We Had the Baby - Baby #8!

So, we were told that the baby was a girl and while the boys were disappointed we prepared for a little "sister". We bought all pink and purple, frills and bows. It was one of my best pregnancies ever. I was running until my 7th month. After 9 weeks of bed-rest and contracting I got back on the elliptical for the last 3 1/2 weeks of the pregnancy. (Baby was overdue by 5 days).

Braedon Carter Baker was born after 1.5 hours of labor 7 lbs. 10 oz. and 20 inches long at 2 a.m. end of June... Much to the relief of his shocked and exhausted mom, dad, his 7 excited siblings, Daddy's chain of command and the gym staff and everyone else that knows us...IT'S A BOY!!! {Not a girl as we were told!}



Ben was tickled "blue" and so was Benjamin. Everyone else was excited too, except little Bella who insisted a girl would be better. :) I think she's used to her brother now.



FYI- Because we are so thrilled about our new son, we're having a sale at the Homemaking-Cottage.com


Coupon Code: new-baby for 50% off Deluxe Subscriptions

We Want to Know You: Blog

By Shiloah Baker

My words fly up
my thoughts remain below.
Words without thoughts
never to heaven go.
—Shakespeare

Over the years I have met some amazing women- women who changed my life through their example or their mentoring me. When they moved away we lost touch because they were doers and not writers. How many times I wished those women would write-write their thoughts, their experiences and share their knowledge. Oh, the things we could learn!

Many people say, “I’m too busy to write- too busy living life.” To that I respond that there are many people who could use your mentorship through your example and writing about it. Writing about life, the ups and downs and how you learned from your experiences is a form of journal writing. How are our children to really know us if we don’t write?

The amazing thing about writing online is you never know who you will touch and how far reaching your words really are. Sometimes you’ll get some wonderful feedback in person or online, or sometimes people quietly read and take in what you share and allow it to enrich their life.

While I love to share my feelings in person with friends and those I meet, I feel that writing online is my way of sharing my thoughts and opinions in an unthreatening manner. I can also give unsolicited advice and people can read and take it if they want or move on to the next article.

To those who are currently writing on a blog or elsewhere, don’t hide your light under a bushel. How many blogs have I been to that I fell in love with the content and feel of the blog? The answer is many. When I like someone’s writings, I want to get to “know” them better and am taken aback when after sharing such a wealth of information they hide who they are and don’t give us an insight into their real lives. Sure there are some weirdos out there, but don’t let the fear of them keep us from getting to know you. Your writings have credibility when we know you are a real person. If you touch our lives with your writing, please further touch our lives with a glimpse into yours.

Everyone who loves life and family has something to offer. Everyone. I especially love reading from those who are passionate about life, Christ, family, hobbies, reading, writing, etc. and not necessarily in that order. It’s easy to begin a blog and share with the world. Take a chance today to touch someone or teach us through your writing.

---

Shiloah Baker is a mom of seven, pregnant with #8, married to the man she's madly in love with. Exercise is her vice. She runs a The Homemaking Cottage and homeschools. In her spare time she sews, crafts, writes and reads. Join us at The Homemaking Cottage Deluxe Edition for 897 ways to improve your home and family! http://www.homemaking-cottage.com/ And don’t forget to join our ezine for free ideas. Free Homemaking Newsletter


Reprints of this article are permitted as long as it includes this byline.

Colorado Springs

We are moving! Colorado Springs here we come before the end of the year! I hope to find you TJED'ers and pick your brains!

Taking a Quick Break: Pay Attention to Politics!

"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." -Thomas Jefferson

While this is not a political blog, it is my privilege to head wherever I wish to when I feel so inspired. If you read this and do not agree with me, I respect that. However, I don't wish to start debates. I wish to inspire those who are not aware of what is going on to learn today! It only takes 6% to make a change!

