Beauty

A Peaceful Calm

When I finally made the decision, in 2005, to homeschool, I felt a peaceful calm come over me. I felt this same peaceful calm with the career I chose (I am a nanny school grad that has been running a family daycare since 1995), and when I became a mom. Not that being a mom, daycare provider, and homeschooler is stress-free, but I felt in my heart, deep in my sole that these were the things, I, Storie, was to do in my life. It was like puzzle pieces fitting perfectly together.

Following a loose Charlotte Mason philosophy has brought that peaceful, calm to our everyday life. My son feels this same *fit*. That the philosophy (tweaked a bit) just matches us just right. It sure makes our days much nicer. The weeks, months, sometimes years, we would slip into moving too far from a CM style Oak and I both felt stress with homeschooling. 

Why did we slip? I was a public schooled child. At times I fear he may not be doing enough. When I let these thoughts whirl around my head I start worrying about other things; college, his future career, etc. One thing we have never worried about is what others think. If we did, or I did, this would have reared its ugly head during these times also.

I will always be the product of a public school system. I remind myself that Oak is not (he went for two years but spent most of his life homeschooling). A CM style has proven over and over to allow him the freedom he wants in his learning. He gets more motivated, he enjoys the beauty of his surroundings, his thirst for knowledge grows and grows. Our days flow, mesh between learning, play, living. 

Public school crushed my love for reading. Public school did not allow me to enjoy the fact that history is an on going story, a wonderful story, full of adventure. Public school did not allow me to see the beauty of science. Public school taught me to worry about a test, to wonder what part of this or that would be on a test. Public school taught me that learning was something that was a drag, that happened for 5 to 6 hours monday through friday. 

Homeschooling has allowed me to feel that peaceful calm about my own learning. At least homeschooling with a CM approach, for us. If we were using a different homeschooling approach we would not feel that peaceful calm to our days. 

As homeschoolers we can find that homeschool method that finds that peaceful calm in each of our families. I hope you all have found that place. If you have not found that place just yet, my wish is that you will find it soon.

The Mysterious Benedict Society By Trenton Lee Stewart ~ Book Review

*****

I give The Mysterious Benedict Society 5 stars

(Book Review By Oak)

I gave The Mysterious Benedict Society 5 stars for many reasons. Number 1, you CANNOT put this book down, just tell your friend they won't be seeing much of you for a few days. The suspense builds up well, and every chapter ends with a cliff hanger. The author did a great job of making you feel the characters emotions, you got nervous for them! This book also gives you a chance to unravel the mystery alongside the characters, which makes this book even more fun. I could go on forever but I need to get back to reading the next book in this series! If I enjoy the second book as much as I liked the first I should be making a review of it fairly soon.

                                                                                   ~ Oak

A Much Improved Written Narration

We are currently reading two history read-alouds, America First and Streams of History: The United States. I explained, before I started reading, that he was going to do another written narration today. I explained again what I was looking for with a written narration. I told him he could choose from which book he would narrate from. He chose America First, we read the chapter on Sir Walter Raleigh.

I left him to his independent work. When lunch was nearing I went and checked on things. He is really enjoying things this year. He has been usually getting most of his work complete before lunch. Today was no different. He had two things left to do...yep, one was his written narration (the other, drawing an outline of Africa for geography). I am learning to zip my mouth. 

I am glad I kept my mouth zipped. Right after we finished lunch he got busy right away and ended up with a much improved written narration. It will take time for it to feel more natural for him (oral narration is very natural for him) but I am surprised how much of an improvement this one was.  

Thursday or Friday I will be asking for another one.