home hum

Chatelaines

Sometimes I find myself researching odd bits of things, which often find their way into the stories I write.  Currently, I've been interested in chatelaines.

From Crewel Jewels: 

Chatelaine is French for, "Mistress of the castle".  

In the 18th and 19th centuries, women in charge of their estates wore a decorative clip of long chains holding important household items about the waist. These items were things like the key to a pantry where valuable tea, spices and food were kept; a small notebook; sewing items; a magnifying glass; or maybe a watch, nail file, or compass. The earlier waist-hung items were referred to as "equipage", later evolving to "chatelaine" in the early1800s    

The chatelaine, while still having the useful purpose of organizing the household, also became a fashion accessory that was often given as a wedding present from a husband to his bride. Sewing and needlework were an important part of a young girl's education and these accessories were ideal in organizing notions.  Chatelaines were made of silver, brass, steel, leather, or fabric, depending on the financial status of the household. There was a decorative clip that attached to the waistband with three to seven long chains with clasps suspended from it. If you've seen "The Others" with Nicole Kidman, she is wearing one.            

Chatelaines were also called "necessaires".

Isn't this Victorian drawing by John Leech 1886, entitled, "How to Make a Chatelaine A Real Blessing to Mothers", both humorous and charming?

Here is a (rather creepy) photograph of two Victorian ladies wearing chatelaine style purses at the waist:

I find this ribbon brooch style chatelaine appealing:

                                    

transformation

My little world is so beautiful right now, it takes my breath away.  Nature does this every year, and yet, when spring comes, I am still amazed.  

 View from my front door.

This week, even though I was sick with a nasty cold, I made an effort to get up early every day, make my bed, and get dressed immediately.  I made several other small changes, too, which together made for a very productive week and a more peaceful home atmosphere.  I gave myself completely to my children during the day, and only let myself knit and read when all of the day's work was done.  All week I practiced being fully present, and it was energizing--I feel so alive!  So awake!  It helps that it's spring.

Today we took a ride to Agway to pick up some supplies for the chicks, who went through a big growth spurt this week.  I think they've doubled in size since last Friday. It is one of those beautiful, golden spring days, and everything is in bloom:  forsythia, tulips, hyancinth, magnolia, azalea, and all of the trees.  It was a lovely ride.  We stopped at a farm stand on the way home and bought a couple of quarts of icy cold farm fresh milk.  It was delicious.  And, so different from the watery liquid in plastic jugs that passes for milk in the supermarket.  I can hardly wait until our chickens begin laying, and we get to taste real eggs.

Penny and Trixie    

keeping time

This may be the most important thing I do in my work as mother:  keep time.  

Because it slips away so easily.  

A long time ago my dad told me that children spell love:  T I M E.  And, he was right.  

I realized today, as I walked in the woods with all of my children together, listening to the birds sing and admiring the golden forsythia, that the only thing I need to plan for in our home learning is how I will keep time. I don't need to worry about what we learn, for every day is full of wonders. But, we will surely miss them all if I allow us to be distracted by "many things".  It really is a lie that we can "do it all".  My life is full of time saving devices:  telephones, computers, televisions, grocery stores, radios, etc.  But, am I really getting more done?  Or am I just allowing myself--and my children--to be distracted away from living?  

In the weeks ahead, I'm going to keep time each day by:

• saying morning prayers together
• having a single lesson (history, geography, mythology, literature, poetry, art, or music)
• playing 
• being in nature
• conversations
• writing 
• making (baking, knitting, music, painting, sewing, cooking, gardening)
• reading aloud 
• working on household chores together
• rest

My oldest is eighteen.  My time with my children is passing by so quickly.  I'm going to keep it while I can, and savor each moment slowly and fully.

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Luke 10:41+42a ESV

best laid plans

This week is spring vacation for the school children.  I learned long ago that there is little point in trying to maintain our home learning schedule when school is out; our doorbell rings too often.  So this week, my children will connect with their friends, while I sit at the dining room table and think about the last ten weeks of our learning calendar, and what I hope to accomplish.

• I want my children to believe that life is full of wonders.
• I want them to remember and savor the things we see, read, do, and learn.
• I want my children to know that the night sky is so full of stars, that it is dizzying--even if we can't see them anymore.  
• I want them to see the miracle in the ordinary--and hold fast to it.

The other day I read The Best Advice You'll Ever Receive, and afterward I thought about my life, and the plans I've made, and where I am now.  Let me tell you:  I'm way off course!  Fifteen years ago if you had asked me where I would be today, I would not have answered, "I'll be living in Massachusetts, have five children, homeschool--oh, and I'll be Catholic."  Hah!  I would have laughed with disbelief if someone had even suggested these things.  The path my life has taken has astonished me (and many of my loved ones :- )  All I can say is, I'm so glad. I wouldn't have it any other way.

My plans and expectations were not a good compass.  

This week, as I give thought to the next few weeks of my children's learning, I'm going to keep all of this in mind.  I'm going to resist my natural tendency to over plan (and then fail to execute, and be disappointed). Instead, I'm going to focus on inspiring my kids to be astonished and open to wonder.   

chicken plans

This weekend my husband and boys drew-up plans for our portable chicken coop.  We looked at lots of photos and videos online, and Arienne kindly shared her experience with us.  We plan on building a coop similar to this one in design, except larger.  Here is the frame all put together in our garage, with the upper story floor in place showing where the two 1'x1' next boxes will go:

They still need to cut out the ramp/trap door, finish the next boxes, and install the roost.  The ground level will be solid on each end, with wire mesh on the sides.  This is a portable chicken coop, so we'll move it to a new location in our back yarden each week. 

