Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls; Jeremiah 6:16
It was bittersweet closing my Etsy store this year, and since then I've been reflecting back on the beginning of our homeschooling journey. Reflecting not only our homeschool journey, but also the growth of my children, myself and our lives in general. As much as our lives ebb and flow, I can see the constant thread of my God. I see how He has always been there patiently watching over and leading. So faithful and as constant as the earth spins and the sun rises and sets on us each day.
James 1:17
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
When we first began our homeschool journey I knew that we needed consistency in our daily activity to keep us on track with academics and train the children in forming good living habits. Now as we are about to enter our last year of Middle School, we know exactly what to do and when to do it. It's like clockwork. I don't need to spend the first hour of our day explaining the order of events or asking for the daily living tasks to be done. We just do them and that frees up time to get down to the learning. Consistency in early childhood pays out big dividends and I am reaping those benefits now.
My recent life events, which includes the birth of my third grandchild, has got me thinking about how important it is for my grandchildren to have grandparents who are consistent with their actions. Children thrive in consistency. Consistency is an attribute of Jesus and I want to be like Him in my service to my family. I do not have fancy things or tons of money to offer them, but I have something much better....love.... constant, unconditional love. I want my children and grandchildren to know that as sure as the sun rises I will be here waiting for them whenever they need me. I am going to be intentional about setting holiday traditions with them. Traditions they can take comfort in because they are consistent.
During my time of reflecting back, I thought maybe I would start to write/journal our lives again, but this time without the restriction of have to do it to drive traffic for sales. I started searching for the platform to do such a thing and wouldn't you know.... I stumbled upon my old Blogger site. Blogging is so weird. Even the word, "blog," is funny. 😆 It makes me laugh. Going back through my old posts, some of which are so embarrassing I do not have the publish button on, I can see the huge personal grow. That makes me thankful. Thankful for the fact that even though I have gone through many changes in life, Jesus never changes. He is constant.
The photo is of Payten and I at the Capitol with Homeschool Oklahoma. I know it's kind of random for a blog post about Lord's consistency, but I had to jump back in somewhere. Plus, I was trying to figure out how I was going to be pulling the images through.
Lastly, I will leave you the song that comes to mind when I think about how constant God's love has been for me. Enjoy!
Homeschooling my twin boys has been such a honor. Writing the curriculum we use made homeschooling so special. It was a way for me to share my heart with them.
While I do have this curriculum available inside our Etsy store here: Robin Hood Math
I wore the curriculum as a gift to my children.
We started this course at the beginning of the year during the 2020 pandemic. Robinhood math has two parts. We completed Part 1 before winter break and finished the school year with part two.
Here is some of the work we did.
The math curriculum was written with a running story of Robin Hood & his Merry Men and Women. Each learning concept accompanies a short chapter of the story.
Little John
When Robin Hood meets Little John there isn't enough room on the bridge for the two men. After dueling, they both end up on the water. The boys helped the charters jump out of the water on stones ... counting by fives.
I drew stones on the pavement and they jumped and counted by fives.
Main Lesson Bookwork
Friar Tuck
The boys learned to count coins with Friar Tuck.
Dad helps teach our coin lesson.
Lady Mirian
We learned to tell time.
Archery
Weather permitting ... they boys have practiced archery during this block. When we finish, they will be able to shoot their target and add their points using their column adding skills.
This conculded Part 1 of Robinhood Math.
This math curriculum is given in two parts. Part 1 could be done before winter break and Part 2 after.
I will make another blog post for the second part of this 2nd Grade Math Curriculum. 🏹
It is important to give credit where credit is due. Ask any artist how offensive it is when someone else takes credit for their work. That's why teaching my children about who the author and creator of the universe is important to us.
"O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth ... When I consider thy heavens, the works of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained." Psalms 8:1 and 3
Home School Curriculum
For this unit we are using The Good and the Beautiful curriculum. The best part about it .... we got ours F.R.E.E. for download. It isn't for free anymore, but the PDF is still super C.H.E.A.P ... which is the next best thing to free. Get it here: Space Science
☆ The Good & the Beautiful is a Non-denominational Christian curriculum that we have come to love very much!
