From Scratch

There have been two things in our home that have helped to motivate my children to do their chores: The Little House books and home made aprons.

After reading all the Little House books last year, my girls were constantly wanting to sweep and mend, cook and clean. Endless games of Mary and Laura continue to be played, all focusing on the joys of domesticity. Everything made in the kitchen now should surely be "from scratch;" if they only knew what life was really like when a good old box of Duncan Hines cake mix was non-existent. I'm all for being idealistic, but a cake mix sure comes in handy once in a while.

Recently I made these aprons and purses for the girls on my new sewing machine. They immediately asked for chores! And asked. And asked. I know, I know... this will surely be short-lived. But I'll take as many days as I can get from my willing little workers.

The aprons and purses are from Bend the Rules sewing. I altered the purse pattern quite a bit and added a rosette instead of a velvet bow for my more -classic-than-chic girls.

In with the fire truck bed, out with everything else!

In order to get the aforementioned toddler bed into the not so big boys room, much clutter had to go. This, it seems, has become a full time job. Moving things, picking up things, organizing things. Where did all this stuff come from? And why does so much of my time get wrapped up in shuffling stuff around?

Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for the many blessings we have. My children are especially fortunate to have relatives who have basically earned degrees in childrens retail. I can look around any room in my house and spot the one, maybe two, things we've actually bought for them. The rest has been given.

Certainly that's the blessing. But it can also be the curse. I often feel as if I have no control over the ensuing chaos. Add a few Sunday school projects here, a prized who-knows-what-from-the-backyard there, the bare necessities of life, and there you have it: too much of everything!

Many have extolled the virtures of only allowing that which is beautiful, useful, and needed into your home. But beauty is most definitely in the eye of the beholder and what my six year old deems way too precious to part with is the very same thing I would send to the garbage heap. Something has to give, especially with birthday season is quickly upon us. (Three of my four little ones have Fall birthdays).

Before we officially begin school this year, I vow to get things in order around here. I plan on doing that by going through all our hot spots and doing some severe culling. I actually enjoy this process. I get close to giddy when I fill bag after bag of stuff to give away. I'll pick one hot spot per evening and hopefully tackle the whole job in a week.
1. My kitchen basket a.k.a dumping ground
2. The front hall closet
3. My older son's closet
4. The girls' room
5. The playroom

That should make a serious dent in the de-cluttering process. It will also preserve my sanity and prepare me for the school year ahead. Here's hoping I find a place for everything and put everything in its place!

Sites for inspiration: Flylady, Declutter Fast, Jeri's Organizing and Decluttering News, and the Unclutterer.

Beginning to Plan!

I'm so excited to be planning for next year! I've been re-reading The Well Trained Mind, Real Learning and A Charlotte Mason Companion. So many ideas to think about. We've been keeping up with math all summer and doing a little Mozart and Monet. Other than that it's been vacationing at the lake, VBS, entertaining company, and playing at the pool.

Most of what my first grader will be doing is a continuation of last year: finishing Spelling Workout B, Copybook III, and McGuffey's 3rd Eclectic Reader. We'll be starting Apologia's Botany book and Prima Latina. We'll also be going back and starting Story of the World all over again (we've read volumes 1-3 as read alouds because my daughters couldn't get enough!).

My pre-K/K second daughter will be reinforcing her letters, starting phonics and playing with numbers. She wants to be doing what her sister's doing, so we may even do Saxon K, though we skipped it with my oldest.

My desire to start planning is surely fueled by the current 'school supply sale' season! There's something very renewing and re-charging about bran' spankin' new markers, notebooks, and folders. A fresh start!

Everything I Need to Know I Learned Homeschooling a Kindergartener

We did it! We managed to get through our first year of official homeschooling. Not only did Bobo get quite a bit accomplished, we all grew a little in wisdom and grace. The biggest surprises for me were how much I would love this thing called home education and how much I would learn.

• PATIENCE. I'm not a particularly patient person. I get anxious at stop lights, I finish other people's sentences more often than I'd like to admit, and sometimes (gasp) I even hurry my children along (Let's go, let's go, let's go!). Homeschooling has taught me to enjoy the journey. To stop once and in awhile and thank God for giving me this great privilege. To allow my children to be children.
  
  
• PERSEVERENCE. We're Charlotte Mason/Classical in our approach to learning. That means we spends lots of time reading great books and less time on seatwork. Somehow, more than one math book got completed, 2 copybooks, 3 McGuffey readers, and a spelling book to boot. Not to mention lots of history and science, which my daughter doesn't consider school because "they're so fun and we read them on the couch." Slow and steady may not always win the race, but it definitely gets the job done.
  
  
• PLAYFULNESS. Last week my daughter was singing her math facts as she did her worksheet. It probably took her twice the normal amount of time. I almost told her she'd get it done faster if she stopped singing. But then I came to my senses. Isn't this the reason we're homeschooling? So that she will enjoy learning, have fun in the process, and even whistle while she works? I started singing right along with her.
  

Patience, Perseverence, and Playfulness...That's all I really need to know. And I'm learning it right here at home. Thank you, Lord, for the joy and the privilege.

72nd Carnival of Homeschooling...

is up at Palm Tree Pundit.