Homeschooling for 3

We can help raise money for the abandoned and abused children abroad by doing what we do best -- shopping! (smile) By doing our shopping at www.shoponlineforchildren.com . Each purchase will provide money for this charity to rescue these children and place them with adoptive families from around the world. I've included the original information below: A couple days back we announced that we would soon be sharing with you an opportunity to help with a special charity project. Well, today is the day we would like to start involving our Social Media Science family. Don't worry, we're not asking you to buy anything from us. In fact, we'd like to give you something AND as you use this gift you will be helping to save the lives of children who desperately need your assistance, all at the same time. Pretty cool, huh? We've partnered with a company called Dubli and a non-profit organization called www.ReecesRainbow.com to help raise money for abandoned and abused Ch...

When I came across Educating for Success, on the recommendation from another homeschooling friend, I felt as if I had found a long lost sister. Rhea's message has really resonated within me because she has confirmed all that I believed about the current economic situation. It didn't have to happen. As is pointed out in one of my favorite books The Puritan Gift , apprenticeship is a vital, yet horribly neglected component, to help our our children to gain skills to support themselves and their families as adults. Not only does it ensure their self-sufficiency, but from that ability to take care of themselves it frees up future generations to create new products, devise new ways of accomplishing tasks, as well as setting new standards of workmanship. If any of this resonates with you, please take a look at an article that I scooped up about how homeschooling families can ensure their children's financial freedom in the future: Dabbling with home businesses gives young ...

VTech, proud parents of the newly launched Bugsby Reading System is hosting Bugsby’s Great Adventures, an interactive contest that allows you and your child to write your own Bugsby story together. Know what’s even cooler? Three stories will be chosen for future publication – your child’s could be one of them! VTech and TwitterMoms wants to make sure you and your child have a chance to get your story published – so we are giving you another chance to win a prize on TwitterMoms. How It Works: To participate, visit http://www.vtechkids.com/bugsby and create your own adventure with your child. Then, write a post about your experience you had with your child while creating you personal Bugsby’s Great Adventure story on your blog – including the link to your personalized story. How did your child use his or her imagination? What was the best or most memorable part of the experience? Why do you think your child’s story should be published? Feel free to upload images, photos or video of you...

Since I'm back in the saddle as a traditional homeschooler, I've been surfing around for inspiration. This article caught my eye and I thought I'd share it with you too! The point that made me feel terribly terrific about returning to my homeschooling ranks is found in point number four. (By Terri Johnson – co-author of Homeschooling ABCs – an online class starting this month for brand new homeschoolers) We’ve all seen it… or, at least, heard about it… the homeschooled child who wins the geography bee, or the one who graduates at the age of 15, or the one who excels in musical accomplishments… Now, obviously, a student does not have to be homeschooled in order to accomplish one of the feats above, nor does every homeschooled child excel in such notable ways. However, every homeschooling parent desires for success in teaching their children at home and launching them into the world to become all that God has intended for them to be. The flipside to this statemen...

"One helping one to uplift all." is The Buxton Settlement Creed and is the theme of the book Elijah Of Buxton is a delightful (and instructional) narrative about the first freeborn child in the Buxton Settlement in western Ontario. When I decided to pick this book up I was anticipating a humorous story of a young boy growing up in Canada. Instead I wound up with a book on par with Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn -- a touch of humor, adventure, history and perspective. As much time as Americans discussing the slavery issue, this is my first exposure to the Promised Land of Canada. Many freed (and escaped) slaves crossed the border in search of a home and freedom from the fear that permeated their lives in the United States. The best of these settlements was in western Ontario. According to information found in the Journal of Negro History 3 (October 1918): 360-67 : "The Buxton, or Elgin Association Settlement, in Kent county, western Ontario, was in many respect...

Well, it's the end of January, but I'm finally getting around to my revealing my New Year's Resolution. Well, I guess better late than never. Following the principles of The Slight Edge: Secret to a Successful Life I have a chart that I'm using to keep myself on track this year. Each month I list my goals and then I track how I'm doing. And I'm proud to say that I'm doing pretty well (for a change!) So, what have I accomplished. This year I've vowed to have more fun with my kids. I enrolled them in a cyber-charter school that is doing an awesome job with them. They are having fun and best of all we're offline much more than we're online. But I sometimes make myself crazy by trying to meet artificial deadlines. So, for 2009 we will do our work systematically but I will leave more time to play with my kids. Perhaps you too have fallen into the trap of trying to get everything done and when you look around the kids have grown another 3 inche...

Educating children is a time consuming venture, especially when you get stuck in a tug-of-war over an assignment that they don't want to complete for some reason. I'm sure you've also experienced the whining, complaining and the waste of time that procrastination creates. This video may help your children (and maybe even you!) to visualize the importance of tackling our biggest challenges first and not putting it off to later. My friend, Pat Crosby, sent me this really cool video. Thanks Pat!

At the beginning of the year Jade and I wanted to do a fundraising project and were very happy when Agora decided to do a cyber-charter fundraiser for Alex's Lemonade Stand . Jade was quite touched by Alex's dedication and bravery to raise money for other children with cancer even as she was dying. So, this past summer we held a lemonade stand and were able to raise about $100 – not bad for a couple of novices, I guess. Jade wanted to do more and so did I so we set up an online fundraising portal at www.firstgiving.com/CherylHendersonKhalid in order to do this. To date this hasn't been much of a success, but I blame lack of experience on that. So, for I put this project on the back burner for a bit while I licked my wounded ego and tried to figure out a new strategy to contribute more to this charity. Then, about a week ago, I picked up my local "Our Town" at our local library and started reading through it. I was touched by the tribute that Mrs. Kizer gave t...

Well, once again homeschooling has been an education not only for my children but for the parents as well. We listen to a lot of audiobooks when we're traveling from dance to shopping and all around the town. Since we were studying the about the Civil War figures, this book jumped out at me while perusing the shelves of the library. And I am so glad that it did. This is a story of Sarny (by Gary Paulsen ) a survivor of slavery times and the Civil War. It is told in retrospect by the 90+ year old Sarny. Why did I like this story so much? Well, one thing the person who was chosen to read this story did so in such a convincing manner that I felt as if I was sitting at Sarny's bedside listening to her relate her life. It was that gripping and real to all of us. The story itself was, for me, about how the love of one's children can make you do things that you never thought you could. Not to give too much away, Sarny's children were sold shortly before the emancipation and...

Here's an introduction to my favorite "color" subjects -- Jade, Alaya, Michael. Here's a brief introduction to the crew: Jade - 8 years old, Blue Alaya - 5 years old, Yellow Michael, 1 year old, Red Quick Personality Traits Chart ============================ Blue : Tigger Yellow : Piglet Red : Scrooge McDuck Green : Rabbit (from Winnie-the-Pooh) Enjoy the video at http://www.youtube.com/v/720TpAkafo0 !