Christmas has come and gone and the new year is peeking just over the horizon. Home again, home again after a trip up north to spend the holiday with family. I honestly did not leave the house for three whole days. A change of scenery and a lull in household responsibilities is simply enough to quiet mind, body and spirit.
We were blessed with a snowstorm and waking up to the stillness and serenity of the outdoors was bliss. Trees frozen in time, white powdery perfection magically swirling at their steady roots.
In the quest to find good soul food, we took to some reading while away. Like a knitter, with her needles and yarn, there are always books tucked in when we leave home. And this time was no different.
With a budding, blossoming 'new' reader, a struggling, patient veteran reader and a hungry-for-life toddler on my hands (not to mention the steady, curious eleven year old), we must always pack a wide variety of reading material. Like a perfect picnic, one must spread wide the cloth and serve up this-and-that, something-for-everyone, the sweet, the savory, the nourishing for everyone present at that moment in time.
One of the elements of a Charlotte Mason education is the deliberate goal of feeding the child's mind with quality literature and beautiful, noble ideas each and every day. This goal is accomplished much like one would attempt to nourish a growing child with three, balanced, healthy meals daily.
In addition to sitting down for wholesome, healthful foods at regular intervals, we also make it a priority throughout our day to feed our minds the most delectable, choice foods as well. What might you ask would be so deserving of such a high honor? Well, living books of course!
In Miss Mason's words:
"Our business is to give him
mind-stuff, and both quality and quantity are essential.
Naturally, each of us possesses this mind-stuff only in limited
measure, but we
know where to procure it; for the best thought the world possesses is
stored in
books; we must open books to children, the best books; our own
concern is
abundant provision and orderly serving."
In addition to regular lessons, my children always have a "best book" being read from each day.
Some of the titles that have been, and currently are being, soaked in abundantly are...
Animal Farm Alice in Wonderland The Sign of the Beaver Five Children and It The Chronicles of Narnia
And I just couldn't resist this beautiful cover illustration of the most recently read book by my daughter Sophia. Alice in Wonderland really is a feast for the mind- so many tastes, textures and flavors to take in!
No soup today! Back to scorching summer temperatures tempered by a bit of rain this morning.
Started our day off with freshly baked banana muffins, butter, cream cheese and sliced apples. Steering away from 'snacking' between meals and instead making each meal deliberately balanced and nourishing Thinking that was the goal all along but realizing that I have fallen prey to the idea of viewing a few of our meals during the week as 'refueling station' experiences.
A morning and lunchtime spent at a dear friend's new home. Boys in the woods building. Babies at our feet. Big girls biking the neighborhood exploring new spaces. And the 'middle' children playing school and their favorite 'doggie' game (taking turns at playing the dog and the owner, yes, there are leashes involved). Perfect.
Thinking about summer reading around here and feeling like I have to keep relighting the candle to keep my children going. With so much going on outdoors, I feel it is difficult for them to pause and give their full attention to the page. But indeed there are books being enjoyed in our home!
Calico Bush by the oldest and Sign of the Beaver by the middle boys (being read aloud by Dad at bedtime). Lots of storytelling and prayers with the littlest one!
I found this book tonight and am set on ordering it now. It looks like the book I've been searching for. A little bit of art, a bit of nature study. Seems to be just right for our homeschool this coming year.
First day of summer vacation- breakfast devoured with plenty of maple syrup, a toddler who woke up dry and has used the potty three times successfully thus far, floors cleaned, sofas pushed together to make their favorite 'boat', morning prayers and the beginning of our summer reading adventure!
The sun it hot, for July is here, haymaking time in the fields. Now is the time when cabbages grow, the spinach and cress, the lettuce and onions and leeks.
Now is the time when each day I go to the pump with my watering-can and water and water the rows. The poppies glow red, tiger-lillies gold, the grasses are tall and straight.
But July is here and THUNDER in the air.
