Fighting for Joy. & What about Science?

Life

A "tent" where I found the kids listening
to their latest audio book "How to Train Your
Dragon: How to Be a Pirate"

The past two Sundays have left me feeling convicted and challenged. My besetting sin is complaining and grumbling, and I definitely notice it being inherited by my offspring---sadly. I have known for years that being thankful, doing everything without complaining and arguing, has been very hard for me. By default I want to express most annoyances I experience. "How else will anything improve?" I tell myself. Of course, this creates an extremely negative atmosphere in my home since homeschooling 4 children, in a third world country no less, lends itself to countless opportunities for annoyance on a daily basis. Not to mention, these annoyances are hardly within my control, or perhaps anyone elses. It's called life in a sinful world.

One of the reasons I write on this blog is that it's a way I can force myself to look at life through a different lens. When I let the days go by without much reflection on the positive, true, or lovely, all I see is what is going wrong (according to me, that is, which is hardly a good measuring tool to use).

Inside the "curtain tent" where I found my 2nd and 3rd grader reading
"My Father's Dragon" to each other.  <3

Writing on a weekly basis, forcing myself to reflect over the week, is helping shape my perspective. It's bigger than the daily grind: my daughter cutting out paper dolls instead of doing math, another child dropping their pencil for the tenth time, food being spilled, traffic slowing us down, messy bedrooms. All of that doesn't really matter. I have so much to be thankful for. One: because things are actually going considerably well in our home. We love each other. I see glimpses of the children truly caring for one another. I can honestly say that I am more in love with my husband than I was 13 years ago. And Two: even if everything was going wrong for us (humanly speaking), this isn't all there is anyways. I know a better place is being prepared for those who love Christ. I know that the disappointments we face on earth, aren't the end of our story. I don't want to live being robbed of the joy that He wants me to experience now. Joy in knowing Him now. Joy knowing that my eternity is secure. 

School

Making an edible cell: Jell-O and candies

Science has always been one of those subjects that I could leave. Over the past six years, I have put minimal emphasis on it. The thought of doing experiments, projects..... it just screams mess at me. This is all much to my children's dismay, because what child doesn't like doing science experiments and messy projects?

At the beginning of this year we made an "edible" cell out of Jell-O and different candies representing the organelles in a cell. (See in the photo above) I cringed at the whole thing.... and found it completely ironic that we're studying the human body and then eating this terribly sugary treat afterwards. So bad for us! Haha  Anyways, this remains one of the most memorable school activities we did this year. Then again, it could be just because they got to eat candy.... which isn't a daily thing around here as it is. There's definitely a place for hands-on experiments. 

Even though my attitude toward hands-on experiments and what-not is less than enthusiastic... I have discovered there's huge value in studying science (especially as a Christian). This is God's world afterall, and when we are exposed to and discover the intricacies within nature itself, it makes me more amazed at His handiwork.

We have used various resources over the years: Sonlight, Evan-Moor, Apologia for Young Explorers. Looking at the coming year, I'm already hoping to make it more about Science than I have in the past. We have always gone heavy on the Language Arts and History, so
 I'm thinking everyone will be ready for a change.

We were given this circuit panel with a book full of projects to do. My son has been fiddling around with it all week. It has been really fun to watch him make a "burglar alarm" and other little electrical activities.

On My Side Table

I'm still listening/reading to this book and still enjoying it. For me this book hasn't been a string of "Ah ha!" moments, but rather re-iterating thoughts and ideas I have and encouraging me to keep on keeping on.

This week I began What Alice Forgot. Definitely good so far, opening with a woman suffering a concussion and in her mind throwing her 10 years back in time.