February is over, and another school term is upon us. I suppose that I ought to look forward to meeting a new artist, but I must admit the truth: I'm still grieving over having to say goodbye to Jacques Louis David. I find his paintings so compelling; they are a curious combination of thought-provoking and deeply emotional. We hang our prints in the dining room for the whole term, and I cannot keep my eye off David's paintings. I think my favorites of the ones we studies were Brutus and The Oath of the Horatii. I still can't decide whether I think they are passionate calls to patriotism, or skilled propaganda. Perhaps it's a little of both.
All that being said, time marches on and new art will be studied. This term, our artist is Hans Holbein the Younger. He was a German painter during the Renaissance. If you grew up thinking that the Renaissance happened only in Italy... well, so did I. Nope. We were wrong.
Germany was initially isolated from the changes that were stirring in Italy by the high Alps, which slowed the movement of people and ideas. The Northern Renaissance lagged nearly a century behind the familiar Italian changes, but it still brought forth a few important developments. A German named Johannes Gutenberg created a handy machine called the printing press. Martin Luther made waves in religious circles. The beautiful St. Michael's Church was constructed. Hans Holbein the Elder, Holbein's father, was pioneer in moving German art from the Gothic style into the new Renaissance style. In addition to a great many altar paintings, he also worked in woodcuts, illustrated books, and designed church windows. Other artists from the Northern Renaissance who might be familiar to you are Albrecht Dürer and Matthias Grünewald.
Interestingly enough, the German Renaissance was relatively short-lived, at least in terms of art. From the reading I'm doing, it looks like this was primarily because German had no Classical past to look back to. Italy was deeply tied to Roman culture—it's authors, artists, architects, and all it's contributions to Western civilization. Germany, on the other hand, didn't come into contact with Rome all that much. Lacking a personal connection, German artists simply didn't have the motivation that Mediterranean artists did.
Holbein the Younger is German, but he spent a lot of time outside of his native land. He traveled in Italy and France, and eventually settled in England. He is best known for his portraits. Humanist ideas combined with Protestant objections to religious art changed the content of paintings. When churches stopped commissioning art, portraits commissioned by well-heeled patrons became a necessity for artists who still needed to eat and buy paint. A study of human beings as fascinating individuals also fit into the philosophy of the time. Holbein's portraits focused on powerful, confident, well-educated men and women. His subjects included English royalty, ambassadors, merchants, churchman, author, and philosopher Sir Thomas More, as well as the famous scholar and philosopher Erasmus.
As always, my family uses the AmblesideOnline picture study rotation. One of the things I love best about this rotation is that it exposes my kids (and me!) to many different styles and schools of art. While Durer's work didn't immediately appeal to me, I enjoyed reading and researching and placing him in his historical context. If you want to read further about the Northern Renaissance, check out this website. They also have a Timeline of Art that is helpful. It's not all that visually appealing (which is ironic, given that it's an art website), but there is a lot of fascinating information.
For our study of Holbein the Younger, I have created 8x10" prints that you can download here. If your kids keep a Book of Masterpieces, you can download 4x6" art cards here. I print all of our artwork on glossy cardstock. Both sets print on a standard-sized computer page, and will need to be trimmed to the desired size.
Several people have had problems with the old file hosting site I was using. This time, I am trying Dropbox. Please let me know what you think, so I know whether it is worth the trouble to switch my old files over to the new site. Thank you muchly.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Beating the Winter Slump
It’s January, for a few more days anyway. Along with New Year’s Resolutions, cold weather, and trying to fit back into those pre-holiday jeans, January means back to school for most of our families. For many of us, it also means the Dreaded Winter Slump.
If the dreary winter days have you feeling a little more like this:
than like this:
then you might want to join me over on the CME Retreat blog for some ideas about how to Beat the Winter Slump.
If the dreary winter days have you feeling a little more like this:
than like this:
then you might want to join me over on the CME Retreat blog for some ideas about how to Beat the Winter Slump.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Reading More: Helpful Habits (your mileage may vary)
This started out as an end-of-year reading review, but it took a sharp turn to the left. I will definitely get back to my reading wrap-up, because I read some wonderful books in 2015, but today I wanted to follow this rabbit trail.
