I had my usual tough-to-get-back-into-a-good-routine spell after we traveled over the 4th of July, and it seems life just hasn't slowed down since then. One thing that has kept me from writing here is that I discovered Christian agrarian essayist Wendell Berry, and couldn't bear to do anything but read as much as I could in whatever free time I've had. Then thinking, pondering and discussing with Tom about all that I'd read. These books provided much food for thought:
The Art of the Common Place: The Agrarian Essays of Wendell Berry, edited by Normal Wirzba
Another Turn of the Crank by Wendell Berry
Then, not Wendell Berry, but still fascinating:
The Transformation of Rural Life: Southern Illinois, 1890-1990 by Jane Adams
After all the agrarian reading, I got on a homeschool researching and planning kick. Millie turns 6 in August, and I think we're finally ready to embark on some first grade work. So while things will still stay quite relaxed around here as far as school is concerned, I am going to make myself write out a plan in the hopes of introducing certain subjects and reading particular books. So I read through these three books for some additional research and planning purposes:
More Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levinson
Home Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp
A Biblical Home Education by Ruth Beechick
On the topic of homeschooling, these are a couple of very good links:
I loved this article at Pioneer Woman about teaching creative writing.
Then my sister passed along this link which has lots of free printable planning resources, with everything from lesson planning sheets, to grocery lists, to handwriting pages.
As for the kids' reading, Millie has listened to Anne of Green Gables on audiobook twice in the past couple of weeks. Now I'm looking forward to watching the movie with her. And a really wonderful treat for our whole family was reading through Little Pear and His Friends by Eleanor Frances Lattimore. This chapter book is set in early 20th century China, and was pure delight, even for Silas. At this rate we'll be finishing up our summer reading logs in no time!
