Semester 1, Week 7

What I’m Reading: Need some books to help get you in the mood for autumn? I don’t know about you, but I feel melancholy as summer reaches its end.  I love warm days and endless sunshine.  As the days grow shorter, I can feel the melancholy creeping in.  THIS year I was more proactive in finding ways to find ALL the good in the change of seasons.  Don’t get me wrong; I love autumn too – all the beautiful colors, the brightness of the blue sky (when it’s not raining), the smell of camp fires.  To help me with the transition, I hunkered down into cozy.  I’m in full-on Hobbit mode.  YouTube Autumn classical music and crackling fires, lots of chocolate chip pumpkin bread baking and cranberry and cloves in whatever recipe is sensible, endless cups of Piper & Leaf caramel apple pie.  AND I’m reading ALL the books.  I started on the very last day of August to get my head wrapped around the changes to come.

I began with Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. This was my second read of what has become my favorite of Austen’s works.  I love her lighthearted take on a classical gothic novel.  Clever, sweet, and incredibly cozy. I enjoyed my short journey to Fullerton, Bath and Northanger.  I enjoyed the slower pace of my life and the everydayness of my friends.

I then moved on to Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym.  It’s not about autumn the season of the sun but rather the autumn season of our lives, when one is retiring from working life into the final season of age. I have been working my way through Barbara Pym’s books as I find that they are perfect before-bed reading.  I have found her books to be stimulating in that they aren’t drivel but soothing in that they are about every day people with unglamorous lives. This was a good reminder that life goes on.  Our attitudes about change and life can fully affect ourselves and those around us.

Next, I read Haunted Hibiscus by Laura Childs.  It’s another tea mystery novel in her series.  I enjoyed reading the Christmas one last Christmas, so I thought I’d read one set at Halloween to really get me in a fall mood.  (Have I told you we only get small glimpses of fall with  more days of hot weather as it transitions to autumn?  As a result, it was hot the entire time I read this book.  I guess that’s fitting since it’s set in Charleston, South Carolina, and I can imagine it’s probably hot there in October.)  This is a good light read if you like cozy mysteries and are looking for one set at this time of the year. I especially like the descriptions of food and tea, and that motivated me all the more have cozy smells wafting through my home.

I also read Vera by Elizabeth Von Arnim.  I didn’t read it purposely to fulfill the role of a good fall book.  I read it because it was next in my kindle while I wait to start reading Christmas mysteries.  Such a good happenstance.  Vera reveals a story of the span of a year.  (If you’ve read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, this is very much like it but with a giant feeling of injustice as you close the last page. Also, if you haven’t read Rebecca, it is another one to read at this time of the year.) You do not even know you’re reading a gothic novel until you reach the final chapters.  While creepy at times and a little boring in others, the book picks up the psychological thrill early enough to keep going and offers relief in the right places before it picks up the creepiness again.

 Finally, I’m listening to The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.  I’m pre-reading it for whatever AO year it is we finally get to it, but I also thought it would be a good book for the fall.  There’s just something about that hobbit hole that gets you in the mood to snuggle under a cozy blanket.  I’m mostly listening to it as I wash dishes, but it definitely is getting my imagination in a whirl.

What I’m {nature} Journaling:  The best kind of first hike of the fall season?  The one in which it rains.  And rains.  Fortunately, it was still warm (until my shoes got wet and my toes were cold) and we brought jackets (the rain proofness of said jackets was a different resistance for each of us).  The leaves around here are only at the very beginning of visible changes, so it’s only building eagerness to get out for more hiking.  It was a fun adventure to write about in my nature journal.

I also noticed I didn’t quite finish up my list of summer entries that I’ve been waiting to have some time to devote to good sketches.  I will have to carve out some time to get caught up.

Co-op
Since it took us almost three weeks to complete one week of school, we fit in quite a few normal activities and extras.  Class three was more of a success than the first one but still a little stressful as I learn how to better manage the class.  Maybe by the time I reach the last class, I’ll have it figured out!

We took a field trip to a local farm that included petting the animals, feeding cows, winding our way through a corn maze and playing on the playground.  The kids always have a blast going to this farm.  We have been going long enough now that I can’t keep track of how many times we’ve been. 

We had geography night at co-op.  It’s an opportunity for the whole family to get together and meet the other families (dads included).  We studied The Netherlands.  We used the packets I had printed off for the kids over the summer to give them something to do while my husband and I were actually in The Netherlands.  The kids had a good time coloring the pages.  Their favorite part was sharing the joy of stroopwafles as their food.  I also made hachee (beef and onion soup).  We enjoyed so many other foods from around the world and seeing the countries (or regions) the other kids studied.  There was a scavenger hunt for the kids so that they would be busy reading all of the presentations.  For the pre-readers, like my daughter, they had a passport that they walked around with collecting stickers.

Fourth Grade Highlight

We have very good reason for our one week of school to take us so many actual weeks to complete.  We have had appointments (I’m starting to wonder if we’ll ever have a week without one!), travel, and extra activities. I have decided that when we travel, I will not plan for school the day before or after.  I did assign some independent work to my son, but I am so busy cleaning the house, doing laundry, and packing and then undoing all the above and figuring out what to feed us that I do not have the energy to complete any of my school responsibilities.  The same goes for appointments and extra activities.  A good balance is to keep in mind that all these real life things are part of a lifestyle of education while also teaching my children to redirect some of their energy to helping where they can, taking initiative, and continuing to guide my children in their education.

We visited the Nashville Zoo.  It’s good, but I think our favorite zoo is the one in Jacksonville, FL.  We also visited the science center while we were in Nashville.  It reminds me of the Chattanooga Children’s Museum but for slightly older children.  The kids had a good time.

