Homeschool – Page 3 – Homespun Sugar

New Mexico Sunshine

Michelle Underwood Homeschool October 7, 2021November 3, 2021 0 Comment

October 7, 2021 – Thursday

I have had to put school on hold for a few days. My husband and I are just getting back in town from a three day getaway to New Mexico. My husband’s boss invited us to join him and his wife for a spa getaway. Tough it felt like the last thing I needed to do in my attempt to catch up, it was still so rejuvenating and refreshing! Getting away without the kids isn’t something we do often, who I am kidding… it isn’t something we do hardly ever. I know we probably should… but, right or wrong, it just hasn’t happened.

I am blessed my sweet mom was here from Texas to watch the kids while we were away. My daughter cried and cried the first night. I have been in her shoes, missing the very person she was with. There have been times that being away from my mom felt unbearable. Her pain was familiar. And my mom misses her mother daily, though she has been gone for over 20 years. It is hard to be miles away from those we love most. I so wanted to rescue my daughter from her sadness, but I know she is ready to be nudged out of her comfort zone a little. The distance was beneficial to us both.

I was experiencing a homesickness of my own. I was homesick for the place I was – the place I once called home. Being back in New Mexico made me miss it even more. The familiar smells of the desert, the majesty of the mountains that border the horizon, the taste of the red and green chile, the warm sunshine, and the dark adobe houses that welcome you with a bright turquoise door, like the smile of a friend inviting you in. Being home as a visitor… my husband coined the term “here sickness”. Whether you are homesick or here sick… you are blessed. To miss something deeply is to value and treasure it.

The hugs I received when we returned were priceless. Distance makes the heart more grateful. I thought they would never let go. I thought I would never let go… but I am raising these beautiful children to soar. It is in the letting go that we learn to fly.

Trusting the Lord with Tomorrow

Michelle Underwood Homeschool October 1, 2021November 10, 2021 0 Comment

October 1, 2021 – Friday

It has been a whirlwind since the start of school. Starting school with COVID left me behind in the race I feel I am in. I am trying to catch up. Sometimes it feels as if I am getting closer to what I am trying reach, but to no avail. Each day presents its own unique blessings and opportunities that when embraced leave my attempts to catch up dangling. If I allow myself to spend all my time catching up… I miss what today holds, and will spend the rest of my life in a perceived race. Maybe I won’t catch up. Maybe I am not intended to. Maybe the race I am in is not a race at all. Maybe, just maybe, I am meant to focus on today and let tomorrow take care of itself (Matt 6:34). Perhaps embracing today is enough. Today it will have to be, because my Mama arrived from Texas yesterday and it is her 75^th birthday. Today – I choose to focus on today! And perhaps… I won’t try to catch up tomorrow either.

Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself.” (Matt 6:34, TPT)

Yesterday, I woke up before the sun to make a birthday cake for my Mom’s visit, Autumn Spice Cake with cream cheese frosting. She told my daughter nut spice cake was one of her favorites growing up. I don’t have her mother’s recipe, so I had to improvise. She seems to talk about her childhood with increasing nostalgia these days. Time has a way of aligning what is important to us.

The smell of fall infused the house with notes of ginger, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Despite the flurry to get out the door for the days events, the smells invited to slow down. As we sat down for breakfast, I put our to-do list on pause and opened our bible to the place where our owl book mark rested. This time honored discipline has become the very fabric of our day.

Somehow it is always the last five minutes of getting out the door that turn into a mad scramble to find shoes, water bottles, and the specifics of that particular outing. As we raced… ugh… there we are, racing again. Anyway, we did indeed race into the van for gymnastics. Once in my seat, I took a deep breath, smiled, and offer to turn on book five of the Penderwick series. My proposal was greeted with enthusiastic cheers. A silence only a good book can create, fills the van, only to be interrupted with roars of laughter as the infamous Mrs. Tifton returns to the story. The drive is too short. As we pull into the parking lot of our destination, the children sigh with a mutual disappointment that we are already there.

After a flurry of errands that morning, we return home to put the icing on the cake and tidy up. My to-do list is still dangling – it includes the day’s school lessons. The question is whether I will dangle from it, holding on for dear life, or if I will choose to let go. Today I am choosing to let go. School isn’t going to get done today! The peace and joy that I bring into my home is far more important than any arithmetic lesson. Hanging on tight to my list holds a perceived security. The reality is that security is found only in trusting God with his timing, daily interruptions and all other details of our life. When we discover how to let go… he catches us.

I woke up too early this morning (4:30am) to wrap birthday gifts, put up the birthday banner, and place the finishing touches on the day. It is what she did countless times when I was growing up. I never saw the behind the scenes work – just the peace and joy that her love brought to our home. Now it is my turn. I accept the baton with humility and gratitude, thankful to be given this great opportunity.

I have a decision to make this morning. I know that the hours of the day are limited. How I am going to fill those hours is a choice I get to make. What is important? My dangling to-do list or the people I get to spend this day with? The answer is obvious. Maybe I won’t get to my to-do list today either. Maybe that is right where God wants me. I not only have to choose to let the list dangle, but also refuse to worry about its contents. Being present is a gift few get to open. It requires us to set down all that we are carrying and simply receive the gift we are being handed today.

This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it!

For Everything There is a Season

Michelle Underwood Homeschool September 28, 2021November 3, 2021 0 Comment

September 28, 2021 – Thursday

We have officially been in the Midwest for all the seasons. This is our second autumn here, and it is proving to be my favorite season. That is a familiar comfort – as autumn always has been my favorite. My son said it best when he commented on how cozy it is this time of year. He was absorbing the comfort found in the warm glow of the pumpkin lantern and candles as we snuggled to watch Andy Griffith on the couch the other night.

