along your journey through life.  We’ll be bringing you articles that cover many aspects of your life.  Articles that we hope will encourage you, guide you, build you up, and help you along with the stage of life that you are in right now.

 

          Tinea Bradley is first and foremost a child of God.  She has been walking with the Lord for 31 years.  She has served in the local church as a Home group leader’s wife and has a heart for women.  Tinea has been married to her husband, Tom, for 30 years.  She has four grown children, the last just graduated, and she has one daughter married.  Tinea owns and runs her own business, which is called Your Cleaning Solution..  

 

          I am also a child of God.  I have been walking with the Lord for 25 years.  I have been married to my husband, Kurt, for 25 years.  I have three grown children and three younger children ages 9, 6 and 4 years old.  I have served in the home schooling community for 15 years as an area support group leader, newsletter writer, curriculum consultant, and shoulder to cry on.  Helping others succeed in home schooling is one of my joys. 

 

          It is our prayer that you are blessed with this magazine, written with you in mind.  We pray that the Lord bless you and makes His presence known to you today.

 

Tinea and Debbie~

 

Subscriptions:  [email protected], subject: subscribe.

Unsubscribe:    [email protected], subject: unsubscribe.

 

In this issue:

• Delighting Daily in the Presence of the Lord
• Mother Care
• Your Cleaning Solution
• Dear Tinea – A Christian’s Response to Your Questions
• Making Ends Meet
• From The Recipe Box
• Fall Unit Studies
• The Book Nook
• Teaching Tips 
• Toddle Time

 

                        Delighting Daily In The Presence of the Lord

 

“Whom have I in heaven but Thee?  And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides Thee.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

(Psalm 73:25-26,RSV)

 

Psalm 37:4-“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

 

    John Piper says, “God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him.”  To me, there is nothing like being in the presence of the Lord and delighting in his fellowship. Our strength and joy comes from spending time with God.  How are you doing spiritually? Are you able to say, “My soul is satisfied,” or are you in a dry place where you are hungry and thirsty? The Lord wants us to come to his table and sup with him. He wants us to come into his dwelling place where we can be with Him and enjoy His fellowship.  God’s Word nourishes our souls and only He can satisfy our longings.  We are all in need of experiencing the presence of God daily.   He wants us to taste of his goodness and enjoy being in his presence.  I've chosen a few scriptures that I love that will whet your appetite for the Word of God:

 

Hunger for God’s Word:

 

Psalm 63: 3 “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.”

 

Psalm 16:2 “You are my Lord; apart from you, I have no good thing.”

 

Psalm 34:8 “ Oh taste and see that the Lord is good. How blessed is the man who takes                      refuge in Him.”

 

Psalm 119:103 “ How sweet are Thy words to my taste! Yes sweeter than honey to my                mouth.”

 

Thirst for God:

 

Psalm 42:12 “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God, my soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

 

Psalm 63:1 “O God, Thou art my God, I shall seek Thee earnestly. My soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee.”

 

Psalm 36:7-8 “How precious is Thy loving kindness, O God!  And the children of men                         take refuge in the shadow of Thy wings.  They drink their fill of the abundance of Thy house; and Thou dost give them to drink of the river of Thy delights.  For with Thee is the fountain of life; in Thy light we see light.”  

 

Jesus says in John 4:14 that,“Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst;  but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

 

Desiring For God’s Presence:

 

Psalm 84:1-2 “How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts!  My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.” 

 

Psalm 43:4 “I will go to the altar of God.  To God my exceeding joy; and open the lyre and I shall praise Thee, O God, my God.”

 

Psalm 16:11 “Thou wilt make known to me the path of life; in Thy presence is fullness of joy;  in Thy right hand there are pleasures forever.”

 

Psalm 27:4 “One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the                       house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.”

 

        Just as our natural bodies need nourishment and there are health benefits from being fed, so it is with our soul. Spiritually our lives benefit from feasting at the Lord’s table. The Lord loves us and wants us to taste of his goodness and enjoy him. He desires fellowship with us. When we seek His presence, he is there with open arms saying come.

