(no subject)

Dreams are such strange things. Sometimes they disappear like morning mist as soon as I wake up, completely forgotten. Sometimes they linger all day long, haunting me. Today is a haunting day. I dreamed that my parents died in a car accident when I was a child, but somehow I dissassociated and never acknowledged that. I was raised by my parents' friends in FL at the time they were killed (people I haven't seen or heard from since we moved away from FL when I was ten year old), but believed they were actually my parents. My sisters were there too. It was so odd. The dream actually began with me, as an adult at a party with all my family and friends and suddenly "waking up" to discover these people were not who I thought they were and my parents were dead and I began screaming and crying hysterically and then I really woke up. With a splitting headache.

I promptly got online and searched for the names of these people who raised me in my dream that I haven't seen or heard anything about in 23 years. Didn't find them. Not sure I'd recognize them if I did.

Wow. I still feel like I'm in that dream. Maybe I'll call my mom to reassure myself that I'm awake and she is actually alive.

Geez, I miss my mom.

(no subject)

I've mentioned before that Luci is obsessed with The Wizard of Oz. Last night, when I wouldn't let her watch it, she sat down at her little table and drew, on a series of about seven sheets of blank paper, front and back, the entire story. She added random letters that she "read" to me that were descriptions of the whatever she was drawing at the time. She hummed and sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" the entire time.

This is one of my favorite lullabies in the world and somehow, watching her draw last night listening to her sing, I thought of it and it brought me to tears thinking of this world she has to face...inside herself and outside.

"If I could, I would give you wings
To lift you way up in the air
So you would find the rainbow's end,
'Cause wings would get you there.

If I could, I would give you wings
To carry you out of the storm
They'd take you higher than the wind,
Where you'd be safe and warm.

If I could, I would give you wings
To lighten your heart through the years
They'd flutter soft around you then and
Dry up all your tears."

Homeschool ramblings...

Because this is my "think" place and I hate writing things on paper as I always lose the paper...

Here is what I'm currently looking at for next year's curriculum:

Phonics/Reading - The Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading or Spell to Read and Write or Phonics Pathways
Grammar -First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind
Spelling - Spelling Workout
Writing - Handwriting Without Tears, Draw Write Now (this will double as art/drawing lessons as well)
Math - Saxon homestudy kit 
History - History Portfolio Series, The Story of the World, Kingfisher History Encyclopedia, and the new Bible Storybook just coming out from the Greek Orthodox Church
Science - Kingfisher First Animals Encyclopedia,  My Body , and Green Thumbs: A Kid's Guide to Indoor and Outdoor Gardening

Supplements:
Audio math memory songs CDs
dowdloads and CDs of classical and modern music to introduce and study
and zillions of library books for reading, history, art, and fun

Anyone have any opinions about any of this? Most of it comes straight out of the Well Trained Mind, but some of it is just stuff I've seen and loved and want to include somehow (like the Draw Write Now series and the History Portfolios). I'd love to find some of the nonconsumables used, so I'd love to hear about that too. I'm pleased that a lot of this is nonconsumable so it can be used for all the girls and a lot of it can be used for several years of study. It doesn't look too overwhelming listed like that. Of course, I've also got in mind violin lessons for Maria and continuing some kind of physcial activity like dance or gymnastics or sport that they would like to try. And, most importantly, we'll be doing "religious" education in the form of following the church calendar more closely and learning about the saints and feasts. One of my few New Years resolutions is to do that with the girls.

I don't really know what I'm going to do for Kindergarten with Zoe. I imagine that she will follow along with a lot of what Mari is doing. We'll get more heavily into the phonics study and learning to read and probably I'll just get basic K-1 math workbooks like Mari has used for her to do if she shows interest. For science I thinks she will just do what I'm doing with Mari. Seems like plenty for K as long as she stays active and involved in life in general. I don't want to do a "curriculum" with her like I'm doing this year with Mari.

I'm doing this so early because I'd like to start gathering supplies and looking them over before I get down to it. Also, buying all this at once will feel overwhelming. Gathering it little by little will feel less intense and I can spend the time to find used stuff where available.

Any thoughts appreciated.