Sarah (12) recently brought me a book called "Jesus Freaks." She was reading it and was moved by a story about a group of believers who were being persecuted. The officials wanted them to denounce Christ and if they didn't, they threatened to kill the believers' children. The Christians would not denounce their Lord and in the end, the officials did murder all the children and the adults as well. They did not beg for their lives or the lives of their children. Instead, they sang hymns into eternity.
I thought of James 1:12, which says, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
If we find it difficult to praise the Lord when we're simply cold or a little hungry, how can we ever stand firm in the face of the type of persecution that Christians in other parts of the world experience? I heard a song by Mercy Me recently titled "Bring the Rain." (You can listen to the song here .) The chorus states,
"Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You Jesus,
bring the rain"
Some of you know that I was abused as a child. I never had the joy of my first sexual experience inside of marriage because I was raped when I was still a virgin at 20. People told me to "get over" the fact that we couldn't have any more children after Hannah was born. There have been soooo many days when I have not been able to get out of bed because the pain has been SO incredibly bad that Sarah has had to bring my medicine to me and let me lay in bed for an hour for it to take effect before my legs would work. In the past, I've called out to God through these and similar devastating times in my life. I didn't know how I would make it or why God would allow these things to happen. However, the times when I've experienced the most hardship in life are absolutely the times when I have been most focused on my Saviour. That's not easy to admit, but I almost think it's almost natural to do this. I have a relationship with my Father ALL the time, but I want to CLING to my Father when times are difficult. I have never had an earthly father and when times are rough, it is incredibly comforting to me to know that God is there. In most circumstances, I readily share the gospel with others, but it's during times of "rain" when that seems to be all I focus on because that's really all there is left. And actually, that is the only thing that matters.
I am glad that the other note has encouraged some of you. I really wanted the words to be encouraging, but it is difficult to know what to say sometimes when I am worried for my own family and others, but we are still so much better off than billions of people around the world. How do I say, "I'm worried about not having heat or food" when there are children living in cardboard boxes while mine sleep in their own beautiful beds? How do I say, "Well, many others are worse off than we are when a local homeschool family is one bill away from losing their home?" Knowing others are in a worse situation does not lesson the fear and frustration for their own family and it's not fair to ignore someone's feelings of anxiety. (When people used to say, "Well, you have enough children anyway" after we discovered I couldn't have more, it made me so mad that they didn't even CARE what I thought. They were just ignoring me. Actually, this still makes me upset ... so don't say this to me. : )
I think it all boils down to our relationship with the Lord. This world can take away everything and I do agree with Mercy Me - if the "pain" is what it takes to praise Jesus, then we should welcome these times. We SAY we want to praise him, but are we really willing to praise him in all circumstances? Are we really willing to be taken to whatever point in our life it is that makes us SEEK our Lord and give him glory? Are you ready? Are you willing?
It is great to hear from others of you in the rain right now. You can share with me without fear that it will be given to anyone else and I won't judge you for your worries. I am a good secret-keeper and I am also happy to encourage you in any way that I can.
Thank you for letting me get all this off my chest. I am concerned for many of you, but as I've said many times over the past few days, I am thankful that my God is the God of the universe - yesterday, today and tomorrow. How awesome is that!
Sonya
http://www.sonyahaskins.com/
"'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-11)
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Stressed - part 1
Am I the only one incredibly stressed out right now?!? When I talk with my Christian friends, it seems that everyone is feeling the need to stock up, yet we're having difficulty paying even the most basic of bills. We've actually gotten a loan for the past two months to buy food and pay our electric bill because food and utilities have gotten so expensive.
Like many other families, we live paycheck to paycheck because we've never been in a position to build a good savings. I'm certainly not proud of this, but I can honestly say that we've at least been debt-free several times and every time something happens to set us back again financially. The most recent time was due to medical issues (when I had Hannah - read "Chronic Pain" on my website if you're interested in this),. This has been a problem again this fall. I don't really think our position is unique. Like everyone else, there are many homeschool families who are being very badly hurt by this economic downturn.
I talked with my husband today and discussed putting the children in public school. Out of 8 years of homeschooling, we've had the occasional discussion of this nature, but these have not taken place very often and even when they did, we knew that this wasn't what we really wanted to do. This time we had a serious discussion on this topic because I may have to go to work full time to help pay our bills. I have heard the same thing from several friends / acquaintances lately. What other choices do we have when we don't qualify for aid because our husbands actually WORK? (Ironically, I was told that if my husband moved out, I would qualify for all kinds of aid. That's really helpful to know...)
For those of you who are saying, "Well, if they would manage their finances better..." (because I know a few will say that), I can just say that we do live on a budget, but when your food costs go up by $100 a month because of rising prices, when you've used your entire savings to buy gas for four months when it was over $3.00 a gallon, when your child is sick and you have to go to the doctor four times in a month, and when you have the heat down so low everyone actually WANTS to go to bed and not get back up in the morning, yet you still can't pay the bills, the problem is not budgetary. There is just not enough money!
So what's the point of all this? My family was actually doing pretty well and for some reason this fall, we seem to be in a much worse position than we've been in a long time. (It actually started when I had to make trips to Chattanooga when my granddad was sick & then died and then Christopher got sick - and still is - and Hannah got sick, then I got sick...) Anyway, I have had more doctor bills in the past month again than I've had in the past year TOTAL. Chris and I discovered a long time ago that my ministry is with homeschool families. I know that the Lord is allowing us to experience the financial and health problems that we're now experiencing again because we need to use our frustration to encourage homeschool families in some way.
We are part of a group of people who are typically don't share all of these kinds of problems because of the prejudice involved with other Christians (you brought it on yourself, you must be doing something you shouldn't, it's a shame to share when you're in such difficult circumstances, etc.). I just wanted to let other homeschool families know that there are MANY experiencing GREAT difficulty right now. You are not alone.
Chris and I talked about it today and he said that he agreed that I am going to have to work more (yes, as in get a "real" job), but we both agreed that public school is NOT the answer. I'm going to have to fit work in around an already-stuffed schedule. We believe in school choice and if others want to send their children to public or private school, then they should be allowed to choose. We believe it is OUR right to choose as well. We are having a difficult time right now fitting it all in, but I am just going to have to work at home when Chris is at work and I can possibly work outside the home if I have to when he is at home. Either way, we will definitely make it through this time, but we will not turn our children over to the government. Some people have access to GREAT schools so I am not making a judgment against anyone who has their children in public schools. All I'm saying is that for my family, we DO believe we're making the right choice by homeschooling and we will make this work even if we had to sell our home.
If the economy doesn't pick up soon, our friends are going to start losing their homes. Chris and I are almost to that point and I am hearing the same from other families. If this is your situation, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! I just want to encourage you. I am nervous and I'm definitely "stressed" over it, but I'm not "worried." God does not want us to have a spirit of fear or worry. "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" (Romans 8:15)
OK, this is getting too long, but I just felt like I should share with others that if you're cold tonight, we're right there with you! I have on two sweaters and we're bundled together under two blankets! LOL I guess that's one way to bring your family closer together. :)
And remember that we all need to be in prayer for one another - CONSTANTLY. I believe we should be praying for Christians all around the world. If we are having difficult times, I know it is much worse in other places. God also reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5 to be thankful even in this time. "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Joyfully your servant,
Sonya Haskins
Like many other families, we live paycheck to paycheck because we've never been in a position to build a good savings. I'm certainly not proud of this, but I can honestly say that we've at least been debt-free several times and every time something happens to set us back again financially. The most recent time was due to medical issues (when I had Hannah - read "Chronic Pain" on my website if you're interested in this),. This has been a problem again this fall. I don't really think our position is unique. Like everyone else, there are many homeschool families who are being very badly hurt by this economic downturn.
I talked with my husband today and discussed putting the children in public school. Out of 8 years of homeschooling, we've had the occasional discussion of this nature, but these have not taken place very often and even when they did, we knew that this wasn't what we really wanted to do. This time we had a serious discussion on this topic because I may have to go to work full time to help pay our bills. I have heard the same thing from several friends / acquaintances lately. What other choices do we have when we don't qualify for aid because our husbands actually WORK? (Ironically, I was told that if my husband moved out, I would qualify for all kinds of aid. That's really helpful to know...)
For those of you who are saying, "Well, if they would manage their finances better..." (because I know a few will say that), I can just say that we do live on a budget, but when your food costs go up by $100 a month because of rising prices, when you've used your entire savings to buy gas for four months when it was over $3.00 a gallon, when your child is sick and you have to go to the doctor four times in a month, and when you have the heat down so low everyone actually WANTS to go to bed and not get back up in the morning, yet you still can't pay the bills, the problem is not budgetary. There is just not enough money!
So what's the point of all this? My family was actually doing pretty well and for some reason this fall, we seem to be in a much worse position than we've been in a long time. (It actually started when I had to make trips to Chattanooga when my granddad was sick & then died and then Christopher got sick - and still is - and Hannah got sick, then I got sick...) Anyway, I have had more doctor bills in the past month again than I've had in the past year TOTAL. Chris and I discovered a long time ago that my ministry is with homeschool families. I know that the Lord is allowing us to experience the financial and health problems that we're now experiencing again because we need to use our frustration to encourage homeschool families in some way.
We are part of a group of people who are typically don't share all of these kinds of problems because of the prejudice involved with other Christians (you brought it on yourself, you must be doing something you shouldn't, it's a shame to share when you're in such difficult circumstances, etc.). I just wanted to let other homeschool families know that there are MANY experiencing GREAT difficulty right now. You are not alone.
Chris and I talked about it today and he said that he agreed that I am going to have to work more (yes, as in get a "real" job), but we both agreed that public school is NOT the answer. I'm going to have to fit work in around an already-stuffed schedule. We believe in school choice and if others want to send their children to public or private school, then they should be allowed to choose. We believe it is OUR right to choose as well. We are having a difficult time right now fitting it all in, but I am just going to have to work at home when Chris is at work and I can possibly work outside the home if I have to when he is at home. Either way, we will definitely make it through this time, but we will not turn our children over to the government. Some people have access to GREAT schools so I am not making a judgment against anyone who has their children in public schools. All I'm saying is that for my family, we DO believe we're making the right choice by homeschooling and we will make this work even if we had to sell our home.