 

My challenge for you:

 

Take a moment and spend time with the Lord today. Take a scripture or two from the above selection and meditate on them. Pray and ask the Lord to give you a passion for reading His Word and a desire to be in His presence.

 

Self Examination:

 

1.    Are you struggling with your quiet time? If so, pray and ask God to give you a desire to spend time with Him. Ask him to deepen your hunger for His Word.

 

2.    What are some hindrances that are keeping you from seeking God  on a daily basis? What changes need to take place so that you make seeking God a priority?

 

3.    Do you struggle with discipline in your quiet time? If so, ask God to help you grow in that area. 1 Timothy 4:7 encourages us with this: “ Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds a promise for the present life and also the life to come.” 

 

        Lord, your Word nourishes our souls and in your presence there is fullness of joy. Oh that we would taste of your goodness today. That we would delight in your presence. Your Word gives us life! It is there that we find strength for today.   

~Mother Care~

by Debbie Klinect

 

          All the supplies are purchased.  The books are lined up on the bookcase.  The notebooks are full of paper.  You are ready to start school, or are you?  You have had the summer where you didn't have your normal school schedule to worry about.  Now that school is starting, let’s make sure you are not going to get stressed out by having to add school time back into your day.

 

 First and foremost, make sure God is the priority of your day.  Give your day to Him and know you are in His hands.  Next, think about your week.  Do you have a master calendar?  Almost or any office store will have one that goes on an office desktop.  Invest in one of those.  Write out what appointments you have for the week.  Write in there school time.  Plan out when you will do what.  A sample of my week would look like this: 

 

• Monday: Record what I have spent over the last week and e-mail this information to Kurt. Change the bed sheets and towels.  Wash the sheets and towels.  Teach school.  Make dinner.

• Tuesday:  Wash, dry and iron Kurt’s and my clothes, school, dinner, date with Kurt.

• Wednesday:  Teach school, dinner, home group meeting.

• Thursday:  Wash and dry kid’s clothes, teach school, band practice, dinner.

• Friday:  Teach school, field trip or park day, dinner, plan menu for next week.

• Saturday:  Go grocery shopping, family time.

• Sunday:  Church and rest.

 

Having a plan is going to be one of the best things you can do for yourself at the start of this new school year, even if you don't home school.

 

"Dear Tinea"

A Christian’s Response to Your Questions

by Tinea Bradley

 

 

Dear Tinea, I am an over extender. I take on too many things and then am stressed out beyond what I should be. What would your response be to me? ~~ Overextending in Florida

 

Dear Over Extender,

     There have been times in my life where I have been overextended. When I begin to feel overwhelmed with life and stressed to the max, I stop, sit down, and spend time evaluating everything that is on my plate. I like to write things down. I look at my priorities and list them. Here are my priorities:

1. God
2. Husband
3. Children
4. Church
5. Community

 

        After evaluating my Spiritual walk and the needs of my family, I write down all the extra things that I am involved in. Things like the children’s schedule of extra curricular activities, serving in my local church and serving in the community. I then seek the Lord’s help in determining the things He would want me to give myself to. If you have a husband and family, they will always come first.  I will then look to my husband for his help and advice. I will let him know I am overwhelmed and have over extended myself. I make him aware of all the things that I am involved in. I then ask for his help in determining what should be taken off my plate. I am so grateful for a husband who loves God, leads our family well, and looks out for my best interest.

 

        As women, we will walk through different seasons in our lives. Our service to others and serving in the community will look different depending on the season of life you are in.  After years of being an over extender at times myself, I have come to learn that no matter what season of life I am in, I now pray and ask God to direct my steps in how He would want me to serve.  If the service is something that would be extended over a period of time, I will also seek the advice of my husband.

