Next Shelf

Next to the computer desk is a wall/bookcase my husband made when the books threatened to over-run the house. It has four shelves and the top one holds my homeschooling books. They show my evolution as a homeschooling mom. The oldest are the John Holt books-What Do I Do Monday? and (wow, I only have one actual John Holt book! I expected three at least!) books by his disciple Nancy Wallace--Better Than School (a classic!) and Child's Work.and a few others of the unschool type. John Taylor Gatto is here as are the Colfaxs. Next are the Charlotte Mason type books (not her actual books, for those you have to wait for shelf #3) For the Children's Sake, Charlotte Mason Companion, A Pocketful of Pinecones. There are books by and about Maria Montessori, Rudolf Steiner and Waldorf schools, Classical education, Catholic education, books about books like Cay Gibson's Literature Alive, Thomas Jefferson education, Real Learning, education by osmosis (okay, I made that up) but all in all a ridiculous amount of books about "school".

Shh...he's reading!

The littlest hobbit is reading a chapter book voluntarily! His usual reading diet consists of Calvin and Hobbes, TinTin and Asterix the Gaul but a new series of books by Rick Riordan has captured the hobbits attentions and they are all racing through them (four available so far).
They center around a modern boy named Percy Jackson who discovers he's a demi-god, fathered by Poisidon. I myself am in the middle of book 3 and they are a refreshing break from presidential politics and imminent financial ruin. In each book there is a quest based on myth or the Odyssey, boon companions, magical weapons, and a climax involving great courage and dumb luck. Yes, they are very similar to Harry Potter but on a much easier reading level. The usage of myth is pretty clever though and relatively authentic. The hobbits are absorbing how the ancient Greeks thought the gods interacted with each other and humans. All in all, entertaining.

Bookshelves

Melissa at Here in the Bonny Glen and The Bookworm are going through their bookshelves one by one and I thought I'd join in. Bookshelves are one thing I have a lot of. Three here in the dining room alone. So, to start at the top...we have a shelf running across the top of the wall, above the computer, that hold the serious texts we aren't using at the moment and don't need to be handy for reference. The Algebra, Geometry, advanced sciences ( is Physics a math or a science? Science, says Sam) the foreign language tapes, CD's, videos, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azcaban in French (unread) and all the Voyages in English texts I bought and never used but can't get rid of. This is the dusty shelf.

Happy Birthday...

here
Bilbo and Frodo!!! Yesterday was the birthday of our favorite hobbits and although we did not declare a school holiday we did celebrate! We had a picnic in the garden (too few picnics this Summer!), the hobbits decorated the table. Followed by a grape catching contest.. and of course, ending with fireworks. Thanks, Gandolf!

Ocular Athletics

After a week off we are back with more ocular athletics! J.C. seems to have spent more time trying to sound like Chesterton than describing his crayon but that's okay. A.M. added great pictures of the stages of butterfly development which, alas, I can't share.

Butterfly by A.M.

A butterfly ( and I have no idea why it is called that) is simply the most pretty insect I know of. It has a long body and four wings, two on each side. The bottom wing is bigger and more round then the wing on top. Instead of a mouth it has a long tube and when he is done with it he will curl it up and store it in a hole in the bottom of his head. When the butterfly is old enough it will lay an egg on some milkweed. The egg will hatch in a few weeks. It is just a caterpillar. The caterpillar will eat all the milkweed to grow big and fat, then it will flop upside down in a J shape. Then it's head will fall off of it. It will chrysalises itself into a cocoon. In twelve days it will hatch into a butterfly.

A Block Crayon by J.C.

Today, dear reader, I am writing about a block crayon as you probably guessed from the title. This block crayon has not been used much so its corners are still sharp. There is not much to write about a block crayon but I'll do my best. A block crayon, as you probablu know. is a block but I will discribe it for you. A block crayon is a rectangular block with six sides. The one I am discribing for you is orange. Block crayons are usualyy used for rubbings.

We hates it! Spellingses!!

One of the hobbits is an amazing speller, aces his spelling tests,is unfazed by any word configuration. The other two....aren't. They come by this naturally as you would know if you read any of my posts before spell check is applied. So, here is my Gollum like rant...I HATE SSSSPELLING!!!! I hate spelling listssss!!!! I hate drilling sssspelling wordsssss!!! We hates it!! We hatesss it!!!!!

Ocular Athletics

Yes, it's the first Ocular Athletic Thursday of the new school year!! Here are today's offerings...

A Book

Books are an endless source of entertainment, and they are good for your reading skills. I do not know how writers get all the patience to write a book, I mean, they all have to write page after page of long words and when you finish one page it's off to the next page. A book can be big or small, thick or thin, fact or fiction. (Man, that did run on like a song.) I like books about myth and legend, but I like best of all books about dragons.

P.Took

A Key by Samwise Gamgee

Today,dear reader, I am writing about a key. Just a small aluminum key. There is no design on it. It is about one inch long and about one centimeter wide with a rectangular hole in the middle. It unlocks a Viking treasure chest!