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Nique
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| Posted: May 15 2009 at 10:23am | IP Logged
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MarilynW wrote:
"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul"
"Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain"
"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
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Marilyn, those quotes you found are fantastic!
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I had always thought that once you grew up you could do anything you wanted - stay up all night or eat ice cream straight out of the container. ~Bill Bryson
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JuliaT
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| Posted: May 15 2009 at 10:35am | IP Logged
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I have tried to write this post a few times but it isn't coming out right. So, this time, I will try to keep my words simple. 
I have been moving toward simplicity in our homeschooling life this past year and it has been our best year yet. A few observations I have made from this year is similar to what others have said in this thread. 1) what is simple for one person may not be simple for another person. 2) what may appear to be simple on the surfact may require alot of work behind the scenes.
I will give an example. This year we have moved away from curriculum for history and science. We are doing unit studies, of sorts, with these subjects. I am making up my own curriculum for these. This is a turn toward simplicity for me. Using curriculum stresses me out (it has taken me 5 years to figure this out) Doing my own thing has brought be back to simple. Now, for others, this would not constitute simple. For many people, following curriculum in a box is the simple thing to do. Simple means different things to different people.
When I present my ideas for these unit studies to my kids, they are in a simple form. We are doing Oceans right now. One day this week, we read some books on Oceans. We did a puzzle ocean book. We looked at the Time of wonder book and picked out all of the words that ended in 'ing' and then put them in alpbabetical order. We played a game with the Montessori landform cards. We made a models of landforms with playdoh. That was our learning time together. It was a simple time.... on the surface. But behind the scenes, there was a lot of work that went into making that time simple. It took time to print off those landform cards and cut them out. It took time to go to Homeschool Share and search for ideas for oceans (that is where the Time of Wonder activity came from.) It takes alot of work to pull this off but, for me, this kind of work is refreshing and freeing. I love doing this.
Another thing is that during that example that I gave, even though it was all very simple, the learning that took place was rich. They learned alot in a simple way. I am loving the way that I am teaching now. This is me.
Blessings
Julia
mom of 3 (9,8,6)
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: May 15 2009 at 11:05am | IP Logged
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My husband and I had this conversation at Christmas. We had just read Farmer Boy and Little House in the Big Woods and were struggling with wanting to create that sort of "simple" charm around the holidays that you feel when reading those books.
I think this is what many people may do--take an image from a children's book and seek to create that environment for our children.
However, we realized that those stories are the *memories* from childhood and told from the child's perspective. Much like what Julia has described in her study of Oceans that seemed so simple and magical to her children, the gifts, food, traditions, etc... just seemed to magically appear to the children in the Little House Stories.
Sometimes, I think what I REALLY want is to be the child in those stories and have all the magic appear...magically. 
But the truth is, as parents, it is WORK to create that atmosphere, and it isn't likely to feel as magical as it did from the child's perspective in the book. In order for our children to wake up to delectable goodies, we have to not only pry ourselves out of bed before them but plan to make them in enough time to put the ingredients on the shopping list ahead of time.
Its like an ice berg--what you see is only a small percentage of the whole.
I just finished reading (this morning, actually) Secrets of Simplicity. It is a sweet book and an easy read. Full of Eastern thought but features quotes by St. Francis and Chesterton, too. So, I just inserted "pray" every time I saw "yoga" and got a lot out of it
Anyway, some of the suggestions for how to simplify were really good. For instance, it had space to log your typical day by the hour and then to log your "ideal" day by the hour. Of course, we can't have our ideal day every day, but it is helpful in recognizing our priorities and what things in our typical day are taking up our time and keeping us from the ideal day. There are a lot of good insights into how to go about creating new habits gradually instead of thinking we can simplify our lives over night. It gives a good overview for the types of behaviors and attachments that keep us from achieving this--but all in a very light way. Nothing too heavy and the book itself is pretty and not a burdensome read to get through. Definitely just check it out from the library, though, imo. If it weren't for all the Eastern stuff, I'd buy it, but there is too much of that for me to desire to own it, but I did find the little exercises helpful in identifying some of the things I'd like to change first.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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stellamaris
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The ladies interested in this thread might like Simplifying Your Domestic Church by a fellow Catholic homeschooling Mom. It is written in a workbook format, and has lots of questions designed to help the reader get to the heart of detaching from things and prioritizing with spiritual values in mind. It also has wonderful quotes from the saints (could be used as copywork!) and some specific practical ideas for decluttering, organizing, etc. I personally know the lovely author and have been so impressed with her simple and quiet spirit.
