Classical Conversations | Challenge B | Mock Trial

I plan to share more about Luke and his Challenge B year in an upcoming post, but these are a few photos from Luke’s mock trial experience with his Classical Conversations class. The class was divided into prosecution and defense teams. Luke was assigned the role of bailiff for the defense team and prosecuting attorney with the prosecution team.

Most of the kids were able to attend and observe a high school mock trial competition early in their preparations, and a local attorney met with the kids to share his experience, answer questions, and inspire them. The teams met together outside of class for two months leading up to the mock trial competition.

Luke said this experience was his favorite class and activity of the year and he would consider joining a mock trial group in high school. That’s high praise from him. He also said he’d be interested in a career as bailiff.

Mock trial is an invaluable experience for these kids, and I am so proud of them!

Luke as bailiff:

Prosecuting Attorney questioning his witness:

Luke’s Challenge B Class with the judge:

First Day of School ~ 2017

We survived our first full day back to school. I even managed to snap a picture of all four kids before we headed to our Classical Conversations community this morning. (I actually snapped a bunch of pictures, but this is the only one that kind of turned out…)

This is our EIGHTH year with Classical Conversations.

Levi is in 10th grade, Challenge 2.
Luke is in 8th grade, Challenge B.
Leif is in 6th grade, Foundations and Essentials.
Lola is in 1st grade, Foundations.

Two middle schoolers and a high schooler. That is mind-boggling.

I’m tutoring Essentials for the third year.

We’ve been homeschooling for a decade.

Luke and Levi have actually been back in class for a couple weeks, but this is the first full normal week for them.

Lola had a rough day today. She was testing boundaries. Where is that line? What happens when I cross it? I’m hoping that she feels her questions were sufficiently answered and doesn’t need to ask them again next week.

Last week was packed with activities and appointments. Levi and I attended a day-long philosophy workshop at Gutenberg College on Friday. Saturday was our annual trek to the Renaissance Faire (pictures forthcoming).

I’m completely and utterly unprepared for this week of lessons at home.

But onward.

Levi at 15

[My new year blog posting goals were foiled by a failed hard drive on the evening of January 1st. All my photos and half-written blog posts were lost and they are gone until we get good news from the recovery company. I’ve been regularly active on my Facebook page, so you can always find me there.]

Levi, my eldest, turned 15 on January 1st.

He was 5 when I started writing here at Mt. Hope Chronicles. [You can find links to pictures and descriptions of him at various ages here.] I always think he’s pretty indescribable until I re-read the description of an ENFP, which is in all honesty an exact description. If I had to sum him up in one word, it would probably be drama. [grin]

What’s Levi up to now?

He is still homeschooling (I use that term loosely) for his first year of high school. He attends our local Classical Conversations Challenge I program, studying algebra, Latin, physical science, American literature and persuasive writing, American documents, economics, policy debate, Shakespeare, and music theory with a group of 11 other students and a fantastic tutor. (Shakespeare and Latin are his favorites; math is his nemesis.) They meet one day each week for presentation, discussion, and science labs. He spends much of the rest of the week studying at his friend McKinnon’s house (with McKinnon’s mom, my best friend Char, teaching and supervising). We’ve found this works better than having him stay at home and butt heads with his mother and younger siblings. It gives him some much-needed space and extroverted time outside the house. He will also be taking an online literature class (Tolkien) with James Nance at Roman Roads (he loves Tokien) this semester as well as attending a 4-day Teen Pact leadership camp over spring break (which he is not at all thrilled about).

Levi’s greatest love—other than writing, drawing, and online role playing—is swimming. This is his first year swimming with the local high school team. It has been time and energy-consuming, but he loves being on the team and swimming for coaches other than his dad (though he’ll return to the YMCA club team that his dad coaches in the high school off-season). He was particularly thrilled to ride a school bus for the first time in his life (to and from swim meets).

Levi’s greatest aspiration at this point in his life is to become a lifeguard. To that end, he will be completing his lifeguard training in two weeks and then will be eligible to apply for a lifeguarding position at the Y. A job will have to wait until his school year is over in May, however, because he has no time left in his schedule! [Right now his plan for his future life is to work as a lifeguard and to live in his car.]

