P.E. a Problem? Kids (and Moms) Like to Move It!

I have heard many a homeschooling mother ask questions to the affect of, “How do you get your kids to do P.E.?”  It’s made me laugh out loud. “Are you kidding me?” I’ve thought to myself.  My question has always been, “How do you get your kids to STOP doing P.E.?”  It just goes to show that we all have different strengths and challenges.  (And we should never laugh at each other.)

From baseball to basketball, sledding to fox ‘n’ geese, laser tag to Just Dance™, swimming to hiking, I have a much harder time getting my kids to hold still.  They even bounce their legs and/or dance with their upper body while doing their schoolwork.  None of us can sit “normally” in a chair for very long—it’s actually painful.  Because my children are such movers and shakers, and because they are heavily involved in organized sports leagues, I’ve never worried about them getting enough exercise.  But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t still physical things for us all to learn or that winter doesn’t challenge us.

Below is a list of ideas for incorporating more physical education into your homeschool, all year long.

Begin with the basics.

*Start with teaching and practicing some basic skills such as playing catch with a baseball, dribbling a basketball, doing jumping jacks, jumping rope, walking a balance beam, doing a somersault, etc. You may think these things trivial, but they are essential for developing coordination, both physically and mentally.

*Teach the basic rules of play of a variety of common sports and give them a try. (This can mean try a recreational league, or just give it a go in family home evening.) You never know, your children may discover talents and passions that lead in the direction of their life’s mission.  Even if you’re not a particularly athletic family, it’s a good idea to have a basic education in sports.  I’ve never wanted my children to have to sit something out because they feel physically awkward or athletically uninformed.  I could write a dissertation on the value of sports in children’s lives, but suffice it to say that physical education can be a great tool for building confidence.  Many social skills are learned in organized sports as well.

*Learn and/or make up lots of different physical games.   Many ideas are just a click away on the internet, or you can get a good game book like “The Pocket Guide to Games” by Bart King.

*Go and do.  Set aside days in your homeschool schedule for hiking and biking and enjoying the seasons.

Having enough bodies.  Many physical activities require a larger number of people than you have in your family.

*Adapt games to your family size.  My husband will divide our kids into 2 teams and then play quarterback both ways in flag football.

*A group in Utah County, Utah arranged a P.E. program with a local university.  The undergraduates in the university’s physical education program “practice” on a group of homeschoolers, benefiting everyone.

*Organize a homeschool P.E. day once a week or twice a month, or whatever your needs are.  Use a park or someone’s yard.  A group where I live was able to use the gym at the National Guard armory at one point while one of the Guard’s homeschooling fathers was teaching self defense there.

*Find a professional who is willing to give a group discount for doing a class in the middle of the day.  When coaches and teachers find there’s an untapped resource before 4:00 pm, they’re happy to offer something like karate or gymnastics to groups of homeschoolers.

The challenge of winter.

*Embrace the season.  Besides sledding (which naturally requires lots of uphill climbing that is good for the heart) there is also snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and of course downhill skiing to enjoy.

*When many roads are icy and crowded, church parking lots are often clear and empty.  Load up your car with bikes and skateboards and head to the parking lot for a safe riding zone.

*Visit an indoor fitness or recreation center.  If you live in the right place, you can do almost anything indoors, including running, swimming, and tennis.

*Winter is a good time to check out exercise DVDs.  The whole family can give it a try!  Videos on belly dancing and tai chi also enhance social studies lessons.

*I have some kids who really work up a sweat dancing with Just Dance™.  Some video games can be healthy!

*Speaking of dancing, just turn on some music and move!

*Make hopscotch squares with carpet remnants.  Our squares have been hopped on a lot over the years.

Equipment and other costs—managing what isn’t free.

*Used tennis rackets, baseball bats and other equipment can be found in thrift stores or classifieds.

*Ask for these things for gifts.  One Christmas my husband’s brother surprised us with an indoor basketball arcade game that has been a lifesaver on many a day too cold to go outside.

*We cashed in my husband’s frequent flier miles from business trips to get a free ping pong table.

*Lift tickets, recreational center passes, bowling alley gift cards, etc. can all be given as gifts from you to your children for birthdays and holidays.

*Reward systems can be set up to make a trip to an indoor trampoline park or a soft play climbing gym or the rental of snowshoes a goal everyone is trying to earn with behavior or schoolwork or chores.

Moms like to move it, too!

