When it comes to being thankful, I am sometimes overwhelmed by the goodness and love in our lives. A few immediate thanks that come to mind (with a few attributions):
A few fun ways + recipes to spend all the extra family-time....
Johnny Appleseed's Thanksgiving verse (also a coloring page)
Cranberry sauce with maple syrup recipe
An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott - a perfect tale to share with the family when you can steal a little couch time
Animal sewing cards - to keep the little ones bemused during all the cooking
A history of pumpkin pie - for the curious
Printable Thanksgiving toys and thingamabobs from the Toymaker
November 25, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
All the fresh pumpkin paid off with this recipe, well-loved by my entire family.
You will need:
1. After chopping the pumpkin, onion, potatoes, and apple, heat butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it turns golden brown (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook for one more minute,
2. Stir in curry powder, salt, and pepper.
3. Add pumpkin and potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. (If the pan gets dry, just add a half-cup of water.)
4. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of water and add large cube of chicken bouillon, stirring to blend. Add cubed apple to the pan. Cover and reduce heat to medium. After 15 minutes, add honey if you'd like that extra kick.
5. Replace cover and cook until pumpkin and potatoes are tender (about 5 to 10 minutes more).
6. Garnish will fresh cilantro or freshly-chopped green onions.
November 23, 2009 in recipes | Permalink | Comments (0)
Courage is defined as the mental and moral strength to venture, perservere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.
Synonyms for courage: bravery, gall, boldness, boldness, valor, fearlessness, fortitude
Antonyms for courage: cowardice, fear, nervousness
Copywork and Recitations
Stories
Poems and Songs
Biographies
Art and Images - For notebooking pages and journaling.
Activities and Crafts
For parents and teachers, who enjoy learning with their children and have discovered that secret joy of homeschooling which involves a lifelong intellectual and spiritual adventure, here are a few inspiring materials:
November 23, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
November 22, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
The cashew family (Anacardiaceae) is a group of about 600 species of plants, most of which are tropical in distribution, although some occur in the temperate zone. The cashew family contains many types of sumac, which you can view and explore in this printable brochure.
Almost all members of the cashew family are trees or shrubs, though some are vines. Many species have foliage, fruits, or bark on the stems and roots that contain acrid, an often milky resin, and saps that are irritating or poisonous if touched or eaten. The leaves are typically compound, with at least three if not more leaflets per leaf. The flowers are small, five-parted, insect pollinated, and arranged in compact inflorescences. The fruits are either a one-seeded drupe or a many-seeded berry, and are generally eaten and dispersed by birds or small mammals.
Open nature notebooks. We found the tree above at the Arboretum yesterday, and have decided that it must be the Chinese pistache, or Pistacia chinensis. It still seems funny to imagine its kinship to cruel poison ivy, but we humans have some ugly brothers as well. Off to leaf rubbing, tracing, and classifying we go. Here is a close-up of the Chinese pistache leaves (and Micah's old-man hair).
November 22, 2009 in home"schooling", kids, nature notebook | Permalink | Comments (0)
November 21, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Our hat basket waits stocked by the door to cover little heads in cold weather. I know Suebee and Pops would be proud to see Max and Micah picking their own hats to wear before each outing! Especially when their choices are so individually delicious. As for Sunday music on a Saturday, I relish the weekends when we hibernate and overdose on family time. My family is sacred to me. Nothing brings me joy more than the moments between whining, dirty diapers, boo-boos, and hurt feelings when we are all four together. Okay, four and a pint...
I'LL FLY AWAY - The Avett Brothers
AMAZING GRACE - Sufjan Stevens
JESUS WAS A CROSSMAKER - Frida Hyvonen
WHEN THE DEVIL'S LOOSE - A. A. Bondy
SUNDAY KIND OF LOVE - Etta James
THERE WILL BE NO DIVORCE - The Mountain Goats
LET THE MYSTERY BE - (The Eichelbergers might know this...)
JESUS GONNA BE HERE - Tom Waits
November 21, 2009 in mp3s | Permalink | Comments (0)
November 20, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
November 20, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Means running to Kinko's (or my mom's house, when she allows) to print our fun for the day. Since this requires a bit of planning on my part, I thought I'd strive for a head-start on the coming holiday season. Though I've posted quite a bit of this stuff already, I never seem to get around to printing it. So please bear with my long attempt at creating an easy print list for myself. Who ever said blogging, like most human activities, wasn't inherently selfish was inherently untrustworthy.
November 20, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Math
In math, we are still working on multiplication the old-fashioned way. Though it is difficult, I think learning to "talk" math makes "thinking" math easier when it comes to real-life applications.
Language Arts
In language arts, Max practices handwriting with the letters H, h, I, i, J, j, and K, k.
Copywork for the week includes moral summaries of Aesop's fables, which we have added to our virtue notebook.
History
Finishing up with Ancient Mesopotamia, Jericho and Hammurabi and enjoying those fantastic Egyptians. Also getting serious about timelines with Charlotte Mason's Book of Centuries, a lovely freebie.
Literary Arts + Theater
We're wrapping up our exploration of compassion this week.
