I think setting the example to our children is imperative in inspiring them! As they see us imperfectly and consistently striving to learn and grow--a living model of joy, frustration, and determination--they will see the beautiful part learning can have in their own lives!
I will be putting in periodically what I am currently reading and studying almost as much for my own reference as for anyone who is looking for stuff to learn and listen to...or if you are reading or have read it and want to come over and discuss it with me! :)
Family history: Indexing on Tuesdays
Hungarian: Write down, read aloud and translate 3-7 verses from the Hungarian Book of Mormon, once or more a week
"A Patriot's History of the United States": slowly making my way through this awesome book.
"Sense and Sensibility" by Jane Austen: for a young lady/mother dating discussion group (I like to listen to these on librivox.com when I am cleaning or walking)
Just finished listening to "Henry V" by Shakespeare on librivox while making dinner tonight (loved it!) and started "Othello"...horrible!
"Gifted Hands" by Ben Carson: for our theme of this month of "service-oriented leadership" (his life is full of examples of sacrifice, service, and motivation). It is also a blessed coincidence that we are reading it for our neighborhood ladies book group :).
"Thinking About Thinking"...amazing book full of short, incredible articles. I am currently reading "A School in Zion" by Jeffrey Holland from it.
Studying and reviewing "Biology" from the Apologia series to discuss with Tova.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
"Excited about today!"--from last Thursday :)
I woke up at 3 am, unable to sleep. My nighttime worries feel so real, so sometimes I have to just get up and do something for a while and then I can sleep. Well, this time it was productive! Still frustrated about that science book, I arose with an idea of just where it might be. Bingo! It was there! My search outside in my muumuu into the van in the dark was worth it! There it was, under the seat from last week's science in the park. Whew!!!
I opened up the book, rambled around the house and the bookshelves for a short while looking for things that would help with school today and came up with some fun ones!
Basics and breakfast: Awesome time with littles getting ready for the day: flashcards, snuggling, basics, attacked some of our laundry pile that has run away with me.
"Date" with Lily: she laid down on my bed while I scratched her head and played with her hair and read the first few chapters of "Beautiful Girlhood." Amazing book! Teaches in a beautiful way the joys and challenges of changing from being a child to a young lady to a woman. Lily's love cup (physical touch) was filled and I could see her soul settle. 15 minutes. Amazing stuff.
Devotional: Lily did it (it is "her day") and she collected some great stories about service
Mom Reading: Started "Little Britches"...love it again already! The older ones have heard it but still love it.
Science: Light! Lesson 10 this morning with experiments in the book and Lesson 11 tonight (needs to be dark outside) then Bill Nye.
Art: Found some fun shape ideas from a book called "Math Play: 80 ways to count and learn" (for ages 2-6). I cut up a bunch of shapes out of construction paper (imperfectly and hurriedly done) while they watched Bill Nye. I put up a stretch of butcher paper along a wall (I have more rolls if anyone wants one!) and then let the girls paste on animals and art using the shapes after we did a few shape games and read a shape book. I had checked out a bunch of "shape" books from the library for ideas for them to look at for ideas for art. Meanwhile...
Think-Blot fun!- We have a fun game called "Think Blot" that really helps kids to "see outside the box" and use their imagination to identify figures out of ink blots. We played this game with those not doing the wall art. The older kids then did a few more shape art on the wall
Lunch: 10-minute math with Tova and Kel; other kids played math games as well.
Quiet time: Piano lesson, reading with girls and then prep for Sports Day after a quick nap
Authors in the Attic: (during quiet time in the crawl space) delightful stories and poems from Hava (6) up to Drew (13) and then myself while we enjoyed some fresh cookies.
I opened up the book, rambled around the house and the bookshelves for a short while looking for things that would help with school today and came up with some fun ones!
Basics and breakfast: Awesome time with littles getting ready for the day: flashcards, snuggling, basics, attacked some of our laundry pile that has run away with me.
"Date" with Lily: she laid down on my bed while I scratched her head and played with her hair and read the first few chapters of "Beautiful Girlhood." Amazing book! Teaches in a beautiful way the joys and challenges of changing from being a child to a young lady to a woman. Lily's love cup (physical touch) was filled and I could see her soul settle. 15 minutes. Amazing stuff.
Devotional: Lily did it (it is "her day") and she collected some great stories about service
Mom Reading: Started "Little Britches"...love it again already! The older ones have heard it but still love it.
Science: Light! Lesson 10 this morning with experiments in the book and Lesson 11 tonight (needs to be dark outside) then Bill Nye.
Art: Found some fun shape ideas from a book called "Math Play: 80 ways to count and learn" (for ages 2-6). I cut up a bunch of shapes out of construction paper (imperfectly and hurriedly done) while they watched Bill Nye. I put up a stretch of butcher paper along a wall (I have more rolls if anyone wants one!) and then let the girls paste on animals and art using the shapes after we did a few shape games and read a shape book. I had checked out a bunch of "shape" books from the library for ideas for them to look at for ideas for art. Meanwhile...
Think-Blot fun!- We have a fun game called "Think Blot" that really helps kids to "see outside the box" and use their imagination to identify figures out of ink blots. We played this game with those not doing the wall art. The older kids then did a few more shape art on the wall
Lunch: 10-minute math with Tova and Kel; other kids played math games as well.
Quiet time: Piano lesson, reading with girls and then prep for Sports Day after a quick nap
Authors in the Attic: (during quiet time in the crawl space) delightful stories and poems from Hava (6) up to Drew (13) and then myself while we enjoyed some fresh cookies.
New week!--MOTIVATION!
