What I found today

I found a fabulous website for homeschooling--free printables, curriculum, a great blog and probably a lot more. I found this website while I should have been working on another big project...can anyone say procrastination?? Anyway here it is...
Our Los Banos

Check it out and let me know what you found!

Summer Winding Down

We've been busy lately, really too busy. I've had lots of projects to complete. Thankfully most of them are finished (except school planning and our local homeschool group, both will be ongoing). I have to say that I'm looking forward to the routine of school days. I've been doing a lot of planning and Lord willing it will pay off. We started the beginning of August with one subject for each girl. Then the second week we added another subject. We stopped there because I'm finishing up child care for a school-age boy and it would be too difficult to do much more school than we are doing.

We are doing The Young Peacemaker's book by Corlette Sande. It has been good so far. I'm actually doing that book with all the children and praying that we all benefit from the teaching. Even my little boy has memorized the two key verses: Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God", and Romans 12:18 "If possible, as far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." I'm excited about this study. Check out the website I linked to for the 12 Key Principles for Young Peacemakers. We are finishing up #2.

Bethany is doing Math-U-See, Alpha. She loves school and looks forward to it each day. Although I have to mention that when she sees her brother and the boy I'm watching playing, she has struggled to keep her attitude cheerful. It's been a good lesson, not easy, but good.

Marissa is doing her Presidential Unit Study. It is going very well and I'm proud of her progress. She is also a huge help with the kids each day.

Here is a picture of baby boy's 3rd birthday. (His birthday was a month ago.) He had so much fun and so did we. He's a character!

Carson Dellosa Free Clip Art

Did you know that Carson Dellosa offers Free clip art? Well, they do and you can find it here!
Just had to share that with you all. (Be sure to read the user information.)

Studying the Olympics

I have found some great lapbook and notebooking links for the Olympics. I have also found other links for the Olympics and thought I would share them here.

Marissa loves the Olympics and is so looking forward to watching them.

Homeschoolshare has a terrific lapbook on the Olympics.
You can find notebooking pages here.
Jelley Jar has several good resources for teaching the Olympics.
Debbie's Digest has a great post on Olympic sites and resources. Be sure to scroll down to view all she has linked to.
A Joyful Keeper has created simple notebooking pages and is offering them for free.

I'm considering having Marissa plan Family Olympics. Several of the sites that I looked at had ideas for that. Have you ever done that? Give me ideas and pointers if you have!

The Fullness of God

The summer is moving quickly by. It's been 6 weeks already since I tore my calf muscle. I'm still in physical therapy and it's going well. I'll be very thankful when I'm able to walk for exercise again. Makes me remember to be thankful for so many things I often take for granted.

I read this in my quiet time last night and I thought it was so good. It reminds me of the Amy Carmichael quote that I posted here.

Ephesians 3: 14-20

v.19 "and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

"Filled unto all the fullness of God...this idea suggests the idea not of a completed work but of a process, and of a growing process, as if more and more of that great fullness might pass into a man [or woman]."

"Take a water-bottle, and if that water bottle be only half full, every time you move the bottle, the water in it washes to and fro. Why? How is it that it feels every motion? Because it is not full. But if you fill that water bottle right up till it cannot hold another drop, and then cork it in, you may turn the bottle which way you like, and the water within it will not move. There is no movement, no washing about. Why? Because it is too full to be agitated. The reason why you and I live such poor restless lives is that we are not filled up with the fullness of God."

From Great Texts of the Bible edited by J. Hastings

My prayer is that I'll be so full of God and His goodness that I won't have any room to get agitated! That's a big prayer! My part is to be in His Word...daily. I certainly can relate to that water bottle--the one that's not filled up the whole way. I feel whishy washy in my decision making and child training, I feel empty and lonely, longing for fulfillment (just to give two examples). This ties in with the book I'm working through called "Satisfy My Thirsty Soul" by Linda Dillow. I'm on chapter two; moving slowly because I'm working on the study questions in the back of the book. Talk about challenging! Although so worth the work and effort. God is faithful.

To catch you all up on what else is going on:
We started school today--just one subject for each girl. Marissa started her Presidential Election Unit Study and Bethany started Math (Math-U-See). It went well for both. We will add 1-2 subjects each week until we're in full swing (somewhere around the beginning of September).

(Just a quick note about the Presidential Election Unit Study--I pulled several resources together and came up with my own unit study. I'm excited to go through it with Marissa and will be working on a primary version for Bethany. )

I'm helping out with a bridal shower and I'm making the invitations. My scrapbooking friend, Deb, helped me figure out what to do. They are going to be pretty. I'll show a completed invitation when I get that far.

Our local homeschooling group is gearing up to start in a week or so. I've got a number of responsibilities to take care of for that.

A good friend is coming over tomorrow and we're going to make freezer meals together. Much more fun to cook together.

I'm tired just thinking about it all!