Also in the plans for the weekend is the construction of a shadow puppet theater.
Memorywork
Arts + Music
Looking forward to Arachnids and nature notebooking:
November 18, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
I wanted to climb it, but just as I grabbed a branch and swung up my legs, I got one of those sharp uterine pains which mark various stages of pregnancy. In this case, I'm about 10 weeks into this unplanned adventure...
Max is elated- "Mommy, my prayer came true!! I prayed for a family of five!" - while I am a little nervous (it seems so soon, my back, blah, blah, blah...) but excited.
November 18, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
There's no better way to describe it than to say, "golden".... It was that. After watching a documentary about Dietrich Bonhoeffer the night before, I felt strangely light, as if even the slightest wind is part of God's plan to bring that little leaf right beside the ant seeking a mid-day shelter. So much beauty it takes my breath away.
Even big boys have to be carried sometimes... when there are so many lovely, luminous puddles begging to be conquered in crocs with socks.
Like father, like son. Watering the plants is fun.
The barge depot, where the barges resemble harmless sea turtles.
Max and Micah watched Patrick talk to a homeless man for almost half an hour. Due to the thunderstorms the night before, all his clothing was soaked. We noticed how carefully he laid it out to dry. Patrick discovered that this man was a mathematician who had wandered to Tuscaloosa via New Orleans. His interest in infinite set theories led the discussion to God. The homeless man noted that he didn't recognize Christians from Purpose-Driven-lifers anymore, that Jesus' love is not present in modern self-helpisms in the way that it is present in the Bible.... A good man, the wandering stranger who comes into our lives for a brief moment yet leaves us somehow hungry.
Max shares freeze-dried fruit with Micah.
Patrick makes the dread "ugly face", which The Little Dragon duly imitates. How I love my sweet ugly family....
November 18, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Here is how my husband described the event to his brother, Bradley, in an email:
Max lost his first tooth this morning. He was eating a waffle and came up to me with something small and white in his hand asking me what it was. I thought it was gristle or something (like you find in a hamburger) and thought it was strange it'd be in his waffle. "Was that in your waffle, Max?" I asked him looking at the thing in his hand. "I don't know, it's hard." I took it from his hand and, by golly, it was a tooth. I looked at Max and said, "Max! You lost your first tooth!" He smiled. Right there in the front bottom row was a missing tooth and a bloodied mouth. I ran him to the mirror to look. He screeched with glee and ran to tell Mommy and Micah. I got him a gold $1 coin to put under his pillow tonight.
November 17, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Max watches the inner workings of a piano that Patrick took apart and put back together. Once a week, Max takes piano lessons which he anticipates and raves about. I am so happy for him- and grateful to my mother for adding music to his life in this way.
Little Micah, always eager to follow in Max's footsteps, has designated herself his primary accompanist. Here you can see the world of music from Micah's mini-vantage point...
November 17, 2009 in home sweet, home"schooling", kids | Permalink | Comments (0)
It is always wonderful to see my friend, Lisa Channell, who also happens to be Max's godmother and one of the people who really encouraged me during my pregnancy with Max. She stopped in for a visit from Chicago last weekend, and spent the afternoon chasing dogs in the yard and conducting science experiments with Max.
November 17, 2009 in friends, guests, home"schooling" | Permalink | Comments (0)
Gary surprised Patrick a few weeks ago with tickets to the Alabama v. LSU game, so Patrick and Max attended their first football game at the Bryant-Denny Stadium. It took Max a little while to adjust to the chaos and hairspray (note the serious expressions on his face), but by half-time, he was having a blast.
Apparently, it was an exciting game to see. Max also fulfilled a Tiger Cub requirement to attend a sports game and learn the rules.
Since Patrick and Max had 8th row seats, Max got a close-up view of the action. But not close enough to distract him from the books I packed in his backpack just in case his feelings for football turned out to more closely approximate his mom's...
He's reading one of his favorite books, The Knight's Handbook.
November 17, 2009 in tuscaloosa | Permalink | Comments (0)
I'm not good at sewing with patterns yet- the natural rebel in me prefers to experiment with fabrics and cuttings until something exciting emerges. Better than a pattern is the inspiration. And here are a few I've stumbled across today...
Potato sack ruffled linen dress
November 12, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Since my dad has mentioned that I don't make CDs for him anymore, I thought I'd do the unbeatable- create a playlist and skip the cost of postage + the uncanny likelihood that I'll get my act together and mail something. Happy birthday sweet dad. Just right-click and save as on each tune and then you can burn your own CD from this playlist intended to brighten your afternoons and sweeten your nights. Te iubesc.
Swept Away (Sentimental Version) - The Avett Brothers
A Sunday Smile - Beirut
With Every Wish - Bruce Springsteen
One (U2 cover) - Vanessa Paradis
St. Judy's Comet - Paul Simon
Lonely Old Lies - Neko Case
Love Love Love - The Mountain Goats
Am iubit si-am sa iubescu - Dona Dumitru-Siminica
November 12, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Weewonderfuls free paper dolls - to buy a little time for sewing and working on the projects below.