The girls and I ordered our chicks yesterday, too.  We looked at Plymouth Rocks, Delawares, Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, Australorps, Wynadottes, and Ameraucanas, but in the end we decided to get four Red Stars.  Since we have no experience with chickens, Red Stars sound like a sure bet for us. We need chickens that are cold hardy, and I like that Red Star hens are on the smaller side, friendly, docile, and are good lavyers.  We learned that they have the best feed to egg ratio of any breed, which make them an economical choice for our family.  They lay about five eggs a week, so with any luck we'll get around twenty fresh eggs each week with our small flock of four hens.  Plus, Red Stars lay all winter long :-)

But, the real deciding factor for us was that My Pet Chicken will have day-old  Red Star chicks available and ready to ship next week.  We are so excited!  Can't wait for our babies to arrive!

 

day at the museum

 View across the Charles River from inside the museum.

This morning we drove into town for a half-day visit to Boston's Museum of Science. At breakfast we studied the museum map.I told each of my children to choose just two or three exhibits that really interested him. We arrived at 10:00 a.m. I gave everyone a pad of paper and a pencil and set them loose. Their objective was to make a list of things they learned, and a list of things they wanted to learn more about.  

L was interested in giant insects:

 space exlploration (that's L inside the capsule):

dinosaurs:

 and the moving sculpture/ball machine:

We left at noon, came home for lunch and compared notes.  So many, many fascinating discoveries! It was revealing to see what each of my children recorded--so different in what captured each of them. Z wrote down facts about a prototype automobile and the weight of a dinosaur compared to its fossilized remains; E wrote about human reproduction; and A recorded population stastics like, "every 8 seconds someone is born in the United States."  

Fun stuff, this learning together!

 

no guilt parenting

My last post may have left the wrong impression.  I want to fix that.  

I don't think children require any special materials in order to grow and learn. What they need are caregivers who give them lots of time and love. That's it.  

Children who don't watch television or play with plastic toys do not grow up to be smarter or kinder than children who do.  It's LOVE that nurtures a child's heart.  

A child doesn't need video games to learn and grow.  So, if you don't have money to buy them, don't sweat it.  But, a child who has lots of video games will also learn and grow.  You are not a bad parent if you allow them.  (My kids have LOADS of them!)  

A child can be entertained for hours by a cardboard box.  The same child can also be entertained by Barbie dolls and G.I. Joe's.  My kids have ALL of these things, and I am not ashamed of it. 

In my previous post, I tried to create a list of common, inexpensive materials that are available to most children in most households.  Children need a minimum of things, but they need lots of love. However, having more things won't hurt children etiher. 

There is so much that parents need to truly be concerned about in raising children, but worrying about things shouldn't be one of them.  Whether I let my daughter play with Barbies or not doesn't make me a better or worse parent.

And, that's what troubles me.  I sometimes sense an ugly competitiveness among parents these days. Aren't we all in this together?  Aren't we all trying to make the best choices we can for our kids?  Wooden toys may makes sense to you, plastic ones may make sense to me. There is no bad or good involved. Toys aren't evil.  But, the way we treat each other, well...

 

childhood necessities

Ive been thinking about what children need in order to learn and grow:

• love, warmth, and security
• freedom to explore
• freedom to try
• trust from their caregivers
• time...lots of time
• quiet and peace
• moments of solitude
• conversation, conversation, conversation
• outdoor play / encounters with nature
• touch / affection
• new places and experiences
• stories, songs, and poems
• pictures to ponder and talk about
• understanding 
• gentle instruction
• realistic boundaries
• something to love and care about (a pet or "lovey")
• rhythm:  daily, weekly, and seasonal
• wholesome food
• sleep
• freedom to imagine and get messy
• support for their ideas
• connection to Spirit

I've been talking to Brandy, who has a great post about children and "things", which has made me think about my five children and what materials have been really valuable to their growth.  Here are the material items that I think truly aid the development of children (note that many of these items are already in most homes or can be made, while the rest are fairly inexpensive):

• access to safe kitchen items:  pots, pans, wooden spoons and bowls, measuring cups and spoons
• water to splash in, measure and pour
• a little table
• crayons, pencils, paper, scissors, glue, and watercolor paint
• tape
• playdough, rolling pin, and cookie cutters
• blocks
• balls
• soap bubbles
• playsilks, old baby blankets, or cloth scraps for pretend play: capes, forts, tents, etc.
• a simple soft doll
• small objects to collect and sort (beans, macaroni, buttons, pebbles, seashells, beach glass, acorns, pine cones, feathers)
• stuffed animals
• tape
• bicycle
• jumprope (I buy a length of rope from the hardware store, cut it to length and knot the ends)
• little people (wooden peg people are really inexpensive and can be painted)
• child size tools: shovel, pail, rake, broom, mop (older kids love screw drivers, hammer, wood and nails/screws)
• did I mention tape?
• appliance boxes (always save them until they are loved to the point of disintegration)
• sand 
• books

That may seem like a long list, but take a look at it again--how many of these things are already a natural part of your home and life?  Of course, every child is unique. Your child may require a longer list or a shorter list.  

In thinking about the needs of children, I also thought about what children don't need:

• critics
• punishment
• unrealistic expectations
• electronic anything
• lots of organized play/lessons
• constant direction
• early academics
• uninvited teaching
• judgment 
• being pushed to perform
• junk food
• noise 
• inconsistency
• ridicule
• harshness
• parental over-attention or inattention
• anxiety
• products marketed to them (licensed toys, food, etc.--we should all fight to make this practice illegal in our country)

 

I want to learn how to paint like this

 

can schools be "fixed"?