Orthodontics are now in the past (as of yesterday) and a driver’s permit is in his near future. He is eligible and has the study manual; he just needs to study it and pass the test (he is surprisingly reluctant to begin driving). Driver’s Ed will also have to wait until this summer. He attended his first formal in December with a friend.

He can still argue with a fence post and dazzle people with his verbosity. His eyes are still vivid blue, but he has lost his baby face. His hair is shaggy. He looks down on me from his towering six-foot height. His shoulders are broad and his waist narrow. His voice is now low and sonorous. He is constantly drawing on himself with his plethora of Sharpie pens and often looks like he is sporting a full sleeve of tattoos.

His favorite song is “I See Fire” from The Hobbit (which is my favorite song to hear him singing in his low voice). His favorite current movie is Assassin’s Creed. 

 

And that’s my Levi.

Merry Christmas ~ 2016 in Review

Merry Christmas from the Scovel family!

Whether you are friend or family, long-time blog friends (coming up on a decade!), or new blog readers, welcome! Here is a quick 2016 in review. If you want to skip the year in review and read the current family update, scroll to the bottom of the post!

January

We continued with our family homeschooling project. We began when Levi was four, and his 14th New Year’s birthday kicked off our year, so it has been a decade of learning and growing together. We were in the middle of our 6th year with Classical Conversations, a homeschooling group that meets once a week. Sometimes it is fun; sometimes we just survive. [Levi was taking a break for the year and usually spent Mondays with Russ and a to-do list.] I tutored the Monday afternoon grammar, writing, and math games class. I continued my own education, reading Flannery O’Connor with my Scholé Sisters and contemplating Parallelism and Rhetoric. 

Russ continued working for Symantec full time (often at home, sometimes driving to Springfield, and occasionally traveling out of state) as well as working on many computer projects for various people and coaching the Lebanon club swim team every afternoon (and swimming as often as possible). All three boys attended swim practice almost every afternoon.

February

February was full of more homeschooling and self-education, an ambitious reading list for the year, and a vacation to Great Wolf Lodge (I think this will become our February tradition).

March

In March, I had conversations with the teenager and we spent spring break at the coast (pictures here, here, here, and here).

April

We finished up our formal homeschooling (with a school year in review here) and commenced spring/summer break, which we kicked off with a hike at McDowell Creek Falls and a trip to the Oregon beach. I was a guest on Pam Barnhill’s Homeschool Snapshots podcast.

May

We met up with online friends at the Oregon Coast and hiked with a big group of friends at Silver Creek Falls. My niece turned one, and my family gathered for Mother’s Day. Luke turned 12.

June

We visited the secret garden at Belknap Hot Springs and hiked with friends at Tamolitch Blue Pool and Triangulation Peak. We hiked at Drift Creek Falls and played on the beach for Father’s Day. I attended a weekend homeschooling retreat in Seattle. And we helped Ilex and Drake celebrate their college and high school graduations. I attended a CC Practicum in Portland for tutor training.

July

We spent time at the river and hiking and swimming at McDowell Creek Falls. We communed with skunks and snails. I spoke for three full days at our local Classical Conversations Practicum. We ended the month with a glorious camping trip with friends and family.

August

I spoke for a day-long Truth, Goodness, and Beauty seminar in Seattle and attended a workshop another weekend (also in Seattle). We visited a local flour mill and a monastery. We traveled to the southern Oregon coast for a weekend swim meet and spent some time in Winchester Bay, where Russ and I lived when we were first married. Russ competed at the Masters Swimming Summer National Championship. Levi broke his foot. Leif turned 10.

September

We began a full and challenging school year, and our 7th year with Classical Conversations, Luke’s first year in the Challenge program, and Levi’s first year of high school. We particularly enjoyed our morning time together. We attended the Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire. Russ began coaching and swimming at the local YMCA with the boys. Lola started a tumbling class at the Y. Leif and Luke began piano lessons.

October

Lola turned 6 on the first day of October and the rest of the month was a blur. We tried to keep our momentum in schooling, but the freshness had worn off and it was just work. Homeschooling and swimming. That’s about it.

November

Levi joined the swim team at the local high school. He was thrilled to ride a school bus for the first time in his life (to and from swim meets). I was tired. We celebrated Thanksgiving with my family and enjoyed our traditional Green Friday.

