Overheard through my screened door...

Magnus to one of the neighborhood boys..."Attila the Hun was one of the most blood thirsty men in history!"

Neighborhood boy..."You mean he drank blood?!?"

Magnus explaining..."No...I mean he left a trail of death and destruction wherever he went."

Guess he was listening!

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*****This is the sort of thing your kids come up with when the bug guy is a regular visitor to your home!*****

Look, Ma...No Teeth!

This may sound silly but ever since he lost his first tooth I have been anticipating the day he would have both of his front teeth gone (he actually has four missing right now!). I love the way kids are not able to talk "correctly". His "th" combination is precious! It's bitter sweet in a way. I feel as if I am entering into the realm of "Moms of Big Kids" now.

Question of the Day...

The other day I thought I was going to have "the" discussion with Magnus. It went something like this...

Magnus..."Mom, (dramatic pause) can unmarried women have babies?"

Me (trying to not show my panic)... "Well, yes, but that is not the way God set it up."

I notice the wheels are turning..."Is it because He knew they would need help from their husbands?"

(Huge sigh of relief) "Yep, buddy. I think it is so they could have help from their husbands."

Dodged a bullet on that one...for now!

Growing Up...

Magnus has been loosing his teeth left and right. He is talking funny and looks totally cute when he smiles...

Why are some kids so mean?

Ugh! I am so frustrated and so mad!!!!!

Magnus has a very creative imagination. He likes to dress up and pretend he is different people living out different adventures. I love it and encourage it greatly.

Well, this afternoon he was outside playing and some teenagers walked by and laughed at him and said he was "a silly kid". I am furious! As they walked back by I confronted them. They said they didn't say anything, but I know they are lying. Magnus is inside crying because they hurt his feelings and now he won't go back out.

My heart is hurting for him.

Grammar Stage Logic

The boys have this thing where they like to choose their identity with everything. If they are watching the Lone Ranger, one will be the Lone Ranger and one will be Tonto. While playing with their Playmobil guys, they each choose who they are. Frankly, it drives me crazy!!!! And, it seems to only cause problems because they will "kill" each other off just to provoke. So, I have tried to put an end to it and not allow it to go on anymore.

Well, yesterday Thane was having a battle with his Playmobil guys. He turned to me while holding a guy up and said, "Mom, I'm him. But only in my head." Alright. Guess there is no harm in that. Especially since Magnus wasn't around.

Ten minutes later, Magnus walks in. "Thane. Can I be that guy 'in your head'?". What?! In the words of Thane..."That can't be right, can it?"

Wordless Wednesday

Memories...Magnus age 2 years 2 days

Give Them Dirt...

It is officially spring here, well, except for the few flakes of snow that fell on Monday, but true to Middle Tennessee weather, we were at the park without jackets the next day. Our friends were not able to meet us like they usually do, so the big toy didn't seem as exciting to the boys. I came up with another idea. "Let's go explore the creek and see what treasures we find!" Here we are in the creek..

Yep, it was dry. But that didn't stop them from having fun!


Then the real fun began. They found dirt!



I asked them several times if they wanted to go back and play on the playground. Every time they answered, "No way! We are having too much fun playing in the dirt!"

Also...I just updated my nature blog...Dancing with Dandelions...go check it out!

Impromptu Nature Study

Music to my ears...

"Thane! Hurry up and get me the bug jar!" I hear Magnus yell from across the yard.

"Magnus, what are you trying to catch?" I ask.

"A bee!"

What?! Is he trying to get stung? Then I remember, he is afraid of stinging insects. More power to him if he wants to overcome that fear and study an insect!

"Mom! I got him!" shouts Magnus! "And I see his pollen sacks on his hind legs! They're red!"

I grabbed my Handbook of Nature Study to see what Anna, we're on a first name basis now, has to say...
pg. 392 under The Worker "...the hind leg has a pollen basket, which is a long cavity bordered by hairs wherein the pollen is packed and carried."
pg. 393 under The Drone... "He has no pollen baskets on his legs..."

So, we deducted that this was a worker bee in captivity.

Magnus requested to sketch it in his Nature Journal. I'll have to add the picture later since Collin has the camera...(in his suitcase with him on the plane as I write this! Yeah!).

Gotta love it when learning "just happens"!

