Handmade Holidays 2008 online

For those of you getting ready to work on our Thanksgiving and
Christmas Unit Studies, there's a fun month-long, holiday-themed
project that you and your crew might enjoy - here's the link:

http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=636

Gearing up for a handmade holiday season here! With Thanksgiving on November 27th this year, I know that many of you are getting ready to begin the Thanksgiving study next week - get ready for a fun learning adventure!

Blessings,
Amanda B.
www.unitstudy.com

Enjoying the Homeschool Harvest

Harvest....the end of the growing season....clearly signaled by bright orange pumpkins piled high at roadside stands, the spicy tart smell of apple butter cooking at local orchards, and the excitement of local fall harvest festivals. At the festivals, you can see the county's largest sunflowers, the prettiest canned tomatoes you've ever seen, and the artwork so painstakingly created by children of all ages. It is a season of reflection, gathering in, and enjoying the fruits of your labor. I'm writing this today to share some of the lessons I've learned over the past years of homeschooling -- the importance of enjoying each moment of harvest in our lives, whether it is the accomplishment of a child finally learning to tie their own shoes, the excitement of reading their first book all by themselves, the time "they" point out how pretty the trees look, and many other times where the end product slowly but surely peeks out in the midst of daily life.

As some of you know, we have had our share of challenging years following two car accidents and many repair surgeries during our homeschooling adventures. Through it all, we've homeschooled and I'm not sure who has learned more, the parents or the children! Before these accidents, we were driven by a goal of homeschooling them through high school, keeping our eye on the "finished product" goal, instead of the daily accomplishments or "moments of harvest." It is these moments of harvest that I wanted to make you aware of -- that they should be recognized, savored, and remembered. Our "harvest" is not seasonal like a farmer's crop -- our harvest is lifelong, as we love, nurture and encourage our family each and every day. And yes, there are days when this is a TALL order, and it is those days that we can recall the good "harvest moments", days when goals were reached, or thanks was given, or smiles and laughter rippled around the dinner table.

But before we go on, let me take a moment to share the definition of "harvest" with you, taken from Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: harvest -- to gather in (a crop). A farmer plans for his crop all through the winter, then prepares (cultivates) the soil in spring, and finally plants the seeds of a new crop as the spring ends. Throughout the summer, he works on maintaining and protecting his crop, from drought, insects, and weeds. And then at the end of the summer, he finally begins his harvest, gathering in this precious crop that he has worked so hard to grow. Can you see the similarities to our efforts as parents? We plan, plant, grow, nurture, and somewhere along the way, the "harvest" concept kind of gets lost in the search for both shoes, the car keys, the "right" curriculum, and on and on.

Just like raising a stand of fruit trees (or maple trees, pecan trees, etc.), so goes the way of raising a child, in a way:

• A season to prune and maintain the plants themselves (the physical needs as well as the emotional needs).


• A season to fertilize to invigorate the plant's production of fruit (talking, reading, sharing, putting information and caring into their lives).


• A season to tend the fruits as they develop (keeping an eye on their interests, activities, etc.).


• A season of harvest, when the fruit is enjoyed and preserved, keeping an eye towards the future for the next season of growth (protecting them from harm during tough times and planning the next season of growth).


• And then, of course, the cycle begins anew, as the cycle of life thankfully continues.

Given some time for reflection, you can "see" back through this past year and remember some prime "harvest moments", both educational as well as emotional and spiritual. There are also some moments or events that strengthened and united your family, as well. I've made myself keep a small journal of these kinds of harvest insights, both for encouragement and so that I can realize the progress being made for our efforts. I know it is hard to find time to write down these kinds of things, and I am one of the worst when it comes to finding time for extra efforts like this. BUT, I  MADE myself do this with a journal -- for all of us. Here are some ideas in each harvest moment category that I mentioned above, to help you "see" what I record:

        Breakthroughs in their education:

• First word read all by themselves


• First book read independently


• First time they read a book with interest "without" having it assigned


• Mastery of multiplication tables...FINALLY!


• Breakthrough on long division


• Moments of realization when they really "understand" a concept -- like gravity!


• They begin to connect the things that they are learning with the world around us.
  
  Breakthroughs in their emotional development:
   


• They slow down to help younger siblings voluntarily


• Refusal to "follow the crowd" based on principle or belief


• Doing the "right" thing even when you are not around!