All the beautiful, wonderful things I want to make for my children, and my nephews, and the munchkins in Romania....
All buttoned up wool children's skirt (I have just the sweater for this.)
November 12, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Today is our wedding anniversary, and we are celebrating in small, special ways. Patrick took over the homeschooling for this morning, and I love watching him interact with Max on the topic of Gilgamesh and immortality. There is so much wisdom and beauty in the past.
We look so stunned. And cold...
For homeschooling this week, a few Romanian tales lovingly transcribed by another mother:
The Bear Tricked by the Fox by Ion Creanga
And a little treat for art, a story exercise on an Edward Dulac painting:
November 11, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
November 11, 2009 in coloring pages, home"schooling", kids | Permalink | Comments (0)
I've put a little asterisk by the patterns or tutorials which might make lovely holiday gifts, for those inclined to make some gifts.
For decorating + the home
For the ladies
Flirted With You All My Life - Vic Chestnutt
For the babies
For the children
For anyone you deem worthy
If I Ever Cease To Love - John Rankin
For the gentlemen
Generally
November 10, 2009 in fabrics, home sweet, make this, sewing | Permalink | Comments (0)
Just right-click and press "save as" to download any mp3s you might appreciate...
Mark your calendars...Storyteller Molly W. Catron will be sharing stories on this coming Monday evening at 8 p.m. in the upstairs portion of Smith Hall (the Natural History Museum). If you haven't had the opportunity to experience an old-fashioned raconteur with your family, this might be it.
Molly has been telling stories for over twenty years. She lives on a farm in East Tennessee with husband, Wayne, a herd of goats, three cows, three dogs and a bird. She is Nana to three granddaughter and two grandsons and loves to play the guitar, make jewelry, sew, and sit on the porch. You can listen to a few of Molly's stories for free here.
If you'd like to keep current on local storytelling events, join the Facebook group, Storytelling Club. Julie Guthrie will keep you abreast of all storytelling-related events in the Tuscaloosa area.
November 10, 2009 in kids, storytelling, tuscaloosa | Permalink | Comments (0)
Compassion is "fellow-feeling" - the ability to feel for others. Compassion is a human emotion prompted by the pain of others. More vigorous than empathy, the feeling commonly gives rise to an active desire to alleviate another's suffering. Compassion acknowledges and respects the suffering of others. It often leads us to be merciful rather than critical.
THE LIFE OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI - St. Francis's compassion for others was rooted in his love for God's creation. Known to call the moon, "Sister Moon," and the sun, "Brother Sun", St. Francis took a vow of poverty and dedicated his life to serving and loving God. He traveled around Italy with fellow friars begging for alms to care for lepers and the sick. St. Francis even preached to animals, as well as human beings. His fellow feeling filled him with love and reverence.
Story - St. Francis Speaks to the Birds
Story - Saint Francis and the Wolf
Prayer of St. Francis by Sarah MacLachlan
THE FABLE OF THE LION AND THE MOUSE This fable by Aesop shows how showing mercy to the weak, one way of demonstrating compassion, can have practical benefits as well as moral ones.
The Lion and the Mouse Notebooking Page
ANDROCLES AND THE LION This fable by Aesop also shows how the compassion of a slave saves a lion.
THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN In this parable, Jesus emphasizes the importance of cultivating compassion for those who are seemingly different from us. Jesus shows that every man is our neighbor.
Coloring Page with Bible verse
COMPASSION IN POETRY Compassion is such a rich and wonderful virtue that many poems have been written with compassion at their core. Discuss how these poems present different visions and aspects of compassion. Use them for copywork and memorization.
"If I could stop one heart from breaking" by Emily Dickinson
"In the Long Run" by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
COMPASSION IN DAILY LIFE To explore how compassion appears in our daily lives, or the difference between compassionate and uncompassionate responses, I created this worksheet offering a hypothetical example for Max.
"Compassion is a keen awareness of the interdependence of all things." (Thomas Merton)
Additional resources:
November 09, 2009 in bookisms, home"schooling" | Permalink | Comments (0)
Epic of Gilgamesh Notebooking Sheet
Ancient Sumerian Cuneiform Writing
The Invention of the Wheel Notebooking page
Alphabet of Egyptian Hieroglyphs
The Walls of Jericho Notebooking Page
King Sargon's Palace Notebooking Page
I like Susan Wise Bauer's educational philosophy, but sometimes I feel like the History of the World texts don't delve deeply enough for Max's curiosity. In fact, the stories could use a little enriching. So we're having fun enriching on the side...
Since we're starting our exploration of the virtue of compassion in a few days, I've found a few possible pages for the Virtue Book on compassion.
