Thanks for stopping by my blog. I am wife to my college sweetheart and mama to three brilliant, loud, beautiful, squabbling, frustrating, energetic, kind, curious girls.
Teacup (2004) is a classic firstborn. She enjoys study, loves to loose herself in a book, is a huge help to me in many areas of the house, talks nonstop, and if she had her way she would rule the roost and keep us all in line. She has been ballet dancing since 2014 and says "It's my thing, Mama." She occasionally suffers from unexpected bouts of silliness and she loves poetry.
Tempest (2007) is my sweet Wild Child. She loves anything that keeps her active, hates being told how to do things, sings constantly, and has a natural gift with babies and toddlers. She hides her tender heart but it's there nonetheless. When she's not running around, jumping off the hammock, or making her sister cry, she likes to read, play baby dolls, sew, knit, and play with her sister (yes, the crying one).
Tiger (2009) is dimples, blonde curls, and sheer mule-headed stubbornness. She loves music, audiobooks, creating and performing her own dances, Hank the (stuffed) Owl, and egregious silliness. She is the idea girl of the pack, always making up stories and suggesting games. Anything regimented or routine is loathsome to her existence. Making her bed is torture, and she has informed me that she will never do it again once she moves out. This year her reading is taking off, and she is discovering the joys of chapter books.
We have been homeschooling since my oldest started Kinder in 2010. We started out with an online school, but I decided that it wasn't a good thing if someone was crying every single day. The next year, we attempted a boxed curriculum that claimed to blend Charlotte Mason and Classical principles. I loved all the CM stuff and hated all the projects and busywork. I made it through half the year before taking a deep breath and plunging into AmblesideOnline. While it took time to get my feet under me, it truly felt like coming home.
My ultimate goal is to fill my children's school days with a feast of art, music, history, literature, science, drawing, and foreign language. As the Simply Charlotte Mason website states, with a CM education, "You won’t find a skimpy curriculum that focuses on the three R’s. Instead you will find a wide and generous curriculum that attempts to spread a feast of ideas before the children." Each year I try to come closer to the ideal put forth by Mason. “The mind feeds on ideas, and therefore children should have a generous curriculum.” (Vol. 6, p.111) The more they know about, the more they can learn to love.
I would love to say that my home is clean and beautifully decorated, our daily routines run smoothly, everything gets done in its proper time, and my home is filled with the sounds of children playing happily or learning peacefully alongside each other. The truth is... more often than not there is clean laundry piled on the couch and the dining room floor desperately needs sweeping. I stink at planning meals and then actually cooking them, so we eat out more than we should. The laughter is loud and common, but it is punctuated by bickering, foot-stamping and an occasional slammed door. Home education is exciting and challenging and frustrating and incredibly rewarding. Our home isn't perfect, but it is filled with love. I hope this blog provides ideas, resources, and plenty of encouragement to you!
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