In the Globe this morning there was an opinion piece that rattled me a bit.  The article was written by Carlo Rotella, director of American Studies at Boston College.  Recently, he had the opportunity to visit a fourth grade classroom and teach them about researching and organizing information into essay format, which is Rotella's area of expertise.  As he worked with this class of ten year olds, he was struck by the thought that elementary school is the crucial ground of learning:

As we talked about the fundamental tool kit of nonfiction writing at any level — planning a project, doing the legwork, crafting narrative and analysis, revising drafts — it was driven home to me, as it always is when I visit my kids’ classrooms, that this is where the educational action is. Elementary school is school in its purest and most important form.

By the time students get to my own classroom, as undergrads or grad students, it feels as if we’re playing out the sequel of this main drama....  

Rotella was unprepared for the  "potent chaos of their (the students') collective thought process." He described the usual fidgeting and random question pattern of the ten year old students.  He expressed concern for what he saw and the need to correct a system that does not serve its purpose,while recognizing that, " when it comes to debates about education, we know that school is vitally important, but after that fine start the clarity begins to fade."

The article ends on that note of uncertainty.  Yet, the key to understanding the problem of how to fix our schools was staring him right in the face of that fourth grade classroom.  He even identified it!  Have you ever beheld a group of ten year olds?  The physical differences among this age group can be shocking.  Some are as small as eight year olds, while others have already hit puberty.  Main stream educators ignore these physical differences, and operate under the assumption that there is no connection between brain developemnt (a physical organ) and the ability to learn!  Instead, they group children together according to age, and place them under the unrealistic expectation that they can all acquire skills and knowledge at the same rate and level.  

It is important to note that this is a problem particular to modern centralized schools with our large, age-grouped classrooms.  In the early days schools were much smaller, often only one room, and classes were almost always of mixed ages, which allowed students to learn and grow at their own pace.  Small mixed-age classrooms, however, offer challenges in classroom management and instruction.  They require teachers who are committed to their work in a unique way.  Teaching used to be a "profession", which, once upon a time, was a very special word.  Today, that word has almost completely lost its meaning, and is synonymous with white-collar workers.  But, long ago the word meant that you were a clergyman, a lawyer, a doctor, or a teacher.  It also meant that you were devoted to your work to a level that exceeded other kinds of occupations.  Often, it meant remaining unmarried.  I am not suggesting that teachers today do not work hard, or that they should be single.  I am just pointing out the changes that have occurred in our educational system since its inception.  

There are schools that do a better job of helping children learn and grow than others.  Among the alternatives are Waldorf, Montessori, and Reggio Emilia schools.  Unfortunately, the vast majority of these schools are private, and unaffordable for most families.  Could some of the principles from these educational methods be adopted by public schools?  Perhaps.  But, doing so would come at a very high price in teacher training,  and revising materials and learning environments.  In today's economic climate it wouldn't be feasible. 

And, we cannot forget that in our capitalist society education is first and foremost a business. It is more lucrative to develop and publish standardized tests and teaching materials. It is more cost efficient to warehouse children in large buildings.  It costs less to teach larger classes...I have come to the conclusion that schools will not be fixed even if they can be.  There is simply much more interest in making money than in children and learning--this is a societal value, not just held by policy makers. School in our culture has lost its primary focus of educating students and embraced a wider mission of providing health care, nutrition, and childcare.  Parents are overworked, and too tired to fight a system that offers them this kind of support, even if this same system fails to provide their children with a sound education.    

do you keep a journal?

When I was about nine or ten years old I found a diary from my mother's teenage years.  It was a small five year diary with a black leather cover and a lock;  it looked like a diary--the kind of diary that, at nine, I would like to own.  There were maybe twenty entries in it, all of them very factual, chronicling daily events and visits with relatives.  At the time she lived on a dairy farm in the north country of upstate New York.  

Soon after that discovery I began my own diary in a notebook.  I would write everyday for a week, and then not again for a month or more, when I would "restart" my diary. But, unfortunately, each time I began my diary anew, my perfectionist nature prompted me to rip-out all of my old entries, so even though I wrote in a diary during much of my childhood and teen years, I never got anywhere.  I didn't truly "keep" any of my diaries, instead I developed an unhappy pattern of write and destroy.  

I carried this pattern into my adult journaling projects, too.  Over the years I've written thousands of pages and filled scores of notebooks with words,clippings, and sketches.  A few of these notebooks remain, but most of them ended up in the trash. I couldn't risk anyone finding and reading them.  I remember lying awake one night and thinking, "If I die tonight, I don't want my husband and children to read my notebooks!  Those words are not how I want to be remembered."  

No matter how positively I begin a new journal, it soon devolves into a whining, complaining mess where I vent all of my unhappy thoughts and feelings--which would be fine if that was helpful, but I have not found it to be.  I long to write a different kind of journal.  A journal that my children and husband would be happy to stumble upon, and that I would be happy to re-read myself someday.  

How to get started on such a journal?  I went to the library to search the shelves for help, and stumbled upon Alexandra Johnson's book, Leaving A Trace: On Keeping A Journal.  This book is an engaging read filled with excerpts from famous diarists, as well as practical writing prompts and tips, and information about keeping different types of journals:  gratitude journals, observation journals, travel journals, dream journals, &c.  Johnson provides encouragement and real help for writing a journal that can become a springboard of creativity and a workbook for your life.  

