Jacobs Academy: A Dirt Road Education

FREE: Stitchery For Girls

2011-11-23T10:27:00.003-05:00

Free from HomeschoolFreebieoftheDay.com - "Stitchery For Girls - A Five Year Course" (PDF ebook). CLICK HERE!

If you have navigation errors, you can also go HERE.

What Will You Do?

2011-08-30T18:31:00.003-04:00

ENTER TO WIN!! From Family Movie Night: The Jensen Project

2010-07-15T18:27:00.004-04:00

…AND get a chance to win the DVD movie bonus pack!

Don’t miss The Jensen Project! WalMart and P&G have provided me with a preview opportunity and this great family movie will air on Friday, July 16th at 8 p.m. (EST) on NBC.

“The Jensen Project is based on a secret community of geniuses conducting
underground research to help solve some of the world’s most difficult problems.
This thrilling science-fiction family movie tells the sotry of Claire and Matt
Thompson, two former scientists who return to The Jensen Project after a 16-year
absence. Together, with their tech-savvy son Brody, the family is thrust into a
frantic pursuit to keep a potentially dangerous technology from falling into the
wrong hands. As the family races to stop the group’s rogue faction, they
rediscover the importance of honesty, courage and being there for one another.”

As with “Secrets of the Mountain“, Randy Jackson produced the soundtrack for this film.

Wanna win the DVD movie bonus pack? Enter to win by emailing me at SouthoftheGnatLineATgmailDOTcom OR spread the word by sharing this contest on your blog/website and leave a comment here with the link to your post. Emails should include The Jensen Project in the subject line and please include your full name, email, phone contact and physical mailing address. The (one) winner will be selected on Saturday at Noon and will receive your bonus DVD movie package directly from the distributor.

Meanwhile, gather all the family and watch The Jensen Project Friday nite at 8 p.m. or check your local NBC affiliate’s schedule.

This contest was originally posted at and is being hosted by SouthoftheGnatLine.com.

Geography Awareness Week

2009-11-13T10:10:00.003-05:00

November 15 - 21, 2009

Free printable maps, too!

How to Stay on Top of the Laundry

2009-10-22T11:42:00.001-04:00

From Teaching Good Things:

How to Stay on Top of the Laundry

A Facebook Plug

2009-09-15T10:27:00.002-04:00

While this is technically our *homeschool blog* - I have another little place where I write about life in the South and muse about things along the way - South of the Gnat Line - and it now has a little page in the world of Facebook. Hope you'll join in the fun and become a fan.

South of the Gnat Line

Promote Your Page Too

FREE!!! The New School Year Download ~

2009-09-10T21:12:00.002-04:00

New from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine a FREE download for the new school year!!

HomeScholar Freebies

2009-08-12T17:56:00.002-04:00

Check out all the FREE information from The HomeScholar; incredible resource and support for homeschooling high school!

Ideas for Summer with Teens?

2009-06-05T09:37:00.002-04:00

I'm looking for some craft and project ideas for teen boys this Summer; but I'm looking for something with some real "meat" to it. Feel free to share ideas or links.

Here's a link to some starter ideas at About.com; most everything else I've perused online is really young teen or girl oriented.

Home Ec. Freebie

2009-06-04T20:42:00.001-04:00

Check out the free lesson plans from Future Christian Homemakers.com; very nice!

Wanna Win Rosetta Stone Latin?????

2009-05-13T23:36:00.001-04:00

HURRY!!!!!!!!! check out the contest HERE!!!!!

If you've never used Rosetta Stone's language program(s) before, now is your chance to win one for free. It is the GREATEST program ever for learning a foreign language. Check it all out.

Organized Homeschool Carnival

2009-04-13T08:40:00.001-04:00

Great site!

Forgiveness Sunday

2009-03-01T18:15:00.002-05:00

Sunday of Forgiveness

Cheesefare Sunday

Teaching Patience

2009-02-28T18:06:00.000-05:00

The following is an article I want to share from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Center for Family Care and is well worth the read:

“It is patience that is peace amid strife, serenity amid distress, and a steadfast base for those who acquire it. Once you have attained it, with the help of Christ Jesus… no attacking armies, not even the ranks of demons…will be able to do you any harm.”
-St. Gregory of Sinai.

How do we really raise children to understand and practice patience? It is important for this lesson to begin in the home.

