When Homeschooling went from frustrating to beautiful part 2

I firmly believe in long luxurious Saturday mornings.
A third cup of coffee?  Yes please.
Still in jammies at 9:30 am,
 perched at the window taking in a swath of forest in quiet contemplation suits me just fine.
The rest of the family know it is a more relaxed, hushed morning.
 The teens sleep in.
Our littles have anticipated, plotted and planned what creative play
these carefree hours will hold.
Eventually, I will make a big, lavish brunch of warm comfort food.
Saturdays are defined by order and structure
 that become a standard of living 
which breathes life
 and beauty into our home.

Order and beauty.

The question was posed to me a few weeks ago:
 "Just how did you  transform your home schooling into something beautiful?"

We began with a new vision for raising our children.
  First, we endeavored to live a life of nurturing. (part 1)

Secondly, seeing that our children had met the necessary educational standards
 suddenly became not enough,
 and, not even the point.
 What was our reason for home schooling anyway?
This must be determined.
Without a goal, there is nothing to aim at.
"Where there is no vision, the people perish."
(Proverbs 29:18)
We determined that what was most important to us is
that our children would grow in refinement, in knowledge, in strength,
in wisdom, in patience, gentleness, kindliness, in physical vigor,
 and be trained in all that would make them true and noble men and women.

Obviously, it would take more than a good working knowledge of math, English and science.

Our definite purpose
 is that of training, building up, and sending out people
filled with lofty ideas and aspirations,
governed by principles of honor
 and outfitted to embark upon the duties and struggles of life
 with wisdom and faith.

So, what kind of culture would produce such results?

Again, we turned to the rich wisdom of J.R. Miller in the book "Homemaking."
"There is nothing in all the influences
 and surroundings of the home so small 
that it does not leave its touch of beauty 
or of marring
 upon the life. Wherever a child grows up
 it carries in its character 
the subtle impressions of the home in which it lives."

 Wow. Oh my.
 Wow.
This would not be a task easily attained,
 and it would take everything we have to make it happen,
 and alot we didn't have.
 It was these thoughts, the gravity of the responsibility,
that drove us to our knees and caused us to cling to the Lord for the strength, resolve,
 and perseverance to see this thing through.

 We then discussed how order and beauty would be
  purposefully created and planned,
 so that our home life would be,
 every moment,
a structure for educating and discipling our children.

Home schooling would not be confined to text books.
In fact, I gave up all text books except math.
 The content of our schooling as it was, was happily, freeingly, defenestrated.
I recall telling a friend that we determined to not home school our children anymore,
in the sense of doing what the public schools do, just at home....
 but rather disciple them....which would include some school, of course.
 What this idea birthed was something bigger, more grand, and.... more beautiful
than home schooling had ever produced.

All of our home life was affected.

 We would have to fashion a godly culture in our home,
which means a culture based on Biblical ideas and on the very nature of God Himself.
This implies also that we wage war on the current culture,
because current culture is completely, thoroughly anti-family.
  I hope you realize that.
(this is another post entirely)
So, I firmly aim everyday to do exactly what the trend isn't.
 Wholesome movie, yes,
 Lovely outfits, yes,
 Dinner together at the table, yes,
Slowing down long enough to spend time with God, yes.
 Planning nothing Thursday night so we can visit with one another without any technology, yes.
 Inserting a half hour of silence into our day, yes.
Beauty in our daily lives, yes.
  Orderliness in our home, yes.

The very essence of the homelife we desired to create would be
 orderlines and beauty.

When God created the earth,
 He didn’t have to get everything done right now, in one day,
rushing it all through so he could get on to the next project.

  Instead, he took His time,

and enjoyed every minute of it,

for at the end of the day, He proclaimed his work “very good.”

He spoke,
 and carefully, creatively fashioned everything into being,
 in an orderly way, relishing the moment, making it worth savoring.
So should we. 

When I get up,

there is no reason to slosh my way through the morning

without paying careful attention to the details of beauty and creativity. 

As the Creator God modeled, I should follow suit in my work.
In every part of our day, we look to see the beauty,
we savor every good thing with eyes of wonder.
The idea is to live ordinary life artfully, appreciatively.

The thesaurus says that
to beautify is to sanctify, hallow, consecrate and bless. 

Interesting.
Is that how we see our day or our homes?
Something to sanctify and bless?
To consecrate?
Or is it something to endure, or to conquer, or to survive?

