A Moment

Last night we had a moment of timeless joy around the dinner table. It was also a great illustration of what happens when two graduates of St. John's College get married and decide to homeschool.

This is us around the kitchen table eating cookies--but you get the idea...

We cracked out the Herodotus. AH!! Book 6 paragraphs 94-104. I was reading aloud, and stopping frequently to discuss who was leading the Persians on the trek down to Athens. John had a map of ancient Greece handy. Thalia had her "Famous Men of Greece" out for cross referencing all the personages of note.

It was so much fun!!! I hope SOMEONE among our offspring go to SJC just for the fun of re-reading these Great Books!!

(Just so you don't think it's all perfect, the resident teen asked "WHY are we reading this?" in a very put off tone. She soon left the room to browse facebook while we were in nerdy bliss...)

Borrowed From the Ether

I Corinthians 13 for Home-schooling Moms*



Though I teach with the very best skills,

But do not have love,

I am just drawing attention to myself.

And if I have experience, and knowledge of all the best techniques, and test results proving my effectiveness

But do not have love,

I am wasting my time.

And if I work hard, sacrificing all my money, my time and my energy

But do not have love,

It adds up to nothing.



The loving teacher is patient with her children, allowing them to learn according to their God-given temperaments and developmental rates.

She is kind, treating her children respectfully.

She does not compare herself with others.

She does not brag about her accomplishments and is not smug about teaching her own children.

She does not try to be like anyone else, but acts appropriate to the way God made her.

She is not irritable and pushy and insistent upon making her children fit into her lesson plans.

She is more concerned with promoting truth and beauty than with criticizing those who don’t.

She perseveres in developing her own character, believing that God’s ways are always best. She is not a quitter.

Love never fails.



If there are creative ideas, they will be replaced.

If there are great curricula, they will be superseded.

If there are effective techniques they will be improved.

All that we know now is only a part.

Only later will God reveal education at its best.

When I was a child, I had unrealistic expectations.

As an adult, I know better.

Now abideth faith, hope and love.

But the greatest of these is love.



*And Dads

NFP

Wanna take a class? Go here and click on learn/register. Search for a class in Maine---Look!! We're famous!!

For My Local Parenting Friends

Tuesday, Feb. 15 Laura Gauld will present The Biggest Job We’ll Ever Have, her national parenting workshop. Laura Gauld is the Head of School at the Hyde School in Connecticutt and is also Executive Director for part of the program at Hyde in Bath, Maine. She's well-respected presenter (solid teaching, but not preachy), teacher and parent. She has a particularly broad experience with teenagers.

What will she discuss?
• Allowing your child to struggle.
• How to balance achievement and attitude.
• How to help your child reach their highest potential.
• When truth is more important than harmony
• some practical suggestions for simple family activites that help build family bonds

Her presentation will be followed by a time for questions.

This workshop will be extremenly valuable as your son/daughter enters high school. The suggestions presented by Laura Gauld will give you and your child practical tools for decision making during the challenging four years ahead.

The Biggest Job will be 7 - 9 pm at St. Charles Church Hall, 132 McKeen St., Brunswick. Although the workshop has been planned especially with you in mind, it is open to the public and free of charge. Please feel free to invite other parents and educators.

I hope to see you all on Feb 15.

Thaddeus' Story

His assignment was to put the Goya paintings in any order and tell a story:

There were two boys and a dog lost in the desert in Egypt.



The dog died and they were very thirsty and they blew up the dog baldder [we have done this with pig bladders].

They were lost till they grew up and they came to a bayou and got to drink water [New Oleans study is going on--can you tell?]

Finally they got to America and got married [presumably to women, not each other].

Exploring

10 years into my homeschooling adventure, I still wonder at and appreciate the minds I see developing in my children. This week has included some insights into the parent child relationship, a la King Lear, more reminders on inverting the SECOND fraction before multiplying, goosebump at hearing "The people shall rise and listen to hear, the hurrying hoofbeats of that steed, and the midnight message of Paul Revere," recited for the umpteenth time, and SPIDERS.

Whatever it is that drives a 5 year old to withstand spider bites in an effort to get some samples into a beer bottle, seek out a spider book at the library, then spend an hour "studying" in a mysterious pre-reading way--whatever that is--I love it, and hope he keeps it!!

My Daughter the Farmer

One of the surprises and joys of living on the Rauscher's land is the Rauscher's.

