Our Schoolhouse in the Willows

Some Lovely Additions to the Kitchen

2012-02-06T13:49:00.000-08:00

I love my kitchen--good thing! After Christmas, Michael bought me the sink mats you see in the top picture. They are so pretty! In the middle picture, my $2.00 lace tier is featured. Yes, $2.00!! JC Penney had these for $12, and I had a $10 off coupon. The tier is hung on a tension rod, and I have played around with the height a bit. Our cat Helen really likes them. I snapped a picture of her sitting in the window Sunday morning.

Casablanca, Petros and Mrs. Smith's Blueberry Pie

2012-01-27T20:01:00.000-08:00

What a great Friday night at the Justus house! This has been a good week, but a challenging week for our family--lots of busyness, but lot's of blessings as well. Tonight, we really needed a quiet night at home together. Tomorrow will be full of activities for everyone.

After our Bibe study (I want to talk about that in another post), we had supper in the living room and we watched Casablanca. I think Dad is the only one of the family who had seen it all the way through. We loved it. We had what Dad and Virginia call "Petros"--corn chips, chilli, cheese and sour cream.

We had a little intermission to prepare Mrs. Smith's delightful blueberry pie! Yay! It was wonderful.

I am so grateful for these times together.

Having a Few Friends Over

2012-01-22T04:50:00.000-08:00

Friday night turned into a night of fellowhip for the Justus kids. Virginia had planned to go skating with her friend Gideon; that didn't quite pan out as the rink had changed its hours (an unannounced change too, may I add). Virginia, Gideon and Gideon's mom went to McDonald's then came back to our house. We had a wonderful visit. Gideon's younger brother, Gray, was with them as well. Michael came home from the college with the boys, and JT and JM had a great time visiting with Gray. Then, Gray's dad came over on his way home from the College!

Eventually, Virginia went to Gideon's house with her parents for supper, and Gray stayed here with the boys for supper. There's a pretty big age difference between Gray and the Justus boys, but that didn't stop them from having a great time. Before supper, they played games at the table; after supper, they played in the living room and watched some of their Hanna Barbera classic cartoons.

I enjoyed talking to Gideon and Gray's mom, Morgan. We share many of the same views about what our children should read and watch and so forth. I am really grateful for their friendship and presence in our lives!

Adventures in the Land of Mossflower!

2011-11-23T13:54:00.000-08:00

Hi there! James Martin here! Mom and I are currently reading the book "Redwall" by Brian Jacques! I've been a fan of the series for 7 years and I got hooked to the series when I first started. I was blessed enough to even meet the author myself! I wanted to read this with Mom for a long time and we are finally doing it! We are currently on Chapter 11 and we are reading with the dramatized audio book. This is my fourth time reading it, and Mom is reading it for the first time. She says she is really enjoying the book. It is an incredible book. I highly recommend this to lovers of medieval literature, fantasy, and adventure books! It's worth the read!

An Old Friend Acquires Some New Friends

2011-11-17T06:53:00.000-08:00

Years ago, Michael introduced me to James Herriot and the wonderful stories he penned. Now the children have really fallen in love with the series as well. We have watched it and listened to the Audio books together some over the years, but now they are really caught up in the stories and characters.

Comment Issues

2011-10-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

I am so glad to be back on this blog, and I appreciate the comments I received from Miss Lynda. Sadly, I am having some kind of problem with posting my comments. Blogger won't allow me to sign in and post. I really don't understand given the fact that I can make new posts. Thanks for your support, Miss Lynda. I think the curriculum you mentioned is Sonlight. They really are wonderful with regard to reading. You just can't go wrong with a reading-based program (as long as the material being read is edifying).

Through Golden Windows

2011-10-21T20:49:00.000-07:00

This is a set of books published by the wonderful Grolier company in the late 1950's/ each volume contains stories centered around a particular theme. We bought our beloved set from a used book store in Oak Ridge, TN several years ago. Two of the volumes deal directly with American History, including stories about the great explorers. We have brought these volumes down to the school room and we're making good use of them.

