Twenty Years Later

For my oldest daughter's 1st birthday, I decorated a teddy bear cake. She's almost 22 now. This "Let it Snow" cake is my first successful attempt since then.

Snow...here?

IT SNOWED!!!

Writing too

Since my family members are all posting about writing (two doing NaNoWriMo and one published in Make magazine), I figured I would jump on the bandwagon so I ..... made a grocery list for Thanksgiving. LOLOLOLOL!!!! That is all that is in there. ;)

BTW, who played voodoo doll with my computer? It has died and is awaiting a box to ship it back to HP. "I am glad to inform you that the Notebook appears to be in warranty and hence free mail in repair service can be arranged."

Let the Countdown Begin!

I'm excited! In one week NaNoWriMo begins. I've decided that I won't be a participant, so why am I so thrilled? As the head teacher I made the executive decision that 13yog will drop all school subjects except Latin and Algebra while she participates in NaNoWriMo. She does much of her school work independently, and I know she is looking forward to a break from those subjects (spelling, poetry memorization and American History). I will miss doing Literary Lessons from The Lord of the Rings together, but I will make a confession. I am GIDDY over the fact that we get to ditch English for a WHOLE MONTH!!! I am talking The Price Is Right, jumping up and down, kiss Bob Barker kind of giddy. Since Bob Barker isn't around I guess I'll go lay one on Ken.

Replica of the Ark

Find more pictures here.

Seven Interesting Things About Me

Okay, Stephanie tagged me a week-and-a-half ago and I guess I've procrastinated long enough.

1. I was born in the South, but I don't particularly like southern cooking. Spaghetti and tacos - yum, yum!
2. DH and I have married each other twice.
   
3. My 3rd dd was born in the bathtub at home. Procrastination happens.
4. Almost all of my nightmares include alligators.
   
5. When I was a child I thought I was adopted, because I was the only one in the family with blond eyebrows.
6. I like to bowl and shoot pool though I haven't done either one in years.
7. I have read Les Miserables...every page! Some of it went in one eyeball and out the other, but I can say that I read the whole thing.
   

Latin making a come back?

A Dead Language That's Very Much Alive

Okay, I admit it. For me, Latin is like shooting pool and bowling. Even though I stink at it I love doing it. And apparently I'm not alone in my enthusiasm for this ancient language. The New York Times article linked above reports that Latin is making a come back in schools. Yeah!

Book It!

Pizza Hut's Book It! program started October 1st, and we feel fortunate that homeschools are invited to participate.

10 yodd is reading Fablehaven to her older sister and me. She's grumbling a bit about 20 minutes a day, but that's okay. I'm enjoying the opportunity to have someone else read to me for a change. Six yodd gets a picture book or two at night plus she is listening to our current bedtime read aloud, Pollyanna.

Even if you aren't participating in the Book It! program you can print some cute reading incentive calendars from their website. They have the standard "color the slice of pizza" or monthly themed calendars. For example October's calendar has pumpkins, ghosts, or cats while March's calendars feature either stars or shamrocks and kites. Book It! Calendars, Reading Logs, and Reading Contracts, etc.

Studio 4 Learning

I have come across a great resource..... Studio 4 Learning .

According the website FAQ:
"What is Studio 4 Learning?
Studio 4 Learning, owned by Studio 4 Networks (www.studio4networks.com), is an ad-supported streaming video network on cable, broadband, and satellite. It is geared toward students from middle school through early college as a way to supplement classroom learning and get ahead on school topics."

F.Y.I. - I want to point out that this is "ad-supported" and the ads are definitely targeted towards teens and young adults. (I'm feeling old!)

There are also two other websites available:
Studio 4 Kids
Studio 4 Fitness

Here it comes! NaNoWriMo 2008

I'm not a writer, but I'm intrigued by this event, the National Novel Writing Month. Adult participants attempt to write a 50,000+ word novel during the month of November. There is also an event for younger writers which allows them to set their own word count.

NaNoWriMo's Young Writer's Program

Join kids and teens all around the world in
tackling the fun, frightening, and totally
unforgettable challenge of bashing out an entire
book in one month.
You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll write like crazy for
30 adventurous days. And on December 1, you’ll
have a great new book to read. Your own.
(From Young Writers Program flyer)

FREE! Young Novelist Workbooks

• Elementary
• Middle
• High School

Under Pressure

Seven years ago, I received a call from my mom that a friend of mine had died in a car wreck. I was stunned. For the next week I walked about in a daze seeing life through a different set of lenses. As I looked around me, I realized that some things I had deemed important in this life really weren't that important.