OK--it's not such a surprise~ Andrea--fully capable mother of 3 adult sons can take my boys and play in the woods and tire them out for me without blinking an eye1

Kurt has goats, sheep, chickens, and other feathery animals in the barn. Mary Catherine has been getting up in the dark of the morning to help him in the barn. When there is a special chore she helps out. Like the slaughtering of rams a few weeks ago, or the worming of the flock yesterday.

As thanks for her help, Kurt offered MC one of the spring kids. So when the sweet spring babies arrive MC will have her pick to raise herself.

I know all this work with the animals is great practical education. But also a great way for her to build competence and confidence without her fussy mother standing by. It's also great for me to see her getting up and working hard. At a stage when she's more inclined to sit on the cough, read, and grunt at me every now and then, it is a relief to see that the will to action does exist--if not the will to scrub the upstairs withing 24 hours of my request.

Goats are more compelling than toilets. I'm so glad she had the goats!

PS this photot is just a stock photot from the internet--not really one of Kurts Goats!

A boy and His Poet

From an early age Eddyblouin's memorize the poetry of Robert Lewis Stevenson. "The Rain" is the first poem in kindergarten. John Henry had the most memorable rendition: "Da Wain is Wainin all awound. . ."

As they grow the books of RLS become popular also. He is everywhere in our curricula.

A few months ago I got my hands on a little, old biography for youth. I gave it to John Henry. We finished it tonight. We were both crying as we read the epitaph inscribed on his tomb in Samoa.

Now my little sailor boy want to travel to Samoa to visit his grave and farm. Scotland and France will probably be on his list too. After a week of hectic, stressful, non-school packing, an night like tonight helps me to realize that what my children learn is not limited to school hours.

God Bless Robert Lewis Stevenson.

Blessings and Curses

A blessing can look a lot like a curse. A battle can be as mundane as overcoming exhaustion to fold the laundry, and feed the children. Or even harder--speak patiently while doing so!

Today's gospel reading (John 17:12-19) reminds me that the beautiful ideal of Christ's love meets reality in the pots and pans of my life. I can imagine the joy Peter and the other Apostles felt at being among Jesus' chosen intimate friends. But to maintain that joy during their own Crucifixions and deaths. . .blessing and curse.

I have always said that I'd be a great martyr. Give me a lion, or a fire and stake, and I'd do Jesus proud! But He has asked be to grow in holiness through this every day self-denial of children, family responsibilities, and openness to life. It seems a lot harder to me than having the courage to say "I think I'm done on this side." while being roasted to death.

But the good news is I feel fortified for the fight. The laundry may not get folded today (who's idea was it to wash and dry 5 loads in one day?). the floor may not get mopped. Maybe even some of the Wednesday lessons will be held over to Thursday. But I am strengthened to do what I can, show God's love to my family, and smile through the mess, and the joy!

**Mary Catherine is missing from the photo, and Quinn is added.

Latin

We study Latin in this family. John has decreed, in that head-of-houshold sort of way, that all of his children will read latin with facility before leaving the nest. I hope this doesn't mean the slower floks will hang on into their 30's!

Regardless--much of our time is spent doing recetations "Amo, amas, amat. . .terra, terrae, terrae, terram, terra. . . lex, legis. . .etc etc." Singing songs "Christus Vincit! Christus Regnat! Christus, Christus, Imperat!" and memorizing vocab (that is so dry you don't want an example).

We also like learning little phrases in latin. Like "Medax, Mandax. Bracae tua conflagrant!"

Today's is "pluvia , pluvia discedo. Dies alius iterum adveho."
iterum sounds like aeternum--if I were a little more fluent I'd write a Virgil-esque poem about the rain lasting FOREVER!

News Flash!

This just in: The Eddyblouin family is joining the rest of the State, and having February Vacation. Much rejoicing was to be seen, and heard, through tout the house. The requirement of math and Latin computer programs for 15 minutes a day for the three scholars was quickly arranged.

Resurection pillow

Amazing what a 9 year old can do with some old sweaters, needle and thread, and fleece from the North Haven Sheep.

Montossori Boy

Thaddeus finally has some work to do! He has a car washing job (pictured), a beading job, and we are looking for a pickle grabber for his sorting job. I tried doing it with a straw (sucking the colored puff balls with the straw and dropping them in colored containers) but since it was hard for me to do without fainting I thought it may be too much for three year old lungs. . .
John Henry also did some math work this morning. Geting used to place values with the "stamp job". It's only 10 am and I can chack off the "good Mom" work for the day--PHEW!

Great pics Sondra! Is my godson left handed--like yours? I try not to be afraid of lefties. My sister is one, and I think I even have some leftie friends. And a son. But they are still scary. That weird writting angle. Special scissors. AHHH!