Yes, you can!

This started out as a FB post and got a little out of control, so I copied/pasted it over here onto my little used blog page.
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For those new to homeschooling and those that are not so new. 

When looking at a curriculum or even a co-op/homeschool group, if you are being told that there is only one way to homeschool your child (there are lots of options and they are all good, viable options!) - walk away. 

If someone says, if you don't use a certain curriculum/method , then your children won't get a good education (or won't be successful, won't get into college, won't be well-rounded, whatever) - walk away. 

Or, if you don't come to that group's events, do all the paid classes (or free ones, for that matter), then you are failing your children, your family, the neighbor's cat, or some other such nonsense - walk away. 

Y'all, a Charlotte Mason education is the best fit for my family. I joke around that it is the best method out there, but it really is joking (mostly..well, it's the best of the best....hahahahaa - if you know me, you know I am being silly here, heehee!).

Charlotte Mason said that children are born persons, not little buckets to be filled, sponges to sop things up with (sponges are for messes, not my children's brains), clay to be molded, whatever. Therefore, things will vary with each child, family, month.

Ultimately, what works for your family or even specifically for one child is the very best method for YOUR family. And you know what - you might change methods, curriculum, groups, clothing sizes, favorite coffee, etc. a few of times during your homeschooling career. It is okay. Your homeschool is YOUR homeschool. Your homeschool doesn't have to look like the public school, not like the Lepoziskingiski's (fake name, sorry if that is your cousin's name, haha), not like mine (Hills Academy - not made up, totally real), not like that really popular blogger lady's (she is some kind of pioneer), you don't have to have expensive classes (you can if you want, but not a requirement and your children will be fabulous without them! Mine have done well thus far. Oh, and you can't count those group hours towards your 875 in WI), you don't have to have a co-op with someone else teaching things to your children for your child to have a good education - I promise that you CAN teach them those things, but I totally get that it is FUN to do things with others sometimes - all those things are extras and you don't have to do them. Well, maybe square dancing - you need a group for square dancing. Otherwise, it just looks strange. 




Don't feel roped into a curriculum because bread-baking-Betty uses it and her family seems fabulous (they imploded last Tuesday because the yeast was dead and they tried lots of baking soda). If you buy something or join a group/enrichment/community/horse-betting class (statistics?) and it isn't working well for you and your children - drop it. Walk away from the group. Sell the curriculum (yeah, you are going to take a loss - look up the sunk cost fallacy - you will feel better). Find something else. Go to the library. Email me or call me. I will hold your hand. I might even meet you for coffee or at the park if you are close enough and I have access to the car! 

Moms and Dads - you ARE amazing. You are not stupid. You don't need a teaching degree or someone with one for your children to have a fantastic education. It is nice to back into when you hit a wall, but certainly not a requirement (and I have a dear friend who has a passion for a subject that she did NOT go to college for, but I would likely pit her against  degree'd people in that field because she has a passion for the subject, so she has "majored" in it outside of the uni classroom.

Another dear friend of mine has heard from many people that "well, we are academically minded, so we could *never* do homeschooling like you." She took that to mean that they think she is stupid and uneducated. Well, you know what? I have seen what she does in her homeschool. She doesn't do school in a box (she walked away from that after she figured out that she AND her children hated it about 10 years ago). She puts in the extra effort and has customized it to her children's abilities, desires, what she wants them to learn. I am over half way through this homeschooling life and here I am, learning from a fellow veteran. It gave ME the courage to do what I needed to do for one of my children. He needed a different path. We are still following the principles of CM, but I am doing the curriculum my way...no, HIS way. Meeting my child's needs, wants, desires, but while still providing him an amazing, well-rounded, education (while being budget friendly at the same time, haha). 

Don't let anyone make you think you cannot do this thing called homeschooling. YOU can and I am here to cheer you on, hold your hand, drink your coffee, & if you would like, provide some positive peer pressure, haha!

If you feel you need to change, do it now. Don't wait. In just a few years, they are off to college, becoming managers at work, getting engaged (ahhhh - I can't even believe I am going to be a MIL!)... Time marches on. Yes, you CAN homeschool and it doesn't have to look like anything else out there. 

The loss of a child during pregnancy

I am really just storing this here. The web page for this no longer exists on the original site and while I can retrieve it on the Archive.org site, I don't want to lose the words. They were such comfort to me when I was really struggling during the years we lost 3 of our children during pregnancy.

It came from a site called Stepping Stones and was a part of Bethany Christian Services.


Don't tell me, "You can have another baby." How do you know? Besides, I want this baby.

Don't tell me, "at least it happened before it was born. It's not like you knew the baby." I did know my baby. For the short time s/he was with me, I loved my baby with all my heart. I had hopes and dreams for this baby. I had names picked out and a theme for the nursery. I knew my baby was going to be a very special person.

Don't tell me, "It's just one of those things." It was not just "one of those things" from my viewpoint. Miscarriage has had a devastating effect on my life, and making it sound as though it was an unimportant event does not lessen the impact.

Don't tell me, "It's common," or "It happens to a lot of women." This happened to me, and all I want is to have my baby back.

Don't tell me "It was just a blob of tissue." In my heart and in God's eyes, I know I was carrying a living being inside me from the moment s/he was conceived. Please don't trivialize my beliefs or that precious life.

Don't tell me, "You should be over it by now." Even though the physical effects may have subsided, I am still hurting emotionally. My child has died, and it takes much longer than a week or two to recover from that pain.

Don't tell me, "You'll get over it." The miscarriage was the death of my child. I will never "get over it." The pain and grief will eventually lessen, but I will always wonder what my child would have been like. Every should-have-been birthday, and every anniversary of the miscarriage will be a reminder.

