Where We Are Going

I made the decision to use Oak Meadow this fall.  We will use the 4th grade syllabus.  Per public school guidelines J-Baby would be entering 4th grade this fall, and T-Guy would be starting 5th.  According to Waldorf guidelines J-Baby would be starting 3rd grade, and T-Guy would have been in a grey area where it could have been 4th or 5th grade depending on whether we had chose to start 1st grade at age 6 years 7 months or 7 years 7 months.  OM 4 will be a good place to meet in the middle, and we can always add more challenging reading for T-Guy. Even if a family chooses to use a curriculum there is no reason to think they are stuck in the box.

I had been torn between Christopherus 4th grade and Oak Meadow.  One deciding factor was that a few friends will also be using Oak Meadow 4 this fall, which gives is the opportunity to work together for projects.  We are really excited about this!  I am uncertain as to whether we will create a formal co-op or if we will keep it loose, but either way I am sure the children will enjoy working together.

(I was also disappointed with the number of typographical errors in the Christopherus Old Testament Stories booklet.  It is more and more common; I think companies need to realize that spell check doesn't replace copy editing.)

I was able to purchase the syllabus and teacher's guide used (in great condition from 2008) and purchased the math book directly from OM during the May 10% off sale.  We'll be looking for the readers at used book stores all summer and then I will place an Amazon order to fill in anything we don't find used.

Here is the general outline:

Language Arts:  We will expand our study of grammar and the parts of speech.  We will introduce writing at a more formal level including sentence and paragraph formation. Journalling will become a daily activity.  We will write poetry and short stories.  In addition to use OM 4 we might use the Storyboard from Lively Lessons.  We'll also do spelling in a more formal manner this year, using the OM lists.

The boys need more handwriting practice ~ we're not even remotely ready to start cursive. After trying several programs I found that a simple penmanship book (ours are from Paper Scissors Stone) works best for us.  I now simply show the boys how I write.

Oak Meadow leaves out the Norse mythology that is traditional to the Waldorf grade 4 year; we'll definitely put it back in in terms of reading, possibly replacing one or two of the assigned readers that my boys know inside out and backwards.  My boy have been interested in mythology for years and we have explored myths from a variety of cultures.

History/Social Studies:  OM 4 covers Native American history, Colonial history and the westward expansion, and state geography.  These are all subjects we have begun in the past few months, so I think it will work well for us.  We will continue to supplement history; Papa tackles history and science subjects in the evenings and on weekends and many of our family "field trips" fall under these subjects.

Science:  OM 4 covers nutrition, cells, and astronomy, plus longitude and latitude.  It sounds like a fun year.  I'm sure our own science studies will take us all over the place but that always works out well for us when we do cover a subject formally.  I definitely see the science topics being a great area to work as a group.

Mathematics:  We'll start out with a thorough review and more work in regrouping.  Grade 4 math is so much fun ~ fractions!  We also work with geometric patterns, rounding and estimating, math games, and more.  This sounds a lot like what I did in 4th grade (but I took math with the 6th graders).  This will be our first year using a full math program since we did 1st grade; for the past couple of years we've done a lot of real life math, game playing, mental math, and math exploration.

Fine Arts/Music:  OM works fine arts right into the curriculum, with drawing, painting, and modeling taking an integral role.  This year we work on dimension and perspective in our drawings.  Art appreciation is also part of the program.  OM teaches recorder; I'm not sure we'll do that.  T-Guy will continue learning the guitar and J-Baby has expressed an interest in learning to play the drums.  As always, we'll continue to sing.

Physical Education:  We're on our own for P.E., but we have never had a problem staying active or learning about various sports.  Mountain biking will continue, and we will look for a basketball program if the one at our community center is discontinued.  We walk daily and hike once a week.  The boys have expressed an interest in strength training and will be learning about calisthenics.  They are too young for weights but can learn to use their own body weight in developing strength (push ups, pull ups, etc.).  At home we play basketball and baseball and the boys are learning the rules for both.

Health:  The state of California requires that we teach health, something I think most parents do whether or not they homeschool.  We'll put most of our focus this year into nutrition, tying in with OM 4 science.

