Summer Depression

Note: While this post is not exactly timely, it has been on my mind to share with the hopes that others who experience the same thing will take heart.

We live in a place that lives for summer.

Goodbyes

I hate goodbyes. From the daily "have a nice day, honey" to the lifetime goodbyes. All are painful, and make my heart a little heavy. I've moved a lot since graduating from college ... 11 times, the last 3 in the past two and a bit years. I've lost many people in the process. Last week, I was reminded of the loss that hurts the most, the loss that lasts for the rest of your life.

The Story of a Christmas Tree

One of the holiday traditions that I've carried throughout my life is the tradition of the tree. Yes, I know that its origins are pagan, and adaptations to the celebration of Jesus' birth have weathered many controversies. Regardless, for me, it is a tradition that brings family together to share memories of joyful times spent celebrating the birth of my Savior. In my opinion, enough said.

In years past, our family has been through many different tree phases ... the artificial tree of my childhood, finally replaced with real green in my teen years. Cut trees purchased from a lot, from Home Depot, from the Boy Scouts, or the local nursery. We even had one year where we used a live potted tree ... a story of mishap and magic that ends with, the last time I saw it, a 30 foot monstrosity in some unfortunate someone's back yard in Colorado. I guess the Colorado Blue Spruce isn't so named without reason. They grow very well in their native state.

The last few years, we have ventured as a family to the mountains of Colorado to help the Forest Service thin out their evergreen tree population. For a mere $10, you can go into the National Forest (designated areas only), and cut down the tree of your choice, within some size limitations. We've enjoyed each unique "Charlie Brown" tree as the years have passed.

This year, we found ourselves in Canada, and as with everything, tried to figure out how things work here, and what opportunities were available.

The PLAN (Home Learning - Grade 5)

A note before we begin. I've been working on this blog post for a couple of weeks. Not because it is so hard to get the information together, I have it in our planning journal. Not because I'm uninspired, I am. But because it seems so overwhelming to put it all out there. I feel like a pushy overachiever. The thing is, we're moving through somewhat according to the plan, and finding new things to add along the way. Nathan LOVES to learn. I asked him yesterday if he was having fun with our school year. Yes. I asked him if there was anything he just really didn't like. No. I asked if we work too long, too hard, not hard enough, etc. He said he is happy. He acts like he is challenged. He still prefers his home learning life to the idea of going to school. He said he likes the quiet and peacefulness. With that in mind ...

  

  THE PLAN

Each year, I try to re-evaluate the prior year and outline a plan for the new year that not only addresses the basic academic goals of the year, but keeps in mind one of my favorite sayings:

You're not raising a boy, you're raising a man.

Homeschool isn't just about academics, but also about life. Living life. Learning in life. Becoming in life.

A Foggy Morning

Just a few photos from a beautiful foggy morning this week. Enjoy!

The Coming Rains

Today is a beautiful day. It is fall, my absolute favorite time of year. The sun is peeking through a partly cloudy sky, after an amazing weekend of sunshine and warmth. It is a different sort of autumn, one unlike any other I've ever known, but abounding with beauty and variety that keeps my eyes exploring and my lungs deeply filled. Today is a beautiful day.

Compliments to Jack for the beautiful photo!

Elk Mountain ... So Glad We Found You!

It has been an interesting summer for us. Being in a new place, we have found nearly everything a challenge. And in the craziness of it all, we kept finding time short and energy even shorter when it came to getting out our hiking boots and taking them for a spin.

{this moment]

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{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

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with Amanda @ SouleMama

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Homeschooling, Socialization, and the Vet

Ask any homeschooling parent, and they will tell you that the one thing people ALWAYS ask about is socialization. Children need intense age-level peer interaction, right?  The idea of homeschooling seems to fly in the face of all that is appropriate for proper socialization.

Or does it?

So Long, Shadow

As parents, we like to think we have a handle on things. We like to think that we know what is right, what will work well, and what we should help our children avoid. We are charged with keeping our kids safe and making decisions that protect their hearts.

And sometimes, we fail.

The Plan

Here I am. I have a plan. It is a good plan, or so I think. It is a plan based on a tried-and-true approach. It is my plan, and I'm comfortable with it.

And then, I read THE book. Not a book that necessarily changes the plan, but one that puts a filter between my eyes and my good plan, and highlights all its flaws. Been there?

{this moment}

. . . . . . . . . . 

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

. . . . . . . . . .

with Amanda @ SouleMama

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(from a few weeks ago ... I'm a little behind on my posts!)

Jack Came to Town, too!

As my parents' visit came to an end, we had a two week visit from our middlest son Jack to anticipate. Jack also was making his first pilgrimage to Canada, so we started the sightseeing once again. 

"Middlest?" you ask. Well, we have three sons ... an oldest, a youngest, and a middle-est!

Mom and Dad Came to Town!

It is time to do a little catching up! We've had a busy couple of months, filled with fun and beauty, seasoned with our share of stress and the annual summer depression (on my part). But fall is here! Cool nights mean more blankets and fires in the fireplace. The sun is setting earlier, so we are cozying up more in the evenings. And I finally have the desire to catch up on everything that I've allowed to pile up over the last couple of busy months.

