Monday Monday

We are about to enter into our 8th year of homeschooling. I have never been great with school photos. Seems like my head is elsewhere (planning, organizing, cooking breakfast, etc.) but not this year! We are ready! Let the "formal" studying begin.... on Monday. ;)

I sure hope they treasure this time together as much as I do.

Almost School Time

We got home on Tuesday evening from visiting the coast. It was a very needed time with family and oh, so fun to be at the beach!

Micheal had done a concrete job for a neighbor so we all got to sleep in the next day. He wasn't working his normal job. What a treat!

Then we all got to work. August helped his Daddy outside in the 95 degree heat and the other kids did some reading, cleaning inside, and helped at the end of the day with picking up the tools and scraps and whatnot. They also painted the trim pieces for outside.

I have been planning for school. I did a lot of the work earlier this summer but with most of the books in - just one more!- I now have a better idea of which ones we will get to together and which ones will be free reading and which ones I can only hope to get to. ;)

I have our Morning Time pages printed out, our term 1 memorization pages placed in all our binders, and the schedule of what our days will look like.  Morning time we do all together and that includes Bible, poetry, literature, memory work, and lots of discussion. We are breaking up our history and science readings this year. It is going to feel a bit different as we change things up with August doing more and Grace and Zade needing to be in different books, too. We have done SO much together in the past and that just won't work now.

After Morning Time ( don't know why I am capitalizing those words but it just feels right!) we do independent work and then they each will have Mama Time in which I will work with them through their science books and geography. Liam will get pictures books read to him and also time in the kitchen with me.

This year we are studying the Middle Ages and we are all very excited! We turned on Pandora yesterday and designed our front pages for our binders. The kids asked when we start and said they are looking forward to a new year. Music to a mama's ears!

About a month ago I was reading Psalm 90 and it really was encouraging to me. We then read it together in church and it was confirmed to me that verse 17 would be our "verse of the year."

And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us,
      And establish the work of our hands for us;
             Yes, establish the work of our hands.     

I am praying for a wonderful year of growth, fun, and understanding. A gaining of knowledge, better habits, and right relationships. I pray for humility, love, and good attitudes!!! 

Lord, bless the work of our hands. Please enlarge our hearts and sharpen our minds. Thank you for your grace and mercy. May we ever be acknowledging You. Amen.  

A.M. / P.M.

The table holds the memories of the morning; breakfast dishes, open poetry book, Bible stacked on our history book, legos.  

                                                             Morning time is done! 

 

Outside holds the memories of our afternoon; flowers budding, hummingbirds, sprinkler on, trampoline, bare feet running, laughter. 

                                                                                                Afternoons of fun! 

Life with Living Books

A few highlights from my day:

I printed out these pages (scroll to the bottom for the print outs) for the kids, hoping it would encourage them to want to read some of the books or maybe even all of them! They took them eagerly looking over the pages of suggested titles and were delighted that they had already read a couple or were in the process of reading one now.
Grace is reading My Side of the Mountain and promptly ran upstairs to continue her much loved book. She will get the joy of checking it off her list and rating it, too, alongside the real joy of getting transplanted into another place and time, caught up in a story. 

I also printed off a series of 20 questions to ask each child. I started with Zade this morning: Of all the things you are learning, what do you think will be the most useful when you are an adult? He answered with READING. :) 

August perused his pages of suggested books and decided to read Blueberries for Sal and as he read I sat by him on the couch and pretty soon Liam came over and we all laughed and enjoyed the book together.

Our days are made up of many things, but reading is a huge chunk of it. My kids have read more than I did in my entire school career and that is not a stretch of the truth! We choose books that are living.  Whole books, written usually by one person who is passionate about the topic. Books that tell the information through beautiful story telling. It has been such a fun adventure these last few years and I look forward to the many years ahead filled with beautifully crafted books and all the discussions that come with them. 

Trial & Error & The Impressionable Young Mind

I'm so thankful for a good friend who I can have good conversations with.

This last week we sat under the warm sun on freshly painted chairs and talked about relationships, school, birds, God, frustrations, joys and books. 

My ten year old was playing outside and would swing by us to listen in. Do you remember doing that when you were young?! I can remember those months as I was still just a kid but curious about what all the adults were talking about. I don't remember anything specific after all these years, but it was interesting at the time.

