Taylor-Made Education

My Sunshine

2009-08-19T15:25:00.004-04:00

Christianna

2009-08-18T15:46:00.006-04:00

Christian

2009-08-18T14:05:00.002-04:00

Random Hannah Shots

2009-08-18T11:57:00.003-04:00

It's hard to catch a photo of Hannah, but here are a few.

Deborah in A Winter's Tale

2009-08-18T11:49:00.002-04:00

Photos by Joey Nielsen

Deborah & Shana

2009-08-18T11:24:00.001-04:00

on a recent roadtrip

Hannah & Isaiah

2009-08-18T11:17:00.001-04:00

Isaiah is my first grandbaby.

What about college?

2009-05-05T17:42:00.005-04:00

In the Taylor household, we're preparing for our first homeschool graduation! Deborah (16) graduates in June. She has been taking biology classes at Dalton State College through dual-enrollment. Deborah plans to pursue a biology major at Covenant College this fall, where she has been offered academic & leadership scholarships.

Throughout our homeschooling journey, we've often had to answer the question, "What about college?" We were confident that colleges would stand in line for a student who is bright, motivated, and knows how to think outside the box -- whether or not that student had an accredited high school diploma. Turns out we were right.

Here's how we did it:

Deborah studied for the SAT and took it 5 times over 2 years, increasing her score every time. Without accredited grades for a benchmark, colleges rely more heavily on homeschooler's SAT or ACT scores to compare them to other students. Although Deborah outscored the average high school senior the first time she took the SAT, she continued working for a higher score as a way to demonstrate that she is an outstanding student. The SAT was the basis for her academic scholarships -- and thanks to a new law, her high SAT score also brought in $3,500 a year of state HOPE money.

We worked through the same credits she would have taken in public school (4 English, 4 Math, etc.) and assigned the courses common names, even though some of our classes were more specialized, more "unschooled" or structured more like an independent study.

We scrapped the "portfolio" and instead simply made a document detailing our course descriptions in one paragraph per course. We included an overview, which curriculum or text books we used, any special projects, and the type of course (home, co-op, private tutor, etc.)

Throughout her high school years, we tracked her progress on a professional-looking transcript, listing all courses and grades. We also listed her standardized test scores & extracurricular activities on the transcript, and used it to calculate a cumulative GPA.

Deborah started visiting and corresponding with colleges as soon as she started high school. She attended concerts, competitions, and Senior Day activities. In addition to following her rising SAT scores, her favorite colleges knew her by name and took a personal interest in her development. She also gained a better idea of the culture of the schools.

Deborah worked hard applying for leadership scholarships and other offers, so that she could make her final choice prayerfully rather than being forced to choose the lowest-cost school. By decision time, the difference in cost between her top three choices was negligible.

What about college? Homeschoolers not only get into college; many colleges are actively seeking homeschooled students. They recognize that the private tutoring and self-education taking place at home serve to produce thinking young people who are ready to rise to the next challenge.

Blog reopened

2008-01-19T14:18:00.002-05:00

After a 2-year hiatus, I've decided to reopen this blog and "live outloud."

This is May, 2009, regardless of what the date says.

Exploring Density

2006-12-19T22:05:00.000-05:00

For Christian's 2nd grade science project, we explored the concept of density. First we discussed the meaning of density and how density is different from weight because it measures the mass per unit of volume. For example, the cup of water we used weighs more than the small amount of molasses we were about to pour into it -- but how much does one teaspoon of each substance weigh? Christian guessed that oil was lighter than water and would float on top, and that molasses was heavier and would sink to the bottom. I reminded him that this was called a hypothesis.

Next Christian tested his hypothesis by pouring first the molasses, then the oil.

As he guessed, the oil floated while the molasses sunk to the bottom. We stirred it up, but the oil floated back to the top and the molasses sunk back to the bottom.

Exploring Density, Part 2

2006-12-19T21:51:00.000-05:00

This experiment demonstrates the difference between the density of fresh water and salt water. Drop a raw egg into a cup of fresh water. The egg will settle at the bottom of the glass, because an egg is slightly more dense than water.

Pour in some salt water, stirring occasionally, until the egg rises to the top.

The floating egg demonstrates that salt water is more dense than the egg, and therefore

Density = mass/volume

Update on Hannah's Education

2006-12-19T20:48:00.000-05:00

CORE CURRICULUM: Hannah is currently finishing up Key to Geometry. After Christmas we plan to tackle SAT-type math questions and then go on to Algebra II. She's taking a biology course using the Apologia curriculum. Class days are for labs and tests; the other days they work through the text on their own. World History is accomplished the same way, using Bob Jones curriculum. They also have a writing class. We add vocabulary at home to make a complete Freshman Comp credit. We're using a 10th grade A Beka vocab book.

SPORTS: Hannah studies fencing, which is a year-round and mostly indoor sport. She recently added hockey to her repertoire (see below) and wants to start archery as well. Football is probably her favorite sport, but so far she hasn't found an outlet other than playing in the churchyard.

OTHER INTERESTS: Hannah and Deborah both love to draw. They are very creative, often inventing whole worlds in their imaginations and drawing many of the characters to people those worlds. They're both working on a novel as well, although I haven't heard as much about that lately.

Update on Deborah's Education

2006-12-19T20:37:00.000-05:00

CORE CURRICULUM: Deborah is taking the same core classes as Hannah (see above.) I'm anxious to see her grades from the co-op! She's acing vocab and geometry, of course.

MUSIC: Deborah's primary interest in music. She takes private fiddle lessons. Last spring she participated in several fiddle contests, and looks forward to this year's contests now that she has another year of lessons, practice and experience. She also sings (preferably a cappella) at every opportunity. I'm pushing her to join the church orchestra and also take piano lessons. She plays piano for an hour a day, both by ear and out of the hymnal, but says formal lessons would take the fun out of it.

SPORTS: Deborah wanted to play basketball again this year, but is too old for the Upward league. She loves to skate, so she was thrilled to discover hockey.

Update on Christian's Education

2006-12-19T20:03:00.000-05:00

CORE CURRICULUM: We're still using Singapore math, and filling in some apparent gaps (like time and money) with other workbooks. We have started a new vocabulary and spelling curriculum that he likes quite well, although it is very intensive. He's studying Story of the World Volume 2 for history. He also has a science class and during the days the class doesn't meet he is studying The Complete Book of Animals. He loves this book (which explores animals from different continents, then different classes, etc) so well that he has begged me to buy him every other book from the series.

SPORTS: This summer Christian played Upward soccer. The Upward basketball league at our church fell through, so now he is starting hockey.

OTHER INTERESTS: Christian loves to help at our business, especially if he can tag lumber (see photo.) Christian's best friend at the moment is Miriam. He's excited about our new mailbox and desperate to receive a letter. I've just subscribed to National Geographic for Kids, so he will soon be receiving something in the mailbox at least once per month!

Roaring 20's Dance

2006-12-15T00:51:00.000-05:00

Hannah and Deborah have had a blast at the ballroom dances especially for homeschoolers 12 and up. Email me if you want more information on the dances.

J.

Gatlinburg Aquarium

2006-12-15T00:42:00.000-05:00

Ripley's Gatlinburg Aquarium is an excellent venue for an all-day field trip. The central feature is a tube passing through shark infested waters. At the end of your journey you are welcome to lean in and pet the beautiful, sleek sting rays -- but watch out for the little bonnethead sharks! They will nip your fingers if given the opportunity. The aquarium also houses graceful jelly fish, seahorses and many other varieties of aquatic life. Here are a few photos I made between chasing children.

Little People

2006-12-15T00:31:00.000-05:00

Most of the displays and tanks were down low where a "short person" (as she calls herself) can get right up to them -- or inside them!

Seahorses and Other Beauties

2006-12-15T00:24:00.000-05:00

Hands-On Science with Horseshoe Crabs

2006-12-15T00:05:00.000-05:00

The Blind Man and the Dog

2006-11-25T21:25:00.000-05:00

Mr. Rhoden #8

The blind man and the dog

By
Deborah F. B. Taylor

Once, there was an old man, who was completely blind. He could not go anywhere because he could not see where to go. One day, he met another blind man, who had a dog and deeply recommended that the other get a seeing-eye dog too. The first man followed his advice, and was now able to go places and ‘see’ things he couldn’t before.

For instance, the dog would know when it was safe to cross the street, or pull on the leash when the old man was about to run into something. This is like our relationship with God. We are blind to perfection, and repeatedly, we stumble into sin. Until someone shows us our ignorance, we are lost in our sin. The only way to be truly free is to ask Jesus to come into our lives so that He can ‘pull on the leash’ when we are about to run head-on into a mess. Without God, we know what good and bad are, but with God, we are able to truly discern good from bad.

