Best Day Ever

This girl made Memory Master last spring (way back in April). 

It was hard work and her courage waned a bit mid-year. We told her she could pick a reward (within reason) if she made it. She chose a day at the Omaha Zoo (which rocks), stipulating that it had to include the Bros. Feeche gave up a day of first week of college week-end fun and Cub gave up Ballroom Dancing and DQ with his peeps to make sure Flower got her wish. Best big brothers, evah!

So yeah, 5 months later we finally all had a free week-end to go! 

Do you see the Monkey in the Middle? 

And the tall kid?!

We left sorta early to meet Lynn and Paul, friends from Seminary, for brunch. 1/4 century old friends are some of the best; love them! And they promised to make it up to our place for more Gun Fun before Thanksgiving. Which totally made Cub's day, but makes us all happy. They are readers and thinkers and love to travel, learn and eat good food, so we never run out of things to talk and laugh about. 

And then 5 hours at one of the best zoos in the country, with perfect weather. It was absolutely glorious out and we took turns at exhibits together, breaking up and going separate ways, some of us sauntering, while others speed walked to the last couple of places before we closed the zoo down. 

We tried a new place for dinner; Cheddars, which is always dicey, given food issues and a few unnamed people who like to stick to the tried and true. Phenomenal service, huge portions of yummy, healthy food and did I mention the great service?! (It's near the mall on 92, sit in Mark's section). 

Such a fun, fun day. I asked Flower if it was worth the hard work AND the wait. 

Totally. 

And now back to your regularly scheduled crazydays programming. 

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Building Copiousness- Resources for Challenge, Week 1

A word that defined a thought I've had for years (search GG for "Lasagna Learning") is copiousness. I ran across this word at the CC Speaker Training in CO last spring with the lovely Lisa Bailey. Copiousness

I love that word. It's why we often do 2-5 history programs a year, or CC AND a co-op each year. It's why we do immersion with Rosetta Stone and a classical language acquisition program, like First Form or Henle. We are creating breadth of understanding and with that, depth. In the same way repetition builds mental muscles and eventually brings understanding, copiousness does the same thing.

Building copiousness when your schedule is jam packed.

We have been watching 1-3 Latin Tutorials on YouTube most mornings. History, language, grammar; it's all in there; and engaging to watch. Even if you aren't studying Latin this year, spend a few minutes with Latin Tutorials and build your language muscles.

Don't underestimate the power of chats. We are chanting our Declension charts daily, as well as in class. Along with this, don't underestimate the power of repetition and flashcards. Don't just make them, use them and review them.

Latin grammar wall charts from Memoria Press are great resources to have around. We've been using them at home and I take them to Challenge every week as well.

Circe Institute- want to love classical ed, even if you don't implement it? Not convinced you should? Check out this video of master teacher and historian Wes Callihan teaching on
The Golden Horn: Norse Saga, Saint Dracula, and the Defense of Christendom in the Middle Ages
(and then get yourself to a Circe conference so you can hear all of this wonderfulness in person!) or, purchase the Old Western Culture DVDs from Roman Roads Media for hours of history in your own home!

For the Debate strand in Challenge A there are plenty of good resources out there. We have enjoyed Drawing Canada this week, along with tracing and labeling.

And that's week 1. Pshew. It's been a great week. And it's Saturday and we are still going strong. Flower and Cub have worked most of the morning, we have chanted and I'm about to go outside to do flashcards. Good stuff. Now, where is the maid when I need her, cause my house is trashed!


@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Year 25/ Week 1

*1*

This week marks the beginning of our 25th year of Homeschooling. I've blogged for 8 of them. Pretty crazy how time flies. I've been blogging less, but it's not for lack of cool things to do and share, it's for lack of time. I am always out.of.it. And I do miss blogging. I will continue to muddle along, and hopefully, you will continue to check back every now and then and see what we are up to. . 

*2*

25 years later. We are a far cry from where we started homeschooling: in L.A. with our 2 oldest daughters and 6 full time daycare kids. We did a zillion field trips, went to the beach and the many beautiful L.A. Parks as often as possible, swam in the pool, read so many  books and served so many meals and snacks they were coming out of my ears. All from the comfort of our little grad school back-house, while Dr.Dh and I earned grad degrees. 

*3*

And here we are in the Territories, so many grad degrees behind us, having graduated our 3 oldest and back to Homeschooling Two again. It's a different climate, culture, and Homeschooling World. I started out Homeschooling working full time and going to Grad School and I am mostly back at it working 30+ hours a week at my job. Not another Grad degree, but Directing Challenge is, shall we say, challenging, and I spend my fair share of time doing homework every week. 

*4*

So what's up for school this year? Challenge A and 1. Our co-op will add in Spanish, Art and Music History and a class on Entreprenurialsm. Plus Ballroom dancing, TeenPact events, Drama, and other life happenings (as in, every week-end has been booked solid for the past month). The kids have begged NOT to add in on-line classes. The only one I am still waffling on is the Test Prep. 

*5*

We did finish the last brick walk/patio area/garden bed. The boys also took down more miles of barbed wire fencing, continued to clear the grove of dead wood, continued to take down chain link and old fence posts. It's looking park like around here. 

*6*

Flower's Garden didn't work out so great, but the zinnias,sunflowers and squash that she tucked in here and there thrived. We have a bumper crop of acorn squash and eggplant about to be harvested. She has big plans to make a straw bale garden next year, which we are going to tuck behind the white shed; another re-claimed odd corner with decrepit fencing gone. 

*7* 

We started our Classical Conversations Challenge program this week; Challenge A and 1with a total of 17 kids- pretty amazing since as of the June Practicum we had 1 Challenge program and only 6 kids.  A rocking CC Practicum and several Windows into Challenge Meetings later and here we are. I'll be posting some great Challenge A helps later today, so stay tuned. 

 @Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!