Posted by Tricia at 8:25 pm
Some of you may remember this post from January about the debut of the “Skirty”. For those of you who do not know what a “skirty” is….go here:
For what it’s worth, we have found ours to be a great piece of clothing, and Abigail loves to wear it any time she is in a skirt or dress. Were it up to me (which it isn’t) I would gift every little girl in the world with a skirty!
Well….after a long wait, it looks like Amoretti Designs is not too far away from launching a spring line of girlie things…and Rebekah Merkle has set up a blog to keep interested customers updated on the latest.
You can get to it here:
Those of you who aren’t familiar with Rebekah may know of her by association: her Dad, Doug Wilson is a pastor, has written many a book for the Christian family, and is a big figure in the Christian Classical school movement.
Rebekah herself is a home-schooling mom to five. Now…..having recently become a home schooling Mom myself, truly I do NOT know how she finds time to design, create, and debut anything close to a spring line of clothing, but then it is no surprise that the Lord blesses some of us with extraordinary gifts!!!
So…take a moment to peek at her blog: you can enter a drawing to win a free skirty, as well be put on her mailing list for her spring preview sale in January.
Rebekah, her mom, and another sister or two blog on issues pertaining to Christian women at Femina. I often find their insights helpful and encouraging in my own life.
Posted by Tricia at 9:27 pm
…with two sets of sweet friends who have both received glorious news about their adoption referrals within the last two weeks. What a beautiful picture it is of our own adoption as children of God, to see people welcoming babies who were once orphaned, into their hearts and home, resulting in a family. We cannot wait to see these three baby girls brought home, and are praying “Soon, Lord Jesus, soon!!” Jana and Michael, Jami and Shawn we are so happy with you.
Posted by Tricia at 11:00 pm
Several friends have asked me recently what exactly we are going to use for material in this home schooling adventure we are embarking upon. And while I joked in my previous entry about pretending to be prepared for our year, the truth is that I have been researching like a mad woman since April.
For the past five months I have eaten, slept and breathed home school curriculum, pored over catalogs, read countless reviews, asked every home schooler I know about their personal curriculum choices, compared and contrasted this and that program, and have really, really loved the entire process. Those of you who know me well are aware that I live to research - it is glorious fun to me. Surely someday I will figure out how to market this ability to obsess on something so singularly, but for now hopefully my family will enjoy the benefits of my having peeked down every curriculum rabbit hole I could possibly find in an effort to put together the best plan (that I could create) for our particular family’s schooling needs this year.
I will ask my hunk of a webmaster to post fancy links and permanent pics of our various choices over to the right so that anyone who might be interested can see info about our curriculum choices long after this particular post is gone from this front page. And while it sounds rather arrogant to presume folks might be even the littlest bit interested in such granular information, well, the fact is, I have answered this question several times already, so surely there are more people out there who maybe will benefit from being able to access that.
That said, here’s the rundown of our current choices in no particular order. It should be stated up front that much, but not all, of what we are using was guided by suggestions and curriculum structure outlined in Susan Wise Bauer’s (for those of you who are wondering, no - I don’t think she’s related to Jack at all) text, The Well-Trained Mind. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about Classical Education.
Bible: The Child’s Story Bible by Catherine F. Vos
Math: Singapore Math
Grammar: Rod and Staff, 4th and 2nd grades; Language Lessons for Little Ones, Volume 3 by Queen Homeschool, K
Spelling: Modern Curriculum Press’ Spelling Workout
Vocabulary: Wordly Wise, 4th and 2nd grades
History: beginning the year with a short study of Texas History from various sources including State History from a Christian Perspective ; spending the majority of the year completing Year 4 of our Classical History Cycle “1850 to Modern Times via Biblioplan. Biblioplan is a literature-based history program which allows you to tailor your material to the ages you are teaching, and provides a huge list of “living” books at all levels to choose from. Our “spine” will be Joy Hakim’s History of Us, Volumes 6-10.
Latin: Mars Hill’s Latin Primer, 4th grade
Composition: Susan Wise Bauer’s Writing With Ease
Science: outsourced via the Heard Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary
Poetry: Dickinson, 4th grade; Milne, 2nd grade; Stevenson, K
Art: outsourced via a local Co-op: Drawing I, 4th and 2nd grade; Young Children’s Art, K (I won’t provide links here, but email me for more information if you are local, and interested.)
