Lent

Going on a spontaneous vacation last week took me right out of real life and into a fantasy.  And jumping back into real life this morning brought the surprise of Lent sneaking right up on me!  I love Lent and the Easter season.  And before the exciting and fun distraction of a vacation, I knew I wanted to make the most of my Lenten experience this year.

Instead of a well thought out plan for the season that begins...TOMORROW...

I ended up scouring the shelves and pulling off books we already have, grabbing some candles off the shelf, and whispering a prayer for divine inspiration.

I found Piper's book, The Passion of Jesus Christ, which has 50 devotionals.  So, we will double up on a few of the nights.  I am going to go through this with the bigger kids after the little ones get tucked in.




The little girls and I are working through The Jesus Storybook Bible, which I am LOVING!  They waited so anxiously for baby Jesus to show up, as we read through the Old Testament half, each story foreshadowing His arrival and our desperate need for Him.  We are now to the beginning of Jesus' ministry, and will land on His death and resurrection in a couple weeks.

After missing our nightly readings from it on vacation, the little sweethearts are so happy to be back to their storybook Bible!  They beg for me to read "one more" each time, which I don't do, of course.  The anticipation of not wanting to miss a word of each short story makes them savor each one.  The simple yet profound truths in this gem of a book are so good, I think I'm going to have my 12 year old son make it his daily devotional reading when the girls and I are finished with it.  I highly recommend this one as one of my "must have" books.



I pulled these others down to read over the next few weeks.  As you may be able to tell from the picture, some of them are pretty worn, since we read these over and over in anticipation of Easter.

"First day of school"

Most people's kids are a little smaller than this on their first day of school.  But today, with my sixteen and eighteen year old children, I get to experience a different version of that "first day".  Austin and Sydney drove off this morning for their first college class.  They are attending our local community college for a couple classes this semester.  This will get Austin geared up to be a full-time Freshman at college next fall, and get Sydney started towards having an associates degree by the time she graduates high school.  How exciting!

They've already turned in their first assignment online, and got a message from their teacher this morning that they were in the half of the class that actually did what the syllabus asked, while the other half of the class failed to do so.  Go homeschoolers!  I have to say, the papers they turned in were very impressive, and wonderfully unique.  They are both bright and capable, and make this mother so proud!  And it's neat to see how they both came at their writing assignment from different perspectives, both being very well done.  I can't wait to hear what they think about the classroom experience and the teacher.  They've taken classes at Prep, so they have done the classroom thing before, but college is something a little different.

I am so, so very proud of you, my young adults!  You have been gifted by God, and you both seek Him in your endeavors.  I am never surprised at the light that shines through you, only humbled and blessed by God's grace in your lives!  I love you!

New Year update

It's a new year, and so much is different at our house!  The children are growing and changing so quickly!  So, here is an update on all that is new with us... 

First of all, Kurt has moved his office to our small home town.  He can walk to the office from home, eats lunch home most days, and sometimes has one or two kids hang out at the office for a little while.  

I have been on the road to discovery and health, rebounding from some health setbacks I've experienced the last couple years.  I am looking forward to continuing recovery and making an even healthier lifestyle for my family one of my highest priorities.  (I will expand on this in future posts, as time allows.)  I am busy homeschooling, keeping things organized, preparing our food/meals more traditionally.  I am hopeful that being healthier will mean that this year I will be able to read the books on my list and blog again!

Austin is 18 now!  He is finishing up his senior year, by taking some classes at our local community college, and studying to take some CLEP tests for further college credit.  If all goes as planned, he will graduate in the spring with 15 college credit hours under his belt.  The ACT test is now just a memory.  He's been accepted by the college he wishes to attend, and has already been awarded an academic scholarship.  We are working on additional scholarships, and are planning senior pictures, and graduation details.  He is staying very busy working with 5th grade boys at church, attending youth cell group, and spending time with wonderful mentoring pastors.  The only remaining "homeschool" assignments he has left this year are my ever-growing and always continuing list of books I would like for him to read.  Of course, he has fun with a busy social life with some great friends, and enjoys time on the computer, and working out.