Our first year here we embraced the solitude of COVID and waited on joining any groups or activities. We thrive off of a slower pace and home time. For everything there is a season (Ecc 3:1). I feel our season at home coming to an end as we accept the Lords invitation to step out into fellowship and community. I have slowly been adding in activities. First gymnastics and then horse lessons. I am not used to having so many opportunities at my fingertips. However, neither of our current choices cultivate community, which is something I am searching for. I will need to be cautious in guarding our schedule and not overcommitting.

There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven— (Ecc 3:1, AMP)

Initially I was excited to find a Classical Conversations group in our area. The more I pondered this idea, the more I realized maybe it wasn’t what I was looking for. It is something I would have embraced when I was new to the world of home education. But, over the years the Lord has taught me so much, and I have become dependent on Him as our Headmaster. I treasure the freedom I find to follow the Spirit. At this time, I will hold off on a curriculum based community and focus simply on community. Over the past year, I have found myself consistently being drawn to Wild and Free and decided to pursue that option.

Today was our first “hike”. I do use the term hike loosely. But I was out in nature with like-minded Mama’s – and that felt good. My daughter immediately gravitated to the girls her age. Her confidence and independence are opening like a spring flower. My son preferred to say near my side. He requires consistency and familiarity to feel comfortable venturing off. I am thankful that I know that about him and can give him the time and space he needs to go at his own pace. The children climbed trees, caught bugs and frogs, and explored. Indiangrass, Goldenrod, praying mantis and grasshoppers were artistically captured in the pages of the nature journals. This is what we do. We always have. We are now just doing it somewhere new.

We have been a part of Wild and Free for many years. It feels like a good fit for us in this particular season of life. I long to have my children out in nature with a focus on nature journals. This group is in line with my overall vision, while also providing the community and fellowship we need.

We are suddenly out and about a lot. That is a shift for us. I am trusting the Lord with my time.

Adventuring Together – Desmet, SD

Michelle Underwood Homeschool September 20, 2021November 3, 2021Covered Wagon, Desmet, Little House on the Prairie, Midwest Express 0 Comment

September 20, 2021 – Monday

Some days can feel like we are barely surviving – like my first day of school post from September 7. And other days we are thriving. This past weekend we were thriving! The joy, peace and strength that comes from times like this is salve to our souls. We are just getting back from a camping trip in DeSmet, SD, on the land Pa Ingalls homesteaded in 1880. This is the beloved land where Laura Ingalls Wilder’s story, By the Shores of Silver Lake, begins.

This trip was many years in the making. We first read Little House in the Big Woods when the children were just four and five. A few years later, in the fall of 2019, we decided to revisit this timeless book, and began the Little House on the Prairie audio series, read by Cherri Jones. The timing was serendipitous as it flowed into the COVID quarantine of spring 2020. As we sat home, isolated from the world we knew, we walked alongside these well-known pioneers who knew isolation on a far deeper level than we could ever imagine.

With an average of a book a month, nine months later we turned the final page of the final book. Laura’s books end with a beginning – The First Four Years. The ending of our journey with Laura coincided with a new beginning of our own. We didn’t finish the Little House series in Colorado where it began, but rather in our new home in the Midwest.

Our last winter in Colorado we spent skiing Buttermilk Mountain. At the time we didn’t know it would be our last - I would probably prefer it that way. We found ourselves time and time again, riding up the mountain, our ski’s dangling, on the Midwest Express lift. Little did we know that our lives were indeed on the Midwest Express.

Somewhere around book two, the idea to move to the Midwest was put on the table, and by book six we were confident it was where we were being called. As the nine month birthing season winded down, in June 2020, we triumphantly, yet regretfully, finished the series in our new home on the once prairie laden land.

I suppose it may have been easier if we could have fit all of our belongings into a covered wagon. But a mere 130 years later… we needed a moving van. Fortunately that meant that we didn’t have to leave behind sentimental items like the rocking chair we rocked babies in – unlike Ma who couldn’t fit hers in the wagon. We didn’t have to cross a frozen lake or a raging river. Our dog Jack had a cozy spot with us inside the van – we didn’t make him follow on foot like Pa did. But I image that no matter what century we live in, our emotions are unchanging. It is never easy letting go. We were being called out of the comfort of our nest. Our flight feathers were in, and it was time to soar. My pioneer heart understands this.

There are events in life that we coin as serendipitous or chalk up to coincidence, that are simply providence. These events are the divine hand of God orchestrating what the natural mind attempts to explain. The Midwest Express and a nine month birthing process accompanied by our favorite “Pioneer Girl”, are indeed too serendipitous to lack divine intervention.

The books led to the TV series. We did watch most of the episodes during the COVID quarantine, though I omitted some due to difficult content. I was thankful for the Little House on the Prairie Episode Guide that gave us a brief summary of each episode and allowed us to hand select the episodes that were appropriate for our family.

Since our first introduction to the Little House series I have dreamed of visiting the memorial sites with my children. This summer, we were deciding between Walnut Grove, MN and DeSmet, SD. As we were in the process of deciding I was reading the book Adventuring Together by Greta Eskridge. In the book she mentioned that one of her all-time favorite places her family had adventured to was camping in a covered wagon on the Ingalls Homestead in DeSmet, SD. Her story inspired us to do the same. It was the perfect vacation! My little boy said he loved it more than the forest and the ocean. The prairie truly does have something that no other place does.

As we stood there, under the cottonwood trees that Pa planted over 100 years ago, we were in awe of the legacy of this family. A man who had no heirs to carry on his name somehow found himself written into the history of America - all because his courageous daughter shared her story with the world. It make we wonder how many of us have a story inside of us waiting to birthed. As Laura wrote she painted the most beautiful picture of Pa. What is our story that will leave the world in awe of our Pa? My hope is to paint the most beautiful picture of Him and to leave those who cross my path in awe of his goodness

What is it for Today Daddy?

