I so enjoyed a recent blog post from my dear friend Kerimae on goal setting for the homeschooling year.   (By the way, she also offers her lectures to mothers of preschoolers on Lulu.com ).   Feel free to be refreshed through her words here.

I was especially intrigued at her observation that, after the paper, pencils, books, etc., are purchased, there still remains that question that touches us waaaaay down deep: What am I going to do with my children?  

I think the question exists for me because I am totally convinced that academic education is a small, though significant, part of what is happening in our home.   The pieces that are far more important to me than short-term memorization of dates and names are the connections—connections to books, connections to the relationships within and between books, and a larger connection to what those words, phrases and lives mean to the readers, my children, in terms of how they should respond to what they’ve read.   This isn’t revelatory for me, so to speak, but when I reflect on our last academic year, it occurs to me that my convictions about homeschooling were completely overshadowed by my preoccupation with high school.   Actually, it wasn't necessarily high school, but thoughts of college preparation came looming over me like a dark cloud that the wind just wouldn’t sweep away.     Subscribing to homeschooler Yahoo loops where other peoples’ children fall just short of curing cancer and discovering new planets didn’t help.   Our success, or lack thereof, by June of last year is a matter of record, so I won’t rehash it.   Plus, in sheer frustration, I probably blogged too much on last academic year about the children, and this post (and future posts like it) will be about me and what the Lord is uncovering in me to help me help them, Amen?

I’ve known what I wanted to do academically for a number of months now.   Planning for the next school year was at times a welcome respite when I felt most out of control.   And don’t get me wrong; it wasn’t all doom and gloom, but we definitely had a very different year than I’m accustomed to having.   So I started the summer with work to do, still determined, but mentally drained.       I remember a title from evangelist Joyce Meyer (I think) called Reduce Me to Love, and that’s exactly what I was—reduced, i.e., humbled.    What am I to do, Lord?   One thing about a heart that’s humbled—the Lord can do much with it.   I continued with all of our normal summer plans, trudging through some, and, at best, trotting through others, but most of what I did was talk honestly to God.   I don’t want another year like last year.  If the truth be told, I don’t want something ordinary.   I want something special to happen at our table, and in our lives together.    Show me what I need to do.   Show me my own faults that I may change what I can.   And that is exactly what He did.    I spent the last few weeks before we began school coming to grips with me, and how my own “stuff” impacts the school environment.    It will take time and resolve to release some things completely, but I am much more aware of when I’m acting out of my fears vs. a legitimate problem with one of the kids.    So when I talk in previous posts about being at a place of peace when I should be running around like a crazed woman, I speak truth.

What am I to do with my children, Lord, we ask.    He says simply: Pray, and then trust me to do what I said I will do.

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:11, NIV)

Today is our niece’s very first dance recital, and the rest of the family went to support her.   I wanted to go, but there is so much to do before we head out of town on tomorrow.   Anyway, as much as I hate to miss her debut (she’s only four years old—too cute!), I am enjoying a rare moment of peace and quiet at home.    I can’t enjoy it long, though—there are groceries to buy, packing to complete, and minor cleaning to do before we get on the road.   I’ve wanted to write for several days now, so I made a conscious effort to pin my thoughts before I put the skates back on and start my evening shift.

I’ve spent days and weeks reading and reading, and then reading some more.    It amazes me how much I agonize over teacher’s guides, reading plans, and schedules, tweaking this and changing that.  I know from my blogging buddies that I’m not unique in that way.   Yet I also have friends who love scripted materials, and I’ve seen beautifully laid out step-by-step instructions from various publishers.  It’s just not me.  So, I tear through most teacher’s guides to get suggestions, with little intent of using them as designated.    I find myself creativity-challenged, especially for the youngest, and so I need help with ideas.   I am, however, gaining confidence in my own abilities over time.   Moreover, I’m gaining confidence with the kids’ abilities to create on their own, and to learn without my planning every moment of school day.    As just one example, the youngest has written so much over these few months.   It hasn’t helped her handwriting , but her understanding of phonics is growing tremendously.    She decided to write all of her dance classmates a note before the recital, so she cut several sheets of scratch paper to make little cards.    She asked me how to spell a few words for the first card, but then copied what she’d written on each of the other cards.   Right before the recital, I checked the cards to see what was written.   On the outside of each card was the name of a little girl.   On the inside, it looked something like this:

i wish you could come over, but my mom said no.

 I wish I had thought to save one of these before I hurriedly threw them away to avoid her actually giving one to someone, and the consequential embarrassment.     Laughingly, I thought to myself that even this probably captures the spirit of Charlotte Mason’s intent regarding masterly activity, if not the exact purpose.

