We started reading aloud to our children when they were tiny. Little board books were in the car, beside the bed, on the bookshelf, and in every bag. I had several Sandra Boynton and Dr Seuss books memorized.
As my babies grew to be toddlers, we used books to help learn the alphabet and how to use the potty. The favorites would be read over and over again until they had it memorized too and would know when we skipped a page or two… on purpose.
Looking back on our school years and road trips, remembering what we were reading at the time helps me place those memories on a timeline. The Colorado trip we listened to four of the Little House books. Or the road trip to grandma’s house that we listened to Sarah, Plain and Tall and I cried at the sweetness of the story.
Now that the kids are bigger we still make time each week to read aloud although the selections vary widely from Bill Bryson to Mark Twain.
FAVORITES:
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Stuart Little by E. B. White
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White
Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
I’ve accumulated a more extensive list of tried and true favorites here.
First let me just say, choosing a curriculum can be so overwhelming. I’ve been there. I get it.
But let’s just acknowledge how lucky we are that we live in a time when the choices for curriculum are abundant!
When we started homeschooling I decided to piece meal the curriculum, a little of this, a little of that. I thought, “It’s KINDERGARTEN. How hard can it be?” I picked up Five in a Row, Saxon K math, and a reading program and settled in to the school year.
The great thing about Five in a Row is that even my little, non-school age children, happily joined in to our “school”. The basic outline of suggested topics to discuss after reading each book was wonderful to have on hand and we ended up talking about things we wouldn’t have otherwise mentioned. More on this later…
Once I was schooling all three kids, I needed something streamlined, something that I could use for all of them simultaneously. I read somewhere in my research that I should teach to the oldest child and whatever the younger one absorbed, great.
As I began researching curriculum I knew I wanted to stick to the Charlotte Mason methodology. I love her approach to education, using living books and poetry to teach most subjects. My goal was to create an environment in which we absorb facts, grow in knowledge, build character, practice discipline, and love to learn.
At the same time, we also signed up for the Classical Conversations coop in our area which gave us community and accountability. I’ve heard that many people believe that the classical method and Charlotte Mason philosophy don’t mesh, but I disagree. It’s been my experience that CM and CC complimented each other well.
I landed on the Living Books Curriculum as my guide for the year. I loved the way the guide was laid out by week and the way the year was structured- eight weeks of learning and then a ninth week to review and rest. This gave us a good rhythm to schooling and I found by week seven I was so happy there was just one more week left before a good break.
Overall I loved the book lists for history, literature, poetry, logic, science and the arts. I did use a different program for reading and writing, especially as the kids were enrolled in the Essentials Program at CC.
Since Maggie is my oldest, I chose to teach to her grade level and just scale back for Poppy and Jack. They were usually very happy to listen to all the read alouds with Maggie because the book selections were entertaining and engaging.
“Children have a right to the best we possess; therefore their lesson books should be, as far as possible, our best books.” Charlotte Mason, A Philosophy of Education
I would start with Jack, the youngest, and ask him to narrate back to me what he heard from the reading selection. Next I would ask Poppy to tell me what she heard but ask her not to repeat anything Jack had just said. Finally I would ask Maggie to narrate back what she’d heard. This allowed me to evaluate their comprehension levels.
Another subject I appreciated in the Living Books Curriculum was their Nature Study section. Spending time outside exploring and documenting the experience really helped me make this a priority in our week. I would often plan the week around our Nature Study and invite friends to meet us in local parks or on hiking trails to collect samples and write in our nature journals.
Now that my people are big, we have little margin left in busy schedules to spend time in doing a structured nature study. These are some of my favorite memories from our early school days.
“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” ~Oscar Wilde
Because I’m an artist, I love studying art. I love walking through museums, perusing art books, and spending time creating on my own.
But when it came to studying art with my children, I had a difficult time knowing where to start. Although I knew it was imperative to include in their education, I needed a starting place.