Six months ago my daughter confided to me that she had been depressed for quite some time. Though I went through the necessary steps to get help for her, I was in denial. I was sure that it was just a hormonal imbalance....you know, part of growing up....and that everything would be better soon. Reality set in the day I found myself holding a bottle of Prozac in my hand and listening to the pharmacist on the other side of the counter counsel me about the possible side effects of the medication. I don't think I'll ever forget the drive home. On the outside I forced myself to stay calm for my daughter's sake, but on the inside I was shaken. How had this happened? In the space of one year, both of my oldest girls had experienced major events in their lives that no parent would ever wish for their children. Over and over again I pondered what part I had played in bringing us to this point. By the time we pulled in the driveway, I again found myself looking at life through a different set of lenses.

The changes that came about in my oldest child's life were easier for me to deal with. It was something I was familiar with and I knew it would have a definite end. I knew how to help her. But with my younger daughter's depression I feel like I'm in a dark tunnel trying to feel my way out. I want SO much to help her, but I'm not sure how. And like a dark tunnel, I cannot see if the end is close or far away. There is no way to tell. At times I think we are making great strides, and then I stumble on an unexpected obstacle and I realize that we haven't come as far as I had naively imagined. And when I stumble, I realize how tired I am. I try to stay strong for my daughter, but there are days that I falter.

A few days ago, I experienced an unexpected obstacle along the path. My daughter let me know that her medication was actually making her have more frequent bouts with the depression. There was a flurry of communication between the psychologist, the pediatrician, his nurse, and me. In what felt like the blink of an eye, we found ourselves in the pharmacy with a new prescription in hand.

Interestingly enough,it is almost always after one of these unexpected bumps in the road that I remember that I need to put my new lenses back on. Tonight I did just that and I was reminded of what I learned after my friend died....some things are more important than others and those are the things that I should focus on.

Fablehaven

I wanted to "escape" into some lite reading last night, so I headed for 13yodd's bookcase. She has a collection of fantasy books, and I figured that would do the trick. I chose Fablehaven since I had heard favorable reviews.

It was a fun read and had some surprisingly strong similarities to The Sisters Grimm (sanctuary for magical creatures/fairy tale characters, children who are unwillingly sent to stay with grandparents they vaguely know, a grandparent is kidnapped and it is up to the children to save the day). It made me wonder which one was published first.

Even though it was one of those fun, brainless reads, as a parent I wasn't able to fully enjoy it. I was constantly annoyed by the fact that the 11yo character repeatedly disobeyed the rules without being disciplined. Time and time again his grandfather sets down clearly defined rules and this kid disobeys him as soon as the grandfather is out of sight. There are no consequences enforced by the adults in charge. And, when "natural" consequences do occur, he doesn't seem to learn from it. He goes right back out and disobeys again - almost immediately.

Sad to say, but I think this is a common theme in modern children's literature and movies: children are portrayed as being wiser than the adults who surround them. No wonder today's children have little if no respect for adults.

In the Media

Parents Magazine:
Homeschool Diaries: How 3 Families Teach Kids at Home
BTW, Kendall is a regular on the Five in a Row homeschool boards that I've visited for about eight years.

CBS News Sunday Morning:
The ABC's of Home Schooling: Today's Model of Personal Education Is Not Your Grandmother's Home Schooling

TGIF

Last week 10yo cheered when she realized it was Friday. "Woohoo! Two days off!" It is amazing to me how trashed I feel and how trashed the house looks by the time Friday rolls around. Today has been no different, BUT I also feel good because I know we accomplished a lot this week. Did we get everything done? Nope, but we got closer than we did last week.

Good happenings:

• Oldest dd and her cute baby came for a visit. 13yodd proved that holding a baby is definitely more fun than doing Algebra.
• 13 yo fulfilled an assignment with a creative twist "America"
• 13 yo scored 100% on her first Algebra test!
• 10 yo finished all of her schooling by 10 a.m. this morning. Aah!
• 10 yo made brownies using a 1960's 4-H cookbook she found at Grandma's house.
• 6 yo enjoyed pushing her niece around the neighborhood in a stroller even though it made me very nervous.
• 6yo looks so cute with a tooth missing.

