the brew*crew adventure

I haven't participated in this meme before, Blogger Friend School, which provides a weekly "blogging homework" theme. As I was browsing through some of the amazing blogs listed over at the HSB Awards, I clicked onto this week's theme for the BFS, and was totally inspired to join in, since it goes hand in hand with thoughts and observations I've been having here in the last couple weeks anyways. Technically, I believe that the "assignment" is supposed to be posted on Tuesday?, but in my natural way, I'm posting mine a day two days late!

 

The passion to sing, the passion to draw, the passion to build, the passion to ride, the passion for reading, the passion for nature… the list is endless. Some children exhibit their passion from day one, others need an experience to spark that passion.

Assignment: Share a field trip/lifestyle learning experience where you really felt you were bringing good things to life for your children, where something came alive for them, or ignited a passion.

This is something I've been thinking about a lot lately... the facilitating of that passion to learn, to build and to creatively express ones self; that desire to grow and to become something great that's within us all, my own children specifically, manifesting itself in so many various talents. As a parent and my children's primary instructor, it's important to me that I culture their God-given abilities and desires, bringing these good things to life, if you will... while at the same time realizing that I truly am not taking the lead... in that it's not all up to me to conjure these up in my kids. Rather, I'm watching, listening, and waiting on the Holy Spirit to show me their intrinsic giftings, and praying for His guidance as I plan our studies and their activities.

As I'm doing my best to daily immerse our kids in an engaging learning environment and introducing them to a variety of inspiring subjects, I am delighted to be discovering their passions with them, and comforted in the remembrance that these precious soul stirrings and that ultimate quickening of their spirits towards Him are all individual workings of His Spirit within them, as we're learning to walk out His Word in our lives together, and therefore not solely dependent upon me, nor anyone else. I need but tune in to them, and especially their Creator, while keeping my eyes wide open to the opportunities abounding in each moment as we journey together each day, lest I miss those small sparks that would ultimately kindle their passions and thereby could someday even dictate their very livelihoods.

I have found that with our oldest daughter, 9yo T, who is my "go-getter", this is an easier thing to recognize; her passions. She talks about it, and initiates doing stuff working towards that end on her own. When she's inspired, the results are much more extravagant and obvious than when our 12 yo son, N is impassioned. He tends to discover passions (like writing, dance, reading a certain book, horse riding) after I've suggested he try something out. Lately I have been fascinated over the inter-connectedness of their blossoming personalities with the opportunities they've been offered thusfar in their young lives. I'm left to wonder over how beautifully it has all worked together... and question which came first, a specific passion or was an experience the catalyst of curiosity turned to desire? I've been musing over what the ramifications of these truths could be, not only in my kids' lives, but in my own as well.

And we know that for those who love God, that is, for those who are called according to his purpose, all things are working together for good.

~ Romans 8.28

It's certainly a mystery profound how the Sovereign Lord choreographs our very lives, nurturing those seeds of talent He placed within us, even as He knit us in the womb, while simultaneously allowing the free-will of our individuality. It's caused me to consider the weighty responsibility Chris and I have as parents to introduce our children- His children- to a wide array of possibilities, directing them toward His truths, and presenting them with an assortment of rich ideas for their minds and hearts to grow upon. Gradually, I am learning to recognize when the "education" is doing its work within them, and to therefore not snuff out the tiny flames which seem yet so insignificant by my own lofty unrealistic adult-perspective qualifying standards, set mostly by pre-conceived ideas of how learning "should look"... Meaningful learning does not necessarily mean a finished *project*. I'm learning to look with my child-eyes again.

For instance, the other day when T showed me the language she's creating for the characters in one of her stories, my first teacherly-Mom thoughts were along the lines of, "well, that's not a real language... why should she be wasting her time and all of that good language interest and energies with this when we could be working on our Latin or Hebrew?" Thankfully, in the next instant, I realized that I was witnessing a beautifully genuine representation of this child's love for language and passion for writing. And so the thoughts I expressed to her were those of encouragement and "why not?, how clever!" and musings over the inceptions of various languages.

But that was not the only challenge along these lines that either one of my kids have thrown at my feeble mind in the last couple of weeks. Last month N, who's been taking guitar lessons for just over a year now (that was his own inspired idea, which he faltered in when it came to the monotany of daily practice), announced to me that he'd like to come up with his own song to play at our co-op's end of the year student presentations ceremony... I immediately had to shush my overly-conservative, doubtful-of-his-being-ready-to-do-that thoughts right up. After months of laboring resistantly through daily practicings on his guitar, he's made it over some kind of mental hump, and now usually plays daily (without my having to tell him to!), and tells me he absolutely loves it. He was also greatly inspired by the movie August Rush. As we're driving home from his lessons, he often tells me excitedly of what he's learning, and how encouraging his guitar teacher is. Just last week his instructor told him that he could play his own songs without having any music written out(?!), and could even learn to play chords he hasn't yet formally learned, just by intently listening to a piece of music and then copying what he hears. Imagine that... I am so thankful for the many wonderfully inspiring people that have been God's vessels of instruction for our kids  (and myself) over the years, what evidence of HIS faithful provision! On so very many levels, this whole parenting/homeschooling business has been such a growing experience for my own faith levels.

And I know that I've mentioned here before of how my daring daughter gets these crazy inspired ideas to do things that are much bigger than any goals I'd ever set for her. I've seen how God has been faithful to send others into our lives to facilitate dreaming and passions that I could not... but I'm apparently a slow learner. Usually my first (natural) impulse is to caution her and help her to pare her visions down a bit, set her sights more realistically... but her fervor and insistence that she can and has already counted the cost of a conceived endeavour has once again inspired me, and as I've let go of the reigns I had moments before fearfully rationally tightened my grip on, I've been further delighted to see how God has sent others to come along side of me/us to see that her fans are flamed and help set her on the path to accomplishing these fantastic goals that I couldn't have orchestrated or provided for on my own, let alone have even decided upon.

Once again, this week it seems that another request, prayerfully offered up by a girl with bigger faith shoes than I can fill has been fulfilled by a generous Father.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows...     

~ James 1.17

T has praise in her heart. She loves to put on worship music and dance before the Lord enthusiastically. It's something that I've enjoyed doing with my kids since they were babies in my arms, twirling together with hands lifted high. T told me on Monday that she'd like to choreograph her own dance to a Third Day song and perform it at the aforementioned homeschool co-op student presentation ceremony. I gulped down my doubts, astonished at her brevity, again. She proceeded to explain her plans to me, and I just nodded along as I listened, knowing better than to discourage her resolve. "I'm going to ask Mrs. Jamie (her dance instructor- that's another testimony we have of His great provision for us- scholarships for dance lessons) to help me with my moves and figuring it all out." "That's a good idea." "Okay then, you'll have to wait for me a little bit longer after class so that I can talk to her about it." I agreed. And after her dance class ended on Tuesday, I watched as she gingerly approached her teacher, holding her passion close, encased in a dream that she proceeded to share with a trusted confidante. To my great surprise and delight, Jamie agreed to help her and meet with her a half hour before her class, every week- for free! I went back and checked with her myself after T told me, just to make sure it was really alright! Is that crazy-generous, and just like God, or what?! Needless to say, T is so excited about it that she's on fire now, and has asked a dancing friend that we carpool with to join her in the dance! She's been busily drawing and dancing up her choreography plans. Here's what she's got so far:

I tried getting some pictures of her dancing, but she wouldn't cooperate.

