Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival

The newest edition of the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival is lovely, and is chock full of great information.

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Enjoy !

When Sunny Days Are So Few ...

... the Cherubs are pressed to find things to do.

But, they have managed to keep busy ... so far ... Playing games and writing stories on the computer.
Oh, and playing the Wii, which is allowed for short periods of time.

Cloud-watching, storm watching, and occassionally spying rainbows like this one.

Watching the crazy cats outside .... this is Racer trying to be a "slick & crafty" hunter during a short sunny period one afternoon.

Assembling puzzles, big and small.

Sewing and crafting. Cherub 2 made these felt "friends". And we are nearly all out of paper, glue, and glitter .... but our refrigerator looks lovely, covered with Masterpieces !

Playing Baker or Baker Assistant ... baking bread, banana bread, cookies, cakes, and brownies.

(I hope the rain clears soon because with all of the yummy treats, we need some excercise !)

Watching the flocks of Starlings on the ground below the bird feeders, cleaning up. They do not seem to care if it is raining or not.

Checking on our seeds, planted indoors.

The Cherubs made some really cute signs for labeling the garden out of scrap pieces of wood.

We have all enjoyed watching the antics of the Carolina Chickadees and the Tufted Titmouses - they are so funny !

What does your family do when it rains and rains ... for days and days ??

Hurry ! We are running out of ideas, but apparently the clouds are no where near out of raindrops to send our way. (HA !)

Cherub 5's Soccer Story

All 6 Becks' Bounty Cherubs have played soccer with our local AYSO organization. It is the sort of league where everyone plays regardless of their ability, where the teams are divided to keep them even, where good sportsmanship is required of players and spectators, and where the game is set up so that everyone learns to play and HAVE FUN. It is a wonderful program.

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DadToCherubs and I are on the AYSO Soccer Board, volunteering. DadToCherubs referees many games each season. And we have coached all of our Cherub's teams for most of their playing time, with a few exceptions. They all enjoyed playing, and of course benefitted from learning a sport, team playing, and the exercise. They liked it. They never really took it very seriously (which was fine), but they really enjoyed it.

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Through the years we have realized that not one of the other Cherubs LOVED the game as much as one particular Cherub. And this is her story ....

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Cherub 5 (now 9yo) was born in November. And she was fiesty from her very first breath, never still and always trying to move around.

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She learned crawl the following spring on the soccer fields while I was coaching Cherub 2's U-8 team and a U-6 team for Cherub 3. She would crawl with a soccer ball in front of her, sitting from time to time just so that she could push the ball with her feet.

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Then, Cherub 1 started standing up, and took her first steps the next spring (just over 1yo), again on the soccer fields. This time, DadToCherubs and I were coaching Cherub 1's U-10 team. Wide open space, soft green grass, nothing to run or fall into -- the perfect setting for a toddler just learning to walk. She also loved the soccer balls -- she was learning to walk while shuffling a soccer ball in front of her -- up and down that HUGE field she went, again and again. She was tireless, and a fire-ball ! And by the end of that spring season, she was running .... everywhere ... with a soccer ball at her feet.

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Then, in the fall, DadToCherubs and I coached Cherub 1's U-10 team again. Cherub 5 (almost 2yo at this time) was determined to "practice" right along with the U-10 boys team -- dribbling, kicking, running -- even shooting on the goal. She was an adorable little fireball on the field .... tirelessly dribbling the ball up and down the field ... never once sitting down or slowing down. Here she was, not quite 2yo, playing soccer with "duh bee-g boyzz" (they way she said "the big boys"). She did not want any part of the playground, the wildflowers, the other children, or watching -- she wanted to "pwwayyyy sok-uh" (the way she said "play soccer").

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Through that whole season, and several other seasons, Cherub 5 played right along with whichever team DadToCherubs and I were coaching (in practices only, of course). She was not intimidated by the bigger kids, and was truly fearless with her "sok-uh bawl" (soccer ball) -- dribbling the ball as fast as her little feet could carry her, shooting on the goal, challenging the children in tireless attempts to steal the ball from them. It was so funny to watch. The older boys thought it was so cool -- they took turns stealing the ball from her (playfully !) and letting her steal it back, chasing her as she dribbled down the field. It was hysterical to watch. They cheered her on while they practiced.

