A new use for an old knife block

My husband purchased me a nice new knife set for my birthday (yes, he's a keeper).
My old knife set had been reduced to just two usable knives, that I now store in our knife drawer, and left me with a wooden block that I hated to see dumped in the trash. So, I came up with this school supply caddy! Perfect for my little area at the homeschool table.
Repurposing is f-u-n!

Step 1. Give the block a light sanding all over. Wash well and let the block dry completely.

Setp 2. Pick your color palate (I later decided not to use the orange).

Step 3. Give your block 2 nice even coats of paint, letting the paint dry before applying the second coat. I used standard acrylic paint. Be sure to use long strokes from top to bottom. Try to avoid a quick up/down motion as this will leave unsightly brush marks on your finished product. The wood grain was just barely visible with two coats; if you'd like more of a wood grain look, try one coat, or if you want no visible grain, try three.

Optional Step 4. Let paint dry overnight. Add stripes or other embellishments. I chose a few vertical stripes. Be sure to use painters tape to help guide the stripes, other tapes will remove your old paint job when removed. Let dry overnight.

Now you can add you desired items. The top part held scissors and rulers perfectly, along with a bone folding tool (which I use to make folds and creases on all those lap books). The bottom part is holding some binder clips and I made a little paper clip dangler with the paper clips themselves and stuck it inside one of the slots. Along the side I attached a Post-it Flag Pad with a Command strip. I also found a Post-it dispenser and attached this to the front with the adhesive strips provided.


Now I have a nice little buddy to keep all my other supplies at the ready. I imagine this would work splendidly with other slender supplies and artists tools. The possibilities are endless!

Bright and Beautiful

Upon which Harry turns two, admissions are made, and smelly things are dissected on my grandmother's dinner plates.


I am not making stuff up.

Harry is now two. My smallest, blue eyed, sweet as candy boy, growing up and becoming terrible. And I mean that in the most cordial way ever. Terrible twos are a right of passage.


He now spends every waking moment prying open front door locks and sneaking out to drive his new car.


Admission #2 (#1 here): Homeschooling can deplete you of yourself.

Wondering where I've been? Me, too. This is my sixth year homeschooling. #5 was rough. #6 has been rough. Every veteran homeschool mom to whom I have spoken has told me it happens. It happens to the best of the best. And it takes its toll. The definition of "rough" is completely relative to the persons involved in their own respective environments. For me, it's defined by depression, resentment, and laziness. I yell(ed) at my kids, took too many naps, and forgot to hug and laugh and say nice things. Also, I consider myself a control freak and the fact that I have lost control of the household happiness threshold means failure in my eyes.
Here's the point: It's either cave-in or dig out. I am currently holding shovel and gazing above, unsure which route will cause a collapse or rescue us all from suffocation and misery.

Onto smelly things.

Our co-op has been doing dissections every other week. You can now thank me for not posting pictures of the cow's head (definition: entire furry head with eyeballs and eyelashes and bullet hole). You're welcome. Also, I do not involve myself in the dissections (too many years of being a vegetarian), but instead ship my daughter off to the respective classroom as she desires to one day rescue animals from sickness and fertility; ie: become a veterinarian. But, last week, time ran away from us and I was sent home with a baggie of squid bodies.
We made do with nail scissors, exacto knife, tweezers, and printable instructions.

I only got sick twice. Score.

It was actually pretty neat-o. "Neat-o" is not to be confused with "let's do it again".

And now, as coldness sets in, all I want to do is read and burrito myself in a fluffy blanket.
And also make stuff like this:

And this:

Cooking blogs sometime in the future.

HoWL: Part 2-- Organize

Homeschooling with Littles: Part 2-- Organize!

Now that you have some items prepared, it's time to organize them all.

Why? Well, if you are like me, you may forget what's in all those bags, or you might be teaching your preschooler about the letter "c" and wonder if you have anything in your arsenal that you could use to assist or reinforce the topic taught. We also implement the "A place for everything and everything in its place" mentality in our home. That way you can find what you need right away and don't lose any precious school time. Organization is KEY to this system.
Here are some organizational ideas that I have found to be very useful in our home.

1. Keep things close to your school area-

I keep all my preschool items within arms reach of the school area. I have an organizing shelf that is strictly preschool friendly. I keep toddler friendly books in a basket next to the shelf. Teach your child where the "home" is for each item, have the child put away that item after they are done, and monitor them for the first couple of weeks to maintain the "place for everything and everything in its place". After a few weeks, your child will automatically (in theory) put away the item when they are done, in the correct "home", with little to no reminding on your part. I keep this organizing as uncomplicated as possible and as easily accessible as possible.

I keep my extra empty boxes a little bit higher on a bookshelf, out of toddler-hand reach. I do this because I can get these out when all other activities fail. I don't use them often, so when they come down, it is a special time. Each container can be used in different ways. A few boxes I have taped shut and cut a small opening in, so they can place small items inside, others have flaps or doors cut in. Egg cartons make great sorters.

I keep my activity bags in the shelving unit also, stored in two easy to slide out bins. One bin holds bags that we are currently working on, that incorporate with lessons, or bags that my preschooler still has not mastered. The second bin I keep bags that he has mastered and still enjoys using.

When one of my older children has finished their lessons for the day, but is still in the school area, they can help mommy out by pulling activities out of the second bin and sitting on the floor with my toddler. They act as a fun playmate/teacher and both parties enjoy this time (including Mommy who can use this toddler-free time to work with another student at the table). I store any other bags that are no longer age appropriate in our attic until a younger sibling can enjoy them later.

2. Catalog your items--

I have the memory of a bowl of oatmeal. If I do not immediately jot something down (ideas, conversations, dates) it will whiz right out my brain, never to be thought of again. To keep me from forgetting what's in all those activity bags or what books I can use for my preschooler, I came up with a catalog system. Right now my "catalog" is a crude sheet of ruled paper, with a list of every activity bag, book, and manipulative that I can use with my preschooler. I numbered all of my bags, front and back with a permanent marker (if you look closely, you may be able to see some numbers at the top of the bags in the pictures above). On my list I wrote down the bag number, the "title" of the bag, and included my own list of icons that help me understand the purpose of the bag and for what age it is appropriate. I keep a "key" at the top of the paper so I can easily identify the icon or icons I wrote next to the bag title.

For example: #22 Foam Letter Sorters A // 2+
According to my "key" at the top, I can tell that it uses letters (A), is a matching activity (//), and is appropriate for ages 2 and up (2+). You can come up with any icons that you choose, just be sure to include a key so that you can actually decipher your catalog later.

