December Odds and Ends

*1*

Trail blazing homeschoolers... 

The first state POL competition for Homeschoolers in the Territories. The group was small but full of seasoned performers and non of us envied the judges their difficult job of choosing a winner. We laughed, we cried, the kids rocked. Mego, after a lovely rendition of The Spider and the Fly, is going on to state!

Great job, stalwart recitationers!

 

*2*

Co-op is over for the semester so FLL Team Yoda spent Friday morning going over final prep before state qualifiers on Saturday. We didn't make it through the list of things to get through but it's what it's going to be. My camera is broken but hopefully I can beg some pics from the day to post after Saturday.

 

*3*

Ever feel like your brain hurts? This was me this week. Partly inspired by a Hive discussion on Getting Things Done,  Evernote, open and closed loops, and putting everything you are responsible for on paper.  Did you get everything done you'd hoped to in 2012?  If not, check out the Getting Things Done book and web-site. Sure to inspire and motivate.

*4*

First review the TOS Schoolhouse Review Crew on Schoolhouse Teachers.com. We've had a hard time hitting a groove this fall semester and I really think that Schoolhouse Teacher.com is going to be a huge part of the solution. That, and Dr. Dh finally got RS German back up and running from our hard drive crash.

*5*

Finished Fieldwork by Berlinski- one of the best reads of the year.  Right now I am enjoying the simple pleasure of The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life you Want and Change the World by Guillebeau. My inner unschooler needs feed and this book is rich with food for thought. It's a 4-Hour Work Week -alike, but it's good solid reminders for someone whose been stuck in a rut and needs to get out (That would be Moi).

*6*



I am making a list and checking it twice. It's all of the nice books and movies that we love for the season, plus a few new that we've just discovered, with a couple of extras thrown in just because they are all part of it this Season of Lights -for us anyhow. Check back tomorrow, but if you can't wait till then, go visit my blogger buddy, Dawn at Moonbeam a Musing for a fantastic Advent season celebration list!

*7*

School- um, yes.  We did a bit. Math and science reading and watching (GC Physics), writing, plus figures in history, maps and Filmmaking from Schoolhouse Teachers.com, presentation practice for POL and FLL and getting the outside gear (tramp) and sheds put away and locked down for the upcoming winter weather. Finished Maybury's WWI. On to WWII and more from Speilvogel.

How was your week? Are you on a Christmas break yet?

Getting Acquainted Part VI: Who I Wasn't Going to Marry

By a show of hands, who reading this (besides me) has ever said, "I will never marry a psychologist."- and yes, I specified the degree/profession just that narrowly. The reason why is this. My Dad was a psychologist and my Mom was a therapist. They practiced the profession back in the 70's, during the trying adolescent years of their 3 offspring, when the field was young, knew unlimited insurance reimbursement and little in the way of ethical standards or policing. There were standards, but the field was less defined, shifting and changing. Adages like, "don't bring your clients (including strung out promiscuous teenagers, catatonic schizophrenics and beaten wives) home," were looked on with more tolerance than they might be now.

All of that to say, I had an up close and personal look at the field. In fact, when I was interviewing for my M.F.T. program I mentioned to the head of the Department that I had grown up surrounded by the profession. He naively thought I meant I was surrounded by books related to the field. Um, no. Well, yes. But much, much more.

Anyway, I found myself at a Christian college just months after I became a sold out, starry eyed follower of the Messiah. I was happy, young, and free of a lot of carp. (Iow, I knew what I'd gotten saved from. Thank-you, Jesus!) The next year, I was sailing along in my little bubble, surrounded by awesome girl friends, at a school I loved, throwing as much pottery as I had time for.  One morning I returned from my job to find a message from this guy in my very small Senior Seminar: Rabbis, Teachers and Old Testament Leaders. I called him back. He asked if I wanted to go with him to the Art Museum in Indy. Sold.

He was 1 hour late picking me up. And though  he did call to lmk, this should have alerted me to the fact that characterologically he will always believe that he can fit more things in to life than humanly possible. We had a great time at the museum and then went out for pizza. We got a large. I ate one slice. He ate the rest, even though he was a bean pole. Again, if life was fair there should have been red warning lights going off that indicated whomever married this man would spend a great deal of their time creating food for him and his beanpole offspring, and while they (the man and his kids) remained skinny-ish the person collecting, crafting, and cleaning up all of that food probably wouldn't. At least that's what happened to me.

