Standardized Testing - Yikes!

This will be our first year attending standardized testing and I am a little nervous, to say the least.  Joshua is in third grade this year so he will be taking his first standardized test.  I get to go with him and be there in case he needs me, but I am still nervous about it.  I've found several ways to help us prepare for the test and ease my mind about it too.

First of all, Alaska has a website that allows teachers to download sample tests for each age group.  I will be able to do a sample test with Josh in the weeks leading up to the test.  Also, I've looked over the test and it is much simpler than I expected for his grade-level.  Still, this style of testing is unlike our tests that we use in the classroom, so I've found a couple of good ways to help us all prepare for this new type of test.

Lakeshore Learning has test-taking strategy computer programs for Language and for Math for different grade-levels.  These programs cover the wide-range of material covered in the standardized tests and the mulitple types of questions used as well.  These programs help students to understand different strategies for answering the questions in the standardized tests.  These programs are a little expensive at 14.95 for each subject and grade-level.  The bonus is that you can purchase them directly from the website and download them directly to your computer.

To help us better familiarize ourselves with different question/answer styles used in standardized tests, we will be having game-show day at school once a week for the next couple of months.  Lakeshore Learning sells nylon pocket charts with game boards similar to Jeopardy to cover Math, Science, and Vocabulary.  The charts include 100s of question cards covering multiple subject areas, category headers, 20 point value cards to choose from, and a game-show title card.  I am excited about using our Vocabulary and Science quiz-show games in class.  I really wish I would have purchased the Math game as well.  Lakeshore offers 3 games with chart for 1-3 grade and 3 more for 4-6.  These games are very expensive at 49.95 each (yikes!), but are also available frequently on ebay for less or you can download the computer version for 19.95 each.  The computer version is available for instant download and is a great option for everyday computer practice of basic skills for individual students. 

Lakeshore Learning is one of my favorite vendors for school materials (if you haven't noticed).  They have 3 ipad apps available from itunes.  Also, you can sign up for their email list and receive occasional discount offers which might make the price more feasible.

For This Child I Prayed

Didn't you just love having Christmas fall on a Sunday this year?  I thought it was just perfect.  To spend the day in the Lord's house celebrating His gift to the world, sharing fellowship with other believers, telling others about the gift of salvation that we celebrate at Christmas time.  It was a wonderful blessing.  Of course, we enjoyed all the regular trappings of the season, food, family, gifts.  It was wonderful.  We are truly blessed.  Having Christmas fall on a Sunday reminded me of a very long and not especially fun Christmas a few years ago.  The last time Christmas Day fell on a Sunday, I too was great with child.  Josh was 3, Joy was almost 2, and we were expecting our third child.  After we had Joy, our little family had one boy and one girl.  We had the best of both worlds and I was content.  But just before Joy turned 1, my heart felt that same ache.  I wanted another little one.  I prayed that God would bless us again with a baby.  Now, Josh was God's idea, not ours.  Joy, on the other hand, was the express wish of my parents who wanted a grand-daughter.  But, this baby, this baby I entreated the Lord for.  I would have named him Samuel if that weren't Josh's middle name because Hudson was the child I prayed for.

What does all that have to do with Christmas?  Well, I'm getting to that. 

None of my pregnancies were easy.  I was desperately sick with all of them, but this pregnancy was really trying.  Instead of getting past the morning sickness stage, it continued on until the day after delivery.  As an added bonus, I started having contractions around the 32-33 week mark.  I tried to ignore them, that didn't work out well.   Joey and I would spend hours in triage only to have them tell me, "Yes, you're in labor.  Come back if it gets really bad."  It was a long December to say the least.  We spent all of our anniversary in the hospital.  Then, Christmas morning came.  It was a beautiful Sunday.  We got the kids ready and headed to church.  I was so sick, Joey had to pull the van over several times.  I was ready to teach Sunday School and play the piano for both services, but my dad (a.k.a. Pastor) took one look at me and told Joey to take me straight to the hospital.  I tried to argue, that didn't work out well either.

I was excited.  Having a Christmas baby would be fun, right?  I was scheduled to be induced five days later so I figured they would let me go ahead and have the baby that day.  It didn't work out quite like I planned.  Instead, Joey, the kids and I spent our Christmas Day at the hospital.  Joey got the kids Christmas dinner in the cafeteria and they took naps on my bed.  It was a long Christmas.  And we left without what I really wanted for Christmas that year, the baby I had prayed for.

I had to wait five very long days.  It was worth the wait.  Hudson is so much fun.  He loves life.  He was our first child who actually played with toys.  He is a lot of fun to teach in school.  He makes our house exciting (a.k.a. loud).

Every year, we celebrate Hudson's birthday along with New Year's.  Most of the time people don't like combining their birthday with another celebration, but Hudson looks forward to it as soon as the snow begins to fall in October.  He knows the routine by now.  We have to have snow, then we get a Christmas tree, then we have Christmas, then we burn the tree and shoot off fireworks.  (this is our New Year's tradition)  For Hudson, bonfires and fireworks are meant for his birthday.  And what a way to celebrate for this little boy who has blessed our family in such a tremendous way! 

Happy 6th Birthday, Hudson Taylor!

Better than I Could Have Imagined

Today marks a special day for Joey and me.  It is our tenth anniversary.  It has been a joy being his wife and serving the Lord together.  I would love to say that our marriage has been perfect because of our wise decisions and hard work, but that wouldn't exactly be the truth.  Our marriage has been truly blessed by God in every way.  I have no doubt that God brought us together and prepared us for each other before we even met.  I attribute that blessing, not to anything that we have done, but to our excellent parents who sought the Lord in prayer on our behalf daily praying for our future spouse.  It's a good thing too.  I must say, as a twenty-something college student, I wasn't looking for all the right things in a husband.  Don't get me wrong.  I wasn't looking for all the wrong things.  I just didn't have the foresight or the wisdom to really seek out the specific qualities that are important in a husband and father.  Still, where I was neglect, God was merciful.  I may not have had the foresight to look for certain qualities in my future husband before we were married, but I've been pleasantly surprised to find God chose better than I ever could have.