Let me ask you:

• Do you keep a journal?
• What is your purpose for keeping a journal/diary?  What do you call it:  journal, diary, commonplace book, &c ?
• In what do you keep it?  Notebook?  Bound book?  Moleskine?  Computer? Something else? (Of course, a blog is a journal, too, but its shared, public nature is a severely limiting factor which casts it in an entirely different category from the personal journals I am concerned with here.)
• How often do you write in it?
• What kinds of things do you record?
• Do you use a particular method? 
• What are your favorite writing tools? Pen? Pencils? Watercolor? 
• Do you include photos, clippings, &c?

my happiness project

Last year was the year of my Happiness Project.  I consciously worked on making my life better, richer, happier one new habit at a time.  The first thing I did was identify the things in my life that caused unnecessary stress, and then I worked on replacing those things with healthier habits.  Here's how my project shaped up:

• I had to let go of a close friend who had become increasingly unfriendly to me
• I started exercising and at the same time changed my diet 
• I started going to bed earlier and waking up earlier
• I de-cluttered my house
• I started saying "yes" to most everything:  Want to play jumprope?  YES; Want to go with us to this concert?  YES;  Want to ride bikes?  YES, YES, YES

The results were that I dropped 20 lbs., lowered my blood pressure, increased my energy, have lighter periods, clearer thoughts, and more even moods...I am HAPPIER! It worked.  The best, most surprising thing that came out of this project is that my whole family seems happier--which may just be a change in my own perspective.

Two books that gave me encouragement and motivation were:

 

The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin

 Life is a Verb:  37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally, by Patti Dign

Now that it's a new year, I'm beginning phase two of my Happiness Project.  Of course, I need to keep working on the changes I made in 2010 so that I don't backslide  But, I am already working on my first goal of the year: to learn something new...something completely different and out of my comfort zone: belly dancing.  I think I'm happier already!

these are the golden days...

 
View from the center playground, Bedford, Massachusetts.

of the year.  When we finish our lessons for the day, it is impossible not to rush outside and soak up the brightness of autumn before the dark, silent days of winter close-in.  Lately, we've been making a circuit of playgrounds in neighboring towns, which has been great fun.  Our favorite is the playground in Bedford center. 

 

The other morning L and I watched out the kitchen window as a large flock of blackbirds (mostly grackles) descended upon our backyard.  It was a breezy day, and the birds--hundreds of them--swirled about in the falling leaves.  The air was filled with sound:  the crackle of leaves and swush of wings, along with the chatter of hundreds of bird voices.  It was a dazzling sight, one that L will remember. 

Our little homeschool has settled into a very nice rhythm.   The children are getting quite a lot accomplished, and are fairly happy in their studies.  A new book that we are all pleased with this year is, The Human Odyssey:  Pre-History Through the Middle Ages, published by K12.  I have struggled with finding good history texts over the years, especially for World history.  It is important to me that history is presented as it truly is:  a mystery, in which the past is painstakingly pieced together clue-by-clue into an incomplete picture; that by its very nature the study of history is interpretive; that what we know about the past must be "revised" as new evidence is unearthed; and that history is the most exciting and worthwhile subject of study, encompassing every field from science, to art and literature, to religion--every endeavor of mankind.  It is hard to find a text that treats history like that.  The Human Odyssey does all of that and includes maps, charts, and photographs of artifacts, excerpts from folklore and literature, and first person accounts.  I can tell you that I am learning right along with my kids. 

At night, when everyone is in bed, I sometimes have a moment to knit a few rows or read.  I've zipped through all of Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie mysteries (thank you for recommending them, Paula!), and I've read one of Sophie Hannah's thrillers, The Truth-Teller's Lie, which was a dark, but very engrossing read.  Currently I am reading A.S. Byatt's Possession, which is a densely written novel about academia.  I didn't know if I would like it at first, but it's growing on me. 

And, my Wispy Cardi is finally almost finished.  I just have 1.5 inches of ribbing to go, and then it will be ready to be blocked.  Show and tell should be very soon :- ).  Once it's finished I plan to knit a hat and mittens for L,  mittens for E, and socks for E, S, Z, and me. 

homeschooling essentials

"First of all, [parents] have to like [their children], enjoy their company, their physical presence, their energy, foolishness, and passion. They have to enjoy all their talk and questions, and enjoy equally trying to answer those questions. They have to think of their children as friends, indeed very close friends, have to feel happier when they are near and miss them when they are away. They have to trust them as people, respect their fragile dignity, treat them with courtesy, take them seriously. They have to feel in their own hearts some of their children's wonder, curiosity and excitement about the world. And they have to have enough confidence in themselves, skepticism about experts, and willingness to be different from most people, to take on themselves the responsibility for their children's learning."

~John Holt in Teach Your Own

farm love

  

Playthings rotate often at our house.  These days L loves his farm.  He takes it down from the toy shelf each day and has an animal parade:  first the chickens, then the pigs, then the cows, the sheep, the horses, and last the elephant (yes, an elephant lives on his farm).  Everyday there is a birthday on the farm.  The cows give the milk for the cake, the chickens give the eggs, and the scarecrow brings the wheat.  A cake is baked.  Songs are sung, wishes are made, candles are blown out, there are cheers. Then it is night time for the animals to go to sleep.  Into the barn they gallop and flap.  Then  L shuts the gates and the windows of the barn.  Soon--very soon--it is morning.  A rooster crows and the animals are up.  It is time for another parade. 

Yesterday I remembered that when S, Z and A were little we used to have a series of lovely books called Farmyard Tales.  I hunted and hunted for those books on all of our bookshelves, but I couldn't find them.  So, I went to Amazon and discovered that the four little books have been compiled into one big book:  The Complete Book of Farmyard Tales.  I know L will love these stories, and so I ordered the book.

