Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See!
I love this video! The look of joy on the faces of the singers is so beautiful! I especially love seeing the mom who reaches for her son's hand because she wants to be close to him. Thank you Robert Cooper and Chorus Niagara. And MERRY CHRISTMAS All! I hope we can keep Christ with us all year and not just as Christmas time.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Homeschooling the Christen Way
I am often asked about my 'method' of homeschooling. My method consists of trying to the through the day without the house burning down or a hospital visit. Honestly, if we can learn something, anything, without major calamtiy befalling anyone my day has been a success.
You would not believe how many times I hear from other women, "Oh, I could never homeschool. I don't have the patience" or something to that effect. That always cracks me up because I truly am the least patient person you will ever meet. I drive 90 miles an hour everywhere I go. I shout at other drivers. I can never get there (wherever there is) fast enough. I can't keep my house clean to save my life. We either clean or we do schoolwork. I try to do both often, but have very little success. I seem to always be on the verge of accomplishing my goals, but never quite get there.
The reality is that homeschooling is trying, difficult, and not about me at all. The reasons I homeschool have nothing to do with what's best for me and everything to do with what's best for my children. If I was doing what's best for me all my kids would be in boarding school and I would live in a spa, but where's the fun in that?
I homeschool because I love my children and want to protect them from the world for as long as I possibly can. I want them to br properly armored when they leave our home and venture into the lone and dreary world. When Tyler was in first grade, at a public school, I realized that I could either fight the school on his behalf or use the same amount of effort educating him myself. I don't want my children to associate learning with drudgery. I want them to know that gaining new knowledge is joyful. I want my children to be able to think for themselves. I want them to know how to find information and how to differentiate between lies and truth. Most importantly, I want my children to know God; not by what they read about Him in a book or what's taught to them by others. I want them to know Him by experiencing the world He created for them. I want my children to be able to be beacon's of light showing the world what a love of Christ and His teachings can do in one's life.
I want them to know that I loved them enough to do something for them that was hard for me. I want them to know that I see their worth, and that it is great, not just in the eyes of God, but in my eyes as well.
You would not believe how many times I hear from other women, "Oh, I could never homeschool. I don't have the patience" or something to that effect. That always cracks me up because I truly am the least patient person you will ever meet. I drive 90 miles an hour everywhere I go. I shout at other drivers. I can never get there (wherever there is) fast enough. I can't keep my house clean to save my life. We either clean or we do schoolwork. I try to do both often, but have very little success. I seem to always be on the verge of accomplishing my goals, but never quite get there.
The reality is that homeschooling is trying, difficult, and not about me at all. The reasons I homeschool have nothing to do with what's best for me and everything to do with what's best for my children. If I was doing what's best for me all my kids would be in boarding school and I would live in a spa, but where's the fun in that?
I homeschool because I love my children and want to protect them from the world for as long as I possibly can. I want them to br properly armored when they leave our home and venture into the lone and dreary world. When Tyler was in first grade, at a public school, I realized that I could either fight the school on his behalf or use the same amount of effort educating him myself. I don't want my children to associate learning with drudgery. I want them to know that gaining new knowledge is joyful. I want my children to be able to think for themselves. I want them to know how to find information and how to differentiate between lies and truth. Most importantly, I want my children to know God; not by what they read about Him in a book or what's taught to them by others. I want them to know Him by experiencing the world He created for them. I want my children to be able to be beacon's of light showing the world what a love of Christ and His teachings can do in one's life.
I want them to know that I loved them enough to do something for them that was hard for me. I want them to know that I see their worth, and that it is great, not just in the eyes of God, but in my eyes as well.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Labor Day Weekend
We decided to get away for the Labor Day weekend since it's the one Saturday the boys didn't have a football game. Since Saturday was Cameron's 9th birthday, Michael thought it would be fun to take all of us to the Gators' opening game. So we went to stay at my grandmother's house in Live Oak, FL which is about an hour north of Gainesville. So we trekked down to G-ville Friday night to buy some Gator gear and found the best Gator store EVER, Gator Mania! I would love to go back and just shop an shop! Now that we were all gatored up we were ready to hit the field Saturday for the noon kickoff. Boy was it HOT! We had great seats, though. We sat close enough that the players actually looked like grown men and not a pee wee team. What fun we had! Cameron absolutely LOVED it. He screamed and cheered and even talked about what they could be doing to play better. See, Cameron is our little engine that could when it comes to football. On his pee wee team he plays quarterback, fullback, running back, kicker, and kick returner and that's just on the offense and special teams. He also plays outside linebacker and back up safety. He plays every snap of the ball unless he gets hurt.
We also took the opportunity while we were in North Florida to drive to Orange Park (a suburb of Jacksonville) and show the fam where I lived during my eighth grade year. That was actually pretty cool. I showed them the house I lived in, the school I attended, and the local ward building we attended. Michael said it wasa nice to have a visual for all the stories we tell. Just by luck we also ran into the Orange Park ward missionaries. That was such a sweet experience.
