Remembering Those who Serve

We are home from 3 day practicum of Classical Conversations.  I did complete the tutoring portion as I will be a substitute this year. It is also a part of the plan for me to be a supplies assistant with the fine arts & science portions. I won't go into more about CC right now, or academics for the fall, but I am so  excited about all the amazing things for this coming school year. Practicum was so much more than I hoped for. Amazing parents working together, sharing experiences. Great 3 days.
The boys & I are celebrating the first full day of summer, saying no to the regular question 'can I watch a show?' & eating watermelon. I'd like to say we came home classically wonderful, full of deeply meaningful conversation, but that just wouldn't be real. We are avoiding the big box tho. Ready for a great Memorial Day Weekend. Thankful for those who served and presently serve making our easy & undeserved life possible. May God bless us in our endeavors to press forward to the mark of His high calling. For His purposes, and His glory.

Hitting the Road

We put a hitch on the back of our new-to-us van today. While we waited we visited the car-wash at the Body Shop/Jittery Joes. Along the back of the oilchange maintenance area, the owner has several airstreams in various states of repair/condition. I was just looking at one on-line, an Argossy, in great shape at a reasonable price. So I could explain to the boys the difference between these and other styles. Airstream are so unique, but extremely pricey. We hope to 'hit the road'-- at least making it to the lake a few times this summer. There's nothing like it. Having a little place with a few comforts to relax with by the lake. A place to sleep, and even recover with a/c if you need it. The kids sleep so well. I'm seeing some serious reading time ahead.
Our school year officially ended yesterday. I wish I had a super cute icon like 4/5 pencils (see Thy Hand Hath Provided) to describe our school year. But for now, we're planning our celebrations, & our vacation to Jekyl Island.
There is a turtle sanctuary there we plan to visit.  And as I mentioned before, we've been to Memorial Park in Athens several times, where the boys have been doing their own investigations. I really don't mind them getting their feet wet in the pond, but I really panic watching them near the high grasses. Snakes enjoy those grasses too. Being a boy-mom is just, well, exausting.
I'm blessed tho, in so many ways, empowered able to keep the dust to a minimum, with hardwood floors & leather on the seats in the van.
Our van- new-to us- is the 'we'll drive it till they graduate' car for us. I had a jeep for a while, that could pull a travel trailer, but it was rapidly becoming too small. Enter the van. So glad to have that purchase out of the way. But of course the kids see it differently. My oldest, who would least likely run out and brag, did exactly that to a neighbor kid. I could hear him for a whole block... ('our vay is waaayyy bettter than yours!') really, I heard those words. So I promptly retracted him, with my go-go-gadget mom arm and laid it out. The van was for the purposes of taking us places safely, & being able to tote friends or more kids or family. I then asked him exactly when he thought the friend to whom he was bragging got that van. They have 5 kids, their oldest graduated last night. You can do the math. I then told him just like their van, he would be riding to college in that van, and unless he wanted to look at the same stains he put on the floor today on his way to university, then he better start taking care of it. And showing a little gratitude.
I'm sure he's so much better for that tounge lashing. Because they always hear way more than they see demonstrated..... ha. (what have I been bragging about???)

The deck on our house is about finished. It's amazing. We have grass.  When we have the rail up, I'll post another picture. Now to repair trim & paint the house.

And then there's the garden.

My birthday. The cake was on fire with only 12 candles. I'm half-way home folks. Shootin' for 90. The art is by CapMan. Down in the lower right corner is a bottle cap for IBC rootbeer. He is an artist who has gone completely off the day-job. You see his truck covered in caps around town. His son takes tae kwon do with mine, and that's where I met his wife, Laura also, and their son. They are on the road at artshows now. Pulling a trailer with one of their cap-covered Surburbans.

And a fieldtrip to Stone Mountain.

We've been busy, but we've finished our work & now it's time to play! Nice to be back with some time to blog. Can't wait to share some more books, places, thoughts. I have a new lap-top & new picture file that I'm working with but perhaps now I'll have time to play with it all a little more. Summer's here!

