Happy Mail - Part 1

[faith]


Recently received, all wrapped up in pretty blue tissue paper. 

Handcrafted by Tina Marie, rosary-artist extraordinaire.  I originally saw the white First Communion rosary in her Loreto Gift Shop on Etsy, and although Alexa doesn't receive First Communion till next year, I knew it would be perfect. So I scooped it up.

Tina does beautiful work. And the best thing? She's local, and I love supporting local artists.

Tina offered to make the Our Father beads in my choice of color, perhaps Alexa's birthstone, but to me the blue is just beautiful against the white. And a lovely symbol of Our Blessed Mother.

I love the chalice as the center. What a perfect detail. So I've wrapped up and tucked this rosary away till next year. In the meantime, I continued to browse Tina's shop where ... one thing led to another and ... this one is for me. 

One thing our family does, without fail every Sunday night, is pray a rosary together, each taking a turn with a decade. We have done this since Group A was little and Group B was barely in the works. We didn't mind if they played quietly with Lego or coloured (using Rosary Reflections for Kids), we just wanted to create a pleasant tradition that cemented us as a family that prays. Without sucking the life out of it. Ya know?

Some people think that prayer has to be so solemn and sour-faced and serious and strict and ... un-fun. Smiles not permitted. But really, how can you pass on a faith to your children if you don't show them you actually love it and enjoy it? Why would they even want to receive it? God wants for us to live and be vibrant and laugh a little!!  It IS possible, desirable even, to enjoy prayer and be reverent at the same time. So with that in mind we try hard to make our family prayer time something the kids want to be a part of. Prayer preceeds a good little snack and family chat. My daughter (my big one!) always snuggles up to me during rosary so I will play with her hair or rub her neck and that's ok with me. Anything we want our kids to enjoy we try to associate with pleasure of some sort. Good thing, that. 

Of course things did backfire on us once. During one rosary, Tom just started to laugh hysterically for no good reason. He couldn't stop. It became contagious. But then, the next Sunday we remembered the previous Sunday and someone started to laugh. Let's just say it took MANY Sundays to get back to praying our rosary without laughing and that was not good. Not good at all folks.

The Rosary is a beautiful prayer for families, because each bead represents some aspect about the life of Christ through the eyes of His Mother. So its perfect for helping children learn the little "stories" or "mysteries" that we meditate upon with each decade. The beads themselves, they help everyone focus. I like to have aids in prayer - be it a Bible, prayerbook, rosary, or a Holy picture. Heck, anything to help with all the distractions that is my life. True?

So yeah. Loreto Gift Shop. Go there.

History of the Rosary here.
Free virtual rosary right here.

See you Thursday with some sewing :).

What's in your toybox?

Once again, I feel overwhelmed with toys in our house.  I'm ready to do another complete overhaul.  So I'm thinking more deeply this time, about what I am willing to live with and what  must go.

Bottom line? We have too much.  We have too much!!

Everytime I do a complete purge of low-use items in the entire house, my life becomes so much simpler and less stressful.  I haven't done this in a while, so I need to get busy.  I need to start with the perpetual toybox.  Because the kids won't really miss most of the stuff anyway, when its gone.

What do you think is reasonable to have on hand for toys? And ... gadgets?  Hmmm.

I love anything that fosters imaginative play, especially classic toys and games.  Lego, Playmobil, cars and trucks, dress-up, dolls and kitchens.  Lifeless things that your children must actively animate using mind and body.  Therefore, electronic devices, computers, video games, and TV time do not rate in my books, though we do have them in our home.  Too much of this stuff means too little time spent on worthy passtimes such as books, outdoor time, hobbies, imaginative play, spending time with your family.  It has always been our instinct to limit electronics, but I could never fully articulate why, beyond them being a time-sucker and time-waster. Gotta make the most of the time!

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil."  Ephesians 5:15-16 (RSV)

Then I downloaded a Core Phase TJEd talk by Keri Tibbetts.  I certainly don't agree with everything she says, but how she expressed her opinions on choosing toys and devices really resonated with me!  I will paraphrase her ideas here, but consider downloading the audio for yourself.