February: Patience
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Center for Family Care
(www.family.goarch.org)

I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be
completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
-Ephesians 4:1-2

The world we live in is one of instant gratification. We want everything now! Technology has greatly increased our ability to indulge this desire. If you want to buy something, you don't even have to go to the store anymore to get it-- you can just order it online. Don’t have the money? Use a credit card and pay for it later. These seeming conveniences of modern life have slowly chipped away at one of our greatest virtues-- patience. Having patience is the grace to endure difficulties or minor inconveniences without complaining. In today's society we can't even endure waiting in traffic or in line at the store, much less real challenges. Are we teaching our children to be patient or "efficient"? Is our fast-paced modern life keeping our children from developing the necessary focus needed to develop patience? Who can we look toward to learn true patience?

In the 2nd book of Thessalonians 3:5, St. Paul writes, "Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ." What was the patience of Christ? Of course, we know that He voluntarily tolerated arrest, mocking, beatings, and death on the Cross for our salvation. But even before His passion He frequently encountered human misgivings and a lack of faith—even from those who were His closest followers. We, in turn, must practice longsuffering to the best of our ability when our patience is tested by those we love and admire. However, this patience must extend to those we are less than friendly with, as well as to perfect strangers. We can look to Christ and His love as an example of how to patiently endure and teach this virtue to our children.

The best way to teach patience is to model it yourself everyday. This may be easier said than done, especially when it is five o'clock, dinner hasn't been started, your children are fighting, and your husband just called to say the car broke down. But this is the exact moment we need to model authentic patience. That doesn't mean we pretend we are super mom or dad and try to act patient when inside we feel anything but. Be honest and, when appropriate, tell your children that you are having a hard time and that you are working hard to be patient—but you need their help. Showing your children that patience takes work and that sometimes you need their participation can give them an example of how to deal with their own lack of it. Above all, model patience with your children by being patient with them. St. Nikon writes, "You must gain your salvation in patience. Patience is essential. In other words-- the cross is essential." Bear your crosses for your own salvation as well as your children's

Start Young
Teaching patience begins at a very young age. From the time your child is born, there are things you can be doing to lay the foundation for this important virtue. A newborn learns patience by your response to their needs. At this age, it is not appropriate to make them wait. They are learning to rely on the world and the patience that is needed here is yours to respond to their needs. Once they have settled into a predictable routine of a settled baby, you can begin to give them opportunities to practice patience. Helping them to problem-solve when playing with simple toys can give them the opportunity to learn focus and perseverance. For example, if your baby is working to get a rattle that is just out of their reach-- let them work towards it-- don't just hand it to them. By allowing them to struggle, (not so much that they get frustrated but enough that they are challenged) they are learning at a very basic level that effort is necessary. That takes patience! As they grow, you will be able to further build on this foundation.

Activities That Build Patience
* Reading Books – We all know how important reading books is-- but did you know they can help your child learn patience. Reading takes focus which is a critical skill that children need to develop. As your child grows, they will progress to longer more complex books-- ones they may not finish in one sitting. This helps them learn to delay their gratification-- you have to wait and build on the story chapter by chapter before getting to the exciting ending. Of course there are many stories in the Bible with models of patience-- check out the story of Moses in the Old Testament, or the book of Job-- these prophets' examples put many of our daily annoyances in perspective. In the New Testament, read about Simeon (Luke 2:22-29) at the Presentation of our Lord or look up the word patience in the concordance to get a rich list of Bible passages that focus on this virtue.
* Cooking and Baking - Learning to make food takes patience-- especially if it is something yummy you want to eat right away. An especially great activity for your children can be making Prosforon for church. Children will enjoy making this special offering for God. The link below will take you to a session for teaching a children's group about making Prosforon-- adapt it to use with your own child: www.goarch.org/archdiocese/departments/youth/youthworkers/sessions/prosphero.
* Playing Games - From simple peek-a-boo, to board games or sports, games teach children about turn taking and that honest effort is more important than always winning. Learning to deal with defeat graciously is an important lesson to learn for children (and adults). Try playing the game "I Spy" to help your child work on their ability to focus. Try playing the game using religious items that you have in your house to bring your child's attention to them (icons, censers, candles, Bibles, etc.). After the spied item has been located, briefly discuss it. Do you have any questions about it for your priest? Write them down and follow up with him.

