Confederate Crazy

Lt. Denver and Corporal Jake

 Go big or go home.  That's Denver's motto.  It's not enough to read a book or watch a movie.  He has to live his passions.

That is why we are now the proud owners of Civil War action figures, books, uniforms, muskets, pistols, movies, and video games.  It's also why every nature walk we've taken recently involves Denver yelling, "Charge!" and the rest of us racing behind him down the hiking trails and engaging in imaginary combat.  Shhh . . . A peace loving mom does get tired.

Nevertheless, today we registered to attend The Battle of Resaca reenactment.  We're hoping our history loving Paw Paw will join us.  

These boys . . . They are forever teaching me new things. 

Bayonets!

Of course, no obsession would be complete
without the complementary video game!

If Homeschoolers Advertised

Little Bit patiently poses while Denver dressed
her in several hats and costumes.

Denver and Spencer helped Daddy give Maximus a bath
after he played in mud puddles.

Sleepily enjoying a little Dr. Seuss.
Spencer is a wonderfully patient listener
as Denver works out each word.

If homeschoolers advertised, I could brag about the life skills and pet therapy our school offers.  I could point out the children's ability to follow their own interests at their own pace and their opportunity to learn from different age groups under close supervision.   

Spencer plays a math game
from Calculus for Young People

       If our homeschool were a standard school, other parents might be interested in our upcoming trip to a Civil War reenactment, the Shakespeare's Tavern to complement our history and language learning, and our visit to Fernbank to study poisons in science, literature, and history.  I could point out the boys' exemplary test scores despite the fact that they do no preparation whatsoever throughout the year.

After rising well before dawn, playing Civil War
for two hours, asking me innumerable questions
about weaponry and military tactics,
and asking me to help him read his Civil War
 adventure book, Denver went back to sleep
while the rest of us ate breakfast.

                                         Most importantly, I could charge an incredibly steep tuition for the highly individualized lesson plans for each child and the low student/teacher ratio.  

Instead, I do it for free. And it's the best job ever.  Except for the lack of paycheck.  
Sorry, Honey.

John Robert during lunch
in his usual position.

Denver and I prepared a delicious lunch
of butternut squash, spinach,
cranberries and pecans.

Sorry, Honey.

My husband shows amazing patience with my need to run races. Often these races are in the rain, far away from home, and require his standing in the rain far from home to both cheer for me and hand me my fuels of choice.  

Cheerios Challenge 10K
Third Female Overall
First Masters Female
My boys were impressed until
I told them that MASTERS just
means older than forty!

After the race, I take a bubblebath and rest while he takes care of household chores for the rest of the day and I lie on the couch reading Runner's World magazine and wearing my newly acquired medal.  Bless his heart. 

My husband teases me about my growing rack of medals and trinket awards. He thinks it's all about beating the competition.  He's right about a lot, but he's wrong about that one.

My running partners

I love to run for lots of reasons.  A run with my dogs on a hiking trail at dawn makes my soul sing.  Running at night with a headlamp is strangely exciting.  And running a race with a time goal and the hope of some small award is supremely exciting-- but not for the reason my husband imagines.

I think George Sheehan said it best.  The race for a new time goal or for first place is really just a race against the voice inside me that says to give up.  No matter how much I train or how often I race, that voice is always there.  And so the race goes on.  Sorry, Honey.

Denver's Civil War Curriculum

Denver creates battle scenes from the Civil War
while I struggle to keep the puppy away
from the pieces! 

Much to my surprise and pleasure, the boys are forever coming up with new ideas and interests.  This past week, Denver decided to learn all there is to know about the Civil War.

This is funny because four years ago, that interest belonged to Spencer.  We spent two years satisfying that interest-- reading, going to reenactments, having Civil War parties with friends in our yard, wearing costumes, watching movies, going to all the civil war museums.  During all of that time, Denver was vocal about how boring it was.  Now, he has changed his mind.

Like all children, Denver has windows of intense interest in different subjects.  When the window opens, I try to make sure he gets all he wants.  When the window closes, any further information will be refused.

I am so grateful I don't have to tell him to hold his interest until we get to the Civil War period in our history studies.  We temporarily stopped studying colonial America to pursue his new interest with vigor.  His daddy talks to him about weaponry and shows him YouTube videos on the ipad.  We discuss the various reasons for the war and the strengths and weaknesses of Union and Confederate armies.  He dresses up in soldier's clothes.  I make civil war era meals, and he marches around in the yard.  Because embracing our interests is how our family learns best.

So glad to be homeschooling.

Springing toward Summer

The boys were amazed.
We were 300 feet below the earth in Meramec Caverns.

One week of spring break wasn't enough. So we took two. One of the wonderful things about homeschool is that we can make those kinds of choices.

Denver loved wearing Papa Dale's baseball cap.
He can't wait to see a game this summer!

It isn't as if we didn't learn anything over our extended break.  John Robert traveled with the Montessori class to colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.  He went on tours, attended a witch trial, and visited a battlefield among other things.  Upon his return, the boys and I traveled to Missouri where we visited friends and relatives. They played with cousins, rode bicycles with Papa Dale, shot bows, shot skeet, went swimming, toured Meramec Caverns, rode four wheelers, ate Imo's pizza, and narrowly missed two tornadoes and a newsbreaking hailstorm.

Hanging out with buddy Jackson
 at Imo's Pizza in Farmington, MO.

But now we're back. None of us were looking forward to the return to homeschool. Much to our surprise, though, it has been a lovely day filled with laughter and new thoughts.  

Science homework?  Oh, yeah.

We listened to more Lemony Snickets.  We played the tower game in math-- a puzzle requiring patience, logic, and attention to pattern.  Reading and geography were a breeze, and history is filled with adventure as we learn about early North American explorers and the British colonies.

Yangtze River

North America

Just when I'm getting ready to throw in the homeschool towel, we have a day like this-- full of silliness, laughter, and wonder.  

Color leaps forth in Georgia right now.

As the boys and I walked through a park this afternoon, we laughed at the ducks and Spencer expressed amazement at the lush, varying shades of spring green mixed with the explosion of color from azaleas and wisteria.

The world looks . . . and feels . . . new today.  Ahhh . . . .