Freedom Project Education - TOS Review

FreedomProject Education Mother, Should I Trust the Government?

This was an 8-week Family Course that met for 2 hours weekly. Upcoming Family Courses can be found here: 2015 Courses Along with the class, a book was included. The book is divided into 2 parts with several chapters; Part 1 is an overview of the History of American Government, Part I is a "Small Selection of Jake Jacobs' Ideas on Government." Each chapter is chock full of quotes, opinions and continued reading. We received 2 CD's in addition to the book, one on Common Core and one titled, Who Owns Your Children. All items that we received were of excellent quality. The course is taught by Jake Jacobs, Ph.D. Dr. Jacobs has degrees in history and Biblical Studies. He is passionate about conservative, libertarian values and political viewpoints.
  This course met for 2 hours a week on Monday nights and is based on the book, Mother, Should I Trust the Government, by Jake Jacobs, who is also the teacher. It is a lecture and discussion-based course with weekly reading assignments from the book. If you miss a class, there are recordings for you to go back and catch up on what you missed. While there were many recommendations about further reading, movies and resources, there was no further reading, tests or quizzes required. FPE  has other 8 week family courses such as the up-coming courses on Critical Thinking and Bible as Culture.  Log-in was easy; we were sent an access code each week, and Mr. Jacobs spent time chatting with both live and on-line students at the beginning of each class period. He has an easy and engaging manner with the students, joking and setting a relaxed tone with the students participating live, in class as well as those participating virtually. He is obviously an experienced presenter and has an easy and engaging manner during class as well, with a broad base of understanding and materials to draw from. 
I was confused, however, because there did not appear to be  specific or clear objectives for this course other than perpetrating the stance that big government is a terrible idea and that it should not, in fact, be trusted. Our family is fairly involved politically; we discuss politics, government, history and geography as a matter of course in our home, work on campaigns, write letters to government officials and promote causes that we believe in. Our kids live in a fairly rich politicial environment. What we were hoping from this course is that Cub's natural inclincation towards politics would be challenged and honed. 
What occurred however, was that the presentation was often so idealogically specific that Cub felt very frustrated. On the few occasions that Cub tried to disagree with a point put forth ("Soldiers behave badly"), he felt that his points were not respected or interacted with appropriately. While this was occurring on the chat board and not coming directly from the Instructor, Mr. Jacobs was not monitering the chat enough to weigh in on the discussion. So, a vulnerable 15 year old was left to defend his beliefs against a chat board full of adults who disagreed with him. While I understand the pros and cons of on-live chat, this is hardly a win-win learning environment for teen-ager. While we are definitely in the small government camp, we do believe in government. While we agree that some soldiers behave badly, we know and love many soldiers that have served their country proudly and well (including Dr. Dh, his brother, father, other family and many personal friends). This course caused Cub to feel defensive about his own experience and political stance, rather than causing him to consider, grow and develop in his beliefs, understanding of various government systems or the positive role of government.
Again, the materials and presentation format were of excellent quality, Mr. Jacobs has a clear and broad understanding of the material he is presenting. I would have liked to see a more definitive syllabus (even for a Family Class) as well as a more balanced approach to a complex subject, especially in an environment where fledgling adults are involved. 

Social Media:

https://www.facebook.com/FreedomProjectEducation
https://twitter.com/fpeusa
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyUPngKLxiB3xkUfHVDxGeg
For more reviews from the excellent Crew:  @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!

How to Fail as a Homeschooler

It's that time of year when parents are re-evaluating schooling options for their kids. I hear over and over again, "I want to homeschool (or my kids want to homeschool) but I'm so worried I'll fail." Having homeschooled for 25 years, we've seen it all. Wild homeschooling success and wild, abject homeschooling failure. Here is my not so subtle list about how to fail as a homeschooler. Check it out. Maybe it will help you evaluate whether or not you have what it takes to succeed as a homeschooler.

