Friday, September 11, 2009

The First Week

I think I'm as excited as my children to begin every school day!

Okay, more. I'm not completely naive.

But oh, what a wonderful week! This past month I spent many hours in preparation for the coming six weeks, and as a reward, every morning is fresh and new as together we examine our schedule to see *where* we will be reading today and *who* we'll be getting to know and *how* everyone is linked together...

And even though my spontaneous plans for a nature walk (complete with baby-who-should-be-napping strapped to my back and skipping-girl-carrying-basket-who-forgot-to-go-potty-before-we-left) were thwarted by boys who didn't have time to come look in the Nature Study Handbook because they were busy gathering sixty men together for a last stand against King Charles II and their battling left little time to stop and observe, we still turned over rocks to watch skittering spiders and examined changing leaves and breathed the fresh air and headed home for the potty and homemade tomato soup and a chapter of The Bronze Bow...

...and I cannot wait to do it over and over and over again... 'cause see this little guy?


He's just getting started!

9 fellow travelers shared:

Anonymous said...

Oh, what legs! And the excitement on his face ~ makes me want to EAT him!

Well done, daughter!

Love,

Mama/Nana

Sandi said...

I hear ya Elsie.

It's a joy to help one child discover Queen Victoria and Zoology...then move onto phonics with my middle man while the littlest one is learning to stand and pining after those stairs.

It feels like a big present to know in another few years we will be starting over learning letters, adventure stories and life.


I am SO enjoying Eli! I am that much more grateful and aware of how time flies and how all the hard work does get easier. To tresure the beauty of these little people as they grow into who God intended them to be.

G's grin is infectious!

Thanks for sharing

Anna said...

Elise,

I could have written this post today! I felt the very same way this week as we did our schoolwork. We are doing a combination of the AO and Simply Charlotte Mason curriculums and you're right- it's exciting to learn something new every day!

This year I dove in with Charlotte Mason's methods after having studied and digested them over the past year. The fact that I'm enjoying learning right along with the children tells me that I've made the right choice for us.

Enjoy the journey with your little ones!

(Your little guy is so adorable! Time goes by so quickly, doesn't it?)

Love,
Anna

Kristin said...

We are loving schooltime this year, too! (We started in August so we can have extra leisure time in the winter when my husband is off from work). The Charlotte Mason method SO fits our style and these inquistive minds. And we love that much of what we learn is learned together-- and that includes my new little Benjamin who, like G, is just getting started, but at the same time, growing TOO quickly!

I blogged about my school thoughts this week, too! http://from-my-life.blogspot.com/2009/09/joy-in-our-journey.html

Linda said...

It sounds so delightful. I would join you if I could. Oh what precious memories you are making!

Linda said...

While NASCAR twirls away on the television screen,(my husband is a fan) I've been reading back through your blog - getting caught up on all the years I didn't know you.
What delightful reading. What a precious girl you are. Thank you for sharing your heart and your family so beautifully.

mamakyker said...

Elise, we've recently begun back to school as well and are loving it. We've been using Tapestry of Grace with Charlotte Mason's style woven all throughout and it's working wonderfully for us in this stage, but I wanted to ask you about Ambleside with children of various ages. I used it for years 0 and 1 when my oldest was my only official student and we both absolutely loved it. I still use their reading lists as well. It seemed to me that it would become difficult to use as we added more of our children into our school time (I currently have a 3rd, 1st and K, with a toddler and baby in the mix!), which was why we made the switch to ToG. May I ask how you are working the readings with your crew? Thank you for sharing! It is such joy to be spending our days like this, isn't it? : )

Anonymous said...

Another wonderful post, Elise! Are you using Ambleside Online or making it up yourself? We are doing AO and it seems like you might be, too. I always feel refreshed and refocused after reading your blog. Thank you. ;)

Jenn in KS

Clarissa said...

Elise,

You are an encouragement to me.

Blessings,

Clarissa

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