Lovey-land has a detailed tutorial here.
I’m a Guinness ; )
I knew it. What else would an Irish mom to many be? Actually this isn't the result of an internet quiz. It was a note slipped to me by a grateful child on our trip last week telling me I was a 'genius' – hence the doodle-y lightbulbs.
I do my best <g>
Simple Woman’s Daybook
More Daybook entries at Peggy's
FOR TODAY…October 26th
Outside my window… sunny and cold, which I have decided is much nicer than cloudy/rainy and cold. I forgot about fall in the midwest.
I am thinking… that somewhere along the line "home" stopped being where I grew up and became where I live.
I am thankful for… my husband who says just the right things, video recording so I didn't miss piano festival, kids who rally together as a team, memories.
I am wearing… a-line denim skirt, pink floral 3/4 length sleeve blouse, burgundy leather mary janes.
I am hearing… kids preparing for lunch and planning a football break, the baby's tap-tapping as she crawls with a toy in one hand, piano practice. This past week we have listened to everything from Ella Fitzgerald to Guns and Roses to Marie Bellet as we trekked across the country.
I am remembering… Gramma. Oh I am remembering. I have done little more than remember. Warm pie, sleeping in the summer porch, racing over country hills so your stomach leaps a bit and roaring when it does, knitting needles clicking, Saltine crackers with margarine. I miss you. I wasn't ready.
I am going… to catch up around the house and prepare for All Saints Day
I am reading… Nothing but snippets of magazines this past week. I want to track down this book after being fascinated by an excerpt I saw. Photo-journalism rocks.
From the learning rooms… doing our best to stay on track.
I am creating…. a special project with Colin's help. Thank you!
Pondering these words… "Kim Marie, YES you can!"
…last words from Gram. Pondered amid much internal protest right now. I am taking it on faith.
From the kitchen… lots of hamburgers and easy food this past week. Sitting down to make a shopping list. It will include fancy birthday cake for Aidan. Oh and cheese curds. You don't leave Wisconsin without cheese curds for your husband. It would just be wrong. <g>
Around the house… The kids who stayed home were well cared for while I was gone. That's all I'm gonna say LOL.
One of my favorite things. Baby Abbie who bounces high on her knees and tries to stretch upright. Very soon baby girl, very soon
From my picture journal…
"…in every moment there's a
reason to carry on." Kenny Loggins
light and rest
I want to thank those who have sent words of comfort these past couple weeks. My grandmother died at hospice last night. By all accounts it was peaceful at the end, as we prayed it would be. It will be quiet here for the next week or so while some of the children and I go back to say goodbye.
"Lord, have mercy,
Jesus blest,
grant them all Your Light and Rest.
Amen."
from Dies Irae
Ask the Dad
A woman posed a question to me yesterday which got me thinking. She wanted to know my stance on textbook learning. I answered her question in comments (which apparently disallows paragraph formatting – yikes!) but felt another word was in order. So here goes.
Do I have a 'stance'? I guess so. The stance would be there are lots of ways to succeed and very often, maybe most often in my life anyway, it ends up being the way we had scarcely considered. In my life, when I am seeking success in a given area my first instinct has been to seek out advice from those I admire. I say that, but that translates into, "I seek out the advice of those I envy," or "I seek to emulate those who appear to have it all together," or any number of other motives which may or more likely may not bring me closer to success. Those giants I sought tended to dwell on the internet or in print which makes for a few major problems.
First, since they don't live next door they don't know me. They don't know my kids. Their well-intended advice may be completely inappropriate for our family in these circumstances.
Second, the reverse holds true. Because they are not next door I have no idea how much of the life they portray is accurate and honest. I don't know what their home looks like, how their children behave, what success they enjoy. I can't ascertain whether their methods are contributing to or jeopardizing peace and balance. The hard truth is, many times we don't see the whole picture and it is unwise to base major life decisions on such a foundation.
Most importantly however, they are not the ones God put in charge of this family. My family. They were not given a vision for these children. As impressive as their vision may be, I have no guarantee that it at all matches up to that which God intended for this bunch. There is one person who does however. Their daddy.
Over the yrs I immersed myself in homeschool books, internet gurus, and pretty much every other possible source of information one could lay hands upon. I was well-versed in methodology and could tsk and sigh with the best of them at the poor folks who didn't know any better than to have "school at home" or who I assumed thought "inside the box." Those of us who struggled with housework or fatigue were assured that burnout was normal and expectations had to be lowered. I convinced myself that my husband had delegated education to me and that I had his blanket approval for pretty much whatever I planned. Surely he appreciated all my research and deferred to me in this area right? All this combined to keep me strolling along with the status quo for a lot of years.
