Preparing the Butterfly

Meet Sir N the star of this blog. His name means

One who is asked of the Lord and Brings much joy

Our journey to receiving the news of his pregnancy was a very long nine years on the roller coaster of hope and disappointment. In fact two weeks before our positive pregnancy test I had given up on the idea of having any more children and decided that this was it the Lord had decided our family was complete with two children.

This little man has been an amazing blessing in our lives and has brought each and every one of us smiles. His name is just how we felt when we were blessed with the news of his impending arrival in our family.  He makes my heart melt and shows me what unconditional love looks like every day.

More hope . . . 
During my pregnancy I experienced so many highs the main one being:  we are going to have the large family we always wanted. After he was born I relaxed and spent so much time waiting each month for a sign of another I didn't fully immerse myself in enjoying the one in my arms. One year, two years, three years . . . went by.
Finally one beautiful Sunday morning in Spring - two little blue lines appeared. Joy! Excitement! Anticipation of another little person to love hold and cherish. Morning sickness, yes all is well.
In a twinkling it all changed with the words "I'm sorry Mrs R ....." tears, grief and a little boy who told me to tell Jesus to put the baby back!
Sir N faithfully prayed every night for three years. One night two beautiful brown eyes looked at me and said there is no point in praying Jesus does not hear.  My heart broke. What do I say ?
So far it's been five very long years of secondary infertility and failed IVF cycles. Feeling like everyone was pregnant BUT me. . .

Looking back
Having two teens means that I have learned not to think too far into the future as sometimes the dreams are met with closed doors and you need to find new hope for your butterfly or just when you anticipate having another five or six years you find that you need to let go and watch your butterfly find itself.

Source: Pinterest

In the Future
I am learning ever so slowly to appreciate the today's because they are ever so fleeting. My heart still longs and the conflict rages within. Conflict between being fully satisfied and wanting just one more chance. I'm learning to look at the little butterfly growing in front of me and appreciate him. I am so grateful to Susan for encouraging me to look at my child and see him for the person he is.  I'm learning to look to the One Who created him and ask "Lord just how should I prepare this butterfly ?"

I would like to encourage you to enjoy your butterflies.  Enjoy each one in their individuality. Enjoy them for their differences.  

Blessings
Chareen

During the month of May I would like to introduce each of my children to you.

Releasing Butterflies this May
Hoping for the Butterfly - Mr T
Anticipating the Butterfly - Miss J
Preparing the Butterfly  - Sir N

--ooOoo--

May is Ichthyosis Awareness Month. I will be partaking in a month long blog hop in honor of Peter and other children with Ichthyosis. Release the butterflies is more than about children with a rare skin disorder it's about each and every one of our children.

Susan will be having a weekly link up.  Please join me in celebrating each and every child and just how special they truly are.

Here is Susan's Schedule
Links will be added here as the posts go live.
Release the Butterflies Posts:

1. Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Susan  Embrace the Wild Child, Release the Butterflies
Nicole Releasing the Butterflies. Turtle...
Lisa All the Same and Yet Different
2. Wednesday, May 15, 2013
   Susan Giving the Butterfly Time to Emerge
   Nicole Releasing the Butterflies. Bug...
3. Wednesday, May 22, 2013
   Susan Hold Onto Your Butterflies, but not too tightly
4. Wednesday, May 29, 2013
   Susan The Butterfly’s Dazzling Colors Dance in the Sunlight
   Nicole Releasing the Butterflies Wrap Up

Giveaways this week

1. Ticket to the Ultimate Homeschool Expo (open Worldwide) ends (6/2) ($89 value) (ends 6/2)

Freebies

1. Preschool Butterfly Printables Pack
2. FREE Math Mystery E-book for Primary Grades  
3. Free Two-Sided, Full-Color Addition and Subtraction Cards!
4. FREE Printable Butterfly Notecards

Science in the Junior Years

Teaching Science - How do you do it?  Good question.  When any of us think of science our minds tend to think of high school / University labs and immediately we are filled with fear and trepidation. We start to panic and wonder how on earth we are going to accomplish teaching science ?? This fear in turn robs us of the pleasure of discovering just how much fun science can be.


Define: Science

• The word science comes from the Latin "scientia," meaning knowledge especially knowledge based on reproducible data.
• Science is the systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation. 

From this definition we can see that science is not solely about science labs and microscopes, formulas and chemicals it's all about the world around us.

