A Modern Day Essene

There is definitely something odd happening to me lately. First it was the dog, now I have the dog and she is treated like one of the kids! The most pampered pooch in Australia~I even bought her a gold, diamond studded collar! The kids reckon I will put her in my handbag next and carry her around like a fashion accessory.
Now I am thinking about chooks in the backyard.............honest! I have even found the perfect portable chook pen for the back yard. In reality it will probably cost me more money keeping two chickens than buying premium organic free range eggs each week. So what is up? well, self analyzing myself I think I am clucky! Usually around this time of life (18 months since my last baby) I get clucky for another baby. Trouble is that I can't have any more babies and the reality is that I really don't want any more babies (as lovely as they are) so my cluckiness is extending elsewhere..........to the animal kingdom.
I can just see myself down the track with some kind of Doctor Doolittle set up Surrounding myself with animals of all kinds in order to meet my ever present desire for babies. Then again I am sure to be a nanna down the track...........then again my daughters have mortgages to pay and that probably isn't going to happen for a while!
I think I am a lost cause!

I am reading aloud "Little House In The Big Woods" and yesterday's chapter was about Ma's weekly chores, one of which was butter churning. Well I could see the glazed look coming over DS9's eyes as I read and I knew that I had to bring the lesson to life! He had absolutely no idea what I was talking about, Why would he? We live in the days of supermarkets and ready made produce!! So I set about checking out some web pages on making butter.
I found a simple recipe that only required a carton of cream and a mixer. What fun I.....um....the children.........had making butter! First it turned into lovely thick cream but then after about ten minutes the cream turned to butter and separated from the buttermilk. I switched the machine off and pulled the butter out. We rinsed it through a sieve, making sure to remove any excess buttermilk. Apparently the buttermilk can turn it rancid. The buttermilk will not go to waste either, it is great for cake making. We squeezed the excess moisture out and then salted the butter, finally placing it inside a butter dish.
I can't tell you how nice the butter taste,maybe it is all in my head but I swear it taste better than butter from the supermarket shelf!

The past three or four days Steve has been off work. We have spent a lot of time outside the house, shopping for things and eating out. It has been fun but the results at home have bothered me!
The older children have been fine, they know the things that they have to do and work well independently. With DS 9 it has not been so easy. He has basically spent the past few days doing very little. As much as I love the unschooling approach this isn't what I pictured. I still have expectations that a certain amount of "Table Time" has to be accomplished. Math is a must, Reading is a must, Handwriting is a must. All these things require my time. Time to print out math pages, time to print out handwriting pages, time to sit down and listen to DS read. The listening to him read is important because he has a slight speech impediment and can get lazy with his words. He tends to rush his speech and the words get tangled up with each other, I need to be on hand to slow him down. I need to spend time organizing the home so that learning is a natural thing. I need to strew some books, some games, so that the children can see things that interest them and pick them up! When I am not there to do these things then learning becomes chaotic. DS 9 wonders around without a vision, he turns the t.v on and substitutes a good book with the t.v! Even when I do get home I am tired, not interested in schooling and the learning style I create through that atmosphere is tatty, half baked.
Unschooling or delight directed learning is not half baked! the mother has an important job. She needs to lay the foundations for learning to happen. Every day she must seek God for guidance and wisdom for each child. Her time is important~! She isn't someone in the house who merely acts like an administrator or overseer of the work.........she is a facilitator! This is what Wikepedia has to say about the word Facilitator A facilitator is someone who helps a group of people understand their common objectives and assists them to plan to achieve them without taking a particular position in the discussion. The facilitator will try to assist the group in achieving a consensus on any disagreements that preexist or emerge in the meeting so that it has a strong basis for future action. The role has been likened to that of a midwife who assists in the process of birth but is not the producer of the end result.

Out of every difficult situation comes a lesson! I have learned over the past few days that "I" need to be more organized. I need to plan ahead, to make sure that the week flows steadily instead of in a chaotic, disorganized rush. I need to create an atmosphere in the home that produces a love of learning, not man made and squeezed into a forumula but flowing from the life of the home.

I never expected to be saying this today but, yes! I have a little dog. Never in a million years did I think I would end up with a poodle............a toy poodle, it was probably the last dog on my list, but when it came to the crunch I wanted a small dog that preferably didn't shed. That left a poodle!
She came to our home this morning. A pure bred Toy poodle by the name (after much family debate) of Fifi. She is an absolute darling! the children adore her, and dare I say "shoosh, don't tell anyone I said this" but so does Steve!!! In fact, he chose her name!