Lorrie Flem's Teach mailing shared advice to bring Dad into the homeschool. Not by making him teach classes after work or whatnot but by truly basing our schools on HIS vision for his kids. She insisted that if you ask, reeeeally ask sincerely, that you may be surprised to discover that yes, he has opinions. He may have strong opinions which he has opted not to share in light of your apparent expertise. She also warned that you should prepare your homeschool to be shaken up if you ask such questions and intend to act upon them.
I did that. She was right. : ) Friends of mine did the same. We discovered that despite all the convincing articles to the contrary, our husbands did want our kids to take tests and study and memorize. They wanted them to be well-read for sure, but they also wanted them to possess skills necessary to succeed in traditional school settings. They supported our lifestyle but they did not want our academic choices to dictate and define all of our life together.
We adjusted. We tried new things. More accurately, we tried some OLD things that we were told would never work. They worked. And I would never have had this experience if my head was stuck in the screen instead of here in my family.
My 'stance' is that my stance is irrelevant. It really doesn't matter a bit in your family. You don't know me and my opinion isn't worth beans to you. If you are married and have children there is one person who does have an opinion – their Daddy. Ask him. Sincerely ask him and vow not to roll your eyes (even interiorly) at what he may tell you. Step out in faith if need be and be willing to follow his lead. Realize that if you have been out in front of this parade for any length of time he may not appear interested in leading it or may direct hesitantly. That's ok too. Your heavenly father and your children's earthly father can and will work it all out and get your family on a good steady path if you let them.
It can be scary to let go of all the 'truths' you have clutched tightly. But you come out in a good place. There is a Christian song which always makes me smile because it describes so well the journey I have been on:
"I’m letting go
Of the life I planned for me
And my dreams
Losing control
Of my destiny
Feels like I’m falling and that’s what it’s like to believe
So I’m letting go
This is a giant leap of faith
Trusting and trying to embrace
The fear of the unknown
Beyond my comfort zone
Giving in to your gravity
Knowing You are holding me
I’m not afraid
Feels like I’m falling and that’s what it’s like to believe
Feels like I’m falling and this is the life for me"
-Francesca Battistelli
Simple Woman’s Daybook
More Daybook entries at Peggy's
FOR TODAY…October 12th
Outside my window… bright sun spilling over snow-dusted fields. Cold.
I am thinking… that sometimes less is also more with words
I am thankful for… a three day weekend. The nice Fed Ex man who just happened to be called into work last night when I had slid off the road in the middle of just about nowhere with no cell coverage and just happened to have a brand new-still-in-the-package tow cable in his car. thankyouthankyouthankyou (note to self: never go wandering around the prairie to take pics without telling your husband which direction you are headed. Very scary.)
I am wearing… pink 3/4 sleeve striped blouse, jeans, brown clogs, diamond stud earrings
(fake ; ))
I am remembering… how much I love music. I have no ipod or whatnot and it sorta slipped out of my life til the boys and I began assembling a playlist on Pandora.
I am going… to begin a major fall cleaning project. Fall decor isnt really happening. Going to aim for being really ready for Advent.
I am reading…Teri Maxwell Mom's Corner articles, particularly this one on textbook learning. I have reread it a couple times this week nodding in agreement. (note this disclaimer which applies here too:
"It is not our desire to put down other homeschooling methods, but to see families successful"
I am hoping… God makes a way for a big family intention which we can't quite figure out
On my mind… foul language. We have watched several movies this weekend that would otherwise have been outstanding. The crude language is off putting however and makes me sad that this is so pervasive.
From the learning rooms… Confirmation prep, polishing piano festival pieces and binder page updating for Brendan. Dh and the boys learning to make cord rosaries for their guy club meeting.
Noticing that… our girls speak much sooner and much more articulately than our little boys.
Pondering these words… "We were also told that our children would be bored with textbooks, and that they would dislike learning if we used texts. We were encouraged to try out other methods of homeschooling—ones that would entice our children to learn, be more fun, and be more exciting…
(the children) had become accustomed to learning only if Mom made it entertaining, exciting, appealing, and enticing. The reality of that type of homeschooling is that it is quite exhausting for Mom. You would think children would be sad about leaving that fun style of homeschooling. However, after one year of using textbooks, these children themselves didn't want to return to their old method. They were happy with the change and have requested to continue homeschooling as they have been the past year." – Teri Maxwell
…what she said. Someone should have told me how much fun we would be having, how proud the kids would be, and how darned much we would accomplish. Maybe someone did. Maybe those voices were so scorned and discredited I ignored them. Who knows. Semi-homemade is plenty good enough here these days. There is room for lots of real life. Which is good. There certainly is lots of it in a family of 12! : )
From the kitchen… coffee for a husband who is home today. Groceries the big kids are bringing home. Gluten free baking. Abbie likes gf muffins and bananas and learned to take tylenol off a spoon last week versus spitting it with gusto raspberry style. Progress <g>
Around the house… bit of catch up since the kids were sick last week. Kitchen cabinets to be fixed with dh. Moved bedrooms around last week. Need more clothes storage.