Later in the afternoon, A said, "Look what I found":

 
What luck!   Since The Complete Book of Farmyard Tales is on its way to L, I would like to give these books away to another family who might enjoy them (they are appropriate for ages 2-7).  If you would like to receive these books please leave a comment letting me know, and I will contact you by email for your mailing address.  If only one reader requests them, she will receive all four books.  If two readers respond, each will receive two books.  If three or four readers respond each will receive one book.  The books will go to the first four commenters who request them by Sunday, February 28th.  I will send them out on Monday, March 1st. 

Update:  Kort was the only person to request the Farmyard Tales books, so she will receive all four titles in the series.  Congratulations, Kort!

winter days

Turkey feathers!  It looks like Mother Nature is having a pillow fight outside.  We have not had a substantial snowfall since before Christmas, so it is lovely to watch the garden fill up with snow.  Here is the view from the family room window:

 
I can't wait to go out and play in it!  Tomorrow morning L, E,  A, and I have plans to build snow animals.  If it's good packing snow, I want to make a whole menagerie:  bunnies and ducks and bears and kitties. 

It will be good to go outside, as we've all been quite sick with a virus during the last week.  Our days have been filled with quiet play and sniffly noses.  The girls built a little house for L in the front hall.  He calls it his kitchen.  

One afternoon, he and I took out the trains and challenged ourselves to build a track using all of the pieces.  We made a zoo, and a farm, and a neighborhood, too.

Valentine's Day provided a much needed diversion during our illness.  We all colored, cut, and glued--secretly, of course, as every card was a happy surprise.

This morning, we finally felt well enough to venure out to the library to return our enormous pile of books.  At the circulation desk these were waiting for us:

 

Happy winter days ahead! 
  
  

winter warmth

Today there was a biting wind, which made it bitter cold.  I am very glad for my warm, snug house. I am also thankful for warm, kind friends.   A, L, and I drove to my friend Krisitn's house for a long, enjoyable afternoon visit.   She and I had an encouraging conversation about how God is currently moving in each of our lives, and about homeschooling. I left her cheerful kitchen feeling like this:

Both of us admitted that having a concrete, written plan is essential to our productivity.  After a very unproductive week (with no plan) I intend to spend tomorrow morning making plans for next week:  lessons, meals, read alouds, and three personal goals.  Next week I am going to challenge myself to:

1.  Get dressed before I come down the stairs in the morning.

2.  Write in my journal every day.

3.  Go to bed by 10 p.m. every night.  (This one will be hard for me, as I am an owl :-)  Most nights I do not get to bed until well past midnight, but I know that I will really benefit from earlier nights and more sleep.)

unexpected gifts

Today was our Girls Club pool party, and our last club meeting until autumn.   It was quite overcast for most of the day, and I thought that I might have to cancel the party, but then right before the girls arrived with their swimsuits and towels, the sun came out!  It was a golden afternoon.  I chatted with two of the mothers who stayed to watch with me, and the girls swam and snacked on fresh fruit, cheese, chips, and tootsie rolls.   One of the girls gave me a small gift for making the Girls Club so much fun.  I was very touched by that.  All of the girls certainly made the season great fun for me.  I will miss them.

There wasn't much time this morning for lessons, but at lunchtime, I read aloud William Steig's Amos and Boris and Roland the Minstrel Pig to my children,  just for fun.  The older children enjoyed these picture books even more than the younger ones did, and  I think that I enjoyed them most of all.  Why do people think that picture books are only for very little children, I wonder?  I shall never give them up. 

 After all of the girls packed up and went home, A and I sat out in the back yarden together, I, with my iced tea and book, and she with her bug boxes.  Yesterday evening she found this large maple spanworm on the fence:

Doesn't it look just like a stick?  It is so well camouflaged that I am amazed she discovered it.

And, today she found this mourning cloak caterpillar:

We have had good luck with getting mourning cloak larvae to pupate in the past.  Hopefully in a few weeks I will have a butterfly photo to show you. 

~*~

And, now I must share the most amazing thing.  Sarah has written a poem for me...a beautiful, soul-stirring piece that I know will be meaningful to many mothers.  I am deeply honored.  She is an exceptionally talented writer, and a very kind friend.  I am blessed to know her.

blessed ordinary

Today was blessedly, an ordinary Monday.  I was grateful to be able to begin my day with Mass and the holy rosary. Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows of the church, reminding me of the answer a little girl once gave when asked, "What is a saint?" She pointed up at the windows, (which depict various saints) and said, "They're the people that the Light shines through".

Home again, we had pancakes for breakfast.  Lesson time included viewing some coraline algae from Z's saltwater aquarium through the microscope.  There were tiny transparent creatures busily working on the algae.  Very cool.  While the children busied themselves with math and grammar, I did the meal planning, made the grocery list, and wrote the bills--my usual Monday chores. 

After lunch we went out to the pond and saw a mama swan with her brand new cygnets.

  

And a flock of Canada geese snacking on clover.

 

And a soft brown rabbit enjoying a snack, too.

 

After our walk, L and I went grocery shopping, and then it was time for afternoon chores:  vacuuming, a couple of loads of wash, and supper preparations. 

There is sweet magic in ordinary days.

rainy with a chance of fun

The other day I was visiting Sarah's blog, and saw this post that includes a cozy scene of her and her daughter playing Settlers of Catan,  and I thought, how nice it would be to have a new game to play, especially as we move into the summer months and longer evenings.  So, yesterday I went to the game shop to purchase Settlers, which apparently is a very popular game, as it was out of stock.  The kind and helpful shopkeeper showed me several other interesting options.  After discussing the merits and methods of each, I chose Carcassonne, a game about the medieval fortified French city.  It turned out to be an excellent choice. 