When I store my activity bags, I try to keep them all upright in the bins, with the numbers visible. You don't have to store them in numerical order, but it might help in locating a bag that much easier.

I include preschool educational books (like ABC books or shapes and colors books) and wooden toys in the list as well. These don't have a number, but I included the book title and what it's purpose is, or a description of the wooden toy/manipulative.

This catalog can now be my quick reference guide when planning out my school day or making out my lesson plans. But that's a whole 'nother blog post!



For the next installment, I will continue on with organizing...Your SCHEDULE!

HoWL: Part 1-- Prepare

Homeschooling with Littles (aka: HoWL)

Part 1:
Prepare

When we sit down at the school table every morning, I like to have a handy supply nearby or already pulled out to entertain my youngest two. Your "supply" may be a stack of board books or a coloring book and crayons. And, although these are great staples to have on hand, little ones grow tired of these, or you are stuck reading the same book over and over and over again when you really should be instructing grammar or conducting a spelling test. To help out, here are some of the ideas we use in our house.


Make:

Most of you have seen or heard of Preschool Activities in a Bag. If you haven't, then I strongly suggest borrowing copies of their two books, or purchasing the e-books through their website. Once you get the general idea of filling a zip-close bag with little hands-on activities, you can expound from what they suggest and make variations of your own. Before you know it, you can have a HUGE supply on hand. I have made plenty, and have had friends pass theirs on to me when their older children grew too old for the activities. I have also found tons at used curriculum fairs, most of which were free or very very cheap. I have 58 bags in all!

I have also been a part of a few Preschool Activities in a Bag co-ops. Basically you and a few other moms share the load in making a large sum of activities and then separate the bounty out when your done. In turn you don't have to buy supplies for all 36 activities, but just for 12 or so. You can meet and assemble them together or just meet up to divide the bags out in the end. The website I gave above has a coordinator book that includes all the tips you need to host a successful swap/co-op.

Here are a few ideas for bag activities:

1. cut straws into 1, 2, 3, and 4 inch segments. place those and some colorful pipe cleaner/chenille stems in a bag. for the activity part, the child will push the pipe cleaners through the straw openings, placing as many on as possible. works on hand-eye coordination. suitable for 1.5 years and up. *possible choking hazard! use discretion.

2. save spent canning lids (not the rings for this), or save frozen juice can lids. decorate two with identical stickers. repeat with the other lids. you can use any stickers you have on hand. this will be a basic matching activity. you can use basic shapes and colors for younger children and numbers and letters for older children. you can also affix magnets to the backs so that they stick together as pairs or can be sorted on the refrigerator or other magnetic surface. suitable for 2 years and up.

3. cut shapes out of foam craft squares. use a hole punch to punch holes close, but not too close, along the edge of the shape. take a shoe string, and tying one knot at the end so that it will stay in place, show the child how to lace, or "sew" around the shape. to make them extra sturdy, if you want these to last through multiple children, glue two foam craft squares together before cutting them into a shape. suitable for 2 years and up.

4. pipe cleaners and cheerios, beads, or circular pasta. show the child how to place the pipe cleaner through the objects. work on patterns if you use colorful cheerios or beads. use discretion when choosing the object to place in the bag, beads and pasta can be choking hazards for babies and some toddlers. suitable for 1.5 years and up.

*I want to make this a regular segment on my blog, so be looking for bag activity posts in the future!

For littles who have not developed hand-eye dexterity, keep a supply of used cereal/cracker boxes, laundry detergent lids, empty oatmeal containers, etc. and let them fill and pour and close and open to their hearts delight. Some items that I have found that young toddlers enjoy placing in the containers are clothes pins, large hair bows, measuring spoons, and plastic spoons. Any item that is not a choking hazard works well and really can absorb a child for long periods of time.

Borrow:

We've all probably heard the idea of separating out your children's toys and putting some away, so that when you pull them out later, it is as though they have these new toys they have never seen. You can also implement this idea outside of the home!
Chances are you have a handful of friends who have children around the same age as yours. And chances are they have a handy supply of toys, bag activities, and books that they currently use in their homes. If they happen to mention how their child just seems bored with the toys they have currently, then why not ask if they would be interested in a Swap. If each family filled a tote with toys, books, and bag activities (along with a detailed list of what's inside the tote, family name, etc.) and if you had 3-5 families involved, you could host a Swap weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly and your child would have new toys and activities at the ready. Of course there is always a risk that items could get lost or damaged, so be sure to only put those objects in that you or your child don't have emotional attachments to.

If you have a local homeschool support group, try sending out an email asking others if they are interested in such an idea.


Invest:

Investing in good toys, educational supplies, and books is instrumental in rounding out your supply. But be wise in your investments. Sure, those electronic toys hold their attention and bring a smile to their face. And some are worth the price. But, electronic toys don't last. They need batteries. They are noisy and, when brought into the schooling area, can cause disruptions. Paper and plastic toys and supplies are wonderfully inexpensive, but these also don't last.

I have a supply of 5-10 sturdy wooden toys, 5-10 wooden puzzles, and wooden blocks of varying size and shapes. These have lasted through all four of my children and show little to no signs of wear. I divide them up and put half up on a high shelf, so that I can switch out the supply as needed.

Check used books stores and used curriculum fairs for sturdy board books. Plastic bathtub books will also take a large amount of abuse and are drool proof when you have them on hand for teething 6-8 month olds.

The biggest investment we make each year is on our school books. This is also playing a huge role in my "Prepare" segment because the choices you make in curriculum could have the most impact on how well you survive homeschooing with littles.
When my third child was born, I was teaching my two oldest, then in 2nd grade and kindergarten. I thought I could handle a full regiment of academically challenging (yes I realize they were little, but I was a little over-ambitious at that time) school subjects. Halfway through the year I thought I was going to throw every school book I purchased out the window. I over-curriculumed myself. I had to take care of nursing and holding a 12 hour a day crying baby. I couldn't keep up and it took a toll on all of us.

If I was handing out advice, the one that I would stress above all others would be to invest in the minimum (both academically challenging and how many subjects to implement) of what you think you will need. Don't buy that full year, 5 day a week, Science curriculum, with weekly experiments...blah blah blah....yes, that one. Invest in two easy to implement Science unit studies. My next school year, when my third was a one year old, I purchased two easy unit studies, one on botany and one on anatomy (for k-3rd grade). I thought I would have one done in 6 weeks to 3 months depending on my ambition, and the same with the other unit study, with ample time at the end of the year to make up for days missed or to just take it easy. Turned out it took me 6 months to do just one! Yikes. Thankfully it was in my plan and it worked. I didn't over-curriculum myself.

