Because Sometimes We Feel Like the Leaning Tower of Pisa

I have officially started my home school journey and have been shopping for a name and catch phrase for our homeschool and homeschool blog. The blog I have yet to start. :)

...Because Sometimes We Feel Like the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Then I thought as I was writing this, “OOOH, that is so it!” “Scusa” (excuse me in Italian), I just realized that this title is my catch phrase. Since my husband’s father was Italian, thus our last name is Italian I started there. In my search for the foundation of Italy, I found the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Though I have always been curious, I now have time to investigate. Since I'm no longer a working woman and all.

You see, it was thought that the lean in the tower, made of marble, was the brilliant works of the architect. Turns out that the lean is do to a faulty foundation and soft soil. Over the 177 years it took to build the tower some corrective measures were taken to decrease the lean. Still today restoration is taking place. The tower could be fixed with the technology of today; however, the correction of the lean would take away its publicity and meaning.

God says we are made in his image. Though I feel like I have made leaning mistakes at times, God can build upon those mistakes. I must learn from them and not let them define my character but let God use them for his glory. The glory of the Leaning Tower of Pisa would not be known had it not been for its imperfection.

Now this lesson from a 3-year-old's perspective:

We made our first lap book today. Tons of searching, printing, coloring, organizing, cutting, and gluing and oh! Well you see the 3 year old was adamant about cutting her “own” pages out. I tried to instruct her on what not to cut. She listened to my instruction on the 1st page but then on the second page I was like “WAIT, WAIT!” By the time she brought me the paper she had already cut it at the fold. I explained to her that she should have waited for my instructions and she had cut the book on the fold and it no longer make a book. I further explained that I had used a good bit of the morning preparing for this lap book and now she had messed it up.

She proceeded to explain to me that all I needed to do was take the papers and staple them together and glue the last page to the lap book. And, you can just flip the pictures up like this (as she begins to show me how it should be done). So at this point I am looking really dumbfounded so she says, “Want me to get the staple thing?”

"Yeah," I told her, cause I could not think past the glue!

No mistake, just an opportunity to bring glory in a different way!

Oh, and the name of our home school is Buona Fede Academy. It means "good faith" in Italian! I feel all offical now!



Andrea is a laid back gal from the south who has been married to a loud little Italian man named Darin for 7 years. They have two kids: one thinks he is a professional wrestler and the other thinks she is a professional princess (yes she wants to be paid to be bossy and prissy.) She has recently given up the corporate world to step into a land of kisses and learning. You can visit her at her blog: The Honest Woman. Help!

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Stealing Your Identity

A couple weeks ago I got an authentic looking e-mail from an e-mail supplier. It told me they were updating the files and purging old accounts. They needed some information to keep my account current. I was uncomfortable giving all they asked for, so I gave them what I hoped would be enough.

Soon after, I received another email thanking me for responding but telling me that they still needed my password. It was signed with what looked like a valid signature. Though I didn’t want my account closed, something held me back from giving it out. I wrote them and told them I was uncomfortable with their request. The e-mails stopped. That’s when I realized I’d been the target of an attempted identity theft. Though a failed mission, it left me feeling vulnerable.

The next couple of days I was hit with intense fear. What if they got on my account? What if they saw some of the e-mails I had on there; bank transfers, credit card payments, etc. Could they steal all that I had? Immediately, I changed my passwords on all accounts, deleted all e-mails with personal information, and contacted my bank and credit card companies, just in case. There was no evidence of any entry to my account, but it scared me enough to beef up with reinforcements.

The whole process left me thinking. This is what the enemy does to me on a regular basis. He sends his messages to me trying to steal my identity. He wants to distort who God made me to be in my mind.

How often do I give him access into my person? I hear the whispers and don’t even pay attention. In fact I often agree with what I hear. “You screw things up.” “You are so stupid.” “Nobody wants you.” “You are too much for everyone.”

How often do I go to the extra measure to protect my God-given identity? Do I guard over my heart, or do I open the door to a thief? I can spend more time guarding over my stuff, than my heart. How often do I take what I’m hearing to God to see if it’s true? One attempt after another is made to steal my identity and I don’t even notice.

I Peter 5:8 says, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Am I alert to the attempts to rob me of my identity? Be watchful, it says, pay attention, there’s a thief lurking about.