Michelle Underwood Homeschool September 8, 2021November 3, 2021bible, Circle Time, Nature Study, pickles, scones, Shakespeare 0 Comment

September 8, 2021 – Wednesday

What is it for Today Daddy?

I did better at school today than yesterday. It may not go down in history like the time we kicked off Preschool and 1^st Grade at the Hot Springs Pool… I set the bar kind of high that year. But, a redo was instore. I am still recouping from COVID, but found increasing strength today. I brewed a cup of coffee and grabbed my recipe book to search out a special breakfast that could rival cinnamon rolls. As I prepared raisin scones, my son ran circles around me, emptying the dishwasher again (still not his chore), taking out the trash, and wrapping up morning chores (something he is in the habit of doing before breakfast). My daughter prefers to wake more slowly, snuggle one of her beloved chickens, and then wander over to breakfast. While the scones were baking, I took a few sips of coffee and sat down with the Lord to ask “What is it for today Daddy?” That familiar question was how I started most of our Preschool days. I didn’t know what I was doing back then and was fully reliant on the Lord for wisdom and guidance. (read invite to homeschool and god equips the called) That is probably how we ended up at the Hot Springs Pool for the first day of school – He is such a fun and good Father. I am not sure I would have thought up that one on my own. And if I had – I may not have given myself permission for such an indulgence.

Over the years I found myself getting into more and more of a routine as I became comfortable with homeschooling. While being comfortable is, well, comfortable, I don’t believe that God is as concerned with our comfort as He is our growth. Comfort and routine can often result in self-reliance. Since my goal for homeschooling has always been to be fully reliant on God, this year I am stepping out of my comfort zone and our routine, and focusing again on my reliance on the Lord, our Headmaster. Yes, I know more about homeschooling than I did six years ago… and perhaps feel like I need Him less, but the truth is… I need Him just as much. My increase in knowledge should not change my dependence on the Lord. So this year, my focus is to reinstate my reliance on Him daily - with greater intention.

After getting some direction for the day, I lite a candle, set the table, and arranged the warm scones artistically on a plate. I placed their first day of school signs and interview sheets on their placemats, grabbed my bible and called them to breakfast. My daughter went to put her chicken away, my son ran over from his piano practice, and we started our day with prayer and a song. As a cacophonous version of “This is the Day the Lord Has Made” rang out, I reflected on how much I loved that song as a girl and how it still speaks to my heart. I pray it has the same impact on the hearts of my children over the years. There is so much strength in rejoicing and giving thanks for each and every day! For bible, we simply picked up where we left off. We have been reading through the bible year after year since preschool. We started off with The Jesus Storybook Bible and slowly graduated to our current bible The Child’s Story Bible by Katherine Vos. It is a beautifully written story version of the bible – equal in caliber to Egermeiers Story Bible which we read for years. Somedays we simply read the bible, other days the Lord will provide inspiration for greater discussion. Today, I just read the bible.

Gathering for Circle Time is my favorite part of the day. Circle Time began in preschool with songs, dances and various other activities. Today it takes on a slightly different look with Shakespeare and Mozart, to Spanish and History. Last year we dove into A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with inspiration and guidance is from Ken Ludwig’s book How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare. You can learn more about this amazing resource on the Read Aloud Revival Podcast #171. I couldn’t believe how my children took to memorizing Shakespeare. My little boy even went so far as to say “I love Shakespeare Mommy.” The icing on the cake was the free production of Twelfth Night in the park this summer by our local Shakespeare Company. Much to my amazement – Twelfth Night also happens to be next in line in Ludwig’s book. As we dug into our first Twelfth Night passage today, we already fondly remembered the characters from the park production, like old friends that had come to visit. God is so good!

After Circle Time, my daughter wrapped up her chores. She would put them off until tomorrow if she could, whereas her brother would complete tomorrow’s chores today if he could. He thrives in marking off his to-do list, while she would prefer to not mark off anything. I am learning to work with their different learning styles and preferences. I am praying for the Lord’s wisdom and guidance on how best to minister to their individual hearts.

Once the chores were done I released them to recess while I prepared lunch. We gathered on the front porch for a simple lunch of chicken salad, crackers, homemade pickles and Colorado peaches, as we listed to our Penderwick’s audiobook. After lunch we pulled out our nature journals and drew our discoveries from yesterday’s nature walk. I have to be honest that I was intimidated to continue nature study after moving from Colorado to Nebraska. I wrongly assumed that nature study in Nebraska couldn’t compare with the beauty we discovered in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. While it is not the same, it is still beautiful. In fact, it is all so new and different. I am finding there is so much to discover! As I drew the thistle growing wild in the prairie, my daughter painted a watercolor rendition of goldenrod – the state flower of Nebraska. My son was drawn to the Goldenrod Soldier Beetle that is found in abundance this time year. As they placed their journals in the sun to dry, they grabbed their kites to enjoy the beautiful fall breeze that graced us with its presence today. The cloudless blue sky seemed to welcome the decor of their kites. The warms sunshine on our faces is a welcome gift of autumn. This is indeed the day the Lord has made, and I will rejoice and be glad in it!

Arms Wide Open

Michelle Underwood Homeschool August 17, 2021November 3, 2021curriculum, focus, Gratitude, Kindergarten, path less traveled, Preschool, surrender, tithe, women at the well 0 Comment

August 17, 2021 – Tuesday

Arms Wide Open

It has been two weeks since our morning spent on the North Carolina coastline. Since that time I have been pondering the invitation I received to focus on and capture the beauty in our days. It feels as if the Lord has been blowing on the fire He kindled within me that morning, by reminding me of the beautiful lessons He provided when I was fully surrendered and dependent on the leading of His Spirit.