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Caroline
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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: May 15 2009 at 1:30pm | IP Logged
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Caroline,
How many pages is it?
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
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Nique
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| Posted: May 15 2009 at 1:44pm | IP Logged
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Cay, I just clicked on the link and it says 105 PAGES. See below:
SIMPLIFYING YOUR DOMESTIC CHURCH
Spiritual Journal to Help Declutter, Organize, and Simplify the Home
Picture yourself walking inside a church…..Christ-centered, uncluttered and orderly. We must strive to promote the same atmosphere in our own domestic churches, our homes. However, it is not that simple. Aside from living out our vocation as wives and mothers, we have taken on the most privileged role of educating our children at home. While homeschooling has its indescribable rewards, it also comes with its challenges. The greatest challenge, the author believes, is to provide a holy, orderly and harmonious environment so that our homes reflect a truly Christ-centered domestic church. Abby’s hope is that this journal will help families declutter, simplify, and organize their own domestic churches. 105 pgs. Includes sample and blank forms, charts, and labels.
E-Book: 1MB download.
Abby Sasscer was born in the Philippines and came to the United States in 1986. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Averett University. She is a natural-born organizer and enjoyed systemizing small offices and home offices as a career before staying home to raise and homeschool her children. She lives with her husband Lawrence and their three children.
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I had always thought that once you grew up you could do anything you wanted - stay up all night or eat ice cream straight out of the container. ~Bill Bryson
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MarilynW
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| Posted: May 15 2009 at 1:56pm | IP Logged
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I have this and it is very good. I refer to it in my blog post I linked to above. Abby Sasscer has also started a ministry called Project Nazareth to help other moms simplify - here is the
Project Nazareth website
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Marilyn
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MarilynW
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| Posted: May 15 2009 at 2:00pm | IP Logged
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Nique wrote:
Marilyn, those quotes you found are fantastic! |
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thanks Nique. I will go in and put the actual bible references later - I have limited upright time today (contrx started again - but not productive!)
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Marilyn
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stellamaris
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OK, I packed this one already, but I think it printed out to about 50-60 pages. Each chapter is very short, with basic ideas on organizing (nothing too new there) and then a page or two that you can write on with 6-8 questions that get you thinking about your relationship to things, money, time, etc., then quotes for meditation. I am still on the first chapter...about detachment! I'll probably be on that chapter for the next year or so. I'm hoping with a simpler life (we're renting a tiny house and can only take the minimum of things) I'll have time to really dig into this whole area. I really struggle with the STUFF...a love/hate relationship. For example, I can't see getting rid of all the wonderful, out-of-print books I've collected at least until my youngest are out of the house, which will be YEARS! So the "toss it if you haven't used it in 2-3 years" rule, which is actually a good one, doesn't appeal to me. Btw, I loved your post, Cay, about embracing with a passion our homeschool life-- "renew, refresh, revere!" I love all my books, craft supplies, toys, because they reflect the reality that my family is my life. But there are days when "simplicity", as defined to mean a minimum amount of stuff, is what I long for. I hope you ladies will continue to discuss what simplicity IS, because I think that's the real question. One aspect of it, I think, is fitting one's expectations to one's reality. Maybe not scheduling a week's worth of work before breakfast??? 
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In Christ,
Caroline
Wife to dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
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stellamaris
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| Posted: May 15 2009 at 2:12pm | IP Logged
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I know the link said 105 pages, but for some reason I seem to recall that it didn't print out that many--I might be mis-remembering  . I'll unpack in a few weeks, and if you are still interested, I'll let you know then .
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Caroline
Wife to dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
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KauaiCatholic
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| Posted: May 15 2009 at 2:15pm | IP Logged
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thank you, ladies, for all this wisdom! 
I am fighting the urge to print out this whole post and paper our schoolroom with it (which sort of defeats the anti-clutter movement). but that way maybe I can ponder it in peace and not feel terribly guilty for reading about cherishing simple moments with your children while saying, "not now, honey, mama's on the computer!" 
I am also grateful, and I hope you all don't think less of me for admitting it, that this morning my DC got caught up watching "Zula Patrol" long enough for me to finally read all the way to the end of this thread. (can that count as science??)
ahh, the irony ... guess I'll meditate in the quiet moments between the chaos. thank you for such rich fodder!
