Fiddleheads and Fronds

A cool and breezy morning was a welcomed relief from the hot and humid stickiness of the past few weeks.

After morning mass we snuggled up with our science book for a lesson on ferns, mosses, and algae. I didn't have to ask twice if anyone was up for a nature walk in search of specimens for the classroom. We left the older kids to have some quiet time to goof off study, and took the bikes down to the swampier area of the neighborhood (Yes, we really do live near the swamp). As we rounded the bend the kids were excited to see all of the algae in the water. But closer observation revealed that it was not algae at all. This water plant was the focus of the morning.

The boys examined it carefully with the magnifying glass, before flinging it onto each other. We did manage to bring home a small sample to view under the microscope. Didn't have any luck finding tadpoles, though dear daughter tried her best. But we did find fiddleheads and fronds for the nature books. All in all it was a very pleasant morning if you overlook me yelling like a maniac as the boys recklessly raced down the middle of the road on the way home.

Everyone is looking forward to more beautiful days so we can work in the yard and refresh the garden. For my friends on the East Coast I must clarify: Cooler days and fall-like weather around here really means low 80's with no humidity. I do miss the beautiful fall colors and real change of season- more than a little. But I am still getting tomatoes and peppers from the garden, so I won't complain too much.

Wanderlust

Wouldn't it be fabulous if home educators could receive the same tax payer funding as the public school system? With that kind of money per child, we could go to Egypt, Greece, and Rome while studying Ancient Civilizations. Since it was always more of a daydream than a possibility, we visited those places in our imagination with the help of living books (lots and lots of books) and internet resources. It definitely spurred a wanderlust in all of my children. I think they also an inherited the travel gene from my Dad's side of the family. As a teenager, his father took an unexpected journey as a stowaway on a slow boat to China (literally), which in a VERY roundabout way led to a career in Aruba, where my father was born. As an adult, my dad joined the military and raised his family across the USA, with 4 year stint in Okinawa. Last count I had attended 16 different schools before finishing high school. Don't ask me to recreate that count. My memory isn't what it u...

Drug Problems?

Hat tip to Wanda!

Waldorf What?

When the link to Homeschooling on a Shoestring was published , there was some discussion about the overview of teaching styles. A friend of mine, who happens to be a very talented artist, was curious about the Waldorf Style. We hadn't heard of it before, at least not under this label. According to the post, it is a teaching style that integrates head, heart and hands. It involves art, faith and lots of hands on activities. While there are many elements of Waldorf philosophy that are not compatible with our Classically Catholic teaching style, we have occasionally borrowed ideas to make our curriculum more colorful and whimsical. Follow this link to Serendipity for free downloads of creative lesson plans and charming stories about fairies and gnomes that will make language arts and math the favorite subjects of the day. Since the author is all about keeping it Catholic, you will also find stories of the saints beautifully woven into the presentations. I imagine our summer will b...

Classically Catholic

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