Eight Great "Back to {Home} School" Articles

1) Can I Homeschool for Free?

"So you're sitting there looking at the family budget with a visor on your head, a pencil in your mouth and a large calculator in your hands. No matter how hard you work at it, there is no corner to cut in order to squeeze out a few pennies for homeschool textbooks. Our family has been in this position before. What does a mom do?"


By Mrs. Bambi, mother of 8, @ In the Nursery of the Nation
Bonus Link: Homeschooling Shouldn't Be Stressful

2) You Can't Cover All the Bases

"If you were to ask a new homeschooling mom what her biggest fear was about teaching her children, what would she say? Nine times out of ten, she'd probably remark that she's worried about covering all the bases. The truth is, no one covers all the bases. No teacher in any school can ever teach your child everything they need to know."

by Mrs. Jacinda, mother of 3, @ Growing Home

Bonus Link: 4 Essential Subjects to Teach Your Child

3) How Our Son is Graduating from
College at Age 18

"The point of this post is to unpack one example of how it can be done if you are willing to get off the conveyor belt and look into all of your options. Once you are free from the culture box, you’ll be surprised…and delighted…to find out what could be available to your particular child down the road!"

by Mrs. Natalie, mother of 9, @ Visionary Womanhood

Bonus Link:  7 Strategies for Home Schooling Moms

4) Learning Disability or Gift?

"Time and time again we see evidence of the beautiful gifts and amazing talents God has given to those who are labeled with various “learning disabilities.” Our daughter, Abigail, probably would have been considered “different” by many in the public school system. Perhaps we would have been instructed to medicate her; or maybe she would have grown up feeling like something was “wrong” with her. But in God’s providence, our sweet blessing is learning at home; and we are watching her blossom."

by Mrs. Stacy, mother of 10, @ Your Sacred Calling

Bonus Link:  Raising Maidens of Virtue

5) Begin Homeschooling With a Goal

"This question came from Allison:  

'My biggest question is “How do I begin?” What is the very first thing that you did when you started this process. With so much to choose from, I can’t seem to focus on any one thing.'"

by Mrs. Amy, mother of 7, @ Raising Arrows

Bonus Link:  Does That Count as School?

6) I Was a Brain-Washed School Teacher 

"Understanding the fact that different kids have different bents has escaped mainstream thought. I think one of the most harmful things the conventional classroom does (by default) is define the “success” of a student by a grossly narrow measure. That’s the only way to mass produce “education”.

I remember when I taught high school, with great shame, giving a tongue-lashing to an 18-year old student, towering over me with tears in his eyes. I had been brainwashed too."

by Mrs. Kelly, mother of 9, @ Generation Cedar

Bonus Link: The Secret to Your Child's Success

7) Give Your Child a Life Long
Love of Learning

"Learning is not mundane and boring! If it is - stop what you're doing, don't give up - there is hope! Here are the basic subjects and creative ways to make learning FUN!"

by Mrs. Hannah, mother of 6, @ Cultivating Home

Bonus Link: The Goals of a Homeschool Family

8) Who's Afraid of Homeschooling?

"Any mother considering homeschooling for the first time will be able to sympathize with the dread I felt of trying to replicate the classroom experience in our living room, my flood of doubts over whether I had the patience to make my children sit at a desk for six hours a day, and whether I was even qualified to teach them everything they would need to know. After all, taking full responsibility for a child’s life-training and preparation for the real world is no small matter, especially according to the standards of the modern education system that dictates that it can only be done by trained, qualified, and certified professionals (which most of us ordinary parents are not), in expensive, state-of-the-art institutions (which most ordinary homes are not)."

by Mrs. Victoria, mother of 7, @ Western Conservatory of the Arts and Sciences

Bonus Link:  Curriculum Advice from Victoria Botkin

Resources You'll Want to Get:

What to Show People Who Don't Like Your Decision to Homeschool

God's Word is the Best Curriculum Choice

A friend, and homeschool mom of 3, calls this book her "sanity".

What articles have encouraged you during this back to {home} school season?

Who is Your Allegiance To?

Have you asked yourself the question lately,

Where are we and How did we get here? 

...and yet most of us were born here and educated in the very system that we stand against! 

Huh...that's right, we are the one's that have been lulled to sleep by the wiles of the enemy, and educated (conformed by & to) the very system that we detest! Disguised as the necessity for mankind to prosper or in my words, "a state of welfare humanism".

This is not a NEW idea and it did not start with Karl Marx. It is a based on Greek philosophy. Read Socrates (known homosexual), Plato, Aristotle, (better yet read The One and the Many by R. J. Rushdoony) to better understand the dilemma, but you still have to ask yourself the question "AM I PART OF THE PROBLEM"?

The answer is going to be you are either part of the problem or want to be part of the solution, there are no in betweens! There is no neutrality you are either a covenant keeper or covenant breaker.

Yes, I understand Jesus Christ is my all and all...He also says IF you love me YOU will KEEP my commandments. Who is your allegiance to? The state or the Creator God?

TEN PLANKS OF THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO
(If you think you don't have time to read all of them, read #10.)

Could this be happening in America? If so, how?

