IOWA tests

In Maine, you have several accountability options for homeschooling. This year is the first year that we are accountable to the state, Caleb having turned 7 in October. We've chosen to have Caleb take standard tests as our method of accountability. We do not see it as a necessarily accurate assessment of his work and growth (BY NO MEANS!), but do see it as an important skill to learn - test-taking.

So yesterday and today have been our first days of IOWA tests. (I was able to become certified to test him through Bob Jones Press.) My biggest concern for the test was that he's NEVER taken a real test before. Well, I shouldn't have been so worried. When we got done yesterday, he was bummed out and asked why we couldn't do more. And this morning he woke up asking when we were going to start.

Caleb's Degrees of Sin

One of the common Christian misconceptions is that some sin is worse than others... but Paul is pretty clear as he lumps adultery and drunkenness with gossip that sin is sin.

This morning the kids came into our room. Caleb was all excited about a lego creation and was explaining all the details. Anna, wanting comparable air time, jumped in when he took a breath. Caleb looked at her, and said "Anna, stop it. I am trying to tell them about my creation. Can you please wait?" She looked disappointed, but did wait. He finished the description, then said to Anna, "What did you want to say?"

She finished what she had started, happily even.

I was quick on the draw. I told them how proud I was that each of them had handled that.... that Anna didn't fall apart, and Caleb didn't use physical force to communicate. In trying to bless them quickly before I lost their attention, I said "punch" instead of "physical force" with Caleb.

Caleb looked at me. "Mom, I don't punch. I pinch, bonk, and slap, but don't ever punch."

Marc and I cracked up. "I'm not a puncher mom. I'm not like THEM! I only pinch, bonk, and slap."

And this is where it all begins.

Rain, Rain....

Having all this rain has me remembering all the little poems that I learned about rain. The one I most think of it 'April Showers bring May flowers'. Is that so true, or what? Our lawn is such a lush green now. It's almost cool enough for me to make peace with all the rain.

I'm moving

My new blog can be found at www.hopecaptive.wordpress.com

Mother's Day

I got home from church today to discover that my family had planned a "Surprise Mother's Day" for me. There were balloons on the table, and a treasure hunt for many sweetly drawn cards. And I got to pick what we watched on tv this afternoon.

Marc found out about the holiday after he got out of this shower (I had already left for church) and was thrilled. He had bought me an anniversary gift this past week (our anniversary is May 27) and didn't think he could wait that long, so was thinking maybe he would give it to me on Mother's Day. So he was excited to find out that TODAY was mothers day. He bought me a pair of emerald earrings, because that is the birthstone for May, and May is when our family was born.

Today

First Hike of 2007

We went for the first hike of the year. We packed up lunch and walked to the Colby Arboretum, found a quiet, non-snow/ice covered group of rocks and ate, played, and talked. I love the woods. I love sharing the woods with my kids.

At the playground last week

Science

We are enjoying the science experiments that Caleb has been waiting for all year...electricity. We have been making simple circuits for the past three weeks. Here is a picture of him with the lighthouse he made that has light that actually flashes. We made it with wire, batteries, a light bulb, a couple paper towel tubes, straws, and aluminum foil. What a blast!

Rain Drip Art

When I looked ahead and saw a week of rainy weather last week, I put my creative brain and came up with some interesting alternatives for the kids. One day, the girls and I made 'rain-drip' art. First we colored with markers (Crayola washable) on fingerpainting paper. Then we bundled all up, and went out in the rain with our paper. We held the paper under places that were dripping, and wiggled the paper around to make water paths through our many colors. Then we dashed inside and put them on the counter to dry.

It was a fun project. Nothing to put in a frame, but maybe something to use as stationary? And most importantly, the rain didn't beat us today.

A Cardinals Opinion...

I was just sitting at my desk and heard a persistent squeak, sqeak, squeak outside my window. I peaked around the curtain and saw a female cardinal in the bush. I'm pretty sure the interpretation of her carrying on could be "#*%$#!! - MORE SNOW?!"