Outside My Window... it's a beautifully cold and blustery day out there today, with the sun's warmly shining rays seeming to shoo away the day's soggy-gray beginnings. The wind's now blowing through the mostly bared branches of our Maple tree, tugging on her last few brown and withered leaves, beckoning their surrender, parading them through the air and scattering them carelessly along the littered, wet ground. A Northeasterly wind has brought this year's first wintery flurries of crystalline flakes our way this morning, quietly covering the fading colors of Fall strewn about our yard with a translucently thin veil of lacey white.

I am thinking... where to start... *sighs* lots... feeling a bit melancholy today I think.

I am thankful for... being able to be home, and therefore available to comfort my cranky-crying-oh-so-miserably-because-she's-teething-baby by holding her close and snugging most of our day away in the rocker, comfort nursing and distracting her with our favorite picture books, even though it means that barely anything from my list of things that I'd needed hoped to get done today is getting accomplished...

From the kitchen... not much as of yet. It's nice and clean though, thanks to N. I baked some wholewheat banana nut bread, muffins and peanut butter cookies over the weekend. I also got the food dehydrator out of storage, cleaned it up and am going to attempt to dry out some apple slices with it. Planning to make baked potatoes, salad and baked bar-b-que chicken for dinner tonight, and then possibly bake some bread and make spaghetti tomorrow.

I am wearing... Okay, am I the only one that always feels weirded out by this question? I mean, do you really want to know, does it even matter? Sorry, melancholy for me usually means I'm thinking way too much about everything as well, though I don't mean to be, I promise! LOL Love this meme, really, other than this question which just bugs me, which probably means nothing whatsoever, except that it just kinda creeps me out for no good reason and I really probably ought to just lighten up a bit, maybe? Um, I'm wearing clothes-I promise, clean ones, and slippers to keep my bare feet off the cold tile floors. Oh, and a sleeping (finally wore herself out with crying) 15 month old baby girl is sprawled over me, cozily snoozing under a fuzzy pink blanket. Maybe I'll just start answering this one figuratively?

I am creating... a menu plan and grocery lists for an early Thanksgiving celebration dinner with my sister, brother and niece who are driving up from the MS Gulfcoast this weekend. Wooo-hooo!

I am going... to be practicing the choreography for the dance I'm participating in with my dance class a lot this week. We're performing it on stage this weekend! It's beautiful, to Steve Fee's Here I am for You off his Sacred Space album but I'm Oh. so. nervous! Um, yeah, just a wee bit of an understatement there! I have to keep reminding myself of what our class motto seems to be:

I'm dancing for an audience of ONE, my Lord alone!

We are learning... about the Great Wall of China, Egyptian Pharoahs and pyramids, a bit more about George Washington, reading some great literature, of horses and revolution, of Zoology and The Story of Inventions, some Geometry and long division, still trying to master those multiplication facts, and the kids are reading chronologically arranged portions of Scripture from the New Testament and then journaling about their readings for their private Bible devotions.

I am reading... lots of reviews and articles comparing and contrasting various digital SLR cameras, specifically Nikons and Canons, as well as some tutorials and reviews of Photoshop Elements software... *sighs* Still a bit confused about what exactly I need, as to which would be the best investment for me, but knowing most any of those babies would be dreamy... Yes, dreaming big photography dreams here lately.

I am hoping... um, to be able to someday actually buy a really nice digital SLR camera? and lens(es) ...hopefully sooner, rather than later. Oh!- And that I don't fall flat on my face when trying to dance ((gracefully-maybe? pray for me!)) this weekend...

I am hearing... T playing Angels We Have Heard On High and Silent Night (two of my favorites) beautifully on her violin, and lots of crying from an unconsolable baby today. She was even crying in her sleep last night, which sounds absolutely pitiful. These molars cutting in are giving her lots of pain.

Around the house... aaaaargh, soooo much mess clutter to clean up. We did get all of the carpeted floors shampooed over the weekend, so that's good. All's clean under that chaos! Haha. But where does all of this stuff come from anyways? Are someone else's black holes dumping on my house? And to think of how much we've gotten rid of this past year already, yipes?! The kids are now getting ready to be picked up for their dance practice, so glad that it's not my turn to take them, worked out perfectly for me to stay here with sleeping baby S today (if only madly barking DOG would shut up! now that their ride is here, arrrgh!). Okay, quiet again, just baby S and I here with now-shushed dog.

