We are enjoying this book so much....again.
Right now the men of the Mark have just encamped by the Paths of the Dead.
Monday, June 16, 2008
The Return of the King
We are enjoying this book so much....again.
Right now the men of the Mark have just encamped by the Paths of the Dead.
Forms
At this point I think we would do well with some goals for next year and in that vein I have begun some focused planning and much too much of the unfocused type (the type that fills up headspace but gets you nowhere).
Willa has one form here which I really like the flow of. So much so that I think I will plug in my own things under her headings. For me forms have to be appealing to look at and visually work with my brain. This one does.
Next step: filling it in.
Willa has one form here which I really like the flow of. So much so that I think I will plug in my own things under her headings. For me forms have to be appealing to look at and visually work with my brain. This one does.
Next step: filling it in.
My Reading on Writing
Since the Well Trained Mind came out I have balked at the whole idea: it looked too overwhelming, too structured, too much, and so on. Even the Story of the World books, that my kids do enjoy, I have sort of avoided. I think it is the idea that my 6-9 year olds need some sort of in depth chronological history study. Yes, I am opinionated. (I think that there are way better ways for that age group to spend their time.)
That said, somehow I linked over to the WTM boards and found out that Susan Wise Bauer is writing a series of books on the topic of writing.
I downloaded a sample that outlines that three stages of a writer. I went in thinking it would be all complicated and drudgerous but came out agreeing with a lot of what she wrote and appreciating the simplicity of which it was set forward.
The Three Stages
That said, somehow I linked over to the WTM boards and found out that Susan Wise Bauer is writing a series of books on the topic of writing.
I downloaded a sample that outlines that three stages of a writer. I went in thinking it would be all complicated and drudgerous but came out agreeing with a lot of what she wrote and appreciating the simplicity of which it was set forward.
The Three Stages
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Wednesday April 30
We started the day of SLOW with a capital S. Too many late nights around here!
The older two children did their reading in bed (Hannah is nearing the end of Many Waters (she likes to have one book at at time on the go, unlike the rest of us) and Ariel was reading the Brendan Voyage and he has finished up Call of the Wild. He also listened to SOTW 4 on his Ipod today), we all ate pancakes together at the table while having a section of Acts read to all by me. Then ...
Eomar and Arwen:
Practiced their instruments, did some laundry, sweeping etc. then moved onto their Math
Merry:
He hung the laundry (in quite interesting ways) , practiced his violin right after breakfast, then did some pages in the Singapore math book.
Pippin:
Got himself ready and played outside, did a reading lesson, read Peg and Ted, I read Sinbad the Sailor (comic version) to him.
At this point we came together for prayers and Merry and I picked a new Diego Rivera print to look at. Then we looked over the characteristics of the Mustard Family and I asked the kids (with mixed results) to put something in their Nature books about it. Eomar photocopied the page and colored it, Merry did also (after crumpling many first and becoming distracted and finishing it much later in the day!), and Arwen did a stellar creative, insightful drawing and booklet (yes, she loves hands on projects!).
Lunch was a wee bit late as we had mid morning choco-chip cookie overload (probably partly responsible for my sluggish feeling today.) We ate a beautiful lunch out on the deck, watching the birds collecting nest materials (and taking it into our attic), and listened to some of the Vikings.
During lunch prep I sliced open my finger cutting a frozen bagel so by about 3 I figured it was time to go get some steri strips from the drugstore and some new bandaids. Pippin and I went and then decided to get him a haircut at the same time (to fix up the years worth of 'mommy' haircuts). The time out was good for all of us and when I got home the kids were happily engaged in their own pursuits; Arwen and Merry with creating a set for a video they were making involving mummies coming back to life, and Eomar downloading books onto his Ipod.
On the way to ballet I asked Matt is he could see that Merry read some of his book. I am trying to do this more as I see that he is really butting heads with me when I ask him to do things lately.
Dinner: potluck (I made ceaser salad, fried rice with garlic and cilantro, and leftover minestrone soup)
Lunch:bagels, smoothies, and oranges
It's nice at the end of the day to write this out and look over it. It was a tough day in some respects, but looking back on it I see joy and light woven through and it makes my heart glad as I prepare for bed.
The older two children did their reading in bed (Hannah is nearing the end of Many Waters (she likes to have one book at at time on the go, unlike the rest of us) and Ariel was reading the Brendan Voyage and he has finished up Call of the Wild. He also listened to SOTW 4 on his Ipod today), we all ate pancakes together at the table while having a section of Acts read to all by me. Then ...
Eomar and Arwen:
Practiced their instruments, did some laundry, sweeping etc. then moved onto their Math
Merry:
He hung the laundry (in quite interesting ways) , practiced his violin right after breakfast, then did some pages in the Singapore math book.