Low-effort, big thrill.

Get that?

Low-effort in exchange for high thrill toys and games represent a cultural message rampant in today's world.  The message?  Entertain me.  I have the right to be entertained.  This entertainment should come easily.  Passively.  Shouldn't have to work for it.   Wouldn't want to use my brain. Why work for a thrill when its so readily available and attainable.  Life is all about fun.  Once kids get a taste of low-input, high-thrill toys, its hard to go back.  And, once kids get a taste of low-input, high-thrill, they begin to lose the drive and ability to work hard for something.  Does it limit the ability to experience the wonderful high from a job well done, purely for the sake of a job well done?

Electronic toys and gaming devices are not the only culprits. What's in your craft closet?

Have you ever bought your little ones glitter glue or some other fancy product, and in one sitting they squeezed the entire tube out in globs onto paper, with no real rhyme or reason or element of creativity?  I have witnessed this first hand; my kids have done just that!  In other words, they used the product for the thrill of using the product, consumed it haphazardly, and then - done.  Dollars wasted.

On the other hand, really good art supplies like quality paints and good paper, treated with respect, can be the window through which our children can imagine and create!  Do you get the difference?  Some things we buy, kids just consume them for the thrill of consuming. Other items are used for the sake of creating.  THAT's what we're going for!!

We want high-effort/input, high-reward experiences! 

What about this.  Do your kids go through reams of white paper (such as printer paper) just drawing scribbles and then do you end up shoving them in the recycle bin?  Ahem, we do.  Never thought much of it, because we do recycle so you think its all good.  But what if we gave our children special sketch pads and modeled their use as something reserved for their very best efforts?  What would happen then? What message would we send?

On our recent trip to AZ, I decided to buy the little girls Leapsters.  Thought it would be nice to have something for them to do during the long drive.  They can be thought of as somewhat 'educational.' (Although from what I saw when I played it with the girls, the educational value was pretty pathetic). And while it did provide some "peace" along the way, we really did pay for it.  Maria got completely addicted and couldn't get it off her mind - she is so stubborn and persistent at the best of times - she kept asking and asking and crying and whining to play.  And asking and crying.  Sure, I believe in moderation; kids will have to learn self-restraint and so on, but I did not like the power the Leapster had over her in particular.  And if I'm really honest with myself, the purpose of the Leapster was not with their best interest at heart, but mine, for the sake of some quiet mommy time. Ouch.  What did we do before DVDs in the vehicles and handheld devices?  Well, maybe we were a bit bored, so we had to play travel games, listen to audio stories, converse, or just daydream.

Next time you think about toys and other playthings, ask yourself where the creative process occurs.  Did the creative process already happen when the toy was made?  So, did the designer think of absolutely everything and then package it up?  If so, chances are the toy will be played with for a short time and then abandoned, because there is nothing left for the child to discover.  For example, craft kits might fit in this category, because they are scripted.  An electronic train that just goes around and around might fit here, too.

Alternately, does the creative process happen when your child receives the toy?  A plain baby doll or dress-up clothes can be played with over and over again, with the child providing the scenario each time.  And in doing so, the imagination is strengthened over and over again. I love that!

Why is a strong imagination important?  Consider this excerpt from The Power of Imagination:

Imagination is a creative power that is necessary for inventing an instrument, designing a dress or a building, painting a picture or writing a book.  The creative power of imagination has an important role in the achievement of success in any field ... It gives the ability to look at any situation from a different point of view, and enables one to mentally explore the past and the future.

So.
I'm going through the toybox and listening to Kerri again. Join me?

Arizona Update ...

First of all, today is a Solemnity so I am enjoying a white mocha from Starbucks as I write this post :)

Our first week has been quite marvelous, but I have to say there is not a lot of time for formal schoolwork when the pool continually beckons ....  so here is a peek at our routine.

