School Days

One of my yearly late summer rituals is sorting through books for the upcoming school year.  To be completely honest, homeschooling is one of my greatest challenges.  I feel woefully inadequate and am pretty sure everyone is a better teacher than I, however, I revel in this amazing opportunity to teach and shape my children. 

Most of my friends are done or nearly finished with their homeschooling careers, but I will continue on for years to come.  With an nineteen year age gap between Maid Elizabeth and Master Calvin, I will have schooled my children twice as long as I attended school!

I have never used a complete curriculum, rather I have pulled from many sources, depending on what worked well with each of my children.  I've never paid much attention to grade level either, always being more concerned with the kids having a very solid academic foundation with few "holes" in their education.  I intersperse real world skills (hunting, canning, cleaning, animal husbandry, cooking) with academic pursuits (reading, writing, arithmetic, poetry, history, geography) in hopes of raising well-rounded, useful individuals. 

Going through the books

Piles everywhere!

Over the years I have worried over every "real world" test my children have taken.  When Maid Elizabeth took her hunters safety test, I was sure she would fail and everyone would know what a terrible teacher I was!  She passed with a 98%.  When she took her drivers test, I had knots in my stomach.  Again, she passed with a 98%.  When she took her EMT test she finished it in record time.  I was sure she had failed and the computer had kicked her off early - but no, she had passed with flying colors.  She passed her Ham radio technicians test, her CPR instructor test and her Neonatal Resuscitation test - each time with ease.  As each child has gotten older and been required to test for various reasons, I've felt those familiar butterflies, and each time, my kids have passed their tests and exceeded my expectations.  And still, being a teacher is my great challenge.

Organized into stacks for each child

Over the years I have found a few textbooks that have really made a difference in the way I school.  Math has always been a challenge.  It is not my strongest subject and a majority of the texts I have found teach math very differently than the way I was taught.  Few years ago I discovered Teaching Textbooks - and have never looked back!  They were designed for homeschooling students and their parents and my children love them!  They build a solid mathematical foundation and continue on through geometry, algebra, calculus and physics.  They consist of CD's (for your computer) and a workbook and answer key.  The kids do all their own work.  They listen to the lecture (it's fun) and work through the problems on the computer and then write them in their workbooks.  Each lesson is graded (on the CD) and there are regular quizzes and tests, which are also graded.  The only thing I have to do is look at the grade book (on the computer) and verify that the kids are doing well!  I love it!  Not only does it take the pressure off of me, my children feel confident in their mathematical abilities.  Totally a win/win situation!

The kids and I are enjoying our last week of freedom before the start of a new school year, but we are ready to knuckle down with our fall schedule.  The kids are anxious to crack open their new books and I am ready to embrace the steady routine of the new school year.

Tidy and ready to begin!

Let the school days begin!

Catechism on the Constitution

Many years ago, when Maid Elizabeth was just beginning her lower education, Sir Knight and I purchased a book titled, "Elementary Catechism on the Constitution of the United States, For the use of the schools" by Arthur J. Stansbury, 1828.  It is a concise little book that leads children through a simple catechism, making it better able for them to understand the magnificent document that is our Constitution.

Having always had an interest in our government in general, and thinking I knew quite a bit about the Constitution and the men who drafted this singularly spectacular treatise of human liberty, I was taken aback by the information presented in this little work.  It was simple, straightforward and easily understood, however it's pages contained an understanding of our Constitution I had never known.

Here are a few excerpts from this commanding little book.....

Q69.  May ever the President of the United States be thus impeached and punished?

A.      Yes.  In this free and happy country no man is so great as to be above the law.  The laws are supreme; to them all persons, from the President of the United States to the poorest and the meanest beggar, must alike submit.  This is our glory.  Let every youthful American exult that he has no master but the law; let him mark the man who would change this happy state of things as an enemy of his country; and above all let him remember that as soon as he himself breaks the law, he becomes himself that enemy.  Whoever violates the law helps to weaken its force, and, as far as he disobeys, does what in him lies to destroy it; but he who honors and obeys the law strengthens the law, and thereby helps to preserve the freedom and happiness of his country.  In some governments it is held that "the king can do no wrong;"  here we know no king but the law, no monarch but the constitution; we hold that every man may do wrong; the higher he is in office, the more reason there is that he be obliged to answer for his conduct; and a great officer, if treacherous, is a great criminal, so that he ought to be made to suffer a great and exemplary punishment.

Q133.  You say Congress may declare War; can they raise Armies; that is can they hire soldiers to fight for our country?
A.        They can; and pay, clothe, and feed them, at the public expense.

Q134.  Can they make a law, setting apart money enough at one time, to pay and support the army for more than two years?
A.        No, not at one time; lest a wicked Congress might, by keeping up an army, remain in power beyond the time for which they were chosen, and so destroy the liberty of their country.

Q135.  Why was the time limited to two years?
A.        Because every two years a new Congress may be chosen.

I highly encourage you to seek out this gem of a book.  You will be shocked at the wisdom of our forefathers and stunned by their desire to leave freedom to their posterity.  As a freeman, you need to know who you are, and how your government was designed - not to rule you, but to serve you.

Wildcrafting- Elderberry Wine

As part of our homeschool, my children and I take nature walks, pick up samples along the way and tote them home.  Once back inside our snug little shouse, we research the samples, draw pictures in our nature journals and record all of the new information we learned with vast diagrams and essays.  This is a favorite class in our school - blending a pleasant afternoon stroll with the exploration of God's creation.  It is also the perfect way to teach our children the significance of education - how reading, writing and even drawing helps us to know about the world around us.