I need to find a planner I like; I might wait until the free Lakershore Learning planner is available, although I am itching to plan now (and have it out of the way so I can relax and enjoy summer).  I don't need anything fancy, however, and it may work best to incorporate our planning right into our family calendar.  I have a familytime.mine planner that only sees light use and I think it might work.  I am loving the new button cover available on the 2009-2010 planner.

I put in an art supply order with Dick Blick.  We're going to do things a little differently this year, including using loose drawing paper and putting it into binders rather than using main lesson books.  I'm not a Waldorf purist and we have to many half-used main lesson books cluttering up our bookshelves.  I just have to admit that I am not the type to bind everything into one year-end book (Enki style), and I hate the clutter of lots of little books.  I ordered the huge set of Prismacolor pencils and a lovely set of 48 Lyra Aquacolor crayons.

Reviewing the Year

We are bringing our "school year" to a close tomorrow.  I know I have generally been against the idea of learning having a time to start and stop, but I can't deny the pull that summer has over me each year.  Even in this hot place, where some of our friends school throughout the summer just because it is so miserable outside, I still think of summer as a time of relaxation and renewal.

This has been a life learning, or natural schooling, year for us, broken up at times with focused lessons and attempts to get into rhythm.  We are moving in a different direction next year and plan to have much more focused learning.  Life learning is a wonderful model and I think I would have loved to have grown up learning in an unstructured, natural schooling manner, but my boys need something different.  That's okay with me.

I thought I would take some time to look at what we did do this year, in order to see where we will go next fall.

History/Social Studies:  We listened to and discussed The Story of the World Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.  We read When the World Was Rome as well as A History of US: The First Americans (Prehistory - 1600). Currently we are listening to The Story of the World Vol. 3 and we are reading A History of US: Making Thirteen Colonies (1600 - 1740).  We've started watching the PBS American Experience Series We Shall Remain and will continue with that through the summer.  We studied several old testament bible stories.  We really enjoy history and have approached it as a story with many fascinating events rather than as a list of dates, places, and names to remember.  The boys also increased their knowledge of United States, Canadian, and World geography.

Reading:  T-Guy continued with his voracious appetite for reading, especially fantasy series. He read the Harry Potter series, the Eragon series, the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series, and many, many more.  He easily reads several books each week.  J-Baby is less interested in fiction and more interested in books that tell him something.  He did get interested in the Magic Treehouse books this year, as well as comic books.  One book he loved was The Pocket Guide to Boy Stuff.  He also loves to pore over several Smithsonian/DK Adult books we have including Universe and Animal.  J-Baby has fluid read-aloud skills.

Language Arts:  We didn't use a formal LA program this year.  The boys have used inventive spelling when they want to write and I have seen their spelling improve as they read more.  We did some work in spelling workbooks.  We talked about parts of speech and the boys used Mad Libs to practice.  Much grammar instruction this year has been gentle corrections of oral grammatical mistakes.  The boys spend time listening to audio books daily and have increased their knowledge of fiction classics as well as newer children's fiction.  Both boys have increased their written and oral comprehension as well as their summarization skills.

Science:  Science comes pretty naturally to us as a family.  We spend a lot of time in nature and we also view the world through a scientific lens.  The boys learned a lot about electricity by learning to operate model trains at the railroad museum.  We also worked with various kits they received or bought throughout the year; they built a solar car, studied physics, and worked with light and electricity.  Currently J-Baby is tumbling rocks.  I coordinated a nature co-op this year and we worked with two books, I Love Dirt and Sow and Grow.  We enjoyed star-gazing, observing weather, talking about animals, and identifying plants as well as hiking in nature, visiting zoos and gardens, and doing monthly growing activities.  As a family we visited the Da Vinci Experience at the San Diego Air and Space Museum, and we also visited the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and San Diego Zoo several times, as well as the San Bernardino County Museum.  This year we brought in the PBS series NOVA and we all learned about subjects we might not have naturally pursued.

