Element 83 Winner!

Amber, you won!! Woot! I know you will LOVE the pendant and cedar box you'll be getting in the mail soon.

 I need your addy, and it's on it's way!!

Check out the Crystal Creek Media Give-away going on NOW!

4 Best Days of Summer

Our county hosts the longest running fair in the Terriritories and bills itself as "The Best 4 Days of Summer." It is very fun. It is 4 days during the week, has no entrance fee and has all the usual stuff; animal barns, 4-H exhibits, rides, politicians campaigning and fair food. We attend yearly with the usual suspects, though this year it was a little thi- we missed you, Lori!! Fun was to be had, nevertheless...

Some rides never get old.

This is what happens when you ask pre-teen males to "smile."

Yep.

Cyndi couldn't resist! And  I didn't get one.single.picture of the older kids. Bah. Next year at the Fair.

I Won!

One of the things I love about blogging is meeting new friends around the globe and finding out about new opportunities and products.I followed a blog link-up at Living and Learning  and signed up for a give-away while I was there! And I won! WOOT! I love winning (when you're raised by 2 Type "A's" you just do). What did I win, you ask? A year's subscription to HEV. It's new to me, too. It's an on-line resource; 300 videos and counting, that take the student through a learning process, and then suggests a project to do in conjunction with. My fav ed combo: theory and practice! As they state on their web-site:

"Short videos, important principals, with off-screen, brains invovled, hands on follow up."

Love that!

Do me a favor and go say "Hi" to Amy at Living and Learning (she has a great classical ed link-up, too!) and go check out HEV!!

Wind Down/Gear Up

*1*

 Math tutoring continues and the time lost during the fire year is almost redeemed.  It’s a sweet deal. Our engineering friend, Sarah, tutors Derek and I “pay” her by bringing her 2 boys home for the afternoon to play. How great is that? They are Lego/Transformer/water/nerf-gun loving kids. Basically, we hit the drive-way and I don’t see the boys till Sarah comes to get them (and she comes to get them!). It’s such a WIN for me; I’m practically giddy about it.

Speaking of Math, we are going to switch programs again (based on Sarah’s recommendation) from LoF. I need upper level math suggestions: Not Saxon, preferably under $50, Trig.

*2*

Don’t forget to sign up for the Bismuth Pendant HERE; Film Camp and Creed of Gold DVD HERE. And check out some of my recent articles on homeschooling; Basic Recipe for Homeschool Success, Homeschooling Myth Busters, Co-op Love,  and finally Curriculum Planning for 2012-13.

*3*

I finally finished Dorothy L. Sayers: The Centenary Celebration; a compilation of essays by literary greats about one of the greatest; DLS.  The fact that 15 different authors can talk for pages about so many unique and varied things about one person’s writing speaks to what a brilliant author they were.

*4*

I’ve been going back and forth on whether Feeche should do a semester study of Dante (using MP) and after reading the above mentioned book (DLS's final work was to translate Dante), we’re going to do it.

*5*

Lego League is under-way and the kids are gathering research and have voted on a T-shirt. This year's challenge is "Senior Solutions." If you know a Senior and they have a problem to be solved, lmk. Also, if you are in the area, stop by Pizza Ranch on 41rst on Monday nite! Our team will be busing tables in return for a percentage of the profits!
Come out and support future STEM nerds : )!

Speaking  of which, major kudos to JPL and team for the landing of Curiosity! WOOT!

Loved watching this!

I take full ownership for literaray nerdom. STEM nerd love comes directly from Dr. Dh. He has infused all of us with a love of scientific inquiry. You know you're in deep when the 9 yo sits down to check NOAA in the morning and actually runs the loops.*6*



Cub and Flower have been deep in to Redwall. Of the 22 novels, he’s read over ½. Feeche is now reading on e to Flower (fun for both) and they have discovered the cartoon series on-line. Good summer fluff.

*7*

Horse Camp has been a blast. 9 girls, 2 ½ hours a week, a book/2 weeks (M. Henry selection), creating notebooks together, throw in lunch and swimming, a simple craft. School lite. Lots of fun!

Basic Recipe for Homeschool Success

*1*

Main Dish: Formal Academics. For us these are math, grammar, history, english (and all that entails), memory work, science.

