Dear Friends,

The second week of the month is my favorite week for our zone missions. The kitchen is where we nourish ourselves and our families. It is the hub of our home, and it needs a little love and detail cleaning each month. Shining your sink daily helps, but there are other little things that we just do not do very often.

Here are you missions for the week:

Monday – Clean the stove top (If you have time, wipe out the microwave, too.)

Tuesday – Declutter unnecessary items and clean the silverware holder.

Wednesday – Clean out the leftovers from the fridge. Start and the top and work your way down quickly.

Thursday – Declutter empty plastic wrap boxes, etc.

Friday – Check the cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink.

Set your timers for 15 minutes and then take a break when it goes off!

Monday – Beef stroganoff

Tuesday – Hamburgers and tator tots

Wednesday - Spaghetti and Salad

Thursday – Chicken and Salad

Friday – Take out

Enjoy your week! Keep your routines simple.

Recently, I have been reading articles about young adult homeschool graduates taking the road less traveled and not going to college after graduation. I wanted to encourage you that your young adult children can be successful without a four-year degree.

How do you know the best way to choose a high school curriculum when you don’t know what the Lord has in store for your child once they graduate and are ready to launch out of the nest.

As my children started their high school years, I kept their classes general in their freshman and sophomore years. Their electives were chosen with care to help them find something they enjoyed doing. For some of my children it was art lessons, music lessons, or small engine repair classes.

In their junior and senior years, we focused more on their strengths and passions with sensitivity to what they felt God was calling them to do.

Our oldest did not take any college credit classes in her junior and senior years. She focused on her basics in English, math, science, and history. Her electives were music and art oriented. She did service projects, and she helped me run the household. She went to cosmetology school and has an associate’s degree. She has worked as a stylist for 8 years.

Our next child wanted to be a plumber from a young age, and he was a plumber’s apprentice during his junior and senior years. In his freshman and sophomore years, we focused on science and math. He also took guitar lessons.

Our third child wanted to do something hands-on, and he did some work as a landscaper in his junior and senior years. He found that was not something he wanted as a career, but he learned a lot of good skills. He had some big life changes following high school, but he is married and works for a Heating and Air company.

Our fourth child is also handy with working on things, and he is an amazing chef at home. He is a senior this year and is working in Heating and Air with his brother. We have focused on math and science with him during high school with a lot of time cooking and creating in the kitchen. He is by far the best chef in the house.

Our fifth child is a sophomore this year, and he is extremely good at taking things apart and fixing them. We do a lot of math along with the other core subjects. I encourage him to work on things around the house. He maintains all of our yard equipment. He is also a master organizer and cleaner. The next two years, we will work together to combine education and the things he loves to do.

All children are not cut out for four year colleges, and it can be a big waste of time and money if they are forced to go. Explore other options with them. Help them find their gifts throughout their high school careers.

Tell me about your homeschool graduates!

Your Home Blessing for today is to wash the sheets.

Your Zone Mission for Monday is to clean the stove top (wipe out the microwave if you have time).

My menu plan for Monday is beef stroganoff and a salad.

Have a blessed day!