Grammar Snob

I asked Franz if he was embarassed by my lack of proper grammar. Especially when writing I forget periods, and place commas in the wrong place. My sentence structure leaves something to be desired. I am dyslexic and it has always been a struggle. I am learning with Cyprian, and I pray I do a good job teaching him. Franz says he just wishes I would put punctuation marks in their place. He has never said I am lacking. I just feel my inadaquateness and worry about how it looks to others.

An advantage to homeschooling is that you can become quite proficient in all the subjects you are teaching. I still have plenty of weaknesses, but I am gaining confidence and learning along side the boys.

The start of the school day begins after breakfast is over and cleared away from the table. The boys all sit around the table and we pray the "Angel of God" and offer " My God I give you my heart." Then we say the Holy Spirit prayer. We also call out saints particularly patrons and namesake days with a response, "pray for us." Then the boys line up and face the flag in the livingroom, youngest to oldest and repeat the pledge of the "United States of America." Though most times Cornelius is spinning around and out of line. Back to the table for the older two and sometimes Cletus too. The youngest go into the play room and start playing, or more accurately "messing up."

Religion is a subject that the boys have embraced. Monday and Tuesday we read Schusters "Bible History" then answer the discussion questions afterward. Once we are done with discussion the boys get out their Religion journals and draw pictures dipicting what the days reading was about. Wednesday we try and go to daily mass at St. Peter's Middle Ridge. Both Cyprian and Clement serve mass and we attend as a family. Franz leaves to go to work and we head home, or to the library to commence the school day. Thursday is read about a saint, then draw a picture and write a few facts down. We also do a lesson in the Baltimore Catechism.

Math comes next. I have to say I never thought I would be able to teach math. I am learning with Cyprian who is using Saxon Math 5/4. Clement is using Abeka grade 2. Cyprian and Clement are learning well. They could definitely keep more on task. I know they know the material, but they will take their time if I don't keep at them. Tests go over surprisingly well. Neither boy is fond of writing out problems and showing work. Cletus sometimes does numbers and simple addition and subtraction, and story problems.

Language Arts/Phonics is a love hate relationship. The boys all love reading. Sometimes they are inspired and want to write. Other days they complain and dragout the writing process. I enjoy seeing the creative writings and thoughts of my boys. Cyprian seems to have a natural comprehension of grammer and spelling. He is using "Intermediate Language Lessons." Clement has been using "Sound Beginnings" and has really gotten the phonectic sounds down. I have not been consistent with spelling and we are going to work on incorporating a spelling list to do each week. Reading out loud is something I like. I did not do this as a child and realize how uncomfortable it was for a long time for me to read something out loud. It is one thing to read to one self. Another to be able to read out loud clear and correct in pronunciation, inflection, and pauses.

History is a lot about reading books of historical people, times, and places. Cyprian did "How Our Nation Began" and is already finished. He is working out a timeline. Clement has been working on knowing the 50 states. He has been also making a family tree.

Science for Cyprian is using Abeka "Understanding God's World" and reading many books of interest in science. Clement and Cletus use "Seasons and Living Things" and Usborne "Science with Plants." We are trying to do more projects because all the boys enjoy them. Cyprian is currently growing crystals. All the boys are helping start seeds for our garden. And soon they will be working on projects for the fair and 4H.

Art: Ah, I had grand ideas. The boys are creative and once in awhile we may read a bit or look at famous artist and their artwork. Mostly though, the boys create their own pieces of art. We also like to read Aseops Fables. The boys have journels and they make their own depiction of the fable. Writing in the quote of wisdom.

Music, recently the boys have taken an interest in the piano, recorder, and harmonica. Chyrsogonus for his birthday recently got a play drum set that is fun to tap on. Cornelius got a nice xylophone for Christmas that all love to tap out a tune. I put pieces of tape on the big piano with the keys "letter." Cyprian has learned the basics of how to read music. Keeping tempo and time is in the works. I really haven't done alot. We are looking to find someone to do piano lessons with the three oldest. Listening to classical music is another way we incorporate music into the day. I will be starting to read about Famous composers.

