New for 2016

I'm not a big resolution maker. And since I tend to make more life changes in September than January, I don't have a huge list of "new". But, some changes have either already dawned or are breaking on the horizon...

-New year=new fitness goals. After a particularly depressing shopping trip (all the stars in alignment-bad holiday eating, no running for a month, that time of the month), I'm motivated to get my booty in gear. I'm getting older, and my body is not metabolizing the way it used to. So, I am cutting portions, starting strength training three days a week, and getting up at 5:30 at least four mornings every week to exercise.

I've gotten permissive with my rising time, and that has squeezed out some of my exercising time. But, 5:30 is doable. After all, I kicked Mr. Hippie out of bed at 5:30 to make coffee the majority of the mornings of 2015. If he can get up to make coffee, we can get up to exercise.

We will be heading to the gym, swimming two mornings, and doing HIIT on the treadmills the other two mornings. I figure that the HIIT will help my runs overall. And the swims will help the swim portion of my triathlons, as well as the barrel portion of my physique. Theoretically.

-New year=new schedule. So, for the first time in over 19 years, I am quitting BSF. And mid-year, which totally goes against my grain. Never give up and all that jazz. Our fall evening schedule looked something like Sunday-church, Monday-BSF (me & 2 kids), Tuesday-BSF (Mr. Hippie & another kid) and BFF time (every other Tuesday), Wednesday-prayer meeting, Thursday-date nights & article club, Friday-kids' club. Saturdays tended to fill up with other random activities. So, basically, I had a night off every other Tuesday. No joke.

And family evenings together-like never. Well, those random Saturdays....

What I realized with the time off over the holidays, is that this schedule is crazy. Certifiably cray-zay! We started praying about it, and the thing that is going is my BSF attendance. Mr. Hippie is going to try to bring the three oldest with him. But, at least we will now have a guaranteed night of the week where we don't have to rush off somewhere, and that we can spend as a family. Maybe play a board game, or get some family book reading done.

-New year=new adventures A cruise! Mr. Hippie and I are going on a cruise in February. We've never done a cruise before. We always plan our trips to maximize history and such. This is not a historical trip, it is a bake in the warm sunshine while drinking water (okay, mimosas) and reading and talking. I'm really, REALLY looking forward to it.

-New year= new through the Bible in a year reading plan. This is my 19th year doing this. The first 16 or so years, I did two chapters from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament every weekday, then four chapters from the O.T. on both weekend days. The past three years, I've followed the Coley plan, which I really enjoyed. But, I've always wanted to do a chronological read through, and that is what I've landed on this year. I figure if I really don't like it, I can always go back to one of the other ways next year.

As I embark on this new year, I look forward to new experiences of God's peace and faithfulness. Of testimony's to His provision, protection, and goodness.

What's new for you in this new year?

Speaking Brave

My goal this summer is to have several Iron Man weeks. (not days. I'm not completely insane.)

2.4 miles in swims. 112 miles on the bike. 26.2 miles in running. 

Last week I stated this goal on FB. And guess what? I didn't meet it. Do I feel bad about stating my goal? No. Do I feel bad that I didn't meet my goal? No. I had a cold which made me feel lousy, my bike got another flat, the kids had swim lessons to work around, and it just didn't happen. Do I feel bad that I also had to say on FB that I threw in the towel on that goal for last week? No. I don't.

Besides, I'm trying again this week.

I mentioned on Facebook (in the same post) that I think we quite often hesitate to state our goals. We will announce when we have met a goal, but often we will play our cards close to our chests until we've accomplished what we've set out to do.

Why?

Are we afraid of failure? Of flack?

I'm all about setting goals that are within reach but that also cause me to stretch a bit. Meaning-goals that are accomplishable, but that are going to take some hard work. Yes, there is a possibility of failure, but there is also a good possibility of success. And what does it matter if I don't quite reach my goal? I've probably gotten a whole lot farther than I would have if I never defined a goal.

Failure really isn't much of a deterrent for me. Because rarely is anything a complete and utter disaster or failure. Experiences will be a learning curve, but progress is still made.

I've loved Caddie Woodlawn's quote ever since I first read it..."if at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

If I publicly state my goals, and fail to reach them, I also publicly state my failure. Maybe that will involve eating some humble pie. But, that's not going to hurt me.

