But Seriously, Folks - The Power of Laughter in Your Homeschool

14 June 2013 / Healthy Living, Humor / 0 Comment

A classic post.

I need to ask you:

Where do you find chili beans?

At the North Pole.

Why can’t penguins fly?

They’re too short to be pilots.

What happens when frogs park illegally?

They get toad.

Hopefully you feel better already…

What’s funny about all this is that laughter really IS good for you.

Here are some things that happen to you when you laugh:

-Your body releases endorphins. Endorphins are chemicals that reduce pain and increase happy feelings.

-Your body reduces stress hormones (you feel less stressed-out).

-Your body boosts immune function.

-Your muscles relax.

-Oxygen levels in your body increase (good for stress relief).

The combination of all those things has the effect, at least temporarily, of feeling better- emotionally and physically.

Hey, even thinking about watching a funny movie before you watch it, starts the benefits (research by Berk at Loma Linda University 2006 noted this).

Not only that- at the workplace, folks who are having fun tend to be more creative, productive, get along better with others, have less absenteeism than those who are serious all the time, according to a study done by Abrams at California State University- Long Beach.

Let's apply this to your homeschool-

1- More laughter may equal more creativity on writing assignments.

2- More laughter may help your student be more productive in lessons.

3- I'll bet you anything that more laughter will help siblings get along better.

4- More laughter might help feel better physically (boosted immune system- the Bible DOES say a merry heart doeth good like a medicine).

So, how about a good pun or a silly movie? And what I really want to know is:

How can you tell if an elephant’s been in the refrigerator?

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Have some giggles while you're writing!

Our Tall Tales writing guide is unique, and loads of fun.

When Our Children Miss the Point

13 April 2013 / Humor, Personal Growth, Stories / 1 Comment

Homeschool parents are always looking for their child's teachable moments.  How can we stay encouraged when the moment is there but the child somehow misses the point?

I remember when my daughter, Bekah, was about 6 years old and we were having a heart-to-heart talk about what it means to be a Christian.  She had been asking questions, and I had spelled out for her the gospel of salvation.  My heart was all a-flutter; this was the moment my little girl was ready to give her life to Jesus!

Her questions had been answered.  The message had been clearly presented.  Now it was time for MY question:

"Bekah, do you want to be a Christian?"

She thought for a moment.  (That's okay....this is a decision to think about, and not something to take lightly.)

"No," she said, "I want to be a dentist."

Sometimes they miss the point.

How can we keep our chins up when they do?

Perspective.  We are ALL works in progress.  Our children are not living their lives in a predictable, linear fashion.  The order in which things made sense to me as I learned them is likely not the exact order in which my child will grasp them.  They are distinct from us, not extensions of their mom and dad.  And they have a God who loves them vastly more than we do.

When our perspective becomes, "It's okay; God's got 'em.  And we'll work it all out eventually," we can stay encouraged.

Even when they miss the point.

It's Okay, Homeschool Mom

12 April 2013 / Humor / 2 Comments

Friday Re-Focus....did your week get off-track?

The Invisible Man - A Homeschool Story

12 January 2013 / Humor, Literature, Stories / 1 Comment

It was an ordinary Thursday morning, and I was ready to begin British Literature class with my darling homeschooled students who study together at our local umbrella school. (The Ebookstore has the one-credit high school course available, by the way. Try it....you'll LOVE it!)

We had spent months together studying many British authors, and this week near the end of the school year we had read H.G. Wells' The Invisible Man (click for the 7 Sisters study guide that accompanies this classic). Gathering with the students in the sanctuary of the church where we have class each Thursday is always one of the high points of my week. Homeschooled kids are the best kids in the world!

I love being surrounded by my awesome homeschooled students!

I was all excited for our class discussion in groups; we were going to do this cool activity where each group of kids chose a current form of technology (like cell phones, or GPS', or wireless internet) and used their imaginations to take it to a fantastical conclusion. Then each group was going to write a cooperative creative short story about an abuse of that fantastical technological advance.

But first, I said, "Everyone take out a piece of paper, please. Quick quiz to make sure you did your reading." Amid the rustle of papers, I heard a voice I recognized say,

"Mrs. J? May I borrow a piece of paper?"

I looked up surprised. "Thomas, you didn't bring paper to class?"

Except that Thomas wasn't there. I scanned the room and couldn't find him.

"Thomas! Where are you?"

"What do you mean, Mrs. J? I'm sitting next to Jake, where I always sit."

The seat next to Jake was empty. Jake was looking far too angelic NOT to be in on the joke. The other students were beginning to chuckle.