Math:  Our biggest goal this past year was learning the multiplication tables.  We used Timez Attack which was particularly successful for J-Baby.  One natural learning area for math has been following sports; T-Guy is very good at understanding averages in baseball, and he also follows basketball.  We formally introduced addition and subtraction with regrouping.  It is difficult to quantify all the math knowledge the boys picked up this year, as it is so tied in with living, but I feel satisfied that they both increased their knowledge of a variety of math concepts and are ready for more focused study.

Foreign Language:  Because we live in an area where Spanish is frequently spoken we have the opportunity to discuss Spanish words often.  The boys have learned to count to 10; to say hello, goodbye, please, and thank you; have learned some color words; and recognize the many written words around them that come from Spanish.  As is true with children acquiring English as their first language, the boys have better receptive skills in Spanish than they do expressive skills, and they take many directions in Spanish (come here, hurry up, stay with me, etc.).

Health:  We spent many hours this year talking about food and nutrition, basic personal hygiene, the role of exercise in health, germs, and much more.

Fine Arts:  This year we saw a separation of interests, as T-Guy began learning the guitar and J-Baby took a deeper interest in drawing, painting, and modeling.  Both boys draw on a regular basis.  We sing together as a family and work with rhythm instruments.  We've explored handwork such as knitting and weaving.  T-Guy had the opportunity to attend the symphony, and both boys attended various dance, theater, and musical performances.

Physical Education:  The boys continue to mountain bike and improve their biking skills. They participated in a semi-competitive basketball league.  We walk and hike often.  They are learning skills and rules pertaining to basketball and baseball.

Those are just the seven branches of study (+ foreign language) that the California Education Code requires us to offer instruction in.  The reality is that we are learning about so many things all of the time, whether guided or not.  J-Baby learned some basic cooking skills this year which would also encompass math and health.  Both boys have been involved in caring for our dogs.  I couldn't possibly list everything we have done and where it fits into the picture.

I feel satisfied that we had a very successful year and am looking forward to 4th grade in the fall!

Right on Schedule

I said the first week would be easy, didn't I?  And that it would be hard after that?  Yep, it's officially hard now.

The Old Testament stories are falling flat.  We're sticking with it, because really, everyone in Western culture needs to know these stories.  But the boys aren't connecting with them, despite having enjoyed hearing just about every creation myth they've encountered so far.  I am extremely tempted to just read the stories, and not work them, and then work Shakespeare instead.  Not Waldorf, I know, but I'm not a purist.  We have a Shakespeare festival this month.

The boys got tired of recording the weather by the fourth day.  We live in So Cal ~ T-Guy suggested that we just draw a picture of the sun and write HOT for everyday, in advance.  Technically, I think today has only been WARM (mid 80s). We probably just need a better rhythm for recording the weather; we want to wait until afternoon.

It hasn't been all failure; our rhythm is going very well.  After a week of setting the alarm and making myself get up each morning I found myself awake and ready to get out of bed 10 minutes before the alarm was set to go off this morning. Our mornings are much smoother and it is carrying through the day.  The weekly rhythm is also falling into place.  The boys want to work ~ they just don't love the OT stories.

I said I wasn't going to give up and go back to unschooling, and I'm not.  But I am starting to question the decision to purchase Christopherus 4th grade.  I'm wondering if we would be happier with Oak Meadow (even less Waldorf, I know, but it has some structure).  I do want something with a lot of the planning done for us.  Oh well, I have time to think about all of it and to read some reviews.  At this point Christopherus is still the front runner.

We Have a Plan!

The members at the Waldorf at Home message forum are so helpful, and Donna Simmons of Christopherus Homeschool Resources/Waldorf at Home also takes the time to thoroughly answer questions.  I posted a few questions about choosing a grade and how to approach having missed a grade and now we have a plan for our homeschooling.

I am finally giving up unschooling.  I am sure it works well for many families and as a method of learning it has worked in mine, but we need more rhythm.  Some days I feel like a person whose heart beats erratically and who can't even breathe in rhythm.  I'm wasting time and my boys grow so quickly that I am seeing that very soon their time with me will be over.