I know God made us all, I know he loves us all..........but some people drive me nuts! Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting one of life's more unusual people, a "doggy person". Now, don't get me wrong, I love dogs, but some people's vocation in life is to love dogs more than people and it is these people that I find difficult to understand.
After a two hour drive into woop woop to see a potential dog I was invited into the home of Mrs Dog Lover herself. As I drove up to the house, in the middle of nowhere, I was met with Dogs............lots and lots and lots of dogs. The smell of doggy pooh filled the air. There were even statues of dogs placed strategically around the front garden. The number plate on the car showed evidence of the dogs inside(and outside)...........PUGZ. On being received into the home I found myself standing in what I presumed was the lounge room. There were play pens set up all over the room with dogs and puppies in each one. I counted at least twenty dogs in one room! The smell just about knocked me out and it wasn't long before I discovered why. Dog poo lay around in every playpen. There was no floor to the playpens, only the woman's wooden floor boards, so you can imagine how the smell of urine and poo had penetrated! I had gone to see an adult dog, a three year old Pug who had not proven herself in the show ring so the owner had decided to sell her. I was expecting a quiet, placid animal after my intensive research on the internet, but instead I was met by a pounding, galloping animal who looked like she was high on drugs! She jumped all over me, knocked my DD 5 over and proceeded to run around the room like a dog pocessed! I was then asked if I wanted to see the other two available dogs, a 2 year old and 4 year old pug. These dogs were owned by her son who was being transferred interstate and wanted to sell the dogs together as a pair. Well, talk about overweight pug! They resembled pigs more than pugs. I was losing interest rapidly! Poor DD4 was terrified of the commotion and had lifted herself up to be held by her elder sister, DD16. It was then that Mrs Doggy Lady told me in no uncertain terms that she would never let one of her babies go to a family with a child who was behaving so poorly as mine! She looked at DD4 and said, "You will have to wait till you are older to get a puppy because you are behaving badly and upsetting the dog" Well, it was all I could do to hold my tongue! I wanted to get into a verbal fight with this woman and I had to force myself to stay quiet~ I tried to explain that my daughter was not used to having a dog in the house and the behaviour of her dogs was overwhelming for her. By that stage Mrs Doggy Poo was on her way back inside with all the pugs and I was left outside fuming. It was a long drive home................................Well, I had been to another planet me thinks.

What makes a good blog? What attracts you to certain blogs?
My favourite are the ones that radiate a warmth, a feeling that I am sitting curled up on a cozy chair near a burning log fire and listening to a dear friend share her heart.
I am attracted to crafty, arty blogs where there are lots of pictures of work that is being produced in the home.
Another style that interest me is reading about the day to day life of long term homeschool families! I think they have so much to share and I love to be a part of it.
One blog that I love visiting is a Catholic Homeschool mum. She is so devout in her faith, most of which just blows me away as I have very little understanding of the Catholic faith. Her blog is full of stories of the saints and the lithergical year...........It is all new to me!But I am impressed by her sincerity and I just love reading about her daily walk!
What makes a blog enjoyable for you?

The picture of the cute puppy on the left of the screen is my Cavoodle Puppy, Charlie! I would like to tell you that I have him in real life............but I don't! He is nothing more than my desktop puppy, a picture of a puppy that I will probably never own in real life. Husband has said "NO NO NO" too many times now so I have resigned myself to a cyber puppy instead. "Sigh". Anyway, I have taken a dvd out of the video store to watch with hubby tonight..................."Marley And Me" "evil grin"

Today I received my new Botany Notebooking Journal by Jeannie Fulbright. It is just awesome! I am thinking that it is just too nice to use and I might have to photocopy the pages so that I can re-use it with the younger children. I'll have to check the book to see if I am allowed to do that.
I love Notebooking. It is such a delightful way to bring learning to life. The children love creating their own Notebooks and turning them into a work of art. I get a lot of use from my comb binder but today a lady on the homeschool site shared information about another binding machine that makes the process of taking and adding pages from notebooks much easier. I will have to look into it. Thank God for the education rebate!

I was thrilled to discover these beautiful Bible Character Notebooking pages. My brain is ticking over with ideas for the children to complete some of these and form a Bible Notebook.
I also used the Quiet time notebook pages to make my own journal for church. I made the cover from cardstock and printed a beautiful Renoir picture to stick on the front and then I laminated it. I was so proud of my little creation and couldn't wait to use it in church!
Check these out www.notebookingpages.com

I have enjoyed the school holidays. I have managed to read two books in that time, "Ignite The Fire" by Terrie Camp and "Christian Unschooling" by Teri J Brown with Elissa M Wahl. Both books were different and yet similar in many ways.
I got the same feeling after reading these books as I did ten years ago after first reading " The Successful Family Homeschool Family" by the Moores. It is a warm, fuzzy feeling! it sets my brain ticking over with enthusiasm, something which most curriculum based books never do. I was particuarly delighted wit the "Christian Unschooling" book because it far exceeded my expectations. After ordering it I started to question my decision! I thought that it might just confuse me more as I was heading in a Delight Directed path and felt that, from what I had read online, that Unschooling was completely down the oposite path. It really did shatter that thought. Infact now that I have read it I can see that the two work very well together and not much seperates them.
Some of my favourite passages;
"Sometimes I think how Jesus taught the desciples. If you think about it, they were in a sense, unschoolers. They followed him, ate with him, worked with him and listened to him. He taught them about faith. He taught them about his father."

