Seven Quick Takes on Leftover Schoolwork, Making Changes, N.D. Wilson, and More!

:: 1 ::

Some of you asked about leftover work from the week when I blogged about our Enrichment Friday tradition. While I try to leave Friday open for these special, extra things, it’s true that sometimes not everything is completed during the week like it should be. My solution is to note those things on a white board that I keep in the dining room as we go along. As things that were skipped earlier in the week are completed, I erase them, and whatever is left is what will have to be done on Friday morning.

So, yes: sometimes there are things left that we need to do, and so we do them. I try to get them done first thing so that we can get on to the merry making. 🙂

 

:: 2 ::

Sarah started a membership site for her Read Aloud Revival. I recommend it, especially if you’re looking for a push in that area. The reason why I’m mentioning it now is because those who register now are entered to win $498 worth of great prizes, which is always fun. The part I’m most looking forward to are the video workshops! Well, the live author events look pretty great, too…

 

:: 3 ::

We’ve been thinking and making some changes around here. The children have been in 4H for a few years now, and we’ve decided not to sign up again next year. We’ll see how it goes; we might be back after a year off. The big thing is that we want the children to have some other experiences, and the limits of time and especially finances mean we need to choose, rather than just adding more to what we are already doing. The children have been taking tennis lessons, and we’ve decided they will continue for a while, along with some other opportunities.

Some of this is connected to me trying to iron out our high school vision in my head, which is far from an easy task.

 

:: 4 ::

Here’s this week’s links collection:

• Pediatric Vitamin B12 Deficiency: When Autism Isn’t Autism from Pharmacy Times
  • This was super interesting to me.
• A Protestant’s Passion for the Virtues of Thomas by Carl Trueman
  • I’m a big Aquinas fan, so this made me happy.
• Anglo-Saxon medicine is able to kill modern-day superbug, researchers find from medievalists.net.
  • This. is. so. awesome. Just because people before us were less scientific doesn’t mean that their medicines were less effective. I have always thought this {while keeping in mind that a lot of Old Wives’ Tales are just that: tales}, but seeing it proved scientifically {in one instance at least} is incredible!

:: 5 ::

Okay, this is a super awesome video! A big shout out to Heidi for sharing it.

I narrated almost all of it to my husband because I was so excited. {I wonder if that was annoying??} I haven’t read any of N.D. Wilson’s more recent books, but Boys of Blur was already on my list, and now that I know it is a football/monster story retelling of Beowulf, I’m intrigued enough to buy it! The Ashtown Burials never appealed to me before, but the connection to Brendan the Navigator — after studying him for two terms this year in The Brendan Voyage — has caused me to put those on my list as well.

 

:: 6 ::

Compass Classroom is having their Big Spring Sale! I use Visual Latin and Grammar of Poetry with my oldest child, and I use Old Western Culture as scholé for ME. And all of it is on sale 25-30% off! So if you’re in the market for these things, now is a good time. The sale is going on now and lasts until March 15th.

 

:: 7 ::

Answering your questions:

• Question: How do you stay encouraged?
  • Answer: There are two things that help me maintain this marathon we call homeschooling, and when either of them are lacking, I start to drag. The first is relationships with other Christian, homeschooling moms. I am always ready for my next meeting for my study group, or planning meeting with the study group’s leadership team. When it’s been too long, I start to ache for these sisters of mine! Not do we commiserate, brainstorm, learn, grow, and troubleshoot together, these sisters constantly remind me to rely on God in this journey. The second thing is reading and learning and growing. Around here, we tend to call that scholé, or mother culture. Either way, I feel stagnant if I don’t have something good coming in to balance all I’m pouring out day to day.
• Question: What is the best way to get going with preschooler?
  • Answer: It’s really hard to answer such a big question in this small space, but I will tell you what I would do, knowing what I know now, if I had a preschooler on my hands today. First, I would get my hands on a copy of Charlotte Mason’s book Home Education and I’d specifically focus on all the possibilities — she gives loads of information on what can be taught out of doors. Then, I’d spend lots of hours outside each day, and try to do the things Mason listed in her book. I’d be very child directed, following their lead and interests. I’d read aloud a lot, and I’d learn to tell stories {yes, without a book}. I’d sing with them, read poetry with them, and let them help me with lots of chores.