Lessons From the Garden

School is out! Our whirlwind Family-Reunion trip to Yellowstone is over. I'm officially done teaching piano lessons for the summer! Now that the commotion is settled a bit, it's time to try to organize our crazy life. This week we are focusing on weeding our back-yard gardens. They have been somewhat neglected in this last month's push to get everything done. The kids have been troopers, weeding every morning for an hour or two.

Today was our fourth day working in the yard and with the heat of summer finally arriving, it was a bit harder getting I-mac motivated to work this morning. I had been thinking about how, even though our yard still needs a lot of work, because of the efforts we have made this spring, it looks so much better than it did last year. I thought about how that was like life, we are never perfect, but the more we work at improving, the better we get, and the easier it gets to do what we should. I thought I would entice I-mac to work by asking him to help me think of ways that gardening is like life. Believe it or not, there is little he likes more than philosophizing about life with an interested adult. My enticement worked and he was soon working beside me, enlightening me with his insights into weeds and life. Here are some of the lessons I learned from him today:

1. We are the plants. Like plants, we need good things in our life to help us grow and become what we need to be. Some of those good things include reading the scriptures, praying, going to church and making good choices.

2. Weeds are like sin. When they come into our life they choke out the good things in our life. If we don't get rid of them they will eventually kill us (spiritually speaking). Some weeds (ie. sins) are harder to get rid of than others. It's important to get rid of them when they are little or they can be nearly impossible to get rid of later. Morning glory is easy to pull, but it grows fast and quickly chokes out the plants. I-mac thought this was like t.v. or other things that aren't necessarily sins, but don't really help us to be better. When we do them too much they cover up who we really are and it is hard for us to choose to do the good things we need to grow.

3. Weeding is like repenting. As we repent, we remove the bad things from our life. We can't do the weeding ourselves, we have to turn to the Savior for repentance. He is like the gardener in our life. He fills us with the good, and allows us to get rid of the bad. It is important to get the roots out or the weed will just keep coming back. This is the part of the repentance process where we turn from our sin and promise never to do it again.

4. The soil is like the gospel. Plants in good soil, grow stronger and bigger, and the weeds are easier to get rid of. These are people with the gospel in their life. Plants in poor soil are smaller and the weeds are really hard to pull. These are the people without the gospel.

These are just a few of the ideas that he shared. This kid never ceases to amaze me. He thinks so deeply. He often comes up with things that I never thought of before. What a blessing it is to be taught by our children.

Always Serene

Madonna Del Granduca by Raphael

I have probably mentioned before that I love Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education. She places a lot of emphasis on atmosphere being vital for a child's education. I have been thinking a lot lately about how to improve the atmosphere in our home and recently came across this quote from Charlotte Mason's School Education, the third volume of her Home Education series. This idea really resonated with me, it is a long quote, but very worthwhile, so bear with me.

“It is not for nothing that the old painters, however diverse their ideas in other
matters, all fixed upon one quality as proper to the pattern Mother. The Madonna,
no matter out of whose canvas she looks at you, is always serene. This is a great truth,
and we should do well to hang our walls with the Madonnas of all the early Masters if
the lesson, taught through the eye, would reach with calming influence to the heart. Is
this a hard saying for mothers in these anxious and troubled days? It may be hard, but
it is not unsympathetic. If mothers could learn to do for themselves what they do for
their children when these are overdone, we should have happier households. Let the
mother go out to play! If she would only have courage to let everything go when life
becomes too tense, and just take a day, or half a day,
• out in the fields,
• or with a favourite book,
• or in a picture gallery looking long and well at just two or three pictures,
• or in bed,
without the children, life would go on far more happily for both children and
parents”

Virgin of the Lillies by Bouguereau

I realized long ago that the oft quoted saying "If mamma aint happy, aint nobody happy." was more than a trite phrase. There is much truth in this saying. I know that I hold the key to the emotional atmosphere in our home. Too often though I am anything but serene. I tend to stress out when there is too much going on, and there is almost always too much going on in our lives. This is something I have been praying for help with for quite some time. I do think I have seen some improvement and I hope it continues.

