Time for School, oh no!!!

In the past we haven't taken a break from school work for the summer. Typically that is because we take a great long break at Christmas and again in February. February is not a particularly special month other than we have 2 family birthdays within it, but for reasons that we do not fully understand, we are unable to produce any work in the month of February. Therefore, for the past couple of years, we just don't even try during February.

This year however, the kids are older and smarter and have noticed that other children are not in school for the summer months. I suppose it was bound to happen eventually because contrary to what people think of homeschoolers, we do not live under a rock. The kids joined forces and protested doing school work this summer. They had some really well thought out reasons for it and I made a show of listening to it all, knowing that I was very much keen on a break myself. I agreed (probably to quickly and in hindsight I could have held the whole "summer break" over them to get lots of chores done) but for only 1 month. That was 2 months ago. Turns out, we needed to have a little fun and are having the most amazing summer. It is so nice to not feel I have to explain why my kids are with me at the grocery store at 10am! It is so nice to just be mom for a while. We have been blackberry picking, blueberry picking, swimming, to the library (which my kids think is a type of mecca), watched tons of movies, to a science show, to summer camp, baking cookies, having sleepovers, fishing, participated in a boat race, played Wii fitness and Wii Dance Revolution all summer, and now, in just a few weeks, we are going to Costa Rica, paradise on earth! The rainforest and pacific ocean are so close we cannot contain our excitement.And yet, lingering in my mind is school. After the Costa Rica vacation of a life time, it is back to work for us all. Well, that isn't a big deal to Jus because he hasn't had a break this summer. I feel a little guilty sleeping in and reading books while he slaves away but I know what's coming so I don't feel too bad.

This is going to be the best homeschooling year yet! I know because I have begun to get organised so the kids are a little worried already. Just how I need them to be, mwa ha ha ha. It will be tricky to be the hard nosed teacher again because I really like not having to be so strict but we are committed to a top class education this year and spent Daddy's hard earned money on actual curriculum packages for 4th and 6th grades. Daddy wants results and is happy to help enforce the slightly more demanding schedule than last year. I am super excited because it takes a lot of the planning that I usually have to do for our curriculum and does it for me. Yay!

This year we are using Memoria Press's Latin centered curriculum for 4th and 6th grades, with the exception of substituting our usual math for theirs. I am excited for the kids as I know they will enjoy this year's material. In addition to the core curriculum (Latin, math, literature, spelling, composition, grammar) the kids will learn about famous men of Greece and Rome, biology, insects, more astronomy, geography, American History, the Trojan War and more. I am so ecstatic that we can afford to do this type of curriculum this year and so grateful to my hubby for making it happen. It is truly going to be a great school year! I have always leaned toward the classical education (Latin centered) but not been in a position to go the whole distance. So, we have always done what we could with what we had. I feel this year we are able to provide the kids with everything I could have wanted. That is an awesome feeling! Now, I just need God to help me implement it all and stay the course which I know He will if I just take the time to listen to His guidance!

Yay! New Books Arrived!!!

It is always exciting when new school books arrive. Admittedly, the kids are less excited than I am but, nevertheless, they are a little curious!

Abi's new literacy book arrived, "Intermediate Language Lessons" by Emma Serl. She completed its predecessor, "Primary Language Lessons" some time ago and I had put it away in the shed. Recently I dug it out and realised it is perfect for Aaron at his age and then I ordered the follow up for Abi. I had forgotten how wonderful Emma Serl's books are. They are brilliant! She is a kindred spirit to me with regard to grammar, nature and literacy. We have been struggling along with Spectrum books for the last year and really just weren't that happy with them, snore. The content is interesting but the worksheets are a bit lacking in creativity and fun. The Writing Skills books that I purchased for Abi were shockingly incorrect in grammar and spelling! I spent a great deal of time correcting the book before lessons which was completely absurd but necessary. I am really thrilled that we can carry on with the Language Lessons books by Emma Serl. They may have been written over 100 years ago but they are definitely still pertinent and engaging today.

We also received our Memoria Press, "Book of Astronomy" that we ordered online. Abi helped choose this book so she really likes it too. It has constellations and planets etc in it which she likes and Latin and mythology which I like! Lots of hands on drawing of the constellations and learning the major star names. There is even a bit of info regarding navigation by the stars which I like. Aaron is interested but a bit apprehensive as to just how much work is involved in the unit exercises.

