Autumnal Commencement

How's about that hoity-toity title, eh?

School! This year we are homeschooling Jensie and we don't actually go anywhere. I don't believe in un-schooling in case you were wondering. My children are hedonists--they wouldn't do anything hard unless I made them. That includes learning to spell and doing fractions, so I force Jensie to stretch her brain every day for four hours. And yes, we do the hours consecutively even though we don't have to, it just seems easier that way.

Our curriculum is a combination of the things I liked in Susan Wise Bauer's The Well-Trained Mind and stuff I took from A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver Van DeMille. We are doing things very classically. Flashcards, memorization, and books books books.

I usually think it's irritating when people say "if it was good enough for me, it's good enough for my kids," like if you grew up on Wonder Bread and Twinkies so think the extra cost of healthful foods is a total waste, but in this case, if it was good enough for Abe Lincoln, it's good enough for us. We start each morning with a prayer and the pledge of allegiance. Mostly because I just like those things.

When we are at the library and the kids bring me a Pokemon book and ask me to read to them, I flat out tell them no. I am willing to read the classics, Charlotte's Web...Alice in Wonderland...any time any place, but I don't want to read crap and you can't make me. A few weeks ago I caved and started reading them the Percy Jackson books. Boo-ring. Won't make that mistake twice.

When I was young my Granny Jennifer would take me and my cousin Thomas to Barnes and Noble and say "Pick out anything you want." We always got Goosebumps and Fear Street Sagas. We'd go straight home to the guest room and read them quickly. Then we'd trade and try to devour one more spooky tale before bedtime.

Having a granny who buys you books is way way better than having a granny who always bakes cookies or smells like cinnamon or something (for the record, all my grannies love books. They are bookish brainiacs). I like to think having a mom who loves books is equally grand. That is why even though I can't stand to read them aloud (out loud?), I let Jensie read anything she wants to on her own.

As I type this, she is laying in bed soakin' up The Tiara Club at Ruby Mansions or something awful like that. I can also hear her singing to herself--what a doll. She reads about 3-4 hours everyday; says the only things she loves are sleeping and reading. I can dig it.

Requisite First Day photos:

The Sea Water school has a pretty lenient dress code.
Frankie's dressed as "a cool mom."

Asher absolutely did not want to stay home with me. When I asked him about it he answered emphatically "No mom. I want a teacher and friends." So he's at a private Methodist preschool and is eating it up! His teacher told me a little secret...he is her favorite. Shhh, don't tell. It wouldn't be fair to the other children.

They go to chapel every Wednesday to learn about how much Jesus loves them, which I think is cool. They don't teach a specifically Methodist doctrine, but I wouldn't care if they did. Asher can be Methodist if he wants to."

Though the leaves won't turn gold or flutter to the ground until about December, it's cooling off here in Dixie and beginning to feel like fall. The start of another school year makes it official. So long summer. It's been swell.