National Parks 4th Grade Pass Road Trip 2017

I think the National Parks Pass for the 4th Graders is fabulous.

We picked ours up at the Fort Vancouver National Park and Dax had to sign it as he's the "holder". This admits anyone who is in the car with him.

It also allows access for the Army Corps of Engineers so our first stop on our summer 2017 tour was the Bonneville Lock and Damn. We have stopped at a few other National Historic and other sites on our way to Glaciar National Park for our first major camping time on this trip.

Ryder has built paper robots and sewed a tiny watermelon while we listened to Wishes and now Otherwise Known As Sheila The Great.
Dax did a variety of paper crafts. 

They also watched Despicable Me 2 and an episode of Octonots. It's been a long day. The tent is up. The uke, dulcimer, guitar and flute are out. But likely so will we be - very soon.

I tried to stop at least every 90 minutes sometimes less as sitting is incredibly hard for me - on my back and legs. I don't know how people do it 8 hours a day.

We started out at 6:20am and made it as far as Silver Town, ID by 6pm. 7 total stops altogether. I've got a little routine down now for each stop and the boys know they have to do their race before we get back in.

It's gorgeous here. The noise in my head hasn't fully quieted. My concerns for Dax and injury to his skull - whether sourced from the accident last year or learning to walk. After watching Dr. Aman and knowing how the brain impacts behavior.

Dairy - must be even more diligent - seems the bars I bought yesterday for the trip have dairy in them. But Dax now says to me, I know it has dairy, but it tastes good and I get to choose what I eat. Guess who said that belligerent

comment first - ME! UGGH. I too am allergic to dairy. But do I listen to my body. Not always, and I pay. But dang it that cream is darn good.

Teacher - they learn what they live.

Notes from my thoughts while driving - children need your attention, affection and acknowledgment.

If you are always stuffing your face or have a pattern of stuffing yourself - is it because when you were growing up you were taught to stuff your emotions?

Always think or ask - what is the actual consequence of this thought, action, communication to my child. What pattern am I setting up with the communication. This is my concern when I hear one repeat something their parent has said - those words coming from a little mouth - what is the long term repercussion. Is this supporting my child to find the world and relationships positive and to be able to deal with life, relationships and the world in a positive way? I do not want my children to be afraid to fail.

6th Grade Planning for Ryder for 2017-2018

THEME: ANCIENT ROME

TRUTH:

Principles

Natural Law

Practical experience in a principle centered life. Review P.I.L.O.T. method and implement with learning and personal development. Define Tools for Ryder

RESPONSIBILITY

Continue care for GiGi

Manage Minecraft Teachable course

Manage World of Graph - admin scale and use of statistics

Clear Latin and derivations of all words used

Establish a chore system equivalent for a 12 year old and set up a commission basis for this can review the Ramsey model and tweak to fit our family.

INTEGRITY

Weekend journal

Meditation and Chi Kung personal practice

Identifying personal integrity, group morals, ethics and justice system in USA compared to one other country of his choice and it's history and development. Write a full report using Brown Book and writing skills - on if he agrees or not and what he would do differently.

BASICS

Review baking, cooking skills and expand on these skills. Make fermented vegetables and kefir. Make kombucha and meade. Grow a winter garden and build a 4 season garden box.

Self care regime using the foundations of Yogilachi and develop kit of tools for personal self care.

Review Herb Fairies and improve skills with alchemy of herbs. Continue study of genus and species and writing Latin names with the sketched herbs in Green Journal.

Review and practice manners - table, etiquette for gifts - giving and receiving.

Conduct 2 interviews on a person of his choice and write a narrative for one and a journal piece for the other.
Yogilachi - yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, Aikido and Tennis. Basketball

Connect with pen pal and decide if another pen pal would be appropriate - continue correspondence building the relationship and nurturing friendships.

Review NVC - take a week long off grid trip practicing NVC - either find a group more suited to our values or start one of our own.

Continue with the Violin and complete Book 2 with a performance level recital.

Join Fiddlocity? - see responsibility and integrity. Keeping commitments? Check new interests.

Poetry - memorize the 5 poems for this Grade and perform 1 at open mic night.

