We have been having such a quiet and lovely time off from our school lessons. We have been eagerly awaiting Christmas with lots of sweet story books and family time together, which is new for us now that Kevin is on a more "normal" schedule. It's snowy and wintry outside and cozy inside. The tree is bright and the kids are wondering at the gifts underneath (Jack calls them "prizes", lol). We've been cooking, baking, sewing, shoveling snow, reading, snowman building, watching winter birds, sledding, playing late night board games, helping neighbors move all that snow, a cold snowy drive-thru nativity ... all good soul stuff as we prepare for a new year. We have about two more weeks of bliss, ie., no school. :) We have some changes on the horizon for Jan-Jul. We will start back the first week of January and have lessons six weeks on, one week off, with a week for Easter. We will finish up the third week of May, and take off the last week of May through the first week of July for a glorious summer break. In February we will be moving to Connecticut so that has factored into how our new year will come together as well.
1 Comment
Instead of a basket of Christmas books this year, I've decided to be more intentional with how we spend our time these weeks of Advent. I've chosen one book per day to read from the 1st of December to the Epiphany on January 6th. We will celebrate the Feast of St Nicholas on the eve of December 6, as well as Saint Lucy on December 13. We will also read a smattering of stories of Christmas from around the world. I envision us reading these books first thing in the morning, on the couch cuddled up, with carols playing in the background ... time to read slowly and to form relationships with these childhood stories rather than reading them en masse from a basket all month. I hope these stories and the Christmas music will set a cheerful and anticipatory tone for the day as we embark on our daily Advent devotions, Scripture, crafts, and service.
{Each day of Advent and Christmas Day.} The Jesse Tree by McCaughrean Lucy's Christmas by Hall The Donkey's Dream by Berger Mr Willowby's Christmas Tree by Barry The Last Straw by Thury The Story of Holly and Ivy by Godden Room for a Little One by Waddell & Cockcroft The Little Drummer Boy by Keats The Message of the Birds by Westerlund Gifts of the Heart by Polacco Cranberry Christmas by Devlin A Dozen Silk Diapers by Kajpust The Carpenter's Gift: A Christmas Tale about the Rockefeller Center Tree by Rubel Dream Snow by Carle The Nutcracker by Hoffman Song of the Stars by Lloyd-Jones The Crippled Lamb by Lucado Humphrey's First Christmas by Heyer The Little Fir Tree by Wise Brown An Orange for Frankie by Polacco Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama by Alko The Night Tree by Bunting The Legend of the Candy Cane by Walburg {and DVD} The Friendly Beasts by dePaola Christmas Day in the Morning by Buck {Christmas Around the World ... with our Good Morning Girls Kids Study} Christmas Wombat by French (Australia) The Twelve Days of Christmas illustrated by Isadora (Africa) The Night Before Christmas illustrated by Isadora (Africa) What's Cooking, Jamela? by Daly (Africa) The Wee Christmas Cabin by Hodges (Ireland) The Christmas Wish by Evert (Norway) Christmas from Heaven: The True Story of the Berlin Candy Bomber by Brokaw (Germany) The Story of the Snow Children by Von Olfers (Germany) The Legend of Old Belfana by dePaola (Italy) Christmas in Noisy Village by Lindgren (Sweden) Carl the Christmas Carp by Krykorka (Austria) Nine Days to Christmas: A Story of Mexico by Ets & Labastida (Mexico) Too Many Tamales by Soto (Mexico) The Legend of the Poinsettia by dePaola (Mexico) The Miracle of the First Poinsettia: A Mexican Christmas Story by Oppenheim (Mexico) Babushka by Horn (Russia) Yoon and the Christmas Mitten by Recorvits (China) Tree of Cranes by Say (Japan) To honor St Nicholas ... A Baker's Dozen: A St Nicholas Tale by Shepard 'Twas the Night Before Christmas: Or Account of a Visit from St Nicholas by Moore To honor St Lucy ... Lucia, Saint of Light by Hyde Lucia Morning in Sweden by Rydåker To honor the Epiphany ... The Story of the Three Wise Kings by dePaola The Twelve Days of Christmas by Brett The Fourth Wise Man by Summers {I'm partial to dePaola ... these are heirloom books that we read and reread every year.} Joy to the World Strega Nona's Gift Jingle the Christmas Clown Country Angel Christmas The First Christmas The Birds of Bethlehem Today marks the start of Advent ... the joyful anticipation of the birth of Jesus. I love this time of the year. I love the coziness that comes from a wintry month of preparations for our King in our homes and our hearts. I love sharing this time with my children and growing with my husband and reflecting on my God. On the heels of the gratitude of Thanksgiving, here are a few ways we will be slowing down and finding stillness this season.
I don't know how this happened, and I am equally in awe of my firstborn who is becoming such a beautiful little lady, and overcome with sadness at how fleeting these little years are, in every way. Here are a bzillion pictures of Mae's first 9 years and her birthday celebration this year, complete with a surprise visit from Grammy and a new British bicycle. This girls shines brightly ... watch out big world.
I spent some rare alone time yesterday reviewing our past 10 weeks in order to make sure we wrap up our final 2 weeks of term 1 with a happy WELL DONE.
