Ash Wednesday

Wednesday is number day...which in our household translates as baking day ;)

Later in the day, we burned our palm cross & added the the ashes to our little bowl of earth on our Lenten Altar.
The time has now come in the Church year for the solemn observance of the great central act of history, the redemption of the human race by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In some denominations, the beginning of the forty days of penance is marked with the austere symbol of ashes.
Although we would not define our faith as Methodist, we attend a Methodist fellowship. The fellowship does not use the symbol of Ashes on the forehead. after discussing at great length the meaning & traditions of Ash Wednesday, my sweet little E wanted to have ashes on her forehead 'to show she is sorry'

We had fun playing with our montessori tower today

Here is a great explaination of the presentation of the pink/natural tower, from MontessoriMom.com
Purpose: Build blocks of graduated 3 dimensional sizes in order to understand sequence and order.

Presentation: Spread a mat or rug on the floor,Dr. Montessori used a green carpet in her first school. Carefully scatter the cubes over the mat. Build a tower starting with the largest cube. Choose slowly and with deliberation.

Grasp each cube with one hand to get the muscular impression of the size. Build the tower from largest to smallest. The child will probably not be able to do this with the largest cube with one hand, it is fine to use both hands.However, the other cubes should be able to be grasped this way.
(Again the connection- the hand is visually measuring the cubes for the mind to process)
Exercise: The child builds the tower after the demonstration.
Using the 3 period lesson introduce the concept of large and small, large, larger, largest, small, smaller, smallest. Also, if your child is ready, you can count the numbers 1 through 10 starting with the smallest cube (1) to the largest cube (10). The concrete difference between 1 and 10 is the first step in understanding addition. Later, when you teach your child to count backwards, use the tower again. Count backwards from 10 as the largest cube down to the smallest cube (1). This visual aid is invaluable to understanding subtraction.

Advanced Exercise: When the child can build the tower easily have him or her build the tower with one corner exactly above the other all the way up, the two edges exactly even. The smallest cube can fit on each ledge on each level. This shows the size and difference between each of the cubes. Let your child use the smallest cube on each level to measure.

Develops -
1.Visual and small muscular perception of dimensions.
2. This awareness of dimensions leads to observation of the child’s environment.
3. Helps to make smoother and more coordinated movement.
4. Math readiness by introducing concepts of smaller, larger, prepares for the decimal and number system.

This helps to prepare for the cube root. 1000 smallest cubes make the largest 10th cube. 8 of the smallest cubes make the second cube, 27 of the smallest cube make the third cube, 64 of the smallest cubes make the fourth cube, 124 cubes make the fifth cube, and so on.

The cubes represent the concrete concept of the numbers of 1 through 10.

Error control. If the tower is incorrectly built, it will topple over.

Hint: If the tower is too difficult give the child every other cube to until he or she has mastered the exercise. Then add all ten cubes.

Shrove Tuesday

We began Shrove Tuesday in a very fitting way...Pancakes with sugar & lemon juice! Yum!

Basic Pancakes with Sugar and Lemon

Makes 12-14 in a 7 inch (18 cm) pan; makes 10 in an 8 inch (20 cm) pan

Ingredients
4 oz (110 g) plain flour
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
7 fl oz (200 ml) milk mixed with 3 fl oz (75 ml) water
2 oz (50 g) butter
To serve:

caster sugar, lemon juice and lemon wedges
You will also need a good solid 7 inch (18 cm) or 8 inch (20 cm) frying pan, some kitchen paper, greaseproof paper, a palette knife or flexible pan slice, and a ladle.

First of all sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with the sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing. Now make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Then begin whisking the eggs – any sort of whisk or even a fork will do – incorporating any bits of flour from around the edge of the bowl as you do so.

Next, gradually add small quantities of the milk and water mixture, still whisking (don't worry about any lumps as they will eventually disappear as you whisk). When all the liquid has been added, use a rubber spatula to scrape any elusive bits of flour from around the edge into the centre, then whisk once more until the batter is smooth, with the consistency of thin cream. Now melt the butter in the pan. Spoon 2 tablespoons of it into the batter and whisk it in, then pour the rest into a bowl and use it when needed to lubricate the pan, using a wodge of kitchen paper to smear it round.