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Finally, when she was 4yo, she was old enough to play on a U-5 team. And boy oh boy was she pleased. It was the year that DadToCherubs had had his strokes, so we were not coaching any teams. She played that first season for a wonderful coach named R.S. .... and she played hard, scoring many many goals in a game, dribbling around the other players, and was often the only child bold enough to "steal" the ball from anyone who happened to have it (including her own team - oops !).

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Who knew what was to come .... way back then .... in her toddler years as she learned to crawl and then walk on those fields ... as she played tirelessly alongside her siblings teams, including 10yo boys. We never once imagined what was going on in that little tiny person ... we never realized the "love of the game" that had been ignited in her for soccer .... we never knew how serious she would become about her "sok-uh".

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Cherub 5 has played every single season since then. I coached her teams for two seasons at the U-6 level. Then I coached again when we moved her up a year early to the U-8 level, because she begged to play on a team that had a goalie. She begged to play "real" soccer. She played at the U-8 level for 4 seasons.

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Then, last fall, she was to move up to the U-10 level. Before AYSO sign-ups, she asked DadToCherubs and I if she could try out for the competative team in town. DadToCherubs and I decided against it, for multiple reasons. So, instead, she played AYSO U-10 soccer for a wonderful coach (thanks T.W.) who taught her a lot of about strategy, taught her not to steal the ball from her own team (HA !), and also forced her to learn to PASS the ball (she is a bit of a ball-hog). She did really well playing for him. But, she said, "It still isn't enough." Cherub 5 asked over and over again about playing for the competative team. In her AYSO league, she was occassionally challenged by another player who could play as well as she played, but otherwise she had little real competition. And she WANTED competition. She said she wanted to really have to "fight" for the ball -- to have to play her hardest and still have to fight. She asked several more times through the season about the competative teams. And DadToCherubs and I hesitated to look into another program, much less one that was "serious". We had been so heavily involved with AYSO for nearly 10 years, coaching, refereeing, and on the board -- and it truly is such a great program - so we said no, again and again.

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This winter we realized just how much Cherub 5 really truly LOVES the game; she loves it more than anyone else in our family. It's not about the goals and the speed and the activity -- she LOVES soccer. We joke that she has soccer in her blood. She has loved the game since she crawled on the fields with a ball in front of her ... since she took those first steps as a baby, dribbling a ball at her feet ... since she toddled along at a "run" with a ball at her feet .... since she played with the big boys. Her life revolves around SOCCER, even when it is not soccer season. She plays hard whether at team practice, in team games, or here at home with her siblings or friends (if they are brave enough to even play with her). She rarely has a day without playing with a soccer ball at some point. She works hard to improve her skills all year round, and has been saying (at age 9yo) over and over again for the last several seasons that she wants to REALLY learn how to play more seriously ...... begging us to give her the chance ..... that she wants to learn better ball control, how to shoot better, more strategy, more competative games ... that she wants to play with and against children who as strong or stronger. She wants to "fight" to help her team win a game ... she wants to "fight" to keep the ball ... she wants to play hard with other people who play hard too.

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Before this Spring season began, Cherub 5 again talked to us, pleading, wanting to audition for our local competative league. We decided against it, again. Cherub 5 was assigned to a U-10 AYSO team. She wanted to play this season, so she was ok with our decision. She talked to us about competative soccer again after her first AYSO practice, second AYSO practice, and first AYSO game ... she must have asked a million times (or so it seemed).

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DadToCherubs and I were still very hesitant -- would it be "too" serious ? would "too much" competition diminish her love of the game ? did we really want to leave a wonderful program (AYSO) for uncharted territory with a new league that has a much more "serious" perspective. Even with her asking, would a different league (more serious) be the right decision for Cherub 5 ? But she was persistant -- Cherub 5 has been asking about this league for nearly 2 full years. And so, this past weekend, DadToCherubs and I were left wondering --- should we just let her try it, since she is so determined ?