If you are not paying attention to what is going on the USA right now, you really need to. Our American rights- basic human rights- are being taken away very quickly.  Please don't just take your information from the controlled media sources such as CNN, MBC, or CBS. Go to www.afa.net and find a radio station that is near you, or listen to their shows in the evening online, or listen to Rush Limbaugh. Fox news is pretty open and honest as well. HONEST online news sources are: www.wnd.com, http://onemillionmoms.com/, http://onemilliondads.com/, http://action.afa.net/

“You and I have heard all our lives that the time may come when the Constitution may hang by a thread. I do not know whether it is a thread or a small rope by which it now hangs, but I do know that whether it shall live or die is now in the balance."
(Vaughn J. Featherstone, “‘These Are Not Men to Be Conquered’,” New Era, Apr 1980)

This was written in 1980, wow, I would want to know what is said of today. When I listen to the news today I'm shocked. The other day my husband and I were in the truck listening to the news and learned of a new device to stop all energy usage in the non-peak hours. The idea is to pass into law and that each home be forced into using it. The end product would be no use of any electricity during the non-peak hours. This is forcing all of America to save energy-the government's way.


I won't get into the health care bill, but this is trouble. Take note of the following quote from Thomas Jefferson:

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."

Thank you for respecting my right to blog about politics and now I feel better and we're off to talk more of homemaking topics!

An Average Day in My Life

The life of a homeschooling mom of seven who runs a home business online

By Shiloah Baker

Morning comes way too soon in my world. Every morning I awaken by the bedroom door slamming open and someone screaming, one of the following,

“Mom, so and so stole the kitty away from me and she won’t give it back!”

“Mom, so and so won’t make me breakfast!”

“Mom, can I have a snack?”

My answers aren’t as patient as they should be at this time of day, “What? No! Whose day is it for breakfast? Leave my room, all of you!” Mornings are not my favorite time of day. Nights, now that is the time of day I’m at my best! Is it night yet?

I usually am wide awake by the third interruption, but before leaving my bed I visualize my day, especially if I plan to run that morning. Saying a quick prayer I drag myself out of bed to get dressed. I sleep in without guilt or regrets. I’m up on an average day about 9:30am. The bathroom floor is slightly sticky even though it was mopped two days ago thanks to a little sneaky someone who dumped half a bottle of hand soap on the floor. I try to take a mental note to assign that out as a cleanup chore to someone.

Never do I leave my room undressed or without perfume and depending on the day, without make-up. I always brush my teeth and floss, especially now that I’m avoiding a root canal. My hair is brushed…wait! Where’s the hairbrush? “Chloris and Maia, I need you to help find the hairbrush!” It never shows up until I’m downstairs checking emails and calling the kids to remind them of it. Rule #1: always look for missing items in the unusual places first at my house: the next door neighbor’s porch, the garage, the car, the refrigerator drawer. I quit asking the question, “Why?” because I’m never satisfied with the answers.

Upon leaving my room, every morning I see four laundry baskets overflowing with dirty clothes lined up in the hall next to the laundry closet and I ask someone to start a “big” load. I hug and kiss the little people who are waist high and below as I pass them in the hall. Taking a quick peek in each bedroom, I’m never disappointed to see messes- they’re always there, they happen. I call the kids from all corners of the house and assign clean up bedroom duties and make sure they’re all dressed. Most of the time, half of them aren’t.

Checking emails to see what I missed from the night before is a must especially when I have them all cleaning. Is your thyroid making you fat? Foggy morning brain makes me think about it a minute “Oh man! Is it? No, I don’t think so.” While checking emails I remind the kids about morning devotional in five minutes, which really isn’t until ten minutes but they don’t know that. Everyone must be dressed, fed, rooms cleaned; fur brushed off the teeth, and arrive with their scriptures. “Put the cat down, she’s meowing!” Usually we have a few things to fix before we start like: the baby doesn’t have “unnies” on, Athena is poopie and is stinking up the room, Mercury is trying to get away with wearing a pajama t-shirt instead of real clothing. Inevitably someone forgot their scriptures. No problem, everyone sits and waits until we are all ready. Two more minutes remaining- hurry up, move it, move it, move it!! I’m married to a soldier; I have a military mentor here, can you tell? {smile}

Morning devotional consists of the basics: opening and closing songs and prayer with scripture reading sandwiched in between. Our family’s finished reading Esther two weeks ago and we are now reading Psalms. Reading a book at this time together is completely determined by behavior, much of the time by our six year old autistic daughter. Her only focus is on when she can get back to nature by going outside. We are currently working on the book “Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends by Sarah, Stephan and Grace Mally. The kids love this book and we often stop and discuss each situation.

