Fall & Beginning of the School Year Daybook

Outside my window... it is a cool, sunny Sunday. I am thankful for... the lazy family time we're enjoying this weekend, thanks to Mary being sick and the rest of us fighting it off. I can't remember the last time we all hung out at home all day. I am hoping for... continued peace & joy about our homeschooling path this year. We are enjoying our new schedule after a long spring & summer of researching, discerning, planning, & some experimenting. A big part of this year is Classical Conversations for us. We are commuting to a community 50 min away in Oklahoma! It is completely worth it and makes for a great day for us. It is very fun while adding a lot of desired structure for us and can serve as a springboard for so much work at home together. On my mind... Jesse's career and next position post-Air Force. He has options and we are so grateful, especially because it looks like God is opening doors for a non-traditional schedule in the near future. Noticing that... 1) Jude is growing up, picking up on adult things about the world & becoming increasingly more responsible, 2) John Paul is in the nine year old broody phase & loving playing soccer again, 3) Mark is loving "kindergarten" this year & playing his first season of soccer, and 4) Mary is her usual perceptive & precocious self, doing her best to keep up with her brothers. A few plans for the month... October will begin with Mary's hernia repair surgery in Ft. Worth. Then, we have two fun trips: Jesse & the boys will finally go on a Father/Son Camp Out again and we will all finally go on our long-awaited Big Bend trip with Mimi. From the bookshelves... Mary is learning her letter names & sounds with Elizabeth Foss' Alphabet Path. Mark is learning to read with Little Stories for Little Folks from CHC. (I really love most of their early elementary stuff and am using a lot of it with the littles this year.) The older two & I have enjoyed re-visiting Redwall this month as part of our Brave Writer language arts curriculum. We're using old copies of BW's "The Arrow" covering some of their favorite books for a fun source of copy work & dictation material, as well as a springboard for our discussions of writing & literary devices. They are each using a different math curriculum this year, still Saxon for one and Oak Meadow for the other. (If I had to use one accredited curriculum to appease my state or my husband- which I don't in either case- I think I would use Oak Meadow. I love their project-based yet still challenging curriculum.) In the kitchen... is our last CSA box of this season, including fresh black-eyed peas that Jesse cooked with bacon as part of dinner last night. I am creating... a healthier me by working out regularly, although my back is really hurting again this weekend for the first time in a few months. I completed my first sprint triathlon a couple weekends ago! The cycling has been a God-send for my back and helps it to feel so much better & stronger. I am also part of a new team at our parish working to create & publish our parish newsletter. On the Church calendar & in our home Church... October will bring some favorite feast days including the feasts of St. Francis and St. Jude. We will host our Catholic Home School Group's meeting on Our Lady of the Rosary so I have some planning to do for that... We will mostly read about, possibly over tea time, these saints on their days and include them in our prayers, asking their intercession. Fridays we focus on catechism lessons this year, although we try to really pray together every day. The older boys are doing Faith & Life on-line and that has been a great choice for them to help keep it more interesting & fun. Mark is narrating his way through The Gospels for Children and Mary has her own little My First Catechism, both published by Ignatius.

Quick Takes

This is another of those forms of blog writing that I am borrowing, without linking up to the original "Quick Takes" blog (like my "Daybook" posts).  Aka. I am not pretending to have created this form of post.

1.

We are on a Spring Break of longish sorts, by plan and by circumstance.  We are learning many things:  listen to your body when it is sick and just rest some more; welcome unexpected family guests; patience while preparing the earth for spring planting when the weather fluctuates as much as it does in north Texas.

2.

Today is the Feast of St. Joseph!  A burst of feast day food and fun in Lent for all of us.  It is an old European Catholic tradition (Italian?)  to bake special bread today.  For the hard-working breadwinner St. Joe in our family,  I am going to make the super-easy bread he loves that is so very appropriate for him: beer bread.  :)

3.

We have a couple new horses: Joker (a blondish POA) and Rocky (another LARGE QHOA, "traded" the one we had for him). 

Men and horse names... not my husband 's names, in these cases.

4. 

We are planning a LEGO birthday party for this weekend.  Need to do some research & send some texts.  And plan for Homeschool Group at our house even sooner.  We want to do something to celebrate the election of Pope Francis!  Habemus Papum!!

5.

Speaking of on-line research, I am obsessed with homeschool research right now.  This is how I think through where we are, where we're going.  We are at a new juncture- everyone home, lots of growth in good ways, honeymoon phase over though.  Ha.  I find myself slowly but surely relaxing, dare I write it- tending toward "tidal schooling," as Melissa Wiley dubbed it.  That seems a natural rhythm to me, one we have already somewhat followed with longer Christmas and Easter breaks than traditional school and more work in the hot summer months.  However, it has been an ebb & flow that I have chosen.  I'm starting, trying to listen to the kids more about schedule, curriculum choices.  I'm starting to stop trying to please the everyone in my head, including the Homeschool Nay-sayers by trying to have the best of both worlds and give over to the sometimes messy, organic life that is homeschooling several children.  And I mean several, Miss Mary wants to DO so much already.  Girls. 

