Here is an embedded preview. You will notice I tried hard to make it look pretty. I really like making pretty things, though I haven't done much of it recently. I used a newsletter template from Microsoft Word 2010, similar to the lesson plans I made once back a couple of years ago. Definitely time consuming, but fun too.
Since we basically stopped doing any formal academics around Christmas time, I wanted to transition gently back into the next school year. This unit gets us started using English Literature for Boys and Girls which I am intending as a core text for next year..
Front illustration for English Literature for Boys and Girls
I am planning to focus on Celtic history since it is part of our heritage and fortunately the English Literature book lends itself to that since the earliest literary efforts on the British Isles came firstly from Ireland and secondarily from Scotland. How convenient! I am looking forward to doing this at a relaxed pace with my kids this summer.
English Literature for Boys and Girls is an interesting book. I found it through Ambleside Online where it is recommended for Year 7. My kids are Year 4 and Year 11. Nevertheless, I think this is a good time to work through it. Though Kieron and Paddy are 7 years apart in age they are both very willing participants in discussion of a text. Kieron's perspective helps Paddy stretch beyond his grade level and the interactive format encourages Kieron to look more deeply into his school reading than otherwise. He is smart but not particularly inclined to spend any longer on formal academics than he has to, but a good philosophical discussion can always pull him in and he has a real gift for connecting our present reading with other things he has read or seen going back all the way to his preschool years.
So for our Morning Time, I look for readings that bridge the gap between them, and History of English Literature is perfect. The style is targeted towards kids closer to Paddy's age (in my opinion) but the content is about things I didn't learn until high school or college. There's a nice mix of actual storytelling, and some real information about literary forms and styles.
You notice I haven't mentioned Aidan in all this. He actually is Year 7 but his interests and abilities are still firmly set in the primary stage of learning. I really don't know how much he follows our read-alouds. He is usually around and sometimes he makes some comment or repeats some phrase. Sometimes he tries to distract Kieron. But all in all, I think he gets something from having us consistently sit around and read and talk together. And maybe the literary language sinks into his brain on some level -- he's amazingly auditory for someone with only one functioning ear.
Goodreads is the host site for a giveaway for a book by a friend of mine. It is called The Reader's Odyssey and if you go to Goodreads you can download an excerpt (and enter for the giveaway -- it closes on May 22!). Excerpting from the book description at Amazon:
The Reader's Odyssey is a four-year literature program for homeschoolers that combines structure and flexibility to instill in students a propensity to engage in good and great books..... The individualized aspect of the program allows fluent and reluctant readers alike to accumulate meaningful experiences with literature, to appreciate ideas that are beautiful and true, and to grow more sophisticated and wiser in understanding through reading.....
The first half of the book explains the philosophy behind this program and differentiates it from typical approaches to teaching literature. ... The second half of the book provides practical tools for teachers and students,...
I'll just add a few of my own thoughts:
Though it is called a "four year" literature program it could easily be used starting in middle school through highschool. Basically it's a method supported by booklists and other resources. It doesn't lay out the specifics of what to do each year; rather it gives you insights into what type of reading you might expect from different students at different levels.
The principles behind the method are significantly influenced by Maria Montessori, particularly the ideas of much freedom within structure and respecting the individuality of the student within a framework of high expectations. The goal for education is a propensity and ability to keep learning through life, Dena points out. Particularly this goal is important with literature, since reading literature with enjoyment and understanding is such an important part of what it means to be an educated human being.
The worksheets in the second half of the book are a notable example of Montessori's influence-- they aren't at all like the "busywork" worksheets that my highschooler used to bring home from his language arts class. They are in my opinion very well designed to get the student thinking about literary analysis in an age-appropriate, thoughtful way. They are general, not tied to a particular book, so they serve as a sort of framework for beginning to think about literature. They are not bogged down with the over-emphasis on analysis which is more suitable to literature post-grads but often trickles down into the highschool curriculum and turns many students off excellent literature for good.