*2*

Green Food: In-formal Academics. Web-sites, magazines, DVD's, CD's, outside studies, Great Courses.

*3*

Side Dish: For us that will include Lego League (Science is fun!), ballroom dancing, camps (drama, Shakespeare, Challenge), co-op.

*4*

Carb: Literature. Reading and breathing. 2 essentials, right?! I love Sonlight, Memoria Press, Veritas Press, Bethlehem Books for reading lists. Poetry memorization fits in here, too. Flower and Cub will work through Horatius at the Bridge this year, and Feeche will participate in Poetry Outloud.

*5*

Dessert: Fun flicks, free reading, play-dates, park-days, field trips.

*6*

Plate: Vision: Where are you going? Mission: Where are you now? Goals: What are the small, incremental steps you will take to get you from where you are now to where you are going?

*7*

Kitchen:  Got God? It goes without saying, in my economy at least, that #6 above (and how you educate your kids at all) is based on your theology, and perhaps, prayer. I don't think of it so much as prayer, as much as Godly reflection and meditation.

Co-op Love

We've participated in homeschooling co-ops for around 15 years. Our first was with other military families in NM when our oldest were smaller than our youngers are now. We've started our fair share of co-ops and class days along the way, from small in-home studies with a few families to large enrichment programs, as well as smaller, more academically focused groups that were methodologically oriented.


Our last foray into starting something was a University Model School, which fell apart with our house fire. My heart is still there, but not for this season. Partly, cause this season is so good. I get many of the same benefits of UMS, without much of the work! We are involved in a Homeschooling Fellowship group that runs both a co-op and an academic class day- 2 fer. After the fire, Dr. Dh made the executive decision that we were going "back" to this well established group that we had been part of years before starting stuff ourselves. It's been a great home-coming.

On Fridays the kids have chorale, art and a unit study. Unit studies have ranged from geography to biology (dissection in 4th grade!), to personal finance, to Latin. Chorale is led by true blue musicians, and includes rounds, patriotic songs, Latin hymns, and instruction in theory. Art is taught by artist Mom's who challenge and inspire the kids, who bring home skills and projects worthy of hanging, wearing or displaying!





Tutoring Center is a seperate day a week and includes academic classes. Homework is assigned and expected, fees paid, and grades given, along with tests and projects. The teachers are professionals in the homeschooling and wider community and range from writing and science, to government and poetry.

This only leaves 3 days a week to work at home. The days that we are home, the kids are focused and intentional about getting work done. I know the adage, "If you're not at home, you are not homeschooling." And I think that can be true.



 But I also think that creating an edcuational environment that works for your family is about utilizing the resources that you have available. For us, with older, more responsible kids, this schedule works out beautifully. Car rides to and from town are spent reading, napping, chatting and drawing. I have grand plans to throw in an audio book or two but so far it hasn't materialized. Caitilin contiues to whet my appetitie with tantalizing tales of good reads on tape, so it might happen yet!

The key to a co-op, class-day environment that works for you is to find one with a culture that you can live with. In other words, do the parents and kids have the same core values that you do? We are in a group of very intentional people of faith. While some of the details of our lives differ, we have a basisc understanding of where folks are coming from.

Are the participants like-minded? By that I mean are you the lone draconian homeschooler amonst a bevy of radical unschoolers, or vice-versa?

Are other parents clear about expected behavior from the kids? One of the things I really appreciate about the group that we are with is that it IS a community of faith. We all have very similar expectations regarding our kids behavior in areas of respect, diligence, reverence, etc.
Are the other parents clear about what is expected from them? Do they show up when they say they will?  Are they prepared? Are they contributors or merely client/consumers?

Homeschooling is a challenging, and potentionally lonely road. Finding a group of like minded educators to walk the trail with is worth the time, energy and dedication required!

Bottom line: Co-op can be the very best of homeschooling times.
Find other homeschooling co-opers over at
Winecup Christian Academy

Curriculum for 2012-13 School Year

We have a wealth of options this year! Having only 3 kids to plan for, all excellent, independent readers makes things a whole lot easier. We are using a LOT of Memoria Press again this year. We love the lay-out, open and go format, classical bent, memory work and supporting a company that is solid AND cutting ede.
I also don't list the literature or read-alouds that we'll inevitably make use of. For regular updates on our on-going love affir with all thing literary, check out my weekly reports, and Literary Living Board on Pinterest. 

