Journaling through the Bible: Joseph and Boundaries

Note: I received a FREE copy of Healing Family Relationships from the publishers in return for my honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

I have always enjoyed the story of Joseph from the Old Testament. Perhaps it was because I was able to connect with his story because of the musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, or it might be because I love to read and study about Ancient Egypt. I found an even deeper appreciation after reading Healing Family Relationships by Rob Rienow. (I reviewed the book here.)

The story of Joseph is one where we see how God can use circumstances – even really awful ones – for His own purpose. Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers. The family that was supposed to love him turned on him. I can't help but wonder how I would react to the circumstances Joseph faced. Would I be able to set appropriate boundaries and let my family back in if they had learned from their mistakes and were truly repentant? I pray that I have the compassion and wisdom to make decisions such as these.

God loves me – no matter how many times I make mistakes, no matter how many times I sin. Can I still love my family even when they make mistakes against me? God shows me the way. 

I love how new books, like my opportunity to read and review Healing Family Relationships, have allowed me to look at a favorite Bible story again. I have shared it with our children while using Bible Study Guide for All Ages (Reviewing Bible Study Guide for All Ages) as well as when we were reading through the various children's Bibles we own. I look forward to reading the story of Joseph each time I read through the Bible. Now I have a new perspective on an amazing Bible story.

Homeschooling the Middle School Years

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For some, maybe homeschooling during the preschool and elementary years was very easy. It might have been very exciting because every day your children were learning something new. Now, as your children enter their middle school years (think fifth-eighth grades), they might need to work on higher levels of math than you feel comfortable teaching. Or maybe you want to introduce a second language and you can only remember how to ask where the library is in French. However, as it was with homeschooling younger grades, you can homeschool the middle school years in very much the same way. Use the materials and resources you have at hand and outsource the lessons and courses you struggle with yourself.

Flexibility

As children get older, they are better able to articulate ideas and share information about their favorite subjects, their preferred learning styles, and their interests in particular extracurricular activities. This makes homeschooling a great way to help them continue their journey as lifelong learners. You can easily switch from one curriculum to another if you have the means to do so. Perhaps an online math course like CTCMath (read our review from this year here) is not working for your family so you might need to change to one that is pen and paper with a more traditional textbook approach. Or maybe your child does not like to read but enjoys listening to audiobooks. Homeschooling will allow you to pick the right way to teach your child.

You can also start to pick and choose the courses that your child is interested in (as long as it aligns with any state requirements). So, if your child wants to learn about computers, coding, and creating games, you don't have to worry if the elective course is filled (like you may if your child attended public school). They can take any course they want as long as you can find one. Yes, there may be some online courses that have a limited number of openings but you can keep looking till you find one that will work for your child and budget. Homeschooling is really all about flexibility!

Outside Resources

If you are unsure of how to teach a certain subject there are many wonderful resources available to you. For example, many companies offer full curriculum kits while also offering you the opportunity to purchase individual products from their sites. Timberdoodle, Memoria Press, BJU Press Homeschool (see our review of Focus on Fives here), and My Father's World (read our review here) are several company examples. So if you need a science book, you might look at the Apologia books sold on Timberdoodle (read our post about Exploring Creation with Astronomy here) or perhaps the Mammals Set sold through Memoria Press.

Another great option that our family loves is SchoolhouseTeachers.com. The site offers over 475 courses which means that every subject and every grade is covered. They even have new Curriculum Boxes that weave together their current courses so you can open and go following the guide. For example, in the 7th Grade Curriculum Box, you can use either a traditional or classical approach to history. If you choose to take a traditional approach to history, your child will complete the Renaissance to World War II history course. If you choose to add in the art from the Curriculum Box, your child will complete assignments from five different art courses offered on SchoolhouseTeachers.com. It is designed for you to follow but you can also be flexible – picking and choosing what works for you.

Take It One Day at at Time

The middle school years can also be a time of great change for your child. So, remember to take it one day at a time. If you are planning to homeschool your child through graduation from high school, you have lots of time to ensure they learn the things that they need to as well as helping them become lifelong learners. You do not have to master every skill in every course nor complete every page. They wouldn't necessarily finish their textbook or workbooks if they attended public school. And if you need extra time, finish up your language arts curriculum at the start of the next school year. Remember to be flexible. Have a great homeschool year!

Crafts: W is for Watermelon

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During the summer months, talking about the fresh fruits and vegetables available is a great way to introduce the idea of eating healthy to your children. We decided to spend a bit of time talking about the variety of locally, nationally, and internationally grown fruits and vegetables. This led to a discussion about watermelons.

Watermelons are a vine-like flowering plant that is grown in tropical to temperate climates or places where the temperature remains at or above 77° F. They are red to pink in color with black seeds (there are seedless varieties) with a green rind. There is actually evidence to support its being considered both a fruit and a vegetable. Botanically, it is considered a fruit but it is classified in the same family as gourds and is harvested like a vegetable.

Activities

Use this free worksheet to match the names of fruit to clipart images of these popular treats. Download HERE!

Spend some time taste-testing different fruits and vegetables with your children. Please be mindful of allergies.

Start a garden! During the year, take the time to research which fruits and vegetables would do well growing in your area. Plot out a garden spot and start growing your own crops with your children.

W is for Watermelon Craft

Materials

• Paint
• Paint brushes
• Construction paper 
• Scissors 
• Beads, beans, or seeds of watermelon 
• Glue stick 
• White glue 

Steps

1. Gather all materials.

2. Draw and cut out the letter W. We used pink tissue paper. If you wish, you could use pink construction paper.

3. Glue on the letter W.

4. Glue on beads or seeds for the watermelon seeds - or - paint the seeds onto your letter W.

Optional step: Paint the rind onto your letter W.

