The Cottage on the Hill

One of my biggest difficulties and stress-makers in my life is that when I believe something or decide something, I feel like I need to convince everyone of my standing and get them on my side. Knowing that others oppose me or have formed negative opinions of my beliefs or decisions hurts me very much. I begin to doubt myself. Question myself. And, yes, even wonder if I am loved. One thing that motherhood has taught me for sure, especially motherhood in this social media age, is that we MUST have ASSURANCE! I used to waste hours arguing with people online.  Surely, if they would just read my words they would know that I am right and stop name-calling and pointing fingers. I lost countless nights of sleep. NO MORE! Being a grown woman of God, a woman of maturity, a mother of growing minds and bodies, we absolutely must have assurance. We must put on our big girl britches and own our choices, decisions, and beliefs. As Christians, we gain wisdom from reading th...

My children, husband, and I have over the past decade sort of developed of hobby of finding different kinds of children's programming for our kiddos to enjoy.  Put off by Barney reruns and SpongeBob, we found TV shows from north of the border and over the pond.  Here are a list of TV shows you might not be familiar with, and some you may know about: Boo! A cute hide n seek show for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, Kipper Kipper has fun, calmly depicted adventures with his friends Tiger, Pig, and little Arnold. Charlie and Lola Charlie is the big brother everyone wants in their family, especially if they have their own little Lola. Theodore Tugboat Done in the model, stop-motion style of early Thomas the Tank Engine shows. Gofrette Great for the little bit older kiddos.  Colorful, fun antics, great theme song. Puffin Rock Our newest find.  Such a cute show! Postman Pat There are 3 of these.  I like the original Postman Pat, though ...

First of all, closet modulars do not make adequate bookcases for homeschooling.  While the cubby hole look is reminiscent of my own school days long since gone by, they are simply not strong enough to be stuffed with books.  I just had to prop mine with a 2" lean up with a small dresser.  Now that dresser is jutting out a little, just waiting for a toe; likely mine! Still, I used what I had, but it is time to move on.  Not sure how.  Money for a bookcase in the size I need isn't easy to come by.  There's always a more pressing need, like food and doctor bills.  But, I do believe it is time to start shopping around for either an adequately enormous bookcase, or someone who can custom build an adequately enormous bookcase. Because, newer bookcases are a nicer option than fewer books!

After much discussion, research and thought, I am slowly deciding upon my oldest's 1st grade curriculum for this coming September. I've chosen so far: Phonics Pathways OR A Beka Phonics: I'm leaning towards the former, but it is hard to ignore everybody and their mother telling me how perfectly wonderful A Beka Phonics is. I was given the K5 A Beka Phonics teacher's manual, charts and cards, so later this year I'm going to start it with my son. If it goes well, perhaps I'll continue. If not, I'm going back to square one with Phonics Pathways. Saxon Math: I love the manipulatives this program offers. After reading the description in a couple of homeschooling catalogs, I think it'll be a good segue from the curriculum he's on now. Plus, it gets rave reviews in the classical education front. Backyard Science: I thought I'd NEVER be able to settle on a science course for him. I know it isn't necessary for first grade, but his Answers in...

It is never to early in the year to prepare for the next in regards to homeschooling, at least for this beginner. I also live in a State that has stricter rules and requires more from parents. I'd like to have all my i's dotted and t's crossed. I love the Answers in Genesis curriculum I'm using for my 5 year old. I LOVE it. It makes me wish they'd continue with more full on curricula for every grade. It seems as if they lean towards Alpha Omega, though I could be wrong, for continuing home education. I looked up Alpha Omega and it didn't feel right. A Beka is probably the most popular curriculum in the local homeschooling community. Having the local support (and access to cheap, used curricula) is a plus, but it doesn't settle with me, either. I have been able to look through the K5 phonics, reading and writing teacher's manual, and it makes my head spin. Not the academics, mind you, just the way it is set up and presented. Vertias Press is appe...

Do you remember those book lists that were put out listing the 100 books you should read? I wondered today, if there were such a list called 100 Books to Read to a Child Before Kindergarten, what books would be on that list? I asked on my Facebook page and got several suggestions: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie Millions of Cats The Very Hungry Caterpillar Good Night Moon Pat the Bunny Guess How Much I Love You Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See Are You My Mother The Little Engine That Could The Poky Little Puppy Llama Llama Red Pajama Leading Little Ones To God My Aunt, a dedicated educator offered this list: The Dr. Seuss books, The Winnie the Pooh books, Corduroy the Bear books, Paddington Bear books. The real Grimms fairy tales (edit as you read to be developmentally appropriate) - not the Disney versions. Same with Anderson's Fairy Tales. Mother Goose. Where the Wild Things Are. Harold and the Purple Crayon. Owl Moon. Click Clack Moo. So many books, so little time... books b...