Since the worksheets don't require much writing, since they are not the focus of the writing component of the course, they seem like they would be valuable to all kinds of students from the reluctant-writer middle school boy, say, to the gifted high school senior who dislikes twaddle.
The writing component to the course is also tailored to the student and Dena gives several examples of what kinds of papers might be suitable to different ages and ability levels.
Finally, the booklists. They are very nice and different from what you usually see on homeschool lists. They include quite a few modern and "genre" books along with the familiar classics. Dena shares the homeschool conviction that many of the current public school literature reading lists are unsuitable for developing minds and hearts because of raw, overly mature themes. She thinks the literature program should inspire and form the young person, not shock or turn them off literature for life. So the modern book choices are filtered through that perspective and so the lists are a helpful resource for the parent who is looking for good books for her young teenager beyond what is in public domain : ).
Dena is a really interesting person who founded a mission in Mexico to serve families with a Down Syndrome member. A former pastor herself, she married a pastor and became the mother of three children. Her oldest daughter (who is mentioned in the book as the inspiration for developing the literature program) is now a student at St John's College (one of the first Great Books colleges, from where the Thomas Aquinas College founders drew their inspiration) and her youngest has a combined diagnosis of autism and Down syndrome. In addition to being pastor's wife and homeschool mother, she also tutors at the local college and yes, writes books. I know her because she was a dear friend of both my parents.
I am planning to use the program this year with my junior. My
homeschool has naturally evolved into a reading program much like Dena
describes, with a combination of structure and freedom, but I think the
guided, developmentally appropriate but well thought out guidance tools
will be helpful in supporting what we are already doing.
The program is flexible enough that it could be used alongside an
existing literature curriculum, but it is meant to be able to stand on
its own, and does a good job of making that possible and potentially
delightful and rewarding for both student and parent.
Most of us know this round robin song.....especially if you were in Girl Scouts.
I am coming off that high you get when you have had a delightful time visiting with someone you have not seen in ten years........and thinking over how ridiculous that we let that much time go by. Especially when we only live one hour away from each other. And especially when there is a godparent-godchild relationship involved.
Duh. What were we thinking??? How could we have let this happen???
We have spoken via the phone at least once every year or so, playing catch-up; I have sent the Christmas newsletter to them.....so they have been in-the-know about our lives........but still, we should have made those in-real-life relationships a priority. Don't think that I did not muse about it every time I drove through their town on the way to somewhere else......scolding myself.
Well, we cannot get that time back now........but, we can move forward. I am committed to that.
The story..........
My fifth child, & second son, has godparents who live in the city about an hour south of us. We used to go down there to the traditional mass every Sunday, so we saw them a lot. But once we had another traditional mass to attend in a northern direction, we just never made it their way. Ten years ago!
The last time my son saw his godparents was ten years ago. He was only four and a half years old. Argh. Okay, enough scolding already.
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Well, another here is another good reason to be grateful for the positive effects of Facebook..... his godmother and I have been able to interact on an almost daily basis. So much easier to send a quick message when the thought occurs than to pick up the phone. At least for me.
So, knowing that Garrett had a basketball tournament last weekend in their city........I made contact with his godmother, Anne.........and everything fell so easily into place. Finally. We had been trying to match windows of availablity for at least the whole month of April......there weren't any. But, finally, we found one. My fifteen year old had the basketball tournament and their sixteen year old, John, had a Youth Orchestra concert.....and even on the same side of town. One right after the other. How lucky was I???? to get to attend a orchestra concert. I love classical music.....oh, that is probably pretty obvious. :)
It was just my 15 year old, Garrett and me, hanging out. We went to his basketball game, which started late.........making us late to meet up with the godparents. His game was fun to watch.......tied most of the second half......and 50 to 50 with only 23 seconds to go. Tension high, of course. The other team scored, now 52 to 50. With only six seconds left, and the ball on the opposite side of the court from our basket, a member of our team headed down the court, and at about half-way, passed the ball. When that player appeared to have caught the ball, and then began to fumble with it, you could feel the deflation. The fans knew it was over. But.....this player recovered....both physically and mentally.....and with only 1.3 seconds left in the game, remembered to attempt to shoot. Just as the buzzer went off to end the game, his THREE POINT SHOT made it into the basket! We won! 53 to 52! Nice.