So, without further ado ...

Mom and Dad came to town!

{this moment}

. . . . . . . . . . 

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

. . . . . . . . . .

with Amanda @ SouleMama

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Free Journal!

All you blogging friends, take a look at Kristi's blog today. She is offering a free journal to anyone who will share on their blog about what they are up to in Uganda with The Akiru Project. 

So ... tell the world!

Photo courtesy of Lynnette Hunter @ tenaciouslace.blogspot.com (check out her etsy store as well!)

Tick Tock, Tick Tock, Tick Tock

Time flies when you're having fun! That's what THEY say ... whoever THEY are. Well, so true. It has been a while since I've blogged, mainly because we were too busy having fun to write about all the fun we were having.

{this moment}

. . . . . . . . . . 

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

. . . . . . . . . .

with Amanda @ SouleMama

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Me Time

Such a treat to take a little Me Time. As I prepared to walk out the door, I realized that my mind was battling with itself over the age old question. What should I do with a few hours of Me Time? Around here, the choices include Canada, the United States, the beach, a river, the park, the mountains. How about grocery shopping? Stop by the library? (I tried. They were closed.) And of course, the always tempting Starbucks.

So after a stop at Starbucks and a garage sale, I found my way to the beach.

Oh, what to do? I could work on my blog. I could read my Bible or a homeschooling book. Maybe write a letter, or work on the plan for the next school year. There are always things to organize, phone calls to make, even potential photos that are whispering my name.

Mt. Baker

At last, we have visited Mt. Baker. We look at it almost every day, if the clouds stay at bay. It looms over the southern landscape. It beckons David as he drives home from work. It calls to us all like a taste of Colorado from far away. Mt. Baker. Thanks for a beautiful day!

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow?

With zucchinis and squash, lettuce and peas, and a little corn all in a row... and a random bit of kale in surprising places.

{this moment}

. . . . . . . . . . 

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

. . . . . . . . . .

with Amanda @ SouleMama

. . . . . . . . . .

Making Time for Change

This morning, I realized something significant. I'm a 30-day change person. What do I mean by that? Simply that it takes me about 30 days to feel comfortable in a change. Big or small, it takes a while to adjust.

As I was mulling this over, I realized that we have lived in 4 different places in the last 24 months. I could have said the same 4 months ago, when we moved here. Three houses. One apartment. Four cities (to be fair, three were in the same area). Two countries. I've got this moving thing down. But each change took a little while to digest.

I read recently that every habit we have was once something

new that we had to grow accustomed to. My bowl-of-oatmeal-everyday-for-breakfast habit began with that single first bowl of oatmeal. The put-the-vegan-food-leftovers-in-the-compost-bin habit began with the first apple core. It all began somewhere, and took a little while to become a habit. It is true of the less healthy habits as well. My stay-up-late-at-night-when-I-should-be-sleeping habit started with the first late night, which I believe happened somewhere in my early teens and has lasted to this day.

None of this is news, so why was it so significant for me this morning? I realized that it is not only the passing of days that is required for my comfort in a new habit. Time can pass, and I will still be fighting like it was the first time. I have to make time for change. The catchword I've seen floating around is "mindfulness" ... I have to be mindful of the change. To embrace it. To allow myself time to mourn the loss (even if it is a good loss) and savor the novelty. Only then can I embrace the new and peacefully leave the old behind.

Now a little laugh for you. What prompted all this soul-searching? I'm not a morning person. Fact. We have a new puppy. Fact. My husband's alarm goes off at 5:00am, waking me and the puppy ... oddly enough, not awakening him. Fact. I'm mourning the loss of sleep. I'm mourning the loss of morning time to myself. I'm mourning my late nights. Okay, I must admit that I'm not mourning them yet because I haven't given them up yet. But I'm mourning the prospect. Fact. But I realized that it has only been 3 weeks. My 30 days haven't passed yet. I also haven't taken the time for the change.

So as I sat outside in my pjs, wrapped in blankets against the morning cold, looking out over the greenness, I saw as I haven't seen before. The light is different in the early morning. The birdsongs carry a different energy. The grass is wet. Flowers smile. The distractions are less. The world feels new. And I became mindful of the change. Yes, the mourning is great, but there is beauty to embrace as well.

Facing a change? Big? Small? Desired? Against your wishes? Give it time. Be mindful of your mourning and let it flow over you. Be mindful of the beauty and thank God for it. Be mindful of your heart and trust in your ability to face change. Make time for it and you'll find peace in it.

Slow Days

Slow days ... they add such joy to my life. You know the days I'm talking about. When you can spend extra time doing the things you love. When you can simply sit in your favorite chair just listening to the sounds of the day, stroll outside and enjoy a crisp and sunny day, and mostly, just breathe.

Today is one of those days. It is 73 degrees and beautifully sunny. Peace seems to reign in the house. With 4th grade finished, 5th grade not beginning until September, the house relatively clean, our puppy sleeping, the boy entertaining himself, and a relatively short to-do list, it is a slow day. Exactly what I needed after a couple of challenging weeks. Recovery. Healing. 

