AO year 1, week 23, January 13

Look at the lovely painting Fina worked on yesterday afternoon.

This morning, we listened to some Schubert over breakfast.

I read a chapter from The Orange Fairy Book to Fina, while cuddled under the nice, warm blankets on the cozy couch. This is one major plus about homeschooling!  I found this book on Librivox and we have listened to a couple of chapters of it that way, but I must say I didn't enjoy it as much. (It could have to do with the reader, or it could just be that I'm not paying as much attention.)  Related to this, I came across this CM quote in the last few weeks and I was reminded of it today.

CM vol II 106
Charlotte Mason in volume II, p 106, is quoting Felix Adler:

"My first counsel is, Tell the story. Do not give it to the child to read. The child, as it listens to the Märchen [the fairy tales], looks up with wide-opened eyes to the face of the person who tells the story, and thrills responsive to the touch of the earlier life of the race, which thus falls upon its own." That is, our author feels, and rightly so, that traditions should be orally delivered. This is well worth noting. 

"Looks up with wide-opened eyes to the face of the person who tells the story." I am not a wonderful story teller, like some parents are, but I can see that this does make a difference!


I read John 1:29-34 and Fina sort of narrated (ha!)
She took her math test for lesson 11 and was able to answering all the questions correctly.
We sang our hymn, "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" and then Fina wanted to sing it in a round (which doesn't work, in case you are wondering!) So we sang "Row, row, row your boat" in a round. She couldn't quite hold the tune, so (thank you, technology) we recorded ourselves singing it on GarageBand and then played that and sang the round against it. It was quite fun!

We read chapter 18 of Paddle to the Sea. Fina narrated it. We looked at Lake Michigan again on the map and saw Paddles' journey.

I read "The Bear and the Bees" from Aesop's Fables. Fina narrated it well.

We read poem 74 from The Oxford Book of Children's Verse, "An Epitaph for a Dormouse." It was cute. We always reread the last few poems as well.

Fina reviewed her recitations. She learned lines 2 and 3 from our current passage from Twelfth Night. She is quicker at this than she thinks. We also reread aloud the Parable of the Sower.

She worked on her cursive K and L.

We sang our folksong, "She's Like the Swallow." Fina is really participating much more with the singing, which pleases me a great deal.

I read "Waiting" from the AO paraphrase of Parables of Nature. I have a hard time connecting with these stories. But this one was a bit easier to get into than some of the others.

Fina read "Chicken Little" from the Treadwell Primer aloud to me. She is doing such a great job with these!

Fina spent a long time in the afternoon working on her finger knitting and her wood working.  The temperature is extremely low and though we went for a quick walk, she did not want to stay out to play. You know it is REALLY cold when Fina doesn't want to stay out and play for a half an hour at least.

We continue to read the Bible together before or after dinner as well as the autobiography of St Thérèse. We are really enjoying this time together.

After supper, Fina and I painted with some new supplies we received in the mail (another late Christmas gift to ourselves).

This is mine. These birds come to our window bird feeder all the time, 

but I painted it based on the painting in the field guide.

This is Fina's copy of mine

Fina wanted to paint some objects she had brought in the house

This was our first time really painting fauna (we have mainly stuck to flora). I think we did ok!


I would like to read "St Hugh of Lincoln" from Our Island Saints to finish up week 23. I am hoping to squeeze it in over the weekend.

One more week and then we will be doing our second set of exams. Very fun!