We are up early, to start.  With the time change, the older kids' online classes begin at 8am, and Dawson even has one that is a 7:30 start.  He does it in his bed!  Brittany has morning classes every day except Tuesday, she also tunes in from her bed! Meanwhile, early morning is the only time for walking as the temperature is perfect, not too hot.  Part of the reason we came to Arizona was to be more physically active, so we head out on a nice long walk with a stop at a park or two.  We are also in walking distance to my new favorite place, the Wildflower Bread Company, an awesome breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack/coffee kind of place.  Love it!!

By 10:30, we are back home and gather at the large kitchen table for some family-style learning.  All you girls who do your schooling at the kitchen table and pine for a dedicated schoolroom in your house - don't.  The kitchen table is a gift.  It fosters all sorts of wonderful things but most of all simplicity,  family culture, and great conversation.  We have used our kitchen table at different times in our homeschooling, especially those pregnant years when I just didn't have the energy to put in a full school day in the basement.   Although it has its ups and downs, so many good things can happen at the kitchen table, and we are sure enjoying it right now.

We are primarily focusing on Living Math, and particularly enjoying Historical Connections in Mathematics.  Each vignette has a good description of the mathematician and idea, plus lots of activities to try.

Kate goes in the high chair to have a snack, while Maria busies herself with coloring or painting alongside the rest of us.

It all works well ... for a while ... and then chaos ensues and Kate gets tired, the kids get hungry and its time for lunch.  Kate goes for her nap around noon, for a good couple of hours, and then its party time!!
We are out in the hot Arizona sun where we swim, play and read.

I have been doing a LOT of reading!  Normally, at home, during Kate's nap there are a million things for me to do around the house or whatever, but here that is not the case.  I am keeping up with Brittany's readings for her Wisdom classes, and they are fabulous reads.  Here is a sampling of what is on my Kindle right now:

Jules Verne has such an interesting background.  He is the father of science fiction and this book was a wonderful and easy read.  Its part of Brittany's "Classic Adventure" online socratic class.  It was written at a time when geological discoveries were in their infancy. Fascinating!  And, what a surprise, the movies are nothing like the book.

A short play, one of the Greek tragedies, and a worthwhile read.  Particularly poignant right now given the debate over the Education Act in Alberta.  The main theme revolves around who has authority - the government or the individual, and to whom should our allegiance lie.  Antigone has two brothers who killed each other.  One was defending the city and the other attacking it.  The king has decreed the attacking brother may NOT have a burial (Burial to the Greeks was of utmost importance) but his body is to be left in the street for the birds to prey upon.  For Antigone, this will not do and she would rather please the "Gods" and things eternal versus the king of the city.  After all, her brother is still her brother, her family, and deserves burial.  She buries her brother and ultimately suffers death herself as a consequence. This is part of Brittany's "Introductory Great Books" online socratic class and they will be discussing it on Friday.  In reading these classics, it is so obvious to me how they are formative to one's intellect and "real education."

I'm probably the only one who hasn't read this.  I'm slowly going through it.  She has such a unique writing style and I'm catching onto it.  There is a lot of wisdom here about simply being thankful for whatever your state in life.

After reading brief biographies of each Charles and Anne Lindbergh, I'm quite intrigued and just downloaded this book.  Anne Lindbergh was a writer, aviator, wife of a famous aviator, and mother of six (their first child was kidnapped and murdered at two years old!).  This book gives women advise on how to balance all the demands women have upon them; their many roles, and how to seek simplicity in living them.  Reading this type of genre makes me realize how incorporating biographies into our homeschool reading lists can be so very inspiring to our children.  

OK, back to our daily routine!  After that marvelous two-hour interlude beside the pool, Kate awakes and joins us for some water-time as well.  By late afternoon Maria needs a break and we take a little drive of some sort, maybe to get a few groceries or to visit Target :).  Come evening and after the two littlest are asleep, I spend some time practicing reading with Alexa - primarily Bob books.  I find this quiet, one-on-one time is perfect for many reasons, and her reading is coming along fine.

Finally, I leave you with this image.  It is a painting of one of the stations of the cross at our local church.  In all things, we must seek Christ.  In our vocations and vacations, our readings, our homeschooling, our walk through life.

