The Gettysburg Address

Recently the boys and I read the Gettysburg Address together. Have you ever read it? Really read it? Now this is a powerful document. This gives point to the "Classics, Not Textbooks" from the 7 Keys of Great Teaching. The boys and I had a moving experience as we talked about these powerful words, line by line.

Listen to some of these masterful words.

"...The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced...we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion..."

The whole thing is brilliant and gut wrenching. By the time we were done we were all crying. Crying for what's been done for us, crying because we must carry on with where they left off, and crying because we feel so inadequate to protect this passed on freedom. We had read truth that rang into our souls.

From there a two hour long discussion ensued about the Civil War. I narrated to them the great battles and the great heroes and what they had done. I was weaving a story for them. We talked of Joshua Chamberlain, Stonewall Jackson, Harriet Tubman, The Underground Railroad, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E Lee, Jefferson Davis, Fort Sumter, abolitionism, the south and the election of 1860. Every once in a while I'd pull up a picture of someone for them to see and for it to be real. We would look into their extinguished eyes and feel a sense of purpose and a sense of gratitude.

It is in these moments, as I tell them about heroes and history, that the tears fall and the Spirit penetrates that I feel so very blessed to have them by my side all day long and every day.

Applying the Keys of Great Teaching

This is a blog post that I wrote for TJEd Trenches. I am a regular contributor and I've enjoyed writing for them for the past year and a half or so. The following is my most recent article.

Over six years ago, when I was first introduced to Thomas Jefferson Education I knew instantly that that was the truth I had been seeking! Applying it through the years as been a journey though.

For a long time I had deluded myself into thinking that as long as I read classics to my children (and still carried on conveyor belt education) I was "doing it." Fast forward a couple of years and I begin applying the Keys of Great Teaching. What a marvelous tool! Looking back in hindsight I discovered however that I had them mixed up a little. I realized that I was doing the following: Inspire and Require, Structure Time and Content, You and Them, etc! I had inadvertently inserted ANDS in the place of all the NOTS.

I can safely say that I was missing the point. What do you think? The last six months has finally brought that break through of awareness. I have learned to drop the ands and insert the nots. Wow! I can only say amazing things have since happened.

First all share the blessings and then I will share some how to's. I have a son who's behavior was frustrating and I was almost hopeless with. Within a month of changing my behavior and our environmental he was "reborn." He hasn't looked back since. This was a miracle for our family. We've seen increased obedience, less contention, greater happiness, vast intake of knowledge by our children, an atmosphere of peace and an increased amount of personal responsibility and self-management! It's been a wonderful time for our family and we will not go back.

Since the key "Inspire Not Require" seems to generate some of the greatest interest on this blog I was share what this looks like in our home now.

I have always been effective in the inspiring department. I read 2-3 classics a week, take piano lessons, eat healthy, write essays, do math problems and absolutely live by my golden rule that is never violated, "We will never require our children to do anything that we are not willing to do ourselves." However dropping the 'not' proved difficult for me; at least I had one out of two right? Hmmm.

Children are required to obey and they are required to work. But just what are we requiring them to do? Each of you must choose what you will require and what you will not. Within the field of education research shows that children out perform when we don't make them do school work, let them choose. This is tough. This is painful. This goes against everything you every learned in public school. This goes against everything society has ever taught you. It's gonna hurt.

Well, I can say after six months the brain pains are gone and we're running with this. The first step is to tell the kids, "You are no longer required to do this. " (shock, gasp, recoil) The second step: Get rid of 90% of your school junk and their toys and leave only the 'best' books, toys, and supplies. The third step: Get rid of all the distractions. This means they may do what they want, but they are not allowed to watch TV/movies, play the Wii, play with friends, play entertaining games with each other, etc. during certain hours. These hours will vary from family to family, our personal window of these popular distractions is opened for a very limited time during the week. The beauty is that they will chose to learn. Maybe not right away, but they will. I've seen in over and over every day in my house.