I got saved when I was six, but it wasn’t for the right reasons. I got saved because my mom was saved. I saw what she did and how she felt when she raised her hands high in the air at church. Being six, I thought Mom was the greatest person ever, so I wanted to be just like her. This is like a blind man getting a dog, even though he thinks he doesn’t need one, but just because everyone else has one. But the blind man who chose to acknowledge that he needed help would get the dog because it was necessary, and he knows that the dog could very well save his life one day. I was like the first man. I longed for what everyone else had. A religion. But that wasn’t what God wanted. God wants a relationship, not a religion. A lot of people have a religion, but that might mean that they believe in, say, Buddha. My definition of religion would be, the belief in A god. But a relationship with God would mean the belief in THE God, as in God the father, God the son, and God the holy spirit.

My mom once told me that grace is when you get something you don’t deserve, and mercy is when you don’t get something you do deserve. Without God’s grace, we would be lost, and without his mercy, we would be blind. Jesus gave His everything for us. 1st Corinthians 8:9 says, ‘For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.’ Grace and mercy are also deeply tied into faith. Another great few verses is Ephesians 2:8-10, which says, ‘For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.’

Jesus died for us, and going through all of that, he doesn’t require anything from us, except conviction, transformation, and growth in him. But my question to you is this; He died for you, but would you be willing to die for Him? When you will die for him, you are then a true Christian. Christ died for us, so shouldn’t that mean we should die for Him? Not necessarily. His death on the cross was a gift of grace and mercy. Being a Christian just means that we would be willing to die for Him if we had to, not that we should die for Him. Throughout the past two thousand years, there have been millions of martyrs. These martyrs died because they would not denounce their faith in Jesus Christ.

So they were murdered by the thousands. The Bible expresses, ‘We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.’ (2 Corinthians 4:8-9) God also desires peace for us. Romans 5: 1-2 says, ‘Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.’

Therefore, we can have peace since we are saved by faith through God’s grace. Baptism isn’t required to be saved, but is a representation of how you’ve changed, and how the audience can change. It is a symbol of three things. Death, burial, and resurrection with a new life. According to Romans 8:10, ‘If Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.’ What more can I say? God chose us, mortal humans, imperfect as we are, to spend an eternity with him, but he also loved us so much, that he gave us a choice. If we so choose, we can live forever in his embrace.

I have been asked before why I would possibly want to be a Christian. My response is always the same. Christianity isn’t just a name for a religion. As Christians, we should realize the true meaning to the word. Christian means follower of Christ, or ‘little Christ’. It’s not just a word, but a crown you should wear upon your head, as a light for all to see. Jesus told his disciples to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. ‘You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.’ (Matthew 5:14) In other words, if you are a true Christian, everyone will notice how happy and bright you are, and wander what it is that you have and they don’t. It’s your job to tell them. Just like the blind man who told the other blind man to get a dog.

‘All those who are led by the Spirit of God Are children of God.’
Romans 8:14

Deborah's Testimony

2006-11-25T21:21:00.000-05:00

My Testimony
By
Deborah Faith Babb Taylor

Ever since I was six years old, I had always wondered exactly when I had gotten saved. I have no memorable record of how, when, or where I had gotten saved. I grew up in a Christian family, who truly loved Jesus, and was saved very early in my life, so that I don’t believe that it was really sincere. I just wanted to be like my mom, who had been a Christian longer than I’d known her. As I grew older, I learned to read my Bible, and I matured into a decent Christian.

I have always thought that people make such a big deal about when I was saved. My mom’s always full of great quotes, and one that she said to me recently was this; “when people ask me when I was saved, I don’t believe it is relative to know what age you were when you got saved. I don’t exactly know, since I grew up in a Christian environment, but I believe that Jesus saved me two thousand years ago.” My mother continues to be a strong Christian today. That just shows how powerful God’s love is, up to this point in time, that Jesus, who died for our sins two thousand six years ago, would still be saving unworthy people like me.

After I was saved, I always thought that I would go to be a missionary to Africa. I’d always wanted to go to Africa, a land full of exotic new life and danger around every corner. I had read about all of the missionaries that had gone to Africa and had died trying to spread the gospel, and had become famous posthumously. Well, I wanted to be someone important that people would write books about one day, so I made up my mind right then that no matter what, I would go to Africa and save as many people as I could, and I just might be able to make it to the world records as someone who had saved the most people. I visualized thousands of people coming every day to hear me speak. This was a poor attitude to have, thinking that it would be all about me.

As I mature in age, I continue to mature in my faith in Jesus Christ. This past summer, I went to camp Adrienne, a Nazarene camp in southern Georgia. During a ‘praise rally,’ as they called them, a band from Trevecca University was playing a powerful song about sharing and spreading the word of God. I just felt like my spirit was lifted up. I felt a slight tug at my heart, and someone whispered loudly, but not in actual words that I could hear, Be a singer instead. I gave you a voice, now use it! As I said, this was not in tangible words, and I can’t explain how God’s voice sounds, because I didn’t actually hear it, just felt it. You may be thinking, ‘how can you feel words?’ but I believe it really was the ‘voice’ of God Himself speaking to me. I knew immediately what He meant by that. In those two sentences; I don’t know how else to explain them; I seemed to understand what God really wanted, and why it was a selfish reason for me to desire to be a missionary, because we are supposed to use our gifts for the glory of God, not for the glory of man and his vain ways. The way I felt that it was said was really surprising too.
It was a command, not a request, and I knew instantly what kind of authority I was dealing with.

I learned a valuable lesson that day. What a Christian may think is right, may not be what God wishes for that person. ‘We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.’ (Romans 12:6-8).

Hannah's Testimony

2006-11-25T21:15:00.000-05:00

The Testimony

By Hannah E. B. Taylor

I was saved when I was four years old, it happened early one morning while Mum and I were driving down Alabama highway on the way to my Nanny’s house. (Nanny is what I call my great grandmother.) As we drove down the road, I began to ask my Mother a long train of questions. I started with, “Mommy, where is God?” Her answer was a quick and simple, “Everywhere.” Which led to more inquiries, which I have not the time to go into. Eventually I got to the final question, “Mommy, is Jesus in my heart?”

She thought for a moment, and then spoke, “Only if you want him to be.” Now it was my turn to think, “Yes, I want him to be.” Mum immediately pulled over, off the road. She prayed with me about it and I accepted Christ into my heart as my personal savior. That is my salvation story.

Ever since I was little, I was always deciding what I wanted to be when I grow up. At first it was an air flight controller, then a police officer, then a lawyer. I figured a lawyer would be fine, I could make great money and help homeless and poor people with it. I’m told I’m good at arguing, so I’d also be a good lawyer.

Maybe that’s true, but I’ve known for almost six months now that that is not what God wants me to do. I’ve been told that novelists don’t make much money, and that was quite a let down. But if God wishes me to do something, he will provide for me. Still, I wanted to tell him no, I wanted to do what I wanted to do. And I wanted to be a lawyer, to make some money. My argument was, ‘How can I write for you, Lord? I only know how to write fantasy.’ Now I know I can blend the two things I love, God and writing, my characters can grow in Christ and be an example to people who read my books.

Instead of telling him no, I should have embraced his command joyfully. Sometimes what God tells us to do is hard, usually we don’t want to do it because we are afraid people will make fun of us. Instead of saying ‘no’ because we would rather concentrate on ourselves and our selfish desires, we aught to work diligently for God, the one who created us.

Dangerously Cheesy!

2006-11-25T21:05:00.000-05:00

A variation on The Fox and the Crow
By
Deborah F. B. Taylor

One clear, magnificent morning, an unadorned crow with dirty black feathers sat on a crooked, very rotten branch, clutching a tasty cheeto her dull grey beak. A mile away, a very hungry cheetah named Chester, smelled the delicious cheeto, and galloped quickly, which was very fast to be sure, towards the old gnarly tree that the wonderful smell was coming from. He was thus very distressed to see that the cheesy smell was coming from the fat, ugly crow. But the cheetah was very clever indeed, so he growled ravenously to the lazy crow, “Why, good morning my lovely friend, may I say you look especially ravishing these days.”

The sly cheetah licked his lips as he thought of the wonderful cheeto. The fat crow puffed up her chest with pride, so she only looked even fatter. However, she could not say a word because she had the cheeto in her mouth.

Seeing that this had not worked, crafty Chester tried again. “My, what beautiful eyes you have,” he snarled, trying Little Red Riding Hood’s approach, “and your feathers are so glossy; why I can see my reflection in them!” the crow just looked on in satisfaction, but still said nothing.

“Now, I have been told that you sing beautifully, but surely it can not be true, because you are already too perfect for words. Please just sing a few notes for me?” he pleaded. The crow, who merely shook her little black head, just kept her mouth clamped shut.

Chester was about to give up, when he had another idea. “Well, if you will not sing for me, will you dance?” This being too much for the fat crow, who was overwhelmed that someone thought so highly of her, she lifted her claws and started tap dancing. The rotten branch immediately snapped under her shifting weight. The crow fell into Chester’s gaping mouth, and he smiled with satisfaction, because he had gotten both the crow and the cheeto.

Chester, who was still laughing as he trotted away, did not realize his dreadful mistake until it was too late. His eyes popped out of his head and his tail stiffened. From then on, he was addicted, and the only thing he could pronounce was, “dangerously cheesy!”