A wise friend once asked me a very interesting question.  One I had never considered, but I must say it was a blessing to me to answer her question.  She asked me to give her a list of things I didn't know about Joey before we got married that I admired about him or I was thankful for.  When we first got married, I wanted to be a wife and a homemaker so much, I just couldn't wait.  Unfortunately, because of my impatience, I didn't consider too much farther into the future than the first few months.  I suppose that stems from my love of classic romances.  They meet, they fall in love, they get married- The End.  I think that's how many people view marriage.  It's the part that comes after that that we aren't prepared for.  So as I considered her question, I was blessed to consider all the ways Joey has blessed my life in the past 10 years.  Here is a short list of the things I admire about my husband and I am deeply thankful for.

1. He loves to serve the Lord.  I knew that Joey loved the Lord when we first met and that was important to me, but I never realized all the potential for ministry we would have together in our life together.  Now, 10 years later we are literally thousands of miles away from where we started.  Through the past 10 years I have seen Joey take each opportunity God has given Him and demonstrate his love for the Lord in each area of ministry.  Joey has had the chance to teach, preach, lead music, organize youth activities, lead visitation programs, and serve in so many ways.   He has been the spiritual leader for our family that is so important to me and to our family. 

2. He is dependable and faithful.  If there is one person in this world I can depend on, it is my husband.  I know that I can count on him in everything.  When I was in the hospital with the twins, I wanted to fret and worry about everything I was missing at home.  I wanted to call and check on the kids fifteen times a day.  However, I knew that Joey would take good care of all the things I couldn't.  I knew I could depend on him.  Joey has demonstrated amazing faithfulness in every aspect of our life together.  He is the one I know I can count on in everything.  I would like to say it is because I chose so wisely, but I think it simply the graciousness of God in my life and his amazing parent who raised him well. 

3. He is a great father.  Joey is the fourth of five boys.  By the time we met and were getting ready for our wedding, his older brothers already had families of their own.  I watched Joey interact with his nephews and neices and thought it was sweet the way they played and laughed together.  I never really considered what he would be like with our children though.  Well, we didn't have to wait long to find out!  Josh came along 10 months later.  I have been amazed ever since at Joey's way with the children.  He is a gentle, loving, and compassionate father.  Of course, he had a good example growing up.  He is playful and fun, he is an excellent teacher, and he is a strong leader for each of our children.  I am so thankful for his influence in their lives.

4. He is my very best friend.  After 10 years together, I can honestly say, there is no one in the world I'd rather spend time with than him.  He understands me.  He inspires me.  He tolerates me.  He loves me unconditionally.  We cherish our time together, whether it is overnight trips with a van full of teenagers, an afternoon cleaning the house, or actual time together with just the two of us. 

Today I am thankful for 10 wonderful years with the greatest man I know.  Happy Anniversary Sweetheart!

A New Look at Christmas!

Every Christmas season you hear it, "Keep Christ in Christmas", "Jesus is the Reason for the Season."  I'm not disagreeing.  I love those sayings.  I delight in this seasonal celebration of the birth of our Savior.  I watch the holiday movies with the kids.  I fill the house with decorations.  I spend hours at the piano practicing Christmas songs - (Why do Christmas carols have so many accidentals?)  I bake cookies and make candy.  I enjoy the season so much, but it breaks my heart to see the world's celebration of a season that has little meaning beyond gifts, toys, and food.  This is the time to celebrate the grace of God that was delivered to us and the awesome way God chose to send it.

I just love listening to the radio with all of the Christmas music.  However, listening to secular artists singing Christmas carols leaves me questioning.  How can they sing about this miraculous birth, this arrival of the Savior, not change their lives?  Some of us have grown too familiar with the words, we fail to see the meaning. 

Joy to the world!  The Lord is come:

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room,

How can people hear this every year and not grasp the message.  Why do they not prepare room for Him in their hearts.  The song is clear; the Saviour has come!  Oh that they would receive Him. 

As we hurry about the malls buying gifts and we race through the store to collect the ingredients for our Holiday feasts, the music flows through the speakers telling of the Saviour who has come.  Still, the faces of the people show that they still are searching and not finding Him.  They are still empty and don't know why.  Oh, that this time of year we would each use this blessed Holiday season to share His gift of love with the people around us.  Yes, Jesus is the Reason for the Season, but have you ever stopped to consider that Jesus is the Season, but You are the Reason!  You are the reason that He came to earth.  You are the reason He came as a helpless baby.  He came as a man so that He would know the struggles you face and the heartbreaks you know.  He came to live among us so that He could understand us better.  And he came to die so that we wouldn't have to.  Yes, You are the Reason for this Season!  Won't you share that Christmas message with someone else and give them a real reason to celebrate this Christmas.

Jesus is the Season, but You are the Reason!



What A Legacy!

We, my sweet husband and I, are quickly approaching the 10 year mark.  As I think back to those exciting days and weeks leading up to the wedding, I always remember our extensive pre-marital counseling.  Pastor Bethea, who performed most of our ceremony, was very patient and understanding with us for our conseling sessions.  We talked about our plans for the ceremony.  Both fathers had parts in the ceremony as well as Pastor Bethea since my dad and Joey's dad are both ordained pastors and we wanted to include them in our special day.  We had two or three counseling sessions with a little homework and reading assignments.  Then, with the Thanksgiving holiday, school events, and Christmas holiday coming up, Pastor was very busy and he brought us in for a final counseling session.  He told us both, very seriously, "I know both of your families.  I know your parents and I know their ministries.  If you paid attention at all growing up, you'll be just fine."  We all kind of laughed about it at the time, but I think his advice was very sound.   He could have squeezed us into his extremely busy schedule and taught us everything we needed to know about marriage and making a Godly home, but we had been taught those things from our infancy - hopefully we were paying attention.

My parents recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary.  We put together a slide-show of pictures from their wedding and their early ministry, here in Alaska, as well as more recent pictures.  It was such a blessing to see how God has blessed them through the years and how they have remained faithful to His call in their lives.  Their years of faithful service in Alaska has touched so many lives, including my own.  Their marriage has given stability to my life since my childhood.  I always knew that no matter what else happened, that my parents would stay together and would be there for me always.  That assurance in a child's life cannot be measured.  I'm so thankful for their Godly example to me.

As a young person, I never considered the family I would marry into.  I really should have.  Still, the Lord was gracious to me and gave me the best in-laws in the world.  I couldn't have asked for better.  The Seibers have accepted me into their family and have always been a blessing to me from the very beginning.  I am so very thankful for the Godly influence my husband had growing up.  Mom and Dad Seiber sacrificed of themselves to raise Joey in a Godly home to become the man he is today.  Mr. Seiber taught Joey by example to be a loving husband and caring father.  Their caring relationship and their faithful years of ministry for the Lord are an inspiration to us each day.

