Holy Week

Holy Week is here already.

It appears that I have blinked and moved straight from Christmas to Holy Week and Easter.

Where did the period of Lent and of Ordinary Time go? They went in what seems a blink of an eye.

This week, tomorrow and Wednesday, our older sons arrive from Adelaide. This adds an extra dimension to our Holy week and Easter.

What have you been reading for Lent?

I am reading "First Comes Love: Finding Your Family in the Church and in the Trinity" by Scott Hahn. Only a few days left in which to both finish and savour this book, to meet my self imposed deadline of Easter Saturday. Hahn builds on the words of Pope John Paul II. : “God in His deepest mystery is not a solitude, but a family, since He has in Himself fatherhood, sonship, and the essence of the family, which is love.”

Gerry is reading The Times Book of Saints and finding many personal inspiring examples.

Jonathon is reading a chapter from the Bible - the Book of the Apocolypse or Revelations each night.

Alexander read a concise volume titled 'The Catholic Faith." It is one of the first books on the Faith that I read after and during my conversions.

Thomas read a biography of Blessed Miguel Pro,a priest from Mexico in the early 1900s.

Anthony devoured a book on the priest Charles Garnier, a preacher to the Indians in the early days of the colonization of America. Preaching while retaining many parts of their culture.

And the older three boys? Luke, Greg, Nick. What have they read? I'll ask and let you know....

What we are up to.

Two sons have been to a painting workshop for painting Warhammer figures - they get to go on a school day so are the only kids there - and they love it!

We have been watching all the Star Wars movies in succession at night, over this week - still have some more to go. Having lots of discussion on the development of special fx and of the characters.

We are listening to the CD of Book 4 of A Series of Unfortunate Events while driving in the car - having great talks on vocabulary, stylish consistency and the humour in the book. I got this set of CDs from the younger four boys for my birthday this week. :-)

Still reading aloud Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin ( almost finished - we are reading the Young Reader's version of the autobiography).

I just began reading, for myself ;-), Book 4 in Susan Wise Bauer's Story of the World series. Quite interesting. I was thinking we might save up and get these on CD, to listen to in the car.

We are going to hire the new Harry Potter DVD tonight.

And we are looking at Science activities this month of April - Alexander wants to build a motor and make a battery and I suggested he type up the info and physics principles for the portfolio. Anthony and Thomas and I found a kit at K Mart yesterday - Build Your Own Model of a Space Station - so we thought that would be good for this Science focus - and with the addition of the favourite Magic Schoolbus series.

Diligence

What is diligence? And why am I pondering it?

I was reading a blog today about homeschooling and how homeschooling consists of one part scholarship and five parts love. *

I was thinking about the scholarship bit.

How does this term "scholarship" fit with unschooling? I know radical unschoolers would say that children will learn diligence and scholarship via application to their interests and so in real life.

But what about learning diligence through something you don't particularly want to do - and then, through the application of diligence, finding out that you do enjoy the activity and find it worthwhile.

How important is this diligence, this one part scholarship?

* http://mentalmultivitamin.blogspot.com/2005/08/morning-meditation-what-i-live-for.html

Simple routines

Reading a wise friend's blog made me stop. Ponder. Smile.

The value of simple routines in the homeschool.

Of avoiding over planning.

Read the post in full -

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/paminoz/97325/#c195391

Anarchy

Well, its not that we live in a home of anarchy - but then, again,maybe it depends on your definition of anarchy.

My computer dictionary defines anarchy as
1. lack of formal government
or
2. a chaotic situation.

Although we sometimes look like definition 2 above, in reality we have many little routines and pegs to our day - and , as for me, my To Do list is my informal government.

This informal government also rises from our daily and weekly meetings and our spouse and child dates. So, we may appear to have a lack of formal government but we have lots of informal direction and leadership.

And, as Christians and Catholics, we have the guidance of formal, sacred governance.

Why this talk of governance and anarchy?