One of my favorite things~ photoshop. Even more favorite thing – learning something new and 'getting' it.
From my picture journal…
Seven Quick Takes
1.) Snow. Who's idea was this? It is October. Hello?
No last fall camping trip this weekend. Which is ok because….
2.) Fevers. Several of them. Fortunately most everyone (who has had one) has had one bad day and then it's much better.
3.) Cake! Yes, still. The level one course was a rousing success and the girls have begun the second course. Alannah came home from the first level two course all smiles. The instructor was sure she had previous experience. We have been telling her she has a knack with food. Somehow the instructor telling her same made an impact.
4.) Boys to Men. Allen and the boys kicked off their first 'guy thing' group outing with the church men. They hiked Seven Bridges and had lunch at the top. Big hit.
5.) Mars and Venus? Or… it sounded better than calling this one "Elk Chili in the Crockpot." Allen had two potluck luncheons this week. He suggested we have a date night in the kitchen and we made up a vat of chili together. Way fun. In our 28 years together I am not sure we have ever cooked as a couple. Not indoors anyway. We are going to try this again. Jambalaya on the menu.
6.) Picture, picture. There have been a lot of them lately. Working on the images from a senior portrait shoot this week. Fun, fun, FUN I tell you! Having the time of my life with this and the kids have been so much help. Little kids lugging tripods to big kids emailing encouragement and ideas. I love my life. I love these kids. : )
7.) As a result of all of the above there has been next to no blogging of late. No Bloglines. We are working on school assignments together, preparing for piano festival, preparing for confirmation, and having a blast. I hope you are too!
(…taken before the snow. Did I mention it snowed??)
Making the most of coloring pages
Coloring pages figure rather prominently in our homeschool. Admitting this to other homeschoolers is akin to announcing that xbox or Pokemon figures prominently into your homeschool. ; ) I mean, really, you color? And that is supposed to be art? Well, in a word, yes. Here is how we make it so.
First, there are so many incredible sources for coloring pages today, both in print and online. Beautiful, realistic images and line drawings of famous works of art abound. There are portraits of almost any famous person you might study. If you can't find what you need, there are tutorials for turning any image into a coloring page by using your photo software.
Coloring pages are virtually free and require next to no prep on the teacher/mom's part. Crayons and pencils are not messy to use, clean up after, or store. Yes, that is a big sell point for me. When you have upwards of ten people in the house at any given time, including a nursing baby and teenagers driving in and out, messy art can be daunting and requires preplanning and a good chunk of time. Not saying you shouldn't do messy things. Just acknowledging that under these circumstances, you can do a whole lot more art if its less stressful for you.
Consider the paper you are using to print your pages. Copy paper is fine for scribbling but it is a poor medium for art projects. Card stock is much better and still cheap. For older students it is even better yet to experiment with different drawing papers. If you have a paper trimmer you can have the child trim a pad of drawing weight paper to fit your printer.
What are you coloring with? I admit we use Crayola for most of our crayon work. I still have a little person who snaps crayons in half periodically or drops them on the ground. However Waldorf suppliers have lovely crayons that blend well. Regular crayons (just avoid generic and thrift store crayons) can make fantastic pictures however. This tutorial gives some good pointers for making realistic crayon illustrations.
Layer. Use a light hand. Add shadows versus laying down flat planes of color. If you make the outsides of your shapes a bit darker it will add depth. Reviewing 3D techniques like those found in The Drawing Textbook will help shading line drawings more realistically. Encourage them to use the entire page and not just the center image. Color in the background. The background does not need to be one color either. Start with a blue on one side for instance, and move into greens and then yellows as you move across the page.
Berol Prismacolor pencils are outstanding for colored pencil work. A blender tool will astound you. It makes the illustration look much more professional. Learning basic techniques like cross hatch etc will help add texture to the finished product.
If you print your coloring page unto watercolor paper you have even more options. You can first color the page with watercolor pencils, then gently blend them with a wet paintbrush. Or you can wet the paper first and then use the pencils. Just be sure your printer ink doesn't run or you will have a mess.
Moira got a large set of high quality markers for Christmas. She has used them to create vivid pages. They work really well to color over prints like these. or these.