We saw each other every night that week. We went jogging (back in the days when my knees did what they were supposed to do), met in the student lounge, (back in the days when guys weren't allowed on the girls dorm floor), and talked (back in days before texting); we talked a lot. Within weeks we were negotiating who was going where, when. (this was the 2nd semester of our Sr. year). We changed plans so that we could be together instead of apart. And we got married. That was almost 3 decades ago. And while one of my major life goals was thwarted (i.e. NOT marrying a psychologist) it was still one of the best mistakes I've ever made.

Who weren't you going to marry?

This n That- Thursday Chat

It's been crazy busy around here...co-op is over for the semester (it was a blast, as always but I'm so glad!). TC is still going strong and my class is in the throes of writing lit reviews on poetry and gearing up for their research paper.
I've been getting up to speed with what it means to be a Reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew. 2 words. Yipee!! and Oy Vey!! I'm on the uphill side of the learning curve, but it's going to be a great ride. I've already made new friends from around the country, am learning TONS more about blogging and SEO, have the opportunity to check out fantastic curriculum (first review premiering in the next couple of days!) and more. What's not to love?

With all of that, I am having yet another what do I do about this blog discussion with myself-
1. Start another blog that is totally focused on ed. and leave this one for family/ personal musings
2. Continue this blog and have ed/family stuff intermingled like it's been.
Thoughts?

Finally had time to catch up at the Hive and got in on a great discussion on management/getting things done. Below is list of books that came up. I'm starting with Getting Things Done . I'm thinking it will be like 7 Habits on Steroids. And frankly, I'm ready. It's not that we don't get things done. It's that we have so much more to get done. And while where we're at is o.k., I think it could be better....Here's the list. You'll probably gonna be hearing more about them ; )


Getting Things Done
Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.
along with  10 Habits of Happy Moms, Happiness Project, Happier at Home and Happiest Mom


How's life in your corner of the world? 

Art with Ana

Fieldwork

Read the best book last week. Picked it up becasue Stephen King endorsed it. Cheesy, I know, especially as I've probably read all of the King's book as I'm ever gonna read. I don't do horror, you know, and he does. And that's that as they say. But the King can write and he knows a good writer when he reads one. And boy-howdy, does he!

 

The book- Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski- was a terrific read. Beautifully written, it is the story of 2 families, 2 people. Both ex-pats in Asia. The one family is linguistically and anthropologically oriented; scholars and intellects. The other family is full of card carrying members of the Jesus Freak Society- Missionaries that are relentless in their pursuit of the vision they have to see a whole people group saved for the Glory of  God.

 

The anthropologist gets caught up in a Great Question and sacrifices her life in search of the answer, and then her soul in worship of the answer). The missionary spends his life spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. The anthropologist goes to the Momma of her nemesis, the missionary who offers her hope and the destruction of her god, and asks to be baptised. The Momma refuses because of a perceived personal attack- a grave insult that rocks her world. The anthropologist kills her son. The narrator is Jewish. He writes with complete respect for the Christian missionary vision. That alone is refreshing, as he acknowledges the power, miracles and redemption of the Christian way of life.

 

In a way the story is a fascinating metaphor for the Jewish/ Christian relationship right now. The Jews have fallen in with secularists. If they were to ally themselves with the Christians, would they be turned away because they don't repent in a manner that satisfies us? (for a great article on how Christians eat their own, read Going to Hell with Ted Haggar). Being a witness for Christ demands complete integrity, complete honesty before Him. No harbored pain or insults, no little splinters that fester and warp our perspective, no 1/2 paths to the Truth, no flirting with the devil by thinking we can slip on the ring of temptation and that we have what it takes to resist a fall. It's got to be all or nothing, if we are going to be taken seriously as people of faith.

 

Terrific writing, a thought provoking analysis about what Christianity demands, the redemption it can provide and how lost life is without Him.