I praise the Lord for the Godly legacy He has given to Joey and me and the amazing Christian influence my children have from both sets of grandparents.  We are only a week away from our 10th anniversary.  How exciting to think of the many more years together that are still to come!

Show & Tell - Public Speaking 101

Most of you who know me would probably be shocked to hear that I've ever been shy in my life, but it is true.  Public speaking terrified me for a long time.  Freshman speech in college was a horrifying experience.  Everyone said that Speech 101 would be scary at first but would end up being my favorite class by the end of the semester.  Well, guess what, I took Speech 101 and Speech 102 and I hated every moment of it.  It was terrifying.  However, my dislike for public speaking goes back much further.  I remember the first time I had to give an oral report in school.  I was in 3rd or 4th grade and had to give a topic report in front of the whole school.  Granted, the whole school was only about 40 students at the most, but I thought I was going to be sick.  Now, I am a lot more comfortable with public speaking these days.  Peer teaching, recording practice teaching on video, and student teaching prepared me well.  I've had experience teaching preschoolers through adults and I enjoy every opportunity the Lord gives me to teach. 

Show and Tell is a great way to help students practice public speaking without it being a scary experience.  Of course, there are only six of us in our classroom (five students and myself), but we enjoy show and tell time.  In general, we do show and tell after Bible time each Monday.  It is a fun way to start the school week.  Sometimes, we tell about a toy, a movie, a memory, etc . . . One of our favorite show and tells was when each child had a chance to read their favorite book.  I used our peek-around monsters to display a color copy of each child's favorite book. 

Each child had a chance to read their book for the class.  It was a fun day for all of us.

Joshua reading a science book - of course!

And Joy reads her princess book.

Building Toys - #2

Bristle Blocks are so much fun.  I remember getting these in a kid's meal when I was little and I loved them.  I purchased several sets of them on ebay last year and the kids have had lots of fun with them.  Of course, the current versions are lots more fun than the set I had, but they are basically the same.  These plastic blocks are covered with bristles that interlock with each other in a variety of ways.  The new sets have spinning parts, silly faces, and lots of other fun details. 

I like to hand out a bin of these fun building toys to each student to play with while we listen to music or I read a story.  It is a fun way to take a break from school work or a quiet way to start the school day.  These building toys are great for all ages and are available nearly everywhere.

These photos were taken a while ago, but they are just too cute.  Hudson is so serious about what he's doing.

Building Toys - #1

Building toys have long been a favorite for children everywhere.  Some of my favorite toys as a child were building toys.  Of course, the building toys I had as a child were the of the low-tech variety.  My dad was once given a huge truck full of plastic milk crates.  My brothers and I built huge playhouses out of the milk crates in the backyard.  Oh what fun!  We also had the traditional wooden cubes with numbers and letters on them.  We had the variety blocks too which included squares, rectangles, and circles cut out of wood.  We had a blast with them - especially the part where you knock them all over. 

Of course, our kids love these basics (although we've yet to be blessed with a truckload of milk crates).  We have found some super-fun building toys that are a lot more creative too.  One of our favorites are Zoobs.  These building toys are so much fun because they connect in multiple ways and allow for movement similar to joints.  I also discovered Zoob mobiles which include wheels and tires.  We haven't quite graduated to the more advanced sets which include motors or robotics, but plan to add those next year when we study electricity and machines.  Zoobs are a fun, imaginative, and creative building toy for all age groups (3+). 

My oldest, Joshua, loves to build Zoob cars and motorcycles.



Joy prefers to make tiaras and jewelry with Zoobs.

On That Subject . . .

Speaking of renewal . . .

It is almost Thanksgiving and that means lots of things are going on.  It means lots of cooking and cleaning.  It means shopping at midnight (for us crazy people).  It means I'm spending hours on the piano learning the new Christmas music.  It means we're getting ready for company, well, this year it does and we are super-excited about that.  It also means something different in our house.  It means the classroom is transformed into a lovely dining room again - for the holidays.

We don't have lots of extra room around this place.  The house was nice and big when we moved in with a 2-year old and an infant.  Now that we have a 9-year old, a 7-year old, a 5-year old and two 4-year olds, space is limited.  Adding homeschool space is tricky so we move the dining table out to the garage and convert the dining room into school space for our fall semester and again, in the spring.  We enjoy have a dining room for our Holiday break and our summer break. 

To accomodate having no school space for the holidays, I plan out our school year to reach a specific goal before Thanksgiving (this year it was to finish day 100 before our break).  So, with our second quarter completely finished, we can enjoy a long holiday break and I can enjoy the holidays too instead of trying to stack the extra baking, gift-wrapping, and holiday events on top of our already busy school schedule.   Yes, we take from Thanksgiving until after New Year's for our Holiday break and it is wonderful.

It is also a great time for me to plan out our school activities for the upcoming semester.  I enjoy this time so much.  It is a time for 'teacher-renewal'.  I get to plan out everything we'll be doing for the rest of the year and collect the materials, and plan the activities, and prepare the students' books and papers in preparation for when we start school again.  I always begin our 3rd quarter feeling excited about what we're doing and the kids are always excited about going back to school too. 

During our long holiday break, we also celebrate our anniversary.  Who gets married 10 days before Christmas?  A teacher on her Christmas break.  Joey will be taking a week's vacation and be home to celebrate our anniversary and enjoy some Christmas and winter activities with all of us.  It will be a wonderful way to celebrate our 10 wonderful years of marriage, the blessing of being a family, and enjoy the celebration of our Lord's birth.  What a wonderful way to be renewed.  Much better than the spa weekend, right?  So for all of you weary teachers, mommies, homeschoolers, and frazzled Christmas planners. . . . Set aside some time this year to enjoy the season not just survive the season and renew yourself in the Lord (see previous post) so you can start the new year with anticipation and not exhaustion. 

Renewal

We hear the word a lot, renewal; we renew our subscriptions, we renew our contracts, we renew our license, we renew our memberships.  We are forever renewing things, things that generally cost money.  Yet, how often do we renew the important things in our life.  People renew their vows, but do they take the time and effort to actually renew their marriage or is it just the dress and flowers and cake that they are interested in.  We renew our commitment to our goals (i.e. New Year's Resolutions) like losing weight, exercising, being a better witness, studying more, etc . . . It is the discipline to reach our goals that is often lacking.