November 07, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
SOME solemn and superficial people (for nearly all very superficial people are solemn) have declared that the fairy-tales are immoral; they base this upon some accidental circumstances or regrettable incidents in the war between giants and boys, some cases in which the latter indulged in unsympathetic deceptions or even in practical jokes. The objection, however, is not only false, but very much the reverse of the facts. The fairy-tales are at root not only moral in the sense of being innocent, but moral in the sense of being didactic, moral in the sense of being moralising. It is all very well to talk of the freedom of fairyland, but there was precious little freedom in fairyland by the best official accounts. Mr. W. B. Yeats and other sensitive modern souls, feeling that modern life is about as black a slavery as ever oppressed mankind (they are right enough there), have especially described elfland as a place of utter ease and abandonment - a place where the soul can turn every way at will like the wind. Science denounces the idea of a capricious God; but Mr. Yeats's school suggests that in that world every one is a capricious god. Mr. Yeats himself has said a hundred times in that sad and splendid literary style which makes him the first of all poets now writing in English (I will not say of all English poets, for Irishmen are familiar with the practice of physical assault), he has, I say, called up a hundred times the picture of the terrible freedom of the fairies, who typify the ultimate anarchy of art -
"Where nobody grows old or weary or wise,
Where nobody grows old or godly or grave."
But, after all (it is a shocking thing to say), I doubt whether Mr. Yeats really knows the real philosophy of the fairies. He is not simple enough; he is not stupid enough. Though I say it who should not, in good sound human stupidity I would knock Mr. Yeats out any day. The fairies like me better than Mr. Yeats; they can take me in more. And I have my doubts whether this feeling of the free, wild spirits on the crest of hill or wave is really the central and simple spirit of folk-lore. I think the poets have made a mistake: because the world of the fairy-tales is a brighter and more varied world than ours, they have fancied it less moral; really it is brighter and more varied because it is more moral. Suppose a man could be born in a modern prison. It is impossible, of course, because nothing human can happen in a modern prison, though it could sometimes in an ancient dungeon. A modern prison is always inhuman, even when it is not inhumane. But suppose a man were born in a modern prison, and grew accustomed to the deadly silence and the disgusting indifference; and suppose he were then suddenly turned loose upon the life and laughter of Fleet Street. He would, of course, think that the literary men in Fleet Street were a free and happy race; yet how sadly, how ironically, is this the reverse of the case! And so again these toiling serfs in Fleet Street, when they catch a glimpse of the fairies, think the fairies are utterly free. But fairies are like journalists in this and many other respects. Fairies and journalists have an apparent gaiety and a delusive beauty. Fairies and journalists seem to be lovely and lawless; they seem to be both of them too exquisite to descend to the ugliness of everyday duty. But it is an illusion created by the sudden sweetness of their presence. Journalists live under law; and so in fact does fairyland.
If you really read the fairy-tales, you will observe that one idea runs from one end of them to the other - the idea that peace and happiness can only exist on some condition. This idea, which is the core of ethics, is the core of the nursery-tales. The whole happiness of fairyland hangs upon a thread, upon one thread. Cinderella may have a dress woven on supernatural looms and blazing with unearthly brilliance; but she must be back when the clock strikes twelve. The king may invite fairies to the christening, but he must invite all the fairies or frightful results will follow. Bluebeard's wife may open all doors but one. A promise is broken to a cat, and the whole world goes wrong. A promise is broken to a yellow dwarf, and the whole world goes wrong. A girl may be the bride of the God of Love himself if she never tries to see him; she sees him, and he vanishes away. A girl is given a box on condition she does not open it; she opens it, and all the evils of this world rush out at her. A man and woman are put in a garden on condition that they do not eat one fruit: they eat it, and lose their joy in all the fruits of the earth.
This great idea, then, is the backbone of all folk-lore - the idea that all happiness hangs on one thin veto; all positive joy depends on one negative. Now, it is obvious that there are many philosophical and religious ideas akin to or symbolised by this; but it is not with them I wish to deal here. It is surely obvious that all ethics ought to be taught to this fairy-tale tune; that, if one does the thing forbidden, one imperils all the things provided. A man who breaks his promise to his wife ought to be reminded that, even if she is a cat, the case of the fairy-cat shows that such conduct may be incautious. A burglar just about to open some one else's safe should be playfully reminded that he is in the perilous posture of the beautiful Pandora: he is about to lift the forbidden lid and loosen evils unknown. The boy eating some one's apples in some one's apple tree should be a reminder that he has come to a mystical moment of his life, when one apple may rob him of all others. This is the profound morality of fairy-tales; which, so far from being lawless, go to the root of all law. Instead of finding (like common books of ethics) a rationalistic basis for each Commandment, they find the great mystical basis for all Commandments. We are in this fairyland on sufferance; it is not for us to quarrel with the conditions under which we enjoy this wild vision of the world. The vetoes are indeed extraordinary, but then so are the concessions. The idea of property, the idea of some one else's apples, is a rum idea; but then the idea of there being any apples is a rum idea. It is strange and weird that I cannot with safety drink ten bottles of champagne; but then the champagne itself is strange and weird, if you come to that. If I have drunk of the fairies' drink it is but just I should drink by the fairies' rules. We may not see the direct logical connection between three beautiful silver spoons and a large ugly policeman; but then who in fairy tales ever could see the direct logical connection between three bears and a giant, or between a rose and a roaring beast? Not only can these fairy-tales be enjoyed because they are moral, but morality can be enjoyed because it puts us in fairyland, in a world at once of wonder and of war.