We went on a rainy hike with friends.  The weather had been dry all week, and the rain was not forecasted until after our hike.  Fortunately, it was warm and we had rain(ish) jackets.  It was great to be outside, and being friends motivated us to tough out the wetness.  We went to a state park we haven’t been to before.  The drive there was scenic.  The park itself had two lakes (ponds) where we saw a couple varieties of ducks and a blue heron flying away as we approached it on the bridge.  There was even a smallish waterfall (more of a trickle).

My son started “From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.”  This is the book that first introduced me to book reports.  My fourth grade teacher let us pick a book to create a shoebox presentation to give a short report to the class.  Very memorable. 

My son finished reading a book about Robert Peary, the arctic explorer.  I’ve been filming his oral narrations and enjoying learning about the people he’s reading about.

Grandpa came for another day of engineering.  This time they built a box elevator and tried out hydraulics in the sink.

Kindergarten Highlight

Kindergarten is going rather the same these days.  We’re having a good time reading through fairy tales and other stories.

Fourth Grade Curriculum – First Semester

What I’m Reading: Keep It Moving by Twyla Tharp

I first heard of this on the Schole Sisters Podcast.  My library has it as an audiobook, so I listened to a bit each day over the course of the summer.  I consumed the book in small increments as a form of daily motivation to keep active for the summer instead of losing my momentum and becoming a couch potato.  This is a good read.  It’s not life-changing, but there is good advice.  Overall, I think the book was a good daily encouragement to just keep moving.

What I’m {nature} Journaling:  I have so many flowers to be drawing in my nature journal.  While my wildflower garden has taken longer to bloom this year, I have had some new and different blooms than in previous years.  I feel like I have an even bigger variety of color this year.  My favorites have been the bachelor buttons and teddy bear sunflowers. 

Bird watching is great right now, too.  I’ve been sitting outside in the early mornings or late evenings to see who will come to my feeders.  I despise the mockingbirds living nearby who have killed my baby bluebirds and have made themselves pests in the backyard; they have also been attacking my dog.  I have loved being able to get a little closer to a nuthatch and cardinal.  It’s fun to observe the cardinal looking down at him turning his head this way and that.  The nuthatch has been rather cautious but takes advantage of the low traffic at the feeder and will come down to feed when I’m standing quietly.  We also have 3-5 regular ruby-throated hummingbirds.  There are definitely two females and one male.  They spend most of their time chasing one another and going back and forth between the feeder and the mimosa tree.  The two females will feed at the same time, but the male always chases everyone away.

* Notes *

We have a couple changes to our schedule this year.  The first change is that my daughter is starting kindergarten.  While it isn’t full-on formal lessons, I will be introducing some school habits into her day that will affect the individual focus I will be giving to my son. (I will have a separate post about her curriculum.  Today’s post is about my son.) The second really big change is moving from three terms into two semesters. I have reduced our curriculum to accommodate our desire to pursue a few of our own educational interests. I am confident that we are living a Charlotte Mason lifestyle following her principles.  I do not think we are veering off into “CM inspired” by making our own decisions about our curriculum selections.

Daily Riches and Skills

Family Folder

Memory Work: We will continue memorizing the U.S. Presidents. I am adding in a few lines from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream as this is the play we will be reading this semester. The poem we will memorize is “The Arrow and the Song” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. (In the past, we changed the poem every six weeks.  Since I’m adding in more memory work, I am only requiring one poem.  However, I am expecting full memorization since we are devoting more weeks to the poem.) The two scripture passages we’ll be memorizing are Isaiah 40:28-31 and 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

Songs: We will learn six songs over the semester changing to something new after five weeks. The hymns are “Grace Greater than Our Sin,” “This Is My Father’s World,” and “Be Still My Soul.” The folksongs are “Wade in the Water,” “The Erie Canal,” and “Simple Gifts.”

Bible

I will be reading from Hurlbut’s Story of the Bible. This is the same story Bible that my dad read to me when I was younger.  I will read from the Old Testament two times a week and the New Testament once a week.  Some stories are longer or shorter, so I’m going to read and gauge attention and time each day instead of following a reading list.  On Fridays, we will continue to use the Kids Read Truth Names of God.

Spanish

I am reducing our Spanish checklist.  I have felt so discouraged in the past when we haven’t had time to practice Spanish each day.  I am putting it on our checklist three days a week.  While I would love to have more Spanish speaking in our lives, it isn’t realistic.  I do include it in practical ways of saying vocabulary around the house or when we’re eating out at Mexican restaurants.  However, I’m not a native speaker and I don’t plan on hiring a governess for my children to be hearing a native speaker on a regular basis.  Realistically, I’m laying a feast. If my children plan to travel to other countries in the future, they will have a little better head start than I did.  And thank goodness for Google Translate. 

All that being said, we will continue using Charlotte Mason Simple Languages – Spanish.  We are still in the first year, but we haven’t lost interest,  and have enjoyed the way the curriculum is set up.  I will also be using the Usborne 1000 words dictionary now that we are capable of learning more vocabulary.  I also read “Caracola” by Federico Garcia Lorca this summer; it’s a poem about a snail that sounds lovely in Spanish. Learning it fits well into our Spanish lessons.

Grammar

The BIG add to my son’s days this year is grammar.  I have decided to try out Grammarland by M.L. Nesbitt.  I plan for the lessons to be 10 minutes.  I don’t know the exact amount we’ll get through each day.  I will read the chapter and am hopeful I’ll be able to pass over the worksheet to my son for him to complete on his own.  I also don’t know if we’ll be able to complete a chapter each week, so I guess we’ll see how this resource works out for us.  My biggest goal is for my son to start learning and understanding the parts of speech and the basic building blocks of putting language into sentences so that they can be read easily.