If the economy doesn't pick up soon, our friends are going to start losing their homes. Chris and I are almost to that point and I am hearing the same from other families. If this is your situation, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! I just want to encourage you. I am nervous and I'm definitely "stressed" over it, but I'm not "worried." God does not want us to have a spirit of fear or worry. "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" (Romans 8:15)
OK, this is getting too long, but I just felt like I should share with others that if you're cold tonight, we're right there with you! I have on two sweaters and we're bundled together under two blankets! LOL I guess that's one way to bring your family closer together. :)
And remember that we all need to be in prayer for one another - CONSTANTLY. I believe we should be praying for Christians all around the world. If we are having difficult times, I know it is much worse in other places. God also reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5 to be thankful even in this time. "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Joyfully your servant,
Sonya Haskins
Pregnant woman facing forced abortion in China allowed to leave hospital - still pregnant!
Regarding the post I made about the woman in China who was six months pregnant and who was being held at the hospital pending an abortion, she has been allowed to leave the hospital - with her baby still in the womb. There was so much international outcry from the media attention this story received that the government said she was "not healthy enough" to undergo the abortion procedure so they let her go home. I will continue to monitor this situation. I am interested to see if they allow her to keep this child when he/she is born. I've read other stories of the hospital staff "confiscating" the baby once it's born if the parents have exceeded their child limit.
A Chinese paper reports that "The Chinese government reportedly has backed down amid international outrage, reversing a decision to force a Uighur woman who is six months pregnant to abort her child under Beijing’s notorious population control policies. Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that Arzigul Tursun had been released from enforced hospitalization in China’s far northwestern Xinjiang region and allowed to return home to continue her pregnancy."
You can read the full report here:
http://uyghurcongress.net/En/News.asp?ItemID=-1589745541
I am thankful for Mrs. Tursun, but we need to continue to be in prayer for the women in China who are being forced to submit to sterilization and abortions against their will.
Some of the women are not opposed to the abortions, requirements for a birth permit and sterilization procedures. For these women, I pray that the Lord will touch their hearts so that they realize how precious each of these unborn children are.
For the women who are opposed to the government's coercive tactics, my heart breaks. I can't imagine how painful it would be to see us with our large families and know that you were not allowed to have more than one child or you were forced to murder an unborn child. I just really can't imagine living with that sorrow.
Sonya
A Chinese paper reports that "The Chinese government reportedly has backed down amid international outrage, reversing a decision to force a Uighur woman who is six months pregnant to abort her child under Beijing’s notorious population control policies. Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that Arzigul Tursun had been released from enforced hospitalization in China’s far northwestern Xinjiang region and allowed to return home to continue her pregnancy."
You can read the full report here:
http://uyghurcongress.net/En/News.asp?ItemID=-1589745541
I am thankful for Mrs. Tursun, but we need to continue to be in prayer for the women in China who are being forced to submit to sterilization and abortions against their will.
Some of the women are not opposed to the abortions, requirements for a birth permit and sterilization procedures. For these women, I pray that the Lord will touch their hearts so that they realize how precious each of these unborn children are.
For the women who are opposed to the government's coercive tactics, my heart breaks. I can't imagine how painful it would be to see us with our large families and know that you were not allowed to have more than one child or you were forced to murder an unborn child. I just really can't imagine living with that sorrow.
Sonya
Will Obama reinstate funds to the organization that funds coercive abortion techniques in China?
I don't know if you guys are aware of this developing story, but I believe it will have consequences for the entire world eventually. President-elect Obama has all but said he would reinstate the UNFPA, which provides money TO China to enforce the one-child policy through forced abortions and sterilizations. Members of Congress have already stated that Obama would not have to try hard to reinstate funding for the one-child policy because they also believe we shouldn't "impose" our beliefs on other countries and if they think the country can only support one child per family, then they should be able to enforce this.So not only is our new president going to throw open the doors for abortion on demand, probably government funded, in the United States, he is also going to ensure that other countries such as China can afford FORCED abortion.
It is only a matter of time before this becomes an issue in the United States, but already, with tax-payers' money going to fund these abortions, the blood is on our hands as well.And by the way, aren't we in a financial crisis right now?!? And we're planning to give away billions of dollars to help China force pregnant women to kill their unborn children??? Have we lost our minds?!?
(The article below is from www.lifenews.com, but there are many articles about this right now on CNN, CBS, ABC, etc. You can find it anywhere and all of them state the same facts and some include the information about Obama reinstating funds for enforcing China's one-child policy.)
We should always be in prayer for people who are experiencing persecution. This woman is a Muslim, not a Chirstian. As a MOTHER, I cannot imagine her turmoil and grief. We need to pray for her and all the women in China who are being forced into hospitals where doctors are murdering their children.
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
www.homeschoolstore.com
November 17
Chinese officials are coming under heavy criticism from a leading pro-life member of Congress who is upset they are considering forcing a woman who is six months pregnant to have an abortion. China strictly enforces its one-child family planning policy and uses forced abortions and sterilizations to do so.What separates the case of Arzigul Tursun from others is that the woman is 26 weeks into her pregnancy and the abortion would very likely cause her health problems.Tursun is also a Muslim Uighur woman and Chinese family planning officials don't normally enforce the one-child law as rigorously with minorities as they do on people of Chinese decent.Tursun is currently at the Municipal Watergate Hospital in the extreme northwestern part of China and the baby would be her third child if she is allowed to complete the pregnancy. Her husband says officials in their village of Yining learned of the pregnancy and they warned the couple that their property would be confiscated if Tursun did not have an abortion.
According to McClatchy newspapers, the case has attracted the attention of Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican congressman who is a leading pro-life advocate.Smith has written to Zhou Wenzhong, the China ambassador to the United States, and demanded that the "nightmare of a forced abortion" not be used in Tursun's case."
The Chinese Government is notorious for this barbaric practice, but to forcibly abort a woman while the world watches in full knowledge of what is going on would make a mockery of its claim that the central government disapproves of the practice," Smith said, according to the news service.The couple already have two children and they returned to their village when they learned their home and property would be confiscated.
"We considered our two girls," the husband told McClatchy. "If the house and properties were taken away, how would they live? So my wife came back home and went to the hospital."
Forced abortions in China has become an issue in the United States as incoming president Barack Obama is likely to fund the UNFPA, a United Nations agency that has been involved in the forced abortions there.
It is only a matter of time before this becomes an issue in the United States, but already, with tax-payers' money going to fund these abortions, the blood is on our hands as well.And by the way, aren't we in a financial crisis right now?!? And we're planning to give away billions of dollars to help China force pregnant women to kill their unborn children??? Have we lost our minds?!?
(The article below is from www.lifenews.com, but there are many articles about this right now on CNN, CBS, ABC, etc. You can find it anywhere and all of them state the same facts and some include the information about Obama reinstating funds for enforcing China's one-child policy.)
We should always be in prayer for people who are experiencing persecution. This woman is a Muslim, not a Chirstian. As a MOTHER, I cannot imagine her turmoil and grief. We need to pray for her and all the women in China who are being forced into hospitals where doctors are murdering their children.
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
www.homeschoolstore.com
November 17
Chinese officials are coming under heavy criticism from a leading pro-life member of Congress who is upset they are considering forcing a woman who is six months pregnant to have an abortion. China strictly enforces its one-child family planning policy and uses forced abortions and sterilizations to do so.What separates the case of Arzigul Tursun from others is that the woman is 26 weeks into her pregnancy and the abortion would very likely cause her health problems.Tursun is also a Muslim Uighur woman and Chinese family planning officials don't normally enforce the one-child law as rigorously with minorities as they do on people of Chinese decent.Tursun is currently at the Municipal Watergate Hospital in the extreme northwestern part of China and the baby would be her third child if she is allowed to complete the pregnancy. Her husband says officials in their village of Yining learned of the pregnancy and they warned the couple that their property would be confiscated if Tursun did not have an abortion.
According to McClatchy newspapers, the case has attracted the attention of Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican congressman who is a leading pro-life advocate.Smith has written to Zhou Wenzhong, the China ambassador to the United States, and demanded that the "nightmare of a forced abortion" not be used in Tursun's case."
The Chinese Government is notorious for this barbaric practice, but to forcibly abort a woman while the world watches in full knowledge of what is going on would make a mockery of its claim that the central government disapproves of the practice," Smith said, according to the news service.The couple already have two children and they returned to their village when they learned their home and property would be confiscated.
"We considered our two girls," the husband told McClatchy. "If the house and properties were taken away, how would they live? So my wife came back home and went to the hospital."
Forced abortions in China has become an issue in the United States as incoming president Barack Obama is likely to fund the UNFPA, a United Nations agency that has been involved in the forced abortions there.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Getting Paid to Talk...
A couple of weeks ago, an older homeschool mom asked me if I had ever participated in a focus group. I hadn't so she explained that it was a legitimate marketing research tool where a company basically pays you to share your opinion and talk about a particular topic for a couple of hours.
Of course, I was like, "Get paid to give somene my opinion for two hours?!?" Goodness, I usually do that for free and someone is telling me to be quiet so of course I was born for this job!
This evening I drove to a local hotel and waited in the hallway with about 20 other people. Now there were only 8 people in the focus group so I have no idea what happened to the others, but I am not sure if I even want to know. Our "group director," or whatever you call him, had on the neatest pair of blue jeans I've ever seen. They were like regular blue jeans, but the thread was a gold color instead of blue and I kept thinking how neat those pants were.
Anyway, during this focus group, we were asked to give our opinions, answer questions, etc. We also had to cut pictures and words out of magazines and make a collage related to the topic on a huge piece of poster board. That was fun! One lady there, actually someone I know, commented that it was almost like therapy. I thought that was funny.
