Thursday, October 29, 2015

What my nature journaling really looks like

Photo by my daughter Emma

Yes, it would have been easier to pack up the pencils, call it a morning, and start in on lunch preparations.  But instead I stuck it out at the table after helping the three boys with their journal entries, wrote my entry and sketched my maple leaf, all the while trying to keep my journal in place and my pencils (and toddler!) on the table.  Yes, the table isn't where we generally encourage children to sit, but it was far easier to draw with her there than on my lap.  And in the end, I succeeded.

6 comments:

  1. Such a sweet photo. I can definitely relate :)

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  2. Hello,
    I just came across your blog. I like it very much and have found all your posts really helpful.
    How are you finding AO Year 2 curriculum? (which we are following also). (I have an almost 7yr old, a 4yr old and a newborn).

    I agree with you about the history on AO as well (we're Catholic). It was expensive but we bought the history curriculum from rchistory.com and use that instead.

    best wishes
    Antonia

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for your comment, Antonia!

      I'm enjoying the AO Y2 curriculum and my son is enjoying it as well. I've perhaps edited Our Island Story slightly when I think they say something overly judgmental or inaccurate, but on the whole it has been a good year so far. I do make a few substitutions - namely lives of Saints rather than Trial and Triumph - but on the whole it is going well for us.

      I used RC History for two years before I started largely following Ambleside. I liked that it is a Catholic program, but I felt like RC History used too many books and moved through them too quickly. I also felt like the literary quality of the books was a little uneven. I'm still using many of the books from the program, but I'm using them as free reading rather than as books I read aloud or assign and expect my kids to narrate.

      Thanks again for stopping by!

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    2. Hello! Thanks for your reply. Hm, yes I can see what you mean about the quality of the books with RCHistory. We have only been doing it a few months, but I can already sense that the quality of the books isn't quite the same as AO curriculum for example.
      (we don't follow the exact schedule recommended by RCHistory for reading the books...we do it in the order they recommend, but not at the rate they recommend because yes, it is pretty fast! Some days it was expecting me to read 30 pages from "Life of Our Lord for Children" plus a Saint, which was a lot!)

      I have added you onto my blogger list so I am sure I will stop by again. I can empathise with you say about everything, especially about being overwhelemed and having some times of burnout (I had a very difficult 2 years after my second child was born...stress and physical crashes..)
      Best wishes
      X

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    3. Thanks for adding me to your list, I'll look forward to you stopping by again. I've added you to my list as well.

      I hope you're doing ok after the birth of your new little one. I loved the picture of her with the dinosaurs! I hope you're able to rest and you can have an easier time this time around.

      With RC History, I remember reaching a point when I realized I was supposed to read all of Augustus Caesar's World in a matter of just a month or so and I realized that either I would have to give up short lessons and good narrations, or I would have to give up following the RC History schedule. I decided to keep the short lessons and better narrations, and we ended up taking at least a year and a half if not two to do one year of their program. I also didn't use any of their assignments after the first bit too, instead staying with the basic CM techniques.

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