Triangulation Peak Adventure

This past Monday we again went hiking with friends. This time we hiked the Triangulation Peak Trail, about an hour and forty-five minutes northeast of our home in the Willamette National Forest on the edge of the Jefferson Wilderness Area. We drove up and over with Holly and Ivy, and I was glad to have company because it was challenging to find. We drove more than nine miles on narrow forest access roads to get to the trail head (with no signage), and our fellow hikers got lost on their way in.

After a much belated start, we hiked the cool 5 mile round trip. [It rained on our way home, so I was thankful it was only a cool hike and not a cold and wet one!] The trail has an 800 foot cumulative elevation gain. The trailhead is at 4770 feet and the peak is at 5376 feet. The 360 degree view was spectacular, even though we couldn’t see the snow-capped peak of Mt. Jefferson due to the clouds.

I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

[Yes, snow. And that silly face is the reason why you see Lola’s back in most of these pictures. She was a great trooper for most of the hike, though. I’m so thankful she’s now old enough to allow us these adventures.]

The Secret Garden [Belknap Hot Springs]

After a lovely (and hot) retreat weekend, I rushed home on Sunday to spend the afternoon at the swimming pool to watch the boys swim. I usually plan down-time between activities, but my parents were staying at Belknap Hot Springs for a couple days and my sister and I decided to drive down to visit them on Monday. It was absolutely unacceptable that I had never been there before! Because of the hot weather predicted in the forecast, we got up much earlier than usual and drove down together.

Shannon, Ben, Rilla, Sweden, my boys, Lola, and I all joined my parents for an early lunch picnic in the secret garden. We sat at stone tables in the shade, and it was heavenly.

We walked on a bridge over the river to find the garden.

The entrance:

Half the garden was in lush shade.

Half in bright sun.

We went for a short hike in the sun. The boys (Levi, in particular, but he shares from his collection) take Nerf swords everywhere they go, and the girls do not want to be left out. I think I’ll have to buy swords for Rilla and Lola.

Then we met more dear friends at the lodge and sat with them by this fountain sculpture while they ate a late picnic lunch.

We again walked across the bridge, visited the secret garden, and hiked the paths a bit.

After all this adventuring on the trails and cavorting about the secret garden and frolicking in the fountains, a couple of my kids begged to swim in the pool. While it looks mighty inviting and refreshing, heated by the hot springs, it is a blistering 104 degrees at the lowest. On hot, sunny days it climbs a bit. We “swam” with our friends, but it was painful. [This is the pool view from my parents’ room in the lodge.]

We headed home in the late afternoon.

Happy 47th anniversary, Mom and Dad! Thanks for allowing us to crash your party.

The Song Sounds Best in the Green Wood [Homeschooling from Rest Retreat]

Earlier this month I attended a Homeschooling from Rest retreat at Lake Retreat Camp and Conference Center in Ravensdale, Washington. The retreat was organized by Jennifer Bascom of Schole in Seattle. Our speaker was Jennifer Dow of Expanding Wisdom, and it was a great privilege to meet her and hear her speak.

Lake Retreat Camp and Conference Center is lovely, and it worked particularly well for some of the focus of the retreat. My absolute favorite part of the retreat (other than meeting Jennifer) was her reading of The Nightingale and then her leading of the discussion comparing The Nightingale to classical education. She truly brought home the point that comparing two things and allowing each person to take part in the discussion and own it leads to a personal relationship with the ideas. I will remember the ideas we discussed during that time more than anything else about the retreat. It was beautiful!

[As a complete aside, I have a little story. This past week, as we were driving together on our way to a hike, I told my sister about The Nightingale. I had just arrived at the cow mooing part when Lola (5), not part of the conversation, piped up in the seat behind me. “Such a large voice for so small a creature!” She has been listening to a large collection of fairy and folk tales on CD. I am astounded, constantly, at what she retains. It is true: listening to excellent stories, repeatedly, imbeds sophisticated language patterns in these children’s brains!]

Jennifer also shared with us the nourishing tradition of classical education. One of my favorite ideas that Jennifer presented during this time was that the Greeks were ripe to receive Christ because they were thirsty for a harmonizing principle. They believed the universe was ordered and the goal of education, or Paideia, was to align oneself with the ordered cosmos. They believed man should seek virtue in body, soul, and spirit as well as seek harmony with self, community, country, and the cosmos. Christ was the embodiment of that order, the Logos.

After lunch, we participated in small group nature study and discussion and were introduced to the highlighting system for close reading.

The additional hours were filled with delicious meals, Orthodox prayer services, entertaining and edifying conversation, and soaking up the heat (it was a bit steamy by Friday afternoon and evening). I met many wonderful new friends.