People Who Love Learning

2006-10-24T10:55:00.000-04:00

"...since we can't know what knowledge will be most needed in the future, it is senseless to try to teach it in advance. Instead, we should try to turn out people who love learning so much and learn so well that they will be able to learn whatever needs to be learned." -- John Holt

Windows

2006-08-14T10:49:00.000-04:00

Tip, tip, tippity tap,
Drip, drip, drippity drap
The rains upon the windows rap,

Facing the windows is a blue cushioned chair,
Upon the big chair lies a large cat,
A large cat with flaming orange hair,
He doesn't seem to mind that against his paw lies a rat,

Tip, tip, tippity, tippity, tap,
The rains upon the windows rap.

by Hannah, age 12

The Teller

2006-08-14T10:46:00.000-04:00

Assignment: Write a paragraph describing a bank teller with her new boyfriend.

Susan grabbed the microphone and pulled it towards her cherry-red lips. "Hi!" she siad, "I've been waiting for you!"

The voice on the other end crackled incomprehensively. Susan laughed and shook her blond head. They talked for about ten minutes. Finally someone had to get the bank president to get her off the microphone so someone else could actually do business. The red truck drove away and a gray van took its place.

"Hi," Susan said blandly.

- Deborah Taylor

Self Description by Hannah

2006-08-10T10:14:00.000-04:00

A young lady lies on her stomach, feet in the air, ankles crossed. She is on her bed, scribbling furiously as she frowns at the paper. Suddenly she stops and smiles. She turns to the laptop computer sitting beside her. She starts to type with one hand, using her other hand here and there, clicking keys with her middle finger.

She has a small, heart-shaped face with small pale lips and freckles barely visible sprinkle her wide nose. Her eyelashes, hair and eyebrows are all the same color -- earthy. She still smiles at something, perhaps at what she is typing.

Self Description by Deborah

2006-08-10T10:10:00.000-04:00

A young girl of about fourteen sits in a cushioned rocking chair. In her arms is a sleeping baby, her cheeks a rosy pink, and her little mouth puckered. The girl sings to the baby in a sweet, soothing voice, one that has already lulled the little one into a gentle slumber. The girl's face is peaceful as she croons. She looks down at the child with big topaz eyes surrounded by long black lashes. Her cheeks, like the baby's, have a healthy glow to them, and her dark pink lips move slowly to the rhythm of the well-known lullaby. The teen's slender fingers curve gently around the baby's chubby waist. Eventually the girl gets tired. Her eyelids droop down, her eyelashes casting shadows on her high cheekbones. Now she and the baby in her arms are quiet.

Learn to Write the Novel Way

2006-08-10T10:08:00.000-04:00

For our Freshman Comp class, we're primarily using a book called Learn to Write the Novel Way by Carole Thaxton, MS, co-author of the KONOS curriculum. The book takes students through the writing of a novel, using the process to teach composition, literary elements, grammar, spelling, and other aspects of language. Since Hannah and Deborah both started writing a novel this summer, they are very excited about using this curriculum to finish and polish their novels!

Who knows, but Mom may even use it some with her own novels in progress.

J.

Sisters at the Beach

2006-07-28T23:58:00.000-04:00

Reflection

2006-07-28T23:55:00.000-04:00

Cape May, Continued

2006-07-28T23:51:00.000-04:00

Life Science

2006-07-28T23:45:00.000-04:00

The New Jersey sea shore is so different from the beaches we usually visit here in the South. The sand seemed gray and coarse. During our visit, hundreds of dead horseshoe crabs lay on near the dunes. We enjoyed inspecting them. Then we walked out on a breaker carpeted with moss and barnacles.

Learning at the Beach

2006-07-28T23:35:00.000-04:00

There's something about the beach . . . a few visits as a child and our minds are forever tattooed with the rhythm of the tide and the grit of sand between our teeth. I love the look on Shana Lee's face as she experiences sand for the very first time. How does she process and remember that sensation, with no language yet to capture memory? Children are learning all the time. We recognize this with babies, but at a certain age our society insists that learning takes place at a desk in a schoolroom.

Cape May Public Beach

2006-07-28T23:18:00.000-04:00

Cape May-Lewes Ferry

2006-07-28T23:04:00.000-04:00

This is the ferry we rode across Deleware Bay. To appreciate the size of this ferry, you need to know that Deborah and Hannah are leaning on the railing that runs along the boardwalk, about halfway down. You may have to click (enlarge) this photo to see them.

You drive onto the ferry (or walk) to cross the bay from Cape May, New Jersey to Lewes, Deleware. The journey is around 17 miles in 80 minutes. Restaurants and a shop are available during the voyage. We enjoyed sitting on the deck watching dolphins rise and sea gulls dip. Take a jacket -- it is cool and windy on deck, even in early summer.

Our Express Field Trip Adventure

2006-07-28T22:43:00.000-04:00

Here is a photo of most of the family on our recent whirlwind tour of the Capitol area. We had several business calls to make, so we decided to take the children along for an exciting, fast-paced field trip. We started the fun at The Lost Sea in Sweetwater, TN. We spent the night in Charlottesville, VA, and went on to Washington, DC where we saw the Lincoln Memorial and Vietnam Wall Wall and the spooky Korean Memorial (no time for a museum on this trip!) We spent that night in Vineland, NJ and drove down to the tip of Cape May to enjoy the beach there (see above). We crossed Deleware Bay and continued on to Virginia Beach to visit another of our SafeCrete jobsites. This route took us on an 18-mile ferry ride (see above, it's hard to put these blog posts in the right order!) and then over/under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, which amazingly dips beneath the water and several places. Finally, we spent the night in Chapel Hill, NC (business again) and headed home. Whew! That was crazy and fun!

J.

On the banks of the Potomac

2006-07-28T22:36:00.000-04:00

Although our time in (more like "through") the Capitol was brief, it was great for the children to see first hand some of the important landmarks. It was fun to point out some of these places and remember items we read in our history classes -- like Roosevelt's lengendary skinny-dipping in the Potomac.

In the background is Arlington Memorial Bridge.

J.

At the Lincoln Memorial

2006-07-28T22:09:00.000-04:00

The towering figure of Abraham Lincoln reminds us what an imposing figure he is in our history. So many of our beliefs about equality were distilled, if not conceived, by Abraham Lincoln. Still, one gets a sense of his short-sightedness when reading the many lofty quotes about the importance of giving all "men" a voice in government. As far as I know, it never dawned on him that the female citizens of this country had no voice at that time.

Here's my favorite Lincoln quote at the moment, though this one didn't make it into the halls of the monument:

"Allow the president to invade a neighboring nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and you allow him to do so whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such a purpose - and you allow him to make war at pleasure." -- Abraham Lincoln

Vote for Mom

2006-07-15T10:33:00.000-04:00

The Vote for Mom campaign team, ready to launch! I am running on the Democratic ticket for GA State House, District 3. See my campaign site www.voteformom.com for precincts served and platform.

I am a Christian, a homeschool mom and a Democrat. My primary concerns are Georgia's failing economy, health care crisis, and crippled education system.

Jeannie Babb Taylor

Homeschool Day at Lake Winnie

2006-07-15T10:30:00.000-04:00

In May we attended Lake Winnepesauka's "Homeschool Day." I like this photograph of Christian and Christianna because they are looking at each other, and it seems like he is looking in a mirror.

Stay off the Sidewalk!

2006-07-15T10:28:00.000-04:00

Christian learns to drive at Reliable Red's Automobile Garage.

Christianna & Alana

2006-07-09T21:44:00.000-04:00

Christianna (L) and Alana (R) ride the elephants. I was surprised that Christianna was willing to jump on this ride with a little girl she just met. She was pretty fearless all day. The only ride she & Shana Lee flipped out on was Frog Hopper. I had to have the worker stop that ride and let them off!

Deborah and Marshall

2006-07-09T21:41:00.000-04:00

Sisters Riding the Boats

2006-07-09T21:35:00.000-04:00

Into the Wild Blue Yonder

2006-07-09T21:30:00.000-04:00

What About the Prom?

2006-07-08T23:51:00.000-04:00

If you have educated older children at home for more than 3 minutes, you've undoubtedly been asked, "What about the prom?"

What the worry-warts fail to realize is that home education is not a prohibition to engage life. Home education is in fact the freedom to engage and explore life in a myriad of ways. So, what about the prom?

First of all, the phrase "the prom" assumes that there is only one prom, that public schools alone have it, and that homeschoolers cannot attend it. Not one of those presumptions is true. There are many schools, many proms -- yes, even homeschool proms! -- and besides that, my child can attend prom at YOUR school, if he/she has a date. Furthermore, there are numerous private schools and even a few public schools that do not have a prom, and there are numerous students at every school who skip the prom due to social or financial reasons. No one seems overly concerned about this. (For an excellent read on this subject, read this What About the Prom article.)

