Curriculum ordered? *check*!!

After weeks of spending about three hours a day researching curriculum I have finally got everything ordered. Luckily I have come across some awesome sites with free worksheets and lesson plans. I found a really neat online site SkedTrack, it is a lesson planner/record keeper. You can also print out reports cards, and generate transcripts. Best of all it's free!! Here is a run down of resources we will be using this year:

Science-Behold and See 3 from Catholic Heritage Curricula

Math- MCP Mathematics

Handwriting/Copy Work- Worksheet Works is a free site to generate works in print or cursive. I am generating various Catholic prayers for Maddie to copy in print, then, later in the year I will switch it to cursive.

Spelling/Dictation- Spelling Wisdom

Grammar-Grammer-land, I will also be pulling worksheet off various websites.

Reading- We will be pulling from Ambleside online and Open Court Reading.

Geography/map skills- pulling from my Tanglewood Planner.

Social Studies- History through the Ages

Art-Ambleside online We will also do monthly classes at the Art museum.

Music-Ambleside online

Computer- K5 Computer Lab

PE-We don't really have a set lesson plan yet. I am waiting to see what our Homeschool Group does. I know we are doing Swim and Gym at the YMCA.

Health- Pulling from our Tanglewood Lesson planner.

Religion- Ordinary People Extraordinary Lives, for learning about saints and their feast days. Catholic Tradition, to help with the liturgical year and the St Joseph Baltimore Catechism.

Foreign Language- Prima Latina, Ecclesiastical Latin.

Nature Study/Walk- Charlotte Mason recommends going on a nature walk everyday and keeping a journal. I have printed journal pages from Nature Rocks.

Vocabulary- We will pull words from the classical novel we are reading each week for our vocabulary words. If I feel this isn't working, I am going to order Wordly Wise.

Since this is my first year I have back up material ready in case something isn't working out. I would rather be over prepared than under prepared.

We our now an official school!

We submitted the paperwork for our school this week and received conformation that we are now legally allowed to operate. We named the school Saint Thomas Aquinas Academy. St Thomas Aquinas is the patron saint of education. As far as curriculum, I am going mainly with the Charlotte Mason method. Charlotte Mason believed students should learn from "living" books not from text books that offer nothing but dry facts. To give you an idea of Miss Mason's teaching method, I took the paragraph below from Ambleside Online, Ambleside is a site that offers free curriculum using the Charlotte Mason Method.

Based on Miss Mason's writings, a CM education would include:

1.Narration, which consists of the child telling back a story.This takes the place
of composition in the early years.

2. Copywork, or the transcribing of a
well-written piece of literature as handwriting practice.

3. Nature
study with an emphasis on close, focused observation of creation as a means to
knowledge of God.

4. Outdoor life is necessary to teach nature
first-hand, which means plenty of time spent out of doors each day in all
weather and in different environments for students of all ages. "School" for
children younger than six consisted almost entirely of time spent outdoors.

5. Habit training as a discipline of the child's will and behavior.
Children are trained to develop the will, which is manifested in a strong
resolve to act in a right manner.

6. Living Books rather than textbooks
to convey ideas. Living books, whether fiction or non-fiction, are more than
just interesting books that make a topic come alive. A true Living Book has the
best material, from the best minds, or at least the real story from someone who
was there or has a real interest in their subject. There is a high standard in
literary excellence and, while she advocated the use of many books, quality is
to be preferred over quantity.

7. First-hand exposure to great and noble
ideas through books in each school subject, rather than rote memorization of dry
facts. Besides books, children are exposed to great minds through art, music and
poetry, which was read to the child daily.

8. Memorization was used, not
to assimilate facts, but as a means to have material to meditate on, so her
students memorized scripture and poetry.

9. History is taught with
primary sources and well-written history books.

10. Literature is taught along with history. For example, if one is studying the Civil War, one would at the same time read works of American literature written at that time.

11. Once children are able to read fluently, they read the lessons
themselves, except for books that need editing like Plutarch's Lives.

12. Reading instruction was primarily based on sight vocabulary, but did
include use and teaching of phonics. Even beginning readers, she thought, one
ought to have something interesting to read, like nursery rhymes, rather than
dull first readers, so she taught the sight words necessary to allow them to
read real books.

13. Schooling is teacher-directed, not child-led,
though the child can pursue any number of personal interests during their free
time (and her students had all afternoon free).

14. Short lessons with
an emphasis on excellent execution and focused attention and variation in the
day's scheduled activities so as not to over-stress the brain on one task.

15. In the teaching of mathematics, the ability to reason is emphasized
over "working sums", so emphasis is placed on story problems and working with
numbers that are within the child's comprehension, therefore, a
manipulative-based instruction is desirable.

16. CM encouraged
proficiency in at least one other language, specifically French, as well as
study in Latin.

17. Charlotte Mason set aside time each day for some
form of physical fitness routine which included daily walks and a "drill" which
included stretching, breathing exercises, calisthenics, dancing, singing, and
games.

18. The knowledge of God, as found in the Bible, is the primary
knowledge and the most important.

I have spend the last week ordering materials and setting up our classroom area. Our school is going to coincide with the Charter School calendar. I know it will be easier if Maddie and Chandler have the same days off. Our first day of school is August 15th, only four weeks to go!

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I went to the doctor yesterday about the foot pain that I have been experiencing for a few months now. She discovered that I have Plantar Fasciitis and a heel spur in my left foot. The good news is while it has caused me a great deal of pain, it's very treatable with the right exercises and orthopedic inserts.

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These days I spend way to much time day dreaming on Pinterest. For those who aren't familiar with Pinterest here is a blurb from their website.

Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests

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Someone has dropped yet another kitten off at our house. We don't have the room or means to take care of the several that have already shown up at our door. This poor baby is barely old enough to be away from it's mother. If anyone wants a kitten or cat *please* contact me!!

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I picked up some really pretty yarn today. This weekend I am going to attempt to teach myself to crochet.

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The kids went to a really neat sports camp at a local church this past week. We love taking full advantage of all the free programs offered for kids during the summer. Tomorrow we are taking the kids bowling for free. :)

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I am so, so thankful for my best friend. I feel like she is the only person that truly gets me. Don't get me wrong, my husband is amazingly, wonderful, and I am thankful that he loves me and tolerates all my quirks and awkwardness. But, whenever I am in despair and feel like "it's me against the world", I know I can talk to her and afterwards I feel like it's *us* against the world.

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At night Maddie can't sleep in a completely silent room so we play books on CD to help her fall asleep. Today I picked up Bridge to Terabithia on CD at the library. When I was a child, it was my all time favorite book. I hope the kids enjoy it as much as I did.


I hope everyone has a blessed weekend.

The Practice of Humility

When I read the topic of this weeks Walk with him Wednesday, The Litany of Humility immediately came to my mind. I am not a humble person, in fact of all the deadly sins, pride is pretty high up on my list of struggles. I am always wanting validation. I want my accomplishments to be acknowledged. Nothing upsets me more than when I clean the house spotless and my husband walks through the door and doesn't say a word about it. Here, I have worked my tail off all day to make the home pleasing for him and he can't even acknowledge it!? Now of course, I can't tell you the last time he walked through the door and I immediately let him know how great he was for laboring so hard all day in the hot sun to provide for our family (thoughtfulness is also not an area of strength for me) but I don't ever think about that, I am just looking for my recognition.
To be humble should not be such a task. It's not like Jesus is asking us to part the sea or walk on water. He is asking very simple things, simple things that for some reason can seem impossible to live by. When I pray The Litany of Humility I sometimes have to pause and add the words "lord please help me to truly mean what I am saying" So much of the prayer I can't even bring my self to truly want. It tastes like vinegar coming out of my mouth. Hopefully one day I can say this prayer with ease and truly feel and mean every word of it. Then, hopefully, I will not have the urge to have everyone tell me how wonderful I am for being so humble :). When the litany of humility is prayed in a private setting by two or more people, the lines given in italics below are the responses to a leader. I always say it by myself.

The Litany of Humility

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus. (repeat after each line)
From the desire of being loved,
From the desire of being extolled,
From the desire of being honored,
From the desire of being praised,
From the desire of being preferred to others,
From the desire of being consulted,
From the desire of being approved,
From the fear of being humiliated,
From the fear of being despised,
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
From the fear of being calumniated,
From the fear of being forgotten,
From the fear of being ridiculed,
From the fear of being wronged,
From the fear of being suspected,
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. (repeat after each line)
That others may be esteemed more than I ,
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease,
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should,
Amen

FOR TODAY
Outside my window..It's dark, I barely see the silhouettes off the tree branches.

I am thinking...I should really go to bed if I want to have a productive day tomorrow..err..technically later today.

I am thankful...For the long weekend with my family.

From the learning rooms...We are learning about germination.

In the kitchen...We have two yummy cakes on the counter.

I am wearing...demin capri's and a blue and white striped shirt (soon-pajamas)

I am creating...a functional schooling area.

I am going...to bed very soon!

I am wondering...why I stay up so late knowing how early I need to be up.

I am reading...Alfie Kohn- The Homework Myth

I am hoping...I get my to do list done this week

I am looking forward to...my car getting fixed Thursday

I am hearing...my cat breathing from my lap.

Around the house...I am getting lots of organizing done, I need to work on my pantry tomorrow.

I am pondering these words....But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. Galatians 6:4

One of my favorite things...having the best neighbors anyone could ask for.

A few plans for the rest of the week: The usual swimming, library, bowling, etc. Thursday we have our friends annual corn roast to attend to celebrate his birthday.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...I make this cake every 4th of July.....

Come to the light.......

The kids planted bean seeds a few days ago and they have started sprouting


We noticed that they were growing toward the light of the heat lamp they set below. We decided to turn the plant around and see how long it took the plant to change directions and position itself back toward the light.

Here it is before we turned it.

Right after we turned it

After about twenty-five minutes

After one hour it had completely turned back toward the lamp

Here is what we learned about why this process happens:

Phototropism

The movement of plants towards light begins at germination. This is a survival mechanism called phototropism. By orienting their leaves and stems towards light plants ensure that they will receive the maximum energy possible for photosynthesis. Phototropism is a complex hormonal and chemical response to light that is still not fully understood by scientists.

Read more: Why Do Plants Bend Towards Light? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5459208_do-plants-bend-towards-light.html#ixzz1RCjPGDnj

To Market, to Market.....

Yesterday I had a bad day and was reduced to tears (nothing horrible, just me being selfish, and impatient). So this morning I headed to the farmers market to cheer myself up. I didn't get there early enough to grab some corn which I really wanted but I did come across some great finds.



My goodies- A batch of blueberries so I can make my annual American flag cake for the 4th, local honey, strawberry preserves, apple & spice butter, and some sweet bread as a treat for the kids.


For breakfast I toasted some bread, added a little bit of the apple butter and cinnamon and it was heaven!! Also, I wanted to add I tried several different salsa sample while I was there and they were scrumptious. The lady who makes them has a blog and you can find her theartfulomnivore ~ Blessings Christina