I know I’ve already mentioned how much I love Charlotte Mason’s approach to education, and her philosophy incorporated art history and study seamlessly. I started with a few books which I highly recommend: The Come Look With Me Series by Gladys S. Blizzard. Each of these beautiful picture books focuses on a subject such as animals or play in art. The author presents some of the more recognizable and famous pieces of art and a little about each artist, the medium used, and story of the image to read aloud with younger children. She also gives a few questions to prompt discussion, such as “What did the artist do to show you that the mother and her children are having a good time?”
Our Classical Conversations coop used the Great Artists book to study a different artist each week. I found this book to be a simple resource, easy to follow and a great go-to for at home art projects.
As my children have gotten older, I’ve started collecting coffee table books of art by some of my favorite artists including Norman Rockwell, Matisse, Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, as well as collections of photographic journals published by Life. Having these accessible means we are more likely to have an old fashioned sit down with a beautiful book rather than an uninspiring web search.
I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s no formula, no exact right way to educate our children. When it comes to art, start with what you as the mom enjoy studying. Spend an afternoon walking a museum. Talk to your children about what they see and ask their opinion- Do they like what they see? How does it make them feel? Call your local museum and ask for information about special exhibits. Our museums have free family days each month which is a wonderful benefit to take advantage of. As with most things, the important part is to START.
I’m working on a post about my favorite curriculum and one of my favorite things about it was the inclusion and focus on art throughout history. I’m also pulling together some of my favorite art supplies to have on hand.
So many things to say about this scrumptious desert. I love the way the ginger, lemon and blackberries compliment one another- a little flavor explosion with every bite. And the moist cake, smooth whipped cream and berry crunch are perfectly matched textures.
About once a week I make a desert, usually for Shabbat on Friday evenings. This week, after a few days of very spring like weather, I wanted a desert that tasted like Spring too. Also berries are in season and they are beautiful!
First, I found a Lemon Ginger Pound cake recipe and got started. It’s best to make this recipe far enough in advance to allow the cake to completely cool and dust with confectioners sugar before it’s time to serve.
Once the cake was in the oven, in a chilled glass bowl, I whipped 2 cups of heavy cream with 1/2 cup confectioners sugar and a dash of vanilla. Once whipped I set aside.
Next I gently rinsed the black berries and laid them out on a towel to dry and returned to refrigerator.
But here’s the secret- a ginger syrup to drizzle on each serving.
Ginger Syrup
In a small saucepan, I combined 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup water and a piece of fresh ginger, about 3 inches long, peeled and roughly chopped. I brought to a boil, and stirred until sugar dissolved. Then I covered pan and removed from heat. I set aside to steep, at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour. The longer the syrup steeps, the stronger the ginger flavor will be. I poured through a strainer into a little mason jar and stored in refrigerator until I was ready to use. SIDENOTE: this syrup would be a great addition to a cocktail.
When I was ready to serve, I sliced the the pound cake and plated on individual serving dishes. Topped with a dollop of fresh whipped cream, a handful of blackberries and a generous drizzle of the ginger syrup, this desert won a thumbs up from everyone in the family.
“But when it comes to putting broken lives back together- when it comes, in religious terms, to the saving of souls- the human best tends to be at odds with the holy best. To do for yourself the best that you have it in you to do- to grit your teeth and clench your fists in order to survive the world at its harshest and worst- is, by that very act, to be unable to let something be done for you and in you that is more wonderful still. The trouble with steeling yourself against the harshness of reality is that the same steel that secures your life against being destroyed secures your life also against being opened up and transformed by the holy power that life itself comes from.” -Frederick Bruechner
One thing I don’t like at all is being out in the ocean. Stepping into the ocean, even a few inches into the water… I don’t like it. Not one bit. I fear all the things underfoot I can’t see- spiky shells, warm and cold currents, the way the sand moves under my feet, pulling me, seaweed clutching at my ankles. I don’t like the unpredictable rhythm of the waves. My muscles seize up, I become rigid, I curl into myself. When the waves hit me, instead of “going with the flow”, I stand like a wall and get knocked down, pulled under, drowned and beat up. I realize it’s my own fault, and yet I can’t help myself. I’ll choose a mantra and silently repeat it to myself, “relax, breathe, relax, breathe”, trying to coax my body into fluidity, realizing that the waves wouldn’t have the same power over me if I could just unclench my body and move with the water.