Rock Climbing Field Trip

Flower- 4/5th grade

Math: MME, Singapore Story Problems

History: Famous Men of Modern Times; MP's American History and Famous Men of Greece

Science: Birds/Hx of Medicine

English: IEW’s Poetry Memorization; Writing With Ease IV or MP's Classical Composition; Sequential Spelling; Rod and Staff Grammar

Latin: Latina Christiana
MP Geography

Co-op: Art, Chorale, Unit Study

Drama Camp; Lego League

One Room Schoolhouse Field Trip

Challenge

Cub -rising 7th grade

Math: MME, Singapore Story Problems; Perplexors;

HX: FMOMT; MP's American Studies and FMOG

Science: Pre-Physics (TC); Apologia’s Gen Science

English: WWSI (TC); Classical Compotion; Memorize Horatius at the Bridge; Sequential Spelling

Latin: Finish FFI; FFII

MP Geography
Word Processing

Art (TC)

Co-op: Art (figure drawing), Chorale, unit study (science/ media)

Drama Camp; Lego League

State Lego League Competition

Feeche -rising 12th grade

Another year crafting a plan from several resources: private tutoring, TC classes; DVD, etc.

Math: (probably) MUS for Trigonometry
Science; Apologia Physics w/ DVD supplemented with GC
English: Mythical in Lit (TC)
WP and Intro to Programming
Foreign Language:  2^nd Form Latin; Rosetta Stone German
DVD programs: Movie Making and Entreprenuerialism
Co-op: Art (figure drawing), Chorale, unit study (science/ media)

Ballroom Dancing; Challenge Staff; Poetry Outloud, Shakespeare Camp; p.t. job as a ranch hand; as much free writing on his novel that he can fit in.

Shakespeare Camp- The Tempest

Find more inspiration at the 4th Annual Not Back to School Hop

Homeschool Media Goes Mainstream!

If you’ve read this blog much at all you know that I have total buy-in to Francis Schaeffer’s exhortation to understand the spirit of the present age and respond to it from a Christian perspective. I’m excited to introduce a company that is doing just that:  Crystal Creek Media. This is an independent film company, started by a homeschooling family. To date, the company has produced 4 films, their latest project being Creed of Gold. This was an ambitious undertaking and one our family was impressed with! The movie is good; a good solid good. It reminds me of “Fly Wheel,”- Sherwood Films first foray onto the big screen.

In Watching “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington: the making of The Creed of Gold, which was a SAICFF finalist,  it became clear that most of the cast and crew were homeschooling students just itching for the chance to do something courageous. Which they certainly did in the making of this film!

Creed of Gold is a fun and fascinating story line about the world’s monetary system and how a couple of college students take on corruption in high places (echoing the true to life theme of young people doing difficult things that take courage). The trio of college students who lead the cast echo the trio of do-gooders on National Treasure.  The settings are terrific, the banter fun; It kept our interest and got us wondering about certain historical events.

In addition to Creed of Gold, we had the good fortune to watch “Film Camp, Directing a Feature Film.” Crystal Creek runs film camps across the country, in addition to offering film camp via DVD format. If you have a student interested in story telling, drama or media, these are well-worth getting! In fact, much of the information shared on the DVD was similar to what I taught in my high school creative writing class last year!

Crystal Creek is a company to keep your eye on! I expect more great films from them in the future. In the meantime, we intend to learn what we can at Film Camp!



 Good stuff is meant to be shared and one GG reader will have the good fortune to win both Creed of Gold and Film Camp: Directing a Feature Film.

Here’s how to sign up for a chance to bring good, clean entertainment and education home:

1. Follow Golden Grasses, through Google, Networked Blogs, or via email.

2. Sign up to receive Crystal Creek Media’s newsletter HERE. Just let them know that you want to sign up for the newsletter in the comment box.