1- Stop learning I mean you, the Homeschooling Teacher. The first law of the teacher is to know the material, which takes time and energy.If you want to fail as a homeschooler, model NOT learning. Model NOT reading, Model intellectual apathy, fed on a diet of social media, low standards and cultivated disinterest in things that matter beyond ones self. Embrace the heresy of antinomianism, but apply it to homeschooling God loves you, no matter what, so you can do whatever you want.

2- Be Prideful You are all that. And you are happy to let everyone know it. You are willing to be sought after, but rarely, if ever, serve. You keep the good info, classes, curriculum to yourself and let everyone else know that you have what they don't. Your kids are all that, too, and you cultivate a subtle, but effective, narcissism that intentionally keeps you aloof and ohsospecial

3- Never Ask Questions. Cultivate the attitude of disinterest; what you don't know is boring. Asking questions requires vulnerability and humility. Don't show either.

3-Be Stingy & Hoard (in keeping with #2). Opportunities, people, competitions, curriculum, knowledge; you need to keep whatever good thing you have to yourself. Don't share, promote, develop or go beyond your circle. Keep in mind the Toddler Rules, What's Yours is Yours.

4- Be Fearful Homeschool because the world is scary and public schools are of the debil. Be reactive. Be closeted and fearful. Homeschool because there is nothing better. Hunker down for the coming of apocalypse zombies.

5- Be Lazy Have the attitude, based on #4 above, that no matter what you do or don't do as a homeschooler, it is better than what the public schools do or don't do, so if you really don't "do" school or even train your kids, that's o.k., because at least it's better than what the public schools are doing, anyway, right? Good. Plus educational antinomianism (see #1 above).

6- Be Tolerant Let your kids run wild, in the name of homeschooling freedom. Allow them to break rules, to be rebellious, to set a low standard for others at classes, co-ops, field trips, to subtly jeer and undermine. This gives the impression that all homeschoolers have low standards and ensures that no homeschoolers will be allowed that field trip in the future, that any homework assigned will be mocked, that work itself is not really that important, that co-ops should cater to the lowest common denominator, that homework is stoopid and they are all that.

7-Be Irresponsible  Make excuses; make them often and frequently, for yourself and your kids, regarding academic standards, character issues, things left undone and overdone. Don't take responsibility to educate your kids. Use the term unschooling often and bank on the fact that other homeschoolers continue to consider it a pedagogy but that they are not enlightened or read enough to actual understand the term (which is most often the case).

8- Be Idolatrous. Idolize your child, and their individuality to the point of extreme. Idolize creativity while sacrificing discipline. Buy into the cheap imitation of chaos theory that free expression without tools, time or discipline will produce creative talent beyond our wildest dreams. In keeping with this, teach to your kids strengths (if you teach at all) and let their weaknesses go unchecked).

I'm sure that there are other ways to fail as a homeschooler, but these are the ones I've personally most often encountered over the years. And, True Confessions, My name is Lisa, and I'm a Homeschooling Failure myself, having particiapted in all of these at one time or another. Admission, so I'm told by those in the know, is the first step towards recovery. Good thing, that. Because  tomorrow, in honor of those in recovery as Homeschooling Failures, I'll post How to Succeed as a Homeschooler.

Until then.

@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!

In Between Netanyahu and Nimoy

If you did not watch PM Netanyahu's full speech, do yourself a favor and take the time to d do so. Find it here . Then, discuss it with your kids. Homeschooling at it's best. 

*2*

Classical Conversations was cancelled due to too many ill and inclement weather. We spent the day getting a ton done; Memory work, Essentials grammar, spelling, history and science. 
We are coming to the end of some things- the Spelling Book (Spelling U See- hands down a winner in my book!). Another review of Spelling U See coming up this spring! Wootwoot!