All of us create a culture of some kind.
As home maker, my choice and joy is to adorn my home with gifts of the soul,
purposefully creating rich experiences,
a sacrificial, validating, forgiving atmosphere of loving kindness,
 a treasure trove of all that is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and excellent.
(Phil. 4:8)
I will not allow the destructiveness of selfishness, strife, slothfulness, or apathy
 to have a place in my home.
  I do not want there to be any room for those things,
 because it is instead filled with an inspired lifestyle
which billows sweetness mingled with grace.
This is living fully, beautifully, abundantly. 

When I think about uplifting rituals that add beauty to our life, 

my desire is to enhance our home life in a way that does not idolize materialism,

so I look to the Lord, and ask Him for creative solutions. 

I have spoken often of these ways many times:
singing at the dinner table,

taking turns listing what we are thankful for that day,

holding hands while joining in prayer, 

reading aloud at bedtime,

taking walks together, 

and relishing the gentle moments throughout the day.

 There won't be any gentle moments if you do not purposely fashion them.
We must create the beauty.

Order, may contain cleanliness, but I think it is much more.
  Order is the road map.
What will we do when we get up to make life more meaningful?
What will it look like?
Really it is the detailed plan of how we are going to accomplish our goal.
Orderliness, is the actual habit of having a time and place for everything.
Orderliness is a wonderful, blessed thing.
For example, Ecclesiastes says there is "a time and place for everything under the sun."
  I love that.
  It has helped me manage my home more effectively and efficiently.
When is the time for sweeping the floor?  After breakfast everyday.
How about dusting and cobwebs?  That would be on Friday, our current day for weekly cleaning.
When does Jim get his laundry done?  Ah, yes, this is my favorite....
Jim is on Tuesday.
Joe is Monday, Jim is Tuesday, Ben is Wednesday, Bethany- Thursday, Gabe is on Friday,
Olivia-Saturday.
This is soooooo freeing.  It is really just the best!
This means that instead of 12 loads of laundry that fill the laundry area and always need to be done,
 I only have Joe's two loads in the laundry room to get done on Monday,
 so I will also add  a load of towels.
 Three loads a day, and I am done.
These three finished loads go back to the rooms they came from,
 Then, on Tuesday, there will be Jim's laundry, and I will add a load of my own.
 Three loads, done.
  A time and place for everything. 
 All our laundry gets done in an orderly fashion every week without it being a burden,
 or an overwhelming force to be wearily reckoned with.
 Order is lovely.

It is also lovely with school.
 Math, English, Science, History every day?  Nope, not in our home school.
We will make time for those things through out the year,
More importantly, a daily study of Proverbs-to instill wisdom.
 And a full hour to read good quality living books.
And a time and a season to work outdoors with the garden, or providing meat and wood.
 There is also time to learn ancient church History and all about the Puritans,
because it is important to our faith,
 much more so than Greek Mythology...which, by the way, we literally threw out the window.
Apologetics as a subject for speech?  Yes.
Missionary biographies instead of English lit?  Yes.
This has all become part of our beautiful schooling.
Home Educating becomes beautiful when the biblical culture 
of nurturing, order and beauty,
 rock the path of everyday life. 
Each day then has a smooth, well thought out surface to travel.

"There is nothing insignificant in the life that we live within our doors. 
 There is nothing that is without influence in the building up of character."
 -J.R. Miller

Seven year old Olivia proclaims that she wants to be just like Betsy Ross when she grows up.
Her new 18" doll is named Elizabeth, after the virgin Mary's cousin.
She is dressed as a princess, like usual,
and today she has set up a beautiful tea table because her friends are coming over.
This wasn't accidental.  It is all consequences of our home life...
overflowing into the makings of the next generation.

When homeschooling went from frustrating to beautiful: part 1

The morning was flowing along wonderfully. 

 Our hushed early risers soaked up the fire and coffee
 as the pitter patter of feet one by one emerged from sleepy slumber
 to join us in our morning rituals.
 Snuggling up with the littles under piles of blankets, books and pillows,
we visited,
 read aloud,
 talked about our plans for the day,
enjoying yet another cup of coffee,
happily immersing ourselves in a cozy, lazy hour before the day gets going.
I cherish this hour.
  Such a respite from the hectic pace that all too often befalls us!
Even though I am not a morning person, getting up before the day begins is well worth it,
and it is critical to a non chaotic,  non stressful morning.
Eventually breakfast was pronounced ready.
Our established routine begins the day encircling the table together with these 7 gems,
 giving thanks and enjoying a home cooked breakfast...
today a steaming stack of Joe's pancakes fragrant with real maple syrup and applesauce.
Often we sing a hymn, which helps us focus on higher thoughts rather than on ourselves,
then end with devotions from Proverbs-the book of wisdom-
 so applicable for youth.
The order of the morning proceeded to getting dressed,
children making their beds and a quick tidy of  their room,
bringing down their laundry (if it is their day)
daily chores, and finally reporting ready for morning time.