"It's the Invisible Man, Mrs. J!"

"He's here in class!"

"Thomas found the notes for the experiment, and he's invisible!"

A moment later, Thomas (third from the left on the back row in the picture above) came around the corner and through the foyer doors. He was wearing the wireless lapel mic, and his buddy Jake (who volunteers in the sound room at church) had set him up to be "invisible." It didn't get either or them out of the quiz, but it sure did start class off with a laugh!

Have your students ever pulled a practical joke on you? Tell us about it!

And for more details on that class activity creating fantastical technological devices, click to read Homeschool, Belly Buttons and HG Wells!

Tolkein and Technology - A Homeschool Success Story

08 January 2013 / Humor, News, Struggling Readers / 0 Comment

My youngest was not quick to fall in love with literature.  As a homeschool mom, this was a source of worry for me.  Looking back now that he is in 10th grade, I realize that my worry was pointless.

Some kids fall for books easily;

for others, good books must win their hearts over time.

The first book that got a strong hold on Jonah's heart was J.R.R. Tolkein's The Hobbit.  He was 9 years old and he listened to it on cassette tapes for hours in his room.  More than once he popped the first tape into the player again and started Bilbo's adventures anew.  A couple of years later he relived the adventure with the book in his hand, no longer needing the narrator to read the story to him.

Now it's Tolkein's The Silmarillion that has him hooked.  And since a few years have passed, the wonderful narration of Martin Shaw pours forth from Jonah's iPod -- we managed to find the audiobook on CD set gently used for a good price, and Jonah loaded up the sound files onto his iPod Touch so he can take it with him on long walks.  He's absolutely fascinated with The Silmarillion, and I'm absolutely delighted that technology is helping bring Tolkein's brilliance into my son's life.

Would Tolkein be delighted or horrified? 

If you have a child who is charmed by Middle Earth, download our literature study guide to accompany The Hobbit for only $3.99.

Jonah completed it when he re-read the book in 8th grade, and found all sorts of wonderful ideas that he had missed in earlier readings.

Or take a stab at writing Myth/Fantasy a la Tolkein with our Advanced Guide to Writing.  Click to view excerpts.  $6.99 for this one-of-a-kind writing resource!

For a chuckle, here's my older son Jake and Vicki's son Ezra in their classic video spoof of The Fellowship of the Ring....

Lord of the Beards.

Homeschool Trivia for Christmas Break

26 December 2012 / Homeschool Information, Humor / 0 Comment

1.  Which of the U.S. Presidents depicted on Mt. Rushmore were homeschooled?

2.  What famous television sitcom family was homeschooled?  (hint:  the daughter was named for a day of the week)

3.  In what year was the word "homeschool" added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary?

4.  On what game show did a homeschooled boy win $10,000.00 in 2005?

5.  What famous industrialist was homeschooled before he went on to establish a steel empire?

6.  Homeschooling families in the U.S. at this time typically have a median income that is:

- less than traditional-schooling families

- the same as traditional-schooling families

- more than traditional-schooling families

7.  The median amount spent per student on homeschooling educational materials in the U.S. last year was:

- $200 - $400

- $400 - $600

- $600 - $800

8. According to research by the U.S. government's Dept. of Education, what is the number one reason homeschooling parents give for educating their children at home?

9. What is the name of the musical comedian who has helped oodles of homeschoolers laugh at themselves, and helped the world understand that we DO actually have a sense of humor?

10.  Who is more excited about Homeschool Christmas Break....students, or parents?

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7 Sisters Homeschool hopes that you and your homeschool family are having a wonderful Christmas season. Blessings from our homes to yours!

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ANSWERS:

1.  Which of the U.S. Presidents depicted on Mt. Rushmore were homeschooled?

All of them were homeschooled for most (if not all) of their academic careers.

2.  What famous television sitcom family was homeschooled?  (hint:  the daughter was named for a day of the week)

The Addams Family.  The original episode was in 1964, and showed the children (Pugsley and  Wednesday) being homeschooled.

3.  In what year was the word "homeschool" added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary?

1998

4.  On what game show did a homeschooled boy win $10,000.00 in 2005?

Jeopardy.  12-year-old Joseph Henares won the  Back-to-School edition in September, 2005.

5.  What famous industrialist was homeschooled before he went on to establish a steel empire?

Andrew Carnegie.

6.  Homeschooling families in the U.S. at this time typically have a median income that is:

- the same as traditional-schooling families

7.  The median amount spent per student on homeschooling educational materials in the U.S. last year was:

- $400 - $600

8. According to research by the U.S. government's Dept. of Education, what is the number one reason homeschooling parents give for educating their children at home?

