Patriot Moms

Submitted By Lori Bova, Patriot Mom

Ladies,

The challenge this fall presented at the D6 conference was simple. It was to work with intentionality on becoming a Deuteronomy 6 family…the kind of family that God designed. Below is a quick acronym that will help keep us all on track.

Parental Responsibilities to LEAD from Deuteronomy 6:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, keeping the commands upon your heart. Deut. 6:4-6

Educate your children diligently. Deut. 6:7a

Always talk about the commandments with your children. Deut. 6:7b

Display the commands on your hands, and before eyes, and on the doorposts and gates. Deut. 6:8-9

We are all so blessed to be part of a school that gives time back to our homes. We have been given more time to spend on practical everyday application of God’s truth. You can quickly see that Providence is designed to reinforce this D6 principle in our families. Take full advantage of this opportunity. This one chapter of the Bible is our key charge as parents. Take the LEAD mommas! Your kids need you.

Taken from Linda Crosby’s presentation at the D6 Conference 9/26/09.

Submitted By Megan Morgan, Patriot Mom

We recently visited Little Rock and here are some new things to do: The Heifer project has in interactive exhibit on poverty and efforts to combat it. http://www.heifer.org/ You can also visit their farm 40 minutes west of Little Rock to see some of the animals they send to needy families everywhere.

The Clinton Presidential Museum is next to the Heifer Museum and both are free. http://www.clintonlibrary.gov/

There is the Arkansas Discovery science museum http://www.amod.org/ also in the Riverfront area.

The Little Rock Zoo http://www.littlerockzoo.com/ is currently renovating several of its exhibits but is scheduled to be done soon and makes another fun stop. It is located near War Memorial Stadium and is free on Little Rock Hog football game days for now (because there is no parking and it did close early that day). Have fun exploring Arkansas!

Just a reminder that this Friday is a school-wide field trip to Right Choices Corn Maze in Southwest City, MO. So far, 100 parents and kids are planning on going!

If you haven't RSVP'd but still want to go, please feel free to come along. If you're interested in caravanning, we will be meeting at the Lake Bella Vista parking lot (next to Hwy. 71) at 8:20 am. If you're going on your own, our field trip starts at 9:30am.

Cost for the field trip is $3/student. Don't forget to bring a picnic lunch for afterwards.

Tomorrow is spirit day at Providence Academy!

Don't forget to wear your brand new Patriot shirts and jackets to school on Thursday.

Thank you Kelly Kraus for all of your help on our new spirit wear!

Today is the last day you can buy tickets for the "Providence Takes Flight" gala. This is an event you do not want to miss!

Tickets are $75 and can be purchased on the east or west campus TODAY!

This will be your favorite date night of the year!

Reminder:

Parent/Teacher Conferences are being held Monday, October 26th (1:30pm-6:30pm) and Tuesday, October 27th (2:30pm-7:30pm).

All conferences will be held at the West Campus. Please take note that Monday, dismissal time for the West Campus is 1:15pm. Tuesday dismissal time for the East Campus is 2:00pm and the West Campus is 2:15pm.

You will be contacted by your child’s teacher with your conference time. If you have not received your conference time, please contact the front office. Please be timely for your conference as we have conferences scheduled every 15 minutes.

Thank you!

Submitted By Shelley Cassar, Patriot Mom

Colder weather and hearty soups go hand in hand in our house. I love that soups feel like a "comfort food" but don't necessarily have the comfort food "fat" and "calories" along with them! Hearty soups are also a great way to get the kids to eat a healthy meal with protein and vegetables and you don't hear a grumble! Here is a yummy "Fall" soup that I hope you like. Try making extra and freezing half for another day when you don't have time to cook.

Homemade Chicken and Dumpling Soup

CHICKEN
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3-4 pounds chicken pieces (legs, breasts, thighs)
1 small onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
3 cups plus 1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper, to taste
5 medium-size carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
DUMPLINGS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2/3 cup milk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1. For the chicken, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or other large covered saucepan. Add the chicken pieces and brown them on each side for 2 minutes. 2. Stir in the onion and celery. Sauté briefly. 3. Add 3 cups of water, bay leaf, bouillon cubes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the chicken, covered, for 30 minutes. 4. Remove the chicken, add the carrots to the pot, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the carrots are tender. 5. Meanwhile, remove the chicken meat from the bones. 6. Whisk together the flour and the remaining 1/2 cup of water in a medium bowl until smooth. 7. Add the mixture and the chicken meat to the simmering saucepan. Cover and continue to simmer. 8. To prepare the dumplings, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and fresh parsley in a large bowl. 9. Make a well in the dry mixture and add the milk, egg, and oil. Stir briskly to make a batter. 10. For each dumpling, spoon a rounded tablespoon of batter into the simmering broth. Cover and simmer for another 13 to 15 minutes, without stirring. 11. Ladle into wide soup bowls and serve hot. Makes 5 to 6 servings.

