Flip Flops and Challenge on Winter Break - Collage Friday
Friday, February 21, 2014 at 5:00AM
Sometimes the littlest thing can make the BIGGEST difference.
Technically we were on a winter homeschool break this week - no scheduled classes at Classical Conversations. But, we have been doing a little bit of school since we are home and might want some vacation days in spring.
This week the temperatures got above 60 and I pulled out my flip flops. Just seeing my toes and being warm is enough to make me happy, but my favorite flip flops make me even more happy. Don't you love the picture of my 42 year old feet? That's what you call "no fear" blogging!
They are THE MOST comfortable shoes I have ever owned. I guarantee I will be wearing them 75% of my life for the next several months. Trust me when I tell you that flip flops make it all better. {wink}
I even played lots of basketball in these shoes this week.
{This post contains affiliate links}
It's good this week was just light schooling and no CC or other extra activities, because there are a lot of changes going on in our life right now. I can't go into everything here just yet, but they are GOOD changes that I might be able to blog about soon.
My husband and I have been reminding ourselves that change is GOOD (we're very settled and stable, sometimes resistant to change)...
A Busy Boy Week
Baseball practices started again this week, so we went to a virtual indoor batting cage to revive our baseball skills. Wow. Batting cages have sure come a long way. Grant had a great time and is ready for an awesome season with the same team he played on last fall.
The CC history sentence was about WWII, so while I was reading aloud to the kids this week, Grant colored lots of different sheets abotu WWII. Coloring is a great way to keep little hands busy while reading aloud.
Our grammar memory work was about verbs. I found the most adorable "Angry Verbs" activity on Pinterest and Grant did several of these. This was a lot of fun!
I'm learning daily how to parent my intense little boy. I find that if I have enough engaging and challenging work for him the day runs beautifully. This doesn't mean a million activities prepared, but it does mean having the right MATERIALS available for him. Things like LEGOS, Sharpies, paper (for paper airplanes and loads of drawing), popsicle sticks, coloring sheets, tracing paper, etc...
{By the way, I am stocked up on Sharpies, thanks to the huge Sharpie Amazon sale!!}
LEGO® Education StoryStarter
We've been using the StoryStarter product for a year now and it yields wonderful results and is just FUN.
Recently, LEGO® Education came out with an app to go along with the StoryStarter set. Grant likes this better than the software on the computer and was learning how to use the app this week.
When people contact me wanting to know what LEGO® Education product I recommend I honestly have to say "all of them", but if you are looking for a curriculum that teaches creative writing in a fun way that is geared for the elementary child, StoryStarter is my pick!
(To read more reviews of other LEGO® Education products, visit my LEGO Learning page.)
Up for the "Challenge"
My hard working daughter has continued her Challenge A assignments this week. Her week consisted of:
- Adjective agreement in Latin
- Learning how to draw Asia and memorize the country capitals
- Learning how to draw the brain and define its parts
- Algebraic equations with exponents
- Working on an essay for A Door in the Wall
- Memorizing piano music for a competition in March
Perhaps the most valuable lesson she is learning in this first year of the Challenge program is that HARD WORK IS REWARDING. As I sat with her during a Latin lesson and we closed the books after an hour of solid work she said, "I don't look FORWARD to doing Latin, but I feel so proud when I finish a lesson."
I thought that was incredibly insightful. And, as I am reading in Leigh Bortins' The Question, this hard work will eventually produce in our children a DRIVE for inquisitiveness and a yearning for more hard work. This initial year is difficult, but I can already see it bearing much fruit.
Several long time readers of the blog have emailed me asking how I feel about all of Anna's curriculum being prescribed by Classical Conversations. Doesn't Anna miss so much of the interest led learning we used to do? Don't I miss having so much control?
I sense a blog post coming in that answer, but I can say right now that the beauty and depth of the Challenge program far outweighs any concerns I have. This method of learning is so rich and meaningful, and I am pretty sure I couldn't come up with all of this wonderfulness (is that even a word??) on my own. Yes, we still take interest led tangents, but not as many. We are learning to trust this process and most of all, trust GOD.
