Land of Counterpane

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Girls - What Message Are We Sending?

When Ariana comes to my house, I realize that I make over her more when she has a cute outfit on that I like. And I've wondered, what kind of message am I sending her? You are cuter because of your cute clothes? She's the same little girl she has always been. She just has different fabric on. She needs to know that we value her no matter what she is wearing.

"How to Talk to Little Girls?"

What messages are we sending our daughters?

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Thought provoking article

How to Land Your Kid in Therapy: Why the obsession with our kids' happiness may be dooming them to unhappy adulthoods. A therapist and mother reports.

Ouch? Read all four pages of this article in The Atlantic and you are sure to recognize yourself or some other parent you know. Excellent article!

Friday, June 24, 2011

My absolute favorite...

My absolute favorite homeschool book this year....K12's The Human Odyssey, Volume 1.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

The New Year

I realized something yesterday. I'm more excited about the upcoming new year than I am Christmas. Re Christmas - can we get on with it so I can start plaYing with the new year? I enjoy Christmas, but I'm excited about the opportunity for a fresh new start, new calendars, and new books to read.

My favorite planning calendar.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Reading Little Women

Monday, October 4, 2010

Crater Lake and Oregon Caves

I wrote this for other homeschoolers to read but thought I should share it here too. There are so many things about this trip that I want to share (stars reflecting off the surface of Crater Lake, going to sleep to a Grateful Dead cover band, watching my handy hubby change a flat in the middle of nowhere on a gravel forestry road at dusk, camping with cows, etc.). Maybe later.

Just back from a week of vacation. No school for a whole week. Wow! But, we certainly weren't idling the day away next to the pool. Nope. We were learning. We spent a couple of days at Crater Lake National Park, a day at Oregon Caves National Monument, and a couple of hours at the Klamath County's Main Museum.

Klamath County's Main Museum has an awesome hands-on exhibit for kids - "Forests for Everyone: Klamath's Living Legacy." The exhibit shows how forests can be shared by sportsmen, preservationists, foresters, and recreation seekers. There are many displays about the Modoc Indian Wars along with a huge washtub collection. But, you know what was really amazing? The actual newspaper pages from the 1940's taped up on the walls of the bathroom stalls. It made for great reading along with the 1958 Rand McNally poster of the universe.

Crater Lake was beautiful of course. We learned how the collapse of Mt. Mazama formed the caldera over 7,000 years ago. There were so many geological features to see and cliffs to pull the 8yo away from. Aside from the regular view the movie, drive around the rim, and take a hike, we also decided to stay and view a moon rise over the lake. A natural forest fire provided the smoke necessary to create a deep orange moon as it peeked over the rim of the lake.

Oregon Caves was nothing like I imagined (I guess I was thinking of Mt. Timpanogos). The drive was steep with hairpin curves for a good 8+ miles. The guided tour had strict guidelines - no children under 42", no carrying children, no food, no flashlights, no back, breathing, or heart problems. I knew I was too out of shape for the entire 90 minute tour, so I bailed at the 110 step exit. But, what I did get to see was fun to share with my family...especially when the lights went out. Oh, and on my way down the trail I was able to hang out with a group of five deer.

We even had an educational experience at the primitive campsite we stayed at, Huckleberry Mountain Campground (camping with cows was scary and fun all at same time). While chopping wood for a fire, Dad exposed a fat grub we think may have been a mountain pine beetle larva.

Later the 12yo showed me the white fat grub and announced that she was going to eat it. Crunch! It was just biscuit dough.

Thank you, Ken, for dragging me out of the house.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Cheese, Hairy Legs, and Gift Shop Knives

Saturday we drove to Tillamook to tour the cheese factory. We decided to take in the local air museum also. 8yo began whining before we hit the air museum parking lot, so I volunteered to sit out in the Westfalia with her. Shortly after settling in, I remembered that I had brought some of her school books with me in hopes of doing a little planning during the drive up to Tillamook. I retrieved them from my parents SUV giving 8yo quite a shock . Once she realized that mom wasn't kidding, she sat back in her seat, pulled out her tourist knife from the cheese factory gift shop, and proceeded to trim her leg hairs with the scissors attachment. The doors were closed to keep the dog inside. The windows were closed to keep the rain out. The 8yo was happily trimming her hairy legs. We were reviewing math and science. It was all very ~~muggy~~ cozy.

BTW, my legs received a trim also. ; )

Monday, September 6, 2010

School

We started school last week. I was going to wait until after Labor Day but... why not? We did a light schedule so the younger girls would have time to play with their neighborhood friends. Here's my take on the first week:

The first day was tough. It was like trying to ride a bike with a rusty chain. Lots of exertion without moving very far along. Add in some awful squeaking noises. 12yo - compliance with frustration and tears. 8yo - non-compliance with copious amounts of whining

Day 2 - It was like someone oiled the chain. Not as much exertion needed. Moved more easily.

Days 3&4 - Did someone put a new chain on the bicycle overnight? School went smoothly and ended a couple of hours earlier (for the 12yo).

Day 5 - We're in the groove.

I love homeschooling....at the moment. Ask me tomorrow and I might confess that at times I hate it. Sometimes I experience both of these feelings all in one day. Yeah, I'm the Bipolar Homescholar. ; )

This week we'll be adding more subjects and early morning seminary.