Seven Quick Takes on Mere Motherhood, Podcast Season, Ben Hur, and MORE!

:: 1 ::

I’ve been knee-deep in school planning, and I’ve got that accompanying overwhelmed feeling. This has made me extra thankful for Cindy’s book, Mere Motherhood. I read it all in a few days! I have to tell you: it was oh so refreshing. Summer is often hard for me because I watch everyone go on vacation, and I know we don’t get to go. This summer has been a bit much for me, and I started to feel, for the first time in a long while, like I really needed a vacation. Strangely enough, Cindy’s book was that kind of refreshing — it actually felt a little like I had gone on vacation.

I know I already recommended it, but I’m recommending it again. It was that good.

 

:: 2 ::

I didn’t do a video on Facebook this week. Due to the aforementioned school planning, I was feeling a bit worn and I’ve been ruthlessly cutting left and right. However, comma, when I didn’t write last week, I did do a video.  The topic was Reading It for Yourself.

 

:: 3 ::

This week’s links collection:

• Why Summer Jobs Don’t Pay Off Anymore from NPR
  • If you do the math, it’s shocking. If you don’t do the math, you still know it’s depressing.
• The Legacy of One-Point Calvinism and Casual Churchianity from DesiringGod
  • Interesting.
• Pokémon Go isn’t a fad. It’s a beginning. from Vox
  • I am still glad I don’t own a smart phone.

 

:: 4 ::

This month in 2015:

A year since I wrote this post, and I still love Voxer.

 

:: 5 ::

This week I edited Episode 9 {aka the first episode of Season 2!} of the Scholé Sisters podcast. It is just about ready for my son, our podcast engineer extraordinaire, to put together. I was really happy with Season 1, but I must tell you that I think Season 2 is going to be even better. I’m so happy with all of the topics that are on the schedule. August 26 is the season premiere! Until then, you can go sign up for our monthly newsletter.

 

:: 6 ::

I’ve been planning AmblesideOnline Year 6 for the second time in my life. It’s different this time. They’ve made changes, for starters. But also, this is a much different child. Plus, I’m combining some students for some subjects {while my oldest has always worked alone}. In the midst of all of this, I have remembered how meaningful this year was the first time. You know what my favorite book was? Ben Hur. It’s an alternate title, and I’m so glad I made the choice. It’s wonderful. The best part is that I wondered at the time how this daughter, my so much less academic child, would ever read this book. She’s not only reading it … I’m confident assigning it for her to read alone!

So maybe the other thing I could say {other than read Ben Hur — you won’t regret it} is that you will be amazed at how far your children come over the years. Even the reluctant ones.

 

:: 7 ::

Answering Your Questions:

• Question: How much do you discuss books with your oldest student? Do you do anything like “Center for Lit” style discussion?
  • Answer: First, I am not familiar with the Center for Lit style of discussion, so I don’t know how I compare! I mean, I know they have a Thing, but that is the extent of it. Our discussions really depend upon his interest level {or mine} and also available time. Unfortunately, with so many other {needy} students, the discussions do not happen as often as I would like. Generally, he initiates the conversations. He has questions, or something he wants to work out through discussion. Other times, something really struck me, and then my goal is to help the same thing strike him without actually telling him what I’m thinking. I can’t always pull this off, but generally I still, after all these years, resort to my two favorite questions. The first I got from Wendi Capehart, and it is, “Does this remind you of anything else?” The second I got from Andrew Kern and it is, “Should X have done Y?” {X being a character in the reading and Y being some action the character chose to do.} Those two questions have provided us hours of good talking around here! I will say this: it is always shocking to me how many of our good “school” conversations take place outside of school hours. I have learned to value letting things simmer. While the narrations take place directly {or as near as possible} following the readings, the discussions are often much later.