-
2023-02-21 15:10:41+00:00
'There should be a perfume that smells like baking bread. That's my favorite smell.' – my daughter
-
2023-02-19 16:07:29+00:00
This month’s theme for the @WhiteArtSubmissions is gods and goddesses of love. We chose to focus on Freya, the Norse goddess of love. The kids and I pulled out our D’Aulaires’ Books of Norse Myths and read the story “Freya’s Wonderful Necklace”, which inspired us to make our own jewelry. Even the preschooler could string beads, while the older kids experimented with making paper beads and decoupaging washer necklaces. We think they came out quite beautiful, and we’re protectively guarding them from any pesky flies.
-
2023-02-17 15:38:09+00:00
You guys, this is one sentence! Dickens is so wordy, but I love him so much. 🤍
-
2023-02-15 19:59:09+00:00
“Nature is a warm sensory bath that can counterbalance the cold overwhelm of too much activity, information, or 'stuff.’” – Kim John Payne, Simplicity Parenting
-
2023-02-15 19:55:34+00:00
Check out this week’s Brief!
James and Rebecca discuss:
– Homestead update: planting fruit trees 0:00:19
– Homeschool update: why do memory work and their latest selections 0:04:56
– Discussion topic: seeing various perspectives versus discernment 0:08:17
Odysee: https://odysee.com/@HigherIdeals:2/Higher-Ideals---014:2
YouTube: https://youtu.be/uo22cCV-Bss
-
2023-02-12 16:16:39+00:00
Reading older books with our kids provides such a valuable contrasting perspective with the modern world. In Little Women, I've been particularly struck by how gender identity is handled given our current political environment. Early on, teenage Jo expresses a wish that she were a boy in typical, completely normal tomboy behavior. This is a coming-of-age story, so Jo is struggling with who she is, her changing body, accruing adult responsibilities, and what it means to be a woman. She ultimately works through these issues and matures into a healthy, well-adjusted wife and mother. I can't help but imagine how she would be treated today – her pronouns, encouragement of unnatural and unhealthy behaviors, chemicals that change her biology. The irreversible damage psychologically and physically being done to young people at such a vulnerable time breaks my heart. I'm so glad my kids are getting this story which can serve as a touchstone when these discussions inevitably come up later.
-
2023-02-10 16:14:10+00:00
“The truth has a way of escaping into the light.” – Bonnie Christensen, I, Galileo
-
2023-02-10 16:12:05+00:00
I imagine an elephant with a broken trunk would sound as if he had a cold, so I use a similarly pitched silly voice when reading aloud I Broke My Trunk! with my kiddos. I walked in on my preschooler reading to herself and she was plugging her nose in or order to achieve the same voice effect. 😂
-
2023-02-07 20:04:17+00:00
An unbearably long winter and an epic journey felt like appropriate stories for our long car trip.
-
2023-02-04 15:53:58+00:00
Making our own yogurt reminded me of a fantastic zinger made by Wendell Berry in his book, The Unsettling of America:
“And it is one of the miracles of science and hygiene that the germs that used to be in our food have been replaced by poisons.” ⚡️
-
2023-02-04 15:52:38+00:00
One of my favorite kits that the kids have done recently was a cooking kit (called Yummy Crate). After learning a bit about good bacteria, we made our own yogurt! Yogurt parfaits are a new favorite in my household. Get my kids excited about probiotics? Yes, please!
-
2023-02-01 17:05:42+00:00
“Craftsmanship entails learning to do one thing really well, while the ideal of the new economy is to be able to learn new things, celebrating potential rather than achievement.” – Matthew Crawford, Shop Class as Soulcraft
-
2023-02-01 17:03:07+00:00
Check out this week’s Brief!
James and Rebecca discuss:
– Homestead update: building some wooden storage boxes 0:00:19
– Homeschool update: utilizing mysteries to build critical thinking skills 0:04:46
– Discussion topic: using GDP to measure a country’s standing 0:08:33
Odysee: https://odysee.com/@HigherIdeals:2/Higher-Ideals---Episode-013:c
YouTube: https://youtu.be/YsMg5N5cu-I
-
2023-02-24 15:10:27+00:00
I love the ballet – the music, the dancing, the costumes, all of it! We did a small unit on Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. I read a version of the story aloud from Geraldine McCaughrean’s The Random House Book of Stories from the Ballet, and I was surprised by the tragic ending (the fairy tale-esque story gave me strong Hans Christian Anderson vibes).
Prepped with the storyline, we pulled up a recording of Swan Lake on YouTube. While we love attending the ballet, we also periodically watch recorded versions at home; this allows us to cuddle up under blankets with yummy treats, watching world-class performances, while engaging in side conversations (such as speculation about how high the man playing the prince could jump on a trampoline). It also lets our Littles get exposure to the beauty of the ballet without being disruptive to anyone but us. We watched a mesmerizing version performed by The Kirov Ballet, with a surprise ending – a little internet searching revealed that the conclusion of this ballet is often switched to a happy ending.
If you’re interested in enjoying the same captivating performance we did, here’s a link: https://youtu.be/9rJoB7y6Ncs
-
2023-02-26 14:18:03+00:00
If you find yourself in a house divided, choose unity. Support both!!
Coffee: https://abovetimecoffee.com/shop/
Tea: https://www.grandmatowlers.co.uk/shop/