This morning dawned cold, grey, and rainy.  I confess that it is difficult for me to keep my spirits up on such days.   After a breakfast of French toast and tea, I decided to forgo formal lessons for the day. Instead I cuddled up on the couch with A and E and watched Sense and Sensibility again.  (I never tire of that story, do you?)  When the film was over we packed up our overdue books, along with a letter to A's penpal, and set off into the rain for the library and post office.  It was lunchtime when we returned, after which, we made a pan of brownies with a generous amount of Reeces pieces added, and put L down for his nap.  Then we made a nice hot pot of tea and settled ourselves at the kitchen table to play Carcassonne.  Here is a photograph of the city that I found on the internet:

 

Kinda makes you want to go to France, doesn't it?  Perhaps someday...I am certainly inspired to brush up on my French (I took seven French classes in college including French literature--I loved them all!)  I have a computer program to help me re-learn the language; I may give it a go later this evening if I have time.  (My friend Sombra is teaching herself Hebrew--how cool is that?!). 

It turned out to be a lovely afternoon despite the gloomy weather.  Miss E won our game.

5.17 - 5.23 week in review

On Sunday L turned three!  We had our usual simple celebration:  the birthday fairies arrived during the night and decorated the kitchen with streamers, ballons, and a happy birthday sign; L wore a golden crown all day and had all of his meals on the red plate;  we made him a chocolate cake per his request; and, he got a bicycle.  It was a very happy day.

I've had some difficult and worrisome things to deal with lately, and on Monday I felt absolutely crushed by the weight of it all.  I needed to get out of the house and distract myself from my thoughts.   All of the children needed new clothes, so we went to the mall and did some shopping.  It was just what I needed; we all had a lot of fun trying on clothes and going in and out of all of the beautiful shops.  I was even generous with myself and bought a new purse and a couple of summer tops.   

We are still reading about Shakespeare, which has captured all of our imaginations.  S has hit a road block in his Geometry lessons.  I think that I should have had him study Trigonometry first, since those processes are necessary at this point in his Geometry curriculum.  So, we've made the decision to set Geometry aside for now, and pick up Algebra again at the community college this autumn.  S is going to focus on writing and reading the books on this list over the summer.  Currently, he is reading Crime and Punishment.  I've switched Z's math curriculum again.  This time, I am having him work through the Spectrum math workbook for 8th grade.  Math is just such a drag for him. 

On Tuesday the girls and I went on a letterboxing picnic with our Girls Club.   None of the other girls had ever been letterboxing before, and they loved it.  It was a perfect late spring day, bright golden sunshine and a light breeze to keep the bugs at bay.  We hunted for and found this letterbox at our beloved Horn Pond, and were lucky to observe some interesting birds, insects, plants, and reptiles during our hike.  One of these was a BIG watersnake, right in the middle of our path.  It was about four feet long, and it tried to strike us!  We also found some lovely lady's slippers: 

Wednesday morning we had our meeting at the school regarding L's speech evaluation and the report we were given.  Unfortunately, the supervisor was out sick, leaving the speech pathologist who evaluated L to conduct the meeting.  I shared my concerns with her about her use of negative language in the Desciption of Peformance, and the absence of environmental and other factors that contributed to the evaluation.  Her first impulse was to defend herself by saying that she has evaluated hundreds of children, and L was far more active than any of them.  It was laughable, really, and I would have been amused if the report was not going to be a part of my child's school record.  I took the opportunity to remind her about the Pygmalion Effect, and explained that when I was in teacher training twenty years ago, we were strongly cautioned to always use neutral language when writing reports about the children in our charge.  By the end of our conversation, she expressed her appreciation for what I shared with her, and regret for the way she had worded the Description of Performance.  It was she who suggested that we re-word the report together.  It was a good meeting. 

Thursday was happily, a quiet day, spent mostly at home.  We had a good morning of studies, an afternoon of housework and play, a simple dinner of chicken sandwiches and salad, and then a trip to the park and icecream stand. 

Friday was our first real pool day.  The sun was our friend; the pool warmed up to a comfortable 77 F, and we swam all afternoon.  

While I layed in the grass looking up at the brilliant blue expanse of sky with its light marbling of whispy vapor, I found myself thinking about what a marvel it is that this planet is absolutely teeming with life, while the others in our solar system are devoid of it.  I wonder sometimes about whether there is life in other galaxies...even if there is, it is so far away.  It was a rather lonely thought.

Last night A woke up with a stomach bug.  The poor girl has been sick all day, so I've spent my Saturday puttering about inside in order to be close to her.  When I retrieved the mail, there was a letter from her sweet pen pal, which brightened her spirits considerably.   

happy homeschooling

I think Sarah has hit upon something very important in a post she wrote today: that homeschooling is really more about the parents than the child.  As Sarah observed, and wisely noted, our children learn no matter how we teach them. They learn even if we don't teach them.  It is the very nature of humans to learn.   She wrote, "The key to making our homeschool thrive is not to wrestle into shape some ideal way of educating.  It is to make me happy with how we homeschool."

Oh, my that is a liberating thought!

*I* made the decision to homeschool my children:  because *I* want the best for them, because *I* could not stand to put them on a noisy schoolbus, because *I* could not stand to think of them in a cheerless building all day, because *I* wanted them to grow up whole and to continue to be the joyful learners that they were throughout their babyhood.  Yes, I did it for them, but perhaps more importantly, I did it for me.  Homeschooling is what I can live with :-)

Sarah has helped me to identify why unschooling never really works for us (although I find it very attractive)--it makes me anxious.  I not only thrive on the daily, monthly and seasonal rhythms of life (partly because it makes spontanaiety seem special, and well, spontaneous ;-), but I also love to teach and plan; it energizes me and makes me feel productive.  When these things are missing from my life (long holidays, illnesses, trying on someone else's learning lifestyle, etc.) I become agitated and depressed.  THIS is when my whole family becomes unhappy.  The old adage "A happy mother makes for happy children,"  really does ring true.