By the time #4 came along, sweet Harry, I knew my limits and I knew where I could push it. My oldest could handle a bit more academically challenging subjects, but I chose to limit that to subjects that she could do on her own and would not require me to invest time away from baby and *ahem* intense toddler. She did challenging Bible studies and way above age-level Reading requirements, but stayed easy on Math, Grammar, History, and Science.

Also, don't invest in expensive co-ops that require a lot of your time and that you know will require extra homework. Save soccer, softball, basketball, and the like for another year. Over-committing yourself can affect your homeschool environment. Your littles won't be littles forever, and it will be easier another year to add in your extra-curricular activities. For now, be content with the minimum. Know your boundaries. Organize playdates or small unit study based co-ops with others to get your socializing in.


That was it! This post was a doozy! Thanks for hangin' in till the end!


For the next post, I will discuss how to organize your supplies and schedule. Why go through all that work preparing and not know where anything is or how best to schedule it all in to your busy day?!

Homeschooling with Littles About

I write this for me. Because I don't know how I survive some days. And, when asked, "How do you homeschool with a baby and toddler under-foot?", the only answer I can give is, "I just DO. I don't know how....it just happens."
I write this for my children, for if they ever choose to homeschool their own brood, I might get asked this question again, and I want a REAL ANSWER to give them. And goodness knows my memory is to shot now, I can't imagine what I will remember when I am 50.
I write this for you. If you struggle with homeschooling your older children and keeping your smaller children occupied, then I hope you can find something useful to utilize in your home. Or, if you don't struggle at all, but have grown tired of the plan you have now, you might be able to find something here, too!

This is a synopsis of what I hope to cover over the next few posts. I plan to cover a lot of ground, so grab a notebook (or turn your printer on) and keep up!!

1. Prepare: make, borrow, invest in all the tools you'll need
2. Organize: a place for everything, and planning your day
3. Enlist: don't be afraid to ask for help
4. Accept: when nothing works, breathe and move on
5. Enjoy: don't forget to enjoy them while they are little

I also hope that these posts might generate some feedback. So, for my 3 actual readers, chip in any tips you find relevant to a post as you read along.

Also, because I get sidetracked often and need breaks from self-mandates, be looking for a craft post (recycled wool sweater diaper cover!), and a happy birthday post for my (gasp!) 10 year old daughter. And food...you know THAT has to happen.

Oh, the calamity!

Montessori Giveaway!

---------------------This event is over-----------------------------

I am a huge (HUGE!) supporter of the Montessori method. Being a "hands-on" type mom and teacher, this method really fits our home. What better way to teach kids math, grammar, science and the like than with manipulatives?!
There are plenty of websites that offer help and one in particular actually makes a full preschool (for ages 3-6) program for homeschoolers. It has been getting some great reviews.
And, guess what? They are offering a FREE program ($999 value) to one lucky homeschooler that leaves a comment on their page. If you post a link to your blog, you get to put an extra comment and receive an extra chance to win. (well, duh, I said to myself. why not do it?!)
So...go, go! What are you waiting for?!

Montessori for Everyone

A Day in the Life (on a Monday)

This is an unglamorous, but fairly typical version of what our school day looks like. Monday...

(times are approximate, notes scratched onto paper throughout the day and then typed up during free moments, and I have tried to correct the present and past tense mistakes as much as possible, but a few might have slipped through the cracks. be kind.)

[Child key: Ashton - daughter, oldest child, 9 years old, 4th grade; Keaton - oldest son, 7 years old, 2nd grade; Cohen - son, 3 years old, preschool; Harry - youngest son, 1 year and 4 months old, drooling and pooping.]

7:15- Wake up. A bit earlier than usual, but there are too many bodies making too much noise for one to sleep any later. I am awake, but hide under the covers until I must make an appearance.

7:45- I start the water for Harry's oatmeal, take some tylenol and ibroprofen (for my ever present headache), and settle back under the warm covers for just a few more minutes.

7:55- I let Harry's oatmeal cool in the freezer, have the boys put away their breakfast (Keaton makes his and Cohen's cereal) and they get dressed and ready for school {requirements are: dressed, teeth brushed, school books on the table, and animals fed}. I put a roast in the crock-pot : salt, pepper, 4 cloves of garlic --minced, and a jar of red currant jelly.

8:15- I open my daughter's door in hopes that all the noise will wake her up. I feed Harry. Keaton starts a load in the washing machine.

8:30- I break up an argument between my two older boys, which ends with the oldest sent to his bed until school starts. My daughter is now up and eating breakfast. I change Harry's diaper and sit down with a bowl of Grape Nuts and fish through emails and facebook notifications. The children finish getting ready, clean up any messes made, and make their way to the school room. My husband and I communicate through texts about a big housing decision (after months of time and stress about getting our house ready to sell, we decide it is NOT the time in our lives to be doing this and we back out of listing it--I was to turn in the paperwork to list it TODAY) and we coordinate a time and way to get our van, which decided to breakdown this weekend, into the shop. These are little things, but take a lot of time to discuss.

9:30- School starts*, later than usual--we try to start between 8:30 and 9:00--, but it's Monday, it happens, and I just have to deal. Harry roams around or sits in my lap while the three olders sit at the table. Ashton and Keaton recite their Memory Bible Verses (Psalm 56:3-4). I then start Cohen's preschool while the older two complete their Bible reading and answer questions in their workbooks.

10:00- I finish Cohen's preschool, but the others are still working on their Bible. I turn on a movie for Cohen while I make a cup of coffee and clean up the breakfast mess. I feed the littles (Harry and Cohen) some bananas and put Harry down for his nap.

10:15- I am back at the table for Math and Reading help. We are taking a break from Math lessons this week and focusing on rote memory (this actually makes the kids pretty happy and they fill out their fact sheets in a flurry). Cohen's movie is done and I feed him some graham crackers with peanut butter, then he sits on the floor with a huge truck book and a couple of books on bugs.

10:45- Keaton moves onto Cursive and Ashton finishes up her Math and moves onto her independent English work. I take this time to type up half of this blog post. I grade Math facts and have the kids correct their mistakes in-between typing and finding new books for Cohen.