Looking Ahead to Next Year

I have been doing some planning for the coming school year (and the remainder of this year). I am trying to think of everything I may possibly need so I can add it to my list for mine and Collin's discussion about the budget. To my benefit, there has been a thread on the WTM boards asking homeschoolers how much they spend a year on schooling. Here is the link... homeschooling budget.

I've also been thinking a lot about the direction I want the boys' education to take and what I want our school days to look like. I was having trouble at first, listing things like: fun, relaxed, challenging, but then it hit me and started to flow. These are a few of the things I want for my boys...(this list is by no means exhausted. It's just a sampling.)
1. To learn how to think & observe critically. To be able to think for themselves and not be "spoon fed" their opinions.
2. To understand history chronologically and how events effect each other.
3. To have an analytical understanding of great literature.
4. To have a clear understanding and grasp of the English language ie., speak correctly, write correctly, write creatively.
5. To be fluent in several languages ie., Latin, Greek, and French.

Keeping those goals in mind, our school days are going to be more relaxed, yet still challenging. I want them to enjoy the process of learning and I of teaching. We are going to cuddle on the couch and read lots of well written books and not "twaddle". We are going to concentrate on getting a strong foundation in Language Arts, the Charlotte Mason way. Latin is going to become a priority as it will aid in and reinforce our Language Arts studies. We will continue to play our math games as that is Magnus's favorite subject. We will get our "seat" work done in the morning to allow time for play, activities, and free time in the afternoons.

With all that being said...


This is what I will be using for both boys:

History...I like using SOTW. I feel it is a gentle approach to introducing history to the boys. The stories are fact filled, yet short. The Activity Guide has fantastic suggestions for extra reading as well as great projects, maps, and coloring pages. I have a feeling we will be spending more time and money on history this year as we will be studying the Middle Ages. Our family is very much interested in Medieval history and talk about it constantly. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Collin is going to school to teach Medieval Literature at a University. Maybe *he* should be teaching the boys! I hope to do several activities as well as lots of read alouds. I am also going to follow Ambleside Online's book list for our reading.

Science...I'm struggling with this. We are not a "scientific" family (well, at least Collin and I) but I see the need for knowing it. Maybe the boys are of the "scientific mind" and I would hate to rob them of finding out. I know they are interested in it. So, I'm trying to figure out a place for it in our house. I have been re-inspired to visit Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education. I think the idea of nature study will foot the bill for me and the boys. We are going to take nature hikes, start a nature journal, and read fantastic "living" stories about nature. Along with that, I hope to do activities like creating a bird sanctuary, planting a garden, and if space allows (we don't know where we will be living), I want to raise chickens (and maybe a sheep or two)!


Magnus will be in 2nd grade. This is what I am planning for him:

Latin...is going to be a high priority. It will aid in spelling and grammar as well as logic. I read Andrew Campbell's book Latin Centered Curriculum and most of it made sense to me. However, I plan on continuing to use a grammar program and to follow the 4 year history cycle laid out in The Well Trained Mind. I have already purchased Minimus and plan to use it. In fact, the boys request to listen to the audio as they read along in the book! I'm just not sure if I am going to start it this year as we study Rome or wait until next year. But then again, I just found out about another program called Song School Latin from Classical Academic Press (the creators of Latin for Children) This would be the first step before doing Latin For Children. I checked out the samples and it looks fantastic. Lots of work with vocabulary and easy grammar. I still don't know which program to do between Lively Latin or Latin for Children after our initial introduction to Latin. They are both incredible programs and it is just a matter of me figuring out what I want our Latin study to look like. I am also hoping to get my hands on the "I am Reading Latin" readers.

Math...we will continue working through Right Start but do level C next year. This seems to be a good fit for him. It is teacher intensive but I really don't mind. Especially since he is learning to master the concepts. I am thinking about adding Singapore Challenging Word Problems.

Grammar...this had me scratching my head. I don't want to continue with FLL. It's not working for Magnus. He gets the concepts easily, but the presentation is rather dull. After reading Charlotte Mason's take on Language Arts and talking to Collin, we are switching to the Language Lessons series by Sandi Queen. It Incorporates a lot of picture study (with beautiful artwork), narrations, dictation, and grammar. Magnus is a very creative boy who has a good grasp on words and does not like to be "spoon fed". I think the gentler approach will allow him to take ownership of his learning.

