U.S. Students Flunk U.S. Citizenship Test

This is so sad. I find it mind boggling that these students had no idea that our first president was George Washington. I remember learning about Washington and Lincoln in second grade! What exactly is being taught in "Social Studies" classes across this country if high school student don't even know this basic information? The questions that were asked in this study are from the test that immigrants must take in order to obtain citizenship and children who have lived their entire lives here can't answer the questions. And, public schools want more money??? Just one more reason to homeschool your children.

Fast of Gedaliah

Rosh Hashanah is over and we have enjoyed our feasting. Today is the Fast of Gedaliah.

From Chabad.org:
"Tishrei 3rd is a fast day mourning the assassination of the Jewish royal Gedaliah ben Achikam, governor of the Land of Israel for a short period following the destruction of the First Temple. Gedaliah's killing spelled the end of the small remnant of a Jewish community that remained in the Holy Land after the destruction, which fled to Egypt. (According to many opinions, the assassination of Gedaliah actually occurred on Rosh Hashanah, but the commemoration of the event is postponed to the day after the festival)."

Today we fast from sunrise to sunset to mourn the end of Jewish occupation of the Holy Land even though there are once again Jews living in the Holy Land.

This is our history. The history of our family. I want my children to be a part of this. To take hold of that history as their own. To be proud of it and of who they are. I want them to feel a part of the community. Of this family that stretches around the globe and comes in all colors, shapes and sizes. I want them to be grounded in the past as they step forward into their futures.

So, today we fast.

Licensed

I got a call yesterday that we were licensed for foster care and we received our license in the mail today. We are so excited to be able to serve the Lord in this way! We do hope to adopt at some point in time but plan to continue doing foster care even after we adopt.

Autumn Arriving

The morning air has a crispness to it and the afternoon sun isn't oppressive. Autumn is arriving!This is my favorite season, followed by spring, then winter, and finally summer.

I love going to football games, snuggling under blankets, eating chili and cornbread. I love to watch the leaves on the trees that surround us here in Appalachia become brilliant with color. At their peak we are surrounded by a rainbow of color. I enjoy the crisp morning air and the crunch of leaves under my feet. I enjoy scrubbing the house and getting ready to "hibernate" for the winter, sitting around a fire ring and chatting while the children burn up a whole bag of marshmallows, curling up in my favorite chair with an afghan to crochet or a good book to read.

Autumn also means back-to-school and new books to read and discuss together. Lesson plans to write, compositions to read, and math papers to grade. Time to watch my children as they learn and make connections with their world and everyone and everything in it. Time to listen as they excitedly relate what is going on their favorite book. Time to discuss with them and hear their thoughts on what is going on in our home and in our world. Time to hear their ideas and plans for the future. Time to dream with them and be silly with them.

Autumn will come again next year but this time with my children is something that can never be replaced or done over again. My wish and prayer for every homeschooler, every parent, is that this autumn will be spent enjoying your children for you will never have another opportunity to spend this day with them.

New Year

We actually started our school year early this year since we are planning to start building a new house this fall.

The children do most of their schoolwork together since they are close together in age. This year we are covering the following:
American Government
American Literature
Chemistry
Christian Doctrine
Algebra 2
Computers

I like having the children work together at this age so that they can discuss their work with one another. It's difficult to discuss a literary selections if Mom is the only one with whom you can discuss it.

When we started homeschooling the children did almost everything together. That caused a lot of competition and hard feelings between the two for a while. So, we separated them and had each of them working on completely different things. Now, that they are older there isn't that same competition and they enjoy talking about books (as well as other things) together. We wanted them to have the opportunity to do as much as possible together before they are grown up and on their own. We hope they are building memories and a closeness with one another that will last them the rest of their lives.

Wordless Wednesday