Jonathon and I noticed billboard posters for a new film with Viggo Mortenson ( or Aragorn, the chick magnet, as Anthony has labelled him!).

Jonathon did a search for the film - V for Vendetta. Apparently small groups of anarchists have been handing out leaflets at showings of the film - they feel that it is a film in support of anarchy.

I commented that, sadly, today's anarchists seem to be depressed and desolate - to them, anarchy seems to mean not only a chaotic situation but also death and destrution, with no hope for the future.

This would make Kropotkin turn in his grave.

Thus followed a long discussion between Alexander, Jonathon and I on Kropotkin and anarchy. Kroptokin was a Russian anarchist who gave up his royal rights and believed in anarchy as a system of no national formal government. Instead, he believed in the strength of rural communites - each setting their own parameters and learning to live in harmony.

One of my older sons, Greg, has read some of Kropotkin, after we watched the old movie Sneakers - Donald Sutherland plays a character who knows a group of French anarchists and who "talks Kropotkin."

I have been interested in the concept of anarchy since the original release of the Sex Pistols song Anarchy in the UK. ( deep dark secret time)

Yet, I feel that that Kropotkin's idea of anarchy is unrealistic. I gave the example last night to the boys of the unhealthy government portrayed in the small community of the film The Village.

I am not an anarchist.

We are not anarchists.

Our family is not anarchial.

But the discussion has been good!

Mental Muscles

I have been to two conferences these last two weeks - last week to a Kumon Education Conference and this week to a Home Education Conference.

At the Kumon Conference, a speaker discussed the film Pay It Forward. I have hired this film for our family to see. Maybe tonight?

The premise of the film is - what would happen if you do a favour that really helps someone and tell him or her not to pay it back, but to pay it forward to three other people who, in turn, each pay it forward to three more - and on and on into a global outpouring of kindness and decency?

This is one of the goals of Kumon - to encourage students to pay it forward - both in education and in being a better person in our community.

At the Home Education Conference one of the speakers discussed high school education, specifically high school Science and the SAT and university entrance. As he discussed his rigorous programme, he used a didactic manner. "Your child must do Saxon Algebra 1/2 at the same time as General or Physical Science. Then Biology. Then serious Science - Chemistry after Saxon Algebra 1."

And so on.

The women around me fidgeted. We looked uneasily at each other. I know I was feeling inadequate and also bored - imagine how bored my students would be!

Then onto the dais strolled the next speaker. Her words were like a breath of cool air for us all.

Her topic was "Building Mental Muscles."

She also mentioned SAT scores and high school homeschooling.

However, she talked about homeschooling as a family lifestyle. As a discipline, yes, but also as an atmosphere and a life ( to paraphrase the educator Charlotte Mason).

The mothers in my row took an almost audible sigh of rest.Here was home education at its best - family centred while still academic and soul oriented.

I have experienced the type of education described by the second speaker - in fact, she describes a fair amount of our day to day life over the years.

And my children have grown and achieved. Are still growing and achieving. As are my husband and I.

What was this type of education? How did the speaker build mental muscle ?

She stressed seven areas -

HABITS
APPETITES
LANGUAGE
CREATIVITY
CURIOUSITY
REASON
WISDOM

All stressed via every day life, some formal work and lots of discussion and sharing of books.

Three Books.

This week we have had several discussions on books, throughout our days - and usually while we were working on other activites or driving in the car.

One son is reading "Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathan Swift. Its been awhile since I read that book, but I remember enjoying the satire. We talked about Swift's depression and bitterness and how this coloured his life. Very sad.

Another is re-reading "The Deerslayer" by James Fenimore Cooper. When he last read this, this son was eight or ten - he is now a teen. He is shocked by all the racism in the book - and so we discussed why there is value in re-reading books .

Yet another son is devouring the newest book in the Redwall series - we had a Redwall-fest several years ago .

Plants

The Australian Kangaroo Paw....



We are part of a homeschool group that meets on Wednesday afternoons. This is a structured group, although there is an hour in the middle for lunch and play and social time.

