On Our Way!

After our whirlwind June, which wrapped up last night at the swim team banquet (and I use that term in the loosest way possible), we are about to hit the highway for Maine. Himself has been busy packing the van; I had another doctor's appointment this morning, some papers to be notarized and sent overnight, and a trip to the barn to say good-bye to Max. Why slow down just because we're leaving for a few weeks?

Tiny Girl is not well. Of course. She has a sore throat and a bit of a fever. She's asleep on the couch as I type. My M.D. (mama diagnosis) says that she is simply exhausted from the fever pitch of June. One can only go so fast for so long.

Gotta run! I have high hopes of blogging whilst on the road (we'll see!). But it may have to wait til we get settled in up north.

See you soon!

It's a Carnival of Curriculum!

Welcome to my contribution to The Curriculum Choice's Carnival of Curriculum! I'm very excited you're here, and I hope you find some encouraging and informative tidbits to help you in your homeschooling adventure.

A little about us and what we do:

• I have two daughters, both of whom will be in middle school this coming school year. I'm still having trouble coming to terms with that fact. Last week, they were in diapers, for Pete's sake!
• This fall begins our sixth year of homeschooling, so we are no longer neophytes. I still experience moments of nail-biting anxiety or a sleepless hour or two during the night now and again. But I am sure we are on the right path for us.
• My girls and I love to read! So it's natural that a literature-based educational philosophy suits us best. Our first year of homeschooling, I began in classical mode and quickly made the switch to a more Charlotte Mason approach. Now I blend elements of both.

My top curricula sources:

• Ambleside Online: This FREE, Charlotte Mason-based curriculum is, in a word, astounding. So much thought and effort went into its design. I've studied the book lists through Year 11, AO's final year, and am very impressed with the selections and options offered. We will begin our sixth year with AO, Year 6, in September, and I can't wait.

Have I mentioned that I'm a life-long learner? I have an academic's desire for research, discovery, and enlightenment; ergo, I enjoy searching for other books or educational avenues. Here are some sites where I've located titles to read:

• The Tanglewood School Curriculum is another FREE curriculum guide that offers ideas for supplemental literature and history selections. More book choices is always a good thing!
• Heritage History offers a huge selection of book titles, many of which are in the public domain, as well as study aids, such as historical maps, and information on wars and battles. Browse the library to find books listed by genre.
• A Book in Time is another fabulous booklist. Organized by time period, such as Early America or Middle Ages, listed books also feature annotation and age recommendation.
• Epi Kardia, a CM curriculum, provides a book list I like to peruse for ideas and options.
• Happy Hearts Homeschooling Library offers a wealth of information on FREE books, arranged by subject.

I also use books to help me plan a thorough education for my children:

• A Literary Education, by Catherine Levison
• A Charlotte Mason Education, by Catherine Levison
• More Charlotte Mason Education, by Catherine Levison
• When Children Love to Learn, ed. Elaine Cooper
• The Well-Trained Mind, by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise
• Honey for a Child's Heart, by Gladys Hunt. You can read my review on The Curriculum Choice here.

A source for other education materials that I find particularly helpful is The Critical Thinking Company. Over the years, we've used several of their workbooks, including Mind Benders, Building Thinking Skills, and Word Roots.


Although reading is at the heart of our educational pursuits, we do some math as well! One of my children has used the free MEP curriculum (Mathematics Enhancement Programme) for five years. The other has required a few different curricula, and most recently we enrolled her in our nearby Mathnasium, a math tutoring facility. Already, we've seen a vast improvement in her attitude and confidence.

So that's a description, albeit brief, of most of my curricula resources. It took me a few years to winnow through the myriad options available to homeschoolers today, and these are what suit my family. I hope I've helped you on the way to discovering what's best for your family!

For more information on what goes on around our house as well as other resources, take a look at my posts under both the "Reviews" and "Homeschooling Helps" tags.

For more wonderful ideas and encouragement, spend some time browsing other posts at the Carnival of Curriculum! The review team has a wealth of homeschooling knowledge, experience, and tips, all ready to share with you.

A Little Bit About Our Life... with Photos!

This week was a tad less hectic. But we still had quite a bit going on:

• Miss Priss spent the first few days of the week at my sister's house, helping my mother take care of my niece, who was sick.
• Two days of helping out with pony camp for Tiny Girl.
• Another home swim meet with the mayhem of concessions -- but it's the last this season.
• A birthday party sleepover.
• A day at our city's biggest theme park.
• And planning for our upcoming junket to Maine.

That and a few afternoons at the pool, swim team practice, playdates, and iced coffee, and what more does one need?

Well, if you're me, you need some chocolate:

This is highly addictive dark chocolate filled with caramel and sprinkled with sea salt. I highly recommend it.

You also need a good book:

I highly recommend this book as well. I got it at the library and then bought my own copy on Amazon Used.

Some nostalgia is good for the soul. While the children rode the carousel in the pavilion, my friend, Eliza, and I rocked in wooden rocking chairs and talked:

It was a restful and cooling break on a hot, exciting day.

Although I declined a trip down Thunder River, the tweens had a blast:

This looks cooling as well!

At the end of the day, the caped crusaders were sweaty, footsore, damp, a tad soiled, and mighty happy.

We did absolutely no schoolwork this week, and we didn't get a whole lot of sleep, either, but it was still wonderful!

I'm linking up with Collage Friday@Homegrown Learners, The Homeschool Mother's Journal, and Weekly Wrap-Ups@Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. Come join in the fun!

Summer Sipper Extraordinaire: Perfect Iced Coffee

Okay. I know I've raved before about Ree Drummond's Perfect Iced Coffee. But it's worth another mention (or fifty) now that summer is upon us. Because let me tell you, this is one perfect summer sipper.

If you take the time to read all 1,200+ comments on Ree's blog, you'll see that folks have teaked the recipe to their liking. I have too, and I'll share my absolute favorite with you.

Some people are concerned about the VAT of coffee base that Ree's recipe makes. Here's my solution: freeze it. Two weeks ago, I defrosted a half gallon that I'd frozen months ago -- before Christmas -- and it was fine. Fabulous, even.

You could also revamp the recipe for a smaller yield, as some commenters on Ree's site have. But that requires math. So I make the full recipe and then freeze the excess. It keeps really well in the fridge, too.

And if you don't have the fridge or freezer space, then give bottles of the stuff as gifts for your friends. Believe me, they'll love it!

Anyway, Ree tends to prefer half-and-half and sugar. She also recommends the Vietnamese recipe with sweetened condensed milk. Those are both delicious.

But my absolute favorite iced coffee refreshment:

• Fill a large glass 1/2 full of ice cubes. To avoid watery-ness, make some ice cubes with the coffee base and use those!
• Pour in coffee base til glass is about 2/3 to 3/4 full, depending on how strong you want your resulting libation.
• Add a healthy pouring of Natural Bliss creamer. I love all the flavors, but hazelnut makes my heart go pitter-pat.
• You can also use half milk and half creamer, which I sometimes do.
• I've made this with both decaf and caff coffees; both turned out perfectly.

I've heard that milk alternatives, fat-free creamers, and Splenda work well, too. If you're watching your fat intake and calories, or if you're dairy intolerant, those may be options for you. I bet agave syrup would also be tasty. Me, I go for the full fat, full sugar, high calorie lusciousness every time.

Cheers!

I'm linking up with No Ordinary Blog Hop! Hop on over for more great recipes.