Handwriting: Universal Publishing’s Manuscript Enrichment and Manuscript/Cursive, 2nd grade; Universal Publishing’s My Letter Book, K
Copywork: Copywork for Girls, 4th grade; Copywork for Little Boys, 2nd grade
Phonics/Reading for Nicolas: finish up 100 Lessons, begin Explode the Code, Reading Pathways, and ongoing memorization of all his phonograms to hopefully provide him a secure foundation for lifelong reading.
Literature: this is a vast subject so I will only skim the surface. and admittedly, I have not selected books for the entire year yet. Abigail (4th grader) and Jonathan (2nd grader) will study the same texts for the practical reasons of both time, and because Jonathan’s reading level and comprehension are almost equal to hers anyway. We will start with Five Children and It, follow that with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and also enjoy Dickens’ A Christmas Carol before Christmas.
Nicolas, while welcome to listen to these above selections read aloud, will enjoy literature on a much younger level, and I am choosing to concentrate on Hans Christian Anderson, Kipling, and Aesop with him.
I have not included every last piece of material we will use this year, but if anyone has more questions I will gladly answer those. Truly, we are all so excited about this year at home. The older two children have worked hard on summer math since beginning of July, and Nicolas has progressed amazingly in his reading level/awareness in that time as well. Aside from their scholastic improvements, we have already had countless opportunities to learn about how to better live together and love each other.
Though we have currently begun about half of what is listed above, the plan is to be at “full school” by Tuesday following Labor Day. I’ll keep you posted about how it goes.
Posted by Tricia at 7:12 pm
We have just returned from a week in what we considered almost paradise, better known as Gulf Shores. What a great time we had swimming and sunning, visiting with good friends, and eating lots of yummy food (and drinking lots of yummy wine!). Don’t we look relaxed and happy?
Maybe I will find time to post more pics and some details from our trip later.
But for now it’s back to planning mode: I returned with my laundry done, only to realize sports and “extra-curricular” activities begin next week, and honestly, so should Horne Elementary (hat tip to Angie). So I am scrambling to finish pulling together the final pieces of our schedule and pretend that I am really, really organized and ready to jump into this home schooling thing. Heheh.
I leave you with a pic of what I think are the cutest set of kids in the world, but I’m probably a little biased:
Edited to add: pics are posted. I only uploaded 90 of the 188 shots we took. Don’t worry, you can thank me later.
Further Edited to add: I hope all our readers know, I was not the person who made the comment about the fat guy. No sirree!!
Posted by Tricia at 10:59 pm
I am pleased to announce that there is now a Wii in the house. Not because we decided to buy one for the kids; no, they patiently saved week after week after month after month of allowances, pooled them and got this thing on their own. Bravo. That is patience.
Now, not being a huge fan of computer games in general, I was dubious when I heard about the new Wii. The Hornes have never owned any gaming systems, and I was pretty happy with that state of affairs, not wanting our household to be in any way contributing to the general trend lately of sedentary, couch potato, eyes-glazed-over while fingers move at rapid speeds, zoned out kids our culture seems so apt at producing.
But after seeing our children play Wii with friends’ kids in our church home group I realized this newest system is pretty innovative and cannot be categorized as a mere computer game. It is interactive, our kids always play standing up (and moving around quite a bit to boot), those waiting their turns cheer on the competitors, the whole family gets into it, the games are really different, and it is just a whole lotta fun. Everyone, from the 3 year old to the 83 year old in the family can play, and often, kids have the advantage over the parents. (Much to Daddy’s dismay!)
So….all that to say, we are enjoying our new toy. Especially the kids. Or at least they will be if we can convince Grammy and Grandy to stop their fierce competition for a few moments, and give the kids a turn!
Posted by Tricia at 10:20 pm
It has been such a busy week that I haven’t found time to post pictures or a recap of our little weekend getaway. On Friday last, all six of us drove to Austin where we dropped the four children with my parents for the weekend. Nana and Grandpa have been encouraging us for some time now to take a little break and let them handle the children for a night or two so Jay and I can just have some time off. Which is really nice of them, considering all the work our four kids are!! and so we happily waved goodbye and headed off to nearby Hill Country to stay in a lovely little inn.
