Monday, April 30, 2007

I knit this hat on Saturday for the Warm Woolies project. I think it turned out cute and took no time at all. It fits Hannah with a bit of room.
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pattern: I made one up.
size: 12-24 months
yarn: Lion Brand worsted held double
colorway: garden something?
needles: US 11

I weaved in the ends on this sweater on Sunday. I started it last Fall and it was to be for Toby. It does not fit him now and it really won't come next Fall/Winter. I will add this to my growing little pile for Warm Woolies.
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pattern: :LTK Raglan in the Round
size: 3T
yarn: Lamb's Pride Bulky
colorway: Deep Charcoal
needles: US 8 & 10.5

My sock progress is coming along slowly but surely and I can't wait to have both socks to wear. I sit and knit on the second sock while wearing the first. It gives me motivation.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Yesterday we started the day with our devotional snuggled in my bed. It was really nice! We memorized the First Article of Faith(our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, has 13 Articles of Faith, things we believe.) Then we had breakfast and did some laundry. While I made breakfast Gunnar read to the other kids. We had Gathering Time and learned our entry for the day. I have a book called The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy by E.D. Hirsch, Jr. It is divided into sections and yesterday we were in the Fine Arts section, our entry was a cappella. We are still sick and my throat is killing me so instead of me reading lots to the children they read to themselves, each other, the babies, and me! We also did a review of the last 4 chapters we have studied in SoTW.

After lunch I studied. I read my scriptures and wrote in my common place book(like a journal). I record the passages that stick out to me and the thoughts I have, the inspiration I find. I also read a bit more in As A Man Thinketh.

After dinner John and I watched Dejva Vue-good movie! I then finished As A Man Thinketh and prepared the devotional I gave this morning in my study group. We had a colloquium on As A Man Thinketh. It was very interesting to hear others thoughts and ideas about the same thing I had read.

Hannah is feeling much better and slept rather well.

I managed to knit a few rouunds on my sock but I am not making much progress. I hope to spend more time knitting today.

I can NOT stop thinking about the STR yarn over at Blue Moon Fiber Arts. I want to order the Puck's Michief, Socktopus, Mustang Sally, Beryl, and Mudslide. *sigh* The Mustang Sally seems pretty bold for me but I love the Winter's Eve pattern over there and want to get it and knit it in the MS. It is funny because last month I was sitting here on the computer looking at yarn and John comes in and said "more yarn?" and I said "Yes, it is a sickness." and he replied, "If it makes you happy it's all good." I love that man!

Monday, April 23, 2007

We have all been very sick the last few days. Coughs, earaches, headaches, etc... I haven't done much knitting but I did cast on my second sock. I have been drooling over the patterns and yarn over at http://www.bluemoonfiberarts.com/ . I have the Lucy colorway and the Cedar Creek pattern but haven't cast on yet. I need to finish this sock and then John wants a pair of socks, then I plan on knitting the Cedar Creek socks.

Hannah is cutting her very first tooth. My baby is growing up!

I am reading As A Man Thinketh by James Allen. I am really liking it.

Last Spring I started reading Shakespeare. I was reading The Merchant of Venice and the children wanted to know what I was reading. So I told them a bit about the story and they loved it. Then they wanted me to read it to them. They LOVE the sound of it! This was such a great example of "inspire not require"! We have also read Twelfth Night. The kids were laughing so hard. We are about to start Much Ado About Nothing. In a couple of weeks we will be attending the play put on by a group of Scholar Phase children. We are all looking forward to it!

Monday, April 16, 2007

I received my April Magic Ball of Yarn Swap package today! I am so happy, more sock yarn! Yippee!

All wrapped up:
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Unwrapped:
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The yarn is Plymouth Sockotta. A very pretty blue/green colorway. I am one lucky knitter!

Speaking of socks, I give you MY VERY FIRST SOCK!!!!!
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I am beyond pleased!

Saturday, April 14, 2007

What are your kids’ ages and pseudonyms?

Gunnar(ds) is 9, Rain(dd) is 7, Hunter(ds) is 3, and Clementine(dd) is 9 months old.

How long have you been home schooling? Is there a story behind it?

It has been in my heart for so long. I was in High School when I decided I would home school my children. We have been home schooling since our oldest was born.

Does your home school have a name or a mission statement?

Storm Haven Academy. We want our home to be a haven from life’s storms for our entire family.

What is your general home schooling philosophy?

We use a Thomas Jefferson Education (TJEd). It is hard for me to put it all into words but I will give it a try. TJEd is about inspiring a child to do the work to get a superb education for themselves. I need to be a mentor to my children not a teacher. TJEd is not a methodology but a set of principles and different children need them applied in different ways. These principles are:

Classics not textbooks
Mentors not professors
Quality not conformity
Structure time not content
Inspire not require
Simplicity not complexity
You not them

There are different phases that one goes through. You have the Core Phase which is roughly ages 0-8. The most important things I can teach my children at this age are good/bad, true/false, and right/wrong. Core phasers work and play. A key word for core phasers is “Let’s”. Let’s make the bed, let’s do the dishes, let’s play Go Fish, let’s play ball. Together.