The Bible talks a lot about renewal; did you know that?

Psalm 51:10 - "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."  David asked the Lord to renew his spirit after he had sinned and lost his close relationship with the Lord.  God wants to renew us too.

Romans 12:2 - "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."  God makes a way for us to renew our minds so that we can better serve him and do the 'will of God.'

Isaiah 40:31 - "But they ethat wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."  God will renew your strength.

Isaiah 40:31 is such an encouraging verse to me.  God promises to renew my strength.  Can I tell you one of the verse I don't like?  II Thessalonians 3:13 - "But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing."  Really?  That is just an impossible commandment.  "Be not weary."  Sure, that sounds great.  However, if you add together laundry, dishes, grocery shopping, cooking meals, paying bills, homeschooling, housework, church, teaching Sunday School, playing the piano, choir practice, and then, Oh Yes, I'm supposed to be a wife, a mother, and a good friend.  Really, just reading all of that makes me kind of weary.  What about you?  Are you weary?  Maybe you need some renewal.

I know what will do the trick.  A girls weekend.  I'll stick my husband with the kids and the housework and the cooking and the craziness.  I'll spend a day at the spa being pampered, after all I deserve it; then, I'll go shopping and out to eat with my friends.  Oh, it will be wonderful and I'll be completely renewed.  Sounds great, doesn't it?  The problem is that at the end you'll be much poorer and not really renewed.  The Bible says that He will renew our strength.  (Isa. 40:31)  That we can be transformed if we renew our minds. (Rom 12:2)  And that He, alone, can renew a right spirit in us.  (Ps. 50:10) 

Yes, the truth is that I am often weary.  There is more work than there are hours in the day.  Sometimes I feel like I'm doing all of my jobs poorly because I have so many things I'm trying to do at once.  But, I cling to the promises in Scripture that He will renew my strength, my mind, and my spirit.

AlphaTales

This year, I discovered that I can order directly from Scholastic's Teacher Store through our homeschool ordering system.  I went a little crazy to say the least.  Scholastic has such great books, especially their guided reading sets (see previous post), including fiction and non-fiction books.  I ordered several great sets for use in Language, Science, and Reading.  I have been immensely pleased with all of these books.  I ordered AlphaTales sets for my pre-K and K5 kiddos and they just love them. 

Scholastic's AlphaTales come in several formats.  You can get a set of 26 paperbacks, one book with all 26 stories in one, flashcards, audio cd, coordinated letter formation cards, etc . . . I purchased a set of 26 paperbacks and the audio cds plus I found another set of paperbacks on ebay for a great price.  I'm still trying to find a couple more sets of these books for a good price so each student can have their own copy.  (that's what I get for having 3 kiddos within 13 months of each other)

The children enjoy these books so much.  They are silly books that emphasize the sound of each letter.  The audio cd makes it even more fun with cute sound effects and expressive reading.  Whether we are having school or not, the three youngest enjoy listening to the books and following along.  Scholastic has lots more great books for emergent readers and beginning readers too.  The AlphaTales are definitely at the top of our list though.

Guided Reading

I love guided reading for all grade levels.  If you are unfamiliar with the term guided reading it is simply a child (or children) reading along with a teacher or parent.  Guided reading can be done with just a parent and child reading together with the parent helping the child with new or difficult words and the child reading as much as they are able to do on their own.  In a classroom setting guided reading is incorporated into several curriculum areas.  Kindergarten students will often have small reading groups based on their reading ability.  They will have guided reading time to read through their reading curriculum texts while other students work independently.  Older students will use guided reading for literature and other curriculum areas such as science or history textbooks. 

Guided reading is sometimes overlooked by classroom teachers and homeschoolers alike.  In the same way that it is faster and easier to do the household chores yourself rather than instructing a child to do it, it is simpler and easier for a teacher or homeschooler to read to students or have the students read silently themselves.  Of course, there is nothing wrong with reading portions of the text to a student or having the student be personally responsible for a specific portion of reading; however, reading aloud and in groups has multiple benefits for students. 

For the youngest students, preschoolers and kindergarteners, guided reading is an excellent way to develop reading skills.  Although they may not be ready or able to read along, preschoolers can learn the flow of language.  Following along from page to page, turning pages along with you and following the flow of the story, helps to develop an understanding of how the words flow from left to right, line to line, and page to page.  It also helps develop student skills of sitting still, following directions, following along.  Guided reading also helps pre-readers to feel they are a part of reading even if they can't read words yet. 

For beginning readers, guided reading allows them the ability to read books beyond their reading ability and gain confidence in reading.  Beginning readers can read books more advanced for them while receiving help through difficult words or passages.  They gain a sense of accomplishment from reading progressively more difficult books encouraging them along the way. 

For all reading levels, guided reading offers some excellent benefits.  Oral reading skill is one of the best benefits to guided reading.  Reading aloud and hearing others read aloud improves student confidence, oral expression, and language skill.  Before a child is ready to learn the rules of punctuation and grammar, they can hear it in the natural flow of oral reading.  Stops and pauses for commas and end punctuation, expression for questions and exclamatory sentences are all incorporated into oral reading well before a student is ready to learn the rules of punctuation.  Oral reading helps students develop expression in their reading and also helps students learn to follow along whether they are reading or not.

It has amazed me in recent years how many people, children and adults, are uncomfortable reading out loud in front of others.  Teaching Junior-age students in Sunday School, I am amazed at how many of the students struggle to read verses aloud in class.  Adults, too, are often leary of reading aloud.  Guided reading from early on throughout a student's education is an excellent way to improve confidence in oral reading, expression in reading, and overall student skills too.