I have no idea if that was the intent of the author. How I'd love to sit down with him and hear about how this book developed!

But don't take my word for it, read it yourself. It won't disappoint.

One of the best reads of the year!

Exposing the First Temple Period

King David's Palace. Exciting Stuff!
Check out The Key to David's City web-site!

Test Time

*1*
Decorated Trees this week. We have a couple. A big ole regular tree -found a like new one this year on Craigslist for  1/5 of Menard's price. We are hoping that our allergy suffer-ers don't suffer quite as much with a fake tree as a real. We also have a couple of alpine trees that we decorate by theme - we have a cowboy one (you  have to pronounce it "Cow-boy" with a funky twang like they do on Hildago), and a girly pink and purple one that goes in Flowers room, and a mini-one. All of this in addition to lots of lighted garland atop the window and door trim. And twinkle lights. Gotta have twinkle lights. By the pound.

*2*
I have avoided Moby Dick yet again. Time is defiantly running out if I'm really going to read it before the end of the year. Maybe it will be my New Year's Eve reading? The culprit was Field Work. Terrific writing and compelling story. Who knew Dead Heads did the Dead Tour?
There is one point of unbelievability for me, but the whole story centers on that moment. It could have happened the way it was written, but I'm not convinced.

*3*
It was a quieter week without KB. Simpler. We miss her, and yet it's a relief to have fewer people to manage, less people to coordinate cars with. Her solution to a life without her parent's cars? See here.

*4*
Feeche has been going to a karate studio for several weeks and loving it. He was able to fit in 3 work-outs this week and would gladly ramp that up to 6-7 if he could. I asked him if he felt good after a recent work-out. One word response: Stronger. Says the man child who can do 60 sit-ups in 2 minutes. Booyah.

*5*
SAT's tomorrow. Poetry Outloud competition on Thursday to weed out the state goers from those left behind. Lego League state qualifiers next Saturday. Test time!

*6*
Did we do school this week? Yes we did. In between dealing with the flu. Saxon is working for the youngers. They continue to memorize Horatius at the Bridge. We continue to read the Bible and Famous Men of Greece. The boys continue to watch GC Physics, and I continue to try to keep up with Feeche's The Divine Comedy reading. We started reading Maybury's WWI out loud together. Writing, math, science, reading, etc. normal stuff.
Last day of co-op for the semester. The choir sang beauitfully and we have extra kids for the night. Fun times.

*7*
I'm part of the TOS Review Crew this year so I'm getting up to speed with that. Already I've been checking out a new on-line product. Stay tuned ; )

What's happening in your world this week?

Reality, Part II

I often wonder about why I am so transparent on this blog. Part of it is that's just me. What you see is what you get. I've oft been told that this is a winsome aspect of my personality. Winsome, or irritating, depending on how entertaining, or not, I am at the moment. For my own part, I'd rather be an internalizer. You know, smile on the face, every thing's great, no matter what. For what it's worth, I'll never be. So, if you read this blog, you will be subject to my own externalized therapy sessions.

Here's the deal. Some days I think we are doing something really cool. Affording our kids freedom and opportunities that convention don't allow. Other days, or months, like the last 7, where we have had $1000's of dollars of car repairs, including 2 bizarrely broken windows, a rock that tore the underside of our "good" car to shreds, antibiotics- again- and yet again, a dead hard drive, and now apparently, a dead expensive camera (do you hear my WAAAA's from where you sit?!) I really wonder what we're doing. It's not that I don't expect life to have ups and downs. I do. But sometimes the ups, out figures the downs (sing it, baby, ala Disney's Robin Hood). And does it have to be so painfully, unrelentingly expensive?

I'm reading "Fieldwork," which is a about a murder, but just as much a story about a crazy, missionary family that lived, worked and evangelized in Asia. The story is written by a secular Jew, and while he is respectful to the last, he doesn't quite get where the missionary family is coming from. They are unwaveringly clear about the vision that they have. It's an inerrant, Biblical worldview that says that the world's days are numbered and the lost will be damned. There is fervency and passion in the family. I'm not to the part yet where the murder takes place, though we all know who done it, but the profile of the family, I get. They are good, basic, hardworking Jesus loving folk who are willing to walk on the wild side to live out their convictions.
Check.