Often when we publicly share our hopes, dreams and goals, we get flack about them from others. This can be oh.so.discouraging.

You shouldn't do Iron Man weeks-it is taking too much time from your kids. You shouldn't do Iron Man weeks-it's not good to push your body so hard. You shouldn't do Iron Man weeks-you are insane. Your house needs cleaned. You family needs to eat something other than leftovers. You're...

Some people haul out the big guns of guilt and shame, whenever we are brave enough to share what we are aiming for. Often for reasons that have nothing to do with us and our goals, they heap on discouragement and other downers.

There will always be naysayers.

But, then again, there is much good from stating your goals. Accountability. Encouragement. Focus. Motivation. Responsibility. Ownership.

It's a way to breathe life into something that may be rather fuzzy and undefined.

There will always be the people in your corner. Maybe they aren't the vast majority, but they are the ones who cheer you on and believe in you. The ones who encourage you when the way gets rough and tough. The ones who hold your feet to the fire when you just want to give up. The ones who stand alongside you and say that it's okay, whether you succeed or not.

Stating your goals is a way to share the journey and process (and not just the end results) with others.

Also, it is worth saying, that stating your goals does not have to happen on a social media platform. It can be to your BFF, or spouse, your small group, or anyone. Anyone besides just yourself.

And another also...your goals, hopes and dreams are going to look different than mine. That is all the more reason to share. We all benefit when we all share our differences.

I am going to write a book this year. I am going to lose 10 pounds before school restarts in the fall. I am going to paint my kitchen. I am going to learn _____ .

Is there a goal that you need to state loud and proud for the world to hear? 

Adjusting Expectations

It's Sunday morning, and I am home from church. It is pretty quiet here. There is a light rain falling, and I can hear the birds chirping away.

Meres is in bed sleeping. She woke up early this morning in a coughing fit. Not sure if it is a summer cold, or summer allergies. There is enough germs and pollen and junk floating around, that it could be either or. So, I gave her medicine, put Vicks on her chest, steamed her up good in the shower, and put her back to bed. And she is still sleeping away.

This girl never stops. Ever. Except when she is sleeping. Which means that I rarely wake her up, unless it can't be avoided. Or unless, like last winter, she is getting her 11-12 hours from midnight to noon. Then we start ooching and scooching those hours around. Waking her at 8:30, so she will go to sleep before 11:00. (well, actually 9:30 or 10)

Anyway, this all has nothing to do with what I am writing about-only why I am writing right now...

Way back around April 1, (right after I made it through an entire month without chocolate!) I decided that I was going to up my water intake.

Like-way up.

For many years I have aimed to drink 3 of my water bottles per day-which is about 60 ounces. During the winter, when I am cold, and not generally as thirsty, that is quite the goal.

But, during training season, drinking 60 ounces is not anywhere near enough to counter all the water lost through sweating.

I decided to up my water drinking to at least 5 bottles per day (100 ounces). And, I don't think I have hit lower than that since April1. I usually drink at least the 5, with sometimes a 6th thrown in for good measure.

It has been good.

I will put it right out there-drinking water has not led to weight loss. Which is what people always claim. I'm not carrying water weight (what is going in, is going out), but neither has the scale budged at all.

I think if my goal was to lose weight by drinking more water, I'd be sorely disappointed. But, I do feel better. I feel toned, strong and healthy. Which has a lot to do with the training and the water drinking.

My skin isn't clear and pure as the driven snow. I still have days when I wonder why my face looks like a teenager's, but all around, it is more clear. The water is flushing out toxins and plumping up the skin cells. Despite all my time outside, my skin is not as typically dry as it is in the summer.

I'm not getting dehydrated on my runs. Which is an amazing thing. I sweat a ton (read: drip and pour) when I exercise. It is very easy to get dehydrated. But, because of all my water intake, my body is drawing from a storehouse-practically it's very own well. No dehydration. Which means that my muscles hurt a whole lot less, and recover a whole lot sooner.

I have more energy. I don't know why, but fatigue is one of the first signs of dehydration. Conversely, being hydrated allows more energy for living life.