The Sketch of the Head of Madonna by Leonardo Da Vinci

I decided to search for paintings of Mary and have included some of my favorites here. My two favorites are probably The Virgin of the Lillies; it is just so beautiful and truly "serene", and the sketch by DaVinci because she looks so tender and full of love. It was true, that in all the many paintings I looked at of Mary, the adjective that would best describe Mary's disposition is serene. Now I realize that these are just paintings, and we don't know that Mary was truly always serene, but I believe in the ideal. I know that we may never achieve the ideal in this life, but it is important to have that goal to reach for. I believe that the closer we can get to that ideal the better and happier we will be.

The Madonna and Child by J0rg Breu the Younger

I love the idea of surrounding ourselves with the ideal so that "the lesson, taught through the eye, will reach with calming influence to the heart." I think that is why the leaders of our church stress the importance of having pictures of the Savior and The Temple on the walls of our home. I also think that is why it is important to read as many uplifting books and articles on the ideals of motherhood as we can. I recently reread one of my favorite talks on motherhood by Julie Beck called "Mothers Who Know". There are many things she talks about that I know I am falling short on, but I love her talk because it paints the picture of the ideal mother and gives me something to work toward.

The Nativity by Carl Heinrich Bloch

I also see the wisdom in "going out to play!" It is important to find joy in life. Finding time to do those things that fill our reservoirs is necessary for keeping our sanity. Spending time with a good book, enjoying the peace and tranquility of nature, and riding my bike are all things that help fill me up and give me the energy to keep doing the things I need to to be a good mom. I also think that in this day and age too many parents spend too much time focusing on "me time" and too little thinking about what is best for their children. It is a difficult balancing act. One I am always trying to discern if I've got right. I think sometimes when "life becomes too tense" it is also good to "just take a day, or half a day,
• out in the fields,
• or with a favourite book,
• or in a picture gallery looking long and well at just two or three pictures,
• or in bed,
with the children." Sometimes what we really need is to reconnect with our children and strengthen our relationships with them. Go out and play with them! When we do that it can help remind us of the joy of being a mother and give us the energy we need to keep doing all the many little things that are required to keep our homes and children "running smoothly".

Madonna Adoring the Child with Five Angels by Sandro Bottecelli

Hopefully as I strive for balance, working toward the ideal, relying on the help of the Lord, I can become at least a more serene mother, if not "always serene".

Character Training

Ever since I began homeschooling I have heard quite a bit about "character training".  All the homeschooling books talk about it, there are even entire character curriculum's out there that you can purchase.  I have never really worried about it though because I felt that our scripture study and family home evenings were covering that material.  A few months ago I read a book called "Help for the Harried Homeschooler"   and the section on character training really impacted me.  I realized that I had a very specific set of goals for my children's academics, but I was leaving their character education somewhat to chance.  I decided to make a list of Character traits found in the scriptures that I wanted my children to develop in their lives and then we would spend one week to one month focusing on that trait.  Here is the list I came up with:

From the 13th Article of Faith

-Honest

-True (Integrity)

-Chaste

-Benevolent

-Virtuous

-Doing good to all men (Service)

D&C 4

-Faith

-Hope

-Charity

-Love

-Eye single to the glory of God

-Virtue

-Knowledge

-Temperance

-Patience

-Brotherly Kindness

-Godliness

-Humility

-Diligence

President Hinkley's Be's

-Grateful

-Smart

-Clean

-True

-Humble

-Prayerful

-Positive

-Still

-Involved

We decided to start with President Hinkley's Be's.  The plan is that when we first introduce the virtue we will be focusing on we read what President Hinkley had to say about it from Way to Be! in our morning devotional.  Then each day for the next couple of weeks (depending on how long it takes for the principle to sink in) we will memorize a scripture or two about that virtue and read stories or poems about it each morning in our devotional.  

We have made it all the way to Be True so far and I think it has really been beneficial for our family.  We have had some good discussions and been able to focus more specifically on areas we need to improve on.  Over the next few days I will try to share some of the scripture and story resources I have found to go along with each of these character traits. It is quite easy to do though.  I just search on lds.org for the virtue we are studying and use the resources that are most applicable to our family.  This has been one of those things that I have wondered why I didn't think of it sooner.  Oh well, better late than never, right?

  

Book Reviews

I thought I would review the books I have finished so far for my 999 challenge.  