Today my children (this was my 3 core/lol boys) choose to learn about reducing fractions, general fractions, make bread, read about World War 2, read their scriptures, practice the piano, make a bow and arrow, go on a walk in the rain, read in chapter books, write a story, draw pictures in their sketch books, asked me how to spell multiple words, find out why Denmark owns Greenland, listened to me when I read Silas Marner by George Elliot for an hour, and many more things. They choose, I provided the atmosphere. They are happy. They think life is fun and they think learning is fun.

I can hear you say, "You're crazy!" This exercise in applying the 7 Keys of Great Teaching is really an exercise of faith (but you make this based on your own serious research and the truth that you've discovered). Perhaps in another post I will delve into our "new day." It's shocking, it's revolutionary and it's the best thing we have ever done.

Has anyone else stumbled along in the Keys of Great Teaching like I have? I hope this post as inspired you on your journey through Leadership Education.

The Ugly

Right now I'm trying to be a better provident provider. Not because I have to be and not because I don't know how but because I feel impressed to be. Just because I've acquired the skills sets to make wheat into meat, make wheat bread, sew a skirt, and I've faithfully attended every homemaking doesn't mean I don't need to PRACTICE. That's a dirty little word.

I've also felt impressed that while I might not need it my children will need to do it. I need to raise them to so that they can make or do anything if they were cut off from the outside world. (We are fleeing Babylon remember). Right now my friend's daughter is learning to make soap. Very cool.

So one thing I've been doing lately is making a quilt. Our master bed needed a blanket because the one on it is a twin size. (The dog ate the other one. Don't ask more). Alex and I tend to play tug a war at night. So instead of going to the store and taking the EASY way out I decided to sew myself up a nine patch quilt. I have a big tub of scrap material.

I haven't made my own quilt from start to finish since I made one for a laurel project 45 years ago. (Okay it really wasn't that long ago). Have I mentioned that I don't like to sew? Well I don't. It's a painful horrible process for me. But I can do it if I have to. I'm hoping that since I don't have to make it and I just 'want' to make it that I'll get more blessings. (Not be commanded in all things....He that is a slothful and unwise servant...)

So I've cut all the quilt blocks and I've sewn about 1/4 of it together. So far the blessing is that I haven't minded it. Since I've gotten rid of all my extra books, all the extra clutter and all the other extra's I'm freed up and so it's not a stressful thing to sew. AND all the clutter dejunking left more than ample room to set up the sewing machine and leave it up. So it stares at me. Beckons me on. Okay, it doesn't talk to me, but it does stare at me. It's like a dare. "I dare you sew on me."

Now a word about the quilt. It's really, really ugly. I didn't not want to spend any money or any mental anguish to make it match. It's impossible to match it anyway. It is a true pioneer 9-patch hodge podge of the last 13 years of kids pajamas, curtains, etc. So I'm not going to show you a picture. Maybe the finished product. Maybe. I see all my friends and others display their beautiful quilts on line. Mine's not like that. (Have I made that point yet?)

I've decided that mine is my pioneer quilt. Since it goes under the bedspread it will work nicely. I'm doing it in memory of my Grandma Ward who believed in practical things. And this is practical. And it's ugly.

Later, when I'm ambitious I'm going to make a beautiful bedspread and name it after Grandma Hancock. She made things beautiful.

I had smart grandmas. I'm finally starting to get it.

A Green Revolution

We been changing things up around here. Some things, like removing 90% of our personal belongings was easy and fun, other changes haven't been as fun.

Our challenge: the food department. We have always focused on teaching our "children correct principles and letting them govern themselves." So as they've gotten older they've started to ask questions particularly about the Word of Wisdom. We've had to take a hard look at some of our eating practices. We've also kicked up the Self-Reliant food gear too.
We've realized we need to start eating more fruits and vegetables. Or I should say we need to branch out from apples, bananas and carrots. I've always loved fruits and vegetables but to always eat them is boring! We really weren't as bad as I'm making it sound, but we definitely needed to improve. We've also cranked up the home made wheat bread production. We haven't purchased bread or cereal in two months and there have been no complaints. We were never big cereal eaters-Sunday mornings. And sugar cereal only shows up on Christmas Mornings.