Our weekly co-op included another fun day of learning and fellowship- we love these families!. For a quick 5 min warm-up for Poetry, I had the kids write Burma-shave type ads. Great fun all around. Plus, ome fantastic poems in the style of Beowulf. We have decided to put together a book for the year, with each student submitting at least 5 poems. 3 of the older kids are in charge, working out budget and style, taking pictures, and getting it all organized. Good stuff! 


--- 3 --
And then I slipped in mud and twisted my ankle but good, along with wrenching my neck and giving myself a terrific head-ache. Great friends brought dinner, prayed for me, visited and provided crutches. This falling thing is a decidedly bad habit.


--- 4 ---
The weather vaciliated from sub-zero to almost 50. We saw 8 robins in the yard this week and are determined that this heralds the beginning of a new season. Flower has big plans for gardening this year and has been busy cataloging seeds and discussing where we'll put the garden. 

--- 5 ---
Flower finished the Wilderking series this week. She absolutely loved it. If you haven't read it yet to your kids yet, do yourself a favor and do so. Good, clean literary fun.


--- 6 ---
The week ended with art class, math tutoring, ballroom dancing and Mr. A spending the night. 

--- 7 ---



Zicharon tzaddik livracha – May the memory of this righteous man be a blessing.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

@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!

President Garfield, Sir

 

We missed CC Community day due to inclement weather but did it at home, just for fun. I told Flower we were going to be drawing Garfield for Art. She responds, "President or Cat?" 

This was the result. 

These kids!!

@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!

Koru Naturals- TOS Review

We recently had the good fortune to review two products from Koru Naturals.  I am IN LOVE.

 

Emu Oil

Koolpurrie Restoring Balm

I have gone through more than my fair share of moisturizers in life. I have extremely dry skin to begin with and live on the Great Plains- think arid wind and cold. Even my kids with naturally oily skin can have split lips and cracked hands in the winter, depending on how dry it is and how much time they spend outdoors. Naturally, I was thrilled to get picked for this review. Also, as we We are steer farther away from products that add to the chemical load on our bodies, we are more interested in crunchy stuff in every area of life. But, it has to be affordable, right? This fits the bill all the way around, crunchy, all natural, and less than what I pay for most moisturizing products. 

I've tried tons of natural products but never Emu Oil. What was I waiting for? This stuff is amazing! It is light, non-greasy and super moisturizing. I've been using it as a nighttime moisturizer for my face, and applying it on my feet and elbows. I'm not sure why but when I fell a couple of months ago, I got a fever in my lower leg and it kept swelling on and off over a period of a couple of weeks. The end result was that the soles of my feet cracked. If it sounds painful, let me assure you that it was!  I've never had anything like that happen before, but Emu Oil., with the Koolpurrie Restoring Balm to the rescue. My poor, mangled soles of feet got swathed in this stuff twice a day and quickly healed! In fact, I think my feet are in better shape than they've been in years. 

Why is that you ask? Well, True Confessions- I'm a round the year sandal wearer from years of CA and NM living  and only wear socks under duress (such as winters on the Territories). I could take better care of my feet but I would rather not have socks on- who knows if that's a sensory issue, if I'm just old and quirky or I am channeling my inner Southern California girl. My feet  are now sandal worthy and actually match the cool polish jobs I get from my 12 year old girlie. 

Koolpurrie Restoring Balm

 The Koolpurrie Restoring Balm is just that. I've also been using the Koolpurrie Restoring Balm on several patches of excema that no amount of elimination diet, supplements or coconut oil concoctions will clear up- one on the palm of my right hand- which, imagine, as a right-hander, is less than convenient. Guess what? Excemabgone. My skin is truly restored! Woot.

Neither of these products is gloppy, thick or slimy (all of which I hate). It takes a small amount (maybe a dimes worth) of the Emu oil to really cover your face, and throat. I did use more than that on my feet and then put a layer of the Koolpurrie Restoring Balm over top. But still, I've been using this stuff  for over a month and have barely made a dent in the amount still left. 

