Are you struggling with HOW to teach your kids math? Have you tried all of the homeschool heroes so long recommended in math, and still haven’t found what you need? Do you have a super bright child that gets math easily and needs to skim ahead? Do you have an older child who is still struggling with concepts, but tired of being in younger math? Would you like ONE simple math program that you can buy ONCE for ALL of your kids?

You have got to see the wonderful new math program I found! Math on the Level was a delightful discovery from the CHAP homeschooling convention in PA. Creator Carlitta Boyles started out homeschooling her own kids with the principles in Math on the Level. Other moms in her homeschool group asked her for help with their kids, and out of that Math on the Level was born!

The Math on the Level approach

• To make math real, the curriculum emphasizes teaching math through practical, family-life experiences. With Math on the Level, the world is your classroom!
• Because each child is unique, math instruction is focused to each child’s maturation level, not age or grade level. (No topics are grade leveled.)
• Its organization and practical emphasis let you teach different-aged children together if desired and include math instruction in your family activities (even in unit studies).
• An effective yet simple to use record keeping system helps you be sure that all necessary math concepts have been covered as well as plan and track each child’s individualized 5-A-Day review.
• To address different learning styles, more than one teaching approach is included for difficult topics.
• Instead of using a generalized set of 30 (or more) daily practice problems that you hope will give sufficient practice for your child, the Math on the Level 5-A-Day review system lets you tailor the review to your child’s actual level of need and make sure each child gets the right amount of practice without busywork.
• To ensure long-term retention, every math concept the child has learned is practiced continually throughout the curriculum at least once every 3 weeks (and more often as needed).

I highly recommend you check out this fabulous new math curriculum! It was rated HIGHLY in the Spring 2008 edition of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, with a great TOS review (you will have to scroll down the page to find Math on the Level!!)

Midwinter Homeschool Convention 2008

We are profoundly grateful to have been able to serve at Midwinter 2008! It is practically impossible to capture the two day event for those who did not come, and explain it in a way that makes sense! We saw an abundance of grace, while watching the Lord move quietly in the hearts and minds of many of the attendees at Midwinter 2008. We laughed, and cried, were challenged, expanded and stretched, learned great things about homeschooling, new ideas and ways of reaching our children and were challenged in our personal character and walk with the Lord. We lived without the great chocolate so promised, without coffee, dessert or snacks! We saw people step up to the plate and volunteer to do things, as they needed done, in the midst of emergencies and unexpected situations. Crossroads was AMAZING every step of the way – Rob Aubrey and Mike McClure (our fabulous sound guy) consistently going above and beyond to make MWC a success! We are so grateful to be able to serve with the many families who worked so tirelessly to make Midwinter work, many behind the scenes! Thank you for being a part of Midwinter 2008!

So how did the world’s most imperfect homeschool convention go? From our point of view, as organizers, it was incredible, wonderful, fun, exhilarating, a time of encouragement, edification and equipping, a time to laugh and cry, make new friends, see old ones, and to grow in our homeschooling journey (not to mention exhausting!) Here is a behind the scenes look…..

Some highlights –

Friday night began with our volunteers helping get the convention hall ready for vendors! We had the help of several homeschooling families, for which we are very thankful, including the Suarez & Foster families. After we got the Books Bloom library into the vendor hall, and they began the long task of pulling all of the books forward and getting read for the event, I suddenly realized that I had not seen hide nor hair of our caterer. Concerned, we called, leaving a message. We got a phone call back from a relative telling us that Cathy Hyatt had fallen getting things ready for Midwinter, needed an MRI and was not going to be able to come that night as she was sore, but would be there the next day, bringing the Winter Wonderland cake we had all looked forward to. Knowing that Cathy had broken her neck last summer, this put me in a silent panic for her. Would she walk, let alone cater again? All of the vendors quickly came together, joining hands in prayer for Cathy, lifting her up to the perfect Healer. Concern for Cathy and a lack of news dominated much of the undercurrents of the convention.

The Registration Booth was ran by our own Debbie Stover (who can do ANYTHING!) with two non-homeschooling moms who volunteered (and ended up getting a tremendous amount of GREAT information about homeschooling and even impacting their children with living books!) They registered everyone, got them to fill out their door prize slip and our fabulous homeschool boys gave them two bags full of homeschooling catalogs and goodies!