This year I have kept close records of all that we do, not daily, but yet still clearly for myself on a weekly and term basis. Here's what we have learned, and loved: Family ~ Bible stories from Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Judges John Inductive Bible Study, Ch 1-10 (girls) 3 hymns, 1 carol (December), 1 folk song, 10 Spanish folk songs Habits of attention and gentleness Memory: Psalm 1, Psalm 23, Smells by Christopher Morley, 10 lines from Midsummer Nights Dream Studied the world with Ms Mason's Elementary Geography Studied trees in nature study (we need to be more intentional with journaling) Read Aloud: Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian Read Aloud: Winnie the Pooh Read Aloud: 9 fairy tales from Lang and Grimm Read Aloud: Shakespeare's Storybook Read Aloud (December): A Christmas Carol {The Whole Story} Read Aloud: Fables by Lobel Read Aloud: Finished Little Pilgrim's Progress Part I Read Aloud: 2 Parables from Nature Read Aloud: Midsummer Night's Dream (with our recitation) Audio: American Tall Tales Audio: King Arthur and His Knights Audio: Uncle Remus Composer: Haydn Artist: Van Gogh + 6 living picture books, 9 paintings, 1 DVD, 1 biography Latin: 34 lessons of Getting Started with Latin, freely copying Winnie Ille Pu (girls) Poetry: Milne & Blake & Thanksgiving poetry and praise Mae ~ Exodus through the plagues Luke through Ch 7 Our Island Story through Ch 21 Robin Hood Arthur of Albion Heidi daily copywork or dictation, oral narration daily maths {MEP, Life of Fred, Times Tales} weekly typing Free Reading: Bard of Avon, Inside Out and Back Again, Mary Poppins, Pinocchio, The Door in the Wall, The Saturdays, The Boy Who Grew Flowers, Castle Diary, Chanticleer and the Fox, Good Queen Bess, Apple and the Arrow, A Medieval Feast, Merlin and the Dragons, Saint Francis of Assisi, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Kitchen Knight, The Making of a Knight, The Minstrel in the Tower, William Tell Viola ~ Family Bible stories Our Island Story through Ch 21 14 Fifty Famous Stories Retold Leif the Lucky, D'Aulaire Pocahontas, D'Aulaire James Herriot's Treasury for Children Charlotte's Web Free Reading: Robin Hood, Arthur of Albion, Apple and the Arrow, A Medieval Feast, Merlin and the Dragons, Saint Francis of Assisi, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Kitchen Knight, The Making of a Knight, The Minstrel in the Tower, William Tell, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Lola's Fandango, The Boy Who Grew Flowers, Pinocchio, Pippi Longstocking, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz daily copywork, oral narration, fables main lesson book daily maths {MEP, Life of Fred, xtramath} Zeb ~ daily handwriting {Delightful Handwriting} daily maths {MEP, Everyday Number Stories} daily reading {100EZ Lessons} daily oral narration, fable main lesson book {illustration narration} James Herriot Treasury D'Aulaire Memoria Press 1st-grade read alouds My goals for our new term are to spend more time with art, handicrafts, nature journaling, and a musical instrument. We will also delve into creating a family timeline ... I have big beautiful plans for this in my head all ready for Kevin to bring to life, you know, after he buys us that antique farmhouse on acreage with barns and cows and chickens and goats. I'm also going to begin pre-reading each term's books for the girls and notebooking them myself to smooth their narrations and our discussions. I'm really eager for the self-education and the opportunity to pour into my children even more by letting them see me completely invested in their minds and souls. Despite two weeks of coughs and colds I was determined to balance grace with finishing this week strong. My mom {Grammy} is arriving tomorrow for a surprise week-long visit for Mae's 10th birthday ... I can't even talk about that milestone. This was a very good, quiet week and we finished nearly everything we set out to accomplish, except cleaning the house ... there's always tomorrow ... well, Jack likes to vacuum every chance he can get. And he asks for naps and bedtime. What 4yo does this?
Just an update on how our colored craft sticks are helping {or not} to add some fresh perspective to our school days. In a word, awesome. It took a few days to work out the kinks, make some new ones, toss a few, etc, but we are in a super sweet groove. Here's what today looked like, stick-by-stick.
Hymn & Prayer Fairy Tale: Why the Sea is Salt and narrate Math Facts: xtramath (Viola) & Times Tales (Mae) Gratitude Journal (girls) & Thanksgiving study (me) Copywork & Scripture Recitation: Psalm 23:4 (and review v1-3) Bible story from ICB (boys) & The True Account of Adam and Eve (girls) Latin Outdoor prayer walk, picked up trash ... ICB extension MEP (Mae) & Free Reading: finished Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and started The Wizard of Oz (Viola) MEP (Viola) & Free Reading: finished Door in the Wall (Mae) Our Island Story {audio} and narrate John Bible Study They're all now watching the film, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Ta Da! Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
And always be thankful. Colossians 3:14, 15 We thought we ought to demonstrate Christ's love by taking a prayer walk down our street ... praying for our neighbors ... and cleaning up our little town. We donned some lovely hospital gloves, grabbed some bags, and picked up trash all throughout our town. We are thankful for where we live and for the harmony and friendship of our neighbors! The boys and I also read the story of the fall in the Garden of Eden from the ICB and the activity suggested to take time outside today to clean up trash and learn to recycle (which we do every day) and plant some seeds (we may need to wait for spring). I blended our morning thanksgiving devotion with the boys' Bible story/activity for a cool time outdoors together. |
erin.kate
Adorer of my Jesus. Home school mama to four ... three home grown and one from the far reaches of Africa. Ridiculously blessed wife of a man who loves with a servant's heart. Devotee of Charlotte Mason and clean, humble living. Archives
July 2016
Categories
All
|