"We are diligent in finding mentors for them, in searching out creative ways to satisfy their curiosity, in being there for them every day to facilitate their learning. This is another fallacy, that unschoolers are not involved in their children's education. In reality, unschoolers are among the most diligent people I have met."


"Unschooling means to me, using whatever works for each child to fullfill their potential. It is not seperating learning from life, but embracing learning through everyday activities. It is not following a scope and sequence developed by professionals, but using teachable moments to teach our chldren what they need, when they need it."


Oh, so many more that I could add! I was inspired by every page. I am looking forward to hearing from God as he directs my path and leads me on.

I love nature journals! I love nature! There is nothing nicer for me than walking in the rain.........really! I bought my toddlers some gumboots and an umbrella so that the weather didn't stop us from enjoying a walk outside. We have had a lot of rain lately and it is fascinating to watch the changing scenery around us due to the heavy rainfall.
Do you struggle with what to put in your nature journal? I know that I did, that is until I discovered the nature journal by Adrienne Olmstead.
Let your childern experience and reflect upon the outdoors with My Nature Journal. This charming book is divided into ecosystem chapters named after meadows, seashores, and more; within these chapters, activities let the children learn to explore, understand simple environmental facts, and reflect upon how they feel. Two-color illustrations, journal prompts, activities, informational pages, games, ample room for note taking, personalization and more make this book a complete resource for chronicling outdoor adventures. A very sturdy hardcover with hidden spiral binding and thick pages should endure for treks and all manner of activities. Index, glossary, and nature list to keep track of all observations are included in the back. 173 pages.

I haven't shared too much about this situation but over the past 16 months I have been working through a serious addiction to the internet and internet shopping. My addiction has left us in a sad and sorry state financially. I sometimes think I have lost my husband's trust in that area. Through good counseling I realized that the root of my problem was loneliness. Over a long period of time I had withdrawn myself from the outside community and become more and more of a loner. It wasn't until we experienced a traumatic event in our family that we realized how isolated our world had become.
I have been making steps towards change. It doesn't happen overnight! I have returned to church, not the church we have belonged to for 14 years but a much smaller local church. Steve has come with me once but he is battling his own demons in relation to church and God. It is good to have people in my life again. Of course I have my darling Mum and sister but as much as I love them they are not Christians and there are some things that I can't share with them. Last Friday night a group of the ladies from church went out for a coffee. I haven't laughed as much in a long time.......it felt good.
I have cut my internet time back drastically. I still seek the support and fellowship of other homeschoolers but even that, at times, is disapointing. There is nothing like real life friendships. Sometimes things that are said can be taken the wrong way. There is nothing better than a conversation with someone in real life! words are only part of the conversation, the eyes tell a thousand stories just on their own! the hand movements, the facial expressons. All these things are hard to convey online.
My long term goal is to reach a stage where my life is so full that the internet has little place in my day. Then I will know that I have received my healing.

I apologize for sounding like an advertisement for Home School products, but I simply must give this one a plug! Art And The Bible For Children by Barry Stebbing.
I don't usually plug American sites when an item is available in Australia but this is on special at christian book in America for $14.99 (about $20 Aus) and with postage at only $10 ($15) it is still a massive saving off the original price. www.christianbook.com
Your children will be excited to start creating their own biblically-based masterpieces after looking through the artwork in Art and the Bible for Children! Favorite Bible stories are written at an elementary level for each child to understand, while art lessons and discussion questions at the end of each story provide a fun way to reinforce the lesson and basic art skills. Draw and color a nighttime sky from Genesis' creation week, Ruth in Boaz' field, and Jesus in the midst of seven golden candlesticks, as you move from Genesis through Revelation. Illustrated by homeschoolers, the glossy, full-color pages make looking through this book a treat--and serves as inspiration to get drawing! Perfect for homeschool lessons, Sunday Schools, or Christian schools. 275 pages, hardcover. Pages are reproducible for classroom use.

