Thursday, February 26, 2009
Done!!
Mission number one: accomplished. The magazine baskets are clear. I tossed almost all the past magazines and only kept the ones for this year, some of which I have not read yet.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Clearing Spaces: Mission 1
I did the first Monday Mission but, it is going to take more than 30 minutes to finish my first spot: the magazines. I have accumulated a couple of years worth of magazines and I can't bear to just throw them away without looking at the recipes and clipping the ones I want to try. You have to look at the stack of pages I ripped off! I got a lot done but I think this is going to be an ongoing project for this week. I am sure I can finish,if not tomorrow the next day. I just have to remember not to do this mission just before supper. It was torture to look at Every Day with RR and Southern Living with an empty stomach!
Clearing Spaces
Sarah over at Plainsong is hosting Clearing Spaces 2009 I am going to join in because there are some spots in our house I would like to declutter:
1-Magazine baskets
2-File cabinet
3-Homeschooling shelf (N)
4-Boy's dressers
5-Boy's closet
6-School supplies shelf and cabinet
7-Recipe files
I will probably have to make it a Tuesday Mission though because we are usually out on Mondays.
3-Homeschooling shelf (N)
5-Boy's closet
6-School supplies shelf and cabinet
7-Recipe files
I will probably have to make it a Tuesday Mission though because we are usually out on Mondays.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Lenten Plans
I have been working on our plans for Lent. As with Christmas, I want this season to be prayer filled but simple. I want to be realistic in what we can accomplish and not get over ambitious. I don't want to fill my eyes with what others,more organized and more crafty that I, are doing but find a source of inspiration and adapt it to our needs. I don't want to reinvent the wheel year after year so I made sure I looked in our shelves and in the faith binder I have been trying to keep up-to-date.
After some at-home and internet searching this is what I have come up with:
From Charlotte I got the idea of tracking our journey to the cross Inspired by Inos Biffi's book The Liturgical Year we are going to focus on an encounter with Jesus each week. Inos Biffi says:
We are going to take a break from the conversion stories we have been reading. Instead we will focus on one of these encounters by reading and discussing the appropriate Gospel passage
-Week 1: Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman (Jesus as living water)
-Week 2: Jesus' encounter with the man born blind (Jesus as light who illumines the crevices of our hearts and brings our sins and vices to light)
-Week 3: Jesus encounter with Lazarus (Jesus as new life-reconcilation)
-Week 4: Jesus encounter with Peter, who try to discourage him from the path that was set for him (Jesus recommits himself to his mission so we must recommit ourselves to be his disciples)
I will try to depict these in our Lenten journey poster. I will also mark the weekend as oasis in the dessert. Those days were we will take a respite from the Lenten sacrifices
For prayer time, we will use the Divine Mercy Chaplet (also a Charlotte idea) every day except on Fridays when we will do the Stations of the Cross using this book
On Thursdays we will begin to use the subscription to Magnifikids that N. received for Christmas. This promises to be a great resource to prepare for Sunday mass.
There are still some loose ends especially when it comes to the penance and abstinence part. I also need a focus scripture for the fifth week of Lent. I'll give this some more thought and post later.
After some at-home and internet searching this is what I have come up with:
From Charlotte I got the idea of tracking our journey to the cross Inspired by Inos Biffi's book The Liturgical Year we are going to focus on an encounter with Jesus each week. Inos Biffi says:
"The path that takes us to Easter is marked by encounters with Jesus."
We are going to take a break from the conversion stories we have been reading. Instead we will focus on one of these encounters by reading and discussing the appropriate Gospel passage
-Week 1: Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman (Jesus as living water)
-Week 2: Jesus' encounter with the man born blind (Jesus as light who illumines the crevices of our hearts and brings our sins and vices to light)
-Week 3: Jesus encounter with Lazarus (Jesus as new life-reconcilation)
-Week 4: Jesus encounter with Peter, who try to discourage him from the path that was set for him (Jesus recommits himself to his mission so we must recommit ourselves to be his disciples)
I will try to depict these in our Lenten journey poster. I will also mark the weekend as oasis in the dessert. Those days were we will take a respite from the Lenten sacrifices
For prayer time, we will use the Divine Mercy Chaplet (also a Charlotte idea) every day except on Fridays when we will do the Stations of the Cross using this book
On Thursdays we will begin to use the subscription to Magnifikids that N. received for Christmas. This promises to be a great resource to prepare for Sunday mass.
There are still some loose ends especially when it comes to the penance and abstinence part. I also need a focus scripture for the fifth week of Lent. I'll give this some more thought and post later.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Picture Book
There is no more simple, uncomplicated pleasure in my life right now than reading picture books. It is simple, just go to the library, pick up a stack, come home, grab a child, sit on the couch with a mug to tea and dive in. Some picture books are fun but forgettable, others are not easily forgotten. They touch you deeply. With their text and illustrations, picture books can state truth, take you on a journey, teach you about far away times or make you laugh. They are also a quick way to mend a little one that is out of sorts.
