"To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first."
Shakespeare

Lessons in a Pinch

Have the children who are old enough play a game of Scrabble.

Quick trip to the library for as many books as you can check out then let the kids read, read, read.

A Couple of Education Blogs We Love

Blog, She Wrote

Twisted Education

Our Five In A Row Studies

My daughter and I have continued on with our study of Angelo using lesson plans from Five In A Row. This has led us into many areas of history, art, and architecture, including the Italian Renaissance, more Ancient Rome, the Renaissance artists, and more. I can't say when we'll be done with this amazing study!

Nature Study

Don't forget to take the time to observe, study, and draw a bit from nature.

March 2009

Following Your Dream To Homeschool

"Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake." ~Henry David Thoreau

Homeschooling does not appeal to everyone, but those to whom it does appeal see something worth following after. In fact, to some, homeschooling is a dream to follow after hard. So wouldn't it be wonderful if, when a family does make the big decision to homeschool, tragedies, financial hardships, and other unplanned burdens could be taken out of their queue? Indeed it would, but alas life does not work that way. Be it large or small, an unforseen burden is waiting around every corner for someone, somewhere, including those trying to home educate.

Taking those first few steps on the homeschool journey was to take some of the most exciting steps ever. The curriculum! The lofty goals! The beauty of training our children to be their own teachers and to be managers of their own time! The time for music and art and nature study! The books! It was almost intoxicating, and then at what seemed like only a few weeks into the journey I faced my first big challenge: a major learning disability that needed to be dealt with head to head, if not by a professional, at least with professional guidance. Fortunately we kept going, but it did not seem like long before another event hit us: a family crisis in the form of a very sick parent (my dad) who needed a child (me) to step in, sit close by and make decisions. Again, we didn't give up. I could go on naming things that have come up over the years that temporarily altered our homeschool schedule and my resolve that we were doing the right thing. At times, I felt like all of my dreams and plans for our schooling were in deep freeze while I dealt with unscheduled life events.

Unplanned events, though hard they may be, do pass, just like the many, many good and happy times that life brings to us. The good and the not-so-easy go hand in hand to make up life. Just because something unforseen occurs doesn't mean a dream has to be given up. Lessons and expectations can be altered a bit for a season. I know that having my children free from public school during the years my dad was sick and in a nursing home gave us time to visit him and spend time with him. It gave my children something that can never be taken away, even though some days I felt that I was stretched way too thin.

There's part of a quote I love. It's by William Henry channing: "...bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never." Daily I find that things work out best if I await occasions. And I am always more satisfied if I make decisions without hurrying. I can choose to REACT to events at hand, or to ACT on a dream and ride out the storm. I think I'll keep hanging in there. I know that when the clouds part, the path will be clear again and it'll be just as pretty as ever.

Writing Prompts

A recent picture on my blog got several comments from readers who loved the picture and found it very inspiring. I thought I'd offer it as a writing prompt. I plan to use it with my own daughter as a prompt for a creative writing assignment. Who do the dresses belong to? Where did they come from? Is it a country home where laundry hangs out to dry every day? Do they belong to a princess who only wears pink? Do they belong to four sisters who all only have two dresses a piece?

More Books

Hamlet

We continue on with Hamlet!

Things We Enjoyed In February

Painting a room bright green!

One of the boys turning 18!

Testing for our yellow belts in Karate.

Lots of nature sketches.

Looking for signs of spring.

Michaela's word of wisdom for March 2009:

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Joseph's word of wisdom for March 2009:

"Insanity and greatness are two sides of the same coin."

Thoughts To Ponder

"The talent of success is nothing more than doing what you can do, well."
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions."
~Albert Einstein

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
~Harold R. McAlindon