Chesterton, G. K. All Things Considered. London: Methuen, 1908, 1915.
November 05, 2009 in Books, home"schooling", literature | Permalink | Comments (0)
Virtues define the character of a person, as well as his ideals and possibilities. Is it so wrong to hope my children's sense of virtue is a moral-laden, as opposed to a value-laden, one? Inspired by former Education czar William J. Bennett's books on virtues for children and adults, Max and I will be creating our own book of virtues over the coming year. The book will contain:
Since Bill Bennett's list of virtues concentrates on qualities associated with the Protestant work ethic, Max and I added a few Christian virtues to his hardworking list. The ones we selected were inspired by the Beatitudes and various verses found in the Bible. In the list below, our virtues are written in green, while Mr. Bennett's virtues are written in brown.
November 05, 2009 in home"schooling", kids | Permalink | Comments (0)
Scouring the web for copywork and other fun items, I found a number of things worth sharing... Most are in PDF format, and there is no organizing theme or method worth seeking.
November 03, 2009 in history, home"schooling" | Permalink | Comments (0)
Yesterday afternoon, we received a surprise visit from dear Connie Robertson, who brought a six-pack of cupcakes for Max. He was thrilled to see her and even asked if he might be allowed to "walk her to her car because she is a lady".
Then, our lovely neighbors from almost-across the street dropped by with a trunk-load of Halloween decorations which they wanted to give to us. Max was dancing on his tiptoes; he loves decorating for any holiday on the calendar. Honestly, we didn't have Halloween decorations apart from our sweet pumpkin, so Patrick and Max started decking the dogwoods with pumpkin lights and skeletons. I am constantly overwhelmed by the kindness of others.
After decorating the house and our own bodies, we loaded our costumed selves into the car to attend the fundraiser at the Arboretum. I was dressed as a Romanian sheperdess, while Patrick played Pocahontas. Micah started off as a pirate and gradually turned in to a pumpkin as the evening got colder, while Max wore his dragon costume. Out of the 30 kids who competed in his age group, Max won second place in the costume contest!
Typical Maxer, he took his fancy umbrella and gardening gloves- a prize I confess to coveting- and raced off to join the hayride. When he returned, all red-cheeked and dragon-tailed, he exclaimed:
"Mommy, I saw a vampire! And he didn't want to eat me because vampires don't eat people- they just suck their blood!"
Micah look relieved. After downing two burgers and one hot dog, "relieved" is not quite the word to describe my feelings at the time.
You can see Patrick following Max along the Haunted Trail above (along with that gorgeous big golden-leafed tree that struck my fancy...)
We ended our evening without the little ones, who slept snugly on a pallet in the den with their babysitter, Angie. Since our neighbors hosted a costume and dessert party, we walked to their home and enjoyed a little adult company.
Believe it or not, we still woke up early enough to forget about daylight savings time and arrive at Sunday School an hour early as the church musicians straggled in for their rehearsal.
November 01, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
So our veggie delivery for the week contained a large portion of collards, which I used to make a soup. The recipe is my own-- a combination of several recipes and ideas, mostly simple because our pantry is on the empty side.
1. First cut the very bitter stem root in the collard greens. If you add this stem, your soup will be spoiled.
2. Heat one or two tablespoons of olive oil in a soup pot, the bigger the pot, the better.
3. Add the following to the heated oil:
4. Cook this mixture over low heat for about 10 minutes, then add 6 cups of chicken stock or water.
5. Cover and bring to a boil.
6. Lower heat to a simmer for about 20 minutes.
7. Add as much of 1 bunch of collard greens (stemmed and torn) as you can fit, cover and wait a few minutes for the greens to cook down.
7. Keep adding greens in batches, waiting between additions for them to cook down, which they eventually will.
8. Cook for a few minutes, then garnish with sour cream or freshly sliced jalapenos.
November 01, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Max's cradles his homegrown salt crystals.
So our first quarter of homeschooling is over, and I need to to drop our folders and reports by Grace Church for official viewing. As I look back over the quarter, I find myself simultaneously thrilled and unsettled by our studies, which included:
The unit studies generally combined elements from all the humanities and liberal arts, even when the focus was on a science-related topic.
After chasing butterflies for a quarter, I have a better sense of what would benefit Max and best prepare his mind for making virtuous use of ideas. What we will be incorporating in the coming quarter:
Boomerang, the NPR for kids. We prefer the programs Schmave's Elevator, American Journey, Money, The Big Idea, Interviews, Now We're Cooking, The Natural Wonder, Book Beat, Free episode available here.
The Well-Trained Mind, a wonderful trivium-based learning plan suggested by Bethany Michelson (to whom I am much obliged). After having forked out the outrageous $39.95 for the book, I have not been disappointed. In fact, I restructured our curriculum along classical style and look forward to our first experiment with classical education this coming quarter.
