March 27, 2009

Just the Boys!

With big sister at our church's confirmation camp and little sister in bed, Caleb gets a little one on one time with Dad. Tonight they are building with the Snap Circuits. These are a really fun and educational toy (for dads too) and in the bottom picture you can see that Caleb got the bulb to light up!



March 24, 2009

A narration break through for us :O)

Okay, so I am fairly new to the Charlotte Mason method and I'll admit that I was struggling with oral narrations with my 7 (almost 8 year old) son. He talks a blue streak most of the time, so I knew he couldn't just be speechless when it came to narrations. After reading Sheila Carroll's article on successful narration (LBC) I decided to try using a tape recorder. WOW!!! He loved this and gave a really nice narration on the Boston Tea Party. When he was done we played it back at least three times because he thought it was so "cool", and then I typed it up for him to put in his notebook. He even asked if he could draw a picture to go with it. Finally, he said, "Mom that was fun, can we do it like that again?" I am so happy to have found a way that works for him! I thought I would share his retelling.

Caleb’s Narration of the Boston Tea Party
3-24-2009 age 7y 10m


In 1774 a group of American colonists disguised as Indians went on three English ships and dumped all the tea into the Boston Harbor. Two of the men that were very important were Patrick Henry and George Washington and Paul Revere was there. They were mad because King George III was making very high taxes on the tea, and they didn’t want to pay the taxes. They had been getting Dutch tea, but the English ships were blocking the Dutch ships carrying tea from coming into the Boston Harbor.

[Caleb wanted to finish by reading part of Patrick Henry’s speech from "The Story of the World" volume 3]

“If we wish to be free…we must fight! I repeat it sir, we must fight! Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace-but there is no peace…Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”

Not bad ;O)

March 20, 2009

SO EXCITED!

Our new school year will begin the first week of July. (We go year round to keep our minds fresh and to take shorter breaks throughout the year.) I've been reading the e-books from Simply Charlotte Mason and I finally feel like we are going to get the CM philosophy going....and keep it going!

Just a couple of pictures of things that have been created around our house lately.

Caleb(age 7)makes a grand piano on an Etch-a-Sketch


Ashlyn(age 3)adds on to her Barbie house