Spelling...we will definitely continue with All About Spelling. We may be starting level 2 in a few months so we'll have to do level 3 next year. It is moving a little slow for Magnus, but I am sure he is learning the concepts well.


Thane will be in Kindergarten. This is what I am planning for him:

Math...he has been watching big brother work the abacus and has been playing games with us, it only seems natural to begin his formal math program with Right Start level A. In fact, I just bought it on the WTM for sale board and am eagerly anticipating it's arrival. I have a feeling Thane is going to work through this fast. Luckily I already have level B waiting in the shadows.

Phonics...not sure what to do here. I really don't think OPGTR is going to do it for him. He needs something more than a "repeat after me" type program. He is a visual/kinesthetic learner. I love the looks of Sing, Spell, Write & Read but it is pricey. Maybe, just maybe, I can talk dh into this! If not, I'm not sure what I will do. I am also going to look at Veritas Press Phonics Museum. I had considered this when Magnus was in kindergarten, but decided against it because of cost. I will definitely look for it used. I love the way it incorporates artwork and activities into the learning. I might also look into Phonics Pathways. It has more of the visual aspect I am looking for, but not a lot of hands-on stuff. I would supplement with Explode the Code books and Happy Phonics.

Along with this curriculum I am hoping to get a hold of some audio...King Arthur and His Knights, Wulf the Saxon, The Dragon & the Raven, Winning His Spurs, and In Freedom's Cause. Magnus and Thane both love listening to stories on cd, which is good for me since I don't like reading aloud.

That pretty much covers it. None of this is set in stone as I know I will probably change my mind some more as far as curriculum goes. On thing that I know for sure is the direction I want our learning to go in and that is a relief.

Wordless Wednesday

Where has the time gone?

My "big one" turns seven today. SEVEN!!! It's as if I blinked and *POOF* there is a big kid running around my house in his underwear! And what a kid he is. God has truly blessed me with an intelligent, silly, strong-willed, handsome, gifted, emotional, loving boy.

My boys' birthdays always bring to mind the events and emotions of their actual "birth" day and this one is no different. I went into pre-term labor with Magnus (and Thane as well) around 31 weeks and placed on bed rest. I was dilated to almost 3 and having contractions regularly. I was in and out of the hospital numerous times and placed on many different medications...oh the things I would do differently. January 25, 2001 (5 weeks later) was like any other day. Collin caught a ride to work since we only had one car and I needed it to go to my Dr.'s appointment. I grabbed McDonald's for lunch (Disclaimer: I know, I know. How could I feed that stuff to my unborn child. If only I had known then what I know now. Besides, it helped with the constipation! TMI!) So, I went in for my visit and I was almost at 7! Needless to say, I headed next door to be admitted. BUT, Collin wasn't there and he had no car! Being this was first time for me to experience anything like this, I was nervous and anxious and that took the form of comedy for me. Collin was able to hitch a ride with our good friend, Ted. Nurses were scrambling around, trying to get me prepared and in walks Collin. I still remember the look on his face and his hesitation since he, too, had no idea what to expect. Following close by was Ted. When I saw them both I said, "Oh, I am so glad you are both here because I don't know which one of you is the father!" The room was dead silent. The nurses all stopped working and the guys' faces dropped. I erupted with laughter! needless to say, I wasn't laughing soon after that, as it came time to push. After only an hour and 15 minutes, Baby Davey was finally with us (6:35 p.m.). The rush of emotion is indescribable and only mothers can relate. I am sure fathers experience something, too, in their own way.

So, here we are. Seven years later. Happy Birthday, Magnus!

Identity Crisis

My boys are going through an identity crisis. I didn't think this was suppose to happen until they hit Jr. High. They will be reading a book and Thane will say, "I'm that guy. Who are you, Magnus?" Magnus will reply, "I'm the guy in the red shirt. Are you the guy on the rock?" "No, I'm him.", pointing to the guy fishing off the bridge.

You have to understand, this goes on ALL day long. And it doesn't even have to be people. Just today they decided which cups they were in the sink. Oh, and yesterday Thane was the color red. What?!? It's driving me crazy! But then I think, "There are definitely stranger things they could be doing. Right?" (Looking for the head nods from other parents.) They certainly have creative imaginations. I do like that! :o)

Then there were 3...well, sort of.