ARTS

Review water color form and technique. Colored wheel (3 dimensionality through light and dark)

Continue clay work. Expand to pottery and take a pottery class at local shop.

Master shading, border techniques. Charcoal and pastel.

Form drawing review of braiding and knots, free hand geometry and multi media art. Continue origami if still a strong interest (gifts, holiday ornaments as a craft project? teach to senior center or homeless shelter ?)

Review carving in soaps.

Introduction to wood working. Master sewing stitches and hand sew a 3d animal. Repair kitty.

LANGUAGE

Review Latin & Chinese: salutation, food, time, trade, house, furniture, places, daily activities. Recognize personal pronouns. Conversation.

simple paragraphs, regular and irregular verbs in present tense Spanish and Japanese. Songs in German. If possible conversations with cousins in Russian? Alphabet comparison - sound comparison. History of languages and places on the planet. What would a person from another planet might sound like? How would we communicate with them? See Arrival and NG on hieroglyphics if further interest is there. Continue telepathy and empathic communication skills. Listening skills mastery. Training routines 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8. Communicating with animals - GiGi's language empirical study and evaluation as a journal report.

Specific subject by requirements:

HISTORY: history, geography, culture of Ancient Rome. Overview of continents, oceans, major mountain ranges, rivers and water systems. Latitudes, longitudes, poles, equator and hemispheres.

Grammar, creative writing, non fiction, note taking and research, expository, narrative and descriptive styles. Plays. Enki.

MATH

Ratios and proportions, algebra positive and negative numbers, geometry,: area, angles, graphing, integers. Associative, communicative and distributive properties. Werner Arithmetic. Vedic Math. Business math. Finance Math. Mode and problem solving, probability, mean, median. Review graphing, statistics, area and perimeter. Measurements - daily in kitchen become meticulous, building project - measure twice cut once. Experiential.

SCIENCE:

Geology, physics, acoustics, optics, thermodynamics, magnetism. Geocentric astronomy. Geology and mineralogy in terrains - National Parks US tour begin - specimen variances. Continue entomology. Review compass skill, geographical regions and environments.

x

Summary of Ryder's Fifth Grade Year 2016-2017

SCIENCE:

Ryder was part of a Great Horned Owl rescue and release with the Audubon Society of Portland. He also studied birds such as Great Blue Heron, White Egret, Bald Eagle and witnessed the release of this rehabilitated young Bald Eagle.

SCIENCE: Ryder studied weather patterns, meteorology and studied snow storms and shifting in the global weather patterns with National Geographic Society. He studied robotics and helped to build a mechanical hand. He studied some architecture and built numerous legos in architecture models.

He studied botany and herbs burdock, dandelion, comfrey, chickweed and cinnamon for medicinal as well as culinary properties. He cooked or baked at least 1 time a month and helped plant a vegetable garden.

He adopted GiGi the cat and cared for him starting at 9 weeks of age raising a healthy, happy wonderful cat for the family and taking responsibility for his car, neuter, shots, cat litter box, cat care and food and water on a daily basis.

Some of the books Ryder read this year:

Astronaut Academy

Graphic Novels: Garfield, 36 Story Treehouse, World of Oz

Little House On The Prairie Complete Series

All of a Kind Family Series

Judy Bloom - Are You There God It's Margaret, Henry Huggins, 

Cricket in Times Square

Liar and Spy 

Five Children and It

I Survive books

Phoenix and The Carpet

Island of Blue Dolphins

The Incredible Journey 

Little Lord Fauntleroy 

Little Britches  

Ramona Quinby

Shilo

Sword in The Tree

Strawberry Girl 

Trumpet Swan

The Wish Giver

The Watch Dog

The Wind in The Willows

MATH:

Ryder worked from Werner Arithmetic increasing understanding of finances and percentage. He studied Earth Schooling Grade 5 - Six Sense and Waldorf Essentials Grade 5. He focused on geometry, long division, beginning algebra, fractions and decimals. He also worked through the Life of Fred elementary series.

LANGUAGE ARTS

Ryder is a voracious reader and continues to read anything he can get his hands on; he enjoys reading series books and graphic novels and reads 15–20 books a week! 