6.

My thoughts are that there remains so many needs to balance and that remain in tension (creative tension on good days, stressful tension on bad ones): littles/bigs, busy days/quiet days, run-around days/home days, home life/school work, marriage/school work, directed lessons because I do know more of what they need to learn/kid-centered fun learning because, well, they respond to this better.

7. 

For us, Montessori learning has always been an answer to many of the learning tensions.  So, I am researching that again, to incorporate more for the bigs again, too.  I've added several links in the sidebar.  And for the littles, we are slowly using the NAMC Primary Curriculum & materials in-a-box I posted about.  Lots of great stuff there...  Something entirely new to us is an idea from a friend to have the boys lead a couple of our subjects by being the ones to decide what we need to read for discussions, what projects to do, etc.  As I write this, I feel like we already do that with the fun projects for history & science, I guess I'm thinking to do this even more and with even more subjects.  It would be fun to have one of them come to me to tell me to do my reading for tomorrow's discussion.

Fall Quick Takes

1.

I copied the "Daybook" post idea from better bloggers than myself before, now I'm swiping the "Quick Takes" idea.  Short random thoughts are the best I can hope for these busy days.  Just wanted to acknowledge my lack of original thought.

2. 

Does "everyone" (as in the couple friends who occasionally check this!) know Jesse is home?  For about 3 months now.  His deployment was cancelled.  (Too long of a story for Quick Takes.) Home but very busy at work, so busy he often cannot even talk for more than about 3 minutes a day.  I'm not complaining, just observing.  Really.  :)

3.  

The kids and I are enjoying the new school year: new "curriculum" for the big boys, fun new sports for them, too.  Littles love their days at home & their days at our parish's nursery school.  That's been a good rhythm for us...but also...

4. 

Have you seen how much great stuff  Elizabeth Foss has at the/her other blog Serendipity?  Planning on doing her Catholic, Waldorf-inspired "Alphabet Path" at home with M & M.  I'm slowly but surely including the Littles in more & more of our "official" homeschooling times & work ... instead of doing much of the learning separately except, of course, play & reading & outside time... I am not a natural with toddlers so things like Foss' Alphabet Path help capture my imagination & show me what's possible.

5.  

We have a Catholic homeschool group this year!  So fun for all the kids and momma.  This group is helping me to include the Littles more because we all prepare for it together.  (Maybe this should have been a Homeschooling Quick Takes!  Sorry.)

6.

Big boys and I are part of the RCIC (RCIA adapted for children) class at our parish this year, in a role similar to that of sponsors in RCIA I guess, for lack of a better label, really just as journeying friends. I am learning so much from the moms involved & the power of their faith to meet life's challenges.

7.  

Mary is trying to potty somewhat regularly.  And talking constantly, including during Mass!  She adores animals, especially our chickens & horses.  I've got to get some photos posted soon.

8.  

Mark loves his letter sounds and is often picking them out in conversation.  He also loves to use his roller blades he got from Mimi for his "red birthday." 

9.  

JP is his usual hardworking, cheerful self- very dedicated to judo right now.

10.  

Jude has a gerbil now & is very devoted to it, as well as his swimming.  Out of the menagerie of animals we have, who'd have thought it would be a rodent that would capture his imagination?

11.

Since I started these, we/the kids have been home sick for a WEEK!  A bad cold and strep has been working its way through everyone at different times and in different combinations.  Please pray Jesse & I are healthy to teach our first NFP class this weekend.  This is about par for the course of our NFP teaching journey!  :)

12.

I'm feeling my usual pre-Halloween & All Saint's creative stress, as in I am NOT creative and rarely can make my kids' great ideas materialize into costumes for them... :(.  Here's to store-bought.



Fruits of Summer

• One watermelon! & three squash!!! are growing in one of our front beds.
• Mary can stand for several seconds & loves to practice walking w/ help.
• She also just cut her second top tooth, making a total of four up front.
• And she "prays" w/ us whenever we pray together.
• Mark taught himself to swim.
• And is pottying more than before and wearing pull-ups.  These did not make a difference to the other two boys.  They do to him.
• Best of all, he & Mary play some together now- his toys, of course, & at his discretion, of course.  She doesn't care.  She adores him.
• Several friendships for the older pair have budded or grown.
• Piano tunes are heard in the house again, now from both of the older set. 
• Science experiments were conducted, including slime & explosions.
• We've finally begun the long-awaited Indian/Native American unit and have a field trip planned.  Maybe three.
• The momma is training for a race w/ a neighbor-friend, often w/ several children along.  This is, perhaps, actually good training for staying focused & light on the feet amidst the obstacles of a trail run.  At least this is what she is telling herself.
• A new sewing machine lives in the house, one that has been the secret to completing an old project & starting anew (& a new...several things).
• The momma also learned to crochet, taught by a patient mother-in-law.
• Many good books read including the Redwall series for the only other readers in the house and Simplicity Parenting, Keeping a Nature Journal, Holiness for Housewives for the momma.  All recommended, especially the last.
• We are living a new rhythm that is more little set-inclusive & creative, that I hope to carry into the official school year of English and math lessons.
• Plans are made for that next school year & many supplies are ordered.
• We have survived the heat and Jesse's deployment and are eagerly anticipating his return in the next couple of weeks.  Still no date...