Poetry, the boys have poems they are suppose to memorize. Each has memorized at least one completely. Cyprian's poem is "America for Me." Clement's poem is "The Owl and the Pussy Cat." Cletus has memorized "Rain" and most of "The Cow." Cyprian and Clement are most likely going to recite their poems for the 4H arts and talent show in the beginning of March.

Writing is involved in most subjects by ways of copy work. Cyprian is using the book "The Writing Road to Reading." Clement and Cletus write down things I give them to copy for the day from various subjects, or memorization passages.

The best part of education beside the basics, is living on the farm. The boys hopefully will have a whole set of skills, understanding, and appreciation for the world around them. Some are more willing and eager than others to do chores and tasks. But, each child has something they enjoy and contribute to our little organic family farm.

There you have it, a brief summary of our school day. Though it can vary this sums up what usually is accomplished.

Boys will be boys.

One of my main mess makers.

Cliche

It feels like I have so many cool ideas when in reality it comes out as cliche writing.

Franz made a comment to my mom the other night about a book. He was noting that the book it self had fine content, but it was cliche in that there really was nothing indepth and new to be found in its pages.

So, how in the world am I supposed to make something new and original. I don't think I necessarily can. I can though play out what happens in my mind, or what I see. It may very well be cliche. That is okay because sometimes, most of the time, it is. It may not be new or original in a sense, but each individual living it for the first time finds something personally new or unique.

We recently recieved a couple hours of uncut raw footage of our wedding weekend. It was embarassing, fun, hilarious to watch the kiddos on the screen. Yes, I mean kiddos. We all look so young. Our boys are amused by their little aunts and uncles (Uncle Toby was just under a year old). The things people said and the expressions.... I am glad, though, that not all of our life is a video to be rehashed and displayed for all.

I was thinking about the photo I saw a year or so ago. It depicts this elderly woman her face lit with delightful joy as she watched a historic moment before her eyes. All the surrounding people are frantically with hands in the air trying to snap a photo with their phones. It is such a captured stark moment of our times. How many people take the time to live the moment instead trying to electronically copy it? COPY, what is a copy? According to Google, "a thing made to be similar or identical to another." I feel we are falling into more and more of life being a copy. Just because history repeats itself does not mean that we cannot have authenticity. But authenticity is being quashed by our inability to live in the moment. We are copying instead of composing. For Google's definition of compose is, "write or create."

So, I am praying, hoping, and starting to find things and ways that I have let go. Having put them to the wayside because of one thing or another distracting me. Here's to creating an authentic masterpiece all my own. Of course it invovles God, my husband, boys, our farm and livelyhood. I will not be consistent with this blog, but I will write every so often. My creative bents are taking me along a path of schemes that I may or may not share.

Last summer we took a walk through the train tunnels on the bike trail. These trails have been since been damaged by flooding. 

Time again...

Below in this post is a post I started in the fall while planting garlic. I am going to play a little catch up with this blog.

Right now I sit here at our work worn wooden kitchen table contemplating and planning for 2019. We just went through a polar vortex the last several days. It is cold right now, but it is not the cold that the last two days instinctively made you feel the immenient danger of freezing. In the height of the cold when you stepped out the door your boots crunched on the frigid snow. If your breath escaped out from under your scarf or face covering, it instantly turned to ice. Moving not to fast but not to slow kept me going through the animal chores. Daily checks, making sure there was plenty of food, clean water, bedding, etc. Gathering the eggs throughout the day, some ended up frozen, but we got lucky sometimes and plucked a fresh laid one. Franz kept the boiler going and brought buckets of warm molasses water to the animals midday. Whoever checked animals had to break waters each time. Animals can be amazing creatures. I loved when I would check on the goats, finding a pile or "rug" of goats. The babies climbed on tops of moms then tucked themselves in the middle of the pile. Throughout the day we prayed for the safety of all outside.