 5. Write W is for Watermelon on your craft.

Bonus for Video Gamers! If your children enjoy Minecraft, you can connect melons to the popular game because melons are one of the food items (e.g., used in potions) in the game.

Homeschooling the Elementary Years

What do you think is the easiest grade or years to homeschool? I think there may be a lot of disagreement as to which age or grade people consider to be the easiest. After all, when your children are young – preschool-aged – you are spending a lot of time building the foundation with them. Teaching them colors, the alphabet, numbers, how to button a coat, manners, and more which can be quite time consuming as they have short attention spans but want to learn everything.

When children have completed their kindergarten years, they may be reading independently and able to complete assignments with little to no supervision. You can start providing them with more difficult work which will help their minds grow. But just how long should you dedicate to homeschooling every day? How much information should you introduce to them at one time? Everyone will have different ideas and suggestions. I firmly believe that your child should lead the way (i.e., your child's progress will help you determine the answers).

How We Homeschool the Elementary Years 

To many outside observers, we probably have a very relaxed homeschool day. Our youngest children spend a lot of time exploring their own interests – drawing, playing with toys, reading, playing games, and more. But those periods of time when they are working or playing together are punctuated with time where we focus upon our homeschooling tasks.

I often work with our daughter while our younger son works independently on the computer completing a reading assignment with Reading Eggs, Reading Kingdom, or Spelling Shed. If he is not working on a language arts assignment online, he might be completing a math lesson with CTCMath or Teaching Textbooks. This gives him screen time and lets me help our daughter. When one completes their work, they often go over to see what their sibling is doing.

After completing one or two short lessons, we might need to take another break for me to complete my own tasks. While there are times when I let them go to what they wish, I might also ask our children to read or complete a written assignment. The work is short, age-appropriate, and can be done interdependently. I love that they are slowly growing to need me less and less for their work but we can still come together to learn as a team.

Depending on how the day goes, we may complete some additional lessons in the evening. We are that family who takes advantage of homeschooling by including our lessons throughout the entire week and the entire day. So while we are not sitting at a desk from 8 am to 3 pm, we are learning throughout the entire day. Whenever our kids have a question, I take that a chance to teach them and learn with them.

Homeschooling the elementary years will look different for many families. It may even look different for homeschooling families day to day or year to year depending upon their needs. One of my favorite things about homeschooling is the flexibility it affords each family to do the best for their own family and children.

Dice, Decks, and Boards: Zig Zag Puzzler Review

I received a FREE copy of this game from the Timberdoodle in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

Travel-friendly games are fantastic – especially for homeschooling families. If you need to go from one co-op locale or appointment to another but still want to keep your children's minds active, Zig Zag Puzzler may be an excellent addition to your game shelves. This puzzle which encourages improvement in concentration, memory, fine motor skills, and more is part of the 9th grade Timberdoodle Curriculum kit. 

There are two modes you can play using the two full-color manuals which give you and your children 80 different challenges. Everything fits neatly into the package which means you can easily store and transport the Zig Zag Puzzler.

What Is Included? 

Along with a lidded container, you will receive nine colorful, geometric shapes to complete the puzzles, one manual with 40 2-D challenges, and one manual with 40 3-D challenges. The container itself doubles as the playing boards on which you place the geometric shapes.

How Did We Use the Zig Zag Puzzler in Our Homeschool? 

The two manuals present 40 challenges for stacking the geometric shapes in 2-D patterns and 3-D patterns depending upon which side of the playing board you use. The little booklets progress in difficulty providing the person puzzling out the solution with fewer and fewer pieces placed on the board. Your goal, after you follow the initial set up in the manual, is to place the remaining pieces.  

After we received the Zig Zag Puzzler, I set out to put together one of the puzzles so that I could easily put away the game. It did take me quite a bit to work through the puzzle but I am the first to admit that my mind does not work through logic puzzles like this as easily as other logic games and questions. 

A few nights after dinner, I asked our soon-to-be senior to take a look at the Zig Zag Puzzler. Once he got the hang of what was required, he skipped to the harder puzzles. He moved all the way to puzzle 40 in the 2-D manual. It did take him quite a while and I ended up having to provide some tips and suggestions but eventually, he placed all the geometric shapes correctly. 

Working on the late challenge for the 2D puzzles - at the Wizard level.

What Did We Think? 

While only our teen and myself have played with the game, both our younger children are eager to try their hand at it. I think that the recommendation on Timberdoodle of ages 12 and up is perfect. I do not think that those younger would be very successful unless they already are familiar with this type of puzzle or game. 

While our teen was getting frustrated, he was determined to finish the most difficult 2-D puzzle. I think that the Zig Zag Puzzler will be great for him to help him fine-tune his memory and concentration skills. He spends a lot of time playing video games and being on the computer, so I like the idea of him working on puzzles using his hands.

I really like the quality of the container, the pieces, and the manual. It should last for quite a while of traveling from one location to another. I also like that the Zig Zag Puzzler is a one-person game. This makes it perfect for those moments when you need to work with one or another of your homeschooled children and your older child finishes up early. They can still be engaged in something educational but have fun.

I would recommend Zig Zag Puzzler for junior high and high school students, their parents, and even their grandparents. Completing the puzzles will help one keep their mind young. With everything self-contained, you won't have to worry about where you put the pieces at the end of each play session.

Do You Want to Read More Timberdoodle Reviews? 

Are you looking for more educational games? Bugzzle is a game for younger children that will help them work on their logic skills and Gobblet Gobblers will help elementary-aged children work on strategy building skills.