Thus far, both of my teenage daughters have managed to attend a prom. Moriah (in blue) went to her boyfriend's prom at a local public school. Deborah (in purple) attended the local CSTHEA homeschooling organization's prom this spring. She was 13 at the time, and has many proms ahead, if she chooses to attend. So the simple answer to the tired old question "What about the prom?" is "Which prom?"

Deborah in the Limelight

2006-07-08T23:42:00.000-04:00

Deborah really enjoyed the primping, pampering and posing that went on all day long before the prom. In the end, she decided it was more fun than the prom itself, which was in final analysis a bit of a let-down.

In fact the before-prom stretch was what I looked forward to her experiencing. We spent a girls-day-out shopping for dresses in the mall. Then we drove to my mother's house so she could try on my prom dresses. She decided that my junior year prom dress was more beautiful than anything on the racks today, and too classic to be considered vintage. I was thrilled that she could wear it.

The day of the prom, she had her hair professionally arranged and selected a wrist corsage. All of this was my gift to her, because I knew all along what she was about to discover: It isn't the party that is so special; it is you. It is coming out of your shell, expressing yourself, enjoying yourself, and displaying the beauty you've become. And she really is beautiful, inside and out. She doesn't need makeup and artificially colored hair. A simple strand of pearls is perfect, because the beauty is already there. I wanted her to see that, and I think she did.

Going Alone

2006-07-08T23:20:00.000-04:00

When Deborah's boyfriend was unable to attend the homeschool prom with her, she decided to go without an escort. I was really proud of her for going into that situation, where she knew the other kids would all be older and have dates. Deborah has always been fearless!

J.

Campaign Helper

2006-06-14T18:12:00.000-04:00

Hannah is ready to spread the message. Hannah is not only one of my campaign helpers; she's also part of the reason I entered this race. In order for the next generation to have a fair shot in the global playing field, we need to make Georgia great again. Our children are going to need an excellent education and abundant job opportunities. If we don't provide those opportunities right here in Georgia, bright children like Hannah will simply grow up and move elsewhere.

For more on my run for State House, see www.voteformom.com.

What We're Reading

2006-05-10T09:35:00.000-04:00

Yesterday and today, Deborah is consuming Anthem by Ayn Rand. Deborah is intrigued by the forbidden word. She was thinking perhaps it was "God" but when I asked her what word was conspicuously missing from the text, she decided it must be "I". Close, but we'll let her hold onto her suspense for a few more pages. Hannah has already read this one.

Hannah just finished O Pioneers! by Willa Cather. Deborah has started it, per assignment, but it's hard to tear her away from Anthem now. I am curious to see whether she will pick up Atlas Shrugged after this.

Hannah read The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry again after finding it discarded in used book store give-away bin. What a treasure! I could read that one every night, I think, and never tire of its implications and subtleties.

My organized and dictatorial nature compels me to issue reading assignments, essays and lists, but I am becoming more relaxed as time goes on. I find that if I just buy great books (often for as little as $1.75 at McKay's used bookstore) and leave them lying around -- this is really the only reading list that is required. Students who are reading literature that appeals to them are sure to glean more from the experience, to turn the ideas round in their minds and rub them against whatever else is going on in there until some spark ignites. And if a piece truly bores them, I see little value in forcing them to read it (or pretend to read it.) Sorry, Hawthorne. Perhaps she will find you more interesting later. I know that my interests and attention span have grown and changed as I matured.

As for me, I am at the moment slowly savoring Bram Stoker's Dracula. I have never wanted to read it before (not my sort of subject matter) but for 25 cents it seemed a good buy, and thus far I've found both the medium (diary notes, headlines, and letters) and the style eerily enticing. Stoker creates suspense by pulling the narrative forward so slowly, like the gradual drawing aside of a curtain -- and the vocabulary is wonderful. Does anyone write like this anymore??

As far as short stories go, we've been reading Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory" and Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery". I hope to squeeze in Flannery O'Connor, Tennessee Williams and Eudora Welty for a little more Southern flavor before this quickly speeding school year ends. The girls will continue reading through the summer, of course, and I'll continue leaving excellent literature lying around. I wonder if we are becoming "unschoolers" after all . . .

J.

Haiku

2006-05-10T09:31:00.000-04:00

A flutter of wings,
Then Butterfly passes by,
And the flower sings!

- Hannah

______________________

Rain pours down to the earth,
Down upon all of the ground,
And the tree leaves drip.

- Hannah

______________________________

The birds above cheep,
Slimy creatures skim the deep,
'neath the earth they creep.

- Hannah

_______________________________

One big fat penguin
races toward the finish line
"look!" he says, "I won!"

- Deborah

_______________________________

There was a small duck
Who had stripes on his belly
The other ducks laughed.

- Deborah

Creation

2006-04-28T16:29:00.000-04:00

My God, My God,
What have you done?
You made the flowers
That dance in the sun.

You made the birds,
You made the beasts.
You made the great,
You made the least.

You made the large,
You made the small,
And all these beings
Come at your call.

My God, My God,
How can it be,
You made the animals
And you made me.

Deborah, age 13
2006

Forest Home

2006-03-21T18:20:00.000-05:00

Beneath mountains old and steep,
timeless creatures crawl and creep,
a sea of grass, deep and green,
a field where many deer are seen.

By stone or by grass blade,
the human memory may fade,
emerald ferns and fiery leaves,
a deepness no human eye perceives.

Of all the places I shall roam,
I will settle down,
and in the forest make my home,
away from every town.

A roof of green, and red, and gold,
supported by columns of silver bark old,
and old they are but sound and strong.

The silky ferns are my floor,
and between two streams is a door,
and when a breeze blows,
all the trees so sound and strong,
join their voices in a song.

In the forest do I find,
a peace that I suppose,
could not be found in the prettiest,
softest rose.

- Hannah, age 11
March 21, 2006

Update on Deborah and Hannah's Classes

2006-03-11T15:18:00.000-05:00

Literature -- We just finished writing an analysis of The Old Man and the Sea. You can see the girls' papers below. Before that, we completed a 4-week unit on short stories. We used a really lame book called Teaching Literary Elements with Short Stories to study 4 different aspects of short stories (character, setting, symbols & similes, and plot) through 4 different short stories: "La Bamba" by Gary Soto, "A Secret for Two" by Quentin Reynolds, "How Many Stars in My Crown" by Rosemary Wells and "The Circuit" by Francisco Jiminez. The book wasn't what we expected (too childish) but we had fun creating our own stories! You can see Deborah's story beginning "Playing the Ice" below. Hannah's will be uploaded soon. Next we're going to read a couple of American novels and then go back to the American Lit book for some classic stories and excerpts.

Science -- Deborah and Hannah are working through Switched-On Schoolhouse (SOS) 8th grade curriculum. It is a computerized curriculum which has pro's and con's. Pro's include embedded videos, games to study by, and best of all IT GRADES ITSELF! It's very self-contained so there are no workbooks or tests or grading manuals to keep up with. The main con is that computers aren't as creative as people, so it sometimes marks an answer "wrong" when it was just "different." But the teacher can adjust the grade as needed. The experiments are fairly interesting and totally do-able right at home. (Okay, so I did have to send Derek out for a kitchen thermometer, and we're using small glasses rather than test tubes, but nothing extravagant is needed.)

History -- We are using some ancient "Light Units" by CLP to cover modern American History. Last week we took a break from those little workbooks to devour the March issue of National Geographic. The girls chose their favorite article and did more research to write their own short article. Their articles will be published here on the blog within the next few days! We love National Geographic. Their articles and website provide a wealth of interesting and fun educational opportunities, and they always seem to be on the cusp of current events. I can't decide what to do next week, so if nothing better strikes me, we'll hit the workbooks again.

Math -- Deborah and Hannah are both working through the Alpha Omega Alg I series this year. Deborah is now on the last book of the series, and Hannah is on book 8 of 10. These will last Hannah for the rest of the school year, and Deborah will enjoy a math break when she finishes this book. We've been very happy with this curriculum.

Music -- Deborah is not taking lessons at the moment, but she is still enjoying her fiddle. She placed 1st in the statewide Church of the Nazarene strings contest and will be playing at the regional contest "Top Nazarene Talent" at Trevecca Nazarene college (also known as TNT at TNU) at the end of this month. She also played in her first Blue Grass contest down in Tuscaloosa. That was a great experience for her. She also hopes to play in the upcoming 1890's Days celebration here in our home town.

PE -- We just finished up basketball season, where our children's daily training included chicken-pluckers, jump rope, and other exercises. They played Upward basketball, which was great fun. Now that basketball is over, our PE is taking on a more free form. Some days the children canoe in the creek behind our house, or take their baby sisters for stroller ride. They may jump on the trampoline, go hiking and wildlife-watching, or just play in the yard.

The biggest change in our learning-lives lately has been finding a church that we really love! Battlefield Parkway Church of the Nazarene has been providing the whole family with many ways to grow spiritually, socially, and educationally. It's exciting to hear how much the children are learning in their classes, and how well they retain it. There's nothing sweeter than hearing your little boy say, "Hey Dad, you wanna read the Bible with me?" It's fun to hear what the older children are being taught as well -- particularly now that they have the knowledge, background and skillset to effectively question teachings that may conflict with prior learning or their own sense of what the Bible says.