Poetry, mingled with Americana
kindles inspiration to finish our morning time with Great Explorers. 
 Sufficient coffee having been consumed,
 we are ready for Math, where each student works on their figures and I,
still in my rocking chair,
 am ready to lend a hand when they get stuck.
 After an hour of math, everyone scatters to a cozy nook for a pleasant hour of reading,
 then on to Bible memorization, each child pacing about learning their verses..
some with English accents, some rhythmically swinging while quoting their text.
 During this time I start a load of laundry and prepare a simple lunch.
This is how it works everyday.
 Smoothly, orderly, with much enjoyment and sweetness.
One of our older children says that they wish I had schooled like this when they were young.
 I do too, believe me!
It is beautiful.

But is was not always so.
 Our first 10 years of homeschooling were grueling, yelling, frustrated, overwhelming years
 that I determinedly trudged through.
Somewhere, there was a turn of a corner.

 I have been pondering just how it happened.
 What was it that rocked our world so much
as to turn a driven woman into a nurturing mama?, I asked myself.

 And there, in the question, was the answer.

Nurturing.

I have been talking about it all along...if one reads back through the years.
 But I have not gathered all my thoughts in one place-
 until now.

Webster's defines nurturing as
 "providing loving care and attention to, 
the act of educating, developing, nourishing, feeding.
That which promotes growth."
The key here, I think, is what kind of care.
LOVING care.
Loving care says with a smile, "good morning, dear."
Loving care asks "what can I do for you?"
Loving care goes out of the way to feed....
heart, soul, and mind, and stomach.
It does not leave children to fend for themselves in any way.
How can I say that with conviction?
  Because we are to be imitators of God,
 and He never, never leaves us to fend for ourselves.
 EVER.

With loving care he tends to all that we need, and goes above and beyond.
He did not just provide food.
 He provided amazing, diverse, pleasant, satisfying food, and that in abundance.
(likewise we for our children)
He does not drag us along.  He tenderly leads us.
(by His strength, shall we tenderly lead and guide our children)
He did not give us a dry barren place to live.
He created a planet full of incredible beauty, full of unimaginable discoveries and delights.
(Our homes should reflect this)
He does not just observe from above, He is fully present, actively involved with us all the time.
(this is the trademark of a nurturing mama)

I think our corner appeared
 after a reviving and refreshing home school conference,
 we were convinced that our home life should take a dramatic reconstruction.
Our eyes were opened to the sacredness and responsibility 
we carry as parents.
 It is a great thing to take these tender lives, rich with so many possibilities,
and be responsible before God for their shaping and training and building of character.
We are the builders of the home.
  Our home will be what we make it. 
 Its tone,
 its atmosphere,
its spirit,
 its influence will be derived from us, the parents.
Having been thus humbled, and well, scared to death,
we repented before our children and asked them to forgive us,
and shared with them that we wanted our home to change,
 to reflect God and his character instead of the world's sad model.
Eagerly they agreed.
 There were many hugs and tears...and then, much prayer for how to begin.
J.R. Miller's old, old book, "Homemaking"  popped off the shelf at us
 and quickly became  indispensable...still is.
(please, please, please read it!)

And so,
Intentionally, I created a plan to begin our day with nurturing,
(I light a candle, we snuggle together, often with tender music)
 to continue with nurturing,
(we eat breakfast and have devotions, read aloud)
and end with nurturing.
(often reading aloud, prayers and tucking in)
  Know what's in the middle?  Nurturing.
(daily teatime, schoolwork together with no yelling, a meaningful dinner, 
all woven together with words of encouragement and affirmation)

Sprinkling loving acts of care and kindness
 that enrich and ennoble our lives throughout our day
 was the first step in transforming our home school into something beautiful,

 something we would all look forward to,
something just plain wonderful.

Kind words,
 smiles all around,
 candles, music, cuddles and hugs,
 listening,
 patient teaching and instruction,
devotions,
 working together,
 praying together,
singing together,
reading aloud, tea time, one on one time,
a well set table,
 preparing a good meal,
taking walks together,
taking time to tuck children in at night,
 anything that makes a person feel special-
 these habits are nurturing and uplifting.

Later, I read Sally Clarkson's book, The Life Giving Home.
Very inspiring.  I highly recommend it.
Even just contemplating the title is a place to begin.
What would a "life giving home" look like?
I believe it is a home where we honor one another with our words, our time, our talents.
   A place where we focus on giving and trust that Lord will fill us back up again.