This year with Virginia's history work, we are taking a very unique approach. We are reading and reading and reading some more--a textbook, story books, and biographies (including some that Michael had bought many years ago for his nephews). We are acompiling a notebook of work as well: copywork, artwork, maps, and so forth completed by Virginia will give her at the end of the year almost a scrapbook. with her History projects. I love the notebooking method of homeschooling, and think it can be adapted successfully with almost any curriculum or learning styles.

Some thoughts about A Beka: their product is unbeatable in quality of teaching and organization. I have just never seen anything better. But I really missed doing the work with the kids like we did when we first started. This year, I took Virginia out of the A Beka program. We have a very strong collection of curricula from which she is working--we returned to Modern Curriculum Press for some items for one last year. I think we will return to A Beka, at least in math and science, next year. But I have to tell you., returning to working with Mom has brought us closer together.

I'll give an update on the boys next time.

We're All Still Here!

2011-10-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

I regret to say that I have neglected this blog! My post tonight (below) was the first I had posted in some time. We are all still here, and I am grateful to God more each day for what He has done for our family. Today, I was able to be home with the boys as Dad took Virginia to our monthly food distribution program, "There's Hope for the Hungry." This is a highlight of Virginia's month. Today, her best friend Joshua was able to attend as well. Both have truly grown up in the Church and under the tender love and admonition of the Saviour.

Fall is our favorite time of year, and it is finally getting cooler. I think I will bring in my mums tonight as we have a frost warning in effect, and I don't know how hardy they are going to be.

Tomorrow, I would like to post about our school work so far this year. I am very pleased with the paths that the children are taking. Stay tuned!

Getting to Be That Time Again . . .

2011-10-20T17:44:00.000-07:00

Every year about this time, we read Washington Irving's marvelous classic, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. What a fabulous story and author! I always loved the Walt Disney animated version when I was growing up--it seemed to capture Ichabod Crane just as Irving imagined him.
And my goodness. could Irving turn a phrase!
It was the very witching time of night that Ichabod, heavy-hearted and crestfallen, pursued his travel homewards, along the sides of the lofty hills which rise above Tarry Town, and which he had traversed so cheerily in the afternoon . . . All the stories of ghosts and goblins that he had heard in the afternoon now came crowding upon his recollection. . .

Did You Hear?

2011-09-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, the students are all abuzz--another semester of Classical Latin! This semester, we have 39, not counting the delighted instructor! Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the dream come true! And thank you Drs. Caner, Reynolds and Justus, for believing in me and this endeavor.

I love my students this year, and have quite a few siblings of last year's group. The summer class was outstanding!

We are still working on the on line version. It will not be taught until next year, but that is actually a blesssing.

"Labor me vocat!"

Getting Ready

2011-07-21T06:19:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord for His goodness. We are getting ready to begin another school year. This week, we went to an A Beka Conference with our friends, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Prussia. They never oversell or undersell; they listen to what we need for our family and try to put together the best package for us. We are so grateful for them and for the A Beka resources.

This year, we are using a combination of materials for all three children. John Thomas is taking three classes at the College and taking Physics and British Literature with the A Beka program. We are so pleased with this combination.

James Martin has the heaviest A Beka program, but he will be doing a couple of history projects with me and the other kids.

Virginia will be working with a variety of resources, including some old favorites from Modern Curriculum Press and Christian Liberty Press. She will be back in A Beka next year, but i wanted a real hands on approach with her subjects this year. She will be "reading and writing" across the curriculum.There are so many elements of the Charlotte Mason approach that I love; I want to incorporate "narration" as much as possible, and in fact, hope to adapt this skill in some form in my college classes.

We are all very excited and so grateful to the Lord for His role in making this endeavor possible.

Time for Dickens!

2010-11-27T13:00:00.000-08:00

Virginia and the Cowboy Way

2010-11-24T05:20:00.000-08:00

Each of the Justus children love the singing cowboys; Virginia loves to sit and watch Roy Rogers and Dale Evans movies with Daddy on Sunday afternoons. She was very excited to have her picture taken with these singing cowboys: Woody Paul, "Too Slim", Ranger Doug and Joey, "the Cow Polka King."

After the concert we toured the Boothe Museum of Western Art. They have a fabulous collection of western art. Before the concert, we attended the "Cowboy Days" activities outside the museum, including a reenactment of the Gunfight at the OK Corral. The action was described by an historian of the era as the actors displayed first, in slow motion, and then in "real time," the gunfight. James Martin loved hearing about all the people involved and the circumstances that led up to the confrontation.