Copywork/Dication

Part of reducing our curriculum is doing copywork one week and dictation the next.  My son gets enough writing practice during the week through his subjects.  I want him to continue improving in his cursive and build endurance, so he will still be using Learning Cursive in Narnia.  I have also really liked Spelling Wisdom from Simply Charlotte Mason.  We’ll continue our normal routine: Day 1 copy the dictation, Day 2 use the magnet board to spell out the passage in entirety or difficult words, Day 3 practice with oral spelling and talking about punctuation, Day 4 test.

Math

We have 10-11 weeks left of our current math routine.  My son has about 15ish lessons left in Saxon Math 3.  He will be introduced to two concepts a week, fully complete the first side of the worksheet and complete the second side according to my discretion. One day a week, he will practice math facts; this year I will be introducing timed practice. Two days a week, we will continue to work on mental math through the Simply Charlotte Mason Arithmetic.

 

Literature

Fairytales

Over the course of the year, my son will be reading Joseph Jacobs’ English Fairytales. This is an AO Year 3 free read or a main read for AO Year 3.5.  I’ve been working on the habit of reading more fairytales to the children as I’ve also been enjoying them for myself. (Have I ever told you about the folklore and storytelling class I took in college?  If not, I should tell you.  It was one of my favorite semesters.)

The Chronicles of Narnia

The Chronicles of Narnia are free reads on Ambleside Online, but I think they are vital for my children’s education.  I know they would thoroughly enjoy them as free reads, and I also think we’d be able to have really good discussions from any reading we did of them.  I’m selfishly putting them in our literature category.  I want to read them slowly enough that I am able to take my own notes on the depths of the books.  I also know that my son will be able to listen to these stories whole heartedly and understand what is going on and perhaps gain a love of the stories where he will read them on his own when he is older. (My third grade teacher read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to us.  When I was in eighth grade, I found out there were more books in the series and received a set for Christmas.  I tried reading them on my own but was lost.  I finally attempted to read them again in college and absolutely loved them.  I can’t wait to read A Horse and His Boy as that was my favorite during that time, and I would love to see if it remains my favorite now.) We will be listening to the series on Audible, but I also have the physical books to follow along. 

This is the first year I will be requiring a written narration.  I will only require a one sentence narration once a week.  We’ll see how this goes.  My son gives great oral narrations for the most part, so I think he is ready for the next baby step. (He will still have oral narrations for most of his subjects as this is the main way I evaluate what he’s learning.)

Shakespeare

We will be reading through A Midsummer Night’s Dream two days a week for 15-20 minutes. I haven’t quite decided how we’ll be dividing up our readings, but I want to make sure my son is following along well.  I will use the wooden characters I painted for our Lambs’ readings and adding in character cards since we’re adding in the full cast of characters.  It’s all an experiment as this is our first reading of a full Shakespeare play.

Poetry

We will be reading through Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Song of Hiawatha.  Longfellow is a Year 5 poet, but you will see this year and upcoming years that we are making some changes to how we follow AO. On AO they give several selections across Longfellow’s career, but I really want to spend time diving into one work.  (My daughter’s poetry selections are also playing a role in what I choose for our poetry tea time.  I do not read a poem a day as suggested on AO.  I have a weekly (and rarely missed) tea and poetry lunchtime for the kids.  It’s an event to help me like poetry more.)

Free Reads

We will be following suggestions from Ambleside Online Years 3.5 and 4.  I also have a list of books I loved in fourth grade that I want my son to read.  And I’ve added in some suggestions from a few other book lists.  We will not get to all the books on the list.  My typical goal is for him to read one free read per month.  (We are currently read Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls.  My third grade teacher read this to us.  I have it divided so that we finish it the day before we start school.  My son also checked out a Paddington book; I have not had devoted quiet reading times like I planned, so this will be his first free read to complete since he will need to return it to the library at our August trip.) For the most part, I have read the free reads aloud or we have listened to the audiobooks together.  Occasionally, I will have him listen to the books on his own if it’s been an audio I haven’t enjoyed.  We will continue this trend for now.  I think that AO intends for the students to read these books on their own, but my son is not able to consume these at the rate in which I think they intend.  I want to make sure he’s getting really good exposure to good books, so I will continue to use these as our read alouds. I’m sure I’ll have to make some adjustments next year as my daughter starts AO Year 1.

Weekly Academics

The remainder of our subjects rotate once or twice a week. This is how we fit it all into our Charlotte Mason education.

History

We are doing something completely different again this year. (This is our subject that I have consistently changed each year. As a (now casual) historian, I want my children to fall in love with people more than events.  I want them to have a good grasp of a historical timeline, but I want them to learn (and sometimes love) the people who have gone before us.)  Through the living library that we have joined, my son will be reading through the Garrard history books. While I may make some brief suggestions, I plan on him choosing the books he wants to read.  I expect him to read one biography a month.  I will record him giving an oral narration of each week’s reading so that I can use them to create exam questions. (At this point, I expect oral narrations from all independent reading to make sure he’s reading and understanding the assigned chapters.)

I also have the expectation that he will be choosing what goes in his Book of Centuries.  The past couple of years, I have chosen a fact from one of our readings for him to enter into his book (every other week).  This will now be a weekly task.  I may still help him with sentence structure when necessary, but I will also be encouraging him to fill some of the pages with illustrations.

Geography

I have gone back and forth on the intensity of geography and what to include.  I was originally going to continue on in our geography facts with Long’s and Charlotte Mason, but I have decided to keep that paired with Year 4 next year.  I also considered learning the fifty states in a little more depth.  However, I have decided against that as well. I did purchase a short study on the Southern states that I may incorporate here and there, but I’m not prioritizing it.  The biggest goal for geography this year is to locate all fifty states on the map and learn their capitals.  My son will label the regions of the U.S., make his own flashcards with the capitals, and have quizzes to label paper maps and also incorporate some use of Seterra each month. I have not done any map drills in the past, but he is ready.  I will also continue having him map anything we’re reading in literature or other books as this has been a fun activity on Fridays.

