What we are using this year...

The Heart of the Matter Meme for today is "What are you using this year?" Boy, is this a common question among homeschoolers! We love to share ideas, gather impressions, and swap information.

So, here is what we are using this year. My kids are in 1st, 3rd/4th and 7th:


Basics

Math:
(1) Singapore 1A,B - slowly
(3/4) Singapore 2A, B - a bit more quickly in the hopes of moving on to 3A,B
(7) Saxon 8/7

Language Arts:
(1) Explode the Code 1 and 2 (with the supplemental "1/2" books as needed); Bob Books; Copy Work; Narration
(3/4) Explode the Code 3 (with supplemental "1/2" book) - possibly ETC 4 if needed; Scholastic and DK Readers; Handwriting Without Tears Cursive; Copy Work; Narration
(7) IEW's Bible-Based Writing; Editor in Chief; Papers on Newberry Literature

Bible, Saints, and Seasons:
(All) Childrens Story Bible; Rings, Kings and Butterflies
(7) The Case for Christ for Kids



Grammar Level

Literature:
1st Grader: The Jungle Books(and selections from an Ambleside-based "Free Reading" list)
3rd/4th Grader: Tanglewood Tales, A Wonder Book (and readings from my "Free Reading list);
Both: Daily poetry from The Oxford Book of Children's Verse in America, The Story Of Dr. Doolittle, The Wind in the Willows and some other selections from my "Free Reading" list

Memory:
(for both 1st and 3rd/4th graders) Classical Conversations - Cycle 3; selected poems and scripture from The Harp and Laurel Wreath

Modern Studies:
CC Cycle 3 (US History and Geography); God's World News (Taking Off and Early Times); National Geographic Picture Atlas of Our Fifty States'>

Science:
CC - Cycle 3: 1st Semester (Anatomy) - Blood and Guts; The Usborne Internet-Linked Complete Book of the Human Body / 2nd Semester (Chemistry) - Adventures With Atoms and Molecules , The Periodic Table: Elements with Style

Classical Studies:
D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths, Famous Men of Greece

Foreign Language:
Tutor taught (so no curriculum, yet)



Dialectic

Literature:
Newberry Literature (Magician's Nephew, Bronze Bow, Number the Stars, Amos Fortune, Door in the Wall, Secret Garden, Carry On Mr Bowditch )

Modern:
Classical Conversations - Challenge A (World Geography); Compact Atlas of the World

Science:
Challenge A (Natural Science): Nature Sketchbook, Biology Lab Sheets

Clear Reasoning:
It Couldn't Just Happen: Fascinating Facts About God's World, Don't Check Your Brains at the Door: A Book of Christian Evidences

Classical:
Black Ships Before Troy, The Wanderings of Odysseus

Latin:
Latin's Not So Tough 3 & 4

Electives:
Plants Grown Up; Drama classes (in community)



Fine Arts (All)

Art Appreciation:
CC Cycle 3 (American Artists) - Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art for Children in the Styles of the Great Masters (Bright Ideas for Learning); National Gallery of Art Educational packages/videos: American Painting pkg, "American Art 1785-1946" video, "American Art" video, Early Modernism 1900-1940 pkg, Art Since 1950 pkg, "20th C Am. Art" video

Studio Art:
The Young Artist's Handbook, Drawing Textbook

Music:
CC Cycle 3 (Great Composers); Minute Sketches of the Great Composersor History's 100 Greatest Composers, Story of the Orchestra; Charlotte Symphony "Children's Concert Series"


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School is Back in Session!

This week was our first week of school!

There are so many reaons that this wasn't the ideal week to start school:

• Eldest son left on Thursday for a 10-day trip to Sweden (more on that later)


• MIL was in town (she is traveling with him)


• I'm not totally finished with year's plan - I know *what* I'm doing, but not necessarily *when* or *how*.


• One kid is sick...and I might be right behind her.

One thing I've learned the past 5 years we've been doing this is that my perfectionism can really get in the way. In the past, I'd have wanted to wait until I had everything perfectly planned out (even if that plan didn't last 2 months) and everyone was totally ready to start on a full schedule. But, usually it is just best to START, even if it is at "half-power". So, that is what we did - and it went pretty well!

We just did the basics: math and language arts, but we DID it! And eldest son had his first day of Challenge A (with Classical Conversations), so he only had a little prep work to do for that. By the time we get up to "full speed", we'll be ready to start back to Classical with the younger two. (Their CC classes don't start until Sept. 3.)

When is your first day?


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Turkey meatballs and Spaghetti

These are such a hit at my house! These are a great easy meal for any time of year.