• The book that we are reading alongside the unit is, "Space: God's Majestic Handiwork" by Susan Windsor
This book is perfect! It prepares children to hear about "The Big Bang Theory" and explains that we do do not believe everything just happened by accident. I highly recommend this book.
Our Home School Science Journals
The first thing we did was put together our Science Journals. They are a three ring binder with notebook paper and blank paper inside. Then, the boys painted a nice cover. They are always happy when we get the paints out.
Unit One we learned about our Solar System. I had cards with each planet on them and the boys took turns ordering them. Each, child drew a picture of the Solar System inside their Science Journal accompanied by a definition. We also started our read aloud book. Several years ago, I started reading to the children during lunch. Each day, we read a few pages from it.
Unit Two: We learned about our Galaxy, The Milky Way. The boys painted it on watercolor paper with acrylics. The background was layed one day and the top layer the next. We tapped them inside their Science Journals accompanied with the definition of a galaxy.
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1
This school year we are memorizing Bible verses and the one on our board during our Space Unit was perfect!
We are using the "Jesus Storybook Bible" by Sally Llyod-Jones for our stories. To help us track our progress of scripture memorization, I made the boys this cute form. They love getting stickers! ♡ If you would like this form for your child, you can download it here:
"A thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest." William Blake ~
Growing your own pumpkin patch is fun and exciting with delicious returns that provide a ton of activities for the children.
Planting Pumpkins at Garden School: A Summer time activity
When the days are long and hot midsummer, the last thing you may be thinking about is the cool days of fall, but that is precisely when thoughts of pumpkins should begin. For a pumpkin patch to be well established by the time Mr. Jack-O-Lantern comes on the scene, the seeds must go into the ground around the 4th of July. While everyone else was running around blowing up things, we were putting our seeds into the ground. We planted our pumpkins inside one of our raised beds about an inch sow depth.
My 2nd graders love helping in the garden. The pumpkins were a great crop for them to plant because the seeds are large enough for their little hands to control.
Garden School Fall Harvest
Fast forward to fall ...
I now fully understand why EVERYTHING is pumpkin in the fall. We have pumpkins growing out our ears now. Our plans for them: puree several, carve two, and sell the rest out of the back of our car in town.
Talk about the power of one seed!
I'm really excited about the homemade pumpkin puree. I have big cooking plans for them ... pumpkin rolls, pumpkin pies, and pumpkin smoothies. Whoooo who!
How to Make & Can Pumpkin Puree
Here is our Pumpkin puree processes.
Step One:
Cut the top and get all the guts out.
Don't forget to save some of the seeds ... you will want to keep it going.
Step Two:
Cut into pieces and measure out 8 cups of pumpkin. (This batch is going to make about three pints of pumkin puree. A average sized pumpkin will be enough pumpkin to do this entire process twice, giving you a total of six pints per pumpkin.) Put the cut pieces into a large pot and add 4 cups of water.
Step Four:
Over a medium heat, boil until pieces are tender. (Start boiling the water for the water bath canner with the jars inside.) Then, stain off most of the water.
* Everything about water bath canning means HEAT. This is probably the only part the littles may need another activity to do.
Step Five:
In a blender or food processor puree the mixture until smooth.
Step Six:
Add sugar to taste. I think I used about a cup.
Step Seven:
Bring mixture to a boil.
Step Eight:
Canning the puree: remove your hot jars from the canner and fill with the mixture. Leave an inch of headspace at the top. With a knife, stick it down into the jars and run along the sides of the jar to release air bubbles. Wipe the rims with a rag and put the bands and lids on hand tight.
Process the jars inside the water bath canner for 20 mins.
I reserved enough puree to fill our cupcake pan. We covered the pan and stuck it in the freezer for latter use. We will use the frozen puree in our pumpkin smoothies. Yum!
Lastly, one of our favorite books!
The children reach for this book year round! Pumpkins aren't just for Halloween.
** For information about Homeschooling or Homesteading products Ancient Path offers, we would love it very much if you took a look around our Etsy Shop. Our family is so grateful for all of you who have supported us over the years. Thank you!