A dear friend shared with me yesterday that she really isn't happy staying at home and homeschooling her children.  "Then why on earth are you doing it?"  I asked her.   It can't be good for children to grow up with melancholy, unfulfilled moms.  Children need a model of what life can be--joyous and meaningful! We owe it to our families--and ourselves--to pursue happiness.   

Thank you, Sarah, for reminding me :-)

a day at school

Two weeks ago I brought L to the local public elementary school for a speech evaluation.  He has received Early Intervention, in our home, for speech during the last sixteen months, but that program ends when a child turns three (L's birthday is Sunday). A few months before his third birthday, Early Intervention referred us to the local school system to determine if he qualifies for further help. He has made such tremendous progress in his language skills, that I doubted he would qualify, but my husband and I decided to go through with the evaluation anyway.  How I wish we hadn't! 

Going to the school that Friday afternoon reminded me of all the reasons why I educate my children at home:  bells, smells, noise, professional arrogance, fixed curriculum based on arbitrary levels and "standards", yelling, and a negative attitude towards children. 

L and I entered the cheerless building and were instructed by the school secretary to wait on a bench in the hall for our examiner.  We waited in the hall for fifteen minutes--we were on time.  When the examiner arrived, she introduced herself to me, said hello to L, took him by the hand and lead him down the hall.  L protested.  He did not know this strange lady, and he had never been inside a building like this before.  He wanted his mama!  I joined him in the evaluation room, but the examiner was clearly not happy.  I promised to be quiet.

The room where L received his evaluation was full of toys.  There was a shelf with toys, a table with toys, a desk with toys.  He lit up and began exploring.  The examiner instructed him to sit at the table.  L sat and began playing with the toys on the table.  The examiner wanted him to look at pictures in a book.  She told him to stop playing with the toys and to look at her pictures.  Meanwhile, the gardener turned on a sprinkler outside.  The water hit the window rhythmically:  splash, splash, splash.  L was intrigued.  He got up and went to the window.  "No, L! Sit at the table and look at these pictures."  L sat down.  But, the toys were still on the table, and there were blocks.  And, a ball in a cup.  L got up to see these marvelous things.  "No, L!  You can't touch those toys.  You must sit and look at these pictures with me."  L was frustrated. He kicked the table leg.  I felt sad for my little boy...who is little enough that he still wears diapers and nurses and sleeps with his mommy and dad.

Throughout the evaluation, another woman who shares the room with the examiner kept coming in and out, opening and closing doors and drawers, and shuffling papers.  In the end, L pointed to all of the examiners pictures:  "This a boat, this a girl, this a baby--this baby crying, what happened?--this a train," etc.  Somewhere a bell rang.  "What's that sound?"  L asked.  "That's the bell.  We're all done, L", said the examiner.  It was the first time she smiled since she met us.

Today I received the examiner's report.  Next Wednesday we will have an opportunity to meet with the special education department and discuss the results of L's evaluation.  Just as I thought, L does not qualify for services.  However, what I had not expected was this:

"Description of Performance:
L would not separate from his mother and had difficulty sitting at the table to attend to the testing.  He was very active, moved around the room, kicked the table, and grabbed at toys and materials within reach.  At other times, L responded "no" when asked to participate.  An informal spontaneous speech sample, taken during the testing period, indicated that L's voice and fluency were appropriate.  This test was very difficult to administer due to L's attention and activity level.  However, even though an official ceiling was not reached, standard scores were attained based on what he was able to complete....."

What?  So It had nothing to do with the examiner's own incompetence, such as failing to take the time to establish rapport with her test subject, or to communicate a feeling of comfort and safety, or of not preparing the room adequately and eliminating the many distractions???   The examiner made L sound hyper and inattentive, when he was merely curious and inquisitive.  He did not "grab" at toys, he played with them nicely.  He was not "very active", he just could not sit at the table for forty-five minutes straight and look at pictures when there were real objects to be played with right on the table in front of him!

This is what I hate about public education: it is prone to mis-characterizations and labels.  If L goes to school, this report is now part of his record. 

There is much I wish to say at the meeting next Wednesday.

an apple in every room

Today A, E and I went to Concord to visit Orchard House, the historic home of Louisa May Alcott and her family.  The weather was cool and grey; every blade of grass was limned in silver; lilacs, forsythia, and apple blossoms were laden with mist, and the fields were dotted with black and white cows.  The day itself had an old-fashioned storybook quality that transported us back in time. 

 

The Alcott's were quite poor when they moved to Orchard House.  The land included twelve acres of apple orchard, although the house itself was in quite a state of disrepair.  It took a year of work to make it habitable.  This was the home in which Louisa May penned Little Women, which led to her immediate success, and elevated her family out of poverty. 

Louisa's father, Bronson Alcott, was an important figure in the American Transcendentalist movement, and an education reformer.  His four daughters were educated at home, and allowed to pursue their innate interests.  Anna, the oldest, was an actress who founded an acting guild in Concord that exists to this day; Louisa was a writer;  Beth was a musician; and May was an accomplished artist.  The characters in Little Women were modeled upon Lousia and her sisters. 

Louisa would sometimes write for fourteen hours a day!  In order to accomplish this feat, she taught herself how to write with both hands.  The girls and I got to view a page from the original Little Women manuscript that was written with Louisa's left hand (she was right handed). 