As much as I’d like to be my old skinny self, for me fitness is more about being able to go and do the things my kids are doing.  I want to be able to have a foot race with them and not need CPR.  For the most part, just doing what they’re doing and playing right along with them is good enough.  My now high school baseball pitchers started out playing as much catch with me in the middle of the day as they ever did with their dad after work.  But as my kids have grown and advanced in their athletic goals, I find myself more on bleacher duty watching them than on active duty moving as much as they do.  A few more quick ideas for adding movement to a mom’s day:

*Stash a set of small hand weights on the bookshelves.  Work your arms while your children read aloud.

*Listen to music while folding laundry or doing dishes and dance during your chores.

*When things get testy and tense, jump up and call a jumping jacks contest, with you leading the way.  It burns calories and frustrations.

*During recess, don’t just send the kids out to play.  Go out with them and take a brisk walk around the block or demonstrate a jump rope game from your own childhood.

Exercise and physical education are important. As a woman who has found exercise to be absolutely necessary in maintaining not just physical but also mental and emotional health for myself, and as a mother who has seen the behavior and focus benefits from sports and activity in my children’s lives, I hope everyone will find ways to “move it.”

The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook

Raymond and Dorothy Moore's The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook has a subtitle: A Creative and Stress-Free Approach to Homeschooling. It's a fairly accurate title—I would say Less-Stress since nothing important is ever stress-free for me--but this is one of those homeschooling books that I can happily re-read, over and over.

Often called the grandparents of homeschooling, the Moores researched and became champions of homeschooling 50 years ago, long before HSLDA, ABeka, or homeschooling blogs came on the scene. Their research and the educational method they subsequently promoted seem almost revolutionary on the face. Yet their logic is sound, and their homeschooling method truly is low-stress, low-cost, and high-success.

I was a teenager when I read my first book by the Moores: Better Late Than Early. (It’s true: I was an odd child who was interested in educational theories even then. Plus, I disliked school intensely and was thrilled to find experts who felt the same way.) The subject of that book was their research on when children should begin their formal educations. The Moores found that, contrary to popular opinion, children do best when formal (sit-down, study by book or lecture) education is delayed until at least age 8-10 or even 12, especially for boys. Academically and socially, in behavior and maturity, the children with late starts on "book learning" did best.

The reason these kids did so well academically is that after 8-12 years of happy exploration in the world, their knowledge base was so wide and their confidence in themselves so high, that formal academics seemed very easy to them. Academically, the delayed children breezed past the kids who began formal study in preschool or kindergarten.

My mom was a piano teacher and she taught me the same principle when I was a child by making me wait until I was 8 to start lessons. Speaking generally and not specifically, of course, it doesn’t matter if you start learning piano at 5 years old or at 8 years old--by 10 years old you will probably have equal ability. The difference lies in the attitude toward the piano at age 10. The early-starter has had to work so hard at it for so long that piano practice might have become a chore instead of a joy. The late-starter has had a much easier time learning to read music and placing his fingers on the right keys at the right time. He quickly moves through the primer level and immediately advances to playing more satisfying "real songs," so he is rewarded with enjoyment and achievement when he sits down to play.

They have the same ability at age 10, but their attitudes are far different. Which one, do you think, will be more advanced in their piano studies at age 15? I believe their attitudes at age 10 will determine their enthusiasm and desire to practice in the future. And in the end, there’s a good chance that the late-starter will not only enjoy the piano more than the early-starter, but will also play with more skill. There are certainly exceptional children who started playing the piano early and go on to great things, but for my mom at least, they were the exceptions rather than the rule. What my mother found to be true with her piano students often holds true for academic subjects also (learning languages is one big exception).

I have used some of the Moores' late-starting method with my children, which really ties in with John Holt's unschooling while the kids are young. My three older kids are anecdotal evidence that waiting works: they sped through the traditional college preparatory subjects in just a few years and were ready for college at 16. (Incidentally, we found that 16 year olds starting college is not necessarily a good thing, but that’s a story for another time.) More important than speeding through academics though, is that the Moores gave us a satisfying way to homeschool, focusing on the big priorities and preparing kids for life, not just for college.

So what is the Moore Method?

Up until kids are at least 8-12 years old, the parent should. . .

  • Read, sing, and play with your children.
  • Identify their interests and help them find real books and experiences to explore those interests. Give them real tools (kitchen, shop, yard or desk), encyclopedias, and magazines.
  • Have them help around the house: "Start your children to work when they start to walk. Add freedom as they accept responsibility."
  • Give them opportunities to serve others.
  • Basically, give your kids an interesting and enriching environment.