I didn't realize when I started this year that homeschooling would awaken my oldest son! Throughout the last 2 years, I've noticed a decline in his enthusiasm, imagination and activity. I stopped wanting to help. He just wanted to sit and watch TV. Oh, he'd still play, but his play and his art lacked development and imagination. I worried and I knew why it happened. A very difficult pregnancy followed by a very difficult year of illnesses, challenging events, changes, etc forced me to rely on the "electronic babysitter" too much. It got to a point where if the TV was off, he didn't know what to do with himself! We had little improvements once things settled more, but it wasn't until I started homeschooling him that he blossomed and grew! He's a big helper now. He's more cheerful, joyful, reasonable, imaginative, responsible, playful....and he's soaking things up like a sponge! More than I could have asked for! And while homeschooling ...

I read an article today , a commentary written in an area paper that really didn't help me to sympathize with our public school teachers. Why? If this statement really does echo how our teachers unions and teachers feel, then I find it disturbing: I suppose the pendulum has swung to the other extreme from the days within our lifetime when teachers were venerated and idolized, the never-wrong authority figures to whom parents and students always deferred. Um....really?!! I thought PARENTS are supposed to the authority in a child's life. I thought only GOD can be our "never-wrong authority." And deffer to a teacher? Perhaps working with the teacher for my child's education, yes, but deferring to them to make the ultimate decisions on behalf of my child? IDOLIZED?!?! Granted, the author speaks of the pendulum swing which means from one extreme to the other. The ideal would be somewhere in the middle....parents and teachers working together for their chi...

July 15th is my set-aside starting date to sit down and organize a curriculum for my September Kindergartener. My 3 year old daughter is also interested in home schooling this year, so I'm going to put together a curriculum for her, too. I think she'll catch on quickly. She's pretty "school smart." Even though she's 2 years behind him, I think once we officially start schooling, she's only going to be 1 grade behind him. I'm excited and intimidated all at once!

May. That's it! My reason is May. May here is such a beautiful month, my favorite month. The weather is usually agreeable. The grass has finally turned green. The leaves are popping....... It's such a shame to coop children up in institutions during such a beautiful month! May would be a great month to take off of school or at least lighten the load. Instead, I'd use it to send my children out of doors as often as possible.

Read more about this solution HERE . Our home school room is being established in our little enclosed porch. Originally, I had a roll top desk for my oldest, but now that his sister is getting interested in joining us, I can see needing more desk space. Besides, I could use that roll top as my teacher's desk! I like having designated spaces. A friend of mine on facebook posted the above article on her wall and I like the idea! My other ideas include just a table and chairs or asking my neighbor for a few of the old desks out of the old one room schoolhouse on his property that he owns. But, I do really like this idea, especially the baskets hanging down the side of the bookcase!

I've been mulling over preparations for homeschooling in our little cottage. My son is a very kinetic learner and a bit easily distracted. I've decided that I'm just going to have to move my daughter's play kitchen from the sunny porch to the basement play room and the porch will have to become the exclusive school room. I think having a separate space in the house for the sole purpose of concentrated education will be beneficial for my little man. I've very nearly decided to give up his roll-top desk and use it as my teacher's desk. He has a hard time concentrating on his work with all those cubbies and drawers drawing his attention away. Also, it's hard for me to peer over his shoulder to and help him. He won't be happy, but it is what it is. Instead, I'm considering either a table or seeing if my neighbor will let me have a school desk out of the old one room schoolhouse on his property.

As I arrived home today, these books were waiting at my doorstep: The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince) by Antoine De Saint-Exupery How Many Kisses Good Night by Jean Monrad Thomas (Illustrated by Eloise Wilkin) My Big Book of the Outdoors by Jane Werner Watson (Illustrated by Eloise Wilkin) Baby's Christmas by Eloise Wilkin and a complimentary copy of Busy ABC by Colin and Jacqui Hawkins!

