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What do you do when your mom is a dork?

August 12, 2010 by Edie Wadsworth 40 Comments

You take a video of her, of course.

The girls are memorizing the books of the Old Testament. I happen to have been a first prize Bible drill winner and highly impressed their young strong minds with my mad skillz. Forgive the lack of makeup, the dishoveled left overs of yesterdays’ hair style and the fact that I’m clinging tightly to my morning coffee. Forgive me, I’m a dork, alright. But I challenge you to try to beat my swift 16 second recitation. My kids think I’m a genius. And I was tired of saying it over and over for them, so now they can just push play.
We are easily amused at the Wadsworth household.

Post Edit: Y’all are far too kind about the whole make-up thing but let a southern girl tell ya, it’ll be hard to ever break the make-up habit. And further more, lest you think that’s the natural me, what I meant by ‘no make-up’ was that I only had powder, blush, concealer and brow groomer on. Make-up is to me what hair was to Samson.

Which brings me to my next point. I showed the girls the following video after we studied Samson today. Because I’m not the only parent who is a dork. Amen.

Logos School Curriculum Choices 2010

August 8, 2010 by Edie Wadsworth 36 Comments

If you’re new here and visiting from Bring the Rain or from Heart of the Matter, welcome. You can visit more of my homeschool links here or find out why in the world we ever decided to homeschool in the first place here. We use the classical model with a blend of The Well Trained Mind, Charlotte Mason and the Thomas Jefferson Education.

I have an unnatural love for books.

When I moved from my beloved suburban house with the garage turned schoolroom to the lakehouse {with no schoolroom}, the movers commented more than once that they had never moved anyone with so many books. I tried to pare our library down a little but I have a very difficult time parting with books. I want my own copy and I want it in the flesh and I don’t want to get rid of it. Period. It’s makes curriculum shopping my favorite activity of the year. I want to use EVERY possible program and book. I want to try My Father’s World and Tapesty of Grace and Sonlight and Calvert. And I would except that I don’t want someone telling me exactly what to do because I want to decide what books we read and what passages we memorize and how long we spend on The Renaissance. I want to be in charge of the books.

Hello Mr. UPS man, my name is Edie and I love books.

So this year we will continue on our classical homeschooling journey using a mish-mash, a hodge-podge of books and programs. For my own teacher-training, I’ve been reading The Seven Laws of Teaching by Milton. I’ve gleaned a few pearls from it and it has reinforced some things I read in A Thomas Jefferson Education.

Namely, that you can’t teach anyone anything.

You can only motivate and inspire them to learn. I pray I’ll do more inspiring and less requiring this year.

My 8 and 9 year old are both doing 4th-ish grade and we’re in our third year of following the basic outline laid out in The Well-Trained Mind. I have tweaked our program every year to find what works perfect for us. I finally feel like I kinda-sorta know what I’m doing. Kinda. Sorta.

Here’s what we’re using:

New for Us:

1. Writing–Institute for Excellence in Writing by Andrew Pudewa

I bought the parent CD’s and am about half way through them. I love this program already. And I especially love that we will use the content for writing from our history and science and literature books, which will just enforce the things we’re already learning. Although we don’t start our formal lessons until next week, we practiced the key word outline a few days ago and my reluctant writer said, “I love writing now mom.” Wow. I hope that continues.

2. Apologia Science Exploring Creation

We tried out the Astronomy book last semester and loved it. We’re doing chapter one of the Human Anatomy book (cell structure and function) and then moving on to Zoology I—Flying Creatures of the 5th day. We also plan to memorize Psalm 104 which goes along well with the learning about God’s creation.

3. Bible—A Bible History by Concordia Publishing House

We have previously used Veritas Press and have completed Genesis Through Joshua and the Life of Jesus. This year we plan to do Judges through Malachi from the Bible History book and then memorize Luther’s small catechism for the Lord’s prayer. We will listen together to teaching on the articles of the Lord’s Prayer beginning with the first petition on IssuesEtc. We also will memorize the books of the Old Testament and possibly the baptism catechism. In preparation for teaching my girls from this portion of the Old Testament, I’m working my way through this series of wonderful lectures from iTunes university. For any christian interested in a Christ centered Old Testament class, this one is phenomenal and of course, you can listen at your leisure. I highly recommend it. You can find it by opening iTunes university {from the main menu of iTunes} and searching “Concordia Old Testament”. It consists of video lectures that span Genesis to Malachi.