When the children are older, there are three parts to the Moore Formula: study, work, and service.

  1. Study. 30-180 minutes per day, using as few boring workbooks or school methods as possible. (Think of all the lovely ideas out there from wonders like Charlotte Mason and Maria Montessori). The thing to note here is that the amount of time spent on “school work” is quite short--three hours maximum, and that only for the oldest teenagers.
  2. Work. 30-180 minutes per day. Kids spend at least as long as study time on household chores and running their own businesses. The novelty here is the large amount of time spent on real work, and the emphasis on kids running their own businesses or helping in a family business.
  3. Service. Times will vary--serving at home, in the neighborhood, and in the community. We don’t often see an emphasis on service outside of the church, but the Moores place it front and center, as a major part of the curriculum.

The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook gives a good introduction and explanation of the Moore Method, plus it includes lots of real-life stories from families who have used it. I enjoy reading about other families’ experiences with the study/work/service tripod. They offer lots of food for thought, and they demonstrate the advantages children gain by working and serving throughout their school day. This is an extremely valuable book, and I count it at the top of my homeschooling book list, right next to John Holt's books.

Since I have such a high opinion of both the Moores and John Holt, let me add a side note about the differences between the two methods. The small disparities between the Moore Method and unschooling don't arise until children are older. While the Moores suggest 8-12 as appropriate ages to begin small amounts of formal study, John Holt would say to delay that formal study until (more accurately, unless. . . ) the child requests it. The Moores would have you make certain that your children incorporate work and service into their schedules. And Holt would say that kids will incorporate work and service into their schedules on their own, as they see you modeling those things. Both methods completely agree that most traditional school methods like textbooks, lectures, and tests, are rarely helpful and often harmful.

Because the Moores and John Holt were the first homeschooling advocates, back when homeschoolers were hiding their kids in the daytime, it’s worth our time to see why they thought homeschooling surpassed traditional schooling. They didn’t say to take kids out of school to keep them away from drugs or sex or non-Christian lifestyles, even though those might be appropriate reasons. In the beginning of modern homeschooling, the choice was about educational methods and the very definition of education. So I’ll follow the pattern set for me by the first homeschooler I ever met, and I recommend these authors to everyone interested in homeschooling. I hope they’ll be as much help to you as they have been to me!

Beating the Cabin Fever Blues...

This winter has been cold and snowy. Very different from last year. My kids have been stuck inside since Christmas due to either below zero temperatures or lots of snow. With a house full of boys, cabin fever sets in quick!

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A few days ago I grabbed off the bookshelf “The Kids Winter Handbook” by Jane Drake and Ann Love. It is a great resource for fun winter ideas, both inside and out. It has science experiments, craft projects, things to do in the snow and ice, family activities, games and kitchen projects to do.   Everything you need to beat the “I’m bored and I don’t know what to do” blues.

The pictures are of my boys making snow goggles. Just the thing for their hike through the back yard with the dogs! Here are some other books to try:

“The Kids Winter Fun Book: Homespun Adventures for Family Fun”  by  Claire Gillman and Sam Martin

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Snow_goggles_6

“12 Snow Days of Winter” (For Chilly Days Indoors, Perfect for Beginner Readers)

And to get you started right away here’s an ebook you can download today!

“25 Winter Craft Ideas: Easy Indoor Crafts for Kids” by Monica Van Zandt

Parable of the Peach Trees

When we bought our current house, the first thing we did was to plant a half-acre orchard with apple, plum, cherry, apricot, pear, and peach trees. We planned, plotted, and planted, dreaming of fresh juicy goodness at our fingertips and shelves stocked with endless bottles of fruit. In our inexperienced naivety, we thought only of the blessings of the harvest, not anticipating the trials of pests and problematic weather. We didn’t foresee the years of despair over a late or early freeze and the subsequent loss of a year’s worth of fruit, or the years of overwhelm from a bumper crop with its sticky floors, fruit flies, lack of sufficient jars, and fruit rotting faster than I could get it preserved. We also didn’t foresee the valuable lessons in work and family and responsibility that would come from our small field, and I certainly didn’t plan on the object lesson of a lifetime that would finally teach me something I desperately needed to learn.

I have three peach trees. This past summer these trees produced profusely and I was downright drooling in anticipation. I watched them and worried them, willing the weather to be kind and helpful. As the blossoms turned to small green balls, I was protective, and greedy. Now, I grew up around fruit trees and I know that I should thin the fruit. This means removing unripe fruit from crowded clusters, allowing remaining fruit room to grow. But I wanted every single peach hanging on those trees and just could not bring myself to pull a single one.