2015 was my most successful year of reading so far. I read more books, tried new genres, and took more from the books I finished. As I look back, I realized that my reading habits were a little different, and they made all the difference for the year.
1. Audiobooks — Yes, it's likely that I'm the last holdout to "discover" the appeal of audiobooks. Before last year, I never felt like the cost was worthwhile to me. Now though, our library offers access to several apps where I can download eBooks and audiobooks with my library card. I use Hoopla; for the most part, I like it a lot. They have a sizable library, and I've found some interesting options there. It's easier to pick up the latest bestsellers than to wait on the hold list, so I have checked out more modern literature this year. Because they return automatically, there are no library fines to worry about, so I can download more books than I would otherwise check out. Finally, I find myself more likely to cue up a book while I'm doing something else (which has also increased my knitting... double win).
A word of warning: as their library has increased, Hoopla also has added quite a few explicit adult titles. While I'll use their catalog myself, I wouldn't set my kids loose to pick a book.
There was one thing about audiobooks that surprised me. I found myself tackling some books that I had avoided in the past: particularly long books that were intimidating because of their sheer weight and books that are heavy on dialect. I fell in love with The Count of Monte Christo. I own a beautiful leather-bound edition, but it was so thick and gilded and way-too-smart-for-me-looking that I had never pulled it off the shelf. While it took several months to listen to on audio, I adored it. (I don't know if I have ever mentioned this, but my French is atrocious. Listening on audio with an excellent reader meant that I got all the pronunciations right in my head. Yay!) I also listened to my first Dickens, an author I have avoided in the past. I have always struggled with British accents, and the skilled narrator made a big difference for me.
2. Lists: my Bullet Journal — I have tried several times to keep track of my reading, always unsuccessfully. My specific book-tracking notebooks was never in the right place, so I promised myself to write it down later (never did), and eventually it got lost altogether. Usually, I would stumble across those abandoned journals with their ten or twelve entries months later. This year I started a Bullet Journal. It has been only moderately successful for other parts of my life, but it was a slam-dunk when it came to tracking my books. My BuJo is always around, and I have made it a priority to write titles down as I finish them. The list has had a peculiar effect on me, too. I'm not the most organized person, and sometimes I forget that I'm reading a book (or choose to forget a book that I don't really want to finish). Seeing those titles on the list, with their empty check boxes leering at me, gave me the kick I needed to decide whether to finish them or cross them off the list.
3. Which brings me to my favorite new reading habit... not finishing books. Don't get me wrong, I have always been willing to bury dull books at the bottom of the reading pile, slowly slide them under the bed until they disappear, or "accidentally" put them away on my shelves, never to pull them off again. What I haven't been willing to do is to DECIDE that a book isn't worth my time or isn't right for me right now. I fought it for years because I thought it would lead me to quit books whenever they got hard. In fact, it turns out that the opposite has been true. Knowing that I can quit a book if it doesn't work for me right now has freed me up to try some new things, both modern works and classics. I've branched out into some genres and authors that I had never tried before. Some were terrible, but a lot of them were lovely surprises.
4. Commonplace book — Okay, I know I just said that #3 was my favorite new habit, but you know... I reserve the right to change my mind without notice. On that note, THIS has been my absolute favorite change to my reading diet. I'll warn you now, keeping a commonplace book won't necessarily help you read faster. It takes time to write down those favorite passages. It takes time to mull over what the author is trying to communicate. However, this one habit has helped me to get more out of my books than anything else that I've tried. If you aren't sure what a commonplace book is, check this out.
Educators and researchers alike seem to agree that writing down helps to cement things in our mind. My own experience this year has echoed this. I remember my books as a whole—and particular passages—better since I started keeping a commonplace. One thing that has surprised me is how much I love to leaf through my pages and read the quotes and notes I wrote down. It's like running into old friends at the grocery story and spending a few minutes catching up in the aisles.
Thinking about my commonplace reminds me that Reading More isn't just about accruing more finished titles on a list, it's also about getting more out of the books I read. That's a goal that's worth my time in the New Year!
