{This and That} :: On to Term 3!

Celeste
  • February 8, 2021

Hooray for some much-needed rain followed by a week of sunshine!

And better yet: our first week of Term 3 is complete! We went straight into the new term without a break after exams, which I know was the best choice for my kids but maybe not the best choice for me. 😉 They got a “long weekend” after exam week, but I did not — I was finishing up some planning for Term 3, reading through exams and updating records, and getting lots of work done for other projects. But the week went fine and I feel like I’m back in the groove of things after several days of sunshine here. 

A few peeks at Form 1 work last week:

The book in the photo above is Maps by Mizielinki. My Form 1A students have been using it a lot this year as they do their “world tour” using our geographical reader.
And I just love these little reciters! Clara always shows up for lessons in style.
(We finally took down our Christmas decorations on Monday in anticipation of Candlemas! It feels nice to have the open space again.)

And my preschooler has been busy too! He was so focused on drawing a collection of foods from Food of the World. (He really likes this whole series, which is on the CMEC list for Kinderleben.)

And we love our Kinderleben Collection set of artist prints from Riverbend Press!
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Our exam week went great! One favorite task we have at the end of term is to collect each child’s Weekly Paintings into our family binder. It is so neat to see all those little cards side by side! (If you want a quick explanation of what our Weekly Paintings are, click here. I also have more examples collected at #ourweeklypaintings.)

The Friday night after exam week, I sat and read through their answers and added to my Mother’s Journal for each student. This is one of the essential elements of my reflection routine and I feel like I just can’t end a term without it.
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We got the two oldest girls a cookbook for Christmas, and they have had so much fun with it! They have always done a fair bit of cooking, and Gianna is quite compentent in the kitchen, but the cookbook has been nice for them to explore new recipes.
So far they have made salmon and risotto, roast chicken and braised green beans, polish sausage with lentils, and many (probably too many!) desserts. My husband even requested the cinnamon rolls they made on Epiphany for his birthday dessert last weekend.
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We are still very much enjoying our clay work — it is a highlight of our week. Perfect for all ages! We sometimes work from plates, sometimes from models, sometimes with design. This week we took carrots as our subject (I put a Form 1 sample above, and below is my high schooler’s), and a couple weeks ago, we did birds.

My preschooler often joins us and works in playdoh alongside. Below: his carrot and bird! He is allowed to use the clay but is into the playdoh colors right now.
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We have two birthday girls in January: Emilia turned ONE and Catherine turned TWELVE! 

Cate made her own German chocolate layer cake, and she and Gianna made a carrot cake to celebrate Emilia. I am working myself out of a job!
Really, though, these girls are a delight. What a gift to have a little girl in the house for all my big girls to love.
And Emilia was gifted all of these sweet handmade goodies. I love seeing the kids’ creativity.

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For an exam treat, I bought the kids a mini sticker maker. It is already going to good use!

We now have stickers on everything in the house and have used up the first roll of tape — I’m ordering more and the kids can’t wait to get it because apparently they have Big Plans. I like this little machine because it is a hand crank, so no plugging in or batteries and even my littles can use it easily. Definitely a win for all ages!
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Last but not least: two quick announcements…
First, I chatted with my friend Mariana about foreign language for the Charlotte Mason for All podcast. This is a topic I have explored for years (and that I hope to discuss at an upcoming CMEC summer retreat as well). You can listen in on our conversation here. Thanks to Min, Erika, Simone, and Mariana for the invite!

Second, registration for the CMEC will be opening in just a couple weeks! We have a brand new Information Packet out that includes video tours of our curriculum, community, and resources, as well as samples of our program. To request a copy, head over to our website! And if you would like to receive notice when we open for the 2021-2022 School Year, be sure to join the mailing list.

That’s it for today! I hope your February has gotten off to a smooth start.

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15 comments

  1. Your blog is so inspiring to me and I check back once in a while to see if you’ve written a new post. I hope you’re doing well! Blessings to you and your family.

    Reply

  7. Could you post a little more about recitation? I haven't been able to find a description that clicks in my head. Lol! Some make it sound like it's just reading something out loud in appropriate tones and emotions of the voice. AO says to do it daily. A new recitation piece daily? Where am I going to find time to find selections?!

    Reply

  8. We have a few more weeks left of Term 2. We won't be having a break either but we'll be taking some time off in April when my MIL comes to visit.

    Have you discussed anywhere why you transitioned from Ambleside to CMEC? Or what the differences are? I'm still fairly new to homeschooling and I would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

    Reply

  9. Sorry — Blogger was moderating my comments without telling me, so I am just seeing this now! 🙂 There are a variety of differences between AO and the CMEC — if you haven't yet had a chance to request the Info Packet at thecmec.org, that would be a good place to start. It goes into all the offerings of the CMEC including the unique features of its curriculum and resources. 🙂

    Reply

  10. Hi there! Usually each student works on a few recitation pieces each term: a poem or two (depending on length), a passage from the Old Testament, a passage from the New Testament, a psalm, and a speech or scene from Shakespeare. The amounts vary student by student and each family decides whether students work on the same pieces or select their own. I have a list of recitations we have enjoyed here: http://joyouslessons.blogspot.com/p/memory-work-index.html 🙂

    Reply

  11. Yes, we usually split Term 2 with Christmas and then do exams after the break. My kids have always done fine on those exams — the time away doesn't seem to affect their ability to recall the past work. 🙂

    Reply

  12. Hi Marissa, sorry — just seeing this because Blogger was moderating my comments without letting me know. LOL There were many factors behind my switch, but the way the CMEC's curriculum was structured and the way they were interpreting the PNEU materials just seemed to fit our family better. I appreciate thinking about my students in "Forms" rather than grade levels and the broad curriculum that incorporates so many "books and things." Beyond that, I was very excited (and still am!) about the community focus on taking up homeschooling as our profession, integrating the Mason philosophy into the broader home life, and mom-to-mom support through video meetings and retreats. My work with the CMEC has given me a way to share that draws on my own interests and goals — as much as I enjoy writing, I also like meeting moms face to face and benefit personally from the camaraderie. 🙂 But I think there are a variety of strong Mason programs out there and am grateful for the role each plays in the overall homeschool world! 🙂

    Reply
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