It was a great place and we picked it with relaxation and good food in mind. The inn
is set on 100 acres, with trails aplenty for exploring, and beautiful views of the Texas country.
They serve a big breakfast as well as supper on the premises, (here I am in the middle of the wonderful dining room):
so if you just want to kick back and read, take a walk, enjoy a good meal, and be lazy for a day or two, it is a perfect place. The room are really nice as well, with cozy beds (here is where Jay slept),
beautiful antiques, and exquisitely appointed bathrooms. Which, as it turned out, was truly a high point for me, as I spent much of our “getaway” weekend sadly, quite sick. And in the company of not my handsome husband whom I had dreamed of spending so much quality time with, but instead, that lovely bathroom, where I slept:
Ok, that is a joke, but not too far from the truth!
I knew my tummy was not happy before we got to our inn, but had hoped and prayed it was a temporary state of affairs. Sadly, it was not. And given the menu for our meals was pre-done, we really couldn’t request the lighter, gentler fare I needed. And so at each meal I tried bravely to enjoy the glorious food set in front of me, and with each passing hour, my stomach got angrier and angrier at me for not listening to its cries of distress. Oh the misery!
You must know, dear reader, how I struggled with frustration over the weekend. And even felt a bit peeved with God, who of course had the ability to remove my ailment but who despite my pleas for a healthy stomach, appeared to answer “no”. I kept reminding him (you know, just in case for a moment there He, um, forgot?) that Jay and I get very little “alone” time and couldn’t He maybe save this rotten virus for another day, and maybe allow us to get our money’s worth out of this wonderful weekend we had been planning for so long? Was that really so much to ask? Hmmm?
And on Saturday, I actually did have a few hours where I felt pretty good: we had a nice (and even educational) outing to a nearby ranch that produces olive oil and also houses a winery on its premises. We enjoyed a light lunch afterward
at a charming little restaurant which you must visit if you are ever near Wimberly, called The Leaning Pear. The young owners (who are Aggies!), as well as their staff are lovely people, and the food is delicious and very fresh. We saw several waitresses hoof it out to the herb garden just behind the restaurant to cut fresh basil, etc for the food as it was being prepared. Oh how I do digress…
The point of all of this is that throughout the weekend, as I over and over prayed for relief from my woes, the verse I kept remembering was in Corinthians where poor Paul is pleading for the Lord to remove a “thorn” that ails him and God doesn’t take it away. Nor does He really give him any huge bolt of lightening regarding why is he suffering, or what huge purpose it might serve. God just gently tells him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
And I was reminded, as horrible as I felt, that God’s grace is felt over and over, everyday in my life, the good days, and the bad days. That it was a blessing to even be able to go away and take a break, that if I had to be sick, I was in a restful, peaceful place with a man who loves me dearly, and most of all, in the care of a good and loving God. And while my tummy still hurt, I was thankful for that reassurance.
On Sunday we called home to my doctor on our way back to pick up our children. Dr. F put me on a liquid diet to rest my insides, and after a few days of very little food, things are much, much better.
A big thank-you is in order to my folks, who took stunningly great care of our progeny all weekend, and really enjoyed it and even asked us to bring them back soon when I am feeling better for another go at this weekend getaway thing. Thanks, Mom and Dad — You guys did great. And yes, sure, we’ll bring them back.
Posted by Tricia at 4:24 pm
Nicolas: Momma, can I please go finish my computer game that I started earlier?
Mom: I don’t know, Nicolas, I think you have played enough computer already today.
Nicolas: Oh please, Momma, I just want to finish my game!
Mom: Honey, it isn’t actually good for your brain and your body to play too much on the computer.
Nicolas: But Mom, it’s helping my brain, really it is! The game is teaching me how to “right-click”!!
Hmmmm.