In addition to Language, Spelling, Writing, Math, Music, Art, and Science, Max will also be conducting a biweekly study of Virtues and Ethics, based mostly on William J. Bennett's books with a few virtues, like agape, generosity, humility, honor, and kindness that Mr. Bennett seems to have overlooked.
For MATH, we will be feasting on the following:
For SCIENCE, our weekly repast will include:
For LANGUAGE, we'll graze at:
For HISTORY, always, in a sense, our main course, we'll dine on:
For MUSIC, our appetites will be whet by:
For ART, we will savor:
October 31, 2009 in home sweet, home"schooling", kids | Permalink | Comments (1)
1 bunch haricots verts (green beans), washed, stems removed, in bite-size pieces
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 green or red bell pepper, small dice
1 small carrot, in 1/8 inch sections
3 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 tbs WFS rub (see recipe below)
2 tbs kosher or sea salt
2 cups chicken stock
In medium sauce pan, heat oil to just smoking and add onion, bell pepper and carrot. Stir frequently until onion is translucent. Stir in the rub. Add beans and stir to coat with oil. Pour in stock, add salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer on very low flame for about 1 hour. Serve hot.
WFS Rub
3 tbs kosher salt
3 tbs paprika
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbs onion powder
1 tbs garlic powder
1 1/2 tbs dried oregano
1 tbs dried thyme
Add all ingredients in medium bowl. Mix thoroughly.
Recipe found online at GrowAlabama.
October 30, 2009 in recipes | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 27, 2009 in bookisms | Permalink | Comments (0)
Thanks to the Michelsons for the lovely bouquet that has stayed fresh to brighten this gloomy day.
And thanks to Tori Gleason's advice, we will pick up our first delivery of fresh, organic veggies from Grow Alabama tomorrow around noon. I am so excited about trying new recipes with veggies. Here is one of the many recipes posted at the Grow Alabama website:
Warm Sweet Potato Salad
1/2 cup olive oil
3 red onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbs honey
1 tbs finely chopped orange zest
1 tbs finely chopped fresh thyme
3 sweet potatoes, sliced into 1/2-thick slices
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Heat 3 tbs olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onions slowly, turning often, until golden brown and caramelized. Add mustard and vinegar and cook another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add honey, orange zest and thyme, stir to combine. Let cool.
Preheat grill, Brush the potato slices on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the potatoes on each side for 3 to 4 minutes or until just cooked through. Place potatoes in a bowl and fold in onion mixture.
October 27, 2009 in events, Food and Drink, friends, home sweet, recipes, tuscaloosa | Permalink | Comments (0)
Thanks to a marvelous book sale at Hudson's Dirt Cheap, I purchased 15 educational books for Max at the lovely price of $1.49 per book. One of these books, Projects About the Ancient Aztecs, by David King, inspired us to begin our very own unit study on Aztec civilization. A basic list of sections for this Unit Study is included below, followed by an informal presentation of our meanderings.
INTRODUCTION TO THE AZTECS
Mythology tells that the Aztecs began as wandering tribes in the north or northwest part of Mexico. This territory, called Aztlan, is the source of the name Aztec. Today we refer to the people as Aztecs, but they called themselves Mexica or Tenochca.
The ancient tribes wandered for many years. In the 1200s they began to settle in the Valley of Mexico, which is in the central part of the country. The area rises about 7,500 feet above sea level. It is surround by tropical rain forests, but the high altitude gave the region a mild climate.
Nahuatl was the language spoken by the Aztecs. Many words we use today came from this ancient language. Aztec words include Acapulco, Mexico, avocado, chocolate, and tomato. The Aztecs developed a form of picture writing. Some pictures represented ideas; other pictures stood for sounds. They did not develop an alphabet, so their writing was limited in what it could express.
Aztec civilization flourished for around 200 years between 1300 and 1520 CE. Through conquest and trade, the Aztecs came to rule over much of the land that is now Mexico.
Activities:
AZTEC CIVILIZATION AND AGRICULTURE
The key to the success of this civilization- the particularity which allowed the Aztecs to build amazing cities- lay in new farming techniques and a skilled agriculture. Through the creative use of new farming techniques, the Aztecs were able to grow an abundance of food. In fact, they had a large enough surplus of some crops, like corn, that they could trade for farm products that did not do well in their valley, like cotton and tropical fruits.
Aztec agriculture involved the following methods and techniques:
Activities:
AZTEC CITIES
The fact that agriculture ensured a reliable food supply for the Aztecs allowed them ample leisure time to construct remarkable cities and temples.
The Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, was built on an island in the Lake Texcoco. Today, this is the sire of Mexico City, the modern capital of Mexico. The Aztec Indians had already built one of the most advanced civilizations in the western hemisphere by. the time Columbus made his first voyage to the Americas. Archaeologists believe that the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan may have had a population of over 200,000. This was larger than any city in Spain or England during the same time.