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After a lot more pestering (and nagging and begging) from Cherub 5, we agreed that I would try to contact the founder of the competative league, N.C., on Monday We knew that their season began long ago, so we would ask if perhaps next season Cherub 5 could audition for this new league of competative soccer. I called Monday morning, while supervised by Cherub 5, and left a voicemail message.

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Late Monday afternoon, N.C. returned my call. I was surprised that this woman knew of Cherub 5 (by reputation). She invited Cherub 5 to audition that very afternoon because they had one opening on one of their teams this season. DadToCherubs agreed to let her try out .... after we had some more information. So, I peppered N.C. with questions ....

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I learned that in the competative league, the teams are coached and co-coached by players on the local college's men's and women's soccer teams, rather than parents and various other willing volunteers. The entire program was founded and is run by Head Soccer Coaches (men's and women's) for the college. So, after hearing that, we are fairly confident that there will be a higher level of "skill" and "strategy" guiding these players and teams, which is what Cherub 5 has been begging for. It is certainly a more "serious" soccer than we could ever provide for Cherub 5, even considering years of playing soccer ourselves and coaching soccer.

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We are still a bit concerned about the level of competition among children, in general. These teams play to WIN .... those who play are there to bring a WIN ... so essentially, WINNING is the point of the league, of the teams, and for the players. And if a player is not doing what is necessary to win, they are put on the bench and another player played in their place. So, we will see how that all works out for Cherub 5. She is fiersely competative, but we also do not want that "win" effort to become defining or damaging for her character. So we will watch very carefully. And time will tell ....

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Back to the audition on Monday afternoon --OH MY -- we have never seen Cherub 5 so nervous !! She knew a few of the children from longggg past AYSO teams, and two of them greeted her excitedly. She fumbled and bumbled during the session; she kicked with her toes a few times, she missed passes sent her way, and she even tripped over the ball she was dribbling (which I have never actually seen her do since her toddler years) .... her nervousness almost took complete control of her. But she was also obviously over-joyed at the opportunity to try out, smiling the biggest smile I have ever seen, eyes sparkling. She said that she wanted to do this "to see if I am good enough". (and I worried) She played hard desite some mishaps, and gave it her BEST, at times overcoming her nervousness and managing to play well. Poor little cherub 5 -- she trembled and shook through the whole 2 hour practice (her audition was done by participation in a full practice). We have never seen her SOOO nervous about anything before, much less about soccer ! (and we were privately getting more and more concerned about her reaction if she did not make the team and about how she would hold up under this kind of stress !)

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Cherub 5 came home on Monday evening, very subdued and very tired. She had a great time playing, even joking about some of her own mishaps and mistakes. (She can usually manage to laugh at her own mistakes. She's not THAT serious, but then this wasn't a game either. HA !) She even openly admitted that she was exhausted. (That never happens - Cherub 5 is never tired ! But this team did a lot more running than her AYSO teams ever did !) She said that those girls were tough to play with and against - that they played even harder than she did - even admitting she had to work extra hard, harder than ever before. And just before bedtime, Cherub 5 was nearly in tears as she admitted being quite worried -- "did I make it, or didn't I?" and "am I really good enough ?" (and I poured our worries out in prayer).

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On Tuesday the competative league coach was supposed to call to let us know if she made the team. Cherub 5 could not contain her excitement. She was up with the sun, dying to know the results of her audition. Every time the phone rang, she practically came out of her skin. Cherub 5 could not concentrate on anything .... she paced and paced and worried and wondered .... allll day !! She drew soccer balls all over most of her school work. Hummmmmmmmmmmm. And I worried even more .... would she make it .... how would she handle not making it .... could she really handle all of this stress .... would she still love the game if she didn't make the team ... MORE PRAYERS .... MORE AND MORE ....

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Finally, very late in the afternoon, on the call finally came .... SHE WAS ACCEPTED !! Cherub 5 smiled from ear to ear, and startling trembling all over again, but this time with excitement. She was bouncing all through the house, telling everyone over and over again ... I MADE IT !! I MADE IT !!

