Rekindled Heart: Yea for Fifth Grade! :)

"You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives." ~Clay P. Bedford

I like that quote, but, really, I don't need to do much "creating" of curiosity in my son. He's curious from the moment he wakes up in the morning until his sweet, long eyelashes finally rest upon the tops of his cheeks for the night.

That's why we're having a great school year so far this year! Well, it's only been four days, but still.

The curriculum I'm using this year, The Weaver, is right up his alley, and he is loving it so far. I'm enthused as well because I'm learning right along with him! This week we've been studying cities and rocks and all kinds of topics that go along with those. We've been a-studyin' maps and globes and have "been" to so many cool places. We've read fascinating books, explored the great outdoors, and used a glue gun--the same glue gun I've had in storage for years. This was "Sww-eeet!!" according to Little Mister. :)

Yes, I think we're going to like 5th grade. :)

Some First Day Photos:

This isn't necessarily a school-related thing, but I love this "Letters Between Mama and Me" book. Got this idea from Pinterest (big surprise, I know): Just buy a 50-cent composition book from Walmart, a $1 roll of clear shelf covering from Dollar Tree, and then print off either a girlie or a boyish "Mama and Me" label here. You can get the rest of the instructions there. I initiated the book by writing Little Mister a letter on the first day of school. He really liked it, and I know he will eventually write back. I can't WAIT to see what he says. He has written us the things on his heart many times, and each message is a precious keepsake. This will be an easy way to keep them together in one place. ;) (His father has expressed interest in having a "Dad and Me" one made, too.) ;)

My first-ever E-bay purchase! These are some used history books I "won" for a great price! Why did I take a pic of them? Hmmm . . . I guess just because I was excited to have bid and won the first time I tried the E-bay thing. :) Not to mention how exciting it is when the mailman rings the doorbell because he has something besides bills to deliver.

Some of the notebooks we're using this year.

Our prayer box. I have one of these that I use for my own personal praying, so I can easily remember the many prayer requests people have. I decided to make another version of it for our school prayer time. I really feel that one of the best ways for LM to gradually grow out of that childlike self-centeredness is to pray for others! Behind each category are index cards with a person's or family's name(s) and what we are praying for them about. We each pray for the first one or two in each category each day and then put the cards in the back of that category. All the requests will be prayed for time and time again, as many times as they make their way to the front of the pile before the Lord answers one way or another. Some, like missionaries, will stay in the box indefinitely and are prayed for even if nothing in particular is "wrong." The "verses" in the front are what we are memorizing, and the "virtues" in the back are things we are working on building in our lives.

When we pray for the missionaries and the countries in which they are serving, we find the countries on the globe and then look them up on this Voice of the Martyrs map to see if they are "hostile" or "restricted" countries when it comes to Christianity.