The Powerhouse

"The body is the powerhouse for the young child's brain and central nervous system.  A sound body and stable emotions provide a strong foundation for mental and social maturity.  Without this soundness and stability, the child will not realize his greatest potential."


Home Grown Kids, page 9

Truths from Kids

Great Truths that Little Children Have Learned

No matter how hard you try, you cannot baptize cats.

When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair.

If your sister hits you, don't hit her back.  They always catch the second person.

Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.

You can't trust dogs to watch your food.

Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.

Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.

You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.

Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.

The best place to be when you're sad is Grandma's lap.

Lessons from Nature

Spring and summer is a wonderful time to study nature with children.   Picking spring flowers, taking hikes on the hillsides, throwing rocks in a creek, or enjoying newborn animals are opportunities that the season provides.  Each nature experience provides the teacher-parent with object lessons and opportunities to teach lessons in character development, science, applied arts, and more.  

Today's post shares a story about baby goslings.  Do your children like pets and cool dip in a pond on a warm summer day?  If they do, this story will be of interest to them.  It teaches about responsibility and love for God's little creatures.  It's about baby goslings and a young boy's responsibility to care for them.

When the story is over, your children might enjoy this blog post about Brianna, a homeschool girl who has been enjoying her goslings this spring.  She's been trying to think of just the right names for them.  Pictures of her goslings can be seen here and here.  They are really cute!

Sunshine and Healthy Food for Kids

It's picnic season! Yummy foods served to a group of young people is sure to be devoured and appreciated in short order. Sometimes it's fun to 'kick it up a notch' and provide something different than the expected. So recently, along with traditional sandwiches and potato salad, I made Golden Summerhill Roasted Potatoes and Rice, Basil, and Sun-dried Tomato Salad with Daylilies. Yikes! I wasn't sure if the kids would eat foods with flowers in them, but both dishes were a great success and seconds were taken all around.

Rice, Basil, & Sun-dried Tomato Salad with Daylilies

4 cups cooked rice, chilled if there is time
2 cups green peas, frozen and thawed
1 sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 - 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup Veganaise
1 - 4 oz. can chopped olives1 large handful sweet basil, torn
salt to taste
drizzle of olive oil

In a large bowl, mix cooked rice and other ingredients. Stir until well blended, adding additional Veganaise if moisture is needed. Spoon into a large serving container. Garnish with daylilies and celery leaves. Chill until ready to serve.

Harmonious Balance

Research in child development reveals that children receive the best foundation for future development and learning from a secure and responsive home environment in which understanding parents are the teachers. Although early childhood education is pushed and encouraged by many as a necessity for proper child development, many childhood specialists are assenting that most children are better off at home than being sent away to school at a young age. All things must be considered. The whole child is important, as each facet of his or her being works together to create an intelligent, well-rounded individual. It is important to harmoniously balance a child's faculties with his physical and emotional development. The development of the mind is important, but as Dr. Raymond Moore reminds us, "the body is the powerhouse for the young child's brain and central nervous system. A sound body and stable emotions provide a strong foundation for mental and social maturity. Without this soundness and stability, the child will not realize his greatest potential" [Better Late Than Early, page 9].

The Bird Who Went People Watching

This is another story that was written by my Aunt Evie.  She shares how birds can teach us valuable lessons.  In this story she shares how a bluebird can teach us to hold fast to what we believe with determination and strength.  


Please note that the linked words in the text below lead to photos of the birds, nests, and insects talked about in the story.  And here is a link to Busy Bee Kids Crafts where they share instructions for making this pretty little baby bluebirds craft.

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.   
1 Corinthians 16:13 NIV


"What are you making, Dad?" our son Art asked as he came into the garage where his father was busy cutting some little boards.


"I'm making a bluebird nesting box," Dad replied.  "Help me hold the sides together so that I can nail them."  Art helped to finish the box and then he and his sister, Karen, watched as Dad nailed it high on the north end of the garage.


A few days later someone shouted, "There's a bluebird in the box!"  We ran to the window to see not one, but two Mountain Bluebirds.  The male hovered over the next box while the female watched from a nearby perch.  It was easy to tell them apart.  The male wore a beautiful aqua blue suit, with a paler vest of the same color.  His mate wore a soft gray dress with only touches of blue.


