Welcome! Nuestra Casa Es Su Casa ...Our house is your house

A glimpse into the life of Daniel and Jaynee Lockwood and their 12 precious blessings. Thank you for visiting; we pray that what we share here may always bring glory to our wonderful God and Saviour. May you praise the Lord with us for the great things He has done and continues to do as we serve Him sharing the gospel here in the little town of Cuidad Insurgentes, BCS Mexico. He alone is good and faithful!

Thursday, September 01, 2016

Home Schooling in a small house

Gathered together for Morning Announcements and Opening Exercises 

School is in full swing here!  
And I LOVE the changes that we made this year!
I was so blessed in our home in Mexico to have desks for each child.  
The house we are renting here is much smaller and so for the past two years, we have simply gathered around the dining room table with a few scattered at a 6-foot table we set in the middle of the kitchen or some working on the couch.  There was lots of elbow bumping and "his book is covering part of my book". :)
Daniel had mentioned installing desks on the wall that would close up leaving plenty of room to "live" after school hours.  Of course, we didn't know when or how we would be able to get the supplies needed to make the desks. 
Long story short, there was a Christian school here in the area that closed down a few years ago, and they gave us some of the desks to use in our home school!!

So after breakfast chores each morning, the fun begins.
Dining room tables moved to the living room to serve as a scoring table and a desk for Samuel and Eliseo.  
Dining room benches moved.  Desks opened up.  Dividers between each desk inserted.
Folding chair brought in and put at each desk.  Water bottles filled and set by each desk.
And 5 minutes later, our kitchen/dining room/living room is transformed into a learning center!
Ok, so the first time we attempted this set up, it took us more like 40 minutes.  So I made us practice.
A lot! ;)








Each child has their own area to study, keep their supplies and books, and decorate how they'd like.
After school is over, chair are taken back outside, dividers stored in the hall closet, water bottles emptied and washed for the next day, desks closed up against the wall, and tables and benches brought back to the dining room (and my pretty table cloths put back on those white tables :) ).

I'm so thankful for the ability to utilize the space we have in the best way possible!

As far as our school schedule this year, it's pretty simple, but it's working great!
We are trying a 4 day/week school schedule...starting a bit earlier and ending a bit later each day M-TH to ensure we keep on schedule getting all the material covered we normally would cover in a 5 day.

I broke our school day into 7 periods with a 10 minute break between each one.  Every child has their daily goals/assignments and knows what to do each period whether it is math, reading, English, or PE. 

6:00 or 6:30 am- Wake up time for children/Chores/Dress/Bible and Prayer Time
7:30 am- Breakfast/Clean up/Set up School Room
8:00- 8:30 am- Morning Opening Exercises/Announcements/Bible Reading/Scripture Memory
8:30-- 9:20 am-  1st period (10 minute break between each period)
9:30- 10:20 am- 2nd period (10-10:30 am- recess for elementary age)
10:30-11:20- 3rd period
11:30-12:20- 4th period
12:20- 1:00 pm- Lunch Break/ Clean Up
1:00-1:50 pm- 5th period
2:00-2:50 pm- 6th period (Early dismissal for those finished)
3:00 pm- 3:50 pm- 7th period
Clean up and dismissal by 4 pm.
4 pm until 6 pm- Afternoon chores/Homework if needed/Music Practice/Free time
6 pm- Supper and clean up
7 pm- Free time
8 pm- Family Bible Time
8:30-9:30 pm- Free until your time to get ready for bed


So far, we are LOVING the changes we have made this year and have had a great week.  I used the first 2 days of the week as pre-start to school days.  We went over rules, instructions, schedules, set up desks/binders/notebooks, and basically covered all the different aspects of our school day.
Wednesday we started our first full day following our schedule and it was probably the smoothest start to a school year we have ever had!  
Of course, I told my hubby, talk to me again in a couple weeks when the "newness" has worn off and I'll let you know how it is then :)   And I know the children are getting older and that definitely makes a difference.  Home schooling with many little ones under foot is an adventure for sure! 

