Where the Blacktop Ends
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a place to call home

10/29/2014

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... to stand like slow-growing trees
on a ruined place renewing, it enriching it,

...then a long time after we are gone
the lives our lives prepare will live
here, their houses strongly placed
upon the valley sides, fields and gardens
rich in the windows.

Wendell Berry

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All the afternoon the house was very quiet and still, as though it were thinking its own thoughts, or dreaming perhaps. - Mary Poppins
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My precept to all who build is, that the owner should be an ornament to the house,
and not the house to the owner
. - Cicero
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Unless the Lord builds the house the builders labor in vain. Psalm 127:1
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'Desire only what you need', was the rule... - Brendan, by M. Llywelyn
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Don't own so much clutter that you will be relieved to see your house catch fire. - W. Berry
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introducing the three little kittens, one being Tom kitten
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a late blooming tiny violet who spews out pin-head-like seeds
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kitchen induction- a salsa fiesta
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thrifted chicken scratch :)
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"But it rests with us that our possessions shall be worthy. Let us begin soon to collect a good library of books that we shall always value... -Charlotte Mason 4.71
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If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. -Marcus Tullius 
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Friends that give baskets of produce as housewarming gifts bring me a smile.
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saving seed
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3 little carrots is a good harvest for his OWN garden
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strong enough to hold up the sky!
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crust just like Grandma's
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Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness & tender mercies;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 103:1-5

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Total Lunar Eclipse

10/24/2014

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Did you see it?
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eye and camera saw it differently
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Telescope- check. Laptop- check. Camera- check. My brother rocks!
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5:10 am
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The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Psalm 19:1
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weekly lessons

10/17/2014

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"This book is funnier than I thought." -while reading Pilgrim's Progress
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"My hand is just itching to do some 'M's" -beginning copywork
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Math lessons interrupted by the combine out the window. It's that time of year again.
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nature study subject: paper birch
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Tree-in-the-Trail and Divine Co-operation

10/12/2014

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God doth Instruct...
Let this be the mother's key to the whole of the education of each boy and each girl...
We do not sufficiently rejoice in the wealth that the infinite nature of our God brings to each of us.

And what subjects are under the direction of this Divine Teacher? The child's faith and hope and charity––that we already knew; his temperance, justice, prudence and fortitude––that we might have guessed; his grammar, rhetoric, logic, music, astronomy, geometry, arithmetic––this we might have forgotten...

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...his practical skill in the use of tools and instruments, from a knife and fork to a microscope, and in the sensible management of all the affairs of life––these also come from the Lord,
which is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working. His God doth instruct him and doth teach him.

Let the mother visualise the thought as an illuminated scroll about her newborn child, and let her never contemplate any kind of instruction for her child, except under the sense of the divine co-operation.

-Charlotte Mason 2.273
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under the cottonwood tree
Divine co-operation. I like to contemplate the meaning of that. It seems easy enough to agree with.
But I find I must, at times, intentionally let go  in trusting my own teacher-planning/preparedness in favor of a trust in the Holy Spirit as my son's main educator. It's not that I don't plan anything. It's not leaving it to my child  to choose to learn whatever whenever.  My role is now to be one who stands alongside with open hands to give to my son while I receive from above exactly what we both need for this journey.

I am not a teacher but an awakener. -Robert Frost

Normally doubts flicker before they fade, but sometimes they disintegrate 
when we're given the gift of a situation that undergirds all our efforts.
It is just up to us to notice it and be the catalyst. 
It's not often earth shattering; I usually see it in small daily things, like when we narrated this [below] 2 weeks ago,

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 and then this happened! Yep, didn't plan that one.
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Cody the bison napping in the gorgeous fall sunshine.
We've been having such fun with the term 1 book Tree In The Trail !

