Back into the swing of things.

This week we are heading into week 6 of term 2 AO5, after two weeks off. I'm feeling ready and prepared to face the next 6 weeks with fresh vigour. 
What an extraordinary blessing it is to help educate the little persons in our worlds. Well they're not so little anymore, as a matter of fact I think my 14yo son has just grown taller than me. 

We press on, knowing this is our destiny. 
Life is hard and challenging at times, but we press on. 
Life is not all about English, Grammar and Maths. 
It's about knowing you are made and loved by the creator of this universe. I think when one truly grasps this truth, you are freed to become all that you were destined to be. 

We were recently away at a Christian conference, and I sensed God whispering and reminding me of Charlotte Masons motto-
I am
I can
I ought
I will. 
So today I have written them up, and I am going to say these words out loud with my kids everyday.

 

 

Words are so powerful.

I heard a quote- 'Words are not just used to communicate but to create'. I love this, as it reminds me that God used words to bring this phenomenal universe into existence. 
It's something that is vital in our home schooling atmosphere. To use words that create dreams, life and encouragement. 

On Conscience talking

“An instructed conscience rarely makes mistakes."

- Charlotte Mason 

Since this is my open journal, I'm going to write something my son said today. 

It was about lunch time, my 10yo daughter had done all her language arts- Bible reading and journal entry, Latin, English & Spelling, and my 14yo had only played violin, fed his magpies a few times, stared at the pouring rain, did some work in his grammar of poetry and had read Dr. Suess' poem- 'Cat in the Hat'. 

I know boys and girls are totally different, I get that, but still...

...I was beginning to freak out a little, because I am struggling to get him to do anything. 

During spelling, he made a mistake and walked out of the room. I just let him go. Before we started spelling, I remembered that I was making myself a cup of English breakfast tea, so I headed back out to the kitchen, and there was my son, telling himself to be quite.

I was like, what are you doing?

He looked at me with a very charming smile and stated that when he was in his room, his conscience told him to get back to the school room. 

I just smiled at him, and thanked God, and then just hoped and prayed that he listens to his conscience. What else can you do?

Then somebody posted this you tube clip on facebook, and I just thought, how ironic. 

Please tell me you have days where you are struggling to get your child into action...

What do you do with those days?

We are experiencing a lot of these days, and at times I am struggling to not be anxious about it.

I must say though, I am thankful that his conscience is loud and clear, that he knows what he should be doing, that he knows right and wrong. In the end having knowledge of right and wrong is better than academics. Don't you think? 

Listening to your conscience and not suppressing it, is another step. 

On Character building

Last night at church I met a wonderful lady; she was the guest speaker to talk about Kairos prison ministry. 

We connected straight away, and at the end of the service this lady came over to me and said, 'I have just been having a lovely conservation with your son, and I also am a home educator, and I just want to encourage you to keep on keeping on, as it's all about teaching character, and in the end that is what is most important'. 

What adjectives can I use to describe my heart and soul at those uplifting words?

- Uplifted
- Blessed
- Raised

The encouragement was simple, but for me it was like someone just coming along and picking me up again. 

This lady doesn't know what hardships I'm enduring with a certain 14yo, and how I am daily struggling to just not turn into a yelling, screaming arguing monster. 

Building character is the most difficult and trying thing to do as a parent, and I know that millions have gone before me, but sometimes I still feel so alone.

I know that God is the character builder, He is the potter and I am clay, and He is the one who shapes and moulds our lives, so we show His very attributes; His nature; His character. 

It's the constant battle between right and wrong. I know that arguing is wrong, that yelling is wrong, but I still do it at times because I am flawed, because my character is still being developed. 

I'm being taught to be humble and always apologise to my kids when I have messed up.

Miss Mason said 'More than upon anything else, future character and conduct depend'. More than anything! 

So those words 'keep on keeping on' are echoing in my spirit today as a gentle reminder to hold strong, even though I am weak, to hold my tongue, even when I want to vomit wrong words, to keep walking in love, even though I want to run away. 

Today is all we have, and today I have the greatest teacher with me, guiding each step, who recently told me 'I don't own my children', they belong to Him. 

Folksong Term 1 2015

It takes a little searching to find a genre of music that gets my children's attention. Since the beginning of this term one I have played different styles of Barbara Allen, which is the folksong chosen for term 1 of AO 2015. 

Today I began playing this one https://youtu.be/7FATj02li6s and it got the attention of both of my children aged 14 & 10.

The lyrics are a little different to the ones AO have on their site, but we still enjoyed listening.

You know you have a winner when your children request you to play it again.

The Book of Marvels CH 8

Chapter eight of The Book of Marvels is Richard's experience at Washington, and his thoughts about the place. 

This book is one you use for Geography as a part of Ambleside year 5. 

I'm going to link to websites and maps that I find, whilst we read through this book. 

I don't know about you, but sometimes I cannot find what I am looking for on the world wide web, so I am going to do what I like others doing, and that is linking what I find after spending some time. 

I printed off maps from here-

http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/usa.html

We watched short clips from here-

http://www.history.com/topics/us-states/washington-dc/videos/washington-dc

A Miss Mason quote

"The children should have the joy of living in far lands, in other persons, in other times--a delightful double existence; 

and this joy they will find, for the most part, in their story books." 

~ Charlotte Mason 

We are going into week 5 of Ambleside online year 5.

We have been thrusted into a plethora of characters & places. 

The Book of Marvels has so quickly become a read aloud not to be missed. Whether it's the way Richard writes, I don't know, but my children & I are enthralled with this book as he discovers some of the wonders in our world. 

I'm reading this one out loud, and I allow my children to use their iPods to search whatever marvel we are reading about, and we then locate the place on our maps. 

After I have finished reading, my children narrate individually what they remember. 

We are also taken with Shakespeare's Hamlet and it is bringing out the theatrical within my children & I; such fun. 

Pondering on Miss Masons quote above, I am continually grateful for the rich living literature that bring this joy; how they transport us to another place and time, such a priceless gift. 

So far this term we haven't done a lot of nature drawings, so I am planning on packing a picnic one day this week and venturing off to either the beach, the bush or the lakes to find an inspiring place to draw what captures our attention.