Retreat [noun]

2:  a place of privacy or safety : refuge

3:  a period of group withdrawal for prayer, meditation, study, or instruction under a director

Ilex and Drake Graduate

It’s the end of an era.

Those who have followed my blog for almost a decade have watched my niece Ilex and nephew Drake grow up. I am so proud of the adults they have become, and they are two of my most favorite people.

After eight years of homeschooling (four of those in the Classical Conversations Challenge program) and two years part-time at the local high school (where he played four years of football) as well as some classes at the community college, Drake has graduated from high school. He has joined the Navy and will head to boot camp in August before entering the Advanced Electronics/Computer Field program.

After seven years of homeschooling (three of those in the Classical Conversations Challenge program) and three years at the local community college where she was in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Ilex has graduated with her Associates of Arts degree. She has been accepted into the dental hygiene program at the community college south of us where she will attend in the fall.

Both are moving away, though we are sure to see Ilex often. The nest has begun to empty.

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.

For the Children’s Sake

Stacks of books tower on every flat surface (and some not-so-flat surfaces) of my house. I’ve been allowing my imagination to wander lately, and it has designed a beautiful library/meeting hall to be built in the field in front of my house. “Imagination” is the key word here, but if I don’t do something soon it will be either my family or the books—I don’t think there’s room for both. [wry grin]

One of these towering stacks is the “education and culture” stack (not to be confused with the culture and educational philosophy shelf).

Some books in this towering stack are more recent favorites: The Core, The Question, and The Conversation by Leigh Bortins; Beauty for Truth’s Sake and Beauty in the Word by Stratford Caldecott; Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakable Peace by Sarah Mackenzie; and Leisure, the Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper.

Some are important books that require more intelligence than I currently possess in order to finish: Norms and Nobility by David Hicks and Climbing Parnassus by Tracy Lee Simmons. [Clearly I’m delusional about when that intelligence will manifest itself because I haven’t shelved them yet.]

Some are books I’ve finished in the past few months and whose riches I’m still digesting: Awakening Wonder: A Classical Guide to Truth, Goodness & Beauty by Stephen R. Turley, PhD (a good but dense read) and The Liberal Arts Tradition: A Philosophy of Christian Classical Education by Ravi Jain (an excellent must-read, even though it is over my head in parts).

[We won’t even talk about the books still on my wish list!]

After reading The Liberal Arts Tradition in particular, I had so many thoughts swirling in my brain and I began synthesizing some ideas to share in blog posts. My real hope was to somehow synthesize all of the above books into something resembling a cohesive educational philosophy complete with derivative practices.

Hahahaha!

So what does Heidi do when she is overwhelmed by a task in front of her? [Other than binge on chocolate and Netflix?] She watches multiple educational videos and series. She attends an educational retreat.

She starts another book. Or two.

Instead of buying more books, I looked at my educational philosophy shelf and grabbed two books I hadn’t read in forever.

First up: A Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison. This one is completely manageable. Less than 100 pages. A brief introduction to Charlotte Mason. Very brief chapters covering all the subjects with practical how-to advice. A few lists and graphs (yay for lists and graphs!). In summary: brief and practical.

On a roll, I grabbed the second book: For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay.

I’d like to have a little chat with the younger me who first read the book some years ago.

Why didn’t you allow these beautiful words and ideas to change your life?!

[Okay, I know why: I was overwhelmed. There just wasn’t enough of me to go around. My main goal was to keep everyone alive. But, still.]

I was convicted with every word. Convicted that I could spend a profitable 10 years just reading and re-reading the books I already own without buying another single book. Convicted that it doesn't matter how many books I read if they don't change me. Convicted that I need to choose a few beautiful books to re-read often. Convicted that I have failed myself and my children in setting good habits that would make doing the right things so. much. easier. for all of us because we could do all the little things without thinking and without effort and save our thinking and effort for the big things.

So I had a "chat" with my kids, which was probably the wrong thing (ha!), apologizing to them for my own poor habits and apologizing for failing to make their lives easier, and explaining that we are all under authority to do the right thing.

It's really difficult to turn a large passenger ship around. Especially when the captain has shockingly poor habits. Sigh.

But good stuff, friends. Good and beautiful stuff in this one.

This is not just a homeschooling book. It is not even just a book about education.

It is a book about these beautiful humans who inhabit our homes and how we should treat them. How we can respect them as persons and work to enlarge their lives.

From the Introduction:

This book…is not a specific guide to one particular plan. Education is an adventure that has to do with central themes, not the particular packages a given generation puts them into. It’s about people, children, life, reality!

In the first chapter, What Is Education?, the author introduces the reader to Charlotte Mason and her world. 

In the lengthy second chapter, the reader learns that “Children Are Born Persons.”