Love of Learning phase (LoL) comes next, roughly ages 8-12. I was at a workshop that explained it this way. LoL is like a hummingbird phase. Children flit from one thing to another. They want to try it all. They are falling in love with learning and want to taste, touch and try everything. Take your cues from them and let them go at their own pace. You ask them, “What do you want to learn today and how can I help you?”

These are the phases of the children I have. There is also a Scholar phase roughly 12-18 and these children choose to take responsibility for their own education and do the work to attain it. You work with them.

I absolutely LOVE these principles and they way applying them has worked in our family.

Do you use a curriculum?

No, but I use pieces of lots of different things.

do you or your children have any special interests or hobbies that influence your home schooling?

Everything we do is following an interest they have. Gunnar loves to move! He needs to play hard and often. Rain loves to sing. Hunter is a typical 3yo and is curious about everything. Clementine loves nursing and being the center of attention.


What is your typical daily routine? weekly routine?

We start with Devotional and then have breakfast and clean up a bit. Then we have Gathering Time. This is when we all get together and I read to the children from whatever book we are reading at the moment and I and share with them something that is “mine”, something that I am excited about. Some weeks we use Five in a Row. This last week we rowed Make Way for Ducklings. We had a lot of fun.

An important part of TJEd for the young ones is that you structure the time, not the content. The children can pretty much do whatever they want. We have a few rules: NO T.V./movies and NO video games. Anything else is fair game.

I am available to them and we do most things together. We play a lot of board/card games. I read to them more if they want. We work together too. The children help me fold laundry, load the dishwasher etc…

Gunnar is in LoL phase and he often wants to learn about something neat and so we look at books or find info on the internet or write books or do science experiments or paint or draw or many other things. Rain joins us a lot but still spends a good amount of her time playing swords, or dolls or knitting(who can blame her?) or whatever with Hunter.

Gunnar and Rain both have math workbooks because they wanted them and sometimes they will pull them off of the shelf and work on them. Gunnar is obsessed with Egypt and so I am reading to the children out of our Story of the World book vol.1: Ancient times. They love coloring the maps. Yesterday we read about ancient writing and then the kids practiced writing using hieroglyphs.

Most days they want to read to me and each other. Hunter asks to be read to 500 hundred times a day and Gunnar and Rain love to read to him.

Then we have lunch. After lunch they continue doing what they did that morning but they can also watch a movie or play a video game or play outside. Outside usually wins!

During the afternoon I study. This is the you not them principle. I need to gain an education for myself so I can help my children gain their own education. I am interrupted a billion times but it is good for the little ones to see me working hard at learning. (Some days I need to remind myself of this as I get frustrated.) Many times they ask me to read to them the book I am reading. Another huge part of TJEd is to inspire, not require. I do my best to inspire my children to want to learn.

Evenings we have dinner and watch T.V. or movies together.


Do you have any special methods/tips for planning? household organization? storage? record keeping?

No.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

This is what I knit for my new nephew.
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pattern: LTK Picky Pants/shorts
yarn: Plymouth Encore
needles: US 8

I love them and I think my SIL will too.

Sock progress:
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Pretty cool, no?

Today John had the day off so not much schooling got done. The kids read for an hour this morning and then we all just chilled. I read Alma chapters 54-56 and journaled.

I just pulled some homemade wheat bread out of the oven and I am off to make soup. It is a cold windy day and that always puts me in the mood for soup and bread.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

You know, when I told John I was going to knit my SIL's baby those overall he said they were ugly. He said I shouldn't do it. I was actually very offended. I thought they were adorable! I was excited to knit them. They would be the best gift ever! He then said. "Well, I think if you do them one color like you were planning instead of stripey like the picture they will be cute. And, I couldn't really see the picture when you showed me anyways............." He was trying to make me feel better. I was almost finished with them. I had about an inch left to knit. I was loving the cute little overalls and I KNEW that my SIL would too. I picked them up to finish and it hit me. THESE ARE UGLY! HOW did this happen? You would think I would have had misgivings along the way. Maybe they wouldn't be as spetacular as I though they would be. But, no. I had no such thoughts. Only John's warning that I thought was not relevent as he is a non-knitter anyway. SOB!

I couldn't give them to my SIL. I just couldn't. I knit somethimg else instead and I am very happy about it. I will post a picture tomorrow.

I never really post about homeschooling but things are going great. We are having lots of fun learning and I am so grateful to be able to have this opportunity with my children. I will try to be better about posting what we do each day, or at least on the days I blog.

I am reading a powerful book right now called "In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer" by Irene Gut Opdyke. I really recommend this book.