Science

Science will be divided into three parts – nature study, nature observation, and engineering. Our nature study topic for the first semester is insects. Each week we will read a chapter from The City Under the Back Steps by Evelyn Sibley Lampman. Again, it’s an experiment, but I plan to have my son either write a short narration (to challenge him in his attentiveness) or to have a labeled entry in his nature journal. I do feel like this is a bit unorthodox way for us to approach nature study this semester.

Every other week, we will be going on a nature walk.  I will expect a nature journal entry.  My son and I had a discussion at the beginning of June about giving his full attention to better entries in his nature journal.  We have been giving more attention in his overall attitude about the energy he gives to meaningful things as opposed to temporary entertainment.  I am now making it a point to draw his attention to the things that matter or why certain parts of school and attention matter. While I will probably give some suggestions to be focusing on insects, my real goal for my son is to be observing and wondering and praising God for His creation.

Building cardboard models and Legos is probably my son’s favorite pastimes (besides watching Star Wars and Sonic).  While STEAM is so appealing in our current culture, what’s more important to me for my son in this realm is that he has opportunities to learn about the hows and whys of what he loves to build.  I want him to grow in his skills as he adapts them to real life.  He still has quite a bit of Engineering Scribble.  He’ll do that once a month.  His grandpa will also be coming once a month to complete one to two kit projects with him.  While I previously had the expectation that he could do these on his own in his free time, I have learned he’s intimidated by the instructions and all the pieces.  He needs assistance.  This is such a great way for him to be learning with someone else.

The handicraft I chose for him this semester also ties (a future pun) into science. He received a book and cords a year or so ago to teach him how to tie knots.  As part of my effort in reducing the vast amount of schooling we are doing, he will be working on tying knots every other week.  I plan on doing some of this with him as I am also interested in learning how to tie good knots.

Riches

Switching over to a 15 week semester is providing plenty of time for us to alternate weeks for our riches providing more time to complete everything on the list instead of always having to let something go. It does mean that we are letting go one artist and composer, but I am keeping the bigger picture in mind that quality is far more important than quantity.

Composer

We will be listening to Ravel.  I am using the list provided by AO.  We listen to the selections on YouTube during lunch or while we’re painting.  I may continue along this line.  Every once in awhile I wonder if I should be doing more, but I think we’re still doing enough at this point.  My children have a good appreciation for classical music and music in general.  They will be getting even more classical instruction during their piano lessons in future years.

Artist

We are studying Raphael.  I really like the resources that Simply Charlotte Mason has.  I also have been previewing a few YouTube videos about Raphael to mix in with our normal list of educational videos.  We usually view and narrate a painting every other week using the alternate week to read portions of the biography.  I’m not sure if I’m going to be following that plan this school year as I plan to have the composer one week and the artist the next.

Art Lessons

Art is the subject we end up leaving off for the sake of other things on our list.  My plan this year is to alternate this chunk of time with our nature walks and journaling.  It’s not feasible for us to include two large blocks a week to these two subjects.  However, we can reasonably plan to do one of these a week. 

We will continue using the Bestowing the Brush lessons that we have purchased.  I have enjoyed doing the lessons together as the way Dallas teaches makes art time approachable for us all at any age and stage.

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu

My son’s chosen sport continues to be BJJ.  We have changed him to the competition class, which will also change our weekly routine considerably.  We are also requiring him to use a BJJ workout 2-3 times a week at home as his P.E.  Being active is definitely a challenge when you’re home so much! 

Piano

I will continue to give my son weekly piano lessons and require at least three days a week of practice.  He’s now considered a late beginner and is slowly making a few transitions into early intermediate.  It’s not a fight to get him to practice, but he rarely goes over to play the piano on his own. If I remember correctly, I was like this until middle school.  (Side note: I realize that his age is the beginning of Form 2 in CM, but I feel like he’s still in this limbo of mastering the life stage of Form 1, being ready in some ways for Form 2 but really just on the precipice where I could push him and risk losing him or holding off for just a little longer with more confidence that he’s fully ready for bigger steps in all areas of his education.)

Co-op

We are continuing with our commitment with our current co-op.  So far only one class topic has been posted for his grade, so I will give more of those details in the future.  Our group has been fairly quiet for the summer.  I know there has still been a learning curve as the group is still rather new.  Last year there were a couple of park days in the summer.  Since we were only able to attend one of them, I’m wondering if there just wasn’t enough interest. 

Summer Break Week 1

What I’m Reading: Broken Bone China by Laura Childs
Another installment of the Tea Mystery series.  This time I listened to the book on audio.  I’m not really a fan.  The books are formulaic, but I do enjoy the tea and food descriptions.  A good, light summer read.

Adventure

We started the week off going through the kids’ clothes to weed out the things that are too small and replace them with their hand-me-downs.  My daughter was so thrilled that the morning after everything was in her drawers, she woke up around 5am saying it was time to get dressed.

I’m planning on having at least one adventure each week.  This week we had several since it coincides with a holiday weekend. 

We spent several hours at the playground one day.  The covered playground was perfect and even a little chilly in the shade.  We also enjoyed a picnic under the trees before playing again.  We ran into a friend, which was perfect for me.  Rather than reading a book, I was able to enjoy catching up and talking about books.

The next day we went to a local state park for a hike.  The trail we hiked also has a small creek.  We played for quite a while.  The kids had pine cone races in the current.  It was another beautiful day with a cool breeze.  We were thrilled my husband could spend the day with us!