Now get the pan really hot, then turn the heat down to medium and, to start with, do a test pancake to see if you're using the correct amount of batter. I find 2 tablespoons about right for a 7 inch (18 cm) pan and 3 tablespoons for an 8 inch (20 cm) pan. It's also helpful if you spoon the batter into a ladle so it can be poured into the hot pan in one go. As soon as the batter hits the hot pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter. It should take only half a minute or so to cook; you can lift the edge with a palette knife to see if it's tinged gold as it should be. Flip the pancake over with a pan slice or palette knife – the other side will need a few seconds only – then simply slide it out of the pan on to a plate.

Stack the pancakes as you make them between sheets of greaseproof paper on a plate fitted over simmering water, to keep them warm while you make the rest.

To serve, sprinkle each pancake with freshly squeezed lemon juice and caster sugar, fold in half, then in half again to form triangles, or else simply roll them up. Serve sprinkled with a little more sugar and lemon juice and extra sections of lemon.

Shrove Tuesday is a day of celebration & penitance. 'Shrove' comes from the word 'shrive' which means to confess. During the middle ages, people would confess their sins on this day to begin Lent forgiven.

I set up a small Lenten alter, today. A small white cloth, upon which rests our crown of thorns. A white unlit candle, a palm cross & a bowl of earth from our rather frozen garden. (please excuse the microscope in shot!)
I will post further about the small bowl of earth tomorrow.

Fairy cakes & Candlemas

Sunday will be Candlemas. This is the day, when, traditionally, the church candles would be blessed. For us, the candles are a reminder of a much greater light.
Jesus Christ.
This morning, E & I made fairy cakes. She wanted to make black & pink ones, & R requested we make her a red one. (She was off to visit grandma this morning) Here they are in all their goopy-intense glory.

After a leisurely time working on her 'shapes' book, E tidied up & R came home for lunch. We had lunch, then quiet time, then ate a fairy cake or two, whilst reading the history of Candlemas & Luke2:22-40 which is the story of the presentation of Christ in the Temple. We talked about Snowdrops, known as Candlemas Bells, named by the Monks of days gone by for their appearance at this time of year. We also read "the Snowdrop" by Hans Christian Annderson.
Then it was onto candle making...ooooh, this was fun! & very easy! Here is E with her candle

We had a Kit from Myriad online & it was sooo easy! Simply cut the beeswax to the desired size, trim the wick, & roll! Wonderful. Even R had a go, & did a superb job. Here she is, copying her sister's pose;

Once the candles were finished, we displayed them along our mantel, along with some other crafts we had there already.

Happy Candlemas :)

2008 Goals

A fresh new year...I love the feeling of a new beginning..a new start, new opportunities & things to explore.

Here are my new year goals...not resolutions, but goals...goals seem a bit more managable, a little less daunting!
1: Walk humbly with my God (Micah 6:8)
I plan to use my journal much more frequently to help me get more out of my quiet times with God, It helps me to focus &
remember what the Lord is teaching me. I also need to find a comfortable new time for my 'quiet time' with God, as my current time is just not working.
2:Simplify
this is a biggie! my whole mind-set needs to declutter. I want to simplify my faith, my home, my shedule, my mind!
3:Take more care of myself
Spiritually
Take excercise
drink 8 glasses of water a day
take my vitamins
more fruit & vegetables....all this will hopefully result in....
losing weight!
4:Keeping up with my nature journal
I began this last year. Nature journaling is a great source of relaxation for me. I wish to explore the art of water colour this
year.
5:Commit to my household schedules
Do not abandon them the momment they do not work, but keep adjusting until they do!
6:Be a better correspondant
Copy all our notewrthy dates into my planner & set up a little basket with notelets & cards.
7:Plan ahead for a homemade Christmas
Christmas!?! in January!?! Well, this is all part of point no.2 I wish our Christmas to be more simple, more thoughtful. Last
year some of our gifts where homemade, so i wish to continue that theme. I will be posting more on that at a later date.