She did, however, allow me to take some pictures of her practicing on her violin. This - her opportunity to play the violin this year- is another story of her aspirations met by the willing Hand of Providence.

T has wanted to take violin lessons for years. I believe that the desire was probably first sparked sometime in her toddlerhood, when we spent a great deal of time with friends, whose then highschool daughter played the violin beautifully. She would watch and listen to her play intently every chance that she got. She began asking for lessons a few years ago, but we couldn't afford private violin lessons, and neither Chris nor I can even read music (something which both of our children are now learning to do quite well -without us!).  As I do, I told her that I would join in her praying that if it be His will, that He would provide an avenue for this opportunity for her. Then last year, we were blessed with the means to pay for N to have the private guitar lessons I mentioned above, and she so wanted the same. She confided to me of how she was struggling with jealousy and I reminded her that he too had been waiting for years for music lessons. Her time would come... and to be patient. Meanwhile, she decided to master her recorder and used the book that it came with to teach herself to read music and play quite a few folk songs. She joined a class offered at our co-op for the recorder, and took heart in my reminder not to despise small beginnings.

Then, to our delighted amazement, a wonderful lady decided to teach a strings class at our homeschool co-op this year, specifically violin and cello. T was beside herself with excitement over this opportunity to finally learn to play her instrument of choice - the violin. Now... if only we had a violin. I prayerfully sought the Lord, trusting Him to provide this too, knowing that with Him in it, it would all come together. Chris and I knew that it would have to happen cheaply to be feasible for us. Then towards the end of last school year, it came up at our Bible study with some friends that T was so glad to be looking forward to taking a violin class at our co-op, and since this friend had played for years, we asked her for suggestions concerning our finding a used violin for T. To our thrilled astonishment, she offered to loan T her own beautiful violin for as long as she needed it.

Time and again I have been blessed to see God's orchestration of timely provision for our children's passions, in both their inceptions and continuity. As their Mother and primary instructor, I find rest in knowing that it is not up to me to bring all these good things to life in their worlds,

      ‘ Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
Says the LORD of hosts.

~ Zechariah 4.6

but rather I am just an open conduit of His loving kindness and purposes for each of them, His unique creations.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Memory Verse: Philippians 4:8

In conclusion, brothers, focus your thoughts on what is true, noble, righteous, pure, lovable or admirable, on some virtue or on something praiseworthy.

My blog here was actually nominated in the HSB Awards for "Best Unschooling or Eclectic Homeschooling Blog 2008"! so if you feel so inclined, I'd really appreciate your vote! ...though I hardly feel worthy to even be listed among so many wonderful homeschool blogs! There are some really GREAT homeschooling blogs listed there in ALL of the categories so be sure and check them out! You WILL be inspired and encouraged, I know that I certainly have been subscribing to some new favorites! Be sure and check them all out, and then VOTE for your favorites!

Today I was inspired by this meme over at Heart of the Matter Online:

I know that there are those that have amazing and elaborate school rooms dedicated to housing anything and everything related to homeschooling. There are also those who have mad skills when it comes to organizing and integrating the school into the home rather than having an ‘area’. We then have homeschoolers that pride themselves on the world being their school house and the couch being their desk.

Where do you school? If you are one of the super-organized mothers what tips can you share? If you are more laid back, what encouragement and insight can you offer?

...and so I'm sharing a post here about our "schoolroom". I thought that it'd be fun to show you around a bit. As many of you probably already know, we are definitely not in the first group there, but rather somewhere in that second and mostly even the third description. Super-organized lesson-plans-wise I am not... although I do have journals full of yearly plans, notes to myself concerning various goals for our kids, endless book-lists and all three of our kids' entire 12 years worth of homeschooling careers entirely mapped and tediously re-mapped out (yes, even the baby's!). Yeah, planning is playing for me... it's what I obsess over for fun in my spare time. Funny thing though, we have  yet to have a week go as I'd *planned*, much less a year! Ha!

Our days are generally pretty relaxed and free-flowing, and I'm always open to the unplanned and unexpected, which I just cannot help. It's a good thing too. I've learned that I simply cannot even foresee, let alone plan out the best learning experiences, yet I do try and have our direction and goals laid out which we work towards within the framework of daily routines and habits. If we don't accomplish or finish something one day, there's always tomorrow.

Homeschooling is such a way of life for us that it just IS all the time, everywhere... in my mind, it all *counts* as valuable learning time anyways. Over the years and through three interstate moves within a span of three years, and then some, our home has been through many upheavals changes and therefore what I'd envisioned at the onset of our homeschooling journey was certainly different than how things have turned out. Fortunately I've grown accustomed to our relaxed eclectic approach to homeschooling, else I probably would have lost my mind! Ha!

With that said though, I do believe that it's important to facilitate appropriately structured routines and accountability when it comes to responsibilities for our children as they're discovering and learning in their every day lives, and especially so as they're getting older. This does not come naturally to me, lots of structure I mean. However, realizing that there's basic stuff they definitely need to know, facts to master, skills to learn and just so much wonderful history, literature, etc. that I want to share with my kids (and much of it I'm learning for the first time myself), that we'd most likely never get around to without scheduled, concerted efforts, I'm striving towards making the most of these precious years with our children.

There have been times that I thought having an actual schoolroom- a space set apart- might help us to stay more focused with our studies during the day... but then I've thought, we'd probably not end up spending much time in there anyways, practically speaking. So as a family, we've all pretty much decided that when and IF we ever have an extra room, it would better serve as an art and crafting studio! Anyways, I know what you're thinking, "Enough talk already, ON with the show!" Okay, c'mon then, let me show you around our world *(un)school*room(s).

First off, I'd like to show you just how organized I am trying to be with all of our schoolerish-type stuff, which yes, we do use regularly and yes, it's mostly great literature, maps, paints, crafting stuff, papers, pens and other notebooking supplies. Here we have our giant "books closet",

which was already lined with shelves on two walls when we first moved in here. That metal caddy on wheels is full of my scrapbooking stuff...

I stacked two bookshelves against the third wall, one...

on top of the other, and then filled them all right up!

This giant closet/mini-room is indispensable to me now. I keep the books we're reading and studying from for a given year lined up and accessible on these shelves. Of course, this doesn't include our library books, nor the kids' free reads, etc.  

N and T each have their own shelf this year, since they're now doing their own AO years and individual studies in other areas as well.

You can see here that T has all of her horse study stuff lined up together, but her favorite classroom for her horse study is definitely still the barn...

Then we have our indispensable crafts/notebooking supplies caddy which I like to keep pretty-well organized. You can see it here in this picture, next to T as she's sitting here at our dining room table playing with cuisenaire rods.

or wooly worms...

The kids each have a crate for their notebooks, papers, copywork books, and various other books they're using, which are kept in this big wicker chest, also found in the dining room, under the window, right beside the caddy. This works well because the kids can clean up their messes off the dining room table fairly quickly.

We also have lots of bookshelves in the living room, where we like to spend many hours reading and discussing all that we're learning.

In the living room is our favorite table, our "coffee table" which is rugged and tough as they come. Chris and I found it many years ago in a thrift store, without the glass. We bought this great piece of artwork that someone spent a lot of time building and welding for a mere $10!and then we paid $40 to have thick glass cut for it to lay in the inset, under which we placed a map of the world, which makes for easy referral. This table is used for eating at, gaming and sitting on (and dancing on if your a little person), drawing, coloring, writing, and mathing on too.