Following devotional it’s time to- READY-SET -BREAK! – and the younger ones are off and the older ones report what schooling and reading they’ve done for the day so far. All three older children get up at 6:30am so they can get their schooling done during the quiet hours. When the younger ones wake up they help tutor them. We have been very focused on memorization of all math facts right now depending on the level of the child. We have flash cards galore and notebooks for writing them as often as they feel they need to during this process.

Chore time! I would say it’s my favorite time because some days they are busy bees working hard and getting things done. I would say it’s the worse time some days because I have to stay right on them to get their chores done. While chores are being done, mommy goes to work or makes some phone calls, depending on the day. I have a lot of girlfriends who need to talk and I love to talk, complain and laugh with them! If I plan to run that day, this is the time I go running for an hour. I always come home sweaty and gross and every time I get a loving compliment from one of the middle girls, “Mom, you stink!” I always tell them “Thank you.” Manners are manners, may we always use them. Since I am reminded, this is shower time for me too if I do a morning workout.

After a little bit of website editing or other online business is done, and a fair amount of twitter-ing and facebook-ing, I sit down with the middle kids to do reading, Latin, or anything else that needs help.

Most of the meals are made by my older three children with a few that I literally kick the older girls out of the kitchen for so that I can cook too. They enjoy cooking so much that I end up being a chef for guests more than the family. Now, that, girls is a Mom Promotion! I’m still in charge of the menus, grocery shopping and am “Head Chef” who approves and inspects meals regularly.

After lunch, we’ll read a book or the younger ones sit on mommy’s lap for some little kid books to be read to them. Then it’s time to nap! YEEHAW!

We have the Charge system implemented in our home. Each of the older children is given a younger child as their charge. They are to help with the care of that child from helping them get dressed, bathed, messes cleaned up, and to help keep track of that child when we leave the house. At any given time of the day you may hear, “Athena is poopie again, where is her charge?” or “The baby changed clothes again, wait, now she’s naked. Maia, she’s your charge, get her dressed, please!”
The late afternoon is for finishing school assignments, getting my work done, crafting, playing outside or running errands. It depends on the day and what we have planned.

On an average day I have to know where seven kids are at any given moment. I supervise the schooling and the chores, kiss boo-boos, listen to a million and one tattle tales, listen to any problem or story a child needs to tell me, play “friend” with my toddler, be sure the animals are alive and fed, messes are cleaned, the errands are run, phone calls have been made, and then…give attention to the man of the house.

The man of my life…I am totally and completely in love with him even though he’ll fall asleep folding socks, stirring spaghetti, during scripture study and while we’re talking. Wait a second that ticks me off! Knowing that my husband works hard all day and that he gets sleepy early into the night, I make sure he is number one when he walks through that door. When I hear his footsteps on the porch and I’ve made it my goal to rush to meet him at the door and kiss him like we were just married. I once neglected to do that when I was mad at him and he was so upset by it, so I’ve tried to keep it up mad or not. Time with my husband happens when he gets home no matter if it’s 4:30pm or 8pm. No matter what I have planned or what I have going on. I love him so much and want to spend time with him when I have the chance.

After dinner, we have another “pick up the house” session, everyone gets in pajamas and we meet in the office for scriptures and prayer with daddy. “Maia, wake daddy up nicely, please!” “Quit fighting and be quiet!” “Mercury, don’t shove your sister. I don’t care that she started it first. Be a gentleman!” We are currently beginning Alma. After scriptures and family prayer it is bedtime for the kids and time alone for the adults. Sometimes we’ll let the older kids stay up and read in their rooms or watch an occasional movie.

Before I pass out asleep at night, I read. I also take notes on what I want to accomplish or write about. I always keep a notebook on the bedside table.

I’m not sure if you noticed that I watch VERY little television. That is my secret to getting things done. I will upon occasion watch movies in the evening with my family or husband, but I just find it’s something I gave up like a caffeine addict gives up coffee, so that I could reap the benefits- more time.

*All children’s names are pseudo names.