Pippin:
Got himself ready and played outside, did a reading lesson, read Peg and Ted, I read Sinbad the Sailor (comic version) to him.
At this point we came together for prayers and Merry and I picked a new Diego Rivera print to look at. Then we looked over the characteristics of the Mustard Family and I asked the kids (with mixed results) to put something in their Nature books about it. Eomar photocopied the page and colored it, Merry did also (after crumpling many first and becoming distracted and finishing it much later in the day!), and Arwen did a stellar creative, insightful drawing and booklet (yes, she loves hands on projects!).
Lunch was a wee bit late as we had mid morning choco-chip cookie overload (probably partly responsible for my sluggish feeling today.) We ate a beautiful lunch out on the deck, watching the birds collecting nest materials (and taking it into our attic), and listened to some of the Vikings.
During lunch prep I sliced open my finger cutting a frozen bagel so by about 3 I figured it was time to go get some steri strips from the drugstore and some new bandaids. Pippin and I went and then decided to get him a haircut at the same time (to fix up the years worth of 'mommy' haircuts). The time out was good for all of us and when I got home the kids were happily engaged in their own pursuits; Arwen and Merry with creating a set for a video they were making involving mummies coming back to life, and Eomar downloading books onto his Ipod.
On the way to ballet I asked Matt is he could see that Merry read some of his book. I am trying to do this more as I see that he is really butting heads with me when I ask him to do things lately.
Dinner: potluck (I made ceaser salad, fried rice with garlic and cilantro, and leftover minestrone soup)
Lunch:bagels, smoothies, and oranges
It's nice at the end of the day to write this out and look over it. It was a tough day in some respects, but looking back on it I see joy and light woven through and it makes my heart glad as I prepare for bed.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Finishing up the year...
This time of year my mind moves over to the planning of next year and I can cease being present in the here and now. So, I am starting to mull over what we would like to do to finish up this season well.
Some of my thoughts off the top of my head are:
Math
Ar- keep doing a page or half a page a day as retention with him is much better this way than a long break
Hannah- her book will be done and I am in the process of getting her Algebra book. Maybe I will download her some interesting geometry stuff to work on, or have her peruse the I Hate Mathematics Book (which she always laughs at because she really likes math)
Caleb- not sure. This kids loved math until I got him a text. I might just ditch it again- he's so young still
Reading
Aaron- keep on with the 100 easy Lessons but find something more interesting to move onto as he is getting a little bored with the format. Make up a basket of early readers for him to practice on. Work on this with him throughout the summer as a priority. Read to him heaps!!
Caleb-get him to finish The Horse and His Boy and keep strewing for him!
Latin
Not sure here. Perhaps daily chants together and alternating days of exercises in Henle??
Maybe I should use the Quia for the summer?
Writing
Bravewriter's lifestyle is looking great for spring. We will do a day of copywork, one of dictation, and then a free write.
The younger two have stories they need to wrap up.
History
Should we shelve the MA for now? Basically we just read anyways and we will keep doing that. No one seemed to interested (or maybe I was just not motivated enough) for a more hands on study (not really my style anyways!).
Hannah wants to study India- I am not a great rabbit trailer. We have read a bit of Indian history here and there, we eat Indian food a couple times a week anyways, and we read about Gandhi and Mother Theresa this year already. So not sure what I will do with this. I always feel guilty when I don't follow up on these things. This child just has so many and she doesn't like to read alot at this point and for me a study=books!
Nature Study
I want to really focus on this. I just recieved Botany in a Day and we are going to start to look at the Mint family this week. I want our drawings/outings/writing to come from here alot and make this part of our week/day a priority. Have to plan some fun out of the city low stress outings.
Art
We have been looking at Diego Rivera's paintings on our moniter. We decided to skip the lurid details of his life (not a very kid friendly picture- I sort of compared some his exploits to those of Zeus, whom the kids like to joke about).
A good spring schedule might look like this (famous words of a non-schedule-conformist..)
Prayers and Instruments
Math (20-30 minutes for Ar and H, a little for Caleb)
Latin (recitation or short translation and flash cards)
Nature Study/History Reading
Literature or History Reading at lunch.
Writing incorporated into the Nature Study, Art Study, or copy/dictation some days and a freewrite on Friday.
Independent Reading- in bed in the morning or sometime throughout the day.
Note to self: Do I continue to assign Ariel reading at this point or should I just let him finish the Brendan Voyage, listen to the History CDs and let him gobble up books like he always does (I will strew with this)?
Looks good on screen, we will see how it fleshes out.