For us
Sir N will be eight years old in a weeks time and for us Science is all about discovery and fun.  Personally I am not a hands on learner but he is which has proven to be a little bit of a challenge.  In order to meet his need of hands on learning I have been actively seeking opportunities to join others on science adventures, even when that means traveling a 140 km round trip.  This year we have gone across town and played in a science lab and learned about static electricity and cold ice.

I have been teaching science using Sonlight - Exploring the wonders of God's World using living books.

• Science P4/5 Discover the way things work in God's world
• Science A Biology, Botany, and Physics 
• Science B Animals, Astronomy, and Physics 
• Science C Geology, Meteorology, and Mechanical Technology 
• Science D Biology, Taxonomy, and Human Anatomy 
• Science E Electricity, Magnetism, and Astronomy 
• Science F Health, Medicine, and Human Anatomy (This was our favourite year) 
• Science G Geology, Physics, and Origins 

Over the years I took a detour and did The Well Trained Mind path as well using some great Usborne Science Books.  I've also really liked the look of Noeo Science but the postage makes purchasing this curriculum a little out of reach from Australia.

Nature Study
Each family needs to find their own personal flavor in studying science in the younger years. For us I have been blessed because Paul's passion is all things nature and he generously shares his knowledge with our children. He has the most amazing instagram


Instagram @Servalpaul In the Future
The more I learn about Delight Directed education the more I realize that science is about enjoying and appreciating the world around us. In order to do this more formally I would really like to do a lot more Nature Journaling at home.

Resources to help you start Nature Journaling

Resources to teach science at home

• Nature Journaling
• Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock
• Usborne Science Books
• Noeo Science
• Sonlight
• Science suggestions for what to teach by grade over at Simply Charlotte Mason
• Apologia Science books
• Fizzics Education over 100 FREE Science Experiments and project ideas
• Pinterest Science

Science in Highschool

"Can I teach 

high school science?

 NO

As your student gets older, 

your role changes from 

teacher to fellow learner."

Dr. Jay L. Wile 

You can read my thoughs on science in the high school years in my Homeschool High School Post.

Be encouraged Science is not as big as we make it in our thinking and we do not need to feel that only professionally trained teachers can teach science. As home schoolers we can learn and discover alongside our children.  Have fun read some living books and try some science in your kitchen!

Blessings
Chareen

This week

• Bernadette takes a look at Scientifically Speaking and encourages a hands on approach.
• Julie encourages us on Creating Your Own Science Curriculum
• Hwee shares some thoughts on Science in Our Home. and how their learning has changed over the years.
• Savannah discusses Science with My Scalliwags and how they do science without a formal curriculum.
• Lucinda ponders How To Make Sure Science Gets Done When You’re Not Using A Curriculum 
• Nicole says The Epic Failure that Wasn't shares some thoughts on how there is more to science than a curriculum.
• Erin speaks on Kindling & Fanning Scientific Minds and how to keep the interest alive and growing.

 ---ooOoo---

Linking with

Tuesdays Treasure - Handel: At the Court of Kings

This week ...

Handel: At the Court of Kings

• Format: Paper back
• Number of Pages: 166 
• Vendor:Zeezook 
• Publication Date: 
• ISBN 10: 1933573031 
• ISBN 13: 9781933573038 
• Author Opal Wheeler 
• Illustrator:Mary Greenwalt 

We have been wanting to start composer study and last week a friend of mine loaned me Handel at the Court of Kings.  This book is such a delight to read and I am pleased to find a living book to read out loud with Sir N.  This book is twaddle free and illustrated with beautiful line drawings.

My friend originally purchased this from Vision Forum where you can purchase the collection (consisting of a paperback, CD and Study Guide) sadly they are discontinuing this product.

I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series (available from The Book Depository)

• Robert Schumann and Mascot Ziff 
• Joseph Haydn: The Merry Little Peasant 
• Sebastian Bach: The Boy from Thuringia 
• Mozart the Wonder Boy 
• Ludwig Beethoven and the Chiming Tower Bells 
• Paganini, Master of Strings  
• Adventures of Richard Wagner 
• Franz Schubert and His Merry Friends
• The Story of Peter Tchaikovsky

Blessings

 Welcome to Tuesdays Treasures.  I started these posts as a way of sharing great books in honour of my friend in New Zealand who would arrive with the treasures she had unearthed at her weekly trip to the library!

There are so many wonderful books out there hiding on shelves so I invite you to blog about a book on your shelf, one you're reading or one you found at the library and add your post