Reading with Henry, we enjoyed 'Time of Wonder' Robert McCloskey. It was peaceful, pleasant, even educational. It's about calm before the storm, nature. Beauty in nature. McCloskey is an  exemplary author. We are about to enjoy 'Homer Price' one of his chapter books for older kids. I can't wait. I've never read it.

We are also enjoying a regular trip to Athens Memorial Park. The boys have been watching turtles, so we've been reading about turtles. A perfect book for our purposes is 'All about Turtles'. by Jim Arnosky. It has perfect simple pictures. Describing details and encouraging further investigation.

We are looking forward to a trip to Jekyl Island where there is a turtle sanctuary. We can't wait!

Spring 2012 ~ Blessed

Spring has come so much faster than I ever dreamed. We needed late winter/February to last longer, because we were trying to create a yard and plant grass. So we've been in hustle mode, trying to capture the moment of a clean slate, a graded yard ready for seed. We did it. Barely. I say we, because even tho I didn't spread the seed or the straw, I swept leaves burned debris, hacked at roots to make way for the bulldozer Eric brought home to finish the prep work. We now have grass coming up and hopefully it will last. Of course, summer has come in April, so I don't know, but at least we tried.
I finished Classical Conversations yesterday along with the boys. It was my first and solo year as of date for tutoring. It was a love-hate relationship we had with the amazing Monday scheduled community classes. I tutored and it was just too much for Henry. It was great for Jack, but as tutor, I often had to sacrifice time/emotion/energy serving the group instead of the individual (Henry). I thought it might be different. It wasn't . My precious director even mentioned to me one day about our initial discussion about which class I might be tutor. ....... Hind sight....
When you know something about your kids, go with it. My gut feeling. I have been a person who could push through anything. Anything, if need be. But this one was tough because the adreneline & positive smile doesn't morph over to your kids, who have decided mutiny would just be a whole lot more fun than active participation. (ironically, my kids can't get enough of Cycle 3 grammar today....)
I am humbled as I've been reading about Piper, who even now may have entered into Heaven's gates. She's a precious 3 year old I only met at a Christmas Parade, but knew was on a time table that wasn't working in her favor. She is a patient currently at St. Judes, her little body collapsing from the symptoms of Leukemia. She's 3. Her mother has been blogging along the way, for which I'll never be able to express adequate thanks. Her reverence & gratitude even in the face of the eminent death of her precious baby has been awe inspiring. Friend who know her situation, are grieving & praying by her side all along the way as she continues to keep us there by her side tangled in the cords that keep Piper alive, lying by her side. Jesus is there, holding her as she holds her baby, in a bed she knew from almost the beginning would be her end.
Jesus grant me the blessing of the grace she's demonstrated.
Keep me from my shallow existence when I become preoccupied with the color of my hair & the buldges I'm not sure I like. Help me hug my children when I want to strangle them.
Lift my raggedy body up when Henry asks me for the millioneth time 'will you play tennis with me?'
Jesus you are so real to me right now. You found me while I hid safely amongst the debris of my world. Not your world.
Thanks for blessings 'gifts' fills the halls of this salmony-pasty-khaki-wanna-be house.
I have shed like all those who read Susannah's blog, more tears for a family I've barely met. But they have been ambassadors to a Hope that's available to everyone. Everyone. A solid hope that in a blink of an eye, she will see her baby Piper, and we'll be united with God and see Him in Glory.
Find me Lord, please, redeeming the time, not selfishly consuming it.
I have to run, can't even sync the pictures of all the amazing activity around the house. The boys swim out the window in the kiddie pool, paddle tennis balls in the driveway and sing History sentences from CC that I'm grateful they remember.
If you visit the Needam family, pray for them, you'll be circled at the throne with thousands, who are there on their behalf. http://www.needhamcrew.blogspot.com/
(' Piper Jean Needham ran into the arms of Jesus today, April 3, 2012 at 3:35pm.')

Easter... has it really been a year?

How can time go so fast? Really. It seems just yesterday I was working out the details of Jack's end of the year performance, and the wedding where Henry was the ring bearer with Eden.. Then came along Easter. Will I be ready this year? Could I possibly ever be ready for anything again?