I also ordered 2 new cursive writing books for each of them, grade appropriate. They have been working out of an A Beka book I found at Goodwill and have just about finished it between them. So, they will get more mail this week! It is always exciting to get mail and when it is a book you get to write in, it is even better. They don't see cursive writing as a part of "school".

On a side note, we filled in some questionaires called, "I'm No Saint.....or Am I?" and Aaron put down, after filling in his good qualities etc., that he would make a good patron saint of "animals" because he loves them and they obey him and Abi put down that she would be a good patron saint of "tree climbers" (i love it) because there isn't a saint for that and she is really good at climing trees!

A day with the Cornish's!

Today the kids and I woke up but then couldn't get up! Their dad has been working very late nights to get our boat finished and ready for us to move aboard on 15th January. Sooooo, out of respect (and a little fear,lol) we all kept quiet in our bunks until he woke up which was around 10.45am. Besides the fact that his bunk serves as storage during the day for 2 clothing boxes, my fiddle and 2 backpacks (which were now spread around the salon floor and settees making it difficult to sit around the table and start school) the boat is only 30ft and any move you make can be heard from bow to stern. So, the kids happily stayed in their bunks with their new books that we got from Goodwill yesterday. (They got 19 books, 2 journals, 3 notepads and a photo album at Goodwill all for under $20! We absolutely adore that store but learned that Goodwill is not the same everywhere you go and some charge more for books!)

Eventually Justin rolled out of bed and we all said good morning and I made coffee for us, cheese grits for the kids and then he went off to work on the boat again. Bless him, he told me I could wake him at 9am tomorrow so as to get on with school work sooner. Aaron is trying to get done before 2pm everyday so as to play with his mates who get home from their school at that time - sometimes he makes it, sometimes not.

We began our day 11.30am with the daily Bible Reading. Aaron read from 1st John and Abi read from the gospel of John. Then I read the reflection and we discussed the meditation question. Then both of them read a little about today's Saint of the day and we finished with morning prayers. Abi disappeared to her cabin after that to get dressed and do whatever she has to do to get prepared for school. Aaron pulled out his cursive writing (it was copying a psalm in his workbook) so as to get started and get finished soon! He then memorized a poem called "A Secret" and copied it in his grammar book. I gave him his maths lesson on units of measure, quantities and equations and he did some math work independently.

Then Abi came to join us and we read about King Louis XIII and Louis XIV. They paraded around the boat acting like Louis XIV for a while and then Justin came in asking for a bagel. Justin helped Aaron finish some math equations whilst I started lunch.

I made everyone a bagel with cream cheese and after I made the boat really smokey and the frying pan sizzling and popping, Aaron announced, "The Bagels are ready"! Little monkey. We ate lunch together and then Justin and I had coffee. Then Justin went back to work and Aaron made a start on his spelling words for the week (yes, on Wednesday 2 days late) and then he took off to play with his buds for the afternoon. Abi did her Reading comprehension book about journal writing and ordering events and then I gave her an hour break from school. They fed "Feathers" our latest neighbour on the dock. She is a white duck and poops everywhere but we just love her. Justin even bought special "duck food" for her for when we don't have any scraps to give her.

Abi came back from playing outside for an hour (3.30pm) and I gave her a maths lesson in long division and multiplication and positive and negative numbers. She bawked at how elementary it was but then made loads of silly mistakes on her worksheet until she got her brain in gear. She then did her spelling words for the week and sentences too. She also did her book report which is due Friday! She then left to go play outside with her brother and his friends again.

I vacuumed the boat whilst everyone was outdoors and cleaned up breakfast and lunch dishes. I also ordered an astronomy book with a $10 gift card I got from Memoria Press!

This evening they came in when their friends left. They are reading books and chillaxing.

Justin will be in soon and we will have dinnner. He is making dirty rice tonight. The first non seafood meal in over a week! The kids will be happy. The thing is we got 31 lbs of fish for Christmas from one of Justin's customers in Alaska. He sent us king salmon, wild salmon, snapper and cod! We all love fish and we have all thoroughly enjoyed it but the kids protested after fish and mussel curry last night. Abi ate hers whilst holding her nose and Aaron bravely fought back the urge to regurgitate. It wasn't the fish so much as the mussels they didn't like. We have never given them much choice in their dinner options however and we encouraged them to eat 2 mussels each. Abi never should have cut her mussels into lots of tiny bits because then every bite of curry tasted of mussels poor girl. Aaron only heard the 2 mussel requirement after he had eaten 6 of them:)

They are both hungry now and I have given Abi an apple and Aaron an orange. We are all on a diet since the Christmas feasting took place!