* Revisiting photos from a visit to a Native American historical site  where we packed our own real/reproduction travois. (...thought about making a toy one too)

* Adding a cottonwood leaf to our book of pressed leaves and flowers and remembering how the fluffy seeds covered and stuck to our car this past spring

* Comparing wood grain with rings in wood 'cookies' (Make your own with instructions here)

* And of course mapping out the Santa Fe trail/map as we read through the chapters
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Hmm... what to pack next? The atlatl, the lacrosse stick, or the tomahawk?
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It's not an all-out unit study.
It's just what happens because a living book comes alive when you read it.
Sometimes it makes you want to do things1
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Jumping Spider

10/7/2014

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We made a cool nature discovery, and just had to share. Little eagle eyes first discovered it tucked into a crevice of his volunteer sunflower. And one of our first observations of it was the gigantic leaps it made when we disturbed its sun bathing. Then in a blink it was back up to where it used to be. I read later that it leaves guide lines to get back.  It's hard to see in the photos but it was very hairy and had a  colorful mandible!
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The website said, "These spiders move quickly in a jerky, irregular gait and can run sideways and backward. The two middle eyes of jumping spiders are particularly large and jumping spiders have the best vision of spiders, seeing objects up to eight inches away." It is pretty remarkable for being only 1/4 inch long.
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a fresh rhythm in Year 2

10/3/2014

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It has been extra adventurous to transition this family from end of summer to new school year rhythms, because smack dab in the middle, we moved houses. Lessons in a new environment still under construction and in boxes with a busy non-napping 2yo in the mix, are new to me. Despite the looming feeling of beginning late, once the first day ended I remembered, "Oh that's right, this is a living education that fills, instead of exhausts, the teacher!" Why did I forget that part? It often surprises me when my former ingrained notions of education come creeping back in.
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planning like the pros
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We're loving these free printable phonogram cards as a new addition to our reading lessons.
They are at the end pages of the spelling journal printable. F.Y.I.
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With a closet shelved with his own special 'school' toys, I was prepared to meet the little one's needs and  hold the older one's attention, but the 2yo reminded me the first week that being just like big brother is way cooler. So now when we use the tally sticks, abacus, pennies and clock he gets his own little items to explore. I always think those Pintrest boards with toddler activities look so exciting, but lets get real; free play with rainbow pudding paint or a tub full of dry beans to scatter while we're trying to read and narrate is just not realistic for us. Snacks, on the other hand, are super! Remaining in an attitude of intentionally listening to and learning my children's needs/personalities smoothes out the tweaking process that comes at the start of a new year.
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Acting out a narration. Drawing narrations are great too!
Happily will I report that year 2 is a nice gentle increase from year 1 academics. Longer and slightly more challenging texts but- not too much.  Ambleside Online is so very wonderful to have as a resource. I was able to re-use my same weekly schedule format from last year with a few shifts in the order of the day.  We're also hoping to add a music listening notebook to our composer time as described in this lovely blog post.
We do about  2 1/2 hours of learning each morning with a few subjects saved for leisure time and follow a 'first, next, then' rhythm rather than rigid minute-by-minute schedule. We do use a timer for a few subjects.
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Bible/prayer/worship 15 min
Hymn/folksong 1x thru/ea.
Memory verse 2x thru
Calendar/weather
Poetry- 1 poem/ review of our poet/
History/Literature Reading #1- 1 chapter from various texts
Number- 15-20 min
Copywork/Handwriting- 7 min- copying a passage of his choice from beautiful literature we've read
Phonics/Reading- 15-20 min
History/Literature Reading #2-  1 ch. from another book
Drawing/Audio book- Hamlet this term!
Random Weekly subjects- Map drill, Outdoor Geography, Timeline, Handcraft, Nature study, PE etc.
Spanish lesson
Composer

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exploring the fascination of a fairy ring!
And the perks of a new school year beginning are lovely!
 Library. sales. Oh, ya.
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How is your year turning out so far?
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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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    Sage Parnassus
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    "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
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    “It may be that the souls of all children are waiting for the call of knowledge to awaken them to delightful living.”             
                   - Mason

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