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Cherub 5 was invited to join the team for the remainder of the season (through early June, I think).

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She has practiced twice since that call came in (and also resigned from her AYSO team because she cannot be in two leagues at the same time, according to rules), and has also attended an additional "ball control skills session". Each of those events have inspired her to work even harder -- she has been dribbling the ball all over house (it's been raining a lot so she is stuck inside), "faking out" those who pass her in various rooms, lifting the ball ever-so-gently onto and off of the furniture .... she has even tried getting the ball up the staircase using just her feet. She is frustrated that it has been raining so much ... and I just do not have the heart to punish her for playing ball in the house (against the rules) .... she desparately wants to get outside to do some shooting and trapping ... but that is going to have to wait, since we have gotten 2" of rain in the past 48 hours. And I will continue to bite my tongue about playing soccer in the house ... this time, at least.

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At the third practice, the team had a mini-scrimmage .... and although Cherub 5 played well, it was interesting to see her have to really work super hard to steal the ball, to get around the other players, and to score. It was really cool to see her play with players who matched her ability level. The number of goals she scored was significantly less than ever before .... but at the end of the match, she was most excited because she was challenged by players that could keep up with her speed and with her skills. She even lost track of the number of goals she scored in that scrimmage-game ... which has NEVER happened before.

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There is another practice this afternoon (assuming it is not rained out), and another Ball-Control Skills Session tomorrow.

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Cherub 5 looks forward to practices more than before ... she chatters about in the car about what she has learned so far, what they might teach her today, and also about the things she wants to learn how to do.

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On Saturday she will play in her first game with this new team and new league. She can barely contain her excitement ... and has talked of little else. The thrill of the game is nearly consuming her, but the nervousness (thankfully) appears to be gone. She is looking foward to playing with a whole team that runs hard, plays hard, and plays to WIN. And she is also excited about playing against a team with those same abilities.

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It should be quite an interesting game to watch !

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So, DadToCherubs and I are excited for her ... a bit nervous ... and we are ever-watchful, of course. We debated making this "move" for the last 2 years and always decided against it every time. Cherub 5's persistance moved us .... this time is different .... this time it appears that it is Cherub 5's moment ... she wants "more" ... more competition, more intensive training, more skills ... and now, hopefully, she will have it.

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Please pray for Cherub 5 !! Please pray for her involvement with the new program. We ask that God bless her with safety and good health, and that IF this is the right place for her, that He will make the way for her.

Thank You For This Lovely Award !

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Adventures on Beck's Bounty was honored

with this Excellence In Blogcasting Award.

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It was awarded by The Tie That Binds Us .

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THANK YOU !!

Our Affliction

It all began simply .... a casual mention of the forsithia that was ready to bloom .... the green" fuzz" on a few tree tops, implying leaves would be coming soon .... buds on the lilac bush .... birds of all kinds paying our feeders visits in between gathering nest materials ....

Then came a few "hummmmmm's" whispered longingly over math books. A few gazes out the windows ..... long far-away gazes.Then there was a bit of anxiousness as the school days continued --
"is it time to go outside ?" or "am I finished ?" .... and even more "gazes" out the windows.
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Our Nature Walks, which have been taking 30 minutes or so all winter, begin to get longer and longer, with more Oooooh's and Ahhhhh's .... everyone taking note of the "new" things along the way .... the buds, blooms, and "green" of it all. Instead of doing a nature walk every few days and a journal entry maybe once or twice per week, suddenly every child HAS to do a journal entry NOW, which of course requires a walk .... a longggggggggg walk. And it might take a while to find that perfect something to enter into the journal ... a longggggggg while ... or so they tell me.

And now .... the thought of getting school books out each morning seems torture to the Cherubs. Their eyes and minds can hardly be pulled from the windows .... it takes forever to go out to feed the pets (and the child has to be corraled back into the house afterwards) .... and even while staring intently at their lessons, their minds seem to be clouded with pollen or something ... thoughts of dirt and tree buds, birds sitting on their nests, new leaves, flowers, breezes blowing the grasses ... are the bumble bees out yet ... what is that bird at the feeder .... are we SURE the dogs have enough water .... are there bluebirds in that house .... are there worms for fishing ...