This week we are focusing on "motivation" and how that affects both our leadership and the leadership of others. We have had some great discussions and connections about "service" and "sacrifice" as we seek to flesh out a deeper understanding of what makes the service-oriented leader...or the leaders we want in society and in ourselves.
We have started reading "Little Britches" and have discussed the motivation of different characters in the chapters so far, as well at their sacrifice at the beginning.
This is both what we have done and our plan for the week so far:
Yesterday (Monday)
Devotional: younger
We started with the definition of "motivation" from values.com and then I looked at a couple of examples in the section on "motivation." That led me to an amazing and inspiration Ted.com talk by Amy Purdy that my kids completely enjoyed! Talk about motivation! She talked about how her desire to "write her own story" and determination to travel the world and be free motivated her to overcome HUGE obstacles.
We then watched a brief, not-so-connected link to a talk by President Uchtdorf that I was going to use for the second devotional, but were able to make a few connections (my material is not always perfect :)...)
Devotional: older
I printed up Stephen Palmer's recent article "Why you can't find your purpose" as well as the talk from President Uchtdorf for each of the kids participating to follow along with. We watched a part of the talk during which I asked them each to look for a quote and think of a question for the rest of us. We talked about part of the article as well and I expect them to read it entirely by the end of the week so we can discuss it.
Family reading: Little Britches
We didn't have our Constitutional reading (we will do that Wednesday after devotional), but then madly started cleaning the house since we had someone coming to look at our house at 1:30 and I was leaving at 10:40 to go shopping and to a birthday lunch with my sister Niesha and would be gone most likely until the house showing. The kids did their math while I was gone, finished their cleaning assignments, and then watched "Apple Dumpling Gang" while I was gone to keep the house clean :). They each had a lunch buddy they were in charge of helping.
We had visitors that afternoon from Logan and so that was the end of our homeschooling :). They watched "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" while I had a quick nap and we did discuss that during dinner right before we had our Family Home Evening.
Today: Geo-Conquest day! (history and geography)
Family History Moment: I was able to share some stories and memories my father-in-law had of his father and grandparents at breakfast.
During the course of the morning, Maia (4) found our really old bead sets and so on their own (and when I had a minute) the kids started bead necklaces and bracelets.
Word study: I have having them start them in lieu of their "mom help" to give them a little more time to accomplish it to make up for yesterday. They need to write the definition of "motive" from the Webster 1828 dictionary their best penmanship.
Spelling: They are going to either write or verbally pass-off their spelling lists from last week. We have a running total of who is doing better, the girls or the boys, and then whoever loses at the end of a few months has to make a nice dinner and clean it up for the other "side."
Devotional: watch the entire Uchtdorf talk with the younger kids while doing "conference bingo" with Cheerios. I ask them to think of one thing they learned and share it with the rest of us.
(Tova and Kel are at seminary and then go and do baptisms for the dead so I sent them the links to Purdy's talk and gave them a segment of scripture to review for our devotional tomorrow morning.)
Prezi on Africa this morning (prezi.com allows for people to make cool presentations; here is a link to my one on Africa. You are welcome to use any you can access. Many aren't complete or my kids did. It is a fun way to gather, organize and present information.)
Time machine--Read aloud "Chapter 7: The Spread of Slavery" from Vol.3 of the Story of the World series while they do some more bead work or just listen. We stopped periodically to discuss the motives of different people we were reading about.
Geo-Safari time: While we ate lunch, the kids chose out of the Geo-Safari cards I had out to "pass off,'' from time zones to endangered species to geography to coinage and languages. I just picked out any card that even had a slight reference to something on the African continent, so there were quite a few.
Start planning an African dish for tonight...spicy carrots :)?
Quick trip to park to exercise since we didn't yesterday
Family reading and nap time
Quiet time:
-Read with little ones: both to them and listen to them
-10 Minute Math
-probably sleep :)
-individual children's request for help: Duty to God, Faith in God, Cub Scouts, piano for Hyrum
3 pm Tova teach African dance
4 pm Tova teach sign-language choir
Mom do own Geo-conquest studies:
-language practice
-finish chapter of "Patriot's History of U.S."
-read some news
-do family history
Dinner with African dish and "return and report" from kids
Daddy reading/Family scripture study
We have started reading "Little Britches" and have discussed the motivation of different characters in the chapters so far, as well at their sacrifice at the beginning.
This is both what we have done and our plan for the week so far:
Yesterday (Monday)
Devotional: younger
We started with the definition of "motivation" from values.com and then I looked at a couple of examples in the section on "motivation." That led me to an amazing and inspiration Ted.com talk by Amy Purdy that my kids completely enjoyed! Talk about motivation! She talked about how her desire to "write her own story" and determination to travel the world and be free motivated her to overcome HUGE obstacles.
We then watched a brief, not-so-connected link to a talk by President Uchtdorf that I was going to use for the second devotional, but were able to make a few connections (my material is not always perfect :)...)
Devotional: older
I printed up Stephen Palmer's recent article "Why you can't find your purpose" as well as the talk from President Uchtdorf for each of the kids participating to follow along with. We watched a part of the talk during which I asked them each to look for a quote and think of a question for the rest of us. We talked about part of the article as well and I expect them to read it entirely by the end of the week so we can discuss it.
Family reading: Little Britches
We didn't have our Constitutional reading (we will do that Wednesday after devotional), but then madly started cleaning the house since we had someone coming to look at our house at 1:30 and I was leaving at 10:40 to go shopping and to a birthday lunch with my sister Niesha and would be gone most likely until the house showing. The kids did their math while I was gone, finished their cleaning assignments, and then watched "Apple Dumpling Gang" while I was gone to keep the house clean :). They each had a lunch buddy they were in charge of helping.
