Spring Break

Wow! I have loved our home school spring break! Today was our last day. Tomorrow we have co-op and regular school on Friday.  Then next week the feel of our school year winding down is huge. We have a butterfly farm field trip on Tuesday and Field Day on Thursday.  We are beginning to finish books. Parker has finished he spelling for the year, Timothy is only a week or two away.  June will be here before we know it!

I am already looking ahead to next year and am very excited about what all I have planned. Looking forward to field trips and co-op and parties and friends. I realize that I LOVE the home school life.  My children are learning what they need to learn, are plenty socialized but are not getting the things that I don't want them to have at this point. I can say "Life Is Good" for the Duggins' family right now!

What Am I Gaining?

Every so often, I move into a selfish mode concerning our decision to homeschool.  Recently, I have begun to wonder what I have been missing.  The boys are almost 7 years old and Leanne almost 5 and I have never sent them to day care or preschool or even to school.  I have never known the freedom of part of my day being child-free for cleaning, grocery shopping or laundry. In this realization, I have been selfishly thinking about what I am missing.  The free time, the freedom from responsibility/burden of choosing to school our children at home, is that what I am missing?  Last week, I began to read a book on home-schooling. Thanks to this book, I have been reminded about what I am gaining.  I know my children better than anyone. (except Doug)  I see their excitement of learning. I know that I am responsible for their manners, their education, their responsibility. I can't pass that buck to the school system.

The free time I don't have is a trade off for my kids to hopefully not be influenced by their peers.  When I was reading the book 7 Tools for Cultivating Your Child's Potential by Zan Tyler I skipped directly to the end. She had written a chapter about her homeschool journey. She began homeschooling in SC in 1984 when it was illegal and almost went to jail as she fought the battle to the state supreme court. I am thankful for women like her who paved the way so that I can have the right and privilege to teach my children at home!  Also there were messages from each of her now grown children talking about being homeschool meant to them. These messages helped me look past the difficulty of day to day teaching and child rearing to realize that my time and effort and at time tears will be worth my children being best friends for life and the closeness that we will most likely share. I also realize the opportunities my children will have because I have made this choice. They will not have to conform to the mold of traditional education that has to meet everyone's needs. I can meet his/her needs right where they are and allow, even help foster them to bloom in areas that may not have even been available in traditional school. Books like Mrs. Tyler's are good to read every now and again to keep me focused and my eye on the big picture.

So, to answer my question... What Am I Gaining? A lifetime with my children!

All About Spelling

When you are homeschooling, picking out the right curriculum is really hard.  Every curriculum says that it is the best and we are left to discern whether or not it is. Last spring, I shopped for many hours for 1st grade curriculum. Language and spelling is one area that I made a bad choice.  In January, I scrapped what I had done the 1st semester and began frantically looking for something else. I came upon All About Spelling!

Let me 1st say that we all LOVE it! There are days where the boys argue about who gets to do their spelling first! How fun is that?  It is really teaching them to spell, not just memorize spelling words which I also love. They boys are learning if they can spell mat and cap, then there are a ton of other words that they also know how to spell!  This program uses visual, auditory and kinesthetic styles of learning, so it is good for most children. It is not consumable and I love that! I will not have to buy it for Leanne, what I use for Timothy and Parker, I just keep and use for her.

All About Spelling is almost an inclusive phonics program as well.  There are books that coincide with the spelling call All About Reading. These are delightful hard back books with beautiful penciled illustrations, with simple words and sentences.  These books are really helping Timothy's confidence in the area of reading.  I will never shop for another spelling program. We are currently in level 1, but there are 8 levels.

What made me try this is that there is a one year, money back guarantee. But I guarantee that you won't want to use it!

All About Spelling

Tim is spelling a word using the tiles      

This allows him to hear the sound and then see the letter using a technique called segmenting

He is doing 100% better with spelling and reading since starting this program 2 months ago.  Parker could read well before this, but his spelling has improved a great deal!

Timothy LOVES his all about reading book to go with the spelling program! He is very proud that he has now finished this book. He starts book 2 this week.

You Love Me Anyway - Sidewalk Prophets

On Friday night, the lyrics to a song I have heard probably a couple of hundred times spoke to me in a new way.  It doesn't matter what I do or what I have done, Jesus loves me anyway. He knew the struggles I would have and the mistakes that I would make. He knew that He would not always be first in my life.  He knew that there would come a time when I crave food more than I do Him. He knew that even though He worked a miracle in my life when He saved my marriage, I would still one day not look to Him first... But He Loves Me Anyway. 


"I am the thorn in Your crown
But You love me anyway
I am the sweat from Your brow
But You love me anyway
I am the nail in Your wrist
But You love me anyway
And I am Judas’ kiss
But You love me anyway
I am the man who yelled out from the crowd
For Your blood to be spilled on this earth-shaking ground
I turned away with this smile on my face
With this sin my heart tried to bury your grace
Alone in the night I still call out to You
So ashamed of my life, my life, my life
But You love me anyway
Oh God how You love me"


He knew everything I would do and He still went to the cross for me.  How can I even think I deserve anything? When He gave it all so that I could have the life I do. His love and grace are bigger than me. They are bigger than I can understand. If that isn't personal; if that doesn't convict me to walk away from the physical/emotional temptations that Satan has used to wedge a wall between me and Jesus, I don't know what can!