Reading

Myths and Stories

We are reading through Disney’s Wonderful World of Knowledge Stories and Myths and Legends each day.  The stories are fairly short.  My son has heard the majority of the stories in one form or another through school, and it’s an easy way to introduce the stories to my daughter.  I read better quality versions of the story when they are required through AmblesideOnline. 

Free Read

We finished reading A.B.C. Whipple’s The Mysterious Voyage of Captain Kidd.  My son picked this out first from the stack of summer reading because he thought it was about a kid.  Both children were quite confused when I explained that it was his last name.  All was redeemed when I said it was a book about pirates.  The book was so good that my husband got regular narrations from me and joined us when he could as I read aloud.

Friends, you must read The Mysterious Voyage of Captain Kidd. (The version printed by Purple House Press is outstanding.) As a non-practicing historian (meaning, I do not have time to do really good research these days) I find that alternative histories are intriguing.  As a homeschooling mom, I find they are necessary in teaching critical thinking skills.  The final chapter of the book offers up some more evidence and questions to ponder about Captain Kidd’s voyage, character, accusations, and trial.  Since reading this book, I have been watching YouTube videos about Captain Kidd looking for an appropriate documentary for my children.  So far I’ve only found videos giving evidence of his piracy.  Another great feature of the book we read is the list of books and documents to look into ourselves.  While I don’t see myself doing any further digging at this time, the pirate rabbit trail we’re following this summer is fun.

Independent Reading

We are not participating in our library’s summer reading program.  Every year I get so stressed out by it because it’s not just about reading anymore.  They also have you doing challenges.  I don’t want an extra thing I have to do during the summer.  I want us to have a more relaxed reading time where we are reading the books on our own shelves and definitely more leisurely reading.  However, we are still getting a tub of books each month from our living library.  In an effort to build in habits of quiet time and pursuing reading in effort to combat boredom, I am going to be pulling out our living library tub most days of the week for at least 20 minutes.

Academics/Riches Rotation

When we have days at home, I am including a very small rotation of math, academics, and riches.  We were able to fit in about three days of math, time to nature journal, a watercolor painting lesson, and weaving.  I’m also excited that my daughter is old enough to play Boggle Jr.  It was a game I started to play with my son several years ago, which he outgrew a couple years ago.  My son still has quite a bit left in his Engineering Scribble book, so I’m including the book for him to work on by himself. 

Routine

This summer I spending a good amount of our time focusing on building good habits.  As always, my children are ready for more independence in taking care of themselves in the mornings.  I am now requiring that they eat, get dressed, and make beds before their morning play.  We are also working on what needs to be daily chores; I want many of these to become engrained habits before we start the new school year. 

I’m also making a big deal of being outside while the weather is good and building endurance and forethought in how to fill that time.  This week we were able to fit in several walks, chalk, and riding scooters.  We are also continuing to eat lunch outside each day. 

Term 3, Week 7

What I’m Reading: Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim
This book is basically another woman voicing so many of my thoughts about being outside.  I filled several pages in my commonplace book of witty, thought provoking, and humorous quotes.  Elizabeth’s book is mixed with the perfect balance of truth and exaggeration creating a page-turning story. She would rather be sitting in her garden all day reading.  She likes her flowers scattered about rather than a row.  She likes to be with people, but she wants to limit her meetings with them for very good reason…it tends to lend to gossip or saying things you didn’t really mean to say.  The best way to get rid of guests who’ve overstayed their welcome – take them on an all day, outdoor picnic in the snow and freezing temperatures.

What I’m {nature} Journaling:  I keep tweaking how we do our special nature study each term.  While each time I think I’ve settled on what will work, I think what I’ve really settled on is making it a little different each time to suit the season.  While we studied rocks and minerals, we kept a specific page in our nature journals devoted to the topic and identified a few rocks each week.  I’m going to keep that same idea for our current bird study.  I’m drawing in little pictures of the birds who come to our backyard.  I’m asking my son to name one bird each week, but I think I will need to add in more for myself each week because my list is pretty long.

Co-op
Field trip week.  We visited a family farm to see how they process their eggs, milk cows, and got to see quite a few new baby animals.  We have been on this field trip before for their fall and spring field trips.  Weather around here has been boiling hot on the fall trips and freezing on the spring trips.  Not this time! We had a perfect day.  There was a nice cool breeze every time you needed it.  The sun was shining.  The sky was clear.  It smelled “farmy” according to my friend, which is the perfect description of hay, animals, and all that surrounds them. The kids’ favorite part is always the play area.  They’ve added more since our early days of going, so it’s always fun to see how they change things up giving us a new experience every time we go.  While we were sitting in the presentation of the cow milking, I kept recalling so much of what I’ve read in The All Creatures Great and Small series by James Herriott.  Keeping a farm is so much work, but it is evident that the family who owns this farm is passionate about what they do and about keeping the traditions alive. 

Third Grade Highlight

We couldn’t have had a more ideal weather week.  We have been able to get outside to walk and play every day.  We are also filling many pages in our nature journals with all the growth around us.  Flowers are blooming.  Bugs and birds are returning.  We also got the Insect Lore caterpillars again this year.  We haven’t been keeping a daily log like we did a couple years ago, but I feel like we’ve been far more curious watching them each day any time we sit at the school table (or even walk by).

We have exactly one month left of this school year.  We are down to the very bare minimum but also maintaining daily math, dictation, and copywork because I don’t want to squelch the momentum we’ve recently built.

We finished the Lambs’ Shakespeare retellings this week.  I think we started reading these in first grade.  We will start on full Shakespeare plays in the fall.  I have been learning an immense amount through House of Humane Letters.  My excitement for sharing with my children is growing.  (My husband is always getting an earful of my narrations that I hope he’s learning a bit too!)