-from Around the Year, a picture book by Elsa Beskow, one of our favorites and a must for reading to children to help them develop a sense of a year's rhythm.
I thought I would share a few books that we are currently enjoying as we prepare for Christmas and the First Day of Winter. Some of these have been our favorites for many years now and others we have just recently discovered and are loving!
The Little Fir Tree by Margaret Wise Brown The Big Snow by Berta and Elmer Hader B is for Bethlehem: A Christmas Alphabet by Isabel Wilner The Tale of the Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale retold by Elwell Hunt A Little House Christmas Treasury: Festive Holiday Stories by Laura Ingalls Wilder The Mitten by Alvin Tresselt The Tomten by Astrid Lindgren
We are officially on Christmas break and plan on spending lots of time reading over the next few weeks. In addition to our favorite picture books, we plan on reading about the birth of Christ in Luke 2:1-20. This passage of Scripture is very special to me. I memorized it at a very early age and it has stayed with me every since. I would love for my children to commit it to memory as well.
I am finding myself entering into a very quiet, humbled emotional state this week as I prepare to celebrate the greatest gift ever given to humankind. I don't know that I've felt this way in the past, but for whatever reason I am feeling overwhelmed with stillness, peace and humbleness this year as I look forward to Christmas.
For some reason, this photo of Luca really seems to capture all of what I am feeling these days and just thought I would share it (in addition to making it a part of my blog banner for the Christmas Season).
A good friend of mine has also passed on this link to a Free Jesse Tree Advent Devotional Book. I found it late during the Advent Season so decided not to start it this year, but it looks like something that could really be quite sacred and memorable for a family to experience together.
What is your family reading these days? Do you use an Advent Calendar to countdown to Christmas?
My motto for homeschooling this term has been simplify, simplify, simplify. Not knowing what to expect going into this school year with a new baby had me prepared for the worst and secretly hoping for the best.
I have two school-aged children that need my attention this year with formal academics and one preschool-aged child needing me simply to be mentally, emotionally and physically present for him so I have tried to offer a combined lesson for both of the older two whenever possible.
One of the best places to start with this is with literature. I have chosen use some of the Year Two literature selections that Ambleside Online suggests for the older pair this term instead of choosing two separate books to read.
We are currently reading The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame and illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard. We tried reading this book two year ago when we were doing Year Two with Sophia but never quite finished it. I don't know if I puttered out or if the children lost interest but either way it's been on my 'to-finish' list for a couple of years now and this fall seemed like the perfect time to delve back into the book.
{Side note: Ambleside Online purposely chooses challenging, rich and high-quality literature selectionsto keep in step with Charlotte Mason's philosophy of allowing children's minds to feed on the best ideas and suport "the test of literature is that it must... bring us truth, nobility and beauty" (-Charlotte Mason Companion). For example, Ambleside places The Wind in the Willows as a Year One selection, however Amazon categorizes it as a Grade Four, Five and Six selection.}
We've started back from the beginning and just finished Chapter One yesterday. This book is full of rich, poetic and challenging language, beautiful images of river-life in the English countryside and clever old-fashioned personifications of the animals. It seems to be 'just right' for my seven and nine year olds and is really holding their interest, capturing their hearts and supplying them with plenty of giggles during our readings.
Those of you looking for book lists for your children can link over to Ambleside's suggested selections for free reading at the bottom of these year-by-year pages:
Sophia spent August reading Heidi by Johanna Spyri and has now begun Polyanna by Eleanor Porter (despite the links for each book, Sophia has and is reading from the actual book and not the above-listed online resources).
I am hoping to re-read the Little House series (or at least Little House in the Big Woods and Farmer Boy) with all three of the older children this winter. These books are timeless and ageless and I am confident that Elias is ready to enjoy them for the first time. Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges (an AO Year One free reading selection) is lying in wait on my 'book bench' right now and I'm hoping to read it next week in preparation for this upcoming feast.
What books are you and your family enjoying these days?