Our new yummy as been green/orange smoothies though. Even Jared, who thinks that green food will quite possibly kill him, will at least try it. (Teach them correct principles and let them govern themselves). He will drink a fruit/carrot smoothie with out a problem. Caleb thinks they are delicious and drinks a big glass. The other two like them, but they aren't in love with them-YET!

Since I am mentally challenged when it comes to following a recipe I don't have one. All the on line recipes that I looked at all called for half vegetables and half fruit. We have found we like a couple of bananas in every batch and lots of ice cubes. The broccoli in one batch was a bit much for a couple of them because you can't really blend it all the way down. Caleb and I didn't mind-but we like all food so....
Our goal is to replace a meal with them. We want to start eating smaller meals for dinner, so maybe we'll have them then? I know many people have them for snacks. We only eat three times a day and so we haven't even wanted to do that. We've been eating them with lunch and that's worked well. We should try them for breakfast, but I've been afraid we'd be to hungry by mid-morning. We'll see.....

Temple Square

We recently enjoyed a quick getaway to Salt Lake City to see some old friends who were in town that we haven't seen in a long time.We also took time to visit one our favorite sites-Temple Square. We watched the Joseph Smith movie for the umpteenth time. It is a family favorite. We love it so much that even when we visit the church sites back east (Independence, Nauvoo, Palmyra and DC) we stop and watch the movie there too. Each time we see it we learn something more and each time we cry more than the last time. Jared, our 10 year old BOY, constantly declares that it is his favorite movie ever.
We also visited the church museum. The artwork in there is so beautiful. We stared at the large painting of the Tree of Life for a long time talking about Babylon, Zion, the last days and coming unto Christ.
We also stopped at Heber C Kimball's graveside. Another regular destination for us. He is our great, great, great grandfather. We enjoy "checking in" and reminding ourselves who we are about and what we have yet to be. When we left this time Caleb said, "Goodbye grandpa Kimball. See you next time."
I love the SLC temple! It is truly a beautiful place. I always feel like the pioneers are talking to me urging me forward "in so great a cause." I always feel rejuvenated after participating in a session in the hallowed and historic halls. I feel so blessed that I was able to serve there twice in two weeks. (Alex and I enjoyed an over nighter getaway there two weeks ago. What we do? Temple, Joseph Smith movie, cemetery...it's a recurring pattern).
I love Temple Square. I love that my husband likes to go there. I love that my kids love feeling in the Spirit there as well. That is what we are about-bringing our family to Christ.
The flowers were in full bloom and beautiful. The photos are courtesy of Olivia (besides the two she's in). As a side note we also met some new friends in Salt Lake City. We gave them our favorite puppy and he couldn't have gone to a better home! Sometimes this journey of Leadership Education and fleeing Babylon is a lonely one. It was refreshing to meet new people who are going through the same spiritual journey as us. They are arriving at the same conclusions about life and its meaning as we are. So to our new friends is was a honor to meet you and may we meet again!

Puppies

Our puppies are ready for homes! If you want to see them got to this link. Let me know if you are interested. Sorry we don't deliver to Texas or California, but we can deliver to Utah next weekend.

FHE

Last night for FHE the following comments were heard:

Q: How can the left hand not know what the right hand is doing?
A: Because they don't have eyes.

Q: What does it mean if your eyes is single to the glory of God?
A: You're a cyclops.

While playing Apples to Apples, Jr.:

"Teletubie? Isn't that an electrical outlet."

"Bean-a-butt-babies? What are those?"

"Chickens are useful because you always eat 'em on Easter."

"Time's kicking. Let's get going."