And, I believe nurturing, or "life-giving" is just what women were made for.
 We are naturals.
 Sure, it will take a bit of practice to really get your nurturing rolling.
But, backed by prayer and a promise that God will see you through,
 you can begin.
You see, the nurturing is for you, too.  It will lift you up as well.
Then, your home school, and home life may just turn a corner.

Home Schooling: More Than the Three R's

How do you do it? 

 My you sure have your hands full!

 I could never do that! 

 These are all things I have heard countless times from friends and strangers

 when they find out we have 9 children that we have home schooled.

Here is my answer.

  Here is how do I do it. 

Here is my counsel to anyone thinking of homeschooling

 or discouraged in their home schooling adventures.

Home Schooling is something I am passionate about.  

Raising children is something I am passionate about.  

Because I am passionate about these things, I love to talk about them.

 We have been home schooling for 20 years now, and we have made mistakes. 

 We have also learned a whole lot and made progress, although,

 there are those days when I can't see it. 

 Thankfully, those days end and new ones arise and with them hope

 that this day will be different, 

perhaps even victorious. 

Over the years, I have come to a few conclusions about successful homeschooling...

and these conclusions arrived from trial and error,

 and are listed here so that perhaps others may not need to have such trials and errors

 to find these answers....

1.  Home schooling must be consistent.  Establishing a basic routine each season gives freedom and structure to the mama and the children, helping to ensure that each topic of study will get done in its time each day.  It is near impossible to become proficient at something without consistent practice. I say in "each season" because as your family grows up, multiplies, jobs change, etc., new needs arise and a new schedule will need to be adapted.  When we had a new baby, for example, our routines needed to revolve around when the baby needed to be fed, then later, when the toddler napped, and even later, when the teen went to work.  As home educators, we need to persevere to be consistent through these changes and at the same time be flexible to the new needs of the family.

2.  Homeschooling must be about discipleship more than completing workbooks.  As Christians, our number one priority in home educating has got to be to teach our children about God, His word, and His way...living it out in front of them and intentionally teaching them as we go about our day.  Just homeschooling is not an end in itself- that alone will not produce a generation who loves God and is devoted to Him.  It is a lot harder than that.  It must be intentional and deliberate, and you must be the example.  To raise children who test well and get good jobs is great, but that alone must not be enough!!  Home Schooling gives us as parents a great opportunity to teach character, to incorporate all of our daily lives into discipling the souls given to us.  We need to teach our children to be diligent, to have integrity, to persevere, to think of others first, and most importantly, to love God.

This brings me to the third point....

3.  Homeschooling should drive you to your knees.  I literally wake up each morning begging God for help.  I know I cannot be a good enough example; kind, patient, cheerful, loving, wise and industrious without His strength to uphold me, and I know I am an utter failure apart from abiding in Christ.  Thus, our children become the sanctifying object that God uses to mold us and humble us, making us teachable and dependent upon Him...which then, in turn, enables us to be good examples to our children of what a Christ centered life looks like.
 Is homeschooling overwhelming to you?  GOOD!!  It is when we are overwhelmed that we become desperate for Jesus.  And that is right where we should be everyday.

In my twenty years,

 it is the times that I have been consistent,

 focused on making disciples of our children,

 and earnestly leaning on the Everlasting Arms 

that we have been the most successful in our home educating. 

 If I get all three things down, the rest falls into place.

Blessings,

Julianne

When Learning Isn't Easy

A reader brought up the subject of children who do not take to learning easy,

 and since I have had three of these, I thought perhaps this would be a worthy topic.

Not all children learn to read at age 5 and are doing multiplication tables at 8,

 this I know first hand. 

As a young homeschooling mama,
I was embarrassed when my child couldn't read like the other children of the same age.
 I felt pressure to get the child up to speed for what the government and my friends  expected.
This caused anxiety and impatience in our school.
The results were not very pretty.
Some of my ugliest days were homeschooling moments when overly frustrated with a slow learner.

Both child and mama were in tears, the morning ending with raised voices

 and a child sent off to "just be done then!"
These are very sad memories.
Days I wish I could wipe away from memory.

The Lord used this difficulty to sanctify me, thus producing patience that was sorely needed.
Remember, one does not develop good character through ease. 

 It is the bumps we grow on.

My husband calls it a "character building opportunity".

(smile)

The Lord uses difficulties to grow us up.
Indeed, I learned more through my child's inability to learn
than I ever would have if things were easy.

For one thing, I learned that one child's speed is not every child's speed or aptitude for learning.

  Some children just need more time.  

If that is the case, there are two options,
 neither of which will be a quick fix:  

 One would be to put the problem subject away for 6 months and then try again. 

 This would be my recommendation for a young student. 