3. Leave a comment to this letting me know you are a GG Friend (old or new, just lmk!)

4. Enter more than once by utilizing other social networks: One entry for every mention on FB, Twitter, Pinterest, or your blog! Leave a comment, and lmk about it!
5. The winner will be announced on August 25 and they will have 5 days to get their snail mail addy to me to claim their prize!

Homeschool Myth Busters

Find image here.

Kelsey over at Mom to 4 Blessings wrote a post on homeschool myths. As she states, "Many parents have been turned off to the idea of homeschooling because of common myths that perpetuate society’s idea of what homeschooling means." I'm using the myths she picked and responding to them from my perspective. lmk what you think:

1. Your children won’t be socialized. I've said it before and I'll say it again (as a person with 2 master's degrees in the social sciences) IF your child is part of a social group (wolf, family, 3rd grade or whatevah) they are going.to.be.socialized. The REAL question is NOT if the homeschool child will be socialized but HOW they will be socialized. My kids are socialized: they don't swear, don't wear skank and don't objective people. They spend time outdoors every day (for hours, not 17 min. increments), read more than look at a screen and use manners. They are socialized by wiser, older, more mature adults who have a personal investment in them, not same aged peers who are scrambling to get to the top of the food chain.  

2. Your child won’t learn as much. "As much" means nothing until it's defined. My kids don't know "much" about Phineas & Ferb but can recite almost the entirety of the Charlie Brown comic strips, along with huge portions of a couple of Shakespeare plays, along with entire portions of the Story of the World CD’s. They don't know "much" about social studies but can identify a time period in history by weaponry or dress and can discuss intelligently people, places, time and era. They don't know "much" about leaving the house early to catch a bus, but they can talk with passion and purpose about weather and navigating the NOAA site, understand current NASA developments and read articles in Science News each week. They don't know "much" about current on-line gaming but they can draw with confidence, style and grace, with a clear understanding about the elements of design. They don’t know “much” about “character counts” but they do have a deep understanding of our faith system,who they are in God’s plan, the Bible and that Jesus loves them and His plans for them are good.
They don't know "much" about a lot of things but they know several subjects broadly and a few quite deeply.

3. Since you are not a teacher you are unqualified to teach your child. I am a parent, and by definition, my child's first and most important teacher.
Furthermore, I know my children better than anyone else and am therefore more qualified to teach to their strengths and weaknesses.
In addition to that, I am a curious autodidact, with several degrees to my name, and insatiable love of literature and humor and the ability to research in-depth areas of interest. I am a passionate lover of people and God, and am more than qualified to share my interests, passion and purpose with the people most important to me- my family, and most specifically, my children.

4. Your child will miss out on all of the important events in traditional school. My kids have and do participate in AYSO soccer, Awana's, Scouts, riding and piano lessons, Lego League, Ballroom dancing, ultimate Frisbee, trips across the county and to other continents, yearly formals, fund-raisers, service projects, theater, camps, internships, ministries, classes, chorale, competitions, missions trips etc., etc. Remind me again of what important events they are missing out on?

5. Your child will have a harder time getting accepted into a good college.  Colleges and universities are businesses. They are as hit by the financial times as anyone else. They need your child's warm body to pay for their facilities, offer salaries to their professors and run their programs. The real question is not IF your kid can get into the school of their choice (because, believe me, there IS a school out there that will accept all but the most profoundly handicapped learner) but HOW to PAY for the education that your child needs and wants. Even if, (highly improbably) your kid doesn't "get into" a school of higher education, they can go a non-traditional route (which are many). 
Furthermore, schools are looking for students that have good/great test scores and unique life and leadership experiences. One of our older adult kids had a much skewed high school transcript and skewed test scores (100% in English, well below average in Math). She was offered a 50% scholarship at a local private institution (who had yet to see her transcript) and a full ride scholarship to another institution. She was offered these scholarships because of her unique life experiences and test scores.

What are your responses to homeschool myths?  

Sorting, Scheduling & Stuff

*1*

We went into the attic in search of something. We ended up sorting through the attic. Oy vey. It has been our throw whatevah into it room. 5 hours later we had a huge pile of trash to burn and throw away, a van full of give-aways, lost curriculum and winter gear found, and a semi-sorted attic area. Some day it will be a room. It's walk-up, dry-walled and sweet. At some point, we'll cut more doors into the under-eve areas for more storage and it will be a bedroom or writer's nook. Little by little, right?