The male hopped in and out of the box.  He sat on top of it and fluttered his wings eagerly and flew over to Mrs. Bluebird and tried to persuade her that they should move in right away.  "Phew, phew," he called in his gentle voice.  But she was not so sure.  After much persuasion she consented to have a look inside, but soon flew away again with Mr. Bluebird right behind her.  Time after time he brought her back to the box, but after a quick look she always seemed to loose interest.  We were almost as eager as he was to have her accept the box and decide to make our yard her home.  To us, bluebirds, with their iridescent colors and gentle refined ways, were just about the best summer guests we could imagine.


This went on for several days until one morning the tree swallows arrived.  They were not nearly as feisty as Mrs. Bluebird.  After a few quick looks inside the box they were ready to set up housekeeping.  It was just what they had been looking for and they claimed it as theirs.


Suddenly the bluebirds appeared on the scene and then the fuss began!  Each pair of birds tried to keep the other pair away from the box.  The scrapping went on for several days.  Finally the female tree swallow went inside the box and sat with her head peering out of the little round doorway.  She had claimed the box and she wasn't moving out!  The bluebirds twittered and fussed around the box.


We were sorry to see the swallows winning out, but we knew that they were really good tenants too.  They were also blue, though not as bright and pretty as the bluebirds.  We consoled ourselves with the thought that they were great mosquito catchers.


Mrs. Bluebird's apparent lack of interest in the box had disappeared with the appearance of the swallows.  So also had her gentle manners!  Now she showed an aggressiveness that I never expected to see in a bluebird.  She flew directly to the opening and grasped the swallows neck with her bill and dragged her out of the doorway.  Scrapping and squawking, they struggled together in the air.  Mrs. Bluebird dragged her victim right down to the ground.  Finally the swallow decided that she had met her match and flew away to look for a more peaceful neighborhood.


In later years we realized that this behavior was not as unusual as we had thought.  Whenever we have seen swallows and bluebirds contending for nesting boxes, it has always been the bluebirds who won.  If this were not the case, it is doubtful if the bluebirds could survive.  Swallows have found the increase of human building construction to their advantage.  They like to nest in and around buildings, and if they could, they would take over every available nesting box.  They like the same size of birdhouse that the bluebirds require.


Now Mrs. Bluebird was ready to settle down to the serious business of nesting.  Her gorgeous mate fluttered his wings in excitement.  At last his efforts were being rewarded.  Soon the children saw them carrying in grass and twigs for the nest and in a few more days they could peek in and see the little blue eggs.  Then all was quiet.  The female sat on the eggs hour after hour while the male sat nearby, watching to make sure no harm came to the nest.  But after a few days of this it seemed he became a little bored, or was he just curious about what people do inside of their nesting boxes?  At any rate, he decided to do a little early morning people watching.


About 5:00 AM one day he flew to our bedroom window and hovered in front of the glass.  I heard him twittering and opened one sleepy eye.  Suddenly I was wide awake!  I woke my husband and pointed to the window where the bluebird was fluttering in mid air.  His bright blue feathers were shimmering in the morning sunlight.  At first we thought that he was only trying to see his reflection, but then he hopped onto the windowsill and tried to look in through the sliding screen that held the window up.  He made twittering comments on everything he saw.


After some time he returned to his observation post near the nest, but early the next morning he was back, still curious.  Again he tried to peer in through the screen.  Just what was inside that window?  After watching him quietly for several mornings, I had an idea.  When the bluebird flew away for a few minutes, I slipped out of bed and removed the sliding screen and propped the window up with a stick.  Then quickly I slipped back to bed.


The bluebird was back in a few minutes, sitting on the windowsill, looking right in at us.  He stood quietly for a moment, noticing the missing screen.  Cautiously he hopped a little closer to the opening.  Two more hops and he was right inside.  He looked as us as if to say, "How can people sleep so long on such a bright, sunny morning?"  Then he flew to the top of a chest of drawers and surveyed the bedroom.  "So this is how people build their nests," he seemed to say. 

His people watching trips ended abruptly with the arrival of his newly hatched offspring.  Now there was no time for anything but the serious business of keeping them fed.  


Bluebirds seem to model what true Christianity should be --- gentle, refined, and well mannered, yet not afraid to do battle when the situation demands it.  There is a tendency to think of Christians in terms of the passive virtues only.  Love, gentleness, and kindness are always held up as the virtues that should be cultivated and rightly so.  But true Christians are not wimps or cowards.  The manly virtues of strength and courage are equally as important, yet they are less often spoken of.  When Jesus cleansed the temple He manifested a different aspect of His character than we usually think of.  He is represented as the Lamb of God, but He is also called the Lion of the tribe of Judah.  Each of these animals illustrate different aspects of Christ's character.