During our early years of homeschooling, I chose to heed the still small voice of Lord and surrendered my school plans to Him. I laid down my desire to order store bought curriculum and I chose instead to simply trust God to guide us. As I surrendered to the Lord, I was humbled by how He used me to teach His precious children, and I was amazed at the gifts He sent day after day. You can read some of those stories in my Memoirs of a Preschool Teacher. It was a beautiful season. Our days were filled with nature exploration, creating beautiful art, and simply unwrapping each new gift as it was presented to us. Our activities honored childhood and even more importantly, I believe they honored God.

It is amazing what God can do when give Him space in our lives! Busy schedules and rigid curriculums leave little space in our days, and hinder our ability to discover the gifts and beauty waiting to be uncovered with each new sunrise. What we think we are supposed to teach our children, often stands in the way of what we want to be teaching and even should be teaching. The Lord will always meet us where we are. We cannot limit God. He has shown up in our homeschool when I am fully surrendered and when I am not, but full surrender has proven to be the most fruitful.

Many of us have our arms too full to receive the good gifts the Lord wants to give us. We are holding all of our ideas, curriculum, books and activities, much like a woman carrying bags of groceries into her home. Our arms are full of items that nourish our family. There is nothing wrong with what we are holding, except for the fact that our arms are too full to receive anything more. As we lay down all we are holding and stand empty handed, we are best positioned to receive the gifts the Lord longs to give us. Mama, our plans are indeed good – but God’s plans are perfect. He is willing. Are we ready? I can’t help but wonder what God could do with all of our time. What if we stand with arms wide open – open to receive? What if we shift our focus from our plans to our God? What if we focus on beauty?!

Have you have ever been in a quiet room and suddenly become aware of the tick tock of the clock? Once you have tuned in to the clock’s rhythmic sound, it becomes difficult not to hear it. In fact, it becomes all you can hear. I became aware of the clock on my son’s wall one night when I was sleeping in his room with him. The sound became so consuming that I eventually had to get out of bed, take it off the wall, and remove it from the room so I could go back to sleep.

What we focus on, we magnify. A magnifying glass can bring the sun into focus with such intensity it can create a fire. I have kindled many a fire with my focus – some beneficial and some harmful. We must be cautious where we focus our attention - the smallest spark can set a whole prairie ablaze. Whatever we want to magnify in our schools, our homes, our lives… that is where we must focus. Our primary focus should always be on the Lord. As we align our focus with the Lord, everything else falls into place. The Bible tells us we can magnify the Lord with thanksgiving (Ps 69:30). Oh the power gratitude! If I am longing to magnify beauty, I must first focus on beauty.

I will praise the name of God with song and magnify Him with thanksgiving. (Ps 69:30, AMP)

In Malachi 3:10, God invites His people to bring the full tithe into the storehouse and test if He will not open the windows of heaven and pour out an abundance of blessing! What would happen if we gave a minimum of 10% of our homeschool to the Lord? What could He do with it? Do we really need the next best curriculum or do we simply need God? There is nothing wrong with using curriculum as a guide, but not at the cost of crowding out the freedom of the Spirit of the Lord to move within our homes. 10% is a good start! Full surrender is where the magic happens. We can trust the Lord with our children and their education! This my friends is the path less traveled! This is the path that makes all the difference!

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. (Mal 3:10, ESV)

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. ~ Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken

Each of us in a masterpiece created by the very hands of God, designed with a purpose to do the good works which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph 2:10). Who better than our Creator to guide us and our children on our journey to discover who we are created to be. Yes – I did say us and our children. It is through homeschooling that we also discover our divine purpose. God knows our resources, limitations, gifts, talents and interests better than anyone. No curriculum or school could ever gather together each of these details more masterfully or efficiently than He who created it all.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Eph 2:10, NLT)

Does this mean I can’t use any curriculum at all? I don’t think so. What I believe it means is that I need to hold each resource loosely and be flexible to lay it down when needed. As we journey with the Lord, He will give us the tools we need. There will be days he invites us to simply sit and rest at the well – to drink until we are satisfied. We must be willing to become women at the well!

Below are the lyrics to a song I wrote when we were preparing to leave our home in Colorado almost two years ago. These lyrics are as appropriate today as they were then. I am beginning to realize that having my arms wide open is a lifelong posture I should strive for.

I stand here with arms wide open.
I stand here holding on to nothing.
I stand here with arms wide open.
Open to receive.

I let go when you say let go.
I hold on when you tell me to.
Holding on to your promises,
means letting go.

So with arms wide open, I stand.

What if I do focus on beauty and capture our days? What if I fully surrender to the Lord like I did when my children were small? What could he do with all that time?

I have included a couple of journal posts from 2016 when I was searching for courage to fully rely on the Lord as our Headmaster and surrendering my desire for store bought curriculum. I am sharing those with you today in hopes that they inspire you.

July 26, 2016 (journal entry):
I feel like I could stay here safely in the boat, order a kindergarten curriculum, and school would be great. It would be laid out, easy to implement and high quality. It would also be expensive. And most importantly it would limit my free time to allow the Sprit to lead me. I don't feel like I am being called to float in the boat. I feel Him calling me out on the water. I feel Him saying to just try no curriculum for kindergarten. Give it a chance. Just one year. Yet, I struggle. There are so many curriculum choices that look amazing, yet I am torn because in my heart I know play based learning is best. Lord, help me to not conform to the patterns of this world. As I step out of the safety of my boat Lord, help me keep my eyes on you, lest I sink. Give me wisdom that surpasses what I can comprehend today. I lay my life on the altar, I lay our school on the altar. They are yours Lord. Today I commit to embracing play based learning for preschool and kindergarten. Guide me Lord. ‘Take me deeper where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters wherever you may lead’ (Oceans, Hillsong).