At times I mention needing (after school) to get some work done outside - tilling, weeding, mowing - and I am met with 6 Cherubs willing to "sacrifice" a school day (can you imagine ?!?!) JUST so that they can be of assistance, and so that the "work" can be finished in a timely fashion ... sparing Mom from the labor ....

Hummmmmmmmmmmmm.

The diagnosis is official --- SPRING FEVER. It has completely overcome all 6 Cherubs ... and Mom too I suspect ... no one can concentrate ... the motivation to get schoolwork finished is simply the lure of the outdoors .... to see what is blooming today ... to see if the turtles are sunning on the log yet ... to see if there are butterflies flittering about yet ... to see if there are any new weeds that need to be pulled form the garden (can you believe a child tried to use this as an excuse to finish school early -- to be helpful, so the weeds do not "take over", he assured me -- the purest of intentions - ha !).

We are supposed to get some rain, which will be good for schooling (I hope !) ... perhaps the rain will last long enough to cause the childrens minds to drift back to their studies .... we only have just over 4 weeks left .... but apparently that seems an eternity, or so they tell me.

Beware: Spring Fever may inflict your family too. It is very "catchy" .... and the beginning signs are forsithia blooms, lilac blossoms, the swollen red buds on the Red Buds ... the dogwood blooms ...

Hornby Island Eagles

There is an eagle's nest in B.C. with an Eagle Cam. So you can watch Momma and Papa Eagle prepare for their new family --- from the egg to the hatching to the fledging.

It is an incredible journey.

UPDATE: Just a note to let you know that the Hornby nest has an egg !http://www.hancockwildlifechannel.org/staticpages/index.php/20080302140549584

Check out the latest Hornby Island Eagle Cam newsletter: http://www.hancockwildlifechannel.org/article.php/20090228181316439

Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival

The new Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival has been posted.

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Thanks to Shannon for hosting this lovely Spring CM Carnival at her blog, Song Of My Heart .
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Enjoy !

St. Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick said,

"Christ beside me, Christ before me,

Christ behind me, Christ within me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me. "

Have a blessed Saint Patrick's Day !

Quote For Current Times

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."

(said by the late Dr. Adrian Rogers, Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis , TN)

The Home Beautiful (by J. R. Miller)

I found this quote particularly interesting ....

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"There is no place in the world where the amenities of courtesy should be so carefully maintained as in the home…There is no love that so needs its daily bread as the love that is strongest and holiest. There is no place where rudeness or incivility is so unpardonable as inside our own doors and toward our best beloved. The tenderer the love and the truer, the more it craves the thousand little attentions and kindnesses which so satisfy the heart. It is not costly presents at Christmas and on birthdays and anniversaries that are wanted; these are only mockeries if the days between are empty of affectionate expressions. Jewelry and silks and richly bound volumes will never atone for the want of warmth and tenderness. Between husband and wife there should be maintained, without break or pause, the most perfect courtesy, the gentlest attention, the most unselfish amiability, the utmost affectionateness."

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This quote is from an old book which can be purchased here

THE HOME BEAUTIFUL by J.R. Miller

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The seller above said (taken from the original Forward) ....

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"Several months before the death of Dr. J.R. Miller, he made plans for THE HOME BEAUTIFUL. The suggestion had been made to him that it would be helpful if he would take the heart of the books "Week Day Religion," "Practical Religion," "Home Making," and "In His Steps," and make a new volume on Christian home life. It was his purpose to improve on the suggestion made to him by preparing a number of new chapters. The plan was not to be carried out. God called him from earth before he was able to do more than begin preparation of the volume.

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However, he talked so fully of his plans to his associates, that it has been possible to arrange "The Home Beautiful" in a manner that it is felt to be in accordance with the wishes of one whose life was devoted to inspiring men, women and children to the life that alone can make the home really beautiful." --John T. Faris, October 1912

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This is a masterpiece on the family. It is so simple, and yet so powerful, as it sets forth the privileges and responsibilities of each member of the household in making the home a beautiful place to both live and die."