I enjoy art so much that I think it would be lovely to centre our education around it. The children wouldn't complain, of that I'm sure.
One of my recent finds has filled a gap quite beautifully.............Draw And Write Through History. It is available through Christian Book Store in America, a store where I have purchased a number of items over the years. www.christianbook.com
It is similar in format to the Draw Write Now series of books, but in my opinion it is much more practical. There are currently four books in the series.
My son will do anything to escape writing (narration) but is quite happy to copy an Historical picture in detail!
This book is an excellent resource if you want to brighten up your History portfolios.

IN WINTER I'M ROUNDER.

In winter I'm rounder
and fatter than before.
I'm wearing coats and sweaters
and woolen hats galore.
My hands are as plump as kittens
when I'm wearing winter mittens.
My legs in thick, snug snow pants
look like an elephant's.
Indeed, I must confess
that when I do undress,
I feel as small and light
as a bird flown out of sight.

~~By Sandra Liatsos..~~

When we first married it wasn't long before I fell pregnant with our eldest daughter. When she was one year old I got clucky but thinking that it was too soon to have another baby we bought a dog instead! I wish I could tell you that the dog was a good idea but I can't. She was a blue healer cross and she drove me crazy! She would jump up at the washing line and pull all my freshly laundered clothes down. She chewed everything! all of our shoes became victims of the Blue Healer bite. I read somewhere that having two dogs could settle a bad dog down (who wrote that.........let me at him) so believing everything that I am told we started hunting for another dog. This time we bought a small dog, a Dachshund cross! We called her Esther (after my favourite Bible Story) and she was the most placid dog we could have hoped for. Sadly she didn't have any impact on the Blue Healer! all it did was emphasize her bad behaviour. Eventually we gave the Blue Healer to someone who could provide her with a bit more land to run around on, which left us with one good dog. Esther was a real family pet. She thought she was human! we all loved her. It was a sad day when at 10 years old she became so sick that we were advised to have her put down. That was 10 years ago and we haven't owned a dog since..............
Suddenly, out of the blue, I am thinking about another dog. Steve thinks that I am being silly and it is just because I know that I can't have any more babies. I don't know, maybe that is true! But I have spent hours on the internet checking out Dog breeds. One minute I want a Golden Retriever but then I hear that they love to chew furniture............um, not a good idea. Then I want a Pug, just like the one that Don Burke had on his show, "Burkes Backyard". Then I read that they can have breathing problems. So I go through the list, poodles, Labradors, Beagles, West Highland Terriers, Old English Sheepdog.............and then I find the perfect dog for me....a Cavoodle! a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel cross Miniature Poodle. Apparently they have the beautiful nature of a King Charles without the health issues and the best bit of all.............they hardly molt because of the poodle cross. I want one, I want one, I want one. I even have a name picked out. But............and this is a big BUT...my husband says "NO". Under no circumstances is he going to buy a dog because he thinks that after five minutes my interest will wane and he will do all the walking, picking up dog muck, cleaning etc etc etc.
So what does a girl do in this situation? well, I will sulk of course................

Just lately I have been reflecting on my life. God has shown me that life is like the seasons, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
Spring was my childhood! everything was fresh, new, exciting. Life was blooming in every direction and the world lay at my feet.
Summer was My youth and beyond. A time of growth, life, newness. I saw my years of childbearing as an eternal Summer! As much as I never wanted Summer to end there came a time when My body could not cope with producing new life. My season of childbearing had ended. I had to move on...........
I didn't want to embrace the Autumn. I wanted to stay in Summer. I couldn't see my life without pregnancy, birth, young babies and toddlers. And yet at the same time I was growing tired. I didn't have the same energy levels that I had in my early twenties. I seemed to need more rest! I didn't want to look ahead and embrace a new season. What did Autumn have to offer me? But as God quietly led me along the path I started to view things in a different light. I am still surrounded by children! Although two are now married I am blessed to have seven at home. My youngest is only 17 months and it is exciting to watch him grow. He will always be my baby. Every stage is exciting in the knowledge that this is the last baby. I love watching my children grow older, becoming confident in who they are. I love to see them growing in their own faith walk. I love my married daughters and their husbands. I am so blessed. I look forward to the Autumn season because it is a time for me and my husband. A time where we get to reap the harvest. Often we sowed in tears but the Bible tells us that we will reap in joy. There are so many things that I have not been able to do in the other seasons of life. My hobbies and interest were often put aside for more urgent needs. I look forward to spending more time painting, scrapbooking and even sewing! I look forward to having some holidays without crying, whinging babies in the back seat of the car who hate any journey longer than thirty minutes! A life without nappies! I can't even imagine that as I have been buying nappies constantly for 23 years! I look forward to concentrating on my health and appearance, a luxury for a new mum! I have let my body go, let health issues go unchecked
My Autumn time! The leaves still cling to the branches and are afire with color. We are strong, fearless and finally able to say and do what we feel is right rather than worrying about what others might think. It's a good time to be alive.