How about you? What habits have helped you to Read More? Are there new ideas that you want to try in the upcoming year to help you get more out of your books?
2015 was my most successful year of reading so far. I read more books, tried new genres, and took more from the books I finished. As I look back, I realized that my reading habits were a little different, and they made all the difference for the year.
1. Audiobooks — Yes, it's likely that I'm the last holdout to "discover" the appeal of audiobooks. Before last year, I never felt like the cost was worthwhile to me. Now though, our library offers access to several apps where I can download eBooks and audiobooks with my library card. I use Hoopla; for the most part, I like it a lot. They have a sizable library, and I've found some interesting options there. It's easier to pick up the latest bestsellers than to wait on the hold list, so I have checked out more modern literature this year. Because they return automatically, there are no library fines to worry about, so I can download more books than I would otherwise check out. Finally, I find myself more likely to cue up a book while I'm doing something else (which has also increased my knitting... double win).
A word of warning: as their library has increased, Hoopla also has added quite a few explicit adult titles. While I'll use their catalog myself, I wouldn't set my kids loose to pick a book.
There was one thing about audiobooks that surprised me. I found myself tackling some books that I had avoided in the past: particularly long books that were intimidating because of their sheer weight and books that are heavy on dialect. I fell in love with The Count of Monte Christo. I own a beautiful leather-bound edition, but it was so thick and gilded and way-too-smart-for-me-looking that I had never pulled it off the shelf. While it took several months to listen to on audio, I adored it. (I don't know if I have ever mentioned this, but my French is atrocious. Listening on audio with an excellent reader meant that I got all the pronunciations right in my head. Yay!) I also listened to my first Dickens, an author I have avoided in the past. I have always struggled with British accents, and the skilled narrator made a big difference for me.
2. Lists: my Bullet Journal — I have tried several times to keep track of my reading, always unsuccessfully. My specific book-tracking notebooks was never in the right place, so I promised myself to write it down later (never did), and eventually it got lost altogether. Usually, I would stumble across those abandoned journals with their ten or twelve entries months later. This year I started a Bullet Journal. It has been only moderately successful for other parts of my life, but it was a slam-dunk when it came to tracking my books. My BuJo is always around, and I have made it a priority to write titles down as I finish them. The list has had a peculiar effect on me, too. I'm not the most organized person, and sometimes I forget that I'm reading a book (or choose to forget a book that I don't really want to finish). Seeing those titles on the list, with their empty check boxes leering at me, gave me the kick I needed to decide whether to finish them or cross them off the list.
3. Which brings me to my favorite new reading habit... not finishing books. Don't get me wrong, I have always been willing to bury dull books at the bottom of the reading pile, slowly slide them under the bed until they disappear, or "accidentally" put them away on my shelves, never to pull them off again. What I haven't been willing to do is to DECIDE that a book isn't worth my time or isn't right for me right now. I fought it for years because I thought it would lead me to quit books whenever they got hard. In fact, it turns out that the opposite has been true. Knowing that I can quit a book if it doesn't work for me right now has freed me up to try some new things, both modern works and classics. I've branched out into some genres and authors that I had never tried before. Some were terrible, but a lot of them were lovely surprises.
4. Commonplace book — Okay, I know I just said that #3 was my favorite new habit, but you know... I reserve the right to change my mind without notice. On that note, THIS has been my absolute favorite change to my reading diet. I'll warn you now, keeping a commonplace book won't necessarily help you read faster. It takes time to write down those favorite passages. It takes time to mull over what the author is trying to communicate. However, this one habit has helped me to get more out of my books than anything else that I've tried. If you aren't sure what a commonplace book is, check this out.
Educators and researchers alike seem to agree that writing down helps to cement things in our mind. My own experience this year has echoed this. I remember my books as a whole—and particular passages—better since I started keeping a commonplace. One thing that has surprised me is how much I love to leaf through my pages and read the quotes and notes I wrote down. It's like running into old friends at the grocery story and spending a few minutes catching up in the aisles.