But, truthbetold, I'm feeling my age, the disappointments, the debits. My check has been wavering.
Step 3 of 12-step is "Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God." I did that a decades ago. The problem is I keep wanting things to turn out my way. Look, my way is pretty cool. I'm a creative, intelligent person with rocking ideas. Seriously. And yet I am continually surprised at how God hits the "reject" button on my ideas. They are perfectly sound, fun, cool, budget-conscious and thoughtful. So, what's the deal?
I guess it's that He's God and I'm not. His ways are not my ways and all of that.

I think one of the illusions of living in a place like America, as a Christian, anyway- where freedom to do and be is pretty much there- is that if you don't get your own way, hit the goal marks, succeeded at the vision, lived up to your potential, you've failed.
There's little confirmation, in the church or out, that if the outcome isn't a WIN BIG that it could be because you've conformed yourself to Christ. That you  have sacrificed and suffered for His name sake. That He has a different plan. And while He might be rejecting your plan, He's not rejecting you. Or me.

So, to all of you who are suffering and struggling and walking on the wild side as good, basic, hardworking, Jesus loving folk- THANK-YOU (you know who you are don't you?!) You've given me courage by the testimony of your lives in a season where I've felt a little lost.

The Big Blue

KB's first car. She was hoping for a blue sports car, but this is what she settled on.

 

What's it like? BIG.BLUE

I knew it!

 

Christmas Wish Reality

"If you could have anything you wanted for Christmas, what would it be."

wish

 

I failed the philanthropy portion of the test by not answering,"world peace".

peace

Instead I wrote down, fully admitting to myself on paper, my dream life. Dr. Dh and I are "niche" kinda people. Maybe it's cause we're both middle children, but if it's average, or common, or something everyone else is doing...well, we don't. We live and work and school and think in eclectic ways and so much of what we hope for is unique and honestly, not readily available; not for general consumption. I courageously wrote what I wanted and it didn't sound like too much. It sounded like what I thought our life would be. Or at least could be. But it's not. And I don't think it's gonna be.



dream

I think it's too niche. Too out of the range of normal and average. Too unique and other-worldly and, honestly, down right odd. Why can't we just go to Joe-average schools and raise Joe-average kids and go to Joe average church and have Joe-average lives? For some reason, it just didn't seem like that was enough. It might be for other people, but not for me, not for us; not for our kids.

It's all tied in to faith for me. When I became of follower of Jesus Christ, part of the draw, for me at least, was getting caught up in a grand sweeping, magnificent drama, something otherworldly and beyond average; more than what we could ask or even imagine.

So, maybe I didn't get the faith part right. Maybe the grand sweeping drama, magnificent and sumptuous is about what's coming, the other side of heaven and not anything about what's right now.
I don't know. I'm not sure. I thought it was about now, but in light of life..., I kind of don't think so anymore. Maybe I'm finally becoming the level headed pragmatist my mother hoped I always would be.

Because of the above I have come to a conclusion. I need to let the dream go. I need to get a grip on reality and just deal with what's in front of me, instead of always longing and hoping for what's not gonna happen.The reality is that the fruit of how we've lived has been....well, not so much. If you just take the last 2-10 years in to account, our attempts at living honestly, faithfully, steadfastly, and looked at the fruit- the results financially, socially, vocationally, physically,  familially, you might laugh. I have. Right before I bawled.  Because the fruit, for what it's cost, has been very stingy indeed.

fruit



So, I'm re-assessing.
And taking a hard look at what I want for Christmas.  

The 12 Hour Tour

KB, Feeche and I drove almost 1/2 way to Ohio (6 hours 1 way) and Grandma and Grandpa drove a bit father (8 hours 1 way) to rendezvous. The point of the trip is to get KB to KY for a new adventure.

As always, we had a ton of fun road tripping- lots of coffee, laughs and, personality disorders discussion (it's our way) and political/historical discussion (you can't really discuss despots effectively without a run-down of PD's, right?). It's nice having a history nerd with us (Feeche) even when Dr. Dh isn't along.

