Updates

Today I offer little bits of what has been taking place in this little corner of the world.

Overheard in the car while travelling to the city:

Athena: "I'm the luckiest girl in the world."
Mama: "Why is that?"
Athena: "'Cuz I'm a country kid AND I'm home schooled!"
Note: Since being out of school, she got her Belly Laugh back. I am so pleased.

Paul is away the entire week. Ughhhh! He has Business Excellence meetings in Calgary for the first part and Fire Chief Convention for the last part. He comes home Sunday. I am so so tired of him being away. Enough said.

It snowed again overnight and rained most of the day today. Athena and I went to walk to get the mail as we always do. Round trip takes us about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on our rabbit trails. I found out today the my down filled coat is NOT water proof. Athena held the umbrella and was high and dry. I was soaked about 20minutes in. Not fun. Brrrrr.

And on a final highlight, I am finished choosing my curriculum for First Grade. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I have been researching and investigating for two months and have finally come to this conclusion:

I am really drawn to Classical Education focusing on teaching the Trivium. Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric. I like some aspects of Charlotte Mason, Unschooling and Waldorf but I think that Classical Education will be a good method for us, with a bit of the others thrown in as well. I will not be teaching Bible as a subject. I would have heavily focused on that with my older children when I home schooled them, but I have changed since then.

I am going to use First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind
and Phonics Pathways for Language Arts, Spelling, Grammar and Reading. We will also be using Handwriting Without Tears for penmanship.

For Math I have chosen a comprehensive study that will include addition, subtraction, measurement, telling time, identifying, comparing and sorting.

For Science we will use The Handbook of Nature Study and the Kids Nature Book as well as child directed unit studies.

For History, we will begin with Ancient History, as put forth in The Well Trained Mind. We will use the books The Story of the World and its workbook.

Moving on to Art, I have selected Drawing with Children and Discovering Great Artists. And I also bought this book for myself. (And you don't like to color?)

We will do some music study too. Listening to Classical music for 15 minutes per day. She already asks for me to put in on the CD player for her. Her favorite so far are the Nutcracker and this CD that my Mother got her for a Christmas gift. I may start teaching recorder or piano as well. I have not decided.

Most of all we will spend as much time outside in Nature. After all, kids should be outside playing, imagining, discovering. Should they not?

I got some wonderful advice from Tara, Dawn and Sarah who told me to just decide and stop looking for other options. So thank you ladies. And I will.

So if you have used other curriculum or have other ideas PLEASE do not tell me. I have ordered and decided and it is a done deal. (Just kidding, I welcome comments)