Learning Logistics 2008-2009

Every year I like to compile a 'master list'
of the curriculum, tools, and resources
that we use or intend to use during our year of learning.
It took me a little longer than usual this year
but I did, finally, get around to putting it together. Ü

I, usually, post this list on my blog
(mostly for past and future reference)
and thought it would be a lot of fun to have others share.
It can be a real delight to see other's ideas,
discovering new resources, or being reminded of ones
that, perhaps, we considered before.
I just thought it would be fun, all the way around!
So, I bring you Learning Logistics...
the planning, implementation, and cooridination
of the details of... our learning at home.

Below is a list (though not exhaustive/detailed)
of our learning logistics
for this year of learning in our home.


If you'd like to share
your learning logistics for the year,
please grab the graphic below,
provide a link to this post (so others can join),
and sign the Mr. Linky at the bottom. Ü
I look forward to this time of sharing!
Lord willing, we'll share each fall in the future. ;o)






Bible/Character:
(all)
Proverbs study/illustrations
SOW (roughly 1 semester)

(for 10 year old/5th grade)
Honorable Boy Bible study (Queen Homeschool)
miscellaneous books and missionary biographies

(for 15 year old/12th grade)
daily, personal Bible reading
Wisdom for Life notebook (Simply Charlotte Mason)
miscellaneous books and missionary biographies


Language Arts:
(all)
Bible reading (oral) and memorization

(5ys/pre&K)
Language Lessons for Little Ones (Queen HS)
informal phonics
copywork

(6yrs/K-1)
Language Lessons for Little Ones 2 (Queen HS)
reading aloud/informal phonics
Noah Websters Reading Handbook
miscellaneous 'readers'
copywork

(10yrs/5th grade)
Language Lessons for the Elementary Child 2 (Queen HS)
Writing Trails in American History (I.E.W)
Copywork for Boys (Queen HS)
Pictures in Cursive: Primer (Queen HS)
narration in all subjects
living books list

(15yrs/12th grade)
Windows to the World: Literary Analysis (I.E.W)
creative writing (newsletters)
living books list
Greek 1 (Rosetta Stone)


Science:
(all)
birdwatching
creation/nature study
miscellaneous living books
Birds and Blooms magazine
Kent Hovind seminars dvds

(10yrs/5th grade)
Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures... (Apologia)
notebook

(15yrs/12th grade)
Advanced Biology: The Human Body (Apologia)


History:
(all)
Learning Through History magazine
miscellaneous living books

(10yrs/5th grade)
Genesis Through Exodus and Ancient Egypt (Simply CM)
(all participating)
ongoing list of living books
Charlotte Mason's Elementary Geography (Queen HS)
Galloping the Globe
(one country and a missionary per week... longer, if needed)

(15yrs/12th grade)
Exploring Government (Notgrass)


Math:
(all)
living math (trips to store, kitchen work, etc...)

(5&6yrs)
miscellaneous workbooks (casually)
living books (M&M Math; Equal Shmequal; A Place for Zero, etc..)

(10yrs/5th grade)
Teaching Textbooks 5 (Teaching Textbooks)
Multiplication: Classical Math to Classical Music

(15yrs/12th grade)
Economics and Activities (BJU)
Economics in One Lesson (Henry Hazlitt)


Music/Art:
(all)
classical music listening and discussion
hymn singing and discussion
singing
living books on composers/artists

(5yrs/pre&K)
casual piano playing and exposure
children's church choir
picture studies

(6yrs/K-1st)
casual violin playing, practice, and exposure
children's church choir
picture studies

(10yrs/5th grade)
piano lessons and practice
children's church choir
picture studies

(15yrs/12th)
daily piano, violin, guitar, banjo playing and progression
piano teaching
church singing and orchestra


Miscellaneous/Electives:
Life skills (ongoing list)
Handicrafts (ongoing list)


If you'd like to participate in sharing,
please leave a link to your Learning Logistics post
in the Mr. Linky below:

Midweek Greetings...

I hope y'all have been enjoying your week.
Ours has been spent a little more out of the house
than I prefer but we are still enjoying it. ;o)

Monday, before going to Ally's endo appointment,
we enjoyed reading our Proverbs for the day.
At the the appointment, nothing new was determined.
We just touched base and she had some bloodwork done.
We enjoy the hour drive and this doctor office
has the only waiting room that we actually enjoy.
Instead of showing the 'norm' on their television,
they always play dvds with beautiful sights of places
with soft, instrumental music in the background.
So on Monday, we enjoyed visiting Alaska.
The video showed wildlife, glaciers, parks, etc...
and seeing a part of God's creation that we have not seen
was captivating as well as breathtaking .

