The Daily Stuff

The Suburban is at the mechanics' now. They checked it out and sure enough, second gear is g-o-n-e. It's in pretty bad shape, and we were only a few days out from having a "drive in reverse only" vehicle. Again. So, fourth transmission coming up! I am SO thankful this one is under warranty! That $450 on the extended warranty was money well spent. Talk about opportunity cost!

This does, however, leave us with only The Mistress for getting around. Technically, only the Big People are now even remotely mobile. Zorak is the only driver in the house, since The Mistress and I haven't gotten to know one another yet. The boys aren't big enough that either of us would dare to plunk them on the back and trust that they'd hold on. *cringe* *shudder* Just the mere thought of what could happen makes me queasy.

I need creamer, and since it's cold out, I'm guessin' tonight's not the night.

Therefore, I'm drinking the coffee black, and while it does keep the headaches at bay, it does nothing for the mindset or the muse.

We had a great supper tonight. The boys helped make the split pea soup, then watched a video on the Humbolt Squid while the soup simmered. Something triggered The Giggles when we prayed, and from there it just built up and flowed right over. We joked and were just plain silly. Zorak made up his usual word-play riddles. The boys made up some of their own. They absolutely butchered their Latin and that made them explode in another fit of hysterical giggles.

Zorak and I couldn't have kept straight faces if we'd tried. The boys were laughing so hard. I thought John would asphyxiate and James had tears streaming down his face.

By bedtime, we were all exhausted. The boys passed right out during story time. Zorak took the Smidge upstairs over an hour ago and hasn't resurfaced, so I'm guessing he's out cold, too.

That leaves me, humming "So long, farewell..." to myself here in the living room. Eh, the children are tucked in, safe and warm. The house is recovering bit by bit. My muse is ignoring me. I believe I'll turn in, too.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

The Feel of Success

Today during Latin, the boys practiced their derivatives, sang Adeste Fidelis, and recited their prayers (The Sanctus and The Doxology). James usually hangs up on the fifth line of the Sanctus, and needs the quiet prodding of me whispering, "Benedictus" to get him going again.

Not today. Today he recited the whole thing without a stumble, without a hitch. It was beautifully done. I was so proud of him for sticking it out over the months, not giving up, not letting his attiude go sour. He did so well, and I thought I would burst.

But I didn't have the chance to congratulate him immediately. No sooner did he say the last "excelsis" than he leapt from his chair and spun around and around, leaping, jumping, mouth wide open, eyes sparkly but hidden behind high, happy cheeks.

"I did it! I did it and I didn't need any help! I did it all by myself!"

Way to go, Kiddo!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Slipping in just one quick blog!

Well, the rest of the day turned out so nicely. The boys opted to recreate the story of Theseus and the Minotaur before we moved on to the re-civilization of Greece. Smidge thought it was hilarious. I narrowly escaped being made to play the Minotaur. It was good stuff.

The evening brought a chill to the air, so clam chowder and homemade wheat-free hush puppies were the order of the day for supper. That hit the spot all around.

While Zorak and I fixed supper, the boys played upstairs. At one point, Zorak went up to check on them (playing happily, engrossed in pirate ships and gears). He asked John if his pirates are the ones that don't do anything. John said, "No, these are the pirates that do anything."

From around the corner, James piped up, "You mean they just go around randomly doing things?"

Zorak just about fell over laughing.

Life is good, isn't it?

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

The Weather Makes a Great Motivator!

For me, anyway. After a week of nothing but cold, cold, cold, today is simply, gloriously beautiful!

So, it's one o'clock in the afternoon and we're done. Considering we did not wake up until after nine (that was James and he was first -- we've all been battling some crud since leaving Prescott), we've cruised through school this morning and are now heading outside to ride bikes and clean the Suburban. I tried to talk the boys into letting me ride one of their bikes, but that was a no-go. Ah, well, had to try.

What does our Spring term look like, you ask? (Or not, but I'm telling you anyway.)

John-
Math: Math-U-See Primer, starting with Lesson 12. He's shooting for mastery, although I'm not. Primer is designed for introduction and familiarity. He's loving it, though, so who am I to say, "No, you're doing too well. We must speed up!"
Reading: Writing Road to Reading, reviewed all the first phonograms, introduced the first four two-letter phonograms. Then he read the first three lessons in McGuffay's Primer. Major Gummy Bears for that one!

James-Math: Math-U-See Gamma, starting with reviewing Lesson 5. We've pretty much wandered about and created our own problems, focusing on word problem solving. He's not intimidated by them one bit, and that's what I've been hoping for!
Reading: Two chapters of Burgess' Old Granny Fox, four-letter phoneme review, spelling

Both-Latin: Review, review, review. We're somewhere near Lesson 7-ish. (They're young, we're informal, it's all good.) James does the workbook pages from Prima Latina. John does what he's up for, which is surprisingly quite a bit.
Bible: "I am fearfully and wonderfully made!"
History: We'll do history this afternoon, during snack. This week we're picking up with Chapter 22: The Greeks Get Civilized Again. I am hoping to make Eklek this week!