The Great Marlin

2006-03-11T14:07:00.000-05:00

by Hannah, age 11

This document is about Ernest Hemmingway’s The Old Man And The Sea. If the old man does not harpoon the marlin to death he will have a better chance of getting it home whole. The marlin will not attract the sharks, he can club it, or steer it in the right direction. (To the shore)

Why does Santiago (the old man) harpoon the creature? That I do not know, perhaps he is so tired and wants the struggle to end. But in any case the marlin will not attract the sharks if the old man does not harpoon him. It will only bleed from the hook injury. In other words, it is crazy of the man to harpoon the creature.

Santiago can club the marlin to death. It will not draw the bloodthirsty sharks so near. They will have only smelt fish. As stated above, the man is crazy. The old man regrets this deed later. In fact, he wishes he had never caught the fish. He often talks to the great blue Marlin.

Santiago can also steer the marlin in the direction of the shore still living and then kill it. I believe this is the most sensible solution. If he can harness the marlins terrifying strength he will be able to get him home whole. Also if the sharks come the creature can defend himself, whereas if Santiago kills him, he must be defended.

The old man (Santiago) should either club the marlin to death or not kill it yet. He will have a much better chance of getting the great fish home whole. I must say that on my part I found the book rather dull I am not ungrateful or hatful. As with most other books I am glad I have read it, reading such things gives me a look out of some one else’s eyes. The Old Man and the Sea is just not my style, I tend to like fantasy better and I thank you for your time in reading this.

Higle (The Horse Who Turned into an Eagle)

2006-03-11T13:28:00.000-05:00

This book is about a horse and he turns into a eagle. His name is Higle.

Higle is doing his first flight and he's doing a good job, I think. He will like it. He is 100 feet up. That is very high!

Higle is 100,000 feet up and he is behind the tree.

That is a wolf chasing him.

The end.

Original composition and artwork by Christian, age 6

The Old Man and the Sea

2006-03-11T13:18:00.000-05:00

The Old Man and the Sea: A Critical Analysis

by Deborah, age 13

In the book The Old Man and the Sea, written by Ernest Hemingway, the old man wants to die, but not in a deathbed with people crowded around to see how weak he is. He wants to die like a hero in an adventure, where he would go away to fight in a fierce battle and die courageously. All his life, he had done amazing things; he doesn’t want to leave the earth unnoticed, like a flame being snuffed out. He keeps wishing that he were the mighty marlin who, of course, is about to die, but it is about to die fighting. He did not take food with him, but will have to catch fish from the sea. His dreams are always of golden lions running through the sand dunes in the sunny land of Africa. Does this represent heaven?

On his voyage, he keeps saying, ”I wish I were a marlin like you.” The marlin represents the old man. Its size indicates how old it is; it is larger than the skiff that took the old man out to sea. The marlin, after fighting fiercely, will die tragically at the side of the skiff; the old man will puncture its head with a harpoon. The man wants to die great, like a mighty warrior.

The old man is not very well prepared in that he has brought no food. Instead, he waits hours at a time for a fish that is gullible enough to get caught on one of his many baited hooks. He catches several salmon and one dolphin that has swallowed two flying fish. He eats them raw, because he has no way of cooking them in the middle of the sea. This is a way of being the mighty marlin, merely by acting it out.

When the old man finally gets home, his trophy is gone. His hands are calloused and cut, and his body is worn out. He had stayed up all night fighting off the attacking sharks as they came to feed off of the marlin’s great carcass. He comes to shore early in the morning, and no hero’s crowd is there to worship him or to witness his terrible fate. He goes to bed dead tired, thinking of nothing now except the sleep that will now so easily come to him after nights of staying awake. The old man leaves the skeleton of the marlin tied to his little skiff in the harbor and goes to sleep, eagerly inviting the painless dreams of lions running on the sunny beaches of Africa. To me, this represents what he thinks Heaven will be like when he dies. The lions in his dreams symbolize the different people in his life, and the golden beaches are the sidewalks of Heaven.

It’s a sad story, isn’t it? All he wants is to die with honor in the solitude of his boat. He wants to be remembered as someone great, not an ailing old man saying his last words on his deathbed. He wants to be a marlin, like his great brother of the sea. He thinks he might live on raw fish from the sea instead of taking food that is freely given unto him. He goes to bed and dreams of the lions again, but he is going to die a hero after all.
Deborah

Life and Death Differences

2006-03-11T12:03:00.000-05:00

(This is another composition written by Hannah during our Christy theme unit. Misspellings are left for authenticity.)

The book Christy was written by Christy ’s daughter, Kathrin Marshall (which by the way isn’t her real name). The book is partly true and partly fictional. “Christy ” is very much a coming of age story. Mrs. Alice, Christy, and Dr. Neil McNeil have different techniques of healing. Mrs. Alice gets personal with the patient; Dr. Neil McNeil only uses medicine and research. Mrs. Alice learns about techniques and medicines for healing from the doctor. Mrs. Alice teaches him how a person has a hand in his or her own death, which is why you must befriend them and make them want to live. Christy learns from both the doctor and Mrs. Alice.

Mrs. Alice gets more personally involved with her patients than Dr. Neil McNeil. She helps Ruby Mae understand that she could be brave and keep herself alive, even through the horrors and dangers of typhoid and pneumonia. Mrs. Alice encourages her patients, while Dr. Neil McNeil only gives medicine and tries not to get attached to his patients in case they don’t make it. Another thing that helps her Mrs. Alice be a good teacher is that she has had a child of her own and therefore knows how painful it can be daughter, Margaret, married Dr. McNeil and ironically died of typhoid fever. Christy is inexperienced and only knows to apply warm rags to Fairlight’s chest and head when she is sick with typhoid. Fairlight dies because she thinks she is going to die.

Mrs. Alice learns about medical techniques from the doctor. For instance, she treats Ruby Mae with poultices of warm onionskins for her pneumonia and typhoid. Christy and Will peel onions and begin warming them for the poultices. It turns into a crying party at Will and Ruby Mae’s house. Ruby Mae is soon better and able to take up her normal duties.

Mrs. Alice slowly teaches Dr. Neil McNeil about how each person has a hand in his or her own death. If they think they are going to die, then they will. When they think they are going to make it, they make it. We can see that Dr. Neil McNeil finally grasps this at the end of the book. He gets more personal with Christy because he feels like he needs her. Fairlight thinks she is going to die and she does. Tom knew he would be shot if he left his house to go to the mission house but he did it anyway.

Mrs. Alice and the doctor have different techniques for curing people. Mrs. Alice becomes involved with her patients so that they have something to look forward to look forward to in life. The Dr. keeps his distance and doesn’t become attached to his patients. All in all, Mrs. Alice’s technique is more effective than Dr. Neil McNeil’s technique. Mrs. Alice Henderson learns about techniques and ways to recognize sicknesses. Dr. Neil McNeil learns slowly about love and motherly care from Mrs. Henderson. We know he does learn because of what happens in the end of the book. Christy is sick and about to die from typhoid when dr. Neil McNeil brings her back by bonding with her and urging her not to think she is going to die.

Hannah's paper on Christy

2006-03-11T11:58:00.000-05:00

(This is Hannah's assignment from the Christy unit. I just forgot to upload it till now.)

Christy Huddleston grows into a more mature, brave, kind person. In the book “Christy” by Katharine Marshall, the main character learns life isn’t always easy, especially on the poor. She learns to love and let love, to live and let live. She learns to be strong for herself and others too. She learns about the needs and wants of the mountain people. Christy goes from being an aristocratic young girl, to a strong and beautiful young woman.

Christy Huddleston learns life isn’t always easy, especially on the poor. She learns about the wants and needs of the mountain people who have to make their own food and clothes. They are stubborn and do not like charity. They don’t like much kindness either. The mission tried to give them clothes and supplies, but the mountaineers would not accept the gifts. So the mission opened a small shop and had them buy the things at a very low price because they could not just give it to them.

Christy Huddleston learns to love and let love, to live and let live, to be happy and make happy. In a way she loves David but she cannot make up her mind. When David asks her to marry him she does not answer, because she cannot decide. In the end she and Dr. Neil McNeil, as the book indicates, fall in love with each other. The Dr. has a hard time fighting typhoid ever year so Christy and the rest of the mission help him. The Dr has been trying to win her over from the start but she does not notice, although she does wonder what draws her to him. He is drawn to her because she looks and acts like his deceased wife, Margaret, who was killed by typhoid fever, along with her baby) Margaret, Mrs. Alice’s daughter.

Christy Huddleston learns to be strong for herself and others too. When Tom is killed by Lundy Taylor, though she herself also feels the pain, hatred, and sadness, she knows she must keep on being steady and strong for Opal, Isaac, who has to dig his own fathers’ grave, and the rest of the McHone children. Another time when Fairlight Spencer dies, from typhoid fever it is hard for her to stay strong, but she somehow manages to make it through her funeral and give support to Fairlight’s children.