Doing it all (Homeschool)

Another homeschool mom asked how others get everything on their schedule finished and done in a timely manner. My reply helped me sort through what I do with my own middle schooler. I decided to post it here - my second brain.

Eek! Rereading what I posted makes me sound like a slacker. We just finished our first full week and I hope to accomplish more as we find our groove over the next few weeks.

BTW, some of these classical education moms have seriously SCARY schedules for their children.

First post:
Sheepishly chiming in here. We do very little. My main goal is Latin, math, and writing every day. I would LOVE to do more but with three kiddos, weekly counseling appointments, and church meetings, it is all I can do right now. I still have hope for the future. ; )

A couple of things help. First, I try not to assign work in areas that she already does/enjoys. She is writing her own book and is reading The Lord of the Rings, so we aren't doing writing or literature lessons....yet.

The other thing that I do is try to find self teaching programs. For example:
Latin - Lively Latin
Math - Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1
Spelling - Phonetic Zoo

The other thought I've had is to teach subjects like a university does .... only 4-5 subjects a term and M,W,F, or T,TH schedules for each class/subject.


Second Post:
One more - have a cut off time. By 2pm I call it quits no matter how much we have left to do. There is always tomorrow.

BTW, I have a general idea of what I want to accomplish over a year, but I only put weekly goals in writing. I was getting angry when we got "behind."

The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

CVC Words

Have a little one learning how to sound out CVC (consonant, vowel, consonant) words? Check out "Dog's Letter Pit" from the PBS show WordWorld.

June 2007

Curriculum 2008/2009

6 yodd
Speechercise
Rod & Staff Preschool
Let's Build Words - magnetic
Leap Frog Letter Factory DVD
Leap Frog Talking Words Factory DVD


Older Girls
The Latin-Centered Curriculum
Big Book of Lively Latin
Christian Studies (Memoria Press)
Developing Linguistic Patterns Through Poetry
Fix It!

10yodd
IEW's Student Writing Intensive A
IEW's Fables, Myths, and Fairy Tales
Rod & Staff Math 4
Rod & Staff English 4
Rod & Staff Spelling
D'Aulaire's Greek Myth Study
Rod & Staff Social Studies 3

13 yodd
Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1
Phonetic Zoo (spelling)
Rod & Staff English 6
The Aeneid - Fitzgerald translation
The Teaching Company's Aeneid of Virgil
Literary Lessons from The Lord of the Rings
The Teaching Company's Understanding the Brain
A History of US by Joyce Hakim

Attitude Adjustment

Many moons ago, I was the mom of a public school child. And just like moms all over the country, I too looked forward to the first day of school.

Times have changed. Today I am a homeschool mom and have been for eight years. Like any other life style choice we make, there are pros and cons. This morning as some of those cons were rolling through my head, I decided to surf the net a bit. I was surprised and saddened to read how happy and relieved many moms are to be sending their children back to school. Even moms with very young children seem to be counting down the days until they can send their children away.

An attitude adjustment has taken place. My heart feels full as I realize what a blessing I have before me this morning. I have the privilege of being with my girls every day and witnessing their struggles and their triumphs.

How thankful I am that homeschool is a choice available to me and that my dear husband supports me and allows me this wonderful opportunity. And of course, I am very thankful for my sister who showed me the way.

I Am Thankful

I am thankful that....

1. the ladies at park lunch asked me to come down for a head lice check today and they told me which of the children have lice.
2. 10 yodd told me that one of those children played hide 'n seek in 6 yodd's covers and on top of 10 yo's bed last night
3. their room is clean which meant we didn't have to shovel it out in order to get to their beds.
4. Grandma S. offered the use of her washer and dryer next door in addition to my own.
5. it is 74 degrees outside instead of 100 like it was a couple of days ago. It's a perfect day to run the dryer.
6. 13 yodd's usual Monday appointment was delayed until tomorrow. I'll get to do laundry all day uninterrupted.
7. the nearby country store reopened recently and that my younger children were willing to make a run for "mommy is stressed" food (a.k.a. chocolate and Combos).
8. U-bake pizza exists and that it is what we normally eat for supper on Monday.