Ryder studied grammar and wrote his first book reports. He began memorizing poems and continued with Well Trained Mind. He began listening and studying Latin, Spanish and French. 

He is learning Vimala and the study of hand writing.

SOCIAL STUDIES:

Ryder's study of history has focused on exploring ancient cultures with Greece, Mesopotamia. He spent time exploring local geography and history this year. He spent time on field trips to the Pearson Air Museum and Fort Vancouver National Park.

We visited a blacksmith, fur trader and schoolhouse from the 1800s. 

Ryder learned about presidential elections in the fall and watched the inauguration of President Trump. 

Ryder will also spend the month of June on a national Parks Tour from coast to coast becoming a junior ranger and continuing to complete his passport.

Ryder worked along side opening and building Yogilachi Fitness Studio and running the business, he saw how a business runs from start to finish. Participating as receptionist/greeter.

ART

Ryder loves origami and graph or pixel graphics. He created the worldofgraph.com as his final for his 5th grade. Ryder also completed basic knitting and latch hook. He made cut snowflakes, scrolls, chocolate biscotti, cinnamon bread and rolls and a water gauge. 

MUSIC

Ryder participated in Violin with Suzuki Violin and performed in front of an audience Minuet 1. He also began playing the dulcimer.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Ryder had the opportunity to partake in daily yoga, basic par kour, slack line, tennis, karate and aikido. He also participated in geocaching. This summer, Ryder is taking Tae Kwon Do and Aikido summer camps and will have swim lessons .

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To The Great Glory of God)

To live Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam is a way of being that permeates every thought, every deed, every action and inaction—all is contemplated and weighed, all for the greater glory of God.

To live Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam is to lay claim to a legacy of “other-ness” that sets us apart 

     and puts us at ease with any culture or people,

A completely integrated other-ness that seeks to make all things whole,

That approaches the liminal without hesitation,

Finds God in all things,

     finds the Good in all things,  

     and seeks to proclaim His glory in all that we do. 

It is a heritage of service 

     However, whenever, and wherever needed, 

Of leadership in service 

     To those impoverished in mind, body, and spirit.

It is a call to respect the dignity of each human, 

The splendor of all creation, 

     unencumbered by societal constructs. 

It is a complete inability to be unaware of injustice 

     or impervious to inequality,

A Spirit-driven determination to find a way to right the wrongs,

To lift the downtrodden,

To bind the wounds,

To welcome the stranger, the nationless, the outcast,

To see the humanity in all those discarded by economies and policies. 

To rise to this challenge—for the glory of God alone.

To offer one’s heart and one’s hands,

One’s whole self, a Suscipe, 

In desolation and in consolation.

To give up even liberty 

     for the sake of the love of the other.

To be held to a higher standard,

To see through a lens that sees the good and the possible 

     in every impossible situation. 

To be aware of our place as privileged children of a living God 

     who demands only that we abandon all status and privilege.

To be the voice for the voiceless

Responding to the call of the Spirit

One with the harmonious resonance of all creation praising God.

To seek Him and to find Him in all things, people, circumstances, and places,

Unafraid to speak Truth to injustice

To embrace the contradiction of Love

Clothed in the power 

     of the One who died naked and penniless.  

To be unattached to any outcome except that which God wills,

Leaving behind comfort zones,

Releasing the ego into the bosom of the Creator.

Rooted in the confident security 

     and the joy of knowing Love beyond words.

Unattached to and surrendered to 

     none but that Love.

Called together at one table, unity in diversity, 

One family, working together to realize heaven on earth.

Answering the call to serve and to glorify, in all ways,

The Love that always finds a way.

Spring Homeschooling Focus

5th Grade Work

Traveling with Birds - Trip to Tualitin Wildlife and Ridgefield Wildlife refuges

SCIENCE: Starting a garden

Synonym Study

Complete William Blake's Inn

Memorize 1 poem from this -

Life of Fred Australia

Social Studies: Readying and report with investigation

"So You Want To Be A Leader?" Patricia Wooster

Personally selected books for this week:

Mostly Garfield, nate the great

Handwork - needle point of Fort Vancouver

Spool work from Fort Vancouver

Gandhi Unit Study from Enki - 2nd grade review and practice 4 processes on math.