Some of my thoughts off the top of my head are:
Math
Ar- keep doing a page or half a page a day as retention with him is much better this way than a long break
Hannah- her book will be done and I am in the process of getting her Algebra book. Maybe I will download her some interesting geometry stuff to work on, or have her peruse the I Hate Mathematics Book (which she always laughs at because she really likes math)
Caleb- not sure. This kids loved math until I got him a text. I might just ditch it again- he's so young still
Reading
Aaron- keep on with the 100 easy Lessons but find something more interesting to move onto as he is getting a little bored with the format. Make up a basket of early readers for him to practice on. Work on this with him throughout the summer as a priority. Read to him heaps!!
Caleb-get him to finish The Horse and His Boy and keep strewing for him!
Latin
Not sure here. Perhaps daily chants together and alternating days of exercises in Henle??
Maybe I should use the Quia for the summer?
Writing
Bravewriter's lifestyle is looking great for spring. We will do a day of copywork, one of dictation, and then a free write.
The younger two have stories they need to wrap up.
History
Should we shelve the MA for now? Basically we just read anyways and we will keep doing that. No one seemed to interested (or maybe I was just not motivated enough) for a more hands on study (not really my style anyways!).
Hannah wants to study India- I am not a great rabbit trailer. We have read a bit of Indian history here and there, we eat Indian food a couple times a week anyways, and we read about Gandhi and Mother Theresa this year already. So not sure what I will do with this. I always feel guilty when I don't follow up on these things. This child just has so many and she doesn't like to read alot at this point and for me a study=books!
Nature Study
I want to really focus on this. I just recieved Botany in a Day and we are going to start to look at the Mint family this week. I want our drawings/outings/writing to come from here alot and make this part of our week/day a priority. Have to plan some fun out of the city low stress outings.
Art
We have been looking at Diego Rivera's paintings on our moniter. We decided to skip the lurid details of his life (not a very kid friendly picture- I sort of compared some his exploits to those of Zeus, whom the kids like to joke about).
A good spring schedule might look like this (famous words of a non-schedule-conformist..)
Prayers and Instruments
Math (20-30 minutes for Ar and H, a little for Caleb)
Latin (recitation or short translation and flash cards)
Nature Study/History Reading
Literature or History Reading at lunch.
Writing incorporated into the Nature Study, Art Study, or copy/dictation some days and a freewrite on Friday.
Independent Reading- in bed in the morning or sometime throughout the day.
Note to self: Do I continue to assign Ariel reading at this point or should I just let him finish the Brendan Voyage, listen to the History CDs and let him gobble up books like he always does (I will strew with this)?
Looks good on screen, we will see how it fleshes out.
Let's see- Where did April go??
A visit from the Grandparents
The best weather we have had in a VERY long time (only to be replaced by another snowfall, which thankfully has melted)
More math
A smattering of the third declension
Heaps of Asterix (that would be 5 family members reading it up!)
Some retellings of a creepy story of Baba Yaga (just have to love those stories of the creepiest lady around) by Hannah and Caleb which are still in progress
Various copywork by hand (Ar) and in cross-stitch (Hannah)
Designing the up and coming tree fort
Lots of time outside
Newly refinished hardwoods (and consequently, conveniently misplaced lesson books!)
Three Part Parts of a Flower cards
Some seedlings rising up on the craft table in front of the sunny dining room window
Our first bike ride of the season
Baseball in the backyard
Outdoor Ultimate
Spring swimming lessons
Those were some of the up points from my perspective (the boys would probably add on that we had our first ever month of cable, to coincide with my parents visit and the Masters. Sorry boys, that month ends soon!)
The best weather we have had in a VERY long time (only to be replaced by another snowfall, which thankfully has melted)
More math
A smattering of the third declension
Heaps of Asterix (that would be 5 family members reading it up!)
Some retellings of a creepy story of Baba Yaga (just have to love those stories of the creepiest lady around) by Hannah and Caleb which are still in progress
Various copywork by hand (Ar) and in cross-stitch (Hannah)
Designing the up and coming tree fort
Lots of time outside
Newly refinished hardwoods (and consequently, conveniently misplaced lesson books!)
Three Part Parts of a Flower cards
Some seedlings rising up on the craft table in front of the sunny dining room window
Our first bike ride of the season
Baseball in the backyard
Outdoor Ultimate
Spring swimming lessons
Those were some of the up points from my perspective (the boys would probably add on that we had our first ever month of cable, to coincide with my parents visit and the Masters. Sorry boys, that month ends soon!)
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Thursday March 6th, 2008
All:
-CHOW Arabian Days (looked at some pictures also in Mosque)
-Nature Journaling while I read from The Burgess Bird Book and The Handbook of Nature Study (we were studying the Nuthatch today). Ariel narrated in his book, while Hannah pasted in some drawings she had finished earlier and Caleb drew and labeled his picture.)
-finished The Last Battle. We read it at lunch and at dinner, as Papa was out for dinner.
