Questions and Answers

"Mommy, what's a virgin?"  "What does circumcised mean?"  These are just two of the questions I've been asked by my 6-year-old in the last week.  Why the interesting questions?  It all started with a question I asked a week ago.

I was with a group of lady friends, many of whom are busy moms like myself, and I asked,  "How do you make daily 'quiet time' happen in your day? I go non-stop from the time my first child wakes until the last child goes to sleep.  I try to get up before they do so I can have some time alone in prayer and Bible study.  But a lot of times it just doesn't happen.  I'm up through the night with the baby who still nurses several times each night, and when the alarm clock goes in the morning I just end up hitting the snooze button again and again until a child finally wakes up demanding my attention.  After they go to bed at night I'm so tired again that if I try to pray and read I end up just falling asleep.  So, how do you do it?"

The answer I got from other moms in similar circumstances was so simple yet so profound.  The first person said, "For me, quiet time isn't usually quiet".  Okay.  So you manage to get it while the children are running circles around you?  How does that work?  Then someone else spoke up, "When the kids are strapped into the car and can't move.  I have my quiet times in the car." Light bulb moment!

Living in the country, I have a half hour drive one way to get anywhere.  With all the kids' extra-curricular activities and regular errands, that adds up to a minimum of 7 hours per week when I am 'stuck' in the van.  I had felt like that was so much 'wasted' time.  Not anymore!  I dug out my New Testament audio CDs and started listening this week!  So far we've listened through Luke, Acts, Romans and most of 1 Corinthians.

Not only am I getting my time in the Word every day, my whole family is hearing God's Word for many more hours each week.  My husband and I are having conversations together about what we are hearing. And of course there are the questions from the kids that began this post and many more.  God is showing me things in His Word that I never noticed before and I'm so hungry for more!

So, if you're a busy mom and like me and you feel like you have no 'quiet time' to spend alone with God, let me encourage you like my friends encouraged me.  It doesn't always have to be quiet to be valuable.  Think about the time in your day that feels 'wasted'.  For me it's the many hours each week that I sit in the van.  Maybe for you it could be while preparing supper, sorting laundry or even in the shower.  Think outside the 'early morning all alone with a hot cup of tea, an open Bible and at least 30 minutes of uninterrupted time' box.  Ask God when He wants to have that special time with you.  You'll be glad you did.

*Side note- If your interested in an audio Bible christianbook.com has a sale on now- an NIV complete Bible on CD for just $24.00!  http://www.christianbook.com/niv-live-bible-experience-cds-with/9780983422990/pd/422907?event=Bibles

Did you get ANYTHING done today?

Unfolded laundry in the basket.  Toys all over the floors.  Bathrooms in desperate need of attention.  Kitchen floor unswept.  As I looked around the house before climbing into bed I asked myself, "Did you get ANYTHING done today?"  Judging from the state of the house I would have to say no.

But then I thought about how I had actually spent the hours of my day.  Here's a run down of what I did yesterday:

Morning Routine:  Got myself up and ready for the day, spent some time alone with Jesus (while nursing, so not completely alone), then got the kids dressed and ready for the day

Homeschooling:  Taught  grade 1 and preschool.  Subjects included Bible, Math, French, Science, Music and Language Arts.  Also took the kids for a nature walk.

Potty Training:  Cleaned up after 5 accident and rewarded 7 successes.

Nursing:  Nourished my baby with at  least 7 feedings of milk from my body.

Diaper changes:  probably about 10

Meal perpetration and cleanup times 3

Laundry:  Several loads put through washer and dryer, while potty training and chore training

Bedtime Routine:  Bathed, directed changes into pajamas and teeth brushing, group story time, tucked in and kissed good night

Wifely Duties:  Found time to give my husband attention after the kids went to bed

Looking at it like that I had a pretty busy day, so why did I feel so unproductive at the end of the day?  Because my house was a mess?  Really?  I spent the day taking care of my family.  That's a big job.  And it's more important than a spotless house.

I don't think I'm alone in this.  We moms are way too hard on ourselves.  We're judging our productivity by the wrong things.  Our families are so much more important than our houses.  And yet we go to bed discouraged night after night because we can't live up to our own expectations of a perfectly kept home.  What we do with these people will have eternal significance, what we do for our house will only last a few hours if we're lucky.

