Day in the life

our school calendar

simplehomeschool.net is hosting a Day in the Life blog jamboree.  I'm joining other homeschoolers in answering that famous FAQ, What do you do?  I guarantee, all the answers will be different.

Our day begins with a graduated wake up call.  I walk Star (15) to her 6 a.m. New Testament class then return to Dreamland.  Around 9 a.m., Torpedo (7) and Mermaid (5), climb up to our tree house bed or call me down for a snuggle.  A few hugs later they are pulling books off the shelf.  I catch forty more winks on the couch.  The official alarm sounds at 10 a.m.  Resist judging, My Hero's late work makes 2 a.m. our regular bedtime.  

copywork

Let the syncopation commence.  My Hero and I take a brisk hike.  Our fab five consider the new day by flopping on the couch, reading, sketching, and wondering about breakfast.  Parentals return.  My Hero pumps iron.  Star, Angelfish (13), and I suit up for cardio, sculpting, or yoga as prescribed by our current fitness challenge.  From my sticky mat, I direct the littles.  Make your bed.  Get dressed.  Comb your hair.  Set the table.  No ice cream.  Help your sister.  Put away your pajamas.  Have you said your prayers?  Sparkle (11), Get up!!

When the cool-down concludes, we're ready for our family meal:  brunch.  A spill typically christens the morning sending us rushing for paper towels.  Even so, this is one of the best parts of the day.  Eyeball time.  We're all together doing the same thing.  We catch up, calendar, and share things we're proud of, passages from books, an amazing  TED talk, or other online gems.

Between brunch and bedtime the magic happens.  We queue up for the shower.  I get dibs.  It's one of the things I love about being the mom.  The littles occupy themselves with books, Legos, or exploring approved sites like cool math games and Starfall.com.  Star and Angelfish school or shower.  At some point, everyone is ready for the day.

Mermaid

I gather the littles for scriptures, science, math, read aloud, and writing.  Sparkle joins us for reading and history.  Angelfish tutors Sparkle in Botany three times weekly.  While Torpedo is writing, Mermaid gets individual reading instruction.  Torpedo fills any time-gaps with Legos, drawing comics, and Mo Willems.

Since we jettisoned therapists two years ago, Mermaid rocks large and small motor skills at home with two-footed jumping, yoga, mimicking games, dancing, stringing beads, cutting paper, stacking blocks, sewing cards, coloring, puzzles, and writing.  We all take turns and nobody minds a play break.  Her newest skill can be practiced solo.  She's learning to navigate technology with a mouse, trackpad, or touchscreen.

we write in our books

Star, Angelfish, and to a large degree, Sparkle, proceed independently.  They decided in advance how to approach electives and state required subjects.  They use textbooks and online lessons.  Current exploration includes this, and this, and this.  Simply Spelling by Laurie Hicks addresses spelling and grammar.  I jump in every 5th day for dictation.  Lynda.com  supplies stellar electives such as Illustrator, Photoshop, and Excel.  I nudge the girls this direction whenever Facebook sneaks in.

Even though I focus on the littles, breaks and distractions are inherent.  I capitalize on these moments to touch base with the bigs.  Just as often, they flag me down to share what they are discovering.  We're generally engaged in individual, or small group activities, but there is a rotation and rhythm that has become our groove.

hard core arts and crafts

sibling harmony = best part of homeschool

As the academic phase winds down, Star and Angelfish pump up the volume.  They are both learning drums in addition to the three instruments they already play (primarily youtube-taught).  They also write/record/mix songs, knit, craft, cook, sew, sketch.   We grab a bite to eat and disperse for the playground, park, play dates, hard-core crafts, errands, or earning.

big and little sisters

Time Lord training for our clever boy (Tardis interior)

We gather again for dinner, chores, and handcrafts or games before bed.   Scriptures and prayers come first, but if the girls volunteer to braid my hair, our bedtime read-aloud might include half a novel.  I am a sucker for a hairbrush!  Alternately, this would be lights out  or mom's quiet time.  I enjoy time to myself, but I also love hanging out with my favorite people pouring over great books.  It is another best time of the day.

sucker for a hairbrush

Later My Hero returns triumphant.  After some laughs with Jimmy Fallon or Netflix wonder, we climb up into our tree house and collapse, both thoroughly grateful for this amazing life.