The first book was a family read-aloud, The Wheel on the School.  We loved this book!  It was a wonderful story of how a dream can become a reality if we dare to believe in it and are willing to work hard to make it happen.  It illustrates the beauty of human relationships and the fact that we all need each other and everyone has something to give.  It was also just a wonderfully written, fun, and often suspenseful story.  I highly recommend this book.

The next two books were Honey for a Child's Heart, and Honey for a Woman's Heart.  These were both books about books, one of my favorite subjects. =)  The author of these books, Gladys Hunt, shares my heart for reading.  Throughout the books she gives reading recommendations, but she intersperses these suggestions with thoughts about books that capture my feelings for them and the joy they bring to my life perfectly.  Two of my favorite quotes from a Child's Heart were, "Books are no substitute for life, but a keener pleasure comes to life because of books."  So true!  In speaking about the value of good books for children she says, "...by continual exposure to a variety of people and experiences, (in books) the real values of life are taught most profoundly.  What we are doing is helping our children collect "bits of perfection" of ideas and values on which to build their lives."  I couldn't agree more.  Aren't books wonderful!

Just after beginning this post I had a fun experience with books that I just had to share.  G. Diddy was having a rather trying day.  One thing after another was causing him to burst into tears.  I tried sending him to bed for a nap, but that wasn't going to fly, so I had the thought that I should go in and read with him on my bed.  I picked "Where the Wild Things Are", and "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day".  They seemed to fit his mood for the day.  First I read "Where the Wild Things Are".  He enjoyed it and of course, wanted me to read it again.  Then we read "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day." He hadn't read this book before and it definitely resonated with him.  We read it twice too and then I asked him if he was having a terrible, horrible, no good very bad day.  He admitted that he was and so I asked him if he was thinking about moving to Australia (if you haven't read the book you need to to understand the question).  He laughed and then squeezed me so tight for about five minutes.  It feels good to think that someone understands us, and that we are not the only one to feel the way we do.  I think this book helped him to feel that way.  Throughout the day, he still struggled with his moods, but whenever he would get upset I would ask him if he was thinking about moving to Australia and he couldn't help but smile.  I love how books help us to communicate and understand each other in new ways.  That little phrase now means so much to us can help conjure up those good feelings of time shared together and a sense of being understood.  The power of books is immeasurable.

999 Reading Challenge

Last year Cellista posted about the 888 challenge (read 8 books in 8 categories in 2008). It looked like just the thing for me, so I decided to take the challenge. I was just browsing her blog today and noticed she has a list for the 999 challenge now (same idea as above, just add one to each of the numbers). I realized that it has been a while since I updated my 888 list, and since 2008 has been over for a month and a half, it would be a good idea to take an inventory of how I did. The final tally was 33 books read. That doesn't count all the ones I read that didn't fit into any of the categories I had chosen, or that I just forgot to record. . . I definitely could have done better, especially in my history and spirituality categories, but it was honestly more than I expected. I have felt like my reading has really taken a back seat to all of the craziness in my life this past year. I miss reading ravenously, but I realize that there is a time and season for everything in life. Acknowledging that I only met 1/3 of this years challenge last time, I am going to give the 999 challenge a try. It helps to have some focus to my reading and a goal to help me reach a little farther and stretch my self in areas I don't naturally gravitate to but know I should pay more attention to.

So here's the official rules: "9 books in 9 categories in 2009, 9 can overlap, 72 books total" We'll see how I do. . . .

Books in blue are ones I am currently reading, books with an * are the "overlapping" books, and the books with a √ are the ones I have completed.

My current choices are:

I. Government/History (We'll give it a try again. I really need to do better in this area)

1. 1776 * √

2. The 5000 Year Leap: A Miracle That Changed the World √

3. The Making of America: The Substance and Meaning of the Constitution
4. An Enemy Hath Done This

5. The Federalist Papers
6. Democracy in America

7. The Law
8.

9.

II. Education

1. Revealed Educational Principles & the Public Schools: A look at principle-centered education through the prophets and LDS educational history √

2. The Underground History of American Education: A School Teacher's Intimate Investigation Into the Problem of Modern Schooling

3. The One Minute Teacher: How to Teach Others to Teach Themselves

4. When Children Love to Learn: A Practical Application of Charlotte Mason's Philosophy for Today

5. Righteous Influence: What Every Leader Should Know About Drawing on the Powers of Heaven

6. Home Education: Volume I of Charlotte Mason's Original Homeschooling Series
7. In My Father's House: The Years Before the Hiding Place

8. The Latin-Centered Curriculum √

9.

