A Fly On My Homeschool Wall

 Books I read to the youngest six: The Mysterious Benedict Society -- Trenton Lee Stewart The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle -- Avi Lad: A Dog -- Albert Payson Terhune The Year of the Dog – Grace Lin Where the Mountain Meets the Moon -- Grace Lin Li Lun, Lad of Courage -- Carolyn Treffinger Sweet and Sour -- Carol Kendall and Yao-Wen Li The Princess and the Goblins -- George MacDonald The Kite Fighters -- Linda Sue Park A Single Shard -- Linda Sue Park  Year of Impossible Goodbyes -- Sook Nyul Choi The Big Wave -- Pearl Buck The Master Puppeteer -- Katherine Paterson  The Cat Who Went to Heaven -- Elizabeth Coatsworth The Best Christmas Pageant Ever -- Barbara Robinson The Bird's Christmas Carol -- Kate Douglas Wiggins A Christmas Carol -- Charles Dickens The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus -- L Frank Baum Born in the Year of Courage -- Emily Crofford Burying the Sun -- Gloria Whelan The Princess and Curdie -- George MacDonald Breaking Stalin’s Nose -- Eugene Yelc...

 As a family, we've been in a stable place for a season. And now we are not, again. We are facing some of the old challenges grown larger.  Weare facing some new challenges that feel simply too big. This week a few of the kids are at CAP Encampment. One, who should have been there, is not because of a mistake he made that had large consequences attached. In the past I have written somewhat freely about our challenges. Now, I feel inclined to turn inward. The only homeschool business I have to write about is that we're still reading My Friend Flicka , and we quite enjoy it.  It's wordy, and has some racially biased tendencies (and a nasty word or two).  I edit that out as I read aloud (or sometimes I stop for a conversation about what's in the story and why it's not okay).  The plot is quite engaging, and the peril level is just right for my crew to feel excited as the story progresses, but not actually frightened. We've got kids coming and going so much now that...

I think the worst ending of the past two weeks is the ending of a friendship that I thought was solid.   It's a long and ridiculous story. Pride. Pride is a terrible thing. So is self doubt. Both of which I have in spades. (We literally just finished The Screwtape Letters this week, so we've been studying pride and self-doubt!   " . . . if you want to find out how proud you are the easiest way is to ask yourself, ‘How much do I dislike it when other people snub me, or refuse to take any notice of me, or shove their oar in, or patronise me, or show off?’" I was snubbed, not taken notice of, had an oar shoved in what I thought was my space, patronized, and shown off in front of, and I got mad. Really mad. I am trying very hard to repent. I am trying very hard to forgive. But I no longer feel safe around this person that I previously trusted with my real self. My flawed, imperfect, real self. I think I'm somewhat muddled up with the teachings of Christ and the teach...

That's Belle in line with friends to listen to a devotional by President Dallin H. Oaks at BYU-Provo I hate to whine too much. I count my blessings every single day. I do! It has been a rough few weeks, though. For me. Nothing huge has happened. But I feel defeated anyway. And I don't think I should pretend otherwise. I'm old enough and experienced enough to know that seasons like this will pass.  I will feel light shining through me again, and I will see more clearly the good that I am doing. Acknowledging the hard will, perhaps, make the joy all the sweeter. Our habits and routines keep us grounded. Morning Meeting continues to be our daily anchor.  We're reading, discussing, singing, and memorizing our way through scripture. High School Studies have been simpler lately because between post-surgical healing and a cold, I haven't been up to putting notes up on the white board for history/geography.  We've focused instead on reading and narrating.  We finished...

I finally got to talk to my girl about her experiences in Colorado, Utah, and Idaho, and she absolutely loved her trip. She fell in love with USAFA and hopes so badly to attend that school and serve our country. She loved seeing the stars in so much more glory that we can see them from our home area. She had so much fun interacting with extended family. And she loved, loved, loved spending time with Pixie (who loved, loved, loved having her little sister stay with her). Out to dinner with extended family At the Idaho Falls temple Hanging out in Pixie's apartment . . . just before they set up the camera and film themselves playing a game in which they spit water on one another while giggling maniacally Little Princess flew home alone, and she was a champion traveler.  She asked for help when she needed it and handled difficulties with panache. She spent the next day sleeping, waking to attend dance practice, and then sleeping again.  But she's recovered now, and I've enjoyed...