Lunch with G'Ma and G'Pa, then transferring stuff from one car to the other and then off again, in opposite directions.

Good-by, family!

I have seriously adorable kids, dontcha' think?!

 

The house felt empty this a.m. when I got up at my usual 0'dark:30. Having one less adult in the house will make things both more and less.

Thanksgiving Wrap-Up

Best Pre-Dinner Activity: Chinese Checkers. I am slowly, painfully, relinquishing my title as reigning Queen of the Chinese Checkers board to Feeche.

Best Deal of the Day: Free Turkey with a Honey Baked Ham. Good, cause I think I've hit my life-time limit on Turkey.

Best Tip of the Day: Cook the turkey the day before and heat it up the day of  in the crock-pot. Done and brilliant! Frees the oven and saves on T-day mess! Thanks, Jannell!

Best Quote of the Day: "Ya know, if God was going to destroy the world with another flood, the best time to do it would be after Thanksgiving. Everyone (American) would just sink to the bottom." ~ Feeche

Best Picture of the Day: "Don't get between a 12 yo male and his food!

Best food of the Day: Pie. We are pie people: apple, pumpkin and banana cream. Ohlala.

After Dinner Activities included hair cuts all 'round- Cosmetologist KB is heading moving to the hills on Saturday, so every one got one last pro cut in. Falls Park Winter Wonderland drive-through; always beautiful. Calls to the fam. More pie.
Lord of the Rings- Two Towers fest. It was my first time watching it- very fun to view with LOTR aficionados. Watching movies with Dr. Dh is kind of a quick run through on a personalities disorders class. He diagnoses everyone on film. Watching movies with a beautician is just as entertaining. We now have running commentary on who is using what product, what stylists tools and who brow waxes. The beautiful men in LOTR made for many comments and lots of laughs. The final vote is in and while their hair rocks in a greasy, unkempt kinda way, they all need manicures.

How was your Thanksgiving Day?

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. --George Washington

Shamelessly lifted from Amy

There are Strangers Among Us!

 

 

 The 12 yo is at it again... 

 

 

 

Welcome to my world...
(which is so much richer because of my Cub). 

 

The Enemy of Books and People

I'm grateful for many things as a homeschooler. The classical education movement is one of them. The reason is simple; it provides a way to train your child based on developmental milestones (the Trivium) in a way that utilizes the gifts and strengths of the season the child is going through.

During the Grammar Stage, the child reads, memorizes and fills their brain with amazing and astounding things about the world and life.
During the Dialectic Stage, the child begins to understand how to order their world through the study of Logic.
In the Rhetoric Stage, the young adult takes the facts and information, orders them well and shares them with others. This can take many forms; written, verbal, artistic, mathematically, scientifically....the fact of the matter is that the youth has something of import to say because they have studied and learned about things, facts, people and places that have meaning.

Being a young person today that is mature, thoughtful, polite and respectful is not that common. I've been told by complete strangers, along with those who know them well, with regularity, that my kids are polite, respectful, kind, thoughtful, caring,and smart. This, usually in response to their holding a door open, looking at someone and smiling, making a formal introduction. Nothing earth shattering; well it used to not be. Not an intelligence test, just emotional responsively at a mature level.

All of that to say, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks, and the person responds and initiates. If we pour into our children things of value (the heroic stories of old) rather than superfluous drivel (Phineas and Ferb), what they'll have to contribute could be, might be, probably will be something that is world changing.

The content of the books we read affects the content of our minds, hearts and souls, and in turn, affects the world that we live in. What we have to contribute, based on what we take in, creates life or it's antithesis. How we educated defines how and what we share and teach our students. The methods and forms of what we do are every bit as important as the content.

Linking up with
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I am a Grateful Homeschooler

The theme for this week's Carnival of  Homeschooling is Gratitude. I can get on board with that. Here goes:
 
1- I am grateful to the Good Lord who gave us the vision to homeschool, who has provided the books and resources and direction to do so, the children to educate, the income and resources to survive financially on one income in a 2-income world and the patience (HAHAHA) to homeschool.

2-I'm grateful that I have children to educate. (Fertility is widely taken for granted, imho). Having gone through seasons in our life where we thought we'd have several less children than we do, we are grateful for a large family, the beautiful people that they are and their joy and passion to learn and grow.