our Winter Term & some mid-year thoughts on homeschooling

We continued our bird watching by setting up a feeding station b/f the cold weather came.

It came.  Their first real snow.



They did not even have winter coats or warm quilts for their beds b/f we lived here. 

Snow suits may be on the horizon- at least for the child who continues to give us new ways to use duct tape.  He went out w/ mittens on but they promptly fell off.  He played until his hands were red & frozen and he was crying but he refused to come in.  Hence, the tape.

It was already melting here but we managed to make a snow man.

We started "feeding" the soil in our little garden of 3 raised beds, kitchen scraps/compost that we turn in the soil every few days.



We read the original Little House series and the Rose Wilder series. We did some related hand crafts including candle making, wood working, and sewing. These are the candles above.

We ate a lot of S'mores while Dad was still here to direct. 

And foods from the Little House Cookbook, including our Christmas Eve dinner of chicken pie.

The actual wood craft had nothing to do w/ pioneers or westward expansion.

Scary.

Then came Daddy Departure Day.  We all went to the airport.

We did not do any math or language arts lessons during our extended Winter Term, mostly b/c I was busy w/ Christmas prep and then deployment prep and then I wanted us to have fun w/ Jesse while he was home for a few weeks b/f leaving the country.  Our summer break may be shorter this year but we will work our new school year around when Jesse gets home in late August (hopefully) anyway.

So, that is one thing I like about homeschooling- the flexibility.  I also love the sibling time, all the outdoor time, the creative time.  I know we are always bonding and making special family memories of books read together, faith shared together.

I don't like- having so much power over their little lives.  Does anyone else feel this?  Maybe I just do alot b/c they have gone to school and I remember the greater freedom within broader limits they had there.  This may be why some parents choose to homeschool but not me, not us.  It was a choice to bring them home for now b/c we believe we can give them more of what they really need right now.  But that does not mean I want to dictate their every daily decision, which sometimes it feels like b/c of the necessity of coordinating everyone's different needs and wants.  So, there are definitely some things I think homeschooling does not give them or my homeschooling does not give them right now...which I will post about another time...

when I am not so tired, which shines light on my real issue: the challenges of homeschooling w/ a toddler & infant, now while being a single parent for 6 months.  This I know, though, no school is perfect.

Baptism of the Lord Daybook

 *Post Post: It did snow today!

Outside my window...a wet, cold Sun w/ the the temperature dropping. There is even a chance of snow!

I am thankful for...blessed holidays w/ my husband still home w/ us, the inspiration to do a relaxed winter term of school from mid-Dec through Jan & the Little House fun we've been having during it, an irresistible toddler, & a breastfeeding infant who is growing...slowly but surely, she's growing... along the 10th percentile curve but she's growing.

I am hoping for...time! (always!?) to finish New Year's notes & a handmade gift.

On my mind...Jesse's truly imminent (this time) deployment to Kuwait. We are so thankful that his superiors listened to the specialists & protected his back from any further injury under the tougher conditions in Afghanistan. Kuwait is a blessing & that is what I'm going to tell myself for the 6 mos he's gone. I'm not worried about sharing that he's gone here b/c I basically set up this blog to be a private one & you can only find it if I've sent you here.

Noticing that... Precious Babe is falling asleep while nursing & Toddlin' Tornado just woke up, according to the sounds (kicks) coming from his room. And it's getting colder...

A few plans for the week...finish those notes & the gift. A few plans for the month...final prep for Beloved Husband to leave, tweaking of spring school plans for the big boys, Montessori homeschooling plans for Toddlin' Tornado, a LLL meeting for Precious Babe. A few plans for the year...resolutions, even?...not a lot of resolutions, just plans to craft/create more, especially gifts & b-day cakes- just 1-2 a month. My only real resolution is to get outside everyday & walk a few times a week. I feel like God has much of my year mapped out for me. I'm resolved to do what it takes to be a single parent of 2 in diapers & another 2 I'm homeschooling for the next 6 mos.