Strategies to Build on Patience
* Consider the Individual - Keep in mind that each of your children have different temperaments and personalities and they will learn patience differently. For some children, it will come much easier than others. What is a realistic expectation for one child may not be for another. But the extra time you take helping your children build patience at the youngest of age will make life easier for everyone as they grow.
* Plan Ahead - Prepare your child for outings that may take a bit more patience. Let them know what to expect, what might be difficult, and how you would like them to behave. Come up with a way they can ask for help if they are having a hard time hanging in there and involve them in ways to develop these strategies. Remember keep your expectations realistic-- a four-hour shopping spree with a four-year-old may be a bit too optimistic!
* Time It - This is especially good for young children who still don’t understand the concept of time. If you say, "Mommy will be off the phone in two minutes," set the timer and keep to it. This will help your child begin to understand time and keep them from having to ask you if it is almost two minutes.
* Learn To Be Quiet - Encourage time during your family's day to be still and silent. Shut off the television, radio, computer, ipods, and cell phone. Use this time to read, pray, or just to clear your mind. Younger children will need something to focus their attention on during this time (i.e. coloring, a book). If this is a new practice, start off slowly and build on the time.

To listen to a sermon on the virtue of patience visit:
www.goarch.org/chapel/reflections/the_virtue_of_patience/audio
For an excellent article, Teaching Patience by Kristen Finello click on the following link:
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=549

Sunday of the Prodigal Son

2009-02-15T10:58:00.002-05:00

Kontakion (Tone Three)
When I disobeyed in ignorance Thy fatherly glory, I wasted in iniquities the riches that Thou gavest me. Wherefore, I cry to Thee with the voice of the prodigal son, saying, I have sinned before Thee, O compassionate Father, receive me repentant, and make me as one of Thy hired servants.

The parable of the Prodigal Son has numerous applications in our lives today. This lesson is one of many that helps prepare us for the upcoming period of Great Lent in preparation for Holy Pascha.

FREE! from Prestwick House

2009-02-03T11:16:00.002-05:00

In this month's eNewsletter from Prestwick House, they are offering a free lesson for high school English! There's a link that will take you to previous free downloads as well.

The Presentation of our Lord in the Temple

2009-02-02T01:00:00.002-05:00

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in the Temple.

Apolytikion in the First Tone

Hail Virgin Theotokos full of Grace, for Christ our God, the Sun of Righteousness, has dawned from you, granting light to those in darkness. And you, O Righteous Elder, rejoice, taking in your arms, the Deliverance of our souls, who grants us Resurrection.

Kontakion in the First Tone

Your birth sanctified a Virgin's womb and properly blessed the hands of Symeon. Having now come and saved us O Christ our God, give peace to Your commonwealth in troubled times and strengthen those in authority, whom You love, as only the loving One.

Is Spring Just Around the Corner?

2009-01-30T15:30:00.007-05:00

Come Monday, we'll surely find out.....

I can hardly wait to hear. Groundhog day is a fun day for us; we used to live very near General Beauregard Lee - the South's official Spring forecaster - at the Yellow River Game Ranch. It was much like living near a celebrity!

I've not checked the statistics between our beloved General Lee and his Northern competitor, but I will go on record to say that I stand with General Lee on his predictions.

Atlanta seems concerned about the weather for this year's Groundhog day - but not me. General Lee will get the job done and here's hoping we'll have an early Spring this year!

Need a special sweet to celebrate the day? Here's a recipe from Punxsutawney Phil.

Just have some fun!

Should We Have Our Cake & Eat It, Too?

2009-01-23T10:43:00.006-05:00

I'm not so sure.

"The only thing missing, is the opportunity to play on the public school sports teams with their peers........

We've heard these debates before, but I believe pushing this agenda will only open another can of worms or rather more of them.

We are a family of all boys and we play baseball. We are very blessed and fortunate to have a homeschool ball team.

And, yes, the wheel nearly had to be reinvented for this to happen. We (all the families) are responsible for all of the team finances and fund raising (we receive NO tax dollars), finding coaches, finding a home field (this only happened two years ago) and making the sacrifices necessary to ensure that year after year this program continues not only for our sons but for future homeschoolers who have the drive and desire to pursue this sport.

By stepping out of the public school system, I believe we have relinquished the right to participate in public school programs offered. If we as homeschoolers expect to have it both ways - educate our children at home and participate in the extra-curricular activities of the public school system - then we are setting ourselves up for a future of greater regulation and hoop-jumping.

Question: If a family chooses to homeschool and does not want their child/children educated in the public school system, then why would this same family want their child/children to participate in this same system's extra-curricular activities? Only because it's not academic?

Think about this: You are a parent of a public school student; your child wants to play on the school team. Along comes a homeschooled student who is a better athlete, but is educated at home, and bumps your child from his position on the team. Just where is this scenario going to go? How's that cake tasting about now?