There has been plenty of time for reading these days. I went a little overboard putting books on hold at the library but don't regret taking the time to choose the titles I have been meaning to bring home for long, long time.
These are the types of books that one can just pick up and read for a while and put down without feeling compelled to finish the entire book in one sitting. On any given night I am jumping from birth stories to how to make my own sauerkraut. Very exciting stuff.
We recently purchased this book after weeks of loaning it from the library and not wanting to return it. It is filled with the authentic, original fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm and it has all three of my children completed enchanted and captivated each time we sit down to read.
We have been reading one fairy tale three days in a row and usually on the last day of reading the children like to act out the tale- costumes and all (I still have flour imprinted on my front door screen from when each child took turns playing the wolf from The Wolf and the Seven Kids who tried to hide his black paw by going to the baker and the miller for dough and flour to make it appear pure white like their mother's!).
Completely worth the elbow grease it takes to clean up after these plays.
This book is just beautiful to look at. I like to leave it out because it adds so much richness and loveliness to our home.
** The Pantheon Edition is the one that I chose in the end based on some research and reading. It is the most authentic and the art is amazing. **
We read this beautiful picture book- Persephone- last week to celebrate the first week of Spring. The pictures are dreamy and captivating and the story length and content was just perfect for an early morning read on the sofa.
It was enjoyed by all and got us talking about juicy pomegranates, frozen earth, the changing of seaosons, the power of a mother's angst and heartbreak and whether or not we would like a lifetime of royalty and power if it meant having to leave our family.
Winter is always a big time for reading in our home. While the call to play and be outdoors is still present, sadly it is not as strong as it is during the milder months. And when we do venture out of doors, bundled up usually in the face of snow, it is for much shorter periods than in the Spring, Summer and Fall.
I must admit that I secretly like being somewhat housebound due to snow, cold and early nightfall during these New England winters and count it as an excuse to enjoy other worthwhile indoor activities.
To many parents, myself included at times, being shut up in doors with their children is not something they look forward to with pleasure. And although I have not always felt this way, I have grown to enjoy and treasure the time that I spend at home with my children.
The nagging thought of needing to get out today has slowly slipped away and been replaced with a contentment and an anticipation for our quiet days at home. And although we still manage to possess an active social life, and probably do leave the house at least once daily, a balance has been struck between simple time at home and social time outside of the house.
When we do head out and about, it is not in search of a fleeting thrill to pass an afternoon away or a visit of distraction to a store to buy things that none of us need. Instead it is for worthwhile activities and visits with friends and family. I have become choosy over the years in deciding what and where we will spend out time. There are many good activities out there. But are they the best for my children?
There was a time when sadly my children would ask me if we were going to the store today or who was coming over. Before I found my place and purpose in life, much time was spent frittered away at simply trying to get through the day while keeping my sanity with two or three little ones. It was a survival mode of sorts. But in the end, all we had to show for were days marked off the calendar and bits of money spend that didn't need to be.
Of course we still do go out to stores... but only when there is something that we need to buy. I don't consider window shopping a worthwhile activity to pursue with young children in tow. I feel it can be overwhelming to them and can create battles over toys that they feel they need to have right then and there that didn't exist in the first place.
Which brings me to the original focus of this blog post: books and things.
I wanted to share some of the books and things that we we are currently enjoying as a family.
For those of you who know us personally, you know that my Mike and I are avid health and wellness enthusiasts. What else can you expect from a nutritionist and a personal trainer couple? So needless to say there has been a recent influx of books relating to nutrition and wellness making their way into our home. And although we are both guilty of having at least three books going at once, we are thoroughly enjoying each book in it's own time.
The Crazy Makers: How the Food Industry is Destroying our Brains and Harming our Children by Carol Simontacchi Nutrtion and Physical Degeneration by Weston Price The Diet Cure by Julia Ross
Two books that I am just loving right now both pertain to simplicity and parenting. So much of what these authors are writing about I have already felt the conviction about years ago. But these books go into so much more and address some practical ways to simplify as well as offering that extra nudge that is sometimes needed to go even further with the vision that has been given to you about what your family really needs.
Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier and More Secure Kids by Kim John Payne and Lisa M. Ross Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry by Katrina Kenison
Sophia is encouraged to always have a book going on the side for free reading that is from her book list. This is usually a book that is a good work of literature, one that no child should miss. This winter she has chosen Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink.
And although we have been without TV for nearly a year, we still like to indulge in the occasional movie. We rely on our library for children's books and DVDs that they would like to read and watch. One of our favorite DVDs is the series Faerie Tale Theater by Shelley Duval. It is a collection of the TV series from the late 1980s featuring portrayals of popular fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm and various tall tales and legends. The stories are enchanting and engaging and we have read most of them already so their is some history behind the stories.
There are many more things that we do to enjoy a rich home life that I will have to save for another post sometime soon...
Is it possible to be drawn to certain colors of food while pregnant? Without realizing it, I have been enjoying a lot of green lately...
my new favorite tea, best drunk on chilly afternoons with a drizzle of honey- Tazo Green Ginger
our dinner tonight, including the greens of both lime and cilantro- Cilantro Lime Chicken Cacciatore
and the dessert that I was inspired to buy for tonight after reading this book to my boys today (I'm so easily influenced by my reading materials, even when they are picture books)- Pistachio Gelato, which will be promptly enjoyed tonight once the chidren are nestled snuggly in their beds.
Wishing you lots of green foods this weekend! And yes, vegetables would be nice too.
Every so often we I fall in love with a set of picture books. It seems that our picture book reading has become more and more infrequent as we spend the majority of our time now reading chapter books and living books about nature, science and history.
It's sad for me when I think about it. Whenever I do realize that days have gone by without reading a good picture book, I always try and do something about it.
So recently we checked several books out from the library by Mary Pope Osborne that are illustrated by Giselle Potter- one of our favorite illustrators- that we have all just fallen in love with.
Sleeping Bobby, Kate and the Beanstalk and The Brave Little Seamstress have become part of our bedtime routine for the last week or so and are gently lulling little and big hearts alike into a dreamy state of bliss. The artwork alone is simply gorgeous and the twist on these traditional fairy tales has been really enjoyable.
Sleeping Bobby is a story of true love and rescuing, except in this case it is the princess doing the noble deed and bringing the sleeping prince back to life. In the end, the princess and prince fall in love and immediately get married.
Needless to say, this is beyond disgusting and repulsive to my six-year old son who has vowed that he will never ever want to kiss a girl or marry one for that matter!
It makes me chuckle and reminds me of the simplicity and innocence of childhood.
There are several websites especially designed for children to explore culture, art and geography. Basically, an interesting way for children to learn more about the world around them through the click of a mouse. Second to experiencing it first hand, this is a nice way for kids to explore, right?
I came across a few sites recently that were very enriching and amazingly interesting (even to me, the mother, the one who is supposed to have seen all and know all).
Here are a few of my recommendations:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's "museum kids". Click on "For Kids to Try Right Now". The "How Van Gogh Made His Mark" is so beautiful and inspiring. What child would not love to see all of his art moving steadily and slowly before their very eyes?
This Eiffel Tower site is one of our favorites. We discovered it last Fall while studying France through Ludwig Bemelmans' Madeline series. It is Hector at the Eiffel Tower and Sophia especially enjoys the eiffel tower puzzles. Love it! Jan Brett's Homepageis just full of every activity under the sun. From coloring to games to calendars to download. Adorable.
And last, but certianly not least, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art has a very inspiring and creative book list among other ideas for choosing and reading books with your children. I LOVE the "Twelve Of Our Favorite Picture Books List". We have read almost all of the selections and they are great choices.
Please enjoy my modest yet resourceful list of recommendations and resources!