New Year, New Attitude!

Christmas was great this year and we were able to celebrate Christ's birth with family and friends. One of the greatest gifts we received was ..... a break from boatschool! The kiddos and I, mainly me, were getting a bit burned out!

After a 3 week sabbatical, we have started back with our lessons this week and are thorougly enjoying homeschool again:) It is true what they say about when mama is happy, everyone is happy.

I had begun to feel overwhelmed and out of my depth regarding the responsibility of educating our two little angels. However, I have had a break which allowed me to really consider the why's and what if scenarios about our homeschooling vs traditional school choices. It was a time of enlightenment for me!

I only opted for the homeschool option in the first place because of circumstances regarding boat life and travel and it seemed the best for the children in their primary years. I thought, "how fun!" I loved singing with them and teaching them their letters and fingerpainting etc. Recently, after our 5 years of "let's go sailing for 5 years and then return to a house and normal life" had run out 2 years ago I had begun to resent homeschooling. Hey, I had been railroaded in my mind and it wasn't fair because I NEVER wanted to be a teacher and this was all getting a bit overwhelming. My 10 year old has a will like her mother and the school work is getting a little more difficult and takes longer to teach and ultimately I didn't choose this, it just happened.

I read a book recently about homeschooling and realised just what an absolute ungrateful cow I had been in my thinking! Instead of looking at the positives I had begun to get caught up in society's teaching of "do your own thing" "be yourself" and as Frank Sinatra sang, "MY Way" mode of thinking.

Instead of thinking, "Wow, how could I be helping society more and being in the workforce" or "I never wanted to be a teacher anyway" "I should have been thinking, "Wow, what a blessing I have and honour to educate our children and truthfully what else would I be doing?" How many mothers have expressed their desire to be able to do what I do and cannot because of finances or unsupportive husbands etc.? I am able to help my children on an individual basis academically and when my son is sad about math taking too long (because he was singing, "Grandma got ran over by a reindeer for half the day", he can have a little cry on my shoulder and then feel better and get back to work. Perhaps a school teacher would be kind enough and give him a cuddle but I would be missing out on that cuddle from my 8 yr old boy!

When I thought of putting them in school, it was not so much for them, as for my own selfish reasons. It was getting overwhelming and I questioned my abilities and especially my enthusiasm for teaching. I thought, "It is too hard and I would get more respect as a Waffle House waitress then I do around here." But when it comes down to it, there are many teachers in our public school system that are burned out and have been burned out for years. There is no guarantee that my child wouldn't have a teacher like that at least once or twice througout their school years. Personally I had many teachers like that. Plus, as I read about sex education being taught in the schools, it scares the cuss words out of me! I am grateful that I will be able to discuss this with them at an age appropriate level and from a christian view.

Family is about love, support and sacrifice and God has blessed me with such a wonderful life that I am truly begining to see my blessings rather than get bogged down in my own self pity.
Since becoming catholic, and realising all the christian values that I haven't been living for a while I have had some radical changes in my attitude towards my family and life and God. I think that the dangers of the selfish modes of thinking that our society teaches as a whole are extremely anti family and anti God really. Now with really thinking about the options before me, to homeschool or not to homeschool, I know that I would choose homeschooling.

In homeschooling I get to teach them about scripture, astronomy, literacy, history etc but also about family, kindness, love, patience etc. We are a very close knit family and I realised just how close over the Christmas break which we spent with extended family. I love that we learn together, pray together, eat together, play together. It would seem that most of the time we are in a little cacoon and rarely get an opportunity to see how other families are living. 1 in 2 marriages ends in divorce in the United States. Most families, eat on the go and rarely sit down together except for Christmas. Most families have much busier schedules then we do and not enough time to chill. It is a crazy world out there and I have oodles of respect for the families that are striving to live a faithful life and have traditional values in a material, largely secular world. I have never been so happy to come home to our little hovel of a boat! .... and people think we are strange:)

My New Year's Resolution this year is to be the best homeschooling mother possible to our wonderful kiddos and with God's grace anything is possible!!!

Boat Race! Woo hoo Abi, Aaron & Marky!

Abi Aaron and Marky won 2nd place in a home made boat race! First prize got $100 bucks so the kids were kind of bummed as they had already spent that money in their minds at the Game Stop. Justin took them over there anyways and bought them a new game for the Wii. Mark and the kids built the boat and painted it. They were in first place until the last 10 seconds when a lady in a cardboard boat overtook them.