Two of our boys did not read until they were nearing 10, even though phonics were began at 6. 

 Every fall we would begin again, just like the first time,

 and if, after a  few months, they were still struggling to sound out the alphabet,
 the phonics book was put away,

 and other subjects were read aloud for them. 

 They eventually did read, and read well, devouring book after book. 

 I just had to be patient and wait until that portion of their brain was ready and it all clicked.

  When our daughter could not do simple multiplication after her third year working the problems,

 we tried option #2;  we just kept doing it,

 in every possible way..  flashcards, drill sheets, audio, music and dancing, hand signs,
 rhyming, using rice and sand as manipulatives... you name it.

  Eventually, after much repetition of all of the above, the tables were mastered,

 but it was a long process.

When learning doesn't come easy, one of the most important things to do is 

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON. 

  Losing your temper, patience, and/or emotional sensibility is never productive or worth it. 

My deepest regret in life is that I did not learn this for many years.

But, praying for the wisdom to know whether to put the subject away for a time 

or try a different method, is worth while!  

Praying is  so important, 

and the Lord is so faithful to answer the broken pleas of a home schooling mama.

(read psalm 86) 

"If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally,

 and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him."  James 1:5

"Trust in Him at all times, ye people, pour out your heart before him:  God is a refuge for us."

Psalm 62: 8

Learning will come, but likely not in our time frame.
Let go of expectations.
Speak words of affirmation and encouragement.
 Practice patience.
 Pray for wisdom.

Blessings to you in all your homeschooling efforts, 

Julianne

Our School Schedule this Fall

Well, we finally did it.

  With the pig in the freezer,  most of the canning done, a winter wood pile of good size,

 and nasty weather upon us, we started our fall school schedule.  

I have always found it interesting and inspiring to find out how other families organize their school day, 

so I thought it may be of interest to share with you how things are going in our neck of the woods.

The first day went fairly well, 

so that is a good sign to me that this year's more creative schedule is going to work. 

 This is possibly the first year I have ever planned a huge break in the middle of the day,

 but after our first day, I think it was a positively Providential idea.  

With children 14, 12, 9, 7, 4 and 2 involved,

 (Rose is graduated, working part time as well as involved in ministry, 

so she is not home a lot, therefore, I did not count her) 

here is how it worked:

7am wake up! > Coffee, tea, snuggles and chatting.
7:30 dress and chores > Rose: milk goats. Joe: feed and water outside animals, bring in firewood. Jim: Breakfast. Ben: fold and put away laundry. Bethany: tidy her room and living room.  Mama: read to littles.
8ish Breakfast > Jim is the breakfast cook. Daddy reads our Bible chapter for the day at table.

8:30-9:30 Math > Joe, Jim, Ben and Bethany. (We are using Life of Fred.)
I put Jim (aka Extra Energy Boy) on the Pilates ball at the table, so he can bounce away while he works.
Gabe and Olivia are at the table with us.  Today they did pattern blocks and puzzles first.  Olivia played "Family" with a dinosaur for a daddy,  a tiger for a mama, and five horses for children.   So, umm, I don't know what that means.
9:30-10:30 Grammar/Phonics > Joe grammar, Jim Spanish, then switch at 10 am.  Ben phonics, Bethany copy work, then switch at 10 am.  Gabe and Olivia played at the table stringing beads.
I bought a small tub of animal beads at Micheals for a very reasonable price.  They were thrilled with them.

10:30-11:30 Science > Today we just got materials and journals organized.  Joe, Jim, Ben and Bethany have Nature Journals Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  Tuesday and Thursday Joe has biology and Jim astronomy, Ben and Bethany have science with me.  Gabe and Olivia played with various math manipulatives and did a little painting.
11:30-12:00   Balancing the Sword (Bible) > Joe and Jim.  The rest of us went downstairs and made lunch, set the table, put wood in the fire.
12:00- 2:30 Free Time!!! > Mama started some laundry, checked her email, had a cup of coffee, puttered about the house, the children went out, but then it began pouring down rain, so they came in to play, then it got sunny, so I sent them out and not 5 minutes later it was raining hard again, so they came in.  lol.
2:30-3:30 Quiet Time > EVERYONE lays down. No audio books, no lights on. F.O.B = Flat On Back.  It is wonderful.
3:30- 4:15 History > Joe and Jim.  Smaller children play when they wake up. Ben went out to ride bikes and chop down small trees. Mama reads to Olivia "You and Me Little Bear" for the 11th time today.
4:15-5:00 Bible Quiz > Joe and Jim study time. Bethany and Olivia watched a movie. Gabe went out to join Ben.  After that, adding Joe and Jim, their play turned into the usual battle For Narnia!, swords drawn.
6:00 Dinner > Rose is the dinner cook, except on Mondays. After dinner, Jim does the dishes, Joe sweeps the floor, Mama milks the goats, daddy reads to or plays with the littles.
8:00pm Story time > We are currently reading Dragonquest, by Donita K. Paul.  We read the first book, Dragonspell, this summer, and even though I am not a fantasy fan, it was a great book full of analogy to the Christian life, making for good discussion with the older children.  The children loved it and begged for more.
After story time, it is off to the land of Nod.