And there behind N, you can see our couch, which is our favorite place to cozy up with books to share...

Well, our favorite place next to the field behind our house.

The other littler couch/loveseat is usually where laundry sits waiting to be folded, next to whomever happens to be sitting there reading a book, or on the kids' laptop, or where I like to sit and blog (like now) while Chris and N are watching something on tv.

Sometimes the kids like to do their studies outside with the goats and chickens...

Oh, and let's not forget the kids' favorite place for their late night studies, their Mom and Dad's bed!

Of course there's so many lessons always waiting to be learned in our favorite classroom, the great outdoors as well, like when Dad wants to read to them under the open sky, or when he has big jobs to do with them,


or when a perfect day beckons them outside to build forts... like today.

No matter where, when our how we're learning, I like to remember the concept expressed in this quote from William Butler Yeats...

Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire.

Be sure and visit HOTM online's Friday meme for today if you'd like to visit some more schoolrooms. That's where I'm headed now! Happy homeschooling!

I watched the 3rd Party Debates on C-Span night before last. It was so very refreshing to hear the issues discussed much more frankly, with pointed (true) conviction, without all of the rhetoric and pandering to mainstream America-Media, double-talking fluff. If you missed them, you can view them here on YouTube. We also caught John Stossel's Politically Incorrect Guide to Politics on 20/20 last weekend, which I thought was pretty right-on and played right into our ongoing discussion with 12yo N, who's taking a "Presidents & Politics" class at our homeschool co-op this year and has been following the elections this year via news, commentaries, watching debates and collecting political cartoons, along with his short written narrations of election news for a political notebook he's keeping for his class. It's been quite a learning experience for us all.

Yesterday Chris and I went and voted early... for Baldwin/Castle. Yep. I'm not going to go into all the whys and wherefores of our decision, how it wasn't a wasted vote, nor a vote for Obama, etc., mainly since I'm just really tired today due to being up much of the night and all day the past few days with a clingy, congested, constantly-wanting-to-nurse-teething baby girl, and also because the issues that have been rolling around in my thoughts (which have also been discussed a lot at our house in the last couple of months), questions on my mind and shared convictions of our household's collective heart have already been aptly enunciated very well by others. So why reinvent the wheel, right? I'll simply provide a few links here for those interested, and you can go read their thoughts and hear me sayin' "Amen" over your shoulder! I think that like Randi, I'm just beginning to grow weary of it all... you know? I'm going to join my funny brother Daniel, and just not talk politics anymore right now, okay?

I really did go round and round over this for awhile, in prayer and research and mulling it all over before I voted. I even surprised myself at one point by questioning my own resolve and reconsidered voting for McCain, just to help keep Obama out... but upon further reflection, and reviewing the facts, I just couldn't, in clear conscience, do it.

First off, for the record~ a vote for Baldwin (or any other independent) is not a vote for Obama, it's a vote for Baldwin. I mean, what if it was Obama versus Hitler... would you vote for Obama then? How about Hitler or Satan, then one must choose Hitler, right? Far-fetched and ludicrous, maybe, but you get my point?

Let us please remember that as Believers our motivating force for how we vote should NOT be one of fear... just how far would one let this fallacious way of thinking take them... ie; that voting the lesser of two evils is commendable?... Sure that'll be the case to a point no matter who we vote for, seeing as all men are base and our hearts deceptively wicked, but you get my point, right? Especially when there IS a TRUE CONSERVATIVE, Christian candidate running? If all Believers would actually just REALLY vote their conscience instead of telling each other "don't bother, you're throwing your vote away- it'll never work", then we might get to really make a difference... If everyone actually voted with a whole lot more conviction and faith, things might happen. I for one am choosing to do my part towards that lofty end, albeit idealistic and seemingly futile... even reminds of the very definition of faith according to Hebrews 11.1>>

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

The Founders of our (yet) Free Nation waged an impossible battle as well... remember? And Lincoln was a third party candidate without a chance, remember? Yet everyone thankfully didn't say, "what's the use, why bother, he'll/we'll never win anyways"...  may as well play it safe and remain Loyalists (referring back to the crazy Revolution idea)... That's the sort of attitude that will ensure that we never have any other choice besides the ones we're *allowed* by the two primary parties and their media cohorts.

Yes, McCain certainly claims to be pro-life, yet McCain did vote in favor of expanding federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research, NOT adult stem cell research. McCain has verbally flip-flopped on the pro-life issues. He's been against overturning Roe vs. Wade, and more recently claims to be for it, in a round-about sorta way. He wanted his pro-choice buddy Lieberman as his running mate, but was strongly advised to choose for the more conservative base (whaa-laa, we have Palin, yes, I LOVE her too- but she's not running for Pres.-yet... brilliant political move when you think about it), lest he upset the Right and get smeared again like he did the first time he ran... remember?

So, I'm not going to talk politics anymore, but for those of you who are still informing yourselves, and can stomach one, two or maybe even three more articles... here ya go.

“Should Sen. John McCain be elected as the next president of the United States, he will not be a champion for the life of the unborn.”

Sen. John McCain’s Position on Abortion: Setting the Record Straight

Doug Phillips of Vision Forum shares his opinion here on his blog concerning Presidential Candidate Chuck Baldwin on the Pro-Abortion Record of John McCain:

With every passing day as we move closer to the presidential election, the collective IQ of the Christian and conservative community appears to be dropping. The more fearful Christians become, the more they are willing to praise the beautiful garments of the naked emperor. Flashback: One year ago conservative and Christian leaders were in agreement about the fact that John McCain was neither pro-life, nor pro-family, nor conservative in general. Dr. James Dobson vowed publicly to never support the man for this very reason. Question: Besides some new polish and rhetoric, has John McCain fundamentally changed over the last twelve months?

It is one thing to support John McCain, but it is another thing for Christians to claim he is something that he is not in order to soothe the collective consciences of the fear-stricken. This is precisely the type of hypocrisy that liberals rightly point out. Why not just ‘fess up and admit the truth—“John McCain has voted for liberal pro-abortion judges to sit on the highest court of the land, has voted for subsidies for abortion, once said he opposed overturning Roe V. Wade, and supports killing babies in certain cases—BUT WE ARE VOTING FOR HIM ANYWAY BECAUSE WE FEAR AN OBAMA PRESIDENCY.”

At least that would be honest.

Doug then goes on to site Chuck Baldwin's article on what a joke the notion that McCain is really Pro-Life is. Baldwin writes:

John McCain openly embraces embryonic stem cell research. In 2000, he boldly said he did not favor the overturn of Roe v. Wade. John McCain was a member of the infamous "Gang of 14" senators from both parties whose purpose was to oppose pro-life, strict constructionist judges.

Speaking of judges, John McCain voted for the pro-abortion justice, Stephen Breyer, and the radical, pro-abortion, ACLU attorney, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. So much for the argument that we need John McCain for the sake of appointing conservative justices to the Supreme Court. For that matter, Republican appointments dominated the Court that gave us Roe v. Wade and the one that later gave us Doe v. Bolton. Proving, once again, that the Republican Party, as a whole, has no real commitment to the life issue.

