Year 8, Weeks 15 -17: Christmas Cheer!

      I don't know about you, but after Thanksgiving things seem to speed up and slow down at the same time! Our homeschool days feel long and even though it's the same work, nothing new or added, it drags on. But then the countdown to Christmas Day gets shorter and I realize that I still have presents to buy and wrap, cookies to bake, fudge and hot cocoa to prepare and I have to figure out what kind of December cake to bake before the New Year arrives! I don't think I've mentioned it but my goal for 2020 was to bake a different cake every month. I chose to do it because Little Toughie was three when we started to eat Paleo and I stopped baking. She missed out on a lot of goodies. While we still eat Paleo-ish, I figured a cake once a month is fine. Plus, we share the larger ones with neighbors, thus giving a treat to our friends while not taking in too much sugar.

     Are you done Christmas shopping yet or are you a last minute shopper? Are you one who likes the adrenaline rush of finding that perfect present right as the clock counts down to 11:59 pm? Well, that's not me. I'm now somewhere in between. I used to be really good at getting my shopping done by the end of August, no later than the end of September. Yeah, I can't do that anymore. For one, I've never been a fan of shopping. The introvert in me doesn't like crowds and if I do shop it's always for something specific, so I don't spend a lot of time "window shopping". Secondly, the stores I would normally shop at have closed! Borders, Toys R Us...what else? I can't even remember, but I've resigned myself to online shopping and gift cards. All of our family live elsewhere anyway, so online shopping just makes even more sense.

     As for our homeschooling I have to admit, we're bored. The kids and I are bored. As their teacher, I am bored. We've spent the past four years reading plenty of books based on the time period in History which we were studying, all the way from Ancient History to Modern. What we're reading now is indeed review. We're condensing those four years into two, studying World History over this year and next in preparation for high school. But the books that Sonlight recommends as their spine, or main history text, is underwhelming. It's supposed to be geared toward 12-14 year olds but compared to what we've used the past three years, this is feels like it's best for 9-11 year olds.

     Perhaps it's for the best that it's that way, for now. Little Toughie is taking that writing class via Circe (she actually said she's going to miss it now that they're on a break) and it's a lot of work. So, maybe it's okay that it's humdrum reading. Maybe. Or maybe this mom is just ready for some time off from homeschooling!

     We're approaching our Christmas break and as I finish writing this there are cookies in the oven, cookies on trays ready to be put in and cookies on cooling racks. Later, they'll be drenched in chocolate and topped with crushed candy canes. My little helpers (my kids and hubby) are ready and willing. Anything for my holiday cookies! We'll be off for three weeks total, with two of those weeks focused on things we missed in November because of NaNoWriMo. Mostly the science experiments! Then we take one week completely off. This is where I start planning the next school year since curriculum starts to go on sale late January and I want to take advantage of it.

     I'll attempt to catch up on some reading as well. I've tried to start a tradition where I wrap a new book for everyone to start reading on Christmas Eve. It's the one present they get to open. I did it twice and then forgot. If you need a reading list to either start the tradition or just to snuggle up and read while sipping some hot cocoa, This Reading Mama has two great lists:

Image by This Reading Mama

Image by This Reading Mama

     I can tell you what traditions have stuck...the ones that have to do with food! Do you have a meal that you only have on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? Or how about New Year's Eve and New Year's Day? It started out with just cinnamon rolls Christmas morning and something with black-eyed peas on New Year's Day. Then somehow, with the help of the kids, we now have several different standard meals on those days. If I even try to make those meals mid-year I get a resounding, "NO!"

     With that said, I leave you with a very Merry Christmas and a picture of the cookies before they were packaged and passed out for a door-to-door cookie exchange. I also leave you with this, the reason for the season:

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

Homeschooling, Week 9 and CC Week 1

     Week 9 went by with a blur (they all do these days).  This happened to also be our first week of Classical Conversations, which my daughter thoroughly enjoys.  There are seven subjects covered in a short amount of time, not including the Bible scripture they're memorizing.  It goes by quickly.  Ask my child what the 1st conjugation endings, present tense, are in Latin and she'll tell you.  I kid you not.  The children learn A LOT in the short three hours we're there (once a week) and the rest of the week us parents are reinforcing those subjects every way we can.  Through song, play, reading, coloring and drawing...anything we can think of!  It is a wonderful process.

     One of the things we took away from the History part of CC was about Charlemagne (or Charles the Great, a.k.a Charles Magnus).  As suggested by Half-a-Hundred Acre Wood  I recently purchased The Story of The World:  History for the Classical Child to go along with the history we're learning in our CC curriculum (I actually purchased all 4 volumes.)  My daughter LOVED hearing the story of Charlemagne and was excited to hear the part that tied in with the history fact she learned in Classical Conversations.  I love when I can see the dots connecting!

     Even if you're not a homeschooler I highly suggest The Story of the World books.  They teach History in a way the kids can relate to and the stories are long enough to hold their interest and keep them wanting more without be drawn out and boring.  When we finished up the chapters on Charlemagne my daughter was disappointed there wasn't more.

     Our week ended with a project for my daughter that had her name written all over it.  She's such a performer and I knew she would enjoy this one.  We were to watch the news together and I was to point out all the different ways the reporter conducted herself; from the way she clearly spoke to her composure to her eye contact.  Then my daughter had to come up with something in her life that she wanted to report on and deliver it the same way she saw the news reporter do it.
   
     When we finally got the news turned on we happened upon a piece on eating healthy, where a chef was being interviewed.  She too wanted to do a report on eating healthy which ended up turning into an instructional presentation on how to make a smoothie.  Afterwards though, I asked her to think of an event that she wanted to report on and what she wanted to say so that it would be presented just like the anchors on the news.  She chose to report on my husband competing in the Scottish Highland Games in Long Beach back in February.  She took some time to think of what she was going to say, grabbed a mike and began.

     I didn't record it.  I wanted to, but she was ready to go and I didn't want to interrupt the creative flow by saying, "Wait, wait!  Let me get the camera."  Next time, I'll have it ready and going.

     Anyway, her "news report" was flawless.  She knew exactly what she wanted to say.  She kept herself still (no fidgeting!) and she kept great eye contact.  She spoke clearly and at the appropriate volume.  There were no pauses, no "ums" or "uhs".  It flowed beautifully.

     Like I said, it had her name written all over it.