III. Motherhood

1. Created for Work: Practical Insights for Young Men

2. The Parenting Breakthrough: Real-Life Plan to Teach Kids to Work, Save Money, and Be Truly Independent √
3. So You Want to Raise a Boy?

4. Raising Your Spirited Child Rev Ed: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, and Energetic

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

IV. Spirituality

1. The Book of Mormon √

2. The Doctrine and Covenants

3. Each Ensign from cover to cover this year

4. Holy Temple

5. Hearing the Voice of the Lord

6. The Temple: Where Heaven Meets Earth

7.

8.

9.

V. Book Club Books

1. A Tale of Two Cities *√

2. 1776 * √

3. The Last Lecture √

My review

4. I Am David √

5. And Then There Were None √

6.

7.

8.

9.

VI. Family Read Alouds

1. The Wheel on the School √ (Read the review)

2. A Little Princess √

3. At the Back of the North Wind

4. Carry On, Mr. Bowditch

5. The Little Prince √

6. By the Shores of Silver Lake √

7.

8.

9.

VII. Poetry

1. Now We Are Six (If you haven't read A.A. Milne with your kids or just for yourself, you don't know what you're missing. . . )

2. When We Were Very Young

3. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Selected Poems

4. John Greenleaf Whittier: Selected Poems

5. The Collected Poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar

6. Rhymes and Verses: Collected Poems for Young People

7.

8.

9.

VIII. Classics

1. Persuasion √

2. Les Misérables (I've also read this one before, but it's been at least 15 years and after reading A Tale of Two Cities I had a desire to read this again.)

3. North and South √

4. The Keeper of the Bees

5. The Scarlet Pimpernel

6. A Tale of Two Cities * √

7. The Taming of the Shrew *

8. A Midsummer Night's Dream *

9. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

IX. Other (I decided to leave this category open so I had somewhere to put all the miscellaneous books I pick up and read on a whim. . . )

1. Honey for a Child's Heart √ (Read the review)

2. Honey for a Woman's Heart √ (Read the review)

3. Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary √

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Joy in the Journey

I was sitting in church today, struggling with our extremely active Little C.  As the sacrament was being passed I thought about how I used to enjoy reflecting on my week during this time, thinking about what went well, and what I could improve upon.  It was always such a peaceful and spiritually renewing part of my week.  Now, in order to keep the peace, I am usually searching for numerous ways to keep Little C. distracted and happy so that I can at least stay in the chapel.  As I was longing for the time to rerturn when I could focus more on my spiritual growth, I was struck with the thought that this was my mission right now.  Loving and enjoying this prescious child of God is most important for me right now, and will ultimately bring me the most spiritual growth.  It seems simple and obvious, but I love it when the Spirit brings things into focus for us when our expectations get a little off the mark.  Motherhood is the greatest sacrifice, the most difficult challenge, and the most sweetly rewarding endeavor we could ever undertake in this life.  In many ways, the work we do as mothers, as we lovingly and submissively give our lives (through our time, energy, sleep, pursuits, and hearts) for our children, we come closer to emulating the life of our Savior than through anything else we could do.  The Savior spent time studying the scriptures, but the bulk of his life and ministry was spent teaching, loving and serving the people.  It was a sweet experience today to be reminded of this fact and rather than feel guilty that I couldn't sit quietly and focus completely on the speakers or ponder the feelings and thoughts of the spirit, I held my baby and thanked Heavenly Father for the opportunity to be a mother and be taught a little more about what it means to loose myself in the service of others.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Catch-Up #36

It always seems like I am playing catch-up with my Outdoor Hour Challenges, but this time I really got them done on time, I just haven't been able to post them because I couldn't get my pictures off my camera!  Little C.  sucked on the cable that attaches my camera to the computer and it stopped working, so I haven't been able to download any pictures for about a month.  It has been driving me crazy.  I was so upset about not being able to post about these Challenges too, because we were just getting into the swing of things and making some really great connections with our studies.  Well, I finally picked up a new cable so I can post about our challenges now.  Better late than never, right?