John McCain also gave us McCain-Feingold. This is the law that keeps pro-life or pro-Second Amendment organizations from broadcasting ads that mention a candidate by name 30 days before a primary election or 60 days before a general election. This proves that John McCain believes neither in the right to life nor the right to keep and bear arms. (This is one reason why the Gun Owners of America gives McCain a grade of F.)

In a debate with George W. Bush in May of 2000, John McCain attacked Bush's support for the pro-life plank in the Republican Party. Still today, John McCain believes that babies who are conceived via rape or incest should be murdered. I remind readers, however, that there are no "exceptions" in the womb, only babies.

If all of the above is not enough, as a senator, John McCain has repeatedly voted to fund pro-abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood with federal tax dollars. In fact, McCain has voted to use federal tax dollars to support abortion providers at home and overseas. Yes, this "pro-life" senator (along with "pro-life" President, George W. Bush) has significantly increased federal spending for abortion providers to levels eclipsing even the appropriations authorized by President Bill Clinton and his fellow Democrats.

So... that pretty much sums it up for me! Also, a blogging friend of mine, Jacque of Walking Therein, shares her thoughts on these important issue and others in an informative post here, which I totally agree with as well. As for Obama, well... I believe that his own supporters say it best, when they say nothing at all! Another blogging friend of mine, Heather, aka. Sprittibee has also just posted a great article on how Obama opposes homeschooling and parental rights. Spunky has also been sharing a lot of insightful information regarding Obama on education over at her blog.

Vote you conscience!

Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.

~Psalm 146.3

Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.

  ~John Quincy Adams.

Technorati Tags: 3rd Party Debates, elections, Baldwin/Castle, Chuck Baldwin, Pro-Life, McCain

There's some great posting going on over at the *shiny-brand-NEW* Christian Unschooling website. I am so honored to have been invited to actually contribute articles to this project now and then. The purpose of all the homeschooling writers that are contributing to the site is simply to offer:

Encouragement and resources for Christian unschooling, relaxed/eclectic home educating families–living in freedom in Christ.

I pray that it does so...

Heather at An Untraditional Home wrote an article recently posted, Confessions of a Homeschool Mama, in which she concedes,

Dare I say that we, despite our plans and ideals, are unschoolers?

Heh. And I just had to smile when I read it, as I could have written the same line. It seems to be the story of our entire homeschooling career! Me- planning like mad each summer and Fall, and then life happens, days slip into weeks, and my plans and schedules are trumped by one unplanned event, unkempt day, or wonderful learning experience after another... *LOL* Guess I'm learning to roll with the punches... Still can't help myself from making extravagant plans from which to pull from as we study over each year, but I'm also relaxed enough in our approach to enjoy those many inspired moments and days of unexpected delight-directed learning that the Lord and my children's beautiful minds bring our way regularly.

I have continually been amazed at what my kids have learned and accomplished over the years, without my supervision! I remember being caught quite off-guard and a bit worried when T basically taught herself to read at age 4/5, and I had yet to teach her phonics! We still went over the phonograms with games and workbook exercises that she begged for, but wow, I sure didn't see that coming! There have been numerous similar instances of budding minds blooming on their own around here over the years. Spontaneous nature studies abound, experiments, art projects and research from inspired questions asked, etc.

However, I’m also encouraged by how much they love great literature that I’ve carefully chosen and suggested, even to their own surprise. I cannot tell you how many times now they’ve groaned over beginning a book I suggest, only for me to find them still snuggled up with it like an hour later… it’s become a running joke around here when I pull out a book from our shelf of required reading for the year. Even hours of seeming aimlessness have turned into some pretty interesting projects, games and memories that simply would not have even been discovered had the kids not had plenty of uninterrupted time on their hands... to think, improvise, and to create.

Yeah, “learning in freedom” (love that term), aka. "life-long learning", aka. "delight-directed learning", aka. "relaxed-eclectic CMing" (as I like to call it) is definitely a balancing act here for this Mama, to discern how and when to direct or when to just stand back and not interrupt their groove~ simultaneously. When done with thoughtful intention, both approaches can and will facilitate growth and certainly do complement each other in playing a meaningful role in learning. But I’m finding that it’s easier to know *how* to accomplish this the more that I really tune into the kids’ interests and needs.

That, after all, would truly be the heart of good teaching, would it not? To inspire, and then to come along side of one with helpful direction and guidance, but only as needed. I guess that figuring out the “as needed” part is where it gets tricky, and probably even varies from one child/family to the next… It truly is a matter of understanding, something the Lord promises to give to those who ask.

My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,

 turning your ear to wisdom

and applying your heart to understanding,

 and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,

 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,

 then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.

 For the LORD gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

~ Proverbs 2.1-6

When I was over there at the new site this morning, I happened to notice that the quote for today, generously provided by Jena at Yarns of the Heart (another fab contributor to the said new site), seemed particularly fitting to these thoughts as well, naturally...

Education is understanding relationships.

~ George Washington Carver

Our 9 year old daughter, T, has been wanting me to "do a real horse-study" with her for months now, and finally, we have begun. Yes, today, on Friday, at the end of the week we've officially started our study. *smiles* She is so ready and was literally begging to start this afternoon, rather than waiting until next week . Our study guide, Beautiful Feet's History of the Horse: A Literature Approach to Equine History arrived in the mail yesterday. I've admired it for years, knowing that eventually we'd get it and dive in together.

T was/is ecstatic and has been perusing it since it got here, savoring it... has all of the other books for the study all stacked up neatly in a pile, awaiting their turn to be called upon for use/reading in the study.  After having her already waiting for practically a year to start, I didn't want her to have to wait any longer... especially now that with this guide, she really needs minimal direction from me anyhow. So, why not? I said and today we did the first lesson together.

With T being the horse lover that she is, I found that we already owned most of the books recommended for the study, and I was then able to acquire the few that we didn't already have from Paperback Swap. So, I've only had to actually buy the guide itself. We were doubly blessed that copies of the books we did receive from pbs were in like-new condition.

Today we read about Arabians from her Encyclopedia of Horses and she started her notebook, an aspect of the study that she's relishing, and I'm so glad that this guide provides direction for. For her first notebook page she found and then drew a diagram of the horse from the front of her encyclopedia, and then labeled the parts of the horse (most of which she already had memorized). Next she read about Arabians from her Album of Horses (an absolutely beautifully illustrated book), gave a narration as to why Arabians make such good desert horses and then drew a side view of a horse rearing, from her Draw 50 Horses book. Underneath the picture she wrote the quote, "And God took a handful of southerly wind, blew His breath over it and created the horse." which is from a Bedouin legend, the entirety of which she read to me from her horse encyclopedia. And all that was just lesson 1. She asked me if she could work on it over the weekend, and wants to do lesson 2 tomorrow... Why did I wait so long to get this for her?

For lesson 2, she'll begin reading King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry (first two chapters) and will then also begin a glossary of terms in the back of her notebook by defining bloodlines, stud and mare, and she'll study a pedigree/bloodline graph. We'll discuss a bit of how breeding works as well as how bloodlines are traced, along with some more vocabulary. There are some discussion questions listed as well regarding her reading of King of the Wind. She'll then draw a map of Morocco, marking the Atlas Mountains and the Strait of Gibraltar. In the next, third lesson, she's to read two more chapters from King of the Wind, discuss some questions regarding her reading (narration prompts), will color the map of Morocco and paste it into her notebook, and will also begin the Bible memory verses section of her notebook (copy and memory work), the first entry of which is described as being "just how the Arabian reacts when it hears the trumpet sounding war.";

“Have you given the horse strength?
Have you clothed his neck with thunder?