My Summer Vacation

Last summer it seemed like all I did was go to the doctor, go to the doctor, go to the doctor. This summer...I'm taking the teenager to the doctor, to the doctor, to the doctor. Aye carumba! In the space of two days this week I found myself in a waiting room three times. For someone who prided themselves for NOT going to the doctor, this has been humbling.

Other news:

• 6 yodd has learned to ride a two wheeler!
• Grandma & Grandpa S. are here for the summer. Ah, lot's of cookies and lemonade
  
• the heating pad and I have been best friends for a couple of weeks - sore neck/upper back
• I'm decluttering the house...oh, wait...that's ongoing ;)
• due to decluttering, younger girls (6, 10) have had a clean bedroom for...drumroll...a record breaking four weeks!
  
• We ordered caterpillars for our butterfly habitat and they've emerged
• 13 yodd attended the midnight release party for Breaking Dawn at Borders so her Mom had an excuse to go LOL! She doesn't even plan to read the book.
  

Black Sheets

It's official! Our daughter is a teenager. How do I know? Her new sheets are black.

Would you like a little cheese with....

that whine?


Six year old had a BM in the tub Thursday evening. She started with nausea and vomiting Saturday afternoon. As of Monday bedtime, we are pretty sure that her ear drum has burst. Her fevers have at times reached 104+.


Today, Monday, I took my 12yodd to her first appointment with a psychologist. I almost started crying. She's too young to be depressed.

I feel like a bad mommy.

Cramps the last couple of days haven't helped.

We Are a Happy Family!

Mi Familia

December 2007

Being Different

You would think that by this point in my life (mid 40's) I would be used to being different. I should be comfortable in my own skin and let other people's perceptions and opinions of me roll off my back. I wish.

First, I am a member of a church that is at times accused of being a cult. And, because I am a member of this church there are many that would say that I am not a Christian. I don't drink, smoke, or shop on Sunday. I am different. Square peg, round hole.

Next, I homeschool. Not only am I viewed as being different from the majority of Christians, now I'm even different from most members of my own faith. Some of my most vocal critics have been people with whom I attend church. Purple square peg with green polka dots, round hole.

Then, I don't let my daughters attend sleepovers. What? Not do sleepovers?! If people questioned my normalcy before, they really do once this bit of parenting comes to light. Even within the homeschool community this is seen as being extreme. HAIRY purple square peg with green polka dots, round hole.

Can you tell that someone tried to guilt me into shaving my hair today? Thanks anyway, but I think I'll keep my hair...and my purple color with green polka dots....and my square shape.

Cough, Splutter, Choke!!!

"Forgive me, Father/Homeschool Principal, for I have sinned." I attended a small homeschool conference yesterday, and ... um ... well ..., I spent WAY too much $money$. Thank goodness it wasn't a big conference with numerous vendors or I might have spent even more. Eeek!

Now that I've confessed, I can say that I got some really cool stuff. I'm especially excited about Fix It! Grammar and Editing Made Easy with Classics by Pamela White. Four days a week you have students find and fix sentence errors in a cumulative story. Each story lasts an entire school year (33 weeks). This nonconsumable text is for approximately 5th grade through high school. And you know what made it an even better purchase? I used a $10 gift certificate/raffle prize to make it affordable. What a deal!

Fix It! Stories:

• Tom Sawyer
• Frog Prince, or Just Desserts
• The Little Mermaid
• The King and the Discommodious Pea
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  

Farewell Odysseus

Farewell royal Odysseus, master mariner and soldier, son of Laertes. Yes, we have finished reading Homer's The Odyssey. Now on to Vergil's Aeneid.

Saturation Point

My schedule this past week:

• Monday - spent the evening at in-laws, went to the grocery store on the way home to buy a snack for the next day's activity.
  
• Tuesday - arranged rides and chauffeured preteen girls to church.
• Wednesday - babysat granddaughter in the evening at her home.
• Thursday - had the missionaries over for dinner.
• Friday - (aaah! stayed home)
• Saturday - chauffeured a group of older girls to church while DH chauffeured a younger group to a different church building at the same time, went grocery shopping before going to pick up younger group and bring them home.
• Sunday - church, the last two hours I spent "locked" in a room with 2-3 year olds. Sweet kids but I come home feeling fried every week.
  