Challenge # 36 was a seasonal tree study.  We were supposed to pick a tree back in the summer time and study it in each of the four seasons.  Well, we never picked our tree this summer.  We had an awful year for trees.  My four favorite trees in our yard died this year (two peaches and two redbuds. . .), and I was too depressed about it to pick anything this summer, but fall was the perfect time to begin our tree study.  We surveyed the neighborhood looking for just the right tree to study.  We finally settled on this tree.  

I still haven't figured out what type of tree it is, but it was so interesting that the vote was unanimous.  

We especially loved the leaves.  They look kind of like needles, but were softer than needles.  We loved how they were an orangy-red, with the little bits of green.

When we came home all of the boys actually made entries in their nature-journal!  

I was thrilled.  

They had all gathered a couple of leaves and did leaf rubbings when we got home.

They also drew their own interpretations of the tree.  

They're not Rembrandts yet, but they're on their way. . . .

I will post challenge #37 in a separate entry, but we have really loved this tree focus!

Blessed By Books

Last night while I was reading I was suddenly overcome by an immense feeling of gratitude for the books God has placed in my life.  I knew that I wanted to post about it today, but then I remembered that today was Wordful Wednesday and I had wanted to participate this week. Lucky for me, the topic for today is: "I am Grateful".  The list of things I am grateful for is quite long, but today I will focus on this one.  I am grateful for books.  Books have been the catalyst for change in my life more than probably any other factor.  I love this quote about the work of books in our lives.  

"A book must be an ice-axe to break the seas frozen inside our soul." ~Franz Kafka 

I have found this to be so true in my life.  Obviously, the books that have had the most profound influence on my life have been the scriptures.  The Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price are my foundation.  Reading from the scriptures daily gives me the strength and perspective I need to get through each day.  They center me.  I love the way that every time I read them, I can find something new, not because the words have changed, but because they have changed me, and I am now ready to receive additional light.  

"Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled "This could change your life."" ~Helen Exley  

My life has been changed considerably by the reading of a book.  I was led to home school through the reading of a book.  I never would have considered it before I read "The Well Trained Mind".   Reading that book altered my perception of what my children needed versus what they were getting from their education, and helped me see how I could give them better. As doubts arose, I was led to read "Dumbing Us Down"  which helped me see the wisdom in keeping my children home, not just for the academic benefits, but for the social as well.  

"I suggest that the only books that influence us are those for which we are ready, and which have gone a little farther down our particular path than we have yet got ourselves." ~E.M. Forster, Two Cheers for Democracy, 1951

It has been amazing for me to recognize, that as my mind and heart have been prepared to receive the "next thing", God has placed the right book in my path.  With homeschooling I was led to "A Thomas Jefferson Education" when my children and I were beginning to burn-out with The Well Trained Mind.  Once I gained a greater perspective of making learning a more natural part of  home life, I was prepared and was led to read, "A Charlotte Mason Companion", and then Charlotte's own writing on education.  Her "gentle approach" to learning was just what we needed.  Just recently I have been feeling another push to get me moving out of my comfort zone.  I went to the library yesterday to pick up some books I had wanted to read, and happened upon a book I had never heard of before, but it was calling my name.  It is called "Help for the Harried Homeschooler".  I probably don't need to explain why it was calling my name, it has me written all over it, but what I found inside has been quite unexpected and just what I needed.  The section on Character Training has been very enlightening (I will share more about that in a later post). 

"How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book."  ~Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Homeschooling books aren't the only ones that have changed my life, there have been "spiritual books", like "Approaching Zion" and "Mere Christianity".   Although I consider every book that changes me to be spiritual on some level.  "All things are spiritual to God."  There have also been "political books" such as "An Enemy Hath Done This".  All of these books and many more have shaped me into the person I am today.  I am so grateful for the great minds that have gone before and have shared their wisdom in a book.  