My suggestion? Rethink this logic; nothing comes without sacrifice.

Just what are we willing to sacrifice? Our homeschooling liberties?

Not me.

I'm all too happy to reinvent the wheel.

Freebie Directory

2009-01-21T13:47:00.002-05:00

From The Old Schoolhouse Magazine - their 2009 HS Freebie Directory. Always excellent resources.

Blogging the Inauguration?

2009-01-20T09:49:00.003-05:00

5 Minutes for Moms wants to know. Check it out.

More Inauguration Resources - FREE!

2009-01-19T14:31:00.003-05:00

CurrClick - is an excellent resource for homeschoolers with hundreds and hundreds of easy and affordable downloadable unit studies, lap books and more!

This week, they are featuring two FREE downloads for the 2009 inauguration:

One from Teacher Book Bag and a second download that is a for a lapbook study from Gear for Learning.

Registration is free ~ Check it out for yourself! They have a weekly enewsletters, too!

New! From BJU Press

2009-01-19T08:57:00.002-05:00

BJU Press has announced in their January '09 Homeschool Helper newsletter that they will now be going digital. You can sign up HERE for their FREE enewsletters that are now going green! A good thing!

What's the Shovel Got to do With It?

2009-01-17T10:40:00.002-05:00

Ahem........we are accountable to the Master for not only how but where we are raising our children.

Perhaps this columnist missed that.

Great American Backyard Campout!

2009-01-17T10:22:00.002-05:00

This looks great - what a fun family activity. How about a teen homeschool group or Church youth group?

We've long discussed hosting a camp-out here along the dirt road for our Church's youth group. Given that we are so rural, there is bound to be some comic relief hosting some of our city friends out here - tent style! Especially when our resident Barred Owls start sounding off along the creek at night......

[wicked, "Heh, heh, heh!"]

Inauguration Resources

2009-01-16T11:20:00.007-05:00

Regardless of your political views or who you voted for this past November, we will be witnessing history Tuesday, January 20th, 2009, when President Elect Barrack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America.

It is an opportunity for all educators, but especially for us, as homeschooling parents, to ensure our children participate as witnesses in this historic event.

Here are some quick links to online resources available:

This link may be suffering from high web traffic and may not load properly
http://www.presidential-inauguration.com/

http://www.pic2009.org/content/home/

http://www.resourceshelf.com/2009/01/12/resources-of-the-week-2009-presidential-inauguration/

http://curriculalessons.suite101.com/article.cfm/presidential_inauguration_class_activities
http://www.publicschoolinsights.org/inauguration

http://teachinghistory.org/news/20576

http://notebook.lausd.net/pls/ptl/docs/PAGE/CA_LAUSD/FLDR_ORGANIZATIONS/FLDR_INSTRUCTIONAL_SVCS/INSTRUCTIONALSUPPORTSERVICES/ELEMENTARY_HISTORY/INAUGURATION%20RESOURCES%20AND%20LESSON%20PLANS

While the White House is currently occupied by President & Mrs. Bush, there should be some new information forthcoming at any time regarding the Obama transition:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/

Middle and high school students should be journaling about the election as well as the events leading up to and including this historic event for our country. For younger children, consider *interviewing them* and record their thoughts, comments and reactions and keep as part of your family scrapbooking as well as school records to revisit in years to come. Be sure and pick up copies of local, state and even national newspapers for your homeschool's classroom use, but also as memorabilia to keep for your family.

Create a Backyard Habitat

2009-01-16T10:08:00.005-05:00

Creating a backyard habitat goes hand-in-hand with the upcoming Great Backyard Bird Count next month and can be used as part of your homeschooling science curriculum, classroom project or simply as a family fun project.

The National Wildlife Federation has a great program where you can create a backyard habitat for wildlife and have it certified as well.

Check out their program for yourself.

Tickled Pink

2009-01-15T16:56:00.003-05:00

From my inbox:

"Congratulations on being a Picturing America award recipient! Picturing America introduces citizens of every age to our nation’s history and culture by bringing great works of American art into classrooms and libraries......"

I was tickled pink and then some to see our little homeschool family listed among the more than 1700 schools in Georgia that have received this grant! Woo Hoo!

Looking forward to the delivery of the program this Spring! Thank you to the National Endowment for the Humanities for including homeschoolers in this grant program.

What a Difference One Year Can Make?