Like so many others, Chris and I are desperate for money right now to pay our bills. I am ever-amazed how God provides for us. We need money to buy groceries next week and He provides $100 for me to share my opinions for two hours and cut pictures out of a magazine. How awesome is our God!!
Sonya : )
www.sonyahaskins.com
Of course, I was like, "Get paid to give somene my opinion for two hours?!?" Goodness, I usually do that for free and someone is telling me to be quiet so of course I was born for this job!
This evening I drove to a local hotel and waited in the hallway with about 20 other people. Now there were only 8 people in the focus group so I have no idea what happened to the others, but I am not sure if I even want to know. Our "group director," or whatever you call him, had on the neatest pair of blue jeans I've ever seen. They were like regular blue jeans, but the thread was a gold color instead of blue and I kept thinking how neat those pants were.
Anyway, during this focus group, we were asked to give our opinions, answer questions, etc. We also had to cut pictures and words out of magazines and make a collage related to the topic on a huge piece of poster board. That was fun! One lady there, actually someone I know, commented that it was almost like therapy. I thought that was funny.
Like so many others, Chris and I are desperate for money right now to pay our bills. I am ever-amazed how God provides for us. We need money to buy groceries next week and He provides $100 for me to share my opinions for two hours and cut pictures out of a magazine. How awesome is our God!!
Sonya : )
www.sonyahaskins.com
Friday, November 14, 2008
A Mom's Sabbatical?
Last night we were talking about our plans for the next few days and Chris said I was going away for the weekend for Mom's Retreat.
Daniel (7) apparently didn't exactly understand what I was doing and asked incredulously, "She's going to a Mom's Night Out for ALL weekend?!?"
I explained, "Daniel, it's a Mom's RETREAT, not just a night out."
Chris said, "Yeah, it was Mom's Night Out for one night. Now it's a whole weekend. The next thing we know, it will be a month long thing."
I started laughing and Chris just looked at me and said, "Next I guess you'll be wanting a year's sabbatical?"
He had a smile on his face and it was very funny. My husband is very supportive of my work with homeschoolers and he never has a bad word to say about anything. Actually, we both stay pretty busy working, tending to our family, and serving the homeschool community. We love all the things we do, but I am thankful for times like this when I can have a break. (Don't worry, Chris gets breaks now and then, too!) Now that I am a mother, I truly understand the saying, "A mother's work is never done." Even while others in my home rest, I'm still doing laundry, finishing a few dishes, preparing the next day's lessons, etc. Perhaps when our children are all grown, Chris and I can take that sabbatical together!
Do you take a break sometimes? Whether it's a couple of hours, a weekend, or even a ten-minute walk down the road, make sure you take time to refresh yourself occasionally. I'm not one of those people who is going to tell you, "You deserve it!" I don't even think that's Biblical and it's incredibly self-centered. What I will tell you is that an occasional break, even a short walk or a few moments alone in your vehicle, can sometimes be all that you need to refresh yourself. In a couple of days, I'll post add some creative ways to find time for yourself that won't interfere with your family time.
Sonya Haskins :)
Daniel (7) apparently didn't exactly understand what I was doing and asked incredulously, "She's going to a Mom's Night Out for ALL weekend?!?"
I explained, "Daniel, it's a Mom's RETREAT, not just a night out."
Chris said, "Yeah, it was Mom's Night Out for one night. Now it's a whole weekend. The next thing we know, it will be a month long thing."
I started laughing and Chris just looked at me and said, "Next I guess you'll be wanting a year's sabbatical?"
He had a smile on his face and it was very funny. My husband is very supportive of my work with homeschoolers and he never has a bad word to say about anything. Actually, we both stay pretty busy working, tending to our family, and serving the homeschool community. We love all the things we do, but I am thankful for times like this when I can have a break. (Don't worry, Chris gets breaks now and then, too!) Now that I am a mother, I truly understand the saying, "A mother's work is never done." Even while others in my home rest, I'm still doing laundry, finishing a few dishes, preparing the next day's lessons, etc. Perhaps when our children are all grown, Chris and I can take that sabbatical together!
Do you take a break sometimes? Whether it's a couple of hours, a weekend, or even a ten-minute walk down the road, make sure you take time to refresh yourself occasionally. I'm not one of those people who is going to tell you, "You deserve it!" I don't even think that's Biblical and it's incredibly self-centered. What I will tell you is that an occasional break, even a short walk or a few moments alone in your vehicle, can sometimes be all that you need to refresh yourself. In a couple of days, I'll post add some creative ways to find time for yourself that won't interfere with your family time.
Sonya Haskins :)
Sex Education
Lately Hannah (5), Daniel (7) and Christopher (9) have been having a lot of discussions about who's more important - men or women. These have been VERY in depth conversations. First women were more important because they take care of the family, cook the meals, and give birth to the men. Then men were more important because they work, they can lift more than women and (I liked this one) even though women give birth to babies, woman was taken from man's rib.
Despite frequent reminders that God created men AND women and we all have much to offer the world, the discussion came up again today in the van.
We were driving down the road and I don't exactly know how it started, but I heard Hannah say, "But the woman has the babies because she has the eggs so she is the most important."
Daniel said, "Yes, Hannah, but the woman can't have a baby without the man's sperm."
"Yeah, Hannah, the sperm has to go into the egg and MAKE the baby so the men are the most important," Christopher added.
"Women do NOT need men to make babies! They come straight out of the mommy's uterus and there is no man there," Hannah replied indignantly.
At that point, Daniel said, "Mommy, could you please tell Hannah that she is wrong."
I thought for a moment and gingerly said, "Weelll, first off, as we've discussed before, God made men and women. They are both important and we all need each other. Now, as for the other stuff, what you've all said is true. Men do have the sperm and women do have the eggs. The babies do come out of a woman's uterus. But the man's sperm has to go into the woman's egg to make the baby so it does take both the man and woman to make a baby."
They all sat there quietly for a moment and then Christopher said, "Now how exactly does the sperm get into the egg?"
I said, "Well, the mommy and daddy have to work together real hard to make a baby, but it takes both of them."
Christopher paused and then said, "I still don't understand."
I said, "Listen guys, the mommy and daddy have to be REALLY close together and when the sperm finds the egg, it makes the baby. Now I think we better stop at the grocery store!"
We will share the remaining details in due season, but for now I'm thankful that they still have questions! Too many kids loose their innocence so soon these days. We'll protect it as much as possible now and gradually disclose the remaining details necessary for their sex education. So don't worry - in due season I will share with them the specifics of how the sperm gets to the egg, but for now I'll keep reminding them that men and women are both important!
Sonya : )
http://www.sonyahaskins.com/
Despite frequent reminders that God created men AND women and we all have much to offer the world, the discussion came up again today in the van.
We were driving down the road and I don't exactly know how it started, but I heard Hannah say, "But the woman has the babies because she has the eggs so she is the most important."
Daniel said, "Yes, Hannah, but the woman can't have a baby without the man's sperm."
"Yeah, Hannah, the sperm has to go into the egg and MAKE the baby so the men are the most important," Christopher added.
"Women do NOT need men to make babies! They come straight out of the mommy's uterus and there is no man there," Hannah replied indignantly.
At that point, Daniel said, "Mommy, could you please tell Hannah that she is wrong."
I thought for a moment and gingerly said, "Weelll, first off, as we've discussed before, God made men and women. They are both important and we all need each other. Now, as for the other stuff, what you've all said is true. Men do have the sperm and women do have the eggs. The babies do come out of a woman's uterus. But the man's sperm has to go into the woman's egg to make the baby so it does take both the man and woman to make a baby."
They all sat there quietly for a moment and then Christopher said, "Now how exactly does the sperm get into the egg?"
I said, "Well, the mommy and daddy have to work together real hard to make a baby, but it takes both of them."
Christopher paused and then said, "I still don't understand."
I said, "Listen guys, the mommy and daddy have to be REALLY close together and when the sperm finds the egg, it makes the baby. Now I think we better stop at the grocery store!"
We will share the remaining details in due season, but for now I'm thankful that they still have questions! Too many kids loose their innocence so soon these days. We'll protect it as much as possible now and gradually disclose the remaining details necessary for their sex education. So don't worry - in due season I will share with them the specifics of how the sperm gets to the egg, but for now I'll keep reminding them that men and women are both important!
Sonya : )
http://www.sonyahaskins.com/
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Bioterrorism Preparedness
I was looking up some information this evening about botulism and one of the things I pulled up was the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) website "Communicating in the First Hours." The gist of the whole website is to tell you the most likely bioterrorism agents and how they would be spread. With each agent, they also provide the messages that would be shared from the CDC in the event of a bioterror act.
I found it a little creepy that we are aware of these agents and how they could be used, but I would fully expect us to know that information. What I found disturbing were all the scripts available in the event of an outbreak. It was just kind of weird! You can take a look for yourself here: http://emergency.cdc.gov/firsthours/bioterrorism.asp
It makes for very interesting reading, but I wouldn't recommend reading it in the presence of any paranoid family members. : )
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
I found it a little creepy that we are aware of these agents and how they could be used, but I would fully expect us to know that information. What I found disturbing were all the scripts available in the event of an outbreak. It was just kind of weird! You can take a look for yourself here: http://emergency.cdc.gov/firsthours/bioterrorism.asp
It makes for very interesting reading, but I wouldn't recommend reading it in the presence of any paranoid family members. : )
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
Monday, November 10, 2008
Road Signs
I was driving down the highway today and I started thinking about the road signs along the way. People are so used to seeing road signs that often they take them for granted.
Some signs tell us where to turn. Others tell us when to stop or that we’re going the wrong way. Road signs can tell us that there is food or gas, shelter, entertainment, or a historical site. With a little bit of calculation, you might even be able to use road signs to tell how far you’ve come and how far you have to go.
