Math WOOP, Reading, Latin, Listening

In Our Homeschool This Week: Math with Cub- major WOOP. We've been doing Singapore Story Problems for 2 years and LOVE them. I mean, not in a love, love way, but more in a, we are working our heiny's off and making our brains grow kinda lovey way. You know, hard work love.  Usually I read the solutions and then coach Cub on how to do it. On Wednesday he got through 4 story problems in about 20 minutes, drew the graphs with no prompts and got the problems absolutely CORRECT. We were both so thrilled, and his smile was HUGE. He said, "Thanks, Mom! I get it." Happy, happy dance. Love Singapore and LOVE my happy boy ; ) Latin- it's our other big win this year, after years of puttering around with it. Flower is LOVING Leigh Lowe (and what's not to love?!) and LC I. She thrills to throw around Latin phrases and words and told me last night at bedtime, "Good-night, Feminine" (instead of feminina. Thus ensued many calls of, 'Good-night gynokose (Greek for Woman) as well as other terms of twisted endearment). First Form rocks. Latin for the lingua-phobic, that takes you far, fast.


By the Books: We read more L'Engle, finished  Many Waters and started A Swiftly Tilting Planet. (Meg, dear Meg, please stop whining!). The notsolittles are still fascinated by the time travel, the social and theological implications and just how it would all work. I'm fascinated by L'Engle and read a quick YA bio of her this week. Much of the info was contained in A Circle of Quiet, and better written. I did get a couple more books from the Crosswicks series for the nightstand. L'Engle read 2-3 books a week. Makes my 1 seem paltry.

Things I'm Working On: One BIG, huge, thang which is cooking my grits cause it's related to everything else. And writing- not so much cause I'm trying to get the aforementioned organized.  And teaching writing- which makes me very happy; partially cause I have really rock out students, and partially cause words rock. And getting another room DONE this week-end (fingers crossed).

What's cooking: Friend Gala gifted us with a huge bag of kale, which made it's way into chicken, rutabaga, carrots, fresh large leaves of parsley, onions, garlic and kale soup. It was so healthy and delicious we all felt like Popeye after dinner. Paired with Challah bread toasted with Parmesan. Plus Spike. Spike makes everything wonderful!


What's playing: We've been listening to "Glory Revealed II" every time we get in the car. Our good friend Laura sent it to us years ago and it is one of my all time favorite CD's. My favorite track is 7. 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show us that the power is from God. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

A Quote to Share: I saw this earlier in the week during moments of doubt and discouragement. Sometimes when I hear myself telling someone else about my life (they asked, really, they wanted to know) I sound like a lunatic to me- kwim?

The Americans Creed by Dean Alfange:
"I do not choose to be a common man.  It is my right to be uncommon.  I seek opportunity to develop whatever talents God gave me - not security.  I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the state look after me.  I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed.  I refuse to barter incentive for a dole.  I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of utopia.  I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout.  I will never cower before any earthly master not bend to any threat.  It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid; to think and act myself, enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say - 'This, with God's help, I have done.'  All this is what it means to be an American."

And yet, this sums it up. Beautiful, yes?

A Blog to Follow: I found a lovely blog this week: Sage Parnassus. The author, Nancy, is a CM advocating homeschooler. Her blog is gently inspiring, to the point that I re-visited Andreola's A Charlotte Mason Companion Guide. While I'm still happily ensconced in the  classical camp, CM has strongly influenced our homeschooling and Nancy's blog has inspired me yet again. For example:

Get thy tools ready,

God will find the work.

-Browning

How'd your week go?