All of this would tickle my parents and grandfathers for certain. Moma and Daddy always loved Marty Robbins and his ballads about the Old West. Moma told me that when she was a little girl, she would watch the movies on Saturdays at the theater. Pawpaw would read a western every night before going to sleep, and I remember Grandaddy watching westerns on TV. They would all be pleased that the Justus children are growing up with their old friends--Marty, Roy and Dale, Marshall Dillon and the Cartwrights.

Happy Thanksgiving from Our Schoolhouse to Your's!

2010-11-22T06:46:00.001-08:00

Some Thoughts Going into the Thanksgiving Break

2010-11-22T06:12:00.000-08:00

We are all excited about having some time off from school. This has been the busiest semester of my teaching experience (two new preps). We have spent many an evening at school after supper. This is not a complaint. I am so grateful to have a job that I truly love, and one that allows maximum time with our family. The homeschool program in which the children are enrolled is marvelous, but very demanding, almost exhaustive. I understand why--to meet the SACS requirements in distance learning is very difficult. The positive side of this is that the kids are learning not only thier subjects, but that all-important work-ethic. Moreover, they have to be somewhat self-disciplined to work steadily each day. Many of my students are "hares" rather than tortoises. They procrastinate and wait to the last minute to study or complete assignments with sometimes disatrous results. I feel like circumstances force me into that position from time to time, but the fault is really my own. My time management skills definitely need some work.

With our break this week, I hope that we can all sit down together to catch our collective breath and re-prioritize our lives. What is important? What is MOST important? Each day is a gift from the Lord, and I want to be a better steward of these gifts.

Ivanhoe

2010-11-21T18:49:00.000-08:00

Our trips to Church take us about 30 minutes each way. On Sunday mornings, we listen to Bill Mack's "Sunday Social" and "Classic Cowboy Corral" with Ranger Doug. But Sunday nights are a little different. We are currently listening to Sir Walter Scott's 1818 classic tale of Medieval chilvary, Ivanhoe. We are listening to a dramatic reading by the British actor, David Warner. The presentation is not dramatized as such, but his reading is very dramatic. His reading makes this story even more enthralling.

Maybe after we are finished listening (and this will take several trips to and from Church), we can watch the movie with Robert Taylor and Joan Fontaine and Elizabeth Taylor and Rebecca.

The Adams Chronicles

2010-11-14T19:24:00.000-08:00

One of Dad's favorite mini-series was produced by PBS in 1976 (remember the "Bicentennial Minute" too?) called The Adams Chronicles. A while back, it was released on DVD in the wake of the popular HBO mini-series about our great second President. We started watching this tonight after Church, and everyone really loves it! I am glad the kids like history as much as Michael and I do.

Reading Together Charles M. Sheldon's Classic

2010-11-13T19:22:00.000-08:00

This very hectic semester has been given a little bit of stability through our reading together of favorite books and stories. We read Irving's "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" as we do every year. We are getting ready to take out our Dickens pretty soon as the Christmas season approaches. A couple of times, the boys and I hiave started Sheldon's In His Steps. I have had a strong sense that we need to pull this beloved title out again, this time including Ima Virginia. Perhaps the Lord wishes to speak to us throught this meaningful work of fiction--I am looking forward to seeing what He has for us to learn.

Magistra et Discipuli

2010-08-10T05:05:00.000-07:00

We were able to visit so many historic sites and museums on this vacation, We are going to count them as at least one day of school! (179 to go!) We must complete 180 days of instruction, and that may include some field trips (we would not abuse that privilege). We visited memorials for Presidents McKinley, William Henry Harrison and Harding. We went to the Creation Museum and to the First Ladies Historic Site. We had a great time!

School Days!

2010-08-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

Well, "Back-to-School" time is almost here! I am so excited. We are going to be doing some different things this year, and Mom has lots of new material to teach. John Thomas will be taking Latin I at the College. James Martin will have some really interesting electives, and Virginia will have her favorite teacher for several subjects in her DVD lessons. They are each participating in the A Beka SACS-accredited program.