Charcoal sketching - use with botany study, geometry and form drawing

Postcards written and mailed

Daily practice of music 

Daily practice of Spanish

Continue with all the clay practice as free quiet time - use for retelling story.

Continue study of William Blake - explore his life, works of art and discussion

SPRING RESET:

Breakfast and Clean up

Morning Circle with Exercise

Main Lesson (Enki with younger son)

Main Lesson (WE plus Fred Series with older son)

Botany - complete Herb Fairies with journal, use for both handwriting practice and reading skills,

Botany in a day: An Herbal Field Guide To Plant Families of North America

Bring out slack line and uni cycle - work for improvement

White Belt Karate

Piano book 1

Violin book 2 - 3 songs, book 1 5 songs

Guitar book 1 3 songs

Voice -

Continue Natural Science Through the Seasons - Spring Unit Studies - incorporate math (geometry for both boys, algebra for older son)

Make Prayer a daily habit.

Restore connections with family through hand written letters.

Decide on trip to the mid west - start savings account for this trip.

Donate books and items from younger age to another home schooling family.

Cultivate a connection with other homeschooling or aligned values families for support and supporting.

Review and Reset of our HomeSchool Life copy of original 3/17

I have just completed a review using the state requirements of Washington as well as the guidelines from our chosen curriculum (ENKI and Waldorf Essentials - we also use Earth Schooling which I pull from using all the grades curriculum)

I am very glad to see that my oldest who is in 5th grade now is right where I had assessed. He is strong is comprehension and across subjects we have covered. Where he is lacking is his hand writing. It's the most challenging. We are bringing in Vimala alphabet and have been since 4th. We also practice calligraphy because he enjoys that. But basic writing, even printing is poor.

It's likely from so much time on the computer - he hunts and pecks but I don't want to teach typing until he masters hand writing, even printing.

Hand writing through narrative stories and reinstating the weekend journal.

Printing through copy work. Use poetry for this. William Blake's Inn

Now that spring is here we can spend longer time outdoors in activities to help build brain and body connection. I've noticed even though we have been active daily, it's not the same as getting outside and running and playing.

Update and reinstate morning circle daily.

Add in gratitude practice, blessing, feel it real practice.

Add in daily Scripture with Dad - Each Night might be better because DH has originated this as an action. Because we have not be active in our religions (I walked away from my religion of many years and searched for a home for our family, moving often has made that difficult to settle in but it's sorely missed and is a top goal for 2017)

As DH and I repair and restore our marriage all things with the boys have begun to improve. Grateful for this beyond words.

Youngest son, now 8. Grateful that I work with Waldorf with him as he is the sensitive sole and still resistant to reading. An amazing artist, exceptional with math and numbers, but the abstract of reading is a challenge. He gets better but he does not enjoy it like his older brother who is more sanguine/air.

Between the nutrition (allergic to dairy in all forms - causes rash and stomach pains along with extreme temperament and emotional upset - this he is old enough to see and recognize so chooses wisely) we have a stronger handle on our journey.

Help build confidence for younger son and self esteem - correct and clear any damage as a result of the turmoil over the last few years. Use tools from work life - emotional freedom technique, Chi Kung, NVC,

Continuing with the Non Violent Communication work - we won't attend NVC family camp this year - decision was made based on having more negative influence on the children and defeating the purpose. There were many children who had very fowl language and some parents unwilling to address this. Both boys came away with worse habits of defiance, fowl language and entitlement. While I don't believe in dictatorship in the home, there must be respect - not only for elders but for self.

We all will continue to work on this.

We as a family are implementing a "FAMILY GAME" we have rules we've all agreed upon and good habit cards. This is inspired by a book called Family Rules, I'm not sure the author - a counselor in the Oregon area wrote it and I picked it up at a church rummage sale. Good Habit Cards have been beneficial. I prefer this over saying "you are down stat" or you are upstat this week. Stat being short for statistic. Which was something we did last year. A little bit too logic metric based. I want the boys to feel like the behavior, words, action, habits are something more integral to themselves than just a word - up or down stat. This is a concept I gained from scientology but I feel should be left for running a business not a family.

