Sunday, September 17, 2017

CC Cycle 3 week 2: The Pilgrims


On deck this week?  The Pilgrims. 

We spent our first two weeks immersed in the world of the Native Americans, so the transition into Jamestown and Plymouth colonies for the last two weeks has been a natural one. 

Plus, the timing of these activities in the fall is just so perfect.  Lots of good crafts and accessories in stores (cough... Hobby Lobby... cough) in preparation for Thanksgiving.

That's where I found these little figurines:


...which provided my kids with their favorite activity of the week.  They carefully painted their Pilgrims and Indians, and we had a great conversation about colors and which would be appropriate and realistic for the time period (even though they often ultimately went a different way!)


They worked SO hard on these little guys, with such care and diligence, it was fun to watch.

This week's reading list:

This Country of Ours: The Story of the Pilgrim Fathers
Pilgrims of Plymouth by Marcia Sewell
The Adventurous Life of Myles Standish by Cheryl Harness
If you Sailed on the Mayflower by Anne McGovern
Story of the World Volume 3
Who's That Stepping on Plymouth Rock by Jean Fritz (which, by the way, my kids hated.  And we don't often hate books!)
Book of America: The Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving
Paddle to the Sea by Holling C. Holling
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
Burgess Animal Book by Thornton Burgess
Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare by Edith Nesbitt: Two Gentlemen of Verona 
Poetry: Oxford Illustrated Book of American Children's Poems

We watched a few of these selected webcasts from Plymouth Plantation to give us a bit of real-life inspiration.  Imagine what it must have been like to live in those times!  Fascinating!

Composer Study: Bach's Cantatas
No picture study this week because... well, we simply didn't have time!


We kept up with our daily Bible study, math, memory work phonics and First Language Lessons as usual, and the rhythms of our weeks are beginning to unfold themselves so nicely.   



I am so grateful for the opportunity this year to just go slow.  Of course, that's not to say that the words hurry up! never issue out of my mouth.  But the biggest reason we did not join a CC community was to ensure that we could go at our own pace, that the thousand interruptions that happen when you have two, an active toddler and a baby, would not be allowed to derail us academically or relationally.  

My goal is, naturally, to ensure that my children have a high quality education; at the same time, though, I am so grateful that I don't have to rush them through it.  That they can linger where their hearts and minds wish to linger and explore the things they find compelling.  That they can stop to play while I put the baby down for a nap.  That life flows so much more organically when we're not constantly watching the clock to make sure we "get it all in."  

What a blessing!

Our Thursday Think made its return this week.



The kids LOVE this activity!  I hope to keep it that way, so for the time being we're not doing it every single week so they are not overloaded.


I am amazed by the natural creativity and curiosity it pulls out of them!





And the sweet, often unseen aspects of their individual personalities that emerge around this table.  So fun. Logan is still very much enjoying writing, and prefers to write over drawing (which shocked me.  Who saw that coming?!)




Leah has a grand time expressing herself through her artwork, and it is truly amazing to see how much they both remember.


Livvy works the hardest, though.  Her contributions are some of my favorite.  They may not look like much now, but I love her dedication, creativity and enthusiasm.  Who knows what these seeds will grow into?


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