How did the Aztecs, a wandering peoples, find a place to settle, farm, and create magnificent cities? The Aztecs believed they were born in the bowels of the earth and entered the world through seven caves. At first, they settled in Aztlan, a still undiscovered city that archaeologists believe was somewhere along Mexico's northwest coast. About 1100, however, the Aztecs left Aztlan and headed south, settling for short periods in various cities ruled by their neighbors. By the 1300s, they had reached the marshy shores of Lake Texacoco in the broad Valley of Mexico. They found the best land already occupied by more powerful immigrants who had arrived earlier. So they settled for an empty island in the middle of the lake, serving as mercenaries for more powerful tribes for more than 50 years and learning how to coax food from the wet soils. To survive, they even harvested algae and dried it into cakes.
Eventually, however, the servant Aztecs rebelled against their masters, and seized power themselves. Acting on a tribal prophecy, they began building a city on the island after seeing an eagle perched on a cactus. The city, called Tenochtitlan, soon became the capital of a vast empire that blossomed in the early 1300s. It boasted grand canals, enormous market squares, and gaudy temples, and was inhabited and fueled by a wealthy class of priests, warriors, traders, and tax collectors, who directed a highly organized society. More than 300,000 people lived in the city alone.
Activities:
AZTEC CALENDARS
Aztecs used two calendars-- one for farming and another for religious ceremonies and festivals. The farming calendar divided the year into 365 days and told farmers when exactly to plant each crop. This calendar was known as the xiuhpohualli, the counting of years. This was a 365 day year, of course very helpful for planning your farming and predicting the weather. There were 18 months, each 20 days long, or 4 (5 day) weeks. Then to bring the year up to 365 days there were 5 "unlucky" days added. Each year would also be divided into 4 seasons.
The religious calendar, known as the tonalpohualli, divided the year into 260 days. Priests used this calendar to keep track of religious ceremonies and rituals which the Aztecs believed determined the good fortune they would have in the coming year. The rituals were all divided up among the gods, which the Aztecs thought was important because a balance needed to be maintained among the gods. Aztecs believed that problems, including droughts, storms, forest fires, etc, to be a result of imbalance in nature's forces.
There were 20 signs, and 13 numbers. Like a gear within a gear, each of the 20 signs would be assigned each of the 13 numbers. 13x20=260, the total number of days in the "sacred year". The 13 day period is a kind of Aztec week. Not only was every day ruled by a god, each of the weeks were also ruled by a god - the one associated with the first day.
To keep track of these two calendar cycles, one giving directions to farming families and the other planning palace events, a huge calendar stone was constructed in the Great Temple. That stone measured 12 feet in diameter and weighed 24 tons.
These two cycles together formed a 52 year "century", sometimes called the Calendar Round.The calendric year began with the first appearance of the Pleiades asterism in the east immediately before the dawn light.
Every month had its name, and the days of the month were numbered from one to twenty. The days of the last month, Nemontemi, were numbered from one to five. The box at the top of the stone contains the stone's year of creation, in this case 1479 CE. The Aztecs constructed this stone from potter's clay.
Activities:
AZTEC FOOD
The Aztecs are credited with domesticating the wild turkey. In fact, corn and turkey were the two main foods used for religious purposes in sacred festivals.
Of the various crops grown by the Aztecs, maize (or corn) was by far the most important. Aztec diets centered around it. Maize was grown across the entire empire, in the highland terraces, valley farms and also on the chinampas.
Women ground maize into a coarse meal by rubbing it with a grinding stone called a mano against a flat stone called a metate. The Aztecs made tortillas from the corn meal.
Other crops that the Aztecs relied upon were avocados, beans, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, chia, amaranth and chilies. These crops were also grown everywhere. Crops that were specific to the lowland regions were cotton, fruits, cacao beans and rubber trees.
Activities:
AZTEC PICTOGRAMS AND WRITINGS
The Aztecs did not have a written language in the modern sense. However, they did have a means of writing that used pictures.
An ideogram is a character or symbol that represents an idea or thing without expressing the pronunciation of a particular word or words for it. Another word for an ideogram is an ideograph. For example, a circle or disk can represent the sun. If an open eye were drawn inside the circle, its meaning changes. Because the open eye represents being awake, the ideogram represents the concept of day.
A few examples of ideograms in our environment include traffic signs, walk/don't walk signs, school crossing signs, and lodging signs (image of person lying on a bed). Can you think of any more ideograms in our world?
After you are satisfied that students have grasped the concept of ideograms, let them create original ideograms. First, brainstorm a list of words (start with nouns and verbs) that can be easily represented by pictures and symbols. Give students paper and pencils and let them sketch many different ideas.
Next, ask each student to pick one ideogram to recreate in color. Give students time to share their work. Make the conclusion of this activity into a game in which students have to figure out what each ideogram represents. Bind the pictures into a book, or mount them into an Aztec-style codex.
This glyph signified the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan.
The following ideograms and glyphs include important objects to the Aztecs, as well as place names:
Activities:
ACTIVE LEARNING AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
October 27, 2009 in home"schooling", kids | Permalink | Comments (0)
The Thiele boys are always a joy. When they visited last week, Jack helped dig a fire-pit while Max and Andrew decided to start working on a composting mix of their own special concoction.