We missed the first week this term ( wew were in Melbourne) but have been to the last two sesions.

The theme this term in Plants. The Juniors ( under 12s ) and the Discovery group ( preschoolers) are taking part in the teach/talk time and the activities. The Seniors ( 12/13 and up) are organising either the science experiments or the crafts.

So, at home, I dragged out our Linnea books - Linnea in Monet's Garden, Linnea's Windowsill Garden.

We borrowed library books on plants, esp to help the three who are planning activities. All these books sit in our sitting room.

We have a bean experiment out on the clothesline - can beans grow without soil, with water and in a plastic bag? I'll keep you posted!

We have saved an avocado seed and are trying to sprout it, while it lies balanced over a jar of water.

Oh, and here is a fun craft for stems - Alexander is going to try this with Anthony and all the other Juniors at Group Learning -

<>>

I am a Mean Mum???

Really. I never thought of myself that way.

But I think I was a bit of a Mean Mum today.

We had surfing lessons . This was the second lesson for Anthony and Thomas ( Jonathon and Alexander have surfed before).

The surf was rough. They got dumped. They wanted to come in and sit down.

And I wouldn't let them.

Horror!

I didn't beat them but I did cajole them. Or maybe, in St Paul's words, I exhorted them.

I sort of ordered them. I felt bad about it but I felt pushed to do it myself.

I knew that, if they could just get over the hump, over the difficult bit, they would feel progress. They would feel proud of themselves.

I see it all the time in myself - if I push a little harder and don't give up with my Bootcamp workouts, I feel great about myself. I feel like I can accomplish anything.

And, eventually, I can do it! The squat thrust, the duck walks, the many pushups or situps...

I told the boys - "Go for it. Stay in. Don't give up. No pain no gain ( Thanks Billy Blanks!). You can do it. Little steps. I have faith in you."

And I cheered when they got up on their boards. And commiserated when they were dumped.

And bought them lunch out afterwards.

A Mean Mum? Yes, in some respects.

But you should have seen their smiles at the end. Anny text messaged his oldest brother, Luke, with his achievement.

We talked about another of *Billy Blanks' maxims - "Where I am today is where my mind put me. Where I'll be tomorrow is where my mind'll put me."

http://www.billyblanks.com/homepage.asp

Billy Blanks taebo website

Letter writing

We had a slow and peaceful morning.

I enjoy those kind of mornings, especially when I know we have several activities and errands scheduled for the afternoon.

It is Nicholas' birthday today ( third son) - we rang him and passed on happy wishes and happy thoughts. He is in Canberra, the capital, for work this week.

We sat down to write or type letters to friends.

This is always active for us - we not only want to send a letter but like to include a recipe, an activity, a puzzle, a picture, a photo - anything small and different.

It is said that letter writing has gone the way of hand kneaded bread.

Not here.
Not yet.
At least, not all the time.

Hmm, I must remember to log this in my homeschool journal.

Blogs. Kumon. What Do You Want For Your Children?

The trouble with blogging is...finding the time.

Seriously.

I aim to come here and write and keep in touch - but computer time seems to become more and more restricted.

Last week, I and four of the boys were in Melbourne. I went to a Kumon Education training course - I am thinking of getting back into being a Kumon Supervisor. I ran a centre in Adelaide.

Now, Kumon can seem the antithesis of unschooly education.

Ostensibly, Kumon can seem to be about only Maths and English, only drill.

In practice, at its best, with a visionary Supervisor, Kumon *is about the whole child - developing life skills and self confidence, especially for those children who must play the game of school.

Now, the whole child scenario fits well with me and with my unschool-ish tendencies. It fits well with Charlotte Mason's idea of "Children being born persons". It fits well with my personal goals of self development and with encouraging self development and self actualization in my children.

Re-reading "What Do You Really Want For Your Children" by Wayne Dwyer, at night in the motel in Melbourne, reminded me of these goals.