I've also been listening to a book on Audible - Hold On To Your Kids. For parents of "big kids" this is a very good read. It analyzes how our culture has come to blindly accept that children just rely on their peers more than their parents, and what damage this is doing to our society. Like I said - a GOOD READ.
Another book I have been reading is Honey for a Teen's Heart - another awesome resource for parents of big kids.
A Big Response
I didn't anticipate the response Having the Courage to Be Different: No Fear Homeschooling would generate. This post received the most traffic in a single day since I have been blogging. It contained some advice for my younger homeschool self, too... there are times when I wish I could get a homeschool "do-over", but then I remember that all of my experiences are from God and nothing is wasted or an accident.
I have found that when I speak MY truth it resonates... I don't sugar coat my feelings. I think my experience can help moms who have been in my shoes, and there are a LOT OF THEM out there (moms, not shoes - ha!).
I'm thankful for the chance to come to this place each Friday and read so many encouraging words from all of you, and then visit your blogs and read about your weeks, too. It's my favorite time of the week.
I hope you'll join me!
If you'd like to link, you can do so in a couple of ways:
- Enter your link below. Be sure to link to your post with photo collages and link back to this post (or include the Collage Friday button on your blog).
- Share your photo collage(s) on Instagram, FB, G+, or Twitter - use the hashtag #collagefriday so I can find you!
Reader Comments (16)
Thank you for the resources for parenting older children. I have three hitting adolescence at the same time (!!) and need all the help I can get!
Don't you love Georgia? Snow and ice last week - short sleeves and flip flops this week! I am READY for spring. Love your collages. Love how you inspire and encourage!
Peace to your weekend Mary.
Hope you have a great weekend. I'm enjoying watching your journey with a big kid while all of mine are still little :-)
Your son sounds just like my boys, ad we do the same thing during reading time- coloring, legos, craft sticks, and play dough. It works wonders. Thanks for the link up! Have a good weekend!
As usual, I leave this post feeling refreshed and inspired- I am so thankful for the weeks I get to participate and look through all your blog posts! It's like an ice cream sundae with whipped cream and sprinkles...man, now I'm hungry...
:0)
Where did you find the WWII coloring sheets?
I'm fretfully awaiting spring for my new flip flops to come out of hiding. I wear my old ones all around the house (love flip flops for comfort) but something about flip flops and socks just doesn't work lol. Michigan is still in the throws of winter and I cannot wait for warmer weather to sweep in and hold. I love reading about your week every week (along with your other posts) I find much inspiration in your posts
Flip-flops really do make life better :) Hold on to Your Kids is a GREAT book!! Have a wonderful weekend.
My 8 y.o. son did the same coloring pages for his WWII study this month. :)
I am enjoying reading about your path with Anna. While CC is not the right thing for us at this time, I still enjoy reading your older kids ideas. I'm behind you by just a little bit with Amber (she's already 12!), so any advice is always welcome. Thanks for the book recommendations.
Thank you so much for the resources for parents of older children. I have a 12 and 10 year old and sometimes feel as if I am barely keeping my head about the water. I also appreciate your insight on Challenge. My 10 year old is in her 2nd year of CC and we are anticipating continuing through Challenge, but having not gone there with my older child, I don't know what to expect.
I want to be wearing my flip flops too, but I think we have a few more weeks of winter left up here! Although it is sunny and in the 40's today! My husband said he heard some spring birds early this morning. That's a great sign! Anyway, Mary, I'm very excited about this book I recently read a review on at http://www.solagratiamom.com/2014/02/simply-classical-beautiful-education.html Simply Classical: A Beautiful Education for any Child. The author says that a Classical education can be used with children who have disabilities. I have to admit that I really didn't think this educational style would be a good fit for kids with learning challenges and I had pretty much dismissed it for us. Now I'm re-thinking my initial opinion. I hope to get the book and learn more about it!
One of the things I love best about you and your blog is that you never sugar coat things!
:)
Ahh Southern weather!! I dug out my flip flops too but I will need my boots again later this week. Great week Mary. Thank you as always for hosting!
I always enjoy seeing what you are doing with your kids, Mary. CC seems to really be a blessing for your family. I can't wait to hear about the changes you hinted to!