 

  To think about before saying “yes”:

 

1. When you are out and someone ask you if you can serve in some way, do not automatically say yes. If your day timer or calendar isn't with you, tell the person you will have to look at your calendar and you will get back to them as soon as possible. That gives you time to pray and consider before giving a reply.  If someone calls, I suggest that you tell the person that you need to check your calendar and that you will call back as soon as possible.
2. Pray and ask God to direct your steps in serving.
3. Seek the advise of your husband.  If you are an overextender and you don’t have a husband, I suggest you involve a close friend.  You may need to let your friend know that you are an over extender and ask her help in keeping you accountable for not over extending yourself.
4. It is ok to say no and not feel guilty about it.  God is ultimately the supplier of all our needs. If you have prayed and sought the advice of your husband, then God has someone else to provide the need. You can serve by praying for that person or for the needs of the situation at hand.

"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.  It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." (Colossians 3:17; 23-24)

 

  Our goal in serving is to glorify God in all that we do.  When we serve, it is not merely for men but it is the Lord we are serving.  If you find yourself overwhelmed with life and stressed out, stop and evaluate what you are doing.  Pray and ask for God’s help. He wants to direct our steps.  Our joy and fulfillment comes from serving Him.

 

         (Note:  Send your questions to Tinea for her to answer.  Your questions can be about anything.  E-mail her at [email protected].)

 

Your Cleaning Solution Tips

by Tinea Bradley

 

        Many of you are home schooling moms who are in a season of life where although things need to be orderly and clean, things need to be kept simple for the season of life you are in. My desire is to pass along to you speed cleaning tips in which I have learned over the years that will make your cleaning experience quick and easy. One way for you to swiftly move from room to room is by having a cleaning caddy on hand prepared and ready to go. 

 

Tools for Cleaning:

• Cleaning caddy
• A dozen white 100% cleaning rags (You can get these at Sam’s Club or Wal-Mart. They aren’t expensive and I’ve found them to be the best for cleaning.)   
• Cleaning products 
• All-purpose cleaner
• Window cleaner
• Toilet bowl cleaner and brush
• Clorox Clean Up
• Two different colored scrubbing pads, (one for kitchen and one for bath)
• Furniture polish
• Mr. Clean Eraser
• Swiffer Duster (in the past I would only use a lambs wool duster but after trying a Swiffer Duster I am sold!)

Have a cleaning caddy, preferably one with a handle on it for easy carrying.  I like to keep mine in the hall closet on the top shelf and I have a grocery bag of rags hanging. When I need to clean I can pull it out with my bag of rags. I keep an extra grocery bag in that bag of rags for my dirty rags. I go from room to room taking my basket and bag of rags that I hang on the door. One side of the door is for the clean rags to hang and the other side for the dirty rags. 

 

 

Scheduling:

 

It takes time to make time. Set up a regular cleaning schedule.

 

Where to Start:  

 

When you enter the room in which you are about to clean dust your ceiling fan or light fixture first. Then working clockwise, dust the pictures on the wall and as you go around look to see if there are cobwebs in the corners that need to be gotten with your duster. Move to the chair railing if any and then to the baseboards. Now you are ready to clean the center of your room. Again, you want to work clockwise. When you are finished dusting, vacuum or sweep your way out of the room. The advantage to working clockwise in a room is that it will take you less time to clean and you won’t have to wonder if you missed anything.

 

Tips:

 

You can purchase a bowl caddy and Johnny Mop (bowl brush) that will fit in your cleaning basket from Don Aslett’s website. I have used this product for the past nine years and recommend it. Don Aslett’s website is http://www.cleanreport.com

 

Because I use a lot of window cleaner for my cleaning business, I make my own. It is simple to make, inexpensive, and is streak free. Mix four cups of water with four tablespoons non-suds ammonia. Put contents into a spray bottle.