The opportunity to provide moral and religious instruction in their child's schooling

9. What is the name of the musical comedian who has helped oodles of homeschoolers laugh at themselves, and helped the world understand that we DO actually have a sense of humor?

Tim Hawkins.  (We posted his you tubes about homeschooling below.)

10.  Who is more excited about Homeschool Christmas Break....students, or parents?

ANSWERS WILL VARY!! 

Thanks to Dr. Brian Ray's study at National Home Education Research Institute (Dr. Ray was on our sister Vicki's graduate school research committee) and the HSLDA website for some of the information in this trivia quiz!

Taking Care of Your Brain

10 November 2012 / Healthy Living, Humor / 6 Comments

This is a Classic Post.

Here's information about a little known disease (actually, I just made it up), called Brainmusha Materae.

That's the Latin name, of course; an English translation would be roughly, "A mother's brain that has turned to mush."

It starts sometime after a woman becomes a mother, the symptoms escalate dramatically when the mother begins to homeschool, and while there is no known cure, 7 Sisters would like to offer some hope in the form of tips for coping with the symptoms.

What are the symptoms of Brainmusha Materae?

* You know that you are an intelligent woman with many academic and vocational accomplishments to your name, but you can't for the life of you think where you put your car keys.

* You remember the name of the kid who sat next to you in 3rd grade Sunday School, but you regularly call your own child by the dog's name.

* Your children win prizes at the homeschool geography fair, and you get lost driving home from the event.

* You find the salt shaker in the refrigerator and the butter dish in the cupboard, and YOU're the one who cleaned up after dinner last night.

Here are some fun ways to stimulate your brain cells JUST FOR YOU.

Homeschool moms do tons of thinking for the rest of their family members; it's good to have little moments of brain activity that are for your own benefit.

If one of these ideas sounds like torture instead of fun...don't do it! Different things are positive stimuli for different people. If ALL of these ideas sound like torture instead of fun...don't do any of them! Ask yourself what would work for you, and share the idea with the rest of us.

Oh, and be sure to comment and tell us what stimulates your brain cells, and fights the effects of Brainmusha Materae.

* Check out dictionary.com's word of the day. Find a way to use it in your Facebook status. (Vicki is a fan of this one!)

* Play the piano (or guitar, or....) if you know how. Play for 10 minutes just for the love of the music, not to prepare for worship service, or choir practice.

* Work a Sudoku or a Crossword puzzle, or do a Word Search.

* Write in your journal.

* Sketch the scene out your kitchen window, or the bowl of fruit on your table, or the pile of laundry in the basket.

* Re-read a book you loved as a child or young adult. Just read it for yourself. If you want to share it another time with your kids, that's great. But just for the moment, lose yourself in that familiar old story again.

* Paint your toenails a fun color.

* Spend some awesome time in prayer, maybe with an activity from one of Vicki's Prayer Journals.

What ideas can you share that might refresh and encourage another victim of Brainmusha Materae?

Homeschooling and Housekeeping

29 October 2012 / Humor, The Home / 8 Comments

I'm feeling a little silly.

My house is also feeling a little lived-in.

Therefore, I have created a meme from Vicki's brilliant insight in last week's post.

Here a few of my favorite housekeeping-not-so-much quotes:

"Martha doesn't live here, and that's a good thing!"

"Housework makes you ugly."

"I cleaned my house yesterday; it's a shame you missed it."

"Why would anyone WANT to eat off the floor when we have perfectly good dishes?"

And finally, a quote from one of my children a few years ago:

"You know how we were never sick very often growing up, Mom? 

I think it's because we ate enough dirt to build up our immunities."

Got any funnies to share?  Let's keep it real, homeschoolers!

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The same REAL homeschool moms who make up 7 Sisters have created REAL curriculum that has actually been used in our own families, in our local community, and now by homeschooling friends everywhere!

Click here to view excerpts from all of our diverse curriculum resources in the EBookstore.

Our Home - It's Still at the Heart of Our Homeschool

18 October 2012 / Humor, News, The Home / 4 Comments

As much as we love to go and do and experience, our home is still the heart of our homeschool.

I'm not so much of a homemaker as I am

a "home-keep-from-collapsing-er."

I did some of the crafty, canning kind of stuff in the early years, but honestly, that's when I was trying to be some woman on the picture of The Teaching Home magazine rather than the Sabrina that God made me to be.

Nowadays we host lots and lots of people at our house, but it's all way-casual.