When I called the bank to tell them about what happened, they told me something interesting. “People are closing down accounts and starting over all the time because they’ve given out too much information.” They are caught off guard. They are deceived into thinking that someone is helping them, while all the while they are setting them up to be robbed.

Proverbs 4:23 says “Above all else, guard over your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” How well do I guard? Am I more aware of the amount of money in my bank account than the state of my heart?

The heart is the center of man. It is the center of who we are. God bestows our identity on us. It is His image represented through us. It is not marked by our sins. Our sins do not define us. Who we are is who God designed us to be. He sees us in the original cut, before sin marred our lives, before the wounds dictated lies to us.

How well are you guarding over your identity? There is one who lurks about to steal, kill and destroy. Giving out your password will guarantee you will be a victim of identity theft. Agreeing with the enemy’s words to you will guarantee the same. Agree with God’s words. Silence the enemy once and for all by shutting down his attempts. Don’t respond. Renew your mind with God’s transforming revelations of who He says you are. He knows who you are. Do you?

Who’s dictating your identity?

Who are you agreeing with?

Do you know who God says you are? If not, ask Him. He can’t wait to tell you.

Papa, thank you that you bestowed our identity on us before we were created. Thank you that in your eyes it is intact. Take us to the revelations of that true identity. Shut down the attempts to rob us and show us where we are agreeing with the enemy. You are our identity.



Julie Todd is a daughter of God who has been ruined for the ordinary. She has been married to her sweetheart for 25 years and is a home schooling mother of 5. She is a writer and speaker who strives to live the extraordinary life that God intended. You can visit her blog at Jewelz Sightings

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Thesaurus Rex (GIVEAWAY)

When I sat down with my boys to read the book Thesaurus Rex, little did I know what a gem this little book would be! Written by Laya Steinberg and illustrated by Debbie Harter, Barefoot Books has published a book that not only captured the attention of all three of my wiggly boys, but also taught them about synonyms in a manner they could totally relate to!

Actually, as we started reading through this book, I had to laugh because this little dino was a combination of all three of my kids in one dynomite package (groan-- I know, but I simply could not resist!).

Take for example, this page:

Thesaurus Rex lands in mud:
slime, slush, mire and muck.
Oh no! Now he's stuck.

Oh yes, we have definitely been there, done that!

With a memorable character like Thesaurus Rex, I seriously doubt my boys will ever forget exactly what a thesaurus is! There are plenty of adults that might know the purpose of a dictionary, but a thesaurus? Not as likely, wouldn't you say... articulate, express, declare...?

After reading Thesaurus Rex, we spent the rest of the day coming up with our own synonyms for everything we did that day-- from breakfast to playtime to bedtime. This was by far the easiest lesson we have learned all summer and I highly recommend it!

Would you like to win a copy of this fun book from Barefoot Books? To enter the giveaway tell us what you have been using to teach your kids grammar or language arts. Comments will be closed Friday, August 22nd at 10pm EST and the winner will be announced on Sunday in our weekly newsletter. You can sign up by entering your email address in over in the right sidebar.

As always please make sure you leave your email address or that it is clearly listed on your profile or blog. If we can't email you, you can't win.



Marsha is proud to be the Mrs. to David for over 12 years. They have been homeschooling their three rowdy boys in the Lone Star State for the past 5 years. When she's feeling like a slacker, you can find her drinking coffee, reading a book and writing at her blog-- and sometimes all at the same time! You can find Marsha at Our Homeschool and Other Such Happenings.

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REVIEW: The Ultimate Lap Book Handbook

You know, I loved lapbooking before but Tammy Duby and Cyndy Regeling have given me a new passion for it! As soon as I mentioned to others that I had this book they began to pump me up about it. I think they are right too. Tammy and Cyndy are most certainly the true queens of lapbooking.

What I love about this book is that it speaks to the seasoned lapbooker as well as those new to lapbooking. It covers everything. I have put together many lapbooks but I have learned so many things since reading through the handbook. I am having so much fun with it! They address all concerns in this book and give clear and precise instructions on how to make several different styles, pockets, folds, and themed lapbooks.

Your most frequently asked questions such as: "Our homeschool is textbook based. I still don't understand how I can make this work with our curriculum. Help!" and "How do I incorporated this into our school day?" are all answered in the FAQs section.

You also get Book Blueprints on many popular subjects. The blueprints are complete projects, only paper, glue, and scissors needed to complete, for 50 different topics!

