Circling Through This Life

For the last couple of weeks or so I have had the Great Doxology running through my head.  This is an ancient hymn that is sung/chanted in Eastern Orthodox Matins services.  Our Parish offers Matins services during the school year.  I think the hymn has been on my mind because we’ve just started having Matins again. According to Orthodox Wiki, the word doxology means a short hymn or verse of praise for the Trinity.  The Western Church has a shortened version and in my [limited] research I discovered that some variations leave our the bit about “Vouchsafe to keep us this day without sin.”  Orthodox Christians are not the only Christians who have doxologies or hymns of praise.  Many liturgical traditions have them.   When I think of NON Orthodox Doxologies I immediately think of the one that begins “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” I found this version of the Great Doxology on YouTube.  It is the closest I could find to the version...

The air has turned crisp. Leaves are beginning to change from green to gold, yellow, and red. Yellow school buses visit in the early morning and clog up traffic later in the afternoon. Children have started going back to school. We don’t necessarily follow a traditional September to June school year but I do usually make some sort of “back to school” type tradition in September that often involves fresh new school supplies and photographs. Not this year though.  I mean we did do “senior pictures” for BooBear because <gasp> she is a senior.  But here we are at the END of September and we’ve not really had a “back to school day”  Or a “Not back to school” since we’re home schooling and we don’t “go” away to another place. It could be that Fall and September just snuck up on me.  But I think it is more than that.  We did take 3 weeks off in July/August for a “summer break” but it didn’t FEEL like a break   Why didn’t it feel like a break?  ...

When I think of Unit Studies I think of a study that encompasses multiple subjects while focusing on a single topic.  For example you might have math, history, science, and language arts assignments all focused on frogs.  I’m not a fan of “true unit studies”, but I do like short, focused studies that encompasses one unifying topic that may have multiple disciplines.  Let me introduce you to Homeschool Legacy and the idea of a Once-a-Week Unit Study .   Sharon Gibson, a veteran homeschool mom, created Homeschool Legacy and the Once-a-Week Unit Studies from her “passion to help families build a strong, Godly, family legacy.” Homeschool Legacy offered 10 different studies from the crew.  We love history and we love studying other cultures so I requested Native America to review. Because I am only focusing on the product I received, you’ll want to be sure to check out the Schoolhouse Crew Reviews to see reviews of all 10 studies. The Native America stud...

When I first saw the vendor name Raising Real Men , I thought, well that leaves me out since I only have girls.  Little did I know their association with Great Waters Press.  Hal & Melanie Young, authors of the book, Raising Real Men , are the chief publishers at Great Waters Press .  They offered the Schoolhouse Review Crew the opportunity to review one of two books: Children in the Church or A Cry from Egypt . As a literature loving, history loving home educating family, we jump at the chance to read historical fiction.  After reading a description of the book, and the short bio of author Hope Auer , the girls all said “YES, we want to read this book!” Thought provoking and moving, A Cry from Egypt brings history to life.  In the this first book from The Promised Land series we meet Jarah and her family.  Though primarily told through the eyes of Jarah, we get glimpses of the thoughts and feelings of other characters including the Queen. Jarah is...

I used to think that I wasn’t much of a fan of fantasy.  Books such as The Orphan King by Sigmund Brouwer have made me decide that I do like this genre after all. I love the medieval time period.  Knights, quests, monks and mystery.  That’s my kind of book. About This Book: (From the Website) The future of the Immortals is in the hands of an orphan My greatest fear was that they would find us and make of us a sacrifice beneath a full moon. Now you, Thomas, must help us destroy the circle of evil. The last words of a dying woman would change the life of young Thomas. Raised behind monastery walls, he knows nothing of his mysterious past or imminent destiny. But now, in the heart of medieval England, a darkness threatens to strangle truth. An ancient order tightens their ghostly grip on power, creating fear and exiling those who would oppose them. Thomas is determined fulfill his calling and bring light into the mysterious world of the Druids and leaves the monastery on...

I got very busy and just couldn’t squeeze out a blog post for the letter B for Marcy’s “Blogging Through The Alphabet” meme so I’m combining two letters and   two memes.   I have not participated in Debbie’s “Think Back Thursday” Meme since the end of August!  Where did the time go?  This week’s letter is C and this week’s Think Back Theme is Close-Ups. We have a blackberry bush in our back yard.  Here in the PNW wild growing blackberry bushes are generally frowned upon by civilized people.  Those of us who would like to garden but for whatever reason can’t, are grateful for these wildly growing bushes because then we feel we’ve grown something.  (OK maybe it’s just me LOL) I’m hoping to get enough blackberries to combine with some other berries to make some Bumble Berry Jam.  Or at least some to eat with cream for a dessert.   Our bush is not in an ideal location and the berries are much later than usual this year so it’s not looking ...

One area of home education that consistently gets shoved to the background is Fitness or Physical Education.  At least in my home school it was never a high priority. I confess that I really didn’t see or rather didn’t understand the need for a formal fitness program.  Send the kids outside to play and they’ll get plenty of exercise.  At least that was my hope.  Sadly, playing outside didn’t happen as regularly or frequently as it needed to and we, as a family, have developed a sedentary lifestyle.  It is clear that we need to do something to increase our daily & weekly activity levels.  Fortunately Family Time Fitness (FTF) has a program intended for homeschoolers: Fitness 4 Homeschool - Core 1 Physical Education Curriculum . Just last week I was at the doctor.  He recommends at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week of physical activity to improve overall health.   1 hour a day, 5 times a week would be optimal for maintaining health...