We had visitors that afternoon from Logan and so that was the end of our homeschooling :). They watched "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" while I had a quick nap and we did discuss that during dinner right before we had our Family Home Evening.
Today: Geo-Conquest day! (history and geography)
Family History Moment: I was able to share some stories and memories my father-in-law had of his father and grandparents at breakfast.
During the course of the morning, Maia (4) found our really old bead sets and so on their own (and when I had a minute) the kids started bead necklaces and bracelets.
Word study: I have having them start them in lieu of their "mom help" to give them a little more time to accomplish it to make up for yesterday. They need to write the definition of "motive" from the Webster 1828 dictionary their best penmanship.
Spelling: They are going to either write or verbally pass-off their spelling lists from last week. We have a running total of who is doing better, the girls or the boys, and then whoever loses at the end of a few months has to make a nice dinner and clean it up for the other "side."
Devotional: watch the entire Uchtdorf talk with the younger kids while doing "conference bingo" with Cheerios. I ask them to think of one thing they learned and share it with the rest of us.
(Tova and Kel are at seminary and then go and do baptisms for the dead so I sent them the links to Purdy's talk and gave them a segment of scripture to review for our devotional tomorrow morning.)
Prezi on Africa this morning (prezi.com allows for people to make cool presentations; here is a link to my one on Africa. You are welcome to use any you can access. Many aren't complete or my kids did. It is a fun way to gather, organize and present information.)
Time machine--Read aloud "Chapter 7: The Spread of Slavery" from Vol.3 of the Story of the World series while they do some more bead work or just listen. We stopped periodically to discuss the motives of different people we were reading about.
Geo-Safari time: While we ate lunch, the kids chose out of the Geo-Safari cards I had out to "pass off,'' from time zones to endangered species to geography to coinage and languages. I just picked out any card that even had a slight reference to something on the African continent, so there were quite a few.
Start planning an African dish for tonight...spicy carrots :)?
Quick trip to park to exercise since we didn't yesterday
Family reading and nap time
Quiet time:
-Read with little ones: both to them and listen to them
-10 Minute Math
-probably sleep :)
-individual children's request for help: Duty to God, Faith in God, Cub Scouts, piano for Hyrum
3 pm Tova teach African dance
4 pm Tova teach sign-language choir
Mom do own Geo-conquest studies:
-language practice
-finish chapter of "Patriot's History of U.S."
-read some news
-do family history
Dinner with African dish and "return and report" from kids
Daddy reading/Family scripture study
Thursday, February 12, 2015
I didn't get to science!!
Wow...yesterday didn't go as planned...or so it felt at first.
We started off with our two devotionals about service that really set an excellent tone. I had gone to the temple with my husband and Drew in the morning (date time!), so the kids had been on their own for their morning routine but I have done it enough with them that things were pretty on track when I got home.
We did our mom reading then (everyone but Dad) and finished up "The Lottery Rose." What a powerful book. Because of the abuse that is portrayed in the beginning, I recommend a parent read it before deciding to use it. However, it is such a beautiful look at the healing effects of love, patience, and service even after tragedy and abuse. You watch this abused, un-loved and hurting "problem child" unfold and blossom, just like the rosebush he cherishes. I blubbered through the last few chapters but I could feel the kids all there with me, oldest to youngest, as we explored the final healing chapters of this book. I guess, looking back, even if we did just that and the devotional, it would have been a successful day. To shape character and mold a virtuous soul is no light thing and to do it together gives us common language and context to refer to later.
I managed to do some 10 minute math with Lek and Avot before the rush of going out the door to swimming, our exercise for the day. (Not as productive, as I tried to do them both at the same time, but they were flexible.) I was feeling pretty tired, but knew that we needed some food before we left, so we hurriedly threw something together. Swimming was delightful with some other homeschooling families (socialization!) and then Lek and Avot headed out to their madrigal group. The rest of us bundled up a short while later and headed back, the little ones thankfully zonking off to sleep on the way home. We grabbed a bit more food, adding to the chaos spread across the counters and table and I held out hope for a nap.
No such luck :).
My older girls are having a combined birthday party for "sisters" their ages this Saturday so I spent the afternoon picking up a chocolate fondue fountain, fondue supplies, and material for a quilt. My 16 year old son has a date Friday night and they want to watch a movie as part of it. Our concession? If they are tying a quilt while they watch it :). My son commented, "Fun idea but stupid reason." I agreed. "Hormones are stupid. I agree."
I took Piper (8) along with me (date time again!), and we had a great time together. I picked up a little something,...okay, a giant donut for that tiny girl to enjoy while we were out, and it was fun. It is magical what happens when you get some one-on-one time! The kids never seem to get enough, so I try to do it when I remember. (Realistically, they maybe get once a month each, but it is better than nothing!)
By that point, I was ready to drop. Fortunately, Drew (13) wanted to cook dinner that night for his "dinner help" so I was able to straighten up the chaos of the kitchen while listening to a few scenes of Henry the V. Cleaning is almost as relaxing as laying down and Drew has just enough and just not enough experience that he still needs a little supervision :). As it was, we learned how not to burn the alfredo. (I love Edison's motto and try to remember it in those frustrating moments of kitchen disaster: we have learned a lot of ways to not do things! Sometimes I say it between gritted teeth, but it does offer some perspective to calm my irritation when I let it :)...)