Sydney is 16 now, and has her official driver's license!  She is such an animal lover, and has been enjoying training our puppies.  She asked for a puppy of her own for her 16th birthday, a female maltipoo.  And our family also now has a female goldendoodle puppy.  She is excellent at training and caring for the dogs!  She is working on finding a male puppy to add to the mix, and studying and trying to breed some of them in the future.  Sydney is still studying piano, taking Theater and Sign Language classes, and an ACT prep class at Prep.  And besides her homeschooling assignments, she is going to attend the community college with her brother, and take a stab at some of those CLEP classes.  In her free time, we find Sydney studying her Bible and journaling.  (AND texting her friends, AND watching movies!)  She has some really wonderful friends!  Sydney also attends a girls' Bible study, and our church youth cell group each week.  She is going to be a very busy young lady this semester!  And she always manages to find plenty of time for her little sisters!

Andrew is 12, and in the major transition from little boy to young man!  He is learning to become more disciplined in his schoolwork, as this is the age that I usually start piling on a lot more "schooly" work than in the younger years.  He is doing so very well in this transition!  Last year he completed an 18 week program with Learning Rx, and is reaping the benefits of intense brain training in his schoolwork this year!  He continues to study piano, and can play for hours writing his own compositions and playing some of his favorite songs by ear.  He is also taking Theater, Choir, and Sign Language classes at Prep.  Andrew just got his first pair of invisiline braces, which will be a two year program.  He was anxious to get into braces, so he is so excited that the time has finally arrived!  For fun, Andrew loves to play Minecraft on the computer, building and creating his own little cyber-world.    

Macy is 7 now, and in 2nd grade.  She is ecstatic, because she is finally old enough to join the big kids at piano lessons.  She has her cute little piano lesson book, and LOVES practicing her songs!  She is also doing the Prep thing, with Theater, Sign Language, and Choir, along with her homeschooling.  She is a joy to teach, because she is studious, and just can't get enough learning in each day!  She is blessing her mommy so much, as she always wants to help me cook, decorate, and organize!  She is a great big sister to the littlest ones, always offering to help tuck them in, take them snacks, teach them preschool lessons, and watch over them.  For fun, she has been playing JumpStart.com and talking to her cousins on the phone.

Our sweet little Tessa recently turned 5!  And when she did, she just knew that she was suddenly very, very big and very, very smart!  She is learning her letter sounds and "doing math", starting Kindergarten a bit earlier than she officially needed to.  She insisted!  She is always busy coloring, drawing, playing dolls, dressing like a princess, or playing learning games on the computer.  She has been playing on the piano and singing like her brothers and sisters for fun.  Everything is all about princesses in Tessa's world, and she is especially excited about Disney's new princess, Sofia the First.  

Baby Janie is 3 now.  She is super close to her big sister, Tessa.   They are such close friends!  They are constantly playing together, but when Janie is by herself, she has such a big imagination!  She is always singing, like her big sister Sydney used to do when she was 3.  She keeps a running musical narrative of the day's activities.  So cute!  She's learning right along with Tessa at the little schoolwork table in the schoolroom.  And she would be happy to be read to all day long!  She has always communicated so well for her age, so most times, she sounds like she's 3 going on 23.  
                                      Happy New Year!!! 

Twaddle-free!

This is a great, simple list of twaddle-free books grouped together by grade level.  It's a good start for my friends who are waiting, ever so patiently, for me to get my master list online!  Love you guys!

Source: charlottemasonhome.com via Dawn on Pinterest

(Just click on the picture)

Brain fog and Blessings

Obviously, blogging went straight to the bottom of my priority list this semester.  Even if I had tried to blog, I'm not sure I've had the extra brain space to come up with a creative thought!  You've gotta love brain overload!  

The reason:
As a youngster, my parents warned me about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.  It was an effective scare tactic for me.  But I think they may have forgotten about another potential problem area.  I'm almost positive now, that potty training a little one kills this mother's brain cells.  This semester has proved doubly challenging, as I've been "finishing" the late-trainer's new potty habits, and beginning training with her early-trainer (for me) sister.  The littlest one has proved the easiest to train of all my sweethearts, but a late-developing hiccup has presented itself.  So, I've essentially been potty training two at the same time, with coordinated accidents.  One day, they'll both do perfectly, and then the next day, they try to outdo each other with oopsies of all kinds.