As summer progressed, each tree somehow had a different destiny. One tree, through freezing or the wind, naturally thinned itself. It offered fruit, but only single peaches well spaced on the tree. These peaches grew to be perfectly sized and flavored. The other 2 trees bore burdens of copious crop; one poor tree succumbed to the weight of the load and the branches broke cruelly, nearly destroying the tree. Devastated at the damage my greed had caused, I then tried to thin the peaches on the third tree. It helped lighten the heaviness and thus preserved branches, but at that point it was too late to affect the fruit much and what we harvested were very small peaches with little fleshy goodness.

As I compared the trees and their produce, I was struck by obvious parallels between the contributions of my peach trees and the contributions of my life: If the fruit I offer is to be the best, I must not try to produce more than I can shoulder and nourish. I must thin out those things that place demands upon me, even sometimes when their blossoms are beautiful and I want that particular fruit.

This personal parable reminded me of some profound expounding Brent L. Top did on the story of Mary and Martha in his book Living Waters. Of the many wonderful things he wrote on the subject, this particular paragraph hit home: “The Savior told Martha, ‘Thou art careful and troubled about many things.’ He was acknowledging her conscientiousness but also reminding her that her conscientiousness in some ways had become a weakness. The phrase ‘troubled about many things’ could also be interpreted as, ‘You are distracted. Your attention and efforts are divided, and as a result, all that you do is less effective.’ In our day, the Lord has commanded us to be ‘anxiously engaged in a good cause’ (D&C 58:27), but that doesn’t mean we have to be anxiously engaged in every good cause. Trying to do all things or be all things to all people all the time results in Martha-like frustration. I believe we must learn, like Martha, that being cumbered with over-involvement in too many good causes can actually divert us away from the things that matter most. Martha wasn’t sinning or being evil in any way. All of her efforts and attentions were drawn to doing good for someone else (in this particular case, the Savior). But instead of finding fulfillment and peace and joy in her labors, she was more frustrated and worn out than ever. She thinks the problem is Mary—for not helping out with all of the preparations—but the real problem is Martha herself—for being over-involved and distracted from that which mattered most.”

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While it’s hard to thin peaches, it’s harder to thin out the many things in our lives asking for attention and energy. In fact, it can be positively painful. But it’s not as painful as cracking under too much weight. It’s not as painful as realizing that as “by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:16-20,) not only what type of fruit you produce, but the fruit’s value is revealed as well. President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “I have been quoted as saying, ‘Do the best that you can.’ I do wish to say that it be the very best.” Doing your very best doesn’t necessarily mean doing the most. Best alludes to quality, not quantity. The best peaches weren’t the loads of small ones with little flesh around the core, but the ones with lots of room to grow and develop.

In the thinning process, it’s not always easy to look at a cluster of peaches and know which ones should be sacrificed for the good of the tree and the fruit that will ripen. Likewise, it’s hard to know what to trim from our lives. Top continues, “Just as Martha was, we need to be stopped dead in our tracks once in a while and examine what we are doing and why we are doing it. Eternal priorities absolutely must guide our lives and actions and choices…” He asks, “How many things in your life—good, desirable, honorable, righteous things—are actually getting in the way of the ‘good part,’ an intimate relationship with God? As C.S. Lewis wrote, ‘God wants to give us something, but cannot, because our hands are full—there’s nowhere for Him to put it.’”

Finally, we cannot discuss fruit without mentioning the most precious produce—our children. How horrifying would it be at harvest to find the fruit of our loins as under-nourished and under-developed due to either greed for personal yield or distraction and overwhelm. Neither is acceptable. Elder William R. Bradford of the Seventy counseled Saints in general conference to unclutter their lives of diversionary encumbrances. “We need to examine all the ways we use our time, our work, our ambitions, our affiliations, and the habits that drive our actions. . . . A mother should never allow herself to become so involved with extras that she finds herself neglecting her divine role.” (“Unclutter Your Life,” Ensign, May 1992, 28.)

As this New Year begins, I hope we’ll all have the courage and conviction to perform the necessary thinning in our lives that we may cultivate the most excellent fruit possible.

Right Brain? Left Brain? Does It Really Matter?

When my husband and I were first married, for some reason, we got into a debate about how we each saw the passage of time. He saw it as a linear line of calendar pages that tore themselves off as each day passed. I saw time as a huge spiral taking up immense space with each year a spiral, and each calendar day a spiraling path that tilted and spun its way through the universe.  We tried to convince the other they were wrong and that our way was the “right” way. Seems silly now, but what we didn’t know is we were giving each other a glimpse of how differently our brains worked. Years later, as I was struggling with the learning challenges my children had, I discovered brain science.  It was a light in a dark closet!