In the Bible, there are many verses related to signs - even “road signs.” Consider the following:
21 “Set up road signs;put up guideposts.Take note of the highway,the road that you take.Return, O Virgin Israel,return to your towns.” Jeremiah 31:21
This verse discusses the exiles of Judah, who are encouraged to set up “road signs” so that they will be able to find their way back. When we are traveling, it is important to know the way home and God wants the exiles to find their way back.
Sometimes, rather than telling us to leave signs along the way so that we can return, God tells us what signs to look for to know that something is coming.
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:25-28
It is terrific that we’ve been given all of these signs. The Bible tells us that the Son of Man is coming and we need to be prepared. Just like with the road signs I saw today on the highway, we should use the signs to be prepared.
Share this information with your children. When you are driving along, use road signs as an educational opportunity and also a ministry opportunity. Here are some ideas:
- Use mile markers to calculate mileage from your house to various destinations.
- Discuss the meanings of road signs with your children.
- Play road sign games. Let younger children find alphabet letters in order. See who can find the most unique road signs. Use road signs to teach younger children shapes (ovals, circles, squares, diamonds, etc.)
- Discuss how important it is to pay attention to road signs. Talk about safe driving for the sake of the driver and others.
- What happens if someone doesn’t pay attention to road signs? Is that dangerous? Is it prudent to be aware of signs? (Have you ever needed a bathroom and you couldn’t remember when you last saw a sign with a gas station or rest area? Should Christians be aware of the signs of Christ’s return?)
- Compare road signs along the highway with the “signs” we see in the Bible. Talk about this with your children in your own comfort level.
Have fun traveling the road and remember to watch the signs along the way!
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
Some signs tell us where to turn. Others tell us when to stop or that we’re going the wrong way. Road signs can tell us that there is food or gas, shelter, entertainment, or a historical site. With a little bit of calculation, you might even be able to use road signs to tell how far you’ve come and how far you have to go.
In the Bible, there are many verses related to signs - even “road signs.” Consider the following:
21 “Set up road signs;put up guideposts.Take note of the highway,the road that you take.Return, O Virgin Israel,return to your towns.” Jeremiah 31:21
This verse discusses the exiles of Judah, who are encouraged to set up “road signs” so that they will be able to find their way back. When we are traveling, it is important to know the way home and God wants the exiles to find their way back.
Sometimes, rather than telling us to leave signs along the way so that we can return, God tells us what signs to look for to know that something is coming.
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:25-28
It is terrific that we’ve been given all of these signs. The Bible tells us that the Son of Man is coming and we need to be prepared. Just like with the road signs I saw today on the highway, we should use the signs to be prepared.
Share this information with your children. When you are driving along, use road signs as an educational opportunity and also a ministry opportunity. Here are some ideas:
- Use mile markers to calculate mileage from your house to various destinations.
- Discuss the meanings of road signs with your children.
- Play road sign games. Let younger children find alphabet letters in order. See who can find the most unique road signs. Use road signs to teach younger children shapes (ovals, circles, squares, diamonds, etc.)
- Discuss how important it is to pay attention to road signs. Talk about safe driving for the sake of the driver and others.
- What happens if someone doesn’t pay attention to road signs? Is that dangerous? Is it prudent to be aware of signs? (Have you ever needed a bathroom and you couldn’t remember when you last saw a sign with a gas station or rest area? Should Christians be aware of the signs of Christ’s return?)
- Compare road signs along the highway with the “signs” we see in the Bible. Talk about this with your children in your own comfort level.
Have fun traveling the road and remember to watch the signs along the way!
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
Swiss Family Robinson
We are watching Swiss Family Robinson tonight. Christopher has been asking to watch it for a few weeks and I finally rented it from Blockbuster.
It is definitely obvious that the movie was made before "animal rights" were an issue.
About 30 minutes in, the youngest boy was off in the wilderness trying to catch a baby elephant and he was almost eaten by a tiger. The mom ran to him and said, "You know you shouldn't have run off like that... Don't you know you might have been eaten or something!"
Chris said, "Aren't you glad we've never said that one to the kids?"
I guess it seems that we've said a little of everything - including things we've said we would never say - but I have to admit, we've never warned them about being eaten!
Hannah was asking if the terrain was accurate because they are on a deserted island, but there are elephants, tigers, etc. She said, "What kind of terrain do elephants live in? Do they really live in forests?"
Earlier in the week we noticed that she had a rash on her arm and Chris asked her how long it had been there. She said, "Daddy, don't you remember that I can't tell time?"
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
It is definitely obvious that the movie was made before "animal rights" were an issue.
About 30 minutes in, the youngest boy was off in the wilderness trying to catch a baby elephant and he was almost eaten by a tiger. The mom ran to him and said, "You know you shouldn't have run off like that... Don't you know you might have been eaten or something!"
Chris said, "Aren't you glad we've never said that one to the kids?"
I guess it seems that we've said a little of everything - including things we've said we would never say - but I have to admit, we've never warned them about being eaten!
Hannah was asking if the terrain was accurate because they are on a deserted island, but there are elephants, tigers, etc. She said, "What kind of terrain do elephants live in? Do they really live in forests?"
Earlier in the week we noticed that she had a rash on her arm and Chris asked her how long it had been there. She said, "Daddy, don't you remember that I can't tell time?"
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Homeschool Field Trips Around Town
No matter where you live, there is usually a wide variety of field trips that you could enjoy with your child. Some places may have more historical significance or nature-related field trips, but the United States is so wonderfully diverse that you can find some magnificent field trip no matter where you live.
Since most people are aware of the obvious choices - historical sites, science museums, art museums, nature sanctuaries, flower gardens, historical buildings, natural wonders, etc. - I am going to share a few things that you may not have thought about!
Here are some field trips we've taken outside the normal field trip list:
- television stations Find out what the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is, discuss freedom of speech and freedom of press, set up an interview with a broadcaster, watch a show being taped, ask to see the weather broadcast and compare this to what it looks like on the t.v. Remember to schedule a visit to the television station in advance. Be respectful of equipment. Most stations have a limit on the number of visitors you can bring at at time. Limits are placed due to lack of space so keep the group small.
- city transit system Study the city transit, take children for a ride, let children participate in the purchase and use of tickets, discuss driver qualifications and seat belt safety, etc.
- radio stationIf your local radio station has a children's program, see if you can visit during the show and possibly even participate. Ask for a tour. Remind children to be quiet at all times. Keep the group small (one or two families if you have a lot of children). Schedule the field trip in advance.
- mayor's officeYou may want to call first, but they may tell you to just drop in if you want to visit any of your city officials. Ask permission to ask questions. Ask them if they have any questions about homeschooling. Use the field trip as an opportunity for your students to learn more about government and for the officials to learn about homeschooling! Make sure you prepare for this type of trip in advance. Does your student know how local government works? Do a unit study and tell them before you go.
- sheriff's officeWhat does the sheriff do? How is this office different than the police chief? What are his/her responsibilities on a daily, weekly, monthly basis? How long does he/she stay in office? Is it appointed or elected?
- fire departmentAt some point, most young children have an opportunity to visit the fire department through the Boy Scouts, a co-op program, or just dropping by. Make sure you create an opportunity! Ask questions, see if the firefighters will give your children a tour of the fire department and a fire truck. Find out the difference between different types of trucks. Ask if different fire fighters have different responsibilities and how they know who does what? What kind of schedule do they keep? Is it a normal work schedule of 8 hour days or do they work three 12 hour shifts? Which do you think you'd like best?
- police departmentAsk many of the same questions as above. If possible, arrange a tour of the department. In medium and large cities, there are usually many employees at a police department. Why? What do they all do? Are all of these workers (dispatchers, etc.) as essential as policemen? Why or why not? Discuss these things with your children.
- local sports teamsDo you have a sports team in your city? Find out if they would allow you to come watch a practice. Take a ball or a jersey (the right one!) and ask if any of the players would be willing to sign it. After your field trip, go to a game.
- electric / water departmentMany people forget that for children, almost any new experience or information can be fascinating. We went to the electric department one day and they had this thing there that showed how much electricity it took to run the dryer, watch an hour of television, use a lamp, etc. Then you could convert this and see how much that electricity cost you based on the local rate. It was so fascinating that the children stood there for almost an hour figuring up the cost of all our electricity related activities. If you're going to do a field trip like this (and it's actually planned, unlike mine) read some juvenile books about electricity, water purification, etc. Ask lots of questions.
There are so many opportunities to learn something new. Sometimes people try so hard to do something "big" that they forget that for a child, life itself often provides it's own excitement! Look around and see what is in your own area that would make a neat field trip.
Read "How to Make Field Trips Fun for Everyone!" for additional tips related to field trips with your children.
Sonya : )
Since most people are aware of the obvious choices - historical sites, science museums, art museums, nature sanctuaries, flower gardens, historical buildings, natural wonders, etc. - I am going to share a few things that you may not have thought about!
Here are some field trips we've taken outside the normal field trip list:
- television stations Find out what the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is, discuss freedom of speech and freedom of press, set up an interview with a broadcaster, watch a show being taped, ask to see the weather broadcast and compare this to what it looks like on the t.v. Remember to schedule a visit to the television station in advance. Be respectful of equipment. Most stations have a limit on the number of visitors you can bring at at time. Limits are placed due to lack of space so keep the group small.
- city transit system Study the city transit, take children for a ride, let children participate in the purchase and use of tickets, discuss driver qualifications and seat belt safety, etc.
- radio stationIf your local radio station has a children's program, see if you can visit during the show and possibly even participate. Ask for a tour. Remind children to be quiet at all times. Keep the group small (one or two families if you have a lot of children). Schedule the field trip in advance.
- mayor's officeYou may want to call first, but they may tell you to just drop in if you want to visit any of your city officials. Ask permission to ask questions. Ask them if they have any questions about homeschooling. Use the field trip as an opportunity for your students to learn more about government and for the officials to learn about homeschooling! Make sure you prepare for this type of trip in advance. Does your student know how local government works? Do a unit study and tell them before you go.