"The wicked flee when no man pursueth; but the righteous are bold as a Lion."  Proverbs 28:1


"Fight the good fight of faith."  1 Timothy 6:12  

Copyright EvelynS@2011

Homemade Gummed Stickers

Stickers are fun for children and adults alike.  It's fun to stick them on envelopes, assignments, packages, and more.  Some people create entire journals or books filled with stickers!  Making your own stickers out of magazine pictures, wallpaper samples, gift wrap, or drawings is even more fun!  You can even use old greeting cards and family photos.

Here's a recipe for this fun craft.


2 parts white glue
1 part white vinegar


1)  Create a sticker sheet by gluing pictures on an 8 x 11 sheet of paper or by sketching them on.  Color if desired.


2)  Photocopy on a color copy machine.

3)  Coat the entire back of the page with the white glue/white vinegar mixture.


4)  Allow page to dry completely.


5)  Apply a second coat of white glue/white vinegar mixture.  


6)  Allow page to dry completely.


7)  Using scissors, cut out pictures to create stickers.  Leave a small, white border around each picture.


8)  To use, moisten back of sticker and apply to page, envelope, or more.

Free clip art that is appropriate for stickers can be found here.

Learning Manners

Teaching manners is important.  Children and youth are generally quite agreeable to learning how to behave graciously when the principles are taught in a positive and interesting way.  Practice makes perfect.  Over time, lessons learned will reap great results!  

One fun way for young children to learn manners is to sing about them.  Here's a song your children might enjoy.  Sing it to the tune of "London Bridge is Falling Down".

Table manners, thank you notes,

Shaking hands, happy host,

Looking at the person's eyes:

I am learning!

Treating others graciously,

Being kind, thankfulness,

Representing Jesus well:

I am learning!

Leaving others' special things

All alone: not a touch;

Our family's rules where'er I go:

I am learning!

Chewing with my mouth all closed;

Tiny bites, shouting:  No!

Eating in the proper way:

I am learning!

"Please" and "Thank You" all the time,

Never rude; fighting:  Why?

Living by "The Golden Rule":

I am learning!

You can read more about teaching manners to children here.

In the Days of Youth

"Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh." 

King Solomon

The Power of Firsthand Education

No schoolroom can match the simplicity and power of the home in providing three-dimensional, firsthand education.  The school, not the home, is the substitute, and its highest function is to complement the family.  The family is still the social base, and must be, if our society is to survive.  Let's leave no stone unturned to guarantee the fullest freedom of the home and the rights of parents to determine the education of their children.

Home-Grown Kids 

page 26 - 27

Gifts for Mothers by Kids!

Holidays are special events and create opportunities for homeschool children to create!  Thoughtfulness is taught by example and practice.  Service to others starts with doing simple things at home.  Ideas do not need to be complicated or difficult.  It is the small things in life that combine and build upon each other to create a multitude of blessings!  


Mother's Day is near.  It might not be possible for every child to take their mother out for a Mother's Day Brunch or to give her breakfast in bed, but there are other things they can do to show their love and appreciation to their mom.


Here are a few quick and easy ideas for making thoughtful gifts for the "mothers" in your child's life.  These are easy enough they can make one for mom, grandma, aunties, and neighbor moms who interface with them.  It's not too late to have them ready by this Sunday's Mother's Day!

This is a "Gift in a Jar" idea called Painted Desert Chili.  All the ingredients are layered into a quart jar, just like sand art.  The layers don't need to be flat, as the desert effect comes from a rippled appearance created by each ingredient as it is layered in.  Be sure to add the seasonings carefully along the edges of the jar so they can be seen.  Then fill the middle of the layer.  This way all the beautiful layers show on the outside of the jar.

Painted Desert Chili

Layer each ingredient in the amount and order given in a quart jar:
 
1/4 cup dried parsley
2 Tablespoons granulated garlic
2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
2 Tablespoons dried onion flakes
2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
2 Tablespoons cumin
2 Tablespoons paprika
2 Tablespoons white cornmeal
2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
2 Tablespoons granulated garlic
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons dried parsley
1 cup dried pinto beans
1/4 cup small dried white beans
1/4 cup small dried black beans
Approximately 1 cup dried kidney beans

Attach these directions:

Pour contents of jar into 12-quart pot. Add:

1 medium diced onion
4 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 large can of tomato paste
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2cup brown sugar
49 ounces tomato juice
2 cups textured vegetable protein, re-hydrated

Fill remainder of the pot with water. Bring to boil, simmer for 2 and a half to 3 hours. Add salt to taste.