"This herb should be kept in every gentlewoman's house…it causeth the mind and heart to become merry and driveth away troublesome cares." 17th-century herbalist Culpeper ~
A good herbalist will find many uses for one plant. Not that I like to consider myself a herbalist .. I despise labels! At any rate, lemon balm and cone flower both have immunity boosting properties. I have had this immunity boosting medicine in the works for some time now. It is lemon balm and cone flower and child safe. I plan on starting the twins on this in the fall in preparation of the colder months.
Our Lemon Balm is homegrown on our homestead. These are two year plants. Lemon Balm is easy to grow and does well in most soil. Our Lemon Balm was one of the first herbs planted in our garden.
Cone flower is still in the works here. The ones we used to make our immunity booster were sent to us from some dear friends. Native Americans have been using cone flowers for a very long time and they grow wild in some places.
To make: fill a mason jar full of lemon balm and cone flowers. Pour vegetable glycerin into the jar, filling it about three quarters full. For medicine I plan on giving to the children, I use vegetable glycerin as a binding agent for the tinctures. Don't want to get the littles drunk. lol. The glycerin is actually sweet tasting. So, the littles love it. They actually ask me to take their herbs daily!
Put your jar in a dark place and let it sit for at least six weeks. About every other day, give your jar a good shake!
When it is finished, strain the herbs threw a muslin bag to separate the herbs from the liquid. Then, funnel the medicine into glass amber jars.
Our family take a dropper of this immunity booster each morning.
Happenings Around the Homestead
Work hard, play hard. We've got to get the chores done before we play.
Saturday afternoon I spent all day in the kitchen again, peeling and canning 10 pounds of apples. There is a serious Science to canning. I mean, you could open up a can of food 10 years latter and stay alive with it. Well, you are either going to stay alive or die from food poisoning. 😂 Canning has to be done %100 correct or the food will get bacteria on it. Giving someone food poisoning is counter intuitive to keeping them alive. So, you really have to pay attention! I am following the Ball Canning Guides
**For information about Homeschooling or Homesteading products Ancient Path offers, we would love it very much if you took a look around our Etsy Shop. Our family is so grateful for all of you who have supported us over the years. Thank you!
Online is a tough place to be right now. So many hurting people. This momma here really needs to guard her heart from all the noise. There is much important work to do. 🕊
Above all else, guard your heart, ❤ for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23
I do not have any plans to be on social media for the summer, but I still needed a place to share our sweet memories and this seems like the right place to do it.
Garden Schooling on the Homestead
Our garden is growing and so are we. We have been keeping a small garden for two years now, only two raised beds. It has been a work in progress for many years. The garden patch was heavily wooded when we started and had to develop the whole thing.
This Spring we finally closed it up. Since the garden was closed we could finally grow as much as we wanted to without worrying about losing anything to the animals. 🌱
Since our winter was so mild, we have had a terrible time with grasshoppers this year. Some plants are completely destroyed, but we keep going ... and keep learning. Overall, I would have to say we are doing great for our first year. 🕊
Food Preserving on the Homestead
What else are we doing this summer? ....food preserving. I am planning a pantry challenge this winter, where we live only out of our pantry for two months. I have done a lot of things in life and feel like I am intelligent, but let me tell you that food prepping makes my head hurt. 🤣 There are so many things to considered, and canning is a complete Science in itself.
The pickled eggs probably won't make it to the winter ... unless I hide them. 🤔 Here is the YouTube University we went to when we learned how to make them. Pickled Eggs
Also, I am buying meat in bulk, on sale, cooking and vacuum sealing dinner portions. Today, I cooked and sealed a weeks worth of meat. We eat a lot of soups in the winter time. All these portions will go inside soups. Since the are precooked, even if our power ever goes out ... we will be eating good. 😁
So, I'm still here friends. Just in a different way for a time. 🦋 I still get notifications when you message me on Ancient Path's business page and you can always shoot me an Email
Final thoughts: My deepest wish is to make it out of the Summer with clean hands and a pure heart. ❤
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Mathew 5:8 🕊
For information about Homeschooling or Homesteading products Ancient Path offers, we would love it very much if you took a look around our Etsy Shop. Our family is so grateful for all of you who have supported us over the years. Thank you!
Legend has it, finding a four leaf clover is lucky and St. Patrick attributed the three leafed clover to the Holy Trinity.