Thinking about my commonplace reminds me that Reading More isn't just about accruing more finished titles on a list, it's also about getting more out of the books I read. That's a goal that's worth my time in the New Year!
How about you? What habits have helped you to Read More? Are there new ideas that you want to try in the upcoming year to help you get more out of your books?
Monday, December 14, 2015
'Tis the Season
...to panic about not getting it all done! Along with the beauty of the Advent season and the wonder of Christmas, December also brings the end of a school term for most homeschoolers. “What do I do if we aren’t ‘caught up’?!” is a questions that I see popping up all over the place. As that end-of-term deadline looms, moms are pulling out those beautiful, color-coded, spreadsheet schedules that they so lovingly crafted in August and measuring them against where their children are now.
If you are anything like me, all you can see is the lessons unfinished, the subjects that never took off, the boxes left unchecked. The panic rises as you think of how behind you are, frantically calculate ways to finish off everything (only three easy weeks of 16-hour days; that’s doable, right?!), and then decide that the only way to “get it done” is to cancel Christmas and your vacation.
Sound familiar?
Step back from the cliff, mama.
Read more at the CME Retreat blog
 | ||||||
| PANIC NOW!! |
Sound familiar?
Step back from the cliff, mama.
Read more at the CME Retreat blog
Monday, November 2, 2015
Do Hard Things
I'm guest posting again today over on the CME Retreat blog. Have you ever hit a roadblock in your homeschool day and wondered, "Is something wrong; should it be this hard"? Have you ever heard that your school days should be filled with joy, or you risk killing your child's love of learning? When things get hard, does it mean that we're doing something wrong?
Have you ever noticed how a particular idea can suddenly appear all over the place, seemingly all at once? Recently I have heard some rumbles on the world wide web that homeschooling is supposed to be a joy-filled endeavor. They say that if it's not, the problem is either with you, the way you have trained your children, or the curriculum itself. They say, homeschooling shouldn’t hurt. If it does, you will kill your child’s love of learning. The moment they leave your home, they will do nothing but play video games and eat fast food all day long. To prevent this catastrophic outcome, dump your current curriculum―maybe ALL curricula―and find something more fun. (Okay, I might be exaggerating a little bit, but only a little.)
It sounds so good. Who wants our days to be hard? If there is a secret that can make it easy, who wouldn’t want that?! But we are called to be wise and discerning. I know that just because something sounds good and appeals to me doesn't mean that it's true. One way I know to test an idea is to look at other parts of the world and ask myself whether this idea fits what I know to be true. Are there other situations where we get to experience wonder-filled days, joyful times where we and our kiddos are reaching our goals and desires? Well, yes. And no...
Please head over to the CME Retreat page to read the full article. After you do, I would love to hear from you, here or on the CME Retreat blog. Have you had to overcome a particular struggle in your homeschool? What did you decide to do about it? How did it go for your family?
Have you ever noticed how a particular idea can suddenly appear all over the place, seemingly all at once? Recently I have heard some rumbles on the world wide web that homeschooling is supposed to be a joy-filled endeavor. They say that if it's not, the problem is either with you, the way you have trained your children, or the curriculum itself. They say, homeschooling shouldn’t hurt. If it does, you will kill your child’s love of learning. The moment they leave your home, they will do nothing but play video games and eat fast food all day long. To prevent this catastrophic outcome, dump your current curriculum―maybe ALL curricula―and find something more fun. (Okay, I might be exaggerating a little bit, but only a little.)
It sounds so good. Who wants our days to be hard? If there is a secret that can make it easy, who wouldn’t want that?! But we are called to be wise and discerning. I know that just because something sounds good and appeals to me doesn't mean that it's true. One way I know to test an idea is to look at other parts of the world and ask myself whether this idea fits what I know to be true. Are there other situations where we get to experience wonder-filled days, joyful times where we and our kiddos are reaching our goals and desires? Well, yes. And no...
Please head over to the CME Retreat page to read the full article. After you do, I would love to hear from you, here or on the CME Retreat blog. Have you had to overcome a particular struggle in your homeschool? What did you decide to do about it? How did it go for your family?