Magnus decided he was going to run away today after I told him he could only have one piece of toast for breakfast. After an episode of talking back and disciplining, he started packing. I knew what was going on but acted like I didn't. He came out into the living room and said, "Mom, will you come into my room and look at the pile on my bed?"
Mom-"What is this, Buddy?"
Magnus-"I'm running away."
Mom-"Well, I hope you will change your mind."

After a few more minutes of packing he went into the pantry.
Mom-"What are you doing?"
Magnus-"Packing some food?"
Mom-"No. That food is for our Team. (We refer to our family as a "team" a lot) And if you are running away, you aren't part of the Team anymore."
Magnus-"Well, can I have a garbage bag? I don't want to litter when I am out."
Mom-"No. You can use a Kroger bag when you stop and buy groceries. How are you going to pay for your food?"
Magnus-"I don't know."
Mom-"Looks like you are packing a lot of stuff. How are you going to carry it all?"
Magnus-"I don't know."
Mom-"Where are you gong to sleep?"
Magnus-"Can you get my tent and sleeping bag out of the attic?"
Mom-"You'll have to ask Dad."

Then, after all of this, he actually sat down and did his school work. Later he told me he decided he wasn't going to leave until the day after tomorrow. Not sure why though. Then he decided he wasn't going to be gone but for only a few days.

Thankfully he came to me later and said, "I don't think I am going to leave. I will miss you."

Wordless Wednesday

6 going on 13

Magnus is in a transition stage right now. Therefore, we, as parents, are also in a transition stage. Since he is our oldest, we are in new territory. Thankfully (praise God!) I have a husband who is very much in tune with our family and provides the leadership needed in such cases as this. He is very intuitive and discerning when it comes to our boys and I value his insights greatly. We work very well together at figuring things out. We, Collin and I, are very different in our approaches and it balances the family nicely.

Magnus has been challenging our authority and talking back a bit the last few weeks. Let me just say that he is a GREAT kid and we rarely have issues with him aside from the "norm". However, this was pretty consistent and weighing heavily on me. It took a significant episode to figure out what the real issue was. My son is growing up and I don't know how to deal with it.

After listening to Magnus explain how he was feeling, we figured out that one of his issues is having to work around the house. To be more specific, he didn't like having to stop what he was doing or put off his plans in order to help out right when he was asked. Understandable. I don't like to be interrupted either. He understands that our family functions as a team and that everyone has their own jobs to do in order for the family to function well. So, we came up with a chore chart for the boys.


It is my responsibility to get their jobs posted by 9:30am and it is their responsibility to have them completed by the time I have posted. That way they have a bit of a choice as to when they do them as long as they are done by the time I stated. If they are not completed by the time stated, then they have to stop whatever they are doing and do their job. This is teaching them time management skills and giving them a sense of responsibility and accomplishment. I also reserve the right to ask for help (and to receive it) for little tasks like setting the table or helping with dinner. I think this is going to work well. The boys are excited about it too.

We have also decided to give Magnus a bit more independence. Just with little things like pouring his own milk, making his own toast, playing chess on the computer, ect.

He may be ready, but I don't know if I am.

Wordless Wednesday

Priceless...

12 ft. of pipe insulation...$3.49
















50 ft. of sill seal...$5.99













1" x 22" x 22" Poly Foam...$2.17
















1 roll of duct tape...$2.89






















2 pairs
of youth size
boxing gloves...$19.98







Your boys thinking you are the coolest parents in the world...priceless!

Re-evaluating and Revamping

I have finally had some time to sit down and look at where we are at so far this year, evaluate Magnus' abilities and skills, and figure out what we need to do to reach our goals for the year. I am planning to look at Thane's skills in a few day and come up with a plan for him soon. Here is what I have come up with so far...