So how do I use guided reading in our classroom?  I'm so glad you asked :)  I try to sprinkle it into our school day whenever possible.  I enjoy Abeka's Primary Bible Readers for grades 1-3.  Josh and Joy and I each have one.  I select passages from the Bible Readers for Josh and Joy to read out loud for Bible class that go along with the Bible lesson.  I have lots of fun literature books with 5 or 6 of each book so that each of my five little ones and I can each have a book.  The older students read, while everyone follows along.  For Josh and Joy, we read everything aloud, from silly fiction books to science and history and language books.  To be sure they are following along, I'll read for a while and then ask one of them to pick up where I left off.  This is a great way to be sure they are reading along.  (keeps them on their toes)  Of course, it is not necessary for every homeschooler to purchase multiples of each book in order to use guided reading instruction.  You can read with your child from a single copy of a book.  Guided reading allows the student and the teacher to both read and to practice oral reading skills along the

Eric Carle

November is Eric Carle month (at least in our classroom).  I enjoy Eric Carle books and they lend themselves so easily to classroom instruction and activities.  Of course, The Very Hungry Caterpillar teaches the life cycle of a butterfly very well, but it also is a fun way to teach counting and the days of the week.  On Monday, he eats 1 apple.  On Tuesday, he eats 2 pears. Well, you get the general idea.   Eric Carle books are available just about anywhere.  Over the years, I've collected them in multiple formats.  I have board books for the preschoolers, hardcover books for the older children, and a few classroom size big books for us to read together.  I purchased three Eric Carle bulletin board sets from Carson Dellosa this year (really wish I would have gotten the other one they have too).    I just love the bright, imaginative visuals of these bulletin board sets.  We have the Very Hungry Caterpillar set (although you can only see part of it in the photo).  We also have the Brown Bear, Brown Bear set and the Very Busy Spider set.  Our whole classroom is covered in Eric Carle artwork - yes, I love it!

The Brown Bear, Brown Bear set is a fun way to talk about colors.  We also talk about which animals have the correct colors and which do not.  I personally like the blue horse and the purple cat, but it is not their real colors.  We talk about what color they are supposed to be and what color they would make other animals if they could make them a different color.   We also talk about which animals go together: farm animals, forest animals, pets, etc . . . This book is also cute with to read with The Mixed-Up Chameleon because he changes colors and wants to be like other animals he sees. 

The Very Busy Spider lends itself very easily to lessons about time (telling time, elapsed time, morning and evening, etc . . . ).  The other set available from Carson Dellosa is Polar Bear, Polar Bear.  We have read this book along with the others this past week.  It is a fun introduction to sounds animals make.  Head to Toe is another good Eric Carle book that talks about animal movement which is a fun activity for little ones.  We all get up and do the different types of animal movement together.  With the older students, we work on adjectives that describe the animals and their movements, sounds, colors, etc . . . as we talk about each thing along with the books.

Kohl's frequently sells Eric Carle books and the coordinated plush toys too for $5.00 each.  The kids love the toys and I love the books and everyone is excited about reading.  Here is Bethany snuggling her Mixed-Up Chameleon.  The Very Hungry Caterpillar is my favorite plush toy, but we also have a ladybug and a polar bear. 

On  a side note . . . I just love fabric charts.  I know, they are too big for most homeschool spaces, but I just love the student interaction of these charts.  The chart hangs up like a regular pocket chart, but the front is a fabric that any velcro will stick to.  This chart, used to teach time, has the clocks pre-printed on it and comes with all the little manipulatives you need to teach time.  The kids love putting the parts of the clock on the chart where they go and moving the hands to show the correct time.  We also have fabric charts for fractions, the human body, a map of the world, etc . . . They are super-fun activities.

Thankful For Christmas

I love the Christmas story.  I love that God chose a young Jewish girl to work His perfect plan for the salvation of the world.  I love that God provided all the right events to fulfil centuries worth of prophecies in one birth.  I love that God chose to tell the shepherds first.  I love that God was so thrilled that He sent a birth announcement in the form of a multitude of heavenly host. I love it all. 

However, now that I am a mother, I look at the story differently.  When the snow covers the ground and the stores start playing Christmas music, I always think about Mary.  The uncertainty she must have felt.  The courage she had.  The dreams that she traded for God's perfect plan.  You know the dreams I mean.  If you are a woman, you should understand.  I know that the culture was completely different in that time and in that place, but I think the dreams of a young woman must have surely been somewhat similar to my own.  Mary probably dreamed about the man she would marry.  I don't know if she was in love with Joseph like love is portrayed in fairy tales.  You know, the knight in shining armor, the love songs, the flowers, things like that.  But I'm sure that she was planning for her future home with Joseph and daydreamed about what the wedding feast would be like. 

Unfortunately, I don't think she ever got to attend a wedding feast.  The Bible doesn't tell us for sure, and I haven't done enough research into Jewish tradition of that time, but I am fairly certain that she did not have much of a wedding celebration, if she had one at all.  You remember, Joseph had to decide if he was going to have her stoned or put away.  Her family and her community thought the worst of her.  I doubt her father wanted to invite all of his friends to celebrate his pregnant daughters marriage.  Instead, she probably went with Joseph to sign the marriage contract and quietly moved her things over to live with him.  No feast, no celebration, no real wedding.

I picture Mary and Joseph preparing for the birth.  I know they didn't have lots of money, but Joseph was a carpenter after all.  I picture him working on a cradle every evening after he finishes his other work.  I picture Mary working on little clothes for the baby as she is able to save up enough money.  I picture them together talking about what the angel had said to each of them.  I picture them growing together in their relationship with each other, adapting to the change in their relationship that this baby created.  I think Mary must have been moved by Joseph's willingness to help her in the birth of this child that was not his own.  I think Joseph must have been nervous at first about marrying this girl under such circumstances, but he must have seen in her the strength and the courage that she had through it all. 

When I think about it, it reminds me of how I was when I was expecting a baby.  Especially, when we found out we were expecting Josh.  I didn't have lots of extra money.  But I wanted him to have the best.  I found a crib and a cradle.  I sewed curtains and blankets, I saved up my money to buy cute little outfits and unecessary little toys.  I decorated his room and made sure the house was sparkling clean before his arrival.  I had my Mama fly in from Alaska to be there when he was born.  When the contractions started I called all of my family to tell them it was almost time.  After he was born, we had pictures taken and sent out birth announcements to everyone.  People from my church bought us gifts and brought us meals and asked to hold the baby.  We were showered with love, gifts, and congratulations.

It wasn't like that for Mary.  In spite of her planning, the birth of her first child did not happen the way she must have pictured it.  Her family was not there to help or encourage her.  If they had made preparations like I imagine they did, they weren't able to take those baby things with them to Bethlehem.  The cradle stayed behind in Nazereth, there was no way to carry it with them.  The little baby things I imagine Mary worked hard to make didn't get to go either.  It was just as God had planned, but it wasn't the dream Mary had always pictured growing up.  Her first baby wasn't born in a warm house.  His birth wasn't celebrated by her dearest family and friends.  She traded her dreams for God's great plan and trusted His plan for her life even when she didn't understand.