Can you frighten him like a locust?
His majestic snorting strikes terror.

 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
He gallops into the clash of arms.

He mocks at fear, and is not frightened;
Nor does he turn back from the sword.

The quiver rattles against him,
The glittering spear and javelin.

He devours the distance with fierceness and rage;
Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.

At the blast of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha!’
He smells the battle from afar,
The thunder of captains and shouting.

~Job  39.19-25

I know that this is going to be a wonderful study for T, as it seems already to have been custom made for her. So far I really appreciate how it's so clearly organized and the lessons seem to be just the right amount of work for her to enjoy, yet be a bit challenged by. Also, she'll finally have guided opportunity to get the most enjoyment from all of these lovely horse books she's been collecting over the years, only a couple of which she's read. Today, she excitedly exclaimed to me, between reading pages of her Horse Encyclopedia aloud, "I'm really getting into this! This is the first time that I read all of the words on the pages of this book. Before I just looked at all the pictures!" It's been admired and "looked at" for years by her, how fun (and probably perfect timing actually) to now delve deeper into it with her. How my heart leaped to see the sparkle in her eyes and hear the anticipation in her voice. I think that the notebook will turn out to be a beautiful keepsake too. She's already excitedly mentioned her using the guide "to someday teach baby S about horses when she's bigger".

Here's a listing of the other books that she'll be using in her horse study this year.

Technorati Tags: horses, literature, curriculum, horse study, beautiful feet guides, literature guide, equine history

It's 5:20 AM!, and I've been awake for well over an hour now. I laid in bed for almost 40 minutes, trying to go back to sleep, but to no avail. My mind was whirling with thoughts, composing them, unwinding words from skeins of memory and perception, hoping that I would even be able to find them to explore and ravel later, these prose lacking cohesive meaning. I deliberated over whether or not to risk waking baby S, whether to get up and write them out, lest they disappear with my consciousness if I sleep- elusive and so easily lost they are, like grasping at wind, or trying to hold onto light. I was wishing that I had one of those writer's pens with a light, but wondering would that even work, without waking S and Chris, both obliviously snoozing on either side of me... and so, as the thoughts piled and sleeping I was not, I decided to climb out of bed at this totally crazy hour and write... since the words were still piling and I was too entangled to rest.

Last night, as I was putting baby S to sleep, I remembered that I had a bag on the table where I'd left it this afternoon, with a roll of deep, forest green wool yarn in it, and smooth, wooden needles looped with the beginning rows of a scarf that I'm knitting. In the same instant I realized that I wanted to knit (just really felt like doing it- right then, curious.), but I knew that it was late, and baby S probably wasn't going to let me get up and leave from nursing her to do anything- I tried anyways. Nope, didn't work. Heh. So, I laid there, falling asleep, and wishing that I could get up and knit, because I can.

That's right, I can! My dear friend Christine, accomplished knitter and wonderful teacher that she is, showed me (again, only it was my daughter T who showed me how the first time- earlier this year) how to cast-on, and helped me to figure out what I was doing wrong before, that had been bringing me so much frustration and eventually caused me to give up entirely for the greater part of last year (thus the having forgotten even how to cast-on and having to start over from the beginning part). It would be too technical and hard (for me) to try and explain what exactly I was doing wrong, but suffice it to say, that T will also benefit from my lesson yesterday, as she was having the same problem with her own knitting, which I'd inadvertently picked up. But now, finally, I've got it, and knitting is fun!

Somehow, as I lay there in bed last night, somewhere between sleep and wakefulness, it occurred to me that knitting is a bit like writing... but I don't know if I shall be able to do the epiphany justice with my written words here, as it was a visual realization.  Case in point though.

I felt saw how the words I was formulating into strands of meaningful thoughts were like yarn I was pulling from a ball of potential, twisted threads of yet disorganized, shapeless promise, rich in texture, and brilliant in their hue. Every word that I could stitch with precision was one more link in a chain of conceptualization that would eventually be a complete thought piece. If I could only stitch one to the next, and to the next, and to the next... pulling and pushing them from the skein of memories, meanings, questions wound by daily living and nestled restlessly, yet unformed, waiting within my subconsciousness, dependent upon the crafter's hand, the writer's pen, to pluck them, to bring the thread of insight through the loop of consciousness and incoorperate it into a pattern of understanding, maybe even a humble garment of wisdom to be worn eventually, with a pattern worthy of sharing that someone else might want to learn from and follow, someday.

I found the analogy fascinating, and had to get the beginnings of it out... as I'm sure there's more there that I'm not seeing yet, amateur writer and newbie knitter that I am, both. These ruminations remind me of one of my favorite quotes concerning writing,

There are a thousand thoughts lying within a man that he does not know till he takes up a pen to write.

~ William Makepeace Thackeray

And along those lines, certainly there must be a thousand pieces lying within a woman that she does not know till she takes up a needle to knit, or a brush to paint, or...

Truly, creativity is soul-food, satisfying in all its varying forms. I've always wanted to be an artist when I grow up. And maybe I am becoming one after all... as I learn what it truly means to be an artist... it is to observe with care, and then to create with intent. The longer I live, and the more I learn by doing, the more I'm realizing that art is living, and learning to see the spectacular in the commonplace, growing, nurturing, giving attentiveness to detail, and forming with purpose; be it a child's willfulness and imagination, a poem, a scarf, an orderly home, a healthy meal, or clay.

These creations are, or can should be, culminations of us, our efforts, careful offerings to the Lord as well as to those around us. The eternal power of creativity found residing within those hidden, quiet moments of communion with the Almighty , gifted to us in our likeness toward our Maker, savored and realized in humble stitches, intuitive strokes, home-made teas, gardens tended, love made, children's drawings displayed, and choice words in poetry read aloud... or encompassing silence of dreams untold.

Yes indeed, I like knitting, it's somehow like writing. Writing is like knitting... words framed and knit together in such a way that they may be seen, felt, and worn... thoughts that unless written, realized and shared, would have no warmth or life to offer, like that ball of yarn which is not yet a scarf that my boy can wear, but everything necessary to make one... if only I will give it my time, and concerted effort, one stitch at a time.

I don't know if my thoughts are lost in translation here, but I certainly feel accomplished to have risen with the morning and put them in print. Yes, I do believe that one could even go so far as to say that so much in life that's worth having, knowing and doing, is like knitting... yarn ravelled into garments, wisdom knitted from a life lived, words fitted together and mounted upon a page like gems... Counting of the days... like stitches in a tapestry woven, that we may gain a heart of wisdom, know His pattern for our lives...

So, should can I go back to sleep now, or should I knit? Or write more? hehe. Chris is getting up now, the coffee/teeccino is on... baby S is still sleeping. Looks like rain outside, with a little thunder. Mmmmmm-hm, a good day has begun. If only I didn't have to go grocery shopping, which means the dreaded walmart (uggh.). *sighs* Aaaah well, that's later, and I always like going to the salvage store too, to see what treasures I might find cheap there.