11:20- I am back at the table for Spelling (I do both children's lessons at the same time) and then instruct Keaton in his Grammar. Cohen is ever present and ever distracting. I give him a pair of scissors, a strip of contruction paper, markers, and some stickers and have him make "something" at the dining room table.

12:30- Phone calls and appointment changes interrupt much of that last hour, Keaton is still diagramming sentences. Lunch time is way overdue. I make Cohen's lunch and Ashton picks up the house (without being asked--this is actually quite abnormal behavior--she deserves much praise here). Ashton then makes her own lunch. I make Harry's lunch and then get him up from his nap. He had been crying for a good 15 minutes in his crib. Bad mom award...right here *points to self*. Lunch consists of PB&J or grilled cheese, leftover soup, and grapes.

12:45- Keaton cleans off the school table and makes his own sandwich to go with his lunch. I clean up a spilled lunch plate mess and Cohen's craft session mess. I am, at this point, very grateful that I ate that bowl of Grape Nuts because it looks like my lunch will have to wait until after afternoon school.

1:10- I finish putting away all the lunch items and Ashton sweeps up under the kitchen table, picks up the school room floor, and starts dishes. I clean up Harry and I play with him a bit before he wanders off and gets into mischief (which today includes pulling down all my vintage aprons off a shelf and taking batteries out of the VCR remote). I type up some more on this blog, while I wait for Keaton to finish eating so I can wipe off the counter and move onto afternoon school.

1:20- Cohen starts cleaning up the boys room and we put on a Baby Einstein movie for Harry. I settle down on the school room couch to do our History reading with the older two {usually the littles are taking a nap at this point, but our whole schedule is off, so we make do with minor interruptions here and there}. This is my favorite part of the school day. History was my major in college and I still really love the subject. We read about the Visigoths, Stilicho, and the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The kids draw their favorite parts of the story, including Cohen, who didn't hear the story, but had finished cleaning so he wanted to join in on the fun. I change Harry's diaper and check the roast in the crock-pot, which is beginning to fill up the whole house with fragrant loveliness (the roast, not the diaper).

2:00- School is done. The kids do their afternoon chores. Keaton sorts the clothes from the dryer into their appropriate spot**, gets the wet clothes started in the dryer, and cleans up what Cohen didn't quite clean up correctly in their room. Ashton folds her portion of laundry, and finishes cleaning up her room. I start a load of diapers, put away my things in the school room, and serve the littles their afternoon snack (leftover treats from my last Bookclub meeting, which included Valentine cookies, sugar cookies, and brownies. SCORE for not having to make a snack).

2:30- I take a picture for the blog (shown above), give the olders their snack, clean up crumbs from table and counter, and sweep the floor. The littles go down for their nap. Ashton has her free time and disappears into her room while Keaton, who had his play and electronic privileges taken away this morning sits on the school room couch with a stack of books (and pouts).

3:00- Lunch time for me. My meal is the same as the kids, except my grilled cheese is on cinnamon bread (seriously the best combination of bread and cheese EV-AR!). I type up the remaining notes into the blog while I munch and upload the picture I took earlier onto the laptop. I catch up a bit on facebook and emails, too.

3:30- I proofread the blog, start the next cycle of diapers, and escape to take a shower (I was able to wash my face and brush my teeth before school, but remained in my jammies and stinky armpits until now).

4:00- Fresh, clean, and slightly pickled, I emerge from the shower. Cohen is now awake and
apparently very grumpy. He cuddles his pooh bear, takes his thumb, and starts his afternoon movie. I turn the crock-pot off, pull out the rest of the dinner ingredients, and settle into the couch next to Keaton (who is still pouting) for a few minutes while I wait for Daddy to come home and Harry to wake up.

5:00-7:00- These hours were a blur of packing kids into one van to drop off the other van at the mechanic's and getting dinner put together (aforementioned roast, butter and parsley mashed potatoes, steamed carrots, and wheat rolls), eaten, and cleaned up. All the family chips in to finish after dinner chores. The boys clear the table, Asthon washes dishes, I wipe down the counter and kitchen table and arrange leftovers in the fridge, Daddy sweeps the floor. Harry is given many kisses and put to bed. I finish the last wash cycle for the diapers and check emails one final time.

7:00-8:30- The children play quietly until about 7:30 when Keaton and Cohen go to bed, and Ashton plays a little on the Wii before she is down for the night at 8:30. She is allowed to read in bed until 9:00.

8:30-11:00- This is the time of day when all our continual cleaning up has payed off. Relaxing for the next few hours is heaven. The husband and I chill until bedtime watching a movie and playing (he plays, I watch and give support) on the Xbox. I put the load of diapers in the dryer and pack a few things for a trip to the dentist in the early morning (some school subjects will be done in transit or while in the waiting room). We are both asleep by 11:00.

Like I said, unglamorous, but there it is. I should make a point to blog on the days where we do our big co-op or when we have super cool projects to do...but, those can't cover up the "real". And THIS is pretty real...

*You can see what we use as far as curriculum here.
**You can visit my "paying" gig here to view our laundry routine.

The What and Why

***links have been fixed. let me know if any other links don't work and i will get on it!!***

Many have asked what I am using this year for homeschooling, and I thought best to go ahead and just post all my "what and why".

Preschool (Cohen, my 3 yr old):
What: Rod and Staff ABC series and Toddler Activity Books, and a bazillion manipulatives (anticipate my ultimate Preschool post in a few days/weeks--it may even be a week long event!)

Why: Rod and Staff still ranks high on my list of fav publishers. Pros: a simple biblical approach, uncluttered and easy to follow teacher manuals, and are uber inexpensive. I have used their preschool books with my older two and loved them as did my children. Also try their Math, which is very simple to follow, and their Grammar which is, in my opinion, VERY thorough (will have to supplement with a writing curriculum). Cons: (for grades above Preschool) colorless, redundant at times, my children HATED the phonics, but were both reading by age 6, so...it worked, but your children may hate it.