Don't tell me, "You should get pregnant again as soon as possible. That'll help." Help what? I need time to grieve the baby I have lost. I can't even begin to think about getting pregnant again at this time.

Don't tell me, "It won't happen again. The next time will be fine." Again, how do you know? My second pregnancy ended in miscarriage also, even after doctors said there was no reason it wouldn't be successful the second time around.

Do listen to me when I want, or need, to talk about what I am going through.

Do be sensitive to the fact that I probably won't want to hear about your pregnant friend/neighbor/cousin/daughter, or about your new grandchildren or nieces and nephews for a while.

Do give me time to grieve. Some days I may need your shoulder to cry on after everyone else thinks I should be "okay" by now.

Do understand that there are "milestone days," such as the expected due date of the time I should have felt the first kick, when I will be feeling the loss as deeply as when the miscarriage occurred. I will need your support then.

Do know that I am like any other person who has experienced the death of a loved one. I may not feel like talking when you come for a visit, or I may do things you may think inappropriate - such as clean the house - just to have something to do so I don't have to think. Be patient with me.

Do show care to others who have experienced miscarriage. Treat their loss with the same respect and love you would give if they were suffering the death of any other loved one.

Do let those of us who are going through - or have gone through - a miscarriage know that we are not alone. Send a note or make a phone call to let us know you're thinking of us, especially on those difficult "milestone days." Sometimes we feel that we're the only ones who remember, and it's nice to know that our baby was important to you too.

Grade Levels/Norms - do they really matter? or Why Homeschooling Rocks & Understood Betsy!

I talk about the book Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher quite often with regard to "grade levels" and homeschool (or even public school) parents freaking out because their child is ahead/behind/average/advanced/etc. When Elizabeth/Betsy goes from the city school to the country school, her school experience changes. When I read this book to my oldest child, I had that final epiphany (and I had been researching homeschooling since she was 2) - THIS is what homeschooling is all about! We aren't trying to recreate school grades at home. We don't have hundreds of students in our homeschools. We typically have WAY smaller classrooms (I know there are some of you who have lots more than the 4 I have, lol). We have the freedom to NOT worry about all that silliness that is required by tax dollar use accountability and management of the education of huge numbers of children!! The book Understood Betsy can be found in your library or read for free online (you can even get a version for your Kindle reader).

The whole book is good (for boys and girls both), but Chapter 5 is what I am referring to:


"Betsy sighed, took out her third-grade reader, and went with the other two up to the battered old bench near the teacher's desk. She knew all about reading lessons and she hated them, although she loved to read. But reading lessons...! You sat with your book open at some reading that you could do with your eyes shut, it was so easy, and you waited and waited and waited while your classmates slowly stumbled along, reading aloud a sentence or two apiece, until your turn came to stand up and read your sentence or two, which by that time sounded just like nonsense because you'd read it over and over so many times to yourself before your chance came. And often you didn't even have a chance to do that, because the teacher didn't have time to get around to you at all, and you closed your book and put it back in your desk without having opened your mouth. Reading was one thing Elizabeth Ann had learned to do very well indeed, but she had learned it all by herself at home from much reading to herself. Aunt Frances had kept her well supplied with children's books from the nearest public library. She often read three a week—very different, that, from a sentence or two once or twice a week."

.....{I am skipping parts - you can read the whole chapter online!}....

"Well," said the teacher, "there's no sense in your reading along in the third reader. After this you'll recite out of the seventh reader with Frank and Harry and Stashie."

Elizabeth Ann could not believe her ears. To be "jumped" four grades in that casual way! It wasn't possible! She at once thought, however, of something that would prevent it entirely, and while Ellen was reading her page in a slow, careful little voice, Elizabeth Ann was feeling miserably that she must explain to the teacher why she couldn't read with the seventh-grade children. Oh, how she wished she could! When they stood up to go back to their seats she hesitated, hung her head, and looked very unhappy. "Did you want to say something to me?" asked the teacher, pausing with a bit of chalk in her hand.

The little girl went up to her desk and said, what she knew it was her duty to confess: "I can't be allowed to read in the seventh reader. I don't write a bit well, and I never get the mental number-work right. I couldn't do ANYthing with seventh-grade arithmetic!"

The teacher looked a little blank and said: "I didn't say anything about your number-work! I don't know anything about it! You haven't recited yet."

......{I am skipping parts - you can read the whole chapter online!}....

However, just then her class in arithmetic was called, so that she had no more time to be puzzled. She came forward with Ralph and Ellen again, very low in her mind. She hated arithmetic with all her might, and she really didn't understand a thing about it! By long experience she had learned to read her teachers' faces very accurately, and she guessed by their expression whether the answer she gave was the right one. And that was the only way she could tell. You never heard of any other child who did that, did you?

......{I am skipping parts again - but really, read the whole chapter online!}....

After the lesson the teacher said, smiling, "Well, Betsy, you were right about your arithmetic. I guess you'd better recite with Eliza for a while. She's doing second-grade work. I shouldn't be surprised if, after a good review with her, you'd be able to go on with the third-grade work."

Elizabeth Ann fell back on the bench with her mouth open. She felt really dizzy. What crazy things the teacher said! She felt as though she was being pulled limb from limb.

"What's the matter?" asked the teacher, seeing her bewildered fact.

"Why—why," said Elizabeth Ann, "I don't know what I am at all. If I'm second-grade arithmetic and seventh-grade reading and third-grade spelling, what grade am I?"