 

For those of you who hate cleaning the shower and would like to clean your shower once a month, I have a simple solution for you that does work. I’ve been doing this for the past three or four years in my own shower. First, clean your shower with a good all-purpose cleaner. Then, the last person who showers at night or in the morning needs to spray the shower with Clean Shower. This product is my favorite and does work. It especially does a great job on fiberglass showers and glass doors. Some of you might have to teach your husband a new shower trick. When I told my husband that it would cut down on my cleaning time, he started spraying the shower faithfully.

 

Encouragement:

 

Invest in a cleaning caddy, buy a bag of 100% cotton cleaning rags, and create a spot for your caddy and rags.  Set up a regular weekly cleaning schedule. By doing so, it will help you stay on top of your cleaning task.

  

Making Ends Meet

by Debbie Klinect

 

          For over 25 years now I have had to live on a very tight budget.  My dear husband, Kurt, is extremely good with money.  He was raised that if you have the money then purchase the item.  If you don’t, save until you do.  I, on the other hand, had never been taught the valuable lessons of saving and budgeting.  Now add this to the picture, Kurt still had two years of college when we married.  I agreed to work during that time.  The Lord had other plans!  Six weeks after we married I got pregnant with our first child.  Before we married, Kurt said that he wanted me to be a stay-at-home mom.  We had no idea he would have to put that into practice so soon.  A month before I was due to give birth, I quit my job.  Kurt finished that semester and started looking for a job.  With this picture, you can get a good idea of the adjustments I had to make.  To add to our adjustment, when Chris was six months old, I got pregnant again.  At this time we were living in a two bedroom, single-wide mobile home – in an all adult park.  Now, not only did Kurt not finish school and get his degree, we had two small boys and had to move.  God was good.  We found a handy man special.  It was a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house that needed so much work but it was what we could afford.  Kurt is a great handyman and so he and his dad started working on the house to get it livable.  In the meantime, I was still in the learning process of living within our means.  Here are some of the lessons I had to learn:  Just because it is on sale doesn’t mean I can buy it.  You still have to have the money.  Enjoying other’s hand-me-downs, appreciating the hand of God through others. Decorate with what we have. Keep an eye open at garage sales and discount stores for inexpensive treasures. 

 

            Many years have come and gone and through those years I’ve learned some valuable lessons and tips.  Over the next issues I’ll be sharing those lessons and tips with you, along with book titles for you to check out.  In this issue I’m going to promote two of my most used resources.  Believe it or not, the internet is not one of them.  Ever since my first child was born, we’ve had yearly portraits taken by Sears.  A few years ago Sears started losing money when it came to the Klinect family.  Sears has a card you can purchase, called the Smile Savers Card, for $29.99, you get no sitting fees for two years.  Since we don’t do school pictures, I take my kids to Sears around their birthday and get their portrait done.  Normally it would cost $10.00 for the sitting fee and then whatever the price of the package.  We save the coupons that come in the mail or print off one from the Sears web site.  I can get an 8x10, (2) 5x7, (4) 3 ½ x 5, and up to 40 wallets for under $10.00.  There are eight of us in our family.  To do a Christmas portrait would have cost us $80.00 in sitting fees.  Now, it just costs us the price of the package.  What would have cost us $280.00 in sitting fees over a two year period cost us $29.99.  Sears has some great people working for them and when I’ve told them we are doing something special, like graduation pictures, they work with us and have given us wonderful pictures, without the costly price tag.

 

            The other great resource is free to anyone who will use it.  It’s called a library card.  We’ve not had the money to purchase books like I’ve wanted and thanks to the library and inter-library loan, I’ve been able to bring some very expensive books into our home for nothing.  Sure, we don’t get to keep them, but in all reality, who has the room in their home for every book out there.  Thanks to some wonderful ladies who have taught me how to do unit studies, the majority of our school books come from the library.  We homeschool on a dime (not literally).  Schooling through the library takes planning. You’ll need to know what you are going to cover and weeks before you cover it, put the books you are going to use on hold.  You can keep renewing them until someone else puts a hold on them.  My youngest is four years old and we have introduced her to books on tape.  She loves going to the library and bringing home something that she can “read” along with. 