Later, at home, we spent some time learning together
and the older ones did some seatwork.
In addition, we finished our Noah's Ark read aloud.
Oh, how nice it is to stick something out and complete it!
Even in the little things!
The Lord has been Faithful to remind me that
"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much"
(Luke 16:10)

Tuesday, we continued with building the habit of Bible reading
and read our Proverbs together and did our illustrations.
It has been such a blessing to focus on one Proverb a day
after reading the whole chapter.
I'm reminded how the Lord says,
"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom:
and with all thy getting get understanding." Proverbs 4:7
It's been a particular blessing to spend the time on one verse,
helping the children (and myself) get a better understanding
of what we are reading and learning how to apply it.
Though the illustrations have been a wonderful tool
that I began to help my children,
the are a tremendous blessing to me as well!










Tuesday afternoon, was spent out of the house
as we took Ally to teach piano lessons.
We all enjoy this time of fellowship, too!

We enjoyed a couple of sights, too, on our journey out.


The osprey (named after the bird) roared over us.
These aircrafts fascinate us as they are able
to change from "airplane" to "helicopter" mode.

We, also, enjoyed watching this fellow...


Such a cutie! We stared at him for quite some time,
admiring its beautiful features and glorifying its Creator.
Every moment, truly is a teaching moment,
whether its academic or spiritual.
There is learning to be done in everything we do.
What a blessing that is!


Tuesday evening, Ally was a blessing
as she polished her homemaking skills by making supper.
She enjoys being in the kitchen.


She made stuffed shells. Yum!
And I made some cheddar garlic biscuits to go with it. Yum!

Today we are continuing with our Proverbs studies
and focusing on our academics, too.
Currently, however, the younger ones are outside
enjoying a break in the cold as today is 70 degrees!
The windows are open and the breeze is blowing in! Lovely!
Adding to that, Ally is filling our home with beautiful music
at the piano. What a blessing old-fashioned hymns are!

We look forward to being in God's house this evening.
We're studying the book of Romans! Another blessing!
I hope you, too, are enjoying your week...
taking time to admire and appreciate
the Creator and His creation
and redeeming the time and opportunities
to teach, train, and learn. Learning never ends.
And I am thankful for that.


"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;
for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls."
~ Matthew 11:29

Simple Woman's Daybook...

FOR TODAY... January 26, 2009


Outside my window...
the sun has began waking, hiding behind the clouds,
and the sky is a calm blue-grey


I am thinking...
of getting ready for our upcoming day


I am thankful for...
the Lord answering specific, long term prayers
and how it is sometimes overwhelming how He does answer
"... exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.."
(Ephesians 3:20)


From the learning rooms...
Lord willing... Proverbs study, Jacob settling into Egypt,
current read alouds, miscellaneous seat work



From the kitchen...
only a few dishes in the sink (from the weekend),
the smell of hot coffee lingers,
and on the menu:
M ~ wet burritos
T ~ stuffed shells
W ~ homemade chicken soup & cornbread
Th ~ stir fry
F ~ sourdough pizza
S ~ Daddy grills out


I am wearing...
tan regency dress with burgandy shirt jacket


I am creating...
a regency, sleeveless pelisse
to go over an upcoming white regency dress


I am reading...
Exodus, Psalm, Matthew (KJB),
Boyhood and Beyond


I am hoping (praying)...
the Lord will continue to work in the hearts
of the family/friends I have been praying for


I am hearing...
the heater blowing and 'white noise' from the monitors,
as the children are still sleeping


Around the house...
things are somewhat tidy but a home blessing is still needed
and Mount Washmore needs 'chiseling'


One of my favorite things...
being spiritually refreshed and challenged in God's House
and fellowshipping with like-minded brethren


A few plans for the rest of the week:
go to Ally's endocrinologist appointment today,
go to piano lessons that she teaches,
attend our midweek service,
continue working out with my beloved,
work on the habit of Bible reading with the children
and having consistancy in our days,
comfort and support a friend as her husband deploys,
enjoy the moments with my beloved and children


Here is picture thought I am sharing...


"Behold the fowls of the air:
for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns;
yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.
Are ye not much better than they?"
~ Matthew 6:26

I'm so glad He cares for me!

Pretty in Pink... Paisley

With our surprise of snow this week
and my beloved having a few days off,
we have done little structured learning.
It was a blessing, though,
as I was able to finish Beth's new dress.