This is the west side of the attic- imagine it drywalled and mudded. We are going to be cut-out (cut-in?) book-shelves near the window area. The room still needs a lot more finish mudding, and another door cut-out for under-eave storage. It will be awhile before we get back up here...still have yards and yards of trim to cut and install and doors to get done......

*2*

In the process of sorting the attic, we re-discovered some very cool pictures that our friends Mindy and Wayne gave us.



(the frame on the black-baord is from them- they have impeccable taste!)

They pictures are now on the first floor, waiting to get hung. Actually, we are waiting for the in-service on how to hang really heavy pictures with a dolly, cause there is not stud. I need a clone husband. Not a full time one- just one that I could turn on and off....

*3*



Read Have His Carcase on the trip to WI. It's the first time Peter and Harriet get togethere after she is exonerated of murdering her former lover. I liked the development of the relationship, and continue to love DLS's (new moniker for Dorothy Sayers) word-crafting and dialoguing. And, her ability to create a place, and set it in time so that you feel the time and the place is masterful. The story line on this one was o.k.- not my fav. and the ending was so complicated it wasn't that satisfying.
Am currently reading, (flying through cause I'm overdue with it at the library) Dorothy Sayers: The Centenary Celebration, compiled by Dale. A group of essays by other writers who worked or knew Dorothy. Great insight into her character, faith and writing. It's official. I'm a DLS nerd. I want a T-shirt. And the video collection. And the rest of the papers and books I haven't gotten to. And time to read them all.

*4*

Team YODA is up and running. This year both Cub and Flower will participate in Lego League, along with 6 others (3 other sets of siblings). Our team won "Best Programmers" in the state last year. Our team is more mature, has a clearer understanding of what they are doing and is so jazzed about LL it's a blast to be around them. Because I don't have enough to do, I'm jumping in to help. Fun.
We're doing a Fund Raisier this year, too. So, if you are in the area and feel the craving for Pizza on August 13th, stop by the Pizza Ranch on 41rst- our team earns a portion of the sales that evening and you can meet our team- we'll be busing tables - woot!

*5*

Don't forget to sign up for the Element 83 Give-Away. Love their art work! I've been running into more and more families that have homeshcooled and, as a result of their studies, have opened their own businesses. Two that I've come across this week are Sturdy Designs (Kites like you wouldn't believe) and Crystal Creek Media. This crazy family has gone from script writing, creating shorts to producing feature length films.

Speaking of which, I'll be posting a review of their feature length film: Creed of Gold (featuring Apologia founder Jay Wile) soon, along with yet another give-away of both the film and an instructional DVD, "Director's Cut" for aspiriting film-makers.

*6*

Fall planning. I think I have it sorted. Just need to get stuff ordered.

My thoughts: So many choices, so little time. So many choices, not enough resources to make them all work.
Tutoring center has some great options this year. Cub will be taking World Geography, Pre-Physics, Art, Writing With Skill. Feeche will be taking Mythical as Literature. There are more classes he could take but, again, we are back to the so many choices, so little time thang.
Extra-Curriculars: Awanas for Flower, Lego League 4 Flower and Cub, Ballroom Dancing, Challenge, Shakespeare Camp, Poetry Outloud.

I'll be teaching 2 semester long art-ish classes at co-op, 2 writing classes and helping with LL. Full-up.

*7*

The book. Cooking along. I'm looking for vingettes from real live homeschooling families. If you are committed to a specific methodology, have done something unique as a homeschooling family or have amazing resources you want to share, lmk.

How was your week?

Homeschool Sanctification


It rained a 1/4 of an inch the night before last. This is big news in an area that had a 1/4 of an inch for the entire month of July- the driest in recorded history. It's brown out here - as in dead brown. The fields in our valley are dead; the farmer's are simply waiting for the claims adjusters to come and evaluate before they turn the stalks into silage or bedding.

Do you ever feel like that as a homeschooler? You've prepared, planted and hoped. And then things just die on the vine. The reality is that there are no guarantees with parenting, or with homeschooling. We can do our part; order the best curriculum, get a room set up, plan and photocopy and schedule.

