A time to...begin!

As I am beginning to schedule out my actual structure for the new year, I think it is important for me to get back to some basics.  This morning, as I prayed, it was interesting to try and articulate what it was I truly wanted for me and my children.  I think I came to this:
-for the them to know, love and serve God
-for them to be prepared in every way I can help them to fulfill their missions on this earth
-to know what is the right time to do things and when is the right time to not do things.

The scripture in Ecclesiastes came into my mind:
1To every thing there is a season , and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 
2A time to be born, and a time to die ; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 
3A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 
4A time to weep, and a time to laugh ; a time to mourn , and a time to dance; 
5A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 
6A time to get , and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 
7A time to rend , and a time to sew; a time to keep silence , and a time to speak; 
8A time to love, and a time to hate ; a time of war, and a time of peace. 

I am excited to hopefully start learning when to continue with a lesson and when to stop, when to speak and when to keep silent.  I have been so caught up in "carrying through with the plan until death!" that I have lost some meaning and depth that could have been reached otherwise through the agency of my children or other possible directions of the lesson.  What is it that I fear?  This has been a good question for me to articulate and answer and plan my homeschooling year accordingly. 

Up until now, we have just been having daily accountability with studies entirely led by the children's desires to learn math, spelling, etc.  I purchased a workbook for Lily and younger for the kids to work out of because they love workbooks (I hardly ever use them and just have small rewards for finishing them, so they are a novelty) and in the process they have been practicing their reading and writing skills, learned a few things that the public system feels is "grade-level," and kept them in a habit of learning.  Piano lessons, some random art sessions and anatomy classes--always with family reading and devotional--have been the extent of our technically scholastic learning as we adjust to a new place and work, work, work on our house and relationships with others.

Philosophical books

My friend asked for some "philosophical" books recommendations.  Here it is, Brenda (and for anyone else who may be interested)!

Philosophy:
"Power of Intention" by Dyer: many great ideas
"Walden" by Thoreau: amazing but pretty tough read and intense; life changing for me
Anything by Emerson is beautiful
"The Road Less Travelled" by Peck: like "Walden"--amazing, tough, and intense
"Against the Pollution of I" by Lussyeran (sp?) and his autobiography
"The Alchemist" by Coelho: fictional but thought-provoking analogy
"The Last Lecture": short, easy read.  Interesting although not necessarily profound to me.
"Charlie's Monument": read it again and again.  Awesome.

Religious philosophy:
"Mere Christianity" by Lewis: so interesting!
"Screwtape letters" by Lewis: will get inside your head :)
"The Abolition of Man" by Lewis: much more directly philosophical and a bit thick to understand at times

Philosophy of relationships:
"Anatomy of Peace" and "Leadership and Self-Deception" by the Arbinger Institute: life-changing
("Bonds that make us free" is similar but much more challenging to read)
"Five Love Languages"

Philosophy of communication:
"Everyone communicates but few connect" by John Maxwell
"Crucial conversations" by Ken Blanchard: amazing

Social Philosophy:

Freakanomics, by Stephen B. Leavitt, approx. 250 pages. Interesting, albeit random information that he is trying to connect through studies and observation. His observations are also merely opinion seeking to displace “conventional wisdom”, but it does help you to think outside the box and look for alternate connections besides the one in front of you.

Educational Philosophy:
"The Element" by Ken Robinson: love it. Interesting stories
"Dumbing Us Down": interesting look a public schools
"Teach like your hair is on fire": even my kids liked listening to this one with me
Charlotte Mason: thick but interesting, especially her section/book, "Ourselves"
A Thomas Jefferson Education by DeMille
"How Children Learn" by Holt, tougher, but interesting
"Multiple Intelligences" by Gardner: learn how to skim :).  Lots of good things.  Too many words :).

Movies that make you think (but may not end like you want them to):
"Butterfly Circus" (short but amazing)-life philosophy
"God's not Dead"-religious philosophy
"Courageous"-manhood
"The Letter Writer"-life philosophy
"Remembering Sunday"-relationship
"Bridge to Terebithia"-overcoming bullying mentality and effects

Planning today:  I think we will be making the big move today!  Everyone will be under the same roof!

We finished the final coat of paint on two rooms so I think that will be our family work project for this morning.  My ambition? Done by 11.  Reality?  Maybe by dinner :).

...because, you know, I also want to organize the basement, take down the tent we have been living in, and set up the tramp in its place so I can have that room in my "temporary kitchen." (Tova hates that I call it the "mudroom" when it is where we have had to cook and prepare most of our meals over the past couple months :).)

So this is what our "schedule" looks like on an average day...lately.  In fact, it is ours for today :).