So where am I now?       Right where I should be—humbled to pray, and committed to spending money on good books.    Overlaying each kid’s day with my own schedule was revelatory; I will never get done all that I would want to do in an ideal world, but they will learn plenty, and they’ll own their own learning, which is even more important.   I’ve pared down our schedule and worked hard to give the kids ample time to create.     I bought a used teacher’s guide for 1^st grade reading, not the $100 package that I purchased last year from Bob Jones.    I purchased a used Sonlight IG to help our son through Asia and Africa.   For the oldest, I’ll use Sparknotes (free literature guides), LessonPlanet.com (free lesson plans) and Learning Through History magazine to get us through the classics. I also found a great Medieval history bundle from LTH (I love these—for $7 a magazine, you get a wonderfully thorough and wonderfully fun unit study).  I think we’re set for 10^th grade, although it’s still another school year away.      Nothing like getting ahead, right?   By the way, Invitation to the Classics is a great resource to buy used as well.

Anyway, given that next week is July and we begin our year in early August, my plan is to begin laying this entire schedule into a planner.    The stores are behind me in the timing of their back-to-school materials display, so I may have to order the children’s planners online.    One work that I’ve crafted to the point of creating my own Picasso is a “syllabus” of sorts for my upcoming high school freshman.   I have all of her subjects, the weekly reading plan (at a high level), and her associated wrap-up activities for the books she’ll read.   Her “elective,” namely the Ancient Costume and History course, is also detailed in this syllabus.   I should probably come up with a better name for it, but really, I just wanted to get down on paper what she would do for the year, how she’d do it, and what tools would be in place to guide her learning.    The thoughts and resources that went into what I put together is probably worth a separate post, but I wanted her to grow accustomed to reading through plans and becoming increasingly responsible for her own schedule.     As I said earlier, I keep tweaking it, but within the next two weeks I need to wrap up all the loose ends so that we’ll both be ready.  It occurs to me why many homeschoolers place their kids in school after middle school.   Though it’s not rocket science, there is a certain level of timidity in designing a year that is child- and home-friendly enough for you to feel good about, yet rigorous enough for a college admissions board to feel good about.   Again, a post for another window when I have more time.   May God bless each of you.

Did anyone see Lindafay’s “Ask and It Will Be Given to You” post recently?    You can view it here, if you wish.    Her post, in essence, thanked God for the Charlotte Mason approach and what it has done for her family and her home.    What intrigued me, however, based upon where we’ve been, were a couple of key statements:

‘I had no idea it could be this easy, that it would be this rewarding and produce children so enjoyable to be with, who feel at home with the aged, the learned, as well as the young and the ignorant. ‘

I’ll come back to this at another time, but suffice it to say that since my post on friendship I’ve been thinking long and hard about the number of parents adults who have children who have totally abandoned their responsibilities.

This was where I wanted to go.   From her same blog entry:

‘Music, art, animals, nature, politics, literature, poetry, equations, Rome, Iceland, Ireland, the moors, the sea, metropolises, machinery, the universe, the past, the poor, royalty, Heaven and earth...you name it, they have dipped their hands in the chest and pulled out something of value as they have explored truth and beauty in the world around them.’

Wow.     I’ll confess that I never thought about the Charlotte Mason approach specifically as an answer to prayer, although, undoubtedly, this method has had added an immeasurable richness to our school day and in our home.   Yet, what immediately hit me as I saw it in black in white is the number of places our own studies have allowed us to go, whether we’ve been there physically or not.  You can hear our kids' “travels” in their conversations.    The “trips” they take don’t leave them bogged down with T-shirts, caps, and photos that cry out from the dust to be placed in an album, but indelible impressions are left upon their minds after every journey.

In our effort to get financially back on track and take care of all of our home repairs, we have decided that we will not travel as much this year as we have in previous years.   The superhero is hating being “grounded” even more than I am.   However, after reading this portion of LindaFay’s post, I am re-energized about where we’ll go this fall.   Both our girls will tour ancient Greece and ancient Rome extensively, and the oldest will have a brief stint in China.   Though most curriculum publishers don’t think it important, our world tour wouldn’t be the same without checking in on Africa--Egypt as well as other countries.   Aesop, Josephus, Archimedes, Pompeii, the Great Wall of China, Hercules, Gilgamesh, Homer, Virgil?   The girls will see them all.   Our son will remain between the Asian and African continents for the bulk of his year.   Mary Slessor, David Livingstone, Mother Teresa, Johannesburg, Gandhi, the Mongols, and Louis Braille are all awaiting our R.S.V.P.s.     We’ll use Tanglewood, Great Books, Apologia and Sonlight, primarily, to get there, but it is already promising to be a fun ride.

Where are you headed next school year?

If you want to participate in this meme, please visit Carol at ThreeLittleLadies, and be sure to link your post to her Mr. Linky so that we can all see what life has in store for you.   From where I sat this past week,

As an individual, I...

am struggling with an age-old struggle for me regarding purpose, balance, and the fight to be a good steward of my talents and coins while not frustrating myself with being superwoman.    The Lord has given me so many talents, and I don’t want to be guilty of being slothful with what’s been given me.   I consider myself busy, and my plate is full—at least I think so, but have I placed some things in the ground?   So many questions I have, and I want most for my God to smile when He sees me and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”    So as I sort all through my feelings, I repented for allowing two opportunities to lay dormant in my inbox for days, and I worked hard to take the next steps forward.   I keep bringing my five fish and two loaves…    

As a wife and homemaker, I...

don’t take for granted that I actually miss my husband while he’s away training for his job.    My niece will be married in a number of months with all the pomp and circumstance of a destination wedding.   I pray for her that, once the blue water and sandy beaches are a memory, the relationship will stand strong.   I’ve seen so many relationships center around the wedding and dissolve over the marriage.    I see other marriages, some long-standing, that are fraught with issues of trust, rejection, or just a plain lack of communication.    It takes a lot of thought and energy to not become one of those couples that, over time, are just two people who share a home.