Now that my son is four and it is September, he is constantly being asked if he's starting school this year. Here where I live, 5 years old is the normal kindergarten age, though we don't have to start our children in school until they are 6. However, it is quite the norm to start children in pre-school as early as 3. I just smile politely, and respond with, "No, we plan on homeschooling," to which I generally receive a funny look in return. Some respond with great favor while others get verbally defensive. The latter usually back off when I explain which school district we are in, which is a really good indicator that I SHOULD NOT send my child to such a school. To be honest, I don't think I could send my child away. I don't think I could wait with him at the end of our driveway and willingly place him in a school bus driven by a stranger and full of children we've never met before. I don't like the idea of him being away from me for 6-7 hours...

I wish I had a picture. Across the street from my house is an old, brick, one-room schoolhouse. My neighbor uses it as a storage building/workshop, but it still contains a lot of the schoolroom charm. That is, except for the old school books which now reside in my house thanks to my neighbor. :) I have always been drawn to one room schoolhouses and apparently, so are my children. Hand in hand, my oldest son and my daughter walked into the schoolhouse with the same far-away look as when they walked into others. My friends live in an old, one-room schoolhouse in PA. I grew up kitty-corner to an old, one-room schoolhouse that was converted into a house. I now live across the street from one and a short drive from another. My children LOVED the one-room schoolhouses at The Farmer's Museum and Old Stone Fort. I could barely pull them out of there! There's a GORGEOUS 18th century house for sale about 25 minutes from my house that includes a one-room schoolhouse on the property. ...

Here's lookin' at you, kid! Playdoh!!! It's actually much more enjoyable now for my kiddos to play with Playdoh because my daughter has greatly decreased her Playdoh consumption. Yes, she's a Playdoh eater. What fun they had when I pulled down the picnic basket and let them have at it. They had a picnic in the living room, the kitchen and at the dining room table. My son decided to go shirtless for the remainder of the evening after he spilled milk down the front of his shirt. I LOVE Target's $1.00 section. My kiddos were so excited to get a pair of sunglasses each. My little fashionista couldn't stop modeling hers. Here she is today in one of the cutest poses ever! Despite being a very cloudy day, both kiddos insisted on wearing their sunglasses to grandpa's house. Ok, nothing to do with my kids, unless you count the one in my tummy. I've been having such a craving for a non-alcoholic mixed drink. So I made a raspberry lemonade iced tea. In my ...

My son LOVES to shovel snow. I wish I got a picture of his oh-so-cute method of picking up chunks of snow and placing them in his little wheelbarrow and dumping them in a snowbank. This picture is from the first storm this week that dumped just over a foot. Yesterday we got another foot. But it's above freezing and rained most the night so we're back down to a slushy foot or so on the ground. My father is becoming quite the expert bread baker! He gave me a small loaf of his artisan bread which made perfect baked french toast for breakfast. I lined the sides of the dish with sliced apple. It was sooooooooo tasty! And yes, I am not shy of butter. :) My son's letter of the week is M so yesterday we made a construction paper Mailbox and a construction paper John Deere place Mat. He really liked writing out postcards on brown construction paper and placing them in the mailbox (via slits cut in the front). Nothing like the beautiful artistry of nature and florals in the ...

Of all the subjects I can teach my children; of all the years of education before them, the most daunting task for me is teaching them to read. Reading is the foundation on which they build every other aspect of their education. Not only do I want them to learn to read and read well, but love reading and enjoy exploring books. Now, for the recipes I promised: Lemon Buttermilk Pie Make a single layer pie crust, prick the bottom and bake it at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Whisk 1 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, zest from 1/2 a lemon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Add 4 large eggs and beat until combined. Whisk in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 3/4 teaspoon vanilla, juice from 1/2 a lemon and 1 cup buttermilk. Pour into crust and bke for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees or until filling is se, but still jiggly in the middle. I prefer it served chilled. Carob No-Bake Cookies (Now keep in mind that this isn't a definitive recipe. I kind of just cobbed together the carob no-bakes and can...

You can buy this print at www.art.com Mrs. Cassatt Reading to Her Grandchildren by Mary Cassatt. It was quite a difficult last few months and I fell off the bandwagon of reading regularly to my children. While I waited for healing and general improvement, I relied on the electronic babysitter (the television) just to make it through the day with my two young children. While I see nothing wrong or harmful with this method during the difficult days of an acute illness, the length of time I relied on the TV to keep my children nearby and entertained was too long. There have been some negative outcomes of it. I do believe in the importance that Classical Education puts on reading to young children. Granted, I'd rather fill their ears with the cadence of Dr. Seuss or the sweet language of Winnie the Pooh, but Bob the Builder and Thomas the Tank are the books of choice these days. I did try to read them a chapter a day of Elsie Dinsmore, but I couldn't make it through without c...