Yesterday was one of those such days when my little one just seem to be amiss. Nothing settled well with him. He was just dragging. School work was not even in his horizon. I suggested to fix a cup of tea and seat down and just read. It was wonderful! We discovered a new author: Allen Say. My favorite was Grandfather's Journey It made me cry. I could so much identify with the Grandfather. I too know what is like to miss the land you were born in just to go back and find out that you don't quite fit there anymore. Then you come back to the land you now call home and face the reality that you will probably never be a perfect fit. And you reconcile yourself with the idea of permanently living straddle between two worlds.
Other Allen Say picture books we have enjoyed:
Kamishibai Man
Tree of Cranes
Tea with Milk
The Bicycle Man
Yesterday was one of those such days when my little one just seem to be amiss. Nothing settled well with him. He was just dragging. School work was not even in his horizon. I suggested to fix a cup of tea and seat down and just read. It was wonderful! We discovered a new author: Allen Say. My favorite was Grandfather's Journey It made me cry. I could so much identify with the Grandfather. I too know what is like to miss the land you were born in just to go back and find out that you don't quite fit there anymore. Then you come back to the land you now call home and face the reality that you will probably never be a perfect fit. And you reconcile yourself with the idea of permanently living straddle between two worlds.
Other Allen Say picture books we have enjoyed:
Kamishibai Man
Tree of Cranes
Tea with Milk
The Bicycle Man
Monday, February 9, 2009
Classical Conversations
Every now and then I get asked about Classical Conversations. I am trying to put my thoughts together so I can just direct people here.
We are on our second year with this program and it has been a good experience. I have always felt an attraction to classical education. I have seen the good results that a good Classical school produces. I have met countless articulate, thoughtful, smart kids that have come out from Trinity Schools. As good as Trinity is, it is not a possibility for us- geographically speaking. So through our 10 years of homeschooling I have dabbled in classical education on and off. I have read about it but never felt I could implement it at home successfully. I could somewhat handle the Latin (knowing Spanish helps), I could study the Logic,and I could even handle the memorization proper to the Grammatical stage, if I could only be consistent about it. But the discussions, the learning community, the Socratic discussions, that I couldn't provide at home. Classical Conversations have enabled us to give classical education a more consistent, serious try. So far it seems to be working.
Classical Conversations consists of two main programs: Foundations and Challenge. Foundations is subdivided in Foundations and Essentials of the English Language. Foundations is for students roughly 5 to 12 and Challenge includes what in traditional school would be Junior High and High School. Presently, I have two children enrolled in the Foundations program and one in the Challenge program. Leigh Bortins, the creator of the program encourages parents to think beyond the traditional view of grades. The important thing is that the student is prepared to handle the work, brain development and maturity wise.
One big question that we had to answer for ourselves before we decided to give this program a try, was the faith issue. As Catholics, we are always cautious about using non-Catholic curricula. I was concerned about the world view that was going to be presented or the use of material that could have any anti-Catholic bias. So far we haven't had many problems. The main issue has been the Veritas Press Timeline cards. A few of the cards have very blatantly anti Catholic remarks as well as incorrect information. The good news is that the only thing is required for the kids to do is memorize the name of the timeline cards. So we don't even bother in reading the back of the cards (of course I wish they didn't use that resource since the cards ARE spreading falsehood). The other resource we had an issue with was a book used in Challenge II art history seminar ( How Then Should We Live by Francis Schaeffer) but the tutor handle the issue very graciously making sure she pointed out the possible points of disagreement. This brings me to the next point: the group.
I think the CC experience have two essential components that can make or break the experience: the tutor and the group. We have been blessed with a great group of women both the ones that tutor and the moms who participate. This has been an added bonus I wasn't looking for. I wanted and needed a good social environment for my high schooler but I never thought of the support I would get. It has really been a good surprise.
The other big question we have to answer was the money issue. Is it worth the money? We are spending a lot more money that we have ever spent in homeschooling before.For us it has been worth it. When we started CC last year my daughter was beginning High School. She wanted to go to school, we weren't thrilled with the idea. We didn't want to send her to a public school and the local Catholic school was a big expense we weren't sure we wanted to make. CC allowed us to homeschool high school and provide the social contact my daughter wanted, at a fraction of the cost! So for us the money has been well spent. In all honesty, I am not sure I would've looked at the Foundation and Essentials programs if I didn't have the pressing high school issue. Now I am glad I did.