This year, we want to increase our reading a bit (me included!) and decrease the TV a lot. Our school books are scheduled to arrive Monday and I will be working on organizing lessons by Tuesday. We are all so grateful to be able to do this another year.

Corbin, KY--"Where It All Began"

2010-08-04T04:50:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite stops is always the Kentucky Fried Chicken in Corbin, KY. This restaurant in Corbin was the original home of KFC. Inside, they keep a little museum with mementos from those earlier days. As you can see, KFC makes children grow tall!

. . . whatsoever things . . .

2010-06-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to post for some time on one of our blogs my feelings about reading and book choices offered children today. Years ago, before the idea of homeschooling ever entered our minds, my husband and I ran into a really telling situation at a used book store. I was browsing through the children's section and overheard a conversation between two school teachers. They were buying all the Goosebump story books they could. The shelves were full of classics (and I'm not talking about Don Quixote, but wonderful children's authors like Robert McCloskey). Unfortunately, I could not hold my tongue and made a comment about their choices. They were incensed, of course, but the only reply they could muster was something to the effect, "well, does it matter as long as they are reading?" Oh dear. Yes, it does matter what our children are reading.

We have stayed away from the Harry Potter and Twilight books. These series deal with sorcery, witchcraft, vampires and a host of other ungodly creatures and topics. If you visit a large retail book store, look at the teen books--they are all about vampires (no Lucy Maud Montgomery anywhere) and sexuality. The covers are horrific and often extremely suggestive. Yes, it does matter what our children are reading.

We are viewed as odd by many close to us, but that is really ok. Michael and I are responsible for guiding our children's choices until they can make those choices themselves. I am proud of what they read: the boys read the classics: yes, John Thomas is reading Don Quixote, and will then begin Dickens' The Pickwick Papers. We have read Mark Twain, Dickens, and Robert Louis Stevenson classics together, and independently, they have read so many classic works of children's literature. Virginia loves Catherine Marshall and Carolyn Keene! She has read everything by Mrs. Marshall she can find, and also loves the classic Nancy Drew stories. She is working her way through the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace.

Yes, it does matter what our children are reading.

Scripture, as always, states this best:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Philippians 4:8

Kidnapped!

2010-06-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

For some time, the boys and I have read books aloud together. This is apart from some of our other reading projects. Together we have read, In His Steps, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," "Rip van Winkle," A Christmas Carol, and The Prince and the Pauper. Now, we are working on Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped. The tremendous adventures of young David Balfour carry us away to faraway places and put us in the presence of some rather frightening pirates and scoundrels. (Oh yes, we also read Treasure Island). The boys really seem to be getting into the pirate life--I love hearing them read with their "pirate accents." We are also reading a biography of Stevenson and some of his beautiful poetry.

Back to School--In June?

2010-06-10T04:30:00.000-07:00

Yes! Back to School, at least for John Thomas. Today marks the official beginning of his collegiate career. He will be taking a class in World History this summer and Latin I in the fall. He will be continuing his A Beka homeschooling program for two more years, but he will also pick up a couple of courses and earn college credit early. Many high schools offer dual-enrollment courses whereby high school students can get a "jump-start" on their college education while still at home.

The GHEA Conference

2010-05-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

Every summer for the past five years, our family has loaded up in the MMHF (we call our van the "Mobile Mental Health Facility) and attended the Georgia Home Educators Association Conference. There are always interesting speakers and lots and lots of book vendors. Our favorite book sellers are Beacon Books, a Mennonite Company that sells the wonderful Rod and Staff homeschool materials. We also enjoy seeing our friends from A Beka, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Prussia. We are part of the A Beka SACS-accredited program, and I can't say enough about that program. It is marvelous. Rod and Staff materials supplement our curriculum (and they have the most beautiful coloring books for Mom).

Anyway, this conference is one of the kids' favorite things to do each year. Pictured here with the boys is their friend, Ricky. I think that Ricky is out of school now, but he always comes to spend time with the Justus Brothers. They play their Redemption card game and chess. I wish we had a picture of their trading card notebooks all spread out on the table. This year, they spent time with another friend named Clayton. I wish we had a picture of Clayton. He is a fine young gentlemen as well.