Before creating circle times or putting holiday activities together, I first meditate on the subject. During the meditation phase, I ask myself, "What are the main teaching points? Can any of them be compacted for economy in teaching? What is the spirit of the activity or what kind of environment should be created? The spirit of St. Patrick's Day seems to be colorful, playful and a bit mischievous. Here's what I came up with.....
A Waldorf Homeschool St. Patrick's Day Celebration
A few circle time verses:
Beams of Love Finger Play:
Round the golden dome above (Bring arms above head in a circle.)
Sends to me its beams of love (Bring arms slowly down and cross over heart.)
As I go about my day (Move arms back and forth like “walking.”)
Beams of love unfold in play (Start with hands crossed over heart and slowly bring arms down and outward.)
Take these beams I give to you (Hands outstretched showing palms, move them outward more.)
And pass them on in all you do (Bring hands together in front of you.)
—Eileen Straiton
Little Cobbler: A rascal little elf is he Who taps on shoes each day. Hee hee! He laughed, Disappeared, when asked, Could he come out to play. —Sara Wilson
Homeschool Baking: No Icing Sugar Cookies
While we were waiting for the sun to warm us up in the morning, we baked clover sugar cookies. I have had this recipe tucked away for awhile. Best sugar cookie the West side of the Mississippi. It's actually for Christmas, but we just used our clover cutters. The best thing about it … it doesn't involve messy icing. The cookies are colored by brushing on egg yoks that are colored with food coloring. You can find the recipe here: Pioneer Woman's Christmas Sugar Cookie
Foraging for Clovers
Since the children are so little, we were happy to just find clovers. Before going out to look for clovers. I read them the following.
Five Green Shamrocks
(A simple children's St Patricks Day poems)
One green shamrock, in the morning dew,
Another one sprouted,
and then there were two.
Two green shamrocks, growing beneath a tree;
Another one sprouted,
and then there were three.
Homeschool Games: Leprechaun's Bag of Gold
Leprechauns often carry a bag of gold with them. So, I used yellow construction paper to cut ten circles that represented gold coins. I numbered them 1 - 10 and put them in a bag. For fun, the children ordered them in ascending and descending order. We had the most fun taking one or two out of the bag and letting the others guess which one was missing.
Hidden Shamrocks
Before circle time pre cut several shamrocks. Hide them arround the room or if it is warm enough outside. Everyone had a turn hiding and finding. This was the activity the twins learned to guide people by saying "Hotter or Colder" <3
A hidden shamrock, under our classroom table.
A Homeschool Story for Wet on Wet Watercolor Painting
The Sunbeam's Visit by Cornelia Fulton Crary
This is a great story to tell whilst painting it with the children.
One day, as the glorious sun came up to bid the world "Good morning," one beam of light came out with all the rest, and went to give its part of rightness to the people of the world. In this beam of light were six little rays; but they all had on white cloaks, and they went along so close together that they looked like one clear, white ray.
It was early in the morning, and as the beam of light went on its way straight from the sun, to take its message of love and brightness to the world just as well and quickly as it could, it went through between two of the slits of the blind in the window of the room where little Johnny was snugly tucked in bed fast asleep; and it shone right on the top of a glass inkstand which Johnny's mother kept on the table. As the beam of light went through the sharp edges of the clear glass, all the little rays took off their white cloaks, and went and stood hand in hand in a streak of colors on the white ceiling.
Each one of the six rays that made the beam of light was a different color. Three of them were strong, and able to take care of their little brothers and help them to be bright as they were, just as little children who are bright and happy help others to be bright and happy too. These three strong rays were red and yellow and blue.
The red and the yellow rays had between them another ray who held tight to both of them, and the red and the yellow ray each gave him some of their brightness; so he was an orange ray.
And the yellow and the blue had fast hold of the little green ray which was between them, sharing the brightness of the yellow and the coolness of the blue ray, and very happy and bright himself while he was standing close to them.
Then, at the end of the line, close to the blue, stood another ray. He was something like the red ray at the other end of the line, who gave him some of his red glow; but he was more like the blue, because he stood close to him and shared his color, which, mixed with the red, made him a purple ray.