Made to Crave

I have people tell me all the time, they "don't know how I do it", call me "superwoman", etc.  As flattering as it should be; I realize that they don't have a clue to the inner me.  Sometimes I think I look like I have it all together because I do juggle a lot of hats and maintain them somewhat successfully, but also because I am as good as the next sister at putting on the front of "Look at me, see, I have got it all together!"  What most people do not know is that I have found myself at a difficult time of my life. Really, I don't enjoy much about life. I simply endure and persevere to the next day, trying to complete as much of my to-do list as I can then sleep and do it again tomorrow.  I feel so overwhelmed and multi-tasked that it is difficult, certainly rare, to enjoy even the small day to day things that I should enjoy, especially with Doug and the children... this is where I have discovered that food comes in...

I am reading a really great book right now called Made To Crave by Lysa Terkheurst.  This is actually a really difficult book for me.  This book focuses on my focus of food and why I turn to it rather than to God.  Talk about a stepping on my toes kind of read. Because of this book (I have only read about 5 chapters) I have discovered that I don't emotionally eat. I don't eat when I am sad or happy or upset.  I just eat... to eat. I enjoy it. When I eat yummy food, it is small bits of pleasure, maybe even enjoyment in my overly busy, unenjoyable life.  Now I know what the problem is, but I am finding it to be a very difficult problem to solve.

Made To Crave suggests that God created us to crave... HIM... not anything else.  To get rid of the unhealthy eating habits and craving, we have to get closer to Him. To get closer to Him we have to give up something that is permissible, but not necessarily beneficial with the sole purpose of getting closer to God.  Sounds easy enough, right? Not really, at least for me!  I have been struggling with my personal relationship with Jesus for some time now. In my busy, even exhausting life, I spend less and less time with Him. This has been progressive for several years now. I see it, I recognize it, but I have not changed it.  As much as I want to refocus and get back in touch with Jesus personally, I don't want to give up food, my tidbits of daily pleasure to do it!  There is my ah-ha moment. So here I am, confessing to whoever is reading this, that I want food as much, if not more than I want God right now.  I am praying that as I continue on the Made To Crave journey, I can overcome this sinful, selfish place. That I can embrace the idea of empowerment over deprivation so that for the first time in my adult life not be defeated by food and renew my relationship with Jesus without food in the middle!

I know that I am not alone in this battle, identifying the source of the problem is only the first step. Having the courage to tackle it is what will mold my character and show who (Jesus) I am really made of!

Homeschool Update

We have had a really good week of school this week. The kids have worked hard in school and really been trying to help out with chores. The boys have even recently learned to sweep! It is amazing to me at times how much the boys are learning or have learned, both in school and in life.  Parker is reading so well and I can not take the credit for that; it just comes naturally for him. Timothy has been working really hard and is doing so much better! If were not for him getting his vowel sounds mixed up at times, he would be well on his way. I am faithful that that day is coming!  Leanne is a mess. I teach her some, but not too much; she has plenty of school days in the years ahead so I don't push her too hard, but she is around and hears and sees what I am teaching the boys.  She wrote me a note this week sounding out the words as best as she can; it was so cute and she got the point across!

We had a great field trip to Mrs. Hanes' Moravian Cookie Factory in Clemmons, NC on Friday. This was a great trip. I was honestly a little surprised at how much fun we had and how yummy these handmade cookies are. One of the best parts of these trips is that this is one place we get to see other families.  After almost a school year in our local association, the kids have friends that they look forward to seeing. Yesterday, Timothy made a new friend. It was so cute, he couldn't remember his name, but he got his phone number and couldn't wait to call him!

As I talk to many of my homeschool friends, I sometimes wonder if I try to be too structured... But, I recently read in an encouraging book that I should not compare myself, my husband, my kids, my home, my homeschool to others. Doing this causes jealousy or feelings of inadequacy or even pride.  This is very difficult for me, if I don't compare, then how will I know how I am doing?  I should be using God as my judge for how I am doing? Have I asked God if He is pleased with my week?  Did my efforts meet His expectations? If I worry about raising and teaching for the Lord and not to compare with my friends, I will be a lot better off!

The Invisible Woman

Wow, last weekend was totally awesome! Approximately 120 women learning that being the "Invisible Woman" is not a bad thing. We were able to worship together for six hours. The music was amazing; we learned so much from the different speakers, and then there was the fellowship. Friends and strangers sitting at the table together talking about life, sharing what God was teaching them during this time.  Amazing!


When I actually found a minute to stop and look around, the rush, the hustle and bustle, the sleep deprivation had been so worth it!


Ladies, we are builders of great cathedrals in our families. We will not see our finished work, we are not building it so that we may live there, but if we build it well... God will live there. 


Today, when you are tired, you are aggravated, feeling worn down, remember, it is ok... even good to be invisible! 


1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."


Let's commit together to what we do, all day (and really everyday) for the Lord!