Of course, this fine photo was taken by Ima Virginia, our resident camera and blog expert. She enjoyed herself as well. She enjoys tagging along with them, and they seem to not mind very much. : D

My Mission Work Monday

2010-03-09T06:38:00.000-08:00

Hi! James Martin here. Yesterday, I went with my dad to Habersham County to help fill buckets. What do I fill the buckets with? Food. It's to help the people in Haiti who had suffered because of the earthquake. With my dad's help, I put in a bucket black beans, rice, peanut butter, sugar, and cooking oil. (I don't see how rice and peanut butter go together exactly, but that's ok) After we filled it, it weighed 30 pounds! We took it out to the van and my dad visited with a sick member of our church. Then we drove over to the church where the buckets are dropped off. We counted all the buckets (including ours) and there was a whopping 174 buckets! I felt good for doing that. It shows that Christians on the homefront can serve and do missions too.

Friends from the Past

2010-03-08T21:30:00.000-08:00

I so appreciate the fact that the kids enjoy the old TV shows Michael and I watched when were growing up. One of my favorites was "Flipper." I liked it not only because of the "star" of the show, but also because it was set in Florida.

As I type this, Virginia is in the living room now, curled up with Lottie, with "Flipper" on the DVD player. I wish they would put out more of the episodes; only Season 1 is available now.

Do any of you remember "Gentle Ben" with Dennis Weaver and Clint Howard? Or how about this wonderful, but obscure title, "My World and Welcome to It"? This program starred William Windom and was based on characters created by James Thurber. I think it is due to come out, but I don't know exactly when.

What are some of your old favorite TV shows? Don't you miss these days of better tv?

A Musical Week

2010-03-07T04:55:00.000-08:00

This has been a good week to hear good music! Thursday night, we went to the White County Historical Society's monthly meeting; there we heard the Yonah Brass Ensemble. They played some wonderful pieces, beginning with the Star Spangled Banner and ending with a rousing rendention of Dixie. (Beginning with one national anthem and ending with another). Then, Friday evening, John Thomas was asked to participate in a recital at a Church in Sautee. We were able to hear not only beautiful piano music, but some violin players and voice students as well.

The Best Snow Day Ever!

2010-03-02T20:01:00.000-08:00

We have had such a great day today. We woke up to a beautiful snowy day. We were expecting snow but not until later in the day. Dad found out that all of his classes were canceled. We were all able to do some things we wanted to do--I was able to clean off my desk and begin a new Bible study. Virginia was able to "visit" with one of her on-line friends. James Martin sat and watched True Grit (one of his very favorite movies) and John Thomas read and worked on a few things for school.

For supper we had delicious Stouffer's lasagna and salad. For dessert, Dad made us a huge bowl of snow cream.

As if this wans't wonderful enough, we played their Richard Scarry game they had received for Christmas. The children have always loved Richard Scarry, and I don't think they will ever outgrow these great little characters. Daddy joined us and we had a blast with the game.

Later, Virginia worked on her cross stitch while the boys and I had a Richard Scarry coloring party. She had "Flipper" on in the background--the great show from the 60's.

You can see why we think this was the "Best Snow Day Ever!"

Classical Music

2010-02-26T06:34:00.000-08:00

In our homeschool, we love classical music. We thought you might like the beautiful piece by Beethoven.

Speaking of Eleanor Estes . . .

2010-01-22T18:55:00.000-08:00

Many years ago, I think when I was in third grade, I read this story in one of our reading book collections of stories. I found it again a while back and bought it for Virginia. We have just found a book of writing activities to go along with this beautiful story, I can't wait to start it with her this week.

2010-01-22T18:47:00.000-08:00

Well, we have finished another of the Moffat books by Eleanor Estes. We have completed The Moffats, The Moffat Museum, and now, Rufus M. We'll get to The Middle Moffat before too long. These lovely stories are set in the New England town of Cranbury, and detail the everyday lives of the Moffat family. World War I is in the background, and we learn of rationing, oleo, mailing cards to soldiers and the Armistice. However, these stories are mainly about the joys of childhood--joys in everyday life. The chapters are longer than many chapter books written today and there are no deep meanings and lessons about life other than the love of family and the extraordinary fun in ordinary things!