- sheriff's officeWhat does the sheriff do? How is this office different than the police chief? What are his/her responsibilities on a daily, weekly, monthly basis? How long does he/she stay in office? Is it appointed or elected?
- fire departmentAt some point, most young children have an opportunity to visit the fire department through the Boy Scouts, a co-op program, or just dropping by. Make sure you create an opportunity! Ask questions, see if the firefighters will give your children a tour of the fire department and a fire truck. Find out the difference between different types of trucks. Ask if different fire fighters have different responsibilities and how they know who does what? What kind of schedule do they keep? Is it a normal work schedule of 8 hour days or do they work three 12 hour shifts? Which do you think you'd like best?
- police departmentAsk many of the same questions as above. If possible, arrange a tour of the department. In medium and large cities, there are usually many employees at a police department. Why? What do they all do? Are all of these workers (dispatchers, etc.) as essential as policemen? Why or why not? Discuss these things with your children.
- local sports teamsDo you have a sports team in your city? Find out if they would allow you to come watch a practice. Take a ball or a jersey (the right one!) and ask if any of the players would be willing to sign it. After your field trip, go to a game.
- electric / water departmentMany people forget that for children, almost any new experience or information can be fascinating. We went to the electric department one day and they had this thing there that showed how much electricity it took to run the dryer, watch an hour of television, use a lamp, etc. Then you could convert this and see how much that electricity cost you based on the local rate. It was so fascinating that the children stood there for almost an hour figuring up the cost of all our electricity related activities. If you're going to do a field trip like this (and it's actually planned, unlike mine) read some juvenile books about electricity, water purification, etc. Ask lots of questions.
There are so many opportunities to learn something new. Sometimes people try so hard to do something "big" that they forget that for a child, life itself often provides it's own excitement! Look around and see what is in your own area that would make a neat field trip.
Read "How to Make Field Trips Fun for Everyone!" for additional tips related to field trips with your children.
Sonya : )
How to make field trips fun for everyone!
In our family, one of the greatest blessings of homeschooling is the ability to learn about life in person! Whether we are spending time together as a family at the state park, taking a huge trip in our 15-passenger van, visiting a local historic site, or going to a political rally, we do a lot of school "on the road." We have taken field trips to every place imaginable and I cannot wait until the children are old enough so that we can travel to Mexico or South America! What a field trip that will be! :)
Some moms have told me that they avoid field trips because they like the idea of their children learning things in a "hands on" manner, they get stressed out when they try to take their children on field trips. Frequently, the reason they are stressed is because of a lack of preparation and planning. Here are some tips to help you avoid common field trip pitfalls and make the most of your experience.
- Plan ahead
Verify the hours of operation if you are going some place without 24 hour access. We once went to Kentucky for the purpose of exploring some of the caves there, which we thought were open year round. It turned out that they are open year round with the exception of ONE week every year when they prepare for the Lewis and Clark festival. Guess when we were there? If necessary, schedule the field trip in advance. This will be required for places such as the television station, radio station, etc.
- Get plenty of rest the night before.
Many parents get frustrated on field trips because toddlers or young children are cranky. Sometimes they aren't used to getting up early (homeschoolers are notoriously late-sleepers) and if your child has not had enough rest, this can doom your field trip before you even start!
- Get an early start.
Whether it's a morning, afternoon, or evening field trip, make sure you leave in plenty of time to get there ON TIME or EARLY.
- Make sure everyone has plenty to eat before you go.
Obviously, if your field trip is going to involve a lot of movement (whether traveling there or on rides once you arrive), you will want to be careful about how much your child eats, but the point is that you don't want your child to pass out (or have a meltdown) from "starvation" at the aquarium - or wherever you may be.
- Take snacks
This kind of goes along with the above point, but take snacks with you if at all possible. If you pack these at home before you leave, you will save money, but certainly you'll save everyone some frustration if you have snacks throughout the day. If you are going to be doing a lot of walking through a nature area, leave a picnic in the car so it will be ready when you return or take a backpack with you.
- Carry water
Depending on the length and location of the field trip, keep a bottle of water with you for each person. This is especially important if you're going to be doing a lot of walking, waiting, or if you'll be outdoors in the hot sun.
- Make sure everyone goes to the bathroom before the field trip!
If you think about it, this is an easy thing to do and it will make a huge difference in the attitudes of everyone involved. We have a rule in our family that when one goes, we all go. When we go places, the first thing we do is visit the bathroom, then we enjoy the visit. If someone needs to go to the restroom during the activity, we just take everyone. I tell the kids, "If you try, it will come." :) With several children, a person could run to the bathroom constantly if they don't set some kind of rules.
- Take lots of pictures
This isn't a necessity, of course, but it's always a lot of fun to look back and have those memories! You can also use the photos to discuss the field trip and what you learned afterwards. Create a lap book, memory album, or other keepsake.
- Tell your children what is expected of them in advance.
I think one of the biggest problems parents have is that they don't talk with their children before a problem arises. Tell your children what is expected of them! Let them know what is going to happen, what kind of behavior you expect, and what will happen if they misbehave. Above all, remind your children to be respectful. When you are in public, you represent not only your own family, but you also represent homeschoolers.
- Decide how you will discipline in advance.
Don't just tell your children what you expect and what the consequences will be if they misbehave. Decide the consequences and follow through. Do not discipline your child in public. Take them to a restroom or another private area to talk with them. If necessary, return to your vehicle to discipline your child.
- Be sure to THANK your guides, the employees, firemen, reporters, or whoever else is involved in the field trip before you leave.
- Follow up your field trips with a thank you note.
If you visit a national park, send an e-mail to the national park service. If you visit a local tv station, government official, etc., send a hand-written thank you note that they might be able to post in their office. Send a batch of cookies to the local police station or fire station as a thank you for a tour. You get the idea. Show your gratitude and they will be more likely to allow the next family to visit!
Sonya
Some moms have told me that they avoid field trips because they like the idea of their children learning things in a "hands on" manner, they get stressed out when they try to take their children on field trips. Frequently, the reason they are stressed is because of a lack of preparation and planning. Here are some tips to help you avoid common field trip pitfalls and make the most of your experience.
- Plan ahead
Verify the hours of operation if you are going some place without 24 hour access. We once went to Kentucky for the purpose of exploring some of the caves there, which we thought were open year round. It turned out that they are open year round with the exception of ONE week every year when they prepare for the Lewis and Clark festival. Guess when we were there? If necessary, schedule the field trip in advance. This will be required for places such as the television station, radio station, etc.
- Get plenty of rest the night before.
Many parents get frustrated on field trips because toddlers or young children are cranky. Sometimes they aren't used to getting up early (homeschoolers are notoriously late-sleepers) and if your child has not had enough rest, this can doom your field trip before you even start!
- Get an early start.
Whether it's a morning, afternoon, or evening field trip, make sure you leave in plenty of time to get there ON TIME or EARLY.
- Make sure everyone has plenty to eat before you go.
Obviously, if your field trip is going to involve a lot of movement (whether traveling there or on rides once you arrive), you will want to be careful about how much your child eats, but the point is that you don't want your child to pass out (or have a meltdown) from "starvation" at the aquarium - or wherever you may be.
- Take snacks
This kind of goes along with the above point, but take snacks with you if at all possible. If you pack these at home before you leave, you will save money, but certainly you'll save everyone some frustration if you have snacks throughout the day. If you are going to be doing a lot of walking through a nature area, leave a picnic in the car so it will be ready when you return or take a backpack with you.
- Carry water
Depending on the length and location of the field trip, keep a bottle of water with you for each person. This is especially important if you're going to be doing a lot of walking, waiting, or if you'll be outdoors in the hot sun.
- Make sure everyone goes to the bathroom before the field trip!
If you think about it, this is an easy thing to do and it will make a huge difference in the attitudes of everyone involved. We have a rule in our family that when one goes, we all go. When we go places, the first thing we do is visit the bathroom, then we enjoy the visit. If someone needs to go to the restroom during the activity, we just take everyone. I tell the kids, "If you try, it will come." :) With several children, a person could run to the bathroom constantly if they don't set some kind of rules.
- Take lots of pictures
This isn't a necessity, of course, but it's always a lot of fun to look back and have those memories! You can also use the photos to discuss the field trip and what you learned afterwards. Create a lap book, memory album, or other keepsake.
- Tell your children what is expected of them in advance.
I think one of the biggest problems parents have is that they don't talk with their children before a problem arises. Tell your children what is expected of them! Let them know what is going to happen, what kind of behavior you expect, and what will happen if they misbehave. Above all, remind your children to be respectful. When you are in public, you represent not only your own family, but you also represent homeschoolers.
- Decide how you will discipline in advance.
Don't just tell your children what you expect and what the consequences will be if they misbehave. Decide the consequences and follow through. Do not discipline your child in public. Take them to a restroom or another private area to talk with them. If necessary, return to your vehicle to discipline your child.
- Be sure to THANK your guides, the employees, firemen, reporters, or whoever else is involved in the field trip before you leave.
- Follow up your field trips with a thank you note.
If you visit a national park, send an e-mail to the national park service. If you visit a local tv station, government official, etc., send a hand-written thank you note that they might be able to post in their office. Send a batch of cookies to the local police station or fire station as a thank you for a tour. You get the idea. Show your gratitude and they will be more likely to allow the next family to visit!
Sonya
Why the "Fairness Doctrine" is anything BUT fair
Let’s say you’re having a conversation with five of your friends about the issue of abortion. All of you are against abortion under any circumstances so it’s not really a debate because you are discussing the issues, but since you all agree, it is peaceful discussion about the horrible aspects of abortion. Before you finish your conversation, another friend joins you and she states that she opposes any restrictions on abortion. You listen respectfully as she shares her views, even though you do not agree with her. During the course of the conversation, two of your other friends become upset about the issue so they politely walk away.
Now you are still having a discussion and four of you are pro-life and one is pro-abortion.
