love to paint

Two of my daughters' poems they wanted to post... Blizzard  Silently, softly, falling, White and wet, Clinging to stems and branches, Landing on leaves of withered plants, Great clouds of white, Flying in the wind, Whirling like dust, Sticking to the rooftops, A white blanket many m iles long.                                                           By Autumn A clock Is like a ball on the wall or a glob of glue. Maybe it's a sun or a rabbit's tail! Sounds like when you drop a pebble or snap your fingers. Smells like wood or glass. Feels like ice or plastic.                     by Samantha

Yesterday, my middle daughter and I sat down for a poetry lesson.  Here's the poem we wrote together about Ice Ice Like a cold wind or a hard stick, Scotch-tape glass that becomes a firecracker when it breaks. It is a nothing that is quiet as a mouse and as smooth as a rock. It makes me always feel like I'm going to drop it! I hope this cold goes away soon!

Some, like blogger Amy Glass, are proclaiming that being a stay at home mom is not hard and not as worthwhile as climbing the corporate ladder.  Last month, there was a big stink raised by a chef of an upscale restaurant when an infant fussed in his restaurant.  There has been much blogging, ranting, and throwing of spears at others due to these two rantings.  Our local paper quoted the local blogger Scary Mommy as being on the side of the chef--that parents shouldn't take kids to restaurants like that. Hmmm...   Does all of this ranting really matter?  One of the hardest things about being a stay at home mom is the feeling that you have to defend your position--you have to defend that what you're doing is valuable.  You don't get the affirmation that you do in the workplace when you complete a project well.  You don't get the satisfaction of finishing one project and moving on to another.  You don't get the continual social interaction with o...

Part 2: Teaching Styles... This term is used by many educators to refer to the structure of the teacher-student relationship. I am going to use this phrase differently. My own definition is how a teacher's learning style shapes his/her teaching. I find that I am prone to teach the way I best learn . When I began homeschooling, I gravitated to curriculum that appealed most to my husband and I. We liked the classical model and when I read The Well Trained Mind, it made sense to us. I am a reader and so is my husband. Kindergarten was hard for my oldest daughter and for me. I had super high expectations and I pushed her hard. I fell into the mindset that beset me when I was a public school classroom teacher. I was focused on achievement and the cultural idea that our children have to get ahead or they will be behind. I quickly discovered that homeschooling is very different than classroom teaching. It has strengths and weaknesses of its own. In the middle of fi...

This past Saturday I led a homeschool conference session on Learning Styles.  Honestly, it's a hard topic to talk about in an hour.  I'm going to break it up into several posts and post the information on this blog.... Learning Styles, Teaching Styles: Meeting in the Middle Copyright 2014, Reproducible only for personal use and not for resale lovetopaint.blogspot.com Main Points: God gave you to your child and your child to you—you are the parent and teacher that your child needs. You know them better than anyone else and will understand them better than anyone else—they are a part of you. Observing your children's learning styles and your own learning style (and teaching style) can help your children learn more efficiently with less frustration and with more success. As my mother in law puts it, homeschooling is a calling. It's tough. God works on our children and us in the process of homeschooling. We need Him. Continually be a stu...

There's a song in the Sound of Music about Maria.  There's a line that goes "How do you solve a problem like Maria?"  It came to my mind because I was thinking of Martha.  Mary and Martha. How do you solve a problem like Martha?   I'm asking this question with affection, because I am Martha through and through.  This week has been an absolutely crazy week for me.  We are going to be selling our home that we purchased two years ago.  The home that seemed so clearly for us turned out to be one thorn after another.  Faith, perseverance, patience... God has taught me so many lessons through this home!  Now all those problems and that mile long list are done.  Whew...  Amidst all the stress of recaulking the kitchen sink this week, calling a roofer for a consultation (yay--it was good news!), calling an electrician (will be here Monday), painting a wall inside a closet with only 4 inches of space between the wall and the washer/dryer...

A few days ago, I had a conversation with someone that I wished immediately I could rewind.  I wanted to say something differently than I had.  I was talking with someone about the choices we make and sacrifices we choose to make. I have continued to ponder what I said and that it was not what I actually feel. Sacrifices are sacrifices because they cost us something.  I struggle with sacrifices.  I am often resentful and irritated about the ones I have to make--the ones that I do not choose of my own free will, but are rather forced upon me.  I wish I was more welcoming of these sacrifices that are required of me. I don't think I'm the only person to struggle this way. What I said in that conversation a few days ago highlighted a difference in my life from theirs.  It made it sound like I was luckier in some way.  But, I'm not.  Everyone's lives are different.  I sincerely believe in God's providence and that he is in control of every...

My oldest daughter is sitting in a chair working away at a word search.  Of course, my youngest son wants to do one too!  He asked, so I went searching.  I found some very easy ones right at his level at this site:  http://www.sightwordsgame.com/sightwordgames/sight-word-games-easy-word-search-2/ There's several more here on the same site HERE . Happy Searching! And Happy New Year!