We have read these books and others like them (Homer Price, for example) aloud for years now. Please be encouraged to read to and with your children even after they are past the Dr. Seuss books!

A Find

2009-12-27T07:47:00.000-08:00

Last night, we went to the big city and did a bit of shopping. I needed to get Virginia some socks, and there were a few other things on our list. We ended up in Barnes and Noble (of course), and I found this book for John Thomas. He loves history, atlases and information about the great cities. This book seemed to have it all.

The author, John Julius Norwich is not only an historian, but has had quite a celebrated life. He served in the British Foreign Service and is a member of the House of Lords. He was also a BBC personality.

In any case, John Thomas loves all of the marvelous pictures, maps and artwork that make up this handsome book.

Patrick Stewart's Scrooge

2009-12-16T05:44:00.000-08:00

This year, we have decided to let Patrick Stewart do our reading of A Christmas Carol. We were able to download an abridged version of this great actor reading this great story. I can't tell you how much he brings to this role. We can almost see Marley's face on the door!

We have turned this annual reading project into a full-fledged unit study. I found a reading comprehension workbook full of vocabulary and writing exercises as well as information about Dickens and 19th century England. We even have one of the very inexpensive Dover coloring books we will be using.

After we finish, we will all watch the Patrick Stewart version of the tale. We bought this last year; it is still available on Amazon for under $7.00. I have never seen a better adaptation.

Patrick Stewart had a marvelous one-man-show of this several years ago; I would love to have seen that.

Anyway, when we are finished with A Christmas Carol this season, the children will have something to add to their literature notebooks. Many home-school families study the great literary works this way--this approach adds so much to comprehension and enjoyment.

Fan Art From A Redwall Fan

2009-12-02T09:53:00.000-08:00

Hey, everyone! James Martin again. As you know, the last time I posted, I posted about the novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol. I am also a huge fan of the Redwall books by Liverpudlian author Brian Jacques. I had the honor of meeting Mr. Jacques in 2006 when I attended a release celebration for his book, Voyage of Slaves, that is a part of another series he is working on. Here is some fan-art drawn by me, based off of the fight at the end of his book Redwall:

I based the art style off of a screen capture from the Redwall TV Series. I just finished reading that book for the third time in my life. It was great!

Thanks for reading and may your swords stay sharp! (Try to guess where that comment came from! *wink*)
James Martin Justus

A Very Rainy and Windy Day in the Willows

2009-12-02T06:21:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a rainy and windy day. Yes, it is the middle of the week, but I have decided to let the children have a day of reading today. We will make up the day over the Christmas break. I just think that this will be a great day to read, color, listen to Christmas music and have some hot chocolate.

Time for Dickens!

2009-12-01T11:21:00.000-08:00

Well, the time of year to read Dickens' A Christmas Carol has arrived! This will be the third or fourth year the children and I have read this together. Last year we read it and then watched Patrick Stewart's presentation. That was the best interpretation I have ever seen. This has been a great school term--Washington Irving, Mark Twain and Charles Dickens!

Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

2009-11-20T07:38:00.000-08:00

Hello! James Martin here! I just wanted to post about a book I just read called Alice's Adventures In Wonderland.

The book was written by a man named Lewis Carroll who love writing books for children. He modeled the character of Alice after his daughter, who shared the name "Alice" with the main character. He told the story to one of his friends, and she said that he should right it down and send it to a book publisher. So, he did. (He must have, or else there wouldn't be 2 Disney movies based on it, or have lines from the novels repeatedly quoted.)
Alice is sitting on a bank by a stream with her older sister on a warm, summer day when she sees a rabbit. The odd thing about this rabbit was that he pulled a pocket watch out of his pocket! (Rabbits have pockets?) And he ran off. Alice, who was dreadfully curious, started chasing the rabbit until she saw the rabbit jump into a hole. That's when her adventures began. She jumped into the hole. She fell for what seemed like ages, but then, she finally came to the bottom. She kept shrinking and growing in the hallway in which she landed. She soon escaped, however, and met all sorts of zany creatures, such as the Hookah-Smoking Caterpillar, The Ugly Duchess, The Mock Turtle, The Mad Hatter, and my mom's favorite, the Chesire Cat.