Garrett is the one standing, second from the left.
We rushed over to the junior college for the concert.........we missed the first three pieces, unfortunately, but we arrived perfectly in time to see godbrother John's stunning performance with his violin solo. Phew. Perfect timing.
It was such a gorgeous day! Because we drive from our home at about 3500 feet elevation down to 495 feet to reach this city, the temperature difference is always at least ten degrees.....it was most welcome to feel a day that was close to 90*. Our bones are still winter weary........especially after the two long cold seasons we had before this year. The sky was a lovely blue. I took this photo below from the parking lot just before we went into the concert. You can barely see in the background Mount Lassen......of Lassen National Park. It is a volcano of the Pacific Rim of Fire fame, the furthest south in the US.....and last erupted in the early twentieth century.......1915...Ah, I digress...as usual....
Silly iPhones and blurry pics.
John is just to the left of the conductor's podium,
playing a nice long violin solo.
After the concert, it was easy for Anne to find her godson in the crowd.....she recognized His Tallness from the Facebook pictures, of course. :) (See??? Yet another good thing about Facebook....the ability to share photos and watch each other's kids grow and follow family memories.)
After a bit of socializing following the concert, we ran by the store......Garrett wanted to bring a gift to his godmother.......I wish we had taken a picture of those flowers, they were so beautiful! So unusual, too. I wish I could remember what they were called.......
Upon arrival to the godparents' house, we found godfather was preparing dinner. Godmother visited with us, as did the youngest two of the eight kids, the only ones living at home at this time. Ten years sure grows kids up a lot!!!
Because Anne has been reading posts here at this blog, as well as on Facebook.....she knew literature was an excellent topic of choice with us. :)
She asked Garrett who his favorite author was........Robert Louis Stevenson was his reply. After a bit more literature chat........she offered him a book and led me into her room where she shared her Bedside Reading shelf. Oh! That I may come visit everybody's Bedside Reading shelf! (Now there is a fantasy waiting to be fulfilled.......maybe my second visit should be to see Erin's shelf??? I wish!)
Anne had a lovely copy of The Complete Works of Robert Louis Stevenson........that she gave to her godson.........who came home, so thrilled with his book gift that he showed it off to his literature-loving siblings, who, of course, properly droolled over his luck. :)
A fellow-bibliophile, Anne shared her favorite books from her shelves with me........she had a nice collection of books written by writers about writing. This sample of books below, by author Julia Cameron, I found very intriguing. I took a picture of these pretty books and sent a picture text to my English education daughter who is also a promising writer. We are both tempted. I think I may have given one of her titles to my daughter once for a gift......she will have to track it down.
It was also nice to see where my friend Anne hangs out when she is on the computer writing......I am a visual person and now I can see her room, her books, and her, as she plunks down on the bed with her computer after a long, busy shift of work. I just love sharing books with friends. (And strangers, too. :) )
Later we ejnoyed a wonderful enchilada dinner prepared by Rudy, the godfather. :) And more conversation........as we "preached to the choir" about vaccinations, the Catholic faith and so on. It was nice to play "catch-up" about what all of our 14 kids are doing these days. Just crazy. They were all little guys just a few days ago.....right????
Sweetly, they provided a carrot cake to celebrate my birthday that had just passed that week, but not without first singing happy birthday. Having been sick on the couch for my birthday and in no mood for singing or cake, this was a nice touch. Thank you, Anne and Rudy and family!