The teacher laughed at the turn of her phrase. "you aren't any grade at all, no matter where you are in school. You're just yourself, aren't you? What difference does it make what grade you're in! And what's the use of your reading little baby things too easy for you just because you don't know your multiplication table?

Tina Hollenbeck of The Homeschool Resource Roadmap made this wonderful picture after one of the many discussions on this topic and my talking about the book. It sums it all up perfectly!

Some of our favorite Christmas books

Someone was asking me what books that we liked to read during the lead up time to Christmas Day. Rather than try to put them up on a Facebook post, I thought I would list them here since we have so many in our personal library -- let alone the ones we get from the library!

So, here goes:

Favorite books from our personal library:

The First Christmas retold by Lynne Bradbury

A Pussycat's Christmas by Margaret Wise Brown

Corduroy's Christmas by B.G. Hennessey (this is a Lift-the-Flap book)

The First Christmas retold by Laura Ring (An ABC Book)

Tosca's Christmas - story by Matthew Sturgis, pictures by Anne Mortimer

The Donkey's Christmas Song by Nancy Tafuri

I Spy Christmas by Jean Marzollo and photos by Walter Wick

The Night before Christmas or a Visit of St. Nicholas

One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham (I LOVE this story!!)

Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson

Harold at the North Pole by Crockett Johnson

Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish

I Want a Dog for Christmas, CHarlie Brown! by CHarles M. Schulz

A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles M. Schulz

The Christmas Story by Carol Heyer (I LOVE the illustrations for this one - they draw me in!!)

The Chiropractor Who Saved Christmas by Diane Miller (don't ask, lol!)

Child of the Promise by Stormie O'Martian (15 short chapter, illustrations are beautiful, could be used for part of Advent readings or simply spread out over the 2 weeks before Christmas

The Very First Christmas by Paul L. Maier (love the illustrations)

The Twelve Days of Christmas by Hilary Knight (Yes, the song...the pictures are terribly fun - watch out for those racoons!!)

The Animals' Christmas Eve by Gale Wiersum (Little Golden Book)

Tell Me About Christmas by Mar Alice Jones

Babushka by Dawn Casey

Honesty, White Lies, Acting a Lie, Being Honest with Yourself

Keep it honest, people. Those little white lies are still lies, but you painted them to look pretty (sort of like putting lipstick on a pig). Acting a lie IS still a lie as well.

What do I mean by acting a lie? Well, an short little story that was in my child's CLE reader years ago has stuck with me. The gist of it was that a farmer was packing up peaches in baskets at the family fruit stand and putting them for sale. He was an honest man and the fruits were the same all the way through. However, there was another fruit farmer that would put lovely, perfect peaches on top of the container, but bruised ones would be on the bottom - deceiving his customers into thinking they were getting all perfect ones until they got home and found out the truth. The 1st farmer explained to his son how this was "acting" a lie (instead of a verbal lie).

How may of us "act a lie"? How often? I suspect we all do it far more often than we think and without even realizing it. White lies? All.the.time. - many people think a white lie is okay since you are trying to not hurt someones feelings (let's be honest, you can be more creative and figure out something to say that isn't a lie....or suck it up, be brave, & gently tell the truth). But, we tell ourselves lies as well...and often, we tell them to ourselves often enough that we come to believe them, tell others the same lie and expect them to believe them, then get upset/angry when others are brave enough to correct us. Sometimes, those that have lied to themselves decide to turn it on others and instead of owning up to their lie and accepting the correction (I get it - it is hard to do!), they call the other persons character into question, accuse them of creating disharmony by not going along with the little white lie, and then, even worse, maligning that persons character by telling everyone who will listen just how awful and wrong that person is for not believing the lie, not going along with the lie, & (heaven forbid) telling them that what they were believing was a lie.

Think long and hard before you decide to disparage others over something that you know down deep is a lie....in fact, as a Christian, we should be VERY thoughtful about it and if we think that person who has told us we are wrong about something, we should do due diligence and search out the truth in fact and in our hearts (are we just mad because we were called on the carpet about it and did not like what we heard). Then, if you are still struggling, go to that person directly and try to understand what the problem is. There is a biblical model for conflict resolution. :) There is actually more there that goes with my thoughts on this one, but that leads to another ugly topic that none of us like to think we do (and without thinking as well).

Pray about it. Ask God to speak truth to you. Ask for clarification and understanding. You might be surprised what God has to say to you....you might not like it, but He won't deceive you. :)

Because it is coming up to that time of year....

In more recent years, there is an awful lot of websites out there that try to indicate that Christmas and Resurrection Sunday (aka Easter) are a result of Christians trying to take over Pagan holidays and that Christ could not possibly have been born on December 25th. Ultimately, none of us in this day and age will know the truth of it until we get to Heaven (and at that point, it really won't be important any longer, will it?!).

I have read many webpages and well researched articles that discuss both sides. From the ones trying to tell me that really, we Christians tried to steal from Saturnalia for Christmas and from Ishtar for Resurrection Sunday (by using the title Easter for the day), I always come away with a bit of an ugly taste in my mouth - because it feels an awful lot like those people are very angry with Christians for daring to impose our celebration of Christ's birth and Resurrection around their pagan holidays that are more in line with celebrations of death, fertility, etc.

I am willing to consider those bits of information, but I am also willing to seriously consider information for the other side as well.

Towards that direction, here are a few "pro-Christmas/December 25th" articles for your consideration as a counter balance to all of the Saturnalia stuff out there.

The Myth of the Pagan Origins of Christmas

Calculating Christmas - The Story Behind December 25

Yes, Christ Was Really Born on December 25: Here’s a Defense of the Traditional Date for Christmas

8 Arguments In Favor Of December 25th Being the Day of Christ's Birth.
And for some interesting additional reading:

Why Christmas Trees?

