His Steadfast Love
23 Tuesday Aug 2011
Posted in encouragement
From A Dad’s Heart
19 Sunday Jun 2011
We want to make our children a priority in our lives. The time we are speaking of is not the everyday activities, but the investment of time that shapes character, fills their heart cups, builds trust, respect and leaves a lasting impression in their memories.
As my husband and I were talking about how to intentionally make this a priority, here are a few things that were on his heart.
“I want to make my son a priority.”
“I don’t want to lose the yearning he has to spend time with his father, and I don’t want to ignore it.”
“I want him to learn things from his father.”
“I want to make a lasting impression on him.”
Here are a few ideas that we brainstormed and we are going to put into practice.
~go fishing on a Saturday morning
~check out a book from the library on bugs or lizards and go for a hike while looking for these native critters
~build a simple bird house or bird feeder
~take him to the beach and boogie board the waves
~go to the local baseball field and hit balls or practice hitting golf balls
~take him to breakfast, dinner or dessert – just the guys
~visit Lowe’s on the build-it workshop days
~teach him knot tying with a rope
~build a fort in the backyard
~build a fire, so the whole family can enjoy s’mores
(don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about Savannah! :) Every other Saturday morning is her special day with Daddy, and the other Saturdays are Mama’s. At this age Savannah is so easy going… just talk to her about her baby dolls and what’s in her purse, or let her paint something and she is content.)
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!
Any other ideas of what a Daddy can do with his son or daughter?
Enjoying The Simple Things
19 Sunday Jun 2011
Posted in Charlotte Mason Homeschool, homemade
This summer is already full of simple summer delights
*homemade pancakes with sliced strawberries and homemade cream
*glittering sparklers
*kitty pools in the front yard
*and mud pies in the driveway.
How do you all spend these summer days?
6 y/o Favorites
07 Tuesday Jun 2011
I think since our son is now 6 1/2, that I need to revise his favorite book list. He seems to have too much ‘muchness’ to be with the likes of Little Bear. Although truth be told, he still secretly loves those books, he just doesn’t want them on HIS bookshelf anymore. :)
I appreciate the new found maturity and the separation from “little kid” books, but say it isn’t so!!
His book list might look something like this,
Fables by Arnold Lobel
Henry and Mudge by Cynthia Rylant
Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik
Fox In Socks by Dr. Seuss
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
Stone Soup by Marcia Brown
Billy and Blaze written and illustrated by C. W. Anderson
The Giant Jam Sandwich story and pictures by John Vernon Lord
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
The Little House On The Praire series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
(I thought these might be too girly for him but we have all loved them! He especially likes when Pa goes hunting!)
The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss
Also one of his favorite things is visiting the library and going to the non-fiction kids section, ALL BY HIMSELF! He beams with confidence as he thumbs through the lizard, shark and space books. He is so competent and it makes me miss him a little bit.
Books We LOVE To Enjoy!
04 Saturday Jun 2011
Now first off, we love a LOT of books, however this is just a few that leave our eyes wondering the pages long after the words have been read. These are the kinds of books we want our children to cherish and enjoy. The in-your-face, cartoony OVERSTIMULATING books that are being published now days… blah!
I once read somewhere, probably in a CM book, that if I do not enjoy reading it, my children are not going to enjoy it. Granted that may not hold up well with all the books that match the well-commercialized cartoons, but the books that we try to stick with are captivating, timeless and WELL written! They cultivate imagination and new adventures waiting to be played out.
All these books have delightful illustrations, ones that leave us talking about them later. And so this is our list!
James Herriot’s Treasury For Children
(I admit, I have been caught with a tear in my eye from these stories)
(alright, basically ALL of the Billy and Blaze books we love!)
WOW! That was too short! What are some of your favorite books? We would love to add them to our collection!
A Loosey-Goosey Beach Nature Study
03 Friday Jun 2011
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Lately I have been uninspired to go out in the blasting HEAT and study nature. We would rather run back in side, shut the door quickly so as not to let in the smothering humidity!
So I thought why not do a loosey-goosey version of a nature study post on the beach. That is where we spend most our time, if we are outside.
The children love to run back and forth with the incoming waves, build squiggle castles, dig holes, catch and study hermit crabs, chase the sea birds in vain (with the hopes of catching one to pet), collect all assortments of shells….
We don’t go into depths about much, unless prompted by wondering minds. We have discussed the effects of the moon on the tides, and what hermit crabs eat, why wet sand makes better castles then dry sand, but other than that we have let their own experiences in this instance (beach study) teach them.
At this age, we believe they are not meant to be bombarded with information, but to learn naturally through experience. Hours of play, poking and prodding, and the occasional ant bite.
The Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival: Narration, Volume 1
31 Tuesday May 2011
Welcome to the May 31, 2011 edition of the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival! I am so excited about all the submissions! I know you will enjoy them as much as I did!
Let’s dive right in and see what Charlotte Mason says about narration ~
“This, of telling again, sounds very simple but it is really a magical creative process by means of which the narrator sees what he has conceived, so definite and so impressive is the act of narrating that which has been read only once. I dwell on the single reading because, let me repeat, it is impossible to fix attention on that which we have heard before and know we shall hear again.” A Philosophy Of Education, by Charlotte M. Mason, volume 6, pg 261.