3- I am grateful to be married to a true-blue polymath, who is deeply committed to the ways of God. Dr. Dh has exposed all of us to nuanced and nerdy facts, ideas and ways of thinking. He is willing to be uncomfortable, disliked and make sacrifices to seek wisdom. We are all stronger, more thoughtful, intelligent, Godly people because of that.

4- I am grateful to my parents for giving me a passionate desire to learn, grow and develop. We spent every vacation touring factories, museums and national parks. My parents were homeschoolers at heart and gave each of their children a deep love of learning and literacy, starting with phonics instruction at age 4. Thanks, Dad for giving me the gift of reading. It has been one of my greatest joys.

5- I'm grateful that I live in a country that allows parental freedom and that we can, for now, educate our children in the way we see fit.

6- I'm grateful that I can freely share my faith with my children. If they grow up and don't understand their religious heritage and our belief system it will be through no fault of ours.

6- I'm grateful for all of the learning, education and academic opportunities I've been exposed to as I've homeschooled. I am also grateful to have learned how very much I love to teach. It is a joy and a privilege.

7- I am grateful for the good folks who have fought to make and keep homeschooling legal.

8- I am grateful to all of the good folks who have created resources, curriculum, materials and supplies to make homeschooling do-able, accessible, affordable and fun.

10 - I am grateful to the classical education movement and community for providing a vision of education that extends beyond the person and the place, goes backward and forward in time and challenges me to each and every day.

11- I am grateful to our local homeschooling community. They have been true-blue friends on so many levels.

 We LOVE them!

 

Crazy Hosea & You

We recently watched a church created film on Hosea; it had its cheesy moments and moved a little slow. That being said, it did a great job portraying the prophet Hosea. He's a minor prophet and bit nuts. Weren't they all.

Let me sum up: Hosea is preaching to the ancient people of Northern Israel in the 8th century B.C. He preached and prophesied for 25 years. During that time he was told to marry a prostitute, stay faithful to her in the face of her continual infidelity, keep loving her, bringing her home and telling his neighbors to get right with God.

He won't shut-up. He's telling everybody else to straighten up and get back to Holy living, setting themselves apart from their pagan neighbors. The thing is that there was no threat, the economy was booming, the Israelites had relative freedom and tolerance was the name of the game. It was a live and let live kind of world. All good, right? But Hosea kept harping on this repent and turn back to the Kingdom of Heaven thang. Live and let live except for the religious fanatic who kept harping on the fact that God says He wanted His people set apart. Set. Apart. Holy. Not almost Christian. All Christian. Not almost set apart, not flirting with it. Done.

The man was a lunatic. Seriously. And this cheesy little church movie showed that part well. Which is what I appreciated about it. I got a real sense of just how nuts Hosea, and most servants of the Most High God, comes across. Hosea and the other prophets were not what we would call men of their times. They are often not successful in the eyes of the world, they were called to do crazy, irrational things that p*ssed people off. God chose to use Hosea's life as a living message to His people. Hosea followed and obeyed but he looked like a fool to the normal, middle class folks living next to him in suburbia. And probably the rich and poor folks, too.

In the end, howevah, Hosea was right. The northern kingdom was attacked by the Assyrians, who, by the way, put the brutal in brutality and the terror in terrorism. Their very name struck fear into the hearts of people. Israel’s upper-class and nobility was carted away to serve in the land of Assyria, the most brutal and feared pagans in the Ancient World (no wonder Jonah was afraid of them) to do whatever feared pagans do to captured people. We don't hear mention of the middle and lower classes- my guess is that they were the lab rats on which the Assyrians honed their savage skills.

Then this week-end I read The Harbinger. I'd read 1/2 of it before and it seemed plausible but didn't really grab me. But it kept coming up. An aunt sent us a copy; a client asked Dr. Dh about it and a FB friend pm'd me regarding it. I read it. I get it, it makes sense. All day, I've had this sense of wanting to go back and read the rest of the story. But I've finished it.