Dinner had to happen at a certain time to allow time for kids to get off for interviews at 6:30 and we just barely made it in. The other older crowd headed out around 7 pm, just about the time I had settled on my bed to relax for about 20 minutes while the little ones watched "Magic School Bus"...our science for the day :S. Oh well! I hadn't been able to find our Wile science book and I was trying not to be too dejected about losing yet another book or item. (My life seems filled with it lately!)
I got up after the Magic School Bus ended, read scriptures with the kids who had come home and the little ones, said prayers and gave sippy cups of milk all around while the older ones went out to finish up their dinner help.
Tova (18) was one of the ones to come home early and so we ate some cookies from Kel's cookie dough from the night before while we discussed and reviewed her week's chapter of "Evolution" from her Apologia "Biology" book. We had a great discussion and enjoyed the cookies...a little to much. The last one was just getting eaten when Kel walked through the door. "Did you just eat the last of my cookies?" he said disbelievingly.
My need to nurture my 16 year old son overcame my exhaustion and I piped in with something I had been considering but hadn't been able to commit myself to yet...
"I was going to make another batch of cookies tonight," I said aloud, even while my tired pregnant body groaned. His expression of delight more than made up for the inner sigh. Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven :).
As I finished up the cookie batter and had just put some into the oven, I turned to see the imploring eyes of my Hyrum (10). "Mom, weren't we going to do a piano lesson today?" It has been three days in the promising. Time to fulfill. Ironically, most of his lessons seem to happen at or after 9 pm at night :S. Putting on a smile and knowing he could sense any frustration, we had fun addressing short parts of the songs he is working on and he went to bed, love-cup filled.
A quick round of saying prayers with my "middles" was a treat before coming upstairs to enjoy the fruit of my cookie-labors (not a completely selfless enterprise!) with Tova and my honey, who was looking up interesting facts on the computer of the village we might be moving to. (Doesn't "village" have a delicious ring to it!)
It was then that I realized I hadn't arranged for a babysitter for a family history convention most of us are going to on Saturday :S. Going to my room to get the phone to text a young lady up the street, I saw my bed. My wonderful bed. My delightful bed. It was too much. Text sent, I let my body sink into paradise and was deeply asleep before 10 pm.
It's funny how one my last thoughts was of frustration..."I didn't do science!" Silly woman. Look at what you did do! How often do we focus on what we didn't do and not on all the wonderful little learning and nurturing opportunities that happened in the day! Science will come...
We started off with our two devotionals about service that really set an excellent tone. I had gone to the temple with my husband and Drew in the morning (date time!), so the kids had been on their own for their morning routine but I have done it enough with them that things were pretty on track when I got home.
We did our mom reading then (everyone but Dad) and finished up "The Lottery Rose." What a powerful book. Because of the abuse that is portrayed in the beginning, I recommend a parent read it before deciding to use it. However, it is such a beautiful look at the healing effects of love, patience, and service even after tragedy and abuse. You watch this abused, un-loved and hurting "problem child" unfold and blossom, just like the rosebush he cherishes. I blubbered through the last few chapters but I could feel the kids all there with me, oldest to youngest, as we explored the final healing chapters of this book. I guess, looking back, even if we did just that and the devotional, it would have been a successful day. To shape character and mold a virtuous soul is no light thing and to do it together gives us common language and context to refer to later.
I managed to do some 10 minute math with Lek and Avot before the rush of going out the door to swimming, our exercise for the day. (Not as productive, as I tried to do them both at the same time, but they were flexible.) I was feeling pretty tired, but knew that we needed some food before we left, so we hurriedly threw something together. Swimming was delightful with some other homeschooling families (socialization!) and then Lek and Avot headed out to their madrigal group. The rest of us bundled up a short while later and headed back, the little ones thankfully zonking off to sleep on the way home. We grabbed a bit more food, adding to the chaos spread across the counters and table and I held out hope for a nap.
No such luck :).
My older girls are having a combined birthday party for "sisters" their ages this Saturday so I spent the afternoon picking up a chocolate fondue fountain, fondue supplies, and material for a quilt. My 16 year old son has a date Friday night and they want to watch a movie as part of it. Our concession? If they are tying a quilt while they watch it :). My son commented, "Fun idea but stupid reason." I agreed. "Hormones are stupid. I agree."
I took Piper (8) along with me (date time again!), and we had a great time together. I picked up a little something,...okay, a giant donut for that tiny girl to enjoy while we were out, and it was fun. It is magical what happens when you get some one-on-one time! The kids never seem to get enough, so I try to do it when I remember. (Realistically, they maybe get once a month each, but it is better than nothing!)
By that point, I was ready to drop. Fortunately, Drew (13) wanted to cook dinner that night for his "dinner help" so I was able to straighten up the chaos of the kitchen while listening to a few scenes of Henry the V. Cleaning is almost as relaxing as laying down and Drew has just enough and just not enough experience that he still needs a little supervision :). As it was, we learned how not to burn the alfredo. (I love Edison's motto and try to remember it in those frustrating moments of kitchen disaster: we have learned a lot of ways to not do things! Sometimes I say it between gritted teeth, but it does offer some perspective to calm my irritation when I let it :)...)
Dinner had to happen at a certain time to allow time for kids to get off for interviews at 6:30 and we just barely made it in. The other older crowd headed out around 7 pm, just about the time I had settled on my bed to relax for about 20 minutes while the little ones watched "Magic School Bus"...our science for the day :S. Oh well! I hadn't been able to find our Wile science book and I was trying not to be too dejected about losing yet another book or item. (My life seems filled with it lately!)
I got up after the Magic School Bus ended, read scriptures with the kids who had come home and the little ones, said prayers and gave sippy cups of milk all around while the older ones went out to finish up their dinner help.