I think we often have ideas about what certain actions should produce in our lives. We are told that exercise and drinking water lead to weight loss. But, when we don't see those exact results, we can get a bit discouraged.

But, it doesn't mean there are positive results happening from these practices. We just need to open our eyes to more than a number on the scale. Which is a challenge-isn't it?!

When we got home from Spain in February, I weighed 2 more pounds than I do right now. I was nice and rounded from eating their amazing bread and ham. I was determined to get that scale number down at least 10 pounds, to my more favorite weight.

And no one can say that I haven't worked at that goal. I've run hours and miles a week since the end of February. I've drank my water. I've eaten pretty healthy.

And, like I just said-I'm down two pounds. TWO POUNDS!

If all I was looking at was the scale, I'd be drowning in a puddle of disappointment.

This is the dialogue I struggle with on my journey. The scale versus other results. Maybe your dialogue sounds a bit different, but often the bottom line is the same. Contentment with our bodies. Working hard or settling.

The running, swimming and biking are all paying off. Just not in the way we are told to expect.

Maybe it is time to adjust my expectations. Not give up and settle for the mom body. Still set and meet goals. But, also embrace the whole picture of fitness in the body I have. Celebrate the progress.

Focus on the whole picture. The defined thigh and calve muscles from running and biking. The shoulder muscles from swimming and biking. The slimmer core from running, swimming and biking. (and drinking buckets of water.) The faster runs and bikes. The built up endurance. The hydration and the tan lines. The cathartic properties for all things mental.

It's all contributing to a more healthy (I was going to say well rounded, but I decided that was a poor choice of words...) person in all the realms-physical, mental, spiritual.

How do you need to celebrate, focus, adjust and embrace today?

Fail to Plan=Plan to Fail

The jury is out on who said it.

When you fail to plan you plain to fail.

Benjamin Franklin and Winston Churchill both said something along these lines. And, since they both are rather known for their quips, quotes, and general wisdom and common sense, we should stand up and take notice.

How many times have you had grand plans, ambitions, or resolutions that have fallen by the wayside, because you have failed to plan out the small steps needed to reach the goal?

I'm sure, if we are all honest, we'd have to admit it's not been a one time failure. We probably don't even fit into the occasional failure category. Sigh...

Here's another question...

How many of you resolved to eat more healthy in this year of 2015? How many resolved to eat at home more-in order to save money and to eat healthier? How many decided to plan menus week by week?

How many are still doing these things?

How many are eating planned, healthy meals at home?

How many have failed to plan and thus planned to fail?

(You know what I mean. It's why New Year's resolutions get such a bad rap.)

But, what if the planning stage was delegated to someone else? What if the meal planning was delegated to She Plans Dinner? There would be no failure to plan, and thus no plan to fail...

She Plans Dinner provides 2 week menus with 12-15 dinner recipes, plus a complete grocery list that covers all the needed ingredients for the menu.

She Plans Dinner has three separate menu tracks:

Classic Comfort-the familiar tastes of home.

Variety-the adventurous flavors of near and far, with plenty of variety in the meats and sides.

Fit & Healthy-a low carb, high protein, almost gluten-free and dairy-free plan. It showcases delicious meats and vegetables.

She Plans Dinner does the planning for you. All you have to do is shop, cook, and eat. It will save you money. It will save you time. It will help you reach your goal of eating more healthy meals at home.

It has been 1 year since She Plans Dinner first launched! To celebrate our first anniversary, I am running a sale. The coupon code oneyear will get you 50% off any subscription. Simply add the code one year to the box at check out. This code is good for the entire month of April. Feel free to use it for yourself or for someone else. (or both) Think wedding and baby shower gifts, birthday presents, and Mother's Day.

Insider tip: the code is good for any subscription, but the best deal is for a good (3 month), better (6 month), or best (12 month) subscription. Essentially, you can get a 6 month subscription for the price of a 3 month subscription, and a year long subscription for less than the price of a 6 month subscription. That's a deal!!!

Well, what are you waiting for? Sign up today!

 

Making (and Meeting) Goals for Your Kids

I am a goal setter.

Something about setting and meeting goals makes me happy. It only makes sense (I think) that I also have goals for my kids. These goals affect my day to day parenting.