You see what happens here? I write a few posts, and then it's like I've turned on the tap or something, the thoughts keep flowing. Yes, there's much more, this is merely an aside to the swirling thoughts that whirled about in my sleepy brain last night and rudely awakened me this morning- mere asides, always seems to be the bloggable thoughts, the outer strings I guess, to follow my own analogy out. At least my journal pages are filling, even as I'm tiring of my own wordy self now. Funny how that works, the words seeming to come all at once, or not at all. At least now, when I can't write, I can knit...

*Update Today*

It is a perfectly rainy, thunderous day outside, which makes for a cozy, special time inside. T just finished making a new peanut butter/birdseed birdfeeder on a giant pinecone, we've sweet potatoes with EVO and sea salt baking in the oven, and a double batch of wholegrain wheat bread dough mixing (plenty for cinnamon rolls!). Grocery shopping has been cancelled for now. Chris got off work early, due to the rain, and has volunteered to get groceries, what a guy! Baby S is napping now, and I thought that I would be too, but I'm having too much fun knitting with T, between sipping hot tea and reading snippets of The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book, while N strums chords on his guitar.

Technorati Tags: knitting, writing, art

Well, I wrote a little update about what our baby girl has been up to lately and need to now update you on our big girl, T's latest accomplishment.

As many of you know, T loves animals, and training them. She's specifically fond of horses, birds and dogs, and even more especially the ponies she rides, her late cockatiel and Samson, our German Shepherd dog, whom she's been "training" for years, and she and her brother's ferrets (one of which she'd also entered into a 4-H show last year).

Something I've really come to admire about T is how she'll get an inspiration, an idea, and will go after it with gusto... whether it's writing a story, creating or researching something, planning a project, or "training and showing" her animals. She keeps her eye on a goal and makes it happen, regardless of discouragement, doubts and sometimes a lot of waiting.

Here she is in 2005 (she was 6 years old, he was 6 months old!)  around the time that she first became interested in training and showing him.

...and another here.

For some time, she's wanted to enter Samson in a local dog show (held just for fun and to raise money for the local humane society) during our city's annual week-long "Fun Festival" celebration. Up until last week though, it hasn't worked out, since for the past couple of years, Fun Fest has been during the same week as the annual week-long Summer Horse Camp that N and T's riding instructor puts together and N and T have attended instead.

However, this year, we were able to attend Fun Fest's Pet Dog Parade, and I do believe the timing was perfect for both T and Samson. She wouldn't have really been big enough to handle his 100+ # self in such a public setting before now (and honestly, we even had our doubts last week, and went into it praying for them both) and Samson probably wouldn't have had the maturity to chill out before this summer. But try and tell T that... the horse camps were a wonderful time in and of themselves, but also offered timely delays.

So, she had been working with him for months now, daily, entirely on her own, and had their routine all worked out. She's been watching dog-training dvd's, and reading some seriously mature books about understanding and training dogs. The big day came last Monday evening... and she was ready, but we wondered... was he? I'm sorry to have to say that even I cautiously discouraged her from going through with it, because I was afraid that Samson wouldn't handle it well (visions of trauma, and her having to endure failure- he gets very protective and growly when we take him to the vet). She assured me that he would do fine, I relented- knowing that he's a good boy, and I'm a bit paranoid- and we entered him into three different categories.

They did quite well together. Chris and I were so proud of T as she took him into the ring all by herself, answered questions asked of her by the channel 10 news man, and of Samson, as he went along so obediently, and played nice. We were all pleasantly surprised (except T, who'd expected it all along) with how well Samson did in such a public setting, surrounded by hundreds of other dogs.

1. Handsomest Male: He tood 2nd place, out of 27 dogs! A dalmation took 1st, over him? Yeah, but YAY Samson and T!
2. Best Costume: Samson and T received an honorable mention in this category. The competition was steep, with extravagant costumes on dogs and owners alike. T was dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood, and Samson was the Big Bad Wolf, naturally, dressed up as Grandma. I thought they were absolutely adorable, T with her red cape that her Aunt Barbara made for her, and Samson with a scarf over his ears, definitely the cutest pair out there!
3. Best Tricks: Samson and T took 2nd place again! She did so good, competing against adults even. She had him sit and lay down by silent command, shake, do high-five/down low, jump up for a treat, and the clincher that made the crowd go "Whoooo...Aaaah" was when she balanced a treat on his nose, and he sat there with it, until she said "okay" at which point he tossed it up into the air and then caught it in his mouth (which she's taught him to do). A little schnauzer jumped through hoops to take 1st place, literally. She belonged to another homeschooling family that are friends of ourss, so it was fun to have them place before us. They deserved it!

As we left the show, N was triumphantly proclaiming, "Homeschoolers dominate!" Once again, T's big dreams and tenacity have paid off, and once again, she has inspired her older brother... along with the rest of our family. N has now already started working with Samson for next year's show, which he's claimed showing rights for.

And speaking of big... I took T shopping for new shoes last week, because only her flip-flops still fit her, and I am fumbling over the fact that she- at 9.5 years old- is now a size 8.5 in women's!  Our little girl is not so little anymore... *sighs* And it's apparent to me that it's not only her feet that are growing... I only hope that my own faith would someday fill her big-sized child-faith-shoes. Once again, she's humbled me... and I am the one who's learning here- from her.

If only I could maintain and apply that same amount of faith that she has in our dog... to believing more in her innate abilities, in her brother's, in our relaxed approach to schooling, and in God's ability to bless my meager efforts to give and guide when and how I am able to in a meaningful way. If only I could dream that big with my husband today, and everyday, to joyfully invite adventure by taking more risks! Truly, to have the faith of a child... 'twould be good. I must remember, as did my determined little big girl, that it simply begins with following through on an inspired vision, the committed work of giving a whole lot of little bits of daily efforts, and then ignoring all the smart big people voices that discourage, "it won't work, you're not ready, etc., etc..."

Some of the most beautiful accomplishments my children have made have been those that they've done of their own accord and inspiration. As they are getting older, I am finding renewed vigor and validation to relax and enjoy this adventure of learning together, all the time!

And He called a little child to Himself and put him in the midst of them, And said, Truly I say to you, unless you repent and become like little children, you can never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever will humble himself therefore and become like this little child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

~ Matthew 18.2-4

 Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you";

~ Matthew 9.29

My prayer today is this:

Lord, help my unbelief, touch my eyes that I may see and believe as a child does... and let not my lack of faith be a stumbling block to others. Help me to inspire and come alongside my children in meaningful ways, that I would never stamp out their sparks of interest, nor squelch their faith to go after big dreams, and stunt potential accomplishments. I know that you can do this... I do not want to get in the way.

**Update** T just wrote about the dog show here over at her blog.

Obviously, not blogging, heh. We've had some serious computer issues in the last few weeks. Our iMac has been out of commission for a couple of weeks now, and after downloading all of our files and pictures onto cd-roms while having it in safe mode (the only way it would even work- I am SO thankful to have been able to save my photos!!), and then a few nights of fruitless frustration as Chris tried to diagnose and fix it on his own via Mac-help forums- mr.mac is now in the shop. We've yet to hear back what's wrong with it though, and hoping it's not too much $$ to fix.

Meanwhile we've been dependent upon Chris's ancient lap-top with it's finicky wireless internet connection (which all last week wouldn't even connect- at all!?) for any online access. And it's so s-l-o-w too and thus, until now, I've not even attempted to get online for quite awhile. We've been so busy around here lately, that I haven't had time to miss my online access too much anyway.  Sorry if you've emailed me and I haven't responded yet... now you know why.