I’m not sure what triggered this phobia of water. Maybe it was the very vivid memory of being thrown into a pool as a tiny person and the person coaxing me to swim towards them constantly moving just out of reach. Maybe it was seeing JAWS as a little girl. Maybe it was only being in a pool once year at motel swimming pools and never learning to swim until college age.
Whatever it is that created this powerful fear, it’s real.
FEAR: an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.
What is it you fear? How does your fear manifest itself in your body and psyche? How do you combat your fear?
Today, I’m identifying some of my fears and working to determine if they are rational or irrational; if they deserve to have control over my decisions or if they need to be let go. Today I’m unclenching, unfurling and asking for bravery in the face of these fear.
The kids and I recently stopped by an estate sale a few miles from home and while we stood outside visiting with the owner, Poppy noticed under a Japanese Maple next to the sidewalk that the mulch looked polka dotted. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it was a type of fungus she had only just read about in a nature book!
We brought home the little sample and it’s one of my favorite things to pull out of our nature collection cabinet and look at with a magnifying glass. Tiny things- even fungi- are adorable and wonderful. This specimen is definitely the best thing we found at the estate sale.
Here’s some information we found online regarding this fascinating type of fungus:
These odd and fascinating little fungi look for all the world like tiny birds’ nests. The fruiting bodies form little cuplike nests which contain spore-filled eggs. The nests are called “peridia” (“peridium” in the singular), and serve as splash cups; when raindrops strike the nest, the eggs (called “peridioles”) are projected into the air, where they latch onto twigs, branches, leaves, and so on. What exactly happens next is not completely clear, but eventually the spores are dispersed from the egg. They then germinate and create mycelia, which eventually hook up with other mycelia and produce more fruiting bodies. Five genera—Crucibulum, Cyathus, Mycocalia, Nidula, and Nidularia—are included among the bird’s nests. In North America the majority of the bird’s nest fungi are subtropical and tropical, but a handful of species can be found north of the Gulf Coast. Identifying the bird’s nest fungi is a matter of careful inspection of physical features (you may need a magnifying glass) and, occasionally, microscopic analysis. Have you collected a bird’s nest fungus recently? Researchers at the University of Florida are currently working on this fascinating group of mushrooms, and they would love to study well-documented, preserved collections. If you’re interested in helping, please send me an email at [email protected].
We sent Mr. Michael the image above of our little find.
“The question is not whether the things that happen to you are chance things or God’s things because, of course, they are both at once. There is no chance thing through which God cannot speak- even the walk from the house to the garage that you have walked ten thousand times before, even the moments when you cannot believe there is a God who speaks at all anywhere. He speaks, I believe, and the words he speaks are incarnate in the flesh and blood of our selves and of our own footsore and sacred journeys. We cannot live our lives constantly looking back, listening back, lest we be turned to pillars of longing and regret, but to live without listening at all is to live deaf to the fullness of the music. ” -Frederick Buechner
I was recently introduced to Frederick Buechner’s book, The Sacred Journey. I found myself dog-earing pages, making notes, transcribing whole passages into my journals. The minute I finished the book, I picked up the next one and started in… I can see why my dear friend who gifted me the books so highly recommended the books, even saying how they transformative they were in her spiritual life.
I’ve experienced years of intense dedication and intense apathy in my spiritual life. Seeking and FINDING felt illusive. I looked to church, community, books, friends, and lists of things to do in order to FIND answers, closeness, blessings, righteousness. And don’t get me wrong- all these things are beneficial, but ultimately I needed to seek God.
In the last few years I’ve given my study over to Scriptures and to church history. I’m still reading books, still meeting with friends and community, but my primary source for seeking answers has become my bible and my continuous prayer is for wisdom and understanding.
I’m on a sacred pilgrimage, a holy expedition.
PILGRIMAGE: a journey or search of moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person’s beliefs and faith, although sometimes it can be a metaphorical journey into someone’s own beliefs.
What are you seeking?
How do you seek?
Lord, help me not to become a pillar of longing and regret. Give me the eyes to see your gifts, the awareness of your presence, the ears to hear your words, and the heart to obey.
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