This time tomorrow I’ll be on a plane headed for Virginia to visit the famous Susan Wise Bauer and the crew at Peace Hill Press with four Rockstar bloggers and authors: Tsh from Simple Mom, Jessica from Life as Mom, Stephanie from Keeper of the Home, and Mandi from Life Your Way. How did I luck out? I have no. idea. I’m totally going to be working the ‘photographer’ angle so they don’t kick me out of the group.
We are staying at The Bed & Breakfast at Peace Hill, visiting Colonial Williamsburg, mucking about on Susan’s farm (maybe she’ll put us to work?), and talking non-stop, I’m sure. And we’ll have a chance to ask Susan all the questions we’ve ever wanted to ask.
So, here is your chance. Do you have questions for Susan Wise Bauer? Leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to get them answered for you. That is, if I’m not too star-struck to talk. {grin} (Speaking of which, I took my camera to the homeschool convention a few years ago and lugged it around for two days hoping to get a picture with Susan, but I was too chicken to ask! Maybe now that I’m the ‘photographer’ for this press weekend, I will find the courage.)
To pass the time while I’m away, y’all need to head over to check out Hannah’s sentence diagramming challenge for this week at Here in the Lovely Woods. Seriously people. Sentence diagramming is fun. Don’t take my word for it.
8 comments:
I have to admit that I'm jealous.
:)
We love Susan Wise Bauer's Story of the World books as well. A couple of thoughts about them:
This year I was discouraged to read in the introduction to the Volume 4 that it is only appropriate for 4th graders and up. We used volumes 1 - 3 as a family, and I'd been planning to do the same for Volume 4. It really threw me for a loop. Perhaps she mentions this at the beginning of Volume 1, but if she did I missed it! So my question/comment would be in regards to that. Why exclude families with multiple age levels at volume 4? What suggestions does she have for families following the 4 year rotation who have younger kids?
Also, I have to say - my kids LOVE the coloring pages in the activity guides and there are none for Volume 4. That was a great disappointment.
Have a wonderful trip! I'm sure it will be amazing.
I'd take you with me if I could. :) Actually, I told Russ that I'm going to be looking for new places to visit as soon as I get home and that upstate New York is at the top of the list. :)
I think you have a great question. We are using SOTW 4 right now, and so far I am reading it to both Levi and Luke, but it might depend on the sensitivity of each child. Personally, I think all of history is pretty brutal, so I'm not sure how SOTW 4 can be much worse, but I haven't pre-read it, so we'll see. I'll definitely ask that one!
I think they originally geared SOTW 4 activity guide toward older kids (4th and up) and didn't think there would be as much interest in coloring pages. I thought I remembered PHP getting lots of requests for them, though, so I did a search for you. They now offer a coloring page supplement for SOTW 4. Here is the link: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/store/volume-4-coloring-pages.html.
Thank you so much for the link! Perfect! At first I tried to just read to Ian, but that basically meant that we rarely got to it because reading to the eldest and somehow keeping the younger three occupied without catastrophe is ... well, you know!!
So now we're reading it together. I agree that all of history is quite brutal. So much war. We're reading a missionary biography about Amy Carmichael right now and there is so much mature content in that as well!
Anyhow, as we try to finish up the book I know the boys will really enjoy the coloring pages.
And of course upstate NY should be on that list! ;)
I'm so jealous! If I met SWB, I would probably be an unabashed fan girl incapable of uttering a complete sentence :)
You are a nut, you rock star photographer, you!
Three exclamation points at the end of Levi's letter - that's heartfelt. Love it:)
Can't wait to hear about your adventure!!!
Wow! What a dream come true! I'd have to agree with CC Jen. I picture myself running up to Susan, hugging her neck and then sinking to my knees, clasping my hands weeping, "Thank you, thank you, thank you...." I seriously cannot imagine homeschooling without all the direction her experience and books have given us.
My oldest (4th grade) is working his way through SOTW 4 this year, and my younger boys are in SOTW 2. My daughter will be in kindergarten in the fall, and I plan to start her in Ancients. So we'll continue with two tracks - Ancients and SOTW 3.
It's more work, but I think in the long run it will be a good thing. I find my oldest has conversations with his younger brothers about what they're learning (he gets excited remembering what he's already learned).
Personally, I think SOTW 4 could be scary and depressing to kids who don't have the background conversations about SOTW 1,2,and 3, plus some age to process the implications of the choices people made.
I would love to ask Susan if she plans to do more Peace Hill Press videos? (We loved those!)
Have a GREAT time!!! Can't wait to hear about your trip and see your pictures :)
Jenny
Heidi, it's probably too late to relay this question to you, but my burning question for SWB is sort of philosophical ... when you have a "square peg" sort of child who just isn't going to follow the WTM program but you still want to encourage him into a full and rich and even classical education without pushing, forcing, and compromising your relationship ... what then? This has always been my "bone to pick," but I sense that she probably has more to say on this issue than I once thought.
Take care ... I know you're already having a great time! And you're just as intelligent, worthy, valuable and talented as all those other bloggers. Don't doubt it for a minute.
Post a Comment