Blog Archives

Brain Food

2/29/2012

"...children have an unlimited capacity for whatever knowledge reaches them somehow
through their five senses--if they see something and enjoy it, you
can pin endless facts, and tons of associations on it, and children have an
amazing capacity to take all of it in. They'll never give you a bored look and
vacant expression. Trust me, it's part of their nature to hunger after
knowledge in the same way that a hungry man hungers for his dinner. But the
thing has to come first, and the words to interpret it have to come
second.'" -C. Mason Paraphrase Vol 5 p1289

He discovered my rock collection from elementary school. Now he's really into rocks, and eager for the ice to melt so he can go hunt for some of his own.

My 3rd grade teacher had a rock polisher. (I want one.) On her desk, she kept a jar of little shiny rocks that gleamed and made you really want to have one. They were our prizes for obedience, meeting goals etc. I kept mine. I still like to look at them.

Ever cracked a Geode? It's pretty fun. You put it in an old sock, hit it with a hammer and voila! You get to see the sparkly center. He held it up and told me to smell it. It's kind of like when you're walking down a dusty gravel road on a dry summer day and a semi truck drives past.

He and I've got lots more learning to do on this fascinating topic.

Rocks... Who'd have thought?

Sometimes I get a little overwhelmed at the idea of keeping ahead of my son, ever ready to provide the 'food' his active little mind is so ravenously hungy for, especially on these grey days of being mostly indoors. It takes a lot of my effort and intention. But it's also amazing how often just the right thing happens to come up at just the right time for him. Luck? I think not.

Happy March 1! and Happy Birthday to my little sister!!

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Preschool Fun

2/28/2012

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Spring fever is here, and we're looking forward to something green.... er, orange.

Counting things is still a current favorite, especially M&M's!

The chickens are always happy to be let out!

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people...." Galatians 6:9,10a

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Animal Crackers

2/25/2012

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Farm Life and a New First

2/22/2012

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Lucy needed a tractor ride.

We're adding this one to our Book of Firsts- Crisp and fresh coon tracks, both front and back paws! Little eagle eyes spotted them before me!

As we were meandering through these trees, my 4 yo told me, "It smells like the earth of the wild!" He was feeling poetic. Fresh air will do that.

Snow Angel

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An "Ah-ha!" Moment

2/21/2012

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"Look, Mom!!!" he said as he thrust a piece of scratch paper in front of my face with his little boy hands covered in purple and orange marker.
"He's my special man. I'm the illustrator that writes the book!"
Boy, was he proud! My heart instantly recognized it as one of those moments.

I remember the exact moment when I learned to draw circle people too. It was thrilling to finally be able to make my artwork actually look like something. From then on, and for a long while afterward my drawings were filled with circle people. I added bibs to mine and made them be my babies. My son claims his are dinosaurs with really long legs.

It was one of those "ah-ha" moments in my child's learning that I never want to miss, like when he reads his first story book or writes his name for the first time all by himself! I just couldn't think of handing off those moments to another teacher in a classroom far away from me. They are too precious!

Do you remember these Mr. Sketch markers? You know, the yummy smelly ones? The light green was my favorite- spearmint scented. Snapping off the cap brings me right back to my kindergarten classroom with Mrs. Peters reading us stories on the carpet, and taking naps on those red and blue plastic rest mats. Isn't it interesting what memories a smell can make you recall.

Even Mason talked about odors being able to bring up memories, possibly even more than some of our other senses. Though, she speaks of odors in relation to nature, and not a kinergarten classroom. But, I get what she means.

"We do not attach enough importance to the discrimination of odours, whether as a safeguard to health or as a source of pleasure."