Our brains have 2 hemispheres and each is used for different tasks. The left brain is more linear and task oriented. The right brain is more artsy and creative. All of us use both sides, but we tend to use one more than the other.

So how do you know which one you are?  Does it matter? It does, especially with learning. What works for a right brain learner, won’t for a left brain learner and vis versa. Here are some differences:

Auditory/ Sequential Learners (left brain)

  • Think in words
  • Excel at rote memorization
  • May need repetition to reinforce learning
  • Is a step by step learner
  • Auditory
  • Is well organized
  • Learns by trial and error
  • Analytical thinker
  • Attends well to details

Visual/Spatial Learner (right brain)

  • Thinks primarily in pictures
  • Has visual strengths
  • Relates well to space
  • Is a whole to part learner
  • Learns concepts all at once
  • Is a good synthesizer of information
  • Sees the big picture; may miss details
  • Creates unique methods of organizations
  •  Learns concepts permanently; doesn’t learn by drill and repetition

There are also whole brain people who use both sides easily but they tend to lean either left or right.

The breakdown of averages is 25% of people are strongly Auditory/ Sequential (left brain),  33.33 are strongly Visual/ Spatial (right brain) and 41.67%  use both hemispheres with 30% leaning V/S and 15% leaning A/S.

This has a huge impact on how each person learns (adults included). As homeschool moms we need to ask the question, are we setting our kids up to fail without even knowing it?

The typical public school is set up for left brain students with lectures, drills and workbooks. These work well for this type of learner, but not for a right brain student. They need hands-on and experimental activities such as building models , measuring things, performing science experiments and going on field trips.  These are perfect for a homeschool classroom.

It has been my un-scientific experience that most kids who are pulled out of public school because they are not doing well are right brain kids who struggle with left brain teaching methods. With the flexibility of homeschool we can meet the needs of our kids by choosing methods that cater to their learning style. Here are a few quick examples to get you started.

  1. As stated earlier, this type of learner needs lots of messy hands on experiences. What they see and do they remember forever.
  2. Since a right brain person sees primarily in pictures, having them explain things can be a challenge.  And this also makes writing more difficult. It’s hard to change pictures into words and back again. This is also why your child may give you detail after detail when they are telling you a story. That is what they see! This can be frustrating when all you want is a quick answer.  You may need to work with them to help them see what details need to be shared and which ones don’t.
  3. Another challenge with seeing things in words instead of pictures is that a right brain child can think faster than someone who thinks in words. They see things in their mind like a movie, so they can process information very rapidly and thus see all the possible answers to a problem. I remember when my 3rd grade daughter was taking a standardized test for the first time. The testing center called me to come get her after about 30 minutes because she was in tears. I was sure it was the stress of trying to read the test. No, as she said in tears, “Mom, all the answers could have been right. It just depends on who was asking the question!”  Ahh! Yes, a new test taking skill I need to teach!
  4. An added quandary to being able to solve problems quickly, is that once they have solved the problem they cannot always remember the steps they took to get the answer. This can be a difficulty when they have to show their work. They really can’t.  It happened too fast.
  5. When teaching concepts to right brain children you will need to show them what the big picture is. If you want them to build a puzzle, they have to see what the puzzle looks like when finished. The little pieces don’t mean anything unless they are connected to the whole. If you want them to clean their room, they have to see what a clean room looks like or their version of a clean will differ greatly from yours!
  6. This is especially important in teaching algebra. Algebra, by its very nature is abstract. It is very difficult for right brain children to understand algebra because it is taught in tiny pieces that build on one another, but if they can’t see the point of what the steps are they will never remember them. They remember in pictures. They have to see it to remember it. Manipulative can help.
  7. This takes us to the next point. When you have a list of instructions that you want your child to do, help them see what you want them to do. Want them to go get the mail, leave it on the desk, then let out the dog? Go through the list slowly, having them visualize each step. Once it is in their head as a picture, they won’t forget! This applies to anything you want them to remember long term, spelling words, poems, scriptures, math formulas, etc.
  8. And finally, right brain children (and adults) have a hard time with the concept of time. Left brain people can tell you they have been sitting there for 10 minutes without looking at the clock. Not so for right brain children. This can make school last forever because they will dawdle over everything. Time means very little. But events mean a lot! Timers and motivators to finish a project are a must!
  9. This same disregard for time makes shifting activities difficult.  They hyper- focus on an activity and have a hard time breaking that tie and moving on to something else. Letting them know they have 5 minutes then they need to stop helps them refocus. Also, when they start the next activity it may take a few minutes for them to get focused again.