I will get a little laundry done today, prepare food, do some work on the laptop, run a quick errand. But overall, it is a wonderfully slow day.

Can you remember the last time you took time to slow down? What do you like to spend your slow days doing?

Enjoy

Goodbye 4th Grade!

Can't believe it! We have finished 4th grade! For you homeschool moms, you know what I mean. It is definitely a WE thing. The structured learning doesn't happen without learning on my part ... often we discover things together, sometimes I come to the learning moments with prior knowledge. Sometimes, I knew it at one time, but have to refresh my mind with relevant facts and stories. Not to mention the teachable moments where Google is a lifesaver! Regardless, 4th grade is a memory.

Oh, I'm showing my American-ness. I should be saying Grade 4! {grin} Before we forge ahead to Grade 5 and planning the learning adventures for next year, a recap.

Math: Books 3B, 4A, and 4B of Singapore Math are history. No, they are math. But not math Nathan will have to face again. A year and a half in 11 months. Nice job! The octopus was created while he was studying symmetry. 

Grammar: Charlotte Mason's Simply Grammar was the fare of this year ... slowly and deliberately. Today, as we were looking at his work from the year, Nathan said, "I love Grammar!" I taught him the beginnings of how to diagram sentences this year. Love. He is indeed my son!

Writing: Daily, weekly, some "published", some drafted, enjoyed and forgotten. The year began with a unit study on writing poetry. We worked on non-fiction writing that culminated in a 5 paragraph essay about the Battle of Bunker Hill. Fiction writing is an ongoing joint effort via email with a friend back in Colorado. Ask Nathan what a Wonkaluk is.

Reading: We didn't have any curriculum concerning reading or spelling. Nathan reads at least an hour, usually two or more, daily. And if he has seen it written, he can usually spell it. He has consumed The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien, Eragon, Eldest, Brisinger and Inheritance by Christopher Paolini, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling, Esther Forbes' Johnny Tremain, Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, Lynne Reid Banks' The Indian in the Cupboard, and a never-ending list of library books. I say "consumed" because he is on his 18th read of The Hobbit, or something like that, and that is typical. He has read each of the above, with the exception of Johnny Tremain, multiple times, and often in a single day. "Consumed" yields the perfect image!

Science: In the fall, we completed two studies about trees. Both were Simple Schooling courses. The first titled "Tree-Leaf-Seed" and the second "Evergreen Trees." Apologia Astronomy has been our curriculum since Christmas. Nathan enjoyed the first half, but the repetition of the exercises got a little old after a while. However, he did create an amazing Astronomy game called "Race through the Solar System" that contains a review of facts from each chapter. If you're using this curriculum, I would highly recommend this activity when it gets a little dry during the last few chapters.

World History: Story of the World Volume 1: Ancient Times took us on a tour of world history from the nomadic people in the fertile crescent through the end of the Roman empire. Great activities this year included adventures in the catacombs with the early Christians, creating sand paintings like the early South Americans, and making a miniature model fasces when studying the rise of Rome. And who knew that Attila the Hun died of a nose bleed!

US History: We began in the colonies, complete with a model of Jamestown made with salt clay, sticks, paint and popsicle sticks. The adventure continued through a week study of the French and Indian War, and culminated with the colonial victory at Yorktown to conclude the Revolutionary War. In November, we also took a week to study the presidential election process and track the election in its final days. Nathan says that this subject was his favorite for the year.

Brazil: Nathan wanted to study Brazil this year, so we did! Ahh, the beauty of homeschool. We took more of a student-led approach, which meant much more reading, fewer deliverables. But one of the greatest art projects of the year was a wire model of Pele.

Herb Study: Herb Fairies gave us hours of reading and exploring herbs and their medicinal uses. Highly recommend, if you're asking! Eight more months of online curriculum to go.

Century Book: Another of Charlotte Mason's, the Century Book has grown with times and dates from each subject area. Over and over, we gasp and say, "I didn't know those things were happening at the same time!" Highly recommend, for all you homeschool families. We made our own. If you want the templates for the pages, just comment below and let me know.

Art: Thank you, Sarah, for helping Nathan create such a beautiful copy of Van Gogh's Starry Night. It was a perfect Father's Day present for Dad. His days at Boulder Explore were filled with a variety of art mediums including paint, pottery, chalk, pencil, etc. as they studied the great artists. Thank you to others for filling in where I'm very weak!

Boulder Explore: While we were living in Colorado, Nathan attended Boulder Explore every Tuesday. If you live in the area and are looking for an amazing one-day program, check it out. It is free through Boulder Valley School District.

Music: Another year of piano lessons dwindled as we moved to Canada. We'll be picking up where we left off once we start the new school year. Nathan has a keen ear, and has written several songs to go with words found in books he's reading, including his own version of the dwarves' song in The Hobbit.  He not only composed them in his head, but wrote them down to remember forever.

Well, that's about it ... the year in a nutshell. Hope you have all spent the year filling your brains to the brim, too.