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2023 READ ALOUDS

Ourselves
Byzantium
To the Far Blue Mountains
The Impossible First
Patrick

2023 BOOKS I’VE FINISHED

You, Happier
Amusing Ourselves to Death
The Power of Habit

Instagram

brandyvencel

We ran out of mayonnaise last night, so I made my

We ran out of mayonnaise last night, so I made my own. I snagged a recipe off Martha Stewart’s site, I think. Local backyard pastured eggs, lemons from my dad’s tree, organic olive oil from my aunt’s family ranch — it was as I feared: the best we’ve ever tasted.

Friends, I don’t want to add “mayo” to my to do list!!! But alas, it feels inevitable. Pretty soon when people ask me what I do all day I’ll just say “drive teenagers around and make mayonnaise.” 🤦‍♀️

#homemade
#mayonnaise
#charlottemasonliving
#homeschoolproblems
#homeschool
#homeschoolinghighschool

Edited to add my hot tip: I’ve heard a number of people express fears that their olive oil is contaminated with other (bad) oils. You can solve this by buying COOC certified olive oil. California growers don’t contaminate the oil and also ours tastes the best. 😉

Let's talk about sleep for a moment. Everyone know

Let's talk about sleep for a moment. Everyone knows that melatonin and magnesium can help ... but what if they don't? That's what I want to talk about.

I do a lot of reading on this sort of thing because I get tired of the same old advice not working on my family. Today I thought I would share what *does* work for us. (Your mileage may vary and I'm not a doctor so do your own research or talk to your own professional if that's your style.)

First, I had a teenage daughter who was having trouble falling asleep even when she was tired. She'd just lay there, staring at the top of her bunk bed. It didn't seem to matter what time she went to bed; she was lying there all the same.

I read that l-theanine helped with this type of insomnia. We tried it. The rest is history. She now takes it every night about 30 minutes before bed and falls asleep quickly.

** What is it? L-theanine is an amino acid, a piece of a protein. **

I was a bit trickier. Sometimes I slept fine, and other times I would go days where I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't fall all the way back to sleep. I would wake at 1:30, 2:30, 3:30 and on and on, almost exactly every hour. I suspected *hormones* because I was seeing a pattern, but the question was what to do about it.

Say hello to my little friend inositol (specifically MYO inositol). I read somewhere that it helped with staying asleep and somewhere else that it helped with hormones and, well, sometimes I can put two and two together and make four, you know?

And so I did. I'm sleeping SO MUCH better. Most nights I'm not waking at all; if I do wake, it's only once, and I go right back to sleep.

** What is it? Myo inositol is a form of vitamin B8. It's water soluble. **

So here they are: two successful experiments.

Ps. I like these brands because they don't use lots of fillers (and when they do they use rice powder). I have a theory that fillers are a big problem. You may agree.

You know what makes a homeschool day better? Well-rested teenagers with a well-rested mom.

#raisingteens
#homeschoolmom
#insomniaproblems
#homeschoollife

We moms of teenagers at co-op found this line part

We moms of teenagers at co-op found this line particularly inspiring. Personally, I’m trying to memorize it so I always have it at the ready. 😉 The younger moms may think us mean; they will understand in time.

Are you late for work? Can’t find your co-op homework? Didn’t finish your math on time? This versatile line fits a multitude of teenage binds! 🤣

#raisingteens
#charlottemason
#charlottemasoncoop
#amblesideonline
#folksongsarethebest

Some of you likely got my announcement email yeste

Some of you likely got my announcement email yesterday concerning this exciting news! @dawnduran8708 has updated and expanded level one of her tried and trusty #swedishdrill curriculum ... and the other levels are coming soon. 🎉⁠
⁠
The original curriculum was amazing. Dawn is a physical therapist, and she brought you a Swedish Drill curriculum updated with the latest science. 💪🤓 This time, she's making it even better with audio playlists, QR codes, and more. It's even more user-friendly than before.⁠
⁠
We're in our second year of using Swedish Drill at @providenceclassicalacademy and it's been so wonderful for our students. I cannot recommend this enough for co-ops and larger groups. Our first grade teacher explained to me how the knee sit improved the students' strength so much that she noticed it during their class photos when the photographer made them sit in a similar pose. She was so proud of them, and they were proud of themselves! 💗⁠
⁠
I've been thinking a lot lately about the lack of excellence in our culture. It's not just a plague of low achievement — there seems to be a lack of desire to do well, and an assumption that doing something in a mediocre way is just fine. But most kids actually *want* to do well — they want to prove to themselves that they can do something challenging.⁠
⁠
A curriculum like this is an opportunity to strive for excellence while still keeping it simple. To ask students to think pay attention, discipline their bodies, and obey a command quickly — they *feel* their own excellence once they conquer their bodies and the broad smiles show the evidence that accomplishments like this feel good.⁠
⁠
If you already own SDR, you'll be getting a code for a super cheap upgrade if you want this new version. Otherwise, if you're looking for some simple physical training to add to your homeschool or co-op, this is my top pick! Dawn has done fantastic work!⁠
⁠
#charlottemason⁠
#charlottemasoneducation⁠
#charlottemasonhomeschooling⁠
#charlottemasonhomeschool⁠
#charlottemasonliving⁠
#homeschoolphysicaleducation⁠
#charlottemasoncoop

Let's talk about something different for a moment.

Let's talk about something different for a moment. If you have a child who is neurodivergent and struggles with gut issues, I cannot recommend reading through the @peirsoncenter website enough. Yes, they specialize in Down syndrome, but I find their information to be SO incredibly helpful for children with other neurological issues, too. It's fabulous!⁠
⁠
When you read about gut motility for normal people, the talk tends to center around supplements like magnesium. A lot of nutritional consultants don't know the first thing about working with kids like this. Be wary of throwing good money after bad.⁠
⁠
My friends, when the problem is neurological or muscular (or both!), you can give magnesium in excessive amounts and nothing happens. Adding l-carnitine tartrate, however, well ... some people respond after only a few days of consistent supplementation at the normal dosage. (There are other options, like Co-Q-10. I'm not a doctor; do your own research.)⁠
⁠
When you're raising a child with neurological damage, it's important to realize that sometimes the normal approaches don't work. They need something different. Did I mention if this is you that you should read through the Peirson Center website??? Because you really should.⁠
⁠
Rules of thumb:⁠
• Be your child's best advocate.⁠
• Study up because sometimes the experts ... aren't.⁠
• Don't give up. (Try things. See what sticks. Move on when it's not working.)⁠
⁠
#motherhood⁠
#mothering
#guthealth⁠
#supermom

So excited to have Jason Barney from Educational R

So excited to have Jason Barney from Educational Renaissance on the show today to discuss the use of rewards and the development of intrinsic motivation. He has so many great thoughts!

#charlottemason
#charlottemasoneducation
#intrinsicmotivation
#motherhood
#parenthood
#homeschoolpodcast
#classicaleducation
#classicaleducationpodcast
#charlottemasonpodcast

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