My goals include my kids accumulating certain life skills and beliefs. Mr. Hippie and I make plans for our family's activities and schooling that are steps to accomplishing these goals. Meeting goals takes intention and grace and patience and hard work and discipline.

I want my kids to be generous givers. Thus, I give them an allowance and teach them how to allocate funds both to give to God and to others. We dialogue about giving and teach them to pray about where and how to give.

I want my kids to have a big world view. Thus, we travel to crazy places like Japan and Indonesia and Spain. We conscientiously provide opportunities for them to interact with people from other cultures and with missionaries. I love the USA, but it  presents a very limited picture of the whole world-both geographically and culturally. A big world view has to be cultivated. It costs in time and money. We are learning Spanish to also further this goal, and we are considering spending a year in Europe in 5-6 years.

I want my kids to have a voracious love of history and of reading. This is why both history and reading form the integral foundation of our home schooling. Our entire curriculum is based on historical periods. And we read and read for hours every day. Both Mr. Hippie and I read aloud to our kids on a daily basis, and they read to themselves.

I want my kids to be hard workers. Which is why I have them do jobs that they don't get paid for. I have them help clean the church or rake the lawn or stack firewood for a friend. It is hard work and it makes them sweat and it teaches them the value of service, hard work and sweat.

I want my kids to pray fervently, honestly, specifically, and often. I pray with them each morning before school. We pray the attributes of God and we thank God for tangible and intangible things. And we spend time in supplication for friends and family. We have a list and we pray for certain people every day.

I want my kids to love Jesus Christ with their whole hearts, minds, souls and strength. This is the most important of my goals and the one that is truly the hardest. It is hard because I have to be the model of Christ and His love and grace to my kids. And I am such a fallible human being. This is the one I need the most help with.

I want my kids to make wise decisions, and also to forgive themselves and move on in grace and humility when they have made a bad decision. Part of my parenting role is to give them room to make decisions and room to experience the consequences of their decisions-good or bad. And let me just tell you, this is not an easy thing.

Goals vary from family to family, because we all have different priorities, interests and gifts. Several of your goals for your kids probably look different from my goals. That is the beauty of individuality and autonomous family units.

Have you made goals for your kids? What are you doing to meet those goals?

Life Well Rested

"Rest is not a reward for getting your to-do list done. Rest is a gift. Rest is a choice." Myquillin Smith (Allume workshop)

Rest has been on my mind a lot lately. And by lately, I mean, for the past year or two.

I am a soul who loves to do and accomplish. I also am a soul that needs down time with no calls on my time. Time to read and write and listen to myself think.

I am an introvert. As are 90% of people these days. Or at least 90% of people who write online. It's very vogue to be introverted.

These two facets of my personality are often in a silent tug of war. Accomplishment, goals and to-do list versus quiet, pondering, rest.

My perfect vacation is a beach or cabin vacation, about 15 minutes from civilization. So, calm and quiet, but close enough to do stuff when I want to.

My perfect day is started by a quiet cup of coffee with Mr. Hippie, followed by a good, sweaty pondering run or bike ride. The middle of the day includes an hour or two of quiet time for writing. And the day ends with the kids in bed, and peace and quiet for more reading or online time. Oh, and a generous serving of chocolate and a pot of tea.

My perfect day used to be a fairly regular happening. I carved out time for quiet in my mornings, afternoons and evenings. Despite the constant bustle of homeschooling and life with four young kids, I still had periods of rest and quiet.

But, She Plans Dinner disrupted my equilibrium and routine. With one official working day each week, the other days' schedules got more scrunched. Instead of saying no when I should, I shuffled and crammed.

And, the things most important to me-quiet and rest-got bumped.

I love writing. It is a privilege to write. It is cathartic for my soul. But, because I enjoy it so much, it has felt too luxurious for me to spend precious time on. There are papers to grade and chores to do. Goals to meet.

Rest and quiet and writing became a reward for when everything was done (which, ironically enough, it never is all done) instead of a priority. I felt guilty explaining to others that I have a two hour quiet time daily. Because obviously I am falling behind in my housework. And dinners are often a quick fix. And things are falling through the cracks.