We did not actually leave their house till ten pm.......which is okay.....but we still had an hour drive before us. We stayed till ten because we never ran out of conversation.......which is why we should visit more frequently.......so the conversations can continue. It is fun to chat with people who are almost completely on the same page about most things. :)
So........the reason I am inspired to write this post is because I want to save the memory........and because I want to challenge each of you to pick up the phone and make contact with that one godparent of your kids that you have been neglecting. If you do not have a neglected godparent......think of a friend or relative, and make that phone call......set up a visit, if possible. Don't let anymore time pass. Leave a note in the comments of who that person will be for you........and then go make contact. Come back here by the end of May and share with us how it turned out for you.
And, no....I was too distracted to remember to get any people photos. Duh!
Friendly blessings,
Chari
Oh, by the way........keep your eyes on Garrett's beautiful godsister, Anna Maich........her singing will take her somewhere. :)
Since I have graduated four kids, I already have enough curriculum to
get me through from K to 12. And with the internet, there are so many
free resources out there (and QUALITY ones too!) that I could easily
start with nothing but a Kindle and a printer and a library card and
give my kids a quality education for next to nothing. So I didn't really NEED anything much.
But I wanted to feel somewhat enthusiastic.
I wanted to use living books.
I wanted the books to fit together to some degree, so I wanted to have literature, history, saints' lives and art following the same time period.
I wanted to continue my tradition of having Morning Time, a time we all gather together and read and discuss -- me and the 16 year old, 12 year old and 9 year old. Those together times are really precious and it will only be two more years until my 16 year old graduates!
So I wanted resources that could let us do some things together.
I wanted to do something that reminded me of the earlier days of our homeschooling, that connected me to those former days, something like the picture in our header : )
And lastly I wanted something that had the potential to ebb and flow for different times of the year. I have been increasingly aware that my energy is highest in the summer and fall, and very low during the winter months.
Not TOO much to ask of in a curriculum, is it?
Here are some other things I looked for in deciding what to use this year.
I wanted to use resources that were:
Free or at least affordable. This may be partly penny-pinching but there is more to it than that. When I first got on the internet I was so blessed by the proliferation of open source resources, from Gutenberg to Yahoo groups where people shared their experience and knowledge, to opensource word processors. Even my blogger site here is free.
Connected to people I know. So this year I bought resources mostly from online acquantainces or sites that they recommended. And when a free resource had a paid component and I really like the freebies, I would choose that.
Downloadable. Part of this is that they are then reusable. Another advantage is that they are in one place. Whereas I am often misplacing books and supplies and lesson plans, anything based on my computer tends to stay where I can find it.
Compatible. If a resource is outside my way of operating, I probably won't use it.
So what were the results?
Guides to Great Catholic Books from Catholic Heritage Curriculum. I downloaded the one for The Betrothed because I just read that book last year and I thought it would be fun to revisit it. I liked that study guide so much that I got a couple more. They are carefully prepared, illustrated, and very thorough. I do not know Julie Collarati but she has done a good job on these.
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Literature and Discussion Guides from Hillside Education. Since we are studying the Middle Ages this year I focused mostly on the books connected with that time period. I bought the 8th grade discussion guide, which covers several books we already have around the house, and a couple more book guides. Margot Davidson is a cyber-acquaintance from way back and I love Hillside Education's philosophy distilled into their motto: Read -Reflect-Discuss-Write.
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Heritage History Study Guides. I found Heritage History several years ago and am using it more and more. There are all kinds of free online books and many study resources right on there for free. Their motto is "putting the story back into history" (and their introductory page quotes Chesterton) You can also buy Study Guides for different periods of history. So I downloaded the British Middle Ages one and the Young Readers one.
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Connecting with History from RCHistory. Sonya Romens and Andrea Chen are internet friends from way back and I really like their approach to Catholic history study, summed up as " Catholic-Chronological--Classical--Family-Centered --Integrated Subjects --Encourages Active Learning"
I got Volume 3 on the Middle Ages.