P.S. You might be a homeschooler if your child knits scarves with needles she whittled herself.

Independence

I love this concept. We can gain independence by sharing it with others, especially our kids!

Cub Scouts

I felt some trepidation when my son became old enough to start Scouts. I'd heard horror stories from lots of people, especially my little brother, about some of the terrible things they'd experienced at the hands of fellow uniformed boys.

But, despite my concerns, I knew it was the right thing for Junior, so when he turned 8, he joined the Cub Scouts. His leaders have been great and he loves going. He's almost done with his Wolf requirements and it makes him feel a great sense of accomplishment to pass things off and have written proof (or visual proof as badges and beads) of his knowledge. I also love seeing him make friends with nice boys in a safe setting.

I sent Junior to scouts for his own sake, but I was surprised by how much it helped him and me with our homeschooling. Seeing how well Junior responded to the clear expectations of his scout requirements helped me to clarify our homeschooling objectives and make our work more manageable. It turns out we both love charting progress and showing what we've already accomplished, even if it is just to ourselves.

Passover

I decided to hold a brief Passover Seder this year. The world religions class may have had something to do with it. Perhaps it was our ongoing study of the Old Testament. Or maybe we were just curious. The holiday is ancient and the first Haggadah was published in the Middle Ages so it ties in nicely with our history as well. Whatever the reason, we learned about Seder, we learned about Judaism, we learned about making a holiday a holy day and we learned that Passover can actually be a lot of fun, but it takes time to prepare. This post will be my go to resource in the future.


I asked some Jewish friends what Passover means to them today. They said it was about remembering that they had been oppressed and acknowledging that oppression still exists in our world in many forms. Additionally, the Passover reminds them that despite oppression they are still here and through unity oppression can be survived and overcome.

This is a fun story of the four sons and the four kinds of learning. It's a good place to start.

Guides
For a 3 minute Seder explained by a female Rabbi click here.
This Passover Seder guide and Haggadah will help you prepare an authentic, personal Seder.
Here is another nice one that includes recipes.
This is a one stop boutique site that will address all your Passover questions whether Jewish or Christian, young or old.

Passover Seder recipes:
matzoh to keep it kosher this has to be prepared in 18 minutes or less from the time the water touches the grain.
bitter herb or buy horseradish or substitute romaine lettuce (most common substitute), endive, green onions, curly parsley, or dandelions
charoset juice may be substituted for wine
roasted egg
vegetable Parsley or celery served with salted water
roast lamb or chicken or turkey, vegans scripturally justify red beets as substitutions, but some use tofu
wine we used grape juice

Passover songs
Ma Nishtana "Why is this night different from all other nights?"
Echad Mi Yodea Who Knows One?
Who Knows One? kids traditional
Dayenu means sufficient or it would have been enough and celebrates God's abundant blessings
Dayenu traditional
Dayenu funky
Dayenu kids this one explains the entire holiday in song format
Matzo Man downright silly
Who Let the Jews Out? short and silly

Hero's Journey

Our friends are mapping the Hero's Journey for AVATAR: The Last Airbender. Their enthusiasm inspired this post.
First I gratefully acknowledge Joseph Campbell who laid it out so beautifully in his seminal work, "Hero With a Thousand Faces." He's not the only one in the discussion, but there is no discussion without him. And he's so quotable scroll down to see.

Click here for an outlined explanation of the Hero's Journey.

Lots of maps are available online. Here is one.