But maybe I'm still missing the point.  What if I hadn't done all the things on my list above?  What if I had had a truly unproductive day?  What if I had sat in front of the TV all day, ordered take-out and yelled at the kids?  That's certainly not how I want to spend most of my days, but the truth is God would look at me the same.  My value to Him doesn't change no matter how I spend my time.  He loves me regardless.  So tonight when I go to bed I'm going to look at that laundry basked and smile, because it's okay.  His love for me will never change and THAT is what really matters.

Top 10 Parenting Books- Part 2

 

Book number 9 on my countdown of  favorite parenting books is one I just finished reading last month.  Life Skills for Kids- Equipping Your Child for the Real World by Christine M. Field has got to be one of the most absolutely practical books out there for parents.  It's about teaching our kids the things they really need to know to manage everyday life. 

 

Sometimes as a homeschooling parent I can get tunnel vision on academics.  How is my child doing with reading and math, history and science?  Those are important, but in my efforts to help my children excel academically am I neglecting some basic life skills that they're going to need?  When my children leave home I want to know that they can prepare a healthy meal and do laundry, carry on a conversation and manage money.

This book has chapters about people skills, time and space organization, healthy habits, spiritual habits, decision making and more.  Each chapter outlines some things we can do with our kids to help them develop in these specific areas as preschoolers, school-age kids and teenagers.  I know this a book I will be referencing again and again as the years go by and I recommend this one for ALL parents regardless of the age of your kids or whether you're sending them to public school or teaching them at home.  It's like a textbook guiding parents through what their children need to know and how to help them get there.

Top 10 Parenting Books- Part 1

I admit it- I have a love/hate relationship with parenting books.  It all started when I was pregnant with my firstborn.  That's when I filled my bookshelf with all the pregnancy books I could get my hands on- and read them all religiously cover-to-cover.  I loved knowing what was going on in my unborn baby's development each week and I wanted to be sure that I was doing all the right things to prepare for her arrival.  But there was a problem.  The books didn't all agree!  One book said my baby was sucking her thumb this week and the next said she started that two weeks ago.  One book said natural childbirth was the way to go, another recommended taking advantage of the available pain medication.  How could I know what was right?  Who was telling me the truth?  How could I reconcile all these opposing views?

Well, if pregnancy books were bad, parenting books were way worse.  The stakes seemed even higher with this child finally in my arms.  I have a personality that wants to see everything as black or white so I felt like the differing opinions had to be right or wrong, but I couldn't figure out what was what.  For the first couple years this REALLY bothered me.  But I didn't stop reading the books and as I gained personal experience as a mother I started to realize that sometimes there isn't a right or wrong answer, there are just different options.  I could pray about my parenting decisions and think about what would work best for MY family, without having to stress quite so much about getting it exactly right the first time.  And I came to understand that it's okay to use some of the ideas in a book and throw out the ones that aren't going to work for me.

So, with this in mind, I have decided to share with you my top ten favorite parenting books.  These are the books that have most resonated with me and that I feel have positively impacted my parenting in one way or another.  You're not going to find any books about parenting teens in this list- I'm not there yet so I'll read those books later and let you know what I think of them in a few years.  You'll also notice that some of the books on my list were written more for Early Childhood Educators than parents.  As a mom with a background in Early Childhood Education I have naturally adapted ideas from that field into my every day parenting.

My plan is to share just one or two books per day from now until I get through the list.  So stay tuned. I'm going to save the very best for last.

 





Book number 10 on my list is one of the books I read while I was still pregnant with Princess.  The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Lache League International is much more than just a how-to-breastfeed manual.  This book taught me about the history of breastfeeding, the benefits of breastfeeding and the dangers of formula feeding, and lots of advice for how to handle the many challenges that can come up with breastfeeding.  All of that information helped me as I experienced various challenges myself with breastfeeding each of my three babies.  But I learned about more than just breastfeeding.  I also was introduced to many of  the attachment parenting philosophy ideas that have shaped how I view my role as a mom.  I recommend this book for moms expecting their first child who are planning to, or even considering, breastfeeding.

Book of the Week- I am Learning All the Time by Rain Perry Fordyce

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you ever noticed how many "first day of school" or "back to school" themed books and DVDs there are written for public schooled children?  They're everywhere!  My children are fond of the Let's Go To School DVD by Leapfrog.  We also enjoy Disney's Winnie-the-Pooh in his first day of school found in this treasury.  (I'm not a fan of most Disney books, but I make an exception for Winnie-the-Pooh even though their stories don't even come close to the charm of the originals by A. A. Milne.)  All this to say that public schooled children have plenty of exposure to media telling them what to expect as they set out on their schooling adventure. 