"...odours enter more readily than other sense perceptions into those––
'sensations sweet,
Felt in the blood, and felt along the heart,'
which add so much to the sum of our happiness, because they unite themselves readily with our purely incorporeal joys by links of association. 'I never smell woodruff without being reminded––' is the sort of thing we hear and say continually, but we do not trouble ourselves to realise that we owe a double joy to the odour of the woodruff ...the joy of the pleasant influences about us when we pluck the flower, and the possibly more personal joy of that other time with which we associate it." Vol. 2 p 186

Maybe someday when my son smells Mr. Sketch markers he will recall his "ah-ha!"-circle-people-moment from last night. Who knows? But I know that now on when I smell them I'll think of him in all his sweetness and joy, another happy memory.

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Happy Valentines Day!

2/14/2012

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Where Do I Begin?

2/10/2012

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Here is Part II of Our Story about getting started on our homeschool journey. It's the phase we are still in right now. I mentioned in a previous post that I first learned about Charlotte Mason when a friend handed me the book For the Children's Sake. It changed my perceptions on education and whet my appetite for more. The next steps I took were to join a CM book study and a co-op/community who also centers themselves around the ideas Mason presents.

A few friends have asked recently for the concrete in our homeschool world. The inevitable first question: "What curriculum do you use?" or "What do you actually do?" I asked the same things. So, here is my attempt to pass along the help I have recieved and offer resources we have chosen. But before I begin, I just have to say..

"To each his own, as He leads!"

After experiencing the way traditional education generally goes about the teaching of children primarily according to the latest educational trend, I felt the need to establish my ideas behind education before choosing what methods and materials I would use. I wanted a firm foundation. Mason's philosophy gave me the unifying sense I was looking for, while staying closely in tune with the Word and with who my children are created to be. Plus it was something I felt at peace about.

So first off, I set out to read through her original 6 volumes to get the true picture of what she had to say. Like I said, I'm still working on that. My goal is to finish before my son is age 6, and then read it again and again. It's that rich!

There are many who write about Mason and her ideas, but I chose to go straight to the source once my feet were wet. One of the main things I love about reading her direct ideas is that she is constantly testing them against scripture and challenging me to take a hard look at what I believe and how I go about carrying that out in my life.

As I read, I make notes of things that stand out or apply to my son (or me!) I weigh out what is most important and build those into our daily homeschool goals. This makes up part of what we actually do. Some of my simple daily goals so far, for my 4 1/2 year old are:

- Bible reading (Catherine Vos' A Child's Story Bible- LOVE it!)
- Outside time (which, as he grows, will lead into nature study and later science)
- Living books
- Chores and good habits
- Poetry (one poem usually read during lunch)

Now, to get to the point! As far as curriculum goes, many that I ran into at our state's homeschool convention claimed to be "Mason-based", and honestly, that intrigued me. I like things that come packaged in boxes and are all laid out for me. It feels predictable. I was ready to just pick one that looked good and start there, with the fallback of changing at any point if it wasn't working for my son. But, as I read more about Mason's high standards of putting only the very best books into my child's hands, I knew I couldn't possibly just pick something out of thin air. Textbooks and worksheets lack life and joy. There's a better way!

I heard about Ambleside Online, which I thought was the strangest name until I learned that it is named after the place she is from in England. The people who put AO together have the same goals as Mason, and now I, do- to treat my child as a person, to offer living ideas, and to present only the very best thoughtfully chosen materials. I like how the site said that their booklists etc. are only meant to be guidelines. There is no one size fits all education (anywhere) because each learner is a unique individual! Makes sense right? I also chose it because it's free!!

AO's pages and pages of information were daunting at first, but I realized it was quite helpful and delightful as long as I didn't try to take in to much at once and overwhelm myself. I read some intriguing Parents Review articles reprinted from Mason's day and finally settled in on the Year 0 booklist and List of Attainments for a Child of 6 as a place to begin with my,then age 3, son. I just have to say, getting our hands on some good living books has been inspiring and has changed the way we look at the important task, no, joy of reading to our children!

I'm in the process of checking out the AO recommendations for Year 1 and stocking up our bookshelves!!

My other favorite part so far has been learning and experiencing the way Mason taught her subjects using things like observation, narration and the emphasis she put on spiritual
development as well as habits and character formation. Teaching using these methods looks so very different from traditional school education, but it makes so much more sense and is full of life! She gave me such practical examples and encouragement for training up little ones in Volume I that I just had to keep going.