Homeschooling in the Summer - the night time skies

I would love to greatly encourage everyone to take advantage of the warm weather (well, those of you who are on my side of the planet, lol) and learn some more about the night time skies.

About 12 years ago, I was just a regular weather junkie. But one night, after I got home late from work, the sky came alive. The northern lights had shown up to dance in the very southern WI sky - truly, a very unusual event. I now know that while they are fairly common in the top, northern regions of the state, they are not so common in the Milwaukee area! The lights this night were green and there bars of green lights dancing across the sky and the sky itself was green - I have never seen anything like it before, nor since. I am envious of those of you who live so much further north than I do! I was hooked on learning about the "weather" in outer space that caused this amazing phenomenon. Solar flares, solar winds, coronal holes, meteors...you name it, I wanted to know about it.

I have passed this interest on to my children and while I had not yet taken the younger two children to one of our local astronomical societies public viewing nights, they came to me a couple of weeks ago at the campground we were at over Independence Day weekend. My younger two (ages 5 & 7) are now hooked. The group that meets nearly every clear Saturday night out at this state park pointed out constellations that I have pointed out to them before, but they used a very cool laser pointer. They also had their telescopes set up and showed the small crowd Saturn, a star cluster, & Jupiter as well. Another man was taking a digital photograph through his telescope, but was thrilled to open up his laptop computer and show everyone some of the amazing photos he had taken with his personal telescope. My little ones are now mostly on the hook and I will pull them in the rest of the way with the Perseid meteor shower!

We entered the Perseid meteor shower window last week (and yes, we have seen some, even from our light polluted back yard) - the peak is around Aug 12, but the window is from July 13-Aug 23, I believe - meaning, while the heaviest fall will be around the 12th, there will still be plenty to see in the surrounding days! It is usually a fabulous shower and that peak window is just amazing! It looks like this years may be much better than usual according to this article on Space.com. For best viewing, get away from the city lights if you can, but we have seen some amazing fireballs from this shower from our not so very dark back yard when we lived in the city (the red one was fantastic!). Get a blanket or two, some bug spray, & be in an open, but darkish area. Sit back and watch the show!

Check and see if there is an astronomical society/group in your area - quite often, they have public viewing nights and you can see the planets, star clusters, etc. through their scopes (they LOVE to share their love of all that is outer space!). Don't feel defeated by thinking you cannot see anything from the city. Even in the most light polluted cities, you CAN usually see the planets through some pretty average scopes!

This post is incomplete - I need to get ready for a CM book night, but I want to publish this anyway - there are some amazing resources out there for learning about the night time skies and I want to share them with you. I will finish this up later tonight or tomorrow!

Some of my favorite book resources:

Sign & Seasons

Some of my favorite space sites:
Space Weather caught my attention over a decade ago and it has not let go! Whether it is solar flares (we are getting ready to see some doozies!), meteor showers, planets in the sky, SpaceWeather.com has been a wonderful resource for the beginner!

Has the sun been active and they say we might have northern lights? See where they are at the NOAA's Space Prediction Center (30 Min forecast page is Here)!

Living Books for Wisconsin State History

A question has come up repeatedly over the years as to what to use for Wisconsin history –

particularly if you are like me and you use Charlotte Mason's philosophies and methods and are wanting to use living books in this part of your child's education as well. There have always been some suggestions made, but nothing written in stone. So, I decided to take on the project of coming up with some good suggestion. To be honest, I will likely add ideas to this list as I go along. I have included suggestions from others (people that I know love Mason's methods and know what a good, living book looks like!). I am including books of various interest, reading levels, etc. I don't think you should confine your learning about your home state to just one year and would suggest picking out one or two to read each year. To be honest, having lived in both Indiana and Oklahoma prior to Wisconsin, Wisconsin is an amazing state with a long, wonderful history and the geography of our state is amazing as well.

I started my search with the Wisconsin Historical Society Press (WHSP) website. I had high expectations. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed with what I found there after I checked out many of the books from our wonderful library system. I suspect that the DPI or other educational institutions works heavily with WHSP as to how the children's books are written. At the time of my writing this, I had returned the book to the library. There was a lot of dry, dull books there with lots of leading questions included included, along with lots of bolded words that they assumed the child needed the definition of (which was often included at the bottom of the page or in a colorful box on the page. Sometimes, there was a glossary at the back instead (not a bad thing, but still....the bolded words on every page was just a little much).

I started with the current textbook (fully knowing it would be a textbook, not a living book). I looked at it thinking it could possibly be used as a spine, a guide, something... The book is called Wisconsin: Our State, Our Story and is for 4^th grade school children. It has a historical event on each page (vignette style) with pictures and blurbs in boxes. If you use it for a spine of things to cover in your homeschool, go for it. Use it as a pictorial resource. The rest is pretty much textbook fodder and it DOES talk down to the children. It is a shiny, glossy book with lots of pictures. You can learn more about what the book covers on the WHSP site here: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Content.aspx?dsNav=N:1109

I also looked at the book WisconsinHistory Highlights, Delving Into the Past, which was written in 2004. I did look at the beginning and it confirmed what I said a couple of paragraphs back. This book says that it was made possible through a collaborative project with the D.C. Everest School District and the Fund for the Improvement of Education Earmark Grand Award. I don't find it to be of any different value than the Wisconsin: Our State, Our Story text book. It is a black & white textbook again written in vignette style with lots of leading questions at the end of each bit.