These are just a few of the things you can do to help the right brain child in your life.  These children are creative, energetic, thoughtful and fun! School will never be boring teaching them!  They know how to add a spice to life if we will just let them.

There is no “better than” side of the brain. The Steve Jobs of the world (right brain) can see the big picture of where we need to go, but it is his left brain colleagues who see the details on how to mass produce that vision! We couldn’t live without both!

Next time we will talk about time management for right brain people!

Resources:

Right- Brained Children in a Left- Brained World, Jeffery Freed and Laurie Parsons

Visual Spatial Learner

 

Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room

I am often awed by the rich poetic truths found throughout the hymns in expressions of very few words. Half a line carefully articulated has stopped me mid-melody to consider and reflect. Just as an entire sermon can be given on one verse of scripture, a complete thematic unit can be created from one phrase of hymn.

This year one of the phrases that’s caught my attention in the Christmas carols is, “Let every heart prepare Him room,” from Handel’s “Joy to the World.” I wanted to spend some time with my children focused on this choice of words and tactilely explore all that it could mean to us. I thought I’d share what we did in the event that you could use a “new” Christmas lesson at your house.

We read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennett. We also watched a few different film adaptations of Dickens’ novel.

We sang “Joy to the World.”

We made Heart Maps.

I handed each child a copy of “Opening Our Hearts” by Elder Gerald N. Lund and asked them if they knew what the Heart Maps and this talk had to do with “Joy to the World.”  We then read through the talk together.

I wrote the phrase, “Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room” on a whiteboard and we dissected, discussed, and diagrammed each word individually. My kids supplied the ideas, and I include them here just for clarity of the lesson.

  • Let – invitation; to not keep from doing; agency/free will
  • Every – everyone; all; each; all that there could be—the Gospel and Atonement for all collectively and personally and individually
  • Heart – the main or most important part; symbol of mind and will of men; strength and courage; tender, guarded place; can change
  • Prepare – make or get ready; for a visitor, clean house—for Christ clean self; purify
  • Him – Jesus Christ
  • Room – space; place to live; with Christ “moving in” we don’t lose square footage but gain it—our hearts are enlarged to include others when we make room for Him

Then for each word, we also found sentences or paragraphs within Elder Lund’s talk that corresponded to our ideas.

We discussed other ideas found within the talk. We especially talked about Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart.” Using a bag of roasted pistachios, we talked about what it means to have a “broken heart.”  Just as a pistachio that is sealed tight cannot be accessed, so is a heart that has no “cracks” in it for the Lord to penetrate.  You cannot find the pistachio goodness inside if the shell is not pliable, nor can anyone find the goodness in your heart if it’s unbroken. Preparing room for the Lord means having a way He can enter.

We talked more of preparation. Elder Lund’s talk is about being open to the Spirit; we can’t make room for Jesus if we don’t have the Spirit. Referencing the Parable of the Sower, and faith being a seed, we discussed preparing our hearts like we would soil with labor and nutrients.

When Brother Lund began speaking of those whose hearts are set upon the things of the world, I was delighted that my children readily recognized Scrooge and that segued into a writing assignment I’d prepared with the following quotes and questions.

CHRISTMAS PAST:  “’There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say,’ returned the nephew. ‘Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round—apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that—as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the rave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!’”

*What good have you derived from Christmases past, and how has it reflected on Christmas’s namesake?

CHRISTMAS PRESENT:  “’Business!’ cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. ‘Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!’. . .

. . .‘At this time of the rolling year,’ the spectre said, ‘I suffer most.  Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode! Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me!’”

*What can you do now to change how you see and treat other people?

CHRISTMAS YET TO COME:  “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”

How can you honor Christmas in your heart and keep it all the year in years yet to come?

We looked over our Heart Maps to see if everyone had already included Jesus.  Then we copied Matthew 6:21 on the backs of the maps.

While listening to Michael McLean’s “The Innkeeper (Let Him In)” from The Forgotten Carols, we made personally meaningful collages by cutting and pasting Christmas cards around Neal A. Maxwell’s quote, “Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus.”

Finally, each child chose their favorite artist’s rendition of Christ knocking at the door. Under a printout, they copied Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me.”

All these pages were then bound together in a homemade book to be cherished every Christmas!