Briefly
1. Heroes are introduced in the ORDINARY WORLD, where
2. they receive the CALL TO ADVENTURE.
3. They are RELUCTANT at first or REFUSE THE CALL, but
4. are encouraged by a MENTOR to
5. CROSS THE FIRST THRESHOLD and enter the Special World, where
6. they encounter TESTS, ALLIES, AND ENEMIES.
7. They APPROACH THE INMOST CAVE, crossing a second threshold
8. where they endure the ORDEAL.
9. They take possession of their REWARD and
10. are pursued on THE ROAD BACK to the Ordinary World.
11. They cross the third threshold, experience a RESURRECTION, and are transformed by the experience.
12. They RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR, a boon or treasure to benefit the Ordinary World.

The Seven Archetypes

Hero: "The Hero is the protagonist or central character, whose primary purpose is to separate from the ordinary world and sacrifice himself for the service of the Journey at hand - to answer the challenge, complete the quest and restore the Ordinary World's balance. We experience the Journey through the eyes of the Hero."
Mentor: "The Mentor provides motivation, insights and training to help the Hero."
Threshold Guardian: "Threshold Guardians protect the Special World and its secrets from the Hero, and provide essential tests to prove a Hero's commitment and worth."
Herald: "Herald characters issue challenges and announce the coming of significant change. They can make their appearance anytime during a Journey, but often appear at the beginning of the Journey to announce a Call to Adventure. A character may wear the Herald's mask to make an announcement or judgment, report a news flash, or simply deliver a message."
Shapeshifter: "The Shapeshifter's mask misleads the Hero by hiding a character's intentions and loyalties."
Shadow: "The Shadow can represent our darkest desires, our untapped resources, or even rejected qualities. It can also symbolize our greatest fears and phobias. Shadows may not be all bad, and may reveal admirable, even redeeming qualities. The Hero's enemies and villains often wear the Shadow mask. This physical force is determined to destroy the Hero and his cause."
Trickster: "Tricksters relish the disruption of the status quo, turning the Ordinary World into chaos with their quick turns of phrase and physical antics. Although they may not change during the course of their Journeys, their world and its inhabitants are transformed by their antics. The Trickster uses laughter [and ridicule] to make characters see the absurdity of the situation, and perhaps force a change."

The Smithsonian has an online interactive exhibit exploring the hero's journey in Star Wars.


Who are your heroes? Where are you in your the journey as the hero of your own story?

"My general formula for my students is "Follow your bliss." Find where it is, and don't be afraid to follow it."

Joseph Campbell
The Power of Myth
pp. 120, 149

Great Minds

I’m thinking about Isaac Newton (1642-1727) and JS Bach (1685-1750). They lived so differently and yet were both so brilliant. Newton was able to think clearly and elegantly explain some mysteries of our known universe. Bach was prolific in composing powerful, meaningful music. Both believed devoutly in God. Bach was social with a large family. Newton was a priggish outsider prone to jealous grudges. Both were teachers. Bach wrote and shared prodigiously, even weekly. Newton guarded his treasures of knowledge like a Dragon often only coaxed into sharing by flattery and assurances that there would be no criticism or competition. Bach was undiscovered outside of Leipzig until 100 years after his death. Newton made “natural philosophy” (science) cool, was famous, hailed and even knighted in his lifetime. Bach died making music. Newton, experimenting to the last, nevertheless spent his latter years (27) as head of the English mint for coins and was secretly both a biblical scholar and an (illegal) alchemist.

It seems that a love for music and the responsibilities to his family propelled Bach into a position of constant creation. Whereas the discoveries for which the introverted Newton is most famous were made during an 18 month period of total seclusion induced by the black plague. Bach was welcomed into a family four generations deep in musicians. Newton’s father died shortly before Isaac’s premature birth and was left to his grandparents at the age of 3 as part of his mother’s new marriage contract. Who is to say if Bach would have been so prolific without the support and motivation of his family? Who is to say if Newton would have had the time or inclination to meditate and discern solutions if he had been more social? Frankly, I am inspired and grateful that the potential and achievement of human greatness grows in a variety personalities and circumstances. There is hope for all of us.