We are also preparing for our co-op’s family night happening in a couple weeks.  My son is weaving potholders every day to sell at the market.  He’s practicing piano for the talent show.  We still need to pick out the art for him to display, but I’m delaying a bit since I will try to fit in one or two more art lessons before then.

Preschool Highlight

My husband has been working with my daughter to help her learn her birthdate.  It’s always nice to see him get involved in parts of the children’s schooling (he’s also been working with my son on his “P.E.”).  I have pulled out the 100 number chart for her to start looking at to see if her curiosity heightens.  She loves to count, but she hasn’t been ready to expand her counting beyond 20 yet.  I’m in no hurry.  I heard from another mother that she doesn’t let her little ones start math until they can count to 100.  I thought I might try this with my daughter, but I’m going to stay flexible and just see what unfolds.  I don’t want to start formal lessons with her for much longer even with all of her eagerness.  I will keep up my casual introduction of formal lesson ideas. I pushed far too early for my son.

Term 3, Week 6

What I’m Reading: The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
My year of Shakespeare continues.  I am participating in the Shakespeare conference that The Literary Life Podcast is offering, and I am taking advantage of the coinciding coupon and purchased a few of the Shakespeare classes. Believe it or not, I have never read The Taming of the Shrew even though it was my bestie’s favorite while we were in high school.  I remember seeing a portion of it at the Renaissance festival and wondering what was so appealing about a woman screaming!  I still don’t quite know how I feel about this play, so I look forward to learning more about it as I make my final conclusion.

What I’m {nature} Journaling: We finally made it to our favorite park for a picnic and nature walk.  I journaled the wild flowers we saw and wrote a list of all the wildlife we encountered.  Friends, we stepped across a garter snake at the very beginning of our walk.  I’m not going to lie.  I was terrified we’d come across a king snake (as we have in the past) while we explored a new path.  My fears finally calmed as we joined the part of the trail we typically walk.  There is a continual round of foot traffic on most of the paths, so it’s rare that we see snakes.  I didn’t know I was so afraid! (All started by a garter snake!  The garter snake we saw was much bigger than the ones I encountered as a child.)

Co-op

We had another class day at co-op this week.  A downside to co-op classes is the time of day.  It’s the time of day that I typically take a power nap or need a snack.  Not every day.  So that works out many times, but this week was one of those weeks when I really wanted a nap! We all had a good time anyway.

Third Grade Highlight
This was a first full week of balancing school along with our new routine of being outside as much as possible. We completed the basics of school with a little extra.  We didn’t quite make it around to all the riches, but I’m not too concerned as I plan on including this regularly during our summer season. We were successful in being outside often. 

Preschool Highlight

We have a joined a living library that is close to us. (If you haven’t heard of a living library, you can listen to Plumfield Moms.) [When we go to our local library, I set very strict boundaries for the kids (limit of 3 books and I have to approve them).  The majority of the books we get are from holds through our library system.] Now we have a library where I can set the children free to pick stacks of books with far less worry. I was delightfully surprised to see “Wheel on the Chimney” by Margaret Wise Brown.  The title caught my eye since it’s so much like “The Wheel on the School” that I read with my son.  Such a fortuitous find as it fit with what we’ve learned about Holland and our current study of birds.   

When I was doing preschool with my son, it was recommended to me to start reading chapter books (and given a list of specific books).  I tried and he didn’t seem to have the capacity to focus.  I also had unrealistic expectations that we could read a full chapter at a time (especially in my earlier days of being  a little slower as I read aloud). We finally made it through a chapter book when he first turned six.  Now that it’s my daughter turn, I feel far more prepared to handle the length in which she can focus and the types of stories she will enjoy.  I have decided she is ready for A Bear Called Paddington in small doses.  It’s a good book for my son too, so I thought I’d pick it up for us to read in little spurts once or twice a day when the three of us are together.

Also…

I realized this would typically be our midway point in the term. However, we’re more than half way there and I feel like I’m eliminating more and more along the way. I even considered just ending the school year. You never know. I may follow through with my whim and just end things.

Term 3, Week 4

What I’m Reading: The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse
This is my second Wooster/Jeeves book.  I read another a year or more ago, and I did not appreciate it.  I gave it a try after so many people raving over the hilarity.  I DID NOT understand it; I was bored.  However, I typically (not always) read along with whatever is being read on The Literary Life Podcast.  Since this book was available as an audiobook through my library and I had some available listening time, I decided to go ahead and give it a listen. THIS is the way to go on these books.  The book was far more enjoyable.  I understood far more of the humor.  While I still don’t think I will turn to reading this series on my own at this time, I did find some delight in reading it.

What I’m {nature} Journaling:  Birds…still. And squirrels and chipmunks. 
Over the weekend, I filled all the feeders, so we had a menagerie in the backyard this week. The bluebirds have been very busy building their nest in the bird house.  The female especially likes my hanging planter as there’s quite a collection of good sized twigs from the dead rosemary. The male is always close by keeping a good lookout for the female.  The pileated woodpecker enjoys the squirrel feeder as much as the squirrels.  The squirrel had a bit of a tricky time figuring out the new set up with the corncob getting in his way, but he didn’t give up.  The chipmunk who lives under our deck also had a lively time scurrying through the yard.  The only birds I’m not so fond of is the flock of cowbirds.  I love to hear them sing, but they come in a fairly large flock and chase away the house finches.  Other birds I’ve seen: nuthatches, chickadees, cardinals, brown thrashers, downy woodpeckers, turtle doves, and robins. I also saw my first hummingbird exactly one week to the hour that I hung the hummingbird feeder!

Co-op

The kids had their Easter party with co-op this week.  It was a beautiful day at the park.  There was a cool breeze, and it was perfect while the sun was shining.  We have a local park with several ponds and a beautiful hilly area that helps you feel secluded and in another world for just a little while.