Our "elected representatives" have passed laws implementing these anti-freedom concepts. The communists have achieved a de facto FEDERAL SOCIALIST GOVERNMENT in America.
In 1848 Karl Marx and Frederick Engels wrote a book outlining a political ideology, titled "The Communist Manifesto". Marxism's basic theme is that the proletariat (the "exploited" working class of a capitalistic society) will suffer from alienation and will rise up against the "bourgeoisie" (the middle class) and overthrow the system of "capitalism." After a brief period of rule by "the dictatorship of the proletariat" the classless society of communism would emerge. In his Manifesto Marx described the following ten steps as necessary steps to be taken to destroy a free enterprise society!! Notice how many of these conditions, foreign to the principles that America was founded upon, have now, in 2012, been realized by the concerted efforts of socialist activists? Remember, government interference in your daily life and business is intrusion and deprivation of our liberties!

First Plank: Abolition of property in land and the application of all rents of land to public purposes.
(Zoning - Model ordinances proposed by Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover widely adopted. Supreme Court ruled "zoning" to be "constitutional" in 1921. Private owners of property required to get permission from government relative to the use of their property. Federally owned lands are leased for grazing, mining, timber usages, the fees being paid into the U.S. Treasury.)

Second Plank: A heavy progressive or graduated incometax.
(Corporate Tax Act of 1909. The 16th Amendment, allegedly ratified in 1913. The Revenue Act of 1913, section 2, Income Tax. These laws have been purposely misapplied against American citizens to this day.)

Third Plank: Abolition of all rights of inheritance.
(Partially accomplished by enactment of various state and federal "estate tax" laws taxing the "privilege" of transfering property after death and gift before death.)

Fourth Plank: CONFISCATION OF THE PROPERTY OF ALL EMIGRANTS AND REBELS. (The confiscation of property and persecution of those critical - "rebels" - of government policies and actions, frequently accomplished by prosecuting them in a courtroom drama on charges of violations of non-existing administrative or regulatory laws.)

Fifth Plank: Centralization of credit in the hands of the State, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly.
(The Federal Reserve Bank, 1913- -the system of privately-owned Federal Reserve banks which maintain a monopoly on the valueless debt "money" in circulation.)

Sixth Plank: Centralization of the means of communications and transportation in the hands of the State.
(Federal Radio Commission, 1927; Federal Communications Commission, 1934; Air Commerce Act of 1926; Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938; Federal Aviation Agency, 1958; becoming part of the Department of Transportation in 1966; Federal Highway Act of 1916 (federal funds made available to States for highway construction); Interstate Highway System, 1944 (funding began 1956); Interstate Commerce Commission given authority by Congress to regulate trucking and carriers on inland waterways, 1935-40; Department of Transportation, 1966.)

Seventh Plank: Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the State, the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan.
(Department of Agriculture, 1862; Agriculture Adjustment Act of 1933 -- farmers will receive government aid if and only if they relinquish control of farming activities; Tennessee Valley Authority, 1933 with the Hoover Dam completed in 1936.)

Eighth Plank: Equal liability of all to labor. Establishment of industrial armies especially for agriculture.
(First labor unions, known as federations, appeared in 1820. National Labor Union established 1866. American Federation of Labor established 1886. Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 placed railways under federal regulation. Department of Labor, 1913. Labor-management negotiations sanctioned under Railway Labor Act of 1926. Civil Works Administration, 1933. National Labor Relations Act of 1935, stated purpose to free inter-state commerce from disruptive strikes by eliminating the cause of the strike. Works Progress Administration 1935. Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, mandated 40-hour work week and time-and-a-half for overtime, set "minimum wage" scale. Civil Rights Act of 1964, effectively the equal liability of all to labor.)

Ninth Plank: Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries, gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equitable distribution of population over the country.
(Food processing companies, with the co-operation of the Farmers Home Administration foreclosures, are buying up farms and creating "conglomerates.")

Tenth Plank: Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production.
(Gradual shift from private education to publicly funded began in the Northern States, early 1800's. 1887: federal money (unconstitutionally) began funding specialized education. Smith-Lever Act of 1914, vocational education; Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 and other relief acts of the 1930's. Federal school lunch program of 1935; National School Lunch Act of 1946. National Defense Education Act of 1958, a reaction to Russia's Sputnik satellite demonstration, provided grants to education's specialties. Federal school aid law passed, 1965, greatly enlarged federal role in education, "head-start" programs, textbooks, library books.

Healthy Chocolate Milk {marmy's tips & tricks}

Chocolate milk.  One of the best snacks known to man.  Fill a glass about a quarter the way up with thick, chocolatey goo, fill the rest with milk from that plastic jug and then give that delicious concoction a whir.

So easy, a child can do it.  {Well, the chocolate syrup to milk ratio may be slightly incredibly off.}

But the point is, chocolate milk is delicious.  And I missed it.

You see, when Marmy decided to healthify {it's a word, google it! ;} the kitchen, one of the first things to go missing from the fridge was the beloved chocolate syrup bottle.

"But, Marmyyyyyy..."  came the chorus of whines.