At first glance, this idea does not seem revolutionary to us, but a deeper look at this idea reveals the truth.

Look well at the child on your knee. In whatever condition you find him, look with reverence. We can only love and serve him and be his friend. We cannot own him. He is not ours… Respect him. Do not see him as something to prune, form, or mold. This is an individual who thinks, acts, and feels. He is a separate human being whose strength lies in who he is, not in who he will become.

We are told to place a feast of ideas and experiences in front of a child and then get out of the way.

Allow the child to have an interior life that you don’t meddle in. Let the Holy Spirit and the child do what they will with what he has seen and heard.

Charlotte Mason highly valued a child’s time and opportunity to play. Encourage play, give a child time and materials and remove other distractions and pressures, but do not organize play.

Charlotte Mason fed children with Living Ideas from outside of those children’s world. Read beautifully written biographies, stories of other cultures, fables, stories about animals, literature. Read slowly. Have a child narrate back what he has heard. Don’t test the child. Allow her to choose the details that she remembers. Allow a child to learn as his own speed.

The third chapter covers the topic of Authority and Freedom.

This is the chapter that hit me the hardest.

Charlotte Mason exhorts us to train a child in good habits so that right behavior becomes easy and the student’s efforts and energy can be used for greater challenges.

What I truly loved about the perspective here is that it is so full of grace. It is not a rigid system of endless dos and don’ts from an authoritative perspective, but an understanding that we are all under authority to do the right thing and that we must first understand the child’s needs. We must give children “freedom within known limits, both physically and morally.” We must not be aggressive. We as parents must “exercise great self-restraint” and not place too many limits or pile on expectations.

We must show that we are mature enough to stick to the lines which are right, and that we don’t merely boss the child about for our convenience.

In this lengthy chapter, I was reminded continuously of this quote by G.K. Chesterton: “The more I considered Christianity, the more I found that while it had established a rule and order, the chief aim of that order was to give room for good things to run wild.”

Chapter four introduces us to Charlotte Mason’s educational principles.

[You can read them here.]

Teach the skills for their own sake.
Introduce the child to a wide curriculum of living books.
Keep teaching time short enough so that his natural hunger for “real” life can be satisfied.

Macaulay focuses on Charlotte Mason’s motto: “Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life.”

Atmosphere can be cultivated at home and at school.

Students can learn the discipline of attention and concentration, truthfulness, self-control, and unselfishness. Parents and teachers can provide structure and form.

Parents and teachers can give students access to the best sources.

“Let the children at the best of life!” is Charlotte Mason’s challenge to us. Life includes not only living experiences, but also the best that mankind has produced in art, books, music, ideas, and many more areas.

We don’t have to chart exactly what a child has “learned” from any of these sources to make it worthwhile using them. This is a different way of thinking about learning. Our job is to give the best nourishment regularly. The child takes what is appropriate to him at that time.

We are also encouraged to allow students to do real work, take on real responsibility, and spend time in creative pursuits.

Chapter five delves into the principle “education is a science of relationships.”

We must take steps to provide a diet which opens doors for each child to build a relationship with God, other persons, and the universe. If it sounds broad, it is broad!

Knowledge is divided into three categories: knowledge of God, knowledge of man, and knowledge of the universe.

These divisions correspond well to the three categories of philosophy outlined in The Liberal Arts Tradition: divine philosophy, moral philosophy, and natural philosophy.

In this chapter (again, lengthy), Macaulay covers the “subjects” of theology, history, literature, morals and citizenship, composition, languages, art, music, science, geography, mathematics, physical development, and handicrafts.

The Word of God is like fertile seed you drop into the soil. The child does not take in everything that is there. He thinks about some aspect of it.

“Why do you study, or do math, art, etc.?” should be swiftly answered by “Because it is part of the whole which God has created.”

Math does relate to the whole of truth; it has its place. It is like art, music, horticulture, or cooking: the “Christian-ness” of it lies in itself. We are secure in God’s truth, which is a framework into which we can fit all the parts of reality.

Having given the basis for the knowledge, plus a place for the telling of ideas or discussion, please allow each child to live his own private life. We tend to crash in where angels fear to tread. We want to push along the work that belongs to the Holy Spirit. Let the child do his own living—please!

The life of education has to include the whole of our humanness. We need to relate as persons to the God who is there, to be nourished with good ideas through books, art, music, history, literature, etc. We need to relate to other persons, to know and be known. We need the beauty of nature, and we are made to respond creatively in speech, music, through art, etc. We need to know the limits of law, and yet the freedom of our separate choices.

The book closes with a brief sixth chapter which introduces Charlotte Mason’s motto “I am, I can, I ought, I will.”

I am made in the image of God and made to have a relationship with Him. I can act with confidence. I ought to do what is right (not just what I want). I will choose what is right under all circumstances.