Add a color circle of fabric to the top of the lidded jar and tie with ribbon or raffia.  

This is a gift bag idea called You are a Blessing to Me Mix.  These little gift bags present a message of hope and gratefulness to the receiver.  Each ingredient represents a blessing.  The child who prepares the mix chooses what blessing to assign to each ingredient.  A blessing "key" is written on a tag to be attached to the gift bag before it is given away.  This recipe makes about 16 blessing mix gift bags containing about one-third cup each.  Use a cellophane goodie bag or zip-lock bags to package the blessing mix.  Then wrap in a circle or square of calico and tie with ribbon or raffia.  Attach tag with words of appreciation and a key to the blessing the child has chosen to apply to the ingredient.


You are a Blessing to Me Mix

2 cups Bugles brand corn snacks
2 cups small pretzels
1 cup candy corn
1 cup dried fruit bits or raisins
1 cup peanuts or sunflower seeds
1 cup M&Ms brand chocolate candy
16 Hershey's brand chocolate kisses

In a large bowl, gently mix all ingredients except Hershey's Kisses. Place 1/3 to 1/2 cup mix in small cellophane treat bags. Add one Hershey's Kiss to each bag. Close bag.

Create a hand-written or typed tag.  Cut out tags and attach one to each bag.


Enjoy!  And be blessed!

The Meekest of the Meek

"When you lead your sons and daughters in the good way, let your words be tender and caressing in terms of discipline that wins the heart's assent."

Elijah Ben Solomon Zalman

Making a Crystal Garden

There are many kinds of gardens, and some of them don't require plants.  Making a crystal garden using household items can be a fun science project for children.  Here's how:


1 aluminum pie pan
5 pieces of plain charcoal (untreated)
6 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. ammonia 
6 Tbsp. bluing (a laundry product)
6 Tbsp. salt
a few drops of food coloring


Mix the ammonia, water, salt, and bluing in a glass bowl or jar.  Place charcoal in the pie pan.  Pour the liquid mixture over the charcoal.  Dot with the food coloring.  Use a variety of colors if desired.  Place in a dry place and watch it grow!

A Student's Math Worksheet

On the inside cabinet door in our schoolroom I've taped up bits and pieces of information that have inspired me throughout our homeschool years.  Poetry, an encouraging note, a verse from scripture, drawings the children made, and photos of special activities all take up this space.  This is one poem that found its way to our cupboard door:


A Student's Math Worksheet


This school year is like a Math worksheet
The Master has handed to you.
The four basic functions are needed,
In the work you are given to do.


Some problems require addition
Of diligence, virtue, and faith.
And some of them call for subtraction
Of laziness, carelessness, hate.


For choosing the right in decisions,
Division you'll need to employ.
Make good use of multiplication,
With cheerfulness, kindness, and joy.


Check over your work and be accurate;
Small errors affect the whole sheet.
And guard against streaks of indifference,
Or splotches of ugly conceit.


What note do you think will the Master
Inscribe when the school year is gone;
On your sheet:  "Unsatisfactory",
Or will He write, "Very Well Done"?


Author Unknown

For Mother's Day

Mother's Day will soon be here.  Here's a file for a free, printable card that can be colored or painted by your children for a one-of-a-kind mother's day card for you (or grandma)!  I know it may seem unusual to provide your child with the resources to celebrate Mother's Day, but please do.  It will bring them much pleasure!  And you too!


Click HERE for the Full Size Printable PDF

Being Happily Child Centered

Without professional training, simply by being herself, a concerned, loving mother usually can do more for her normal child than a teacher can.

Parents should, of course, be willing to learn new ideas.  But a mother need not be a trained teacher, nor does she need to teach in any formal way.

By using the framework of everyday home activities in a practical way, she can help her child learn as much as possible about the things around him.

The parents goal should be to respond to the child's questions in a patient, consistent and constructive way.  Forget about the pressures of achieving.

Cultivate the idea of being happily child centered, for the child is important.  Take advantage of his motivation of the moment.  Be happy that he is curious, and try to go along with his curiosities whenever you can.

Dr. Raymond Moore

Better Late Than Early, page 21