They also won the People's Choice Award - might have had something to do with the fact that we had the most supporters there - everyone from the marina!

The first boat that sunk was awarded 4 hamburgers!

Boat School Busy Soccer, Field Trips etc.

We have been busy with school, soccer and church. We haven't managed to do any sailing as yet but the weather is not conducive at any rate. Still we have the rains or hot still days without wind. Never mind, we are doing a lot of book work, soccer and, our favourite, field trips!

Aaron is progressing with Year 3 maths, learning multiplication and division up to 500 and order of calculations. We have also been working on interpreting data, graphs, tables lists and 4 step calculations. He is still working through the Guinness World Records reading workbook, which he thoroughly enjoys. He has wiped me out of Pokemon cards completely (my rewards for reading). A friend of ours gave us a box of books and Aaron read 12 books last week in his own time, this was partly because he had no game time because he hadn't done his spelling homework. He has completed 7 lessons of Latin (Prima Latina) and is getting better about completing the lessons exercises BEFORE the due date. We don't rush Latin.

Abigail is plodding on with Year 5 maths and doing great. Her lessons up until last week were basically a review of Year 4 and now they are introducing new concepts. This week was positive and negative integers, absolute value, opposite numbers plotting coordinates on graphs, sequences, etc. She has moved away from reading the Church's, "We Believe" books because she is doing it at Church on Sundays so, at home she is working through "Reading for Understanding Grades 5 & 6" books. I had a total melt down this month because her father said she needed something more than that. My melt down was basically because I felt the same way but also, felt ill equipped to handle the next phase. Long story short, I figured if I used the Reading Book as springboard to report writing with the help of her Writing Skills book then we can make English more challenging. So, with that in mind, I have started giving her an extended report on whatever Thursday's lessons are to be written out in 3-5 paragraphs, 100-200 words to be done by Monday and she really loves to write so happily accepted this! Now we are all happy. So far she has done a report on Marie Cure, and Beethoven (which was more of an oral report since we listened to his music on You Tube but we have just started this phase). She naturally writes stories and did a report after our trip to the Museum this week of her own volition so I am not sure why I panic about this stuff!

For history, we read the Horrible Histories, "Vicious Vikings" and they made a books about Vikings, complete with drawings, maps and runes! Actually they didn't want to do the books at first but once they saw some of the stuff you could do online, they became inspired! There books are so awesome. I almost wish they were in school to display them!

We have also started doing a daily reading. The Catholic Church has a reading from the old testament and the new testament everyday and we have just incorporated that into our school day. I like to start our days with that. Usually Abi will read one and Aaron the other and then we discuss or reflect and that can make for some interesting conversations! Aaron seems to get the meaning of scripture actually and it is really weird to me because I still don't sometimes :)

We had to go to Aaron's doctor in Jacksonville on Wednesday so we went for an early appointment and then spent the day at the MOSH! The Museum of Science and History totally rocks. We have always loved that place. This time there was an exhibit about Sea Monsters (dinosaurs) and we watched a National Geographic video in the planetarium. It was so cool and little scary as it looked almost 3D. We attended the Science show and since we were the only people there that day we got a really cool interactive show. Science is not my strong subject so I was really glad they got to see some explosions with hydrogen and learn about ac/dc and watch and join in the Tesla machine tricks? Not sure how is worked still, but there were bolts of electricity flying about the room. It was super cool. My kids never volunteer for these things so because it was just us, they actually did get involved but only once the guy doing the show guaranteed them that they wouldn't be shocked. Then we got to pet Daisy May, their resident opossum and see all the owls etc. They had the Disgusting Digestion exhibit which was gross and yet fascinating with actually human organs on display!

We took off for the afternoon at a state park earlier this month. The weather was so nice, hot but not too hot and it was absolutely beautiful. We must have hiked 4 or 5 miles. We dipped our toes in the spring to cool off (see pic). One of the nice things about this park is it is contained by a fence all the way around the perimeter so the kids could roam ahead of their old mum with the broken back and I didn't have to worry about them too much. I could hear them in any case but there are no vagabonds around this place. Some of the other sites we have been to have poor souls living out in the woods!

Soccer has begun practices and fortuitously they have the same coach even though they are in separate age categories. Because their coach is coaching both teams we have one practice to attend for both kids which has been 3 times a week so far. They are called the Ducks and the Ducklings. LOL

Abi is starting Girl Scouts next Thursday! We are so excited. Truthfully I am way more excited than she is because I know all the songs and all the fun she will have. We discussed the fact that we will be moving in a few months and the costs involved and decided it was worth it. Her troop, 252, will only have white golf shirts and sashes for their uniform to be worn with khakis or jeans. Abi will get to help with a pumpkin patch, a food drive and possibly the Christmas float before we go!