Homeschool dad Steve Sensenig began MWC Friday night, playing the piano beautifully as people registered and filtered in. Steve is incredibly talented, and has a way of playing that soothes the soul. Hymns and songs of worship and praise filled the church. (Steve is from Boone, NC and had almost been trapped in an ice storm) He played beautifully all weekend and we are so thankful!

It was exciting to see how many COUPLES attended MWC! Dads were everywhere and that was a complete blessing to see how many attended, eager to learn along with their wives!

Introduction to Homeschooling Night/Date Night With Dad began with a prayer by Gary Bloom, a quick welcome and HSLDA attorney Dewitt Black talking on the Legal and Legislative Issues in TN. It was such an honor to have HSLDA at Midwinter, able to counsel home educating families on their rights and responsibilities and folks loved having Mr. Black there. Our Keynote Speaker, Jan Bloom followed with a talk on loving literature and great books, and being the “Keeper of the Books,” inspiring attendees to read and share living books with their families. Jan had us giggling from the get go!

The highlight of the evening was our “Inside the Mind of Dad ~ Homeschool Dad’s Panel.” Four homeschool dads gave a brief introduction, and then we opened up the floor for questions, which they bravely answered! Encouraging their wives, father led home education, creative ways to work and still be involved in educating your kids, teaching your kids, doing “real life” with your kids, and discipline were all discussed – with insightful, wise prayerful answers. We truly got glimpses inside the minds of 4 dads, and it was great for moms and dads alike! We will definitely have the Dad’s panel next year!

Door prizes were given out all evening. Folks were amazed at the quality and the amount of the door prizes. We thank all who donated so generously!

Then, that magical moment that every excited, book loving, homeschool parent was waiting for, the convention hall was OPEN for shopping! Over 20 well stocked vendor booths were downstairs including the massive Books Bloom library filled with living books, worldview materials, The Old Schoolhouse and Homeschooling Today magazines, science KitBooks, puzzles, more bookstores, CD’s, toys, games, mind benders, encouragement, prairie dolls, more books, Sonlight curriculum, several colleges and universities, HSLDA and more! Home educating parents flocked down and spent hours shopping, speaking to the vendors, getting questions answered, hugging old friends and meeting new ones. The convention hall was a happy whirlwind of voices exclaiming over books and cool things, of parents trying to discern the best for their kids, excitedly examining all that was offered. It was an absolute blast, and just like a mini version of the mega conventions from back home! Praise the Lord! (we finally had to turn off the lights so the Crossroads staff could go home and we could run home for a few quick hours of sleep!)

Saturday -

Saturday dawned very early (15 minutes of sleep for this convention organizer and speaker – YIKES!) and we roused the house, got the Blooms and the Baughns up, had breakfast (HS mom Pam Ranken brought us the most delicious homemade cream cheese sweet bread and we cooked some eggs for energy!) and then we were all off for a very full day! I quickly pulled together some sandwich stuff, boiled eggs and fruit, not knowing whether we would have lunch or not, and wanting to make sure we fed our Keynotes!

Our indefatigable registration team was open at 8am, registering all the new folks, making sure returnees had a name tag! Teams of homeschooled kids handed out the bags!

Steve Sensenig, our amazingly talented worship leader, began with beautiful, soothing instrumental music, during registration. He transitioned into hymns and praise songs, beginning the morning in worship to our Lord. I was bustling around attending to the millions of details, trying to figure out what to do about our caterer and the reality that in less than 3 hours, we would have 200 starving people and 50 vendors, worried about Cathy and what was going on, concerned with her expense in getting ready for Midwinter, when Levi (one of our HS students handing out goodie bags) motioned to me to come over. “Mrs. Baughn, listen,” he urged, “it’s your song.” I stopped for a second and came inside the sanctuary – Steve was playing one of my favorite praise songs of all time. “I See the Lord, seated on the throne, exalted, and the train of His robe, fills the temple with glory…and the whole earth is filled…and the whole earth is filled, with His glory” It was one of those perfect moments, where I just felt like God reached down and touched my Martha heart, saying stop and rest in ME, the rest will all work out. This convention is not about whether the folks have food, it is about resting, trusting in, and living your life for Him, it is about encouraging, edifying and equipping. It is about nurturing our children in their walk with Him. We begin with worship. Steve opened the 2^nd day of Midwinter with a beautiful prayer.

