"We don't know one millioneth of one percent about anything."
Thomas A. Edison

Books We Are Using This Month

D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths

A trip to a local art museum, and a look at work inspired by Ovid's Metamorphoses inspired us to pull D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths off of our bookshelf and read a bit.

Hamlet

We continue this month in an effort to read Hamlet. I must say, it is far more rewarding than I ever imagined! My 12th grade son, my 5th grade daughter and I are reading it aloud, scene by scene, each taking whatever part(s) we need to in each scene. We are learning so much. As an aside, I think the fact that we have always used the King James Version of the Bible in our home has given us a headstart on the language Shakespeare used.

Samurai (Usborne Young Reading Series 3)

Michaela is reading Samurai right now. She is reading this as a result of our study of Grass Sandals: The Travels of Basho last month.

February 2009

Winter Edges On

Welcome! We're glad you are here to read another edition of The Healthy Homeschool newsletter. And while we're at it, Happy Valentine's Day.

My, oh my! Can it really be February? On one hand I'm anxious for the month to go by quickly, bringing spring ever closer. On the other hand, winter is such a wonderful time to stay huddled inside, reading and doing things as a family, I dread that seasonal closeness coming to a close.

January was a great month for us! We enjoyed many things, both academic and just plain fun.

Here are some of our highlights from January:

• A trip to a local art museum
• Lunch out with some of our homeschool group
• A study of Shakespeare's Hamlet (this continues on)
• Snow!
• Enjoying having friends over on a Sunday afternoon for a bit of fellowship and relaxation

I am hopeful that February will bring to us plenty of wonderful things to enjoy as well.

How Is Your Smile?

I have the privilege of being able to work from home to help contribute to the family income. Sometimes this doesn't seem like a blessing. Oftentimes it just seems like one more thing for me to have to do, and yet, in today's economy, I know I am fortunate to have my job.

One of the things I love about my work is the constant exposure to words and thoughts and situations in the medical field. I find myself heartbroken at times, typing up tragic reports, and at other times I am elated to learn a completely new word or to get an idea of something I think my children need to know, such as how to use a commonly misused word correctly. Very recently a thought came to mind that I wanted to share in our newsletter.

When evaluating a stroke victim, the face is assessed closely for asymmetry. The gaze is checked, tongue protrusion, smile, etc. Sometimes only parts of the body will be affected. It is somehow touching to hear, "the patient's smile was intact." I know, of course, that the doctor is speaking completely neurologically, but the thought of that makes me question my own attitude. It is so very easy for me to become sulky and unlikable when life doesn't go my way. Too many errands on my list? I become short-tempered. Feeling behind? I become impatient and lose my joy. Having to work? I pout and think "why me." Wouldn't it be nice if I could keep smiling in the face of the cares of life? I would like to think that no matter what, my smile is left intact.

Feeling Way Behind

I have recently been thinking about mothers who've expressed depression over the stresses of both homeschooling and mothering and letting school lessons fall behind. I hardly know what to say to this, as I know firsthand that life comes in seasons, and sometimes we have to stop stirring one pot to tend to another. Still, when lessons get too far behind that only serves to produce even more stress, make matters worse, and I cannot imagine that it's good for the children. I'm not preaching, mind you, as we have had our share of medical and other kinds of emergencies that had me really juggling at times!

All this to say that I have a couple of thoughts to share, hoping to encourage anyone who feels discouraged or like they can't keep up some days.

Easy Quick Lesson

Keeping At It

"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out."
Robert Collier

"For rigorous teachers seized my youth,
And purged its faith, and trimmed its fire,
Showed me the high, white star of Truth,
There bade me gaze, and there aspire."
Matthew Arnold

Michaela's word of wisdom for February 2009:

"You are what you eat."

Joseph's word of wisdom for February 2009:

"Don't smoke."

We enjoyed a bit of snow in North Carolina in January!

Thoughts To Ponder

"My lame excuse has been busyness, but it has really proven to be laziness. I have not been intentional in the things I desire for them to learn."

"We must cease to see the role of wife and mother as a job we put aside at the end of the day."

"Another tool that has helped us is doing lesson plans for the year."

"I don't stress diagramming sentences and complex parts of speech. The most important goals in language arts are to learn to read and write skillfully, which are essential skills for any child to gain."

Wondering...

Wondering about the above quotes? They were all taken from various articles in the Fall 2008 issue of The Old Schoolhouse magazine. I just cannot say enough about the magazine as a source of encouragement and inspiration. We highly recommend it as a tool to keep your homeschool candle burning brightly! Learn more about getting a subscription.