American History Curriculum

I'm in the process of adding our American History curriculum to the blog. It's literature based, so the links are to Amazon lists. I'll post the curriculum in sections, the next part will be post American Revolution up to The War of 1812.

A moment of silence . . . is not possible

Today, I was so sad as we drove home from Irish dance. The mother of my very dear friend is having a medical emergency and we are very concerned for her. I told the girls on the way home that we should say a prayer for their friend's grandmother. Even my little 2.5 year old little Sassafrass said a prayer. It was so so sweet.

I tried to explain to the girls that Mama needed some quiet right. So, let's please be quiet for a while.

Sassy: "Ok, Mama. We be quiet for a while." pause "Mama. See how quiet I can be. Listen to me I gonna be quiet."

Bean: "That is not being quiet. Quiet means you sit still and don't say anything. What you're doing is talking."

This continues on until we get to the new Chick-fil-A that just opened by our house; this business of explaining to each other in great detail how to be quiet. Since the resturant just opened today, they were giving out balloons. So of course, each of my older two girls got one. Finally, the noise was too much.

Mama: "Can everyone PLEASE just stop talking until we get home. I just need some quiet, please. Please."

Two seconds of silence settle in before "Ppppppppllllllltttttttttt," as Sassy's yellow ballon flies around the van like sputnik. Silence. . .

Sassy: "Mama. My bayoon espoded (exploded). It scared me to deaf. I thought I would have to jump out of the car. Hodey Modey (holy moley) I thought it would blow my legs off."


Thank you God, for my children, who in such a somber situation can make me absolutely laugh out loud. What a blessing.

PS - You know I turned around and went back to Chick-fil-A to get The Comedian another bayoon.

The Rhythm and the Waldorf

Opening Circle:

Let us form a ring, dancing as we sing.
Ring-a-ring-a-rye-ah.
Now we stand together.

***

You are welcome to our circle, raise your voice in cheerful song.
When this house is filled with music, every heart shall sing along.
When this house is filled with music, every heart shall sing along.

***

Warm our hearts, oh Lord, and give
Light that we may daily live
Growing as we ought to be
True and good and strong and free.


Closing Circle:

All my work now has ended
What I have learned will rest
When I have done my best,
Wisdom, love and strength will grow
And I shall bless all those I know.

***

I am helpful and truthful and loving and free
For the love of the Lord shines brightly in me.
I will open my heart to his warming might
I will fill all the world with my heart's living light.

The Waldorf of it all

The Spring Rhythm of the Day - Ideally. This may take until April to get off the ground.

- Wake up, dress, brush teeth

- Morning walk - weather permitting

- Breakfast

- Yoga

- School with Bean - math, language arts and Bible. Then she can colour her Bible pictures while I tend to Sweet Pea.

- Snack

- Playtime break in the basement

- Lunch

- History and Science while Sassy naps

- Art

The end. I'd like to find at least a couple of verses to throw in there and bring back the candle lighting before meal times, though, with the presence of my middle child, God love her, it might have to be immediately followed by the candle-blowing-out.

I need to implement:
- A morning verse
- A prayer to begin lessons
- A blessing before snack
- A blessing before lunch (which we do)
- A verse or two to close the school day

Bean Curriculum for Spring

Language Arts:

- Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading

- First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind

- Explode the Code (just ordered books 1 1/2 and 2 - she's probably ready for two, but just in case)

- Adventures in Phonics, Level B - something new to spice things up a bit

- Main Idea and Details 1-2 for reading comprehension

Bible:

- Egermeier Bible Stories for Children. Period. Really all you need. For every Bible story, I find a colouring page so she is essentially, creating her own illustrated Bible.

- Also have a kids devotional

Math:

- Right now the plan is to use Math U See. It came highly recommended. I want to love it.

History:

- For this I am writing my own curriculum loosely using Beautiful Feet Books in conjunction with the Classical Conversations history sentences. All our "textbooks" are library books and some fab-u-lous Jean Fritz books I found at the used book store.

Science:

- Sticking with Foundations of Scientific Understanding for now, supplimenting with projects from Sandbox Scientist etc to support / reinforce theories.
Also keeping my friend Kate's science plan in mind.

Art:

- ARTistic Pursuits as our main art program but will suppliment with activities that support other subjects like colonial crafts and ancient Egyptian projects.

Activities: Irish Dance

Plan for March

Homeschool plan for Bean for the month of March:

• Continue reading the Old Testament; we are currently reading about the children of Israel almost to the fall of Jericho.
• Math. This is a tough one. We did addition with carrying today, so she is more advanced than most of the curriculum we have, but not ready for the next level yet.
• Begin her much requested Ancient Egypt Unit Study. Library books should be ready for pick up by the end of the week.
• Science. Hmmm . . . I'm not loving the curriculum we have. I am going to try and suppliment with some Science experiments and art, and I have requested the science of ancient Egypt from the library. Also, my friend has a science plan / curriculum she worked out herself and we might try that.
• Language Arts: Well Trained Mind - Ordinary Parents Guide + First Language Lessons + Explode the Code book one, which she is almost finished with.
• Art - Not thrilled with ARTistic Pursuits.
  History - American History. Beginning the writing of the Constitution next week. Tomorrow, Washington will cross the Delaware.

Also plan to do a devotional with Bean every morning and would love to find a yoga tape that I can do with Bean and Sassy. That would be an awesome outbreath and yet very centering at the same time.

Looking to bring back some Waldorf this spring. I love that educational philosophy and I miss it. Though I have resigned myself to the fact that Waldorf education does not speak to the Bean, I think I threw out the baby with the bathwater when I moved from Waldorf to classical. I think the verses and ritual that I cast aside were crucial in establishing the rhythm of our day and our home and I think spring is the perfect time to bring that back.

My plan for the weekend, or during the week if I can swing it, is to write that stuff back into our homeschool schedule - establishing a purposeful rhythm to our day with inbreaths and outbreaths. I think that would help us all. I would also like to incorporate a morning walk into our schedule - which would be even more fun if we had a dog, which brings me to my last "To Do" list item of the week:

We plan to get a dog. By we, I mean me. A free 900.00 little puppy and I have to talk my husband into it. Pray for me.