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Harmony Fine Arts from Harmony Art Mom. Her two blogs, Harmony Art Mom and Handbook of Nature Study, are spectacular resources, and so when I started thinking I would like some help in an area that usually falls by the board with me (Picture Study and Music Study) I decided to buy from her (the Middle School Medieval unit -- I figured we could adapt up for Kieron and down for Paddy and Aidan).
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That's it for now! I hope to share more in future posts. I am living and breathing literature-based curriculum right now so I will probably keep posting on this topic until I get it out of my system.
This is one of the most beautiful videos I have ever seen.
If you have ever been to Yosemite, this video will warm your heart with your past memories.
If you have never been to Yosemite, this is an excellent opportunity to get a fantastic look at the views and the way the sun plays in the park.
WATCH FOR THOSE FALLING STARS!!!!
STUNNING.
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DO share this with your children.....it is educational! :)
I so appreciate the the artist of this video, Shawn Reeder, has shared his beautiful work with the general public.
And I also appreciate my friend Patty for knowing that I would love this.......thanks for sending the link, my friend!
May Blessings,
Chari
Just a note: Three of my kids have spent a week at Yosemite Institute on scholarship.......and Willa's family has grown up about an hour away from this national park.......so, this is extra special to us. We love to share California with you.....it is one gorgeous state!!!
I found this book last December at a thrift store during their book sale......and it looked liked something that would be an interesting read, both for myself and my three daughters......so, I gave it to them for Christmas....so I could read it. :) Looking at the reviews on Amazon give me some insight to the ideas in the book........and while most of it may well be common sense, it will probably bring good reminders to all three of us for communicationg together. And I am sure we could use that help. :)
But first.......I need to finish the second "L" book from last month.......
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If you have not finished the previous month's book....keep plugging away and do the next letter when you are done....or skip a letter altogther.
Post this on your blog, if you have one........and/or leave a comment on this post, stating that you are joining in.....and what book you have chosen for this month. Please post a picture of your stack!
When you are finished reading....share a few thoughts about the book, if you wish. I will post a new letter each month.....probably in the last week of the month.......
Are you in??? Please join me! Join in anytime.......
Please share with other bibliophiles......
Reading Blessings,
Chari
If you like to read in list form.......instead of conversational........
To join:
Post the title and the picture above on your blog post.
Pick the book from your stack that starts with that month's letter.
Pick alphabetically if you have more than one with that letter.
Pick up-the-alphabet if you do not have any with the chosen letter.
List your book choice.
Post a link to your post in our comments.
Share your thoughts about the book after reading the book, if you desire.
May: Pray for our husbands' relationships with their children..............andour own, under the patronage of Our Blessed Mother Mary
1795 Detail. James Peale (1739-1741) Artist & His Family Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia
Dear God,
Please help our husbands to thrive in their relationships with their offspring,
both current and future. Help them to remember that kids are just kids
sometimes. And help them to remember to be "kids" themselves sometimes.
Help the children to know and feel loved by their fathers.
Help our husbands to understand child development.
Help our husbands to model Godly behavior for their children.
Help our husbands to bring their children to God through His Church.
Help our husbands to take time to hang out with their kids.
Help our husbands to always use loving words.
Help our husbands to be the head of the family, for the children's sakes.
Help our husbands to help our children, to save their souls.
We ask this for ourselves, as well.
We beg for these intentions, in honor of the Blessed Mother Mary.
Remember to take all of these intentions to our Dear Lord in the Blessed Sacrament on Sunday.
Please leave any special prayer requests in the comments. We really want to pray for you and with you.
Prayerfully yours, in the Sweet hearts of Jesus & Mary,
While driving up to Oregon on Friday some of the Ryans did get a chance to stop by and see some of the Bryans.
It was a short visit because the Ryans had to keep driving and the Bryans were on their way to Malachy's baseball game and then to see a book talk.