Printing onto vellum or parchment paper will give the effect of the stained glass window coloring pages Dover produces. Vellum is not cheap however so it should be used by a responsible student. We are going to pick some up for an idea we had this week. Many of the large votive candles available in the grocery store come with no labels. We are thinking of reducing and printing sacred images unto vellum and then wrapping the glass candles with that so the light will shine through the translucent homemade labels.
So please, don't feel guilty about coloring. You can teach color theory, shading, art appreciation, and keep your wits about you. Of course you will bring out the paint and clay at other times. But when you can't, you can still make beautiful pictures together.
More resources:
Rod and Staff Artpacs are dirt cheap and help teach coloring as an art in itself
Charlottes liturgical year coloring pages are so lovely
brotherly love
Simple Woman’s Daybook
More Daybook entries at Peggy's
For Today…
Outside my window… It is very early morning. The sun rose red and flaming over the eastern horizon.
I am thinking… about my grandmother, about dying, about living, about goodbyes, and about being brave when one does not feel the least bit that. My beloved Gram, a constant devoted support of mine all my life, entered hospice last week and was not expected to survive the week. She has double pneumonia and is in heart failure and no more intervention is going to happen. So now we wait. My heart leaps to my throat whenever the phone rings. It will not be long but hopefully long enough for my heart to make some sort of peace with it.
I am hearing… laughing boys eating pancakes and Michael Prince of All the Angels. I loved it when the choir sang it so I am printing and going over the midi files for us to work on during morning time this week.
From the learning rooms… Steady onward. It is never too late to teach an old dog new tricks it seems. All these years I have never used a spelling program. I bought into the assertions that there was no merit to copy and drill work. Then I had a dyslexic child. Guess what? I have a dyslexic child learning to spell and spell well. How? Very simple drill and testing. She now is remembering and using words like 'requisite'. Thank you God.
Some highlights:
Drawing IA – This is a Donna Young freebie, at once straightforward and yet challenging. Increases powers of observation and disciplines hand and eye.
Aidan remembered Ed Emberly had a farm page which he thought would be perfect for his geography notebook entry on farmland regions.
I am thankful for… adult children. This month has given us a glimpse at our future with grown children and it has been blessing untold. Husband and son have been coordinating my trip and son assures over and over that he will take care of everything. And thus far, he truly has. Thank you Zach. I love you!
From the kitchen… elk. We were gifted with a ton of elk from a guy Allen works with. We had the first of it in spaghetti sauce last night. Alannah is hoping to master the Wilton rose before we celebrate St Therese this weekend.
I am wearing… a long (knee length) black wrap sweater and black tank top under. Right now black floral print pajama pants. Can't think what will follow. Something else probably should before I head to town eh? ; )
I am reading… The Little Flowers of St Francis – again. I first read his famous Perfect Joy excerpt many years ago. Try as I may, I have struggled over the years to really fathom how one could find joy in having everything go against our wishes. Then life happened, and more and more of my wishes fell by the wayside. And somehow, I am coming to see maybe maybe there may come a day when I can say,
"..if we endure all those insults and cruel rebuffs patiently, without being troubled and without complaining, and if we reflect humbly and charitably that that porter really knows us and that God makes him speak against us, oh, Brother Leo, write that perfect joy is there!"
So, yeah. Not there yet though. Not right off the bat at least. Darn it.
Alannah began Stepping Heavenward. Aidan is reading Flame in the Night.
I am hoping… to be able to say goodbye with some measure of grace.
I am creating… not much, tangibly, given the circumstances. We have this coloring page for St Michael and will be making angel crafts this week if we are home. A Christmas Ideas magazine sits in the kitchen filling my head with visions of cobalt blue. Yes, blue! Go check the magazine stands.
I am praying… for grace, for Gram's happy death, for safe travel. For a cousin of a friend, also in his last days. And since this morning, for Christopher Klicka – counsel for HSLDA. Mr. Clicka who wrote about "the importance of dying to ourselves and being committed to the training of our children" is in critical condition himself now. it's been a sad time. Around the house… Spent Saturday morning sorting all the piles that had been growing in the kitchen. All my school things are in a cabinet now. Annual school paperwork is filed. The counter is clear of non-kitchen stuff. Ok, it is clear except for a smaaaall pile of books. I can't seem to be too far from my books.
One of my favorite things… a baby who found her "outside voice" and can "dance" by bouncing up and down
A few plans for the rest of the week… there are no firm plans as yet. If we hear from family we will travel back to WI for the funeral.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you… I am certain God is trying to tell me something since there were two of these this past week. The second was so magnificent Allen called me on the way to work and to say, "Go look out the back window!"
He maketh the storm a calm…. Ps 107:29