2009-01-14T17:28:00.002-05:00

THIS is Unbelieveable.

...and the U.S. is ranked WHERE in education? Is it any wonder why.

15 Ways to Help Your Children Love Language Arts

2009-01-14T16:01:00.002-05:00

FROM THE WRITING STRANDS NEWSLETTER:

15 Ways to Help Your Children Love Language Arts

1. Read to them every day.

2. Give plenty of love and encouragement.

3. Select one simple objective for writing, reading, spelling, or handwriting at a time and stick with it until your children master it.

4. Talk with your children and explain things to them.

5. Use new words in familiar contexts. Kids are masters at picking up contexts, nuances and tones that adults use to express precise ideas. They assimilate new vocabulary and new ideas this way.

6. Listen to your children. Find out what they know about something and use it to introduce similar or even opposite points of view.

7. Be patient. Remember that your children are still learning and practicing their skills.

8. Be proud of their skills and show it. If your children know that you are confident in their language skills, they will be too.

9. Be a good role model for your children. Let them catch you reading and talking about what you've read with others.

10. Encourage thinking and not just recall. Ask questions from their reading that require consideration, reason, and good old guesswork.

11. With early elementary-aged kids, play games that foster English skills, such as identifying certain phonetic sounds, picking out spelling patterns, counting, looking for colors or letters, sorting, guessing, clapping when they hear the rhyme in a poem, etc. (See Writing Strands 1 for more ideas like this.)

12. Create a safe atmosphere for error. Do not ridicule your children or let anyone else ridicule them for something they are struggling to learn.

13. Reward diligence. Praise your children for their efforts and let them know that it is noble to persevere, even if it takes a long time to learn something new.

14. Model the structure of thought. Talk with your children about your plans for the day - what you will do first, second, third, etc. Talk about why you keep certain things together in the house. Let them see the organization of daily life. It will translate into their writing.

15. Read to your children daily! This is so important that it bears repeating. From pre-k through middle school, children develop linguistic structure, and reading establishes the model for this structure.

Great Backyard Bird Count - Just One Month Away!

2009-01-13T15:45:00.009-05:00

Red birds, Blue Jays, Black birds with red wings;
These are a few of our favorite birding things.....

February 13th - 16, 2009 is slated for the Great Backyard Bird Count this year. Here is an excellent science opportunity for families - it's easy, fun and FREE!

This is a great project to participate in and you can actually be a part of the scientific community by helping track species that you observe and report your findings through these projects. Our family has done this now for several years and every year we are just as excited as the first ~

This is a great addition to your science units of study as well. I am including a number of online resources I've pulled together as a unit study for backyard birding:

WEB LINKS FOR BACK YARD BIRDING
Bird Source
http://www.birdsource.org/

Christmas Bird Count
http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc/index.html

Project Feeder Watch
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/

Teacher Resources at Ornithology.com
http://www.ornithology.com/teacher.html

eBird
http://www.ebird.org/content/

Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s “All About Birds”
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/

National Audubon Society
http://www.audubon.org/

Words About Birds
http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/Learning/GBBCReferences/WordsAboutBirds.html

An Educator’s Guide to Bird Study
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/schoolyard/

Bird Topography (body parts)
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/schoolyard/all_about_birds/bird_id/bird_topography.html

A Few Cool Facts About Birds
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/schoolyard/all_about_birds/fun_with_birds/cool_facts.html

Official State Birds
http://www.wildbirds.com/identify_statebirds.htm

Online Bird Guide
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/

National Wildlife Federation's Wildlife Watch
http://www.nwf.org/wildlifewatch/

GENERAL SITES ON WILD BIRDS
(Google search)
Wild Birds.com
http://www.wildbirds.com

Birding at About.com
http://birding.about.com/

Wildbirds.org
http://www.wildbirds.org/intro.htm

National Bird Feeding Society
http://www.birdfeeding.org/site/nbs.index

Make a Bird Feeder
http://www.osweb.com/kidzkorner/feeder.htm

Free Bird Feeder Plans
http://www.craftybirds.com/birdfeeders.html

Build a Feeder at About.com
http://birding.about.com/od/buildfeeders/

Build a Bird Bath from Clay Pots & More!
http://www.leachholdingsltd.com/whimsicallawnandgardencenter/build_your_own_bird_feeder.php
More Bird Anatomy
http://www.aber.ac.uk/ornithology/biology/anatomy.shtml#anat

Enchanted Learning’s All About Birds
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/