Shiloah Baker is a thirty something mom of seven, married to the man she's madly in love with. Exercise is her vice. She runs a homemaking business online (The Homemaking Cottage http://www.homemaking-cottage.com) and homeschools. In her spare time she sews, crafts, writes, blogs, and reads. See more weight loss tips at her blog Hot Mamas: Losing Weight and Feeling Great http://www.hotmamasweightloss.com

Christian Family Radio and Classically Based Catalog

On the way home from the grocery store I was listening to this wonderful broadcast on the radio station. I wrote down the website on the grocery receipt so I wouldn't forget it when I got home. I'm so glad I did! I highly recommend this website it is called Family Research Council at www.frc.org . It is radio programs from the family Research Council keeping you abreast of news from Washington with a Christian mix.

Articles made into news broadcasts include things like this. Click the link to download and listen to this newscast:


"Science Czar or just plain bizarre? Hello, I am Tony Perkins with the Family Research Council. Among President Obama's growing list of czars is the White House science czar, Dr. John Holdren. Holdren, along with the sky is falling scientist Paul Ehrlich, who wrote the now-discredited book entitled "Population Bomb" in the 1960's claiming the world was overpopulating and would be out of food by the end of the 1970's, wrote a text book together. Holdren and Ehrlich's book, which they wrote in 1977, was entitled Ecoscience: Population, Resources, Environment. In the book Holdren advocates for radical government action to limit population growth. Among the proposals, forced abortions for women, involuntary sterilization through infertility drugs placed in food or the water supply...." For more visit frcradio.org

This website is very enlightening and I have been making it a habit to listen more to the talk radio shows.

The other thing I wanted to share with you was the Veritas Press catalog. A friend of mine shared this catalog with me as she knows I'm doing TJED which is Classically based.

Things I love about this catalog:

1. It is broken into grade levels so I can, at a glance, be sure I'm not looking at something too easy for the child I'm buying for.
   
   
2. I love the suggested books per grade level. I'm using it as a guide to gauge the kid's school this year. For instance for my eldest (Calypso), it suggested she read the Lord of the Rings series. Well, she's on book 2 already! Right on!
   
   
3. It even includes classically based math books, which I have been on the search for. One for instance by Harold Jacobs.

Hope this post give you some ideas and a couple of new places to visit.

Classic Kids Book List That EVERY Child Needs

I found my notebook with the promised book list! Tis the season for me to get back into my homeschooling life, so I will be better about posting. Promise. {smile}

Series Books:

Nurse Matilda Series (The move Nanny McPhee was based on these books)
The Happy Hollisters by Jerry West
Ramona Quimby by Beverly Clearly
The Wizard of Oz series by Baum
Dr. Dolittle Series by Hugh Lofting
Paddington by Michael Bond

Good Reading

Twig by Elizabeth Orton Jones
Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull
Pedro's Journal by Pam Conrad
Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop
Miss Hickory by Carolyn Bailey
Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes
Pinky Pye by Eleanor Estes

Purely Educational

American History stories You Never Read in School But Should Have
A Child's Book of Art

Recommended Authors

All books by the following children's book authors:

Edith Nesbit
Holling C. Holling

Start buying books, there is much more to come! Happy reading!

See this cute video about the book The Candy Shop War:

Works alluded to in Monte Cristo (Part 1)

I'm now half way through The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. I have been compiling a list of works mentioned throughout the book thus far. I'm sure there is more, but these are the ones that stood out to me and that caught my interest. I will break it up into parts. I hope this interests others out there as well. These are all going on my to-read list! ;)

Arabian Nights: Tales from One Thousand and One Nights

Throughout the book the Count of Monte Cristo is either called by a character or two from this book or hinted that he belongs in the book. He called himself Sinbad the Sailor for a time.

Caesar: Alexandrian War. African War. Spanish War

Mentioned in his conversation with M. Villefort regarding chemistry and health.


By The Abbe in the Chateau D’if

Thucydides
Xenophon
Plutarch
Shakespear
Spinoza



Thucydides (Thoukydídēs)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thucydides

A Greek historian and author of the History of the Peloponnesian War, which recounts the 5th century B.C. war between Sparta and Athens to the year 411 B.C. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of "scientific history" due to his strict standards of evidence-gathering and analysis in terms of cause and effect without reference to intervention by the gods, as outlined in his introduction to his work.