 

            There are so many things like these two resources that can help you make ends meet in your home.  E-mail me what you do.  I’m still learning!

 

From the Recipe Box 

by Tinea Bradley

 

Fall is one of my favorite times of year. I love to decorate for fall (I live in North Carolina).  Everyday at 3:00 it is my time to sit on my porch and have either a cup of java or Earl Gray tea. When fall comes around, there is nothing better than a small slice of either Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread or Banana Bread to accompany my cup of tea. I also love to make chili and cornbread. Here are my recipes.  Enjoy!

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 tsp. cinnamon
• 1cup sugar
• 1cup brown sugar
• Mix the above ingredients together in a large bowl.
• Add to the above mixture:
• ½ cup chopped nuts
• 1 cup chopped chocolate chips
• 4 beaten eggs
• 1-15oz. Canned pumpkin
• 1 ¼ cups margarine, melted

Instructions:

1. Pour batter into two 9x5x3 greased and floured loaf pans.
2. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

I like to make my bread in 3 small loaf pans and give one as a gift to a neighbor or someone I am reaching out to.

 

Yummy Healthy Banana Nut Bread

 

Ingredients:

• 1cup sugar
• ½ cup butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 ripe bananas
• 2 eggs
• 1cup all-purpose flour
• 1cup raw oatmeal
• ¼ cup wheat germ (if you don’t have, use flour)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ cup either walnuts or pecans, chopped

Instructions:

1. Cream shortening and sugar till light and fluffy
2. Add vanilla
3. Add bananas and mix well
4. Add eggs
5. Add nuts
6. Mix together dry ingredients and stir into the batter.
7. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x5x3 loaf pan
8. Bake 350 for 1 hour

You can also make a dozen muffins from this recipe. They will take 25-35 minutes to bake.

 

Tinea’s Chili

Serves 6-8

 

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Ground Chuck
• 1 large onion, chopped
• ½ large bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large canned Red Kidney Beans
• 1 large can crushed tomatoes
• 2-16 oz. cans tomato sauce
• 2-16oz. cans diced tomatoes with Green Chilies
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 3 tsp. basil
• 8 tsp. chili powder
• 3 tsp. oregano
• 3 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. beef bouillon seasoning
• 1 Tbsp. Sugar
• 1 chopped Jalapeno Pepper if you like hot, hot, hot (after the chili is cooked, I set aside a some chili for me and add the Jalapenos for the rest of the family)

Instructions:

1. In large skillet sauté onion and green pepper with a tiny bit of olive oil for a couple minutes.
2. Add the beef and fry over medium heat until beef is browned and no longer pink.
3. Drain beef and put into a large soup pot.
4. Drain kidney beans and add to soup pot.
5. Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste
6. In a small saucepan mix together the above spices except for the sugar.
7. Cook spices over medium-low heat stirring constantly until you begin to smell the favors of the spices.
8. Pour spice mixture into the chili.
9. Add sugar and beef bouillon seasoning
10. Bring chili to boil and then turn the heat to simmer. I like to simmer my chili most of the day. But if you start your chili too late in the day, after bringing it to a boil, turn onto low heat for about an hour.
11. Serve with a garden salad and a pan of cornbread.  We also like to top our chili with some sliced green onion and shredded cheddar cheese. 

Southern Cornbread

Serves 8

 

Ingredients:

• 2 scant cups of yellow cornmeal (stone ground is wonderful)
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 tsp. soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. Oil

 Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Put 2 Tbsp. in a cast iron skillet and put in oven to heat while mixing up the cornbread
3. Place buttermilk in a large and add soda to buttermilk
4. Add eggs, beating well
5. Mix dry ingredients
6. Mix with wet ingredients. Do not stir a lot
7. Carefully take cast iron skillet out of heated oven and place on top of stove.
8. Carefully pour batter into skillet and return to oven.
9. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

This southern style cornbread will be crunchy on the outside and yet tender on the inside.