August 24, 2016 (journal entry):
Last winter I felt the Lord leading me to not buy ANY curriculum this year, and to trust Him. What?! But I WANT IT! I dream of Whistlefritz for Spanish, All About Reading, Math U See, My Father's World, Sonlight... $1500 later I would be buried in curriculum, driven by our schedule, and pressured to perform because of the price, and because of my love for finishing what I start. But instead, I sit here this morning and I don't have a curriculum. I don't have a plan. I don't have a schedule. What I do have is an abundance of idle time to simply follow the Lord as He leads us. Give me wisdom to know where to go from here. Speak to me not only in the early morning hours, but during our studies. Give me the right words, ideas, and wisdom. Lord - to you I want all the glory. Use me to accomplish your will.

Nature, The Most Inviting Classroom

Michelle Underwood Homeschool August 3, 2021November 18, 2021North Carolina, Owls, Pocketful of Pinecones 0 Comment

August 3, 2021 – Tuesday

Nature – The Most Inviting Classroom

Today we were blessed to spend the morning on the North Carolina coastline! We are here visiting my best friend from college and her family for a long overdue visit. The last time I saw her daughter she was learning talk, now she is learning to drive. Thankfully best friends are not limited by time or distance. We are meeting them at their lake house in a couple of days. But first the beach! I couldn’t be this close to the ocean and not at least dip my toes in. Living in the Midwest, my love for waves is feebly satisfied by the prairie grass that ripples in the wind. The prairie is majestic in its own right, but is no substitute for the ocean.

To maximize our time, we woke before the sun, brewed a pot of coffee, packed breakfast and lunch and loaded the kids in the car to see what adventures awaited us. The waves were big, so we spent most our time in search of hidden treasures along the shoreline. Nary a moment is wasted if spent beachcombing.

Each beach presents its own unique treasures. I have explored the tide pools of southern California, and have been overwhelmed by San Diego's treasure chest of sand dollars. I have enjoyed the white sand beaches of Tampa with my parents and my babies more times than I can count. I have walked along the shore with sting rays on a rainy day in Florida, and have snorkeled the warm waters of Kauai with sea turtles. In La Joya, I reveled in the majesty of the sunbathing sea lions on the shore. Today... I am equally in awe of the beach and its treasury of magical encounters. Today... there were endless tiny black sharks teeth adorning the shores. Our only limitation to our collection is patience and time.

Once our quota for shark’s teeth was satisfied, we took to digging in the sand. My youngest would dig and dig only to watch his efforts continuously fill with water from below. It was a striking difference from the familiar Colorado Rocky Mountains and Midwest clay. As he dug, I gently grasped on to the opportunity before me to talk about sea level. We reminisced about our hike above tree line years ago, a stark 10,000 ft. comparison to our current digging elevation. Geography is so much more riveting when experienced in person. Nature is God’s classroom! I have never been disappointed by the lessons gleaned from simply being outside and observing creation. We didn’t set out to learn about sharks teeth and elevation today… it just happened! God’s creation is the most inviting classroom.

Later that morning I spent some time nestled in the shelter of my Shibumi beach shade with a kindred spirit, as I read Karen Andreola’s Pocketful of Pinecones: Nature Study with the Gentle Art of Learning: A Story for Mother Culture. Despite my love for nature study, I have learned over that years that it takes intentional effort to prioritize, and can easily get crowded out by more “academic” subjects if we are not careful. I long to focus on the subjects that bring delight and beauty into our days, like music, art, literature, foreign language and nature study, and Karen’s book was encouraging me to do just that.

Like a tender hug in the warmth of the salty wind, I felt a nudge from the Lord to keep a journal much like the one I am reading. A nudge to simply capture the delight and beauty in our homeschool days, like lightening bugs in a mason jar – and let them shine. In order to capture beauty, we must first focus on it. In that moment a fire was kindled within me to focus on beauty, capture it, and to let it shine!

“Look! An Osprey!” Suddenly, my thoughts were derailed by my ten year old daughters sighting of an Osprey. She watched this magnificent bird dive into the ocean and catch its breakfast in its talons. This is the same little girl who at age three was captivated by owls, and hasn’t relented in her study of birds of prey since. My once budding owl lover is now an educated raptor enthusiast. The osprey provided a clear and timely reminder that nature is indeed one of our children’s greatest teachers!

Charlotte Mason knew well the benefits of being outdoors in nature, and she encouraged us to instill a love for nature in our children. We do that best by simply giving our children adequate idle time outdoors with the Lord in His creation.

Sharks teeth. Check.
Altitude and elevation. Check.
Birds of prey. Check.

Our magnificent Teacher must be so excited to show us His beautiful creation today!

“A love of Nature, implanted so early that it will seem to them hereafter to have been born in them, will enrich their lives with pure interests, absorbing pursuits, health, and good humour” (Vol. 1, p. 71).

I am not sure what this journey will look like, all I know is that I have been invited (yet again) by the Lord to do something bigger than I am capable of in my own strength. The simplest path is the well-traveled path. A path I seem to becoming a stranger to. I am grateful for the Lord’s guidance down the path less traveled.

God Equips the Called

Michelle Underwood Homeschool July 30, 2021November 9, 2021 0 Comment

God equips the called

Love is what equips us as mothers and teachers. God is love. Because we are created in His image, we are designed to love and care for our children deeply – just as God loves us. His love is all encompassing. He is our teacher, counselor, friend, comforter, and protector. Therefore, we are born teachers, counselors, friends, comforters, and protectors. It’s who we are. Thankfully, He holds our hand and guides us as we rise to this seemingly insurmountable task. The key to our success? Faith, hope and love. The greatest is love.