 I also have to keep perspective on the changes and repairs that need to happen around our home as we continue to stand upright again after the hurricane.   Just because it’s not the latest item on the news doesn’t mean it’s over.   I’m believing God for a repaired roof that is in our budget.   I also want new wallpaper border for the kitchen, and silk curtains for the great room.

As a mom and homeschooling parent, I...

am excited about beginning Code Talkers by Joseph Bruchac this week.  Our son asked just the other day, “What happened to the Indians?”  referring to the fact that most history curriculum cease to mention Native Americans after Thanksgiving Day.    I’m thrilled that we found a place to share more of their story, although we could never completely cover the history of each tribe.   The kids are studying post-WWII history and moving towards the Civil Rights movement and the beginning of the Cold War.   We are still in the Great Depression in our read-alouds.  As the year closes in on us, I grow more concerned, as usual, about what we did and did not do.   This year has been horrendous overall and I definitely want to take a mental break beginning on Memorial Day weekend.    They will still have work to do, and I’ll continue to work with the 5-year-old on math and phonics.   We just began the two-vowel rule this past week, and it would be a shame to lose all of that over the summer break.      

As a business owner, I...

unfortunately did not get a lot done this week.   I wrote an article for a magazine and researched some great websites that will fit in well with the Harlem Renaissance unit study.    However, as I listed above, I repented for the opportunity that might have gotten past me when I didn’t jump on it right away.    I received the sweetest note from an encourager this week, saying she couldn’t wait until her kids were old enough for her to buy my curriculum.     How welcome are the feet (and the fingers!) that bring good news.

God bless you, too.

For the lion's share of this semester, Wednesday has been "Dinosaur Day."   At least, that's what the 5-year-old calls it.   This is the one day of the week that we put aside all of our books (well, at least our phonics studies--will I ever learn?) and have a bit of fun with science.   I found this at Live and Learn Press after seeing good reviews on it and admiring barrynmissy1972's fantastic results.    I love the concept of lapbooks, and this one certainly had enough activities to last us most of this semester.    Admittedly, though, I'm still trying to figure out if this learning tool will work for me.    Our previous lapbooks weren't as "meaty," but I still find lapbooks in general to be very time consuming for me.   This project, with far more substance than previous efforts, turned into more of a scrapbook project for Mom.   To its credit, our daughter did learn major dinosaur types (Triceratops, Brontosauras, Stegosauras, and the T-rex), all about fossils and tools paleontologists use to preserve them, body parts and divine function (like the difference between teeth that eat plants and teeth that eat meat, or the different types of tails), all about dinosaur diets, and we will hopefully learn soon what might have happened to the dinosaurs.   I'm thinking we'll try again with the human body in the fall, but I'm not so sure...

Anyway, I'd been wanting to post pictures of this lapbook--what's a good scrapbooking project without an audience, right?   The oldest took pictures from her cell phone, so here goes.   

This is the lapbook cover, designed by the 5-year-old:

There are a number of Dinah Zike's-like folded books within the book, and the graphics are already prepared, making for a very colorful presentation.   The only disadvantage of this is that I sometimes didn't have space to record her dictation well.

Included also is a list of resources, including great websites, that are available to help with the study.    I found more great graphics that really helped explain things like the differences between a bird-hipped or lizard-hipped dinosaur, although I am still foggy on that one myself!    One neat experiment we performed was the refrigeration of crickets (not included in this lapbook lesson) in order to explain the difference between cold-blooded animals and warm-blooded animals.     Not too worry--we kept the crickets in a plastic bag the whole time! (LOL) 

Although we didn't use everything in the lapbook, there are a number of fun activities that a five-year-old could enjoy.    There were matching games, sorting games, word finds, and there's nothing like a little Dino Tic-Tac-Toe! 

 Another resource, separate from the lapbook, was an entire lesson plan from Teacher Created Materials.    We all pitched in and made "dinosaur chow," a peanut butter and chocolate treat.  (Notice that a couple are missing?!?)

 If you're in the mood for some fun, here's the recipe, courtesy of TCM:

Dinosaur Delight

1/4 cup dirt (cocoa)

1/2 cup swamp water (milk with green food coloring)

2 cups crushed bones (sugar)

1/2 cup fat (butter)

2 cups dead grass (uncooked oatmeal)

1/2 cup squashed bugs (peanut butter)

Mix dirt and swamp water.   Add crushed bones and fat.  Boil about 3 minutes.  Add squashed bugs and dead grass, and stir until melted.   Remove from heat and stir until mixture begins to thicken.   Drop by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper.   Cool, eat, and enjoy!