I've requested a catalog for education from the National Gallery, and am so thrilled about doing more experiential, hands-on Art learning!

OK, well, the natives are restless! I'm out of here. Just wanted to touch base today, as I plan to go to bed at a Decent Hour, and a Decent Hour falls long before the truly good Blogging Hour.

Kiss those babies! And don't forget, if you like what you see here, vote (link in the Best of Blog icon at the top). You can vote daily (which I didn't know until last night.)

~Dy

Back to School Days

I reminded the boys that lessons begin again tomorrow. John said, "Can we do math?" James said, "Oh, good!" Jacob slipped off silently, presumably to start hiding potential read-alouds.

The boys are excited about going back, discovering new things, and having new field trips. I am, too. The Fall was a good term for all of us. It was the first term we've schooled both boys and had a baby around. We had to find new footing, and although we've lost quite a bit of our normal reading to the screaming Babyzilla attacks, we've discovered new ways of integrating lessons into our everyday lives. I asked the boys what they, specifically, looked forward to. Some of their thoughts:

They missed doing Latin games.
They are excited about doing memory work again. (??? Well, ok...)
They've both missed doing math.
Oh, and they've really missed gummy worms and M&M's. (Which are an invaluable part of our daily lessons, of course.)

Those sales in August always sneak up on me, which is a strange sensation. As a child, I had an internal clock that told me they were coming. Or perhaps it was just that my shoes began getting tight and I knew we'd be buying "school clothes" right about then. January back-to-school always came with little fanfare, other than from parents. The children were stripped bare of their mental faculties by too much sugar and no actual structure. Going back to school wasn't quite the "fresh new experience" it had seemed in August.

Either way, the boys' "back to school" experiences are different, both by the nature of being spaced so many years after mine, as well as by the nature of homeschooling. I am glad for that. Yet some things are the same, and as I sat tonight, gathering materials and finishing the odds and ends of the Spring Term plans, I realized I am quite glad for that, too.

Our big project for this term will be art appreciation, to culminate with a fun-filled adventure to the Museum of Art in DC! I must get either a new ink cartridge or a new printer before I can pull this off properly!

Kiss those babies and share with us what your plans are for the Spring. What are you looking forward to?

~Dy

Mama's 2004 Reading List

This is what my year looked like, although I've left out the titles I began and didn't finish. I think of those as a headstart on this year's list. *grin* They're sorted into semi-categories, but Dee and I came up with them at some unholy hour of the night and so they aren't what you'd call up to Dewey standards by any means... And I know there are a couple I read, but didn't blog about, and so those are just destined to remain a mystery until I stumble upon them later. Sorry 'bout that.

Historical/Biographical
* The Dead Sea Scrolls
* Anastasia, the Lost Princess
* The Man Who Would be King: The First American in Afghanistan
* Reformation and Society in Eighteenth Century Europe
* Treason


Fiction
* Catcher in the Rye
* Middlemarch
* The Screwtape Letters
* Cat’s Cradle
* The Hobbit (also as a read-aloud w/ the boys)
* Lord of the Rings (trilogy)
* Waterloo Station
* The Dark Tower Series
-The Gunslinger
-The Drawing of the Three
-The Wastelands
-Wizard and Glass
-Wolves of the Calla
-Song of Susannah
-The Dark Tower
* Diary of a Mad Bride
* The Great Fire
* Redwall
* Cryptonomicon
* A Painted House
* several patricia cornwell books- they all start to blend together after a while
* Aubrey-Maturin Novels
-Master and Commander
-Post Captain
-H.M.S. Surprise
-The Mauritius Command
-Desolation Island
-The Fortune of War


Practical (AKA- clueless as to where to put these)
* Building Your Dream House
* Electrician’s Exam Preparation Guide
* The Owner-Builder Book
* Foundations & Concrete Work
* Builder’s Guide to Foundations and Floor Framing
* Cooperative Sports & Game Book
* Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands
* I, John, Take Thee, Mary
* Who Killed Homer?
* On Writing
* Simple Food for Good Life
* Gluten-Free Cookbook
* Dependent on D.C.
* More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws

Hamlet, Darnit, She Was In Hamlet!

Zorak loves me unconditionally and wholeheartedly. I know this, and that is why I am not insecure when he gives me pitying, head-shaking looks while we discuss mathematics. Or, more accurately, while he postulates, expounds and monologues about mathematics.

I just sit there like the RCA puppy; attentive, but clueless.

The tables turn, however, when we discuss, say, Shakespeare. Tonight I was trying to explain to him who Helena Bonham Carter is, and all I could say was, "Ophelia! You know, she was Ophelia in Mel Gibson's Hamlet! You know..."

No. He didn't know. Not that he didn't know who Helena Bonham Carter is (he did remember her from Fight Club). He doesn't know who Ophelia is.

This is where we switch roles. I don the didactic robes and he dons the puppy spots. He starts sniffing about the couch, roams into the kitchen looking for food and eventually wanders off completely, leaving me to mumble to myself, "I really do like Kenneth Branagh, but I just felt the way Gibson set Rosencrantz' arrival at the castle fit what I saw when I read it..."