I’m always exhausted and over-peopled after co-op.  We have been going to co-op most weeks since September, and I still haven’t quite figured out our dynamic for the day.  I try to maintain school during the day and want to get everyone cleaned up and fed when we get home.  BUT it is a lot for me! I am a homebody to the max, and I am overwhelmed getting out and being around people.  While I love to be out once I’ve made it out and love to be with friends when I’m with them, it completely drains my inner resources.

Third Grade Highlight

We finished On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  [My son wanted to listen to the rest of the story on his own one day this week, and I wouldn’t let him.  I wanted to hear the story as much as him! Instead, I had him listen to the next part of his science book.] This is the fifth (fourth with my son) Little House book I’ve read.  Every time I read one, I think it’s my favorite.  This one was great because I liked every chapter! 

My dad came over to work on an engineering project with my son. My son has received quite a few STEM boxes.  In the beginning, I wanted him to work on them on his own because he’s been asking to build a robot.  I want him to build it, not watch us build it for him.  However, he’s overwhelmed reading instructions.  I can understand that.  We are implementing a new plan of having my dad come over once a month to help him.

Needs Improvement
A little update on how we’re improving in the Needs Improvement category.  We have been building better habits in math.  It hasn’t happened overnight, and we are still working hard for full implementation.  My husband is now requiring that my son show ALL of his work even when a problem is easy.  Before, I was encouraging him to do so and showing him ways he could do this – on the whiteboard, on scrap paper, or on graph paper.  We have also been working through all the tools that are available to him to attempt to complete his work on his own.  Both of these steps/habits have been difficult to remember and have slowed us down on the front end, but we explained to our son that if he made these changes, he would get through his work quicker.  We tried it fully the first day and he reduced his work time by half.  Our final talk was about his focus and his will over his impulses.  He is easily distracted and would much rather play than do school, so he is often daydreaming about what he is going to play when school is over.  Now we are on a quest to conquer!

Preschool Highlight

While my dad was over working with my son, my daughter was assisting me in feeding the birds.  She also helped me prepare a dessert for after dinner.  I am having her assist me in as many areas as possible.  It requires more work from me on the front end, but I know it will heap in the rewards years from now.

My daughter spelled her first word on her own this week.  DAD.  It’s kinda like when babies begin babbling their first words.  “Dada” is the natural progression.  Well, I guess DAD is the plausible first spelling word!  It has more to do with the fact that she asks how to spell each of our names and copies them over and over.  Everyone spells their name out except my husband who always spells out D-A-D. I guess my mistake was in teaching her my first name instead of MOM!

Term 3, Week 3

What I’m Reading: The Keeper of the Bees by Gene Stratton-Porter
I’ve had this book waiting on my Kindle for some time.  It’s a perfect before-bed read.  It’s slow, thoughtful.  I love the descriptions of the ocean and garden.  I did not like the repetitive, laborious inner analysis of people and feelings.  Often this book reminded me of a Grace Livingston Hill plot and her writing style.  This book is coming up in a book club podcast I listen to, which often increases my overall opinion of a book as I’m able to hear other’s appreciation.  I don’t have a poor opinion of the book, but it’s not one that I think I would reread or effervesce over tea and conversation.

What I’m {nature} Journaling:  Birds.  We will officially be studying birds as our special study in a few weeks, but I’m already keeping track.  The hummingbird feeder was hung over the weekend, so we should start seeing them over the next week or two.  The male and female bluebirds are making daily inspections at the birdhouse.  Maybe I’ll start seeing some nest building (or left wondering if that’s what they’re doing as I don’t always see their arrival with pine needles and such). 

Co-op
We had our third class day.  The preschoolers learned about fish.  They sang a super cute song about swimming the things that fish don’t really do.  My son had to miss again which was disappointing.  However, we might make bucket drumming a summer project.

Our local library hosts 1-2 homeschooling events each month.  We have been attending a few of these over the past couple of years.  While they don’t always fit into our goals and haven’t produced much fruit in the friendship department, it’s usually fun to get out of the house and people watch other homeschoolers.  This event was a Lego challenge to build an animal and its habitat.  Both kids participated and I’m thankful when any homeschool event includes the entire family (instead of being centered around elementary age). 

Third Grade Highlight
We’re plugging along.  What was supposed to be condensed week to fit in appointments and fun turned into a few days of convalescing and working in what would could around recovering.  While I do think we could have eked out a few more academics, I didn’t push it.  Instead, I read ahead (as much as my voice was able) in The Jungle Book.   

Preschool Highlight

I guess I should retitle this section as “My Preschooler’s Current Obsession.”  My daughter is currently obsessed with copying ALL the words.  Anytime there’s space on a paper, she’s copying any of the words she can fit in.  She doesn’t ask what they say; she just wants to copy them.  She also says every letter she sees (which is great so that I can help her with the letters she’s still learning).  If the letters happen to spell something, I’m fitting in a bit of a phonics lesson.

We are also reading through a pile of Gyo Fujikawa books.  I’m enjoying them.  So far I’ve read a few that don’t really have much of a plot but the illustrations are beautiful.  Next week we’ll get into the books with great stories.

We are visiting Latin America for my son’s geography.  The stories I’ve been reading to my daughter are a little more fun for her than the selections for my son.  Many of them are based on songs or nursery rhymes.

Term 3, Week 1

What I’m Reading: Othello by William Shakespeare
I’m reading my way through The Literary Life Podcast’s Shakespeare plays. This is one they’re covering March/April 2023. I enjoyed this play.  My son was playing nearby during the dramatic death scene.  It was fun explaining the drama; I could picture it in my mind.  I have never read this play before and have really never heard much about it. I highly recommend listening to the Arkangel recordings while reading along in a Folger’s book.  I haven’t read many of the notes in the Folger’s edition yet.  Right now I’m doing first read throughs as I gain an overview of the story.  I notice a few details here and there that spark my curiosity, but I haven’t delved in too deep yet. 

