I'm bored mom!!

Summer is quickly approaching. I know this because my snow shovel is no longer residing by my front step and the sound of many lawn mowers is in the land. Another sound may also be heard as you finish up your school year. That is the sound of children bemoaning their lack of activity. "Moooom, there's nothing to do around here!"

I have the perfect solution! It's biblical, it looks great on a high school transcript or job resume, and it teaches character and servant hood. A very wise friend (who has been somewhat of a mentor on my homeschool journey) once recommended the age-old concept of volunteering. She shared how a volunteer position was/is a requirement for her junior high and high school children. Happy to take her up on that suggestion, we have also made volunteering a requirement for our students.

It was amazing to me the volunteer opportunities out there if you just begin looking. Our oldest child (now in college) spent some summers volunteering for an organization that runs an adaptive riding program for disabled children and adults at a local horse farm. Another child enrolled in a teen volunteer program at the nearby medical center and has had some awesome opportunities to work in the nursing home with aging adults. Our youngest began volunteering at a local Rescue Mission store not too long ago.

The cost is minimal ... transportation back and forth, schedule juggling, but the rewards are too numerous to count. So the next time you hear that familiar whine of boredom, tell your children about the perfect plan you have for their summer!

Blessings ...
~Judy

Self-Cleaning Ovens

I was cleaning the oven the other day, thinking how glad I am to own a self-cleaning oven. I remember when we were first married ... spraying noxious cleaners and scrubbing cooked on food made oven cleaning a less than pleasant task. My kids laugh when I tell them how much work it was to clean up the remnants of a Thanksgiving turkey or a bubbled-over cherry pie.

Much as "oven technology" has changed through the years ... as well as computer technology, cellphone technology, entertainment technology, etc... life is advancing and moving on in our home as well. The grandparents living our home often shake their heads at all the "newfangled" technology. Our kids embrace it. Instead of sitting around after a holiday meal cross-stitching or crocheting, everyone is texting and watching the ball game in HD.

Change is never easy ... but neither does it mean that character and our core values disappear with the "old-world" technology. The constants remain constant, and there is value in engaging in our children's world. Besides ... all the cool "old people" are on Facebook.

Blessings ...
~Judy

It's spring and catalogs are in the air!

I'm sure that Christmas was only just yesterday. How can it possibly be spring already? If it's spring, it must be time to begin thinking about Sonlight's newest catalog!

Snow is melting, the birds have started to sing in the trees ... and Luke has begun the annual Sonlight catalog tease. A tradition I look forward to every year which tells me the long winter is coming to a close.

Now is a good time to begin thinking about what the next school year holds. Whether it's a change from public or private school to homeschool ... a change from one homeschool curriculum to another ... or figuring out what Sonlight materials to use for next year ... this is the time to begin making plans. So here's your education "to do" list for 2010:

1. If you'd like a 2010 Sonlight catalog, drop me an email with your mailing address.
2. If you want to look at and touch some Sonlight curriculum, come visit me at one of my northeast conventions, and get a $15 coupon towards your next Sonlight order.
3. Check out my web page for some very practical homeschool resources.
4. Stay tuned for my convention specials!

Enjoy the warmer weather as you start thinking about growing students who love to learn in 2010.

Blessings ...
~Judy

Convention Season is Done!

It hardly seems possible that that another year of conventions has gone by. It was great meeting all of you this year. I love meeting new folks who are interested in Sonlight for the first time ... and seeing old friends who come back each season to tell me about their school year. It's fun seeing your kids grow up!

I'm interested in hearing what nugget of encouragement you took away from the convention you visited this year. Perhaps it was a specific workshop? Or maybe a speaker who just touched your heart. Just possibly, it was simply the time spent with other homeschoolers. Many folks I talked to this year expressed how making their annual convention trip was like refueling for the coming school year.

So post a comment here sharing your most encouraging memory from this year's convention visit. On July 13th I'll do a random drawing for a Sonlight tote bag from those who commented. Just the thing to carry all those Sonlight books to the park!

Have a wonderful July 4th weekend!
~Judy