Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Veritas Press History and Bible Cards - Keepfiling.com Status Update!

I know some of you have probably tried to order the fabulous mini-binders from keepfiling.com and found that they were out of stock, so I had emailed Ken at Keep Filing to let him know about the creative use that us homeschoolers have found for the binders, which likely caused the unexpected depletion of inventory, and he has taken a most admirable step to have these flow in by air to meet the demand and desires of those waiting on them!

So. . .if you are one of those folks, please read the email update below and respond to Ken with your interests. (and of course, please pass this on to any Classical Conversations groups or others who may need this information as well!)

Want to know what creative use I'm referring to? Visit this post. . .

http://seasonsoflearning.blogspot.com/2010/06/veritas-press-history-and-bible-cards.html





EMAIL UPDATE FROM KEN AT KEEPFILING.COM . . .

Hello,

You are receiving this e-mail as you had requested to be informed when the Keepfiling Mini Ring binder for 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 paper would be back in stock.

We have in the past months received a huge interest in the Keepfiling mini binder and matching sheet protectors. This has resulted in a run on our inventory for an item that in the past was just moving slowly.


Now due to delays with the production and the fact that this item comes from overseas we are taking the very unusually step to have some binders and sheet protectors flow in by air service. To be quite honest it cost an arm and a leg and half the farm -so to speak.


We are taking this unusually step as we wish to be a responsible small company that takes action. We also feel that we can’t have all you kind people waiting for our product too much longer.

Our Mini binders and sheet protectors are estimated to be finished on September 9 and we hope to have them in our hands, estimated: Sept. 13 to 15th.


As it is so extremely expensive to ship the mini binders (takes lots of space) I kindly ask you to return this mail and just indicate how many binders you may need and in what color. We won’t hold you to it an estimated number is perfect. It is just so we have an indication of the initial need so we can fill the present orders + some, as more binders will follow by ocean weeks later. We have 3 colors as you may know:


Snow white
Lime green
Red


It is realized it is an unusually step this e-mail but again we wish to service our community in the best possible way and work with you in the best possible way. As a small company we feel we have this opportunity.

Kind regards,
Ken – keepfiling. com   ken@keepfiling.com 

PS: Even if you do not wish to place order for this item at present a “zero” as responds is highly appreciated as well.

PSS: More information will follow also on-line where we will open up for pre-ordering in the coming days.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Our Curriculum 2010 - 2011

These are our tentative curriculum choices for 2010 - 2011! We start each morning together with Bible Story, Devotion, Poetry Memorization and Memory Verse. Below are the resources we've selected for the upcoming year. (of course, as always, it remains perpetually subject to change.)

8th grader:

Starting Points Worldview Curriculum w/ IEW's Starting Points Writing Lessons
Apologia Physical Science
Saxon Algebra 1/2
Megawords
First Form Latin (Memoria Press)


2nd grader:

First Language Lessons
Saxon Math 3
Apologia Elem. - Zoology I
All About Spelling
Prima Latina (Memoria Press)

Both

Mystery of History I & II
Art - I Can Do All Things (Stebbings)
Bible - Vos Bible Stories
Poetry - IEW's Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization
Classical Music Studies (using the Opal Wheeler's biographies)
Lots of literature!

I'd love to see what others are doing. Leave me a comment or link if you've posted them on your blog!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

How's Your Vision?

Being a mother and being able to stay home with my children is unquestionably a priceless privilege and a blessing. Yet, even knowing these things in my head and my heart, there are days when I grow tired, when I'm exhausted, when I'm weak, when I'm empty, when I feel I have nothing left to give, when I dream of days to myself, when I feel my kids got the short end of the stick in me for a Mom, and when I question and wonder if God *really* knew what he was doing when he entrusted me with so much.

Have you been there? Have you been down in the valley where the fog was so dense you lost clear vision?

As I have been preparing for the upcoming school year by researching curricula, making selections, chatting on yahoo, mentoring to others, creating new schedules, and perusing the many catalogs, God impressed upon my heart that I was missing something - not just "something" but a most important something - renewing my vision.

Busyness can sometimes masquerade as productiveness, and our vision for our families, our children, ourselves - can become clouded by responsibility, duty, mundane, routine, "ought-to's" and "should have's", leaving us overwhelmed and defeated - forgetting to bring things back into focus. Focus, in light of His Word.