In fact, I have it in my purse right now, which my sons especially get liberal use from. They are both nature lovers and are outside in all types of weather, many times working with tools or at least doing target practice. Their hands, tough as they are, have been known to bleed in the winter from wind-burn. Koolpurrie Restoring Balm to the rescue! Their hands have weathered this winter with equanimity. 


If I sound like a total groupie for Koru Naturals, I am. I've looked long and hard for something this effective, this inexpensive, and this natural for years. The closest I've come is an un-petroleum jelly a crunchy friend sells locally. Koolpurrie Restoring Balm is even better because it is absorbed by your skin immediately and is cream based, instead of gel based (which I prefer). 

Great products for Men, women, boys and girls of all ages.  Koru Naturals offers other products as well, including lip balm. These would make terrific stocking stuffers, a great addition to a college care package, a shower gift for a new Momma or a sweet gesture to give to a hard working Homeschooling friend. and of course, grab a few things for Momma's purse. The prices is reasonable and the products amazing. This is a product we'll be using for a long time to come. 

Check out all of the great products from Koru Naturals, starting with these great products:
Emu Oil
Koolpurrie Restoring Balm
Pure Lanolin Lip Balms
New Zealand Pure and Simple Lanolin Cream
Manuka Oil and Honey Shampoo and Conditioner

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/korunaturals
Pinterest:https://www.pinterest.com/korunaturals/

@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!

End of February Crazy Days

*1*

So Cub left last Sunday to spend the week the Capital with TeenPact. He loved every minute of it.

Feeche chaperoned Flower's for the 1-day class while I found a spot with wifi and worked. Our State Co (whom I LOVE) introduced me to all the interns as the "founder of TP in our state." I love that woman for so many reasons. Yeah, the "War Years." Oy vey. Getting stuff off the ground is not for the faint of heart.
God bless my sweet friend, Lori, who took her 3 plus Cub and another friend with her for the week, making lunches, keeping everyone in line. Good friends make the world go 'round!

*2*

So Cub is exhausted, talked for 2 minutes with an angelic glow on his face about the week and then buried his face in a book for the remainder of the trip home. He has great plans to attend Survival this fall, TP Alumni next year and any other alumni event he can fit in. Maybe working this summer won't be as painful, if he knows what he's working towards.

*3*

We have been indulging out Anglphilia with YouTube episodes of Wooster and Jeeves. Woodhouse is a master wordsmith and oh so funny. Fry and Laurie are perfectly partnered, the well-know Downton Abbey castle features prominently, what's not to love?
I have discovered YouTubes of old Wimsey and Bunter episodes but I'm not sure if I'm willing to let my in-head love affair with Wimsey be subject to someone elses interpretation.

*4* 

Recent Reviews

In Freedom's Cause,
Indoctrination.
 Memoria Press (I'm going to start throwing oldies into the list every week, as they are still getting read, years later)
Stay tuned for Koru Naturals (Crunchy Love people!), Critical Thinking Press, It's NOT Greek to Me, and more! 

*5*

Good Reads: Flower has been deep into the WilderKing Series this week. She announced to Feeche, "You make an excellent Feeche." And we are on our 4 millionth read through of Narnia. She discovered old tapes and that our van actually has a tape player. So, guess what we've been listening too?!

Cub has delved into the Ranger's Apprentice Series, which looks a bit like apocalyptic fantasy.Not my cuppa but I am not a teen-age male. 

*6*

So, Flower was reading Calvin and Hobbes this week, when I told her to get back to school work, "But, Mom, I'm studying onomatopoeias! Nice try, kiddo! 

*7*

Speaking of which, Poetry and Morrocan Cultures class continues to be a blast. CC Essentials continues to challenge  us. Foundations continues to cause us to wake up in the morning reciting the Timeline! 

Memory Masters is providing drill for all of us on American Government!

The on-line classes continue to cause  a back-up of peeps needing to use the computer. Long gone are the days when 1-2 computers was more than enough.  