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Advent is simply defined as “the period leading up to Christmas in the Christian church’s year.”[i]  It is a time of preparation and anticipation. This Advent season I have marveled at the enormous peace I have felt inside myself.  It’s odd; national and world events and turmoil, personal tasks and to-do lists, recklessly giddy children, and even reason seem to defy the possibility of any inner peace. Yet, it’s been my companion these days, so prevalent it’s tangible.  I’ve decided it is Advent itself, with the lights, music, and hearts turned toward Christ that is stilling my soul.  As I prepare and anticipate the beloved celebration of His first coming, I’m keenly aware that we are also in the Advent of His Second Coming, but it somehow provides a sustaining serenity.

“O Come, O Come Emmanuel” has forever been a song I’ve loved to hear, even before I really knew what it was about. I’ve always at least understood the longing in it. I’ve wondered about the people living the thousands of years before Christ’s birth, being taught that the Savior, Emmanuel, would one day come to deliver them from sin and death.  How did they look forward to that?  Now, knowing that He was here, that He came as foretold, but living in these current times that were also foretold, I understand that longing and the hope and expectancy.

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Probably the oldest carol still sung today, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” is also probably the only true Advent carol. All other Christmas carols detail the actual event of Christ’s birth, or express the joy and rejoicing of what the event means for us. “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” is the only one singing of the anticipation, of prophecy and waiting for fulfillment.  Originating as one of the “Great Antiphons,” it was written by a monk or priest before 800 A.D. and sung in Latin during Advent vespers, one verse per day being sung or chanted during the last seven days before Christmas. (To get a taste of what that was like then, watch this video of Mannheim Steamroller’s “Veni, Veni” put to pictures of Catholic cathedrals and monasteries.)

http://youtu.be/Yq2my9m0xmM

About a thousand years later a remarkable man by the name of John Mason Neale translated the chant into English. Neale was a brilliant Anglican priest who could speak and write more than twenty languages, yet his intelligence and insight was feared because he was a free thinker. He was sent away to the coast of Africa where it was thought he could do no harm to the church. So instead of having a pastorate in London as planned, but instead of giving up on what he perceived as his calling, he made a radical move and established the Sisterhood of St. Margaret, an orphanage, a school for girls, and a house of refuge for prostitutes.  (He is also the English translator of “Good Christian Men, Rejoice” and the author of “Good King Wenceslas.”) His translation of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” was a great gift to the people of the Dark Ages, most of who could not read nor have access to the Bible, because it was a rare example of how the Old and New Testaments came together in the birth and life of Jesus.[ii]  (See Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:22-23)

Because of Advent, Christmas is a season, not just a day.  I’m thankful for that because I need all the peace and focus on Christ I can get. I’ve always tried to use this time to teach my children even more of Christ and how to emulate Him, and there are many ways to do that.  However, this year I decided to let the children teach us. I determined three things to ponder this Advent season and posed these questions to some homeschooled children.  Here are the questions and answers.

In Matthew 16:15 Jesus asks Peter, “Whom say ye that I am?” How would you answer that question? Who is Jesus to you?

Eliza L., 6, North Logan, Utah:  “My King.  My Savior.”

Emily A., 8, Paradise, Utah:  “I would tell Him He’s Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

Jonny G., 7, Providence, Utah:  “The Lord of the whole world.  My Lord.”

Matthew G., 13, Providence, Utah:  “The person I look up to.”

McKenna B., 9, Petersboro, Utah:  “He is a loving, compassionate person who brings me a lot of comfort, especially at night.”

Brent L., 10, North Logan, Utah:  “The living God and the Savior of all men.”

Tabitha M., 9, of Logan, Utah:  “Jesus to me is the person who made it so that we could come to earth and be together with our families forever, so we could love one another, and He set the example for us.”

Ptolemy T., 17, Nibley, Utah:  “He is the Light of the World. The true and living God.  Our older brother.  The most caring person in the world.”

Rachel H., 6, North Logan, Utah:  “He is the Savior.  If He came down right now, I could tell it was Him by the holes in His hands and feet.”

Psadi T., 8, Nibley, Utah:  “He is loving and kind.”

Matthew B., 15, Redmond, Washington:  “A brother who cares for me and will do whatever it takes for me to return to our Father in Heaven.”

Sam A., 11, Paradise, Utah:  “The King. The person who gave life to everyone.  Someone who didn’t sin and someone I’d want to be around.”

Christopher B., 14, Redmond, Washington:  “The one sent by God to guide His children and help them along the way.”