Well, that's a little look into our school day.  Looking forward to learning and growing together another year!  So thankful for the Lord's never ending grace!



Wednesday, August 31, 2016

16th year of Home Schooling



Home School Year 2016-2017

Rebekah- 11th Grade, Benjamin- 10th grade, Abigail 10th grade, Isaiah- 9th grade, Josiah- 8th grade, Noah- 7th grade, Susannah- 6th grade, Nehemiah- 4th grade, Eliseo- 3rd grade, 
and Samuel- 2nd grade. 



Timothy- Sophomore at Master's Baptist College, Fargo, ND

Elijah- Sophomore at Pensacola Christian College, Pensacola, FL

Mommy-16th year of home schooling 
Daddy- BIGGEST support


Soooooooo thankful for the wisdom, grace and strength the Lord gives each and every day!




Thursday, May 26, 2016

Hello :)

Hi! :)  Not knowing where to start or what to write has kept these pages blank.  Last year, on my 42nd birthday, Timothy bought me camera.  He (and a few other siblings) mentioned how much they miss seeing pictures and "reading about our family".  That was almost a year ago.  This week was my 42 11/12 birthday...in Jaynee language, that means I am 42 and 11 months old now (why do we stop celebrating monthly birthdays after our first year of life????).  

So where to start?  So much has happened in the past couple of years!  So much has happened in just the past couple days!!  Sharing what the Lord has taught me/is teaching me inspires me to write.  Pictures of growing children, a look into family life, recording memories, sharing joys and struggles...the time taken to write those entries yields priceless treasure years later when on a rainy day, children sit gathered around the computer in the living room reading and viewing joys and  memories of days past..

I considered continuing to write for just our family...a personal journal of sorts just for us...one we could print up, bind into a book and pass on to our children someday.
I thought about making the blog "private" inviting just some close family/friends into this little place where we share part of our lives.
And so I prayed and talked to Daniel and really pondered whether to keep writing an "open" blog that anyone could see.  It's not so much about what I want to do or don't want to do.  It isn't about what others want or don't want.  And it isn't even about whether or not writing can help or bless or encourage someone.  What does the Lord want and what would bring glory to Him?

Whether ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.  I Corinthians 10:31

Our God is so faithful and so good!  And amidst all the hurts and heart ache and the unknown, there have been great joys, healing, growth, and ultimately a deeper more intimate relationship with our holy, righteous, loving God!

Some things the Lord has laid on my heart to share in the days ahead....
*Update on the children....They've grown soooooooooo much!
*Glimpses into daily life happenings
*How the Lord has worked in our lives
*Update on the church in Mexico
*Home schooling/Scheduling ideas that are working for us right now
*And wanting to know if any of you have any questions you'd like to ask.... I may or may not be able to answer, but I'm open to hearing what you would like to know. :)


So today, I don't have any pictures to share...just one of me I snapped with the laptop camera as I sit on the edge of my bed typing.  I know it's not the best shot (but it was the best one out of the three I took, if you want to know the truth ;) ).  Just wanted to say hello :) And all posts have to have a picture, of course, right?    I don't have time to write much more.  My man should be home from work soon, dinner is cooking on the stove, one of my college boys is serenading me on the piano, the other just got off work, half a dozen other kids are playing with their neighborhood friends, a couple others are still finishing schoolwork, and I'd better go check on everyone and get back to doing what I love best...caring for my family :).

love,
Jaynee

Sunday, May 08, 2016

Coming soon...

I'm not sure if anyone still checks over here.  I've missed writing and sharing.  Coming back soon! :)

Wednesday, January 06, 2016

The only problem with them coming home is that they leave all over again. :(  Thanking the Lord for a wonderful 2 weeks with ALL of us together under one roof!
Praying for Timothy as he heads back to finish his school year at Master's Baptist in ND today .   Getting ready to say goodbye to Elijah as he heads back to Pensacola Christian in a couple weeks.  Excited for what the Lord has in store for my boys but missing them sooo much!

Friday, January 01, 2016

Happy New Year!    This may be the year Jesus comes!   Are you ready?