And gave me a lot to discuss with the boys, in additon to our discussions on their explorations of Melbourne.

Unschooling Catholics

This is the name of a new list, of which I am a member. It is open to everyone - really, anyone who wants to share about being a Catholic and being interested in unschooling....

Here is the URL -

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UnschoolingCatholics/

Routines

Last year, someone asked me what I require from the kids.

I was hard pressed to think of anything. I encourage reading. I read aloud. I encourage prayers and spiritual reading during both Lent and Advent. I encourage daily fitness. We all pitch in with chores but no-one is required to help.

Last year, we also tried to journal, in our journalling nook, each week. This fell by the wayside come Xmas and holidays.

I am, noticing, however, that our weeks this year are developing a new flavour.

Emailing a friend about routines made me realise that our current season looks somewhat different to the above.

Right now we have rhythms - well, we always sort these out and fall into a groove each move/each year.

I read aloud to the kids a couple of days a week.
I encourage them to do some exercise every day.
I encourage Anny and Thomas to practise piano a couple of days a week.

We do some written work around twice a week - Maths and Handwriting, LOTE or journal or nature journal or a project - currently a confirmation lapbook. J does his uni course stuff.

We have artwork on the dining room computer from our current artist - February will be Winslow Homer.*

And music around from our current composer - Tchaikovsky.

Bios of both on the refrigerator.

We are involved in several homeschool groups and outings. Part time work. "Extra curricular" lessons.

Each day is a living and learning and praying adventure - low key or high drama .

As today, when our discussion has centred on St John Bosco and on the cardinal virtue of justice.

No doubt these rhythms will morph into new beats as the year progresses.

*Monthly composer and artist ideas are suggested at the 4 real learning discussion forum.
http://4real.thenetsmith.com/default.asp

St John Bosco

Today is the feast day of St John Bosco.

Of all the saints, St John Bosco has been my role model, my saintlymentor, as both a parent and an educator.

I have shared these links elsewhere but thought I'd keep them here for reference.

Tired of the policing aspect of parenting? Read St John Bosco for a big, gasping breath of fresh air and for hints of another way.

Saint John Bosco

"Enjoy yourself as much as you like -- if only you keep from sin. "

"My sons, in my long experience very often I had to be convinced of this great truth. It is easier to become angry than to restrain oneself, and to threaten a boy than to persuade him. Yes, indeed, it is more fitting to be persistent in punishing our own impatience and pride than to correct the boys. We must be firm but kind, and be patient with them. See that no one finds you motivated by impetuosity or willfulness.....

Let us regard those boys over whom we have some authority as our own sons. Let us place ourselves in their service. Let us be ashamed to assume an attitude of superiority. Let us not rule over them except for the purpose of serving them better.

This was the method that Jesus used with the apostles. He put up with their ignorance and roughness and even their infidelity. He treated sinners with a kindness and affection that caused some to be shocked, others to be scandalized and still others to hope for God's mercy. And so he bade us to be gentle and humble of heart." from a letter by Saint John Bosco

In 1887 he wrote: "I do not remember to have used formal punishment; and with God's grace I have always obtained, and from apparently hopeless children, not alone what duty exacted, but what my wish simply expressed"

http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintj14.htm
http://www.memorare.com/saints/bosco.html
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02689d.htm
http://www.salesians.org.uk/html/letter_from_don_bosco.html
http://www.heart-and-mind.com/archives/christlike.pdf

Blogs

I have been reading a few blogs recently.

Want to share a few quotes.

"Preserve order and order will preserve you"St. Maximilian Kolbe
http://mariancastle.blogspot.com/2006/01/preserve-order-and-order-will-preserve.html

"Guide their reading. Don't dictate it."
http://mentalmultivitamin.blogspot.com/2006/01/young-readers.html

"Too often we beat the love of writing out of our children with Too-Much-Too-Soon Curriculum and the voices never have a chance to develop."
http://www.dogdayafternoons.blogspot.com/

Lazy summer mornings..