I thought I would put up a picture from a looong time ago when the children were much smaller than they are now. You can see (left to right) Clare, Paddy in front, Kieron, Aidan in front, Maddalyn, Garrett, Matthew, Sean, and Malachy in front.
I forget what game they were playing but it involved weapons as you can see.
Our body is a cenacle, a monstrance: through its crystal the world should see God -- St Gianna Molla
Gianna Molla is a patron of pregnant woman and against abortion. I love the pictures you can find on the internet of her with her arms around her babies and toddlers. Today is her feast day.
She was a pediatrician, Catholic action worker and mother of five who postponed cancer treatment to avoid risking the life of her unborn baby. She died just a few days after her little daughter Gianna was born.
I usually don't get involved in online Catholic blog conversation, but the other day I commented on this bearing blog post gut-level development of doctrine. I think I am sort of a textbook example of gut-level development of doctrine (sounds sort of like a circumlocution for multiparity when it's put that way) but it wasn't just gut-level, it was heart-level, and some of the heart aspect came from learning about this saint and feeling connected to her.
Gianna Molla's birthday is the day after mine (though she was born 40 years earlier than I was, in 1922) and she died just six months before I was born, so her youngest daughter is just a few months older than me.
When I was first married, I was not a Catholic, and I had come from a background where contraception was seen as a medical advance equivalent to antibiotics and vaccinations. But my Catholic husband, even though catechised in the 70's, knew this was wrong. And so we went into marriage, open to babies.
But I was scared, so scared about all those tens and twenties of babies waiting to drop down on me like hammers from above, the ones they tell you about. I felt such a tension between the two worldviews. I felt I had a foot in two worlds, or was looking through glasses with a different prescription for each eye -- very disorienting!)
At first the babies did come fairly fast. Liam was born two days before our first wedding anniversary. When he was one year old I conceived again, but it turned out to be an ectopic pregnancy. Then just a few months later, even with only one Fallopian tube left, I got pregnant with Brendan, and then when Brendan was a year old I conceived Clare. By the time Clare was born I was almost through Catholic initiation and I made my first confession, was confirmed and made my first communion just around the time she was baptized.
"You have your hands full!" I heard that every time I went to the store. And yes, I did. What could I say? Except "but look how beautiful they are!" I loved my children very much, loved being around them, but I did not take naturally to my vocation of motherhood. I wasn't one of those who by nature love all the details of being around small messy unpredictable people, even if they are amazingly cute. They were cute, and fascinating, but time-consuming and sometimes embarrassing as well.
And living in a university town where nobody around me seemed to have 3 kids under 4 years old, before internet days, I felt so weird and out there, which didn't help either.
Somewhere during those years I read about Gianna Molla and immediately was drawn to her generosity and heroic fidelity to her vocation of motherhood. She was someone who obviously thrived on her vocation of motherhood. I asked her intercession to change my heart. It's funny -- now that I know more about her I know she was really different from me in lots of ways -- a working mother, one of those energetic people who volunteers in Catholic societies and goes skiing and hiking, and someone who naturally loved being a mother so much that she almost felt it was something of a fault that had to be purified through suffering in her last days. All the more reason for me to admire her though, and I knew the essential part of her story way back there when I needed to!
After those four quick pregnancies I did not conceive again until Clare was past two, and Sean was born just before her third birthday. That was a space long enough that I started worrying about secondary infertility, and it made me more aware of how much a child was something God gave you, individually and specially, not just a biological phenomenon like catching a cold. You see, I knew in my mind about special creation and the preciousness of life. But it hadn't gotten to my heart or gut yet.
Oddly, Sean was born (somewhat early) on the 20th anniversary of Roe v Wade. He got into severe neonatal distress and was admitted to the NICU where he struggled for a couple of days before stabilizing.
I watched him fight and the doctors struggling to save him as well as tiny little preemies and sick babies also at the NICU at the time. I guess the short version of the story is that the events around Sean instilled in me that "gut-level development of doctrine". We had waited several years for Sean, we had brushed with the possibility of losing him, and along with the graces of the Sacrament it changed my whole outlook.