I also looked at two books, currently available on the WHSP site on Wisconsin's native heritage. The books were...okay. I suspect there are much better books out there and I will continue looking. The book Indian Nations of Wisconsin, Histories of Endurance and Renewal by Patty Loew is the book written towards adults. It is okay. It isn't twaddle, but not a living book. It is more of a “just the facts” kind of book. Patty Loew has also written a book towards the elementary level called Native People of Wisconsin, but to be honest, it has the same kinds of problems that the Our State, Our Story book does, but does have many more pictures than the adult version. I really felt like the author could have made it more engaging than she did. I do want to continue to look deeper here. I have a list from my husband's godmother to work off of. She is Oneida and I trust her, but would like to look myself before I pass them on.

I found a couple of books that might be okay on the WHSP site, but I had to turn to my library to find better books. There are some real gems in the older books from WHSP. I know Charlotte Mason people are often pigeon-holed as only using old books, but you know – that is because there is a LOT of fluff out there in the more recently printed books. Not that there are not any living books being currently written, but they are few and far between, particularly when you are looking at a relatively narrow subject (when just about any old thing can be published) and it can be like looking for a needle in a haystack at times, particularly in the history genre. There are a lot of “just the facts”/dry books out there – full of information, but really awful to read. There are also a lot of dumbed down books that only have basic facts and are worse than awful to read. One book, called Wisconsin: Celebrate the State by Zeinert & Hart written in 2007 stated that people in Wisconsin like to complain about the weather....but, by an large, while not a living book, it was not dumbed down or hard to read. Lots of facts about Wisconsin. I did not think it would be one of my favorites and that is still the case, but it is not a bad book for a quick overview. Wow....did I really just say that? LOL!

So, what books did I love?

Here we go:

A wee bit of Geography - if you cannot get to that part of the state to see it for yourself, at least read a well written book about it!

Alluring Wisconsin: The Historic Glamor and Natural Loveliness of an American Commonwealth by Fred L. Holmes - For exploring the geography and landmarks of Wisconsin, I cannot say enough about this book. I would use this with middle to highschool age students. While an older book, it is a beautifully written book written in 1937. Fred L. Holmes was a prolific writer about all things Wisconsin. A word of warning – the author was a product of his time, so some of the words he uses to describe the native population are typical of the time, but I absolutely would not throw out the book based on those few words. Here is an excerpt from Chapter 7 of the book:

“Rockbridge was the exclamation point on the route. For it is a real rock bridge! This formation of stone, one layer upon another, ten miles north of Richland Center, crosses the east branch of the Pine river. A solid wall of rock sixty feet high, one hundred feet thick and about a mile long is what proved to the world that at one time it constituted a part of the shore line of what was probably a large body of water. Cutting its way through this wall of rock, the Pine river, eight feet wide and no longer that deep, has built over itself a natural bridge. Although it is sufficiently wide, it does not serve as a wagon bridge, but is used only by visitors who go on foot. Those travelers are rewarded for their climb to the top of the bridge by lovely wild flowers, pins and birch trees. It is the one spot in Richland County where trailing arbutus grows. In the fall, bittersweet may always be found there.”

General Wisconsin History Books:

Old World Wisconsin: Around Europe in the Badger State (also published simply as Old World Wisconsin) by Fred L. Holmes. This was reprinted in 1990 (making it more easily found). He wrote the book to capture Wisconsin's amazing cultural diversity before it disappeared. This book should not be missed!

The Making of Wisconsin by Smith & Callahan (1927) – This little gem is also beautifully written and was published by the University of WI. The writing is good and interesting. You can read it for free here. You can even get it for 99 cents for your Kindle. A word of warning - again, the author's are a product of their times as are their writings, but to me, that is not a deal breaker.

Wisconsin: The Story of the Badger State A popular history, including Travelers' Guides to historic destinations by Norman K. Risjord (1995) - This book has more of the conversational tone that I was looking for in a book that covers WI history. It is NOT a WHSP book (and I think that shows through). You could easily use this for late middle school through highschool. I think this one might be my favorite of the more recently published books.

A Short History of Wisconsin by Erika Janik (2010) This book is published by the WHSP. This one was an engaging book without talking down to the reader.

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An important event in Wisconsin:

The Great Peshtigo Fire – An eyewitness Account by Reverend Peter Pernin with a Foreword by Stephen J. Pyne. You want to include this book in your reading about Wisconsin. The Great Peshtigo Fire was a huge, but forgotten fire in WI that was heavily influenced by the weather. Why was it forgotten? Because it was the same night as the Great Chicago Fire. It also changed how logging was done along with how/why prescribed burns eventually came to be done was done both here and elsewhere around the country. I highly recommend including the reading of the foreword in this book. For additional information (maps, pictures, etc.):
http://www.peshtigofire.info/

http://historicalmuseum.wisconsinhistory.org/pdfs/hlg-geographypeshtigo.pdf

*One note on this particular event – I did not care for the book The Great Peshtigo Fire by Scott Knickelbine. I wanted to. Truly. But, it was full of really short sentences. The author did try to quote Rev. Pernin a couple of times, but the book was really left wanting. It was dumbed down for children....Sigh. This comment on Good Reads explains it, “An excellent read, especially for Wisconsin students.”

I have another book on request through the library. Firestorm at Peshtigo : a town, its people, and the deadliest fire in American history by Denise Gess. I will update here if it is a go. If you have read it and have thoughts on it, please let me know.

There is also an interesting looking series of fictional books for children by Nelda Johnson Liebig about a couple of children during the time of and after the Peshtigo Fire. It starts with Carrie's Crazy Quilt. I have requested these books to look at, as well.