As a mother, I can't imagine what Mary endured on that trip to Bethlehem or how her heart must have longed for the birth of her first child to be as she had hoped it would be.  I can't imagine being so far away from family, being in an unfamiliar place, having not even the basics to clothe the little one.  I am so thankful. however, for her strength and willingness to trade her plans for God's.

I am thankful for the little things in my life.  The little onesies, the little shoes, the soft baby blankets, and the little bassinet that each of my children had when they were brand new.  My Savior didn't have those things.  Still, He loves me enough to provide them for me and for my children.  I'm thankful for warm, safe hospitals where my children were born even though my Savior was satisfied being born in a stable.  I'm thankful for little baby clothes even though my Savior was content with swaddling clothes.  I'm thankful for cute little birth announcements even though Christ's birth was never really celebrated as it should have been.  I'm thankful that God has allowed me to be a mother and how He uses it in my life to teach me more about Himself each day.

30 Things to Be Thankful For

I am thankful for my Saviour!

 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

-Romans 5:8

When I read this verse, I think, "While I was still disobedient, disrespectful, unkind,                 , (fill in the blank) God still loved me and Christ was still willing to die for me."

What an amazing God!  To look at me, at my worst, and to give Himself for me, what an amazing Saviour!  I would give my life for my husband - without a doubt.  For my children?  I wouldn't hesitate.  For you?  Maybe.  Depends on the circumstances.  However, sacrifice one of my children for you?  Not going to happen.  Not ever.  One of my children for someone who will reject that gift or, worse yet, mock that sacrifice?  Unthinkable.  Yet, that is what Christ did for me.  And for you.  I still do not completely understand all that He sacrificed for me or all the wealth that His salvation affords to me, but today I am thankful for that great gift, the gift of salvation, freely offered to all.

Giving Thanks vs. The Other Option

It is November and every November Facebook is flooded with daily posts of thankfulness.  I love it!  In general, my Facebook friends tend to be thankful and praise the Lord throughout the year.  Still, it is a blessing to read posts each day with new things to be thankful for each day.  This year, I decided it would be a good thing for me to do as well.  Unfortunately, I don't update my Facebook very frequently so I end up listing three or four things at once because I've missed a few days.  For my Facebook friends, I apologize.  Okay, Enough about Facebook.  Now, to the point of this post.

In Bible time this year we've been studying about Moses.  Unlike the rest of our core subjects, I am not moving very fast through our Bible curriculum.  We begin each year with ABeka's Salvation Series, which takes us about two weeks.  We are still praying for Hudson and Bethany and Brittany to trust Christ as their Savior and the Salvation Series is a wonderful way to present the simple plan of salvation to any age group.  Our first section in Bible this year was Moses and I've not made it very far.  We started with Moses in the basket and we are just now getting to Rephidim (where God gives water from a rock).  Bible is one of my favorite things to teach and the journey to the Promise Land can teach us so much. 

Josh and Joy (my two oldest) know the basics of the stories so I can delve into lots more of the practical applications with them.  These past few weeks we've been talking about Marah where God healed the bitter waters and how God provided Meat and Manna for the people and then Rephidim where God gives them water from the rock.  It is easy to teach these stories to the children and tell them all about how God's people complained and whined and fussed to Moses and how easily they forgot about God's great miracles and failed to trust God.  It is easy to talk about how they wanted to give up and go back to being slaves in Egypt rather than face the long journey to freedom and prosperity.  The practical applications of these stories are numerous, I could ramble on for days about these things and, boy, could I make God's people look bad in the process.

Then, I have to look at myself.  (That's the point of God's Word being like a mirror.) 

I think about how amazing it would have been to be a slave in Egypt and watch the plagues one by one.  I think about what a day that must have been when the people of Egypt released the children of Israel.  What a happy trip out of town that must have been!  Then, they faced their first test, at the Red Sea.  God showed them His great strength.  He showed them that they could trust Him, in everything.  When they saw the deliverence of God and they were safe on the other side and the Egyptian army was no longer an issue, they sang praises to God and cheered Moses for his great leadership.  It wasn't too long after that though that it started - the whining, complaining, the doubts and fears returned.  I like to tell myself that if I saw the waters of the sea part and stand up like pillars that I would never doubt God again.  Go ahead God, do something like that in my life and I'll never doubt again.  I'll never complain about my circumstances or wonder how You'll provide for my needs.  I'll trust You to provide if you'll just work a miracle like that in my life.

But He already has.

God has done as much in my life.  He delivered me from my bondage to sin.  He gave His Word to me that I could know Him better, so I could be encouraged when I am low, where I could be comforted when I am sad, where I could be filled with joy when I am sad, and where I can be empowered when I am weak.  I have been given direct access to the throne of God!  I have watched God provide.  I have seen Him answer my prayers even when I didn't really think He would.  And still, I doubt sometimes.  Still, I complain about my circumstances and problems even when I know better.  I doubt His power over my situations.  I doubt His provision for my needs.  Why?  Why do I doubt a God Who has proven Himself faithful in my life so many times and never failed me. 

The answer is simple - I am just like the Children of Israel.  I've seen great miracles, but at the first sign of trouble, I start to fear.  I complain to God.  I lack faith.  The Lord has taught me so much as I've taught the stories of Moses in school each day.  I am learning to rely on the Lord as the children of Israel should have done.  I've given my fears and uncertainty to the Lord - I don't need them anyway.  Trusting in the Lord is something we each must do daily, but thankfulness for what He's already provided helps me to continue to trust in Him.  Acknowledging the miracles I've already experienced will give me the courage to continue to trust my Savior each day.  So, I will be thankful.  Not just in November, but throughout the year, for the miracles in my life.  Besides, giving thank is so much better than the other option.

Time for Caramel Corn

This time of year always means two major treats in our house.  (One salty and one sweet) I have those huge glass jars on the counter in the kitchen and we try to keep them full all through the holidays.  One jar is for Chex Mix and the other jar is for our family's favorite treat - caramel corn.  In fact, it seems to be everyone's favorite.  It is widely requested among our friends and neighbors :)  So . . . . in the spirit of giving, I thought I would share the recipe.