On one of our excursions, we plucked a number of humble Elderberries from their bush.  The research we conducted on Elderberries was fascinating!  It seems as though Elderberry is a scientifically valid remedy for both Influenza A and Influenza B, affecting a complete cure within 2 to 3 days.  Elderberry is also high in Potassium, rendering it a very effective, locally obtained ingredient in Oral Rehydration Solution, which is used to treat Cholera and other diarrhea producing illnesses.

As I sat contemplating the numerous health benefits of the Elderberry, I struck upon an idea that generations before me knew instinctively.  Why not Elderberry wine?  Think about it - the main ingredient in most flu and cough medicines on the market is alcohol.  Why not combine the health benefits of Elderberry with the sleep inducing attributes of a glass of wine?  Now, to be sure, we are not drinkers.  Truth be told, I hate the taste of wine.  However, if we can't get cough medication, or a flu remedy or a sleep aid, wouldn't it make sense to have something on hand to help care for your family when they have been laid low?  Particularly something that would be more effective than the store bought stuff anyway?

And so, we made Elderberry wine.  I sought a recipe that would use only what we had on hand - nothing exotic or fancy.  I ended up with an old recipe that came from the Scottish countryside.  It uses nothing more than berries, sugar, lemon juice, raisins and yeast - all things that are easily stored.  Of course, it will take many months for the wine to ferment and then age, so we will have no idea how it tastes for some time, but I will keep you posted.

Elderberry Wine                                        What I used
3 lb. elderberries (remove stalks)                11 lbs berries
3 lb. sugar                                                   22 cups sugar
1 lemon                                                       3/4 cup lemon juice
1 lb raisins (could use sultanas)                  3 1/4 lbs raisins
1/2 ounce of yeast                                       1 pkg. vintners yeast (Bordeaux)
1 gallon water                                           3 1/4 gallons water

Directions:
To remove the berries from the stalks, use a fork.

Put berries in a sanitized bucket and pour on gallon of boiling water.  Mash the berries against the side of the bucket, then put in the raisins.  Cover and leave for 3 or 4 days.  Strain and tip the liquid back into the bucket; add the sugar and stir until dissolved.  Squeeze the lemon and add all the juice.  Sprinkle on the yeast.  Cover for 3 days, strain again and pour wine into demijohn.  Fix airlock and leave until bubbling completely stops (about 5 months).  Strain and bottle off.  The wine could be ready to drink in about 4 months (if too young leave it for much longer).  Has a lovely red color.

Using a fork to strip the berries

Pouring boiling water over the berries

Mashing the Elderberries

Adding the raisins

Straining the wine through cheesecloth (and a strainer)

The spent berries and raisins

Bubbling away

Pouring the strained wine into the demijohn

We mixed our wine in two 4 gallon buckets that we had sterilized.  We did buy a demijohn (also known as a carboy) at our local wine shop, along with an airlock.  They were both relatively inexpensive ($25 and $1.50 respectively) and can be used virtually forever.  Also, we bought vintners yeast, however, it is possible to use regular baking yeast, although the flavor will be different that what you would expect from wine.

We are anxiously awaiting our finished wine.  It is actively bubbling along, on our counter.  There is nothing like a science experiment in your kitchen.

I can't help but think that the more we can do for ourselves, the better off we will be.  Knowing your local plant life could be the difference between life and death.

Our in-kitchen science experiment

A plea for help

I recently received this email from a reader in Brazil.  He had emailed me previously and asked for permission to print and hand out copies of my blog post entitled "Angry Young Men".

I sometimes forget how blessed we are, even in the face of our current social uncertainty, to live in the United States.  This young fathers email laid me low.  I have been called to action - and that action is prayer!

_______________________________

God bless you, my sister in Christ Jesus. I enjoyed your message and the kindness with which I answered. But today, I am very sad and my heart be disturbed. I come to you today to ask for advice. This, here in Brazil, by law MUST parents put their children in public schools. Though public school is violent, pornographic and immoral, parents SHOULD, anyway, put their children in those schools. This is a "right" that our government requires us to accept. I ask you: should I take my children from these schools and educate them at home even though I may be arrested? What do I do? Frankly, I'm wanting to do that. Why? Let me explain.Now Read an excerpt from a story that tells what our government intends to do (please read) with our children:

Homophobia kit: booklet will teen transvestite (HOMOSEXUAL)


"Six thousand schools will receive a kit of educational materials consist of videos, booklets and newsletters approach to the universe of gay youths. In the video Finding Bianca, a teenager of 15 years is presented as José Ricardo, the name given by his father, who was a football fan. The boy, however, appears characterized as a girl, as an example of a young transvestite. In his report, the boy says he likes to be called Bianca, because it is the name of your favorite actress and complains that teachers insist on calling him Ricardo José in time for the call.".  source: http://www.diariodepernambuco.com.br/2010/11/24/brasil6_0.asp

Now see this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62D6B3LwfhQ

the man speaking is a great defender of Christian principles. And he was the one that condemned the government's willingness to distribute the kits called gay. Please find someone who speaks Portuguese or try to translate the message.

Please Help me and help us, brazilians. I question: and now what do I do? Need to protect my children.
I hope your news.