So, I can't afford to rest. I don't deserve a rest.

The thought that came to me as I was listening to Myquillin Smith at Allume was that God rested. One in seven. My ratio should not be any less.

Btw, Sunday doesn't count. Not when you serve in your church. Or you have young children. Or you practice hospitality. The Sunday day of rest concept is a pie in the sky concept. A pipe dream. Sunday is often the least restful and most stressful day of the week.

I need to incorporate my rest into my daily schedule. Not because I deserve rest because I've gotten all my chores done.

I need to embrace rest because rest is a gift from God.

It is vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for He gives His beloved sleep. (Psalm 127:2)

Isn't that a magnificent verse! Rest is a gift.

Rest is a choice.

I can choose to get up early, stay up late, run myself ragged with a never ending to-do list. Or, I can choose moments of rest.

Like everyone else, I worry what others will think. But, chances are, they are not thinking of me and my schedule at all. I am the one responsible. I am the one accountable. I am the one who needs to say no to the tyranny of my own to-do list.

Also, rest is a many faceted concept. Sometimes rest is as simple as sleeping. Sometimes rest is being still. Sometimes rest is a break from the daily grind or from physical labor. Sometimes rest is from mental acrobatics or emotional turmoil.

Rest: cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength.

so, the hairy legs are kind of ridiculous, but the hammock idea is very restful...

Bread of anxious toil or life well rested? What are you choosing?


*in the spirit of resting, writing well, and accomplishing my mission, I am going to be posting only 3 days a week for a while. Still deciding if that schedule will be Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday.

The Thinker

So, I had an ah-ha moment a few weeks ago, via the BFF. You know, it truly amazes me the things I am just learning about myself and I am pushing 35!

The BFF told me I was a thinker. A THINKER. (Which is totally different from the Thinker.) Hmmm... I never thought of that. I never classified myself as a thinker. But it is very true.

source

my "Thinker" pose...=) Can't you see the resemblance?

We were discussing how she is able to read these self help and technical books at a tremendous rate. She can get through one in a day or two. Me, well, I am a fast reader. Give me a HP, and I will have it done in a few hours. Self help book? They take more time. I read a few pages and then I think about them. I think about what they mean, and what they mean in regards to my life. I think about things that the author never intended.

For instance:

I am currently working through Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. I got bogged down in the chapter called Begin with the End in Mind. And, then I got distracted by two novels (the latest installments from Rick Riordan's Hero Series).

Mr. Covey's point for that chapter is his to explain. You can read the book for yourself. But, what I got from this chapter was all in the first 2 pages.

He has you envision your funeral and what you want people to say about you at your funeral. Then, he wants you to plan your life back from there. What are you going to have to do in order for people to say you were ________? If that is how you want to end up, what's your plan for getting there?

That's the idea of the chapter in a nutshell. You can thank me later. I, personally, should just call it a good effort and move on to the next chapter.

So, here is what this Thinker has been thinking about in regards to this idea of beginning with the end in mind and funerals.

I have attended two gut wrenching funerals lately. My sil's and friends of my in-laws. (that was a triple funeral and a doozy on many levels)

The word used over and over to describe my sil was passionate. She was totally a bull by the horns kind of gal. People are not going to forget that. It is part of her legacy.

There have been a couple pretty influential woman who have passed away in the last month or so. People have said some very interesting things about them at their funerals.

Margaret Thatcher, stateswoman and first female PM of England. She was influential. She was not a woman politician, she was a politician who was a woman. She was the embodiment of feminist ideology, yet they hated her. I admire her spunk and the fact that she was a LADY. She was feminine and ladylike. She was strong. Of all her many accomplishments, she considered the rescue of a child during WWII, the top of the top. I want to be like her when I grow up....

Edith Shaeffer. I have sung her praises a time or two on this blog, and in other places. Learning about Edith Shaeffer challenged my paradigm about how I relate to ministry and my husband. I want to love and support my husband in the way she supported hers, and allow God to grow my ministry in the way He wants. I want to have Biblical thinking like she did, and I want to love people the way she did.  I want to be like her when I grow up...

Thankfully Elizabeth Elliot hasn't kicked the bucket yet. She is another woman I greatly admire. She did great things for God.