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Wisconsin History-themed books:

I have to include Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder! No explanation needed. I know it is mostly fact/some fiction, but it fits better here for the moment.

I ADORE the book Muskego Boy by Edna Hong for the younger children. We are lucky that our library has a copy of this book. It is written for children, but it is well done. It tells the story about a boy and his family migrating from Norway to the Muskego/Wind Lake area of Wisconsin. It is a beautiful story and my older children enjoyed me reading it to them years ago. I look forward to reading it to my younger children in the next year or so.

The Long Ago Lake – A Book of Nature Lore and Crafts by Marne Wilkins. This one was suggested by a trusted friend.

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These books were suggested by Kathy Seeger of the Living Education Library in Edgerton, WI:

The Day They Gave Babies Away by Dale Eunson: Based on a true story, it is about a Scottish couple who are immigrants and settle in Wisconsin in the 1800's. The book tells the tale of a 12-year-old boy who, after the death of his parents, gives his five younger brothers and sisters away to carefully chosen families on Christmas Day. There was also a movie made based on the book called "All Mine to Give".

Chief Black Hawk by Frank Beals is part of the American Adventure Series and is a biography of the famous Sauk Indian chief.

Rascal by Sterling North is set in Wisconsin. "Nothing's surprising in the North household, not even Sterling's new pet raccoon. Rascal is only a baby when Sterling brings him home, but soon the two are best friends, doing everything together--until the spring day when everything suddenly changes."

Old Abe: The Eagle Hero by Patrick Young is a children's picture book about the Civil War's most famous mascot. "Gives children a bird's-eye view of history via the "biography" of Old Abe, an eagle who served as mascot for the 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War and eventually went on to appear at the Chicago Wold's Fair in 1865, following his "retirement."

Fiat Lux - the Adventures of a Lighhouse Keeper's Daughter by Dave Strzok is about a young girl who spends time at an Apostle Island lighthouse with her light keeper father. From what I see on Good Reads, it is more of a log than a story, but is still a great book.

On Sand Island by Jacqueline Briggs Martin is set in the Apostle Islands in the 1800's. "In the deep blue waters of Lake Superior lies a small island of hummingbirds, rabbits, and hardy Norwegian fishing folk. On that island lives a boy named Carl who wants nothing more than to be out on the water in a boat of his own making. So this is a story of sawing, nailing, and sanding. But because Sand Island neighbors are closer than cousins, this is also a story of picking strawberries, moving rocks, and mending fishing nets fine as lace."

Latsch Valley Series by Anne Pellowski includes the books First Farm in the Valley, Winding Valley Farm, Willow Wind Farm, Stairstep Farm, and Betsy's Up-And-Down Year.  They are similar to the Laura Ingalls Wilder book about Polish-American immigrants to Wisconsin.

Paddle-to-the-Sea by Holling C. Holling covers the geography of the Great Lakes and is a wonderful book to use with a map of the Great Lakes and really take some time on (not a speed read!).  "
A young Indian boy carves a little canoe with a figure inside and names him Paddle-to-the-Sea. Paddle's journey, in text and pictures, through the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean provides an excellent geographic and historical picture of the region."  I love this statement about it: "Geography of the best kind made vivid by the power of imagination." -- Horn Book

Pioneer Girl: The Early Life of Frances Willard by Clara Ingram Judson - I found this review over on Kirkusreviews.com: "The first of a series of books about the life of Frances Willard. At the age of seven she drove with her pioneering family from Ohio to Wisconsin in 1846. Even as a child, the young Frances broke precedents -- demanded to be called Frank, demanded schooling, proved she should be allowed to ride a horse by riding a cow and at eighteen won her father's respect by announcing that from then on she would make her own decisions. These early years are told in story form and Frances might have been any little pioneer girl. Well done."

Wisconsin's First Settler's - The Indians by Nicholas Georgiady -  Kathy says this about it: "Simply written and textbookish, but does cover the 4 original types of Native Americans to come to WI. Elementary level."

The Underground Railroad by Raymond Bial:  Kathy notes this: "This is not well written, but not horrible, but does have a map showing the UR routes, only one of which leads to Milton, WI wink emoticon. The cover photo is from the tunnel in the Milton House, and it does have lots of great and interesting photos. Would work well for olders."

The Unholy Apostles: Shipwreck Tales of the Apostle Islands by James M. Keller  - Kathy notes: "
This is not well written, it appears tedious and technical, but it is an interesting subject if an older child was interested in shipwrecks of the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior."

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More books that I am either reading or have yet to read – reader beware – they may or may not be living books:

Plank Road Summer & Plank Road Winter by Hilda and Emily Demuth – timeline is 1852 in Wisconsin and there is a tie-in with the Great Chicago Fire (there may be mention of the Peshtigo fire, but I don't know yet). There is a link to the author's blog on the Good Reads page: https://plankroad.wordpress.com/ I will let you know my thoughts after I read them.

Little Hawk and the Lone Wolf, A Memoir by Raymond C. Kaquatosh

Whispers and Shadows, A Naturalist's Memoir by Jerry Apps – what I have read of this so far is fabulous!

Badger Saints and Sinners by Fred L. Holmes – same author as Alluring Wisconsin and Old World Wisconsin. I think this could prove to be a good one, but I have not read it yet.

The Man that Painted the Universe: The Story of a Planiterium in the Heart of the North Woods by Legro and Lank

Studying Wisconsin: The Life of Increase Lapham by Berland & Hayes

Ship Captain's Daughter: Growing Up on the Great Lakes by Ann M. Lewis – this one looks to be a memoir.