The irrepressible Jan Bloom kicked off the Saturday sessions as our Keynote Speaker.

and would you believe…this still isn’t done yet

Just returned from a radio interview with Janet Johnson of AM Tri-Cities on Oldies WKPT! We met Janet down in the lobby at the brand new Food City store in Kingsport. Upstairs, there is a little radio station area set up, and she broadcasts live. It was very unusual - a radio booth, on a 2nd story balcony, inside a huge grocery store. Sitting down in the two tall chairs behind the booth, with the two big microphones, you could chat and look out over the aisles of produce, flowers and groceries while you were interviewed! Emily sat and watched- school this week is largely the gigantic PR Machine!

Janet was incredibly warm, welcoming and gracious, making me feel right at home (which is the secret to being a good interviewer!) She assured me that it would be painless and it really was a piece of cake and simple to do. It was! We just sat and chatted for a little over 20 minutes. She asked me about homeschooling, the convention, how CA compares to TN, what we do about difficult subjects and more. Before we knew it, it was over!

Thinking it was a day to be at home, I was up by 5am, and so busy working on last minute details that I paid no attention to the morning ticking by. Imagine my surprise when I got a phone call from the Johnson City Press offering to do a story and bring a photographer RIGHT THEN. Um. Uhhh, dare I admit to still being in my PJ’s? (not very Pru!)

I asked them to come an hour later, and we quickly showered and got ready. The house was okay downstairs, but we had not done our Monday 1 hour home blessing the day before, since we were on TV. Could I let folks in to a less than perfectly mopped home? Sure, life goes on. But, that did not make the ironing pile suddenly morph into my closet, so I grabbed what I could, a cotton Midwinter looking sweater!

An hour later, Rex Barber, staff writer with the Johnson City Press and Lee Talbert, photo editor were at our door. We welcomed them in and sat down to an interview. Rex came with a list of questions and proceeded to write in shorthand as I babbled away. Intrigued, I asked him if it was real short hand, and he grinned and said it was “his own.” Homeschool moms are ALWAYS looking for that teachable moment. Rex asked me some very thoughtful questions - really good ones and I tried to answer them honestly! I appreciated his take. Meanwhile, Lee quietly snapped photos.

They asked Emily a few questions, and she openly shared with the gentlemen. I was really impressed by how honest and earnest she was. She can be shy with the media and prefers the sidelines, so that was a huge blessing.

They seemed very interested in how we would teach our kids how to deal with bullies and life, and hardships and how she met friends and that sort of thing. Some of the normal stuff we all get, but on the other hand, it seemed to be very fair, legitimate questions. How DO we teach kids how to deal with life. We were able to share with them that we try and always deal with by walking in a manner worthy of the gospel. That we dealt with life openly and honestly and very directly, as a FAMILY. That our kids have the opportunity to learn how to come at life with their parents, and make decisions not influenced by peers. We talked a lot about involving the family in education, about reading great books out loud as a family. We shared with them some of the unusual things that we do as homeschoolers, and we even talked about Midwinter.

After the interview, we got to do some shots of school. The reality of school at Chez Baughn is usually Emily reading in a chair with her book, with ClaraBaughn the cocker spaniel curled up in her lap. Normally, Clara just lays on her lap quietly and snores. Today - she was on high alert, trying to figure out what was going on with these men in her house, taking pictures of her girl, and the dog would not relax. They took a few other shots and were done. When we were saying goodbye, they saw our library in the dining room and wanted to take a few shots with all of the books behind us.

All in all, they were so nice! This is getting more and more fun, except for the-get-the-house-and-the-hair-ready-really-quick part! You know, I was really intimidated by all of the interviews – but what I am finding is that all the interviewers are just like the people here in NE TN, SO NICE. That same, easy going, laid back, informal thing with both so far. Folks are just really nice. That is one of the things we love about living here – the NICEST people in the world. We rarely meet strangers and most folks are nice to us overall – but there is something special about here. And I laugh to think of how hardcore and nasty the media was in CA, which is a direct result of being in the midst of 38 million people and they have to have that nasty shell and that go for the jugular thing. Here, so far, these people seem genuinely interested, they have done their homework, and they seem to want you and your event to succeed. The interview is here.

Additional photos here.

At 3:30, I did a telephone interview with Christin Thomas of the Kingsport Times-News. Christin was lively and nice, although it was a little more difficult to do a phone interview. I like live people. She was very gracious and kind, and mercifully that was a quick interview.