I am making a commitment to focused lessons and a mindful rhythm.  I know that it is going to be hard at first, but that we will settle in and it will become second nature.  Well, it will actually be easy for the first week, and hard after that, because that is how it works around here.  I am not going to give up or tell myself that we are truly unschoolers in order to get around the discomfort that comes with having to discipline ourselves.  I *know* that we love being in rhythm and the hard part is getting there.

In many ways it is hard to give up our identity as unschoolers.  I have to stop worrying about what my friends do or what people will think of us and do what I think is best for my family.

Whenever we have done focused learning we've struggled with grade placement in terms of the Waldorf/Enki story curriculum.  Having J-Baby work ahead in the story curriculum generally fails even though his skills work is advanced.  Once again, I am going to stop worrying what other people think and I am going to use a 4th grade curriculum with the boys even though T-Guy would technically be in 5th grade this fall.

We are also simplifying things.  I am planning for us to take our break all summer, following the schedule that most of our charter-school homeschooling friends follow.  I'm giving up the January start and also the year-round 3 weeks on, 1 week off structure that we have used in the past.  My boys are older now and matching the schedule of their peers makes planning play dates and fun outings easier and helps the boys feel that their schooling isn't that far out there. Most of all, it returns us to the idea of having a solid break, of starting and finishing a grade.  I think that is something that shouldn't be underestimated.

So, the plan.  We'll spend May doing an Old Testament main lesson.  We're going to plant and tend a Three Sisters garden, and we'll do some weather observation.  Then we'll take a nice, long break, ending May 29th and returning to lessons 8/24.  That is when we will start 4th grade, using the Christopherus 4th Grade Curriculum.  We used Christopherus materials for 1st grade and also sprinkled in over the past several years, and I think it will be a good fit.  I already have the 4th Grade mathematics book and it looks really good.

I can absolutely feel my body relaxing into a huge sigh; it all makes sense and the planning isn't going to be overwhelming.  I'm looking forward to being a more active teacher/guide for my boys and to spending quality time learning together.

Fall off the Horse, Get Back Up

I had a lovely birthday weekend.  It started with breakfast at our favorite cafe followed by an hour of antique browsing.  We lunched at home (well, the boys did ~ Papa and I were still full from breakfast) and made our way to an out-of-the-way bakery to buy gluten-free cake for J-Baby.  Then Papa drove me to the outlets and I bought myself a smashingly gorgeous handbag. The picture doesn't do the color justice; it is a beautiful rose color.  Later we went for dinner with my dad and had a nice visit.

Sunday my mother-in-law met us at the train museum for a day of railroad fun.  We road the trolley, had a cab ride in the diesel locomotive, and rode the steam train into town to see the newly restored depot.

So Monday came, and I fell off the horse.  I woke up late, spent too much time on the computer, and didn't do the daily chores.  I made it out of the house for my massage, but came home and spent too much time on the computer again.  I even used the computer after our evening walk, which I don't usually do.

Today hasn't been much better.  I can't say that I've done much of anything other than keep the laundry going, bathe myself, and wait for the veterinarian to call.

That, I think, was the crux of my non-motivation: my Girl Dog is ill, and I had to wait until today to talk to the vet.  We don't know conclusively what is wrong, and finding out is both prohibitively expensive and not likely to change the outcome.  I was distracting myself with the computer because I was dreading the conversation with the vet, the one where I had to say that I don't have thousands of dollars to spend on diagnostic tests and exploratory surgeries for a dog who is nearly 12 years old.  My job is to love her and to spare her pain, not to pursue medical science in order to prolong her life so that I can still have her here.  For now she is happy.  The vet agreed to try a drug trial for a few weeks and see if we can improve her symptoms based on a suspicion, but not certainty, of bladder tumors.

Now it is time to get back on the horse, to tidy our environment, eat good food, bask in the sunshine, and spend time in community with others.  I need to find the deep pulse of rhythm and fall in with it.

You Can't Have One Without the Other ...

What does a mom who has decided to spend the week observing the natural rhythm in her home do with her time?  Rearrange the furniture Work toward a creating a more harmonious environment, of course.