Microwave Caramel Corn

8 c popped popcorn (more or less) I pop ours on the stove which works better than the microwave versions

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 stick of butter

2 Tablespoons corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Divide the popped corn into 2 large microwaveable bowls; set aside.

Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt in a large mixing bowl - one with a handle works best.

Microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes.  Stir.  Microwave 1 minute.  Stir.  Microwave another minute.

Add baking soda and vanilla; stir well.  (this part is fun to do with kids because the baking soda reaction makes the caramel light and fluffy and it expands quite a bit)

Pour half over each bowl of popped corn and mix it all up.  Microwave each bowl for 1 minute and stir then another minute and stir.  Pour the caramel corn out on parchment, wax paper, or foil to cool.  Break into pieces.

Notes:  All microwaves are different so you may need to adjust the cooking time.  This is a candy so overcooking even a little will cause the caramel to burn.  Adding anything to the caramel corn will cause it burn - I tried adding peanuts and it didn't turn out well.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Do You Ebay?

If you are like me then you watch all those ridiculous TLC Extreme Couponing shows filled with jealousy, resentment, and envy.  Now, I realize that the show is called Extreme for a reason and buying $3,000.00 worth of groceries and the store paying you to take them away (yes, I know I'm exaggerating a little) is a bit over the top.  Still, I wish it were a daily reality not just a reality show.  My brother (who at the time had no children) once asked me if having a family was expensive.  I think my lip was bleeding I bit it so hard, but not laughing directly in his face was a personal triumph for me.  Of course it is expensive! Everything is more expensive when you have a family.  Trying to make paper money stretch without anything bouncing is a balancing act that single-income families accept as part of the deal.  Our family has to do without some of the luxuries of 2-income families and that's okay, because Mommy is not a luxury I want my children to do without.

I use coupons and we only buy the things that are on sale.  I make my husband's lunch to take to work every day.  I have had a few of those awesome shopping trips where I saved 90% on my grocery bill and I wanted to frame it.  However, it still takes a lot to keep a family of 7 well-fed and in clothes as the little ones grow (and the big ones grow too, but we don't talk about that).  Adding birthday gifts, shoes, and other things to the budget is not always a possibility.  To help clean out the items in our home we no longer need and purchase the ones we do need, I started selling on ebay.

Like most people I started using ebay to buy not sell.  I don't remember the first few items I bought on ebay, but I remember the one that really got me hooked.  I absolutely knew I was having a girl when I was pregnant the second time, but my darling husband didn't want me running out to buy a house-full of pink as soon as we found out we were expecting.  I had to wait until the ultrasound (you see how completely unreasonable he can be, don't you?)   Well, in the meantime, Gymboree had the cutest newborn layette collection I had ever seen.  It was bright pink cupcakes and it was just the sweetest.  I had to have it, but if I waited until the ultrasound it might be sold out.  And it was.  By the time we found out our little bundle of joy was really going to be Joy all the cute cupcake things were gone.  I turned to ebay and got it for half price.  I was hooked.

I started selling items much later.  (The only reason I started selling was to support my ebay shopping addiction)  Now, I sell on ebay as often as I can make time (which is sometimes in the middle of the night, but, hey, it works).  Ebay has become a way for me to add to our income without taking too much time or energy away from more important things like my husband, my children, and the housework (yes, the housework is important too).  I tend to buy items for my kids at a significant discount either on ebay or in stores, let the kids wear them for a season or two, and then sell them for as much as or more than I originally paid.  This way I am able to keep up with all 5 kids and their growth spurts without it taking a huge amount out of our tight budget.

God's Plans are Better

When I graduated from college in 2001, I had two major goals. 1: Start teaching. 2: Marry Mr. Wonderful (okay, his name is really Joey Seiber, but he's my Mr. Wonderful). We had it all planned out. I started teaching in August and the wedding was in December. We had everything else planned out too. A cute little townhouse, teaching for a few years, enjoy being married at least 5 years before starting a family . . . Of course these were our plans. However, in January I wasn't feeling very well and by February I was feeling terrible. Of course, this isn't uncommon your first year teaching so I ignored it and was busily making plans for the following school year. A sweet friend of ours (who also happened to be a doctor) suggested we take a pregnancy test. We politely informed him that we couldn't possibly be pregnant and I even took the test to make him feel better. And it was . . . negative, of course (what do doctors know anyway). Still, I wasn't feeling any better so after my sweet husband threatened me with a doctor's appointment, I took the test again. It turns out doctors can be very perceptive at times. Yes, we were pregnant. I wanted to cry. It had been my dream for years to teach and I loved my class, our school, and my students. I was so disappointed that my plans for the upcoming school year (and many more thereafter) were not going to turn out the way I wanted them to.

It didn't take long for me to get used to the idea of being a mommy. Still, I was more than a little apprehensive. I knew, for sure, we would starve to death on a single income. Still, even with the months and months of sickness, the complete reversal of all of our plans, and a lot of apprehension, God gave us peace and directed our paths in every way. I still remember the week after we found out that we were expecting Josh; we hadn't told our church family yet. I was scheduled to play offertory. I chose Because He Lives because of these special words.

How sweet to hold a newborn baby

And feel the love and joy he brings

But greater still

The calm assurance

This child can face uncertain days

Because He lives

Because He lives

I can face tomorrow

Because He lives

All fear is gone

Because I know

Who holds the future

And life is worth the living

Just because He lives

Every time I hear that song, I still think of my precious Joshua. Life still seems uncertain some days and God still changes our plans occassionally. Still, I've learned through it alll that His plans are better than our own and 'life is worth the living just because He lives.'

Growing Up!

Today I have been reminded of how much the children have grown.  Today is my birthday.  No, I am not 29 again.  I am 32 and I am okay with that.  I have been so wonderfully blessed and I just wanted to share.  Josh and Joy have been talking about my birthday for the last month.  They've been planning little surprises and whispering behind my back.  They've been talking to Daddy and planning a shopping trip for weeks.  Yesterday, Joey took Josh and Joy to Anchorage to go birthday shopping.  They were so beside themselves when they got home.  They couldn't stand the wait until this morning.  I love their anticipation and excitement. 