On the other end of the spectrum, I've got a high school Junior, with whom I am walking down the uncharted path of ACT's, CLEP tests, Scholarship applications, and the search for direction in colleges and majors.  And then there is everyone in between.

We also communicate a GREAT deal at our house.  So, besides the usual noises that go on in a house full of 8 people, we discuss, and discuss, and discuss, which is how I want it to be.  And with three little girls that have been bountifully blessed with the gift of nonstop gab, and an eleven year old boy who is a self-described chatterbox... and piano playing, music-listening, tickle chasing, etc, etc, etc... whew!  We've got a lot of sounds and action going at our house!

I find myself fuzzy in the head, and fantasizing about a dream vacation at the end of most every day, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  I have no struggle this year-end at figuring out which goals to set for the new year...

Simplify as much as I can, in order to appreciate my todays.  Lord, help me to know how to fashion my days, my thoughts, my prayers... 

The good news:
I still have little ones to potty train!  I remember praying for more babies, when I only had three children.  When I cried out to God, I hoped for at least one more.  And look at me now... three little princesses are running around my house!  I can imagine what I might be feeling right now, getting a son prepared for college, if I didn't have younger ones and lots more years of homeschooling memories to make.

It is such an extreme pleasure to watch my son come into his own.  To see him carefully and thoughtfully making wise decisions about his future!  And what a privilege it is to get to be the one who helps him work through all of the unique challenges that college prep presents.  Having such a good boy makes it such a proud mom moment.

We do communicate at our house!  This has always been my homeschool mom dream.  I love to discuss, and my awesome kiddos have allowed me to teach them in a way that makes learning about real life.  Oh, how thankful I am that we talk about everything!

Yes, I'm foggy, fuzzy, and not very creative right now, but how very blessed I am!

Kids & Nature Study pics

I snapped this picture Monday morning. The girls were ready to get this new week started! Andrew was still just waking up...in good company!  (Yep, those are pj pants)

The rest of the pics were taken by Sydney when she took the girls outside for a little nature study...

Charlotte Mason Help

Here's an additional post to the Literature Series I had posted over the summer.  This topic is ALWAYS on my mind:


I've been scouring websites and blogs for Charlotte Mason inspiration as we enjoy these beautiful first weeks of our new school year;  going on nature walks, studying Leonardo da Vinci, pulling out the time-lines and maps, snuggling together with our favorite picture books, having great discussions about our Bible lessons.

I like to use Charlotte Mason methodology as much as I can.

In addition to Ambleside online and other curriculum sites (listed in a previous post) that use a literature approach, I've found some incredibly helpful blogs.  Just click on the pictures below to visit each site.

Simply Charlotte Mason is a valuable resource (full of book recommendations, organizer/planners, a blog, articles, and curriculum helps).   This is at the top of the list!    (picture credit:  from SCM website)

Charlotte Mason Home Education is a wonderful one.  It's packed full of tips, how-to's, and freebies.  (pic from CMHE)

Handbook of Nature Study blog.  She gives many free downloads, and nature study challenges.  She also posts lots of pics of their family's nature study finds.  Good stuff!  (pic from HNS)

Practical Pages (blog).  Every post includes a printable download.  Lots of practical tutorials notebooking, copywork, art appreciation, etc.  (pic from PP)

Click this link to access a nicely done "Living Books" book list at Charlotte Mason Home Education.  (pic from CMHE)

Week One: How we did

We did our thing!  

Of course, real life took over.   Yes it did.  

 

The schedule was very helpful.  Without it, our week would have led to complete frustration.  That schedule hanging on the wall gave us the ability to embrace real life, knowing that we could get right back on track as real life would permit.  The tasks would still get done.  (At least the important ones.)  The day would have some order.  And Mom would keep her sanity!

 I remember a time when real life would have frustrated me to the pointing of giving up on a schedule.  I also remember a time when real life would have been ignored for the sake of "school".  What a nice place for me to arrive at, six kids along- real life and organization walking hand in hand.  Not the perfection of a "dream" homeschooling day, but children who are learning about hard work, disciplining themselves, being flexible as life happens, and having some fun, too!  