What I’m {nature} Journaling:  Trees.
The trees in our neighborhood are transitioning from winter to spring. The cherry trees are blossoming into pink and white, their trunks and branches in the shape of a plump cherry.  The Bradford pears (complete with the full stench of dead fish) are blossoming into white fluff, their trunks and branches resembling the shape of a pear.

The most amazing observation began with a giant sycamore that we pass on our walks. Back in the autumn, my daughter brought home a seed pod treasure.  While we were on a winter walk, we noticed fluffy, furry seeds scattered all over the sidewalk. As I looked up into the tree from which they had fallen, I noticed that hanging from the tree were the same seed pods my daughter had previously treasured. I used a trusty search engine to help me identify the seeds.  Sycamore. I learned that in the autumn, the “fruit” hardens.  In the winter, the “fruit” releases. While it may not seem too incredible, I was wonderstruck with being able to experience this change with my own senses.

While I was painting the stages of the “fruit” in my nature journal, I was thinking of how short but amazing my nature journey has been.  It was right before my son started first grade that I purchased my first field guide.  I had decided we’d study trees first since I knew we’d have no trouble finding them! We went on several hikes where our discoveries were unsure, tentative, and completely unknowledgeable. I still know very, very little. BUT I’m not fumbling through my tree guide anymore. 

Co-op
We had the second class day for co-op.  My son is taking a bucket drumming class and another class about people around the world.  He LOVES the bucket drumming class! It’s such a good idea for a five week class.

My daughter is learning about the human body and animal kingdoms in her preschool class(es). I’m assisting in the animal class hour.  The preschoolers are super cute.  The class time goes by too quickly. 

Third Grade Highlight

We finished Jeanie Lang’s Stories from the Faerie Queen Told to the Children. (We used the Yesterday’s Classics version. Now that I’ve read through several books where the editing and printing were poor quality, I’ll try to let you know when I’ve read a good copy. I do recommend this version.) We were not scheduled to finish this book until next week, but my son didn’t have to do much talking to convince me to read the last chapter! Now that I’ve read this, I’m looking forward to my next journey into Narnia. (I’m wondering if I and my son will pick up on any of the connections that Lewis makes to Edmund Spenser. It’s been quite awhile since my last reading of the series that I wasn’t thinking about any of the connections from Narnia into Fairyland.)

When we sing through our hymns and folksongs, my son is adamant that we since every verse.  When I printed our song sheets this term, I put an “x” next to the verse that isn’t sung on the recording we’re using to listen along.  My son was very concerned about this.  I explained to him that even when I was growing up, we would sing 2-3 verses out of 4-5 and not always in the same order.  We don’t use hymnals and usually only sing one hymn (if any) during the music portion of our worship service. He’s growing up in a different paradigm giving me much to mull over as I consider the spiritual atmosphere of our home and community.

Needs Improvement

Psalm 16:9 (NKJV) says “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.” This verse has considerably impacted my life for over a decade now. We live in a fallen world where we encounter sickness, death, and brokenness at every turn. Our dreams, hopes, and expectations fall short. While in my late twenties, I was experiencing a lot of doubt that I could move forward in any type of success.  I was talking with a mentor who told me I didn’t have hope in Jesus.  I considered these words for a long time because I didn’t quite understand.  I wondered what was meant by these words since I knew I trusted Jesus.  While I was up in the middle of the night praying and reading the Psalms, I read all of chapter 16.  Verse 9 caught my attention.  Even my flesh that is broken that lives on this earth can hope.

I think of this hope as we apply a Charlotte Mason philosophy to our children’s education.  How does it spill over into real life, into the lives of my children when they leave home, and even now as we step outside of our home and enter into our immediate world? There is no denying the transforming power of truth, beauty, goodness, and justice. When I was first dazzled by the promises of a (neo-)classical education, I thought of how smart my children would be if I could followed a classical model. I was left feeling inadequate in my knowledge.  The difference, as we’ve switched over to CM, I’ve seen in myself is that I can approach all aspects of learning. I can pick up the books I’m intimidated by (and in any order – not chronologically like a recommendation I received when I was first learning about the classical model) and give them a chance.  I can read them slowly.  I can skim them.  I can leave them alone.  I can pick them up again.  It’s not about becoming an expert but about enjoying the Lord, His people, and His world. And this isn’t just in books.  I can apply this to all learning.  I can be okay not knowing everything about nature as I go on a nature walk; I can look at art and know that the more attention I give will lead to new discoveries and connections. 

These truths spill over into the school reality that we’re working through a tough time in math right now.  We are slowing down.  Instead of focusing on the hard part of brain expansion and patience in practicing skills, we’re looking at the joy of finding patterns and truths.

These truths spill over into my personal reality as I find my footing in my own humanity and current roles of wife, mom, daughter, and friend. I’m learning how these things I’m seeing in my mind can be shared reactively in kindness but also proactively in sharing my ultimate hope.

Preschool Highlight

My daughter is obsessed with doing “math” with her brother.  A week or so ago my husband had my son teach him part of his math lesson as a bit of a test to see how well he knew what he was learning.  My daughter wanted to be just like her brother, so she taught Daddy how to count to 10.  While she was doing that my husband was teaching her how to write numbers.  She has been writing numbers all week and copying any math I wrote on the board for my son.  She’s willingly grabbing the Usborne wipe clean books I have for numbers and capital letters. She’s also obsessed with learning everyone’s middle names. It’s fun!