The Perils of Homeschooling a Pre-Teen

It's been an intense day. I'm always amazed at how dynamic one day of homeschooling can be. Whoever said it was easy - well no one did - did they? Home schooling easy? No - never. But worth it! I believe that.

It was like this when my boys were little - that it's so intense and I'm about ready to scream when they finally lay down to sleep and I look upon cherub faces and it feels as if I miss them already.

This whole parenting journey for me has been one of re-parenting my own inner child, so there is a lot that comes up for me. I do not and did not have things totally together before having children nor even now.

Add in homeschooling - oh I wouldn't change this for a moment - but it gets so intense.

I wonder what would be supportive to me and to our family home schooling right now. I dream that having more family support, having more of a community like the beautiful mams and families from Austin in the Holistic Moms Network I miss so much. I wonder if things would be all "perfect" if I had a better marriage. I don't know.

But I know that the way to unhappiness is thinking what if and should and expecting something from myself, others, my children other than who and what we are.

So, that's a breath to take. Tonglen meditation. Being present to what is. That's my favorite moment. When I just become present to what is - without the judgement. Sometimes it takes me a bit but practice more and improvement and swifter ease will come with it.

This week we have studied the life of bees. So much joy and wonder from the boys this year. Seeing the hives, so much understanding. I hope to do this every year. They want to keep hives. Oh how that would be wonderful. A house, a home, maybe a small piece of land is back in the dreams again.

For now, the trips to the farms are lovely.

Simile and Metaphor - what a delight, sharing this as education for language arts and writing for Ryder has been lovely for me. I get to rekindle my own education and fill in gaps for myself. That is fun.

Is homeschooling more for me than it is for them? No. Yes. I'm certain that if I stay present to this journey I will stay on course and reach the final destination as a homeschooling parent.

Oh in this moment I am delighted to be able to homeschool and so excited about the possibilities for all of us. Even with the days of back talk now from my 11 year old. But to see their wonder and joy and their own perspective on life and everything we are learning.

Ryder reads so much Minecraft - so many of these novels and chronicles - devours them. I shall not complain - he loves to read. Good.

Dax, does not. Hates the library - hates books - why? He loves to draw. Yay. But what did I do on the reading? I see how Waldorf has been the best for Dax - he is still in the soulful period in so many ways - yet - dear heaven he will be 9 in September?!?! IS that possible?

I must learn to be more caring - more gentle with him. Is it a reflection of something I must heal in myself - his anger his intensity? Is it a reflection of all of the turmoil since the day I knew I was pregnant with Dax? So different than Ryder! There is so much that has effected him. I was less careful and good in this time. So much marital strife while pregnant and throughout his life.

I wish I could have changed all of this for him but I must allow that this is part of the journey we will have together. Must stop expecting so much perfection, must stop comparing myself, must stop judging myself so harshly. Just be.

Why do I write all of this - not for anyone to read. Please not. But for me to "wood shed" so I can sleep and rest and know better how I can help these two amazing beings I am entrusted to foster love, wisdom, support, understanding.

There is testing in the public schools - I was going to document what I had begun doing with Ryder but I do not wish to even approach this topic. Ryder doesn't mind testing - in fact he doesn't have issues with it - thank goodness. As long as I keep it as a game - it's not a judgment piece I won't ever let it be. But a way to assess.

I'll continue with William Blakes Inn to completion this week and do more diphthongs. I love the Vimala piece and Dax loves cursive - but not Vimala.

We'll foster more of this. ryder was so helpful today. Made pancakes. Did his chores. Then right back to his reading of his novels - what is it with minecraft? They grow out of this right? Stop motion and clay animation seems to have taken it's place. Oh yes, I grounded Minecraft playing this week - why? I can't remember now ----- oh yes, he lied about cleaning the cat litter box. Lying has become a big thing - something I can not tolerate. But someone else in the family does it so I wondered is it learned or DNA? Lessons - stories I must find on this - why does he feel it necessary to lie? I must not make it mean more than it is - it's a learning opportunity. And that it makes me crazy angry is something I must heal - so good - that's my piece in it and I will honor this. Good, I ask for help with this.

Thank you Spring for arriving! I've needed the sun - we all have.

Renew the spirit.  How can I best support my boys? How can I best support Ryder? I let go and open my heart to the answers.