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 tsp garlic powder
1 T Worchester sauce
1/8 c. Parmesan cheese (grated)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c dry breadcrumbs
1/4 c. tomato sauce (I use Barilla Marinara), plus the more for the pan.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with veggie oil. Pour a very thin layer of sauce on the bottom then begin forming the meatballs and placing them in the pan. Spoon a little more sauce over the top of each meat ball (I just gently drizzle it around the pan - hitting most of the meatballs). If you have more sauce in your jar, you can save it to top the spaghetti. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Pull off the foil after 30 minutes and turn off the oven. Let the meatballs sit in the warm oven while you finish the pasta.
I use Barilla thick spaghetti noodles, boiled until al dente.

Serve a plate (or bowl) of pasta topped with a dollop of sauce and a few meatballs. Parmesan cheese is always delicious on top, too!

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Simple Woman's Daybook - August 18th

You can find out more about the Simple Woman's Daybook here.


For today, August 18th, 2008

Outside My Window... my grass is getting a wee bit long.

I am thinking ... that I'm glad to be getting school started even if I'm not entirely "ready".

I am thankful for... finally getting to enjoy dinner with friends we haven't seen much this summer.

From the kitchen ... making another batch of delicious Cinnamon Raisin bread today.

I am wearing ... blue yoga pants, white tank top and white hoodie - my standard "dressed, but not really dressed" outfit.

I am creating ... my yearly school plan this week. I have the basics, but there are some details I need to work on.

I am going ... to pick up groceries today. My local grocery story has an online shopping service - i take advantage of it very frequently during the school year. It costs my $5 in service fees, but that is worth the time it saves me! And I find that I actually save more than that in avoiding "impulse purchases".

I am reading ... still Gilead and Iliad, but also, my Cindy Rushton's yearly planning book.

I am hoping ... today's first day of school will go really well. We were up late and are getting a VERY late start to the day, but we're really not doing much "school" on the first day, so that is fine with me. Mostly we are just going to walk through the day's schedule and look over books.

I am hearing ... my local NPR station's morning talk show "Charlotte Talks" - they are talking about alternative fuel vehicles.

Around the house... I have a stack of games that I cleaned out of the bottom of my school cabinet that need to find a new home. And a pile of laundry - just no laundry detergent.

One of my favorite things... since I mentioned NPR above, it makes sense to tell you that NPR is one of my favorite things. I know they can certainly be left-leaning, but it's pretty obvious to me when they are, so it's easy to discern "spin". What I enjoy about NPR is the wonderful storytelling and the fascinating subject matter. I don't often find that they get bogged down in the silly nonsense that many news shows on TV do (which end up being mostly gossip and entertainment rather than NEWS).

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:

• First Day of School
• Mother-in-Law arriving on Tuesday
• Wednesday is eldest son's first day of Classical Conversatsions - Challenge A
• Thursday MIL and eldest son leave for a 10-day trip to Sweden

Here is picture thought I am sharing:

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Farmer's Market Report is up!

Did you visit your Farmer's Market today, or earlier in the week? Share with us what you found, what you are making, or any anecdotes from your trip at the Farmer's Market Report for Aug. 16th.

Peter Piper's Picks - Aug 16th

I've always loved a beautiful drive. Here are some remarkably beautiful roads.

Stop telling them to "BE CAREFUL"? Why risky play is important for children.

As much as I love changing things around in my home, I also love changing things around on my computer. Here are some pretty nice wallpapers! Or these wallpapers that might boost your productivity.

Have you heard about this amazing duck rescue? I didn't believe it at first, but it checks out on Snopes.com.

Ok, these are just some very WEIRD bits of useless information, but many of them made me giggle. Let me know if you try out #33.

Why Elizabethan English is good mental excercise...Shakespeare meets Neurobiology.

Meals that last all week - I LOVE THIS. I want more ideas along these lines - any ideas?

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Notes from The Mark of the Christian

In this age of tatooes, brands, and slogans, Francis Shaeffer's essay entitled, The Mark of the Christian has a lot to say about how we show the world we are Christians. It also has a lot to say in this age of major mainline denomination shake-ups and ever-splitting Protestantism about Christian unity. A lot to say in only 59 very small paperback book pages.

I've had this little book for a few months now sitting on my reading shelf picking it up occassionally and reading a paragraph or two, which no way to read this book. Today is the last day of my short "sabbatical", so I decided to sit down and read it in it's entirety.

Here are some quotes:

"Through the centuries men have displayed many different symbols to show that they are Christians. They have worn marks in the lapels of their coats, ...chains about their necks, even had special haircuts. Of course there is nothing wrong with any of this.... But there is a much better sign - a mark that has not been thought up just as a matter of expediency for use on some special occasion or in some specific era. It is a universal mark that is to last through all the ages of the church till Jesus comes back....'that ye love one another; as I have loved you'...."