Having milked JAling in negative 29

My project has been a buckling that at the beginning of the colder weather took a sudden turn for the worse. Ruth's tricolored blue-eyed buck we think ate some dog food. He was fine the evening of January 25th, 2018, when we tucked the Nigerian babies in their stall for the night. The next morning at chore time I immediately heard a distressed cry. I checked the stall of kids. At first it was not evident what was wrong, as all the kiddos were tucked together. Once they all stood up I noticed the buckling lying there lethargic and he gave another cry. I quickly tried to see if he could get up and stuck my finger in his mouth. His tongue was cold so I immediately put him inside my coat. I started taking care of some the chores. Franz offered to take him up to the house. Tucking him inside his coat he brought him to the house and set him up with the boys on the couch taking turns snuggling. When I was done with chores I headed up to the house and started breakfast. Checking the goat I cautioned Clement to make sure the blanket stayed on while making sure the goat could still breath. The buckling was limp with his eyes completely rolled back in his head. He was grinding his teeth. When he stopped we thought he had died. This went on for several hours. I had also given him selenium and vitamin E paste in hopes of helping him revive. Once his body temp was up I started syringing goat milk into him. He slowly came around and by evening had perked up a little bit. Trying to give a bottle became impossible as it became evident very quickly that he was terribly congested and we worried about pneumonia. So, I have been throughout the last week been deboogering, giving milk by syringe, giving vitalerbs tincture, Landofhavilah wormer, raw honey, vapor mix of essential oils on the nose, and finally he now is eating hay again. It is still a work in progress but I believe today I have to make a bigger pen in the house as the little dude "Qatar" as Clement has named him, is starting to feel his "ginger" return.

"Qatar" is eating hay again!

We also made sure to have a party for Cyprian's birthday on the 29th. Several family members on my side braved the cold and it was a delightful repast. Cyprian made his own cake and chose the days menu Sausage, eggs, and cheese for breakfast, homemade pizza for lunch, and biscuits and gravy for supper. Cyprian said, "this was a very nice birthday!" So a special thanks goes to those who made Cyprians turning ten memorable.

Cyprian cutting the cake he made completely by himself.

Singing happy birthday.

Brothers enjoying the candles.

Can you guess what this is?

A jar full of pennies. 

Throughout the cold week we still did schoolwork. I mean we are stuck in the house anyway because of the temps. But we did make sure to take time to play games and the boys ran wildly about the house. I had to remind them to settle down as we did not want a flood like we had the week before. (While playing hide and seek Clement decided to try and hide beside the washer in the bathroom. I was making supper when Alynnsia my niece frantically called, "Aunt Rosemary somethings wrong." I looked to the bathroom door where she stood and heard a hissing spray. Then I see Clement standing there wet from head to toe. I ran in the bathroom to find a new sprinkler system installed, thanks to Clement breaking not just the water hose, but the pipe to the washer. As I was frantically trying to see if I could shut the water off. Alynnsia got Franz from outside and he hurridly shut the water off in the basement. There was a waterfall cascade descending through the crack along the wall to the basement.) Thank goodness Franz was able to replace and fix the pipe. I tell you there is so much that goes on in homes..... Below is a post I was writing in October 2018

 Wow, looking at the last post and realizing how much time has flown by. This has been another whirlwind of a year.

Currently we are finishing the harvesting. I just dug up the last of my potatoes tonight. As I walked down to the barn tonight to milk my goat, a gentle misty rain started. We have more apples to pick for making into applesauce and cider. Franz has been working hard on cleaning and selling squash for Organic Valley. I am in the midst of garlic planting.

Some nights I am so sore from the daily work. But I also have a sense of awe as I realize how much Franz the boys and I have accomplished. It has been tough but I believe it is worth it.

As I have been out in the garlic field planting the last couple of days, I have had time to think. My thoughts have quite a range. One of the thoughts is about people and the lost sense of natural instinct, love of nature, and wholesomeness.

Stop, look, listen.... What is it that comes to you? Will you take a moment to look around? What will you hear? I know not everyone is bred or tempered for country living. I have not always had an appreciation or understanding about the hard but beautiful and fragile life of country living. I was one of those grocery shopper who was always looking for the deals. Now being on the other side of the equation I find how sadly misguided I was and woefully unaware of the hard work that goes into producing wholesome good food. There is plenty of food for cheap, but quality is usually not present. As we work to bring the rich fruits of hard labor to the table. I have to stop and thank God that we are abundantly blessed to have the wholesomeness of food grown with care.