Monthly Archives: June 2009

field day

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There are so many things to share and so little time to do so.  The computer has been at the shop but we have been on the road so much I honestly didn't miss it a bit.  Even now, I am erring on the side of living life versus writing about it.  Just sneaking in this moment to upload a peek at the field day the kids had at the close of their classes at church this week.  

Brendan (on left) surprised us by being a willing and able competitor.  He grasped the rules fairly well and didn't fall apart when he came in towards the end.  Then again, that may be due in part to his steadfast belief that he "won the championship" too.  Hard tellin' <g>

Here he and his buddy practice the three legged race.  And you know what?  They didn't fall down.  His friend is still sporting the balloon from the balloon stomp. 

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What the heck – one more for good measure.  I could have watched them all afternoon!
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He is bouncy too.  That wasn't news to those of us who live with him though. 

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Aidan (right) and his best pal the balloon stomp champ. : ) 

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And our Miss Moira. 

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Fun fun fun.  We are happy, tired, a wee bit sunburned, and back at it this weekend with Allen's birthday and Father's Day so I need to rush off.   

parting thoughts from the High Desert

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Susan will be closing her blog down soon.  If you have not printed pearls of wisdom you wish to remember from there now is the time to do so.  In one of her last posts Susan left us with some final comments about home education, education in general really.  She reiterates my own feelings about gentle yet responsible teaching.  A few highlights:


<<Read. Think. Do. But don't overdo.>>

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Enough said there. I love her emphasis on doing but not OVERdoing which is a great temptation in our day of co-op classes, unit studies, and ideology overload. Which things do we do?  She answers, 

"We did real things. We tried to avoid things that kept us from the real things, the good things, a true education."
 This bears consideration.  To flesh that out further I would warn against that which is contrived, make-work, or cumbersome in any way. Avoiding doing things out of guilt, as in, "Everyone else is…."  One homeschool mom confided the other day that she felt almost guilty because her days have been running so smoothly.  Instead of reveling in that harmony, she wonders if that means she ought to add more.  That is a feeling many of us have had.  We shouldn't.  We should be zealously guarding the margin in our lives. That is healthy.  That is necessary.  It is dangerous to be without one. 

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Susan balances the creative gentle learning with this:

"..we all took it seriously.  If one wants to create a learning lifestyle atmosphere, it takes a lot of work to do it.  If we are home educating, then education is not to be shrugged off."

It is tempting to lose ourselves in lovely visions of children teaching themselves calculus, painting watercolors, and keeping marvelously tidy rooms while we knit and catch up on all the classics we missed.  Reality is a bit messier.  Habit formation and the mastery of skills take a lot of deliberate effort. 

It is easy to get caught up in all the many things vying for our time and attention. Yes, we paint.  We make music.  We do many lovely things together. But we are deliberate as well. We are purposeful in our choices.  And we "work within the reality of our situations."  

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What Susan, as Art Robinson and Andrew Campbell and others (see sidebar right) are sure to choose daily are reading, writing, and math.  They are the big fish which should not be shrugged off. Beyond that most healthy active families will have countless opportunities to explore their worlds.  
<<Besides prayer, the three most powerful tools in a homeschooling parent's toolkit are:

1. Example
2. Example
3. Example

In other words, at the most basic level of all, do as Gandhi said, and "be the change you want to see in the world.">>


This is the advice I so often wish to tattoo on my forehead.  It is that simple in the end. Be what you wish them to be because they will be molded and formed in large part by the example you provide.  Elaborately coordinated curriculum cannot compensate for poor example. Better to have a little with peace than plenty with strife.  Do a few things well.  Be loving.  Be responsible. Never tell yourself that is not enough. It is everything. 


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Simple Woman’s Daybook June 2nd

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More Daybook entries at Peggy's

For Today…

Outside my window… rain. Glorious, always welcome rain which we see so little of most of the year. 

I am thinking… about love.  Specifically I am thinking about the three kinds of love Fr. discussed on Sunday. He explained that there is eros, a self-seeking love.  Always taking.  There is filio, (or filios or whatever it was) a give and take, relationship based love.  Here you give your love and affection to family, friends, neighbors etc and you hope for a return on your investment by way of loyalty, companionship, gratitude, romance and so on. Then there is agape love.  As he so well described it, love with no hope of return. Not the desperate, unrequited love of tragic novels but rather truly selfless giving with no thought to "results".   


I would guess most functional Christian people move past the first.  Still,I suspect that many of us stall out at the second.  How often do we love with no hope of the same being returned to us?  How steadfast is our service or our prayers when we don't see 'progress'?  How readily do we "preserve ourselves in forgetfulness" (ie eyes on our own behavior ONLY) and give ourselves wholeheartedly and equally enthusiastically to both the warm and sweet and also to the cold and bitter?  Do we love the latter the way Christ did?

From the learning rooms… math and reading mostly as we move into summer schedules, piano practice 

I am thankful for… growing with my husband – growing up, growing closer, and yes growing older

From the kitchen… scrambled eggs, peaches, and natural sausage for breakfast.  Homemade turkey vegetable soup from the crockpot for lunch.  Dinner?  Hmmm.  Roast beef I think. 


I am wearing… jeans, rose colored Old Navy tee, brown clogs and socks, mother of pearl drop earrings. And a rain coat. : )  Heading to the barn momentarily to meet the farrier. 

I am reading… Anne (The Life of Ven. Anne de Guigne)  It isn't often a biography of a child grabs hold of me like this book has.  This girl missed no opportunity to give to God without reserve and without grumbling in her short life. It shames me to think of of many such opportunities I have wasted. Today is a new day however right? 

I am hoping… to waste no more.  Also, hoping beyond hope that the puppy (and the two year old for that matter ; )) are someday potty trained. 

I am creating… more summer skirts.  A new cross stitch project.  Although cross stitch is now universally declared 'not cool' I decided I don't give a flying fig about that. The colors come together so richly and the learning curve is next to nil.  Moreover I want to weave my faith into all I do.  There is a plethora of truly lovely cross stitch patterns available.  Sadly most of the "cool" crafting projects cannot boast the same. 


I am praying… for a friend's intention, safe travel for my husband, for holiness. 

Around the house…  We have  finished the first Clean Heart, Clean Home task – the vehicle. Took a LONG time!  Who knew we ate so much trail mix…..   In other news, we spent all afternoon yesterday cleaning the barn, weeding around the house, and sinking railroad ties as borders.  I am very pleased both with the end result and with how earnestly and willingly the children participated.  Go Kids!  A sorry metal shed has been torn down finally. We are making final plans for the first leg of a major remodel job. 


One of my favorite things… walking in the rain.

A few plans for the rest of the week…  piano recital

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you…

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the falls

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We had been planning on heading to the falls for weeks only to wake up to a steady drizzle that morning.  DSC_0053   We didn't let a little rain stop us though it did stop my heart a couple times on the canyon road. 

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We did most of the sight-seeing from the car windows but ventured out with umbrellas here and there. 
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I told Allen the next time we do that drive we are going the other direction so HE gets the view below.  Whooey. Colorado  has this inexplicable aversion to guard rails. Tell me I am not the only woman who slams on non-existent brakes from the passenger seat…. Yeah, that has to be annoying I am sure.  Involuntary however!
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