Math:
What: RightStart (level E) and BJU (grade 2, 3rd edition)

Why:
RightStart--I was sold on Rightstart from the moment I researched it. Pros: different and ingenious approach to teaching math concepts, uses hands on manipulatives and games, easy and short lessons. I only wish I had known about this sooner so I could have started it early on with my daughter, who really struggles with math. Cons: some of the lessons lack a little in organization, colorless and a teeny bit bland, price (most kits cost well above $150-- BUT once you buy the manipulatives and games, using it with your younger children will only cost between $9-$20), some days there is a lot of teacher prep.
BJU (3rd editions)-- BJU is my fallback in a lot subjects if I do not find what I am looking for after many tedious hours researching. Pros: flashy, lots of color, teacher manuals are organized VERY well with color and are spiral bound --which I prefer, thorough and slightly challenging without being overwhelming, my children loved the stories and workbooks. Cons: you need all the components sold online if you plan on teaching from the workbook as scripted, quite a few lessons are not homeschool convenient (lessons use a lot of "put 12 students in one line, and 4 students in another line" examples when teaching a concept).

Reading:
What:
Ashton-- The Chronicles of Narnia and Guide, Black Ships Before Troy and Guide, The Twenty-One Balloons and Guide, Prudence and the Millers and Guide, and Beorn the Proud.
Keaton-- Rod and Staff Reading grade 2,

Why: no real rhyme or reason for my choices for Ashton, except I thought she would like them and I liked them...and she needed some lessons in Prudence and the Millers. Keaton's is going to be Rod and Staff because their Reading is straight from the bible and he needed to build some biblical knowledge. And the R&S workbooks include vocabulary and phonetic skills that he needed to work on (and I can combine his Reading and Bible conveniently this way).

Bible
What: Ashton-- Christian Studies by Memoria Press.
Why: I love the use of the Golden Children's Bible and the studies seem to be very thorough so far.

Latin
What: Prima Latina by Memoria Press
Why: Latin is huge for me. I have a 6 year plan for studying Latin and we decided to start off with Prima Latina because I had heard many good things about it. It has been easy to teach so far (I have no background in Latin AT ALL).

Spelling
What: A Reason for Spelling (level B and D)
Why: Pros--my children like the tie-in story, different activities to tie in the spelling words, teacher manual is easy to follow, once you get the groove it is easy to teach with minimal to no prep work, no complaints from the children. Cons-- lacking color, some exercises are not easily implemented in a homeschool environment.

History
What: A History Odyssey, Level 1

Why: This is our second year using this curriculum. It is a 3 year course (for us, since we study it twice a week) and uses Story of the World and The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World History. Pros: has done most of the organizing of lessons for you, maps and map work included, the use of Story of the World and The Usborne book (which are WONDERFUL!). Cons: some lessons are out of order with the Story of the World and may lead to some confusion, would not purchase anything else that they say are recommended (not worth the $$ spent). I would not recommend this curriculum, instead I would get the Story of the World and the Study Guide that goes with it. We are using A History Odyssey because I spent the money on it and am too stubborn to purchase anything else.

Science
What: Apologia Zoology III- Land Animals
Why: because I had to...this is what our Co-Op is using. I am not sold on it yet (at least for younger grades) but it may grow on me.

Devotions
What: Draw to Learn: The Book of Proverbs
Why: Pros-- my children love to draw, the reading is simple and short, my children whine when we DON'T DO IT. We completed Draw to Learn: The Life of Jesus last year and LOVED it. Cons: not flashy, sometimes the drawing assignments seem redundant and too simplistic.

Grammar
What: Montessori R&D: Language Arts and BJU Grammar 4 (2nd edition)

Why: I love the Montessori approach. It is hands on and uses manipulatives and cards to teach basic concepts. I really had to search high and low to find this curriculum and am still working my way through it to decide if it works for our home. Pros: uses cards, games, and manipulatives to teach the basic parts of speech and sentence structure, affordable teacher manual. Cons: website does not list materials needed to complete each lesson, materials can be VERY pricey or you have to make them yourself, lesson layouts were not organized the way that I thought they should be (but that is just nit-picky-ness). BJU was my fallback for Ashton. I couldn't find what I wanted for her, and she finished her 3rd grade Grammar early so I had to purchase something early. The Montessori Language Arts is actually compatible with 6-9 year olds, so I may end up shelving the BJU for Grammar and only use its writing assignments.

Poetry
What: A Child's Treasury of Poems and Poetry for Young People: Seasonal Poetry
Why: My children have memorized 4 poems per year for every year that I have homeschooled. I try to make them seasonal and they have 3-4 months to learn and constantly recite them. Keaton started out with simple haiku, but will this year graduate to a few more lines. I will list the poems they are learning:

Ashton--
To Autumn by John Keats
Velvet Shoes by Elinore Wylie
What is Pink by Christina Georgina Rossetti
The Wind by Christina Georgina Rossetti

Keaton--
Bed In Summer by Robert Louis Stevenson
Dust of Snow by Robert Frost
Depression Before Spring by Wallace Stevens
The Owl by unknown (old folk poem)


Well, that's it! Enjoy your school year as much as I hope we will.

where have i BEEN?

or did anyone notice?......

yeah, so, 6 months. 6 months we had no personal internet service at home. in that time, my husband and i built and concreted and steel rodded (and any other structurally sound additive you can think of) our already awesome relationship. it was so good for us on so many levels. but that would be a different blog, for a different time (i once promised no "emotional fluff" on this blog, and i think that personal diatribes on family philosophy and dynamics count as "fluff" --- not that there is anything wrong with that, in any sort, i just wanted to only do a nifty tricks and recipe blog and not too much personal life....junk).

let's just jump right back in, shall we?

two easy homeschool projects:

1. when studying julius or augustus caesar (or anything in ancient rome) , my curriculum suggested sewing a toga with a purple trim. to save time and energy, i went out to the back yard and picked some vines and made "laurel crowns". two minutes and some clear packing tape later:



*lesson learned long ago..."you don't always have to follow the project in the book, especially when kids really don't care either way, and as long as they can make or wear or play with SOMETHING!"