I read this book in it's entirety on Monday. I really liked it! I am looking forward to the two Disney movies based off this adventure. (The classic 1951 Movie and the Tim Burton movie that comes out in March.) I can now appreciate all the references in pop culture to the novel, including comic book villains, such as The Mad Hatter and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, who think they are characters from Alice in Wonderland. I wonder what kind of impact this book will make in the next 25 years. Thanks for reading and have a nice day!

A Blessed Time of Year

2009-11-12T14:31:00.001-08:00

Reading in the Willows, part II

2009-11-06T13:17:00.001-08:00

Reading in the Willows

2009-11-04T13:53:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest joys of my life has been reading to the children. When the boys were little, I'd put them in the bathtub with lots of Mr. Bubble, and we would read through a pile of books every night. Michael has also read to them--maybe even more. When they were still in public school, he read to them from the Bible and from a biography of a great Christian every morning as they ate breakfast. When I taught night classes or worked at my retail jobs, he would read the Little House stories to them.

We still read together. The boys and I are working through Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper; John Thomas and I are reading Don Quixote at lunchtime during the week. We just finished The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (again). These books have meant so much to us--they are like friends we visit and visit again.

A friend/relative of our's is homeschooling her children. She and her husband are both professional educators, and she taught in the public schools before her children were born. She makes reading the centerpiece of her homeschool. You should see how those children love to learn! The older boys can't wait until their reading time after supper every night.

A problem Michael and I both encounter with our students is that they are so reluctant to read! This is probably our biggest challenge, and my understanding from talking with others is that it is this generation. And they really seem to resist the classics; a few years back, I taught a group of really sharp, competitive students who were lamenting having had to read Robinson Crusoe!
How do we explain this? How can it be addressed? Please share your thoughts!

The Bible Broadcasting Network

2009-11-04T09:24:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of our family at the headquarters of BBN--a wonderful Christian radio network. The gentleman in the middle is Dr. Lowell Davey, the President of the network. This network features some of the best of the best in Christian programming: Thru the Bible, Glad Tidings, Chuck Swindoll, Creation Moments--the list goes on and on. I particularly appreciate the music they play--traditional hymns! It is very difficult to find this type of music on the radio today.

I have listened to BBN since 1986. The kids listen to it today (the Captain's Club and Unshackled are their favorites) on the internet. They love the Sugar Creek Gang stories and Uncle Charlie on the Captain's Club. There really is something for the whole family here.

Check them out at bbnradio.org

Halloween Memories Made and Cherished

2009-10-30T18:32:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in our other blog, we read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow every October. Last year, I found the Disney version of this great tale. Tonight we are going to watch it together again. James Martin is popping everyone some popcorn. Dad has on his fuzzy p.j.'s and I think we are just about ready for the "feature presentation."

Our Sweet Family

2009-10-30T18:16:00.000-07:00

What a fine-looking trio of scholars. This was our first day of school back in August. Don't let the height fool you: our oldest is the sedate boy in green on the right. The boys are doing so well with their program this year. A Beka requires intensive Bible study and memorization; their years of Bible Drill have really come in handy in so many ways. History is their favorite subject, of course!

Ima Virginia is also in the A Beka program. She loves math and her math teacher, Mr. Howe. I'm thrilled that someone in this family likes math!

We are working on some notebooking projects as well. Virginia and I will be starting one in Colonial History; the boys and I will be working on a study of the "Seven Wonders of the World."

I hope to post soon on notebooking; I think that is one of the best educational tools out there!

Better close for now. Hope you all have a lovely day tomorrow and a wonderful Sunday.

Janis

Welcome to our little schoolhouse!

2009-10-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

Hopefully, by early next week, I will have our new templates up and running. We are all very excited about starting this homeschooling blog. The best part about this blog is that the children will be posting some of their thoughts and experiences! Thanks so much for all of the interest and support you have already shown. Wishing you a wonderful fall weekend!

Janis

A New Blog

2009-10-24T17:11:00.000-07:00

I am very excited about testing out this new blog site for our family. I will be adding a new template by Shabby Creations before too long.

God bless and keep each of you,
Janis & family