"Books are the compasses and telescopes and sextants and charts which other men have prepared to help us navigate the dangerous seas of human life." ~Jesse Lee Bennett

My Thanksgiving Menu

I love Thanksgiving!  I love that it ushers in the Christmas season, allowing us the opportunity to reflect on our many blessings, hopefully giving us the perspective we need to more fully rejoice in the true meaning of Christmas.  I love that it is a time for celebrating with family.  I love the family football games and (this year) 5k runs.  I love the post-Thanksgiving "redemption" bike rides.  But I have to admit my favorite thing about Thanksgiving is the food!  A few years ago we started a new tradition.  Since we always spend Thanksgiving day with our extended family we never got any leftovers, and in my opinion, Thanksgiving isn't Thanksgiving without Turkey sandwiches and all the other delicious leftovers.  To remedy this situation we decided to have our own Thanksgiving meal on Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. A couple of days ago I went shopping for our Thanksgiving dinner, so I thought I'd share our menu.  Every year I do a Spice-Cured Turkey.  The recipe says to let it cure for 24 hours, but I do it for 72 hours.  It is the best!  They're always moist and very flavorful.   Rather than using the Apple-Chestnut Stuffing in the recipe, I use a Cornbread, Apple, Cranberry, and Sausage Stuffing. (Recipe is at the end of this post.)

It is my husband's favorite.  I like to experiment with new recipes, but he won't let me touch the stuffing!  

For side dishes this year we will be having Butter-Pecan Sweet Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts with Vinegar-Glazed Red Onions, and Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes.  For dessert this year I was asked to bring pies to my family's on Thursday, so we will have those leftovers with our dinner on Saturday.  I'm trying two new recipes and one tried and true one.  The two new ones are Pumpkin Maple Pie Supreme, and Pecan Pumpkin Pie.  

The other is one of my favorite fall pie recipes.  It is Autumn Harvest Pie.

The combination of sweet and tart wrapped in a pate brisee crust is divine!  I'm getting excited just typing this!  I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We will have two!

Cornbread, Apple, Cranberry and Sausage Stuffing

Cornbread (recipe follows) 1" cubes

1 lb. sweet Italian Sausage

4 red onions, chopped

1 c. dried cranberries

1/2 c. chopped fresh sage

1/2 c. butter

8 celery stalks, chopped

1 1/2 C. half and half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place cornbread cubes on baking sheet.  Bake until dry, about 20 minutes.  Cook sausage in large sauteé pan over medium heat.  Put in small bowl.  Melt butter in same pan.  Add onion and celery, cook over medium until onion is translucent, 10 -15 minutes.  Add apples and cranberries, stir.  Cook until apples are soft.  Add half and half and cook for three minutes.  Place in large bowl and add sage, cornbread and sausage.  Cool completely.  Can be refrigerated 2 days before stuffing in bird. Fills 16-20 lb. bird.

Cornbread

2 T. butter (for pan)

1 1/2 c. cornmeal

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/4 c. milk

1 egg

1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. course salt

1 T. molasses

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter 8x8 pan.  Mix dry ingredients.  Combine remaining ingredients.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients just until combined.  Pour into pan and bake until golden about 25-30 minutes.  (This is a very dry cornbread.  Not one you would want to eat, but perfect for stuffing.)

Change of Course

I have been meaning to post about this for a few weeks, but haven't been able to find the time to do so.  For that matter, I have been meaning to post about a lot of things that I haven't. Someday life will slow down, right?  Anyways,  four weeks ago, (we were then in our 8th week of this school year),  I decided rather impulsively that we needed to change our course work for the year. Living Books Curriculum was having a big 50% off sale and I liked what I saw on their sample pages.  I have loved the literature selections on Ambleside Online, but I have had a hard time filling in some of the gaps on my own.  I like that LBC focuses on American History and world history every year and they seem to add in more living books in history, especially in 4th and 5th grade.  I also like that they include a lot of hands on activities and and map work (with maps that they provide).   I still prefer some of AO's book selections to LBC's, so I am in the process of coming up with my own combination of the two plus a little bit of my own.  Our first few weeks of this new plan have been very successful.  I think the kids and I have really been enjoying the change.  Here is a look at our new basic daily schedule. 

 I will try to post a copy of our course work once I've finished compiling it.  I think the best part of this whole transition is that it has gotten me to take a fresh look at our approach to education and make efforts to get rid of what wasn't working and add things that we were lacking.  That is one of the great things about homeschooling, you have the ability to tailor things to meet your children's needs.  

So, what are your favorite educational resources?