The Autodidact

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Marinos! Well, here's a summary of what is going on here, at least as far as I can tell. It is hard keeping track of all those kids, and I am getting on in years. As you can see, some of us are happier than others, but that's the way it goes. Jared, 12, is excelling in drawing and has branched into drawing actual people, in addition to dragons and wizards and fantasy creatures. He's turning out to be quite a sharpshooter with a bow and arrow and a .22. His days are filled with reading, drawing, using his imagination and creating. Ellie, 4, fills the role of baby of the family quite adeptly. She draws and sings and plays all day long fairly contentedly, and is learning to ice skate. She was pretty close to swimming all on her own by the end of summer, and gleefully jumped off the diving board into the deep end, where her big sister was waiting to catch her. At least, that's what I'm told; I...

There are occasional lists or rules presented around Christmastime to help parents navigate the gift giving part of the season, and hopefully reign in the madness of too much stuff under the tree. Years ago, a friend shared that she limited the gifts to three things to commemorate the three gifts mentioned in the Bible that Jesus received. And that's a helpful place to start. On the other end of the spectrum, I have known parents whose kids make lengthy lists of things they want and the parents can choose from that list (or get all of it). Recently, there has been circulating the Four Gift Rule: one thing the child wants, one thing the child needs, an article of clothing and a book. Again, it's a helpful place to start. Some parents protested that rule because the last three suggestions were not, actually gifts. And, as can be expected, this got me to thinking. What are good gifts to give our kids? Just things they want? Are things they need, such as clothes or books, real...

It's nice to be thankful, and I admit that while I am thankful for much, I am not thankful often enough. Sure, it's easy to be thankful for the big things in life: health, family, Christ. It's easy to be thankful for enough money to live on, or to have a car that works and a nice home to live in. And I am so very thankful for those. But it's harder to be thankful for the small things, the things that can easily escape our notice if we aren't careful. The sound of the car of a loved one pulling in the drive, signaling an upsurge of activity in the house. Bare feet running through the house and thundering up the stairs when I'm tired or not feeling well. Boo-boos that need kissing and tears that need wiping when my hands are preparing a meal. Dust that I can't keep up with on beloved pictures and furniture and hardwood floors. Embers and ash on the hearth from last night's cheery fire, spilling onto the rug. A serviceable bathroom full of pro...

There is a lot of controversy over Halloween in the Christian culture. There is sufficient Scripture to convince me that it is something to avoid, and I feel that it treads too close to danger to risk it. Does that mean NO Christian should participate? That's not for me to say. Does it mean that Christians who do participate aren't really Christians?  I don't think so, but God knows the heart. I am disheartened at this time of year, hearing Christians bash each other over it. So, what to do? Leave home and attend a party at someone else's home? That's fun. Stay home and hide behind the shades and pretend you are somewhere else? That sounds like a drag. This is what we do, and this has evolved over the years from fully participating in the day, to backing off, and ending up not participating at all. It came about after we started feeling not quite right about the celebration of death and evil, mixed in with the the cute and innocent costumes and the Harvest aspec...

Today was the last time we walked to our library. For 13 years, I have walked with the kids to our lovely neighborhood library. Sure, we could drive, and we do, but many walks were taken there, as well. We would talk about the birds we could hear and see, the flowers blooming in spring or the changing leaves in the fall or we would have deep conversations about this or that. But today was the last day. We would check out our materials, but usually spent time greeting the fish, visiting the fountain or their favorite bust. We would wander into the children's area, marvel at the wooden doors,  and wonder what lurked behind the black door... For years, I had at least one or two kids convinced it was the door to the dungeon where misbehaved children were sent.  The wrought iron fence elicited the imaginations of some... And some pretended to be princes and queens wandering their castle. It was a magical place...

Most of the time after a meal of creatively combined leftovers, I say to myself: "Well, I'm glad that's over with." But once in a while, I have just the right combination of leftovers and a bit of this and that needing to be used up, and presto! I have a meal that I would make again, on purpose! I can't quite remember how it happened, but the following ingredients found their way into one skillet: leftover baked potatoes half used up onions, chopped a variety of tomatoes, chopped some bacon, cut into pieces random mushrooms a couple of jalapenos from the garden a quarter of a bell pepper I fried them all up in a bit of butter until the bacon was done and dished it up. But then, I realized that it wasn't quite complete without 2 eggs, over easy with enough runny yolk to ooze down into my dish, and a dash of hot sauce. So, of course, I had to cook some eggs quickly. Oh my, but it was good. And most of the kids liked it too. So, now, this is a regu...