And God’s grace is available to me when I fail.

The motto, “I am, I can, I ought, I will” makes a circle, a perimeter, inside of which my human life may be lived with joy and fullness. There is song, lightness, spontaneity. There is the possibility of attaining height proper to one’s self.

Lovely.

Friends, I highly recommend this book, whether you are homeschooling or using other schooling methods, whether your children are still young or growing older.

 

So now I have so many beautiful ideas to synthesize that I may die trying. But stay tuned for more to come…

Reading Challenge 2016 ~ May

My ChocLit Guild book club met in this darling Small Town, USA library this past week to discuss All the Light We Cannot See. I love my book club friends and family. I love meeting together to discuss books over treats. I love small-town libraries. Triple win.

 

Books Finished in May 

:: 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke [This was my “cultural literacy” selection for May, and I watched the classic 1968 Stanley Kubrick film version after finishing the novel. I now feel culturally literate (ha!), but the genre is not my favorite so I’m certain that is one reason I was unable to think deeply about this narrative. I need a group discussion to help me appreciate it. I’d rate this one at roughly 3 stars for enjoyment.] 

:: The Bronte Plot by Katherine Reay [I enjoyed Dear Mr. Knightley a little more, but this novel shows a bit more maturity. Not great literature, but I enjoy a light, cheesy, modern romance novel that references classical literature and is clean to boot. 4 stars for enjoyment.]

:: A Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison [I’ll review this book in another post.]

:: For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay [I’ll post a full review tomorrow.]

:: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr [This novel contains beautiful and poetic prose full of exquisite metaphors. The staccato style took some getting used to, however. The sentence rhythm seemed detached, the chapters were extremely short, and the point of view bounced back and forth between characters, location, and time. The story was skillfully woven together, however, and the detail of the experience was remarkable. The characters, in all their variety and humanness, were brought to life. There were few despicable characters, and, while the subject matter was not easy, it was handled gently. 4 stars.]

:: The Great Mouse Detective (Basil of Baker Street) by Eve Titus [This is a charming classic beginner chapter book by the author of the excellent Anatole picture books. More review to come. 4 1/2 stars] 

In Progress

[Yes, this list is a little ridiculous.]

:: Flannery O’Connor: The Complete Stories [I read The River this month.]

:: Mystery and Manners [I read a couple more essays this month.]

:: The Iliad [I’ve stalled, but I’m determined to finish… sometime this year… ]

:: Listening to Your Life [I continue to enjoy this daily devotional filled with excerpts from Frederick Buechner’s writings.]

:: Ambleside Online Year O Reading List [I’m reading all the books on this list aloud to Lola this year.]

:: Plutarch’s Lives [I am attempting to slow-read this one with the boys this year. I may chicken out and read the Greenleaf Guides Famous Men of Greece and Famous Men of Rome instead. Or even Augustus Caesar’s World.]

:: Julius Caesar retold by Leon Garfield [I’m working through both story volumes with the boys this year.]

:: The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy Sayers (re-read) [One of my favorites.]

:: Leisure: The Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper (re-read) [Another favorite.]

:: Beauty for Truth’s Sake by Stratford Caldecott (re-read) [And yet another favorite.]

:: The Law by Frederic Bastiat

:: Rhetoric by Aristotle

:: In Defense of Sanity by G.K. Chesterton

:: Pippi Longstocking [with Lola]

:: The Creed in Slow Motion

 

 

The 2016 Reading Challenge Master List

(I finally added all the books on my list. Well, there is not actually an “end” to the books on my list, but these are the main selections on my mind at the moment. There is no way I will read even half of these books this year and I’m sure to add a few as the months go on, but I’ll use this list for reference when I’m picking up the next book to read. I don’t really like how they are organized, but this will have to do at the moment.) 

(Books marked out have been completed.)

Devotional/Faith

Listening to Your Life by Frederick Buechner [in progress]

In Defense of Sanity by G.K. Chesterton [in progress]

The Drama of Scripture: Finding our Place in the Biblical Story by Bartholomew

The Creed in Slow Motion by Reverend Ronald Knox [in progress]

Real-Life Schole Sisters

The Terrible Speed of Mercy: A Spiritual Biography of Flannery O’Connor [I loved this biography of Flannery O’Connor. It is peppered with quotes from O’Connor’s own writings (letters and essays) as well as details about her stories. I feel much more equipped to understand her fiction writing. 4 stars]

Flannery O’Connor: The Complete Stories [in progress]

Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose by Flannery O’Connor [in progress]

Online Schole Sisters

Awakening Wonder: A Classical Guide to Truth, Goodness & Beauty [There are some gems in this book, but I feel as if I had to work so hard to mine them. The last chapter of the book is fantastic, though. 3 1/2 stars]

Leisure: The Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper (re-read) [in progress]

Beauty for Truth’s Sake by Stratford Caldecott (re-read) [in progress]

[Also discussing Flannery O’Connor with this group.]

