Recently found on a notebook

Awhile back I asked on the Facebook Preschoolers and Peace Fan Page if anyone had questions they'd been wrestling with. The subject of bad attitudes came up: How to deal with bad attitudes at school time. You know, when they cry about having to sit down, be still and get to work?! My children have never, ever had bad attitudes pertaining to schoolwork. They just dig right in and smile the whole time. HA! We've had our share of bad attitudes over the years, and they tend to manifest themselves when a disliked subject is on the schedule. I have had two approaches: 1. "Just do it/Get over it/This is life/You can't always get what you want", and 2. "Go ahead and go sit on your bed until you attitude changes because until it does, I really think you need to be on your bed". Interestingly, the second approach tends to work every time, and in a much shorter time frame than one might imagine. You would think that given the opportunity to put off schoolwork, a child would choose to sit on their bed for the entire day, but that's not what's happened here. Every time I've done this, the child has returned within a half hour. That's not to say you wouldn't have a child who'd stay in their room for hours. You might. But in that case, my back-up plan was always to announce to Dad at dinner, "Well, so-and-so didn't want to do her math today, so she chose to sit on her bed instead", to which Dad would inevitably reply, "Bummer. Guess you've got to do it now". No one wants to spend the evening hours doing schoolwork here; the clear benefit of not going to school is the complete lack of evening homework. Hope that helps!

Educating at Home, Training Little OnesKendraAugust 21, 2010 Comments

Exercise and Preschoolers: An Interview with Christy

Awhile back I wrote about losing 60 pounds and how I'm keeping it off. I've actually lost 65 now, and would like to drop at least another 10. We'll see. I feel great- strong and healthy and energetic, but I've put in a lot of hours and said no to a lot of junk food. It takes work and time to really get into shape, and I know many of us struggle to add one more thing on top of preschoolers, older kids, homemaking, and homeschooling. I'd still like to encourage you, though. Taking the time to do this for myself has been one of the best decisions I've made as a homeschooling mom. I have had the help of two wonderful coaches from Beachbody (Beachbody coaching is a free service, by the way) who've helped me choose the right workouts for me and who've been excellent cheerleaders. Today I'd like to introduce you to Christy Henry, Beachbody coach and homeschooling mom:

Hi, I'm Christy. I'm a Christian, Navy wife, Beachbody Coach, and homeschooling mom to three kids under the age of eight (four kids in October!). I'd add that I'm a blogging mom and scrapbooker, too, but the cycle of deployments and moving and then pregnancy started sucking up my time over a year ago, and I'm just starting to get my mojo back (just in time to lose it again when the baby comes!). I still blog occasionally at After a cup of coffee...or two. Have you always been fit or is this something you've eased into as a mom? Growing up I was never very active, as I preferred to sit and read and be air conditioned instead of sweaty. I wasn't overweight, just soft. But that caught up to me once I graduated from college and the natural activity of youth suddenly ended. I slowly and steadily gained weight, but didn't really realize it. I'd think things like, "I should really stop drying my pants. They keep shrinking." It wasn't until after I had my first baby and three months later still weighed over 200 pounds that I faced the fact that I was plus-sized, and taking the baby out for a short walk in the stroller wasn't getting me very far! Are you working out now that you're expecting? Doctor's orders are no working out for me right now. But in the beginning I was doing Turbo Jam. It's one of my favorite home workouts. The music always gets me into it, and I love that every move can be modified for people with injuries, newbies and even pregnancy. What does a typical workout look like for you? Being a busy mom means that I really like to keep my workouts less than hour, and I like to do them in the house where I don't have to worry about childcare or naptimes. I've wasted too much money on gym memberships that didn't get used enough. I usually do weight training three times a week and cardio two to three times a week. Beachbody has all of my favorite workout videos, so you can usually find me doing one of their 90-day programs, or mixing and matching their programs to suit my goals and time limits. What kind of motivation do you find works best for you? The best kind of motivation is to find your soul mate workout! If I don't enjoy it, I'm just not going to stick with it. I can make too many excuses. Finding support, whether from a workout partner or online is also a huge motivator for me. Once I became a Beachbody Coach, I found that helping others with their fitness journeys also helped me on mine! How do you think homeschooling moms of preschoolers can practically make fitness a part of their lives? I think we really have to schedule it in, because there's always something that comes up to suck up your time! I've always loved using naptime for a workout. There are less interruptions and less chance of accidentally kicking a child in the head while kickboxing (oops!), and a baby will usually take at least one 45 minute nap each day. If that's just not possible, then finding a partner to work out with can help. The ONLY way I get up at 5:30am to work out is when I know that my friend is going to be knocking on my door to work out with me! What are the workouts you'd recommend to a mom who's just starting to make fitness a priority? Walking is always easy when you're new and you can dig a little deeper by using wrist and ankle weights. For workouts to do in your home, I LOVE Turbo Jam and Turbo Fire from Beachbody. Both have great music that make the time go by faster and push you to work harder, which means more calories burned in less time. Both include a 15 or 20 minute workout that helps you to burn max calories in almost no time, which is great for those days when you know you just can't fit a full workout in. What are your favorite grab-and-go snacks? My go-to grab and go snack is the P90X Protein Bars from Beachbody. It's actually good for you and not just a glorified candy bar, although it hits the spot when I have a chocolate craving! If I have a minute to make something, then I like to top a brown rice cake with natural almond butter, sliced banana and a few drops of honey. It's a balanced snack but still filling and just the few drops of honey are enough to satisfy my sweet tooth without adding too many calories. My Beachbody page is at beachbodycoach.com/afteracup, and I love to support moms (and others) on their fitness journeys! I have plenty of space to coach anyone and it's absolutely free to get me as a coach. You can sign up at my Beachbody page, or email me with questions at afteracup@beachbodycoach.com ♥ Thanks, Christy! I appreciate you :) By the way, everyone, if you watch the little promo video on the Turbo Fire page, note the very first brunette in the dark blue top. She's a mom of seven!