Monday I changed the living room around.  It had been at least 11 months since I did that last. The previous arrangement was nice, with a good conversation grouping, but it wasn't as cozy as I thought it could be, and I decided that I didn't love sitting with my back to the door.  Also, we were using the ottoman as a seating piece, which meant I didn't have a place to rest my weary feet while knitting or reading.

So the couch is on the opposite wall (again), my chair and ottoman are tucked into the corner near the fireplace, I brought in the rocking chair, and a charming homemade piece (part bookcase, part credenza) was moved from the dining room to anchor the main wall.  I didn't move the piano; I'm smarter than that.

I'm still working out the details, and will post pictures once I am finished and I find the card reader.  I'm not happy with the artwork on one wall.  Also, the coffee table is beyond distressed and a little too big, so I'm looking for an alternative.

A huge plus?  After 6 years (of having bare windows) we have decided on window coverings. Well, not the actual linens yet, but the style and finish of pole and the method of hanging. Something airy and natural, at least for spring and summer.

Tuesday I spent too much time on the computer.  'Nuff said, but in my defense I did manage to plan and prepare all three meals at home.

Today I worked on the dining room, which I now have a clear (and lovely) view of with the new positioning of my chair (Do you have your own chair?  You really should.).  In honor of Earth Day I employed use-what-you-have decorating.  I took the leaf out of the dining room table; I think the table is better proportioned to the rug and the room in the smaller configuration, but last time I tried it Papa didn't love it.  It look so nice, though, that I think he will approve this time.  (And he did, at least provisionally.)

Temporarily I put on the only small tablecloth I have, which has poinsettias on it.  They aren't noticeable from a distance and it will have to do for now.  I rarely find decent tablecloths at the thrift, much less oval tablecloths, so perhaps I will get around to making a cloth.  The whole room could use some lightening up.

My goal is to create a "formal" dining room that we will actually feel comfortable using as a family of 4.  We have a lovely breakfast nook and almost always take our meals in there, which leaves the dining room as a museum, something I really don't want.  I already took it down a notch by packing up my china and using the china cabinet for fabric; I have a treadle sewing machine in there and a few other vintage machines as well.  I think a lot of dining rooms serve double duty as sewing rooms.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring, as I work my way back through the house.

Join Me As I Work On Returning to Rhythm

I wrote about finding rhythm because once again I feel that the boys and I are drifting and I need to work on getting back to it.  This week I intend to do several things to help us get back to a creative and nourishing rhythm.

I have learned that setting a strict rhythm and attempting to dive in rarely has long term success. So what I try to do is identify a few things that I feel need tweaking, and I make those changes before moving on.  This week I have 3 goals:

1) Limit my computer time.  Our lives run so much more smoothly when I disconnect from the internet and connect with my family instead.  I used to not use a computer while my children were awake, and that worked exceedingly well.  They are older now, however, and don't sleep as much!  I can't save all of my computer tasks for the hours that they are sleeping, but I can make an active choice not to fritter my time away.  Whenever I feel that I need a break I eliminate any elective computer usage that isn't nourishing and inspiring.  Do you recall how people say to keep items that are only beautiful or truly useful?  This can apply to message boards and blogs as well.  When I need to pull back I severely restrict my time at one parenting message board and I stop reading almost all of the blogs that I like to follow.

2) Take a bath at night.  This is such a simple thing to do that makes our mornings so much smoother, and yet I put it off and end up with either a) a rushed morning or b) a lazy morning. Now there are days that I can really use a slow, lazy morning, but the reality is that it tends to create a rushed afternoon.  The evening bath not only makes for an easier morning, it is also more relaxing for me.

3) Prepare all of our meals at home, excepting date night on Friday (but I'll cook for the boys) and a birthday dinner out on Saturday, and perhaps a Sunday breakfast out at our favorite cafe. Odds are that Papa is going to want one take-out lunch from our favorite local taco stand, so I won't stand in the way of that either.  Often he can do that on a day that we have our nature co-op or a play date.