So, we were there, discussing books. Which ones to read or not to read. Which ones we were challenged by or absolutely loved. I spoke about wanting to instill a love of reading into my kids but not knowing how exactly to do that. They have to read everyday but sometimes instead of getting caught up in a story, they just keep checking the time until they can be done. I try to give them beautiful, living books but want them to pick up something that they are excited and curious about so they will enjoy it. Even though a couple of them say they love reading, they will almost always choose something else to fill their time.

I am just at a loss of what to do.

Maybe they don't have to love it right now. Maybe they just put the time in and get surprised they actually enjoyed reading. Maybe they will love it later in life, like their mama, when they have questions that need to be answered and curiosities that need explored.

Anyhow, my ten year old was there listening in. He didn't say much. I didn't change what I was saying because he was there. But I wasn't really talking *to him either.

Today he told me he didn't want to read his current book anymore. His own words were, "I don't think God wants me to read this, Mom."
"Okay. So why not." I asked. (He has been reading The Hunger Games, because his sister just finished it.)
"It makes me think things I don't want to think. Things I'm not okay about."

We had a great conversation about listening to the Holy Spirit, how we won't/don't always agree with what we read but we can still learn from it, how it can in fact teach us how not to live,  how we need to look to the redeeming characters to emulate, and how if you really don't like it, you can put it down. 

My son has a very sensitive heart. But he also thinks very logically and analytical. I wasn't sure if it was such a great idea to let him read the book, but I trust him. And he ended up doing what he needed to do. For him, he needed to put it down and read something else right now. He may read it later in life. He may never finish. Who knows at this point.

But what I found interesting was that he asked for a book that was "wholesome", "good", and just "fun".

He had heard me say those very words the other day when I was talking with my friend.

For our school, we really do try to read the good, true and beautiful. I think their favorite read alouds have been the Ralph Moody books.

He tried a book out.  It turned out for him, it was an error. As a mama, I am fairly protective of what my kids are apart of and what they are reading, listening to, watching. I don't always make the best choice but I try to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading. In this case, like I mentioned before, I trusted that he would know as he got into if it was for him or not. I'm not too hung up on the decision for the fact that it has given me huge insight with my son and what he loves and wants to be about and what he struggles with and doesn't like.

It was a good lesson learned.

He has requested books about presidents and inventors! He read a book about George Washington last year and it has kept with him. Trial and error has showed him more of what he likes and he is better off for it.

And because we just read Fables today, I will wrap this up with a "moral."

Don't be afraid of making mistakes. You can learn a great deal from them.

Also, we are all impressionable.

Teaching

Today our Latin phrase was:

docendo disco scribendo cognito.

It means, I learn by teaching, think by writing. 

We talked about how we must really know and understand something to be able to teach it to others. Also, how writing can help us get our thoughts and ideas out and properly organized. How writing can actually help us think. 

I had the kids each teach the rest of us how to do something. 

G showed us how to wrap a present. 

Z taught us how to connect the Wii to the T.V.

A's presentation was on how to make a fruit platter. 

It was fun to see what they chose to teach! 

It was good for me to keep my mouth closed and let them do the talking! 

They each did a great job keeping the right sequence of events. They "did" while they taught so it was probably easier than if they were just thinking through the steps. They spoke clearly, made precise movements and rarely looked anyone in the eye! ;) 

They were each very enthusiastic in wanting to share their presentation. I think there is something in all of us that desires to share and talk about something we know and it's important to be able to get the opportunity to do so. It's also important to be able to share exact words you are thinking. I know I have struggled with finding the right words my whole life! I want to challenge my children to speak clearly and use the right words, taking the time to think about what it is they are trying to communicate with others. Words matter. 

Last year I read a book about C.S. Lewis and found it fantastic that his tutor didn't let him get away with shoddy thoughts spoken wrongly. His tutor would challenge him until Lewis got it right and spoke clearly. I know C.S Lewis was blessed with an amazing mind but look also at what great teaching and an attention to detail produced in him! 

As a homeschooling family we don't have a lot of audience, but I will continue to do more exercises like this one and find ways for them to speak in public, also. 

In the mean time we will continue to teach each other and think by writing.