'I Dared to Call Him Father' – Must Read
I've just read a biography called "I dared to call Him Father" by Bilquis Sheikh. It is the wonderful true story of a prominent Muslim woman who was called to Christ and of her subsequent trials, ups and downs. I remember reading this book many years ago as a fairly...
Plants and Pillars or Sons and Daughters
I love gardens. Beautiful flowers of varying colours delight my senses. I see many parallels between gardens and families...gardening and training a family. Sometimes the word, 'training' (in regard to children) holds negative thoughts for some people but I see it...
Does God Say ‘Oops’?
I have a problem when a person is fairly adamant about a decision or choice they’ve made, claiming that ‘God told them to do it’. Some of these things aren’t black or white areas; they’re just every day decisions in life that we all have to make. Does God says oops?
The blog about not blogging about the Big Picture Conference!
What a whirlwind weekend! 'Miss A' , 'Miss R' and I excitedly set off early on Thursday morning to drive to Sydney for the Big Picture Conference. On the way, we listened to a downloaded audio of homeschool speaker, Cindy Rushton and then we listened (rather, I...
Seasoned Speech
I took one of those online personality test quizzes, which often are a little silly but this one had me seriously thinking... My score told me that: 41 TO 50 POINTS: Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing,practical, and always interesting; someone who's...
Structure or Routine
There are scheduled times that I clean the house, mop and vacuum the floors and other jobs that need doing on a regular basis. However, if these were to be the only times that I cleaned or tidied, my house would be near uninhabitable! I’ve learned that while it is good and necessary to have these cleaning times, if I don’t tidy or pick things up at other times the scheduled cleaning time is staring at me like Mt. Kosciusko!
I Am A Flylady Flunkie
Okay, I'll confess...I'm a Flylady Flunkie. Nope, not just once but three times!!!! Yes, three times I've tried to do the Flylady program as it looks so good...but I just couldn't tweak it to suit, nor could I apply it to myself. However, I stumbled (actually it was...
Selected in the Aussie Squad U/16…
Wahoo!! I just have to brag! Miss A has been selected in the U/16 Girls Australian Squad for softball. She has been training and working hard for three years now at State representative softball. It hasn't been easy as she has had to commute 4 hours to and from,...
A Verbal Skill Breakthrough…
We're having a breakthrough! Yes!!!!! Both my boys are fairly quietly spoken and humble. They're quietly confident in themselves with many things but they've been slow to learn to read. Patience and gentleness have been lessons the Lord has wanted to teach me. I've...
Narration ~ Discussion ~ Debate
Narration and discussion have been a cornerstone of our family's learning style and I just wanted to share something that happened the other day. A (14 yodd) came to me yesterday as she wanted to 'discuss and debate' some lyrics of an album that she wants to purchase....
Composition, the HomeGrownKids Way
Writing Strands, Write with the Best, Institute of Excellence in Writing...do we need a text or curricula in order to instill a love of writing in our children? Do we need to use it every week, every year? Surely there's an easier way? These are my thoughts (to date)...
Not excited About a New Year – Lacking Motivation
I'll confess. I'm not jumping up and down with excitement over lessons (school) this year. Nope! There was a time when we would visit Officeworks and stock up on all manner of new stationary and papers and binders and filing systems...but (this is the beginning of our...
High School – Learner Permit
The High School years are sometimes met with fear and parents change their curriculum, methods and whole approach… but why?
There and back again…
There and Back Again... A Tale of our Adventures across 3 states and a territory. You may have guessed that we did in fact manage to leave home and actually reach our destination on the third try! Dad, Mum, and four kids (22yods, 12yodd, 10yods and 8yods) all bundled...
Proverbs 31
This isn't an original idea but something that I have just printed up and put in my kitchen. The idea was one of Christa. Christa doesn't have a website but she shares on the HS Fellowship board. Thanks Christa! She watches over the ways of her household, and does not...
Giving thanks for the Internet
This will not come as much of a surprise to some who know me but...I LOVE the Internet!!! Oh sure, at times it has been a hindrance in my life but for the most part I love the technology. Let me explain a little... I used to like putting on my Cindy Rushton or sermon...
'If at first you don't succeed…' takes on a whole new meaning…
This is no longer a holiday. My husband is on a quest...a mission...this is bordering on obsession!? We are living out the quote, "If at first you don't succeed, Try, Try, Try again." We're heading off in the small hours of the morning again...to head for our home...
The 3 R's – Rest, Relationship and Refreshment
Usually I pray and ponder and peruse all the curriculum catalogues so that I can plan an approximate guide for each of my children. Late last year I roughly planned out the years for each of the children until they are 16years old. It was a very loose plan with lots...
The Trip That Wasn't…
Talk about an adventure that wasn't!? That'll be the title by which our family remembers this Christmas period. We had planned the trip for weeks, with the children all getting excited, saving our pennies, organising the house, and figuring out the logistics of having...
Leaving a Legacy
Driving in the car...washing dishes...sweeping the floor, preparing a meal...reading a good book...visiting the new neighbour...running errands and paying bills. What do these have in common? These are a few things that I have had opportunity to do this week...to do...