Week in Review - The One with Dogs and Pretzels

 - Puppies know when it's time for school to start.

- They get rather bored however with the math.

 - Silly puppies.

 - A rainy day break this week.

 - Creative with math and snack time.

 - We weren't even studying Roman Numerals.

 - Love the freedom to change the lesson. :)

 - And the importance of keeping it silly.

 - Exploring what it feels like to be blind and read braille.

 - Studying Greek mythology.

-  Listening to a portion of The Iliad in English and in Greek.

 - Nature Notebook - we saw a snake on our morning walk. ICK!!

 - Making music. Her favorite songs to play right now - the Brady Bunch Theme song and the Downton Abbey theme song - the well-rounded TV genre child. :)

Tiny Seeds of Wonder

 One of the many pleasures of homeschooling - momma declared a rain day today - much like a snow day, but it's raining.  We have been going strong since we started several weeks ago and we decided today is our day off.  We had a perfectly snuggly morning cuddled up with books and our hot tea.  We will still do some schoolwork - her independent things and plenty of reading. Boo is excited to spend the morning with her newly discovered interest - sewing.  Momma is finally going to get around to switching out the summer clothes for winter clothes.  I've decided to go ahead and embrace fall. :) 

 I recently read this article titled Let Them Wonder  that has been on my mind lately.  So actually "scheduling" in these rain days give us plenty of time to wonder - sometimes a difficult thing for a classical home educator (like me) to do. 

"It is so integral that a classical education – one which cultivates virtue and wisdom and is rooted in the good, true, and beautiful – cannot be pursued without first going through wonder.  Aristotle was perhaps one of the first (of many) who observed that “wisdom begins in wonder.”   So perhaps we could stop and consider it anew, not because it is for the perfect, but because it is worthwhile.  

It is, in fact, for the ordinary.  For you and me and our children.  And it is foundational."

 And when they truly have time to simply explore the wonder of childhood, great things happen and wisdom begins to blossom.   Consider your days carefully and leave room for wonder.  Nothing will stifle wonder faster than too much structure (something I easily fall into).  Wonder is everywhere in God's creation.  Take a moment with your child to rediscover the gentle cool Autumn rain.  

 When their minds are full of the good, the true and the beautiful, you will begin to see all the dots beginning to connect.  The Nile River was found in our front yard, and the Black Sea was declared of the large puddle in the street.  

"Tiny seeds of wonder leading to wisdom - who knows what the Holy Spirit will do with them?"

The One with Stuart Little and Noah's Ark

 This week was full of fun and learning.

 - Studying one state per week

 -We started with Alabama - ROLL TIDE!! :) 

 - Tagging along with mom to photography class, big sister used her for practice.

 Math + Mom + Emily = our least favorite subject

  - Abrahams descendants will outnumber the stars in the sky

 - IEW shorthand

 - Noah's Ark lands on the highest point - "Mount Lamp " :) 

 - Two x two

 - Learning about Mongolia - Genghis Khan and the Olgoi-Khorkhoi 

 - Literature is always our favorite 

 Stuart Little 

 - Mouse-sized living

 - Learning Three Blind Mice on the piano