Thinking out loud

Let me think "out loud" here for a bit.

I need to bounce some things around and I am running out of paper and, frankly, I'm getting tired of writing.

I've been sitting here looking at the SAMPLE lessons for OM1 and OM3 and trying to figure out exactly how it might all fit into a week.

I realize that the sample is only of week 4 and each week will have different activities and different lessons.  But, I have to start somewhere.


Blending the two seems doable.


Adding in Bible and Outdoor Secrets and Delightful Reading and Queen Language Lessons and Artist/Picture Study and Composer Study and Poetry and games makes it too much.


DUH


So, if I want peace in my homeschool, something will have to GIVE.


What is it that makes me think I want to hang onto these other things so much?
Can we get "those things" (whatever they are) from OM alone?
Or do I just not want to give up a good thing?

Let me go through them, one by one.

BIBLE:

Well, I feel like I need to add Bible (or whatever study of God) because, well, aren't we supposed to do that?  Aren't WE the ones responsible for teaching them about God?


BUT ... does it HAVE to be a "school subject"?  I mean, we talk about God often.  We give thanks daily.  DO we need to read to learn about God?  Maybe I could switch out the OM Language Arts lessons and do them off of Bible stories INSTEAD of the fables?  Hmmm.  Still thinking on this one.

OUTDOOR SECRETS:

I don't NEED it.  The science and nature activities in Oak Meadow are lovely.
But, I WANT it.  The science and nature activities in Outdoor Secrets are equally lovely.


But, I can't fit it ALL in.
Peace ... not perfection.


Maybe I can hang onto the Outdoor Secrets and just use it during weeks where OM's science is either uninteresting (not likely) or not as time consuming or non-existent.  Or, maybe we can do the Outdoor Secrets activities in the summer or over breaks.


hmmmm


DELIGHTFUL READING


The Princess has REQUESTED this, so I must oblige.


It's only 15 minutes a day.  I should be able to squeeze that in.  Plus, it's the perfect time to ensure that the Hippie is reading silently (in case we get busy and she doesn't do it later in the day).


So, I'll keep this.  I'll find a way to add it to the OM.


Thanks for listening.  Thanks for your help.  :)


QUEEN LANGUAGE LESSONS


Okay.  I wanted these because I love them.


I love that they are gentle.
I love that they include copywork and picture study and narration and simple grammar.
I love that they make ME feel good ... like "as long as they do QLL, then language arts is covered and covered in a Charlotte Mason way".


But, making ME feel good is not my priority.


Language Arts WILL get covered ... via Oak Meadow.
Copywork can happen with Oak Meadow ... just have them copy stuff from their OM stories.
Narration happens with Oak Meadow.
Charlotte Mason herself did not advocate introducing grammar until after age 10 anyway.
Picture Study can come elsewhere.


So, according to what I'm listing out here, I guess I need to let go of QLL.  


:(


ARTIST/PICTURE STUDY


Okay.  Really.  This whole subject only takes a few minutes.  I'm making it harder than it needs to be.

Just pick an artist.
Keep their art available, visible, one print per week or two.
Get some books at the library about the artist.  I don't actually have to SCHEDULE the reading ... just as desired ... breakfast, lunch, whenever.


So, don't let it go.
But, don't be so freakish about "scheduling it" just perfectly.

COMPOSER STUDY


Same exact thing is true here.

Pick a composer.
Listen to him whenever ... at lunch, during art, while we're cleaning, whenever.
Get some books at the library about the composer.  I don't have to actually SCHEDULE the reading ... just read them as wanted.


So, again, don't let it go.
But, don't be so freakish about "scheduling" it just perfectly.


POETRY and GAMES


Again ... chill out, Momma.


Read some poems.
Play some games.


WHENEVER


Don't have to SCHEDULE every little thing.


*****

Okay.

I may be making some progress.

Relax.


Do what we can.


Don't worry about a perfectly scheduled spreadsheet of a day.


Natural rhythms ... do some school, go outside, have some fun, read some stuff, bake something, ENJOY.


Do it as we can.


Wow.

Thanks so much for letting me get all of this off my chest.
Thanks for allowing me to brainstorm.
If you actually read all this (my random, brainstorming, thinking out loud), I'm sorry to have bored you.


Can't wait to get my hands on the guides and get going.


But, first ... this week we are back to school ... Rosh Hashanah, Scrapbooking, and those reading lessons the Princess has been BEGGING for.

So blessed to be a home-educator.