Lots of folks worry about their kids' handwriting, and how will they ever learn, and what is the BEST and CHEAPEST curriculum out there to teach handwriting? Whoa. Slow down. Let's think about this a minute. Handwriting experts can tell if a sample of writing is a forgery or not when compared to the real thing. Why? Everyone's handwriting is unique and individual. It's almost as unique as the fingerprints on the fingers that do the writing. Cursive writing is like art: it's an expression of our personality and a handwritten note is much more intimate than a typed one. This is all to say that no matter what cursive curriculum we choose to teach our kids how to write, they will develop their own style over time. We adults have done this too. And that's OK! We get so worried about producing wonderfully educated children, we believe that for every subject under the sun we MUST have the right curriculum (and a cheap one, too). Want the cheapest cursive curr...

Well, we graduated our second child from homeschooling. The time we have with our children is fleeting, but I am so glad to be able to home educate them, and be with them as they grow. Dear Lewis, Well, we did it! We finished 12 years of school together. You had to suffer through my blunders and mistakes, and my trying to figure out how to teach you, and for that, I apologize. But you always bore it manfully, patiently and without complaining. And though your formal schooling was only 12 years, your life has been a journey of learning and discovering, and we hope it always will be. You and I had help along the way from very talented people, and some of them are here today, so make sure to thank them. And we could not have done it without your Dad’s unwavering support, so make sure to thank him as well. It is a joy to be your mother, and it has been an honor and a privilege to be your teacher, your guide and your cheerleader. I look back fondly on the years we spent together, ...

No, I am not going to talk about accounting. I took it in college, and made an 'A' but, really, it holds no interest for me. And if you want to teach your kids accounting, more power to you! The accounting I want to explore is the concept of being accountable to someone else, especially in the area of homeschooling. So many moms say they need accountability, so they join a co-op or some other accountability group. They say it's the only way they will stay on track. They say they just don't trust themselves to do a good enough job, or do it right, or do it at all. But I propose another way of looking at this issue. Instead of looking to other homeschoolers to hold you accountable, I suggest looking elsewhere. For me, I know that first and foremost, I am accountable to God. He is watching over me, and looking into my heart. He knows my motivations and my sin. I pledged to educate my children before Him, and I know He will hold me accountable someday for the job I di...

So many times I hear moms lament over their messy house and the disorganization and they are overwhelmed by it all. They want to start afresh, turn over a new leaf, but with lots of little kids, trying to homeschool and keep food on the table, it just seems impossible to get a grip! But it's not as overwhelming as you think when you stop and break it down into smaller jobs. And have some chocolate. First, if you are in the middle of the school year, you can slog through the rest of the year and start in the summer. But the lovely thing about homeschooling is that you can take a break whenever you want, include the kids in the project at hand, and then pick up where you left off, with little or no bloodshed. So, where to start? I suggest you start with yourself: your bedroom, and if you have a master bath, your bathroom as well. Leave no drawer, cupboard, closet, under-the-bed space left un-purged. Be brutal. Give it away! Throw it away! Take a week or more to concentrate on m...

It's mud season! I love mud; it keeps them occupied for hours. Sure, clean up is an issue, but it's a quick season, and I love to watch the things they think up.

Here's a recipe so simple, I can write this from memory. Sweet and sour, this dish can be prepared in advance and clean up is a snap. Place 3-4 pounds boneless chicken in an oven-proof dish. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together: * a can of cranberry relish (or the same amount of freshly prepared cranberries), * one package onion soup mix (or 2 tablespoons each dried, minced onion and beef bullion) * a generous measuring cup of French dressing (or your own homemade version) This can be very convenient if you use the prepackaged ingredients, but not as healthful. Or, you can use homemade ingredients with a bit more effort. Either way it is delicious! You can see from the picture I used homemade cranberry relish and it does add a nice texture to the dish. Pour over the chicken and cover. Refrigerate for a few hours, or all afternoon, if you can. Bake, covered, for an hour at 325 degrees. Uncover for the last 15 minutes or so. Serve over rice with a side o...