 

 

 

Fall Unit Studies

by Debbie Klinect

 

Hurricane Unit Study 

 

        Hurricane season is June 1^st through November 30^th.  Typically, most of the activity doesn’t start until Labor Day in September.  With that in mind, our first unit will be on hurricanes and what you can do to be prepared.

 

        A hurricane is one of the most violent kinds of storms.   In a hurricane, winds swirl in a circle around the storm’s center.  Most hurricanes begin in the fall because the tropical oceans are warmest then.  The warmer the ocean is, the stronger the hurricane is likely to become.  Hurricane winds begin by blowing straight.  But the movement of the earth as it spins on its axis makes the winds curve.  The faster the winds blow, the more they curve.  Hurricane winds are very fast, so they curve and form a circle.  Hurricanes are about 10 miles high and 300-600 miles wide.  It has a life span of about 10 days.

 

The hurricane has an eye.  Try this experiment:  Fill your bath tub with two inches of water.  Now start to drain the water.  Watch as a funnel forms.  The center of the hurricane is like the center of your funnel.   To understand why the water doesn’t fall into the center, hold both hands of another person.  With your hands help tight, begin to swirl in a circular motion.  The force that pushes you outward while you are spinning is the same force that keeps the water from entering the center of the storm.

 

Hurricanes start off the west coast of Africa, usually, where the water is the warmest at the equator.  When a hurricane gets further north, its speed increases.  The right front corner is the strongest because the whirling winds are circling toward the shore.  A hurricane dies as it moves over land because there is no more hot, moist ocean air to fuel the storm.

 

Words to know:

• Hurricane watch:  a hurricane may strike in the next 36 hours.
• Hurricane warning:  a hurricane is likely to strike in the next 24 hours.
• Typhoon:  a hurricane in Asia.

 

Things that you can do to prepare for a hurricane:

 

1. Go to www.wftv.com/weather/index.html.  Scroll down to find the hurricane guide section.  Click on Hurricanes 101 interactive to find out more about hurricanes.
2. While on the WFTV site, click on the Hurricane Guide to see what things you should stock up on and also to print out a tracking map.
3. When purchasing food items, think about what dinners you can make on a camping stove.  Here are a few recipes to consider:

Red and White Chili

 

Canned spicy chili beans, canned Great Northern beans-drained, 1 large canned tomatoes, 1 onion chopped, serving of rice – cooked according to package directions.

In a skillet, sauté onion.  Add the chili beans with the sauce and the drained Great Northern beans.  Next add the tomatoes.  If you have a package of polish sausage in your refrigerator, cube it and add it to the chili.  Cook for about 2 hours.  Serve chili over rice.

 

Black Beans, Corn and Rice

 

Canned black beans, canned corn-drained, 1 onion chopped, small green pepper-chopped, ¼ tsp cumin, ¼ tsp cilantro.  Put all of this into a pot and cook over med-low heat for about an hour.  Serve over cooked rice and top with salsa.  Eat with tortilla chips.

 

Pumpkin Unit Study

 

I have found a web site (thanks to a friend’s recommendation) that has things for you to do.  It is www.education-world.com/a_lesson.  In this site, there are lessons for you to do on Apples for September because of Johnny Appleseed, a study on bats, a study on eggs, and one for pumpkins.

 

Did you know that the pumpkin (like the tomato) is a fruit?  I didn’t.  Read the information from this site and see what else you can learn about pumpkins.

 

Language Arts

• Place a few pumpkins in view of students.  Have them write a list of words to describe the pumpkins.  Also, have your older students write similes and metaphors using words that describe pumpkins.
• With the words that they collected, have them design their own word search puzzle.
• Have students research the word Jack-o’-lantern.  Have them write a paper telling you what they found out.  Then have them write a paper telling you what they found out.  Then have them write a paper describing a Jack-o’-lantern face.