"The church is to be a loving church in a dying culture. How, then, is the dying culture going to consider us? Jesus says, 'By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.' In the midst of the world, in the midst of our present dying culture, Jesus is giving a right to the world. Upon his authority he gives the world the right to judge whether you and I are born-again Christians on the basis of our observable love toward all Christians."

"But Jesus is not here saying that our failure to love all Christians proves that we are not Christians. (...) What Jesus is saying, however, is that, if I do not have the love I should have toward all other Christians, the world has the right to make the judgement that I am not a Christian. (...) Of course, the world may be making a wrong judgement because, if the man is truly a Christian...they made a mistake. (...) Here Jesus is talking about our responsibility as individuals and as groups to so love all other true Christians that the world will have no valid reason for saying that we are not Christians."

"But Jesus did give the mark that will arrest the attention of the world, even the attention of the modern man... Because every man is made in the image of God and has, therefore, aspirations for love, there is something that can be in every geographical climate - in every point of time - which cannot fail to arrest his attention. ... The love that true Christians show for each other and not just for their own party."

"The Christian really has a double task. He has to practice both God's holiness and God's love. ... Not his holiness without his love: that is only harshness. Not his love without his holines: that is only compromise."

"What divides and severs true Christian groups and Christians - what leaves bitterness that can last for twenty, thirty or forty years ... - is not the issue of doctrine or belief which caused the differences in the first place. Invariably it is the lack of love and the bitter things that are said by true Christians in the midst of differences. (...) It is these things - these unloving attitudes and words - that cause the stench that the world can smell in the church of Jesus Christ among those who are really true Christians."

"First, we should never come to such difference with true Christians without regret and without tears."

"The church is not to let pass what is wrong; but the Christian should suffer practical, monetary loss to show the oneness true Christians should have rather than to go to court against other true Christians, for this would destroy such an observable oneness before the watching world."

"I want to say with all my heart that as we struggle with the proper preaching of the gospel in the midst of the twentieth century, the importance of observable love must come into our message. We must not forget the final apologetic. The world has a right to look upon us as we, as true Christians, come to practical differences, and it should be able to observe that we do love each other. Our love must have a form that the world may observe, it must be seeable."

"Love - and the unity it attests to - is the mark Christ gave Christians to wear before the world. Only with this mark may the world know that Christians are indeed Christians and that Jesus was sent by the Father."


I know I have at times NOT worn the mark of love. I can think of a few events or moments when I have very clearly not been loving to Christians with whom I've disagreed. I've also been on the receiving end of not being loved and it really hurts - especially when it comes from other Christians. What hurts even more is realizing how damaging this is to the Gospel.

What I've learned today is that while choosing to wear marks to announce our faith is fine, it is good to make sure we are not missing THE mark that Christ gave us to wear.



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Online maps for use in History lessons

Maps of War is an online collection of animated maps and links to other realated maps around the internet. These aren't limited to solely war-time maps (although the focus is on what you might call "Conflict" maps).

Here are some of my favorites:
History of the Middle East
History of Religion
March of Democracy
American Leadership and War


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Heh - I am the Tin Man

Just for fun...

One of the "famous" INFJ's is the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. So, I guess that is why I always liked the Tin Man. If you take the test (a very shortened one based on Myers-Briggs), leave your type in the comments!



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The Simple Woman Daybook - Aug 11

You can find out more about the Simple Woman's Daybook here and see today's post for more Daybook entries.


For today, August 11th, 2008


Outside My Window...another sunny summer day, but the air has cooled just slightly.

I am thinking...about how to celebrate the start of a new school year. I want to make it really special for my kids. In the past, we've always had an "Ice Cream for Dinner" party, and we'll do that again, but I'm also trying to think of fun ways to "gear up" for the year - not just on the first day.

I am thankful for... sweet solitude. My dear husband took my children to the beach with friends for a few days leaving me with a quiet house to myself.

From the kitchen ...I'm contemplating making a batch of my favorite eggplant dip (similar to baba ganoush).

I am wearing ... tan capris, violet t-shirt. Nothing fancy - just comfortable to work in.

I am creating quite a mess as I clean out my school cabinet in order to refill it with this year's school supplies and books.

I am going ...to the post office today to send our i800a - the next step in our adoption!

I am reading ...out of my RSS reader today. There are a number of items I've saved for later and these next few days will be the time for "later". I'm still reading Gilead, the Iliad, and my landscaping books.

I am hoping ...to use my days of solitude well. Mostly, I want to maintain a good balance between getting some needed projects done and having some relaxation time.

I am hearing ...the hum of my refrigerator. It's not very often that my house is quiet enough to notice that.

Around the house... things have stayed VERY neat with no extra people to leave little messes. Well, until I started cleaning out the school cabinet. So, let's say every room but the kitchen has stayed VERY neat.