Miscellaneous:
http://www.cfr.msstate.edu/courses/bio4990c/Presentation_3_files/frame.htm#slide0001.htm
http://www.seaworld.org/just-for-teachers/lsa/i-009/pdf/background.pdf

http://www.easyfunschool.com/article1281.html

http://www.homeschoollearning.com/units/units_living_birds.shtml

http://eclectichomeschool.org/pdf/birding.pdf

http://www.libsci.sc.edu/miller/birds.htm

http://www.calacademy.org/research/library/biodiv/biblio/birdcur-update.htm

http://www.atlanticava.org/webandcamsites/birds.html

Dover Publications’ resources available for purchase to supplement bird studies
http://search.store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/nsearch?follow-pro=1&vwcatalog=doverpublications&catalog=doverpublications&query=birds
The Peterson Field Guides
http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/peterson/bird.cfm

Additional Resources from Peterson’s
http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/peterson/resources/

Don’t forget to use your local library to check out books, videos and DVD’s on wild birds and birding.

Check to see what your state and local parks may have for wildlife encounters and birding educational programs.

Happy Birding!

CLICK HERE for a free downloadable version of this unit study - complimentary of Jacobs Academy.

12 Months of Peace

2009-01-12T11:29:00.002-05:00

Join us on this journey.

Breaking the Teen Myth

2009-01-12T00:56:00.004-05:00

As parents, we've all heard it.....the dreaded "teenager years".......as if at the stroke of midnight when our children pass over from the year of twelve into the year of thirteen and onward - they suddenly begin growing fangs, wooly hair all over their bodies, drool and foam begins to ooze from their mouths.......and.....and....

Wait. I was a teenager once. And, yes, I was grumpy, moody and more often than not - unreasonable. But I was still a human being. However, I was in public school with all the worldly distractions that coincide with that environment. Today's teens that are out in the traditional school setting are bombarded with a tug of war of social conflicts and technological distractions beyond our ability to comprehend. Is it any wonder the teenager stigma is so bad in the eyes of parents today?

We are in the deepest heart of teenage years with our sons now 16 and 15. And while I will admit that the year of "14" was not my favorite teen year for either (the year I call no man's land) - they are both still our sons that I gasped with awe over at their birth. They are growing into young men before our eyes and I wouldn't miss a minute of it still. I love them more than I can express in words - moody moments and all.

What I see as the greatest difference for our family during these teen years is that they are at HOME in our family environment. We talk, we live, we experience life as a family.

I'm not the loveliest of people on occasion - and I have a house full of men to attest to my less than attractive moments. So how in the world can I expect two growing young guys to always have perfect attitudes and never be moody when the grown-up's in the world are running around with grumpiness and less than attractive behaviors?

My point? Don't buy into the automatic assumption that when arriving at the threshold of your child's teenage years, that they will suddenly turn into some pre-described character from a horror film. They are just entering a new season and more than ever need your patience, understanding, guidance and unconditional love. Look forward to this season of growth and enjoy their high school years at home.

I love all of our conversations and the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with each of our sons. They are pretty cool guys.

Need a Free Online Resource for your High Schooler?

2009-01-11T18:39:00.001-05:00

Check out this online resource for high schoolers and even college students; the site recommends this resource for ages 16 thru college and you can even personalize the site for your needs:

Ephiphany

2009-01-06T17:15:00.002-05:00

As Orthodox Christians, we celebrate Christmas for twelve days - beginning December 25th and lasting until January 6th - Ephiphany! Learn more about the Feast of Ephiphany HERE.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T17:06:00.001-05:00

Happy 2009.

The Jacobs Family is beginning a humble new year having ended 2008 with an awful bug that has carried through 'til NOW! While we could easily see this as a not so good start to a new year, I consider it God's way of sitting us down and wanting us to start slowly this year. Clearly 2008 was a roller coaster year for many families nationwide - including our own. We've had our own personal experiences that keeps us humble and yet we can not refute the blessings that abound our family.

So we begin this new calendar year with humble thankfulness to glorify God and plan to live each day fully and in awe of our Creator.

Our homeschooling year will be dedicated to simplicity and recognizing the need for less with the emphasis of focusing on family and God's will for our lives. We live in a land of abundance and worldly distractions! With only a handful of years remaining in our homeschooling journey, it is paramount that we focus on our family, our family bonds, God's will for our lives and striving to live a Christ-like life.

Join us in this year of simplicity, praying for Peace for all nations and living according to God's will.

We hope and pray you all have a blessed, peaceful and fruitful 2009!