 

But what about homeschoolers?  There aren't a lot of books out their written for children to prepare them for what to expect as a part of a homschooling family.  They aren't going to be riding on a big yellow bus or taking new lunch boxes and backpacks to school, so what do they have to look forward to?  The book, "I am Learning All the Time" fills that gap.  A delightful story about a five-and-a-half year-old boy who is asked "Why aren't you in school?" by a stranger on the street.  It gets him thinking about the things he loves about being at home with his family and how his life is different and similar to his public schooled friends.  This book presents both schooling options in a positive light, which I think is important.  We don't want our homeschooled kids to think of public school as a bad thing- they may go there someday, but we also want them to know that they're not the only ones who are learning at home.  I recommend this book for anyone who is planning to homeschool their young children or even if you are sending your kids to public school but they have questions about their homeschooled friends- this would be a great book for them as well.

 

 

 

 





 

 

 



Princess's pre-k unit #2 M-m Moon

 

Our moon unit fell not only during the week of a full moon, but a beautiful harvest moon.  Princess had a couple opportunities this week to be out after dark observing the moon, and we had lots of fun activities inside to reinforce the lunar learning.  Some of the things Princess did while learning about the moon included:

-making a book about the phases of the moon

-measuring the distance Princess can jump on earth and then how far she could jump if she was on the moon

-creating a model of the moon’s surface- demonstrating how craters were formed

-Bible lessons about how we can be the light of the world as we reflect the light of Jesus

-Lots of trips to the moon during free play time

-Dancing to Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (a little night music) while trying to balance a beanbag on her head

-Making letter Ms out of jello.

Mobile showing creation day #4

 

Princess and Angel modeling homemade “space helmets”

 

            Here’s a look at the fiction titles we read during this unit.  “If You Decide to Go to the Moon” was a favourite that we read several times.  Though I included it with the fiction books because it is about an imaginary trip to the moon, this title probably taught us more facts about the moon then all of the non-fiction books combined.

            And these are the information books we used to learn more about the moon.

Book of the week- The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman

Do you have a picky eater in your home?  Have you ever made a special meal for that chid who won't eat anything else?  If you do than you will relate to the mother in this story.  She tirelessly makes special meals for each of her pernisky eaters until she's worn to the bone.  This hilarious tale is told in delightful rhyming verse.  The illustrations are charming and full of so many details that you'll notice something new every time you read the story.

It all starts with the first born Peter whose milk had to be the "proper temperature".  Then came Lucy who would only drink homemade lemonde, Jack who prefered homemade applesauce, Mac whose oatmeal had to be lump-free, Mary Lou who would only eat fresh baked bread and finally came the twins who liked their eggs, but Flo liked poached eggs and Fran liked fried.

The surprising turn of events at the end of the story has everybody happy with the same meal, but you'll have to read it to find out how this comes about.  This is another book that I don't mind reading to my children again and again and they love to hear. 

Princess's Pre-k Unit #1- S-s-Sun

S-s-Sun Unit 1

A sunny snack made with half a peach and some shoestring carrots

            We have done lots of fun activities with our sun unit.  Some of the things we did were:

-Making cookie dough, shaping it into letter Ss and baking to make S cookies.

-Planting beans in 2 cups and placing one in the sunshine and the other in the dark.  Observing the differences.

-Putting some grapes in the sunshine to observe the transformation into raisins

-Playing a sight words memory game

-Starting our calendar work and beginning counting the first 100 days of pre-k

-Practice reading from Bob books

-Bible lessons about how Jesus is the light of the world

-Making a chart for observing the daily changes in the weather

One of the highlights of this unit was painting suns.  Princess was joined by Angel and I for this activity and we each painted the sun in our own ways.  It was neat to see how each of our suns turned out so differently.  Princess loves to paint and she always wants to fill the entire paper. 

Princess’s Sun

After reading about them in the book The Sun by Paulette Bourgeois Princess made a simple sundial to observe how the sun makes shadows change throughout the day.  Unfortunately it was too cloudy on the day we made it for the sundial to work, so we’ve put our sundial aside for now and plan to look at it again the next time we have a sunny day.

Cuddling up and enjoying great books together is one of Princess and my favourite parts of our homeschool days.  Here’s a look at the books we read as part of the S-s-Sun unit.

               
These books we used for our research about the sun.  We didn’t read the whole books, but just the parts that related to what we were learning about.

