Julie Gumm - Author

Summer Bible Memorization Plan

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Last March when Mark and I visited Wears Valley Ranch on the World Orphans Staff retreat we were totally blown away by the scripture passages these kids had learned. We’re talking 6, 7 and 8 year olds who can recite multiple CHAPTERS of the Bible perfectly!

We realized right then and there that our kids were capable of so much more than we had been asking of them. They have a weekly memory verse for school but this summer we decided to kick it into high gear.

Each week they will have a new passage of scripture to learn. We kicked around the idea of making it a whole chapter but we felt that individual passages allowed us more freedom to hit on lots of different topics.

We broke out the plan last Tuesday (a day late) with Romans 12: 1-3.

“THREE verses? I can’t learn 3 verses!” was heard from multiple children.

We gave them some encouragement and sent them off with their sheet of paper for 30 minutes of study time. The boys knew it by the end of the 30 minutes. The loudest naysayer had half of it done.

So we have 30 minutes of study time each day. Each night before dinner each kid says it once (or as much as they know at that point) and on Friday before dinner they get the test.

Of course they wanted to know “What happens if we don’t know it?” Why is it that we always want to know the consequences of disobedience BEFORE we decide whether or not we’ll obey? (Yeah, that’s a whole ‘nother post worth of discussion.)

Of course they did brilliantly the first week. Here’s the video of them saying it all together after their test.

Oh yeah, and lest it be in one ear and out the other, they’ll be expected to recite the previous weeks verses each Friday as well…and during random pop quiz times 🙂

Summer Schedule (aka Parental Desperation Plan)

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The fact that Mark and I both get to work from home full time is awesome in so many ways. Too many to count.

But working from home with four busy, crazy, loud kids is…well…a challenge. That much was obvious after one week of spring break. They had a hard time understanding why we couldn’t just drop everything and go run around on the town all day.

Part of that might be because of our loose usage of the word “work”. For example I might be on my computer paying bills and when the kids asked me to do something say “Just a second I’m working on something.” Beza seems to assume that anytime we’re in front of our computers, we’re working. Ah if she only knew…

So in a desperate attempt to bring some sort of order to our day I made a summer schedule. I am not, by nature a schedule person when it comes to running the house so we’ll see how well we stick with it. It underwent some tweaking the first week but here is, I think, what we settled on.

7:30-8:30 Breakfast (including clean up), Bible reading/journaling, get dressed
8:30 – 10:00 Free Play (outdoors while cool); possible outside chores
10:00 Snack
10:00 – 10:30 Bible Memorization
10:30 – 11:30 Electronics time available
11:30 – 12:30 Lunch/Clean Up/Free Play
12:30 – 1:00 Read
1:00 – 1:30 Write
1:30 – 2:30 Remainder of electronic time; free play if its gone
2:30 – 3:00 Educational Work (workbooks, reading designated books)
3:00 – 4:30 Free Play
4:30 – 5:00 Clean-up, chores, help with dinner

Of course it’s flexible enough to allow for outings and 3 pm trips to McDonald’s for flurries with dad.

So you can learn about educational things, like brain freeze. (And yes that is Noah being allowed to cheat on his diet.)

I think I need to buy all the kids wristwatches, all synchronized, so they can stop asking me how long til the next thing on the schedule. Other than that, we’re off to a good start.

Come back tomorrow for more on our summer Bible memorization plan!

Clothing Challenge Has Begun

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So back in March I talked about the No New Clothing Challenge that my husband threw down. I think my response was something like “Bring it on!” Because there’s one thing this girl doesn’t do, and that’s back down from a challenge. Especially when I know that someone thinks I can’t do it.

So we started in April – we made one last trip to the thrift store on a date night and I bought 2 pairs of shorts and a shirt. Not really because I needed them but because it felt nice to have a couple new things. (We’ve just lighted on #1 cause of shopping – boredom w/ wardrobe.)

So the rules are:

  • The challenge is just for Mark and I – kids are excluded.
  • Shoes count too.
  • Purses count too.
  • We may purchase ABSOLUTELY necessary items – socks, underwear, etc. w/ agreement from the other party that they are necessary.
  • Alterations to existing clothes are allowed (making pants into shorts, cutting off sleeves, etc.) I teased last week that I was going to buy a Bedazzler 🙂 Don’t laugh – I may before the year is out.
  • Clothes are allowed as gifts but not gift cards to clothing stores.

So it’s been going rather well – yes there’s some boredom but luckily I work at home so it doesn’t matter much what I wear. I have to wonder why I care so much about what I look like and who I’m trying to impress.  Because other than dressing modestly there’s not really much God cares about.

My first “emergency” clothing issue came up a couple weeks ago when I went to Arkansas for my college professor’s retirement party. It wasn’t until 9:30 that first night that I realized I had totally forgotten pajamas. And, in an effort to pack light I didn’t really even have t-shirt and shorts or something that would substitute – it was all nice, dressier clothes.

I did have my swimsuit.

Can I just tell you something? Sleeping in a swimsuit is NOT comfortable.

I called Mark the next day and asked for a state of clothing emergency to be declared so that I could buy some pajamas. He agreed. (Thank you honey!)

The promised iphone got delivered last week (2G unlocked, bought used on ebay) and I am having loads of fun and enjoying all the useful apps. As well as the entertaining ones – I may have a Words With Friends addiction soon.