Well it has been awhile since I grounded myself to blog for my kids schooling. We are in December. The year of hardship is almost over and we are so looking forward to the new future ahead.We have had a lot go on this year.

We have decided not to finish the A.C.E. Curriculum it was just to much stress of trying to get kids to stay focused they were very board. So we are back to doing our Charlotte Mason Method with Unit Studies. They are doing great and getting back on track. At first convincing them and showing the that schooling is fun was hard at first. But now they bring me their school work and ask us to read again. Life is getting back to being hands on track again.

Jon- for those who have read my past post know my son has mental illness not fun at all. We decided to put him in public school because he begged us to. Well everything he did at home and at AMI kids he did at the high school as well. He has been suspended until the new semester if they let him come back. See he thinks he can leave when he wants and not do his in school suspension. Unfortunately he is not willing to be accountable for anything he does. He truly believes it is someone else's fault that things keep happening.All we can do is pray for him we love him and want nothing but best.So praying he can have a successful 2012.

The girls are doing great. They are healthy happy and very active! We had a rough year with schooling up until I stopped what they were doing and started back with our hands on reading education. They are actually more excited to and can not wait to get started with schooling.Each girl has been striving to be the best they can be. I have been truly blessed with three giving girls. Yes they can be pistols but what kid isn't.

The three girls had tonsils and adenoids taken out on December 14. Yes all three Makenzee-8, Lileigh-6 and Abbigale-3. They are doing great. They are eating playing and fighting with each other so I say they are doing well for having surgery last week. We at first thought oh my goodness what did we get ourselves into doing all at once. But we are truly thankful it is almost over.Yay the future looks to be more quite when they sleep!

Well we have started doing our old way of schooling like I mentioned earlier in post. We are not full fledged just yet. Starting slowly to ease out of text book schooling to hands on higher order thinking. So for now until after new year we are doing bible reading, Math,language Arts and literature, Reading, science and History and geography.

We start our day with the Pledge of Allegiance,Pledge to the Christian Flag,Pledge to the Bible and followed by Keys 4 Kids.

We do a daily devotion that Makenzee leads with her sisters. There are questions when she is finished reading for her and her sisters to answer. She is doing great being a leader and a teacher. So proud!

Memory Verses:
We also have been working on humility:
1. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:10)

2. This is the one I esteem: He who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word. (Isaiah 66:2)

3.For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.(Luke 14:11)

4.He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.
(I Corinthians 1:28-29)

5.So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
(1 Corinthians 3:7)

6.Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
(Philippians 2:3)

7.Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10)

8.All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5)

9.For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.
(2 Corinthians 4:5)

10.So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, "We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty." (Luke 17:10)

11.Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. (Philippians 2:5-7)

12. Humility and fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life. (Proverbs 22:4)

You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. (Psalm 18:27)

But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. (Psalm 37:11)

Math:
Makenzee is doing 3rd grade second book Saxon and we print up extra work to help with multiplication and so one.
Lileigh is doing 1st grade Saxon second book she is doing great.

Language arts:
Makenzee is working in the yellow book she is doing awesome she is ready for orange book but we wanted to make sure going in to new book that we were ready for it.
Lileigh is doing red book. It is helping her establish her reading skills. She is doing great.

Science/Nature Study
They are working on learning what Bontany is. we have explored vascular plants and non vascular plants. they are going to get more in depth as we go. They also keep a journal so they can go back and see what they have learned as well as we glue and tape things in there. They also will be doing lots of projects like making a herb hut and making soap from the herbs they grow. bery exciting stuff.

History/Geography:
They are learning about ancient time. we read a chapter and dicuss what we have read. They also get a map they color so they know what we read about. They are really digging it.

We are also trying to get back in routine of using going to start back with an artist appreciation and composer study. We love learning them but we plan on getting help from Harmony Art Mom. That's our New Years GOALS..Going to be so much excitement and learning WE are excited once again about schooling. Yay

I know I have mentioned hands on no text book learning. We that's what we do. We have text books but they are on the living side. They help us make sure we keep on track but don't have to do nothing but those books we add work to it to make it more interesting. When you use just text books usually you have to get just what is in front of you done. We explore and add to make more fun and more hands on.

One different note This year has been so full of surprises not all good. We had couple of loses and a son who's in and out of Hospital for his mental illness. We found out a couple months ago we are expecting again. This has been a complete shock. We were done with our last baby Abbigale who is now three years. We just got it confirmed we are having a BOY his EDD is May 6,2012. As the new year approaches we are starting to get to realize the fact God has truly blessed us with this new child. It will be Thomas first Biological son. So that makes 3 boys and 3 girls. God really does have a funny sense of humor. We are chalking it up to the NEW YEAR is going to be a great year. So we keep saying that to ourselves.:)

This is Our Big Surprise so if you had no clue don't feel bad not many people do until now. To busy keeping my kids on track and my son from getting in trouble not easy as well I am just getting out of shock myself! Oh and not to mention have been very sick last few months and truly thought it was the flu..

We always make a Birthday Cake for Jesus birth. Makenzee has informed me she is making a yellow cake with chocolate frosting from scratch. She is so excited and is counting the days down. The kids want to make it special because with out Jesus we would not have Christmas. We had a discussion about how people like to take Christ out of Christmas like X-mas and so on. The girls were sad to think people are truly like that because they love him so much.We as the Johnson Tribe believe and will continue to believe in Jesus as our saviour and keep spreading his cheer!

We also have another tradition we do this will be our 4th year this year. We watch The Polar Express. The kids actually get golden ticket that we make for them and they put on their Jammie's and get their blankets and can only enter the Train "Living room" with their ticket. They then get all snugged up and they get hot cocoa with marshmallows,sugar cookie and popcorn. When movie is over they have to go up to the conductor "Daddy" and give their ticket back and The Conductor ask them a very important question and he so humbly tries to paper hole out a word for them. They love it and look for ward to it every year.A tradition I see my children doing with their families one day. That to me is so exciting and rewarding.

I am truly Thankful for every ones patients I am slowly getting us back on track. Giving God my depression and negativity so we will keep going and be positive and look forward to what is giving us good or bad.

Thank you for Pondering,

P.S. SEE YOU NEXT YEAR in 2012!! We are planning on making better effort to keep everyone up to speed on The Johnson Tribe!

Dale Evans quotes

Christmas is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas.

Jesus is born
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1-7)