I love love love the routine of the school year, 

the sameness of each day, 

being together all day, 

seeing the delight of discovery on the children's faces while learning,

 having to drag them away from the school table for lunch, 

and that big contented sigh at the end of the day that says, "yes, this is what I was made for."  

The Agrarian Family's School, week 1: Fishing!

Just about the time most of the homeschooling families are getting out the books

 and sorting out a new schedule, and the public schools are back in session, 

I get all kinds of questions from people wondering if we have started school yet.

Humbly, no, we are not anywhere close, 

although my school room is ready and my books and supplies are waiting. 

 Honestly, it will be a month before we begin any book lessons. 

September is a bad month to begin school, in my opinion.  

If you are an agrarian family, there is a month full of harvesting to be done. 

There are peaches, pears, apples and plums to can, 

it is archery season for elk, 

it is time the last of the firewood gathering,

 the butchering of pigs, 

the end of the garden and the clean up for winter;

 No, our "school" nearly always begins in October.

Not that our education and discipleship of the children has slackened or stopped, 

far from it. 

September, with all its harvesting, has a steep learning curve. 

For us, summer ends with a daddy-son camp trip.

Every boy certainly needs to know how to stream fish, 

this is of great necessity. 

I do love the liberty of homeschooling in Idaho!

When we are done with book learning,

 (which we keep to winter),

 we can be outdoors learning all about God's creation, sustainability,

 and all kinds of woodsman knowledge necessary for any redneck.

Good education is

 most importantly about godly character,

 but also includes a healthy dose of useful skills, as well as book learning.

Far to into the woods, a good 2 1/2 hours of gravel road traveled, the men find their camp site.

The fishing begins promptly.

 Once the boys catch their prey, they must learn how to gut it and prepare it for dinner. 

 In this process, they open the fish up and learn what it has been eating,

 thus making them better fisherman and, hey, this counts for biology, right? 

 Just kidding.  

Brian's intentions of the trip, 

besides catching fish, 

was to spend their away time teaching and training these young men. 

 Each day he used their time around the campfire to read aloud

 "Boyhood and Beyond" by  Bob Schultz

  and talk with the boys about manhood, masculinity, responsibility, and loving God.

Of course, there is much whittling and card games to be done as well, 

squirrels to shoot, 

bees nests to observe and stay away from, 

bugs, frogs, and snakes to find,

 and the quiet of the woods to glory in.

Hearts and creels full, 

they returned home jubilant, triumphant.

The boys had a fabulous time camping with their daddy,

 and they caught 49 fish!

Preparing (Preschoolers) for a New School Year

As the summer winds its way to an end,

 and the frost kills the last of the garden, 

my mind starts shuffling toward gearing up for a more regimented schooling season.

 I rock the  baby-turning-toddler in my arms,

 realizing that as the season turns outdoors,
the baby season is turning in the home,
and soon, Olivia will be full toddler.
  This change will need to be thought of and planned for in our daily routine.
 When there are many in the household,
literally every aspect must be thought of and carefully planned
to help the function, peace, and harmony of the home
to run as smoothly as possible.

I have noticed over the years
 that the most practical place to begin in preparing for a new school year
 is with  these littlest ones in mind.

 I start by making a daily routine for us
that incorporates the littles and their napping,
play, and need for mama.
We created a place for them during our school day,
 with cozy little nooks
and drawers filled with items to interest them in playing independently.
Gathering baskets full of board books,
 stacking blocks, magnets, plush toys,
 big wooden beads and such,
we have turned a corner of our living room into a play area close at hand,
 with more children's books,
 a small table, coloring supplies,
 and the kind of toys toddlers love.
These toys are the more quiet kind;
 the louder, messier type can go upstairs in the family room,
 away from our study areas.

Although we have not begun school just yet,
I am spending a small part of each morning with Olivia and Gabe,
helping them into the routine,
so that when we do begin school work, the little ones are already used to it.