Along with that I had a crazy, creepy, apocalyptic, horror movie dream. I am anti-horror movie. I don't watch them, I don't watch commercials for them, I don't read them, I avoid them. I'm a Jane Austen, Narnia, G- rated reading/watching kinda gal. The closest I come to horror is The Divine Comedy. So, it's not like the dream was from bad gravy and watching Louis the Ax Murderer or anything. It was one of those dreams where you don't want to go to bed the next night. An Assyrian Invasion, Prince of Terror kind of dream.Oy vey.

Feeche just read The 4th Turning and had dark and ominous thoughts afterward, even for a teen-ager. We are for sure in a time of great societal upheaval. Whether you believe it's the end times or just the end of the Modern Age, it's certainly a time of shifting. Either way, do the thing you are called to do, but be sure of the calling. Calling a non-calling a calling is to thumb your nose at Hosea. And while Hosea might have been a bit crazy he had fire power (can you say, Master of the Universe) on his side. Don't tug on Superman's cape. And don't toy with His messengers.

Wake up, oh sleeper, do the thing you were born to do. Don't pretend and do the easy thing. Be a Hosea. Be bold, passionate, crazy in love and passionate for the Real Thing. Even if your neighbors think you're nuts. Even if you are comfortable and would rather sleep more. Time's a wasting. Time's growing short.

Yep. That.

Do It Anyway

WEEKLY REPORT UPDATED

no bells, no whistles, but hopefully, readability!

 

1*

Gotta have art. You just do. Our kids get it at Co-op, taught by my sweet friends, Jannell, Ana and myself. Then on Tuesdays, Ana does it again at Tutoring Center. And Flower has her clay class with Mz. Z. Plus they draw on their own. We have plenty of drawing missives around to inspire and amend. Along with poseable figures.

*2*

A beautiful analysis from the Circe Institute: Don’t Follow Your Heart: Anti-Revolutionary Lessons from Pride and Prejudice (one of my fav's). Jane rocks.

"Jane Austen’s message is just as timely today as it was two hundred years ago. How do we respond to a world gone mad? Have a good marriage, be a good neighbor, invest in your community, take your responsibilities seriously. Don’t follow your heart. Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. On these hangs the only hope to restore sanity to our world.

. - Angelina

*3*

Speaking of Revolution I am going to try to whisk away some of my older kids this week-end and go see Lincoln. Maybe I'll luck out and get Dr. Dh to go. The last movie we went to was For Greater Glory, a heartbreaking, beautiful recount of those willing to die for their faith and the freedom to practice it. I cried through the whole thing.
The movie we went to before that was Passion of the Christ. I was too traumatized to cry.
Oy vey. Where are the lighthearted chick flicks?
HGF has a free iPad app available for the Lincoln Movie- check it out.

*4*

We had a great week of school. Here's the deal. When I faithfully fill out a scheduling sheet for each kid, we rock the homeschool world in terms of getting stuff done, getting along and tackling challenging stuff. When I don't, we take the prize for lammoability. A big part of it is that the kids know what's expected, get to cross off what they've done as they go and I'm not in the back-ground going, "hey, you forgot to do this..."
The reality is that you don't get what you want, you get what you plan- (well, sometimes).
Donna Young.org to the rescue. Of course.

*5*

What did we get done, you askGC Physics- more episodes watched- it's a non-math physics course, and focuses on everyday stuff. Cub and Feeche are watching together since they are both taking physics- Cub, pre-physics at TC and Feeche Apologia.
Flower is reading through Biology by Tiner and thrilled to share with everyone!
Math. We were gifted with Saxon 6/5, just in time as MME was making too big of jumps for Flower. She's loving it, though she keeps wanting to know why there is a 6/5 on the cover. Cub continues to do great with Alg 1/2 and Feeche is finally hitting a groove. We switched from Foerster's pre-calc to Glencoe and he is back to getting it, scoring well on tests and moving on.
Spelling- we are back at it, though it's time consuming. Sequential Spelling. Love that program.
Horatius at the Bridge- Cub at verse 20, Flower slowing down but hanging in there at week 18. A rough week for Flower. She was struggling with feeling deeply sad about some things and school took the hit. We took things slow, spent time snuggling and talking and praying and today she was back in a groove.
Plus we're doing the study guide, complete with pictures and maps and comprehension questions. Excellent stuff.
Feeche is on Cantos 24 in The Divine Comedy. Great discussions and we are having a blast discussing it together. MP study guides- simple, effective, straightforward. LOVE them!!
Writing- always around here. How to teach it? Check here.