What we’re still using:

4. Saxon 4/5

We have a few lessons to finish from book 3 and we’ve been working on flash cards for multiplication. I bought the DIVE CD and hope my girls can learn to be a bit more independent with math. Neither of my girls is math minded so we will continue to look for ways to make math come alive. We’re currently accepting any and all suggestions.

5. History–Story of the World 3 Early Modern Times

We have about 6 weeks of Story of the World 2 to finish beginning with The Reformation/Renaissance. I love Story of the World. Susan Wise Bauer inspires me and has been my constant companion during my homeschooling journey whether from her history books or her books on education. I recently came across these set of videos from her own homeschool and they were so comforting to me. She’s washing the dishes while she does dictation with her son or she’s making mac and cheese before she sends her teenagers off to rest time. I know, amazing isn’t it? She requires ‘rest’ time even for her teens. I consider her my mentor, my teacher—-the master of all things homeschooling—and her school doesn’t look that different from mine. At least at a glance. I really appreciated that look into her world.

6. Grammar–Rod and Staff 4

We switched from Shurley Grammar to Rod and Staff during the middle of last year. I like it so much better and I’m hoping that this new writing program will help apply more of what we’re learning.

7. Memory Work

We will memorize:

A portion of Martin Luther’s speech at the Diet of Worms, A Bird Came Walking Down the Walk by Emily Dickinson, There is No Frigate Like a Book by Emily Dickinson, ‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers by Emily Dickinson, Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll (thank you Mrs. Brown), Elizabeth I’s speech at Tilbury (thank you blog friend), the preambles to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence , Paul Revere’s Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Children’s Hour by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the presidents of the United States, a history catechism, Psalm 104, portion of the Sermon on the Mount, Luke 12:22-32.

We will also continue to review all the memory work from the past two years which is a quite a thick stack of poetry and scripture.

I’ve written about my thoughts on memory work and how important I think it is. It’s also deeply gratifying to have some ‘tangible’ evidence of your learning. There are so many benefits to memorization and it’s one of my favorite aspects of home schooling.

8. Literature

Our curriculum is centered around history and we try to correlate some of our literature to that. We will start this year by reading a biography on Martin Luther and a historical fiction work about the Mona Lisa (we’ll be studying daVinci first in art) called The Second Mrs. Giaconda. Some of our other books include The Princess and the Goblin, King of the Wind, At the Back of the North Wind, Just David, Stories of Don Quixote, The Happy Prince and Other Tales, The Enchanted Castle, English Fairy Tales, poetry of George Herbert, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Johnny Tremain and excerpts from Paradise Lost. I use Ambleside Online as a resource for good literature and have recently been visiting the Tapestry of Grace website to find additional classic literature. We also will continue to read an abridged Shakespeare play per week by Charles and Mary Lamb and will also continue to work our way slowly through the unabridged Pilgrim’s Progress. The girls will be reading books on their own during rest time and free time and having just finished the Harry Potter series, we’re starting the Chronicles of Narnia. {we’ve never read them all in order.} The Narnia series will be our leisure read-aloud which we tend to read while having breakfast, after lunch, and at bedtime.

The importance of literature and in particular reading aloud to children has been recently reinforced again. In my prep for the writing course, I’ve heard Andrew Pudewa say several times that the single most important thing we can do for our kids is read aloud to them and to continue doing so long after they are old enough to read to themselves. I hope to continue our habit of spending 2-3 hours a day reading various books and passages aloud.

9. Languages

We are hoping and praying that we’ll have our wonderful Latin/Spanish tutor again this year, Mrs. Harms. We used Latin for Children towards the end of the school year and will continue to do so.

10. Fine Arts

The girls take about 7 hours of ballet instruction each week and will again be taking piano lessons. We will be studying Chopin and Handel in music history and Leonardo daVinci, Michealangelo and Rembrandt in art history.

11. Spelling

We’ve been using Spelling Workout but I’m not sure it’s the right program for us. I’ve been looking into Spelling Zoo and All About Spelling. I think we need something more auditory. For now, we’ll finish up our Spelling Workout books and try recording the words on a tape recorder and using that audio recording to help us practice the words. Any thoughts?