Quotations

• "But, the bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it."[42]
• "The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must."[43]
• "It is a general rule of human nature that people despise those who treat them well, and look up to those who make no concessions."[44]
• "War takes away the easy supply of daily wants, and so proves a rough master, that brings most men's characters to a level with their fortunes."[45]
• "The cause of all these evils was the lust for power arising from greed and ambition; and from these passions proceeded the violence of parties once engaged in contention."[46

Books
The History of the Peloponnesian War (English)


Plutarch

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plutarch

Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus[1] (Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος), c. AD 46 – 120 — commonly known in English as Plutarch — was a Roman (of Greek ethnicity) historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist.[2] Plutarch was born to a prominent family in Chaeronea, Boeotia, a town about twenty miles east of Delphi. His known works consist of the Parallel Lives and the Moralia.

Books

The Fall of the Roman Republic: Six Lives (Penguin Classics)
Lives of Noble Grecians and Romans (Modern Library Series, Vol. 1)
On Sparta (Penguin Classics)
The Age of Alexander: Nine Greek Lives (Penguin Classics, L286)
Alexander the Great
Selected Lives (Wordsworth Classics of World Literature)
The Rise and Fall of Athens: Nine Greek Lives
Roman Lives: A Selection of Eight Lives (Oxford World's Classics)
Greek Lives (Oxford World's Classics)
Essays by Plutarch
Plutarch Themistocles (Bryn Mawr Greek Commentaries)
Moralia
Plutarch's Advice to the Bride and Groom and A Consolation to His Wife: English Translations, Commentary, Interpretive Essays, and Bibliography
Themistocles

Spinoza

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baruch_Spinoza

A Dutch philosopher of Portuguese Jewish origin. Revealing considerable scientific aptitude, the breadth and importance of Spinoza's work was not fully realized until years after his death. Today, he is considered one of the great rationalists of 17th-century philosophy, laying the groundwork for the 18th century Enlightenment and modern biblical criticism.

Books

• ca. 1660. Korte Verhandeling van God, de mensch en deszelvs welstand (Short Treatise on God, Man and His Well-Being).[15].
• 1662. Tractatus de Intellectus Emendatione (On the Improvement of the Understanding). 1663. Principia philosophiae cartesianae (Principles of Cartesian Philosophy, translated by Samuel Shirley).
• Gallica.
• 1670. Tractatus Theologico-Politicus (A Theologico-Political Treatise)
• 1677. Ethics (Penguin Classics)
• 1677. Hebrew Grammar.

Our Homeschooling is Always Improving

I recently found and loved the guidelines set in The Well-Trained Mind. It goes along with TJED so well, but I needed a more rigid idea of what needs to be done for my kids but with the classical mentality that I love and feel strongly about. I've been ordering some of the books suggested.

In addition I have a friend, a mentor, who owns hundreds of Classic children's books I had NEVER even heard of! I thought I had at least a mediocre idea of children's literature. I found that I am but a babe, a child myself in this wide world of classical children's literature. I spent two separate days copying all of the book titles in her many bookshelves. I still have another day or two to go to finish. I have hundreds of books on my list to get. When I have some extra time I will be sharing this list. She then took me to the numerous used book stores and helped me pick out additional titles of children's classics to get, many for $1 or less.

Two of those books are from the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series of which there are four, I believe. We begun reading the first one aloud. I highly recommend this book! It is an easy to read aloud book meaning it is easy to imitate the characters and it is enjoyable. My five year old and up absolutely love this book and beg me to read just another chapter. Even my husband laughs with the kids during some of these funny adventures. We have read almost half of the book in three separate sittings, so it is also a quick read. I am so glad we found this series!

M, my almost eight year old daughter, is listening to the CD that is the audio companion to The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading. She loves it and the songs that go with it. I love hearing the younger children repeating all the alphabet sounds too.

Hope your homeschooling life is going as well!