*6*

Have I mentioned Lego League lately? Whomever can is meeting an extra 4 hours a week to focus on programming. Qualifiers are coming up faster than the speed of sound and we have a ton of work to get done. The good news is that our little band of merry boys and girls are a riot, good natured and good friends. They are also good students, quick learners and love the program. Good times. Sometimes too good but the term

 

gracious professionalism

has taken root and the kids quote it to each other. Instant attitude change. STEM and interpersonal skill building
- a winning combo!

*7*

I have been reading Girls on the Edge by Leonard Sax. Frightening stuff. Makes me glad I've homeschooled. Because the bottom line is that our kids are growito no sense of self.

Along with that I was in a discussion this week about what to say to naysayers who criticize homeschooling. My response is this: Is God calling you to homeschool? Then do it. If He calling you to something else? Then do that. Whatever you do, do it with your whole heart. And here's the deal. If you do something that threatens the status quo, or the enemy of your soul, or the ancient one who would rather that your child was dead, expect to be criticized. Expect to be put down and questioned and told that you aren't or can't or won't do a good job.

And along with that, don't expect outcomes. Because the reality is that your child will grow up, have a mind of their own, succumb to temptations, or just not understand or care about the sacrifices that went in to allowing them to have a sense of self, a childhood that was innocent and full of privacy and time to think and be and wonder.

When you do something extraordinary with the ordinary you can expect flack. There are no guarantees- it's a risk.

It's just that simple.

But, as Mother Teresa say, "Do it anyway.

Getting Aquainted- Part V: Ethnically I'm a Marshwiggle

 The Silver Chair (book 4 of the Narnia Series -haven't read it? You must!) there is a scene in Underland, after the Prince has been set free from the magic of the chair and before the cadre of Narnians have escaped from the Queen of Underland's Castle. The Lady of the Green Kirtle (a.k.a.The Queen of Underland, a.k.a.The Serpent) is casting spells on Puddleglum (your friendly, neighborhood Marshwiggle), Eustace and Jill Pole, and, once again, the Prince of Narnia. They are all falling under the magic of the witch- who is opposed to all things good and Holy and right- they are getting drowsy, they are believing that there is no sun, no light, no Narnia, no Aslan and that the Underworld is the World.

Heroically, Puddleglum casts his hand into the flame, burning himself, as he proclaims,

One word, Ma'am! One word! All you've been saying is quite right, I shouldn't wonder. I'm a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won't deny any of what you said. But there's one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things- trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that's a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We're just babies making up a game, if you're right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That's why I'm going to stand by the play world. I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as a like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia. So thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the young lady are ready, we're leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that's small loss if the world's' as dull a place as you say.

(Happy sigh.If I wasn't so happily married myself, I'd go in search of Puddleglum to marry, even if it meant eating eels the rest of my life).

Here's the thing. I'm a Marshwiggle by nature- melancholy and pretty convinced that the glass is half empty (one of the things I love about my sil is that she is positively proclaiming, with a beatific smile, that it is half full, tyvm!). I'm just prone to that and I work to overcome it, but there it is. But I'm sure, positively, undeniably sure, that the life of faith that I've adhered myself to- like glue dontcha' know, cause us melancholies might be a bit pessimistic but we are faithful to the bitter end- is the Real World. And it's the standards and magic, and deep magic of The Way that are the only True Thing. This world, this one, is good. I like it- most days. But when I die, I hope someone says for me, "It's been a great ride. On to the real thing." And when I get there, I will embrace my dear friend Puddleglum - or at least Lewis, who created him- and smile, that the journey- however hard and bitter and ill fought, was worth it.

For Narnia! For Aslan!

Foiled Again

Before...
 

("don't touch the b*tt, Nemo!")

 

and after...

blond with red lowlights.

 

You can't really see the low lights in this picture, I just think the picture is adorable.