Occasional Rants, Raves, and Praise

Sounds like an awesome day!! Love you, Michael

2012-05-16T10:59:34.429-04:00

Sounds like an awesome day!!

Love you,
Michael

So very true. And they will be better for it rath...

2012-05-16T10:45:14.068-04:00

So very true. And they will be better for it rather than sitting in a school building all day.

Agreed!! That's so awesome!! Love these pics...

2012-05-16T10:43:22.148-04:00

Agreed!! That's so awesome!! Love these pics of the two of them.

:0) I love this! It is amazing to hear different...

2012-05-07T10:30:03.944-04:00

:0) I love this! It is amazing to hear different stories and see how we reflect back on our lives BF (before Christ)!

Hi Linda! The great thing about puzzles, etc is t...

2012-03-22T19:56:11.169-04:00

Hi Linda! The great thing about puzzles, etc is that there are so many of them available for free now online! We use youtube videos about various topics which are really convenient too. Thanks for the comment!

Thanks for the kind words Kyla! I honestly don...

2012-03-22T19:52:13.632-04:00

Thanks for the kind words Kyla! I honestly don't think I've ever been brave enough to homeschool either.. but somehow while I was waiting to become brave the years passed and it was time to teach. I imagine my days of being the shebeast will be plentiful throughout the next few years. Have a great day!

The peace you describe at the end of the day makes...

2012-03-19T04:17:52.221-04:00

The peace you describe at the end of the day makes the rest of the day worth it! I've been homeschooling one child for 5 years, and I see that she-beast on occasion. I love the way you wrote this, and the reminder that it all comes down to the little moments that you miss if you don't spend all day with your kids. Thanks for a great post!
Linda
I don’t mind throwing in a couple of word search puzzles, and some online games in my homeschooler’s path so I can stay one step ahead of her!

I have to just say that I admire what you do. I...

2012-03-18T19:16:21.223-04:00

I have to just say that I admire what you do. I've been a stay at home mom for the past 8 years, but I haven't been brave enough to try homeschooling. Your comment about the She-beast made me chuckle. I believe there is one that runs around my house now and then too, but it's amazing what a little time in the great outdoors does to calm her down. Something about being closer to God in nature, I think soothes the savage beast. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and commenting. May God Bless you with a peaceful week!

Love this! So very fun.

2012-03-13T11:49:57.786-04:00

Love this! So very fun.

How creative!

2012-03-09T19:07:06.048-05:00

How creative!

Thank you Pat! I have been so encouraged by all o...

2012-02-24T13:13:45.622-05:00

Thank you Pat! I have been so encouraged by all of you. It's been a challenge not to try to follow everyone else's tried and true methods and keep persisting until I figure out what works for us. I think I've literally gleaned bits and pieces from everyone and their different styles.

Yeah.. they would make a sculpture out of banana p...

2012-02-24T13:08:31.357-05:00

Yeah.. they would make a sculpture out of banana peels if I let them, lol!

Hi Nina! Thanks for the encouragement! I rarely ...

2012-02-24T13:07:38.326-05:00

Hi Nina! Thanks for the encouragement! I rarely doubt that they are learning but I know that it doesn't always look "normal", whatever that is. I'm glad to hear that your students get so many creative opportunities too I hope that schools never truly get away from that.

We haven't been to the museum of play with all the kids yet, although we're planning on it. Aidan wants to go to the little Wegmans there!

Hi Rachel! I'm super excited for when you guy...

2012-02-24T13:05:16.383-05:00

Hi Rachel! I'm super excited for when you guys officially "get started" too but I bet that she's learning so much right now just by playing! She's growing up so fast I hope I can see her soon!

This is a great example of how working together as...

2012-02-22T10:30:21.111-05:00

This is a great example of how working together as a family leads to learning and respect on all sides. We consider ourselves "Unschoolers with a twist of Charlotte Mason", however after meeting more unschoolers we have dropped the formal lessons altogether. I enjoyed reading your post!

I have enjoyed reading your posts on homeschooling...

2012-02-21T20:18:20.526-05:00

I have enjoyed reading your posts on homeschooling. I am so proud of you!!!!! I also like Charlotte Mason but it has taken me many many years to learn what you are already applying. Keep up the good work!!
Pat G.

Hey I've said it before....just about anything...

2012-02-21T18:09:35.983-05:00

Hey I've said it before....just about anything is "art medium" to your creative crew:)

Hey the flour on the floor and Vivi writing in it ...

2012-02-21T10:14:37.625-05:00

Hey the flour on the floor and Vivi writing in it is one of the "work time center" that the Montessori had the children do daily. Well, except the work was in a tray fill with sand. The kids had to write their name and other letters in it (letter recognition,,I believe is what they were trying to achieve). :)
Traci, I work in an Kindergarden classroom and our teacher mainly teaches them math and works on their writing skills daily. The students get Chinese 3 times a week, Music and Art once a week, and the school guidance counselor comes in once a week to do Character Education. So, I think you are doing pretty well. Our classroom does get behind in some of the lessons due to an assembly, students birthday party, or other activities. So don't worry if it seems like the public school is always on task. Because we aren't. :)

P.s Have you taken the kids to Rochester's Museum of Play yet?

What a neat commentary on homeschooling. I do have...

2012-02-21T09:41:06.539-05:00

What a neat commentary on homeschooling. I do have to say that you are doing more with them then even what we are doing for them in public schools. And it also great that it's on an one on one type of bases. In my option, a child can grow so much faster and gain more concepts just working with them one on one vs the 15:1 teacher ratio. Great job Traci!

I have enjoyed reading these posts, Traci! Just ma...

2012-02-17T14:52:45.311-05:00

I have enjoyed reading these posts, Traci! Just makes me all the more excited to teach my own kids! Even though I know it will be a few years for the "school" stuff. But Cordelia and I do learning stuff now. Today we are learning "in" and "out" while picking up her blocks! :)

Let's be real, the chances of any of your chil...

2012-02-17T10:49:29.728-05:00

Let's be real, the chances of any of your children preferring ANYTHING over music is a slight chance.

As the current primary music teacher I don't a...

2012-02-15T14:22:57.267-05:00

As the current primary music teacher I don't agree with the fact that my student could drop music for science, lol. All joking aside, this post hits the nail on the head. I'm the father and I approve this message.

Ohh, love that final quote! You did a great job o...

2012-02-11T08:22:47.369-05:00

Ohh, love that final quote!

You did a great job of explaining your school methods in a winsome way. I've finally started reading Charlotte Mason stuff, and enjoy this glimpse into a homeschool inspired by her.

You're doing a great job and I'm glad we're on this journey together. :)

Love Vivi Ross LOL

HI...couldn't leave without saying HI:) So enj...

2012-01-26T22:26:26.377-05:00

HI...couldn't leave without saying HI:) So enjoyed reading this post. Love, Teresa
Hey did Mike really use the word Hubby...what will Sarah say??

Amen!!! As always, I love this post. This is a g...

2012-01-12T10:54:38.534-05:00

Amen!!! As always, I love this post. This is a great reminder of what life is and isn't about. I love you,
Your hubby.