Homeschool Highlight Reel

This week has been a bit funny we have been changing up our schedule a bit. I seem to always be in search of the perfect schedule. I think we may be getting closer. Taliah has been doing really well in her Math this week. She is a bit of a perfectionist I think and if she doesn’t catch on to a new idea instantly she takes on this attitude of this is too big I’ ll never get it. I think she is finally seeing that I do not expect perfection. The more you work at it the better you get and all I’m concerned with is that you put your best effort in. She finally seems to be relaxing and just going with it. I am finding the need to light a bit of a fire under my eldest the younger two boys are very eager. Hannah comes and goes and participates here and there. She is currently under the weather so is rather sleepy. It seems odd to get through school without any Hannah interruptions.

We have been looking at another Christmas Carol this week, I’ll tell you more in a minute. First I wanted to mention Advent. Not sure if any or all of you celebrate the season of Advent leading up to Christmas but we sure do. This year Advent starts on November 29th which is just over a week to go. I love Advent as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our King, Lord Jesus, we also look at preparing ourselves for his second coming.I have been pulling out boxes and getting things ready, as I was looking at the manger scenes we have I said, Hmmm might be a little early just yet. Talaih said to me well Santa Claus is already on all the store fliers I don’t see why we can’t look at Baby Jesus! I couldn’t agree more. So we set up the manger scenes. I have a don’t touch set that Dave and the kids and my parents have slowly been adding to on my birthday each year and a Little People set. I like having one that the kids can handle. The Little Peoples set plays the tune to Silent Night.

Can you guess which Carol we picked for this week? You got it Silent Night! We took the same approach to learning it. Silent night was written by Josef Mohr in 1816 in Austria. It is said that on Christmas Eve in 1818 in the small village called Oberndorf that the organ at St. Nicholas Church had broken. Joseph Mohr gave the poem of Silent Night (Stille Nacht) to Franz Xavier Gruber and the tune for Silent Night was created to be used with a guitar and the simple score was finished in time for Midnight Mass.

I apologize I am all over the place today so getting back to advent. We do all sorts of things to get ready we have an advent calendar and an advent wreath with the candles. I have all sorts of crafts and activities planned, but the one thing that we seem to love the most is a 3 book series by Arnold Ytreeide. Joshua is pictured here with Tabitha’s Travels the 3rd in the series. Sadly these books have been out of print for awhile. I am glad to tell you that the first 2 (Jothams Journey and Bartholmews Passage) are back in print. I have not come across a better series to take you through the advent season. There is a reading for each day and he always leaves you wanting more! If you can put your hand on a copy, they are wonderful. We are very excited as he has a new book for Easter which will hopefully be available early 2010!!