This is what I want people to say about me at my funeral. I want people to say, Bernadette (that's my name-don't wear it out) loved God with all her heart, mind, soul and strength. Her chief desire above all else was to glorify Him in all she did and said. That was what she was aiming for.

That's what I want to hit. I want to glorify God and I want to influence others so they want to glorify God with their lives too.

How do I get there?

By immersing myself in the Word of God and prayer. First priority, not last thing squeezed into my day. Seeking direction through revelation already available. Seeking direction by pouring out my heart, and asking for and listening for direction. Nothing can be substituted for this. It takes time and effort. There are no short cuts.

By focusing on ministering not just ministry. The people, not the activity.

By pointing others to Christ. Through my blog. Through my spoken words. Though my life style. I want it to be more than rhetoric. I want it to be real. I want to be at the place where I truly can say, "not I but Christ, be honored and exalted."

That's what this thinker has been pondering...

I will turn the questions on you. What do you want people to say about you when you die? What are you going to do now to get there? How can you begin with the end in mind?

If You Fail to Plan...You Plan to Fail

A new year signals a new start. A clean slate. An unmarred canvas upon which to begin anew.

The turn of the year is a traditional time to pause and reflect on the past and to make plans for the future. It is the time to set out new goals and resolve to fulfill elusive resolutions.

Some goals and resolutions seem to make the list every year. Lose 10 pounds. Be happy. Eat healthy. Be active. Stop smoking.

She is practicing her resolute look

Christians tend to have some spiritual goals too. Spiritual resolutions yearly resolved and then abandoned. Read the Bible every day. Read through the Bible this year. Pray more. Serve somehow.

How can a Christian succeed at this Bible reading-prayer thing? Every day?

By having a plan. A plan with measurable goals. A plan with doable steps. A daily reading plan.

I have written about Elizabeth Elliot's Passion and Purity before. (here) This book profoundly impacted my life in several ways, not the least of which was to spur me on to systematically read through my Bible in a year. Her method was to read 2 chapters from the Old Testament and 1 from the New Testament on the weekdays. Saturday and Sunday she read 4 chapters from the Old Testament both days. I have done this plan 15 times now.

It works. It gets me through every year. It is easy to follow-just read the next thing. It is doable-most days it only takes 10-15 minutes. It has familiarized me with the entire Bible-not just my favorite verses and books. It forces me to read-at least once a year-the hard passages like Ezekiel, Leviticus and Chronicles. But, it also gives me the opportunity to read my favorite passages too. As I encounter the notes and underlined verses, it is like meeting a familiar friend.

Not only was Elizabeth Elliot a big proponent of systematic and annual Bible reading, she was just one of many famous Christians who have also made this a life habit.

Have you ever heard of George Muller? He had orphanages and great faith. He never asked for money to help keep those orphanages running. Instead he got up early (early!!) everyday to read the Bible and pray.

Robert Murray McCheyne was the first author of a systematic plan. Not that people hadn't read through their Bibles annually before his time-the 1840s. Though maybe most didn't. His plan is still widely used, and brings its users through the New Testament and Psalms twice annually, and the rest of the Bible once. He was a pastor in Scotland and preached a great sermon on the whys and wherefores of annually reading through the Bible. You can find a sort transcript (here).

This being the age of technology, the 21st century and all, it is easy to find various and sundry Bible reading plans that you can use with a paper and ink Bible, or on your smart phone or personal device.

I downloaded the Reading Plan app for the iPad. (here) It contains many different plans including McCheyne's and a chronological plan. The awesome thing about the reading plan is that you can look up the date and find out what you are supposed to be reading. Plus it has a place you can check off the chapters you have read. If you are all about checking off things, like I am. Oh, and its free. Did I mention that?

And, hear-hear! The Barefoot Hippie Girl is trying something new this year. Which is a modern miracle. Because my personal philosophy is: if it isn't broke, why fix it? I am doing the Coley plan-which is also available on the Reading Plan app. The Coley plan covers all 52 weeks, and has you in a different portion of the Bible each day of the week-like the epistles on Tuesday and poetry some other day. I am looking forward to it. It looks interesting. I have my friend Randy to thank for enticing me with this.