She picked the fabric herself...



round neckline, zipper back, puff sleeves,
with a pink ribbon tie




"She seeketh wool, and flax,
and worketh willingly with her hands."
~ Proverbs 31:13


**Edited to add, per request**
I cannot recall the exact pattern this is
(I trace all of my patterns and once I become familiar
with how to make them they don't always
return to their proper envelope/bag)
but, I believe, it is one of the following:

Common Sense Patterns #10F1: Girls "Plain and Full" Dress
or
Simplicity #8690: Child's Dress and Pinafore
(I'm not sure if this is still available. It is an older pattern.
But I found it at the link above.)

I hope that is helpful for those that may be
searching for a few modest, girl's patterns.

It Came! It Really Came!

What came??!!
The snow that they were forecasting!
And it's sticking, too!
The ground is white.
The sky is white.
A beautiful southeast, coastal
North Carolinia winter wonderland!

We are praising the Lord
for this beautiful blessing!

Photos to come soon!


**Edited to add photos of snow
in our neck-of-the-woods**



Suzie making her mark in our rare snow



A snow covered delight!



A rare southeast, coastal North Carolina scene



Mama's snow dusting



Enjoying "her own" snowfall



A backyard blessing!!


"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits,
even the God of our salvation. Selah."
~ Psalm 68:19

Simple Woman's Daybook...

For Today... January 19, 2009


Outside my window...
the sun is brightly shining through the dense fog


I am thinking...
of the Truths in Pastor's sermon yestermorn
about love in marriage. What a blessing it was!


From the learning rooms...
we're taking the day off because Daddy is home
and will continue with our learning the rest of the week


I am thankful for...
a God that hears and answers prayer.
I have been overwhelmed by some answers to prayer lately.
God is so Good and truly does above and beyond
what we can ask or think


From the kitchen...
the sink is crying for the dishes to be removed
and the fridge is longing for a new menu
(both of which I'll work on today)


I am wearing...
cream square neck dress with mauve floral print
and a burgandy 'shirt' jacket


I am reading...
through my Bible in a year (for the 1st time):
Genesis, Psalm, and Matthew {KJB};
The Way Back; Laying Down the Rails


I am hoping (praying)...
that the forecasted snow actually makes landfall here!
And for a few friends/family members
that have some special needs right now


I am creating...
the dress I've been working on for Beth


I am hearing...
the children discussing what to have for breakfast


Around the house...
a blessing (cleaning) is needed from the weekend


One of my favorite things...
being in God's house (a spiritual oasis),
hearing God's Truth in Love,
and worhipping Him in song


A few plans for the rest of the week...
go grocery shopping, go to two dentist appointment's
(one for me and one for Beth);
focus on home education, routine,
and the habit of Bible reading with the children;
attend midweek prayer service;
go to our homeschool group's park day;
enjoy my husband, our children, life


Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...


"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing
of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ"
~ Titus 2:13

What a day that will be!

Our Haven at Home Happenings...

It was a busy and productive week for us.
It was a, particular, blessing that in the midst of our busyness
we were able to continue working on having more consistency.
Funny (and sad) how that can be such a challenge.

Monday started off our week pretty well.
Tuesday morning, Will woke up with an eager desire
to begin his day and I found him at the dining room table
already reading his Bible for his Bible study...


He has been learning some important principles
about being an honorable man.

Also on Tuesday morning, we continued to focus on the habits
of rising up, getting dressed, eating breakfast
and gathering at the table for Bible reading.
I have decided to pick up and stick with
our Proverbs study for our Bible time.
For a while we were using SOW, which I do love,
but have decided to set it aside.
Instead, we are doing a Proverbs study
and we are, also, reading our Old Testament for history.
This approach has worked very well for us this week.
It has been more simplistic and, yet, we are wonderfully
in God's Word even more!
Tuesday's Proverbs study was in chapter 13
and we discussed and focused on verse 20
"He that walketh with wise men shall be wise:
but a companion of fools shall be destroyed"


(click to enlarge for details)
{depicts the wise men with their Bibles and the fools without,
and how they will be destroyed}

We have a cd with this verse as a song
and the children enjoyed singing it as they illustrated.
We were, also, able to learn more about history
as we are finishing up Genesis.
We did other miscellaneous work, as well as,
enjoyed our read alouds (listed in sidebar).

Before going to piano lessons, that Ally teaches,
and visiting with friends, Ally tried a new recipe
for neapolitan cookies...



and the lil' girls anticipated
the completion of the new, colorful cookies
as they watched their big sister in the kitchen...








They were a big hit!

Then our Tuesday afternoon was filled with fellowship,
which is always a blessing!