They have morning reading with mama - a good snuggle up time filling up their little "love tanks".
Then they are set to play in the living room for awhile...
sometimes one of us will help them in their play essentially teaching them good playing habits,
like sharing and putting the toys away before you move onto something else.
 I am teaching Olivia to color...on paper and not on everything else.
After some play time, they can move to the table with color books,
play dough, beads, or a snack,
then go back to play, perhaps upstairs for a change of scenery.
Next is lunch, then naps, and by that time,
 our students are finished with their work.

Being PROACTIVE by working with the little ones for a few weeks before we begin
 saves a ton of frustration later,
 and allows me the freedom to avoid being REACTIVE with squirrely toddlers
 when I am occupied with a student.
Olivia is 21 months, just beginning to talk fairly well, and want to play with Gabe and Bethany.
She needs to learn good interaction with the other children now,
learn to play nicely...
and it does not happen without intentional teaching.
So for us, the first step in getting ready for school is preparing the preschoolers.
A little preparation goes a looooong way in a big family.

What does our Fall routine look like?
Daddy gets up early and heads off to work before every one else is up.
Olivia and Gabe get up with mama around 6:30am.
The rest of the family are up at 7am.
We like to hang out and snuggle while we drink our coffee and tea in the morning.
(Excepting John who goes off to work right away.)
Eventually, we get dressed and have breakfast around 8am.
After breakfast, each person goes off to do their chores.
Schooling will then begin around 9am.
First off is reading, for an hour.
The older ones have assigned reading and I am free to read to the little ones as described above.
Secondly, at 10 am, we have Math at the table while the little ones have play time nearby.
We then move on to copywork, a good time for the littles to join us at the table and color, etc.
While the smaller ones go off to play again,
the rest will have History,
and then it is lunch time and outdoor play for all.
This is most likely my best chance for a walk through the woods,
 with or without Olivia in the Ergo.
Next is journaling, around 1 or 1:30, and Gabe and Olivia have their naps.
During this quiet time of the day, the older children will have research and Bible study time.
 By 3 pm daddy will be home and we will celebrate with tea and a snack.
The next scheduled activity is dinner at 6 pm.
The children have a strong tendency to get really wild after dinner,
so this is a great time to wrestle with daddy,
and if mama didn't get her walk in yet, she can sneak away to the serene forest.
(smile)
Nearing 8 pm, we settle the children down in the living room to read aloud,
then are off to bed.

After the first week or so on the new schedule,
Brian and I will talk about it and tweek anything that needs adjusted.
 I think it is important to try our best to stick to the schedule,
but also, be flexible as needs arise, or things get out of hand.
 If something happens and we are off track,
 we can work together to get back on time,
 but it is not a something to stress over, or  let fluster you.
I love the structure of a daily routine.
There is something very freeing, beautiful, and satisfying
in going about your days with a systematic approach to accomplish all that lays before you.
 Such a day ends with great satisfaction.

Spring Harvest

The changes of the seasons is always invigorating to me. 

 I love each of the four seasons. 

One of the things I love about Spring are the thunderstorms.  

We were out and about one day, when a thunderstorm rolled up and pelted us briefly with a hard rain.  When it pulled up, one of the most brilliant rainbows I have ever witnessed graced the skies. 

  Spring has many charms to me. 

 Keeping an eye open for all of them has been fun for all of us.  

What are the sights of Spring?

How about the smells of Spring? 

Or my favorite, the tastes of Spring?

Strawberries are a glory of Spring.  

We thank God for strawberries! 

This last week, we spent some time harvesting from spring's abundant crops.  

First we made strawberry jam.  

The first jar,

 for sampling you know, 

disappeared before it was cooled from the canning! 

 But the other batches made it safely into the cellar awaiting freshly made biscuits or shortbread. 

Next came a crate of asparagus. 

 We ate baked asparagus several days in a row and then, pickled the rest.  

This is the first time we have pickled asparagus,

 yet we are all a little giddy to wait the two weeks to try them.  

Rolled up in a thin slice of ham...oooooooh yummy.

Last year, Anna planted a rhubarb in her garden. 

 This year we harvest not only her plant, but several others that we discovered in our area. 

 This is most wonderful, since a favorite person of ours loves rhubarb pie. 

 I sliced up three big arm fulls of rhubarb for the freezer.

  Even if rhubarb pie doesn't tempt you, 

this 5 fruit pie that we found a recipe for in Taste of Home surely will. 

 It was amazing-

 destined to become a standard pie here at providence lodge.

5 fruit pie
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp  quick cooking tapioca
 1 cup peeled chopped tart apples
 1 cup fresh or frozen chopped rhubarb
1 cup each fresh or frozen strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries

In a large bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, tapioca and fruit, let stand for 15 minutes.
Spoon mixture into your favorite pie crust, cover with top crust,
Bake at 375 for 45-55 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack.