People hang out in the kitchen whether I'm there stirring a pot of homemade soup (which I *DID* actually make a couple of days ago....just sayin') or not.

I cook only occasionally, but I make sure the kids all know how to cook something semi-healthy and there are ingredients on hand should their tummies rumble.

I don't can, but I did recently buy Amish pumpkin butter at the farmer's market, and there was much rejoicing among my men-folk.

Yes, I have a shoe-a-day calendar in my kitchen. Don't you?

Our home is typically clean enough that you won't die from being here, but not likely to be nominated for the cover of Better Homes and Gardens...except maybe we would be for the gardens part because Fred takes care of the outside and it's all beautiful.  Just don't look too carefully when you're INSIDE...and don't step on that dust bunny; it bites.

When the kids were little, we spent lots of time on the sectional in the family room.  We read Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (still one of my favorites....have you seen the study guide in the EBookstore?  How about Sarah, Plain and Tall?  I love that one, too!) and A Separate Peace and the Chronicles of Narnia.

Now things are different.

Jonah is in 10th grade; his sister, Bekah, is married and lives 50 miles away.  His big brothers Sam and Jake still live at home but work long hours and aren't here that much.

His even-older step-siblings, Freddie, Jay and Jacki, are all on their own and we only see them at special celebrations and such.  It's good, it's just....different.

I savor the conversation.  Jonah loves to talk about deep things, and I love sitting on opposite sides of the breakfast bar as we discuss life.

I savor the chaos.  Jonah's friends are here a lot, and I love the good friendships he has, the many, many sleepovers and their strange fits of cooking in the late hours of the night when an attack of the munchies cannot be denied.

I savor the quiet that was harder to come by when there were toddlers underfoot while the older kids homeschooled.

I savor our homeschool....whatever form it takes right here, right now.  There are no blueprints for how homeschooling should look.

Is there a cookie cutter into which we should fit?

Nope.

We are the drop-cookie-kind, and that's a good thing.

7 Things Homeschoolers Cannot Do - Plus a few more

18 September 2012 / Humor / 2 Comments

This classic post from Vicki gets a few new additions from me this morning.  First, Vicki's original post:

My brother got me started on this.

He facebooked me, feeling sorry for my kids because they never had the real-school bathroom experience. He said that for him it was something like the opening sequence to an Indiana Jones movie (fraught with surprise and danger *smile nostalgically*).

Then kid #4 added fuel to the fire. He is an education major in college. One of his assigned projects was to make a bulletin board about the layers of the earth.

He was mystified. Bulletin board? What’s that?

It hit me that he had grown up deprived of the wonders of bulletin boards.

I realized there are 7 things our kids can't do.

Here they are (by my research as a co-op mom, homeschool youth group leader, and group-class teacher at our umbrella school):

1) Lining up (just try it, homeschoolers can’t do it)

2) Making a group circle(Sabrina surrenders, “Everyone, make a group blob.”)

3) Passing out papers (must be accompanied by “Take one, keep IT, pass the rest…”)

4) Understanding bulletin boards

5) Feeling under-class because they are under-age

6) Experiencing real-school bathrooms

7) Believing they can’t (instead, they think they can do anything God gives them to do)

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Homeschoolers CANNOT settle for only commonplace curriculum in high school or they will miss out on SO much!

Click here to view excerpts from Intro. to Psychology from a Christian Perspective, Career Exploration Workbook, Poetry Writing Guides, A Successful Approach to Teaching Acting and Directing, and more in the 7 Sisters EBookstore.

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With the start of classes for homeschoolers at our local day-school and co-op meetings in this new year, I've been noticing other things homeschoolers struggle with.  Now, here are MY ADDITIONS to Vicki's list of things homeschoolers cannot do:

Answer a roll call without pizzazz.  One of my classes for homeschooled high schoolers this year is big enough that I actually take roll.  It has become an instant challenge to come up with the most creative response possible when each student's name is called.  "Chris?"  "Ready to rumble!"  "Sarah?" "My body is here, but I think I left my brain in the hall."  "Mike?" "Present, perky and pleased about it!"

Choose a seat on a bus.  We take our local homeschool choir to adjudication each year on rented buses.  We spend an hour loading because everyone has to think through the potential implications of where they might best find a seat, weighing the pros and cons, asking advice from their friends.

Wear a name tag in the traditional way.  It must be upside down, sideways, on their back, on their thigh, on the top of their shoe...

Remember to put their name and the date on the top of their papers.  But according to Allison's husband, Wayne, who has taught public school for decades, neither can the kids in traditional school!

What can you add to the list?