What do I plan to do with my time if I'm not on the computer?  Well, I'd love to think of myself sewing, knitting, felting, etc. in the mornings but my main focus will be to observe our natural rhythms more closely in order to determine what steps we should take next.  That means that I need to be available and not too deep into my own work.  We won't be doing formal lessons again until May, but that doesn't mean we won't be trying a few things in the afternoons.

So, tonight I managed that nice bath.  I know what we are eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner tomorrow.  I don't have any errands to run, just a bit of tidying and laundry to do ( as I do every weekday).  And now I must go to bed, to sleep, so that the day starts with a refreshed and inspired mama.

Creating Rhythm ~ Step One

Over and over again I hear people say that they want rhythm in their lives and the lives of their children, but they just don't know how to find it or maintain it.  Rhythm can be hard; some of it is already there, and some of it you have to create.  The first step, however, is observation.

Every family has some rhythm in place.  Some family members might have to leave for work at a certain time each day, which impacts sleeping, waking, and eating times.  There may be night owls or morning larks, or perhaps babies and toddlers who don't yet sleep through the night unassisted.

For me, the first step to finding our rhythm is to take the time to observe and record what is going on in our lives?  How am I sleeping?  What time are the boys waking in the morning? When do they exhibit signs of hunger, boredom, or tiredness?  All of these things change over time, which is why rhythm is dynamic.

In our home, Papa strives to leave for work around 8:00 a.m.  T-Guy is usually awake before Papa leaves and they eat breakfast together.  If J-Baby is awake he eats with them, if not he pours himself a bowl of organic maple buckwheat flakes with milk when he is ready to eat. Lately I have been sleeping until 8:30 or so; I have accepted my natural body rhythms and have chosen to co-exist with insomnia rather than medicate it.  This wasn't something I could choose when my boys were younger.  I do try to wake earlier, and my waking time varies throughout the month depending on when I was able to sleep.  In general, however, I don't make early morning plans.

There is a lot of harmony in our home in the mornings.  The energy is creative and peaceful. The boys enjoy reading and also connecting with each other and playing after the separation of sleep.  I start my kitchen tasks, tidy the house, and spend too much time on the computer (just being honest, as it is something I will be working on).  Some mornings I grab my handwork basket and sit on the front porch.  When summer arrives we'll walk in the mornings.

We eat lunch around noon because that is when Papa comes home for his midday meal.  After lunch we have a quiet period of time, and then we move into academics and projects.  My observations have shown that the boys tend to get unsettled in the afternoons, with more squabbles and tears.  They need more structure and I need to be present for them.

The boys are always hungry for a mid-afternoon snack, and after our focused learning and projects they want to play outside.  Occasionally they will join a neighbor friend for front yard play.

Papa arrives home between 5:30 and 6:00 most evenings.  Some nights we need a simple, early meal and other nights we have something to do before dinner.  Lately Papa and the boys have been going for a bike ride two evenings per week, before dinner.  They will continue with this until it gets too warm, and then the rides will shift to early mornings and our morning rhythm will change.

Each night is a little different, but we do try to walk each evening after dinner.  It is restorative for all of us; a chance to connect, to be outside, and to exercise the dogs.  This time of year we may head out early enough to enjoy the sunset, or perhaps the encroaching twilight and the cool breezes that dominate our spring evenings.  Sometimes we walk in darkness and observe the constellations and moon.

When the boys were little they always had a bedtime snack.  When T-Guy started his new medication last fall we had to eliminate the snack, and it worked well.  They either eat more at dinner or have a little sweet or piece of fruit directly after the dinner meal.

Bedtime is fairly simple now that the boys are older.  The put on their pajamas and brush their teeth, then Papa reads to them.  If all of the evenings activities are over by 8:30 they go to bed and read for 30 minutes before lights out.  If not, we do our best to get them to bed by 9:00 p.m.  They no longer need a 7:00 p.m. bedtime, but that doesn't mean that they don't need a set time for going to sleep.

Once they are in bed I usually take a bath, and then Papa and I have an hour or two together before Papa goes to sleep and I settle in with a book or magazine.