One of my favorite things... my contentedly sleeping baby, and the way her fuzzy-haired head smells as she slumbers under my chin.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:

1. Finish my menu plans for our Thanksgiving feast and go shopping for everything I'll be needing.
2. Finish cleaning my house up as much as possible before my sister, brother and niece get here on Saturday morning (that includes all laundry and kids' bedrooms)!
3. Practice that dance until I know it by heart and can totally do it without thinking about it, so that I can truly worship as I dance.
4. See to it that T makes it to her basketball tryouts tonight (hoping to stay home while Chris brings her), and N to his game on Thursday, which is at the same time as my dance practice... Sooo, I'll have to drop him off and then head straight over to my practice, bringing the girls along with me, while Chris will go straight from his work to N's game, to watch him and bring him home. Normally Chris stays home with the kids during my dance practices, fortunately this is N's only Thursday game for the next couple of months. Then N his second practice of the week on Friday afternoon.
5. Call up the Symphony of the Mountains to register T to play with the Youth Orchestra, per her violin instructor's recommendation. Oh, she is SO. EXCITED! As am I, for her, to see her living a dream of hers. Thank you Lord.
6. Chris and I plan to get our free-ranging hens fenced in around their house so that we can find out just how many eggs they're laying. We've been finding where the new girls (last Spring's chicks) recently started laying their eggs in hidy-holes elsewhere from their nesting boxes, so we're going to corral them in and fix that problem. Sneaky Samson's coat sure is looking extra shiney these days besides... I'm missing my organic-feed-fed/free-range eggs. C'mon Girls, get with the program here, wouldya!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

My Dancing Girls.

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!

 My little 'ol blog here is a finalist for the "Best Unschooling or Eclectic Homeschooling Blog 2008"!

Thank YOU, Wow and whoo-hoo!

I am totally thrilled just to have made it to the list, knowing how many GREAT blogs are out there nowadays, and would be so honored to have your vote! Taking the time to vote in these awards would be a great way for you to show your bloggy love for our humble blog here- as well as for all of the other great homeschoolers nominated in all of the various categories who have put so much time and effort into sharing their own homeschooling journeys, ideas and inspirations through their blogging.

Voting began yesterday, November 10th and ends on November 21st, and remember, every homeschool family is a winner, regardless of whether or not they made this or any other list... and some of my favorite homeschool blogs (which I nominated) didn't even make this list (since the finalists had to have been nominated three times for that specific category)! Blog on all of you rockin' homeschoolers!

 What are the Homeschool Blog Awards all about? So glad you asked... Good question, and here's the answer:

Back in 2005, SpunkyHomeschool thought up the idea of giving homeschool bloggers the oportunity to win blog awards because we were not likely to get noticed by mainstream blog-award-givers. Spunky’s first year of the Homeschool Blog Awards were a complete success even though there were very few prizes offered. Not only did quite a few homeschool bloggers get a much deserved pat on the back for their “labor of love”, but all of us were able to join together as a group - no matter what type of homeschooler we were - and learn about all the talent among our ranks. Some of us met new bloggers, made new friends, and found new blogs to read that continue to inspire us to be better homeschoolers.

When Spunky decided to step down from the blogosphere in December of 2006, the Homeschool Blog Awards got skipped. Sprittibee decided to take up the cause…. only she wanted to do more than just awards. She wanted to host a site that would be a hub for all homeschoolers to come and connect. In 2007 after realizing that the vision for the site was too big for just one person to manage, she began to recruit authors to help bring daily homeschool goodness to the site. Now the HSBA isn’t just an award, it is a whole community and a great place to bookmark.

 Click here to see the other nominees in this category, and to vote for the brew*crew adventure!

Click here to see the nominees and vote for all of the various categories.

Again, thank you to all of my wonderful readers who keep coming back, I'm feelin' the love!

If you're a fan and haven't yet, please go VOTE!

Outside My Window... it's a sunny day today, but staying cold... beginning to feel very Fallish, and even winterish now that most of the leaves are dropping! All of the foliage along our street is a brilliant display of orange and golds!

I am thinking... the kids are all healthy enough to go to co-op tomorrow. We've all been fighting a virus this week.

I am thankful for... being born on this day, 35 years ago... wow.

From the kitchen... nice and clean (thanks to my awesome 12 year old son). Just made myself a cuppa hot tea with raw honey, still fighting this cough.

I am wearing... jeans and a black knit sweater~ gift from my Mom.

I am creating... blog posts about our recent nature studies, among other things.

I am going... to have a very busy week, with music lessons, dance practices, homeschool co-op, getting ready for my brother and sister's upcoming visit, and N's having his first two basketball games.