Classical Music: Johann Strauss

Johann Strauss II (October 25, 1825 – June 3, 1899; German: Johann Baptist Strauß; also known as Johann Baptist Strauss, Johann Strauss, Jr., or Johann Strauss the Younger) was an Austrian composer famous for having written over 500 waltzes, polkas, marches, and galops. He was the son of the composer Johann Strauss I, and brother of composers Josef Strauss and Eduard Strauss. He is also the most famous member of the Strauss family. He was known in his lifetime as "The Waltz King", and was largely responsible for the popularity of the waltz in Vienna during the 19th century. He revolutionized the waltz, elevating it from a lowly peasant dance to entertainment fit for the royal Habsburg court.

I recently purchased "Johann Strauss Jr Most Famous Waltzes". What a beautiful compilation of his works. It contains over and hour's worth of music that is invigorating and makes you want to dance.

We listened to it again last night while I was cooking dinner. The younger girls were so inspired that they all dressed up in their ballerina outfits, tutus and all and danced around the house. We love all of his music. Our absolute favorites are:

"Tales from the Vienna Woods"
"Roses from the South Op. 388"
"Fruehlingsstimmen (Voices of Spring)"


May I also say he was quite a LOOKER! ;)

Listen to it, I promise you'll love it!!! Johann Strauss was a genius of a musician!



*Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Strauss_II

Library Subjects List

These suggestions came from the book "The Well Trained Mind". I loved them so much I decided to implement them in our homeschool library trips:

Each child picks out one book in each of the following subjects:

*One science book
*One history book
*One art or music appreciation book
*One practical book (i.e. hobby, craft or "how-to")
*One biography or autobiography book
*One classic novel
*An imaginative story book
*One book of poetry

The kids can pick out any title, but they have to have something in each category. Each child has a week to read each book before they go back again the next week.

Colloquium Book Lists

At our colloquium this week, we had a great time talking about "The Age of Innocence" and planning for the rest of the year. We still had enough books we're dying to read that didn't fit in our year's schedule. *Smile* We thought about having an online discussion forum to talk about the book with those who can't make it for whatever reason, but read the book.

We decided to go ahead and start a second Colloquium meeting, this one for Statesman. We plan to read things like the Federalist papers, etc.

For March we are reading "Follow the River" by James Alexander Thom

Book Summary:

"Mary Ingles was twenty-three, married, and pregnant, when Shawnee Indians invaded her peaceful Virginia settlement, killed the men and women, then took her captive. For months, she lived with them, unbroken, until she escaped, and followed a thousand mile trail to freedom--an extraordinary story of a pioneer woman who risked her life to return to her people."


The book reading list is now as follows:

March: Follow the River by James Alexander Thom
April: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas (The first half of the book)
May: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas (The second half of the book)
June: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
July: Comedy of Errors by Shakespeare
August: The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
September: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
October: The Short Stories of Edgar Allen Poe
November: Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
December: The Other Wiseman (Suggested by Linda)


As far as the Statesman Colloquia we will meet the second Wednesday at the same time. I will send more information for that.

For March we'll be reading: 1776 by McCullough

At the next meeting we'll decide which to read next but our suggested book list is:

1) Future Shock by Toffler
2) The Roots of American Order
3) The Federalist Papers by Russell Kirk
4) Democracy in America by Tocqueville
5) The Constitution of the United States of America
6) The Declaration of Independence
7) Common Sense by Thomas Paine
8) John Adams Biography
9) The True End of Civil Government by John Locke
10) The Social Contract by Rousseau
11) The History of England by David Hume

I Went Used Book Store Shopping and...

these are the books I got today super duper CHEAP! I'm so excited and so are the kids. My Chrisy was intrigued by the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr and she read the entire book while we traveled from store to store.