This morning, a friend called and offered to take N and T to the park with her kids, and now baby S is napping, so I thought that I'd take advantage of these few moments of solitude to attempt a little updating here (albeit partial). I read my previous rambling post and am embarrassed at how grammatically pitful it is! So sorry, and I do hope that this post isn't as bad. I was tempted to edit the other, but thought that I'd better go ahead and just write a new post instead, so... thank you to all of my readers who read my musings, despite their flightiness and many technical flaws. I love you, and am indebted to your patience in reading my rambling scribblings in their raw, unedited state.

Obviously, I cannot write everything that I'd like to in this post. (can I, ever?).. so I'll brainstorm a quick update of recent happenings with the brew crew here, and then fill in the blanks later as I'm able (have time and onlince access).

So now, in no particular chronological or reasonable order, the virtual brain download shall ensue...

We've been blessed to have lots of visits this summer, by friends and family from afar. My mom recently visited with us from MS, and we had a good time. Our friends from FL, Russ and Barbara, were here for a few days and nights, the week before last. We always have a good time catching up, and it's like no time has passed since last we saw them. We just found out that some other friends of ours from FL, John and Jennifer W., will be stopping in for a visit next week, on their way back from vacation. We haven't seen them for years, so that will be fun! And I also recently got word from my sister that she's going to come up here for a visit, with her kids, also next week, so we will have a house FULL. It will be so good to see her again (she came here when baby S was born, but I wasn't very good company then, so it'll be good to see her now that I'm myself again, and I'm so glad that she'll get to see baby S again), and her kids, whom we've not seen for a couple of years.

I have been up to my eyeballs in planning our reading schedule for the summer and next year (Ambleside Online inspired), though I put all of that aside last week, due to an unexpected turn of events. Last week was Creative Arts Camp at our church, and as I was leaving from dropping N and T off on Monday morning, I stopped to remind Elizabeth, director for the dance ministry, that I was available throughout the week to help- if there be any need. She suggested that I stay for the adult art class at 10 o'clock. I was caught quite off guard as I'd not expected this, and had all sorts of plans of stuff I needed to do last week, so I thanked her for the invite, and said I'd think about it and may return (it was only 8:40 a.m.).

I then got in the car with baby S and went grocery shopping, having pretty much dismissed the idea. But I kept thinking that maybe I ought to go (nursery was provided) and just take an hour "off" -for me- and it might be fun to get my hands dirty with some art, hadn't done that in awhile. So... feeling spontaneous and daring, I quickly dropped the groceries off at home and jetted back to the church for "class", figured that it would be good for me, and it was so sweet of Elizabeth to offer, afterall. Then after art class, I was told that I should go to the adult tap class, and since I had my tap shoes there (N was using them for his class) I did, and after tap, when I went to pick baby S up from the nursery, Elizabeth, who was in the nursery with her daughter at the time, asked me why I was leaving, and said that I ought to stay for the whole day (two more dance classes), all week (free of charge)... and so I did, and thus, I unexpectedly ended up at Creative Arts Camp, with my kids, from 8:40-2:30, Monday through Friday of last week. It was SO tiring, and SO MUCH fun!

I found out that I absolutely love ballet (never would have guessed this- I am so not graceful) and was SO sore all week from it as well. I have even decided to take the adult ladies ballet class, starting in the Fall. It will be a great way to exercise, with accountability, and a creative way to worship as well. I never would have suspected how much I'd like ballet, nor how strenuous the techniques and choreography my teacher would teach us would be, and how worshipful the experience.

Also, something else that happened at camp last week that was neat-O (besides making art!)... I got to talking with the lady who was teaching the art class for adults, who recently moved here to TN with her family. She asked if I attend Celebration Church, to which I answered that yes, we do, but also shared about our other Messianic/Hebraic fellowship group that we meet with a few times a month, host a discipleship class for, and celebrate the Biblical feasts with as well. I was taken quite by surprise when she lit up and excitedly exclaimed, "That's just what we've been looking for!" And so, they're coming over on Wed. evening for our book/Bible study group, and looking forward to attending one of our monthly Hebraic fellowships. How cool is that?! Divine appointments...

What else have we been up to? Lately, I've been reading my Square Foot Gardening book, The Farmer's Almanac, The Count of Monte Cristo, Parables of Nature (read-aloud to N and T), The Book of the Dun Cow (also read-aloud) and CM's Homeschooling Series).

We planned and planted our summer garden by the moon this year (my fifth year of gardening- organically), with some raised beds (something I've wanted to try for years), nice (more on that later, for sure, with pictures of course). Now we're doing lots of watering, weeding and bug squashing.

T has been saving many of our cabbage worms and putting them in a terrarium that she's set up in her room, and has been delighted to watch them form chrysalises and then morph into butterflies right before her eyes. She's now "raised" five butterflies so far (more just emerged last night), and has figured out that it takes them about a week and two days to transform. Now she's begging me to let these cabbage butterflies (my garden nemesis!) live... *sighs* I told her that we could do a butterfly drop at the local state park soon.

We went and saw Prince Caspian awhile back, with my Mom while she was here. We all liked it (though due to baby S's eventual restlessness, I had to leave the theatre half way into it). T re-read the book in preparation for watching the movie. I'd read it aloud to N and T, along with the other Chronicles of Narnia books, a couple of years ago. Also, that reminds me, N recently read The Hobbit, and then The Two Towers and so Chris and I conceded decided to let him watch TLoTR trilogy for the first time last month, and he LOVES it. He was glad that he'd read the books first, and says he wishes the same producers would make a movie of The Hobbit. Then we recently found out that they ARE!

As you may remember, we've recently finished our first year of being involved in a homeschool co-op (actually two separate co-ops!). I haven't posted much about them, due to it's being such a busy year with having a newborn and all (baby S was 2 wks. old when we started last Fall), but overall, we all liked it. We did end up dropping the second co-op after the first semester, found that two was too much, the kids agreed. I'm glad that we'd decided to try out the second one though, because that ended up being the one that we all found we preferred (for various reasons) and stuck with for the second semester and will continue to be a part of next year, though only for one hour/class each week.

I found that the benefits of co-op were social/relational as much as academic, naturally (probably even more so for the kids, who definitely value the social aspect the most). We met some great new friends there, definitely destiny. I've found that it's going to be really important to make sure that co-op complements, rather than competes with (time-wise and methodology-wise), what we're doing with our own studies and goals at home, if co-op is to continue to be worth the time and effort it requires of me/us in years to come... We'll simply play it by ear, from one year to the next.

N is still taking guitar lessons, and will continue with that. T is so very excited about starting violin lessons next year (via a strings class being offered at co-op next year). Actually, her strings class is the only reason we're participating in co-op next year. N says that he'd prefer to work with me in the nursery during that hour, but I'm hoping that something will be offered that he's interested in.

I've felt such a relief these last few months as I've pondered and prayed over what direction to take my kids in our studies in the future. The Lord has reminded me to keep our Bible studies and devotional time first and foremost. For the summer, I've printed out a list of Scripture references from the Gospels, arranged chronologically, that N and T are looking up and reading independently in their own Bibles each day. They're then writing down their thoughts, from each reading, as to what stood out to them the most, and why, in their Bible journals. They're both really enjoying the consistent routine and simplicity of this, and I've been so blessed to listen as they read to me from their Bible journals.