This morning, I was greeted by a big "Surprise!" from all of my precious little ones and a lively version of "Happy Birthday!" too.  They were all so excited to show me what they had gotten me for my special day.  Joy had collected papers that Hudson, Bethany, and Brittany had colored for me.  Josh had a sweet card he had chosen himself and wrote "Happy Birthday, Mommy, I Love You - Hudson and Josh."  (Yes, I started crying)  He had a gift bag full of my favorite chocolate and a bright pink coffe cup.  Joy has been talking about getting me 'old-time' books for weeks (I love classic and historical fiction).  She chose a complete set of Jane Austen books for me.  I can't wait to start reading them.

These simple gifts showed me something amazing about my children.  They are caring and thoughtful.  It is something I have always desired to be myself (not sure I've quite made it yet) and pray that all of the children will become as well.  These gifts showed me that the younger children care because they made pictures and cards for me and worked really hard to keep it all a secret.  The gifts Josh and Joy chose showed their thoughtfulness because they didn't choose something just because it was pretty or because they liked it, they chose their gifts with me in mind.  Josh knows I love chocolate, but instead of getting his favorite kind, he chose my favorite.  He got a coffee cup in bright pink because he knows that is the one I would have chosen for myself.  Joy gets tired of my constantly having my nose in a book, but she knows how much I enjoy it.  She chose the exact books I would have chosen if I had gone myself. 

It makes me sad to think that my 'babies' will be 5 in just a few months.  I miss having a baby in the house.  Still, I am blessed to see my children grow and change into thoughtful, caring people.  This growth in their lives is precious to me.  I wonder, does God see me in that same way or does He wonder why I am not growing in this area or that area.  I understand the great joy of seeing my children grow and become more kind and patient and thoughtful.  I wonder if God sees that in my life or if, at times, His heart is breaking for my lack of kindness or patience or thoughtfulness.  So, Lord, on this special day, may I not be the same person next year as I am right now.  Make me, Lord, more like yourself this year so that next year I can look back and see that I have grown in You.  As I seek to raise my children for Your glory, may I not forget to continue to grow myself to become more like You each day.

I Love My Monsters!

Okay, I know, I know, before you say anything.  My kids are not monsters, but it is fun to pretend.  The kiddos love to be monsters one month out of the school year.  This month is monstrously fun in our classroom.  Carson Dellosa has the cutest little monsters ever.  I got the multiplication monsters and the reading monsters bulletin board sets last year.  This year, I converted the monster name tags into calendar cards and got the peek-around monsters to add to our fun theme.

I love cute, colorful, decorative accents for the classroom.  However, I believe in using these accents for teaching opportunities.  Joy is just beginning simple multiplication concepts (i.e. multiplying times 0 and 1) while Joshua is beginning more difficult multiplication families.  The mulitplication monsters are a great teaching tool.  The reading monsters picture different monsters reading in bed, at school, for fun, etc . . . Although they don't teach anything specifically, we are going to turn each monster into a word family for our special sounds.  One monster will feature -ck in duck words, one monster will feature ch- in church words, etc . . . The peek-arounds were one of my favorite additions this year.  I laminated large sheets of black construction paper for the monsters to peek around.  Each adorable monster in my class will choose their favorite book, I'll make a color copy of the cover of the book and we'll display our favorite books around the room.  The other peek-around monsters will hold our best work this month and display it on the wall.

We'll use our regular show-and-tell time this month to allow the students to share their favorite book that is displayed on the wall and tell what they like about it.  It is a fun and easy way for my little monsters to practice oral book reports and oral reading.  Each student will talk about their book and read it to the class  (well, Bethany and Brittany might need some help with the reading part). 

Then, to top it all off, we'll design our own monsters with colors, paint, glitter to display with our monsters on the wall. 

Books on CD

This post may date me considerably, but I think I'm mature enough to deal with that (I should be at my age).

When I was a kid, my mom found a little record player at a garage sale and a few books with records.  Yes, I'm that old.  I still remember listening to those books.  The Tale of Briar Rabbit was a favorite of mine.  You would start the record and it would read the book to you and I always loved the page turns.  "When you hear the chimes ring like this, you'll know it is time to turn the page."  I loved it.  Before I learned to read and even after I was a very advanced reader I just loved to sit and listen to the books.

Now, of course, things are much different.  I have lots of fun books on cd for the kids.  Most of them are from Scholastic.  I do occasionally use the cd's; however, there are so many of them that I tend to have trouble organizing them all.  I imported all of the kids' cd's to my itunes and loaded them on my ipad.  The kids enjoy listening to the books and following along.  The younger children (pre-readers) enjoy it just as much as my older children.  I even have a few chapter books for the older children which helps them to make that sometimes difficult transition from short books to chapter books.  I like Scholastic books on cd because the add fun sound affects, background music, etc . . . Some audio versions are available directly form itunes.

I've had these soft armchairs since we moved into the house.  The kids grab a book, an ipod, and snuggle into their 'reading chairs' to enjoy a good book.

A Work in Progress

Don't you love it when the Lord provides in a way you didn't even think to ask?

A couple of week's ago, I came across a free piano through our homeschool group.  Yes, it is enormous and was (I've been told) incredibly difficult to move.  It was in pretty rough shape on the outside, but the sound is excellent and I've always wanted a real piano.  Joey wasn't so sure about the piano at first, especially since he had to move it.  Then, I started to play it.  The kids gathered around the piano right away because they recognized the song and started to sing, "This is my story, this is my song."  Joey changed his mind about the piano right then.  It was so sweet to hear them all sing together.  They were so excited about the piano.

So, my sweet husband, started working to make the piano look a bit better.  It has turned into quite a project, but we are all enjoying watching the progress.  Joey is removing one panel at a time from the piano and sanding it smooth, working out all the damaged areas of the wood carefully, then putting each piece back together.  It is amazing to watch it all come together piece by piece. 

It made me think about how we are all a work in progress.  I love the children's song, He's Still Working on Me.  We are all in different stages of life and God isn't finished with any of us yet.  I think sometimes we expect everyone else to make exceptions for us when we are sometimes unwilling to make exceptions for others.  Sometimes, it seems (at least to me) that we expect more out of children than we do adults.  We don't consider that someone might be tired, or sick, or struggling.  God is still working on each of us to draw us to Himself or to make us more like Christ.  I am thankful that God isn't finished with me and that I am a work in progress each day as God makes me more like Christ.

Here are some pictures of our progress  . . .