We are learning... The kids and I are learning dance choreography for the dances we're participating in with our dance classes (me: adult ballet to Steve Fee's Here I am for You off his Sacred Space album, N and T: Christian hip-hop, um-yeah, who knew?)!

I am reading... some great blogs listed over at the Homeschool Blog Awards, many of them totally new to me!

I am hoping... that baby S sleeps well tonight and feels better tomorrow morning. She's woken up the past two nights with a fever, and six teeth (that I can see) - four of them molars - cutting in. Her gums are all swollen and red.

I am hearing... Secrets of the Dead: Escape From Auschwitz is airing on PBS right now...

Around the house... we got a lot done around here today. Chris worked outside with N while T and I folded and put away laundry, the kids cleaned their rooms, I cooked, got rid of more stuff. Baby S just woke up again and is playing at my feet, peering up at me so cutely.

One of my favorite things... worshiping my Lord through dance...

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:

Um... let me get back to you on this one, time's up for now!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

Our eldest holding his baby sister, our youngest, helping her to pet Mr. Jimbo.

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!

...that seasons change... and to everything there is a season.

Thursday Photo Challenge: Thankful

Outside My Window... it's dark, curtains pulled. We had crisp Autumn weather outside today, and we were loving it... windows closed to the cold now. It's a beautiful sun-shiny Autumn day... T is out there "building a fort".

I am thinking... how nice it is when the house is quiet in the evenings like this, and the kids all tucked in their beds... makes it hard to make myself go to bed. I'd rather sit up and read, write and ruminate. Someday I'll feel less scatter-brained and will find time to blog more regularly, surly! Okay, I'm trying to finish this and post it for the third or fourth time this week! Pitiful! Yes, I'd started it on Sunday night, and then Monday morning was starting again, and then thought forget it yesterday... I know it's Wed. already and I'd hoped to have these up every Monday, and I almost didn't even post it again this week, but decided "Phooey! I'm going to just finish it now, even if it's late... again." What's crossed out is old news from when I first started, the second or third time around. (yes, I'm seeing the pattern here...)

I am thankful for... this country that I live in, with the freedoms we still have: the freedom to homeschool our kids, to vote my conscience in a presidential election, to openly discuss and debate politics, education and religion, etc. in a public forum... to resist socialism, communism and political correctness, to be different, unique, having resources from which to learn so readily available, and most of all the freedom to worship and celebrate our LORD openly! We're also all very thankful to have just found out that N made the basketball team that he'd tried out for, and he's so excited!

From the kitchen... just put away chicken soup left-overs in fridge, a few dishes left to be done tomorrow. N is doing the dishes, and I'm about to go and make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. We've finished dinner, and a dirty kitchen beckons...

I am wearing... comfy, cozy pajamas. Jeans, a purple shirt, a knit cardigan and my fave blue slippers.

I am creating... artwork with T, plans for Thanksgiving, photos and ads for some Craigs List postings (getting rid of more stuff!), reading lists for history studies with N who's very intrigued with our American history so we're going a bit slower than I'd planned and immersing in some more books than I'd originally planned... which means we'll be getting to the 20th Century a bit later than I'd planned, but that's okay. It's great to see him so engaged in our historical studies, with all kinds of related political, theological and philosophical musings!

I am going... to have to get up early to get ready for our homeschool co-op in the morning, so need to get some sleep soon! ...to be lucky if I even get this posted this time around as baby S is now pulling on my arm and crying for my attention.** Okay, distracted her with a peeled apple, but son is almost done with dishes and asking when I'm starting dinner...**Now it's after dinner and I have yet to finish this one simple meme!

I am reading... What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist- The Facts of Daily Life in Nineteenth-Century England, Genesis 6-11, Isaiah 54-55, 1 Peter 3, some blogs, twitters and a lot of political commentaries and posts related to the Presidential elections.

I am hoping... to sell everything we post on Craigs List.

I am hearing... the hum of the dishwasher and N playing with baby S.

Around the house... a few messes to clean up, but we did a good bit of house cleaning yesterday, so not too bad. More laundry is clean and needs folding, as always. T is taking a bath with baby S, Chris and N are watching Glory Road one more time before we send it back to Net Flix.

