The crazy life of the ClarkClan. Living a life of grace through Jesus Christ.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Help, Lord, I'm Getting Ready to Start Homeschooling My High Schooler!



The Old Schoolhouse
www.theoldschoolhousestore.com
“Help, Lord, I’m Getting Ready to Start Homeschooling My High Schooler”

$12.45

We began homeschooling our oldest son in the third grade, taking each year at a time. Yet, as he entered 7th then 8th grade levels, we had to make a decision. That decision was “Do we homeschool through high school?” It seemed like an insurmountable task looming ahead. Now here we are, coming to the end of his high school career and looking forward to his sisters.

The e-book “Help, Lord, I’m Getting Ready to Start Homeschooling My High Schooler”is a good resource for those who are questioning whether or not they should continue. This book is not a how-to of homeschooling high schoolers. It does not tell you the “right” curriculum for success. It simply tells the journeys of families who have homeschooled through high school and the success they found. I found reading the journeys of other homeschoolers to be very uplifting. It brought home to me, once again, that every homeschool and situation is different, yet can accomplish the same goal. That goal is raising solid citizens who love the Lord and are a light in a dark world.

The diversity of each family is what makes homeschooling unique, and homeschooling through high school strengthens this quality. It was beneficial to read about how each family went about high school education. Just as there are multiple ways of teaching younger children, high school is no different. This book shows the different paths that families took to prepare their teenagers for life.

Any encouragement that can help a family decide they can continue on through high school is a wonderful thing. I would recommend this book to anyone who homeschools. This e-book can be especially interesting to those families with elementary or junior high students, who may be wondering about continuing on this path. “Help, Lord, I’m Getting Ready to Start Homeschooling My High Schooler” truly shows that not only is it possible, but that teenagers thrive through what can be turbulent years. Trials, joys, hardships, and pleasure, these mothers have opened their hearts to show the way.

Jill

Molly's Money Saving Digest

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
www.theoldschoolhousestore.com
Molly's Money Saving Digest- Evaluate, Prioritize, Organize, January 2010
$4.95

This e-book was right up my alley. I love money saving ideas, new recipes and pre-made forms with added crafts thrown in this book was a hit. From the beginning with the lesson on pie crusts, I was hooked. I have sporadically made pie crusts from scratch, with more often than not, buying pre-made crust. I will no longer be doing that, but making my own for the freezer. I loved not only the detailed instructions, but the pictures as well. My six year old helped me with the "Buttery Pressed Pie Crust". She was so excited she could make it with minimal help from me. We did substitute pistachios for the coconut, pecans or walnuts called for, as we were making a pistachio pudding pie. An added bonus was the recipe made more than we anticipated and we have two extra in the freezer ready to go. She can't wait for pot-luck Sunday at church so she can take a pie she made.

Forms, Forms, Forms. I love forms. Just ask my kids. The budget forms were very good and easy to use. The Daily To-Do lists were nice. I liked that they were all ready made and a fun color. They were very easy for me to print out and use. One form that I have read about, but never done was a Clothing Inventory Check-List. I was able to give this to my older two and they could easily check off what clothes they had and I was able to help my younger two. This gave us a good outlook on their wardrobes and what they are going to need for the Spring and Summer season.

This e-book also included a weeks worth of dinner menus. We decided to cook the entire week of recipes. The food was similar to how I cook and my family liked all the recipes. The Zesty Pork Roast was our favorite. I cook a lot in my slow cooker, and I was able to easily adapt these recipes.

There were more ideas and fun in this e-book than the ones I have touched on. I would recommend this to anyone. While all ideas may not apply most of them will. I had so much fun taking my time reading and re-reading sections, and trying all the fun recipes. I loved that the recipes were simple enough that my girls could help me, yet sophisticated enough to serve to company. One try and I am hooked on Molly's Money Saving Digest.

Jill

Saturday, March 20, 2010

For Sarah

This is for Sarah, who said she checked my blog and I had not written anything new. What a beautiful and fun girl. I love you, Sarah. Thanks for your help after dinner. I appreciated it.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Grace

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
What a joy this verse is, to know that grace is a gift from God. If it were not, I would always have to wonder if I had done enough. I can rest easy. I have been saved by grace, through faith. Thank you, Lord.

Blog Test

Here is my first blog post. My test to make sure that I set up everything correctly.