Posted by Tricia at 9:16 pm
I am just back from a trip to College Station: several friends and I traveled this weekend to attend a conference where Susan Wise Bauer was the keynote speaker. I went mostly thinking it would be a fun road trip “with the girls” and hoped to leave feeling more inspired as we prepare to embark on this home school journey. And well, in reality, I have returned home feeling so blessed to have been able to sit under this woman’s teaching and instruction for even a few hours. As we said goodbye to each other at the end of our weekend, I gratefully hugged the necks of all my friends who really were the reason I ended up making the trip - had it not been for their enthusiasm I would never have gone. (Had it not been for Jay’s delightful management of the household in my absence, I also would not have gone, so thanks, Honey for all you did to make this trip possible!)
While I won’t take the time now to elaborate on what I learned, suffice to say I would encourage anyone who has an opportunity to hear Susan speak to run, don’t walk!! to get in line for a ticket. The wisdom she brings to the world of Classical Home Schooling is well worth your time and effort to go hear her. Not only did she speak throughout the day on a variety of very pertinent topics, but she spent lots of time in between talks answering our granular questions about this and that curriculum, listening to our inquiries regarding our own particular situations with our children and what we are trying to accomplish this year, and offering thoughtful advice to help us navigate these home schooling waters with our own families.
You can read more about Susan Wise Bauer, as well as visit her blog at her website.
What a great weekend!!
Posted by Tricia at 1:51 pm
to store his pirate booty in.
Aaarrrrrrr, Matey!!
Posted by Tricia at 11:06 pm
Our dog Lucy is sick. So sick that she lost the contents of her stomach three times yesterday, in a most violent fashion. Sadly the first episode took place on one of our beautiful new wool rugs. I had just sat down for a minute’s rest in our front room, and of course my faithful doggie, needing to always be as close to me as she can, laid down predictably at my feet. A minute later, there was a sickening sound, and then a sickening scene all over my pretty, pretty rug. Lucy was quickly banished to the backyard to continue getting ill (don’t worry, I am much more nurturing with my human children when they are tossing their cookies!) and I frantically called my “neatnick, knows how to clean anything, and I mean anything” of a sister in law, explained my woe to her and got her advice.
Which was “Act immediately, do not wait for a stain to set! Scoop up anything you can first, and then blot, blot, blot. Then spray a solution of water mixed with vinegar (I used 1 part vinegar to two parts water) over the area, blot, blot, blot. And REPEAT!” Wow, she’s like a professional at this.
And you know what? It worked. Amazing considering the nastiness of the mess - and since the subject matter in this blog entry is already so low, it surely won’t hurt things to clarify that this was by far the messiest and most disgusting dog vomit I’ve encountered, and believe me, I’ve encountered a fair amount! I still cannot believe the rug came through such yuck unscathed. But next time we have an issue (and you know in this house there will be many, many next times!) I will know what to do. Thank you Jamison - you are my hero!
Here are my two littlest guys happily laying on the now-clean rug just to show you how nice it looks.
Posted by Tricia at 5:30 pm
First, I have to take my hat off to my talented sister in law, Jamison who has already done a bang-up job covering the topic of Cousin Camp. I will not even attempt to top her photo essay of the week. See it here.
But I am happy to jump in with a few photos of my own, and say in my own humble way that we really had a great time last week down in Austin with Nana and Grandpa. Katie was the official weekend photographer with her snazzy new SLR
Though the rest of made noble efforts to keep up with her too.
Here are the youngest campers in the group, or at least most of them:
We visited the lake and park nearby
and learned (sort of) how to skip stones.
We ate
and ate
a LOT!
and then ate some more since we had a couple of birthday parties
for two of the campers
(thanks, Nana for the fine cakes!)
Everyone went to see fireworks, which I think was one of the best parts of the whole week!
There was lots of kissing
and
hugging
(what can I say, we’re an affectionate bunch!)
And more than a little
craziness.
There was even wild dancing
with Uncle Andrew.
and Monkey, oops I mean Unkey Jay!!
But it was mostly great just
being
together.
In fact it was such a great week that Jamison and I were despondent over having to leave.
Thanks again to Nana and Grandpa for their gracious hostessing and hard work to make it a great week for all of us! We can’t wait to come back soon!
Posted by Tricia at 8:45 pm
…beautiful music: my 9 year old playing the piano, my 6 year old accompanying her with the guitar, and the both of them plus my two year old all singing “Nothing But the Blood”. Priceless!
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