Surrounded by Grace

It is Spring, but the last few days have been cool. Rain makes it even cooler. But I am thankful for the rain. Our school year is going pretty well. We are getting ready for our oldest child to graduate in May! Time really flies by!

We have discovered this math series…and we like it a lot!  :)

http://lifeoffredmath.com/

Peter got my little one’s chair…guess he is ready for his lessons too!  :)

We can sum up very quickly what people need to teach their own children. First of all, they have to like them, enjoy their company, their physical presence, their energy, foolishness, and passion. They have to enjoy all their talk and questions, and enjoy equally trying to answer those questions. They have to think of their children as friends, indeed very close friends, have to feel happier when they are near and miss them when they are away. They have to trust them as people, respect their fragile dignity, treat them with courtesy, take them seriously. They have to feel in their own hearts some of their children’s wonder, curiosity, and excitement about the world. But that is about all that parents need.  John Holt

Charlie is curious!

• Curriculum Choices for this year!

• J: Grade 12

• “Spanish I” via internet course  Livemocha

• “British Literature Excellence in Literature Reading and Writing through the Classics”

• “Exploring Government”  Notgrass
• “Exploring Economics”     Notgrass

• “Exploring the Religions of our World”   Ave Maria Press

• “Intro. to Computer Science” via  internet course  Stanford University

• “Music theory”

A: Grade 7

• Religion The Life of Grace 7  Catholic Heritage Curricula
  

• Spelling My Catholic Speller Level F  Catholic Heritage Curricula
  

• English Language of God Level F  Catholic Heritage Curricula
  

• Science Behold and See 6  Catholic Heritage Curricula
  

• “American History America the Beautiful”  Notgrass

• Math Saxon 65  Saxon

• Music   weekly piano lessons and ballroom dancing

C: Grade 3

• Math “Mathematics 3 for Young Catholics”   Seton

• Reading “Teach your child to read in 100 Easy Lessons”

• “Spelling Level A”  Catholic Heritage Curricula

• “Science Behold and See 3″  Catholic Heritage Curricula

• Religion Catholic Heritage Curricula

• Handwriting   Handwriting without Tears

I was browsing today for some nature craft ideas and found this one:

http://donnayoung.org/science/folded-nature-journal.htm

It looks interesting, maybe we will try this one!  :)

Today was our library day. We always enjoy going there…we spend several hours there learning together. We checked out some books about nature crafts today. We are also learning about Native Americans. My little one found a DVD. We had hot chocolate together and shared a cookie in the coffee shop. The library bookstore was selling some hand puppets that had been retired from the library shelves. We purchased a butterfly and a monkey. The weather was beautiful today with sunny skies and a coolness that can only be associated with Fall! It feels really good outside after a long hot summer! :)