Will you make it your goal to read through the Bible this year? Will you use one of these tools and join me? What is your plan for a daily Bible time? Tell me in the comments.

We Have a Plan

"We need a plan. A

Does anyone remember what movie that is from? (yes, this is a purposeful typo)

Sergeant Bilko-the funniest Steve Martin movie out there. And it is clean. (If my memory is serving me right.)

Well, school is starting up in just over a month (where has the summer gone???), half of which said month, I will be out of town.

So, on Sunday, my planning brain kicked into high gear, as I was driving around with Mr. Hippie. And this is a snapshot-literally-of what I came up with.

Now, in case you aren't familiar with the Barefoot Hippie Girl homeschooling philosophy you can find it here.

There is some things that worked really well for us last year that I am going to keep the same. There is  a few things that I am going to tweak.

-I want to starting emphasizing a bit of poetry. This is not my strong suit. But, I have found a lot of poems lately that I've enjoyed. My goal is to have the boys memorize a poem every 2-3 weeks, do a poet profile, and we will tie in art with the poem.

For example: if we were to take up the Road Less Travelled by Robert Frost, we will memorize it, look into his life, and draw or paint or sculpt something that depicts what this poem is about.

This will accomplish two things-purposeful art, and poetic appreciation.

I haven't decided if we will do this on Thursday afternoons (art day last year) or link it with "fun school" on Fridays.

-For geography, we are going to keep on with our country per month plan.  That worked really well last year. We will cover Sweden, Spain, Indonesia, Great Britain, Peru, China and India.

-History will see the completion of the presidential time line from September into November. We will then visit the Henry Ford Museum again, and cover their Liberty exhibit as a precursor to our embarking on the Civil War. We will spend the rest of the year on the Civil war.

-I am going to continue literary lunches, as it has been such fun. We will give HP a rest. Instead, we are going to read Team of Rivals, that huge book on Lincoln that I just finished. It has great back ground about Lincoln, the Civil War, and the whole concept of liberty from our country's inception.

We will do this reading time for half an hour right after lunch. Then we will have QT, and I will write my blog post for the day.


-Something I am going to tweak is our 30 minutes of reading in the morning. Right after devotions I have had BMV read to the others every day for 30 minutes. This year he is going to read on his own. Mr. Hippie and I are coming up with a list of classics for him to read-set in the Civil War period. This will include Red Badge of Courage and Huck Finn.

Freckles and LC need some bro/sis bonding time. To facilitate this, I will be having Freckles read to LC during this 30 minute period. I have old BJU texts that I am going to have him work through, as well as the Little House on the Prairie books.

-LC will be in kindergarten this year. Big change. I haven't decided on her schedule yet. She goes to a Bible Study on Thursday mornings, so we may just do her books Monday through Wednesday, and see how it goes. If we need more time, we will add more time. My emphasis with her will be getting her well on her way in reading before the end of the school year.

-We will continue to do history, geography, and science on Fridays. It just was a great finish to the week last year.

-Late September and October will be a huge art emphasis month, visiting the Art Festival/Competition downtown, and culminating in another home school art day.

-I am planning to do BJU for grammar, math and spelling, once again.

-I will continue to incorporate writing projects on a daily/weekly basis. Though BMV's projects are going to be more step by step, as I require longer and more detailed papers from him.

-I already have some science experiments to try-like dying carnations. We will continue to answer our three questions:
What did we use?
What did we do?
What did we learn form what happened?

-I am also thinking of having BMV start formal piano lessons. He has a good ear for music, but we both need the accountability of paying for lessons (me) to require practice (him).

-Nutshelled-My goal for

LC is a good grasp on reading, as well as some basic math.

Freckles-improving writing skills, and continuing on in reading and math. Emphasizing his interests in bugs and flight.

BMV-taking his writing up a notch, continuing to progress in the other fundamentals, and challenging his music/piano bent.

So, that is what my 2012-2013 school year is looking like. And I am excited! I will order books when we get back from our trip.

Our Meijer already has all the school supplies in big bins. I will be watching for 5 cent boxes of crayons and 10 cent notebooks.

How about you? Have you begun planning? Have you bought any school supplies yet? Are you getting excited? What are your goals for the year?