On our last day we went to the Olustee Battelfied and hiked the battle trail. That was hilarious! Butch, the Chihuahua, LOVES the outdoors and loves to hike with us. Gator, the AmStaff puppy was certain that all that walking would just kill him. It was only a mile. For those of you who don't know, the battle of Olustee was the largest Civil War battle fought in Florida and the 3rd bloodiest battle of the entire war. Every year in February they hold a huge battle reenactment at the battlefield and a festival and parade in my hometown, Lake City. We intend to take the children and make a weekend out of it this year. Not only will it be fun, it will qualify as a school field trip. I'll be sure to check in and let you all know how it goes.
Friday, July 30, 2010
My First Blog Post! Woo Hoo!
Welcome to the Long Family Blog!
During a conversation with my sister, she recommended I start a blog that included information about homeschooling. Since homeschooling is a large part of my life a good portion of my blog will focus on such issues. However, it will also include the many other facets or our life as a family.
As the start of the standard school year approaches homeschoolers everywhere are making their school preparations. While not all homeschoolers follow their local school calendars, many do. Many families have found that keeping the public school calendar suits the needs of their families. This time of year seems like a great opportunity to review the support available to homeschoolers in the state of Florida.
The most important thing a homeschooling family can do is make sure they are in compliance with the law. This helps cut down on the amount of government interference in the family. Florida's homeschooling laws can be found at here at the K-20 Education Code. Many families who have a special concern about government interference have found membership in the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) to be worthwhile.
The Florida Parent Educators Association (FPEA) is a statewide support group available to all homeschoolers. FPEA offers many a wide array of information and activities. Such information includes links to local support groups, explanation of homeschooling laws, and a calendar of events. They also host an annual convention in Orlando which includes a large curriculum fair, classes and seminars on a multitude of homeschooling and parenting topics, a graduation ceremony, and even a prom. Anyone may attend the FPEA homeschool convention, but FPEA members receive a discount.
Each local public school district has at least one person in the Guidance Services department that is familiar with the laws on homeschooling and available to help parents get the information needed.
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I have often found myself feeling alone in my desire to follow the gospel of Jesus Christ and homeschool. I have found, much to my dismay, that many of my brothers and sisters in the gospel do not understand or support my family's decision to homeschool. For a number of years I simply felt alienated from those with whom I desired a closeness. It has been with great relief that I have discovered LDS homeschool support groups. Locally, I have Brandon LDS Homeschool which I love! A great place to find LDS centered homeschool groups is National LDS Homeschool Association. They have a list of support groups in the different states as well as homeschooling and curriculum tips.
Thanks to all those who have taken the time to read this blog. I hope I am able to provide needed and helpful information for those currently homeschooling or simply interested in finding out more about the phenomenon of educating your own children.
During a conversation with my sister, she recommended I start a blog that included information about homeschooling. Since homeschooling is a large part of my life a good portion of my blog will focus on such issues. However, it will also include the many other facets or our life as a family.
As the start of the standard school year approaches homeschoolers everywhere are making their school preparations. While not all homeschoolers follow their local school calendars, many do. Many families have found that keeping the public school calendar suits the needs of their families. This time of year seems like a great opportunity to review the support available to homeschoolers in the state of Florida.
The most important thing a homeschooling family can do is make sure they are in compliance with the law. This helps cut down on the amount of government interference in the family. Florida's homeschooling laws can be found at here at the K-20 Education Code. Many families who have a special concern about government interference have found membership in the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) to be worthwhile.
The Florida Parent Educators Association (FPEA) is a statewide support group available to all homeschoolers. FPEA offers many a wide array of information and activities. Such information includes links to local support groups, explanation of homeschooling laws, and a calendar of events. They also host an annual convention in Orlando which includes a large curriculum fair, classes and seminars on a multitude of homeschooling and parenting topics, a graduation ceremony, and even a prom. Anyone may attend the FPEA homeschool convention, but FPEA members receive a discount.
Each local public school district has at least one person in the Guidance Services department that is familiar with the laws on homeschooling and available to help parents get the information needed.
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I have often found myself feeling alone in my desire to follow the gospel of Jesus Christ and homeschool. I have found, much to my dismay, that many of my brothers and sisters in the gospel do not understand or support my family's decision to homeschool. For a number of years I simply felt alienated from those with whom I desired a closeness. It has been with great relief that I have discovered LDS homeschool support groups. Locally, I have Brandon LDS Homeschool which I love! A great place to find LDS centered homeschool groups is National LDS Homeschool Association. They have a list of support groups in the different states as well as homeschooling and curriculum tips.
Thanks to all those who have taken the time to read this blog. I hope I am able to provide needed and helpful information for those currently homeschooling or simply interested in finding out more about the phenomenon of educating your own children.
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