December

Levi attended a winter formal with a friend. He continued to swim on the high school team (until the end of February). Luke and Leif performed at their first piano recital. We are currently on a much-needed long winter break (from almost everything, including blogging and even reading), and we’ve been exceedingly lazy, though we did enjoy ice skating with our friends at The Oregon Garden and the boys swim daily (Levi has had early morning practices every day through the school’s winter break). We had a wonderful Christmas dinner with Russ’s parents last night and we will spend Christmas Day (tomorrow) with my family.

.

And that sums up our year!

.

Currently:

Russ continues to work full time for Symantec in Springfield, though he usually works from home. Work trips, computer projects, and year-round daily coaching and swimming keep him hopping!

Parenting, homeschooling, and tutoring consumes most of my time. I hope to get back to blogging at the beginning of the new year.

Levi turns 15 in a week. He has an exciting and FULL second semester of 9th grade ahead of him. He’ll continue in the Challenge program with Classical Conversations—studying debate, economics, American literature and composition, music theory, math, science, and Latin. In addition, he will be taking a weekly online literature class (on Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings) and attending a 4 day leadership camp in March. His homeschool year ends with a formal protocol event (which I have photographed before, but he is just now old enough to attend). He will finish out the swim season at the high school and then return to swim daily with the team at the Y. He gets his braces off in a couple weeks and will be studying for his driver’s permit (ack!!). He is also finally old enough to take lifeguard training next month and will probably work as a lifeguard this summer (he has been impatiently waiting for his dream job).

Luke and Leif will continue homeschooling, swimming, and taking piano lessons.

Lola will continue to homeschool and learn to swim.

[Obviously, Levi is the one in our family with an exciting life. Ha!]

.

We hope you all have a lovely Christmas Day and a happy New Year!

The Man-Child

I went suit-shopping with the man-child today. [Policy debate, winter formal, Teen Pact, spring protocol—he’ll have several chances to wear it, hopefully before he grows out of it!]

I’m not sure I’m ready for this.

Six feet tall.

A high school swimmer.

Less than two months away from a driver’s permit.

Where did my baby boy go?

The Students of Mt. Hope Academy ~ 2016

Thinking of our first school picture photo session for these kids (well, three of them) here at Mt. Hope Chronicles just makes me want to sob. They were 5, 3, and 1 that fall. Now they are 14, 12, 10, and 5—the oldest is a nearly 6 foot tall freshman and my baby doll is headed into kindergarten!

You can read our basic plan for the coming school year at this link.

Luke Turns 12

Two weeks ago, but still. [Now begins the parade of catch-up posts…]

My middle son with his Memorial Day birthday.

When I started this blog, Luke was 2 years old. HE WAS TWO.

I cannot wrap my brain around that. [Here’s a little parade of pictures from newborn to 2 1/2.]

Just a few months later, he turned three.

And then four.

And so on.

Until we got to 12.

We had a little party with family. He asked for BBQ steak, angel food cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, a pinata with candy, and a fire in the fire pit for s’mores.

I’m looking back on Levi when he was 12. Now he’s 14, and he has changed so much in two years. I’m not sure I’m ready for Luke to change. Out of all my kids, he has changed (in looks) the least since I started my blog. But he has turned into an extremely helpful and responsible son, and for that I’m thankful—particularly after the years of sleepless nights and the days that turned my hair gray, metaphorically speaking.

Merry Christmas 2015 ~ From Our Family to Yours!

Yes, we finally snagged some family pictures in between rain storms. Nothing like the last minute…

Have a very merry Christmas, friends!

Christmas Gift Ideas for Boys (who want to survive the apocalypse)

If the apocalypse happens, I’m not leaving Luke’s side. In fact, I may not let him out of my sight for the next, oh, rest of my life. Hey, the kid is handy on the most average of days, changing light bulbs, mowing lawns, and performing other sundry tasks.

He just received the book Prepare for Anything Survival Manual and read it cover to cover. It’s astonishingly thorough with a very attractive layout, graphics, photographs, and graphic-novel-style scenarios. In the past 24 hours, he’s shared interesting facts such as the many uses of vodka and added a long list of things to his Amazon wish list. [He may be the only boy with both a candy thermometer and throwing-knives on his wish list.]