Every item on my list is Good. But, I have a problem. All of these good things has left me feeling washed up, burned out, saturated!!! Personally I don't enjoy being this busy, but what could I have done differently? I don't know.

The older I get the more I realize....I am not in charge of my life. I just pretty much do whatever is planned for me by other people.

Shhh! Don't tell my kids...

I'll be honest. I'm proud of the fact that we have just wrapped up 9 weeks of consistent learning/school. At the same time, I realize that it is time to ramp it up...a bit. I say a bit, because I fear a mutiny. It took the first 6 weeks for 12 yodd to stop digging in her heels, and I don't want her to regress. Who wants to to hear "Ooey Gooey was a worm," recited again with that flat tone of voice accompanied by the eye rolling? Not me, thank you very much!

How do I plan to pull this off without the crew throwing the captain overboard? The boiling frog method. "The boiling frog story states that a frog can be boiled alive if the water is heated slowly enough — it is said that if a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will never jump out." (Wikipedia)

Okay, so maybe the story isn't true, but I'm going to give it a try. I plan to slooooowly add one subject and let the shipmates get used to it before attempting to add another. Maybe they won't notice the water getting "hotter."

Increasing the temperature:
12yodd - American History via reading A History of US
10yodd - D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths

T.G.I.F.

We did it. We finished another week! And...I'm toast. As I posted on a homeschool board, "I'm tired of being good!"

Warning: If you are considering homeschooling multiple children, read no further. ;)

Reality? Homeschool is work. Yes, it is. There are pros and there are cons, and one of the cons is that it IS hard to teach three different levels. You constantly feel that you are short changing someone. It is hard to be with your children 24/7. It is hard to keep house with people in said house all day long.

Today DH came home early and took the children to see the movie Speed Racer. Ah, three glorious hours home alone. I couldn't believe how much I was able to accomplish while they were gone. Hmmm...the wheels started turning..."What if I sent the kids to public school every day? Just think of how much I could get done. Think of the peace and quiet. Think of how clean the house would be." How tempting!!!

But you know what? I've been down that road before with the oldest, and I know that it isn't a bed of roses. Yeah, there was homework, projects that I stayed up late helping her with, and you live your life around the school's schedule, but here's the worst part...she wasn't nearly as excited to see me at the end of the day as I was to see her. She needed down time. She pushed me away. I understand. But, day after day it broke my mommy heart. While she was at school I missed her, anticipated the fun things we would do together, and when she arrived home she was too stressed and tired to even want to be with me. I can't imagine experiencing that times three.

I know homeschool isn't for everyone. This isn't meant to send anyone on a guilt trip. However, homeschool is for our family. I do not know why, but I do know that this is what we are supposed to do.

Now, for those of you who disagree with homeschooling, you have my permission to roll your eyes, shake your head and sigh, or cluck your tongue. It's okay, I can't see you. ;)

Happy Student = Happy Teacher

I am happy to announce that after SIX unrelenting weeks of digging in her heels, the 12 year old has decided to do her school with a cheerful attitude. Phew! Folks, I was getting tired. Words cannot express the unexpected relief I have experienced the last two days (how's that for ex's ?). I had no idea how much I dreaded doing school with said child.

What has turned the tide? Well, I wish I could say that it was my perseverance, but the truth probably is a change in math programs. She has been using Rod & Staff Math for the past three years. It is a solid math series but dd was ready to move on. I looked through R&S Math 8 and realized that minus the chapters on Geometry and Algebra much of it would be review for dd. So, we decided to jump ship after completing three chapters and started Algebra I on Monday. Algebra make someone happy? We're about to test that theory.

No wonder he woke up 95 times!

DH had a sleep study last night. Twelve year old daughter is interested in sleep disorders (story research), so DH arranged for her to be there until he went to bed.

How many times can a 12 year old girl roll her eyes? Let me count the ways.

If it were up to my dd, she would spend her days reading books in her bedroom only coming out to use the bathroom and to eat.