Nurturing Moms, ResourcesKendraAugust 10, 2010 Comments

June Break and Our Goals

Thank you for letting me take a much-needed break. I've been told by other parents of teens that life amps up exponentially during those years, but I have had to see it to really believe it. Two working sons with jobs in two separate towns, relationship management, school work to finish, band practice, Bible study, our home fellowship group, and yes- I still have six other children. Add golf lessons, VBS, and did I mention I have a two-year-old and a three-year-old? What the month of June did was give me perspective. Out of that perspective came a lengthy late night conversation with my husband about the goals of Preschoolers and Peace. Zeroing in on what is really important (for the blog and in my home), we've decided to implement a few changes based on our goals: 1. I'm sticking to preschoolers. Increasingly I am receiving questions about parenting philosophy, whether we allow our teens to date, and what my opinion is on someone else's parenting philosophy and whether or not they allow their teens to date. While I realize it can be helpful to hear others' perspectives on parenting issues, it becomes sticky when I don't know you or your children personally. You don't know mine personally either, and even if I paint a perfect picture with glossy photos, you might hate us if you met us ;) So unless it's a nitty gritty issue like potty training or a request for recipes that might help you have a more peaceful dinnertime, I'll probably refrain from answering. The Holy Spirit is a far better teacher than I could ever hope to be. 2. I want to give you tools. The original intent of Preschoolers and Peace was to help equip moms who are attempting to educate children at home while at the same time having to manage preschoolers, toddlers, and babies. In that spirit, over the years I have tried to throw a smorgasbord of ideas and options your way so that you might hit on one or two that solves a problem or brings an increased measure of peace to your home. I'll continue to do so, but I've got to be honest: for at least a year now I have said to my closest friends, "What more do I possibly have to say on the subject?" I feel like I've exhausted the best ideas, although I do still have preschoolers and I may have to reach into the very bottom of the barrel to pull out some new tools to use around here. We'll slowly begin to categorize all the old posts so that you can simply click on a subject on the sidebar and pull up everything on, say, preschool curriculum or sleeping through the night. 3. Either there's less time in the day, or I have more to do. Because of this reality, I realize that I cannot keep up the pace of three posts per week. I'll post regularly, but I'm not sure what that looks like yet. You are welcome to "friend" me on Facebook, and be sure to join the Preschoolers and Peace fan page, too. Lively discussions occur there on a regular basis.

♥

I love what God's done with this little blog. I love being available and I love writing. Preschoolers and Peace has been a gift to my family.

