July 2012 in Review

Photo taken by Dierdre, age 10.

I've really fallen off the blogging bandwagon the last few weeks, haven't I? But I have been busy making a slide show for my high school class's 20th year reunion, working on my Shakespeare lessons, raising a family, trying to get ready for a big family trip, putting my foot in my mouth, growing a baby, etc., etc., etc..


*SIGH*

So I'm taking the wimpy way out today and posting some pictures from our hot July here in the desert. I hope you're having a lovely summer where you live! :-)

Dierdre painting

I've been canning zucchini hot dog relish

Monsoon season calls for dancing in the warm rain!

Gavin loves to wrestle with our dog, Mr. Tumnus

Avalon being her imaginative self

Kids piling on Brennan

The big girls have been creating masterpieces to eat.

Ronan is an expert  at using the vacuum cleaner!

Bonny loves to dress and play with the little girls.

MacKenna is excited to learn to read!

Eryn has wrapped Lliam around her tiny fingers-- she's his  task-master, now!

Grayse was so impressed with "how pretty" this cookie was.

Eryn loved watching the fireworks!

Everyone spends lots of time in the meal-serving lines around here.

I caught Morganne wearing her apron-- ha!

MacKenna says "Goodbye. See you again in August!"

Pressing Forward

William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon

For more than a year I've been writing what can only be described as a "curriculum" for teaching Shakespeare. Last summer, I finished the first part, which is for teaching students about the Bard and the Elizabethan Age. It has weekly lessons that can be taught as a precursor to putting on a Shakespeare play. While it's meant to be used for homeschooling moms who want to teach their children and their kids' friends in a class atmosphere, it could be used for one family.

But right now, I'm working hard to finish the acting and directing guide for putting on a Shakespeare play. It's been a much bigger effort than I had supposed it would be, even though I have a lot of experience teaching acting and directing shows. Some things are just not easy to translate into words! I mean, most of what I learned before I jumped in the directing trenches was from the examples of the many teachers and directors I worked with throughout my youth. Putting all those lessons I learned into words is not the easiest thing for me to do. *whew!*

Today, I've been sitting at the computer, pounding out what to do and expect in the audition process. With only a few breaks for things like perusing Pinterest, it has taken me this entire day!

In contrast to the writing I've been doing, compared to posting on my blogs, I can say that blogging is a process that takes much less effort! I'm not sure what that says about the quality of my writing on my blogs, but...

I hope all my blogging buddies are enjoying their summers! I promise not to completely abandon my blogs, but hopefully this is a good explanation as to why I've been away.

On to the next!!!

Love,
Mama

Robert Frost

Robert Frost: Image Source

This morning, I read an article on celebrities that homeschool(ed) their kids. And while it was interesting, the section on Robert Frost was the most fascinating!

To quote from the article:

"Poet Robert Frost, winner of four Pulitzer Prizes, was a staunch believer in homeschooling (he was homeschooled himself), saying, 'I still say the only education worth anything is self-education.' For Frost, this meant convincing the authorities that he and his wife could educate their children at home, which was taboo during the early 1900's."

"Visitors to the Frost home can see the parlor where Elinor and Robert homeschooled their children and spent pleasant evenings reading together as a family before the children were tucked in for the night." 

Compulsory Education was the newest, greatest thing at the turn of the 20th century, so the Frost family was REALLY going against the grain to keep up the "old idea" of homeschooling for their family. I can see more and more that "The Road Not Taken", while not an easy thing, really can "make all the difference."


Thanks for the inspiration today, Mr. Frost! :-)

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 

Love, Mama Rachel

May America Bless God

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!! I pray we will all remember where our liberties truly originate.

Love,
Mama Rachel