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Digging for Absolute Truth
I am a big podcast fan. That might be because I'm an auditory learner. It might be because I like to engage my mind while I cheerfully wash dishes, sweep the floor, and work out like a fitness diva. (I'm not saying that it IS, only that it might be.) It might be because I like to play Candy Crush while I lay in bed sipping on hot tea. (I'm not saying that it IS, only that it might be.) Anywho... having exhausted the current offerings from the CiRCE Institute, I've recently discovered Julie Bogart's Brave Writer podcast.
All that backstory is to explain why I'm writing about a podcast three years after it was produced. Timely, I am not.
In 2012, Bogart interviewed Melissa Wiley, author of several children's novels. In the interview, Wiley said something that really hit home for me. I'm paraphrasing here, but essentially she says that on the internet, we tell the truth—the absolute truth—but not necessarily the whole truth. Online, there are obvious reasons for this, primarily discretion and privacy. But what about in my head?
Sometimes, I say awful things in my brain, things that flat-out aren't true. Like most parents, I am my own biggest critic, and it can get ugly up there in my head. Most of the time, though, what I say in my head is true but not the whole truth. My kitchen is a mess. Truth. I could go right now and sweep and mop and clear off the counters and scrub them down with bleach until they gleam like the sun. Truth. Or I could teach my kids, take the time to laugh at Tiger's latest ridiculous joke, say YES to "...just one. more. chapter. PLEEEEEAAASE!!" and give myself a moment of relaxation so that I can retain the last vestige of sanity desperately clinging on in my Mom Brain. Absolute truth. We had four awful hours spent over a math lesson today. Truth. (Also, not my proudest moment. Those times when you realize that you have locked yourself into a battle of wills and don't know how to back out now... those are not good times. And that's about all I have to say about that.) Before those four hours, however, we had a delightful read aloud time in the morning. After those four hours, we spent the afternoon at the library (where that same stubborn kid sat and read picture books to her little sister for nearly an hour). Everyone came home with new books, and then we munched pizza and read past our bedtimes. Most of our day was great. Absolute truth.
I know this is not a new thought, but it keeps coming at me from different directions. What I choose to think about dictates my attitude, my reactions, the way our day plays out, and how I interpret that day when I'm lying in bed at night. I look past the facts of what happened and attribute motivations and meaning. It starts and ends in my head. When I assume the best about my kids, I react with more kindness. When I review our day in my head and cement those memories, I can choose to fixate on the rough spots or I can choose to zoom in on the laughter, the silliness, the "ah ha" moments, the chocolately kisses, the victory in Tempest's voice when she finally slammed that math book shut and called it FINISHED, the image of Tempest and Tiger curled up in a chair with their heads bent over a book together.
There is a part of me that wants to keep my mind private. I want to lay claim over it as all my own, free to think what I like without answering to anyone. The thing is, that's not truth—not absolute truth, not partial truth, not any truth. There is the spiritual fact that all of me belongs to Jesus: my feelings, my thoughts, my expectations, my actions... ALL of it. But there is also the practical fact. My actions flow out of my thoughts. Those actions determine the quality of people's lives: not just my own, but the lives of my kids, my husband, and even—to a lesser extent—the people I come into contact with. There is no such thing as "private." Some thoughts come and go, but I others take up permanent residence. It's not that I can't ever visit the Land of Dour. I just can't build a house and move there. The thoughts that I give room to form who I am. Who I am inside will come out, no matter how much I try to pretty-up my outsides. For good or ill, it will affect the people around me. That makes it vital for me to protect my mind, to choose joy and truth and hope.
I hear it. I see that it is truth. Now I get to try to live it out. That is when I discover that these are the things I cannot do on my own. I cling to the strength of the Holy Spirit in this moment by moment quest to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Cor 10:5) So, once again I choose hope and I try again. I choose to focus on the books and the love and the laughter and the brownies. Moment by moment, right?
Someone tell me that I'm not the only mama struggling with this. (Please?!) What do you do to protect your thought life? How do you make sure that you don't get so caught up in truths that you miss the Absolute Truth?
