A Fly On My Homeschool Wall

I2 found a book about skyscrapers that measures nearly 3 feet tall.  Daddy checked it out and has been poring over it ever since.  The kids have caught him doing so and are mimicking him.  H4 loves "the building that goes 'round and 'round like a shell." ***** M12 has been giving her sisters impromptu piano, violin, and recorder lessons.  S11 came dancing happily into the kitchen, "I can read music now!! [M12] taught me how!  Did you hear me play?"  I did hear her, and it is heaven.  All of them.  The piano is in action at almost all hours of the day.  I love to hear them play, and I try to tell them so. ***** A7 made lunch for us the other day.  At first she said she couldn't do it--make peanut butter and jam sandwiches.  But then I said, "That's okay.  [S11] can do it instead."  So A7 said she'd try.  She did a great job.  ***** S11 continues to ask me at least once a day how she can help.  Ever...

I don't want to be ugly or angry.  So my prayer as I write is that I might communicate clearly and lovingly the feelings of my heart.  I believe that motherhood is valuable.  I believe in the art of making a home. The purpose of The Student Whisperer is not to defend motherhood or homemaking skills.  The purpose of The Student Whisperer is to show what it is like to be mentored and then to teach how to mentor.  I did not open The Student Whisperer searching for mothering tips or philosophical encouragement.  I am not complaining that the authors fail to defend motherhood or homemaking. But I am so very disappointed at the damage I feel Tiffany Earl accidentally does to both. In pages 105-108 Ms. Earl actually makes a strong case for motherhood and the homemaking arts.  She concludes, "The idea [that motherhood and homemaking leave women unfulfilled] has reached the point that most young women actually believe that being a homemaker is more un...

I've been waiting a long time to read this book-- The Student Whisperer .  I've finally got it to myself for two weeks via interlibrary loan.  And I'm furious! I'm so disappointed. That's why I'm writing.  I feel as if there is wisdom to be found, but I feel so blasted by arrogance and superiority that I'm reeling and have to find my center again.  I need to purge my mind of my frustrations to make way for lessons that might be beneficial. So Round 1 is my horror of how the authors believe they know what's best for all . . . maybe they don't believe that . . . but that is the message that I feel when I read it. There is a section of Tiffany Earl's narration in which she recreates a conversation with her mentor Oliver DeMille about a student who leaves her school.  She's devastated that the student is "lost;" she feels like a failure.  Over the course of the conversation it is revealed that the student was withdrawn from th...

Linking up with Tristan over at Our Busy Homeschool : I have not a single picture of the day to share . . . only words . . . and even those are hard to come by these days with my energy almost completely focused within on the pregnancy we hope will last until January of next year. ************ I woke first, as is my goal every day.  If I even get a few minutes of absolute quiet I am better prepared for the day ahead.  I2 had joined me in bed sometime in the night, but he'd gone reasonably easily back to sleep; I am thankful. Fighting the nausea that is hard when I first wake, I prepared a bowl of raspberries and cold cereal for me to eat while I read my scriptures.  I'm in the book of Alma right now.  I copied a verse into my journal and helped I2 get his favorite morning treat of graham crackers and milk. I heard the shower running and knew I didn't need to wake E14--she remembered about having to be up and out the door by 8:00 am for her physical exa...

I just dropped E14 off at the church for a 3 day pioneer handcart trek .  She had her 5 gallon bucket, sack lunch, and duffel bag in hand.  She was decked out in full 19th century American pioneer clothing--as were the other 100 or so youth with her at the church.  It's pouring buckets here, but I hope things will be drier and more comfortable in Oklahoma. She's going to have the best time!  The first time E14 left for a church camp she was still E12.  I was having serious mother-angst over my baby leaving home for 5 whole days.  The blessing was that she was so wretched to the family for the 2 weeks prior to that camp that I was actually relieved to see her go.  I kissed her goodbye with actual relief and went home to have a happy 5 days with my 10-and-unders who were actually fun to be around! It made that first separation easier. Since then I've gotten used to letting go (a little bit!) of my dear ones.  I haven't worried about E14 an...

The kids are dancing in the rain at this very moment. Today A7 found a butterfly that made friends with her.   She built it a habitat and has spent hours studying it. H4 and I2 followed A7 out of doors and have tagged happily at her heels. I took the bigger girls shopping with me for items to complete E14's pioneer trek packing list.  Then I came home and sewed for several hours making adjustments here and there so that her clothes look like the genuine article. Daddy mowed the lawn--for hours and hours today. M12 practiced the piano and taught herself a new song on the recorder.  Yesterday she even got to play a hymn on the piano for the children to sing along.  She did a really good job! S11 and J10 pored over the 21 dessert cookbooks they picked up from the library today.  I'd like to let them do some fun kitchen projects.  Maybe we can cut a deal or two . . . M12 is taking the little ones up to the field right now.  She promises ...

My oldest is 14, and we've been talking about life goals for about a year now.   We agree about the most important essentials-- living the gospel, marriage, children--but there we diverge.  With absolutely no encouragement from me, she's been determined to go to BYU .  I graduated from BYU.  It helped me develop in many good ways and I found friends there that are still friends 2+ decades later.  But it is a huge school.  It is so easy to get lost--to be just another face with a student ID.  I got lost there.  It wasn't a terrible sort of getting lost--I didn't lose my morals or standards or testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ (those were strengthened!)--but I did get lost in the system.  I'm still finding my way. For this reason I've been encouraging my girl to stay away from BYU.  I've encouraged BYU Idaho and local schools.  I've encouraged going off to live with extended family in another state and I've encouraged lo...

I had to take the kids alone to the camp out.  Our daddy had to work.  We didn't stay overnight, because I cannot even imagine how to accomplish what it takes to go camping with 7 children and only 1 adult.  But rather than miss out on all the fun we were day campers.  We packed up our swimsuits and bug repellant, filled the cooler with veggies and sandwich fixings and took off. Because there was only one of me, I had to say no to some activities.  Kayaking was one of them.  Usually the rules of the families that own the kayaks are:  1.  Wear a life jacket.  2.  Your parent has to watch you.  We absolutely respect those rules.  I told my big kids that I couldn't be in two places at once, so they couldn't kayak because I had to be where the little kids were. When the kayak owners found out the situation, they volunteered to be the parents on duty in my place.  Other mothers, other fathers gave their time so my kids cou...