We tried it warm, which was wonderful, but liked it better cooled and served with whipped cream.


More things we like about spring:
weather so changeable, every day is interesting and unlike any other.
planting garden seeds and watching for them to pop up out of the soil into the light

watching birds nesting with gusto and fervor
the drying out of mud and the emergence of green
longer daylight every day
the bursting forth of new life; baby goats, baby rabbits, baby kittens, and soon...baby deer
knowing that summer is near

Wishing you some inspiration for enjoying all the sights,

 sounds, 

smells,

 tastes 

of Spring!

Discovering Spring

 Around here, April does not really count as spring, 

since it normally snows throughout the month,

 so real spring
- to us-
 begins in May with May showers, jumping in mud puddles,

 and discovering critters of all kinds in our yard and the woods around.

 While flowers may be few at his time of year, 

amphibians are not.

  The children have found new slimy friends nearly everyday, much to their excitement. 

 Gabe, however, dislikes them greatly,
protesting and screaming at each new find. 

By this, even when I am in the house,

 I always know when some one will come racing to me to show me 

their wonderful surprise.

Observing these animals,
as well as birds at the bird feeder,

 listening for their individual calls, 

finding spring flowers in the woods, (such as every one's favorite- Trillium)

 and talking about Spring weather
 has constituted our Nature Journal for May.

 This is the most delightful time of year for Nature Journals. 

 Our 6 months of winter have furnished in us a passionate desire for
 warm sunshine
and green grass, 

so much so that we endeavor each day to find some way of doing our learning
 outside.

In our fast paced, entertainment driven society,
sitting quietly and listening for bird calls
 is a discipline that we need to teach our children,
one we need to foster in ourselves.
To escape all the technology,
 all that  screams for our attention,
and enter the solitude of the forest
 letting God's wondrous creations
calm,
soothe,
 inspire,
 and bring us to our knees in awe of
Him,
 to do this,
 is my idea of perfect education. 

Having ventured out for a beautiful hike overlooking the lake a few days ago,

 today we open the journals and books to write down our observations and finds,

 what we learned,  putting the entire event into a report or a story,

 or even a poem. 

With a passel of students, we can make one event translate into preschool, kindergarten,

 2nd, 5th, and 8th grade learning.

For example, we saw several Yew trees, which are used to make traditional bows.

I might have Joe research how this is done, and what other things Yew trees are useful for.

This is a great time to try using new vocabulary words, and build our writing skills. 

Jim is interested in flowers,

 so he will be looking up the different varieties we saw.

 It is always interesting to see each student's perspective, the same event from their individual eyes. 

 This can reveal a great deal of how they think and perceive.

 Preschoolers simply draw a picture, 

usually quite triumphantly,

 of our excursion. 

 Gabe and Bethany love to have their own nature journals

 to chronicle their learning just like the big kids.

I always write captions below their art work so that we know what it is.

(Smile.)

I also help them write the date and the weather, so they feel like it is real school.

Fairly often, we can spend a whole week writing after a nature walk.

  One day of drawing, 

one or two days for a report complete with any research that is needed,

 one day for story telling of how the walk unfolded, 

or a letter to Grammy describing the occasion.

If children are reluctant to wander outdoors,

 reading a book such as (our current bedtime story), 

The Girl of the Limberlost, by Gene Stratton-Porter

 is a great jump start to encourage them to explore and learn.

Our children have a new found interest in moths and butterflies since we began reading this book.

 They are much more careful to look at their surroundings 

in hopes of discovering a Caterpillar or cocoon.

In the past few months, I have learned just how important it is

 to do things that are energizing to me,

 and figure out new ways to handle the things that are most draining.

For a home schooling mama who would rather be outdoors, 

 nature walks, a hike, or just sitting and observing right outside the door

 makes for an invigorating way to spend my day.

" A shivering movement went over the moth. 

 The wings drooped and spread wider. 

 Mrs. Comstock sank into soft awed tones. 

 "There never was a moment in my life," she said,

"when I felt so in the Presence, as I do now.  

I fell as if the Almighty were so real, and so near,

 that I could reach out and touch Him, as I could this wonderful work of His, if I dared. 

 I feel like saying to Him:  

To the extent of my brain power I realize Your presence,

 and all it is in me to comprehend of Your power. 

 Help me to learn, even this late, the lessons of Your wonderful creations. 

 Help me to unshackle and expand my soul to the fullest realization of Your wonders.  

Almighty God, make me bigger, make me broader!"

The Girl of the Limberlost  - pp 283.

"This is my Father's world, 

and to my listening ear, 

all nature sings and round me rings, 

the music of the spheres."

O the glory of discovering Spring!