2. when studying the human body, try making these easy brain models. my curriculum suggested cutting a tennis ball in half and hot gluing items onto it (have you ever TRIED cutting a tennis ball....?). i had some styrofoam balls, which are much easier to cut, some quick drying gray paint, some yarn of two different colors, and some paper clips. voile! model brains.


step 1. cut styrofoam ball in half
step 2. coat top off each half with gray paint (or just one half if using for one child)
step 3. while the paint dries, cut 3, 12 inch strands of yarn to braid into one piece for each child (this will become the brain stem). i chose an off white yarn.
step 4. tie strands together at the top with a knot and braid the strands together. knot the end.
step 5. once paint is dry, pull one knotted end of the "brain stem" through one of the loops in the paper clip and shove the paperclip into the bottom of your brain along one edge, far enough to where the loop will hold the "stem" in place against the styrofoam. you might want to put it in at an angle so that the top part of the paper clip doesn't poke through the top of the ball.
step 6. cut one extreamly long piece of pale greenish yarn (about 1 yard long) for each brain.
step 7. on a paper plate, pour white school glue out in a large puddle and have the child soak the long strand of yarn from top to bottom.
step 8. have the child swirl the yarn all around the top of the ball. these will be the wrinkles on the brain. press the yarn firmly and let dry.

this project holds up really well over time, for when you need to review the different parts of the brain several weeks or months later.


posts to look forward to:
my curriculum picks for 2010-2011
yummy recipes
and a week long view of our daily homeschool routine

building a model ziggurat

history.
and somewhere...off in the distance...a child yawns.

for some people, history is a big ole snore fest subject. i feel likewise about math. no. scratch that. i have a hatred beyond earthly realms towards math. but HISTORY....i like meself some history.

we are studying the ancients right now. we just covered the fertile crecent, the sumerians, and ancient mesopatmia. our curriculum, History Odyssey, gives some craft projects to look up. among those was one for a model ziggurat. zigga-what? oh yes....ziggurat. a temple for worshiping gods. the reference model given in my curriculum used plaster, clay, waiting...and waiting...and painting. ummm......not me. not now. not EVER. i have FOUR kids, one being an infant. so we improvised. i knew my stock of empty boxes that cluttered a cobwebbed corner of our schoolroom would come in handy someday.

try these websites/books for references of study:

The Story of the World: Volume 1, Susan Bauer

Ancient Egyptians and Their Neighbors: an Activity Guide , Marion Broida

http://mesopotamia.lib.uchicago.edu/



simply stack and glue or tape down large to small boxes, cut openings in each level, tear some strips of a box top to make stairs, have the kids make little men and food offerings on leftover scraps of boxes.

this went together in 12 minutes flat and the kids played with it for the next four days. but, of course, it is made with boxes...so don't expect it to withstand kid fingers and drooley two year olds.

p.s. bonus mommy points if you stand over the ziggurat while the kids are in mid play, and using your best mock "god" voice say, "INFIDELS! YOU HAVE ANGERED THE GODS! ROOOOOOARRRrrrrrrr," and tickle them silly.

A Year in the Life of Here

Here is what our family will be studying this year:

Ashton 3rd Grade:

Grammar and Spelling: Rod and Staff

Math: Bob Jones Math 3

Reading Studies:

Sarah, Plain and Tall; Progeny Press Study Guide

The Courage of Sarah Noble; Progeny Press Study Guide

Swiss Family Robinson; Veritas Press Comprehension Guide

Little Women; Veritas Press Comprehension Guide

Keaton 1st Grade:

Math, Phonics, and Reading: Rod and Staff

with a bonus unit study on Reading: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; Edcon Publishing

Together they are studying:

History: History Odyssey Level 1

Bible: The Notgrass Company, Draw to Learn The Life of Jesus

Science:

we are doing two large unit studies. one on Botany, and the other on Human Anatomy. i purchased a large quantity of study guides and books, and will compile my own lessons using what i can from many different resources so that both children can learn the same topic simultaneously at their own level.

Art: Draw Write Now, 7 & 8; and also watercolor paintings around the world

in addition:

Seasonal Poetry Memorization (each will memorize separate poems, one per season): Poetry for Young People, The Seasons

thinking about doing a blog on why i chose to use the curriculum i did, but for now...that'll do.

toddler distractor of the month

noodle play

materials: dry tri-color noodles (the bigger the size the better), egg carton, old laundry caps, play utensils.

instruction: show him/her how to pour using the caps, scoop with spoons or other utensils, and dump into carton or additional caps. for slightly older toddler, you can have them sort the different colors into different carton compartments or different caps.

distraction time: 45 minutes

clean up level: medium

and for your extra enjoyment:

watching buddy-muffin (yes, that is the actual name of the frog now) getting ready to devour his morning cricket.

tuesday morning

last day of near perfect weather.

windows, open.

birds singing their summer carols.

math.

we've used Rod and Staff for the past 3 years, but this year will try out BJU.

think the birds will notice if i throw out a few number facts in their general direction?

monday morning

coffee and Seuss.

breakfast

Dear God,

Please let the peach season extend just a few more months....at least past fall. Thanks, Jami

the little distractor, hard at work, while the older ones finish their devotions.

i L-O-V-E our devotion program. a local company, the Notgrass Company, makes simple and unassuming products. i most love their "draw to learn the bible" selections. if your children love to draw by themselves, using their imagination, as mine do, they will really enjoy this book. currently we are in our second year of the same book, titled: Draw to Learn--The Life of Jesus. it gives a verse for a selection out of the bible that your child can read, and then a brief description at the bottom to help guide them as they draw. i find my children really retain what the message represents if THEY get to draw what inspired them out of it. each page has a very large drawing box, perfect for younger ages, but this could easily be used for ANY age group.



i would not recommend their "learn to draw" program. i found the lessons a little amateur and dull. we only made it through the first 12 lessons before i shelved it.
for a great "learn to draw" program try the Draw Write Now curriculum. my children LOVE it as do i.

wanted: motivational booster seat

although we have the first week, post month vacation, under our belts, we (as in NOT me) were still lacking in the motivation department. the kids needed a pick me up. a SERIOUS boot to the bottom kind of thing to get them interested in this "school" business.

i came up with these little motivation/incentive posters for each child. it took a while to actually figure out the dynamics of the whole thing, and i worked on various designs and such in my head. and they may change as the years roll on.

i started by setting them up with their own little notebooks. then, as we would do reviews, each child would get a sticker for remembering a certain question. they also received stickers for doing assignments quickly, or doing assignments without getting any questions/math problems incorrect.

then i took some of last years posters (they had miscellaneous german alphabet and german numbers on them), and turned them over to use the other side (thrifty props for the day!). each child chose a theme. for keaton, he chose dinosaurs, and for ashton, she chose horses. i simply took computer paper and traced over old coloring book pictures that were just the right size. cut them out, and sticky tacked them onto the posterboard. you can make them more permanent if you wanted, but i know i will be re-using these so i wanted to make them as reusable as possible.