As new parents, we rarely feel equipped for what we are called to do. We are like student drivers, having to calculate every next step carefully. Before long, our daily tasks become reminiscent of driving in a state of highway hypnosis. We are on a type of autopilot. Feeding and diapering become automatic. We no longer find ourselves fumbling with our nursing cover or the snaps on our cloth diapers. We learn by simply doing the next thing. Somedays, we arrive at bedtime not sure how we just got there... but we got there. What we accomplished from sun up to sun down would have seemed insurmountable if we had mapped it out in advance. Yet, we do it one step at a time. In simply doing the next thing, we gradually and naturally advance in our abilities.

We become teachers the day we become parents.

Teaching our children is part of our divine calling. We encourage our babies when they attempt to roll over, celebrate their tiny victories as they begin to crawl, and hold their hands as they take wobbly first steps. We read countless books with them snuggled on our laps, and listen in amazement as they "read" to us an entire book they memorized. We teach them to catch, throw, run, swim, dance, sing and paint. In turn, they challenge us to grow and stretch in ways we never knew we needed. We become stronger and more equipped. We don't have to strive to get there, it just happens.

When my children were three and one, the Lord started to minister to my heart about my role as their teacher. It was then that I began to contemplate the traditional path of school. Would I really send my oldest off to school in a year or two? Something within me was longing to keep her home a little longer. During this time the Lord presented me with An Invitation to Homeschool. "Two roads diverged in the wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." As I embarked upon this "new" path, it was then that I realized it wasn't new at all - it was simply a continuation. The road I didn't take was actually the unfamiliar path of turning their teaching over to someone else. In hindsight, I believe our homeschool was birthed, alongside our first child, in the delivery room.

Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. ~ Robert Frost

If I allow myself to gaze too far into the future and worry about tomorrow... I begin to feel overwhelmed. In Matthew 6:34, Jesus tells us ‘to not worry about tomorrow, but to deal with each challenge as it comes, one day at a time - tomorrow will take care of itself’. It is imperative that we learn to focus on today, and trust in the One who holds tomorrow. The key to our success is found in the preceding verse "above all, constantly seek God's kingdom and his righteousness, then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly." In homeschool, as in life, we do not know what tomorrow will bring (Prov 27:1), but we can trust in the One who does. When we seek first His kingdom and His righteous, all that we need will be given to us in abundance (Matt 6: 33, Phil 4:19). He is more than enough!

³³“So above all, constantly seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness, then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly. ³⁴Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself.” (Matt 6:34, TPT)

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. (Prov 27:1, AMP)

And my God will liberally supply (fill until full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:19, AMP)

During the early years of school I longed to hear the Lord's heart on teaching. I sat with Him for countless hours, listening and praying. It was during this time that I appointed Him as Headmaster of our school and committed to allowing Him to guide me in teaching my children. The Creator of reading, writing and arithmetic is the one I desire at the helm. He knows us best. He knows our resources, limitations, gifts, talents and interests better than anyone. No curriculum or school could ever gather together each of these details more masterfully or efficiently than He who created it all. Each of us is a masterpiece created to do the good works which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph 2:10). It is my desire is to rely on the Lord as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Ps 119:109). He is the one most qualified to teach our children. My desire is for Him to be at the center of all we do and learn.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Eph 2:10, NLT)

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Ps 119:105, KJV)

I always wanted to teach kindergarten, and was even an elementary education major for a short time in college. My path ended up leading me a different way and I graduated with a Master's degree in Human Nutrition and Food Science. I never regretted my decision to study nutrition, and simply thought that my dream to teach kindergarten was one that I would have to let go of. Much to my delight, both of my children have since journeyed through through kindergarten with me as their teacher! God doesn't always answer our prayers or dreams the way we think - He always does it better! I didn't have a degree in elementary education... but I did have a Headmaster who was walking along side of me on my journey. I was more than equipped!

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. (Ps 37:4, NLT)

Memoirs of a Preschool Teacher

Michelle Underwood Homeschool July 22, 2021November 9, 2021A.A. Milne, digging a well, Headmaster, Liquids and Solids, moving, Nature Study, Owls, well 0 Comment

“‘What day is it?’ asked Pooh. ‘It’s today,’ squeaked Piglet. ‘My favorite day’ said Pooh.” This quote by A.A. Milne was one of my favorites when my children were small. Oh how I cherished each and every day! I still do.

Early on in our journey of homeschooling, there was something that struck me so powerfully. God wanted to be the Headmaster of our school. Headmaster is a British term used to define (especially in private schools) the man in charge of a school; the principal. It was during those early years that I appointed Him Headmaster, and trusted Him to provide all we needed. He showed up in the most incredible ways. Through the resources He provided, the people He placed on my path, and the wisdom He gave me – I was being equipped to fulfill my calling as my children’s teacher. The lessons the Lord taught us during those early homeschool days made an indelible mark on my heart. The greatest lessons have been those that were discovered, created, inspired and lived. We would get caught up in a topic and study it until we were done – yet never really put it away. It was like stopping to dig a well on our journey and fully quenching our thirst.

Liquids and Solids

It was an early March morning, one I remember so vividly. We spent the morning gathered around the breakfast table reading the Bible, memorizing scripture and skimming the surface of liquids and solids. Once the wiggles set in, I knew it was time to head outdoors. I gathered up my then two and three year old, and we set off on an adventure. We had two ponds behind our house. As we approached the first one, we noticed its edges were just beginning to reveal the effects of the Rocky Mountain spring thaw. The frozen center held tight to the anticipation of the inevitable spring just around the corner. We explored craw daddies along the shoreline, tossed rocks onto the frozen center to determine the weight it would take to break, and watched the Canadian Geese land and skate across the ice like skilled figure skaters. The example of the solid pond slowly returning to its liquid state was a beautiful demonstration of our ability to learn science through nature study. I was content with the day’s lesson and decided we would continue to keep monitoring the pond until it fully thawed.