How would you feel if someone else walked up and said, “Gee… you know. This is an unbalanced conversation. Your friend’s point of view is not equally represented so we need to go find three more pro-abortion people to participate in this discussion.” And that’s what they do, but here’s the problem. They won’t even allow you to continue with your discussion until they have found those three other people, but since most of the people where you live are pro-life, they can’t find anyone else to agree with your friend so they just tell you that you can’t have the discussion at all.
It doesn’t matter that you never asked for the other point of view. It doesn’t matter that you didn’t force any of these people to participate. It doesn’t matter that it is your own property where you are having this discussion.
The Fairness Doctrine is anything BUT fair. It is unconstitutional and it infringes upon the rights of those original citizens to express their views without the infringement or regulation of the government.
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution states:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
How much clearer can it get? This is easy to understand.
Notice the fact that this is a “protective” amendment. The amendment is established to PROTECT the people from the government. The government is not supposed to make laws prohibiting the exercise of religion, freedom of speech, the right to assemble peaceably, or to petition the government regarding grievances. This does not say Congress must do something. It says Congress must not do something.
Since we now have a liberal Congress, Senate, and president and we are most likely going to have a majority of liberal Supreme Court justices, there is a likelihood that many old policies that the Democrats have tried to pass in the past will now be revisited. I saw on the news today that one of the issues that may be brought up again is the Fairness Doctrine.
Although this article does a good job of describing the basics of the most recent legislation concerning the Fairness Doctrine, the article is a little difficult to understand. I’ve included the link so that you will understand the most current legislation, which failed.
Some of the comments about “why” we need this type of legislation are ridiculous at best. For example, in a 2005 essay about the Fairness Doctrine, Steve Rendall comments:
“Nationally, virtually all of the leading political talkshow hosts are right-wingers: Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, Oliver North, G. Gordon Liddy, Bill O’Reilly and Michael Reagan, to name just a few. The same goes for local talkshows. One product of the post-Fairness era is the conservative “Hot Talk” format, featuring one right-wing host after another and little else. Disney-owned KSFO in liberal San Francisco is one such station (Extra!, 3–4/95). Some towns have two.”
What Mr. Rendall fails to recognize or point out is the fact that these radio stations are privately owned and privately funded. This would be kind of like going into each neighborhood in the United States and saying, “Gee… you know, there are too many conservatives in this neighborhood. Let’s make a few of them sell their houses to liberals.” And vice versa. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to do that when the conservatives (or liberals) owning those houses have PAID for their homes and they’ve CHOSEN where they want to live and if they don’t like it, they can always choose to move on their own. If someone doesn’t want to listen to a conservative Christian talk show host, change the station!!
According to the Federal Communications Commission website, this agency is:
“an independent United States government agency. The FCC was established by the Communications Act of 1934 and is charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. The FCC’s jurisdiction covers the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. possessions.”
The role of Congress is not to restrict one type of belief or commentary simply to ensure that the opposing commentary is presented equally. The role of Congress, based on the First Amendment, is to ENSURE that individuals have the freedom to express their belief without fear. It also states that there shall be no law “abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” Abridge means to shorten, reduce, abbreviate, etc.” The government should never pass a law restricting one person’s (or groups’) rights to freedom of speech simply because the other view is not as common. We’ve become a society where the minority is being treated like it is a majority. As long as their rights aren’t being infringed upon, it is unconstitutional to force the rest of us to listen to the minority opinion just because they want equal “airtime” (literally in the case of Fairness Doctrine).
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
Now you are still having a discussion and four of you are pro-life and one is pro-abortion.
How would you feel if someone else walked up and said, “Gee… you know. This is an unbalanced conversation. Your friend’s point of view is not equally represented so we need to go find three more pro-abortion people to participate in this discussion.” And that’s what they do, but here’s the problem. They won’t even allow you to continue with your discussion until they have found those three other people, but since most of the people where you live are pro-life, they can’t find anyone else to agree with your friend so they just tell you that you can’t have the discussion at all.
It doesn’t matter that you never asked for the other point of view. It doesn’t matter that you didn’t force any of these people to participate. It doesn’t matter that it is your own property where you are having this discussion.
The Fairness Doctrine is anything BUT fair. It is unconstitutional and it infringes upon the rights of those original citizens to express their views without the infringement or regulation of the government.
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution states:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
How much clearer can it get? This is easy to understand.
Notice the fact that this is a “protective” amendment. The amendment is established to PROTECT the people from the government. The government is not supposed to make laws prohibiting the exercise of religion, freedom of speech, the right to assemble peaceably, or to petition the government regarding grievances. This does not say Congress must do something. It says Congress must not do something.
Since we now have a liberal Congress, Senate, and president and we are most likely going to have a majority of liberal Supreme Court justices, there is a likelihood that many old policies that the Democrats have tried to pass in the past will now be revisited. I saw on the news today that one of the issues that may be brought up again is the Fairness Doctrine.
Although this article does a good job of describing the basics of the most recent legislation concerning the Fairness Doctrine, the article is a little difficult to understand. I’ve included the link so that you will understand the most current legislation, which failed.
Some of the comments about “why” we need this type of legislation are ridiculous at best. For example, in a 2005 essay about the Fairness Doctrine, Steve Rendall comments:
“Nationally, virtually all of the leading political talkshow hosts are right-wingers: Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, Oliver North, G. Gordon Liddy, Bill O’Reilly and Michael Reagan, to name just a few. The same goes for local talkshows. One product of the post-Fairness era is the conservative “Hot Talk” format, featuring one right-wing host after another and little else. Disney-owned KSFO in liberal San Francisco is one such station (Extra!, 3–4/95). Some towns have two.”
What Mr. Rendall fails to recognize or point out is the fact that these radio stations are privately owned and privately funded. This would be kind of like going into each neighborhood in the United States and saying, “Gee… you know, there are too many conservatives in this neighborhood. Let’s make a few of them sell their houses to liberals.” And vice versa. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to do that when the conservatives (or liberals) owning those houses have PAID for their homes and they’ve CHOSEN where they want to live and if they don’t like it, they can always choose to move on their own. If someone doesn’t want to listen to a conservative Christian talk show host, change the station!!
According to the Federal Communications Commission website, this agency is:
“an independent United States government agency. The FCC was established by the Communications Act of 1934 and is charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. The FCC’s jurisdiction covers the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. possessions.”
The role of Congress is not to restrict one type of belief or commentary simply to ensure that the opposing commentary is presented equally. The role of Congress, based on the First Amendment, is to ENSURE that individuals have the freedom to express their belief without fear. It also states that there shall be no law “abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” Abridge means to shorten, reduce, abbreviate, etc.” The government should never pass a law restricting one person’s (or groups’) rights to freedom of speech simply because the other view is not as common. We’ve become a society where the minority is being treated like it is a majority. As long as their rights aren’t being infringed upon, it is unconstitutional to force the rest of us to listen to the minority opinion just because they want equal “airtime” (literally in the case of Fairness Doctrine).
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
Friday, November 7, 2008
Supporting Obama and Waiting on the Lord
I am thankful that we live in a country where we have the freedom to agree or disagree. My husband pointed out to our daughter last night that while many people who disliked Bush have been VERY disrespectful toward him, as Christians, we are told not to do this even if we are not pleased with the leadership. We can disagree on the issues, but we are to respect our leaders. I am grateful that we have a God who so gently reminds us what is right and how to handle even difficult situations like this.
"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." (Romans 13:1)
I will admit that I was very displeased with America's choice of president because I do not agree with his values and his disdain for our country is frightening. However, now that he has been elected, I've told the children we will stand behind him and support him so far as it involves our country because this is Biblical and we do love our country.
No matter who had been elected, as Christians, our Father is the King and even we can fall into the trap of believing earthly leaders are going to "fix" everything. Our hope rests in the Lord and Him alone. For this I am grateful and I am thankful that I have the guidance I need in the scriptures. Sometimes it just takes me a little time to get my attitude back in the right direction as I can be a little stubborn, but I am looking forward to seeing how the new administration might play a role in bringing about the events foretold in the Bible and bring glory to God. (No, I'm not saying it's the end of the world, but I do think it is terrific how you can look at a situation or a period of history afterward and say, "Wow, I see now how that really was in God's plan!" That's what I think it so neat!)
"We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield." (Psalm 33:20)
Sonya
"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." (Romans 13:1)
I will admit that I was very displeased with America's choice of president because I do not agree with his values and his disdain for our country is frightening. However, now that he has been elected, I've told the children we will stand behind him and support him so far as it involves our country because this is Biblical and we do love our country.
No matter who had been elected, as Christians, our Father is the King and even we can fall into the trap of believing earthly leaders are going to "fix" everything. Our hope rests in the Lord and Him alone. For this I am grateful and I am thankful that I have the guidance I need in the scriptures. Sometimes it just takes me a little time to get my attitude back in the right direction as I can be a little stubborn, but I am looking forward to seeing how the new administration might play a role in bringing about the events foretold in the Bible and bring glory to God. (No, I'm not saying it's the end of the world, but I do think it is terrific how you can look at a situation or a period of history afterward and say, "Wow, I see now how that really was in God's plan!" That's what I think it so neat!)
"We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield." (Psalm 33:20)
Sonya
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Rahm Emanuel accepts Obama's offer of Chief of Staff
Obama has selected Rahm Emanuel as his Chief of Staff. Emanuel accepted. I thought it was odd that nothing was being said about Emanuel's background so I did some research of my own. Here is what I came up with:
http://www.erichufschmid.net/TFC/Bollyn-Emanuel.html
I don't particularly like the way this guy has written this information, but I've verified it on other sites as well. The information is accurate.
This is scary stuff. Does anyone even care who is running our country?!?!?!?!?!?
Sonya
http://www.erichufschmid.net/TFC/Bollyn-Emanuel.html
I don't particularly like the way this guy has written this information, but I've verified it on other sites as well. The information is accurate.
This is scary stuff. Does anyone even care who is running our country?!?!?!?!?!?
Sonya
How should we (Christians) react to the election results?