We Need A Lot Of Bird Seed !

Our Bird Feeders have been "High Traffic Zones" lately -- Goldfinches, RedWing Blackbirds, Cowbirds, Robins, Doves, Purple Finches, Titmouses, Cardinals, Chickadees, and many other birds.

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Because it is chilly and damp today (our area is experiencing a cold snap, which is our Dogwood Winter ), we are going to do our Nature Study "a la window" ... watching various birds visit our birdfeeders and journaling about them.
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No wonder we go through soooo much Bird Seed every month ! It's a pricey "habit", but we really really enjoy it. Birdseed is considered a "school supply". HA !

The Great Sunflower Project

We have decided to participate in a "Bee Count" called The Great Sunflower Project .
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And we want to invite you to participate too !
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What is The Great Sunflower Project all about , you ask ??
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Quoted from the Project site: "By watching and recording the bees at sunflowers in your garden, you can help us understand the challenges that bees are facing. We'll be sending out annual Lemon Queen sunflower seeds in early March 2009. Just in time to plant!
---It takes less than 30 minutes.
---It's easy.
---Free Sunflower seeds for planting.
---No knowledge of bees required!
Enter your bee counts online or send us your paper form. We would love to have you join us. Let’s help our most important pollinators together!"

There is a red dot on here in order to create a Map Of The First 26,000 Participants registered to "count" in this year's Great Sunflower Project: Hunt For The Bees. WOW - that's a lot of people !! But, there is no such thing as TOO MANY COUNTERS .... every bit of information and every "counter" who submits data is needed !
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About the Bee Count, the site says "The data you collect from your sunflower will be a start. It will provide an insight into how our green spaces in the urban, suburban and rural landscapes are connected as well as shedding light on how to help pollinators. What we need are innovative strategies to maximize the benefits of our wild and semi-wild habitat remnants. The Great Sunflower Project is the first step."
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Bees are our #1 pollinators, and they are in trouble. To learn more about our Bee Crisis, check out Where Did The Bees Go ? . There are several links to great articles which detail this crisis and what it means.
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So, why not participate in the count .... for the Bee's sake ?!?! Sign up to participate in The Great Sunflower Project .

An Anniversary

Two years ago today we had a housefire, resulting in the loss of everything we owned. No one was hurt, Praise God. But everything was gone.

There are some moments when it seems as if the fire happened only yesterday, and at other moments it seems as if it was a lifetime ago. We can finally enjoy a bonfire, but if we smell smoke in the air we panic. Our hearts also still skip a few beats when we hear sirens coming in our general direction.

We are safe, happy, and well these days. We have since realized that fire can indeed be a blessing from God, and that "things" are only "things". The fire also confirmed for us that true friends, while not necessarily many, are God's BIG blessings in more ways that we ever imagined.

The new "house" has finally become a "home" to us after many monthes of feeling as if we were living in a hotel because nothing was familiar. All of the Cherubs sleep soundly at night after many monthes of nightmares and getting up frequently to "check" on things. I even let people plug in electrical items without freaking out now.

Honestly, it was only by God's Grace and His loving arms holding us that we managed to "rise from the ashes". And we are ever thankful !

Thank you again to all of those who showered us with love and those who helped us replace the things that we needed in order to begin our household again.

Here is the original post about the Beck's Bounty Housefire .

And here is a post saying Thank You to all of those who helped us during those difficult times.

Spring Soccer

It's that time again !

Soccer practice begins today for Cherub 5.

Games begin in just a few weeks.

Carnival Of Homeschooling

Announcing the new Carnival of Homeschooling .

Thomas Jefferson said ....

"When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe."
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"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work, and give to those who are not."
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"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle, which if acted on, would save one-half the wars of the world."
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"I predict future happiness for Americans, if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
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"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."
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"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."
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"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."
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"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
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"To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical."
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In the light of the current financial crisis, its interesting to read what Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:
"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."
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How I wish someone would consult with Mr. Jefferson regarding America's current situations ....
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(copied from an email sent by MamaO. Thanks MamaO !)