Musings and Miscellany, Nurturing MomsKendraJuly 1, 2010 Comments

Books We Read Aloud This Spring

In keeping with the time period we were studying in history this year, many of our read-alouds were about the Renaissance and Reformation. All were a delight, all I would recommend. The children who were in on our read-aloud sessions (and actually paying attention ;) ) were 12, 10, 8, and 6. If you're reading this post in a reader, you might want to click over to the Preschoolers and Peace site to see the book link buttons. Set in 1587, Red Hugh, Prince of Donegal is a fast-paced, exciting story of warring between the English and the Irish. Definitely a worthwhile read. We've enjoyed the Building on the Rock series very much, and How God Stopped the Pirates didn't disappoint. Used in our morning devotions/Circle Time, the readings are short and to the point. Memorable, too. Soldier Fritz and the Enemies He Fought is a story of the Reformation. Set in 1525, young Fritz learns what it means to live like a Reformer and be a soldier for Christ. Bartholomew’s Passage is part of the wonderful Advent series written by Arnold Ytreeide. Favorites here: we've done the series twice now. Before the Dawn follows Wycliffe and Huss, and brings us into the life of a young man named Conrad who must choose between the church he's always known and the words of Scripture. We read The Year of Miss Agnes because we needed a light-hearted little break from the heavy topics of our history studies. A delightful story of an itinerant school teacher in Alaska and the sweet and funny children under her care. And then we jumped into King Solomon’s Mines, where adventure loomed large. Got any Indiana Jones fans in your house? King Solomon's Mines' Allan Quartermain was the original Indy. And we laughed out loud, too! My Brother’s Keeper is a series of letters from an older brother to a younger one, writing on various topics. I read it to all the kids because I felt we could all use reminders on being in the Word, serving others, and choosing friends wisely. I highly recommend it as a read-aloud for the youngers, but high schoolers can read it on their own. From out of the Renaissance and Reformation we headed into the New World. Voyage to Freedom is the story of the Pilgrims' journey on the Mayflower, and in particular focuses on a brother and sister and their point of view. We all liked this one because it didn't soft-sell how difficult the journey actually was, and the story had nice little ups and downs. Hands That Hold the World: the Biography of M.A. Thomas has been an inspiration to me, personally. I see my kids pondering the faith of M.A. Thomas, and I love the discussions we've had around the table about the man and his work in India. I want to inspire my kids to break out of the mold and serve God, no matter the cost. M.A. Thomas has done so in such a way that his steadfastness is awe-inspiring. You can click on the link and download the book for free. The Shakespeare Stealer is a romp through Shakespeare's London. If this is the time period you're heading into next year, put The Shakespeare Stealer on your list. Orphan Widge learns to write in a remarkable shorthand that takes him into the Globe Theater and changes his life! ...and Shakespeare’s Scribe, every bit as good as it's predecessor! I've read The Witch of Blackbird Pond twice now to my kids, and I find myself pondering different elements of the story often. That's the sign of good writing, isn't it? Thought-provoking, historically representative, and compelling story-telling. My adventure-loving ten-year-old daughter adored Island of the Blue Dolphins. The story of a young native woman left stranded off the coast of California, this one will inspire your kids to get out into the backyard and try to start a fire with two sticks ;)

Books to Read Aloud, Educating at Home, ResourcesKendraMay 26, 2010 Comments

Grace-Based Parenting

My favorite book on the subject of Christian parenting, revisited. I read through Grace-Based Parenting several years ago but I am seeing it and hearing it and taking it all in a different light after the trials of these past two years. Balance. Grace motivates us to a higher holiness, but legalism demands we maintain a relationship with God through obedience to a standard. Truth here: "The graceless home requires kids to be good and gets angry and punishes them when they are bad. The grace-based home assumes kids will struggle with sin and helps them learn how to tap into God's power to help them get stronger. Grace understands that the only real solution for our children's sin is the work of Christ on their behalf." I'm not sure why, but those of you reading my posts in a reader can't see the Amazon button for books that I post. Sorry about that.

Nurturing Moms, ResourcesKendraMay 24, 2010 Comments

Trials and the Fear of God

Do not let your peace depend on what people say of you, for whether they speak good or ill of you makes no difference to what you are. True peace and joy is to be found in Me [Jesus] alone. He who is neither anxious to please nor afraid to displease men enjoys true peace.

~Thomas a Kempis

♥ I pierced my nose last fall. When asked why, I say, Do you want the short answer or the not-so-short answer? The short answer is, I've always thought tiny shimmering studs in a woman's nose are beautiful. Feminine. Graceful. The not-so-short answer is that I have finally learned to fear God more than I fear man. 39 years of living in grave fear of what others might say about me or my choices, and I know this goes way back because in high school a friend had the courage to say to me, "You know, everyone isn't talking about you all the time". Ouch. Guess I thought so. When you experience for yourself that it is Almighty God who can snuff out our time on earth in one heartbeat, you tend to see Him for who He is: Omnipotent, All-Knowing, Sovereign. My fear of His power rose exponentially, but my fear of man fell into the garbage heap where it belongs. We're not talking about a Biblical issue or sin here. I'm open and receptive to hearing about what ails me, and the Holy Spirit does a very steady job of revealing my short comings while at the same time breathing life-giving truths into my soul. You might not like nose rings, you might associate them with something negative, and you might never, ever do that to your nose. That's ok. What's not ok is when we take the role of cosmic policeman either by imposing our own extra-Biblical choices onto others, when we measure our spirituality by outward marks of insignificant details (think nose piercing, highlighted hair, or a trendy hat... or homeschooling, dresses only, exclusively Christian music), or when we assign a role to God that He Himself doesn't own (that cosmic policeman...) Why, after being unshackled by the freeing grace of God, do we want to put ourselves back into bondage? Fear God and God alone.

If the fear of man is a form of bondage for you, you might gain great insight from Edward T. Welch's When People Are Big and God is Small. I found it very helpful.

Life with Preschoolers, Mighty Joe's Story, Sweet Caroline's StoryKendraMay 21, 2010 Comments

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