 

Science

• Have your older children read Mousekin’s Golden House by Edna Miller to your younger children.  After reading the story, place a hollowed pumpkin outside in a protected place and observe the changes weekly.  Have younger children keep a picture journal and your older children a written journal of the changes.
• Have your children slice open pumpkin seeds.  What do they see?  Have them research pumpkin and record the growth pattern.  Have younger children draw out the stages of growth of the pumpkin.  How long does it take to grow?  Do you have a spot in your yard for a pumpkin patch?  Why is it a corn crop and a pumpkin patch? 

History

• Where did pumpkins originate?  When were they first raised?  By whom?
• What is a Jack-o’-lantern?  Where did the term come from?  What are other meanings of the term Jack-o’-lantern?
• Look for new uses for pumpkin.  Cinderella’s was a coach.  A man from New England used a giant pumpkin as a motorboat (Cinderella, Eat Your Heart Out, Yankee Magazine, Oct 1997 page 17).  What can you come up with? 

Field trip idea: 

 

Go to a farmer’s market or a farm where they grow pumpkins and pick out a pumpkin to take home.  See what all you can do with pumpkins. 

 

Cooking activity: 

 

Go to www.Allrecipes.com and see what recipes you can find to make with your pumpkin.

 

 

The Book Nook

by Debbie Klinect

 

          Recently the Lord gave me a gift in an unusual way.  I was working on two unit studies for this next school year and was crying to my husband that I needed another 50 hours to get them completed.  I didn’t know where those hours were going to come from.  Well, those needed hours plus many more came, but not in the way I would have ever thought.  The end of March I stepped on my daughter’s tennis shoe, rolled my right ankle, and broke it in two places.  I was literally taken out of commission for three months.  With nothing else to do but sit on the couch or in a wheel chair, I pulled out the unfinished units and began working on them.  As a result of all this “free” time, these unit studies are now available for purchase.

 

            The American Girl Unit Study is a year long unit study.  It teaches American History to students in grades 3-6 using the American Girl books, which are published by Pleasant Company.  In this unit, your children will learn not only what was happening in U.S. history, but what was happening in the world.  Also included in this unit are: timeline activities, cooking, sewing, art, music, Science, Geography, a reading list and a movie list.

 

            The Royal Diaries Unit Study is a year long unit study.  This unit teaches World History through the eyes (in journal form) of the royal girls throughout history.  This unit is for grades 4-7 using the Royal Diaries Series by Scholastic, Inc.  Your students start off the year with Cleopatra and go through World War I with Anastasia from Russia.  This unit includes: timeline activities, cooking, sewing, art, music, Science, Geography, research opportunities, a reading list and a movie list.

 

            My Name Is America Unit Study was written for boys.  It is a year long unit study teaching America’s history through the eyes (in journal form) of boys throughout U.S. History.  This unit is for grades 4-6 using the My Name Is America Series, published by Scholastic, Inc.  Your students start off the year with the Pilgrims and go through World War II.  This unit includes: timeline activities, cooking, costume making, art, music, Science, research opportunities, Geography, a reading list and a movie list. 

 

            They Followed The Call, a unit study about missionaries, was written for both boys and girls.  It is a year long study learning about the lives of people that God called to the mission field throughout history.  This unit is for grades 4-6 and it uses the Trail Blazer books written by Dave and Neta Jackson.  This unit includes:  timeline activities, cooking, map skills, mission opportunities, History, Geography, Social Studies, Language Arts, and Science.  There is a reading list and a video list also.  

         

            There is only one other book that you need to purchase.  The rest of the books needed for each unit study can be found in your library or through inter-library loan.  The book you need to purchase is called A Garden Patch of Reproducible Homeschooling Planning & Education Worksheets by Debora McGregor.  You can order this book from Debora by calling 270-433-6222.

 

            If you are interested in receiving a sample page from any of the units, email me at [email protected].  If you would like to purchase a unit, you can receive it in a PDF file for $12.00 or in printed form in the mail for $15.00 plus $4.00 shipping. 