• Helping others without being asked


• Appreciating grandparents and other family members


• Welcoming guests wholeheartedly and caring for their needs


• Asking if you can "all" go do something together...amazing!
  
  And last, but not least -- moments that strengthen and unite your family:
   


• When one parent is ill or injured, and they all work together to share the burden


• A death in the family or extended family, where they learn the real value of love and family, as well as the role of faith in assurance


• When times are financially strained, everyone comes together to conserve, plan, and help ease the struggle.


• Projects for the family tend to provide long memories as well -- working together to add a room to the house, helping a neighbor, etc.

These kinds of things are all what I call those "harvest moments". Golden, reflective and rewarding of our efforts. They may be brief, like a shooting star, but they are just as joyous when we take time from our hectic schedules and plans to see them and realize that progress is being made and our efforts are bringing on a "good" harvest.

This season of harvest is bright and fruitful, both in our lives as parents and as we approach the season of Thanksgiving. Not only have I learned to see the harvest moments in our lives, but I've also learned to really count our blessings, naming them one by one in my journal. The list is growing, right along with my faith. And do you know what else? I'm watching the importance of this blessing counting grow in our children. What an amazing offshoot of my own lessons -- that they, too, are really "seeing" the important things in life. As I sit and reflect on this now, perhaps that IS the most important lesson from all of this -- that they see what really is important, instead of material things and day to day trials.

This "enjoying the harvest" does not just apply to our children's growth and education, by the way. Try to take time to take a walk -- really walking, not just speeding through another task. Notice the color of the sky, and the birds that you see -- can you identify them? And when you are making that apple butter in a slow-cooker this year, don't forget to add some savory spices and then enjoy the taste on hot buttered biscuits! Put on some classical music and really listen to how lifting Mozart can be with your morning coffee...a much better way to start the day than the morning news, too. In other words, YOU have got to slow down and "smell the roses" too. As they say around my house, "when mama ain't happy, ain't NOBODY happy!" :-) And I'm trying to remedy that, working on it on a daily basis.

It is my prayer that this article has helped you see that the fruits of our labors are ongoing and lifelong. The harvest is never-ending, and we need to enjoy the harvest moments, right in the midst of the chores and labors of love in teaching and learning and sharing in our family lives. Live, really live, each day that God gives you. I have a saying that I keep on my dresser that reads "Today is a precious gift from God. Say thank you -- and tear into it!", and I try to do just that.

May you have a bountiful and joyous harvest season, and may you find peace in the quiet moments that you can catch in the mayhem and noise of family life! Happy Thanksgiving, and don't forget to count those blessings!

Blessings,
Amanda B.
www.unitstudy.com

Loss of the Republic? Interesting and thought-provoking...

Food for thought article that reminds us of American history and dreams as the general election approaches:

The Big Picture: Loss of a Republic

Many of the people, quotes, and history presented in this article are covered in our Elections Unit Study, but this article presents them in a way that brings new light to the issues of this election.

Keeping in prayer for our nation as we approach this pivotal moment,
Amanda B.
WWW.unitstudy.com

 

Thanksgiving Charger Plate Project - more info...

To learn more about charger plates for this project, read on!

What is a charger plate? I didn't know what these were until a
few years ago, when they were used at a formal dinner event - they
look like coasters for dinner plates! :-) They are basically
oversized plates, and come in both round and square shapes. They
dress up the table, and serve a great purpose - they do protect the
table and/or tablecloth from Thanksgiving gravy or Christmas
cranberry spills. I've found plastic ones like those used in this
project at several dollar-type stores, as well as places like Hobby
Lobby and Kohls over the years.

Here are a few links that describe chargers and their history - very
interesting:

What is a Charger Plate?
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-decorative-charger-plate.htm

Charger (good picture)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_charger

I hope these help - this is going to be a very interesting project. I
can't wait to see what everyone comes up with! I've saved some of my
children's Blessing Tree leaves over the years and plan to make some
color copies to use for this project.

It will be interesting to see what your children want to do to
decorate the plates - I love the imagination of children when they
are learning new things. Ask them questions as they are learning
about a topic - what do you think it would have been like to sail on
the Mayflower, what do you think their children did to pass the time
while onboard the ship, and on and on. Let them know that they will
be choosing things to decorate the plates as Thanksgiving approaches,
and see what they would like to include on the plates. Learning never
ends...

