A Dollar Well Spent

I love 'Les Miserables'. I love that my mother had a relationship with it. I love the story line and its depiction of the transformation of the soul. I love the movie and in concert. I would love to actually go see it in live concert with my husband and older children. And I'm planning to actually read the unabridged book (one of these days). I was shocked to find out that Victor Hugo was not part of the Great Books.

So when I saw the sheet music for 'Les Miserables' at the DI for only $1.00, I quickly grabbed it and put it in the cart. Granted, it was only treble cleff, and the notes were huge, but I didn't care - I don't play the piano anyway (even though I took lessons all throughout my childhood). I would love to have access to the words to all the songs. I knew Wilberforce wanted the real sheet music but it was the best I could do.

For the past three days, not only has Wilberforce been tinkering around on the piano, but Shakespeare, Austen, and even Hypatia have consistently been fine tuning their rendition of these simplified masterpieces. I've been loving it. Our house is full of music and singing.

So often I buy a super expensive book or curriculum hoping to inspire my children to fall in love with the subject - but true to form - it's my passion and relationship with the subject that has inspired them. It was a dollar very well spent.

School on the Moon

I don't know how many times we've driven straight past it in the last twenty plus years, but this time we stopped. I remember going to Craters of the Moon for a grade school field trip and although I didn't really get anything memorable out of the experience, I always assumed we'd stop there as a family so my home schooled kids could have the same experience. And since it was between my home and my extended family on the other side of the state, we had plenty of opportunities that we didn't have to plan a special excursion. But usually we were pressed for time to visit relatives and exhausted and eager to get home on the way back.
So this time on our way to family camp, I promised myself that we would stop on our way back. After all, my oldest daughter IS 19 years old - she's not getting any younger. Even though it was raining, and we were exhausted and filthy after four days of camping, I pulled into the visitors center. After using the restrooms, and browsing at a few displays in the corridor, we worked our way into the gift shop. BOOKS! All my kids found something they found interesting and explored to their hearts content. Eventually we continued walking into the rest of the visitor's center displays and watched a few documentaries, read several plaques, and pointed out things on the displays. As we learned the history of the site, my kids questioned the scientists calculations when the lava flowed based on the inconsistency with the scriptures or how it might compare with events in history (such as the earthquake that happened when Christ came to America). I was impressed as my children were well versed in much of the concepts, plants, and wildlife that were depicted, as they had a relationship with it.
Soon we were invited to listen to a ranger give a presentation regarding Craters of the Moon. I was able to listen for a short while before my two year old lost interest and wondered off. After this the kids asked to learn more by watching another documentary. By now, I was tired and wanted to get the rest of the journey behind me, so we decided to postpone going on the trail for another day when I wasn't carrying an infant and it wasn't raining.
I think it's impressive the stamina my children have for learning. I know that when I was a kid - I was so anxious to leave and what I did have to sit through - I tolerated because I did my duty. But my kids seem to actually enjoy learning this stuff. I love homeschooling.

Cats

     c                                          c

  Cats                                      Cats

 I love                                   Cats so

much. Cats are small cats are soft and 

smart. Cats black and wight, yellow a-

nd orange, brown and tan, Green eyes

blue eyes        orange        brown eyes

small cats big cats  rare cat tabby cat  

 Pershin, Manx,      calico, shorthair,

   longhair, bu rimes, Rex cat house

         cats and Russian blue 

                I love cats

  

Thats My Bike

When my papa went on his mission, he had a companion named Pomatae.   Pomatae was a Samoan Samoans are big and strong.
        One time my papa's and Pomatae's bikes were stolen, my papa was mad but Pomatae only said "Its OK ossy the lord will provide." ( Ossy was my papa's Nick-name).  Latter that year my papa and Pomatae were walking down the sreet, when a  man came riding past on a bike.  Pomatae started  to run after the man on the bike, and yelled "HEY THAT'S MY BIKE."  The man jumped of and ran, the bike kept on going for a little and then fell.  Pomatae whent and picked it up and brought it back to my papa and said "See ossy the lord will provide."  My papa said to pomatae "Elder you just stole that bike."  Pomatae said in return "Its not his anyway