 

Teaching Tips

by Debbie Klinect

 

          Every school year we concentrate on one area or subject to master that year.  Since my boys are reading and have a good foundation in math, we are going to concentrate on the subject of Spelling.  We will be using a Spelling curriculum but in addition to that we are going to implement some extra activities to help reinforce what we are learning.  Here are some tips and activities for you to choose from for your budding speller.

 

1.   Take a few words from their list and have them look up the words in a Bible concordance.  Then look up the verse in the Bible and have them copy it in their neatest handwriting.

2.   Create a word search.  Using graph paper, write their words in different blocks going in all directions.  Fill in the empty blocks with random letters.

3.   Write words in ABC order.

4.    Make a memory game of your words.  Use index cards.  Write the same word on two cards.  Play the game the same way you play the Memory Game.

5.   Have your children create a game board.  Have them put on the board spaces like go back, skip ahead, and miss a turn.  Put one spelling word on an index card.  Use a die to see how many spaces you move in word is spelled correctly.

6.   Put spelling words on index cards.  Have your child draw one of the cards and tell you all the reasons the word is pronounced the way it is.  Ex: C A T.  The C says the hard sound because an A follows it.  The A is the short vowel sound because it is the only vowel in the word.  Reinforce phonics rules and syllabication rules. 

 

 

Toddle Time

by Debbie Klinect

 

          The life of a toddler is an adventurous one and sometimes scary for mom.  Trying to keep them occupied while you are busy can be a real challenge.  If you homeschool, having a toddler can be even more challenging.  Hopefully I am going to be able to help you with some of the things we have done in the past to keep my little ones occupied.

 

            Keeping safety foremost in our minds we want to have things our little ones can play with that will interest them but also be safe for them.  My favorite store is our local Dollar Tree Store.  Over the years I have been able to purchase items from there that have been useful and entertaining.  First thing you will want to get is a large plastic container, a bit larger than a shoebox.  Then we start filling it with items.  I have filled mine with wooden puzzles with the pegs on each piece, stack cups, wooden blocks, plastic letters and numbers without the magnets on them (they could swallow the magnets), small stuffed animals, small rag dolls, large linking rings, blow up globe with animals on it, and card board books.

 

            Another thing I have done in the past is on the messy side, but oh so much fun.  You will need to purchase a plastic art smock for your little one to wear.  Have your toddler sit in their high chair.  Give them one of the following:

 

Peanut Butter Dough  Mix 1 cup peanut butter with 1 cup of nonfat dry milk and 3 Tbsp of honey.  Mix well.  Store in a zip bag.  This dough is absolutely harmless if eaten.

 

Yogurt Finger Paint  An 8 ounce container of vanilla yogurt and food coloring is what you need for this.  Divide the yogurt into small cups.  Add food coloring to made colors.  Let your child paint their tray with yogurt.  Clean up is easy since they get to eat it.

 

Cookie Cutouts  You will need slices of bread or pancakes and cookie cutters for this.  Let your child cut out shapes from the bread or pancakes.  Raisins can be used to make eyes or decorate their shapes.

 

Cereal Jewelry  You will need a shoe lace, Cheeroes and or Fruit Loops cereal.  Have your child thread the cereal onto the shoes lace.  They can eat it after it is all on the lace.

 

Sticky Balls A rolling pin, cooked rice that is sticky, raisins, and chocolate chips are what you need here.  Have your child mold the rice into balls or roll it flat and decorate with the raisins and chocolate chips.  They can also mold the rice inside cookie cutters.

 

 

LAST THOUGHTS

 

        I Thessalonians 5:11 "Encourage one another and build each other up."  It is our hope that this magazine encourages and builds you up. We have enjoyed the challenge set before us and look forward to hearing from you.  We encourage you to pass this on to those you think will be blessed by it.  If you are wanting to use any of the articles in another publication, please write to us and let us know that you wish to do so. God bless all of you.

 

 

 

 

  --  To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: [email protected]