These are the storybooks we read together.  Princess’s favourite was Wake Up, Sun a funny story about barn animals who think the sun has slept in and try to wake it up.

How to Educate Your Baby

Today I got a Facebook question from an old friend that I had so much fun answering, I thought I'd share it here.  My friend had a baby that was due within a couple days of my Prince (I don't remember which of us ended up having our baby first)  This is what she asked.  "Since our babies are so close in age, I was hoping you might be able to point me in a direction of age appropriate learning?"

So, for her and anyone else interested in how to help your baby learn, here are my thoughts.

At this age she needs lots of free play time. Children learn through play and that starts now. She should have lots of opportunity to play with materials and move around on the floor. She's learning new motor skills so quickly right now.  Going from rolling, to crawling, to standing and eventually walking.  Give her lots of time to practice these exciting new skills.  That means trying to limit time in the car seat, swing, exersaucer, etc. to give lots of floor time. (I type this as my baby sits across from me in his baby swing).

 Avoid anything electronic for a few years. Tons of research shows that TV is really bad for babies brains. Even toys with lights and sounds are not the best for babies.  There are pleanty of advertisers out there who will try to convince you that their video, electronic toy or computer game will make your baby a genious.  Don't believe it!  Babies especially need to interact with REAL PEOPLE AND THINGS.  This is so important.  I also don't recommend flashcards for infants or toddlers, real books are so much better.

 Outside play time is importnat too- get as much of it in as possible now before the weather gets too cold.  I'm not very good at this one.  I'd usually rather be inside, but babies (especially once they're old enough to wear sunscreen, after 6 months) should have playtime outside whenever the weather allows.

 Interact with your baby. Talk with her as you go about your daily activities. Talk about what you're doing, what she's doing, what happened last, what's going to happen next, etc. etc. Then make sure you take time EVERY DAY to READ to her. She is definaely not too young to enjoy books. Start with sturdy board books and allow her to feel, play with and mouth them...you want her to learn to love books. You don't have to read the pages as written. Most of these books don't have many words on the page anyway. Instead, talk about what you see in the pictures. Use the same books over and over again, the repetition is good for her brain, but also introduce new books every once in a while. At this age babies especially like the touchy-feely books such as the Usborne series "That's Not My..." (Full disclosure: I sell Usborne books)

Sing to her too. This is great for her language development. Nursery rhymes are good for this as well.  Songs and poems accustom babies brains to the rhythm and flow of language, besides introducing lots of interesting vocabulary words.

She's a bit young yet for art, but by her first birthday you can start doing finger painting and things like that with her. That's a fun stage to look forward to :)

For more information about the best learning activities for children from infancy through the preschool years I highly recommend the book "Play- The Foundation that Supports the House of Higher Learning" by Lisa Murphy.  This book is written to Early Childhood Eduators and parents of young children

Big thanks to my brother for teaching me how to put hyperlinks into my text so you can go right to the sites that sell the books I'm recommending.

What learning activities do you enjoy with your baby?

Book of the Week- If You Decide to go to the Moon by Faith McNulty

This week my Princess was learning all about the Moon.  One day I picked up another of the many   books we had borrowed from the library on this theme and started to read it to her.  I hadn't had time to read through this book before sharing it with my daughter.  I had just flipped through the pages, observing that the illustartions were interesting, but it was fairly long.  I wasn't really expecting anything very special...but then I started to read.

This book is written in second person- the speaker is talking directly to the audience.  It is like a guidebook to what to expect if you decide to visit the moon.  They writing style was so unique that it captured my daughter and my attention right away.  We both learned a bunch, but it certainly wasn't a dry book of facts.  Did you know that there is no sound on the moon, since there is no air for it to travel through?  Did you know that the flag that was place on the moon by the Americans was knocked over when they left the moon and that it was created with wires to make the flag appear to be blowing in the wind- even though there is no wind?  But what I loved most about this book was how the author and illustrator worked together to give you an idea of what it might actually feel like to be on the moon.

There is a surprising pull-out page at the end of the book, showing life on planet earth- made possible by the water and air we need to protect.  Its contrast to the black and grey pictures of the moon is striking.  I highly recommend this book for any child who has an interest in space or wants to learn more about the moon, and anyone who just wants a good story to read.

Do you have any favorite books that are full of facts presented in a fun way?