From there we continued our journey up and over the hill to the second pond. As we climbed the hill and the pond came into view, what we saw totally stunned us. The pond was completely thawed! The lesson was obvious, our Creator was now clearly going to give us an example of a liquid! The Geese reveled in the magic of spring as they floated on top of the water. We wondered if their feathered friends over on the ice knew that spring was literally just around the corner. Not all lessons are quite so indelible, extravagant or obvious. Sometimes our Headmaster really outdoes Himself! No teacher on the planet can teach solids and liquids like their Creator. All I did was show up! I couldn’t understand why these two ponds would be so different when they were less than 100 yards apart… What I did understand that day was that we have a Headmaster who loves us and cares about our education.

Owls

There were other lessons of equal grandeur that year. One such example began midsummer with a three year old little girl’s fascination with owls and a trip to the library. We read book after book on owls. I was learning the meaning of a Unit Study and my daughter was my teacher. Our house at the time had a forest of pine trees. We knew there must be owls in the trees – we just needed find them. Our books taught us how to watch for evidence of owls. As instructed, we listened for hooting after dark, searched the ground below the trees for whitewash (an owls chalky white excrement below their roosting place) and owl pellets (the regurgitation of the hair and bones of their prey). One day when the kids were outside swinging we found our first owl pellet!! Days later we dissected it to examine the inner contents. Inside we found the tiny bones of last night’s dinner – most likely a mouse based on the long yellow teeth. Nature study is proving to be so fun! We are now even more determined to find our owl.

Months later on a cold Colorado January night, our patience, perseverance and faithfulness were rewarded, as hooting lured us outdoors. The synchronization of the moonlight and leafless trees, made the invisible – visible. A season of barrenness revealed the bounty that was always within – a great horned owl! Majestic, awe inspiring and mysterious – this beautiful creature had us captivated. The condensation that once formed a cloud as we exhaled, ceased as we held our breath in anticipation. Moments later a distant mate answered the call, and a harmonious courtship ensued. We stood their shivering only to be released from our trance as the owl silently took flight and disappeared into the dark.

From that night forward, we became increasingly proficient at spotting our resident owls. We would begin to anticipate their hooting courtship each January. Yet, their babies remained unseen. The evergreens do not reveal their contents in the winter as do their deciduous counterparts. Patience, perseverance and faithfulness were once again rewarded, this time in the final hours. Fast forward five years. All of our belongings have been packed into boxes, as we anticipated a move to the Midwest. We went outside to soak up all we could of springtime in the Rockies. As the children ran with their oldest sister under the pine trees, they discovered a tiny, white, down feather… and then another. Much like the owl pellets that drew our attention to the trees years ago, the white down seemed to be an invitation to look up. Not far from the scattered down, high up in the evergreens, they discovered two fuzzy white owl babies! It felt like the grand finale to a five year study! God is so good and He always finishes what He starts. Was our curiosity quenched with the satisfaction of a completed lesson? Hardly! It had simply ignited an unquenchable fire that will last a lifetime.

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled”. ~ Plutarch

God our Teacher

Through our lessons, we learned not only about God’s magnificent creation, but we learned about our Creator Himself. His lessons are a mere reflection of who He is. His provision and promises in our life are sometimes instant and apparent – like our liquids and solids lesson, while others require patient endurance – like our owls. No matter how God shows up… He always shows up and teaches us just what we need for the season we are in.

³And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; ⁴and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; ⁵and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Rom 5:3-5, NASB).

Teaching preschool and kindergarten at home was the journey that made me realize this was not only something I was feeling called to do, but something the Lord was qualifying me to do. I never felt responsible for the successes I celebrated along the way; I always knew it was our Headmaster who faithfully walked by my side and showed up day, after day, after day. He was the partner I wanted to continue on this journey with. I was qualified for my calling because of His strength – a strength made perfect in my weakness.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Cor 12:9, ESV)

In sharing these stories, my hope is to light an unquenchable fire in your pursuit for God as the Headmaster of your homeschool. Your stories will not look like mine. They will be even better because they will be YOURS! God is such an amazing teacher and Headmaster. I am in complete awe of His goodness and His heart for homeschool!! Though it was only preschool – we had become homeschoolers and were all in! I was and still am 100% invested in this journey.

I feel blessed to say that TODAY is still my FAVORITE day!

An Invitation to Homeschool

Michelle Underwood Homeschool September 27, 2020July 11, 2022 0 Comment

It was a cold Colorado morning in January. The year had just turned over, it was 2014. My one year old baby boy and soon-to-be three year old daughter were sound asleep in their rooms. As I reveled in this quiet moment, watching the snow gently fall out my window, comforted by the warm fire in hearth and cup of coffee in my hand, I pondered what lay ahead in this New Year. My January baby was just about to turn three and I was starting to process the idea that she was approaching “preschool age”. Could I really consider enrolling her in school in the fall?!