I can see myself, like Isaac Newton, paranoid of criticism and anxious to seek knowledge without interruptions, obligations or food. Still, I find that like J.S. Bach, I am motivated not only by a love of learning and love for my children, but also inevitable deadlines. Reading about eminent thinkers and contributors inspires a vision of myself as potentially great. I’m not referring to delusions of grandeur, just applying my honest faith in the greatness of humanity to myself as well as to others. These people were human. They had oddities (especially Newton). They had parameters. Nevertheless, they contributed. What will I contribute? What will I share?

P.S. Bach’s music was launched into outer space using Newtonian
physics.
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F. First Movement
"Gavotte en rondeaux" from the Partita No. 3 in E major for Violin
The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2, Prelude and Fugue No.1 in C major

Adam of the Road

Adam of the Road has been the most enlightening book we've read of life in the Middle Ages. It includes old Roman roads, buildings made of Roman bricks, bits of Latin and linguistic history, contemporary superstitions, architecture, fashion, falconry, etc. We catch a glimpse of the drama surrounding the Magna Carta (signed 79 years prior to this story telling) and the first Parliament convened with common folk. Although it is woven through with all aspects of English culture in 1294, it is largely the adventurous coming of age story for a young minstrel named Adam who is guided by his strong sense of identity, his love for his father and his devotion to his dog, Nick. While showing the grit and struggle of the Middle Ages, Adam of the Road also reveals generosity, humor and humanity. I've never seen the Medieval life this way before.

Below are a few of our favorite quotes. We got too interested in reading to stop and write down each one, but we did pause to listen to the bells of St. Paul's Cathedral on youtube after reading Adam's description of them.
____________________________________________
"A road's a kind of holy thing," Roger went on. "that's why it's a good work to keep a road in repair, like giving alms to the poor or tending the sick. It's open to the sun and wind and rain. It brings all kinds of people and all parts of England together. And it's home to a minstrel, even though he may happen to be sleeping in a castle."

Adam gave her two of his remaining comfits-- a poor widow in a village wouldn't taste such sweetmeats once in a year's time -- and a silver penny. She gave him a cabbage leaf full of strawberries that she had found for him. It was easier to say goodby when you had something to give. (50)

Adam threw back his head too and laughed, strangely eased of his pain. For the first time in his life he had played the part of an oyster. He had taken the bit of grit that was scratching him and made something of it that was comfortable to him and pleasing to someone outside. He had made a valuable discovery, but he did not know it at the moment, he only knew that he felt happy again, and he wagged his head a little. (63)

Green apples ripen in time. (65)


Adam felt as though all his powers of seeing and feeling and wondering had been stretched almost to the snapping point. (66)

They had a great deal of tiresome practicing to do, the same exercises over and over again, with very little praise to sweeten it and even less sympathy when they got tired. (78)

Adam started to say, "But I couldn't sing to it; it takes all my breath to blow, " but he bit the words off short. He saw too plainly in the miller's broad honest face the struggle between the pain of sacrifice and the joy of giving. (301-302)

Maid of Heaven

On January 6th 1412
The Maid of Heaven was born
twelve years later she heard a voice
telling her what must be done

It told her of three missions she must complete
before her time was through:

The first would be the tipping point
of who the war would win
to capture Orleans from the English
because France's it had been

The second task that must be done
Charles the VII, France's leader so young
They told her, the king, he must become


Ousting England would prove too hard
her captors were heartless
her record was marred

The Maid of Heaven was burned
but she knew that she would live in heaven
that is the dream for which her soul yearned
-Star

Meringue

Exploratopia: Making Meringue (pg. 89)

This really was about the elasticity of egg whites and the net they create for the air. We started out with a few experiments with rubber bands and water. We always get excited about tasty science and having our home school exchange friends over made it a bonafide party.