Feeche's full load, including Calculus Macro Econ, Bio II and Spanish, has provided him with lots of opportunities to push hard on what he knows,spend time in math lab, and wonder what he was thinking when he signed up for this semester!

It's all good, but oy vey, it's been a busy year! 

Are you surviving the Februaries?

@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!

PSA: Hard is Not the Opposite of Fun

@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!

TeenPact State Class

We've been involved with TeenPact for 8 years and it has provided our kids with amazing and varied opportunities. The State Class teaches the kids about local government, how they can make an impact regardless of age, teaches them the political process, how to write a bill, responsibility, familiarity with State Government officials and so much more! 

Not only is the State Class so totally worth going to, but the Alumni Events are every bit as good. Our kids have traversed the country, working on State and Federal Campaigns because of TP contacts, had free classes given them and made amazing friends. 

If you haven't discovered TeenPact yet, it's probably time to do so! 

@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!

In Freedom's Cause- TOSReview

Heirloom Audio Productions 

presents

In Freedom's Cause Single Package

We received and reviewed the following products:
In Freedom's Cause (CD Set - Physical Copy)
In Freedom's Cause Study Guide (Digital Download)
In Freedom's Cause Soundtrack (MP3 download)
Printable copy of The Prayer Of William Wallace. (Digital Download)

We are long time lovers of radio theater and G.A. Henty. Ignore the detractors who claim that Henty was a racist and a bigot. He was a man of his times, a compelling historian and a copious author of historical fiction (144 books to his credit)- . Pair the two together (Henty and radio theater), and you have some serious audio love going on in my house. 

This audio theater production of the story of Wallace and Bruce (think BraveHeart) is fantastic. The real behind the scenes story of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce is about freedom, politics, who has the better army and a time gone by. It is also every bit as much about faith and patriotism. I had an interesting discussion with my newly turned 12 year old about what patriotism is, one's love for their homeland and just what that could or would mean. This is a discussion I had overlooked because of my own presuppositions, but one very much worth having. Loyalty- to ideas, people and places if what this audio-adventure addresses, and it such a winsome way. Just look at who they have on board:

What you have is a compelling story coupled with world class performers which gives us a radio theater worth listening to over and over again. In fact, the first day we got this out (a Saturday), Cub listened to it all the way through, not once, but twice! The cool thing about this dramatized version of the book is that it great history available to you even if you don't have time to actually sit down and read. We listened to this book on the way to and from town and the kids have continued to listen to it while cleaning the bathrooms and on the couple of evenings that we are occupied and they are not. It is good enough that you'll want to listen to it several times.

"To be a true hero, you must be a true Christian," G.A. Henty

The bonus features are varied and rich, from a newly illustrated download of the book, a behind the scenes documentary, the official soundtrack and much more, all of it with professional and engaging graphics. 

The study guide is 44 pages of good stuff, including questions based on the reading, thinking further, vocabulary, maps, info on Henty, William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, the history of Scotland, along with a Bible study guide and, again, terrific graphics.

Stay tuned for not one but two new releases for 2015! The first of the two will be With Lee in Virginia, a tale of the American Civil War. These are great additions to your homeschool, for kids and adults of all ages, as an addition to history or literature studies, biography, or as a complete stand-alone unit study. This would also make a wonderful gift, or great accompaniment on a road trip. Keep your eyes on this company because there will be more products continually added, the quality is fantastic and the subject matter historically intriguing with great moral lessons woven throughout.

Find Heirloom Audio Productions:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InFreedomsCause
Twitter: https://twitter.com/InFreedomsCause
Google+:  > https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/112701427096792421838/112701427096792421838/posts
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jointhecause

@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!