At the time, my days were full of the mundane moments of motherhood, and I treasured them dearly. When I say mundane I do mean ordinary. Yes, it was the same thing day after day. My days were overflowing with tasks, my trash was overflowing with diapers, and the sink overflowing with dishes, yet, my heart was overflowing with love. Tasks and diapers and dishes are mundane, but love is never mundane. We love day in and day out, yet never feel ourselves tire of loving. We may tire of giving, but never of love. Love is a fire that cannot be quenched. Love never fails (1 Cor. 13:8). Love is a mother’s super power. Love is what makes the mundane marvelous, the tedious comforting, the challenges inspiring, the exhaustion life-giving, and the difficult worthwhile.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Cor 13:13)

The days may be long, but the years are indeed short. Were my days about to change as my baby was becoming school aged? Was that really something I wanted? I was right in the midst of motherhood, and I found myself not wanting to miss a moment. These were the days I had prayed for, for so long. They were harder than I ever imagined but they were also more rewarding. I found myself finally here, right in the throes of motherhood, and I loved my job! Please do not get me wrong… I am just like you. Yes, I love my kids! But that doesn’t mean I don’t also need to get away and breathe sometimes. That doesn’t make me love them any less. Rather, it is the time we take to breathe, that equips us for the work we have been called to do. We must put on our own oxygen mask first, and then our children’s. I hope to post more on this soon…

As I was saying, I loved my job! Was I really about to turn my job, as her teacher, over to someone else? I had been teaching my children since they were born, and it had been such an honor and privilege. I had discovered over the past three years how much I enjoyed teaching them. There were even days I felt I was good at it. I helped them to crawl and to a walk, to identify colors and to count. They knew bible verses and bible stories. They could sing the ABC song and mimic animal sounds (impressive I know). We had read countless books and followed endless rabbit trails, as I simply followed their interests. We were learning where we lived and living where we learned. It came so naturally. Was it possible that I could also be there the day she read her first word or her first book? Wrote her first essay? Memorized her multiplication tables? I found myself questioning if learning and living should be divided, especially at such a young age.

This was a season in my life where God was opening my eyes to the scripture “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom 12:2, NASB). I found myself questioning the patterns of the world that, in the past, I had tended to accept so readily without much thought. There were so many areas in life I was being convicted of, from food, holidays, entertainment and media, that it didn’t shock me to be called to contemplate the topic of education as well. I was left to question why we send our children off to school at age 3 1/2, or even five. Couldn’t I keep her a little longer? Couldn’t I just teach her? There was something deep inside of my being that was imploring me to consider something different. I was being left to question, is there another way? Perhaps a better way? At least for our family it seemed there was.

Over the years I have learned to listen to the desires of my heart. The bible tells us if we delight in Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart (Ps 37:4 NASB). What I believe this verse is saying, is that God actually places them within us. A desire to homeschool had been placed in my heart and I couldn’t shake it. Could I really keep her with me, nurture her, and continue to treasure every moment?!

Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart (Ps 37:4, NASB)

It was as if I had opened an invitation to teach my children. It was hard to believe I was being invited to such a noble cause. Surely the Invitee knew who He was inviting. It wasn’t my place to question my invitation, but rather to simply RSVP – yes or no. What a grand honor! This may verywell be one of the greatest events of my life. Of course I want to attend. Yes! Yes! I will be there.

No, I wasn’t qualified to teach, but I have rarely been qualified for the tasks God has called me to in my life. He doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called. Was I equipped? Not really. Was I passionate and excited? Absolutely. Was I invited? Yes.

I had an excitement I couldn’t contain – a passion burning inside of me to learn this new thing He was calling me into. When I feel God’s call on my life I tend to jump in head first. Well... that is not always true, there are times when I resist and run to Nineveh like Jonah (thank God I haven’t been swallowed by a whale yet). Some things are easier to say yes to than others. This invitation was directly ministering to a desire in my heart, and I couldn’t help but say yes. I wanted to finish what I had started. I knew teaching my children would give me great joy. I also knew that I would be humbled and fully reliant on the Lord to get me through. Isn’t that just where we should be? If I can do it in my own strength, then I don’t need God. “As God’s chosen, blessed sons and daughters, we are expected to attempt something large enough that failure is guaranteed…unless God steps in (Wilkinson).” I want to be in a place where I am reliant on the Lord. I want to be in a place where I have to fully depend on the Lords wisdom to guide my children’s education. After all, He created them. He knows them best. Why wouldn’t I want Him at the core of their education?

This life changing idea didn’t happen all at once on this cold January morning. Rather it was a culmination of events, conversations and moments in time, that were all simply being woven together that morning, like a warm quilt being wrapped around my shoulders. His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matt 11:30). I didn’t feel the weight of the world on my shoulders as I pondered this new idea. I felt peace and joy! Did I have uncertainties? Of course, but the peace and joy far outweighed the doubt. Doubt, fear and what-if’s are not from the Lord. We need to quiet those voices. If you are unqualifying yourself to teach your children, that voice is not from God. We parents are indeed our children’s best teachers. You are qualified. I am qualified. God equips the called and you are called!

²⁸“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matt 11:28-30 (NIV)

That night as we snuggled and read before bedtime, I breathed in the smell of their sweet heads and felt the warmth of their skin against mine. A head resting on my shoulder snuggled in closer as I turned the final page of Goodnight Moon for the 100^th time and whispered the familiar “goodnight noises everywhere” (Brown), and the requests came pouring in - just one more book, one more back rub, one more song, one more drink… I happily give one more, because I can, because of love - my superpower, and because I too… always want just one more moment with them. I never want to look back and wish I’d given them just a little more; instead, I want to give one more today.

After they were asleep and the house was quiet again, I found myself reading the poem “The Road Not Taken”. I was at a crossroads that day; “two roads diverged in a wood, and I – took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference (Frost)”.

That fall, we did decide to keep her home and I tried my hand at homeschooling. It turned out better than I could have ever imagined, mostly because my God showed up bigger than I could have ever hoped for. I was completely dependent on Him, and He did not disappoint me.

Are you holding an invitation in your hand to homeschool? You will know if you have received one simply by the fact that you find yourself contemplating the decision. It is now up to you to decide how you will RSVP. I will continue to share my journey in hopes of giving you the courage to say accept your invite. I have never regretted my yes!

Works Cited

Brown, Margaret Wise. 1947. Goodnight Moon.

Frost, Robert. 1916. "The Road Not Taken."

Wilkinson, Bruce. 2000. The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life.