I have to admit that we’ve spoken poorly of Obama in the days and weeks leading up to the election. Our discussion has not been racially motivated because we greatly appreciate racial diversity. Whether a person is black, white, Asian, or whatever matters not to my family. We admire the different races God has created. We do not admire the gods man has created.
Our negative discussions have focused solely on Obama’s values. We disagree with his stance on almost everything – gay rights, abortion, education, taxes, government intervention, and countless other topics. During this discussion, the children have listened, asked questions, and given their own opinion.
This morning they woke up and were gravely disappointed that Obama had won the election. One of my children started to say something negative about that “bad man” and I stopped him.
The Bible says, “Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.” (Acts 23:5)
Furthermore, we are told that “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (Romans 13:1)
God may or may not have removed his hand of protection from this country, but the fact is that as followers of Christ, we are given directions on how to behave even in times such as these. We are to remain faithful to the Living God. We are to respect our leaders. We are to pray unceasingly.Even while we pray for Obama and other leaders of our country, I will continue to teach my children from the Holy Word of God, which states:
“They have chosen their own ways,
and their souls delight in their abominations;
so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
and will bring upon them what they dread.
For when I called, no one answered,
when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil in my sight
and chose what displeases me." (Isaiah 66:3-4)
I encourage others to remind their children to speak respectfully of our leaders, including Obama, but not to worship him as some seem to be doing. There is only one man worthy of worship and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, we live in a country where we currently still have the right to “train a child in the way he should go,” (Proverbs 22:6) without fear of persecution. I would encourage all parents to actively include Bible study as part of your daily routine. The Bible does tell us to respect our leaders, but we are also told to "hate what is evil" (Romans 12:9). This means we are still to STAND against sin, SPEAK OUT against sin, PREACH against sin, and TEACH against sin. Now I'm not talking about the person who sins, because we are all sinners, but the actual sins themselves.
This morning as I was reading Isaiah, I was convicted by our own thoughts of “Where do we go to escape this evil?”
“This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:
"In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it. You said, 'No, we will flee on horses.'
Therefore you will flee! You said, 'We will ride off on swift horses.'
Therefore your pursuers will be swift! (Isaiah 30:15-16)
There is nowhere we need to go and nothing more we need to do than live a life where it is obvious that Christ is our King. We cannot escape evil and the Lord will be glorified despite the ungodliness of our world.
I am so thankful that the Bible – and the message it brings – does not change no matter what is going on in the world.
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
Our negative discussions have focused solely on Obama’s values. We disagree with his stance on almost everything – gay rights, abortion, education, taxes, government intervention, and countless other topics. During this discussion, the children have listened, asked questions, and given their own opinion.
This morning they woke up and were gravely disappointed that Obama had won the election. One of my children started to say something negative about that “bad man” and I stopped him.
The Bible says, “Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.” (Acts 23:5)
Furthermore, we are told that “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (Romans 13:1)
God may or may not have removed his hand of protection from this country, but the fact is that as followers of Christ, we are given directions on how to behave even in times such as these. We are to remain faithful to the Living God. We are to respect our leaders. We are to pray unceasingly.Even while we pray for Obama and other leaders of our country, I will continue to teach my children from the Holy Word of God, which states:
“They have chosen their own ways,
and their souls delight in their abominations;
so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
and will bring upon them what they dread.
For when I called, no one answered,
when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil in my sight
and chose what displeases me." (Isaiah 66:3-4)
I encourage others to remind their children to speak respectfully of our leaders, including Obama, but not to worship him as some seem to be doing. There is only one man worthy of worship and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, we live in a country where we currently still have the right to “train a child in the way he should go,” (Proverbs 22:6) without fear of persecution. I would encourage all parents to actively include Bible study as part of your daily routine. The Bible does tell us to respect our leaders, but we are also told to "hate what is evil" (Romans 12:9). This means we are still to STAND against sin, SPEAK OUT against sin, PREACH against sin, and TEACH against sin. Now I'm not talking about the person who sins, because we are all sinners, but the actual sins themselves.
This morning as I was reading Isaiah, I was convicted by our own thoughts of “Where do we go to escape this evil?”
“This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:
"In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it. You said, 'No, we will flee on horses.'
Therefore you will flee! You said, 'We will ride off on swift horses.'
Therefore your pursuers will be swift! (Isaiah 30:15-16)
There is nowhere we need to go and nothing more we need to do than live a life where it is obvious that Christ is our King. We cannot escape evil and the Lord will be glorified despite the ungodliness of our world.
I am so thankful that the Bible – and the message it brings – does not change no matter what is going on in the world.
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
On to Canada??
As we watched the states turn red this evening, my husband looked at the children and said, "Start packing your bags when you get out of bed in the morning, kids. I guess we're going to have to move to Canada."
We love our dear country, but it was still funny.
Sonya
We love our dear country, but it was still funny.
Sonya
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Voting based on race
I would love to see the United States with its first black president. Actually, I would love to see the first Hispanic or Asian president, too, but come on people ... there are so many people voting during this election solely on the fact that Barack Obama is black that it is ridiculous. I just saw the results from Virginia and among white voters, there is not a huge discrepancy between who they voted for - Obama or McCain. Among black voters, however, 91% of them voted for Obama. So are they REALLY looking at the issues or are these voters simply voting for Obama because of his race? I'd say with percentages that far off, they are definitely voting for his race, which just makes me incredibly disillusioned with our country. Don't they get it?!? The man keeps preaching "change," but what kind of change is he planning to bring?
I guess it's too late to worry much more about it now since the votes will all be in within a few more hours. I am comforted only by the fact that no matter who wins:
God is still in control and no matter which leader he allows to become our next president, it will be for His glory.
Sonya
I guess it's too late to worry much more about it now since the votes will all be in within a few more hours. I am comforted only by the fact that no matter who wins:
God is still in control and no matter which leader he allows to become our next president, it will be for His glory.
Sonya
The White House
Last night we were watching one of the Left Behind movies and it showed the president in the White House, which was covered in smoke, soot, etc. from World War III.
Hannah said, "Why do they call it the White House?"
"Because it's white," Sarah replied.
Hannah looked at her and said, "well, not VERY."
Hannah said, "Why do they call it the White House?"
"Because it's white," Sarah replied.
Hannah looked at her and said, "well, not VERY."
Monday, November 3, 2008
Great Games for Homeschoolers
Here are some of my family’s favorite games. See which ones you already have and also hopefully I’ll give you some new suggestions. I’ve also made some suggestions on ways the games can be used for educational purposes. If your family has a favorite game that you think other homeschool families would enjoy that isn’t listed here, add your suggestions in the comments section below!
Monopoly
I’m sure everyone has heard of this family favorite. Monopoly is a terrific game for teaching math skills, taking turns, dealing with stocks and money, buying and selling, and money-related terminology such as stocks, bonds, bank, bankrupt, and mortgage. We love to play Monopoly when time isn’t a factor and we can just sit around for hours and have fun.
Life
I remember playing Life when I was a young girl. I LOVED getting as many children as I could. I would will up my car and then if anyone else didn’t want their children, I would pile their kids in my car as well. The cars seat 6 people - 2 adults and 4 children. I would always put the mom in the driver seat, dad in the passenger seat, then I’d end up with about 8 children in the back. They don’t have seatbelts for Life so inevitably my little plastic children would fall across the board each time I moved my vehicle.
Anyway, this is another great game to practice using math skills. You also have the opportunity to bring up discussions about goals, family, occupations, and how choices affect your real life. Like many of these great board games, let even your youngest family members roll their own dice or (in the case of Life), spin the spinner themselves, count their spaces, etc.
Dutch Blitz
Some friends of ours introduced us to this card game a few years ago. It’s a terrific game, although I’ve come away from many games with scrapes and scratches across my hands. (My friend Steven and I have a lot in common, including our desire to win!) It’s a difficult game to describe in writing, but basically your goal is to get as many cards as possible before everyone else gets them. The game is multi-tasking to the extreme and teens/preteens seem to particularly enjoy it.
Cranium
This is a hands-on, fun-filled, intellectually stimulating game for older children and adults. It’s meant for ages 12 and up, but we’ve played it with our middle children as well. It’s loads of fun and requires you to use many different skills to create clay sculptures, decide whether a statement is true or false, answer a trivia question, act out a clue, sketch a clue, imitate a famous person, etc.
Hullabaloo
This fun action game is meant for younger players. Our children have most enjoyed this game between ages four and ten, but older children enjoy playing sometimes, too. Players have to wiggle, dance, hop, step, etc. to a colored pad. Players can share pads and while they are learning to share, there is also an element of cooperative play. Colors, shapes, and names of animals, foods, and musical instruments are reinforced during this action-filled game.
Clue
Children learn to use skills of discernment while trying to figure out who murdered whom with what weapon. Reading and writing skills are also used in Clue. This was another one of my favorite games when I was a child and my own children enjoy it now.
Whoonu
Another excellent game from the Cranium family, this is an great ice-breaker game for young people. It encourages people to talk about what they like or don’t like and you find out things about other people that you may not have known. This game is fun whether you’re six, sixteen or sixty. It encourages reading skills and organization skills. It also includes chips that you have to count at the end of each turn, requiring a minimal amount of math.
Scrabble
Even my youngest children enjoy playing Scrabble! Everyone knows you can learn vocabulary by playing this game, but did you know that you can also change the rules and allow dictionary use to encourage spelling skills, vocabulary skills, and reference skills? We also allow foreign words when we play so that also reinforces any foreign language vocabulary that your child may be learning.
Othello
I’ve never actually played this particular game, but my husband plays it with our children all the time and they love it. I do know it is a strategy game and also encourages math skills. It reminds me of a precursor to chess or something like that, but my children just love it.
Upwards
This is another terrific spelling game. Even young spellers can play this fun family game.
Yahtzee
This is a good game to help players practice fine motor skills (repeatedly using the dice in different combinations), count, and use math strategy.
That’s all I can think of at the moment, but if I think of more, I’ll add them. There are still many fabulous toys and other activities on the market that do not require batteries or an electric plug. If your children are stuck on electronic games, take them away for a week and play a board game with them!
