Preparing for school

For those of you who know me best - you know already that I take a very relaxed approach to homeschooling. I focus much more on LIVING than on "school work" - even on those days I slip into feeling like we have to "do something".

BUT - I was so pleased to read this today:

"Children should not be long confined within doors, nor should they be required to apply themselves closely to study until a good foundation has been laid for physical development. For the first EIGHT or TEN YEARS (emphasis mine) of a child's life the field or garden is the best schoolroom, the mother the best teacher, nature the best lesson book. Even when the child is old enough to attend school, his health should be regarded as of greater importance than a knowledge of books. He should be surrounded with the conditions most favorable to both physical and mental growth.

It is customary to send very young children to school. They are required to study from books things that tax their young minds... This course is not wise. A nervous child should not be overtaxed in any direction."

WOW! There's more - but I'll let you read for yourself if you wish.

It was written by E.G. White Child Guidance, Chapter 51
(Sorry - can't figure out how to link to it or I would!)

Lookin' Out My Back Door...

Long time... and Hannah's birthday

WOW. I can hardly believe that I haven't posted since January 19th! Sorry, for the faithful few who actually read this! :-)

This past Saturday was Hannah's birthday party - her first SLEEPOVER birthday party! Wow. THAT was an experience! Oh, it sure was fun, but exhausting. She had 5 girlfriends over and they had a ball. Pizza, popcorn, facials, nail polish, hair-dos, movies, and a very sleepy mumma who finally made them all lay down "PLEASE" at about 3 am. Sorry - all you mamas who had very sleepy and/or grumpy girls yesterday! It was well worth it on our end.

All the complaining I did about the weather back in January - then we got a cold snap. It had been WAY down there... single digits for a few days which is pretty unusual around here. Snow has been a teaser - and inch here, an inch there - barely enough to sled in. They're calling for quite a few inches (8 or so) tomorrow... but I'll believe it when I see it!

We did enjoy some artificial snow by going to the mountain and snow tubing two Thursdays in a row! Even Yeva joined in... but only on the kiddy slope! Hannah wasn't so sure about it. Mumma (as she's taken to calling me lately) had to ride down with her the first week - good thing our friends were there to help watch the babies! She opted out of tubing at all the second week and just sat and sipped hot cocoa with me in the lodge.

More later...