One time volunteer opportunity
for our Providence Moms.

Our Spirit Wear is almost here!
Tuesday, October 27
9:00 a.m. at the West Campus
We will be sorting and delivering the Spirit Wear for
the entire school.

I need 6 to 8 Mom’s to come help w/ the process.
I’d love to have 2 to 3 Moms’ from each campus to help.

If you are interested in spending the morning working along side
some great Providence Moms then grab a cup of coffee and come on to help.
(I’ll provide the muffins and bagels)

Contact Kelly Krause @
thekrausehaus@yahoo.com to confirm that you will be able to attend.

Hope to see you there!

Submitted by Lesley Riendeau, Patriot Mom

Elle (Kindergarten - Mrs Bowen's class) and I went on a walk yesterday. While we were walking, I thought "what kind of school stuff can we go over while walking?". Latin words! We were going over all the ones we have learned each week when we walked by a house with an elderly lady outside on the phone. Elle VERY confidently points at her and says "Look Mom! She is senex - old!" Thankfully, the nice lady was on the phone and I want to believe she did not hear her. I could not help but laugh the rest of our walk and even today as I write this story.

I share this because even though it could have been very embarassing, I am so thankful that my little Kindergartener is learning Latin and applying it in life! What fun learning can be. You just never know what they are retaining and when it will come back out!

Submitted By Lynette Duncan, Patriot Mom

From the talk I gave at the Mother’s of Providence Meeting on September 22, 2009

My hope is that you can take some helpful hints from this list and incorporate it into your routine to help your homeschooling days run more smoothly.

My definitions for this post:
Housecleaning: Jobs we do about once a week to keep the house clean, e.g., dusting, vacuuming entire house.

Chores: Jobs we do daily to keep the house neat and tidy, e.g., washing dishes, sweeping under kitchen table, making bed.

What works for me….
1. List housecleaning jobs
a. Dust
b. Clean mirrors & glass doors
c. Bathrooms
d. Swiffer Vac
e. Mop
f. Vacuum
g. Change Sheets

2. Assign children certain jobs
a. Take time to train child to do his/her job
b. Have younger children “help” Mom with her jobs
c. Develop reasonable expectations for how well job will be completed
d. Help child learn to do good work
e. Resist the temptation to re-do the child’s work—pray, take deep breaths, and exercise self-control

3. Schedule one or two housecleaning jobs per day
a. At our house, our school-aged child does not have housecleaning jobs on school days
b. She is still responsible for chores on school days such as making bed and picking up toys

4. Schedule chore/housecleaning time into each day
a. Be sure to block off a certain time each day for housecleaning and chores

5. Benefits of This Imperfect System
a. If a job has to be skipped one day, it is fairly easy to squeeze in on another day or an evening
b. Mom doesn’t need to cram all the housework into her schedule when children are at school
c. Frees up evenings and weekends for family time
d. Teaches all the children how to help at home
e. A certain level of cleanliness is maintained so that panic does not ensue when an unexpected guest knocks on the door

Resources
From http://www.titus2.com/,

Managers of Their Homes and Managers of Their Chores by Steven and Teri Maxwell

PCCA’s own Cindy Palen
FlyLady.net
Other PCCA and Homeschooling Moms
PCCA Mom’s Blog

Mrs. Moore's kindergarten class had a moms night out last night to celebrate. If your class hasn't already scheduled a time of fellowship for the moms in your child's class, go ahead and set a date and put it on the calendar.

Can you believe we are already midway through the first semester?

Submitted By Cindy Palen, Patriot Mom and Teacher

“In my distress I cried unto; the Lord, and he heard me.” Psalm 120:1

Why am I writing a blog entry on a Wednesday morning? Tomorrow my children will take 3 Latin midterm exams, 3 math tests, 2 history tests, and turn in a history midterm project. I do not have time to blog, but I must. I am writing to encourage myself, and pass along to you what the Lord is telling me.