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Viviane
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We can do no great things; only small things with great love. -- Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
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MarilynW
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| Posted: May 15 2009 at 2:18pm | IP Logged
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stellamaris wrote:
| I know the link said 105 pages, but for some reason I seem to recall that it didn't print out that many--I might be mis-remembering . I'll unpack in a few weeks, and if you are still interested, I'll let you know then . |
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I just checked - mine is 62 pages.
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Marilyn
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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: May 15 2009 at 2:50pm | IP Logged
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I don't see where it's available in bound print? Guess not.
I really prefer to pay a little more and get the book than printing it out. 
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
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Connections
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| Posted: May 15 2009 at 6:02pm | IP Logged
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Thank you all for the discussion.
Here are some of the thoughts that led to my original post. Please understand that I do not consider myself an expert by any means. I am a work in progress. I also do not have a large family- though we are growing. In fact, with a baby due in a couple months, “simply rich and lovely” became all the more important for me to focus on now.
Further, my focus has been simply rich and lovely HSing plans. Though simplicity can benefit all aspects of our lives, this is where my thoughts are at this time.
First, I need to start with my mindset- I must trust God. I must accept that I cannot do/cover everything. I must focus on what my husband and I have prayerfully discerned are the most important lessons and learning goals for our children. Truthfully, the list itself is not long. The specific goals will change year to year but the list of overall goals for their education is short (this, to me, is simplicity).
I looked at each of the traditional subjects and (after a lot of research into methodologies), discerned the best way for my family to learn each of these subjects. This, again, boils the complicated down to the simple and allows me to avoid researching many things that are lovely for other families or classrooms but not ideal for our home.
I want to be mindful of my children and live in the moment. For this, I need to hugely curtail the multi-tasking that I was previously so proud of. I need to establish and stick to a daily and weekly rhythm that enables me to present rich content to my children, observe them, be available to them, discuss and explore life with them. Once established, a rhythm to our days provides simplicity.
Our environment needs to be carefully planned and pruned (an ongoing process) with the primary goal of inspiring lifelong learners. I do not want our days to be full of checklists of things “covered.” I want to work to introduce them to new ideas (and it is work to plan, prepare, present). I want to share the wonder of this world with them. I want to inspire them to ask questions, make observations, solve problems, make inventions and seek to learn more. This is the rich and lovely within the simple rhythm.
For us, this means that I am (emergencies aside) completely available to them all morning. I have one or two learning activities that I have pre-planned and that I direct each morning. Then, we spend the rest of the morning pursuing individual or group interests that stem from the activities I directed (or from somewhere else).
One thing we do is review concepts often through games and discussion. For instance, we do a lot of math orally by taking turns making up word problems for one another to solve. We make up problems that are based on a theme that currently interest them. If my children just read about Ancient Rome, for example, we may do “Ancient Rome Math.” We do pages of math, play math games, and apply math to real life but we do not complete math workbooks (I have tried them and they are not a success here).
I also had to let go of my desire to have complete and sequential written proof of their learning. I jot down learning notes each week for record keeping and I do have files of work they complete. Mainly, I am aware of what they know and where they need practice by interacting and discussing with them.
I know this will evolve as they reach middle and high school. My hope is that when they are older, we will together establish learning goals necessary for them to become the adults that God intends them to be. As they get older, testing skills, specific content and the ability to complete assignments and manage a schedule will all become part of the learning goals. I am optimistic that the rich and lovely moments will still present themselves through discussions and maturing explorations of this world.
Until then, simply rich and lovely largely boils down to my ability to be present to them- to practice and model patience, wonder, problem solving, exploration, communication, kindness and love. To introduce them to new ideas and to invite them to the banquet of knowledge and learning that is available to them.
Sorry for such a long post!
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Blessings, Tracey
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stellamaris
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| Posted: May 15 2009 at 8:33pm | IP Logged
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"simply rich and lovely largely boils down to my ability to be present to them"...being in the present moment is, imho, the true heart of what we are striving for when we seek simplicity of any kind. We want to be present to the moment in peace of mind and heart. Thank you for your lovely thoughts and for starting this thread, Tracey.
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Caroline
Wife to dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
Flowing Streams
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Erin
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| Posted: June 10 2009 at 4:34pm | IP Logged
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amyable wrote:
I would so appreciate if you ladies with large(r) families share your thoughts on simple/lovely as it relates to having many ages/abilities/stages present. How does one make that work.
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Amy
Haven't alot of time to write so I will link you to some of my old posts were I have links to wiser women than I and some of my thoughts and some practcalities I also have another post on practicalities but can't find it
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Simply rich and lovely