But reality sets in. Little Johnny doesn't like the curriculum, hates coloring and thinks neighbor Bob's Mom is prettier and has better cookies. Little Susie-Q has an attitude, loses her math book for weeks on end and reads in the bathroom; for hours, with the door locked. Mommy Homemaker (that's you) hates cooking, doesn't like science, and forgot Algebra. On top of which she's tired, forgot why she pro-created and thinks both Jonny and Susie should go live with prettier Betty Crocker cookie-maker down the lane.

Where's the reality T.V. show about homeschooling? The one where everyone's late, the pencils are dull, the kids duller still and the house a mess? Where's the reality show about average homeschool kids and parents, where people are normal, of average intelligence, not that pretty, and get irritated?

Reality check: I like homeschooling. I like being with my kids. As my friend Nancy says, raising children has been the “richest” career she’s had (Nancy is an R.N. and gifted musician so it’s not like she’s homeschooling ‘cause she doesn’t have other options). But, in the grand scheme of things, we can’t control outcomes. We can’t control how much our kids appreciate the sacrifices that we’ve made in order to homeschool them. We can’t control their mouths, or their beliefs, or their distemper. We can only control ourselves, our attitudes, beliefs and distempers. Geez, some days I hate that.

Sometimes you plant, you tend, you plow, you pray, and still, no rain comes, no understanding or wisdom, and it’s a crop failure. If you are going to homeschool and not feel like a failure, you have got to have reasons to do so other than outcomes. It’s hard in an outcome, performance based culture to let that go. It’s hard if you are a task oriented, performance based person. But there it is.

Homeschooling, as a movement, is old enough that there are some of us who now have homeschooled adult children. Some of the hopes and dreams and visions for our families, our selves, our children, have not born fruit, have died on the vine. It’s not a perfect system. It’s full of fallible, complicated people, including us, including our children. There are no guarantees.

That being said: I am planning, preparing, photocopying. No coloring pages for Cub, because even at 12 he’ll just scribble, but lots of sketchbooks. Still a math tutor, because, Thank- God, I think we finally spawned a child with Dr.Dh’s upper level math acumen instead of mine. We’ll throw in plenty of books because without books and big ideas and an active thought life I shrivel up and start dying on the vine, and as much interaction with our God sent homeschooling community as possible. Our friend Nancy is there, along with Jannell, and Ana and a host of others, who help me keep perspective about WHY we hoemschool. That it’s bigger, much bigger, than my puny little hoped for outcomes.

Cause for Celebration

The whole reason for the party. Uncle Kirk and Aunt Rosie have been married 50 years!

Aunt Rosie, Uncle Kirk, thier kids, Craig & Jane, Eric & Mollie and Kristie & Paul and the grandkids.

 

It turned in to a big "N" family re-union. Faith and Earl's 5 kids + spouses, 12 grandkids + spouses and 28 great-grandkids,
sans 3 grandkids and 4 greats.

\

The siblings and spouses. Grandpa Bob is the oldest at 80- who really doesn't act or look his age one ioata, Joyce, Bruce, Rosie and Carol- the babay at 12 years younger than Bob. It was really wonderful to see them all; thier relationships with each other are beautiful.

Mom and Dad N, who passed the 50 mile mark almost 3 years ago and are still happy together.

Feeche, Grandpa and Uncle Bruce. Bruce broke his femur just months ago and it's taken a toll on him. Regardless, like a true N-man, he is on his way to Germany to stay with Tante Heidi (Dr. dh's cuz) for a couple of weeks.

The 2nd cousins had a climb-off. Proud to say, Feeche bested them all by several feet.
That's my country boy.
Not to mention the fact that he climbed before he walked and does a rigorous 1-hour a day P.T. routine. 

 Lakeside. All of the water and green was soothing after months of high plains drought.
My babies are not so little naymore, but they are still adorable.

The Fam, sans Miss. R. Since it's my blog can I just say I think my kids are stinkin' cute?

KB with Aunt L. Cutiepatooties.



Nuncle Eil and Fam.

Cub in Aunt Carol's garden. Which deserves a post all by itself... I am suffering serious garden envy.