"No.  Absolutely not.  That stuff will kill you, and I'm not any kind of a good mom if I keep buying it."

Of course, occasionally we'd figure out how to smuggle a bottle in every once in a while when Daddy took us grocery shopping.

But, for the most part, I've been suffering from chocolate milk deprivation for a very long time.

Well, that is until this morning, when Marmy introduced her new and healthified version of chocolate milk.

DIY - Laundry Detergent and Dishwasher Detergent

Hi, I just thought I would give this blogging thing a try and give you a couple of do it yourself recipes that I have tried personally and LOVE. This may not be for everyone, but whats the harm in trying to save a few bucks? Ok, so I am going to give you the homemade laundry recipe first (which I am going to make as soon as I post this).
I found a plastic container with a good fitting lid to put mine in ( I think its a rubbermaid container). So, before I post the recipe I just want to be clear that I have added more to the photo than what is actually used so you can see what all different things you can use.

Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe:
( 1 cup for large load )

•  1(4 lb) box of Borax 
•  1(3lb) box of Washing soda
•  1/2 box (6lb box) of Clorox 2 OR oxyclean (will explain why this is highly suggested later)
• 2 bars grated Fels-Naptha, Octagon, Zote or the bar soap of your choice( the 2 I am showing are the ones that I alternate using) you can experiment also with the scents you prefer. 
• 2 (2lb) boxes of baking soda

and OPTIONAL 1 (55oz) bottle of powered Purex Crystals fabric softener ( I used this once but didn't find it to make a difference, so to cut the cost I don't use it).

Layer ingredients in the large bucket and using a large spoon mix this all together very well. (when I make mine I will add a picture of what the finished product looks like).

To me this is a great recipe and if you don't want to make all of it at once you can cut the recipe in half. On to why I suggest the Clorox 2 in every load of  clothes. Long story short, when my twins were in the hospital when they were born there was a swab test done to all the infants in the ward and the doctors told me that my little girl was tested and received a high chance for staph. This did not mean she had staph it just ment that she could develop it. We inquired to the staff of nurses how they prevent their families and themselves from having staph infections since it is so high in our area (any coastal areas). They told us that bleach in all whites (towels) and Clorox 2 in all colors was the way you could help prevent staph. This is just a suggestion and if you have any questions about staph you can find a lot of great resources on the internet. I was using the liquid Clorox 2 until I came across the powder and just added it to my recipe above. If you choose not to use the clorox to you will need to use the oxyclean or something of this nature.

Before this post gets to long I will add the...

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Recipe:
(enough to fill the soap dispenser)

• 1 cup washing soda 
• 1 cup baking soda
• 1 cup borax
• 1/2 cup course kosher salt
• 1/2 cup citric acid ( found with the canning supplies) 

I mix all this in a gallon size zip bag and shake until mixed together.
***This method will harden after a day so you will have to knead the bag before each use.***

I did try storing this in a container with a lid but found it easier to just bend the bag and break up what I need for the wash. I use this in every load of my dishwasher and love the way it works. I also use straight vinegar in my rinse cycle also.

This is what the finished detergents should look like!

 Thank you for this experience and let me know how you liked the recipes...until next time, when I have another great recipe to share!

Recommended Resources:

The Money Saving Mom Deluxe Collection

Five Trees in One Day!

All over our property the drought has taken it's toll on several Oak tree's with one of them being very tall, after much planning we decided they needed to come down. Every time the wind would blow a big limb would fall out of one of them. For the safety of our children they had to come down. When the big Red Oak came down the earth shook tremendously. However we will take that wood and convert it to fuel for heat for our house in the winter.

Family Man, Family Leader

by Philip Lancaster

When Adam fell in the garden of Eden through Autonomy the Lord cursed the ground (Gen. 3:17) and made it very hard to work. Each time I grab a sticker bush, it constantly reminds me of the fall and the results from it. You can't imagine how many sticker vines are on eleven acres of un-improved property in Texas. 

However even after the fall and even though the land has been cursed we still have the job to take dominion in every area of life. Whether it be a famous Bulgarian writer, or a man that works in a convenience store, we are to teach all the nations (Math. 28:19). 

This needs to start at the family level, the family should be your children's first Garden of Eden on Earth. It should be the safest place they will ever be, this should be there first Church, first school,first job and the list goes on! 

So I will leave this to the Fathers and Mothers: is your home your Children's first Garden of Eden?

She Wanted to Go Hunting

Yesterday was my Uncle Henry's birthday.  When I read his facebook status, which wrapped up what the world might call his day, I just knew I had to share it.

WOW what a Day! It went as follows........

1.) Temporary crown put on a broken tooth to start the day off!

2.)Then off to Covenant Acres to spend the rest of the day with my Beautiful Family.

3.)Took the AK-47 down to the deer stand and sat in there for about 2 hours with Hannah Jane, looked for wild pigs. However we saw three on the way to the stand! She was pumped!!

4.) Nothing came out to the feeder, but we did get to spend a wonderful time speaking to each other and just lettings her sit in my lap and watch her grow! 

Children are such a blessing especially when you ask all three of them which one wants to go hunting she is the first to jump up and down raising her hand! Blessed evening!!