Love you all back home in Canada!!  God bless.

All you need is love ...

Hope you had a wonderful feast of St. Valentine yesterday!

Our family tradition involves flowers, chocolate or candies, and gifts.  The guys in the family give the girls flowers.  Tom is hoping that by showing the kids how a man should treat a woman, especially in the little things, it will help the girls choose a good husband and show our son how to be a good husband.  Anyway,  I get lillies, Brittany gets roses, and the little girls are supposed to get mini-carnations.  However, since Tom was away on business, he bought the flowers on Saturday, with little girls in tow.

He came back with:

Lillies for me ...

Roses for Britt ...

And for the little girls ...

... well, the little girls suckered him into getting them gifts from the Disney store.  What a softie daddy :)


The aprons I was working on did get finished, and they love them.  Wore them right till bedtime.

Tested them out making cookies with Auntie.

And we all enjoyed and completely devoured the famous pretzel dots.  These are the best.

Enjoy the treats now.  Cause you know what's coming next week.

What's your homeschooling culture?

So, tell me. How exactly do you homeschool?  I mean, how do you put it all together and do it? Could I have a copy of your schedule? Your lesson plans? Your reading list? Your educational plan? Your typical routine?

Remember back to when you first started homeschooling.  Were these questions ever burning inside of you?  Maybe you didn't come out and ask other homeschooling moms, maybe you did, maybe you asked your mentor and she emailed you entire pdf documents with her year-plans, schedules, booklists, and projected purchases for the upcoming year ... I'm just sayin.   'Cause there comes a point when you have made the decision to home-educate, you've perhaps alligned with a particular philosophy or method, you've even bought curriculum, but then ...

The question of how to do it is particularly poignant when it comes to Leadership Education.  Its based on principles and not on methodology, no how-to manual; precisely because it is not based on a "conveyor-belt" model that characterizes how our schools deliver education today. 

The real question should be: How do I do it?

And whether your philosophy is TJEd, Charlotte Mason, Montessori, Classical, etc., ultimately you become the expert of your own homeschool.  You adopt bits of this and that, you feel out the routines and schedules that work for your family, you experiment here and there.  It becomes your personal homeschool culture and develops over time, and that is why no one homeschool looks the same as another.  The only commonalities among homeschoolers seem to be the core values of sanctity of children, and the primacy of the family.  Which is why homeschool culture and family culture go hand in hand.

I have been deeply pondering homeschool and family culture; they are so similar.  Webster's has several definitions for culture, two of them apply here:  "a set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices; also the characteristic features of everyday existence."

Applied, this becomes the way your family or homeschool forms itself - your rules, roles, habits, activities, beliefs, etc.   So ask yourself, what are your special values and beliefs?  How does your family have fun? Are you connected to a faith community? What are your family rules and traditions? How do you parent? What are your family's talents?  What is your family charism - for example do you all have a thing for music? hospitality? service? outdoor life? What about your homeschool?

We have some definite isms, our family.  Later in the evening, after the littles are in bed and the house is quiet, our olders will eventually make their way to hubby and I and we sit and we talk about everything and nothing.  Happens every night without fail.  Another ism, we always always always gather on Sunday evenings for a family Rosary.  Love that.  We should do it more often but I'm thankful for even the Sundays.  And in our homeschool?  We do our work in the mornings.  I protect mornings.  We value a little tea-time and snack on most days.  We value our games, and we value our read-aloud/discussion times.  We value our babies and little ones in the mix of the olders. We value our love of learning. It is our rhythm, our culture.

What about you?

You are so unique. And wonderful.  And an amazing reflection of our Creator. Your family, too, has its own beautiful culture, homeschooling or otherwise.  I want to tell you not to be afraid to step into it and embrace it more fully.  If you're homeschooling, I want to tell you: Have confidence. Be secure. Pray lots. And don't try to follow the crowd because it won't work for you.   

So, tell me. What's your family culture? What's your homeschooling culture?  I'd love to hear.

God bless your week!