Christy Huddleston becomes a brave, strong, kind, and all in all more mature person. In the book “Christy” she learns that life isn’t always going to be easy for her, especially since she is now acting as if she where poor. She learns how to love and be loved, how to live and how to let live. She learns how to be strong for herself and ones she loves. She learns about the mountain peoples’ wants, needs and what they have. Christy learns how to teach school on a mountainside where winters are harsh and snow can get six feet deep. Christy Huddleston is a rich, aristocratic, young girl who turns into a strong, brave and beautiful young woman who loves to teach the children of the mountainside.
-- Hannah, age 11

Our Mother Country

2006-03-11T11:48:00.000-05:00

(This composition was assigned after reading Thomas Paine's "Common Sense." Perhaps the influence of Benjamin Franklin is seen in this response as well....... J.)

England is often mistakably called America’s mother country, but Poor Deb will give you three reasons why this is a mistake. 1-England was not the only country that sent over settlers. 2-As a parent, England would have sent over more trustworthy governors that were liked by both Americans and Englishmen alike. 3-England fought against American freedom, not for it.

England could not correctly be called ‘mother’, because she was not the only one that sent over her people. Settlers came from all over the world, though mostly from Europe. It is my understanding that an Italian man (Columbus) actually found America and claimed it for Spain. So really, is it logical for England to be called Parent? No!

In a search to keep control over the pilgrims and settlers, England sent over many governors, most of them were devious men who sought to take total control of the whole country. Some were good, honest men who helped the people in any way possible. The trustworthy men usually rebelled against the English and became an equal among the people.

If England were such a good mother, why is it that Americans wanted to fight for their own independent freedom? One reason for this may have been because of the English monarchy. The English were ruled over by a supreme king or queen. The Americans decided they did not like this and so made their own government, a ruler who was equal to the citizens and bound to the law as every one else was.

So we conclude that because an Italian man found America and claimed it for Spain, the English governors were despised by Americans or betrayed the British, and the Americans hated English rule, that England is not fit to be called mother. One nation alone may not be responsible for another, but instead the continent as a whole. The world actually would be a better-named mother.

-- Poor Deb

When the Light Comes On

2006-02-22T12:13:00.000-05:00

One of the reasons I choose to teach my children at home, is so I can enjoy those moments when the light comes on. I didn't miss my babies' first steps or the first time they rode without training wheels. Why should I miss the first book they read on their own, or that moment when math suddenly makes sense?

Christian, age 6, has been struggling in math lately. It surprised me because he's always had an excellent grasp of numbers, spatial relationships, etc. But he was struggling to understand why 300 is 1 more than 299, or what number is 10 less than 500.

Yesterday he was playing alone in his room, when he suddenly ran to my office and handed me a slip of paper. On the paper was a number he'd written incorrectly last time he counted his money -- followed by my correction. Now he had added another number: $13.91, written perfectly.

"Look!" he shouted, "I counted my money and I have $13.91!" Then to my shock he added, "Will you give me nine cents so I'll have $14.00?"

I almost fell out of my chair! There was the concept I'd been trying in vain to teach him, perfectly understood and in very real, meaningful terms. Of course I consented to give him the nine cents -- but a moment later he ran back in the room to say, "I found another penny in my room! Now I only need eight cents to make $14.00!"

These are the moments that make homeschooling worth the effort. This why I work from home. This is why I don't put my children on a yellow school bus. I am too selfish to share these moments with a hireling.

J.

Playing the Ice

2006-02-22T12:02:00.000-05:00

(This story beginning was an Am Lit assignment. It was supposed to be a short story, but Deborah got carried away and started a novel.)

Playing the Ice

by Deborah Taylor

Introduction
It happened in San Francisco. No one knows exactly how. Most will tell you that it started with a twirl and ended with an ice skating scholarship, but that wouldn’t be the truth. They’re not telling you the middle or the real beginning. I will tell you how it really happened. It was a hot, misty day…

Chapter One
Elsa looked down at her feet and blushed. All the kids made fun of her; they thought she was old-fashioned. Nobody wears jeans anymore!” the girls laughed. The bell rang and Elsa gathered her books.
“Wait, Elsa. I want to talk to you.” Elsa put her books down and walked over to her teacher. Nearly a foot taller than her, Elsa suddenly felt dwarfed. “I don’t want you to worry about what all of those snooty girls have to say about you. I mean, look at you; you’re pretty, you’re sweet, you’re very intelligent, you’re a straight A student for crying out loud! You have great potential. Don’t let them bring your spirits down. They’re probably just jealous.” He said. He laughed mildly then; the way men do when they’re trying to cheer you up.
“Thanks.” She said then, after a brief moment of silence. She stuffed the books in her backpack and walked out the door. Elsa’s house was only a few blocks away, so she decided to walk. She breathed in the moist air and felt it rush through her lungs. “They’re probably just jealous.” He’d said. Was it true? Did they really want what she had?
The girls’ pink school bus passed by her and drove around a huge skyscraper. Elsa didn’t look at the noses she knew would be pressed against the glass, or at the taunting faces that would be sticking out of the windows.

* * * * *
She bowed down gracefully in front of the crowd, which was cheering wildly by now, and returned to her husband and partner. “We’ve got another show in the afternoon, so we’d better go on to the airport.” He said as they skated off of the ice. They hurried to the changing room, where she took off her blue silk dress and slipped on a fashion dress.
The sun was just coming up and the orange light hit her suddenly, causing her flowing red hair to illuminate, bursting into golden, fiery colors. He chuckled then and ran his fingers through her hair. The chauffeur got out to help her into the limo. They rode in silence for a time before she spoke again. “Maybe we better check on baby.” She pulled out a cell phone and dialed the number.
* * * * *
“Where have you been?” Anita asked. “Your face is bright red!” She exclaimed.
“I walked from school,” Elsa stated flatly. She sighed and sat down at the polished mahogany table.
“All the way? Bless your little heart! You know what, why don’t you just go to your room and lie down on the bed while I make you some ice tea. I’ll be there in a little bit. Susan will make the meal.” Susan was their robot cook. She made excellent food but was unable to eat it. “I-hope-it-was-satisfactory…” she would pronounce in her broken language. Elsa was thoughtful of Susan whenever she passed by. Every morning she would clean and tidy up the house, dusting all of the furniture and the thick white Victorian carpets. When night came and the moon rose full above the clouds, she would slip into her closet to charge for cleaning the huge house the next day. Elsa laid down on the goose down pillow and waited for Anita.

* * * * *
Click. “Hello?” a thick Russian accent said when the phone picked up.

“Hi, Christina. I just wanted to hear how my little girl’s doing.”

“She’s great! At first she was fussy and temperamental, but I fed her and she felt a lot better. She fell asleep at the table. I just now put her in her crib.”

“OK. Thanks. I’m planning on coming home tomorrow after lunchtime, so just call me if you need anything. I can be there in a few hours if I need to, all right? Bye” The receiver clicked again ad the transcontinental connection was severed.
* * * * *

“Elsa?” there was a knock on the door. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah. Sure.” Elsa said. She wandered what Anita had to say to her.
“Elsa, your father and I are very worried about you. Here we are, some of the richest peoples in the city, you could have anything you want, yet you continue to be so old fashioned. So, tomorrow, we’re going to take you shopping. We’ll leave early in the morning t avoid the huge crowds. OK?”

“Where will we go shopping?” Elsa asked shyly.

“Why, the mall, of course, dear!” Anita laughed gaily then and strutted out the door; just like a proud peacock, Elsa thought.

* * * * *

“Last call for flight 207, last call.” A young couple got up and walked towards the flight desk. “Hi, we’d like to make an appointment for the eleven O’clock flight on the 10-passenger guest plane.” The man talked calmly, as if this were nothing important.

“You do realize how much that costs don’t you?” The desk clerk asked, tying to hide the surprise in her voice. “Unless you’re really famous and you can prove it. Then it’s free.” She popped a piece of gum into her mouth and started to smack loudly.

“It’s free? That’s great. I’d still like to schedule it for the eleven O’clock flight” The desk clerk just looked at them cautiously while she continued to on her gum some more. “You do know who we are? Excuse me for not introducing us, I’m Gregory Sneider and this is my wife Elizabeth Sneider. We’re famous ice skaters…” he exaggerated the word famous. The girl must have recognized them, because her face lit up instantly and she stopped smacking. Instead, she let her chin fall to her chest. The only thing she said was,

“Can I have your autographs?”

Deborah Brings Home Medals for Art,Voice and Strings

2006-01-25T13:15:00.000-05:00

Deborah attended the Festival of Life in Sandersville, GA last weekend. This annual event brings together teenagers from each state's Churches of the Nazarene to showcase their talents in art, sports, and Bible quizzing.

Deborah won First Place for Strings Solo, First Place for Vocals, and Second Place for Pencil Drawing.

Good job, Deborah!

Hannah Wins Fencing Contest

2006-01-25T13:14:00.000-05:00

Hannah took first place in the 10-13 year old division of a local dry foil contest.