It will be interesting to see how things look in print! I pray that it all is well, and that we communicated fairly and accurately, and that folks will have a better understanding of this lifestyle of learning we have chosen!

Today, while promoting the Midwinter Homeschool Convention, I had the honor of doing my first TV interview on WCYB-TV5, the NBC station for our area, with Tarah Taylor.

After trying to corral my hair, and figure out what to wear, Emily and I trekked down to the NBC studio this morning, leaving in plenty of time. Downtown Bristol always confuses me, so I wanted to make sure we got to the studio in plenty of time. As strange as it sounds, I had asked for prayer from many friends last night - as this interview seemed a thoroughly terrifying task. Would I freeze up, dishonor the Lord, bumble, stumble, say the wrong thing, fail to adequately promote MWC 2008…could I do this? Years ago, I thought homeschoolers were freaks, and for those who shared that opinion viewing today, I hoped that the Lord would use me to show them a positive side of homeschooling (all this week through all of the interviews), also hoping to allay the fears of well meaning family and friends who encourage parents to “put their kids back in public school” for every little thing.

We went in nerved out, and left absolutely thrilled! From the moment we walked in the door, we were treated with the utmost courtesy and kindness. We were the first of the Noon Show interviewees to arrive. The receptionist told us they would come in before 12:00, with a script and they would come get us. We did not need to worry about a thing, they would do it all. The ubiquitous “they” was a little unsettling. We sat down in the lobby, to watch some network TV. Since we do not have network TV, it was more terrifying, as I had never seen any of the anchors here, the Noon Show and was walking in utterly clueless. Three other people arrived, and we nervously chatted, until one woman, with a great acting school in Jonesborough, told us the interview was just like sitting in someone’s living room and it would be really easy and comfortable. That put us at ease.

Around noon, a delightful lady came into the waiting room and gave us our scripts. This turned out to be a detailed time line, including our interviews with Tarah Taylor, along with the questions she was going to ask each of us. I went over them, easy enough. Would I remember these little factoids? I had enough time to take a trip to the ladies room, and a moment of quiet prayer away from everyone else. Walking down the short hallway, seeing the studio on the left, immediately put me at ease. A little slice of the unknown, known, from the outside of the wall. Framed sayings lined the hallway, heralding teamwork. Another said something to the effect of “If you don’t like change, embrace irrelevance.”It struck me as hilariously apropos - here I was, terrified, yet standing firm facing the “media machine” in these last days before of getting the word out about Midwinter. Get with change!

I was ushered into the studio, with a very nervous Emily following me. We went inside a large, windowless, darkened room full of enormous monitors and screens. The anchor desk was straight ahead, to the right looked to be a control center with a gentleman working. To the left of it, was a little “living room” area, where the interview would take place. Tarah sang out “Hello!” from the anchor desk, and I stood there dumbfounded. Should I speak? Were they recording? No, it was commercial break. I put my stuff down and walked over to the table and chairs in the studio “living room.” The lovely woman (what was her title or name???) hooked me up with a microphone. I sat there, still nerved out and panicked. What was going to happen next? We did a sound check and I mumbled something. They asked me to speak again, so asked some silly question, telling them I was nervous. This prompted the “guys upstairs” to tell my calm friend who had ushered me back to ask me “If your happy and you know it clap your hands.” Immediately, all of the terror melted away as I clapped my hands like a silly monkey. Tarah giggled and I knew it would be okay. They were just regular folks and their job is to deliver the news, and they did it graciously, by making their guests comfortable.

Tarah sat at her desk and did the next segment, facing two enormous machines with telepromptors. It was fascinating watching her read her script, interspersed with the stories being clipped in, go to break. One of those machines was in front of the interview area. After she finished her interview, she began to unhook herself from the anchor desk to come over to the parlor. The enormous machine closest to me, came alive, and began rolling over to me, this hulking telepromptering R2D2 of a machine, with a screen showing everything that was being recorded! R2D2 pivoted perfectly and stopped in front of me. Discovery Ice Cream had just volunteered to give free ice cream away at Midwinter, and all I could think of is how R2D2 would like their robot! In the photo above, you can see a bit of R2D2. If I ever get the opportunity again, I will take a photo from the chair, of what I saw!