Symposium at Parnassus (Facebook Group)

Understood Betsy (re-read) [This is such a beautiful classic children’s book, but it is just as important for adults—particularly parents and educators. The author of the story, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, brought Maria Montessori’s teaching methods to the United States and was also named by Eleanor Roosevelt as one of the ten most influential women in the country. 4 1/2 stars]

Mother Carey’s Chickens by Kate Douglas Wiggin

Jack and Jill by Alcott 

Little Women by Alcott

Little Men by Alcott

Rose in Bloom by Alcott

Climbing Parnassus by Tracy Lee Simmons

Norms and Nobility: A Treatise on Education by David Hicks [in progress from 2015]

The Liberal Arts Tradition: A Philosophy of Christian Classical Education [This is an excellent primer on a robust and comprehensive traditional classical Christian paradigm, including and beyond the implementation of the Trivium. I’ll be sharing more about this book as I lay out our plans for this coming year. 4 stars]

For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay (re-read)

A Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison

How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler

Poetic Knowledge James Taylor

Plutarch’s Lives [In progress]

Potato Peel Pie Society (Facebook Group)

[Ambleside Online Year O book list with Lola] [in progress]

Dragonflight [Classic fantasy, and Russ’s favorite author. Fantasy is not my genre, but this one was enjoyable. Definitely some adult situations and not for young children. 3 1/2 stars]

Julius Caesar (re-telling by Leon Garfield) [In progress]

The Taming of the Shrew (“)

Henry V (“)

The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy Sayers (re-read) [in progress]

The Green Ember/ The Black Star of Kingston by S.D. Smith

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (July-Sept)

[The Princess Bride (July-Sept) (listed under read-alouds)]

The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy Sayers (re-read) (Feb)

Surprised by Joy by Lewis (Feb)

The Four Loves by Lewis

[Mere Christianity, The Weight of Glory, The Abolition of Man (re-reads)]

Something by Jane Austen

The Once and Future King

[Handmaid’s Tale, Alas Babylon, Ender’s Game, A Wrinkle in Time (re-reads)]

[George MacDonald’s Curdie books (re-reads)]

[Classic Fairy Tales]

[And discussing several other previously read books]

ChocLit Guild

Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy [This was my first Thomas Hardy novel, and I loved it. His descriptions are vivid paintings, and I laughed out loud more times than I could count. His characters sprung to life. This is an early contender for 2016 favorites. I enjoyed the new movie version as well. 4 1/2 stars.]

The Man Who Was Thursday, A Nightmare by Chesterton [Loved it. Review here. 4 1/2 stars]

Wonder [I sobbed my way through this one. Excellent and important. 4 1/2 stars]

Becoming Human by Jean Vanier [This fascinating non-fiction book on the value of every human and the tension between individuality and community was a book club selection this month, paired with the middle grade novel Wonder. I’ll share some thoughts and quotes when I get my copy back. It’s making the book club rounds at the moment. 4 stars]

The Supper of the Lamb (re-read)

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr  [This novel contains beautiful and poetic prose full of exquisite metaphors. The staccato style took some getting used to, however. The sentence rhythm seemed detached, the chapters were extremely short, and the point of view bounced back and forth between characters, location, and time. The story was skillfully woven together, however, and the detail of the experience was remarkable. The characters, in all their variety and humanness, were brought to life. There were few despicable characters, and, while the subject matter was not easy, it was handled gently. 4 stars.]

Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson [After enjoying Donaldson’s Edenbrooke last month, I had to try her second novel. It’s yet another satisfying light, fun, steamy, clean romance—possibly more complex and intriguing than Edenbrooke. Not great literature, but very dreamy for those of us who enjoy shallow romance novels. Swoon. 4 stars for enjoyment.]

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

The Book of the Dun Cow by Walter Wangerin Jr. (re-read)

The Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy and "Women's Work" by Kathleen Norris

Something by L.M. Montgomery

The Great Divorce (or other non-fiction by C.S. Lewis)

Still Life by Louise Penny

Book Detectives

The Family Under the Bridge  (re-read) [This short children’s chapter book was a re-read for me. Our Book Detectives group had a wonderful literary analysis discussion on this one.]

Dominic (re-read) [One of my top favorites. Review and analysis here. 5 stars.]