Wednesday was the day of Ally's cardiologist appointment
but before spending the day out of the house,
we sat down and did our Proverbs study.
We read chapter 14 and our verse of focus was verse 7...
"Go from the presence of a foolish man,
where thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge"


(click to enlarge)
{depicts foolish man with an X over "lips of knowledge"
and a person leaving his presence, as commanded}

After our Bible reading,
we got ready to leave for our appointment.
Will played the ivory keys as he waited
for the women folk to get ready. ;o)



I couldn't help but take this shot of the girls in the bathroom
as they were brushing their hair all by themselves,
getting ready for the day...

Wow... they sure grow up so fast!
It was precious to see these two little girls
working independently to get ready for their day
but inside, my heart was being tugged at
as I see the "littleness" of these girls fade away...
so bittersweet.


The rest of our day was, mostly, spent
traveling and meeting with the cardiologist.





(A medical chopper we were able to see beginning its takeoff)

Most of what the cardiologist said is inconclusive
but he did put her on a monitor for a month.
She will be recording any palpitations
that she has during that time.
After the appointment, we headed towards home,
meeting Daddy for supper at a local pizza place
(the one with yummy cinnamon rolls!). Mmmm!
Afterwards we went straight to church for our midweek service.
It was a long day, but there was no better way to end it
than being in God's house! What a blessing! Ü


Thursday we were glad to stay home sweet home.
Will woke up and helped me make breakfast
(french baked donuts... Mmmm!)...


He enjoyed sifting the flour and learning how to crack an egg!

As breakfast was being prepared,
we enjoyed lounging around, doing our own thing,
as the aroma of warm cinnamon filled the air...


Carolynne worked a little on her Proverbs drawing
from the day before.

Beth read and sang from a song book in the living room...


And she and Carolynne enjoyed a game together
on the reading room floor...



Ally sat at the dining room table enjoying the new issue
of Birds and Blooms that arrived the day before...


Ally has been studying the muscular system in Advanced Biology
and to help her memorize what she needed to,
she did a few drawings this week of muscles...




I wish I could say I understood all of this, but I don't. ;o)
I was proud of her, though, for taking the initiative
to go the extra mile to educate herself
and I always enjoy listening to her 'scientific discoveries'.

After the donuts were finished,
we sat down for our Proverbs study.
We were in chapter 15, focusing on verse 1.
"A soft answer turneth away wrath:
but grievous words stir up anger."


(click to enlarge)
{depicts someone giving a soft answer and nice words, on the left,
and the other man responds with his anger subsided.
On the right, someone responds with grievous words, angry & unkind,
and the other man responds with being more angry}

Here were the younger ones working on their illustrations...

As we did our illustration, Ally applied the Proverbs
in her Wisdom for Life book.

In history, we continued reading in Genesis
when Jacob moved to Egypt...


Afterwards, we focused on other learning
then had company in the afternoon.

Today, Lord willing, we will continue with our learning
and our habit of Bible reading then, this evening,
we plan to enjoy some fellowship
with homemade sourdough pizza!
Yum! A lovely way to conclude a busy week!

I hope you are all enjoying your week, too!


"Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice."
~ Philippians 4:4

A Special Thank You...

Thank you, Mona, for your kind words
and for thinking of me...



"Pleasant words are as an honeycomb,
sweet to the soul, and health to the bones."
~ Proverbs 16:24

It was asked to list six things I am thankful for,
which I'll do because it is always a blessing
to give thanks and praise to God! Ü
I am thankful for...
*Jesus Christ, God in the flesh,
dying on the cross for my sins,
providing a way for me to go to Heaven
and that one day He will return and reign!
*a Heavenly Father that hears, cares for,
and answers my prayers
*the Holy Spirit that indwells and teaches me
*God speaking to us through
His Perfect, Preserved Word {KJB}
*the body of Christ... like-minded brethren
that we can meet with, fellowship with, edify,
pray for and with, and worship God together
*the husband and the children that
God has blessed me with
and how He uses them to teach me

"By him therefore let us offer
the sacrifice of praise to God continually,
that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."
~ Hebrews 13:15

"I will bless the LORD at all times:
his praise shall continually be in my mouth."
~ Psalm 34:1

For the Love of Tea...

Before Christmas, I came across a post at The Pleasant Times
of a lovely gift she had made.
I followed the link to the tea wallet tutorial
and delightfully 'whipped' one up.

It was very simple to make
and it was the perfect little gift
for my special tea drinking friend.

I can't wait to make one for myself, too. *Ü*


{folded, outside view, secured with ribbon and a button}



{inside view of pockets}



{inside view of pockets... filled with tea delights!}


"She ... worketh willingly with her hands."
~ Proverbs 31:13