All that backstory is to explain why I'm writing about a podcast three years after it was produced. Timely, I am not.
In 2012, Bogart interviewed Melissa Wiley, author of several children's novels. In the interview, Wiley said something that really hit home for me. I'm paraphrasing here, but essentially she says that on the internet, we tell the truth—the absolute truth—but not necessarily the whole truth. Online, there are obvious reasons for this, primarily discretion and privacy. But what about in my head?
Sometimes, I say awful things in my brain, things that flat-out aren't true. Like most parents, I am my own biggest critic, and it can get ugly up there in my head. Most of the time, though, what I say in my head is true but not the whole truth. My kitchen is a mess. Truth. I could go right now and sweep and mop and clear off the counters and scrub them down with bleach until they gleam like the sun. Truth. Or I could teach my kids, take the time to laugh at Tiger's latest ridiculous joke, say YES to "...just one. more. chapter. PLEEEEEAAASE!!" and give myself a moment of relaxation so that I can retain the last vestige of sanity desperately clinging on in my Mom Brain. Absolute truth. We had four awful hours spent over a math lesson today. Truth. (Also, not my proudest moment. Those times when you realize that you have locked yourself into a battle of wills and don't know how to back out now... those are not good times. And that's about all I have to say about that.) Before those four hours, however, we had a delightful read aloud time in the morning. After those four hours, we spent the afternoon at the library (where that same stubborn kid sat and read picture books to her little sister for nearly an hour). Everyone came home with new books, and then we munched pizza and read past our bedtimes. Most of our day was great. Absolute truth.
I know this is not a new thought, but it keeps coming at me from different directions. What I choose to think about dictates my attitude, my reactions, the way our day plays out, and how I interpret that day when I'm lying in bed at night. I look past the facts of what happened and attribute motivations and meaning. It starts and ends in my head. When I assume the best about my kids, I react with more kindness. When I review our day in my head and cement those memories, I can choose to fixate on the rough spots or I can choose to zoom in on the laughter, the silliness, the "ah ha" moments, the chocolately kisses, the victory in Tempest's voice when she finally slammed that math book shut and called it FINISHED, the image of Tempest and Tiger curled up in a chair with their heads bent over a book together.
There is a part of me that wants to keep my mind private. I want to lay claim over it as all my own, free to think what I like without answering to anyone. The thing is, that's not truth—not absolute truth, not partial truth, not any truth. There is the spiritual fact that all of me belongs to Jesus: my feelings, my thoughts, my expectations, my actions... ALL of it. But there is also the practical fact. My actions flow out of my thoughts. Those actions determine the quality of people's lives: not just my own, but the lives of my kids, my husband, and even—to a lesser extent—the people I come into contact with. There is no such thing as "private." Some thoughts come and go, but I others take up permanent residence. It's not that I can't ever visit the Land of Dour. I just can't build a house and move there. The thoughts that I give room to form who I am. Who I am inside will come out, no matter how much I try to pretty-up my outsides. For good or ill, it will affect the people around me. That makes it vital for me to protect my mind, to choose joy and truth and hope.
I hear it. I see that it is truth. Now I get to try to live it out. That is when I discover that these are the things I cannot do on my own. I cling to the strength of the Holy Spirit in this moment by moment quest to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Cor 10:5) So, once again I choose hope and I try again. I choose to focus on the books and the love and the laughter and the brownies. Moment by moment, right?
Someone tell me that I'm not the only mama struggling with this. (Please?!) What do you do to protect your thought life? How do you make sure that you don't get so caught up in truths that you miss the Absolute Truth?
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Truer than True
Next February, something incredibly exciting is coming to Colorado! Colorado Springs will play host to our first ever western-region Charlotte Mason conference. I am very excited (and so stinking nervous) to be one of the speakers. Today, I'm blogging on the Charlotte Mason Educational Retreat website about the unique power of fiction in education.
Join me over on the CME Retreat blog to read the full article. After you check it out, I'm curious to know, how do you feel about fiction as a tool for education? Have your thoughts or concerns changed at all over time? Strike up a conversation here or on the CME blog. We would love to hear your thoughts.
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