Whew! Now if we get through all that, it’ll be nothing short of a miracle.

Wish us luck, we start tomorrow!

If you homeschool and would like to share your curriculum resources or would like to find out what others are using, visit the Heart of the Matter blog hop or Angie at Bring the Rain.

Christ Have Mercy

August 6, 2010 by Edie Wadsworth

Our Father in heaven is merciful.

By His good grace, Jamie came to visit us here in Tennessee and to check on her dying father. He’s been in a miserable condition for quite some time and has nearly begged to die. His children have watched him lose his dignity and even his very will to live. She visited him on Friday, they had ice cream together and she told him how much she loved him. She told me later that she prayed that night that if at all possible, God would take him to heaven soon so that his suffering would finally be over.

He died in his sleep that night.

We have spent the week crying, remembering, laughing, grieving, cooking, cleaning, loving and all the while being thankful that we have shared these fleeting and precious moments together. My sainted sister has hosted us all for many days and has taken care of us like only sisters do. The time with family has been such a gift. We say goodbye with heavy hearts and count our blessings that Our Father in heaven knows what we need before we ask.

Our hope is in Him, whose resurrection has freed us from death.

from the Lutheran prayer book:

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Merciful Father, You know how difficult these days are for me. In Your holy Word, You have promised to hear those who cry unto You in the day of trouble. Listen to my cries for mercy and send help from the sanctuary of Your grace.

Preserve me from bitterness of spirit, and rescue me from every temptation to despair. Calm my frustrations with the knowledge that my life is secure in Your redeeming love, for I am baptized into the death and resurrection of Your Son. Draw me out of self centered worry, which stifles faith, and cause me to take comfort in the Gospel. Sustain and strengthen me under every cross and affliction, that Your grace might be made perfect in my weakness.

Give me confidence to pray without losing heart and to trust in Your mighty deliverance according to Your good and gracious will.

Father, into Your hands I commend myself. Hear me, for the sake of Your Son, who alone is my Brother and Savior.

Amen.

{Comments closed. Jamie and her brother appreciate your prayers.}

Before/After: Painted Furniture

July 31, 2010 by Edie Wadsworth 31 Comments

I’ve had this piece of furniture since the beginning of time and why on earth I haven’t painted it before now, I do not know. You probably have this piece of furniture too, don’t you? Or at least a side table or armoire like it?
Well, something told me it was time. Time to give it a little painted love.

So while these four cousins choreographed a hip hop dance and took the American girl dolls on a much needed family vacation, I painted.

I sanded it twice and then used the Behr paint plus primer paint {color to be disclosed soon but it was a shade of black from the Benjamin Moore fandeck} and applied two coats. I used a brush to apply the paint and then went back over it with a sponge roller–so that the brush marks weren’t visible. That paint-plus-primer has changed my life. It’s like buttah. It’s like painting with silky velvet. I love it.
And I added the pulls, which I ordered nearly a year ago from I don’t know where. And then I spray painted my flea market elephant with biscuit-colored appliance paint and then I cut down half a tree and put it in my lemonade server.
And that’s how I got this.

Now, I’m at my sisters’ with JamieKnoxville singing helping her get ready for her son Corey’s 16th birthday.

And by helping I mean laughing until I almost can’t stand up while Jamie and I quote Slingblade and Coal Miner’s Daughter and sing Mama Tried to Corey as an early birthday present. Now, I really must go and try to be of some real service since she’s invited waayyyy too many people to this party (95); although entertaining other people as they work should not be discounted.

My random days and thoughts

July 28, 2010 by Edie Wadsworth 27 Comments

1. The girls and I are on book 7 of Harry Potter.
We can hardly put it down. I’ve cried and laughed and stumbled over her brilliant vocabulary.
We read 75 pages aloud yesterday. I’m losing my voice.
Anyone wanna volunteer to come read to us?
Our library’s audio version is due back today so maybe I’ll get a reprieve.
If you’re still unsure about reading Harry to your kids, you can read my first review here and an excellent summary from a Lutheran pastor here.
The 7th movie will be out in November but it’s broken into parts 1 and 2. I think part 2 won’t be out for almost a year.

2. I’ve been painting my bedroom in between reading Harry Potter.
It’s a soft grayish blue. Here’s a sneak peek.

the color is Woodlawn Blue from Benjamin Moore. Love it so far!