The Jacobs Family

Christ is Born!

2008-12-25T17:25:00.001-05:00

Glorify Him!

Announcing Our New Bookstore is NOW OPEN!

2008-12-07T16:09:00.003-05:00

We are excited to announce our online bookstore ~ peruse through our homeschool recommendations and look for our stocking stuffers, too!

The Feast of St. Nicholas!

2008-12-06T17:45:00.002-05:00

St. Nicholas is the Patron Saint for our homeschool, Jacobs Academy! He was an amazing man who lived his life dedicated to God and His Church! We should all learn to live as St. Nicholas did!

Learn more about St. Nicholas:
http://goarch.org/special/nicholas/index_html
http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=23
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7175/stnich-act.html
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7175/stnich-page.html#list

Welcome to Jacobs Hollow

2005-10-25T16:55:00.001-04:00

Welcome to "The Adventures of Jacobs Hollow". This is a literary collaborative effort between my two sons and myself as well as an extended school project from our homeschooling endeavors.

Please bare with us as this is a work in progress and continue to check back for our official launching of our introduction and first chapter.

Harriette Jacobs
Copyright 2005.
All Rights Reserved.

Pavlov Would Be Proud

2005-08-08T16:52:00.000-04:00

The Russian scientist, Ivan Pavlov would be so proud today, in a quirky sense of humor way, but proud nonetheless. Today, like so many others, we had baseball practice. And today, we also had our standard question and answer session over grabbing something to eat both before and after practice (notwithstanding the sub sandwiches they had about an hour before we left for said practice….). As a mom who continues to seek out survival methods in my parenting melodrama, I continue to prove Pavlov’s theory of “conditioned response” correct over and over again.

When we first had our precious sons, installing them in their car seats was trial enough, however, actually successfully driving somewhere with them beyond our driveway, harnessed in these apparatuses without hair raising screams was yet the greater challenge. After exhausting musical means to entertain my infant and toddler sons, I moved on to, what else? Food, of course.

We started out with the basic Cheerios collection, graduating to Goldfish crackers and a variety of other small finger foods. By the time they were full-blown preschoolers, we were easily up to a four course meal! But if it meant getting from point A to points B, C & D and back home again with some measure of sanity remaining, then a four course meal and then some it would be! Family visits and vacations via car travel could compare to a cruise ship’s all-you-can eat just to survive (advanced planning was a MUST) and, here’s the kicker: they both have always been in the lower fifty percentile of their age group for weight and height…………..you know, that CHART the pediatrician is constantly connecting the dots on. I gained weight over the years just watching them eat!

Fast forward several years to current day: we are on the go as every normal and busy family is today: errands that “require” my sons go (unwillingly I might add), field trips and primarily to and from the ball park. I repeat, we travel to and from the ball park. Granted, they are growing boys ~ I’ll give you that. However, I try to be a responsible mother and feed them regularly, though regularly these days is defined on an hour by hour basis. Most especially I feed them before we head to the ball field; before we leave the house. But within moments of entering the vehicle, seat belts fastened and regardless of how much food either have consumed prior to exiting the house, I hear, “Mom, can we stop at the gas station and get something to eat?” I check the rearview mirror and to my horror (insert Psycho movie knife stabbing music here), my sons are drooling!

I am raising Pavlov’s dogs!

Play Pavlov’s Dogs game: http://nobelprize.org/medicine/educational/pavlov/index.html

Learn more about Ivan Pavlov: http://nobelprize.org/medicine/educational/pavlov/readmore.html

Copyright Harriette K. Jacobs
All Rights Reserved. 2005.

Trend (continued)

2005-08-06T16:51:00.000-04:00

Suffice it to say that I did not sleep well after my post last night. It has nothing to do with what I posted ~ just that I haven't said all that I have to say, I'm guessing.

So bear with me as I dissect "trend", "trends", "trendy", "trendiness" along the comatose state of this nation with regard to our voluntary eagerness to follow them.

~hkj

Independent Are We?

2005-08-05T16:49:00.001-04:00

I don't have to wait for the local news cast to begin on the television to find out about the weather ~ I go online straight to the source of pretty much all the weather info from NOAA. I have my zip code already coded in and it gives me our 7 day forecast including the current satelite images that the local meteorologists use.......ahhh, independence.

Same goes for local, state and national news. The Internet has proven to be a tool of independence. I need not sit in front of my television (...though I do feel compelled to do so from time to time) to watch the talking heads spoon feed me a depression session.