We are going on another field trip next Friday to St Augustine! We are really looking forward to it. We have exhausted all there is to do in St Augustine or so we thought, but this is a new place for us, the oldest church in the USA!

We have had a hard lesson in forgiveness this week as our neighbor's grandson cut up all of Abi and Aaron's plants that they were replanting with some shears. He did it out of spite because Aaron had told them they were going to move the plants. Anyway, he is 8 yrs old and comes from troubled home but is quite spoiled, rarely disciplined. Abi was reduced to tears after that and we had a heart to heart about forgiveness and about how it really only hurts us when we hold grudges. She didn't like what I said about forgiving him. I did add that she could do it in her own time but not to let it take too long and to ask God to help her to forgive because usually that is the only way we can do it. Tomy Alex Chackalackal puts it much more eloquently when he said,
"Our unforgiving attitudes are obstacles in attaining blessings from God. Forgiveness
brings into our lives fresh, clear and sparkling grace of holiness and hope. Staying in a state of revenge is not only offensive and disrespectful but also is a sinful condition that prevents us from reaching God. The bitterness of anger and grudge are the worst enemies of personal and spiritual growth. In a world where movies, video games and the digital media are giving undue credits to wars,violence and revenge, God wants us to be forgiving souls. In the Bible we read, "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord
forgave you. (Colossians 3:13)Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord. How many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy seven times. (Matthew 18:21-22)For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins,
your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:14-16) Do not
judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (Luke 6:37) Jesus Christ gave us the finest example of forgiveness when He prayed in His dying hours for His killers:
“Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they
are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.” (Luke
23:34)

I Confess

Before I can be confirmed Catholic, I have to go to confession. I am a little nervous. I have made confessions before - to God in private but not to a priest! These days they are a little more laid back about it than what we have seen in the films. You can still use the old style, box/cubicle thing with a divider or you can just sit in a comfy chair face to face in a small room with the priest. I am not sure I want to be face to face but on the other hand...I am sure my priest will know me on the other side of the divider because it is a small church and he will recognize me immmediately! Apparently I can make my first confession at another church, that part really doesn't matter as long as I do it. Many parishoners do go outside of their church to confess to other priests they don't have to see every Sunday. There is a confession prayer that is to be recited first and then you spill the beans. I know that I need to be succint because my priest is Indian and he really is busy so I am trying to prepare a speech of sorts in my mind so far I have only gotten so far as...."Father forgive me for I have sinned, blank nothing...." I hope it won't always be this awkward.

I wondered if I should confess all my sins since this is my first time but, thankfully, no I don't have to go that far. Just whatever is between me and God right now. Much prayerful preparation for confession is involved in asking the Holy Spirit to point out sins we may not even be aware of. As a guideline I downloaded an app to help me (yay technology) with this and it breaks down the 10 commandments to help see if you've crossed a line anywhere. God's name in vain is one commandement that is constantly being broken by society. I happily quit that a few months ago.

I know that a priest will not only give you penance of prayer but also counsel in some cases, i.e., if you are having trouble with forgiveness, then the priest may give you something to do regarding apologising to someone for your involvement. If that doesn't work, on your next confession, he may give you other possible solutions to your problems. I think that priests have to learn about counselling to some degree. Never really thought of it before now but I suppose they are kind of like free psychologists. Slightly scarier psychologists perhaps.

Catholics believe that we should confess our sins regularly, they require it at least once a year. They recommend it at least once a week, prior to communion. It makes sense to not have anything weighing on your heart before receiving communion. Your sins are forgiven by God through the priest - I used to think the priest was the forgiver but not so.

My hubby thinks Father Ignatius must be looking at everyone at the parish picnic or breakfast and in his mind thinking .... "you cheated on him ....and you stole from her....and you really fancy his wife..."etc. lol, I hope not, but it got me thinking, how depressing listening to everyone's sins, it must be really difficult for the priests. I love our priest, he is different, being from India, but he is filled with the love of God and I guess that is how he copes. (there are lots of bad priests in the media now i know but not all of them are like that). I am just glad my "first confession" in the catholic church is with Fr Ingatious. He is a very kind and humble person but you never quite know if he likes you or not.