Tova (18) was one of the ones to come home early and so we ate some cookies from Kel's cookie dough from the night before while we discussed and reviewed her week's chapter of "Evolution" from her Apologia "Biology" book. We had a great discussion and enjoyed the cookies...a little to much. The last one was just getting eaten when Kel walked through the door. "Did you just eat the last of my cookies?" he said disbelievingly.
My need to nurture my 16 year old son overcame my exhaustion and I piped in with something I had been considering but hadn't been able to commit myself to yet...
"I was going to make another batch of cookies tonight," I said aloud, even while my tired pregnant body groaned. His expression of delight more than made up for the inner sigh. Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven :).
As I finished up the cookie batter and had just put some into the oven, I turned to see the imploring eyes of my Hyrum (10). "Mom, weren't we going to do a piano lesson today?" It has been three days in the promising. Time to fulfill. Ironically, most of his lessons seem to happen at or after 9 pm at night :S. Putting on a smile and knowing he could sense any frustration, we had fun addressing short parts of the songs he is working on and he went to bed, love-cup filled.
A quick round of saying prayers with my "middles" was a treat before coming upstairs to enjoy the fruit of my cookie-labors (not a completely selfless enterprise!) with Tova and my honey, who was looking up interesting facts on the computer of the village we might be moving to. (Doesn't "village" have a delicious ring to it!)
It was then that I realized I hadn't arranged for a babysitter for a family history convention most of us are going to on Saturday :S. Going to my room to get the phone to text a young lady up the street, I saw my bed. My wonderful bed. My delightful bed. It was too much. Text sent, I let my body sink into paradise and was deeply asleep before 10 pm.
It's funny how one my last thoughts was of frustration..."I didn't do science!" Silly woman. Look at what you did do! How often do we focus on what we didn't do and not on all the wonderful little learning and nurturing opportunities that happened in the day! Science will come...
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Devotional on Service
Today is Wednesday, our Eureka day. Eureka is a concept that we seek to discover truth using both inductive and deductive reasoning...scientific and mathematical. I like to seek for evidences of truth of the principle we are studying on this day, so today this is what I used:
First we discussed the two great commandments and how all other commandments are "hinged" on them:
-to love God
-to love our neighbors as ourselves
We used reasoning to show how the 10 commandments are simply ways to honor those two.
Then I brought into the discussion the section in Matthew 25 where the King is separating the righteous and the unrighteous...simply based upon the acts of service they rendered to their fellow man. I had the younger group act out each act of service as I read it and you could see the emotion on their faces change as they acted out serving verses withholding their services. (This is a great video about this that we had watched before but I did end up bringing it into the "older" group...The Old Shoemaker by Tolstoy.)
I then showed the following two clips:
"Love thy Neighbor"
The first was a witness of the truthfulness of the joy that comes from giving selfless service dn the second an example of it.
It is truly service that will distinguish our righteousness, our willingness to love and obey God. As leaders, like in "The Old Shoemaker," we must keep our eyes lifted for opportunities to serve, opportunities to visit with our Savior, even as we work. The opportunities will not always come knocking at our door.
First we discussed the two great commandments and how all other commandments are "hinged" on them:
-to love God
-to love our neighbors as ourselves
We used reasoning to show how the 10 commandments are simply ways to honor those two.
Then I brought into the discussion the section in Matthew 25 where the King is separating the righteous and the unrighteous...simply based upon the acts of service they rendered to their fellow man. I had the younger group act out each act of service as I read it and you could see the emotion on their faces change as they acted out serving verses withholding their services. (This is a great video about this that we had watched before but I did end up bringing it into the "older" group...The Old Shoemaker by Tolstoy.)
I then showed the following two clips:
The first was a witness of the truthfulness of the joy that comes from giving selfless service dn the second an example of it.
It is truly service that will distinguish our righteousness, our willingness to love and obey God. As leaders, like in "The Old Shoemaker," we must keep our eyes lifted for opportunities to serve, opportunities to visit with our Savior, even as we work. The opportunities will not always come knocking at our door.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Feb 2015 ideas and application for the first two weeks
Monthly Theme: Teaching Service-Oriented Leadership
-I got a book on African food to try out from the library
-Tova is teaching African dances for our family dance class on Tuesdays
-I will pick some history that is happening contemporary with Revolutionary America in Africa next week
-We will watch a prezi on it
-Every Tuesday I encourage them to master a Geo-Safari card that has something to do with Africa
Math focus: Patterns and shapes (connected to theme as we look at the patterns and shapes in good leadership)
--I picked up a bunch of "shape" books at the library
--we made shapes out of pretzels one day and they ate them while I read about shapes in nature to them and how different shapes are perfect for different things: hexagons-maximize content while strong shape (beehives), triangles-strongest shape and connection to when two people are drawing closer to God in a triangular relationship, they are drawing closer to each other
-Games like Set, Q-bitz, and I hope to get some tangrams for them to play with
Leadership Skills:
Authors in the Attic (or crawlspace :)...) on Thursdays
Mini-class on writing with a prompt for Authors in the Attic on Monday (or Tuesday if we don't get to it!)--five-ten minute review of something like: capitalization, run-on sentences, etc.