Kid's List:

Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates by Mary Maples Dodge
A Little Princess by Francis Hodges Burnett
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
The World of Christopher Robin by A.A. Milne
The Handy Biology Answer Book by Naomi Balaban
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty MacDonald
Parakeet Handbook, The (Barron's Pet Handbooks)by Annette Wolter
Hello Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty MacDonald
Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne
I, Columbus: My Journal, 1492-1493 by Peter Roop
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr



For Me:

1776 by David McCollough
Sonnets from the Portuguese And Other Poems by Edwin A. Abbott, Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Selected Poems of William Wordsworth edited by George W Meyer
Teaching Your Children Values by Linda Eyre, Richard Eyre
The First American Cookbook: A Facsimile of "American Cookery," 1796 by Amelia Simmons
Speaking of Women's Health: The Book
Lost City of the Incas by Hiram Bingham (1948)
America's Garden Book by Louise And James Bush-Brown (1958)
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffery Chaucer
The New York Times Garden Book by Joan Lee Faust (1962)
Herbal Medicine by Dian Dincin Buchman
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette by Nesta Helen Webster

Reading System with Rewards and Small Miracles

We began a new system in our home this week. I felt like there was too much television watching and not enough reading. Sure, we read a lot, but when our family curriculum revolves around reading a lot of classic books it cannot be done well when there is too much movie watching. My husband and I discussed this and a light bulb went on in my brain and I came up with this new system.

For every book read they earn an hour and a half of movie watching.

The rules are:

1) They cannot be baby books or below their reading level. Mom approves the book after discussing their book suggestions and if the child has no suggestions then mom gives ideas.

2) They pick the books. Nothing is more boring that reading an assigned book.

3) An in depth oral exam will be issued after each book. If a child is found to have lied about reading a book, that child will lose an hour and a half of TV. It pays to be honest.

4) The television watching will be redeemed when mom or dad gives permission.

5) If all the children read their book(s) and can watch the movie and one child did not. That child will spend their time during the movie in another room reading their books.


We have already presented this to the family. I am so excited to see their enthusiasm for reading flourish. My daughters are requesting set aside uninterrupted times for reading throughout the day and an hour extra at night to read. They also have been having more impromptu book discussions with me and are excited to share with me their future reading lists. I am so excited to see this little fire lit within the children and the rewards for their hard work are motivating as well as appealing.

My husband is a non reader. I asked him if he would take the challenge and lead the family by his example. I am a voracious reader so I will keep up my reading and each year I make it a goal to read more. My husband agreed to try again. The only book he's read all the way through since I've known him (14 1/2 years) is In Loving Hands. We have been listening to Dave Ramsey and my husband really likes him and is interested in learning more of Dave's system. We went to Barnes and Noble and bought The Total Money Makeover. Tears come to my eyes as I see him reading during his spare time. We found something that interests him!

We have a large family library and I continue to add to it so that the children can always have something to read. My son learned that he loves the Magic Treehouse books. My son was a very late reader, but has recently discovered he is getting better at it. To excite and motivate him I bought him another book in the series yesterday- Viking Ships at Sunrise. He began reading it today. Before lunch he excitedly announced to me today that he finished the first chapter.

We also are doing the same thing with music. The older children can earn computer time one for one for each hour of violin or viola practice. The younger children will learn hymns and receive voice lessons from mom for their music time. My older girls have already earned their computer time today and are excited to redeem it! They love getting on www.goodreads.com.

We are thrilled over the excitement the children have in this program. I am excited because reading is happening more which means learning is increasing too. We have had to change television habits, but it has been worth it. We all know it is more fun to earn something and you enjoy it more.

January Reading

We're getting ready for a move in preparation for my mother to move in with us permanently. We're still working at our school despite the business.

Family:
Re-started the BOM in 1st Nephi
Mathematicians are People Too
Tom Sawyer- going to finish this up by jingo!


Mine:
Finished

Fed Ed
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Working on:
Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank & Ernestine Gilbreth (Cute, cute book!)
The Chosen by Chaim Potok


Lynn: (LOL/Practice Scholar)

Cherry Aimes Student Nurse(She loves this book and wants to read the series) (Finished)
Anne of Green Gables (Almost done)

Fed Ed

Allen Quist wrote the book Fed Ed: The New Federal Curriculum and How It's Enforced . He is a college professor, business owner, former Minnesota stat legislator, and father of ten children.

"Virtually every state in the Union is scrambling to radically change its education system. Few people realized that these changes are largely being driven by the fine print in federal laws first passed in 1994. It's the new Federal Curriculum, and it's contrary to everything America stands for."

Take a couple of minutes to watch this video. You may be surprised by what you see.




Phyllis Schlafly says in reference to this book, "Many Americans are sensing that something is very much amiss with our system of education...This book is one of the most important works of our time."

