Current Novels

The novels the girls are currently reading for homeschool always go in the same place- on the corner of the table in the living room. Seeing them as I come into the room always brings me a moment of joy, and I give thanks. 

 

Artistic Daughters

Avril painted the leaves surrounding the October quote. Adele made the mosaic of fall leaves. These are currently being displayed on one of the floating shelves in our homeschool classroom. They make me so glad I live in a home where there are artistic daughters. 

The Secret Garden

I heard her laugh to herself several times today as she read The Secret Garden silently to herself. I stopped the quiet work I was doing and said prayer of thanks and snapped a picture. This is one of the primary reasons we homeschool- to provide access to great books and time to simply read them. 

Summer Mornings

 

The Fellowship of the Ring

We're rereading The Fellowship of the Ring as our current read-aloud. Our youngest, now eleven, couldn't remember the story from the last time we read it aloud. I guess she'd know the story if my kids watched the movies, but they don't watch much of anything. So we'll probably watch the films as a family when we are done reading the books this time. 

One daughter has a birthday at the end of March, the other at the start of April, so they contrived to negotiate a Rivendale Lego set for their birthday season. The deal they made was that all birthday monies from extended family would be combined to pay for a portion of the set. And they would forfeit parties and dinners out and all other birthday gifts, so that the monies that would have been spent celebrating the separate birthdays could go to pay for the rest of the set. In truth, it was an outstanding deal for their father and I. We saved a ton of money by paying for the other half of this set. 

Note: We did provide birthday desserts on the day of their birthdays. One daughter had her birthday on the day of our CC Community, so we brought cupcakes to share. The other daughter had her birthday on a plain old weekday, so my husband took her out after a common dinner at home to choose special desserts from the local grocer. 

So the girls built up Rivendale each night as we read the story. They literally constructed it as the hobbits journeyed toward it. 

Last night, we read the passage where The Fellowship was defeated by Caradhas before we all went to bed. This morning, I came downstairs after my shower to find that my youngest had emptied the Kleenex box to create the scene. 

My life is utterly Bless-ed. 

The Book-skally Boombasty All-Happy Bookery

Adele has built a tent in her room called the "Bookskally Boombasty All-Happy Bookery." It's her new favorite spot. 

 Adele, my youngest, made me a "Best Mom Ever" badge. I'm using it as a bookmark. 

A Prayer for Her Big Sisters

On the night before the last day of Challenge A for Avril and Challenge 4 for Norah, their little sister Adele wrote them this prayer and placed it beside their bookbags. 

Viewfinders

The girls were "playing" with their view finders the other day. I can't remember the last time they pulled these from the bottom of their closet where toys are stored. Many years ago, Dwayne's mom gave us her old viewfinder with antique, unique inserts including one of photos from Queen Elizabeth's coronation. The viewfinder wasn't actually a toy for his mom; it was something her pediatrician prescribed her to exercise her eyes! We've added a newer viewfinder and some inserts with modern scenes like favorite Disney films. I am thankful that Adele can inspire Avril to embrace her childhood a little longer. The two still play so well together, and I'm thankful for moments like this. 

Avril, my middle daughter, is drawing and learning the skeletal system in Challenge A right now, so I took the model skeleton out of the schoolroom closet for her. Adele, my youngest, must have thought the looked lonely there in the middle of the table alone, so she brought the art manikin out to keep him company. I laugh every time I notice these two. They look like bros. 

I was lettering while my middle daughter was coloring while my youngest was sketching for an hour or so on this last, lazy Saturday afternoon. We left a beautiful mess on the table and we shared moments I'll treasure. 

 

The surfaces of my tables often have piles of books leftover from the day's schoolwork. I do try to remind them to put them away before walking away for the day, but they often forget. And if I really need them to, the girls come clean the piles up when I ask. But this is something I quietly thank God for. These piles represent all the moments the girls spend thinking about and practicing worthwhile things. 

Coloring Bibles

My youngest daughters got coloring Bible for Christmas. Tonight I found them in front of the fire coloring together. I gave thanks for that moment.  

How to Draw Books and Sketchpads

She asked for "how to draw books" and "sketchpads" for Christmas. I came through the living room and saw this. It's a moment that made me smile. 

Through the years of Decembers, my girls have drawn nativity scenes. No matter how crude their sketches, I cherished them and I have faithfully kept the precious drawings within our Christmas album.  I caught my youngest drawing a nativity the other day and I captured the moment. The Incarnation of Christ is one of my favorite things to contemplate. "In principo erat Verbum et Verbum erat apud Deum et Deus verbum..." "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God..." It blesses my heart and I bless God to know the scene inspires my daughters' imaginations, too. 

 

Christmas Break Begins

It's the first day of Christmas break!

We've kept the fire going all day, since it has been in the thirties all day. 

After a doctor's appointment this morning, we did routine the housework, a limited amount of schoolwork (we hardly ever totally stop), and we did a lot of reading.

With the free time, the littles started working together to write a book, and I caught them completing logic puzzles together and snapped a picture.  

 

Note Speller

This was a beautiful moment I wanted to capture with a picture. Avril is helping Adele with a page of a new Note Speller book assigned by her piano teacher. The girls often help each other throughout the day like this. And by helping the younger sister/s, the older sisters reinforce and review their own knowledge.  Homeschooling is a very nurturing environment.