Reading:
-Continue to read aloud "The Lottery Rose"
-Weekly "Aspire" or conference talks that we cover in devotionals or on their own
-Encourage them to read "Gifted Hands" or "The Once and Future King" as books that focuses on "sacrifice" that month
Weeks at a glance so far:
Week 1: Principle: The Virtue of Sacrifice--A good leader sacrifices
Devotionals on "sacrifice" all week long
Monday: Word study on "sacrifice"
-I asked the kids to come to a mini-discussion examples of leaders who sacrifice
-We ended "sacrificing" our school time to get the house ready to show to someone and went to the DI
-writing prompt: short lesson/review on capitalization and encouragement to correctly apply it as they write a "first-person" glimpse from someone, some hero, that exemplifies sacrifice.
Tuesday: Time machine: The sacrifice of settlement: Forts!
-Read Chapter 15 of Vol 3 of Story of the World while they made "forts" out of home-made graham crackers and frosting or hot glue and popsicle sticks
Wednesday: Eureka!
-Trip to the park with short science lesson during a picnic lunch...mini-experiments from the chapters from Wilde's "In the Beginning" and discussion about different forms of visible and invisible light and how sacrifice sometimes may seem invisible but it always has an effect.
Thursday: The goal was to do an art project, have a discussion and do Authors in the Attic but with another house showing, I don't even remember what we got in. I think we headed to the library and picked up a slew of books on different topics from that week and the week to come, had some pizza, I did some piano lessons and then we had Sports Day. I am sure I took a nap that day as well :).
Friday: I got sick and so we just survived :)...
After a "cumulative" discussion at the table of examples of sacrifice we had come across during the week, the kids watched "Joe vs. The Volcano"...kind of a stretch for sacrifice :), but they enjoyed it.
Week 2: Principle: The Virtue of Service--A good leader serves
Devotionals on "service"
Monday: Leadership academy:
Word study on "leader" or "service"
-They could do their penmanship on one portion of the word study or on our new poem by Emily Dickenson:
-I make peanut butter sandwiches while they do their copy work and then we watch a "Cyber Chase" episode that teaches how to use deductive reasoning and can be loosely tied into sacrifice (the creature gives up his last wishes to help others)
-10 Minute Math with the kids, reading to the little ones, nap, and then awake to hurriedly finish writing my "Authors in the Attic" for last week that we never did on our crazy Thursday. We have that in the crawl space (amazing stories!) and then we emerge in time for me to do a quick piano lesson with Drew before going to play basketball at the church.
-Games together: 1 to 7 to 1 and others
-Basketball! We split up into boys vs. girls and they skunk us but I also see my boys working together, cheering each other on, and teaching each other. Priceless and completely worth losing :).
Tuesday: Early morning so we all get going quickly and most of us have done our basics and zones and math before devotional comes around at 9. I tell all the kids to prepare to share something about one of our Revolutionary War heroes for the time machine today.
-Devotional: Mother Teresa, article on service from this month's issue of "The Friend" magazine, and story of "The Wooden Doll" that they act out from "A Story to Tell"
-break before time machine for final prep for time machine
-Time Machine!
Hava (6) shared a picture she drew from a picture book about Benjiman Franklin I read to her earlier today
Piper (8) listened to a story online about George Washington (carefully screened to be truthful and positive) and drew "picture notes" to share with us. She came up with a game to do and made some "lumpy porridge" like the soldiers would have to have eaten. The game was marching in formation and taking turns "ordering the troops."
Hyrum (10) sat on Piper's rocking horse with a hat on his head and read "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" to them while they ate "Caramel Pops," part of Hava's presentation because they were puffy like the lightning clouds from Franklin's famous kite experiment and were also invented...yes, a happy stretch :).
Lily (almost 12) found a picture of Molly Pitcher online (one of her personal heroes) and shared some facts about Pitcher.
The Goob (13) took everyone outside for "Steal the Bacon." His application? Paul Revere had to work with the numbers 1 and 2 ("one if by land and two if by sea) and they are numbered in Steal the Bacon. They also have to move fast like Revere did :). Tova pointed out that one side could have represented the Yankees and the others the Red Coats...so fun!
I went inside to write in my journal until Kel came through the door: "Ready for a piano lesson, mom?" We were off!
-Piano lesson for him,
-quick making of layered bean dip for lunch,
-10 Minute Math with him during lunch,
-Family reading of "Lottery Rose" immediately after lunch
-brief quiet time while Lek got a cello lesson from his dad when I cleaned up lunch while trying to listen to Henry V
-piano lessons for the Goob and Lily
-an awesome African dance session led by Tova...quite the work-out!
-a mini-break for everyone while they planned which songs they wanted to learn for sign-language... hilarious to listen to :)
-sign-language by Tova and now a blessed hour of peace and play outside while I go and make dinner and finish up this post!
Kel is at dance during this time and of course the whole time is intermingled with little Spooner (2) trailing around making messes, eating whatever he can get his hands on, Hava complaining to be hungry every 10 minutes (and also laying down and coloring on the bed next to Spooner to put him to sleep...so sweet!), and Papaya (4) doing things her own way. We get snuggles, smiles, hugs and kisses as the little ones join or hang out in the periphery, depending upon their moods :).
W a brief science lesson, swimming, and a visit to the library on the way to or from the pool. Tova and Kel have a madrigal-type group practice tomorrow afternoon that keeps them busy while we get to do our own things. After our Mondays and Tuesdays, we are ready for that!