I love summer.It is my "most favourite" season.

I particularly enjoy the summer mornings. The blue sky. The coolness of the morning, before the heat of the day. Exercising, getting chores done, closing the house before the heat arrives.

Having some down time before our day truly arrives, with appointments and outings.

Friday morning was just such a morning.

We had some time before we needed to leave for an errand. By some coincidence, the boys and I ended up in the same room - the sitting room.

On reflection, it was probably not coincidence but the call of the room itself. It has bright colours - one chair is bright red, a sofa is apple green. It is homey. It is cool. It is a comfortable room and has our piano, our keyboard, Alexander's new record player, one of our computers, many books on the wooden chest.

As I sat on the sofa, a natural progression seemed to be to read aloud. Jonathon listened while he finished his computer game ( sound down!).

I read a chapter from Our Life in the Church, a book we are using for Confirmation preparation. Our new Diocese has Confirmation at the same time as First Holy Communion, so three boys from our family will be confirmed this year.

We discussed the different beliefs of many of our friends, and thier different faiths, Christian or non Christian.

There was time to squeeze in a couple of pages from Mao's Last Dancer - and some chatting about life in a communist country. How would it be different to life in our country?

Then it was time to leave for our errands.

I left with a satisfying feeling of contentment with our summer morning.

Origami

"I think you fold it this way."

'No - maybe try it the other way around?"

"Dad, can you help?"

A few minutes later, dh ( Gerry) helped Anthony and I sort out our origami.

We were attempting to make a secrets parcel, to give to J for his birthday.

Last week, I found a book at the library - Step By step Origami. It was in the children's section and has large colour photographs so, ostensibly, should be easy to follow.

Perhaps Anthony and I are manually challenged - it tooks us many folds and some help to complete the shape.

But origami is fun! And what a great learning experience - spatial awareness, shapes, arts, maths, culture as we read about the history of paper and origami in Japan...

Yet another quote.

Okay, I promise not to bore you all with my favourite quotes, but I am writing my mottoes for the year.

These slogans or mottoes tend to be quotes or sayings symbolizing what it is that I wish to be/do/want from the new year.

They help me focus.

I usually write them in my daytimer/diary, as little reminders.

I often share them with others, children included. It is fascinating to hear their thoughts on my mottoes and to hear of their own possible mottoes.

So, this is another quote, that I am considering -

"Consult not your fears but your hopes and dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what is still possible for you to do." ~Pope John XXIII

Note - Dictionary.com has this to say about mottoes -

mot·to n. pl. mot·toes or mot·tos
A brief statement used to express a principle, goal, or ideal.
A sentence, phrase, or word of appropriate character inscribed on or attached to an object.
A maxim adopted as a guide to one's conduct.
[Italian, word, motto, probably from Vulgar Latin *mttum, word. See motom definitione of mottoes is "

Maria Montessori

"Supposing I said there was a planet without schools or teachers, study was unknown, and yet the inhabitants – doing nothing but living and walking about – came to know all things ....Well, just this, which seems to fanciful as to be nothing but the invention of a fertile imagination, is a reality. It is the child's way of learning."

Dr. Maria Montessori

January

January is definitely a time for the new.

The new , many times, means cleaning and sorting, mentally and physically and spiritually.

The physical part took the shape, yesterday, of tidying the art/stationery trolley and re-organizing our journalling nook. Between frequent rests for me.

The journalling nook was set up during last January's "sorting' time. And then the nook was moved to a new place after our move interstate and to a new home last March.

I think tidying and organizing can be part of strewing - strewing ideas and activities for ourselves and our children. Strewing doesn't have to be a physical thing - it can be mental, looking at what we have and where we are, with new eyes. A paradigm shift.

Tidying some of the clutter helps me discover the paradigm shift.

We sort and throw out, make a list of some new supplies to purchase and are encouraged to look again at some art or writing or drawing. Maybe.