Practicing Narration

Today we went to library and my son picked out several books on trains. They were of the encyclopedic type and I found myself wishing for a living book about trains. Suddenly, I had a little brainstorm that we could make up our own "living book" as though we were a train and "narrate" it to each other. So my kids have been Thomas the Train and Percy for a few hours, telling me how they are steam locomotives, how they work, and what they do all day. We looked up a few details in the library book to help us out but everything else was what they remember from various sources.

Blog Guidelines

Hello, friends!  I have opened up the permissions (I think) for you all to be able to post to this blog, so go for it!  Just a few guidelines, though, before we really dig in. 

First, please give any authors/presenters due credit for their work or ideas.  It's the right thing to do.

Second, by allowing ALL of you to become "authors" of this blog, there is no longer an official "moderator."  Janet and I, however, will continue to have administrator permissions.

Lastly, a word about blog content.  While I'm sure that everyone here seeks to honor the Lord with their postings, we can all get off track sometimes.  Obviously, we want your postings to be "family-friendly."  Pretend your kids are reading it (because maybe some of them are).  Also...we'd like to make sure that we discuss all things Charlotte Mason - but nothing else!  If you are selling something, if you have a complaint, if you are angry at another group member, if you want to discuss something personal in nature - this is not the proper forum for that purpose.  Perhaps you've just written a brilliant piece about another topic in your own personal blog - great!  Link to it; some of us would love to see it.  But maybe some wouldn't, so please don't put it here.

If you are experiencing problems with this blog, posting, reading, permissions, etc - please email me at mauratimko@hotmail.com.  I'll do my best to correct it.  Thanks for bearing with me - this blog, and myself, are works in progress for the glory of the Lord. :)    Bless you all - happy posting!

Nature Journaling

Hasn't this past week been great for getting out and enjoying nature? I treasure each day that we have like this because I know it won't be long before the hot, humid weather will be upon us! I was just looking at Ann Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study this afternoon and was marveling over her description of the milkweed. I have planted it in my yard in hopes of attracting butterflies and after reading her observations it made me appreciate the flower all the more.

A posting from Cheryl Pfeiffer...

Thanks, Maura and Janet. So excited to just soak and let the kids soak in the goodness of simplicity this summer. Sweet E(3) and I were working together on a puzzle this evening, and she became frustrated with a piece not fitting. As I set a different piece in, without skipping a beat, I replied, "Just try a different one and come back to it." Yea for soaking in simple truths and them just flowing out at the proper time. *apples of gold in settings of silver.* Thank You, God. What could have potentially been an emotional fiasco or a "Momma will do it for you" moment was a very simple moment in learning how to live peaceably with our selves, limitations and all. Ahhhh. Wings for our children.