Whip it and measure it and spoon it on a tray

And bake it in the oven for a chocolate fondue par-tay


The chocolate was our idea and it was a good one.

DNA experiment

Exploratopia: We Know Who You Are (pg. 99)


Kitchen Scientists

Everybody gets a piece of the action: Adding isopropyl alcohol


Mixing water and dishsoap
Now for the secret ingredient. Sparkle isn't excited, but ultimately consents to donate a few loose cheek cells to science.



We had to run this one twice and still didn't get stellar results, but we understand how tiny DNA is, that everyone's is different (except identical twins) and we've started a collection of glass jars for future experiments.

Joan of Arc By:Angel Fish

(Siege tower at Orleans by Angelfish)

There was a girl who lived on a farm
With righteousness cradled in her arms
Her name was Joan Of Arc.

Angels said she was to set France free
The missions she had were three
Joan set off

Joan told captains and governors she was to have the prince crowned king
No one listened but Joan kept trying
They gave in

Orleans Joan had to save
Joan led her soldiers brave
Orleans was safe

Joan had the prince crowned king
Everyone was cheering and smiling
Especially Joan.

Her third mission to drive the English out
Did not come about
Joan failed was captured and burned

But Joan would want you to be glad not sad

THE END

Quotes

I always have big plans for contributing on this blog with pictures and explanations, but I never get to it. So, today I am going to just give a couple memorable quotes from homeschool so far this year.

Last week as we did scripture journal and read in 2 Nephi 2, I was explaining to my son about the Law of Opposition, how there can be no joy if there is no sadness, etc. I guess he needed more concrete examples to work with because he stopped me and asked, "What's the opposite of a fish?"

Today, I had a strict schedule for school planned. We even sat down and discussed it together yesterday so he'd be ready for it. I am tired of "going with the flow." It feels like that's all we ever do, so I was committed to getting my son through his school routine in a timely manner despite the addition of two preschool age children I was watching for my friend. It was not a great success. As my son ran through the house screaming joyfully with his young friends, I called for him to come to the table yet again.
He said, "But Mom, I want to have fun!"
My response? "I don't want you to have fun! I want you to do school!"

Day 1-2009

Sacks to be Rome!

We kicked off our school year as Celts sacking Rome in Grandma's backyard. Let the Middle Ages begin!

We did have a poignant moment at Walmart buying the facepaint. The cashier asked why the children weren't in school and Angelfish piped up, "We homeschool. We're going to paint our faces blue and spike our hair." Vain woman that I am, I couldn't leave without explaining the educational motive.

Creativity and Connectivity

If you have never visited TED.com prepare to have your mind blown. Current innovators in every field share their ideas in 15-20 minute presentations. I can only handle about three or four in a day or my brain will get stretch marks. Here's an easy one for starters and it relates to the last post about creativity and relevance: Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity. Like Ken, I believe that every child is a genius. One commentator says of Ken's idea,

"This thesis feels so authentic. The premise is not that we all need to be artists. Rather for me it says that releasing the idea that there is one right answer, or one right way to educate, opens up a world of possibility. [...] All means of retaining our inherent human creativity should be pursued passionately."

If you're interested in more about creative genius try Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing creativity. This was my first TED talk.

If you've taken sides in the debate of left brain vs. right brain or academics vs. arts join Robert Lang as he illustrates how origami is improving art, space research and medicine.

Despite being reared in a culture of specialization, my personal philosophy is that all truth is circumbscribed in one eternal whole. Every truth enlightens, improves and applies to every other truth. My ultimate goal is total integration. Let's connect. What are you discovering?

Life-coach

I picked this painting instead of the many other images of mothers reading to children because the mother has a book and the child has a book. The mother and child are having a conversation and the mother is pointing outside of what I presume to be the home indicating the relevance of what they are reading/discussing to the outside world.