Tarah came over and sat down, a lovely, encouraging, warm woman, with a ready smile and a quick wit. She told me to look at her during the interview - NOT at R2D2 or his friend (that helped - had I stared at the R2D2 camera, seeing my face, I would have frozen!) Just answer her questions, and it would be great. We chatted for a few seconds before the interview began. She told me she was from Russell County and had only known a few homeschoolers. She was shocked that there were hundreds in the area. Suddenly, it was time. Tarah asked me questions, interviewing me for about 3 1/2 minutes. Her gracious, easy going manner made it as easy as pie. It was a little distracting to see my image in screens all over the studio - so I kept my eyes glued to Tarah and tried to just focus on CONTENT, not what was going on, whether I looked silly, etc! And I must say, I am an exceptionally casual person and don’t worry about “looks” a whole lot, unless it is being broadcast over our area on TV!

Before I knew it, the interview was over. Commercial break! Emily came over and took a picture of us in studio and we unmiked, shook hands, and I thanked her profusely. They were trying to determine exactly where it would be and we ended up chatting about the Gray Fossil Museum, as Crossroads is next to it. We thanked the rest of the people who had been so wonderful and left, exhilerated to walk out of the studio into the fresh, cool sunshine of a January afternoon! Hurdle met! It was tremendous fun and thoroughly enjoyable.

Now of course, I haven’t seen myself on TV yet, so will probably be wracked with insecurity the moment I see it. But the fear of the unknown is gone. Done!

I could never have done it without my faithful friends praying - thank you so very much! We have a radio interview on Weds, and Thursday WJHL is coming to our home to film us homeschooling and interview us.

Today, 2 1/2 weeks until Midwinter, has been a typical shift hats type of day. Wife, mother, friend, publicity for Midwinter, talk to a friend struggling with health issues and help her decide on regimen of health until she can get into the dr., deal with my own doctors appointments, more Midwinter, letters, answer emails, find information and get it out about a business dinner tonight, field phone calls for hubby for a client, email, more email, a chat with a volunteer, information to a college coming, and scheduling the dreaded final reproductive endocrinology appointment to get the results of all of the post miscarriage testing, which brings in the infertility side of me. I now have three doctors appointments in 7 days. About to pop back to the Midwinter site and be a webmaster, and of course, am watching what is going on in Michigan as the big vote is there in the presidential primaries. Half cleaned the house on phone calls and doing laundry all day. At 3:18, it is time to get going on homeschooling, as we have kind of pushed off the stuff we do together today and Emily delightedly has her nose in a book! Oh and we got out some clothing for our church Swap and Shop on Saturday - so add purging closets to this routine!

Amazingly, we got two hours of science in, while I ironed, Emily read!

Well, we are working diligently on the 2nd Annual Tri-Cities Midwinter Homeschool Convention for 2008, held in Gray TN on February 1 & 2! Creating a convention from scratch is a FULL TIME JOB! In fact, it is a full time, double time, triple time task! Why? Obedience. When the unmistakable call of the Lord whispers your name, when He puts a burden on your heart so heavily that you cannot escape it no matter what you do, when He lights a kindred fire in your whole family, when you have to do what He is calling or explode, the only real choice is obedience.

We covet your prayers, that the Lord will be glorified in all we say and do at Midwinter. Please pray that all of our Midwinter 2008 speakers will diligently pray through their talks, with tender hearts toward the Lord and what He would like to do in and through them. Pray that everyone involved in Midwinter has a pliable heart, and that we walk in mercy, grace and truth, with a common goal of encouraging, edifying and equipping homeschool families throughout the Tri-Cities area! Pray that any spirit of entitlement, self, pride, and all of the ugly attributes of a sinful heart will not rear their ugly heads. Pray that we walk in humility, with the honor and glory of the Lord always our goal. Pray that truth is spoken, truth that honors the Lord, and gives grace and encouragement to the hearer.

So where does this leave the much promised, often pushed back debut of The Prudent Wife? It leaves it another month or two out there. Unfortunately, we simply cannot create, organize and do all that we truly feel the Lord has for us to do, and launch The Prudent Wife with the quality and value that you deserve! On the back burner are dozens of recipes, photos, articles and more - just waiting to be properly fit and put into the website. There are 12 tapes of videos to edit, and boatloads of work to do! We thank you for your patience, and will launch soon!

Please pray for Midwinter 2008, and also for personal strength and wisdom for the Baughn family.