IndoctriNation: the Movie- TOS Review

Great Commission Films presents IndoctriNation How to educate one's children is one of the single most important issues parents will face. How, when and where their kids will learn will dictate the families housing, extra-curriculars, socio-economic status and perhaps much more. It's not something to be taken lightly, but I find, often and shockingly, that many parents address their kids education with a sort of laissez-faire attitude, and an expectation that the local public school will provide all that they need and more. The point of IndoctriNation is to chronicle just what the "more" is- often, as Colin Gunn has found out, the "more" has to do with a philosophy that is not conducive with a Christian or Democratic (as in Democracy/ Republic, not a party) point of view. This movie follows Colin Gunn as he and his family as they cruise through America in a big yellow school bus chronicling the demise of the American Educational System. My literature review for my Master's Thesis was on the History of Education in America and Colin gives a terrific summation for viewers. He doesn't stop there, however, and continues to show how the educational system in America is quickly devolving from leadership and freedom-ship education to socialist training of the highest degree. He interviews folks along the way showing how we got from where we started to where we are now- we a huge educational monolith that serves up liberal values and very little in the way of academic success.  Gunn also shows the divide within the church on public education, with clips by both Charles Stanley and Franklin Graham, one who believes that sending ones kid to a public school is clear training in paganism and one who wants to see a Christian kid in every classroom. This really sums up the debate among Christians regarding public education. I would have liked to hear more from Franklin Graham about why he believes and trusts in missionary kids in the public school forum. While this film has a definite point to make, and does a terrific job of doing so, I think it would have made the film stronger to hear this side of the story in more detail.

"Every Christian parent with a child 

in a government school should see this.”

- Cal Thomas, FOX NEWS Commentator

All told, this was a very well done film. The graphics and filming were all excellent, the script was engaging without being fear-mongering and the case studies were engaging and left the viewer wanting to the know the end of their stories (which we had an opportunity to do). We watched this film together as a family. There is some disturbing content to the film as they discuss relevant social issues, so be advised that you don't want to just turn this on and walk away while your kids watch. We did spend time pausing the film occasionally to talk about some of the issues presented. This film is a great addition to a study on education in America, apologetics or how education is the transmission of culture and exactly what culture is being transmitted by what educational model.  If you are on the fence about public education, concerned about the state of affairs in education, or just want an excellent apologetic for alternative education, IndoctriNation, has all of that. A timely addition the debate on how we raise and educate our children.
Find out more: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IndoctriNationMovie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/indocmovie
Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/indoctrination
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IndoctriNationMovie Read more thoughts on this film HERE

@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!

Poetry for the Win (again!)

I've been trying to upload pictures from poetry class for about a week, but all for naught. You'll have to content yourself with this and imagine the rest. The assignment was to tell the story "She sells seashells by the seashore," in 6 comic-book panes, using at least 4 onomatopoeia's, cramming as many other tropes, such as alliteration, in as possible. This group worked together; others worked individually or in a small group. Each one was amazing and unique and creative. 

Grammar of Poetry. Homeschooling (or just educated person) must have. 

You know you have a winner when everyone is learning, laughing and gaining skill and mastery.


@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!

Here, There & Everywhere

It's been a pretty crazy busy spring. January flew by at the speed of sound and February has zoomed by almost as fast.

*1*

Earlier in the week I drove to Denver and back for a quick 2 day training. I almost didn't make it as the day was a complete and total comedy of errors starting with a pancake flat tire (which the repairman could never fully explain) and ending with me at a different hotel than my training crew because they could find neither my name or an empty room on the rooster when I finally arrived at o'dark:30.

*2*

The first full day I was there, it was 60 degrees; clear, with a full view of the mountains and snow on the ground. Really lovely. But, I drove out in a hurry, with 4" of snow on my car, even though it was still sweater weather, as they expected a storm bringin with it a full foot of the powedery stuff.
Denver has to have the worst road signage in the history of city driving. Thankfully, I made it out alive, even though I feared getting stuck in Toll Road purgatory for a while. I was saved by parking lot purgatory and an OCD toll booth worker. Out on the prairie, it was less snowy and scenic and a whole lot more cold and clear- both overhead and signage wise.