I have no doubt that God worked with my heart (and gut) there.
God did not so much take that fear and resentment away as fill me with an understanding of how precious these lives were, infinitely more precious than they were scary and bothersome.
"What is a vocation? It is a gift from God, so it comes from God. If it is a gift from God, our concern must be to know God's will. We must enter that path: if God wants, when God wants, how God wants. Never force the door." -- St Gianna Molla
I notice He often works that way. He doesn't take away my natural self, but He gives me a flood of grace that simply overwhelms the old feelings and habits. In His own good time.
The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for all that He, in His goodness, sends to us day after day -- St Gianna Molla
It occurs to me that this interior development of doctrine, which may start with obedience alone, works like a clarifying agent, working away the smudges and shadows until God shines clearly through the person. I have a long way to go before that is true of me as a sum total, but in that one area I am able to see a real change over time that affected every level of my being. The change wasn't so much me becoming better, as the Holy Spirit working to clear and brighten some of the darker parts of my heart. Obviously the process is very far from being complete, but seeing how He worked this in a very difficult, personal area of my life gives me hope that He can, He does do it in other areas if I allow Him to.
No, this is not about the Five Love Languages, though Chari and I do want to blog about that sometime!
I have been doing WAY more blog-reading than usual in the last week or so and while hopping from link to link found Betty Duffy's blog. It is good reading and I added it to my Reader, but it was the header that pulled me in. I keep going back to look at it and laugh and sigh.
So totally my life here with six boys, a husband, and one daughter whose presence I miss while she is off at college. Even our dog, who is no longer with us, was a male.
That in turn made me think about something else, somewhat related, that has been causing me unease on a subconscious level for quite a while. Now that it's up on the surface, I am laughing about it a little, and maybe now I can deal with it and let some of it go. It's not altogether a bad thing, after all.
I think pictures would show you something of what I mean:
Total happiness for my crew is like this:
Guns to shoot brothers with!
Lots and lots of guns
A Battle is About to Begin! Even more happiness!
Immersing Yourself In Video Games
Especially if the 25 year old TAC grad brother joins in
Carefully staging your coolers with a shared activity
Having ALL your coolers clustered around you
Crayon-sketching Chari's Yukon (with tire detail) and taping it onto your mom's greatroom picture window
Total happiness for me is more like this:
Pens and Paper!
A Devotional Manual to Read
Pretty Colorful Things
Soft Comfortable Things
And time to sit in more comfortable soft things!
So you see,
Yes, we try, but in what language?
After the Tower of Babel, the peoples split apart and could no longer understand each other. With Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down and that which had been divided was reunited by grace. A family is like a microcosm of the Church; daily we are working to understand each other in spite of our differences, by grace.
And after all, where else but in a gun battle can brothers from 19 to delayed 12 year old to 9 year old all have a good time, get some exercise and bond? Where else but in our own domestic church can a convention of coolers be seen working together in harmony?
We all agree that Kieron's peanut butter cookies speak the universal language of happiness though
Next thing on my list: Homeschool Planning. As with Spring Cleaning, I'm going to start by gathering up what I've done in my past and then try to figure out where to go from here.
Chari and I plan to write about How We Homeschool. I am guessing we will get to that during this summer. But for the mean time, if you read this blog you already know we are literature-based and that is what you will see if you follow the links below.
By the way please pray for Chari. I believe she is working four 12 hour OB/GYN shifts this week!
And there is a chance I may be driving past her house this weekend and we might even want to spend the night! Would you do that to a friend?
But then, the second time I ever visited Chari, I dropped in on her with my six kids when she was in labor with her sixth! And she even thanked me (I did get to take care of her kids for her and host her oldest's 13th birthday party, so maybe she wasn't thanking me for lacking proper guest boundaries : )).