Spring Is "Spring-ing"

The first bloom.

Isn't this Periwinkle ?
Our birdhouse gourds from last summer
are almost dry enough to "finish".

Our roses have brand new leaves.

Our daffodills are ready to fully open.

And the lilac is covered with these buds.

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Spring is coming ... finally !

For The Record

Here is how it started one evening after dinner ... a note left by the Kitchen Cleaner ... and the knowledge that we would ahve to deal with that broken dishwasher ASAP. Washing dishes for 8 people in a household that actually cooks "real" meals with lots of pots and pans ... well, it is not pretty. So, the next morning before school, Cherub 1 and I started checking out "charges" (by telephone) to have someone come to fix our dishwasher. Turns out, it was cheaper to buy a new one - but ....

From the internet search for phone numbers for repair shops and vendors of dishwashers we found .... a whole host of fix-it-yourself websites .... the photos on these sites made it look so simple ... and the WHAT COULD BE WRONG WITH MY DISHWASHER information was so extensive .... Cherub 1 and I decided that we had nothing to lose by trying a Brave Experiment ... in home-appliance-repair (or at least an attempt).

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So, over the course of 2 hours, armed with the laptop, the internet, and a few hand tools, we managed to completely disassembled the inside of the dishwasher workings ... low and behold, it DOES look like the pictures. And so far it was pretty simple ....

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We cleaned out every trap and spot where the "how to's" said debris could gather (the first source of the "likely" trouble, according to the websites) ... and then reassembled the whole unit.

And VOILA .... it worked. Perfectly. For good measure, we ran vinegar through a whole "empty dishwasher" cycle, followed by a CLR-laced cycle, and then finally a clear water cycle to clean out the cleaners. TA DA !! All three cycles went prefectly .... WE FIXED IT !!

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We did not have to call a repairman, and did not have to buy a new dishwasher. "Cha ching" ... money saved !!

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So .... under what school "subject" should I record this , for the records ? Life Skills ? Small Appliance Repair ? Machine Mechanics ?

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I love this unusual homeschooling lessons !

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Now, I wonder what is causing that noise in the dryer ???? Hummmmmmmm .....

Happy Square Root Day !

Yes, it's true.

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"REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — Dust off the slide rules and recharge the calculators. Square Root Day is upon us.

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The math-buffs' holiday, which only occurs nine times each century, falls on Tuesday — 3/3/09 (for the mathematically challenged, three is the square root of nine).

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"These days are like calendar comets, you wait and wait and wait for them, then they brighten up your day — and poof — they're gone," said Ron Gordon, a Redwood City teacher who started a contest meant to get people excited about the event.

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The winner gets, of course, $339 for having the biggest Square Root Day event.

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Gordon's daughter even set up a Facebook page — one of a half-dozen or so dedicated to the holiday — and hundreds of people had signed up with plans to celebrate in some way.
Celebrations are as varied: Some cut root vegetables into squares, others make food in the shape of a square root symbol.

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The last such day was five years ago, Feb. 2, 2004, which coincided with Groundhog Day. The next is seven years away, on April 4, 2016."

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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,504085,00.html

Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival

The new "Spring Edition" of the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival is posted. This Carnival is full of fantastic posts. Be sure to check them out.

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And if you are in the eastern United States, perhaps have a cup of hot coffee or tea to sip while reading -- can you believe this snow in March ?!?!? We did not get snow in our part of Tennessee, but BOY OH BOY is it coldddddd ! Yet, I am dreaming of Spring, which is supposed to be right around the corner.

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Thank you Barb for hosting this "feast" of a Carnival !

Living Science Books

We are loving the "Wonder Island Boys " books, which are adventure stories chock full of "science" yet are technically "literature".

There is nothing dull about science with these books, and they are also a nice change of pace from our usual science studies. (They are approximately 7th grade reading level.)

WONDER ISLAND BOYS (scroll to the bottom)

Or they are also available from Gutenburg Press under the author's name (Roger Thompson Finlay) .