*3*

Cub spent the week getting ready for TeenPact and we dropped him off tonight to travel and stay with good friends for the week. I didn't even get a picture of how cute he was in a suit and tie. He'll be gone all of this week, but we did spend the day together- even if it was mostly directed by finishing up and printing off homework.

*4*

Friends to the rescue, and Flower had a great time with some of her favorite peeps while I was gone. She did a few Essentials charts, a bare minimum of memory work, read The Wilderking Series (which is where the term, "Feeche" comes from) and made a cool mosaic at art class.

*5*

The boys went ballroom dancing and then DQ and the imitible Mr. A spent the night so he could go with. He is a whole lot of fun and I'm so glad he continues to hang out past Tantara!

*6*

It's -5 degrees tonight. 5 Degrees below zero. It feels as cold as it sounds.

*7*

Flowers Sculpey obessesion has not abated and we have every manner of clay dragon gracing the coffee table at any given time. She's branched out a bit and doing water color, since that has been the latest 6 week focus in CC.

How was your week?


 @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!

Do Good. Don't Quit

My sweet friend Jannell is a wise woman. One of her mantras is this: Do not grow weary. She says it in good times and challenging times and tiring times and joyful times. She says it as a reminder and as a challenge and as a comfort.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galations 6:9

I understand why the verse is a complex sentence. Because not growing weary is a complex task. We must endure and not give up if we hope to reap a harvest.

Praying this day for our Christian brothers who were martyred in Egypt. May God use their sacrifice to draw others to Him.



@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!

The Danger of Words

I am a Dorothy Sayers fan to the core. I came late to the party and only discovered her mystery writing, Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane just a couple of years ago. This led to reading everything by DS I could get my hands on, including biographical memoirs. I love the woman. She was strong, courageous, brillant and wise. Read for yourself,

"For we let our young men and women go out unarmed, in a day when armor was never so necessary. By teaching them all to read, we have left them at the mercy of the printed word. By the invention of the film and the radio, we have made certain that no aversion to reading shall secure them from the incessant battery of words, words, words. They do not know what the words mean; they do not know how to ward them off or blunt their edge or fling them back; they are a prey to words in their emotions instead of being the masters of them in their intellects. We who were scandalized in 1940 when men were sent to fight armored tanks with rifles, are not scandalized when young men and women are sent into the world to fight massed propaganda with a smattering of "subjects"; and when whole classes and whole nations become hypnotized by the arts of the spell binder, we have the impudence to be astonished. We dole out lip-service to the importance of education--lip- service and, just occasionally, a little grant of money; we postpone the school-leaving age, and plan to build bigger and better schools; the teachers slave conscientiously in and out of school hours; and yet, as I believe, all this devoted effort is largely frustrated, because we have lost the tools of learning, and in their absence can only make a botched and piecemeal job of it." 

Read the rest of the Lost Tools of Learning essay here.

@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!

Plink, Plink, Plink- Weekly Report

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A little Blog love to get the weekly going:

You can read my interview this week at Homeschoolers at Home in a whole series Blogger Buddy Kemi is hosting.
For those looking for other Classical Conversations blogs, check out Too Many Pies. Her side bar features a handful of bloggers who regularly post about CC (including GG)!

I've got some great reviews coming up, including Radio Theater, History, on-line classes, and crunchy stuff. Review LOVE! 

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Did you catch all of this year's Virtual Curriculum Fair posts? This is the 3rd Years I've participated and it is so fun to see what everyone else has posted about! Find link-ups to over 20 other bloggers at the end of every post.
Seeking Beauty- the Arts: The Shadow of Divine Perfection
Geography, Social Studies and More: Globe Trotting
Science and More: Classical STEM
Playing With Words: Loaded Pistols

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Cub won a "Best Actor" Award, following in the footstpes of Feeche and KB!

Now that Tantara is over, we have jumped head first into Memory Master work and homework for TeenPact- Cub is doing the 1-week class, and Flower is going up for the 1-day class. 

