Still around

I realize I've been silent for awhile, for various reasons.

Part of it was because I was still kind of formulating my plans for school and stuff, and just couldn't focus on anything else to blog about. I thought about showing pictures of all the things I've been working on, but I just got busy all of a sudden.

But, we had spring break last week, and it was SO nice. The Saturday before was Sarah's birthday bash, and so I was really in need of some REST after that. The trees are budding out and blooming, the daffodils and tulips have bloomed and gone, the pear trees have bloomed and are turning green, and patches of green are getting bigger and bigger each day. We have several dogwood trees that I am happy to say are loaded with buds- finally! The past few years the trees haven't bloomed much.

So, through various sources, I felt the Lord leading me to a particular idea for our homeschool.He popped the idea in me, about why not just use the Bible as our curriculum? I wasn't sure what to do with it, but I ran across a perfectly timed book, that led me to a blog where a mom has already done that, and posted all her free resources on how to do it . Still, I wasn't totally sure because this is March not August, and I didn't want to start at the point she did.

But I had all of spring break to think on it. One day last week I decided I really wanted to teach my girls about Passover, how and why it was celebrated and all that. I did some searching and found a lapbook for it, awesome. Then I also wanted to focus the next week, also called Holy week, on the last few days of Jesus' ministry, His crucifixion and resurrection.  I found a unit study on that as well as one on the nation of Israel.

Cool, so excited! I am really interested in Israel, the Hebrew language, culture etc. I can't say exactly why, but I am so drawn to it. I've already learned on my own the Hebrew aleph bet and can read the letters, but that's about it!

So this week's plan is today we learned about where Israel is, how it got its name, the language, what the girls' names look like in Hebrew, how the Jews got to be in bondage to the Egyptians and how Moses came to live in Pharaoh's house.
Tues- learn more about Israel in our unit study, Moses killing an Egyptian and running away, His calling, start the plagues
Wed- short lessons as this is our grocery day
Thurs- Passover, make unleavened bread
Friday- learn about Palm Sunday and Old Testament prophecy

Now, Passover is next Monday at sundown, but I want to also do a lot of things about Jesus next week, so I have to do this in advance and then i'll remind them about it next week. We color Easter eggs and get visited from the bunny, however this is how it will work.
Next week we learn all about the Last Supper, His trial, crucifixion, resurrection. On Tuesday we'll make resurrection eggs that tells the story, on Friday we will make resurrection cookies which I think is really cool, and then dye eggs. That night we'll watch King of Kings, Saturday we do Easter egg hunt at my mom's, Sunday we celebrate Jesus' resurrection. Our girls do get a visit from the Easter bunny on Saturday night, and I really don't see a problem with it. They know that it's Jesus that is the focus, and that we can have fun with other traditions too. To many that probably seems as if I'm mixing Christianity with pagan rituals, but all I can say is nowadays, Easter is definitively Christian in our culture, and fluffy pastel bunnies and chicks, and gorgeous candy and frilly dresses and all that don't necessarily take the focus off of Jesus. It's just stuff, we think it's fun, but we'd have a great time of celebration without it. I am a girl, and a mother to four girls, we like pretty colors and fluff and frills and chocolate. Need I say more? LOL!

I am making them all dresses out of vintage embroidered pillowcases and a little shrug thing to cover their shoulders. I bought them hats at the Dollar Tree and my mom bought them some spring shoes. So yes, we do make a big deal out of Easter, but I like it. Anytime we can celebrate, we do it big.

And, our girls are also signed up for softball this year. So, on Monday they both practice back to back, Wednesday they have ballet, and Thursday one of them has another practice. Been a little busier than usual, and if I have free time I generally like to use it reading books or making something :) So, bloggie here goes to the bottom of the list. But I'll try to do better!