I can see that there are lot more books on Good Reads under Wisconin History that I want to take a look at. I have a few more on request through our library as well, because....rabbit trails to more interesting looking books. If you have great suggestions, please let me know!

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Other books I did not care for, but I will mention:

So, I have looked at the Young Readers Series. If you have an elementary child interested in learning more about a specific person, these might be okay, but I cannot call them living books. They have the bolded words, definitions at the bottom of the page, a glossary at the back of each book, and lots of short, boring sentences.

Christmas and Advent ideas for 2015

So, I started writing up a post on my local homeschooling groups page and realized instead of sharing an old blog post from the past, I really needed to do a new one.

Mind you, this is not a Charlotte Mason style list of activities - just ones we have enjoyed over the years and what we are doing this year.

I managed to buy my Advent candles for our Advent wreath early in November (shocking, I know!).

For myself, I am re-reading Ann Voscamps's The Greatest Gift: An Advent Devotional and I am also doing this wonderful idea I found just yesterday - a scripture writing plan for December. What a neat way to help prepare your heart for Christmas!

We are not doing the 2015 Inductive Advent study, but here is the link for it. Print it now and you will only be behind by a day or so! (For 2016 Inductive Advent Study)

Free ebook from Knowledge Quest - Figgy Pudding, Stollen and Tamales when you sign up for their newsletter (if, like me, you already receive their newletter, just enter your current email addy - you will still get it).  Plus, you will be helping them send gifts to the needy through Gospel for Asia!

We did a Jesse Tree from HERE. When we did it, we made it simple. I printed the sheets, colored in the pictures with pencils and laminated them.



We have enjoyed reading Jotham's Journey, Bartholomew's Passage, & Tabitha's Travels. This year, we are reading a new book in the series (released last year) called Ishtar's Odessey. I think this one will complete the Advent series.  Last year, we read The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder. It was a lot of fun (though a couple of small doctrinal differences that I changed up as I was reading - towards the end if I remember correctly - nothing worth avoiding the book over). G3 requested that we reread it this year, so we are reading it in the morning instead of during family time at night (when we do Jesse Tree and Ishtar).



A couple of other books of interest that I will likely look at for doing in years:
Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas by Ann Voskamp
Advent Storybook by Antoine Schneider
Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien

Here are a couple of freebies that are also available:
Free Nativity Lapbook for younger children
Free Christmas Symbols lapbook
Free Christmas Around the World Unit Study/Lapbook

I have one other link for a nativity file folder "game" for preschoolers that is very cute and was a hit during church yesterday with M3. But...I cannot find the link. I printed it out a year or 2 back, cut it out....and then never glued it. I found it and a letter one for Thanksgiving right before Thanksgiving, so I put them together quickly. However, it seems they are not from the same site and I have already tossed the papers that might have said where I got it from. I will update when I find it. But, until then, here is a picture of it: Aha!! I found it! You can find the Nativity Tot Pack at A Teaching Mommy. The name of the blog page had changed, so I had to still do more digging to find it, but I did and it looks like she has expanded the pack to include activities (worksheets...and some additional things). However, the Tot Pack shown below is on that page if you scroll down. I found it in my files and realized I downloaded it in 2011!!! I know I have not had it printed quite that long, soooo, have fun!

The Advent Project - online & free! This is for the introduction, but just click outside of it to get to the main page to see the calendar: The Advent Project - Introduction

Free TOS Digital Holiday Supplement - lots of great stuff here for Thanksgiving & Christmas!
You can also email to ask for their newest (?) supplement here. The information how to ask for it is on the right hand page.

Free Audio for The Cinnamon Bear here - just scroll down.

Back to the Bible's Twelve Voices of Christmas

From the AmblesideOnline page we have a list of Christmas Carols and they are available in a printable PDF format, Christmas Poetry, and a list of Christmas books to read.

That and along with making a few Christmas presents for some people, cookies, lots of Christmas themed books, a Christmas concert at church, driving around to see the lights (love the displays downtown!), some old radio shows I purchased several year ago from Homeschool Radio Shows and hopefully, some caroling, we should have a fun, Christ-centered month leading up to Christmas.

I hope some of these are of help to you as well. Feel free to share some of your favorite resources in the comments.  Have a blessed Advent.

Resurrection Day, Lenten period, and Holy Week ideas

A friend was asking what other friends have done in the past for the Lenten season. Just as we take the time before Christmas (the season of Advent) to focus on the whole reason for the date being important to us in the first place, we do the same for that thing to prepare our hearts for the day we celebrate Christ's Resurrection from the grave.

Our church does not actually observe Lent and I know we don't observe Lent in our house the way that many denominations would suggest we observe it. But, I have come to enjoy the 40 days leading up to Resurrection Sunday as a time to focus on the things of God and drawing us nearer to Him. Then, too my little ones don't only have a focus on Easter as simply a day of candy and such.

So, over the years, I have collected several resources to help us to purpose to think about what Christ went through for us. Some of them are just for Holy Week, some will cover the entire 40 Days of Lent. Some are free. Some are not. Hopefully, you will find one here that you can use for you or your family.

To use with your children:

Jesus -  The Life-Giver    This one is for Holy Week, starting with Palm Sunday. It has a cute flower craft to do for each day during that week. It does have a price tag associated with it. I would not buy it just yet. Wait and see if it goes on sale closer to Palm Sunday.

Amon's Adventure - A Family Story for Easter    Written by the author of the Jotham's Journey trio, this book has 28 chapters to read. You could easily stretch them to cover 40 days or just the 28 days leading up to and including Easter Sunday. And since I have linked to Amazon, obviously it is not a free one.