The Cricket in Times Square (re-read)

Symposium Read-Alouds (with boys)

Shakespeare Stories (Leon Garfield, both volumes -Hamlet and The Tempest) [in progress]

Heidi [I don’t know that I had ever actually read this one all the way through before. The boys LOVED it. Every day they would ask for me to read just one more chapter, and then just one more! In fact, one evening Russ sat down and listened with us and he wasn’t content with the two extra chapters, so he sat next to me after the kids went to bed and I watched a movie and he read the rest of the book, laughing out loud and reading passages to me from time to time. 4 1/2 stars]

The Princess Bride [What a riot!! The introduction got a little long and crazy (and not really appropriate for a younger audience), but we absolutely loved the story part with the author’s “interruptions.” It is very similar to the movie, often word-for-word, but with a little more story and hilarious commentary. The boys and I loved it. (The author’s convoluted conclusion was a little long and crazy as well, and I didn’t read it aloud.) 4 stars for the story inside the story.]

Tuck Everlasting

Classic Fairy Tales (PPPS in December)

Pippi Longstock by Astrid Lindgren (with Lola)

Roman Roads Western Culture Greeks with Levi

[Also discussing with online Schole Sisters]

The Iliad [in progress]

The Odyssey

DRAMA ANDL LYRIC BOOK LIST:
  - Aeschylus (The Oresteia)
  - Sophocles (Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus)
  - Aristophanes (The Frogs and The Clouds)
  - Eurpipides (The Medea and The Trojan Women) included in Roman Roads Reader
  - Sappho (various poems) included in Roman Roads Reader
  - Pindar (collection of Odes) included in Roman Roads Reader
  - Theocritus (Idyls I, VI, VII, and XI) included in Roman Roads Reader
  - Hesiod (Works and Days) included in Roman Roads Reader
  - Quintus of Smyrna (The Fall of Troy) included in Roman Roads Reader
  - Apollonius of Rhodes (The Argonautica) included in Roman Roads Reader

THE HISTORIES BOOK LIST:
  - The Landmark Herodotus: The Histories
  - The Landmark Thucydides
  - Xenophon: The Persian Expedition

THE PHILOSOPHERS BOOK LIST:

  - Plato: Six Greek Dialogues
  - The Basic Works of Aristotle

CC Challenge B short stories [2015-16] (with Levi and McKinnon)

Words Aptly Spoken: Short Stories [I finally finished this collection of 25 classic short stories. It was a great variety.]

God Lives by Hans Christian Andersen
The Teapot by Hans Christian Andersen
The Bet by Anton Chekhov
The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde
Little Girls Wiser than Men by Leo Tolstoy
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyard Kipling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Mansion by Henry Van Dyke
Araby by James Joyce
The Schoolboy’s Story by Charles Dickens
That Spot by Jack London
The Red-Headed League by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Celestial Railroad by Nathaniel Hawthorne
A White Heron by Sarah Orne Jewett
A Man and the Snake by Ambrose Bierce
The Cop and the Anthem by O. Henry
The Necklace by Henri Guy de Maupassant
The Hammer of God by G. K. Chesterton
The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe
The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County by Mark Twain
The Bird on its Journey by Beatrice Harraden
The Nightingale and the Rose by Oscar Wilde
A King in Disguise by Matteo Bandello
The Startling Painting by Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Last Lesson by Alphonse Daudet

Classical Conversations Parent Practicum (“Navigating History: The Art of Argumentation”)

Rhetoric by Aristotle [in progress]

The Law by Frederic Bastiat [in progress]

A Student’s Guide to History [This was a very quick and excellent read in anticipation of the Classical Conversations Parent Practicum speaker training that I attended this past month. Our theme is “Navigating History” and I’m very exciting to be speaking in Albany, Oregon in July.]

The Peacemaker by Ken Sande

The Tolkien Project

The Hobbit

Bilbo’s Journey by Joseph Pearce

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Frodo’s Journey by Joseph Pearce

The Philosophy of Tolkien by Peter Kreeft

Letters From Father Christmas

Life/Parenting

The Young Peacemaker by Ken Sande

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

Coming Clean by Seth Haines

A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L’Engle

Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Novels

Daddy-Long-Legs [Easy, short, old-fashioned, charming, funny, romantic novel. Brain candy I don’t have to feel guilty about. 4 stars]

The Martian [Gripping, fascinating, hilarious, and stressful sci-fi novel. The most interesting scientific and technical “manual” I’ve ever read, and science/technology/sci-fi are not my things. Lots of language and short, choppy journal-style writing for most of the book but it fit with the story. It is a fantastic tribute to human ingenuity and spirit, with an up-beat can-do attitude. 4 stars]

So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger [Enger’s Peace Like a River is in my top ten. I had heard that his second novel wasn’t as good as the first, so I put off reading it. I’m glad I finally sat down to savor it. I loved this one. I really did. Yes, it meandered, but I loved it. I fell in love with the characters. I loved the atmosphere Leif Enger weaves from word to sentence to page to story. Heroic in the quietest sense. The world is indeed a romance. 4 stars]