So there they stood, the red and the orange, the yellow and the green, the blue and the purple rays, holding each other's hands and looking at Johnny.
And all this didn't take as long to happen as it takes to tell about it; for as they looked at him, Johnny felt their brightness against his eyelids, and opened his eyes to see what it was, and said: "Why, there is the light; it must be morning." So he got up right away, and washed his face and hands very clean, and dressed, so he would not be late to breakfast. He opened the blinds to let more of the sunshine in, and then the six little rays ran back through the glass and put on their white cloaks again, and went with all the other beams of light to make the day bright. And Johnny stood before the window and said "Good morning" to the sun, which had sent the beam of light to visit him and make him glad.
A St. Patrick's Day Song
For the tune ...
Saint Patrick was a gentleman, he came from decent people
He built a church in Dublin town and on it put a steeple His father was a Gallagher, his mother was a Grady His aunt was an O'Shaughnessy and his uncle was a Brady Success to bold Saint Paddy's fist he was a saint so clever he gave the snakes and toads a twist and banished them forever.
Final Thoughts
“Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known.” —Garrison Keillor
We have so much to be thankful for. Happy St. Patrick's Day. I'm off to set a leprechaun trap.
For information about Homeschooling or Homesteading products Ancient Path offers, we would love it very much if you took a look around our Etsy Shop. Our family is so grateful for all of you who have supported us over the years. Thank you!
“Each person needs a field of activity for his inner life, for his willing, feeling, and finally for his thinking soul. The child needs this field of activity for the strength of his soul as does each adult. If I do not present the child with the images of the language of the fairy tales, then the contents of his soul will be supplied by the idle talk of the alley. Car makes and money concerns; trivial, unimaginative bits of everyday conversation will rule the field of his soul, resulting in a field filled with weeds.” ~ Helmut von Kugelgen
Inner Life of a Child
To the child, fairy tales have an enormous effect on the inner life. They help them work out and face problems that will arise in life. A fairy tale given at just the right time, can educate, support and liberate the emotions of a child.
It is plainly obvious that my children do not experience the world the way I do. They think it would take a long time to walk to the sun. I do not wish to hurriedly bring them up to my, often dulled, adult way of thinking. I am interested in keeping the imaginative magic of their childhood alive. Albert Einstein said that imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited but imagination encircles the world.
Waldorf Homeschool: First Grade Fairy Tales
In First Grade, children learn the letters of the alphabet in an artistic way. Teaching the alphabet in art form, allows the letters to live imaginatively inside the child forever. Waldorf schools use this form of teaching the alphabet. It's modeled after Rudolf Steiner's lecture. After all, drawing pictures on cave walls is how we have communicated since the beginning.
With each consonant, a fairy tale is told and an anchor image arises from the story. That image is artistically rendered. The vowels are taught differently. I'll save that for a post by itself. On the day the story is told the children arrive to an illustration of the anchor word drawn on our chalkboard. There is a "rest" period for the story, which is usually one day, before the letter is rendered into their Main Lesson Book. Here is an example of our letter 'K' chalk drawing and Main Lesson Book work.
Most of the stories I have chosen are Brother Grimm's Fairy Tales. Some parents have concerns about the sometimes violent or gruesome content of these tales. We can even see water downed versions told. This results in a depravation of the senses, kind of like a the effects of pain killers. In Brother's Grimm's tales humans undergo trials and suffering. The deeds of a person earns them rewards, such as the hand of the princes. Children do not experience the greed of the witch the way adults do. The story will only be as scary as the imagination of the child.
Spinning the Tale
It's best to dedicate a space for storytelling. To create an atmosphere of reverence, a candle can be lit and extinguished each time. The children connect with the storyteller if they are told the story rather than read the story. I know that is a lot of memorizing, but worth the effort. I draw short pictured story lines for myself as a cheat sheet.
A Waldorf Journey Through the Alphabet Curriculum
We offer a complete Waldorf Alphabet Homeschool Curiculum for First Grade.
Everything you need to teach the alphabet in a fun, imaginative way!
***For information about Homeschooling or Homesteading products Ancient Path offers, we would love it very much if you took a look around our Etsy Shop. Our family is so grateful for all of you who have supported us over the years. Thank you!