Finally, clarity of focus is taking hold of my planning again, and I've felt renewed in my dedication to the discipline of prioritizing our daily endeavors. I'm scheduling our reading lists with a view towards our years to come, yet determined to take it slow and steady enough to enjoy where we are at each point along the way. It's all so simple, really, and yet I do tend to over-complicate things if I'm not careful. 

I do believe that I've finally learned that truly, less is more, and as I've been reorganizing the books on our shelves into the order that they're found or relate to AO years, I've been wondering over how I've come full circle now back to the very first curriculum that the Lord led me to so many years ago when we first began... when now 12yo N was only six years old! But I doubted and fretted and wandered away, only to return with regrets for time and focus lost, as we dabbled with this and that. At least for all of our eclectic stumblings, I've gained determination and perspective... and I certainly know what we're not about! LOL

The more I read, the more I believe in Charlotte Mason's methods, and uderstand how intrinsically practical truths are applied throughout her educational philosophy. I'm glad to finally be getting rid of all this extraneous stuff (curriculum I'd been holding on to and trying in vain to use all of these years, and have been selling these last few months) after realizing that all of my wayward efforts to add to and over-tweak Ambleside in the last couple years has done nothing but side-track and bog us down in our studies... After years of dabbling with AO, while simultaneously trying to do other stuff, I have finally realized my error has been in my hoarding and accruing TOO much stuff.

As I think back over the past few years, and how busy life has had us (especially the year before this last one, when we babysat two infants and two toddlers) I can't help but to realize that - had I been focused and determined upon our course with AO, in its unrushed yet meaty simplicity - we would have gotten so much more accomplished. *sighs* And so, as I survey the BIG picture of our homeschooling history thus far, it is with humble misgivings over mistakes made and lessons learned that I end this year. I vow to not over-complicate the process from here on out... and if this rambling doesn't make much sense to you, then forgive me, it's more for my own self that I'm writing this out really, just part of the journey, my learning.

Well, baby S is awake now, N and T just got home, and I've got to take N to guitar practice now. Thanks for reading, if you made it this far. The garden and house were pretty much neglected last week as the kids and I played and worshipped our Lord at Creative Arts camp, and this lap top is so slow, so it may be a while yet before I have a chance to blog some more. Also, my email access is limited since I have to log on to charter's website to check my email, and my online access is limited at that. I hope that our computer issues are resolved soon though, as I'm feeling quite disconnected...

T has started herself a new blog, here: Samson & Me

Mom, aka. Grandma(s), just click on the title to hop on over and visit her. Friends and family, I'm sure that she'd love to hear from you, be sure and leave her a comment. There's nothing more encouraging to a writer than knowing she has an audience.

She's been honing her typing skills (speed) so that she can "write faster" on the keyboard, and is very excited about her new online journal (versus her old one).

Thursday Challenge: for fun & learning

This is actually last Thursday's theme, but since it's not Thursday again until tomorrow, it's still good.

"SPRING" (Leaves on Trees, Baby Animals, Green Grass, Flowers, Sunny Days, Melting Snow,...)

Next Week: FAMILY (Moms, Dads, Kids, Grandparents, Pregnant, Family Heirlooms,...)

Our journey down picture book lane with old and new friends. Here's baby S reading to Bub, Bub reading to baby S, one of her favorites... see how she's grabbing at it? I kid you not when I tell you that she likes to turn the pages and study the pictures intently already! What fun we shall have introducing our baby girl to so many wonderful books. She loves to chew on good literature already, literally!

Today Yesterday Tuesday (that's how long it's taken me to get this ONE post written- granted it is long, but that's what happens when things keep piling up that I want to write about) was N and T's last riding lesson of the season, and I am so ready for the break. It's one less place that I'll be taking them each week, until they start their lessons back up in the Spring. Their riding instructor takes the colder months off from teaching, but I'm sure that the kids will still get to go over to her house a few times to ride and visit with her and the ponies and horses that they love so much- just for fun, so long as its not too miserably cold outside. T sure won't be missing the hours of barn chores that they do each week to pay for their lessons, she was beginning to get weary of it, but N sure will. He says that sometimes he enjoys that part as much as riding. I think it's because he likes that one on one down-time with the horses in their stalls, and probably feels like a little man when he's muckin' out stalls and stacking hay bales.

Now that we have one less commitment each week though, we'll soon be adding another, since both N and T will be participating in Upward Basketball this year through a local church. They are so excited, and will begin practicing next month, but practice will be in the evenings and so Chris will be able to bring them sometimes. N is looking forward to trying out for our homeschool group's Junior Varsity basketball team next year. Chris is also considering taking N and T with him to a local gym one night a week, where there's a kung-fu class, taught by a Christian man (also our dog-sitter's husband) that's a friend of a friend, for $1 per night. It's a come when you want type thing, so they could check it out without having to commit. We hear that it's a great, fun way to workout. Also, this particular instructor considers his classes to be a ministry and focuses on teaching character through Scripture and prayer during each lesson.

Besides the above mentioned activities, we have coop classes on Monday and Tuesday mornings, T has tumbling on Thursdays afternoons, AWANAs on Wednesday evenings, and N has guitar practice on Monday afternoons. So, that's not too much, but enough to keep us busy.

So, our weekly scheduled activities look like so:

Mondays:

Coop from 8:45 (assembly) 9-12 for classes, with lunch from 12-1 and clubs from 1-3

N is taking "Marine Biology" first hour (with lots of reading and dissecting), a "K-nex Engineering" class second hour and helping me in the nursery during the third hour (per his request even, I'm the nursery coord. and he has been a big help- of course he had lots of practice with our babysitting endeavors last year).

N and T got to go on one field trip already for his Marine Biology class, to Clinch River, where they have a "snorkeling with the mussels" program. Then N dissected a clam in class. They'll also be dissecting baby turtles and sharks at some point, and have already planned a group field trip to Ripley's Aquarium in January (which we're all excited about, since we haven't been to a big aquarium since N was 6, and T was 3, when we went to SeaWorld).

T is taking a "Recorder/Music theory" class first hour, "Knitting" during the second hour and "Art" during the third hour. She and N then both stay for drama club after lunch (with baby S and I hanging around too), and then I take N to his guitar lesson while T stays for 4-H club, and rides home with a friend.

We are so proud of T, who this last week gave a speech in front of her peers because she was running for the job of reporter for 4-H. She was so excited, and wrote her entire speech on her own, and then asked me if she could type it up herself, which she did. She said that she was so nervous to give it (naturally), but she sure didn't appear to be once she got up in front of everyone. Here is what she wrote and said:

The reason I want to be the reporter for 4-H is because I like to write, and because I think that I would be good for the job. I also think that it would be a fun job to do. I'm thinking about being a reporter when I grow up, so this would be good experience. Please vote for me.

And vote for her they did, so she got the job! Whhooo-Hooo! So, she will be writing reports about what their 4-H club is doing, meetings, events and such and then submitting her reports to the county 4-H office to be published in the local 4-H newsletter/paper. She thinks that's really cool, and so do I. It's quite a job for an 8 year old to have, don't you think? She said that I could be her editor.

Tuesdays:

Coop from 9:45 (assembly) 10-12 for classes

N is taking "Logic & Critical Thinking Skills" during the first hour, and "Weather & Geology" during the second hour.

T is taking "A