We're moving in a good direction, but I am continually tempted by the school model to just dump a bunch of information on my children. I like this life-coach approach. It behooves me to consider myself their life-coach on a discovery driven process. This is a great reminder to move towards the ideal of curiosity, relevance and enthusiasm in learning in whatever circumstance we deem best for our children. I also just finished a lecture by John Gatto on Extended Childhood. He always reveals the socialist and corporate (socializing) underpinnings of our current education model, but it seems corporate now needs people who are self-motivated, flexible and innovative.

Painting on the Ceiling

Do not try this at church!(unless you're Michelangelo) DO try this at home. I wasn't sure if the kids would be interested because it was our third week in a row painting. I printed off some Sistine Chapel ceiling coloring pages just in case. I only had one taker.

Guest Mentor-Samuel Evensen

Today, our guest mentor, Samuel Evensen shared his love for color, painting and meaningful ideas. He clearly sparked something.

Science serendipity

We happened to catch a flyer for a geological tour of our neighborhood which just so happens to be one of our subjects of study this year along with New York history, so...

Our guide, Sidney Horenstein



It was really a mixture of geological history, botany and New York history as Mr. H. detailed the life of Inwood from mastodon bones unearthed on Payson and glacial rolling stones from the palisades, to the development of the ferries, trains and subways in Manhattan. He also taught us the names of several local trees including this Mimosa. Mr. H. told us that the Palisades are flat because they used to be below sea level and were pounded flat by the waves. It might have been cool to do a math problem about the median age of the group before and after we joined the tour. ;) Each child is writing a narration, or in one case a short story, based on our adventures with Mr. H. We'll save those in our New York history file for future years. We also came home with several heavy samples of milky quartz.

Art-Giotto di Bondone

Pulverizing chalk into powder and pouring in egg yolk is not something I generally condone especially when it requires rocks in the house. But today we were trying our hand at making our own egg tempra paints like Giotto di Bondone. Learn more about this 13th/14th century painter and enjoy a slideshow of his extensive works at: giottodibondone.org

We used:
plastic bowls (disposable)
paintbrushes
1 egg yolk only
2 teaspoons of water
rocks we found outside (round are best)
pastel chalks/berries

Each child picked a color and ground a small bit of pastel chalk into their respective bowls. I mixed the egg yolk with 2 teaspoons of water (until frothy). This liquid mixture was spooned into each child's bowl. They each mixed with a paintbrush until the consistency was thin and smooth. We painted.

What I learned:
"Smooth" here is actually a euphemism for lumpy. ;) Also, our rocks were a bit dirty and some of them had an element of sparkle that mixed with the paint and gave those colors a glittery quality. The dried paint was shiny and very sturdy. I did try mixing blackberries into paint. I did not grind them well and the color came out a sort of swamp-water-latte with clumps. Giotto's paintings are full of vibrant color and smooth consistency. He must've had a pestle and an assistant!

Thanks to "Discovering Great Artists" by MaryAnn F. Kohl and Kim Solga for the great idea.

Two Links

We're always interested in useful links here at educationvalidation. Sumgreater recommends http://www.classicsforkids.com I second that. It includes information about composers categorized by period, country, alphabetically, etc. It also includes, puzzles, games, tips for parents/teachers and recordings of many classical pieces. We started at the beginning with Hildegard von Bingen (a very good place to start). We also found lots of her music on youtube and learned that a friend of ours is writing a play about her controversial life as a nun who prophesied, performed miracles, wrote books on religion and medicine and was a prolific composer.
Tonight, I found a fantastic interactive website that gives anybody access to the Library of Congress. Star would like to spend a few months in that Library, but she's never gotten more than a peek through the windows in the closed doors. She made a very depressed face after that. Here's your open access pass: http://www.myloc.gov

Happy summer school!