In "A Mother's Heart", Jean Fleming paraphrases 1 Corinthians 13. . .

If I keep my house immaculately clean, and am envied by all for my interior decorating, but do nothing to show love for my family - I'm just another housewife.

If I'm always producing lovely things- sewing, art; if I always look attractive, and speak intelligently, but am not loving to my family - I am nothing.

If I'm busy in community affairs, teach Sunday school, and drive in the carpool, but fail to give adequate love to my family - I gain nothing.

Love changes diapers, cleans up messes, and ties shoes - over and over again. Love it kind, though tired and frazzled. Love doesn't envy another wife, one whose children are "spaced" better or in school so she has time to pursue her own interests. Love doesn't try to impress others with my abilities or knowledge as a mother. Love doesn't scream at the kids. Love doesn't feel cheated because I didn't get to do what I wanted today - sew, read, soak in a hot tub. Love doesn't lose my temper easily. Love doesn't assume that my children are being naughty just because their noise level is irritating. Love doesn't rejoice when other people's children misbehave and make mine look good. Love is genuinely happy when others are honored by their children.



And then there's this beautiful paraphrase for homeschool Moms by fellow blogger Misty Krasawski. . . (in fact, I printed this one off for my notebook this year!)

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and teach my children Latin conjugations, Chinese and Portuguese, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal, and no matter what I say, they will not hear me.

If I have the gift of prophecy, and know my children’s bents and God’s plan for their lives, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and am the keeper of the teacher’s editions and solutions manuals, and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains, and even keep up with my giant piles of laundry and dishes, but do not have love, I am nothing, even if all the people at church think I’m Supermom.

And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and my formal dining room gets turned into a schoolroom and our family vacations look more like educational field trips, and if I surrender my body to be burned, never having time to get my nails done, put makeup on or even take a bath, but do not have love, it profits me nothing, because all my family cares about is the expression on my face, anyway.

Love is patient with the child who still can’t get double-digit subtraction with borrowing, and kind to the one who hasn’t turned in his research paper. It is not jealous of moms with more, fewer, neater, more self-directed, better-behaved or smarter children. Love does not brag about homemade bread, book lists, or scholarships and is not arrogant about her lifestyle or curriculum choices. It does not act unbecomingly or correct the children in front of their friends. It does not seek its own, trying to squeeze in alone time when someone still needs help; it is not provoked when interrupted for the nineteenth time by a child, the phone, the doorbell or the dog; does not take into account a wrong suffered, even when no one compliments the dinner that took hours to make or the house that took so long to clean.

Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness or pointing out everyone else’s flaws, but rejoices with the truth and with every small step her children take in becoming more like Jesus, knowing it’s only by the grace of God when that occurs.

Love bears all things even while running on no sleep; believes all things, especially God’s promise to indwell and empower her, hopes all things, such as that she’ll actually complete the English curriculum this year and the kids will eventually graduate, endures all things, even questioning from strangers, worried relatives, and most of all, herself.

Love never fails. And neither will she. As long as she never, never, never gives up.

Jean Fleming goes on to say, "When I realize God calls me to actively teach my children, I view my teaching responsibility more seriously and keep alert for anything that will help me in my teaching - for learning opportunities. Instead of the dry taste of duty, I find a sense of encouragement, excitement, and challenge."

"For most of us the ability to recognize and use everyday happenings to teach our children doesn't come naturally. It is a skill that must be developed and honed. Like most skills it requires conscious, diligent effort if we are to realize our potential as teachers."

"If our commitment to our role as a mother languishes, this may be true not because the job is too small or unchallenging but because our vision is too small. Our dreams for our task may be thin and weak. We fail to hear God's call and miss the broad scope of the possibilities before us. We focus instead on the routine activities and demands - changing diapers, potty training, cleaning up messes, telling the kids for the fifth time not to slam the door - and miss any sense of a higher calling"

As the new school year approaches, take time to get quiet, to get alone with God, and to pray over and ponder the question we began with. . .how's your vision? 

May we each come away refilled, refreshed, renewed and ready to carry on!

~ Where there is no vision, the people perish. Proverbs 29:18 ~

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