next i chose areas of incentive. the three that i chose were "knowledge", "expedience", and "goodness". the small notebooks will contain all their accumulated knowledge stickers, and for every two that they get, one sticker will be placed in the assigned knowledge outline. for every assignment that i require timing for, i am even including chores and other duties here, and if they finish said project in the time allotted, they get a sticker straight to the expedience outline. and for every exceedingly good deed, or for helping mommy without being asked, or for doing their list of chores without being told, they will get a sticker in the goodness outlines. i chose 5 outlines in all. 2 for knowledge, 2 for goodness, and 1 for expedience. i placed these tabs next to the outline of the child's choice, and they are also sticky tacked to the wall so i can easily move them around as they progress throughout the year.

then came the fun chore of deciding prizes and how these will be doted out. i decided that for every outline they fill, they will get to pick, out of a small container, a "prize". i let the kids help me choose some of these incentive prizes, the only kicker is that it required little to no money. a few we came up with were: picnics in the wilderness, 3 days of no chores, a pizza and movie night with one friend, one toy from the dollar store, 30 extra minutes on computer day, or an ice cream date out with mommy or daddy.

my hope is that these keep them motivated to fill all the outlines. and once all the outlines are filled, they get one large prize at the end, something of some worth. ashton chose a new Webkinz doll, and keaton chose a Hot Wheels car carrying semi truck.

i will keep you up on the progress of these charts and let you know if they have "staying" power. so far, they are working SPLENDIDLY. ashton already has done the dishes without being asked, and my son started folding laundry without being asked. they were so excited to pick and place their own sticker!

*gives self satisfied pats on back*

i am currently working on a reading incentive chart for each child. ahhh, my creative juices are flowing!

ok, who am i kidding?! i needed this motivation boost just as much as the kids did!!!

A Summer Hunt: Buying Curriculum

summer. sublimely cool shade trees, a sundry goodies cooking away on the grill, fresh cut watermelon or peaches, freshly mowed grass. those smells. they make my nose hairs quiver with delight. but, not my favorite smell. nope. my favorite smell of summer.....used book fair. more specifically, my nose, buried deep in the crevices of the low low priced, gently used, coffee ringed stained curriculum teacher guide that i have just purchased. now THAT is the stuff summer is made of.

hey, i'm a homeschool mom. i get thrills from little things.....

locally, the used fairs here are gone. the big one that is left is the new book fair. the place to go where you want to see new editions in hand, hear lectures from different facets of knowledge, buy science kits and experiment materials, and get your registration form from your umbrella school of choice...among a million other things. but, before i break out the benjamins on curriculum in this place, i make sure to have covered all my other bases.

some parents have unlimited amounts to spend on homeschooling books, and God bless'em. but not me, nor many other moms of single income families i know.

here is my simple run down of ways to save money, before buying new books straight from publishers.

1. do research: the hardest and most time consuming of all the steps. get this done early.

• ask friends or your local homeschool group for suggestions. find and join local homeschool yahoo groups. most of these will let you post any curriculum question you have and you will be really surprised at the responses you can get.


• request catalogs. i much prefer having a catalog to hold in my hands than view page after page online, plus i can highlight, sticker, or dog ear any page that i want to remember. take advantage of the free ones. Rainbow Resource is still my favorite catalog for doing my bulk research. and the catalog is H-U-G-E and is free. others i have used are CBD and Homeschooling Books (CBD sends out a discounted books homeschool catalog once a year). also, most publishers will have catalogs, but will also obviously make their curriculum out to the best thing ever created. i always prefer a non-biased distributor.


• book review websites. my favorite website to finalize my curriculum choice is Homeschool Reviews. it is free from publisher bias and does not just list links to reviews. it has had almost everything i have ever tried to research. or, just try to Google your book, and add the keyword "review" after. but, scrolling through links is a beast.....


• libraries. you will be pleasantly surprised at how much you can get from your local library. if they don't have what you want, they can sometimes do an inter-library loan from another branch. and even more rare, you can ask them to buy a book to keep in their stock, IF it is new and they think it will generate a lot of check outs. also, try college libraries. most have elementary teacher editions of curriculum for education majors. (become a friend to your librarian....make them cookies or sweet breads and you will be amazed at how quickly they will "have" a book for you faster than anyone else)

2. price it out.

• get the full from publisher price. this gives you the cap. you know that you will not spend any more than that amount (plus shipping).


• distributor prices (like the catalogs listed above). they will have new books, but will cut prices by 5-50% at times.


• find used book sellers online. my ultimate go to place is still and always will be Amazon. i get almost everything from there. more to try are Homeschool Classifieds (thanks Sally and Sarah), and VegSource (thanks karin and kindra). Ebay and half.com (owned by Ebay--thanks Julie and Justin) are also good places to search.

3. the purchasing. IN ORDER....

• check local groups, websites, friends, and newspapers for used curriculum fairs in your area. this is my first stop among purchasing. i make a list of all the ones in the area (usually always held in the summer or late spring) and map them out on my calendar. i try to go to as many as possible. check back later this week for my ultimate guide to curriculum fair shopping. it's an art unto itself.


• used book stores. this will save you shipping and you can usually find some good deals on teachers books, CD roms, books on tape, and paperbacks. locally, i live and breathe at McKays Used Books and CD's.


• purchase from distributor websites or distributor catalogs.


• school supply stores. especially the ones that have winter sales going.


• buy from new curriculum fairs. this is my second to last resort. it will save in shipping...unless you spend a whole tank in gas money to get there.....


• buy straight from the publisher online or through catalog. last resort, but sometimes necessary if it is a hard to find item, a brand new edition, or sold out anywhere else.

if your brow creases as mine does, when you think of all the trails you have to hike to get your books, you are NOT alone. homeschooling is not marketed as easy, and it never should be. i hope this blog can help you to ease some of the time wasted that i did over the past 4 years. happy hunting!!!

and always, comment with your tips to be published in later posts!

marker sniffers and toddler stickers

who knew desperate mothers could be so creative?! oh, wait! i DID know that!

i'm just starting to get through the buckets of tips i have either gotten through facebook, emails, or the ones i received on here.

marj's ideas of stickers worked splendidly today. kept him entertained, and sticker covered for well over 45 minutes! whoop-whoop holler holler!

the happy son after a good school day. (and equally as happy mommy!)

i can feel the continuing theme of toddler pleasers for months and years to come!

another great source was sent to me through email by carrie. it's an e-book version of the Preschool Activities in a Bag II. i was familiar with Preschool Activities in a Bag I, but never really got around to making any of the projects due to my children's ages. although most projects are for preschoolers (lots of shapes, letters, and numbers sorting), there were quite a few that i thought i could tweak to work for my little 2 year old.

these few we are planning on trying next week:

• clothes pins: lists a few projects that have your child clip and place the clothes pins on various objects (including canning lids and paper). and seeing as though i have a blue million clothes pins that i "intend" to some day put on my imaginary clothes line outside....i digress....