Isn't that our goal, as homeschooling parents, to provide our children with the tools of independence? To prepare them for a life to live independent of the world and only dependent upon the will of God?

This is just food for thought.

There seems to be a great deal of speculative garble throughout the media world of recent that describes homeschooling and it's growing "trend". I am not fond of "trendiness". Trend is driven by monetary gain. Ask any true homeschooling family and they will agree, there is absolutely NOTHING about educating your children at home that is driven by monetary gain (except, perhaps for those publishing curriculums...). Therefore, let the record show, Homeschooling is NOT a trend!

Merrium Webster's online dictionary defines "trend" as follows:

TREND:

Main Entry: 1trend
Pronunciation: 'trend
Function: intransitive verb
Etymology: Middle English, to turn, revolve, from Old English trendan; akin to Middle High German trendel disk, spinning top
1 a : to extend in a general direction : follow a general course trending north and south> b : to veer in a new direction : BEND trends westward>
2 a : to show a tendency : INCLINE trending upward> b : to become deflected : SHIFT trending toward conservatism>

I bolded and enlarged "to veer in a new direction" and "to become deflected" to point out how unique these definitions of trend are. Quite frankly "veer" should be "steer" (as in drive in the opposite direction!) and "deflected", in my mind, represents abruptly changing course.........but whose course?????? Why, the world's course, of course! And why is it deemed "abrupt"? Because we had the nerve to object to the brainwashing that has been rammed down our throats since the concept of "mass schooling" in the mid to late 1800's.

Homeschooling is a call to duty; to honor the responsibility of the children we have born (added to a family) into this world.

What, you may be thinking, has sparked all this....?

I am OVER the "back to school" drama, the media hype, the marketing frenzy and the merry making of the emotional and mental slaughter that is continuing to take place in government schools ~ oh we volunteers of the cattle drive (...one behind the other with our index fingers over our lips.....).

I am a product of public schools; a total of five schools over the course of twelve years (...we moved about 4 times.....). I know I never had world history. Never. U.S. Constitution was the most memorable. My senior year the VERY MOST memorable since I was student body president and my homeroom was the school office ~ school was simply social and nothing else. I can recall two maybe three special teachers, one of which had nothing to do with academia (I was her favorite in 3rd grade): Mrs. Haywood in 4th grade and Mr. Jackson in the 8th grade. Isn't that pitiful? That an investment of twelve years has few, if any, academic memories?

When my oldest son turned five, we enrolled him in our neighborhood public school. As much as I cheered him on and played the "big school" game, I was insane on the inside. My guts were ripped apart. The day came and he and his independent self climbed on that big yellow school bus that we have been led to believe is such a childhood rite of passage. As the bus pulled away, I fought the tears trying to convince myself that this was part of his growing up. Fortunately, I had my second son to keep me busy while he was gone all day, though I will tell you I accomplished nothing.

Even considering my resistance to bring him home, the Lord blessed us with an incredible teacher that first year, a Christian woman, who became a very good friend. For the following two years, I kept her daughters while she taught public school and I searched for some evidence that compulsory schools were in our children's best interests. I found none. Even my new friend, held captive in this modern lifestyle of a working to spend cycle, admitted to me that she did not want her children to attend public schools, BUT (there's always a "but"...) "they" needed her income in order to live. In order to live we need food, water, clothing, shelter........the rest is fluff. And it is the "fluff" that drives "trend". Trend, driven by fluff, is all about the green. So if we are governed by the fluff then we are dependent upon the green and the green strips..............independence.

Through a myriad of events, we brought our sons home.

They should have never left.

What happened in the 1800's that so subtlely swept our minds, overrode our instincts and hypnotized a nation into handing over their children to the government and their so-called experts? The industrial age, driving trend, driven by "fluff" and all to gain the green. End result the deterioration of our independence that we willingly hand over every day.

If you've never seen the movie The Postman, starring Kevin Costner, I encourage you to find it and watch it at least three times. After watching it, ask yourself "What if?" If you have already seen it, re-visit it in your mind and ask yourself "What if?"

What happened to those independent ideals of this Country's forefathers that only a generation later all but abandoned? They were captured by trend.

Homeschooling is not a trend. It is a return to a God ordained natural responsibility. It is our greatest excercise of INDEPENDENCE, and at the rate of this country's mindswept trendiness, it could very well be our last.

Homeschooling: It's Only Natural

Copyright 2005

Harriette K. Jacobs

All Rights Reserved.