I am now very excited to learn alongside my children! I feel like I missed so much when I was in school. I already see in my son the difference these methods make in his ability and desire to learn.

It has also been important, on this journey, to have the support of those who those who have gone before me. I am by nature a doubter, an over-thinker, as I have said before. So if I did not have others to reassure and support what I am doing, I might have worn my self out with worry and given up already. Jumping into homeschool can be scary. I feel really blessed to be a part of, a co-op/community where all the families believe in the importance of keeping it small and personal in order to develop real relationships with the kids we teach. We also strive to keep it as closely based on these educational principles we are following, and lastly, as teachers and mothers, to keep growing and learning to keep our minds fresh.

For anyone who doesn't have people close by to do that, I recommend joining this website. It's a wonderful place to come ask questions, gain ideas and be encouraged. Just upload your photo and join to start reading more.

So there you have it. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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Time Out & Hungry Souls

2/7/2012

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What we need is a habit of taking our minds out of what one is tempted to call "the domestic rag-bag" of perplexities, and giving it a good airing in something which keeps it "growing." A brisk walk will help. But, if we would do our best for our children, grow we must; and on our power of growth surely depends, not only our future happiness, but our future usefulness."

"...this power is what we are losing when we refuse to give a little time out of our lives to "Mother Culture."

I took this quote from my page dedicated to Mother Culture. (see tabs at top of page)

To be quite honest, I was in need of a brisk walk this weekend, an airing of my very full and tired mind. And I didn't realize it until we got out there, but I was desperately in need of some one-on-one with my older son too. Life worries and baby demands had dominated long enough. So, the two of us snuck away and headed out to the winter woods for some refreshment, and it felt kind of like a walk through Narnia.

We stopped to notice the interesting things we saw along the way.

It's hard to notice, but can you see
the trampled path running down the center through the leaves?
Evidence that somebody has been here recently.
I imagined a squirrel forest highway leading to the winter storehouse
where the really good nuts are hiding..

A fallen nest and bits of branches sprawled across the floor of dry leaves. More evidence.

I even followed his lead and picked up a big stick and smacked some ice crusted branches just for good measure. Plus ice chunks make a cool sound as they fall and scatter across the ground.

Then today I read this good reminder.

"Parents, love your children," is, probably, an unnecessary counsel to any who read this page; at any rate, it is a presuming one. But let me say to reserved, undemonstrative parents who follow the example of righteous Abraham and rule their
households,––Rule none the less, but let your children feel and see and be quite sure that you love them."

"...dear mother, take your big schoolgirl in your arms just once in the holidays, and let her have a good talk, all to your two selves; it will be to her like a meal to a hungry man. For the youths and maidens––remember, they would sell their souls for love; they do it too, and that is the reason of many of the ruined lives we sigh over."

- Charlotte Mason Vol 5 (Formation of Character) pg 117

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Welcome!

"I am recording this so that future generations will also praise the Lord for all He has done." -Psalm 102:18

I am a mama to 2 sweet brothers who aspires to a "thinking love" toward my children.

Take a peek into our journey towards a living education inspired by the writings of Charlotte Mason.

Be sure to leave me a comment if you're inspired!

I prefer to keep my text and images right here. Please don't copy without permission. Thanks!

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Previously...

Our Story

Our Year 1 Rhythm

Cloth Diapering

Century Chart

Learning to Read

Wool Felting

Nature with Little Ones

Playful Learning ABC

Living Math

Raising Tadpoles

Homemade Cleaning Recipes

From Caterpillar to Butterfly

Beginning a Foreign Language

Animal Tracking with Kids

Beginning Preschool

First History Lessons

Maple Sugaring with Kids

Children in the Garden

Sloyd handwork

I Participate

"In this field small efforts are honoured with great rewards, and we perceive that the education we are giving exceeds all that we intended or imagined.”
- Mason