Heart of Darkness [This wasn’t as hard to read as I thought it was going to be. The prose was exquisite in places. His descriptive writing reminded me of Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd, though this one was not nearly so lovely. The forward movement felt slow, and the characters less appealing (though one was fascinating). 3 1/2 stars]

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie [I love a good mystery. I watched this as a play years and years ago, but it was high time I read this, one of A.G.’s most famous stories. 4 stars]

The Lonesome Gods by Louis L’Amour

These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 by Nancy Turner

The Thurber Carnival by James Thurber (short stories)

2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke  [This was my “cultural literacy” selection for May, and I watched the classic 1968 Stanley Kubrick film version after finishing the novel. I now feel culturally literate (ha!), but the genre is not my favorite so I’m certain that is one reason I was unable to think deeply about this narrative. I need a group discussion to help me appreciate it. I’d rate this one at roughly 3 stars for enjoyment.]

Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam

The Maytrees by Annie Dillard

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Mrs. Mike by Freedmans

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset

Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson

Song of Albion trilogy by Stephen Lawhead

The Cellist of Sarejevo by Steven Galloway

The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper

Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

Emma/Persuasion/Sense and Sensibility

Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner

Roll-Overs from 2015’s List

Strong Poison (continuation of Lord Peter Wimsey series) by Dorothy Sayers

Invisible Man

The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel

Slaughterhouse-Five

Dune [I tried to start it in 2015 and just couldn’t get going. Maybe I’ll try again later this year.] [I found this article at The Guardian: Dune, 50 years on: how a science fiction novel changed the world. I guess it stays on the list…]

The Once and Future King (PPPS)

The Brothers Karamazov

The Brothers K

The Road

Paradise Lost (need to read in plain English novel form)

Frankenstein

Children’s/YA Novels

The Ranger’s Apprentice

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Readers Edition) [A beautiful and true story about a boy from Malawi who builds a windmill. 4 stars.]

The Glass Sentence [This is a hefty 500 page YA fantasy/sci-fi novel and the first in a trilogy. I read the whole thing on vacation, but I wasn’t sucked into the story. I didn’t love it. My fantasy/sci-fi-loving husband didn’t love it either. Interesting premise and world-building, decently written, but not great. 3 stars.]

Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories [This is a nice companion book to Wonder. I especially appreciated The Julian Chapter, but it isn’t quite as magical as Wonder. 4 stars.]

Outlaws of Time: The Legend of Sam Miracle by N.D. Wilson [We pre-ordered this one and the 3 boys, my husband, and I all had it read within a week. We loved it. This is an excellent adventurous fantasy with excitement and heart, and now we’re waiting for a sequel. 4 stars.]

The Folk of the Faraway Tree

Half Magic

Ella Enchanted

Popcorn Reads

Greensleeves by Eloise Jarvis McGraw [I don't remember who recommended Greensleeves to me. It was written by Eloise Jarvis McGraw (author of the middle grade novels The Golden Goblet, Mara, Daughter of the Nile, Moccasin Trail, and others) and published in 1968. It is a hefty book at 334 pages. It is the coming of age story of 18-year-old Shannon Lightley. Yeah, an 18-year-old. It is written in first person, and seems light and modern-ish in style, but I was constantly surprised by a fantastic turn of phrase, description or witty comment. And it was way more...smouldering...than I expected it to be. But still clean. The ending was a little more open-ended than I expected (Miss Prim-ish), but not unsatisfying. The book has a decent theme without being preachy. (And it is not at all a "Christian" book as there is not a single mention of God or church.) 4 stars]

Edenbrooke [All that stuff I said about Greensleeves? Yeah. I read this on the first day of vacation, and then I just wanted to re-read it for the rest of the week. I skimmed/re-read it the following week and then I bought my own copy (the first one was a library copy). And then I ordered Blackmoore by the same author to read next (listed under ChocLit Guild reads). Super duper mushy clean romantic story. More romantic than Greensleeves, but maybe more cheesy. Definitely a more satisfying ending. Whatever. This is the kind of book I’d read all day every day if I didn’t care about my brain and my family. 4 stars.]

(Blackmoore) [listed under ChocLit Guild reads]

The Black Opal [Decent but somewhat forgettable. The author is a long-time mystery and romance writer, but I didn’t find this book particularly mysterious or romantic. Meh. I may try another one. 3 stars.]

