Paige showed me some of the work she’s been doing in her studio (aka bedroom). These are ink drawings on watercolor paper which she has moistened with a brush to add some shading. She came up with this technique and I don’t know what to call it. Ink watercolor? The effect is subtle and ethereal and these scans don’t do them justice. I love the simple lines and softness of each.
We recorded piano pieces back in May and today I want to begin sharing them. This is Paige playing Reverie by George Peter Tingley. It’s restful, reflective, and deeply moving. I’m grateful that I get to hear beautiful music from my children each day.
I hope you’re having a restful Sunday. I’m grateful for a sabbath day and God’s commandment to rest and keep a holy day each week.
This is a picture of me interacting with an ipod for the first time. It is also a picture of a classic introvert tuning out and recharging.
My friend introduced me to an article about how to care for your introvert . Although I didn’t agree with every word and attitude in the article, I thought I would share a few points with you.
I work to overcome my aversion to crowds, noise, and chit-chat. I realize that it’s a selfish attitude to think that embracing introversion is being “true” to myself. I try to foster an unselfish attitude and overcome my innate barriers to relationships and meaningful service to others.
But I will always love a long journal writing session…
Where do you thrive?
I thrive where there is plenty for me to do.
I’m thriving because school’s in session.
I decorated the school room with Chinese lanterns and polka dots. After all, it’s not every day we have a kindergartener in our midst.
Thank goodness for friends across the street who also home educate their children so we can hold a multi-family recess, share lab supplies, draw on various skills, and save money on equipment. I know my friend needs a big paper cutter, but I am NOT going to buy her one because it gives us an excuse to be useful to her.
Someday her children will remember me as the lady with the paper cutter.
That’s okay.
I just want to be useful.
Today we said goodbye to many of Paige’s childhood toys and dress up clothes. Tears were shed. She has kept them around for all the neighbor girls to play with when they come over, but this summer it became clear that we are out of space. Most toys were carefully wrapped and donated to special people and to our church thrift store. Other things were packed away in deep storage for me to pull out and play with when Paige moves out and I’m the only girl in the house.
This photo was taken in 2002.
Goodbye pink Kelly castle with the little dragon.
Goodbye dollies. You are loved.
Goodbye ponies.
Goodbye twirly pink dress up clothes.
I’m crying my eyes out.
Goodbye tea parties with princesses.
Goodbye little things and glittery treasures.
Goodbye baby girl.
The last two posts were a big disclosure for me. I’m feeling a little insecure about sharing.
Silly.
Here’s my list of things I would like to do before school starts:
Buy a new dress.
Read something light. (I’m still chewing through Democracy in America!)
Eat a cherry Dilly Bar from Dairy Queen.
I’ve decided to share some of our curriculum choices because it’s what some readers want to see. If you’re not interested in school books, you can enjoy the poppy picture. Most of my curriculum ideas have come from The Well Trained Mind by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer.
| TITLE:
God’s Gift of Language C grammar |
Author/Publisher:
A Beka |
| Writing Strands 4-5 | National Writing Inst. |
| Spelling Workout f-g | |
| Don Quixote | Michael Harrison |
| “A Voyage to Lilliput,” “ A Voyage to Brobdingnag” from Gulliver’s Travels | Jonathan Swift |
| Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates | Mary Dodge |
| A Pilgrim’s Progress | John Bunyan |
| Robinson Crusoe | Daniel Defoe |
| Poems of William Wordsworth | |
| The Rime of the Ancient Mariner | Samuel Coleridge |
| The Legend of Sleepy Hollow | Rip Van Winkle |
| The Pied Piper of Hamelin | Robert Browning |
| Grimms Fairy Tales | |
| Autobiography of Ben Franklin, the Way to Wealth | Franklin |
| Alice in Wonderland | Lewis Caroll |
| The Adventures of Tom Sawyer | Mark Twain |
| Oliver Twist | Charles Dickins |
| A Christmas Carol | Charles Dickins |
| “The Raven” | Edgar Allen Poe |
| Toliver’s Secret | Ester Wood Brady |
| Caddie Woodlawn | Carol Ryrie Brink |
| My Brother Sam is Dead | James Lincoln Collier |
| The Courage of Sarah Noble | Alice Dalgliesh |
| Algebra ½ | Saxon |
| Kingfisher History Encyclopedia | |
| Learning Through History magazines: American Revolution, Civil War | |
| Critical Thinking Press book 1 Colonies to Constitution | |
| Critical Thinking Press book 2 New Republic to Civil War | |
| Story of the World vol 3 | Bauer |
| Exploring Creation: General Science | Wile |
| Rosetta Stone Spanish 1 | |
| typing tutor software |
| TITLE
Confessions (selected books) |
Author/Publisher
Saint Augustine |
| Beowulf | |
| Inferno | Dante, tr. Pinsky |
| The Once and Future King | White |
| Sir Gawain and the Green Knight | Tolkien |
| The Canterbury Tales | ed. McCaughrean |
| The Prince | Machiavelli |
| Utopia | More |
| The Faerie Queene selections from book 1 | Spenser |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Shakespeare |
| Hamlet | Shakespeare |
| Henry V | Shakespeare |
| The Timetables of History | Grun |
| A Short History of Western Civilization, 8th ed. | Sullivan |
| Janson’s History of Art: The Middle Ages | Davies, … |
| A Day in the Life of Old Rome |
Stearnes |
| Inevitable Apostasy and Promised Restoration | Callister |
| The Magna Charta | Dougherty |
| Empires Lost and Won | Marrin |
| Writing Strands 8 | National Writing Inst |
| A Beka Grammar and Composition | Abeka |
| Advanced Mathematics: Geometry, Trigonometry, Algebra III | Saxon |
| Exploring Creation through Chemistry | Wile |
| Old Testament | |
| Deutsch Aktuell | EMC publishing |
| Rosetta Stone German 2 |
This is 10th grade, 7th grade, 3rd grade, and Kindergarten on one page. Yes, lunch is Very important to me.
We’ll begin school soon.
We have books and pencils.
We’re going to try e-books for some of our literature study this year. Kindles abound in this house.
Paige is studying medieval history and literature, German, chemistry, Advanced Mathematics (Geo-Trig-Algebra III), ballet, piano, and writing. (And early morning seminary.)
Daniel is studying Renaissance-1850 history and literature, Spanish, general science, pre-algebra, English, tennis, and golf.
Timothy is studying Renaissance-1850 history, English, zoology, 3rd grade math, and piano.
Mark is in Kindergarten. He’ll read, write, study math, dress up, and dig in the backyard.
We rediscovered the dress up clothes! We’ve been changing costumes every few minutes for days.