Crafting Wednesday

Wednesday is a special day in our home...it is Crafting Day! Not that we do not craft on other days...we are big on crafting...but Crafting Wednesday is a special day!
Each wednesday has its own theme..following the Christian Year & the seasons (for example, last week we celebrated Michealmas.) This week was Pumpkin Week! We read Pumpkin Pumpkin & discussed the pumpkins we had planted in our garden. (some, sadly became dinner for 'Seed Watcher' E's name for the field mouse who lives in our garden, the others are coming along a treat, after being wrapped up in netting!)
I also wove a fairytale about two girls who grew a magic pumpkin, made from orange jewels!
We then decorated teeny pumpkins with stickers.
Our afternoon is always completed with a special meal..We set the table nicely, with this service & we have a special dessert that the girls help me to prepare...today was Peach & Raspberry Triffle. Yum!
Well, it is time to put R to bed, daddy has just bathed the girls, & they are waiting ;)

Our Curriculum

Here is our basic curriculum..

Number
Number for us is all fun & games! We like to play a counting/jumping game with a large wooden dice. The girls throw the dice, the E counts the 'score' (with a little help from R!) then they both jump that amount of times. Lots of fun :)
We also have a Hundred Board. The girls have numbered counters, which E matches to the appropriate numbers on the board, & R pours onto the floor! I intend to use this board for skip counting at a later date.
Another fun manipulative, are our Geoboards. No formal instruction here, just lots of fun & creative exploration.
Last week we recieved two new maths manipulatives, which we havent tried yet. Cuisenaire Rods Read about Cuisenaire Rods Here.
Also we recieved Colour Tiles. They offer a wealth of activities to help learn pattern recognition, counting, place value, number facts, estimation, probability, geometry, and measurement.
We also use board games, dominos, beans etc etc. No workbook at the momment, just fun activities in real life.

For our book basket, we have some number stories..

Georges Store On The Seashore
One Hundred Hungry Ants
Math For All Seasons

Language Arts

E has her own Copywork Notebook, which is a treasured record of her developing writing skills. We begin each morning, by choosing a Sandpaper Letter, which E then traces with her finger. When she is happy with that, we move on to tracing in the salt box (which, as its name implies, is a box, filled with salt!) Then she can move on to copying the chosen letter (we call it 'sound') into her copywork notebook. She is required to copy 6 neat letters before we move on. Sometimes E illustrates her letter with pictures or stickers. Sometimes we glue a piece of string in the shape of the letter, or pasta, or crafty bits & bobs, you get the picture!
Throughout the day, we play 'I spy' & naming the sound that words begin with. We keep it fun!
We read LOTS of books. I have chosen Bob Books as our readers, but have only glanced at them, as yet.

Bible Study

A BIG part of our curriculum.
We use Leading Little Ones To God for our morning devotions. I would highly reccomend this book. It is beautifully written, each day expounding a truth about The Lord. we read snuggled up on the sofa, then pray & sing a hymn or Christian song.
For Bible study, we are working through the Bible, picking up on major stories & themes. We use the NIV (ours is pink!) & also the Day by Day Kids Bible.
I begin by asking E some questions about what we are about to read...then we read the scripture, & discuss it as necessary. A great tool I have found in teaching Bible is 1001 ways to introduce your child to the Bible. It has lots of songs, crafts, games & activities to help your child to remember & learn. a must-have!

An excellent 'method' or explaination of thorough Bible study can be found here atHeart Of Wisdom
this is a great site for maps, timlines & articles.
As well as our concordance, Bible atlas & dictionary, we find these books useful, too.

The kregel Pictoral Guide To The Story Of The Bible

The Kregel Pictoral Guide To The Bible

What the Bible Is All About For Young Explorers

Our Homeschool

This was our first 'official' week of homeschooling! What a wonderful, wonderful week it has been. Here is a little bit all about our rhythms & routines.