We watched the special about Steve Jobs last night, innovator/designer creator over at Apple. Had no idea how bright he was, and how life had dealt him a pretty surreal episode when he was ousted from Apple. Then returned to bring it back. In between, he funded and eventually in essence owned Pixar. Pixar. Shazam.

So today, take-away... as I make frozen pizza and work through teaching textbooks with Jack & Starfall.com with Henry, ready to head to TKD-- where will they go, what will they do?

Who really knows.

I saw this paradigm on the web/facebook yesterday. I'll try to link it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkPvSCq5ZXk&feature=share

Title is 'Schools kill creativity'. It was definitely food for thought. Shared by a homeschool mom of 5 with others. Interesting. Btw, I don't think the gist of this presentation is to proclaim homeschooling victorious. It made me wonder-- in general. Pretend you have 'no opinion' on the method. Give it a try. I found it very interesting.

Classical Conversations Week 16

Classical Conversations Update

We are firmly into the Chemistry Grammar of Foundations level. And I'm going to have to look at those Timeline Motions videos I posted afterall. Jeremiah's Mom let me down last week(wink). She had as busy a week as I did(probably busier & I should have reviewed them anyway) and Jeremiah didn't know the motions. {big smile & hug for that little guy} Some days are just a barrel of challenge. My own little guy worked his way around the table a couple of times and gave me just the dose of personal challenge I needed. ('Mom, I don't really want to be here', number 2 whispered in my ear. I replied 'I'm so glad you're in my class. Now go sit down, please.') Again he aided Satan and walked around the table and said with only 5 year old tones in his voice ('Mom, I don't like CC,' and I replied, 'but other people do, including me. Please sit down, sweetie.')

Somedays you just gotta roll with it. Dance with the one who brought you do the dance and Not, I repeat, not look over the septic tank. The grass will always be greener, no matter what. I'm sure Jeremiah's Mom (who also tutor's an even younger group than I do, and very well I might add) had her share of hair-pulling moments down the hall.

When it comes to tutoring-- presenting & reviewing new classically presented grammar, it's all about the repetition. Not about the perfect behavior. Because no matter whether they are standing on their head, or constantly circling the table to personally aggrivate momma/tutor, they're hearing the material. And that's what matters. Hammering the peg of knowledge one more time, often against all odds. But providing that firm place to hang further information when the time is right. My rule of thumb, especially with little one's behavior is just this: unless it is truly disruptive to the learning environment, and to others specifically, then it's probably normal and ok. There's something that could be said for training for future years, but during these younger years, it's not what I'll focus on. Lots of years ahead for that.

*note: if you are a CC tutor of Abecedarians, I utilize a 'segway' method which is thematic. As we don't have ready made seasonal bulletin boards, I usually have somekind of picture or item that helps them with a behavior that will help them with 'quiet for listening' or walking to another location for science or art. First 6 weeks in fall, we were Memory Master's in the Making-participating in a classical conversations circus-- who happen to be lumbering elephants with long trunks. We didn't 'monkey around'. It didn't hurt that elephants are thought to have wonderful memorys. It was fun. 2nd 6 weeks, we were Fall Owls that were 'wise old owls'. It worked well as it was also the same sensation to say 'whooo' as it was to blow our tin whistles. We flapped & tucked our wings & walked quietly down the hall, seeing who could 'whooo' the quietest. Winter, 3rd 6 weeks-- we are snowflakes, all unique, made by God, just as each person/child is unique as He made them. We often tap as quietly on the table to see how quiet we can be as snowflakes, and then rest in a blanket of snow. Now, spring... maybe bunnies. Bunnies are very quiet. These help with an imaginative break after lots of grammar. Especially for me, and my lack of memorizing the handmotions... (shame on me.)

** this is our first year, and folks say, you pick your battles when you first start. Can't wait till next year!

Classical Conversations of Lake Norman Veritas Hand Motions

Part 1 of Classical Conversations Timeline Motions from Lake Norman Tutor. We are currently on week 15 and will need to look for the Part 2 on Youtube.
Classical Conversation tutors are just crazy with great ideas for memorizing basic grammar.