SCHEDULE
Breakfast (no time listed...I am not that ambitious this morning)--eggs and toast
Kids do basics, jobs, and post personal study schedules

(listed on side) JOBS 
(the first one done with their basics and schedule get to pick their job first)
-help take down tent
-help set up tramp
-vacuum out windows and rooms and move excess construction stuff where it goes
-clean up breakfast (including washing dishes and garbages)
-organize basement with mom (dreaded job of all)
Tova has laundry as her area of stewardship

9 am devotional: Hava (6) in charge
Family reading from "Water Castle"

Move rooms!
Take Tova to buy a bike with Xai? (other kids study, play, etc.)

Lunch-Meat sandwiches
Quiet time--snuggle and read books :)!

Read from next chapter of anatomy aloud

Tova to another bike store?
2:30 Tova leaves for work

Dinner: Chinese Chicken Salad

Pack Meeting/Mutual/Scouts

MOM's list
Scripture, journal, ensign article
call local lady
email list of philosophical books to friend Brenda in Utah
Send card for visiting teaching and do some visits if time (I have 6 ladies to visit...I may do some tomorrow.  My companion just had a baby and some of these ladies have not been contacted in a long time.  So fun!  Missionary work!)
Buy orange juice (forgot at last shopping trip)
Find out where to register for homeschooling in NY

Just a glance~I leave a lot of time unscheduled from my end, because most of it gets taken up helping the kids with their personal goals.

Personal goals example:

Lily: Math, Duolingo, Family History, build cat house (for future cat), draw bugs. 

Drew: multiplication review, algebra, 5 chapters of History of US (short and awesome), 5 laps. 

Maia (4): eat, play on swing, be good, play games with Lily, Devotional, Maia went pee in her panties and told mom. (the last schedule was written for Maia by Piper (8) and was mostly in pictures so that is a loose translation 　.)

 

 

Our recent version of homeschooling

Looking at yesterday, if you really look at it, there is a lot that isn't done :).  I mean, think about it: just that short list for the education of 10 children?  I didn't mention that we haven't signed up my daughter for online classes at BYU-I yet, didn't mention all that we didn't do.  Sometimes we focus too much on what other people are doing that we are not, and do not take into account all that they are not doing that we are.  Don't read too much between the lines. I really didn't do anything else.  I didn't sneak in a history class. I didn't read with my little ones...at all, something I love to do! 
But you know?  I am content.  Learning happened, kids were loved and we are moving forward.  Sometimes homeschooling looks more like "real school" and sometimes it is the school of life and time to reflect.  People ask, "are you starting back up your homeschooling soon?"  My answer is always: "We are always homeschooling.  We do classes whenever we can and I always try to make time for learning opportunities because you never know when life will just happen."  We have not had a real series of classes since April.  Okay, since March, actually.  And I am okay with that.

What we have done in the past several months is devour several books as a family during family reading, learned how to tear down a house and pick it up, how to adjust to small and often inconvenient living areas, learned from the many wonderful people we have lived and associated with, learned how to live with less and, yes, to even live on a dirt floor for the entire summer.  We have studied the bugs with fascination and revulsion that we have encountered living outdoors in our backyard most of the summer: lightning bugs, evening walks of deer across our stream, and cicadas (one of which Hyrum tried to freeze, stab a needle and thread through, and then keep as a pet after thawing it over the hot spotlight we use in remodeling--for some reason, it didn't survive :)...).  We have seen meteor showers and explored the stream and woods, finding crawdads and sketching and learning about them.  We have heard and identified a few birds and plants and wondered and observed many more.

We have talked about basics of good health, personal responsibility of learning, and human interaction.  We have had devotionals consistently, family prayer and scripture study and a weekly family gathering called family home evening--showing our children the importance of those vital activities no matter where we are.

We have learned to smile when life is hard.

We have learned to make do with less.

We have read some amazing books as individuals, had some great random classes and done swimming lessons for 6 weeks for free this summer. 

The younger kids have devoured the simple math and skills books I have purchased for them with Kel and Tova devouring Saxon Math trying to get more where they think they should be and Drew deciding to start Algebra...all on their own.  Maybe they are "behind" according to some standardized test, but they are now owning it and moving forward with determination.  I am not worried at all about where they will go with this.

My kids have tried and failed and tried some more at many exercise programs, visited new places, and met new people.  They have said goodbye to dear friends...a learning experience in itself.

And I am content.

A look at today...

Early Morning
-Boys go to gym to work out
-Mom puts up schedule and kids do basics, "zones" and post individual academic goals for the day
-Date with Hyrum (10): Went to pick up Amish donuts for breakfast
-I come home to Maia (4) and Piper (8) proudly telling me how Maia cleaned up with Piper after Maia wet the bed; how she showered, gathered up her dirty clothes and blanket items and even had her hair done by Piper.
-Get crock-pot lentils going 

9:00 am-ish until lunch
-Devotional on Preparation: Drew did this so we had 3 Studio C's and 2 "real" videos
-Family Reading: Chapter out of "Water Castle," new book I picked up randomly and we are trying
-Put together "jello cells" from Apologia "Anatomy" book: jello, Knox gelatin and lots of candy to represent cell structures (we read from the chapter last week and did this for our final project)
-Kids finish up jobs, etc while I run Tova to visiting teaching and pick up a loaf of bread for dinner from the bakery in town that closes ridiculously early and only has a limited amount of items on their shelf!  It is amazing they keep in business :)!