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Homework for on-line coursework is fast and furious. Getting a 1/2 credit of work done in 10 weeks  of time means a significant amount of homework each week. Good news is they are both learning a ton- Flower in Computer Basics and Cub in Myths and Legends. 

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Flower has been a clay crafting fool of late, specializing in dragons and flowers (thanks to input from Jannell, Pinterest and Wings of Fire).

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I am low on creativity, haven't read much in over a year, and am mostly just keeping my head above water as I tackle three things at once on a weekly, daily hourly basis. We keep moving forward, plink, plink, plink (my nod to Onomotopia- Poetry's trope of the week), step by step. 

How was your week? 

@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!

Homeschooled at Home Blog Interview

I'm being featured over at Homeschoolers at Home. My blogger buddy Kemi has been interviewing fellow homeschoolers to glean their homeschooling, homemaking, in some cases home working lives. I hope you stop by and read my interview and leave her a comment! Her blog is terrific and loaded with home-making information! 

@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!

Classical Conversations Community Day

I Tutor the Master's Class so I try to get my kids up front and leading as much as possible. Here is Mr. J, who has boundless energy, is easily bored ready to move on and is as sharp as a tack, leading the class in Latin memory work. He is hopping on one foot, while doing the "robot" while reciting Latin with an English accent. Yeah, our class rocks. 

Presentations this week featured lots of Bible Memory, including the first couple chapters of an entire book, recitation of all of the Presidents as well as the Books of the Bible, a Book Report and this little gem- a remote control flying thingamajig. Look at that happy face.

How to blow up a ballon without hot air? Our science experiment for the week showed the kids how to do just that. Cool beans.

Throw in water color painting ala Andrew Wyeth, Map Blobbing, an Irregular Verb Tense review sheet and Human Tic-Tac-Toe and it was a full and fantastic morning. 

We followed up with Essentials. Which we love no matter how much I could be re-convinced I missed the grammar gene. My kids totally know more than I do about grammar but I keep sticking with it. Thank the good Lord I have other admirable qualities. 

@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!

Busy as Bees

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So, I'm a few days late with the Weekly Report. I was going to fore go it but it was an awesome week and so here goes:

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Tantara Festival of One Act Plays took place yet again this past week-end. I directed a terrific troupe who garnered laughs and applause. I'll post more pics, but for now, suffice it to say that it was  great fun, great food, great peeps. Love these kids! My plucky co-director, Lisa, had no idea what she was getting in to, but she was the best sport of all!

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Feeche spent the week at the State Capital last week, shadowing the Family Policy Director and having a marvelous time schmoozing, drinking weak coffee and hanging with political types. He had a blast. Meanwhile, Mr. A, from down south, spent the week here and brought us no end of laughs, tried to convert us to Whovianism and kept Cub on his toes with literary and historical discussions and references. We were glad when Feeche came home and sad to see Mr. A take his leave. 

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Now that the play is over, we are turning our attention to TeenPact, which involves some homework, prayer and letters written ahead of time. 

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In the midst of the seasonal stuff the kids have 3 on-line classes that are keeping us on our toes with homework deadlines. Flower is taking a Computer Class on-line through Bridgeway Academy and I'm learning a ton of new things, along with her. Cub is taking Myths and Legends and loving it. 

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Classical Conversations Memory Masters is challenging our schedule, but ohsogood if your kid can handle it. Essentials just keeps getting more challenging and better by the week. We are all learning way more than we thought we would but working hard- which is a winning combo, right? 

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Blizzard this week-end so we laid low yesterday to nurse the scratchy throats and horrible, hammering headache that followed a week of non-stop action, too much fun and veering way off of the sugar, dairy and gf diet. This ageing thing- oyvey. It is not for the faint of heart. 

"Acting is acting like you're not acting." This role wasn't a big stretch for Cub. He ate and yawned. Love that kid. 

@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!