Anyway, back to Homeschool Pre Planning and lists of links. The pictures are just gratuitous planning-related ones to break up the word flow.
When I was looking through old blogs I realized I never really wrote much on How I Plan. I wrote all kinds of planning posts but unlike my Spring Cleaning challenges which are more or less self-contained and easy to link to, my homeschool planning sprawls all through the school year and is usually very much specific to a certain child at a certain time in our lives. Which is fine but this year when I feel like I'm starting from ground zero, not as helpful as I would like. I want a step by step tutorial on how I do things!
So here's what I could find. You don't have to look through all these links. Mostly I just wanted to have it compiled in one place so I don't have to search for an hour next time to find everything.
I wrote a series on my planning back in 2007 which is indexed here: Planning Posts.
(there are also some planning posts from 2010 linked there)
There are a whole bunch of forms and planning documents I made mostly in 2007-2008 which I linked here: Master List of Forms.
Finally, a couple of years ago when Kieron started high school I had a blog where I put his lesson plans: Year 9 Dashboard. On the sidebar you can see links to the other "subject" blogs. We had come off a year of K12 and I was trying to preserve what I liked about their set-up while tailoring it to us. I absolutely LOVED working on this. Totally the most fun I ever had planning, and we actually did it for about 6 months before I ran out of steam.
That year I also made a Catholic Studies blog to help me get ready for my youngest twos' first communion. I did a couple of other blogs which I won't list here. The flexibility of online and paperless formats works just great for me.
In Addition:
A friend of mine with many children ages 4 up to 27 developed her own syllabi for her children and updates it every year. You can find the 2011 version at St Thomas School Free Curriculum. I like them because they are so simple and because they are similar to my type of homeschooling with lots of books and a few textbooks. When I am working on homeschool planning, I usually use this model to get me started. Since I am easily confused, having the syllabus set up very simply with lots of white space is very helpful for me.
This reminds me Who and what this is all for, and that I am not on my own:
And these leftover Hershey's chocolate eggs from Easter also remind me of hope and joy and promise and that the world is created good and abundant : )
I love this Making It Count feature from Sarah at Amongst Lovely Things. It made me start thinking about Making It Count in relation to strewing and to my spring decluttering efforts.
After so many years of homeschooling, even after several purges, I still have a lot of homeschool stuff that has made the cut more than once. Too often, I find these things (books, kits, art supplies, whatever) during my spring inventory and think, "Oh that's right, I was going to use that this year!" And then of course, I put it somewhere and it goes out of my mind till the next year when I do the same thing, or else finally decide I am going to give it away since if it's sat there this long without being used, it probably just wasn't for us.
It occurs to me though that part of my problem is just forgetting, or getting caught up in the flow of things. Maybe I can actually profile something I found in my closet or shelf. Take a picture, talk about what I am going to do with it or what we did in the past. Then this summer and fall I can easily go back and see what I listed, and maybe actually, gasp, use the thing.
This week I'm sharing these:
In spite of their appearance, which is that of hanging planters, they are Easter baskets.
Last fall I burned our dollar store Easter baskets in the wood stove. I don't remember what I was thinking, but I was probably trying to get rid of excess stuff around the house. Or something.
So when I got home from Alaska just before Easter, I realized I would have to buy new baskets for my kids as well as for the two friends Clare was bringing home from college. Eight baskets would be needed.
When I went to the Dollar Store I did find some baskets, but I also found planters, and I suddenly had a sort of vision. I could dual-purpose the planters, use them as Easter baskets and then use them again as flowerpots or lettuce nurseries or mini-herbal gardens.
This is roughly what they looked like on Easter:
This is what our deck looks like now (it's the sunniest spot on our lot and where I had my micro-gardens last year) Hey, the snow has reportedly melted in Wasilla, Alaska, but here in central California it's still right here with us, if you live above the mile high marker:
So the planters can wait!
And I know eventually they can look like this, which truly reminds me of what Easter stands for:
