All Saints Party

Yesterday around 50 children from our Catholic homeschooling community gathered for an All Saints party. The children each gave a clue for the others to guess their identity, and then we prayed a Litany of Saints including the saints represented. Moms set up games and a snack table, and everyone had a good time.

My boys were St. Luke, St. Francis, and St. Pope John Paul II. For St. Luke, we attached props of a paint palette and an empty vitamin bottle, since he was a doctor by trade and later an artist. St. Francis had a stuffed squirrel and duck pinned to him. JPII was very simply a pope who liked to play soccer. I wasn't going to try to keep a 17 month old from tripping over a long costume.

The game I brought was St. Anthony's Lost & Found. I made a sensory bin with about 10 pounds of rice and 12 small objects hidden in it. The younger ones really enjoyed digging around, and the older children were challenged by finding some of the smaller items.

It's been nice getting together with our Catholic homeschool community and watching friendships form between the children as they spend more time together.

First Lessons

We are a month into our school year, and it is going well. While we are still not a "school every day" family, we have tried to fit in a Bible story and copywork nearly every day and lessons in reading, math, literature, and geography a few afternoons a week. We honestly haven't begun history yet. We have been enjoying a warm, sunny September instead. Even math was brought outside one day.

I believe Lucas is settling into the Charlotte Mason approach. His narrations of Bible stories and Aesop's fables are better each time. His copywork is improving, and he has even begun making some of his letters "fancy." The highlight of our first month, though, is picture study. The first week, he studied and then described to me the painting The Son of Man by Rene Magritte. He then painted his own version of it with watercolors. He loves painting, even giving "a painter artist" as his answer to "When I grow up I want to be..." on the first day of school, so it shouldn't surprise me that picture study is going so well.

His next picture study was Football Players by Henri Rousseau. I left him alone on the couch for a few minutes with the picture and told him to look at it and try to remember everything he could. He remembered nearly everything - more than I would have, I think! He was able to tell me about trees in the background, clouds in the sky, what color stripes the players were wearing, their mustaches, the orange leaves ("I think it's fall," he inferred), and even the white fence behind the players. I was so impressed and proud of him, which made him proud of himself, too. When I gave him the painting to look at one more time, he noticed right away that one thing he hadn't seen the first time were the cracks in the tree trunks.

He wondered if Rousseau had painted this all in one day. I told him I didn't know, but some artists do work quickly, and others work for a very long time on one piece. We looked up the painting, and though we didn't answer that exact question, we learned more about the artist, the painting (he was impressed by the size of it, almost as tall as him), and where we could go see the painting in person (that idea really excited him - I think a visit to an art museum is in our future). I'm just thrilled that he has found something to be passionate about that neither of us would have ever expected or thought to make a part of our lives if we weren't homeschooling.

I'm also pleased with his progress in reading. I have to constantly remind myself that boys only four months younger than him are just starting kindergarten, and to expect a full year's difference in reading level is not fair. Still, I believe he is reading fairly well, considering it is not something we worked on every day last year, or even this year. We have been reviewing CVC words and sight words, adding to those that we learned last year. We have also started working on th, sh, and ch, and briefly introduced silent e through the words five and nine. He seems to enjoy spelling words and using word cards to write stories more than actual reading, but he is getting more comfortable reading the short Bob books and the lessons in Alpha-Phonics.

You can see his "fancy" s in sat.

Nature study has been another high point. He has become quite a good cricket and grasshopper catcher. We haven't seen many birds, so I've allowed him to focus on insects and a few wildflowers still blooming. His first entry in his nature notebook is a drawing of goldenrod. We had walked through a field full of goldenrod, and there were bees all around. He was a little scared but we made it, and then he worked hard on his drawing for about 20 minutes.

Overall, our year is off to a good start. We are still picking up steam in terms of our daily routine and how many lessons we fit in each week. More importantly, though, we are enjoying our time together and I'm seeing sparks of joy in both of us that have been missing for a while.

He made the apple pie filling while I made the crust.

First Grade Plans 2015-2016

We are just beginning our Fall 2015 term of 1st grade. I've spent the past few months reading about Charlotte Mason's philosophy and methodology, comparing various curricula and booklists, and perusing blogs by other CM homeschoolers. I recommend starting with For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay if you want an introduction to Charlotte Mason education before reading her own six volumes.

Many hours were spent reading, writing, thinking, and praying this summer about what our homeschool would look like this year. Below are my decisions, which are always subject to change - as my husband knows all too well. We are following a combination of recommendations from Ambleside Online and Mater Amabilis, and a combination of what they each suggest for kindergarten and 1st grade (Year 0 and Year 1, Prep Level and Level 1B). Don't worry; in total I am doing less than what any one of those four years recommend. I simply selected books from each list.

Because of the ages of my children (6, 4, and 15 months), certain parts of our day will be spent together and won't be conducive to great focus. But, for about 90 minutes, three times a week, I will be able to work with my 6yo alone. This will happen during the toddler's naptime on the three afternoons that my 4yo is at preschool, and I have chosen to do the subjects that require more focus and effort during that time (reading, math, the catechism portion of religion, and more difficult selections in literature). The remaining subjects will happen around the kitchen table, while playing outside, or on the couch while little brothers entertain themselves nearby.

For All the Children Together
Morning Basket:
New Catholic Picture Bible, one story a day during Ordinary Time
(Tomie dePaola Advent and Christmas unit, plus Jesse Tree, and Lent/Easter unit including A Life of Our Lord for Children by Marigold Hunt)
Around the Year Once Upon a Time Saints, one a week

Prayers, hymn, and memory verse (upcoming Sunday's Responsorial Psalm)

Copywork: review letter formation, our names, and eventually moving on to memory verse
A brief review of today's day and date, and our address and phone numbers until those are mastered
End with folk song

Stories on the Swing:
(This happens daily after breakfast, morning chores, and morning basket are complete. The 15mo stays quiet, and I can read from my Kindle instead of a book. These are downloaded from Yesterday's Classics.)
For the Children's Hour by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
Kindergarten Gems by Agnes Taylor Ketchum
Clara Dillingham Pierson's Among the Farmyard People, Among the Forest People, Among the Meadow People, Among the Night People, Among the Pond People, and Dooryard Stories
Following the stories, a brief time of running, stretching, and calisthenics, and then outdoor play until lunchtime

Poetry:

Gyo Fukikawa's Mother Goose and A Child's Book of Poems
A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Tasha Tudor

A.A. Milne's Now We Are Six and When We Were Very Young

Nature Study:

Burgess Bird Book for Children and others by Thornton Burgess (We are just beginning Old Mother West Wind as a bedtime read aloud, and I also came upon an old copy of the Flower Book which I hope to read from occasionally in the spring in addition to the Bird Book.)
One Small Square series and Jim Arnosky books on nature shelf for free reads

Handbook of Nature Study
A nature journal for each of us
Various field guides

Composer Study:
Fall Term: Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf

Music:
Singing Lesson for Little Singers - these exercises are just as much for me as for the children because I have a goal of improving my singing voice.
Not sure if he is ready for piano lessons; maybe after Christmas

Picture Study:
I Spy An Alphabet In Art by Lucy Micklethwait (Preschooler follows a letter of the week curriculum, which we will follow for picture study this year.)

Art:
Draw Write Now Books 1-3 (big hit so far; my kids love drawing)
Watercolor painting

Foreign Language:
Song School Latin, once we are inside a few more hours a day over the winter
Usborne First 1000 Words in Latin, Spanish, and English (same illustrations on each page of all three books, making for easy translation of common words between the three languages)
A variety of familiar picture books in Spanish

Handicrafts/Practical Work:
Chores: washing dishes, folding laundry, dusting, cleaning floors and windows
Personal Care: brushing teeth, washing face, combing hair, cleaning and cutting fingernails
Dressing: buttoning shirts, tying shoes
Gift Giving: well done handmade birthday and thank you cards
Gardening: caring for a houseplant in winter, starting seeds in spring
Baking: weekly baking afternoon with mom
Play-Doh, Legos, Montessori work, and various building materials and art supplies available during free time

For the 1st Grader
Reading: a combination of The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading and Delightful Reading (I'm reading both for my own reference and going from there. Right now we are alternating days between basic short vowel phonics and sight words using CM methods.)
Math: Right Start B, 2-3 lessons a week plus math games and books
Catechism: Faith & Life 1 Our Heavenly Father to be read and discussed once a week

Literature:
Aesop for Children illustrated by Milo Winter
American Tall Tales by Mary Pope Osborne
Classic Fairy Tales by Scott Gustafson (I happened to purchase a signed copy of this way back in college during a class on fairy tales. I think they are just fine. We can graduate to Lang another year.)

American History:
Here is where I stray from the recommendation of both AO and MA. I do not feel we are ready for formal study of history. Looking ahead, I think I will prefer to do history together, and I'd rather wait one more year to begin, when my middle child can at least listen to it. Instead we'll be reading through some of these:
Susan Buckley & Elspeth Leacock's Journeys in Time, Places in Time, Kids Make History, and Journeys for Freedom
William Bennett's Children's Book of Virtues, CBO Heroes, CBO Faith, and CBO America (There are history readings in each of these, along with folk tales, fairy tales, fables, poetry, etc. They are popular at bedtime.)
Several books by Jean Fritz and "If You..." books by Ann McGovern
D'Aulaire: We may try George Washington because the boys are enamored with him right now. The rest will wait.

Geography:
Holling C Holling's Paddle to the Sea, narration and mapwork
Barbara Taylor's The Earth, loosely following the Mater Amabilis 1B Geography plans, but mostly just for perusing (it's also on the nature shelf)

Chapter Book Read Alouds:
Little House on the Prairie (We just finished Big Woods, and he wants to read the whole series before any other chapter books. I told him once he can read, he is free to do that, but I have other chapter books I want to read to him first. I will read one more - Little House - and then we are taking a break.)
Mr. Popper's Penguins
My Father's Dragon

Out of the Home:
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, three times a month
Blue Knights, once a month
Homeschool gymnastics, once a month
CM group nature walk, once a month

First Friday Mass and social, once a month
CCD, weekly
I was not planning on CCD this year. I want to say that I firmly believe that Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is more than sufficient for religious formation and sacramental preparation, plus we are reading the Bible, lives of saints, and Faith & Life at home. However, we just joined a new parish, and my husband felt enrolling them in CCD would help us all embrace it as our new home. At the same time, there are unique benefits to this particular CCD program: my younger son is taught by a Missionary of Charity, my older son is taught by a Brother from the Community of St. John, and because there is a large Hispanic population at this parish, my children are exposed to the Spanish language and their rich Catholic culture. So all in all, it is an hour a week I wasn't planning on, but I think it will be good.

Mother Culture:

Charlotte Mason's Volumes 1, 3, and 6 when I finish 1
Pocketful of Pinecones by Karen Andreola - I am so enjoying this! My lightest read.
Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt
Book group with friends - we alternate fiction and nonfiction/religious books

Well-Read Mom book group - I plan on reading these:

     The Rule of St. Benedict

     Giants in the Earth by Ole Edvart Rolvaag

     Frankenstein

     The Brothers Karamazov

7QT New Blog

1) Hello, and thanks for visiting. This is a brand new blog, from a not brand new blogger. I hope this is a welcoming, friendly space for friends new and old. I'll be writing about life as a Catholic wife and mom, and all the things that includes for me right now. Things like 1 year olds that don't sleep, 4 years olds that know too much for their own good, and 6 year olds that are stretching like a rubber band away from mom all day and then snapping back with great force at night. And how sometimes that hurts and makes both of us cry.

2) I spent the past five days in training for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. It was a wonderful experience, and by that I actually mean full of wonder. I have heard and used the word wonder more times in the past five days than in the past year. Someday I'd love to tell you all about it, but right now I am still digesting it. And I'm exhausted.

3) Summer is flying by. Last week when I realized it was July I couldn't believe it. Where did June go? I guess it rained so much that we never got into our typical summer rhythm of playing in the sprinkler, eating ice cream on the driveway, and being hot. It's been a strange summer. Here is how we spent one of the many rainy days, watching birds from inside the house. We were just so tired of the rain, and I think the birds were too.

4) Do you ever feel like you have so much to learn and there's no way you ever will? That's how I feel right now about all the things I want to dive into head first: gardening (my poor garden), sewing (my unused except by other people sewing machine), my books (piles and piles, shelves and shelves of fiction, non-fiction, homeschooling, and lots and lots of Catholic stuff...). I need to find a way to read or learn on a regular basis to fill this craving without letting any one thing take over my life. Maybe a half hour every other day or something. Is that doable? Sometimes it doesn't seem like it, but a half hour a week doesn't sound like enough either.

5) This Sunday is our oldest's baptismal anniversary. I'm going to surprise him with a special dessert. We've not done a good job of celebrating before. I remember it, but we never really talk about it or do anything special. What are your traditions?

6) I decided I will say one thing about this week of being at training. I was gone from home 11 hours every day, from 7:00am to 6:00pm, five days in a row. I missed my kids, and they missed me. I learned a lot and enjoyed it very much, and it reaffirmed so much of what I believe about child development and being a stay at home mom. It really made me appreciate and look forward to having all of next week to just enjoy each other.

7) So long for now. I hope to write here once a week or so if you want to pop back in.

Thanks to my dear friend Bonnie for hosting, and a big congratulations! She's been keeping a secret. :)

A Welcome and A Beginning

Welcome! I'm glad you're here. This little place is only just beginning, but someday, somebody somewhere might read this.

My name's Marie, and I have the honor and privilege of being the wife of Steve (7 years this Sunday) and mom of three boys, Lucas (6), Tyler (4), and Nolan (1). We're a Catholic homeschooling family in central Illinois. I'm still learning the ropes. Here's a recent picture of our happy little family.

I named this blog (not my first, to be honest) after a line that stuck with me only a couple pages into Charlotte Mason's Home Education, the first of her six volumes. She quotes the Swiss educational philosopher Johan Heinrich Pestalozzi:

 

I'll leave you with that for tonight, something to "consider," as Charlotte would say.