One of my favorite things... Autumn.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:

1. Get items posted to Craigs List.
2. Practice my ballet dance exercises and choreography.
3. Work on homeschool studies with N and T, gradually implementing more grammar and AO books into our daily studies.
4. Sort through and get rid of some more stuff.
5. Help T get her room straight, and show her how to use new washing machine so that she can do her own laundry, as N does.
6. Take  T on a "girls' date" to go shopping for some new clothes for her.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

T with her beloved Jimbo, who was given to us, but we recently had to give away to a new home since we do not have an electric fence and therefore couldn't keep he and his sister, Sheba... They were here as weedeaters, but it turned out to be way too much work to have to relocate their tethers, water and shelter every other day. T really misses them, they were such sweeties.

Hosted by Peggy @ The Simple Woman

Life with a little one is busy... ALL. the time. I'd forgotten just how busy one baby can keep a Momma, and then, throw in a seventh grader and a fourth grader, with so many of their activities and a large part of their education hinging on my daily accessibility... not to even mention everyday stuff like housework, cooking healthful meals, running errands, etcetera... and then wifedom too! ...and there you have 'em... my reasons -in a nut shell- for neglecting this here blog of mine lately. I mean, the baby girl turned ONE year old back in August, and I have yet to get a picture of her sweetness in cake up here on my blog! Pitiful... *smiles*

There's also the general brain-writer's-block and tendency towards passivity and wanting to just veg-out, read or play when I do sit down at mr.mac here, or baby S's thinking that this computer/desk chair is the nursing chair, and therefore pulling on my arm until I pick her up and nurse her (hungry or not, she likes to just lay in my lap and comfort nurse... endlessly it seems! aaack!) every time I sit down in it for longer than 5 minutes, which makes it rather hard to type, her being about 30#'s and 32" long now. But OH! how my head is swimming with ideas, my heart brimming with meditations, ponderings and everyday updates that my fingers are ready to write out, when the time is right... like now- today I'm making time, I've sent the kids outside to play in this beautiful sunny Fall weather.

I have been encouraged though in seeing that I do have faithful friends, family and anonymous readers, albeit a few, who do still continue to patiently wait for my humble musings, checking back here and actually reading when I do get around to posting, even subscribing. Thank you! You are what makes this creative outlet so much fun and worth every bit of effort. I have finally figured out how to use an RSS reader, and it's great! It really does streamline your online reading and save time. I'm using Google reader, and encourage you to check it out if you don't already have a reader of choice. Then you can subscribe to my blog here, or most any other online site you'd like to keep up with, and will automatically be able to see/read when any one you've subscribed to has updated, all from one page. It's niiice.

I'm Feelin' the Love Here...

I'd like to thank Renae, of Life Nurturing Education, who hearted my blog a couple of weeks ago, despite its recent dormancy. Ha! Thanks for the encouragement friend, I heart yours too!! I always find inspiration over at Renae's blog, and I'd like to heart a few of my favorites here as well. Much love to all of my bloggy friends~ and I'd like to heart "7 from heaven" (in keeping with Renae's cornball standard) here:

 7 from heaven that I just love...

1. Leslie (aka. Tim's Mom) of Bona Vita Rusticanda Est, which she writes with her son, Tim. I had the wonderful pleasure of finally meeting this AO/CM celebrity a few weeks back at a Mom's night out dinner for the local Charlotte Mason group here. We've been online friends for years, and wanting to get together in real life (since we only live about 40 mins. from eachother) for a long time, and finally got around to it! I had so much fun, and I'm already looking forward to our next get-together! She's just as I'd imagined, only a little shorter...
2. Jenny of Under His Wings, a kindred spirit blogging sister of mine for years, whom I could talk to forever (knitter of beautiful baby rainbow blankets) and do hope that I can meet one day in real life as well, on this side of the Jordan.
3. Christine of The Blue Bird Sings, a local dear friend of mine that I've become fast friends with so easily. I just met her at co-op last year and we hit it off right away (as did our daughters as well). She actually blames me for giving her the blogging bug, but since she gave me the knitting bug, I'd say we're even! Hah!
4. Nina of Raising Butterflies, who always, ALWAYS makes me laugh, or at least crack a big 'ol smile when I read her thoughtfully quirky posts. She's such a natural, great writer and also another local homeschooler I've met IRL. It was a bit surreal when she walked up to me at an organized field-trip to the local Hands-On-Museum and said she *knew* me from my blog, introducing herself as a reader. Weird, but totally cool too!
5. Birdie of Wings and Prayers whose blog and family I just love, and to whom I still owe some whole-grain recipe postages... getting to that, I promise, recipe posts forthcoming to all who care to read!
6. Dana of Principled Discovery, and Simple Pleasures, is another blogging buddy whose blogs I just Love and have learned a lot from over the years! (Yes, I realize that Renae already hearted Dana, but hey, one cannot get too much of Dana... and what can I say, she's a fave of mine too. I'm thinking she won't mind being hearted again though! Right?)
7. Heather of Sprittibee, who I'd bumped into here in blogosphere years ago, back when we both first started blogging, right about the same time. I've always found such inspiration over at her place, and it's also been fun to learn this year of how similar our political views are. Sprittibee had also tagged me way back in August with the "6 Quirky Things Meme", so now, without further adieu, I shall finally get on to completing this meme!