(Will post picture later.)

J.

Christian's Herbivores and Omnivores

2006-01-25T13:04:00.000-05:00

Here is a scan of part of Christian's test. His drawings are adorable!

Monotremes and Marsupials, Oh My!

2005-11-25T22:13:00.000-05:00

Now that I have a laptop again, it's time for a major update on our homeschool progress!

In our SCIENCE class, we've worked through plants and most of the animals beginning with the most "simple" (coelenterates and other animals with radial symmetry, then flatworms, roundworms and so on) and working our way up toward mammals. Generally speaking, complexity is judged by symmetry, nervous system, digestive system, and circulatory system. An animal with a 4-chambered heart (bird or mammal) would be considered more complex than an amphibian with its 3-chambered heart, or a fish with just 2 chambers. Evolutionary theories suggest that the 4-chambered heart is a later development evolved from the 3-chambered heart, which came from the 2-chambered heart, and so on.

I believe very much in creation, and see evolution as an extension of creation rather than an either/or. Some of our observations these last few months have supported evolution, while others have not. It is important to remember that scientists can only observe, experiment and hypothesize. We will always be learning new things -- some of which cancel out the old things, but more often just explain them better. What we see now is not "Truth" but only a small aspect of truth. As the Scripture says, what we see now is like looking into a clouded mirror. We can only see in part. Someday, though, we will see everything clearly.

For example, consider the 5 Kingdoms. Originally scientists identified 2 kingdoms, plants and animals. But there were creatures that just wouldn't fit. Plants MUST have chlorophyll to be plants... but then scientists discovered plant-like lifeforms without chlorophyll. Or they discovered plant-like organisms that could not make their own food. Or animals that did make their own food, yet moved around like animals. Thus, the 2 kingdoms became 5. These are only arbitrary labeling systems. They might just as well have kept it at 2 but expanded their definitions.... don'tcha think? Why do you think they made the decision they made? What might happen if other organisms are discovered which do not fit neatly into these 5 kingdoms?

These are some of the things we consider in our classes. We look at science as a means of learning about our world, and not an authority on truth. Science need never be at odds with religion. Science and religion should inform each other, and perhaps express one another. Religion has nothing to fear from science -- except that religion which is based in ignorance rather than a desire to learn and know.

My first-grader Christian has been learning along with the middle-schoolers in this class. I gave him a simpler test. He had to identify the three types of mammals with their defining characteristic, and match 2 examples:

Monotremes lay eggs. Ex: spiny ant-eater, duck-billed platypus
Marsupials have pouches. Ex: kangaroo and oppossum
Placentals nourish their babies in the womb with a placenta. Ex: human, raccoon.

He also had to know that birds and mammals are warm-blooded with a 4-chambered heart. The identifying characteristics of birds are wings and feathers. Mammals are identified by fur/hair and the nursing of young with breastmilk. He made 100 on his test, and so did Deborah and Hannah!

J.

Hannah's silly story with spelling words

2005-09-28T13:28:00.000-04:00

Torrents of rain came down as he rode willy-nilly on his bicycle imperceptibly catching pneumonia. His gaiety was gone, his eyes riveted to the TV, and he was ever making glib comments. He used to be so scrupulous about his invoices, but now he just tried to be retentive in the intervals between using disinfecting poultices, but it was futile to heal him. Although he was genial most people shunned him because of his eccentricities. Some people were fairly crooning over him. Can you imagine the jubilation in those people when he was no longer ill?

- Hannah

Deborah's short paper on Christy character growth

2005-09-28T12:36:00.000-04:00

Christy
Deborah Taylor
Christy is a strong character who can overcome any danger… Once she gets used to the situation. When she first gets to Cutter’s Gap, she learns of the terrible rivalry between the village people and of their just-as-bad old time traditions. Here are the three ways in which she changes in the first year.

Christy travels by foot through ten-inch snow, ready to face any danger, if only she could carry her leather duffel bag! But when she gets to Cutter’s Gap, she is astonished and scared by all of the killing, stealing, and moonshine systems. She doesn’t quite know what to do, but knows for sure that things must improve or she can no longer stay there. The first change that happens is when she accepts that this is the way things are, and there’s not really anything that can change that.

The second change is when she tries to change the ways of the wild mountain people. After some time, more people become Christians and learn how to read with Christy’s help. They accept this high-talking stubborn teacher and learn to live with her, exchanging stories of how they grew up. They fancy her high collars and pretty shirtwaist. Christy starts standing up to the roughness of the mountain people and steps right in between any troubles the mountaineers might have. Afterwards she always feels nervous. She never really thinks about things before she does them.

The third change comes when Christy falls in love with David Grantland, a new local preacher. She becomes more aware of the beauties around her and learns to love everyone, even David’s grumpy older sister, Mrs. Ida. She’s almost always in a good mood. Also during this time, she earns a respect from the mountaineers.

So in conclusion, I think that Christy got the most out of coming to Cutter’s Gap. She found hate when she came, acceptation after she stayed, and love when she discovered how to be patient. I think of her as a little missionary, prepared for evil, only to find that things are even worse than she thought. Then she slowly changes to the environment around her and gradually changes things until they fit her plans. This person is full of perseverance and patience and understanding. That’s what I want other people to think of when they think of me.

Christy chapters 37-end

2005-09-25T20:00:00.000-04:00

This week, we will finish reading Christy. We'll do all our usual vocab gyrations. We'll also write several short papers:
1. Choose a character and discuss how he/she changes during Christy's first year at Cutter Gap.
2. Are any of the characters in this book "flat"?
3. Outline the various models of ministry presented in the book, and tell which one you think might work best.

End of book discussion questions:
1. Why does the doctor have such a hard time fighting typhoid each year?
2. Contrast Christy's views of fundraising with Dr. Ferrand's views.
3. Was Christy ever in love with David Grantland? How can you tell?
4. Was David ever in love with Christy? How can you tell?
5. Trace the changes in Christy's attitudes toward the highlanders in her first year of teaching.
6. Do you think Christy was more effective in the first month or the last? Explain.
7. Although Dr. MacNeil is already widowed when Christy meets him, his wife is a principle character in the plot of the novel. Explain.
8. What is the highlander view of charity? How does it affect the mission? How do the missionaries address the issue?
9. Imagine that you are Christy. Review your first year of teaching and write a short list of ideas and improvements for the upcoming year.
10. Write a short prologue to the book. Tell what will happen to the following characters. (One sentence will suffice.) Christy, David Grantland, Ms. Henderson, Dr. MacNeil, Bird's Eye Taylor.

Vocab:
glib - spoken in a careless, offhand manner
riveted - engrossed; attracted and held firmly
pneumonia - potentially fatal inflammation of the lungs
gaiety - fun; light-heartedness
torrents - streams or down-pours
crooning - singing or speaking in a soothing tone
willy-nilly - haphazard
imperceptibly - undetectably
mechanistic - explained in terms of physical forces
scrupulous - precise
invoices - bills to be paid
intervals - times or spaces between
retentive - tending to retain or remember
poultices - a medical dressing in which meal, clay, herbs, medicine, etc are tied up in a cloth, heated and applied to the affected area
futile - not even worth the effort
jubilation - wild rejoicing
gait - manner of walking
ardor - intense feeling, fervor
disinfecting - germ-killing
repugnant - obscene or repulsive
ludicrous - ridiculous
interminability - endlessness
genial - friendly
eccentricities - wierd quirks

Next week, each student will write a critical analysis. Hopefully the short papers and discussion questions will spark some ideas for a thesis!

J.

Christy chapters 25-36

2005-09-25T19:15:00.000-04:00

During the 3rd week of our Christy study, the students wrote a short paper contrasting Aunt Polly's religious views to Dr. Grantlands. This was due Friday, typed. We then had a good discussion about what happens when you die, and also contrasted the way each person reached their conclusions. We determined that little old ladies are sometimes better theologians than seminary students. We also did all the usual little vocabulary exercises, but less research since we were caught in the throws of life science!

Vocabulary Terms:
speculation - conjecture (and then I had to define that one!)
ilk - type or kind
indiscriminately - random, haphazard
pinafore - apron worn by small girls
nonplused - speechless
vehemence - fierce anger
inoculations - vaccination shots
banter - lighthearted chatter
cheeky - bold, impudent
scathing - harshly critical
imperious - urgent or pushy
jargon - specialized language of a profession or group
collusion - a secrete agreement for illegal purposes
feud - hostility between 2 clans
furtively - secretly
taciturn - habitually untalkative
aristocratic - of high social position
taffeta - smooth, shiny fabric
ecstatic - thrilled
vestiges - a sign of something that no longer exists
implicitly - without saying
reticence - quietness and restraint
placid - peaceful
manifest - clearly apparent
pungent - sickly sweet smelling

When introducing words, I like to have the students guess at their meaning based on their root words. Frequently we will also discuss related words, such as explicit vs. implicit.

J.