• pipe cleaners and straws: snip straws into smaller segments and have the child thread the pipe cleaner through the straws.

click here if you are interested in getting either of the Preschool Activities in a Bag I or II in e-book form. and while you are there, check out their other resources. downloading Science Experiments in a Bag as i type!

in other, but similarly crafty news, my children are marker sniffers.

and they have the colored undernoses to prove just how inviting the scents really are. my favorite is the coffee scented one.

my husband is 30 today, so they kids got their craft on by making mish-mosh cards. i learned that children can be very wasteful if not monitored with construction paper/printer paper and other art supplies, so when i organized our school room, i gave them their very own drawer full of scraps and bits of leftover paper, yarn, felt, and magazines that they can use up to their hearts desire, and they are NOT allowed to just decimate my other things unless it is a supervised craft project. if you have an empty box, drawer, tote, you can designate it as "kid friendly" and know that your other supplies are relatively safe from boredom ensued afternoons.

keep the tips coming!!

yield: 10 cups toddler tears

oh yes. you're feeling where this is going right?

enter this pic into any scenario where you, the parent, are in the midst of some purposeful deed. fixing dinner, doing bills, teaching astronomy, or reading/writing/relaxing.....face it....you insert this image into any daily doing and it makes your brain cells wither with defeat.

i find this most difficult while i am homeschooling the other children. mostly in little spurts it is handled, but a constant, all day whine and cry and scream and need, need, need....sigh. this was my day today (and every day this week thus far).

he is my most "hard to handle" child, and also the one that makes me laugh the most (an awesome predicament that God has obviously found delightful in letting me handle). i struggle, though, to keep him happy. he is two, still in that phase of not quite grasping what "not right now" means in his terms, and cannot under any circumstance be told "no" when he has asked to do something that i can't or won't get or do for him. this resulting in high pitched screaming that no form of punishment has yet to qualm.

so, i'm left with distraction tactics. websites offer many helpful hints for toddler "busiers", but most are just a bit outside the 1-2 year old age (and in my point of view, the hardest ages of keeping happy in the young years). here are some that we have tried and had mild to high success in:

• totes. these being filled with various toys that are only brought out on a semi weekly basis and rotated to keep the toys seemingly new to the young ones.
• educational shows in limited doses. i have found Mighty Machines particularly effective for my child and for his age. others of course being Barney, Sesame Street and most other PBS shows.
• a pair of blunt toddler scissors and some scrap paper. this needs no explanation, but requires a super electric swiffer pad to pick up all those irritating pieces of paper carnage after the doing is done.
• play dough. but never, ever, ever, ever near carpet or rugs that you especially like.
• pasta of different shapes with cups and pots. toddlers love to pour and re-pour, and large pasta shapes are a bit easier to clean up than, say, water or sand. and can be consumed, if you have one that likes to taste everything.
• older child guided activity. especially effective if you have an older child who can willingly (necessary to be willing) take the little one out of the room for a bit, to build block towers, or piece together easy puzzles.
• scheduled play. the most time consuming and evasive of all the diversions. it involves a daily schedule, where you dote out each task for a limited amount of time, and then clean it up and move onto the next. for example: if you need distractions from 9-11 in the morning. start with the one your child finds the most fun, usually one that is the messiest in my experience. only do this for about 20 minutes (or before the child becomes bored with it--never wait until the child is over it and fussy and wanting something else), then gently phase in the next task and clean up the first after the child is enthralled in the new one, same amount of time and clean up after, continue on as needed. i always save the tv/movie/book on tape/longer distractor for the last. this method is the most challenging when you are trying to teach other children and don't want to be pulled away constantly. and it needs to be changed around daily or have special things added in on some days to break up the monotony. like, say, add in their favorite movie on tuesdays, or chalk and chalkboard on thursdays, macaroni pouring on friday, and so forth. if you can enlist the brawn of other children to help with the transfer of tasks, this helps greatly (maybe even have a different helper child each day on a scheduled daily task sheet).

but there are ALWAYS more ways. so i pour my heart out to you. i need some other tried and true tips to list in future (and more structured) posts. and if yours works for my son, then you get a special bonus shout out across internet land.

and now anyone can post a comment on my blog, you don't need to have a blogger or google account.

thanks in advance!

a chill, if you will

today in school, the kids and i did memorization reviews. this year i gave them seasonal poetry to memorize (a simple haiku for the 5 year old, and a little more complex one for the 8 year old). the ones my daughter memorized are among my favorites, ever.

and seeing as though it is wretched hot outside, i found her winter poem especially soothing today.

join me for a moment.

close your eyes (well, actually don't do that...). ummmm.....let your eyelids become slightly heavy. like you just sipped your first bit of morning coffee or tea. that's it.....

now transfix yourself all the way ahead of time to winter. dead winter. a wide open field encompasses you, with large naked oaks cutting a few inches off your peripheral view on each side. snow covers everything. and it is snowing now. no other noises. just the "pit pit pit" of big and small snowflakes waltzing together through the ever so slightest breeze. not even so much that you feel the breeze.....just enough that it moves the snowflakes around in little happy swirls.
you hold out your hand just in time to have one fat ole snowflake float right down on your fingertip and stay there, refusing to melt until you can see every single stem and structure of icy beauty.

now, this is key. imagine the softest voice you have ever known and love. perhaps an actor or actress, or your mother's, or grandmother's. for me, i hear gabriel byrne.

now this voice begins to speak. perhaps this person you visualize is right there beside you. just talking above a whisper (because of course you don't want to drown out all that "pit pit pit" of snow). or maybe it is like a story in your head, a bedtime poem that your mother softly spoke as your mind fell off to sleep.

and this is what is said:



before i melt
come, look at me
this lovely, icy filigree

of a great forest
in one night
i make a wilderness of white

by skyey cold
of crystals made
all softly on your finger laid

i pause that you
my beauty see

breathe
and i vanish instantly.


simple beauty. that's walter de la mare. genius. find him, read him.

perhaps tomorrow, while i'm in the throws of a heat ridden hot flash, courtesy of the pregnancy, i will sit my extra wide self down upon a pillow, close my eyes, and let this piece remind me that the mind can win out over body if given the chance.....