Ariel
-Whistle
-Math 20D Zeta
-Latin: rest of ex. 25 Unit One Henle. He also did his vocab. drill.
-Read: -Tom Sawyer
-Fabre Book
-Gospel of Mark
-Writing: he wrote more of his battle scene from The Return of the King
-Spelling: we continued our small foray into a spelling focus by starting the list from the WRTR and reviewing the 1-1-1 rule and the dropping the e rule. Boy, I don't know any of these rules and they do seem a bit much.... we will see!
Hannah
-Math 25 D Zeta (ordered her next book today)
-Latin: rest of ex.25 Unit One Henle. She did her vocab. drill.
-Read:- out loud to me today from the Young Person's Book of Virtues
-a story from the Pink Fairy Book
-Writing: copywork from current poem, Spring by Tennyson (she is making a booklet from this with watercolors)
-Spelling: ditto what Ar. did except I did them separately. Oh yes, and they both did all 70 phonograms.
Caleb
-Math 8D Gamma
-Writing: oral lesson from EFTTChild and his nature journal
-Reading: Spiderwick Chronicles Book 4
-violin
Aaron
We had a nice time in the morning reading a new Anansi story. Later, we worked on a page in Word Mastery (this needs some sprucing up with some stories...it can get dull!). Then we looked at his grip a bit and I made him a cute fruity math page (Caleb always liked these). Then I did something I had done with the other 3; I wrote out the first line of Twinkle, twinkle little star and cut each word out and we practiced putting them in order. That was so easy for him he wanted to do the next line which he also got no problem- he was so proud of himself and grinning ear to ear. I also wrote him a little comic today which made him really happy.
We had a late lunch and then H. and I researched making a larger Guinea pig pen for Ginny. Caleb and Aaron had a blast playing so I really let them be a lot today. After a while we regrouped and did our Nature Journals and then I sent everyone out for some fresh air- the older two walked Goldie and the youngers played in the snow. Boy is it ever cold here again!
After dinner I decided we would play Blokus. I have wanted to for so long but have always been puttering around too much. It was alot of fun, and even Aaron had a good time.
Dinner: Rotini with sauce, coleslaw and garlic bread.
-CHOW Arabian Days (looked at some pictures also in Mosque)
-Nature Journaling while I read from The Burgess Bird Book and The Handbook of Nature Study (we were studying the Nuthatch today). Ariel narrated in his book, while Hannah pasted in some drawings she had finished earlier and Caleb drew and labeled his picture.)
-finished The Last Battle. We read it at lunch and at dinner, as Papa was out for dinner.
Ariel
-Whistle
-Math 20D Zeta
-Latin: rest of ex. 25 Unit One Henle. He also did his vocab. drill.
-Read: -Tom Sawyer
-Fabre Book
-Gospel of Mark
-Writing: he wrote more of his battle scene from The Return of the King
-Spelling: we continued our small foray into a spelling focus by starting the list from the WRTR and reviewing the 1-1-1 rule and the dropping the e rule. Boy, I don't know any of these rules and they do seem a bit much.... we will see!
Hannah
-Math 25 D Zeta (ordered her next book today)
-Latin: rest of ex.25 Unit One Henle. She did her vocab. drill.
-Read:- out loud to me today from the Young Person's Book of Virtues
-a story from the Pink Fairy Book
-Writing: copywork from current poem, Spring by Tennyson (she is making a booklet from this with watercolors)
-Spelling: ditto what Ar. did except I did them separately. Oh yes, and they both did all 70 phonograms.
Caleb
-Math 8D Gamma
-Writing: oral lesson from EFTTChild and his nature journal
-Reading: Spiderwick Chronicles Book 4
-violin
Aaron
We had a nice time in the morning reading a new Anansi story. Later, we worked on a page in Word Mastery (this needs some sprucing up with some stories...it can get dull!). Then we looked at his grip a bit and I made him a cute fruity math page (Caleb always liked these). Then I did something I had done with the other 3; I wrote out the first line of Twinkle, twinkle little star and cut each word out and we practiced putting them in order. That was so easy for him he wanted to do the next line which he also got no problem- he was so proud of himself and grinning ear to ear. I also wrote him a little comic today which made him really happy.
We had a late lunch and then H. and I researched making a larger Guinea pig pen for Ginny. Caleb and Aaron had a blast playing so I really let them be a lot today. After a while we regrouped and did our Nature Journals and then I sent everyone out for some fresh air- the older two walked Goldie and the youngers played in the snow. Boy is it ever cold here again!
After dinner I decided we would play Blokus. I have wanted to for so long but have always been puttering around too much. It was alot of fun, and even Aaron had a good time.
Dinner: Rotini with sauce, coleslaw and garlic bread.
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