Ptallan T., 10, of Nibley, Utah:  “My Savior.  He’s my hero!”

Cordelia L., 2, North Logan, Utah:  “Baby.”

How can you come to know Jesus and be more like Him?

Joshua G., 10, Providence, Utah:  “Read the Book of Mormon.”

McKenna B.:  “’I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus’ is my favorite song. When I serve others I become like Jesus.”

Brent L.:  “Follow His commandments.”

Christopher B.:  “Read the scriptures and act on it.”

Adria M., 11, Logan Utah:  “[By] singing Primary songs, reading the scriptures, and going to church.”

Eliza L.,:  “By loving one another.  And try to do things very nice to people.”

Psadi T.:  “Follow His teachings.”

Sam A.:  “I can take a deep breath every time I get angry.  I can learn about Him and get a good education.”

Ptolian T., 15, Nibley, Utah:  “Learn about Him and act like He did.”

Matthew G.,:  “Pray.”

Ptolemy T.:  “Care for other people.  Love others no matter what they do or say.  Choose to always do what’s right.”

Tabitha M.:  “We can go to church and help and love one another.”

Rachel H.:  “By listening, by reading the scriptures, by loving one another and not hurting others.  And get married in the temple.”

Evelyn L., 4, North Logan, Utah:  “Like loving one another and like cleaning up.”

Jonny G.:  “Follow His example.”

What are you looking forward to most about Jesus Christ’s Second Coming?

Ptobias T. 12, Nibley, Utah:  “I am looking forward to finally meeting Him in person.”

Julia F., 8, Nibley, Utah:  “…when He comes again, lions are going to be friends with lambs.  That He can tell me things, that He was resurrected and stuff.”

Emily A., 8, Paradise, Utah:  “I’m looking forward to seeing if I was good enough to go to the Celestial Kingdom with my family.  I want my family there, too.”

Brent L.:  “That there will be peace on the entire earth.”

Madison B., 7, of Petersboro, Utah:  “I want to be resurrected and twinkled.”

Eliza L.:  “Seeing Him and knowing how He feels.  And what His voice would be like.”

Matthew B.:  “The ability to look upon the face of our Redeemer and for the resurrection of the dead.”

Ptallan T.:  “Looking at Him and to let Him know I like Him, and seeing my dog, Shire, and bunny, Oreo.”

McKenna B.:  “So we can build the New Jerusalem.  I want Him to be our leader...”

Jessica B., 12, Redmond, Washington:  “I’m looking forward to a world at peace and to never have fighting, and I also want to see Him.”

Ben A., 9, Paradise, Utah:  “I want to meet Him and see all my ancestors.”

Jonny G.:  “Everybody on the whole earth will be good and obey the law.”

Evelyn L.:  “Jesus.  Loving.  Because Jesus wants to come here because He loves us.”

Ptolemy T.:  “Being able to finally see Christ face to face and to get a hug from Him.”

Emmanuel, or Immanuel, means God with Us.  How fitting that the name describes what people hoped for centuries ago, and what we look for now.   In this Advent season, as you anticipate the celebration of Emmanuel, gather your children to study the prophecies and fulfillments and to draw near to Him; contemplate who He is, ponder what He did and does, and consider His return.  Keep in mind John Neale, who though persecuted for his goodness even from within his own church, never gave up on the stirrings within.  Remember that “there is peace in righteous doing” and do it.[iii]

Finally, a perfect addition to Advent is this perfect rendition and depiction of God with us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugV6QGcafEE

[i] Scholastic Children’s Dictionary

[ii]Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas by Ace Collins, pp. 126-131

[iii] LDS Hymn 239 “Choose the Right”

Christmas Around the World

Every year we celebrate "Christmas Around the World" by having three or four families over for a fun evening of food and sharing. We've enjoyed wonderful foods from around the world: a French Yule Log, Swedish Meatballs, Korean Kimchi, and

We invite each family to choose a country and learn all about it: fun facts, geography, famous people, animals that live there and especially what they do to celebrate Christmas. Children can make a poster to share or present something that they learned to the group.

French Crepes to name a few! We send out our invitations early for everyone has time to prepare.

Christmas-Around-the-World
Christmas-Around-the-World

We invite each family to decorate a small Christmas tree with ornaments that tell about their country and to bring a traditional food. We display all the trees on the tables with the food.

During the evening we enjoy a wonderful meal and each family gets to present their country to all the rest. We also enjoy singing Christmas carols and have even tried to sing them in different languages! A fun night for all!