Unfortunately for her, that isn't going to happen. She lives with me, her teacher/mother. So, I put up with a lot of eye rolling. Honestly, I haven't seen it happen. It's this really tricky thing she does called mental eye rolling. I've gotten good at identifying the facial expressions that accompany mental eye rolling. Yep, it's one of those special Mom Tricks that I have. Kind of like having eyes in the back of my head.

When does she mentally roll her eyes you ask? Well, let's see...hmmm.... When I am standing in her doorway after dinner reminding her that she is to wash the dishes directly after dinner instead of hiding...I mean wandering off into her bedroom. When I inform her that we will study Latin even if she thinks it's "stupid." When I insist that she recite poetry about ooey gooey worms and bald vultures(Okay, so she might have a good reason there). And, the list goes on.

Of course, there's nothing I can do about it, because I can't prove that she's actually rolling her eyes. But, if she ever does roll her eyes at me, I look forward to quoting Bill Cosby's mother, "You roll your eyes at me, and I'll roll your head." She's my kind of mom. :)

I am NOT as smart as an 8th grader!

So, at 11 p.m. tonight I sat down to do my homework. Homework? Yes, you read right...homework. And it's not just any homework mind you, it's eighth grade math. Why am I doing 8th grade math every night before heading off to bed? Because I want to know how many gallons of water per day are needed to supply 40,000 chickens if each chicken drinks an average of 3/4 cup per day. No, really it is because I'm tired of feeling stupid when I go through dd's math lessons with her. It is extremely embarrassing to have my 8th grader have to tell me how to do a math problem. Yes, that has actually happened....numerous times. I tried reviewing the lesson ahead of time, but I still found myself not being able to work some of the problems on the spot. I finally decided that the best way to tackle this problem was to actually work the problems myself.

I have no idea how I made it through College Algebra. (picture me scratching my head)

Welcome Back Odysseus!

As part of homeschool, I read The Iliad to 12 yodd a year-and-a-half-ago. In a way it was like the legally blind leading the blind, since it was also my first reading. Shortly after finishing, we started reading The Odyssey. Life happened and gradually reading The Odyssey fell by the wayside.

Recently, my dear husband spent a couple of weeks at home due to a bout with vertigo. There is nothing like being with the "principal" 24/7 to make one feel guilty over the lack of learning taking place. Hence, the return of Odysseus. We found him where we had left him ... in the hall of the Phaiakians telling them of his adventures.

Having watched the movie , we found following the story and pronouncing the names to be easier. But, I knew we could, and should, be getting more out of The Odyssey. As the teacher I knew it was my job to make this happen. At the same time, I didn't want to spend hours slaving through some dry literary commentary. Thankfully, The Teaching Company had their course "The Odyssey of Homer" on sale. We have spent the past two weeks watching 1/2 hour lectures which have made the story much more meaningful. I was worried that dd would find the lectures "boring" (what happened to my sweet girl? female hormones!), but they have motivated her to read more about Ancient Greece and Greek myths. She already had a good background from reading children's books (D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths, Usborne Greek Myths for Young Children, Favorite Greek Myths retold by Mary Pope Osborne, The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus by Aliki, etc.). Now, she has added non-fiction books (juvenile and adult) to her store of resources. Yeah!

For those interested in The Teaching Company course, I personally think CD's would have worked just as well for this particular course.

I Love My Bed ..or.. Why I Named My Blog "The Pleasant Land of Counterpane"

I LOVE my bed. If I'm not up puttsin' around the house then I'm on my bed. Some people have a recliner, I have my bed. It is my hangout when I want some down time to surf the net or read a book. It is even where the majority of my girls' homeschooling takes place.

So, what is a counterpane? The dictionary defines it as a bedspread. I learned about the word counterpane when reading the famous poem for children "The Land of Counterpane" by Robert Louis Stevenson.

When I was sick and lay a-bed,
I had two pillows at my head,
And all my toys beside me lay,
To keep me happy all the day.

And sometimes for an hour or so
I watched my leaden soldiers go,
With different uniforms and drills,
Among the bed-clothes, through the hills;

And sometimes sent my ships in fleets
All up and down among the sheets;
Or brought my trees and houses out,
And planted cities all about.

I was the giant great and still
That sits upon the pillow-hill,
And sees before him, dale and plain,
The pleasant land of counterpane.

Just like the boy in the poem my bed is the pleasant land of counterpane. But instead of playing with toy soldiers, I play with my computer.