9.30.2011

School's In Session!

I've realized we've been so busy doing school that I haven't gotten a chance to blog about school (not sure how my priorities got so out of whack, but surely with a little effort I'll be able to right this wayward ship).  ;-) 

I normally enjoy an annual post about our beloved school supply selection and maybe a "first day" shot or two; however, due to...ahem..."technical difficulties" (as in I forgot to take one)...I won't be posting a first day shot this year.  I'm not 100% sure my kids won't be explaining to their therapists one day about how their mother neglected to record such important events in their life as their first day of 3rd/1st grade; however, on the bright side it may take some of the focus off all my other clueless mommy moments, and that, my friends, is what me and Charlie Sheen call winning!!!  :-)    



So, this year we're focusing in more on the Konos curriculum...a hands on approach to learning that I myself was taught with during my homeschooling years.  Research shows that children remember only 10% of what they hear, 50% of what they see and a whopping 90% of what they do!  Konos is loaded with ideas on how to make learning a multi-sensory experience that goes far beyond rote memorization of facts and aims for deep understanding of what is being learned as well developing a curiosity for learning and tools and skills to investigate those aspects we're curious about. 

I'll never forget a day in 8th grade when our Konos group was studying the body and our moms had hit up the local butcher for some "spare parts."  (Can't you just hear what that butcher was thinking??) To this day, I remember where I was standing in the room when someone inserted a straw and blew into a set of cow lungs laying on the dining room table....how it expanded and what the tissue looked like, how it smelled and the noise it made.  I can hear everyone in the room gasp as we pulled on the tendons of a chicken claw and watched the "fingers" suddenly contract and startle everyone into amazement and then laughter.  It was not only instant and lasting knowledge of something I'd never even heard of before (tendons), but also instant fascination and understanding about the human body that remains with me today! 

The best part of the curriculum is that the units are divided into character traits, and what you study all relates back to your chosen character trait.  For example, a unit on responsibility will include studies on pet care, animal anatomy, ants, beavers, pioneers, etc.  Our current unit is attentiveness, and we're learning about the human ear, sound, music, the eye, animal tracking and more.  While we're studying science, art, history, language etc., we're also learning and studying how to become people of rich character, so it's a really nice, holistic approach to learning how to integrate character development into every aspect of our lives....another skill I hold with me today. 

The idea of Konos is to work with other Konos families and meet as desired for "group activities."  We choose the unit together and each do our own chosen activities to do at home from the same unit, then we choose a few to do as a group (obviously some are much better in a group than they would be at home with just a few students). 

Our Konos group is super special because one of the mommas was actually in MY Konos group as a kid!!  I have to say it's a LOT more work being a teacher than it was a student, but I have to say it's a pretty cool thing to be working with my former "classmate" and see our kids play and learn together. 

Our first group day was focused on the human ear and dipped into the sound portion of the unit.  These pictures show a "crawl through" model of the ear that the kids got to help set up and each give tours through.  Luca is about to pass the "pinna" and go through the "auditory canal."  Brooke is holding our "middle ear" walls. 


Once in the "middle ear," our little "sound waves" hit the "ear drum" which vibrated our "hammer, anvil and stirrup."  Then a brief description about the "semicircular canals and cochlea," the extension cord "nerve" to the brain and out the eustachian tube to the nose.  :-) 



We learned a few gross things about earwax (ewwww) from our fave Grossology book, experimented with sound conductors, and tried to make sound scopes (which didn't end up working very well...ya win some, ya lose some!)  This week we've been diving deeper into sound and finding ways to see sound waves, also investigating how sound waves move fast or slow for high/low pitches and high/low volume!  The girls have gone the extra mile and decided in honor of our sound studies to not stop making sound.  Ever.  (blink. blink.)   :-) 




Also having fun with the homeschool group again this year!  The group is over 100 people, believe it or not...I never would have dreamed of so many homeschoolers in one place back in the day when it was still sort of a "new-ish" idea.  The group meets every other week for activities/field trips/learning experiences and also aims for a monthly service project.  Last week's field trip was an insect discovery hunt.  The kids gathered all sorts of creepy crawlies, and the naturalist explained what we'd found and all sorts of interesting things about insects.  Super fun field trip for the teachers too! 


Somebody found a snake.  Thank you telephoto.  :-) 




She's hunting wabbits in the Amazon jungles




Does this give you the shivers?  You are not alone, my friend. 








The girls looking bug hunting busy while actually discussing really, really important matters that have nothing to do with bug hunting.  Lord help their mothers when they become teenagers.  :) 



How am I not a naturalist and how does a naturalist ever stop saying "my job is freaking awesome!" 




