:: 1 ::
We made it through our first week of school! So far, so good. Monday was a bit iffy. I have one child who really relishes her summer freedom and kicks at the goads of school in general, so settling her in is always a bit complicated. I suppose she wishes to be an unschooler — she would love to focus on one or two things to the exclusion of all others!
Our tradition is to do some sort of treat excursion on the first day of school. In trying to accommodate my gluten-free girl and my sugar-free boy, I found that a gas station {of all places} not far from our home has a selection of local, hand made paleo and THM snacks! I was so excited, but when we showed up, the refrigerator where they keep their stock had broken and it was all cleared out — there was nothing in the whole store that would work. I headed to Starbucks to try and wing a second-best, but by the time we arrived, one child had decided he no longer wanted anything, and it just all became kind of blah.
But it wasn’t horrible. Usually, I think the second day of school is the one where things fall apart. This year seems to be an exception. Monday was a little rocky and the attitudes weren’t quite there, but the rest of the week has gone swimmingly. I think it helps that we had our CM group therapy session Shakespeare meeting on Tuesday night.
:: 2 ::
Did you grab my Charlotte Mason Facebook cover photos yet? I think they are totally fun, so I’m sharing. I was in the mood for something new for my personal page, and decided it was more exciting to make a selection and then hand them out to others. It’s like a little kick for your school year!
Enjoy!
:: 3 ::
This week’s links collection:
- Do Bookworms Live Longer? New Study Links Reading More Books To Longer Lifespan from TechTimes
- I’m feeling immortal; how about you?
- Why I Decided to Stop Writing About My Children from The New York Times
- Respecting the privacy of our children is an important consideration for a blogger. I probably overdo it by not naming names or using photos. It’s a tough gig, though, when it comes to balancing being honest with honoring others.
- Combining Multiple Childhood Vaccines Not Safe, According to Article in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons from The Children’s Medical Safety Research Institute
- I have been very concerned about the doctors giving children numerous shots at a time in order to catch them up for school {this is due to the new vaccine laws here}. The key takeaway from the research paper is that there are no safety studies on giving vaccines in tandem. Of course, vaccines are classified as as biologics rather than regular pharmaceuticals and do not have as many safety studies — biologics in general are cause for concern. But I digress.
- US ready to ‘hand over’ the internet’s naming system from BBC
- Not sure what to think about this one.
:: 4 ::
This month in 2013:
I still maintain that meltdowns are part of the curriculum.
:: 5 ::
:: 6 ::
Oh, people! Is it wrong that I really want to read aloud through the Narnia books again? It’s an interesting thing. Entering high school has done something to me. I’ve talked before about how, deep in the back of my mind, I think of this life as the long goodbye. I can’t get anything to stay in place — it all keeps moving along, and sometimes I feel like I don’t quite move with it — like I keep getting jerked back into catching up.
High school has brought with it a new level of Book Pickiness, for lack of a better term. I only have four short years of reading aloud {to everyone all together} left, and I know that those years will hold far fewer hours than the previous fourteen. I find myself torn between wanting to read new finds and old favorites. Either way, I have no time for twaddle. Life, I find, is short — only the best books can make the cut.
:: 7 ::
Answering Your Questions:
- Question: I’d love to hear if you have an update on chore time. Would you be comfortable sharing what number your children actually have? Or you could share about how much time the children spend on work daily/weekly. I know every family is different, but sometimes it helps to get an idea of where others are at.
- Answer: I am not continuing the ticket system during the school year. Instead, I have chore times built into the day, mainly as a way of giving certain children something to do while I am busy with another child. So, for example, my youngest does his chores while I teach math to the girls. Later, one girl does chores while I work with the other, and then they switch. This seems to make better use of our time than having everyone stop and do chores at once. I set aside half an hour for chores, but it rarely takes that long. I think everyone ended up with about five chores, yes. {I’m trying to think through this without looking at the Chore Board.} Of course, some on that list are pretty easy — like picking up the Eternal Shoe Pile and putting it away. I will say that chores at our house are separate from the Morning Routine — so making the bed doesn’t count as a chores. It’s something we consider part of daily hygiene along with brushing hair and teeth. I think, however, that bed making is the only thing that is more like a “chore” on the Morning Routine list.
The post Seven Quick Takes on Free Starting School, Free Facebook Cover Photos, Argan Oil, and MORE! appeared first on Afterthoughts.