All of the Alcotts were liberal minded.  They were abolitionists who were involved in the underground railroad, and  Louisa valued women's independence.  She decided early in life that she would never marry--a decision that she stayed true to, even though she did have quite a crush on Ralph Waldo Emerson, her father's friend.   Louisa was fond of leaving him flowers on his doorstep and singing German love songs to him outside his bedroom window.   

Orchard House itself is a lovely place, a neat and tidy home with May's artwork adorning the walls (literally--her parents allowed her to sketch ON the walls!), and large sunny rooms.  Lousia's room was on the second floor at the front of the house (the center window was hers).  It was a room I could occupy with great contentment.  

One of the things that especially intrigued me during our tour was this schedule,  "Order of Indoor Duties", which was written by Bronson Alcott for his children, and was hanging on the wall of the bedroom he shared with his wife Abigail:   

 

I hope you can make out the words.  (If you click on the picture, I believe that you will see a larger image.)  At the very bottom it says:  Observe Silence and Stillness. 

Good idea, that. 

The girls and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour (our guide was exceptional, and because of the dreary day, we had her all to ourselves). 

One thing that E observed was that in Orchard House, quite fittingly, there was an apple in every room. 

daily bread

It is difficult to do much birdwatching when you have five children with you. 

This morning while the older children were completing their math assignments, I read Moongame to L.  He pointed to the mallard ducks on one of the pages and said, "These ducks Horn Pond.  Need bread.  Hungry.  I feed them.  Horn Pond, Mommy."  It is hard to resist such a request.  Three months ago, L did not yet put two words together.  Now, he is speaking in full sentences and paragraphs.  I grabbed what stale bread was in the house, and my binoculars.  S got the dog's leash.  Z his fishing pole.  We piled into the van, the seven of us (including Buddy, the dog), and went. 

I should say, right off that the bluets are in bloom.  We have a special path at the pond that we call the fairy trail, and it was carpeted with the tiny four-petaled, blue-tinged, white flowers.  It was magical.  The woods were full of birdsong.  I heard many calls that I recognized, and was privileged to see a warbling vireo and what I believe was either an Ipswich or Savannah sparrow.  The turtles were out.  And, Z caught a nice blue gill and a smaller pumpkin seed.  We saw one of the swans sitting on its giant nest.  Oh, and there was a double breasted cormorant not too far out in the water, resting on a partially submerged branch.  L threw a hundred rocks (at least) into the pond.  Splash, splash, splash!  And, he fed his ducks. 

I should have enjoyed it all more.  But, I was troubled and agitated today.  I should have received the blessings of the day with gladness.  Instead, I nearly missed them. 

4.26 - 5.2 week in review

Last week we began our study of Shakespeare.  We read aloud from Who Was William Shakespeare and Bard of Avon, The Story of William Shakespeare.  Z pointed out that the popular actress Ann Hathaway shares her name with Shakespeare's wife, which made us wonder if it the afore mentioned is a stage name.  Our study method is as follows:  we gather at the kitchen table, I read aloud a couple of chapters, we discuss them and make comments, and then the children write about what they learned.  On Wednesday we did some map work.  The kids each labeled a blackline map of the United Kingdom, showing the Avon River, Stratford-upon-Avon, The River Thames, London, The Irish Sea, The English Channel, The North Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean, as well as all countries:  Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and England. 

Monday night I went to see John Michael Talbot in concert at a local Catholic Church, with my friend Kristen.  The concert was beyond my expectations.  I almost didn't go, because, well,  24 is on Monday night, and the boys and I like to watch it together, but, I am so glad I went.  John Michael Talbot is the coolest monk going, and his music was soul-stirring and meditative.  In between many of the songs he performed, shared his thoughts with us and directed our hearts toward God.  He was at turns funny / light-hearted, and sober / reflective. I left the concert full of joy and quiet peace--which has remained with me through the entire week; I am eager to go to Mass this morning.  Kristen bought a compilation of Talbot's entire collection of older work.  I bought his new CD Living Waters and his book Simplicity.  I haven't had much time for reading this week, and have only managed to get through the Preface and Introduction, but just in those preliminary sections I have already learned a great deal. 

On Tuesday we joined our homeschool group for a double dutch jump-roping workshop.  It was a very hot day--97 F.  Afterwards I was concerned about E, who tends to throw herself whole-heartedly into whatever she does.  Her little face was bright red and she didn't feel well.  I made her lay on the couch at home with a cool compress on her face, and gave her lemonade to sip.  Thankfully, she bounced back quickly.

Thursday we went to Habitat Sanctuary for a hands-on guided nature walk that I organized for our homeschool group.  Our guides were very nice, but the activities were pretty lame.  The cost per child was $6.50, which was rather expensive, for what it was;  I expected that the program would be more in-depth.  Even so, we did make some nice nature connections.  We saw a baby salamander, some owl pellets at the base of a big white pine, a pair of mourning cloak butterflies mating, tadpoles, a caddisfly larvae, and we caught grasshoppers in the meadow. 

Friday, L went to our local public elementary school for a speech evaluation.  It was awful!  The evaluation was everything I hate about school.  No matter what the results of the testing (we won't know until May 20th), I will not allow him to receive therapy there!

Yesterday was a typical Saturday of housework and leisure activities:  A and I gave the dog (BIG black lab) a bath outside, I did five loads of laundry, vacuumed upstairs and down, went for a bike ride with the girls while L was napping, finished writing a letter to my best friend Sombra, and  played outside with L. 

All in all a busy week, and a  good one.