I think many of us have an underlying suspicion that this sort of thing is going on, but nothing concrete to prove our theories, until now.

He breaks down the agenda of the new Federal Curriculum chapter by chapter explaining in detail what Multiculturalism, Totalitarianism, and Environmentalism is and then how they plan to teach this using their own words from The National Standards for Civics and Government, a textbook for High School students entitled We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution, as well as many addition resources.

Chapter by chapter I was all the more thankful for my decision to homeschool. There were two points that the author made mention that were the goals of the FedEd curriculum that seemed to bother me quite a bit and they were:

1) "By requiring 8th graders to have careers, society avoids "wasting resources" on their training. The idea is that someone going into truck driving or sales clerking doesn't need much math, biology or literature, so he or she won't study that much of it.

Our children are now being viewed the same way we view the stock market- any investment should produce a profit, and if it won't produce a profit, the investment won't be made. That is, our children are not to learn anything that will not make them a more valuable resource to business."

and

2) "...the new education system frequently refers to students as being human resources. Resources for what? ....for large corporations. (Just as businesses need electricity, steel, glass, plastics, and the like to make their products, they also need human resources.) "

I had always wondered what that term meant that is being used more and more.


He knows what he's talking about and it increased my knowledge of what REALLY is happening with the schools and what exactly their agenda is.

The Declaration of Independence states,

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

Our rights are slowly being taken away. Homeschooling is always under attack. I thank Heavenly Father that we still have some freedoms left and the freedom to homeschool how we feel inspired to is still here. That doesn't leave us off the hook from preserving these freedoms. They are slowly being stolen away one law at a time. Keep informed and use your voice!

---

More Reading on this book and topic:

FedEd: Education for Global Government
The Abe Report: Fed Ed

Colloquia This Month

We had a great colloquia this month. We read Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol".

The book was very close to the movie, but had details and a better perspective of the emotional transition that Scrooge underwent during the visits.

My book had some old fashioned illustrations which made it nice when I tried to picture in my mind what Dickens was envisioning when he wrote this book. Some of the old fashioned decorating or terms were a bit hard to picture.

During the meeting we broke down each ghost and the symbols involved with each one. We got very indepth and it was quite enlightening.

After reading these classic books and having our little discussions at Colloquia, I then love to read the reviews on Good Reads. It helps me see the book, the writing, and the author in many other ways. Be warned, don't read the reviews until you have finished the book. I've come across spoilers that weren't termed spoilers and learned things before I wanted to about a protagonist or the storyline.

What are you reading for Colloquium?

Baker Reads

I'm sorry gals, I'll try to keep up better. Life is pretty busy for me. I'm counting down the days till I get my man home with me again. We're looking at less than 40 right now!

We got part of our order in from www.classicbooks.com today. I was surprised it came in as quickly as it did.

Here's what we're reading:

Shiloah (me)
Last twenty pages of Sense and Sensibility. I should finish tonight.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Leadership Education by Oliver and Rachel DeMille (I got this in today from my book order)

Cailynn (E S)
Secret Garden
Robinson Crusoe (non abridged)
On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder

She has a log of books she's read and she proudly announced to me today that in the past two years she has read 54 books! WOW! I'm amazed!

Chrisy (LOL
Same as last time.

Benjamin (LOL)
Dr. Doolittle

Family:
Scriptures: We're in Mormon
Mathematicians are People Too
Last two chapters of Tom Sawyer
Dr. Seuss for the babies

Baker Reads

Sorry, ladies, live got very hectic for me and so I hope to get back on track by next week.

Mom (Shiloah)

Still working on Jane Eyre
and Sense and Sensibility

Cailynn: LOL/Scholar

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Robinson Crusoe (which she plans to take with her to the youth temple trip to work on)
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell


Chrisy: LOL

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Benjamin Franklin Young Printer

Benjamin: Core/LOL

Dr. Doolittle

Baker Reads

Shiloah (me)-
Reading Sense and Sensibility
Starting Jane Eyre

Cailynn- LOL/Scholar
Finishing Farmer Boy- Laura Ingalls Wilder
Mysterious Island- Jules Vern