I’m not quite ready for the throwing-knives stage and I can’t get him vodka, but I’m so excited about the Ezzzy-Jig paracord bracelet maker. It can be adjusted to various sizes. Now he can make gifts for his brothers and friends. Arts and crafts? Check. I’m including Paracord Outdoor Gear Projects and various colors of paracord and buckles.

Add a multi tool and a roll of Gorilla Tape (both great stocking stuffers) to his paracord bracelet and he’ll be ready for anything.

Math

We are using a combination of Teaching Textbooks, Life of Fred, and Khan Academy for the boys’ math this year.

If I can muster the energy, I may begin Lola on RightStart Math. But that’s a big if.

It Has Begun

Monday marked the first day back to Classical Conversations and our first official day of the school year.

Not only was it our first official day of the school year, but it was my first day of tutoring Essentials, Lola’s first day in class at CC, Leif’s first day of Essentials, and Levi’s first day not at CC (long story, but I’ll share more about that in a later post). Luke is the only one doing the same thing this year!

It was a long but good Monday. By the evening I was feeling the effects of straddling multiple seasons of childhood. I spent the morning in Lola’s class with other four and five year olds. (Oh, my. It has been a while since I’ve hung out with a group of four year olds. Quite the culture shock.) Afternoon was spent teaching English grammar and writing to my 4th and 6th grade boys (and thirteen other 9-12 years-olds plus ten parents, so I have twenty-five people sitting in my class!). Then I spent the evening trying to read The Iliad and study up on Introductory Logic so that I could discuss both with Levi the next day. Whew!

After an extraordinarily lazy summer, we’re all adjusting to going to bed earlier, getting up earlier (I am not a morning person, but I’ve been up by 6:30ish every morning this week), and generally being more diligent about simple tasks like doing morning chores, cleaning up after ourselves, and making dinner.

Apparently my body is having difficulty adjusting because I, the light sleeper, slept through my alarm for 30 minutes Wednesday morning and then fell asleep sitting up that afternoon. Goodness.

I won’t say it’s been a super productive week since we’re still working out the kinks and I have more organizing and prepping to do. We had a few various errands and I hosted my Schole Sisters Hamlet group yesterday evening (which meant extra house cleaning—you know how it is). Levi spent Thursday afternoon and evening studying and hanging out with his best friend, and he’s with a close group of four boys this afternoon for a Bible study.

I’m praying I can get more organizing done this weekend and next week we’ll be in full swing.

[I’ll let you guess which child was not enthusiastic about Monday morning.]

[Not] Back to School

This was our fourth annual [not] back to school hike. This year, my parents, Holly, Ivy, Shannon, Ben, Rilla, and Sweden all joined us. The weather was perfection at 80ish degrees.

1st Day of School

[For the love of press-on tattoos…]

[P.S. Please send chocolate and wine.]

Luke Turns 11 ~ Amusement Park Fun

We usually have dinner birthday parties at home with extended family and our best friends. This year, however, we had many family members out of town over Luke’s birthday weekend. We thought it was a good opportunity to go on an adventure instead, so we spent almost seven hours with our best friends at OAKS amusement park in Portland. The weather was in the 80s, and it felt like summer! I packed a picnic lunch and birthday dessert. Russ and the boys and friends even managed a roller skating session!

The boys and I had been there once before, so they already knew where to start. Luke likes to spend as much time upside down as possible.

The Screamin Eagle is Luke’s most favorite ride. Leif finally manned up and gave it a try. Turns out, he loves it, too. (Me? No, thanks!)

Russ spent some time with Lola in the beginning, but then we switched and I rode a few rides with her (the ones that would make Russ sick) while Russ snapped pictures. Lola’s such a great sport, and she was having a blast.

After a while, I was starting to feel queasy, so Lola went by herself on the little kiddie rides. The boys went non-stop all afternoon (other than lunch). They truly must have stomachs of steel.

Levi’s favorite ride is the one on the right, Disco. I have no idea how he can stand the spinning. Leif’s favorite ride is Eruption.

After I had gone on the upside down roller coaster a couple more times, Russ talked me into going on the Eruption with Leif. Then I really was done.

We headed home, sweaty, dirty, exhausted, nauseated, and sunburned. [I think I was the only one nauseated and sunburned.]

Birthday party: success.