Other topics included are a Fold It Workshop, Lap Book Construction, Cover Designs, Simple Books, Pizza Books, Hardcover Books, Peek-A-Boo Books, Accordion Books and so many more! Every style and age is addressed where it pertains to this crafty way of educating.

I especially appreciate the illustrations and photographs throughout the book. They not only exist to give you a visual of what your lapbook can look like but they also inspire. My boys had a blast choosing which fold and what colors they should use for the unit studies they were working on. I highly recommend this book to add a bit of excitement to your homeschooling.

You can visit them to learn more at Tobins Lab.






Amy Bayliss is 3rd year homeschooling mom to three boys. She enjoys writing about the eclectic teachings that bring a glimmer of curiosity to the eyes of her sons. In addition to being the Co-owner and Director of Development for Heart of the Matter, she writes for Internet Cafe Devotions. Be sure to visit her blog, In Pursuit of Proverbs 31 and her family's homeschool blog: Integrity Academy.

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The Family That Cleans Together

When the textbooks were stacked away and the final school day ended on that long ago day in June, many children felt as if they had been released from their torment. A month and a half later, many parents feel as if the torment is now theirs. We are in the midst of summer vacation, and that means seemingly endless weeks of entertaining our kids. Yet why do we have summer vacation? It’s because when public schooling started, children—yes, children—were needed to work on the farm.

The idea of kids working has fallen into disrepute, largely because for so long children, the most vulnerable in our society, were horrendously exploited. Yet being free from labour is not exactly the natural state of childhood, either. Proverbs 10:5 tells us: “a child who gathers in summer is prudent, but a child who sleeps in harvest brings shame” (NRSV). Kids are supposed to help with the family’s work! It teaches them some important lessons.

I love knitting. And not just regular sweaters, but the kind that requires tiny needles, 35 colours and four years to complete. When I do finally finish, I feel such a profound sense of accomplishment.

That feeling is something that is unique to being productive. We can feel something similar, though not nearly so thrilling, when we finally clean out the garage, or weed a large vegetable bed, or fix a leaky toilet (as long as it’s not my husband doing it). Being productive gives you a sense that your labour matters, and that you can spend it to help make life more liveable not just for you, but also for your family.

To a large extent we have deprived our children of these experiences. Our fridge doors may be plastered with art “creations”, but often this is as far as their productivity goes. The idea of actually helping with the dishes, for instance, is laughed off as the Nintendo is turned on. Most families in the United States today do not require children to do chores. Even when they do, it’s usually only to clean up after themselves by making their own beds, cleaning up their toys, or putting their own dishes in the dishwasher. Helping the family is no longer required.

But we’re not only excusing them from chores; we’re also turning our lives upside down to make theirs as easy and pleasant as possible. We rearrange our schedules to take kids to soccer, baseball, or the beach. We chauffeur them, clean them, feed them, and show them they are the centre of our universe. During the school year, in return, we may expect them to do homework. But summer is like two months of get out of jail free cards.

In the process, we’re inadvertently contributing to children’s propensity to being self-absorbed. If we give them a chance to think the whole world revolves around them, things that really don’t matter in the long run take on way too much importance. Work is the antidote to this sense of self-importance and entitlement. Work was not God’s punishment for the fall; God created work before it. It’s an essential part of our humanity.

In my book, To Love, Honor and Vacuum, I suggest strategies to “encourage” kids to do chores, including tying chores to allowances. But these must be tasks that help the whole family; only then do they get a share in the family’s money. Kids should never be paid for cleaning up after themselves! Then, you need to show kids the benefit of money. If you buy them a chocolate bar everytime you’re out, or pick up that pair of designer jeans they’ve been begging for, you’re not giving them any incentive to earn their own money.

Many of us are now feeling the mid-summer burnout. But unless you want to spend the rest of the summer picking up popsicle wrappers and putting away beach toys, maybe it’s time to introduce your kids to a chore sheet and a toilet brush. They may not like it, but you’ll be doing them a favour. They will learn that life is more than having fun; life is also helping and serving others. And that’s a good thing.


Sheila is the author of four books, including To Love, Honor and Vacuum: When you feel more like a maid than a wife and a mother. You can read her blog at To Love, Honor, and Vacuum, and find her at http://www.sheilawraygregoire.com/.

Please join us in a devotional book study of Sheila's book, To Love, Honor and Vacuum, beginning Saturday, August 23rd. You may purchase a book from your local bookstore, from Amazon.com or directly through Sheila.

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