As of now, the plan is to move sometime in August to wherever Collin will be attending Graduate school, so we will stay here through July. Collin informed me today that he was offered an easy office type job on campus for the summer so that eases my mind a bit. Poppy and Nana will be visiting sometime in February, as may our friend from France. The boys and I are planning to take school on the road with our friends in their RV for a couple of weeks this spring. Collin will be graduating (Praise the Lord!) the first week of May and his parents (from WA) and mine (from IA) will be attending the ceremony. Then we will all be heading to IA for the next few weeks after graduation. During that time, Collin and I will go to MI for his research presentation at the International Medieval Conference. With that all said, I figured out we have about 30 weeks left to finish up school. I am going to plan for 26 though so that we can have some flexibility in our schedule. Especially around the time we will be packing and moving.

History...We are going to continue using SOTW vol. 1 three days a week. It is working for us as there is not a lot of prep time for me. We will listen to Jim Weiss narrate on the cd's and answer the questions in the AG afterwards. The boys will complete the coloring pages and maps. I hope to also complete at least one "hands on" activity from the AG a week. I am still giving thought to adding copy work and completing a time line. I have made beautiful time line books for the the boys and have purchased the Homeschool in the Woods time line figures, but I am not sure if I want them to work on them during the grammar years or the logic years. I am leaning towards the logic stage. I would also like to add more reading other than just SOTW. Collin was suppose to be reading some books to them that went along with the unit we were studying, but he is just way too busy. I think the boys would rather here their Daddy reading the Hobbit. I am going to have to do some more planning in this area.

Science...I am free from the bondage I created! We were, or attempting to, use Christian Kids Explore Biology. I think this is a good program, but it's just not for me. I felt it was lacking something. I am still not able to put my finger on it, so I decided just to change altogether. After Christmas we are going to study the human body for 15 weeks and then plants for 11 weeks when we come home from IA in May. I did away with the animal part of the program because we will be studying them with Apologia for 3 years after we do the Astronomy study next year. I am not sure what book(s) I am going to use for the human body and plant study yet, so I have some work ahead of me. I do know that we are going to do a lapbook for each unit. Regardless, I feel good.

Math...I've said it before and I'll say it again. I am so glad we switched from Saxon to Right Start. Magnus is excelling and is not bored with it. Thane has been watching his big brother and he is catching onto it quickly as well! Originally we were only doing math 3 days a week, but we are going to do it four so we can complete Level B by the end of the year.

Grammar...FLL is working well for us. We will do 4 lessons a week so we can be up to lesson 100 by the end of the school year.

Spelling...I am not sure what to do here. Magnus spells phonetically very well, but doesn't know the "rules". I am going to continue to have him work through Spelling Workout. He will finish Level A by Christmas and start Level B in January. I will continue to make up my own spelling word lists for him to practice. I will re-evaluate at the end of the school year and make any changes, if any, for next year.

Reading Comprehension...We are going to work on volume 2 and not finish volume 1 in Veritas Press First Favorites. Vol. 1 was too "elementary" for him. After looking through vol. 2, I think it will be more of a challenge. I may use this for copywork instead of making it coincide with history.

Independent Reading...Magnus is reading at a very high level. He always has his nose in a book. Collin and I are going to go through various book lists I have collected and choose books for him to read that are written well and are "meaty". No more Magic Tree House. We want to help him develop a desire and discernment for good literature. Being the book-made family we are, good literature is very important to us.

Fine Arts...I was trying to do this with Magnus on Monday afternoons, but we would never be home. We have 22 more units left in Artistic Pursuits (we really did not get far). We are going to have Fine Arts Friday. Magnus and I are going to do AP or a Composer Study Friday afternoons during his quiet time and Thane's nap time. I hope this will be the "cherry" on top of a full week of school.

French...We aren't doing a "formal" study, but haven't really been incorporating it into daily life like we had planned. I am going to make posters with vocabulary words, have the boys listen to our cd's and French audio books more often, and ,hopefully, Collin will be able to record his voice onto a memory cd (thanks to Mindy at Magnum Opus Academy for this idea!) for the boys to listen to that includes common phrases and such.

Our week will look like this...
Monday: Homeschool Story Time, errands, Chiropractor appt., library, and Chess Club
Tuesday: History, Math, Language Arts, and Biology Club
Wednesday: History, Math, Language Arts, and AWANA
Thursday: History (project), Math, Language Arts, and Book Club
Friday: Math, Language Arts, Science, and Fine Arts

I have a bit more work ahead of me, but overall I am very pleased with the changes we are making and the things we hope to get done. Now onto Thane...