Continent Focus: Africa
-Tova is teaching African dances for our family dance class on Tuesdays
-I will pick some history that is happening contemporary with Revolutionary America in Africa next week
-We will watch a prezi on it
-Every Tuesday I encourage them to master a Geo-Safari card that has something to do with Africa
Math focus: Patterns and shapes (connected to theme as we look at the patterns and shapes in good leadership)--I picked up a bunch of "shape" books at the library
--we made shapes out of pretzels one day and they ate them while I read about shapes in nature to them and how different shapes are perfect for different things: hexagons-maximize content while strong shape (beehives), triangles-strongest shape and connection to when two people are drawing closer to God in a triangular relationship, they are drawing closer to each other
-Games like Set, Q-bitz, and I hope to get some tangrams for them to play with
Leadership Skills:
Authors in the Attic (or crawlspace :)...) on Thursdays
Mini-class on writing with a prompt for Authors in the Attic on Monday (or Tuesday if we don't get to it!)--five-ten minute review of something like: capitalization, run-on sentences, etc.
Reading:
-Continue to read aloud "The Lottery Rose"
-Weekly "Aspire" or conference talks that we cover in devotionals or on their own
-Encourage them to read "Gifted Hands" or "The Once and Future King" as books that focuses on "sacrifice" that month
Weeks at a glance so far:
Week 1: Principle: The Virtue of Sacrifice--A good leader sacrifices
Devotionals on "sacrifice" all week long
Monday: Word study on "sacrifice"
-I asked the kids to come to a mini-discussion examples of leaders who sacrifice
-We ended "sacrificing" our school time to get the house ready to show to someone and went to the DI
-writing prompt: short lesson/review on capitalization and encouragement to correctly apply it as they write a "first-person" glimpse from someone, some hero, that exemplifies sacrifice.
-Read Chapter 15 of Vol 3 of Story of the World while they made "forts" out of home-made graham crackers and frosting or hot glue and popsicle sticks
Wednesday: Eureka!
-Trip to the park with short science lesson during a picnic lunch...mini-experiments from the chapters from Wilde's "In the Beginning" and discussion about different forms of visible and invisible light and how sacrifice sometimes may seem invisible but it always has an effect.
Thursday: The goal was to do an art project, have a discussion and do Authors in the Attic but with another house showing, I don't even remember what we got in. I think we headed to the library and picked up a slew of books on different topics from that week and the week to come, had some pizza, I did some piano lessons and then we had Sports Day. I am sure I took a nap that day as well :).
Friday: I got sick and so we just survived :)...
After a "cumulative" discussion at the table of examples of sacrifice we had come across during the week, the kids watched "Joe vs. The Volcano"...kind of a stretch for sacrifice :), but they enjoyed it.
Week 2: Principle: The Virtue of Service--A good leader serves
Devotionals on "service"
Monday: Leadership academy:
Word study on "leader" or "service"
-They could do their penmanship on one portion of the word study or on our new poem by Emily Dickenson:| IF I can stop one heart from breaking, | |||
| I shall not live in vain; | |||
| If I can ease one life the aching, | |||
| Or cool one pain, | |||
| Or help one fainting robin | 5 | ||
| Unto his nest again, | |||
| I shall not live in vain. |
-I make peanut butter sandwiches while they do their copy work and then we watch a "Cyber Chase" episode that teaches how to use deductive reasoning and can be loosely tied into sacrifice (the creature gives up his last wishes to help others)
-10 Minute Math with the kids, reading to the little ones, nap, and then awake to hurriedly finish writing my "Authors in the Attic" for last week that we never did on our crazy Thursday. We have that in the crawl space (amazing stories!) and then we emerge in time for me to do a quick piano lesson with Drew before going to play basketball at the church.
-Games together: 1 to 7 to 1 and others
-Basketball! We split up into boys vs. girls and they skunk us but I also see my boys working together, cheering each other on, and teaching each other. Priceless and completely worth losing :).
Tuesday: Early morning so we all get going quickly and most of us have done our basics and zones and math before devotional comes around at 9. I tell all the kids to prepare to share something about one of our Revolutionary War heroes for the time machine today.
-Devotional: Mother Teresa, article on service from this month's issue of "The Friend" magazine, and story of "The Wooden Doll" that they act out from "A Story to Tell"
-break before time machine for final prep for time machine
-Time Machine!
Hava (6) shared a picture she drew from a picture book about Benjiman Franklin I read to her earlier today
Piper (8) listened to a story online about George Washington (carefully screened to be truthful and positive) and drew "picture notes" to share with us. She came up with a game to do and made some "lumpy porridge" like the soldiers would have to have eaten. The game was marching in formation and taking turns "ordering the troops."
Hyrum (10) sat on Piper's rocking horse with a hat on his head and read "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" to them while they ate "Caramel Pops," part of Hava's presentation because they were puffy like the lightning clouds from Franklin's famous kite experiment and were also invented...yes, a happy stretch :).
Lily (almost 12) found a picture of Molly Pitcher online (one of her personal heroes) and shared some facts about Pitcher.
The Goob (13) took everyone outside for "Steal the Bacon." His application? Paul Revere had to work with the numbers 1 and 2 ("one if by land and two if by sea) and they are numbered in Steal the Bacon. They also have to move fast like Revere did :). Tova pointed out that one side could have represented the Yankees and the others the Red Coats...so fun!
I went inside to write in my journal until Kel came through the door: "Ready for a piano lesson, mom?" We were off!
-Piano lesson for him,
-quick making of layered bean dip for lunch,
-10 Minute Math with him during lunch,
-Family reading of "Lottery Rose" immediately after lunch
-brief quiet time while Lek got a cello lesson from his dad when I cleaned up lunch while trying to listen to Henry V
-piano lessons for the Goob and Lily
-an awesome African dance session led by Tova...quite the work-out!
-a mini-break for everyone while they planned which songs they wanted to learn for sign-language... hilarious to listen to :)
-sign-language by Tova and now a blessed hour of peace and play outside while I go and make dinner and finish up this post!