    

Andrew- 6th grade

Macy- 1st grade

My high school aged kids don't seem to hang around when I'm pulling out the camera.  I hope to sneak up on them some this year, to capture a kodak moment here and there when they have their noses in the books.  But for now, here are some moments from this week:

Austin (11th grade) reading to baby Janie

Macy invited her little sisters onto her blanket at blanket time , so she could read to them.

More musical blankets- Tessa (3) and Janie (2) wanted to be together

This is how the girls came down on Tues morning... play dresses over their jammies and climbing all over the place.  That's Macy climbing over the chair onto her sisters.

Another pic from our impromptu nature walk.

Part of our welcomed "real life" this week... a visit from one of our favorite friends, Crystal!  I think she's dancing with the girls for a video Sydney was making... now that's love!

More real life love... dog-sitting a fence jumping, cat eating Rhodesian Ridgeback.  

We sure fell in love with this big sweetheart of a dog, Rowdy.

  

First nature walk (not quite worthy of nature "study" status)

Our first nature study, on our first official day of our first 100% schedule-following, checklist-checking day of school...

Did not go as planned...

But it was very cute, and a simply sweet way to start a new year of learning and discovering. 

Janie was acting very tired, and crying about "nature walk" because she knew it was coming, and thought it was taking entirely too long to come about!  I could tell she wasn't going to make it to nature walk time if I put her down for her nap when she really needed it.  So Janie, Tessa, and I left our puzzles and books, and headed out the front door to do our own quick, mini nature study.

We found this fallen nest, and tried to look closely to see what Mommy Bird used to build it out of.  We also chased grasshoppers, followed ants, and listened to the sounds coming out of the woods.  Tessa tried to catch a butterfly, too.

Andrew and Macy had been having their "together" break time, and found us, so our mini nature walk turned into the official nature study of the day.  Our nature study bag remained inside, neglected and unused, along with everyone's shoes!  And the first order of business once they joined us was a lesson in tree climbing from big brother.

She's still a tired girl, she just doesn't know it.  

Schoolroom 2011

The schoolroom is ready for action! It will only be this clean and organized once, so take notice!

The right side of the schoolroom:
Left bookcase-
Landmarks, Trailblazers, and other history
Sydney's shelf (bottom shelf)

Right bookcase (top to bottom)-
Extra curriculum
1828 Dictionary, 5 in a Row books, lapbook supplies
Macy's shelf
Austin's shelf
Andrew's shelf
Tessa's shelf



Left side of the schoolroom:
Far left bookcase (top to bottom)-
Previous years' binders, National Endowment for the Arts freebies
Bible/Character/Inspirational picture books and study guides
3 1/2 shelves of fiction
Anthologies and Poetry
Childcraft books

Middle bookcase (top to bottom)-
Trixie Belden set and misc
Boxed sets (Little House, A.A. Milne, Homer, etc)
DVDs (Moody Science, Vision Forum, Diana Waring) and Audio Books
2 shelves of Science readers and reference
Picture books
Board books
Misc bulky books and empty boxes ready for girls to fill

Far right bookcase (top to bottom)-
First 3 shelves History and Biographies
Little Golden books and Dr. Suess
Last 3 shelves Preschool (puzzles, leap pads, blocks, etc)


Preschool area



Bulletin board
My desk
Pick up/drop off station (blanket time baskets, binders, and shelves for finished work, craft box and Handwriting Without Tears box underneath)



Incomplete schedule (still working on afternoons)



The bookshelves usually stay fairly organized. The greatest potential for quick mess are the preschool shelves and picture books shelves that the little girls use. And then, there's the fact that my desk is usually piled with "stuff" by the end of the day. The table collects stuff also. And the girls leave books all over the floor. Besides working more with the girls on putting things away when they're done, I'm hoping having a "Librarian of the week" will help keep the books on the shelves.

It feels good to have the room ready. The kids have started somewhat of a school schedule today, while I continue to work on printing out their school checklists, chore lists, and reward charts. By next Monday, we should be running like a machine! At least, as much as that is possible with six kids' worth of unpredictability! Let the learning begin!

(This blog post was a little early for Living Well Wednesdays, but I couldn't help but link to it... hope that's OK!)