From the bookshelves...lots of reading going on here. The entire Little House series for the big boys...now we're getting into the "sequels" and hopefully eventually, Melissa Wiley's "prequels.". I'm reading the original Rev Awdry Thomas the Tank stories to Toddlin' Tornado. I've been slowly reading Those Who Love based on correspondence b/twn John & Abigail Adams during their many separations since we moved here. We're both reading a book handed out @ our dynamic parish for Christmas, Rediscover Catholicism by Matthew Kelly. Very good so far. I'm also reading a BEAUTIFUL book on my Kindle App called One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are. So good. Beautifully written in an almost poetic style. Full of inspired wisdom from a modern, Christian-seeker mom. I put all my 2011 must-reads in our "library"...um, master bath, so they are always w/in reach.

In the kitchen...a gift subscription to "Clean Eating" from a new friend. Tried a new recipe from this month's tonight that was officially not. a. hit. Frustrating. I liked it but we all know that means it will never be made again.

I am (co-) creating...a chubby baby, spring school plans, go-to lists for when my husband is gone, that gift that I should just work on instead of writing about, more organized house. We still have boxes to unpack six months later but they are finally distributed from the holding space where the unimportant ones had collected.

On the Church calendar & in our home Church...Ordinary Time, the green growing time, as I tell the kids. We didn't do anything for Epiphany this year- no house blessing or King Cake or virtue selection. We were still recovering from travels & a family New Year's Eve party. We celebrate John Paul's feast day on the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul later this month.

More Adventures in Homeschooling: Oct & Nov

Took some pictures today as we put on a "Daddy Expo" to show him everything we've been working on the last 6 weeks or so.  (Jesse is home for Veteran's Day.)  From the top: calculating area & perimeter; our infant timeline; a lot of geography b/c the boys love it including quizzing them w/ wet-erase markers on their old shower curtain re-purposed in our schoolroom, Montessori continent boxes, & clay models of all the continents; a homemade bird feeder & butterfly feeder actually made not at home but at our local nature center's awesome Science Sat. which my even more awesome homeschooling neighbor takes our boys to w/ her own boys, and the elephant masks the same neighbor-friend designed when it was her..um, our... turn to lead the HS Book Club craft for our leisurely reading of The Jungle Book this fall.

A Three Day Weekend Daybook

Starting off with several photos I'm sharing- Jude suiting up to play goal keeper, a new love for this season; John Paul lost his first tooth this week, he is also the family artist & so good with Mark, and Mary started smiling this past week (I rotate these pics but they don't post that way!?).

Outside my window... another beautiful fall day, although I haven't been out.

I am thankful for... a fun weekend at home, including fun dinners b/c we've had extra time w/ Dad and I feel relaxed. I'm always trying to make dinner a priority: good food & good time connecting, especially w/ Dad who isn't home all day & who is a big "dinner guy." It also makes it not the bane of my existence to get dinner on the table if I change the focus to raising the bar! Fri. night Jesse & I had a fondue date night at home after the kids went to bed, Sat. night we had a picnic in our back acre, and last night we grilled steaks & had the boys' friends over to eat with us.

I am hoping...to start writing more, especially prayers & things for Jude's 2nd gr. religious ed/faith formation class we are teaching and NFP articles b/c we are doing some promoting for friends who are NFP teachers here.

On my mind...where those old NFP articles, etc. are that I wrote, either digital copies or hard copies?

Noticing that...John Paul is a really special kid who loves to study his faith. I wanted to incorporate some workbooks into our learning, so I sought out specifically Catholic ones from CHC for him especially. Both boys love them and other materials from CHC.

A few plans for the week...soccer, more soccer. The big boys are playing a combined indoor/outdoor season. After a couple of rough nights of taking all the kids (which took me 40 min to pack up for!), we now alternate who stays home w/ toddler Mark and I do most of the indoor practices/games w/ Mary.

From the bookshelves...we're studying ancient Greece: D'aulaires' Greek Myths, Archimedes and the Door of Science, The Jungle Book, St. Dominic and the Rosary. Mark is obsessed w/ train books.

In the kitchen...some leftovers, I think...

On the Church calendar...Feast of St. Luke, St. Isaac Joagues , St. Jude! b/f the end of the month. We're focusing on the Rosary this month of the Rosary and Respect Life issues.

Adventures in Homeschooling: Sept.

The boys' own attempt at a ladder.

Dad to the rescue. Woodworking 101.

Fun with a red-eared slider. Demonstrating "plaston" for me.

And no, not a cooking lesson. Just a fun kick-off to bird watching with "Birds in a Nest" for breakfast.

For my sister, who thinks we never do any real work or lessons. It sure looks like we don't, doesn't it? :)

B/c I'm busy tweaking next month's original school plans...

"Help us, O God, to enter into the secret of childhood so that we may know, love, and serve the child in accordance with the laws of thy justice and following thy holy will."

Maria Montessori