That is a SERIOUS spider!  Think it's just a Wisconsin thing?  Think again!  This female garden spider can be found in nearly every US state.  It just makes you want to garden, doesn't it??  Love Bren's face in this shot. 



Our monthly service project was immediately following the insect discovery and involved making cards and candy baggies to send to a troop of 115 deployed soldiers who will soon be losing their access to receive mail.  Sure, let's have the kids fill the bags with candy!  Then when they're done, we can have them hide all their Christmas presents in the basement!  (It had to have been a challenge to have that much candy at their fingertips, but they were dedicated to their cause and got the job done). 







That's the "first of the year" report from our little crazy schoolhouse.  I hope this finds all of you learning and loving and living in your own little State of Grace and that you find each day brings the 3 closer and closer together until one is indistinguishable from the other. 




9.13.2011

All God's Critters


WARNING:  Critter Post! 



I found THIS in my back yard yesterday!!!




I went out for a closer look and snapped a few pics. 


Then it moved and I ran in my house like a screaming banshee. 


Dedication, people.....dedication. 





Later I was off to help work the cows.  Because my work with the snake was obviously effective. 



I was kind of looking forward to it because as it turns out, I actually enjoy romping around in ankle deep poo, but once in the pen with with THESE monsters, I decided I'd be busy the next time it was time to work the cows.  (HUGE!)



Not just huge, but also crazy.  One of them actually JUMPED a fence this tall to avoid the chute!!!  Insane! 



"You're gonna make me do what??"




I still can't believe these are the same "calves" that came in this spring.  The guys thought some were near 1000 pounds already! 





One last little critter moment (I thought I'd clump 'em into one post so as not to look like TOO much of a hillbillz).  Had a "walking stick" on our classroom window today.  I remember finding these as a kid, and it was like finding a pot of gold....they're not super common and sort of a novelty since the actually DO look like a twig!  Life is a classroom!  :-) 



Guess Who's 2-Wheeling It?!?



















She held out for a long time and didn't want to try it, but of course picked it right up once she did!  I'm sure it won't be long before she'll upgrade to a bigger bike, but I think we'll let her get her bearings this year since it won't be long before the deep freeze sets in. 

Can you even stand the cuteness in that kitty helmet?!?! 



Camping


In all the hustle of school starting, I never got a chance to go through pics from our last camp when the girls and I joined my family up north.  I wanted to post just a couple because in a few short months, I'll be dreaming these scenes.   :-) 


*Lovely*



*Cozy*



Buchanan Girls + Up North = Happy Campers 

:-)


9.11.2011

Cathedrals



It seems everywhere I look these days, incredible, devoted, passionate, powerful, uh-maze-zing mamas are feeling overworked, underpayed, waaaaaaay under-appreciated, and dare I say it - BORED!!!! 

We don't mean to feel this way. 

I mean, honestly, we know we're supposed to be loving this. 

Feeling that warm materal glow every time we lay eyes on our precious little bundles from aBoVe. 

Counting our blessings, one load of laundry at a time. 

(That's a LOT of blessings, people.) 

But the truth is, there are days that we mommas ask ourselves, "What am I doing here?"  "What is this all for?"  "Am I going to wake up in 20 years and realize all I've done is the dishes?" 

"And who's going to care?"


I was talking with some sweet friends today about just that, and one of them sent this story (sorry, I don't know the author).  It actually made me cry because I've been working on a few "birds" lately myself. 



It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response,
the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the
phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't
you see I'm on the phone?'

Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking,
or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner,
because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this?
Can you tie this? Can you open this??

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being.
I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer,
'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around
5:30, please.'


I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and
the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum
laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to
be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return
of a friend from England.  Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous
trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I
was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well.
It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling
pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped
package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great
cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to
me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the
greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would
discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after
which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great
cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave
their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made
great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building
was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the
cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a
tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man,
'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that
will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it. And the workman
replied, 'Because God sees.' 

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost
as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices
you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of
kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've
baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a
great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease
that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-
centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder.
As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see
finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The
writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever
be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to
sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's
bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4
in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes
a turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would
mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want
to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend,
to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if
we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world
will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has
been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.




This thing we're doing, mommas...

...it's hard.

We all think so.   



Sometimes we cry when it all gets too heavy. 

Sometimes we feel like it's not enough. 

Sometimes we think no one sees. 


But God sees. 


Every bird.  Every beam.  Every builder. 


9.02.2011

Football


Tuck's final football game tonight! 


Cutest player on the field if you ask me!  :)








Stole some extra snuggles and a self portrait under our umbrella.  Thanks, rain! 



Luca sporting her game face (and Tuck's pads). 



It's official...Fall is on its way!