Sonya Haskins
Monopoly
I’m sure everyone has heard of this family favorite. Monopoly is a terrific game for teaching math skills, taking turns, dealing with stocks and money, buying and selling, and money-related terminology such as stocks, bonds, bank, bankrupt, and mortgage. We love to play Monopoly when time isn’t a factor and we can just sit around for hours and have fun.
Life
I remember playing Life when I was a young girl. I LOVED getting as many children as I could. I would will up my car and then if anyone else didn’t want their children, I would pile their kids in my car as well. The cars seat 6 people - 2 adults and 4 children. I would always put the mom in the driver seat, dad in the passenger seat, then I’d end up with about 8 children in the back. They don’t have seatbelts for Life so inevitably my little plastic children would fall across the board each time I moved my vehicle.
Anyway, this is another great game to practice using math skills. You also have the opportunity to bring up discussions about goals, family, occupations, and how choices affect your real life. Like many of these great board games, let even your youngest family members roll their own dice or (in the case of Life), spin the spinner themselves, count their spaces, etc.
Dutch Blitz
Some friends of ours introduced us to this card game a few years ago. It’s a terrific game, although I’ve come away from many games with scrapes and scratches across my hands. (My friend Steven and I have a lot in common, including our desire to win!) It’s a difficult game to describe in writing, but basically your goal is to get as many cards as possible before everyone else gets them. The game is multi-tasking to the extreme and teens/preteens seem to particularly enjoy it.
Cranium
This is a hands-on, fun-filled, intellectually stimulating game for older children and adults. It’s meant for ages 12 and up, but we’ve played it with our middle children as well. It’s loads of fun and requires you to use many different skills to create clay sculptures, decide whether a statement is true or false, answer a trivia question, act out a clue, sketch a clue, imitate a famous person, etc.
Hullabaloo
This fun action game is meant for younger players. Our children have most enjoyed this game between ages four and ten, but older children enjoy playing sometimes, too. Players have to wiggle, dance, hop, step, etc. to a colored pad. Players can share pads and while they are learning to share, there is also an element of cooperative play. Colors, shapes, and names of animals, foods, and musical instruments are reinforced during this action-filled game.
Clue
Children learn to use skills of discernment while trying to figure out who murdered whom with what weapon. Reading and writing skills are also used in Clue. This was another one of my favorite games when I was a child and my own children enjoy it now.
Whoonu
Another excellent game from the Cranium family, this is an great ice-breaker game for young people. It encourages people to talk about what they like or don’t like and you find out things about other people that you may not have known. This game is fun whether you’re six, sixteen or sixty. It encourages reading skills and organization skills. It also includes chips that you have to count at the end of each turn, requiring a minimal amount of math.
Scrabble
Even my youngest children enjoy playing Scrabble! Everyone knows you can learn vocabulary by playing this game, but did you know that you can also change the rules and allow dictionary use to encourage spelling skills, vocabulary skills, and reference skills? We also allow foreign words when we play so that also reinforces any foreign language vocabulary that your child may be learning.
Othello
I’ve never actually played this particular game, but my husband plays it with our children all the time and they love it. I do know it is a strategy game and also encourages math skills. It reminds me of a precursor to chess or something like that, but my children just love it.
Upwards
This is another terrific spelling game. Even young spellers can play this fun family game.
Yahtzee
This is a good game to help players practice fine motor skills (repeatedly using the dice in different combinations), count, and use math strategy.
That’s all I can think of at the moment, but if I think of more, I’ll add them. There are still many fabulous toys and other activities on the market that do not require batteries or an electric plug. If your children are stuck on electronic games, take them away for a week and play a board game with them!
Sonya Haskins
Feds Asked to Pay for Auto Merger
When the government agreed to bail out the banking industry and give money to fix a problem that was created because thousands of people had not paid their mortgage bills, we lost our footing on the slippery slope and we're already seeing the consequences elsewhere. I said then that it wasn't just a bad idea because we have no business "fixing" something when sometimes it's best to let people suffer the consequences for their actions. I also guaranteed when those bailouts happened that it was just the BEGINNING. We'll have corporations coming out of the woodwork seeking government money now and it has already begun.
On Thursday, October 30, General Motors reportedly asked the federal government for $10 billion to support a merger between it's own company and Chrysler corporation. You can read a full news report here: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=302898
According to the General Motors proxy statment issued earlier this year, CEO G. R. Wagoner's 2007 target compensation was $14,675,691. Do you realize that's over 14 MILLION dollars?!?!? Do you realize how many children that much money would feed, or how many of our mortgages it would pay - in full, or... There are so many ways to fill in that blank! His actual compensation was ONLY $4,057,691. Yes, ONLY 4 MILLION dollars. (Information from http://www.gm.com/corporate/investor_information/docs/stockholder_info/Proxy_Statement2008.pdf, page 31.)
Now there are many reasons I'm opposed to bailouts. One is because the further away you get from the private citizen, the less responsibility there is for the person(s) to behave responsibly with the money. Personally, I do not think it is right to give Mr. Wagoner - or anyone else - ten BILLION dollars, or even five dollars for that mater, when he makes more money in one year than my dedicated, hard-working husband is likely to make in his entire life.
Not only that, but I am sick and tired of my tax dollars being used to support liberal businesses that promote the sexual deviancy, abortion, and other sins. On the GM website, you will find GM proudly stating that the "I am GM" program "represents men and women of many cultures, ethnic backgrounds, ages, sexual orientation and physical abilities. Many of these employees belong to our Affinity Groups."
Well, you know what? Mr. Wagoner can use part of his million dollar salary to support whatever he wants, but as for our government, it should be illegal for them to take MY (and YOUR) hard-earned money and give it to privately (or corporately) owned businesses. The public will not benefit from this and I would prefer to keep the few hundred dollars I make every month. When the government gives money to these corporations, it simply ensures that Mr. Wagoner and the other CEOs like him can continue to buy off politicians and the politicians can continue to pad the pockets of the people who run the large corporations.
Is anyone else besides me sick of this?
Sonya
On Thursday, October 30, General Motors reportedly asked the federal government for $10 billion to support a merger between it's own company and Chrysler corporation. You can read a full news report here: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=302898
According to the General Motors proxy statment issued earlier this year, CEO G. R. Wagoner's 2007 target compensation was $14,675,691. Do you realize that's over 14 MILLION dollars?!?!? Do you realize how many children that much money would feed, or how many of our mortgages it would pay - in full, or... There are so many ways to fill in that blank! His actual compensation was ONLY $4,057,691. Yes, ONLY 4 MILLION dollars. (Information from http://www.gm.com/corporate/investor_information/docs/stockholder_info/Proxy_Statement2008.pdf, page 31.)
Now there are many reasons I'm opposed to bailouts. One is because the further away you get from the private citizen, the less responsibility there is for the person(s) to behave responsibly with the money. Personally, I do not think it is right to give Mr. Wagoner - or anyone else - ten BILLION dollars, or even five dollars for that mater, when he makes more money in one year than my dedicated, hard-working husband is likely to make in his entire life.
Not only that, but I am sick and tired of my tax dollars being used to support liberal businesses that promote the sexual deviancy, abortion, and other sins. On the GM website, you will find GM proudly stating that the "I am GM" program "represents men and women of many cultures, ethnic backgrounds, ages, sexual orientation and physical abilities. Many of these employees belong to our Affinity Groups."
Well, you know what? Mr. Wagoner can use part of his million dollar salary to support whatever he wants, but as for our government, it should be illegal for them to take MY (and YOUR) hard-earned money and give it to privately (or corporately) owned businesses. The public will not benefit from this and I would prefer to keep the few hundred dollars I make every month. When the government gives money to these corporations, it simply ensures that Mr. Wagoner and the other CEOs like him can continue to buy off politicians and the politicians can continue to pad the pockets of the people who run the large corporations.
Is anyone else besides me sick of this?
Sonya
The bra thingie
I'm sitting here watching news coverage of the presidential election and I found a particular commercial very interesting. It really has nothing to do with presidents or presidential elections, in my opinion, but nonetheless, the commercial ran in the middle of this coverage. The commercial is advertising a little plastic clip that you hook onto one side of your bra in the back and then pull the other side of your bra over so that it hooks together in the middle above the normal clasp.
Now there are many obvious reasons for this, but the main ones are: (1) you are wearing a tank top that comes together in the middle of your back and you don't want your bra to show, (2) your straps keep falling off your shoulders, and (3) your bra is sagging way down and this is a cheap, quick-fix to pull everything back up for a while longer.
I don't wear tank tops, but I definitely deal with issues two and three.
If any of you ladies reading this deal with any of the problems, let me give you a hint. The little plastic clips cost almost $20 for a pack of three! I've been fixing this problem for several years now by taking an old shoe string and tying my bra straps together in the back. A new shoe string costs less than $1.00, but you can usually find an old one laying around for free. Cut it into three sections and you have a pack of three bra fixy thingies for essentially nothing.
Now I'm back to watching the news to see if McCain has gained any points in the polls or if I notice any other unique little gadgets on which I can save you money.
Sonya : )
Now there are many obvious reasons for this, but the main ones are: (1) you are wearing a tank top that comes together in the middle of your back and you don't want your bra to show, (2) your straps keep falling off your shoulders, and (3) your bra is sagging way down and this is a cheap, quick-fix to pull everything back up for a while longer.
I don't wear tank tops, but I definitely deal with issues two and three.
If any of you ladies reading this deal with any of the problems, let me give you a hint. The little plastic clips cost almost $20 for a pack of three! I've been fixing this problem for several years now by taking an old shoe string and tying my bra straps together in the back. A new shoe string costs less than $1.00, but you can usually find an old one laying around for free. Cut it into three sections and you have a pack of three bra fixy thingies for essentially nothing.
Now I'm back to watching the news to see if McCain has gained any points in the polls or if I notice any other unique little gadgets on which I can save you money.
Sonya : )
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