Verse 2 of Psalm 120 says, “Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.”

The lying lips I am hearing in the night come from the Roaring Lion, the Accuser of the Brethren, Satan himself. They tell me that the D’s my children got on their last test are my fault. They tell me that I should have studied with them more. They tell me to work harder, press harder, be mean and make them study! Thankfully, my gentle Savior comes to me and reveals the truth of His word and puts out the fiery darts of the enemy. He reminds me to have joy. He tells me that a D on a test isn’t sin. It isn’t going to keep them out of college. It isn’t even going to be remembered a year from now.

How I speak to my children will be remembered. The joy I cultivated in my home will be remembered. The fruits of the spirit I demonstrate in my life will be remembered on judgment day, a D on a test will not. Perspective. Going to God’s word will change our perspective from the cares of this life to the eternal.

I got A’s in school. I studied, but for the most part, it just came easy to me. I tend to expect that same A standard in my children. I was devastated when I got my first C in 6th grade. I need to recognize that God made us all with different strengths. My creative, musically gifted child might not get A’s on all her math tests. That’s okay.

I cannot hold my children’s hands through school. I only have two hands, and they, collectively, have eight. It is physically impossible. The physical description of my limited limbs and their many needs is a good insight into the spiritual. We cannot, as parents do everything for our children. Even if I had one child, and could “carry” him through school, it would not be in his best interest. We are a University model school. Our aim is to prepare our children for the University. If we carry them through until 12th grade, they will not be prepared. Students need to learn how to fail, and analyze what caused the failure. They then can change their behavior and achieve better results. When one child comes home with an A on a test in a class she normally struggles in, we ask, “What did you do differently to achieve those results?” When a child comes home with a D, we ask, “What could you do differently to get a better grade next time?” This is the time for our children to learn how to act and gain independence.

Part of independence is falling, and getting back up. Don’t be afraid to let your child fall. And don’t take it personally when they do. You are training them to be adults. I know it is devastating when our child forgets his midterm project, forgets to study for a test, or takes a test and leaves one whole section blank. It is often more crushing to us than to them. Don’t let it be. Don’t let their mistakes take their toll on you. Consider it a wonderful learning experience, and focus on the Savior instead.

Psalm 121

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”

Don't forget this is picture week.

Clifton Eoff Photography will be on the east campus on Tuesday, and on the west campus on Thursday. Make sure and send in you order forms along with the payment to get your "School Day Portrait Packages."

Submitted By Shelley Cassar, Patriot Mom

Doing crafts with your kids can sometimes turn into an ordeal, depending on how intricate they are. Here are some really fun and simple seasonal craft ideas that are frugal to boot. I find that when doing seasonal crafts with the kids it gives me an opportunity to talk to them about the changing seasons and gives them some awareness of what is going on in nature.

During early fall as you go on walks you can have your child collect acorns. Once home, you can have them paint the acorns. You can suggest they paint some like pumpkins, corn (going with a fall theme), or some with polka dots or stripes. They look so cute painted, gathered and displayed in a bowl and make a great fall decoration!

Another simple and fun craft that gets your child outside and gets them playing with color is: have your child collect different colored leaves on your walk and then come home and play with paint colors and have them try to mix a paint to match the color of the leaves. You then have your child trace and cut out the leaf shapes and paint the cut outs with the newly mixed colors. They look great hung on the windows or doors and kids love seeing their art work in the windows!

We love simple fun craft ideas and would love to know which ones your child enjoys!

Submitted By April Jackson, Patriot Mom

Providence mom Theresa Webb shared with me about Right Choices Corn Maze located in Southwest Missouri. She spoke highly of all the activities they have as well as the Christian family that operates it. I also spoke to a neighbor this week who had been and said it was worth the drive. She said that when her family goes back this year, they will plan more of a half day outing rather than the couple of hours they did last year.

I checked out the website: http://www.rightchoicescornmaze.com/Default.aspx and noticed they do field trips Monday - Friday. I called and here is the information I received:
~cost is $3 per student
~field trips start sometime between 9:30-11:30am (definite time would be given upon scheduling of field trip)
~2 members of the family are certified teachers and they give lessons on corn (parts of the plant, photosynthesis, etc.), as well as pumpkins. This takes about 30 minutes
~they show how brooms are made out of corn
~hay wagon ride followed by a lesson in the corn crop field and showing the students the equipment in the field
~short maze
~cow train rides are an additional $2
~corn cannon $1 per child

I specifically asked about any Monday or Friday dates they had open for a field trip for our school. The dates I was given were:
October 26th or 30th.