Christy Chapters 13-24

2005-09-25T15:45:00.000-04:00

The second week of our Christy study, each student wrote a short profile on Christy. On Monday, Deborah told us about the trephine burrhole from her study the previous week. This procedure, used by Dr. Neil MacNeil to save Bob Allen's life when he was struck in the head by a fallen tree, has been used since ancient times and a version of it is still used today. We learned our new vocab words (see below) and made index cards with the definitions, which we looked up in class.

Tuesday, the students wrote a 100-200 word character profile on Christy. We practiced vocab words.

Wednesday, they wrote a story using each of the vocab words. Deborah shared her research on dulcimers, and we listened to some online. www.mcspaddendulcimers.com

Thursday, we played vocab basketball. (If you give the right answer, you get a shot.) We had a practice test and the students wrote any missed words 5x. Hannah also shared her research on trachoma.

Friday, we had our vocab and spelling test. Hannah shared her research and illustrations of Smokey Mtn fauna, while Deborah told about Smokey Mtn. flora.

Vocab for Ch 13-24:
appraised - judged for worth
intermediary - agent or go-between
triviliaties - issues of little importance
counterpin - quilt
monosyllables - words of one syllable
dulcimer - hourglass-shaped instrument with 3-4 strings
deprecate - to belittle
minstrel - a traveling musician
ballad - a folk song
suffice - be sufficient or enough
cryptic - having a hidden meaning
mosaic - a design made with small colored pieces
trachoma - a contagious eye disease that causes blindness
typhoid - infectious fever transmitted bycontaminated food & water
scourge - a source of pain & hardship
Gaelic - Celtic language
Jacobite - supporter of the Stuart house who wanted to restore James II to the English throne
potentate - a monarch or dictator
Russian roulette - an act of reckless bravado
stenographer - someone who takes dictation
exuberant - enthusiastic & joyful
pending - imminent, about to happen
burgeoning - blossoming
quagmire - muddy land OR a predicament
tangible - possible to touch

Am Lit Theme Unit: Christy

2005-09-25T10:56:00.000-04:00

I imagine everyone is familiar with this TV series. When I picked up the book, I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of the subject matter and the use of language. I decided to incorporate it into our study of American Literature.

Chapters 1-12
Discussion includes setting, timeline work, culture.
Research Topics:
1. Why are the Smokies "smokey"?
2. Illustrate and explain a girdled tree.
3. Was Christy a real person?
4. Trephine burrhole -- description, use, prognosis.

Composition assignment: Pretend you are Christy. Write a business letter requesting donations.

Vobulary Words for Chapters 1-12
consolidated - united
nondescript - not easily described
disconsolately - without comfort
English boxwood - hardwood scrubs
puncheon - heavy split log
tintypes - photograph on metal
austere - harsh or stern
dilemma - difficult problem
ultimatum - final terms
hemorrhage - excessive bleeding
pantomime - to show without speaking
bouquet - collection of flowers
mawkish - sickly sentimental
chortling - chuckling
millinery - woman's hat
foist - to pass a burden
picayune - stingy or picky
ancestral - pertaining to ancestors
tranquil - quiet & calm
liturgy 0- prescribed ceremony
astringent - constricting
condescension - attitude of superiority
stentorian - loud or powerful
squire - country judge
interdenominational - involving several denominations

We typically spend 1 week on 25 words.

Monday - I call out the words and my students guess the spelling. I give a definition and we practice using the word in a sentence. My definitions here are short and sketchy, but we elaborate in class.

Tuesday - Make index cards with the words and run through them once. (Or the students make then complete matching worksheets.)

Wednesday - Run through the cards once, make sentences with the words. My students prefer to make a story; it's more challenging than disjointed sentences.

Thursday - Practice spelling test. (Counts as daily grade. Also counts as half test grade if you make 100.) Basketball or other vocab game.

Friday - Vocab and spelling test.

Coming to Terms with Homeschool

2005-09-18T22:56:00.000-04:00

School:
1. an educational institution
2. a building where young people receive education
3. a process of being formally educated at a school
4. an educational institution's faculty and students
5. educate in or as if in a school
6. the time period when schools are in session
7. a body of creative artists or writers or thinkers linked by a similar style or similar teachers
8. educate; train to be discriminative in taste or judgment
9. a large group of fish
10. swim in or form a large group of fish

I have never liked the term "homeschool." If you notice, I'm more like to use an unwieldly phrase like "we choose to educate our own children." There are several reasons for my obstinence. For one thing, "We homeschool" has never sounded like proper English to me. It sounds something like "we homeeat" or "we homesleep." It would even be more palatable to say that "we hometeach." Because we do teach.... and some of that teaching occurs at home.

We teach, but do we "school?" By strict definition, I suppose we do. We train the intellects of our children as intentionally and fastidiously as any "school." Our premise, perhaps, is a bit different. We are (1) an educational institution -- but so is every family whether or not they choose to "homeschool." Our home is (2) a building where young people receive education, so I guess that makes it a "home/school." Our children are being (3) formally educated in this home/school. The faculty and the students (4) are both home -- well, maybe on occasion.

But do we (5) educate as if in a school? I hope not. If all we are doing is bringing the typical gradeschool experience home, then we are inefficient indeed. What a waste of time this is, if all we are doing is duplicating what any teacher can do in a classroom with 30 students at one time!

And (6) the time period when school is in session, highlights this critical difference. We have chosen to "school" outside the box. We peel off the textbook wrapper and allow real life to bleed into academia. At "home/school", school is always in session. Whether we are driving down the road, watching a movie, working together at the family business or hauling wood, we are intentionally and consciously learning from the world around us.

I'd like to think that we are (7) a body of creative artists or writers or thinkers linked by a similar style or similar teachers. They are creative, spending hours a day for months at a time on a single focus. I remember when we read A Thousand Paper Cranes, and tried to make our own. The first crane took thirty minutes. I left mine unfinished and, frustrated, went on to work. When I came home that afternoon, there were dozens of paper cranes flying from the ceiling! They create entire kingdoms of paper dolls, all with names, characters profiles and elaborate clothing. They read, write, sing, dance, play. It's impossible to "ground" these children, because they can have a fantastic time just sitting in a straight-back chair, or mopping a floor.

We do (8) educate; train to be discriminative in taste or judgment. Certainly my aim is not to make little copies of myself. I have run into homeschoolers like this, whose chief intention in pulling their children out of school is to keep them from being "tainted by a liberal agenda." Instead they seek to instill traditional values -- you know, like that poor people are just lazy and women should serve their men in silence. ;-) In some ways our children do think like we do, just as every teacher rubs off on his/her students. They have heard all the arguments for our way of thinking, and we don't do as well represeting the opposite view. But our chief aim is to make healthy adults rather than good children (more on this another day) so we are raising children who question, research, theorize, and postulate.

I can safely say that we are not (9) a large group of fish, either at home or elsewhere. Nor do we (10) swim in a large group of fish. In many ways we are going against the flow. We don't want our children to have a school (or herd) mentality. We want them to make wise decisions based on information and reasoning rather than trends, fads and scares.

So it seems we do have a combination "home/school" and that we do indeed "school" partially at "home." Still, I wonder why nobody says "we homeeat" or "we homesleep?" And I wonder if someday those who dare to do so will also have to report it to the government?

J.

Taking a Break

2005-09-18T17:35:00.000-04:00

When you believe in what you're doing, taking a break requires real self-control. Like many families who educate their own children, we teach all the time. We may slow down a little in the summer, but we never really stop. In fact, we may use the time to focus more intensely on a particular subject. This summer, for instance, we studied modern American history (post-war to present) in minutia. We used 2 textbooks, 4 workbooks, and a variety of research sources in order to catch a broad view and multiple perspectives of each time period. I admit, even when Shana was born, we only took 1 day off from schooling..... And that was probably the most educational day of their lives! :)

But this week, I need to take a break. We have some things going on at the business that require all of our attention, and life will just be easier if we make this a fall break. I'm typing this here so I will hold myself to it, and resist the temptation to assign JUST a small research project, JUST a little list of vocabulary words, or anything else. Surely they won't forget EVERYTHING I taught them in 7 days?

J.

Hannah at Fencing Practice

2005-09-17T18:33:00.000-04:00

Fencing

2005-09-17T18:22:00.000-04:00

Here is Hannah trying out the fencing equipment she received for her birthday. She just started fencing in April, but has really enjoyed it.

Why We Educate Our Own Children

2005-09-17T18:09:00.000-04:00

10. Flexibility -- My aspiring doctor can study medicine even in middle school, and "field trips" have included everything from Washington DC to watching a baby sister's birth.

9. We are building a strong family unit. We learn together, work together and play together.

8. Our children are best friends with their own siblings.

7. We like knowing what our children are learning (or not learning.)

6. No child is left behind - really!

5. No child bored to death (or delinquency) while waiting for the rest of the class to catch up.

4. We're control freaks (we believe we should control our own destiny) and we're teaching our children to be the same way.

3. Between soccer, karate, fencing, fiddle, and softball -- we just don't have time for public school.

2. Socialisation.

1. We like being with our children!