3. I really meant to review The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis.
I haven’t done so because I can’t find my book.
It’s a brilliant book, trust me. Although I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t trust someone who can’t find the book
they just finished a week ago.
Since I can’t find that book, enjoy this quote from his book, The Four Loves.

To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken.
If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal.
Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements.
Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change.
It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”

4. There’s an excellent series on Issues Etc called Christ Alone by Dr. Rod Rosenbladt.
There are five parts and I’ve listened to part 5 three times. Good stuff, I tell you. And a perfect companion to painting.

5. I’m working on my curriculum/lessons plans for this year. I promise to tell you about it soon. The UPS man has become my best friend because of the Amazon boxes he’s delivered to my house. I’m really so excited about what we’ll be doing this year. We’ll still be following the classical model of the Well Trained Mind but we’re adding a few things this go around.

My favorite part of the planning is deciding what books we’ll be reading and what things we’ll memorize. We usually select pieces for memorization from scripture, poetry, good literature etc. We also try to loosely correspond to what we’re studying in history. This is our 3rd year in Story of the World so after we finish the last few lessons on the renaissance, we’ll be studying Elizabeth I to the Forty Niners. Do you have any suggestions for corresponding literature or memory passages from this time period? (the girls are 3rd and 4th grade)

I also have been somewhat interested in Tapestry of Grace and have found their website helpful in finding some good literature pieces.

6. My cousin, who is more like a sister {JamieKnoxville} is in town. I’m meeting my sister today in Knoxville to have lunch and to pick up JK and her daughter Olivia. We’re so excited to have them here for a few days. Wonder if I can talk her into painting with me? You may wanna pray for Stevie.

7. Repentance is such a profound concept. Luther said that repentance should be the posture of the life of the christian; living daily before others and before God in an attitude of repentance. And yet, even that repentance is itself a gift from God. Christ said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

So, what is to be our stance when we are showered with good gifts?

Repentance. Those are bountiful blessings from the kind hand of God that we neither deserve nor can merit.

And what is to be our stance when we are given to suffering?

Repentance. Our suffering only makes sense in the light of the cross.

Lord, forgive our unbelieving and unrepentant hearts. Grant us Your blessed forgiveness and that we obtain faith and life. We are weary from sin and strife. Rescue us with Your love and refresh us with Your life. For the sake of Christ. Amen.

ps. Just found this on youtube. Brandi Carlile {my favorite artist} singing Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain {one of my favorite songs}

And since I let daddy’s birthday slip my mind, I send this out to him. Somewhere in heaven.

Gallery Wall in lieu of kitchen photos

July 23, 2010 by Edie Wadsworth 25 Comments

Our basement at the lakehouse has been officially declared ‘the Mancave’. It has housed many {sweaty} boys this summer and has been sorely neglected—as in, I try my best NOT to ever go down there.

And then there’s the dilemma of where to put all my art and photographs. This house has no walls, remember? Open floor plans have their downside.

Since I’m finally starting to ‘nest’ in this house, I asked Stevie today if it would make him crazy if I started painting the master bedroom.

He said, “Maybe a little.” {And then later seemed legitimately surprised that I wasn’t painting:)}

So, I decided instead to try to hang every painting and photo in the mancave.

And to my sweet surprise, I almost succeeded.
It doesn’t even look like a mancave anymore, save the cowhide rug.

This is what the powers that be call a gallery wall. A whole wall of art.

My question for Stevie is this? Can I paint tomorrow without making you wanna go jump in the lake? Pretty please? With s’mores on top?

And lastly, I’m posting this to try to keep you from sending me anymore hate mail about whether I EVER plan to post pics of the kitchen.

My most treasured internet friends, trust me when I say that I promise you I’m not trying to build suspense here. It’s still NOT DONE. I’m mean, it’s close. And I know you don’t care whether or not the trim is up or the corner shelves are in. But I really want it to be done before I show you the whole thing.

So please accept this post of the gallery wall as my humble attempt at appeasing you for a week or so.

Kinda like bribing your kids with fruit when they want brownies.

The brownies will be done soon. At least that’s what I keep hearing! Thank you so much for your patience and thank you for the oodles of encouragement and kindness you’ve given me. You are my favorite reason to love this space.

ps. I’m making this and this and this today. Can you say yummy?