Our Day

Morning

Everyone up
Nurse R
We all shower/wash & dress
Family devotions
Breakfast
Clear up from breakfast
Chores
My bible time/ Littlies watch a dvd.

School!

Number
Copywork
Bible

Mid-day

Lunch
Clear up from lunch
Read aloud time

Afternoon

R's nap time/ Quiet time for myself & E

Outdoor play/crafts

Tea time
Clear away tea

Evening

Bathtime
Story/ E often goes on the computer with her daddy.
Bedtime


OUR WEEK

our week tends to have a rhythm, too. Certain activities on certain days.

Monday R visits her granparents in the morning.
Tuesday Library day
Wednesday Tea & Crafts (I will write more about this, later)
Thursday E visits her grandparents in the afternoon.
Friday: Nature day! Our whole morning is taken up with nature study. Our favourite
day ;)

SEASONS

We have always had an interest in following the seasons...I intend to follow that more closely with our learning...more 'real life' if you will.

Here is a short, but interesting artice about rhythm from www.waldorfhomeschoolers.com

Daily Rhythms

Rhythm

Having a daily rhythm does not mean following the clock. "Rhythm and human life cannot be separated. Plants, animals and human beings all reveal rhythmical qualities in form, movement and growth patterns. Humankind moves through life embraced by great, rhythmical "tides" - the cosmic pulling of the planets, nature's rhythms of day, night and seasons and the biological rhythm of heart and lungs." (Quote taken from Natural Childhood: The First Practical Holistic Guide for Parents of the Developing Child. We highly recommend this outstanding book for a deeper understanding of rhythm and a fully "Waldorf" childhood.

"Rhythm" is not the same as "Schedule"

It is important to understand that "rhythms" are not really like schedules and/or time tables... but more like the flow of the way the day begins, continues, closes, etc... If your rhythm at dinner is to set the table, light a candle, say a blessing and eat the meal, then if it's at 5:00 one night and then at 6:30 the next night because daddy is running late or the beans aren't cooked, but you still follow the pattern of setting the table, lighting the candle, saying the blessing and eating... then you DO have a rhythm.

It happens like the tide, in a more natural way as opposed to watching he clock and the race against time, which I feel causes unnecessary stress, pressure, and so forth. I think as a home schooling parent... THIS is one of the biggest issues of school for me. This lesson from 9:45 through 10:30 then break and go on to that lesson from 10:45 through lunch.... meanwhile, it seems that it breaks up JUST when the creative energy and/or inspiration begins to flow!!!

It is likely that you already have plenty of rhythms set in place and are just scared away by the term itself, or how it was presented to you... Just think of your daily chores, work, necessary things you do (brushing teeth, getting ready for bed, etc...) I am sure that with a bit of conscious observation, you'll discover many rhythms already set in place at your home!

Seasonal Rhythm

January brings the snow
Makes our feet and fingers glow.
February brings the rain
Thaws the frozen lake again.
March brings breezes, loud and shrill,
Stirs the dancing daffodil.
April brings the primrose sweet,
Scatters daisies at our feet.
May brings flocks of pretty lambs,
Skipping by their fleecy dams.
June brings tulips, lilies, roses,
Fills the children's hands with posies.
Hot July brings cool showers,
Strawberries and gillyflowers.
August brings the sheaves of corn,
Then the harvest home is borne.
Warm September brings the fruit,
Sportsmen then begin to shoot.
Fresh October brings a pheasant,
Then to gather nuts is pleasant.
Dull November brings the blast;
Then the leaves are whirling fast.
Chill December brings the sleet,
Blazing fire and Christmas treat.

Benefits of Keeping the Rhythm

Sense of Security
Builds Confidence
Understand Boundaries
Balances Energies
Familiarity
Sufficient Rest
Strengthens the Will
Teaches Self Discipline
Seasonal Awareness
Understands Nature's Cycles
Understanding the Normalcy of Birth & Death