Another question I get asked is what else do I do with my kids, do I supplement? Last year I had to get used to the idea of having this program. I had to transition from wanting to do whatever I was doing before and adding CC to the mix. It was too much! This year I have taken a different approach. This year I have let CC be my guide... for real. I have taken the multum non multa approach of sorts. I have concentrated in the basics and have concentrated in doing those well. The basics for us are: CC memory work, reading, writing and math for my youngest; CC memory work, Essentials work and math for my 11 year old and religion for both. We add a history program because I like history but we take it slowly mainly reading living books.The same goes for science. For my oldest, the only thing we have added is Religious Education and we are working very slowly through an Ancient History Book.
So my advice to parents considering CC is this: read at least the basics regarding the Classical Method of education.These are some starting points: Memoria Press and Dorothy Sayers' essay The Lost Tool of Learning Then commit yourself to this method and do yourself a favor, don't try to do two programs at the same time. CC is not a co-op we tag along to every thing else you are already doing. You are paying for this service, make it work for you and don't try to re-invent the wheel.
We are on our second year with this program and it has been a good experience. I have always felt an attraction to classical education. I have seen the good results that a good Classical school produces. I have met countless articulate, thoughtful, smart kids that have come out from Trinity Schools. As good as Trinity is, it is not a possibility for us- geographically speaking. So through our 10 years of homeschooling I have dabbled in classical education on and off. I have read about it but never felt I could implement it at home successfully. I could somewhat handle the Latin (knowing Spanish helps), I could study the Logic,and I could even handle the memorization proper to the Grammatical stage, if I could only be consistent about it. But the discussions, the learning community, the Socratic discussions, that I couldn't provide at home. Classical Conversations have enabled us to give classical education a more consistent, serious try. So far it seems to be working.
Classical Conversations consists of two main programs: Foundations and Challenge. Foundations is subdivided in Foundations and Essentials of the English Language. Foundations is for students roughly 5 to 12 and Challenge includes what in traditional school would be Junior High and High School. Presently, I have two children enrolled in the Foundations program and one in the Challenge program. Leigh Bortins, the creator of the program encourages parents to think beyond the traditional view of grades. The important thing is that the student is prepared to handle the work, brain development and maturity wise.
One big question that we had to answer for ourselves before we decided to give this program a try, was the faith issue. As Catholics, we are always cautious about using non-Catholic curricula. I was concerned about the world view that was going to be presented or the use of material that could have any anti-Catholic bias. So far we haven't had many problems. The main issue has been the Veritas Press Timeline cards. A few of the cards have very blatantly anti Catholic remarks as well as incorrect information. The good news is that the only thing is required for the kids to do is memorize the name of the timeline cards. So we don't even bother in reading the back of the cards (of course I wish they didn't use that resource since the cards ARE spreading falsehood). The other resource we had an issue with was a book used in Challenge II art history seminar ( How Then Should We Live by Francis Schaeffer) but the tutor handle the issue very graciously making sure she pointed out the possible points of disagreement. This brings me to the next point: the group.
I think the CC experience have two essential components that can make or break the experience: the tutor and the group. We have been blessed with a great group of women both the ones that tutor and the moms who participate. This has been an added bonus I wasn't looking for. I wanted and needed a good social environment for my high schooler but I never thought of the support I would get. It has really been a good surprise.
The other big question we have to answer was the money issue. Is it worth the money? We are spending a lot more money that we have ever spent in homeschooling before.For us it has been worth it. When we started CC last year my daughter was beginning High School. She wanted to go to school, we weren't thrilled with the idea. We didn't want to send her to a public school and the local Catholic school was a big expense we weren't sure we wanted to make. CC allowed us to homeschool high school and provide the social contact my daughter wanted, at a fraction of the cost! So for us the money has been well spent. In all honesty, I am not sure I would've looked at the Foundation and Essentials programs if I didn't have the pressing high school issue. Now I am glad I did.
Another question I get asked is what else do I do with my kids, do I supplement? Last year I had to get used to the idea of having this program. I had to transition from wanting to do whatever I was doing before and adding CC to the mix. It was too much! This year I have taken a different approach. This year I have let CC be my guide... for real. I have taken the multum non multa approach of sorts. I have concentrated in the basics and have concentrated in doing those well. The basics for us are: CC memory work, reading, writing and math for my youngest; CC memory work, Essentials work and math for my 11 year old and religion for both. We add a history program because I like history but we take it slowly mainly reading living books.The same goes for science. For my oldest, the only thing we have added is Religious Education and we are working very slowly through an Ancient History Book.
So my advice to parents considering CC is this: read at least the basics regarding the Classical Method of education.These are some starting points: Memoria Press and Dorothy Sayers' essay The Lost Tool of Learning Then commit yourself to this method and do yourself a favor, don't try to do two programs at the same time. CC is not a co-op we tag along to every thing else you are already doing. You are paying for this service, make it work for you and don't try to re-invent the wheel.
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