RULES of the '6 Quirky Things' meme:

* Link to the person who tagged you.
* Mention the rules in your blog.
* Tell about six unspectacular quirks of yours.
* Tag a new set of six following bloggers by linking to them.

Okay, so here's my six things (which I've asked N and T to think of for me, since they're now sitting here at the table next to me, with much more creative energies than I, as prior mentioned brain-block has kicked in... and I'm finding it hard to think of things about me, being used to me and all):

1. I'm "funky and wear blue polka-dot pants." (love those spunky knee-shorts, got 'em for $3 from a Goody's sale last summer, they make me *feel* happy to wear them... unfortunately they're too big now- though losing weight is good- but, still... I'll miss them.)
2. I "let my husband hang three deer-heads in the house!" (oh, he's got it good... he doesn't even realize how tolerant and sweet I am...)
3. I "wear a purse the size of a bag with potatoes in it!" (that would be my fab new knit "Sak" purse from my heaven-sent MIL)
4. I "cook the best food in the world" (okay, someone gets dinner tonight)
5. I "wear a pony-tail on most days" (*sighs*...yeah, wondering if I should get a cut?)
6. I'm "a good organizer"(Oh, wow, I'm glad they think so! LOL)

So, there you have it folks! I'm tagging the same ladies as I did above (minus Sprit because she tagged me first and has already done this meme!) because I now have a squirmy-wormy girl in my arms and need to sign off! *Interesting, fun sidenote: Just realizing that three of my seven friends here are expecting another baby of their own soon... Isn't that wonderful? Congratulations (again)!*

1. Bona Vita Rusticanda Est
2. Under His Wings
3. The Blue Bird Sings
4. Raising Butterflies
5. Wings and Prayers
6. Principled Discovery

A few of you were interested in hearing a follow-up as to whatever became of the offending book I'd run across at our local public library. So here I am, finally writing an update... maybe it'll be a post sufficient enough to break the last month of  blogging silence around here and jump-start some writing vibes for me! I do have so much to write about, just lacking time and sufficient brainpower I think! Heh.

Anyways, after speaking with the librarians the first time, and being told that the matter would be looked into, following up a second time (as I'd mentioned in the comments section of prior linked post), and then upon inquiring about the matter a third time, I was informed by our librarian that the book had indeed been permanently removed from circulation! Whhoooo-Hooo, success!

The librarian then explained to me that she'd knowingly just pulled it for the reason of it's being "dated" and "too old/worn out", since to have pulled it because of a patron's complaint (in this case, mine) would have been a much more involved process that wouldn't even had necessarily been able to keep it off the shelf as the method she chose has done. She said that I would have had to read the book in its entirety and then submit a formal, written complaint that would have then been brought before a board for review- which she said can be a long, drawn out process.

I told her that I didn't really care what reason she gave, and that I am just thankful to have it removed, as are many other local parents! So I guess that the moral of this story would be to not underestimate the reach of your own voice. Be vigilant, be respectfully polite (thereby hopefully making your librarians and neighbors your allies) and be encouraged- as am I- that one person can make a difference.

Now... for anyone new to this story, please go and read my original post, "livid in the library", before you go thinking that I'm some sort of book-burning, thought-censoring fascist... I assure you I am NOT! I'm just against p**n residing in the children's section of the public library, and I'm thinking hoping that you'd probably agree that *this* book is particularly inappropriate for our childrens' shelves.

The most important motive in the school and in life is the pleasure in the work.

~Albert Einstein

This picture was sneakily taken last Spring, with my handy-dandy zoom lens feature. I had a hard time choosing between it, or this one for this theme. One things I've loved about homeschooling over the years is all of the extra great quality time the kids have gotten to spend learning with their Dad, afforded to us by our being able to work around all of his wacky work-schedules.

Thursday Challenge: for fun and learning

Photo Theme for Today: "SCHOOL" (Students, Campus, School Building, Backpacks, School Supplies, Desks, Books,...)

Next Week: PLANTS (Garden, Vegetables, Fruit, Flowers, Trees,...)

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

A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for.

Author Unknown

PhotoHunt, baby

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