Book of the Week- Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

Last week I recommended a book published in 2013.  Once in a while I find a treasure in the books written today, but most of my favorite children's books were written some years ago.  Why?  It's not because there aren't still great children's books being written today.  The problem is that so many of the books written today are what Charlotte Mason would call "twaddle"- books with no depth, that really don't encourage children to think and use their minds.  Books that I can't be bothered to read mroe than once.  I'm sure there was much twaddle written fifty years or more ago as well.  After all, Charlotte Mason coined the term more than one hundred years ago.  But those books didn't stand the test of time.  When I reach for a book that is still being published many years later, I find that I'm much more likely to find a treasure, simply because the books that weren't worth reading have been weeded out with time leaving mostly the really good ones.

All that to say that the book that is our favorite this week is a book originally written in 1941.  As I told Princess this morning, that's before I was born and even before her grandparents were borh!  But this story is timeless and I love reading it again and again.  The pencil drawn illustrations are rich with detail, leading to conversations about different things every time we read it.  "Make Way for Ducklings" was a Caldecott winner.  It tells the story of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard who must find a place to raise their ducklings and of the great adventure Mrs. Mallard has leading her ducklings through the city.

This is not a story for children who are inexperienced with read-alouds.  The sentence structure is complex and the pictures aren't as bright as most modern books.  But for a child who has been gradually lead into more and more complex stories, with daily read-aloud times since infancy, this book is a gem.  My 2 and 4-year-olds both love it. 

Are there any older books that are favorites in your home?

Book of the Week- The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf

Princess- "Little Pig, Let me Come In!"
Angel- "Not by my chinny chin chin!"
Princess- "Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down!"
Crash!  Down goes anther house of blocks followed by giggles and squeals of delight.

My children can often be heard acting out the story of "The Three Little Pigs".  I'm sure I've read at least half a dozen different versions of this traditional story to them.  It neven ceases to be a favorte.  We've already read and enjoyed some spoofs of this story, including "The True story of the Three Little Pigs".  Sometimes when the kids want a story and I don't have a book on hand, I tell them my own version, "The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig".

Recently we discovered a new version of the old story at the public library.  My book recommendation this week is "The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf".  With bright illustrations that draw in both my girls and a humerous story line that keeps me saying yes to the "read it again Mommy" requests this book is a winner in our home.  The story is of the three little pigs, recently laid off from their job on the farm, who go out to make homes for themselves.  The somewhat bad wolf comes along and is surprised to find that he can actually blow down a house!  I like that the wolf is portrayed as not too good, not too bad.  Often times the characters in literature for young children are very one-dimensional.  This book shows the wolf in a different light.  I love the surprise ending of this story, but you'll have to read it yourself to find that.

What is your family's favorite fairy tale?

2013 Curriculum Choice

 

My 4-year-old Princess is the only child officially doing school this year.  For her pre-k year, we are using the curriculum from My Fathers World called “God’s Creation from A-Z”.  This curriculum is designed for kindergarten, but I believe Princess is ready for it now, so we are using it this year.  This program starts below the level Princess is at presently with reading, so we are supplementing with readers such as the Bob books and the books from the Usborne Very First Readers series.  I am so excited about doing this program with her.  There are great Bible lessons, tons of Science activities and good practice  pages for her phonics and fine-motor skills.  Also, there's a book list of hundreds of titles that I'm excited to share during our read-aloud time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction to The Read-Aloud Momma

Hi!  Welcome to the Read-Aloud Momma's all new blog.  I'm so glad you decided to stop by.  I thougt I'd start by letting you know what to expect on this blog.  As a homeschooling Mom I spend most of my days at home with my family.  I love it (most of the time) but others might wonder what we do all day.  So, I thought I'd share some of the experiences I have along this journey with you.  I plan to focus mostly on the fun things we do in our little homeschool and especially the great books we share together.  I'm a little obsessed with children's books and I'm a huge believer in the benefits of reading aloud to children, so you can expect to find lots of book reviews along the way.

So, who are we?  Well, I'm the Mom, teacher and reader.  I'm a daughter of the King of Kings and trying to follow His leading in my everyday.  I'm the wife of the love of my life, who I married only three months after we met in Bible school (sometimes called Bridal School).  I have three young blessings.  My princess is 4-years-old.  She loves to paint, play in the sand, draw, and listen to stories.  She is also learning to read.  My angel is 2-years-old and she likes to climb, build with blocks, put puzzles together and listen to stories.  Finally, my little prince is 6-months-old.  He likes to move, watch his big sisters, try new foods and listen to stories. 

I'd love to hear about your family.  What is your favorite book that you like to share?