If this is something you would like to do as a school, please leave a comment here or email me at: adjackson323@yahoo.com and I'll see what I can put together for us.

If you'd rather go on your own as a family, they are open on the weekends to the public.

Submitted By Marissa Henley, Patriot Mom

Several months ago, my husband started expressing his desire for us to start spending less and saving more, specifically on groceries. He repeated this preposterous suggestion many, many times. And every time, I did a good job of ignoring it. After all, his job is pretty secure, we're doing okay financially–why should we cut back? It seemed crazy for my husband to ask me to make sacrifices, just for the sake of spending less and saving more. He must be nuts, right?

After conversations with some godly, truth-speaking friends, I realized that this was a huge area of disobedience in my life. My husband was asking me to do something. He was not asking me to sin. In fact, the thing he was asking me to do is perfectly reasonable, probably a good idea, and (gulp) would be glorifying God by thinking less about my own selfish desires. I very slowly started to realize that part of my job as the primary shopper for our family is to save as much money as possible. So I turned to my local expert on honoring your husband by spending less money: my friend and fellow PCCA mom, Lynette.

I had been giving Lynette my coupons out of the Sunday paper for months. I had no idea what she was doing with them, but I knew it was time to find out. I broke the sad news to her that she would no longer be getting my coupons and asked her to share her secrets with me. Thankfully, she is very supportive of my saving money AND my submitting to my husband! She taught me a few key strategies:

1. Stop being married to specific brands. I was shocked when I compared the shampoo I usually buy with some much cheaper alternatives. I’ve been having shampoo tunnel vision for years, and my hair doesn’t even look that great.

2. Track the cost of items that you buy on a regular basis. When they go on sale, stock up. If you know how much that box of brownie mix typically costs, you will recognize a good deal when you see it.

3. Keep your coupons from the Sunday paper, and then use blogs such as Money Saving Mom (http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/) to find out how to maximize your savings by combining coupons with low sale prices.

4. Don’t be afraid to shop at Aldi. (I haven’t conquered this one yet. But I hope to soon.)

I've been using my new shopping strategies since July, along with buying much more at Sam's Club. Some of my best scores include: deodorant for 38 cents, cereal for 99 cents, and ice cream for $1.33. I've been amazed how much I've saved just by paying attention to what I buy. Baby steps can get you far when you keep taking them! There are some weeks when I have time to read all the blogs, look through all my coupons, and head out to pick up super-cheap stuff. There are other weeks when I only have time to buy what I need and not let myself have those chips that aren't on the list. After three months, I have cut our grocery spending by more than one-third. But more importantly, I am honoring my husband by working hard on something that is important to him, following the example of the Proverbs 31 woman:

An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.The heart of her husband trusts in her,and he will have no lack of gain.
Proverbs 31:10-11

What are some strategies you are using to cut back on spending?

If you need to order any winter uniforms from Lands' End, you may receive free shipping by entering code WARM and PIN 2324. This might be a good time to order uniform pants as winter is right around the corner. This offer expires on October 8th.

Submitted By Megan Morgan, Patriot Mom

Fall is upon us and that means pumpkins! Here are 2 local patches where you can go to pick and play. Consider even organizing a class outing to enjoy with friends!

Vanzant's Pumpkin Patch is 2.7 miles east of Old 71 in Lowell on Hwy 264 and opens October 1st. They are open Mondays thru Saturdays from 8 to 6 p.m. Their phone number is 756-3152.

McGarrah Farms is in Pea Ridge. They will open on September 26th. Their hours are Monday thru Friday, Saturday from10 to 6, and Sunday from 12 to 6. Their phone number is 451-8164.

Directions: From 4 way stop in Pea Ridge (hiway 94 & 72) go east on Leetown RD. Turn left on Miser Road. Turn on only road to right and follow it to the end. Patch is on the left. Crops are usually available in October.

Happy Fall!

Submitted By Shelley Cassar, Patriot Mom

I am so excited about this new website that some Providence Mom's told me about! It has made the spelling portion part of our day a lot easier and fun! Go to http://www.spellingcity.com/ and your child can enter their spelling words and the program will help them learn to spell them. They will love getting to use the computer too!