One of my favorite things... during these few days of solitude has been having my thoughts uninterrupted. As any mom, especially when you have little ones or home educate, knows this is an extremely rare thing.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: My goals for this 4-day holiday are: Relax, get my new Fly Lady schedule tweaked for the start of the new school year, clean out the school cabinet, get the kids' new school supplies and books into the cabinet, look over school plans for areas that need some work or fleshing out, have coffee with the same friend I was trying to have dinner with last week, and Relax.

Here is picture thought I am sharing:
I think if you click on that picture it will take you to a larger image. That is me on the left (in white) in Tiananmen Square in front of the Official Beijing Olympics Countdown Clock. If you look closely, you might be able to figure out when we were there!

I have other pictures from China that are much prettier than this one, but it seemed the most appropriate for this week. My traveling companion (and neighbor) and I are really enjoying these Olympic Games and celebrating the Chinese culture and people that we came to love while we visited.

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Peter Piper's Picks: Aug 9th

This week's Picks have a decidedly Olympic theme. Enjoy!

Plan your Olympic viewing schedule. We are setting up our DVR today so we won't miss our favorite events.

Olympic Logos from 1896-2012.

Wow - some fantastic Chinese architecture for the Olympics.

Western Classical music grows in popularity in China.

This isn't exactly relating to the Olympics, but I think you'll understand why I picked it to go with this theme...13 words not found in the English Language.

And my own travel journal from my 2007 trip to China. When I grabbed this link, I realized I'd never finished blogging about the final days in Guangzhou - that's too bad, because we had a great time there. (all these journal entries are pulled from our emails home...and in Guangzhou, we just didn't have the time to email and it was much more expensive)


The following are not Olympics related, but they are both timely, so I'm posting them today...

Fantastic photos of the total solar eclipse that occurred on August 1st across the very northern areas of Canada, Greenland, Northern Europe, Russia and China.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn has passed away this week and his Harvard address from 1978 has been republished on the 'net quite a bit.

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7 Steps to a Productive Farmer's Market Trip

...from my new blog, To Every Meal A Season , a post to help you make the most of your farmer's market trip: 7 Steps to a Productive Farmer's Market Trip. I've got 7 tips for you, perhaps you'll have some for me!

And tomorrow, check back for a "Farmer's Market Report" Mr. Linky - join in with your Farmer's Market finds for the week - YUM!

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August "Recipe Swap Box"!

Today is Randi's "Recipe Swap Box" day at i have to say. The theme is "Garden Fresh", so skidaddle on over and check out the delicious recipes!

I've got some recipes from my new blog To Every Meal a Season in the Swap Box, too!

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Model Magic Creations

I mentioned yesterday about the Model Magic my kids were enjoying. They love this stuff because it is so easy to work with...and I like it because it really is "no-mess". It dries quickly and nicely, too!

So, you want to see what they created?



This is my middle son with his creations. He was disappointed that the "cool colors" didn't show up in this photos, so I took another one:




You can see he made an alligator, giraffe and a bird.

Here are my daughter's creations:

Let's see I'll list these clockwise starting with the big "E" - her first initial. Beside the "E" is a fish, butterfly, sun, platypus, and a flower.

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Art History Links for Homeschoolers - August 2008

What are Art History Links for Homeschoolers?
Well, as homeschoolers, we love to learn...and it needs to be cheap and easily accessible (ie. local or ONLINE). I look for online exhibits, resources, reading lists, videos, and activity ideas for major art historical themes. Many of these resources are offered in conjunction with local exhibits, so if you are lucky enough to be in that vacinity, take advantage of it.

How can you help?
Know of a great resource online or a great exhibit in your area? Email me or leave a comment. I'll incorporate your finds into a future month's listing. And if you take advantage of any of the resources...or attend an exhibit mentioned here, let me know what you think! Your feedback helps me provide better listings.


In conjunction with the Beijing Olympics, I've found two Chinese art resources:

Ancient Chinese Sculpture
From the Art Knowledge Newsletter:
The script is familiar but irresistible. A cache of art is stored, unexamined, in the bowels of an esteemed institution. Scholars become intrigued. Cataloging begins. The quality is unexpectedly high, and soon an exhibition materializes, accompanied by a catalog that illuminates the tale of neglect, renewed interest and diligent scholarship as well as the splendors of the art. That is the plot for “Treasures Rediscovered: Chinese Stone Sculpture From the Sackler Collections at Columbia University,” an eye-opening show at the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Gallery at Columbia University.

Anatomy of a Masterpiece: How to Read Chinese Paintings
Another excellent online exhibit, this time of Chinese paintings and calligraphy. If you'd like to share some images of masterpieces of Chinese painting and calligraphy with your kids, this is a great resource. The works span 1,000 years of Chinese art history.

Create a custom art history timeline
As you put the finishing touches on your lessons for the year, you might want to consider using this excellent resource from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. It will make adding art to your lessons easy as pie!

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