In its final form, this fabulous fertilizer recipe consisted of the following:
Its pungent odor was savored by all who chanced near our front door steps that afternoon. My husband, however, thought plants might appreciate it more than guests so he spread it over some wildflowers in our yard.
Meanwhile, Daniel and Micah concentrated on keeping the dogs out of the sandbox.
All's well that ends well.
October 26, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
For chronological approaches and summaries of Tuscaloosa history:
To explore archaeology and how archaeology is used by historians:
To explore local Native American culture and history:
To explore folk culture and folk arts, as well as the beautiful world of local storytelling:
To further explore local, community, and family heritage or traditions:
To explore the social and political history of our city and its surrounding areas:
To explore historical landmarks and preservation, as well as buildings archaeology and architecture:
To learn more about the art of cartography and the uses of maps in the study of history:
To explore historical archives or special collections:
To watch documentary films and videos on specific topics in local history, or to explore these particular topics online (these sites are wonderful for self-motivated learners):
Wonderful education field trips around the state:
October 14, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 01, 2009 in family, history, photos | Permalink | Comments (1)
National Wildlife Federation is teaming up with the movie Where The Wild Things Are to launch the national Be Out There campaign to connect kids and families with nature at home, at schools, and in their communities. A few neat links for homeschoolers and parents:
October 01, 2009 in home"schooling", kids, tuscaloosa | Permalink | Comments (0)
Go Waggaloo, a new album by Sara Lee Guthrie, daughter of Arlo Guthrie, has beautiful, happy sounds for children. Joined by her husband Johnny Irion, their two young daughters, and a host of other family and friends including Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Tao Rodriguez Seeger, Guthrie presents thoughtful yet playful recordings of traditional songs and new compositions.
The album includes three songs featuring lyrics by Woody Guthrie never before put to music and eight songs written by Sarah Lee and family. Go Waggaloo continues the Guthrie song-making tradition forged by Sarah’s grandfather, Woody Guthrie.
You can download a free song from the album and print a copy of the 36-page booklet, for children of all ages at the Smithsonian Folkways website.
October 01, 2009 in Music | Permalink | Comments (0)
THE YOGA CENTER
FALL 2009 CLASS SCHEDULE
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7-8:30 Sunrise Vinyasa Marni |
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8-9:30 Sunrise Vinyasa Marni |
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9-10:30 Ashtanga Yoga Aaron
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9-10:15 Intermediate Yoga Lynda |
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p.m. |
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4-5:30 Restorative Yoga Marni |
6-7 Yoga* & Anatomy Lynda |
6-7:30 Iyengar Style Yoga Metka |
6-7 Meditative Yoga Nancy |
6-7 Yoga Barbara |
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3-5 Prenatal Yoga Marni |
*4th Mondays: Pilates w/Angel
CLASS FEES: [single class $12] [5 classes $40] [students $5 per class]
Hargrove Rd East @ McFarland Blvd Tuscaloosa 205.507.0050
THE YOGA CENTER
FALL 2009 CLASS SCHEDULE
|
SUN |
MON |
TUE |
WED |
THU |
FRI |
SAT |
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a.m. |
a.m. |
a.m. |
a.m. |
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7-8:30 Sunrise Vinyasa Marni |
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8-9:30 Sunrise Vinyasa Marni |
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9-10:30 Ashtanga Yoga Aaron |
9-10:15 Intermediate Yoga Lynda |
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p.m. |
p.m. |
p.m. |
p.m. |
p.m. |
p.m. |
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4-5:30 Restorative Yoga Marni |
6-7 Yoga* & Anatomy Lynda |
6-7:30 Iyengar Style Yoga Metka |
6-7 Meditative Yoga Nancy |
6-7 Yoga Barbara |
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3-5 Prenatal Yoga Marni |
*4th Mondays: Pilates w/Angel
CLASS FEES: [single class $12] [5 classes $40] [students $5 per class]
Hargrove Rd East @ McFarland Blvd Tuscaloosa 205.507.0050
September 30, 2009 in tuscaloosa | Permalink | Comments (0)
Homeschoolers and history-interested parents can still enjoy the Resources page. Also, we will post videos showing a few of the speakers and activities when the workshop wraps up in October.
So far, you can see most of the schedule online at the website above (though this doesn't provide much information about the nitty-gritty). The young historians will learn various skills, including primary source research, cartography, timeline construction, constructing secondary sources and narratives, interpreting archival materials, exploring
They will also have the opportunity to be part of a Living Tuscaloosa Timeline on the evening of Friday, October 15th in which they will act out a character from Tuscaloosa history. A few of the persons we will be discussing include:
As the workshop progresses, I'll share some of the many interesting handouts and materials compiled for the benefit of our creative participants.
A few, for starters:
In addition, the following have been used to frame and develop various activities and learning opportunities:
(The image above is kept in the University of Alabama Hoole Special Collections Library, which can be accessed online through the Digital Collections. It shows a creek near "Lake Lorraine", which must have become Lake Lurleen or must have been eradicated by the construction of the Tombigbee Waterway.)
September 29, 2009 in history, home"schooling", home-making, tuscaloosa | Permalink | Comments (0)
September 27, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
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