So there you have it, hidden beneath the weirdness of discussions in our home, two very clear academic goals we have for the boys. Zorak wants them to know mathematics on a deep and personal level. OK, I wouldn't put it that flowery. From his perspective, he wants them to own it, make it their slave, use it hard and fling it around like a used tissue, baby! (Mmm, yeah, been a while since I had to talk like a guy, so let's just consider that a wholeheartedly paraphrased sentiment there. Hopefully, however, you get the idea.)

I want them to read and explore the world around them, to grasp words and understand what it means to truly savor stories, books, histories. I want them to understand my food-related book review guide on a nearly cellular level: taste what you are reading, feel the texture. If you are steeped in language and your taste buds are primed, then when you hit on a masterpiece, you'll never forget that full sensation for the rest of your life. I want them to get obscure references - they're like extra smiles you wouldn't get otherwise. Who would voluntarily pass up on extra smiles?

We do have to accept the fact that out of three children, odds are good that one (or more) may never really revere Fourier the way Zorak does. And one (or more... *sniff, sniff*) may not feel a from-the-belly laugh at Shakespeare's comedies.

It could happen.

But at least, if we do our jobs well and expose them to things like this, show them what's been laid out before them, they'll at least be able to roll their eyes at me and groan when I make silly references. They'll see another Laplace diatribe coming on from Zorak and head for the kitchen in search of food.

And they will know who Ophelia is!!!!!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Goals Again- Setting them, Keeping them

I had planned to sit down with the boys and get a vague overview of what they might like to learn this year. Of course, when you're six and four, you want to learn all sorts of things and there doesn't need to be any cohesion to it. That's where parenting comes in, and somehow we can pull it all together, put in what they'd like to learn more about, and wrap it in the things they need to learn, as well.

Hee hee. I feel like I'm roaming about the hospital ward in a doctor's coat with a clipboard, hoping nobody realizes I'm not the doctor!

However, since a good leader won't ask of his troops what he isn't willing or capable of doing himself, well, there ya have it- I need to figure out what I'd like to do this year before asking the boys what they might like to accomplish.

I've been setting goals the past few years; broad and defined, long and short term. It's been amazing to see the difference that's come about in response to these goals. Not only is my mindset a little more focused (yeah, completely subjective terms on that one!) but in going over our goals from the past year, I've been pleasantly surprised to find that we accomplished nearly all of them! The only goal we did not accomplish was buying a house, and that simply was not within our means, but not due to anything we dropped the ball on, or failed to do.

My favorite, just-for-me goal is an ongoing goal. This is year three, I think. I realized one day that while I was quite well-read for a five year old, I was sorely lacking for a 30-something woman. Ahem. Yes. So began my quest to increase the quality of my reading, as well as the quantity in general of my reading. I had an inkling it was working when Zorak commented one quiet afternoon, "You read much more interesting stuff than you did when we were dating." I figure this goal pays off in more ways than I can list off the top of my head, but here are a few quickies that come to mind:

* It keeps the world unfolding before me, for my exploration.
* It sets an example for the boys that I wouldn't mind them following.
* It makes me more interesting, specifically to Zorak and the boys, but probably in general (or not, again, subjectivity is a beautiful thing).
* It affords us the luxury of enjoying worlds, places, people we might not otherwise enjoy.
* It keeps me focused (as I said, we're sticking with the subjective, just smile and move on, please).
* It gives me a jump start on great reading lists for the boys in future years!
* It's just FUN!
* It makes me question new things, old things, other things.
* You have no idea (or maybe you do) how much fun standing in line can be when someone else comments on the book poking out of your bag!
* Books are far more enjoyable when you catch references to and quotes from other books because you've actually read them.

There are more, I know there are. But it's time to go play with the boys. The gears have been put away, and it looks like we're going to build a train yard in the living room. Mmm, I do love this life.

Kiss those babies and have a wonderful afternoon!
~Dy

Best of Blog Awards

Well, this all kicked in while we were on vacation, but blogmechanics is running it's "Best of Blog" awards right now. I sure miss cable modem because there are some great new blogs in the different categories that I hadn't seen before! What a great place to find more ways to spend quality internet time. *grin*

Anyhow, I first learned about it when I received a congratulatory note for being nominated. So I checked it out. How sweet. Thank you to whoever nominated Classic Adventures.

When we returned from vacation, I received another note that Classic Adventures made it to the list of finalists. Wow, what a surprise. I feel pretty honored to be in such good company, and it's a little strange to think of having come that far. Again, thank you, all.

If you haven't voted (or didn't know about it, like yours truly!) and would like to, go check out the finalists. You can find them here for the Best of Education/Homeschooling category, but browse around and vote for your favorites all around. I'm not posting this in the hopes of garnering votes, but rather just because I think this is a neat opportunity to learn more about the great bloggers out there- seriously, go check it out.

And on that note, since it's finally not raining we are having a cookout with friends- burgers on the grill, toasted marshmallows, and wonderful company. The boys are so excited they can't sit still... and that's making it a bit difficult to blog. I'll be back when they're in bed. :-)

Kiss those babies!
~Dy