Dear Mr. Knightly by Katherine Reay [This is a modern literature-infused remake of Daddy-Long-Legs, which was the first book I read this year (a re-read for me, and listed under “novels” since it was published in 1912). Not realistic (who writes letters like that?), not deep literature, but yet another light, entertaining, clean, and quite enjoyable romance novel! 4 stars]

The Bronte Plot by Katherine Reay [I enjoyed Dear Mr. Knightley a little more, but this novel shows a bit more maturity. Not great literature, but I enjoy a light, cheesy, modern romance novel that references classical literature and is clean to boot. 4 stars for enjoyment.]

Lizzy and Jane by Katherine Reay 

 

CC Challenge A Reading List [2016-17] (with Luke)

[The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Carry On, Mr. Bowditch; The Magician’s Nephew; Number the Stars; Amos Fortune, Free Man]

The Secret Garden

[The Door in the Wall; A Gathering of Days; Crispin: The Cross of Lead; The Bronze Bow]

CC Challenge I Reading List [2016-17] (with Levi and McKinnon)

Billy Bud, Sailor

The Scarlet Letter

The Red Badge of Courage

The Gold-Bug and Other Tales (Poe)

Through the Gates of Splendor (Elisabeth Elliot)

Born Again (Chuck Colson)

Starship Troopers

Up from Slavery (Booker T. Washington)

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (re-read)

Self-Reliance Ralph W. Emerson

Walden (Henry David Thoreau)

The Old Man and the Sea (Ernest Hemingway)

Tom Sawyer

The Call of the Wild

Johnny Tremain

The Sign of the Beaver (re-read)

Harvey (Mary Chase)

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

An Old-Fashioned Girl

Whatever Happened to Penny Candy?

The Money Mystery

The Taming of the Shrew (re-read)

I, Isaac, Take Thee, Rebekah

(American Documents)

Soaking Up Sun and Inspiration

The last week and a half or so has been a complete blur.

Last weekend we completed house and yard projects, spent some time on the river (I soaked up sun and books, the boys spent time on dirt bikes and four-wheelers and camped out two nights), and hosted Luke’s 12th birthday party.

I had book club with my best peeps at a charming small-town one-room library. Then next day I set off for a (hot) weekend retreat in Washington, where I had the great privilege of meeting many wonderful women and meeting and listening to Jennifer Dow of Expanding Wisdom (more about that to come).

The boys had a local 3-day swim meet while I was gone, so Russ was juggling parenting (three swimmers and a 5 year old), coaching, and competing (yes, he was swimming as well). Whew!! I was thankful that my mom and sister helped out with Lola on Saturday. I made it back in record time today (only a four hour drive on the return trip), so I was able to watch everyone but Leif swim a few races. Russ’s time in the 50 Meter Fly (31.64) qualified him for Masters Nationals in Oregon this year, and he was super close in his 50 Meter Free! I was sorry to miss Levi narrowly beating him in the 400 Free and slaying him in the 400 IM. This was the first time Russ had ever competed in a 400 IM in all his years of swimming, and he said he almost died. [ha!] But I was proud of him for modeling for the boys how to do hard things. [grin] Apparently all that work wasn’t enough for him, so he invited two families over to our house for a BBQ one evening while I was gone. Yep, Superman.

Tomorrow we head out yet again for another (hot) day-long adventure.

After that, I just need to sit down and finish the 30 blog posts I’ve started. School plans, book reviews, book lists galore, thoughts on education, pictures from retreat and various adventures, and so much more.

If I don’t melt in yet another day of 90+ degree heat.

No worries, though. We’re back to familiar rain next weekend…

For the Love of Birds

Lola and I are on a bird-love spree. It all started with this gorgeous bird matching game.

 

Each pair consists of one male and one female, and the set contains 25 pairs. It is surprising how different a male and female of the same species can appear, so it’s a bit more sophisticated than your average matching game. I was thrilled at how quickly Lola caught on and how much excitement she had over this game. The cards are beautiful and quite thick, and the drawings are absolutely lovely. [I think we may need the bingo game in this series next. Maybe Bugs!]

Just today, she was looking at another book and immediately recognized a puffin. Excitedly, she got out her bird cards and found the matching puffin card. I absolutely love these connections!

 

After enjoying the bird matching game, I decided to get out our very simple picture book About Birds (pictured above and below). Each page has very little text, but the illustrations are beautiful and each bird is identified. Several of the bird cards match up, so we had to get them out to compare.

At the end of the book, the authors provide a few pages with additional details about each bird.

 

Now we are reading An Egg is Quiet (pictured below). This whole series by Dianna Hutts Aston is exquisite, and A Nest Is Noisy is another perfect bird-love companion. They are like taking a peek into an incredible nature journal, with watercolor illustrations and charming text.

Each page gives details about eggs (bird and other kinds): shapes, textures, patterns, and more.

On the very last page, we see a two-page spread of animals that come from eggs. It looks like we have more matching to do tomorrow!

I think Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World is up next for our wonder and delight.