“Narration is assimilating information and retelling it. Anyone would listen closely if they knew they were going to retell what they had heard. Just like when you’ve seen a documentary and tell your friend all about it the next day, you will remember it better! A Philosophy Of Education, by Charlotte M. Mason, Volume 6, pg 11.
Now I LOVE how Catherine Levison breaks it down for us ~
“HOW TO: Read one single reading aloud, about 10 to 13 minutes for each book. It is very important to have children’s full attention during the reading. Don’t stop to define words during the reading; they’ll usually understand the sentence or paragraph anyway. Ask one of the listeners to tell you what you just read. If they hesitate, ask them if they remember one thing of what you just read!” A Charlotte Mason Education, by Catherine Levison, pg 12.
Now on to the Narration posts! Enjoy!
Sarah presents Narration…The Foundation Stone of Learning posted at All That’s Good
Jimmie presents Notebooking With Creative Interviews posted at The Notebooking Fairy
Nadene presents Narration ~ A Natural Art posted at Practical Pages
Penney Douglas presents Natural Narration: Spontaneous Storytelling posted at Changed By Love
Lanaya presents Narration posted at Gore Family News
Kay Pelham presents Narration of Edward II…Story of King Robert the Bruce and Bohun | Pelham House posted at Pelham House
Barb – Harmony Art Mom presents Narrating a Speech from Ambleside Online’s List posted at Harmony Art Mom
Traci Brooks presents Mental Discipline: Capturing Details posted at Traci’s Teaching Times
Becky presents CM Monday- How We Narrate posted at Golden Acron Homeschool
Amy outta Peru presents A Mother Can Narrate Too posted at Educating Mother
Other Charlotte Mason Topics
Nancy presents Cooperating and Conferences posted at Sage Parnassus
Sarah presents All That’s Good: Van Gogh Diarama posted at All That’s Good
Michelle presents Life Skill: Proper Dishwashing posted at The Holistic Homeschooler
Pamela presents Beautiful Bandelier posted at Blah, Blah, Blog
Jennifer in MamaLand presents Wishy, Wishy… posted at Adventures in Mama-Land
Ann presents Playing the Harp and Piano as Part of Homeschooling posted at Harvest Moon by Hand
Ritsumei presents Nature At The Park posted at Baby Steps
Ann presents Outdoor Hour Challenge Spring Series #4: Wildflowers-Dandelions posted at Harvest Moon by Hand
I had fun getting to know a little about all the families here today! Thanks so much for stopping by and enjoying the posts!
Be sure to submit your blog article to the next edition of the Charlotte Mason blog carnival using our Carnival Submission Form.
Which will take place on June 14, 2011 and the theme will be: Nature Study!
Click HERE to see the list of other upcoming themes!
Suggested reading for Nature Study:
*CM series: Vol.1, pages 43 – 93
*PR article: How to Best Study Nature
A Few Of My Favorite Resources
26 Thursday May 2011
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First things first! What is the Charlotte Mason method all about? Find out HERE!
photo credit
So this is just a sampling of some of my FAVORITE resources! Click on any of the images and they will take you directly to the source. ENJOY!
~We LOVE Ambleside Online
{This is what we base our homeschool curriculum off of. (there is always room to improvise and substitute) :) They have book lists, schedules and other homeschooling mother’s recommendations! Great for Mamas like me that are just starting out and want to know the ropes.}
~A few artist study websites we use for visuals are
George Inness, Morning, Catskill Valley (The Red Oaks) 1894
{A little overwhelming at first, but this site has the artists names you can click on and learn about their background and then study their work!}
color-me-online.com
{print out coloring pages of the artist you are studying, AND you can click on the ‘see the painting’ button and get a visual of the original.}
~For nature study we like
San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, California June 2008 © Peter LaTourrette
{An enormous list of birds with numerous photographs!}
{Squidoo/nature tales has a wonderful compilation of nature resources we like to gather ideas from}
{realistic looking coloring pages of birds and many more coloring pages}
~Honestly who doesn’t like paper dolls!
{this site has SO, SO many paperdolls it’s AMAZING! I know this is not a ‘typical’ homeschool resource, but we love them regardless.}
ENJOY!
I’m Still Here :)
19 Thursday May 2011
Posted in Charlotte Mason Method, homemade
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WOW!! Time has flown since I last posted! I often feel that since we are using the Charlotte Mason Method to a “T”, (my children are 6 and 4, and we start year one this fall) that right now I don’t have much to write about. Often posting seems forced, but I just need to step back and think that I will get there. There will be PLENTY of opportunity to share our literature, art, HANDICRAFTS (my favorite, can you tell) and other wisdom that we learn along our journey.
For now I will simply share about
*Florida sunsets
*Savannah “Ingalls”
*This fake snake in a tree branch hanging over a sidewalk in our neighborhood. Every time we pass it I shudder, ICKY! NOT FUNNY!
*and these handmade napkins that I just happened across on this AWESOME website! I am anxious to go through my scrap fabric and get started!
See you back here soon when I host the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival! It will be about NARRATION!!
The Strawberry Farm Through Savannah’s Eyes
09 Monday May 2011
Posted in the world through their eyes
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