Lunch
-I paint upstairs while Lily makes lunch, boys finish up jobs and Kel does math (he is trying to plow through 10 chapters a day of Saxon math to "catch up")
-Quiet time!  I paint some more while Lily reads to the kids, Kel does more math and chemistry, Drew helps Maia and Hyrum helps me paint
-Visiting teaching for mom and then come home to eat cells!
-Find out cells are now disgusting because we put them back in the fridge with dissolvable candy in them but some kids try to eat them anyway

Late Afternoon
-Check up on kids and their "daily goals": Drew and I have a good discussion on S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reasonable,...Tangible?) and he re-does his list: running, Saxon, some history reading from "The History of U.S."
-Hyrum and I do art together and I show Lily and Hyrum where they can do some simple math in the workbooks I just bought them
-Paint some more and meanwhile have Kel move the lentils from the crockpot to the stove so that they will finish cooking in time for dinner and not just at midnight

All through this time, I am loving little ones, nursing, and trying to clean up here and there.  Fixing boo-boos, listening to concerns and answering questions become the main part of my day.  Part of my personal education right now is summed up in Neal A. Maxwell's talk on "Patience" (BYU Speeches 1979)--finding joy in looking with awe at God's handiwork in the hard as well as the easy times...not just enduring. :)  Not an easy lesson, but an "oh so good!" one.

Personal studies:
-Went to Amish store and was reminded about the joy and simplicity of choosing a simpler life.
-Listened to the "Patience" talk while painting...and "patiently" telling my 4 year old Maia over and over again why she cannot paint with me.
-Scriptures, prayer, 2 chapters of History of U.S. (1600's section)
-Finished a few commitments on my weekly goals: one for visiting teaching and ordered a few good books on bird, insect and butterfly identification.
-Studied children while they worked--they are beautiful
-Studied my fellow church-going sisters at a social tonight: came away edified.

Connections

Hyrum (10) has some great insights about this photo when he saw it over my shoulder.

"Hey, mom, this is like life.  We are dropped onto the earth and it is through trials and growing that we become flowers.  But we need to be careful to not become weeds!"

I love principle-based learning.  We are always looking for connections and context in our home for the things we learn and are exposed to.  What an insightful little conversation!   We had a devotional on "spiritual traction" yesterday where we talked about our burdens will actually help us grow and we shouldn't be always looking for ways out of them...but rather what can we learn from them.  What a timely, inspired message for our friend to send through this picture as a way to reinforce that lesson!

Season: Putting on a Play!

Last week I didn't focus on anything each day but getting ready for dress rehearsals, reviewing lines, putting a few props and costumes in order and other odds and ends for the play "Jane Eyre."  My oldest, Tova (18) had worked last summer on adapting the book into a play and scaled it down to a very effective, impactful 2 hour production.  She organized performers, rehearsals and locations, student-directed and dealt with some pretty major hurdles of people dropping out for one reason or another, location problems, and all those last-minute flusters that are the bane of every director. 

And she handled it beautifully.


We ended up having 6 of our children in it, two as orphans and one with relatively small speaking parts and then three with multiple parts or major roles.  It was fantastic to see Kel (17) play a fantastic John Eyre and then a disgruntled yet passionate Rochester.  I think he counted 250 some-odd lines for his main role and he got them all.  Oh, and I was the old lady version of Jane, but I just sat in a rocking chair and read my lines while I pretended to "write them down" in a journal...Tova's clever idea of a narrator to help bridge those gaps in story-line.

The play was passionate, emotional, amusing at a few points and an excellent selection of examples of human character.  They did a fantastic job and it was totally worth it!

Tova (second from left), Drew and then Lily to the right of Tova, Hava in front, and Kel is far right

During weeks like this, we learn hard and fast:
-how to get out the door with all the props we need
-how to review lines again and again even when we are tired of them
-how to find meaning and depth in those lines and make them convincing
-how to be creative in coming up with effective props and costumes
-how to care for siblings if you are left home while everyone else is at rehearsal
-how to prioritize: the house was a mess many nights and I am sure we ate cold cereal for dinner at least one night
-how to try and get those absolutely essential things in as well in a shorter yet still effective manner: family work, outside employment, other classes, devotionals, and family reading (yes, those are essentials :)....)
-how to still show Dad that we love him even as we are running like mad back and forth
-how to cook a dinner and have it ready for needy actors when you are not going to be in your house because of a home inspection and final walk-through of buyers for our house...literally for the three hours right before our call-time for our last production...crazy!
-how to still be nice and supportive of each other.  That can be tricky :).

Piper and I have joined this picture.  Me top center and Piper bottom left.