Blessings,
Amanda B.
www.unitstudy.com

Here's the plate project information once again, in case you missed it:

I discovered a great Thanksgiving craft project for kids on youtube
for creating Thanksgiving decoupage charger plates with kids at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kR4sD4fors

While the video leaves much to your imagination, I think we can
figure out how to do this project!

The basic concept is to glue pictures, leaves, and other images to
inexpensive charger plates (about $1 each at many discount stores).
After the glue dries, the kids can take glitter paint to go over the
plate. You could preserve the plates with a spray-on clear finish
when everything is dry. These charger plates are then placed on the
Thanskgiving table, almost like name cards. The charger plate is used
like a placemat to hold each dinner plate during the meal, and these
special chargers can then be saved as Thanksgiving keepsakes.

You can take this one step further by making each charger plate
unique:
* Personalizing a charger plate for each expected Thanksgiving dinner guest
* Using some of the Blessing Tree leaves mentioned in the Thanksgiving Unit Study
* Letting the kids cut out autumn pictures from magazines and newspapers to include on their plates
* Using scrapbooking letters to create names and special images on each plate
* Including copies of drawings and photos from their work on the Thanksgiving Unit Study (remember that you can reduce the size of the drawing/photos when making copies)

New Autumn Pictures on Life in the Country

Just wanted to let you know that I have finally updated the Life in the Country web page with some of my autumn pictures from here on the farm. Slowly but surely, autumn is creeping up the mountain. The farmers are busy bringing in the last of the hay and harvest, and the peaceful view is just that - very peaceful and calming.

This web view on the Appalachians is one of my most popular pages, and I hope you enjoy the pictures as well as my entries. 

Blessings,
Amanda B.
www.unitstudy.com

James 1:12

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

Receive the 1st week of the Elections Study via email when...

you purchase the Autumn 2008 Unit Study Package! We will email the first week and introductory materials so that you and your crew can start the Elections Study right away while you wait for your American Government, Elections, Thanksgiving and Christmas Unit Study CDROMs to arrive in the mail.

This package sale ends at midnight(CST) Monday, October 13th.

Jump into this autumn with savings and look forward to some wonderful and interesting learning adventures!

Blessings,
Amanda B.
www.unitstudy.com

Fun and easy Thanksgiving craft!

I discovered a great Thanksgiving craft project for kids on youtube
for creating Thanksgiving decoupage charger plates with kids at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kR4sD4fors

While the video leaves much to your imagination, I think we can
figure out how to do this project!

The basic concept is to glue pictures, leaves, and other images to
inexpensive charger plates (about $1 each at many discount stores).
After the glue dries, the kids can take glitter paint to go over the
plate. You could preserve the plates with a spray-on clear finish
when everything is dry. These charger plates are then placed on the
Thanskgiving table, almost like name cards. The charger plate is used
like a placemat to hold each dinner plate during the meal, and these
special chargers can then be saved as Thanksgiving keepsakes.

You can take this one step further by making each charger plate
unique:
* Personalizing a charger plate for each expected Thanksgiving
dinner guest
* Using some of the Blessing Tree leaves mentioned in the
Thanksgiving Unit Study
* Letting the kids cut out autumn pictures from magazines and
newspapers to include on their plates
* Using scrapbooking letters to create names and special images on
each plate
* Including copies of drawings and photos from their work on the
Thanksgiving Unit Study (remember that you can reduce the size of the
drawing/photos when making copies)

What do you think? If anyone has experience with decoupage, do you
have suggestions for the types of glue and finshes that we should use?

Many thanks,
Amanda B.
www.unitstudy.com

Great homeschooling quote from Christopher Paolini, author of Eragon:

People often ask me to speak on one of my favorite topics - nurturing a child's gifts and talents. As homeschooling parents, we are given a very special opportunity to do just this, with amazing possibilities and unimaginable results. When I read this quote from Christopher Paolini, author of Eragon, I knew it was one worth passing along to those of you who are interested in this topic:

 

"And I think one of the other advantages to being homeschooled is you don't have the experience of being ridiculed or made fun of for who you are and what you're interested in. You never learn to be afraid to pursue your own interests."

I love that part about not learning to be afraid to pursue your own interests - BINGO! :-)

You can read the entire interview at:

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24435244-5003424,00.html

I have not read any of his books, but I was interested in learning more about his story and homeschooling experience!

Blessings,
Amanda B.
www.unitstudy.com