Kel is at dance during this time and of course the whole time is intermingled with little Spooner (2) trailing around making messes, eating whatever he can get his hands on, Hava complaining to be hungry every 10 minutes (and also laying down and coloring on the bed next to Spooner to put him to sleep...so sweet!), and Papaya (4) doing things her own way. We get snuggles, smiles, hugs and kisses as the little ones join or hang out in the periphery, depending upon their moods :).
W a brief science lesson, swimming, and a visit to the library on the way to or from the pool. Tova and Kel have a madrigal-type group practice tomorrow afternoon that keeps them busy while we get to do our own things. After our Mondays and Tuesdays, we are ready for that!
Thursday, February 5, 2015
"Look at the Light!"
Last night, as I snuggled with Hava next to Xai's crib, reading an article by Richard Feynman about "true education," she kept "interrupting" me with all sorts of comments, questions, and observations. These interruptions are not generally unwelcome, as I know that my purpose in life is not just to gain my own education but to help my children in theirs. However, her questions kept coming faster and faster until I finally said, "If I can just finish these next two pages, I will be done and then I can go and get your sippy cup and read the book you want....dear."
"Oh, yes, mommy!" she promised, smiling and snuggling into me. "I will be quiet."
I started to read again, only to hear, moments later:
"Mom, guess what! I know why this room is light!" Well, we have been learning about science in our Wednesday science "classes," short excerpts from Wile's early science textbook "In the Beginning." They are fun short lessons, each one with a hand's on experiment, connections to God's role in creation, and questions to help the kids make connections. I was intrigued with her comment, so put down my article and asked her what she meant.
"You see that lamp," she continued, pointing to Kel's clip lamp that was shining against the wall to diminish the light. "The light shines out of it, but it has to bounce off the wall because it can't go through and so the light bounces all over the room making it light!"
Very simple, yes, but it was thinking application of what we had been talking about in science...from a six-year-old. Smiling to myself after complimenting her on her observation, I went back to read in Mr. Feynman's article "O Americano, Outra Vez!"* about how, as a college physics professor, he has tried to awaken this same thinking in his rote-memorization-crippled students. "They could pass the examinations, and 'learn' all this stuff, and not know anything at all, except what they had memorized," he observed of his students. "I discovered a very strange phenonmenon: I could ask a question which the studens would answer immediately. But the next time I would ask the question--the same subject, and the same question, as far as I could tell--they couldn't answer it at all!" They could memorize a specific response but how it applied and how they could use it was beyond their comprehension!
I am a classic example of this. I remember being paralyzed at my Yale courses that expected and demanded thinking. I remember a course at BYU in Anatomy where the teacher actually wanted us to interpret data on our own and make our own conclusions!!! What?! I remember thinking, "Just tell me what to think, please!!!!" I just wanted to know what he wanted me to memorize...thinking was too abstract, too uncertain,...what was the answer he wanted?
This whole experience, from Hava and multiple other instances like hers in our home, and then my own educational experience has solidified in my mind the passion to teach my children to think, to make connections, to look for the answers and make their own observations and conclusions. In the book "Norms and Nobility" by Hicks, he defines what I feel is a true definition of education. (Read at least the Prologue, Intro, and Chapter 1...well worth it!)
Yes, my Hava, keep thinking. Keep looking at the world around you, keep making connections, and keep the wonder alive...
*Free download version of Feynman's short article is at the link above.
"Oh, yes, mommy!" she promised, smiling and snuggling into me. "I will be quiet."
I started to read again, only to hear, moments later:
"Mom, guess what! I know why this room is light!" Well, we have been learning about science in our Wednesday science "classes," short excerpts from Wile's early science textbook "In the Beginning." They are fun short lessons, each one with a hand's on experiment, connections to God's role in creation, and questions to help the kids make connections. I was intrigued with her comment, so put down my article and asked her what she meant.
"You see that lamp," she continued, pointing to Kel's clip lamp that was shining against the wall to diminish the light. "The light shines out of it, but it has to bounce off the wall because it can't go through and so the light bounces all over the room making it light!"
Very simple, yes, but it was thinking application of what we had been talking about in science...from a six-year-old. Smiling to myself after complimenting her on her observation, I went back to read in Mr. Feynman's article "O Americano, Outra Vez!"* about how, as a college physics professor, he has tried to awaken this same thinking in his rote-memorization-crippled students. "They could pass the examinations, and 'learn' all this stuff, and not know anything at all, except what they had memorized," he observed of his students. "I discovered a very strange phenonmenon: I could ask a question which the studens would answer immediately. But the next time I would ask the question--the same subject, and the same question, as far as I could tell--they couldn't answer it at all!" They could memorize a specific response but how it applied and how they could use it was beyond their comprehension!
I am a classic example of this. I remember being paralyzed at my Yale courses that expected and demanded thinking. I remember a course at BYU in Anatomy where the teacher actually wanted us to interpret data on our own and make our own conclusions!!! What?! I remember thinking, "Just tell me what to think, please!!!!" I just wanted to know what he wanted me to memorize...thinking was too abstract, too uncertain,...what was the answer he wanted?
This whole experience, from Hava and multiple other instances like hers in our home, and then my own educational experience has solidified in my mind the passion to teach my children to think, to make connections, to look for the answers and make their own observations and conclusions. In the book "Norms and Nobility" by Hicks, he defines what I feel is a true definition of education. (Read at least the Prologue, Intro, and Chapter 1...well worth it!)
Yes, my Hava, keep thinking. Keep looking at the world around you, keep making connections, and keep the wonder alive...
*Free download version of Feynman's short article is at the link above.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)