Miss Pattycake's Eggstravaganza     This wonderful video has been in our home since the big children were really little (maybe 14 years at this point!!). It is a favorite amongst the littles. Miss Pattycake uses Resurrection Eggs to tell the story of easter.


Some children's books to add to your home library:

Benjamin's Box     This book also uses the Resurrection Eggs to tell the story leading up to Resurrection Day. A sweet book for the younger set.

The Parable of the Lily     We love this story (we love all 4 books in this series for that matter!).

The Tale of Three Trees     I love to read this book as it takes us briefly through the life of Christ via three trees.

The Very First Easter     You can read this with your older children, or spread it out over several readings with youngers.


For you to read:

The Lent Project - from Biola University   (free)  This is an online resource, but I have not used it for Lent before. They have done beautiful readings for Advent and I expect the ones for Lent to be just as beautiful. If you like, click the play button and there is pretty music to read to.

Lenten Lights     (free)  From John Piper's site, Desiring God, this is a wonderful series of readings for Holy Week. I have enjoyed using this one in the past.

Love to the Uttermost     (free)  Another from Desiring God. Again I have enjoyed using this in the past. It is free for the digital versions (you can even print out the PDF version offered), but you can buy it in paperback form.

Trail to the Tree by Ann Voskamp    (free)  I LOVE this devotional. It is scheduled over 17 days. It can be done with your family and it includes images to print to do a "Jesus Easter Tree."  You do have to sign up on her email list or RSS feed to get the link for it. I consider it worth the bit of effort.

Fear Not! Peace On Earth! Joy!

There is so much on my mind this Advent Season. My family has so very much to be grateful for this year and various events have drawn me closer to my Lord & Savior over the last month or so.  I still haven't gotten it all right. Never will, I suspect. But sometimes, I have had to take a step back and look at everything.
 

From a nature walk last month

My trials and tribulations seem so small in comparison to what so many are going through right now - not just around me, but around the world. There are wars, rumors of war, death, deadly disease, crime, you name it - and that is just the big stuff - the news can be very frightening at times (some days, I just don't want to know). We struggle against these things.  The book we are reading for Advent as a family has the angel saying, "Fear not!" on a regular basis. Fear not! Fear not! I have to commit those words to my heart. But God came to us in human form. He sent His Son!  Fear not!

I have watched my 4 year old daughter dance around to our various Christmas cds over the last week or so. One of her favorites is Gloria. Maybe because it is simple. But she is so careful when she dances to it. If our smallest ones can dance so carefully and passionately while thinking of God's gift to us, can you image what it must have sounded like when the very angels sang his praises to the shepherds in the fields? Shouldn't we be so excited?!

Our dancing angel when she was just 2.

Luke 2:14 tells us, "“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Peace on earth.

Peace: Heavenly rest; the happiness of heaven. (definition #6 from Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

I have blogged about it before, but Longfellow's poem Christmas Bells is one of my favorite poems. When I think about the words and what how he takes us through what so many think at times. When we look at the despair around us, it is easy to get sucked in to thinking there is nothing good around us. No peace. The part that strikes me most every time I read it or hear it are the last 2 stanzas.

And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
    “For hate is strong,
    And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
    The Wrong shall fail,
    The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

But then, we have this one by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He reminds us that we were awaiting the Prince of Peace. The whole reason for Christmas - Christ's arrival in human flesh. And now, we are waiting again for His return. Peace on earth. 

A Christmas Carol 
by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The shepherds went their hasty way, 
And found the lowly stable-shed  
Where the Virgin-Mother lay:  
And now they checked their eager tread,  
For to the Babe, that at her bosom clung,
A Mother's song the Virgin-Mother sung.

They told her how a glorious light,
  Streaming from a heavenly throng.  
Around them shone, suspending night! 
 While sweeter than a mother's song,  
Blest Angels heralded the Savior's birth,  
Glory to God on high! and Peace on Earth.

She listened to the tale divine,  
And closer still the Babe she pressed:  
And while she cried, the Babe is mine!
The milk rushed faster to her breast:  
Joy rose within her, like a summer's morn;  
Peace, Peace on Earth! the Prince of Peace is born.

Thou Mother of the Prince of Peace,
  Poor, simple, and of low estate!  
That strife should vanish, battle cease,
O why should this thy soul elate?  
Sweet Music's loudest note, the Poet's story,
 Didst thou ne'er love to hear of fame and glory?

Then wisely is my soul elate,  
That strife should vanish, battle cease:
I'm poor and of low estate,
The Mother of the Prince of Peace.  
Joy rises in me, like a summer's morn:  
Peace, Peace on Earth! The Prince of Peace is born!

 

JOY! Joy at His arrival!  Pass it on to those around you! Peace on earth! Good-will toward men! Don't keep it to yourself!

  
For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord. Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. – Psalm 27:5-7

 

Somehow, not only for Christmas,
But all the long year through,
The joy that you give to others
Is the joy that comes back to you;
And the more you spend in blessing
The poor and lonely and sad,
The more of your heart's possessing
Returns to make you glad.

--John Greenleaf Whittier

Even in the midst of trials and hardships, we need to find the tiniest of joys - and give them to others. God's Word says we are to count it ALL Joy.Joy doesn't have to cost money. Joy can be given freely.  Jesus gave it to us at no cost. Emmanuel. God with us. He came in human form to save us from ourselves. He took the punishment that we deserve every.single.day. and died....but rose from the grave. All for us. Count it ALL joy, my friends. 

When it all seems horrible and dark and despair runs amuck through your mind, remember: Fear NOT! Peace on earth (because of Him!),  Joy!

Merry Christmas!