My Daily ipod playlist

My Daily ipod playlist inspired by "Nurtured by Love" by Dr. Suzuki

As I read this book, I decided to put my ipod to work. I thought of the things that I most wanted my children and myself to be exposed to on a regular basis. I made a playlist called "Daily Morning", and then I pushed play each morning. When my children have learned the songs on the "Daily Morning" list, I update them with different songs. We have songs, poems, scripture mastery verses, Italian, Spanish, and even Latin that play in the background each morning as we get ready for the day. What we are exposed to on a daily basis make up who we are.

MY BASICS:

I pick a couple mp3 files from each. I add new ones when we're ready, or have memorized them.

1. Classical Music- 5 finger songs easily played

Suzuki Piano School, Vol. 1

2. Poetry

Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization, by Andrew Pudewa, Institute for Excellence in Writing

Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein

3. Scripture Mastery (Links below for website that has many mp3 files available to download)

Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants

“I suggest that you memorize scriptures that touch your heart and fill your soul with understanding. When scriptures are used as the Lord has caused them to be recorded, they have intrinsic power that is not communicated when paraphrased. Sometimes when there is a significant need in my life, I review mentally scriptures that have given me strength. There is great solace, direction, and power that flow from the scriptures, especially the words of the Lord” —Elder Richard G. Scott

4. Songs they are learning at Church

5. Language: Why so many languages? Children have a gift to learn language at an early age. We are just exposing them to it, and giving ourselves opportunities to keep our skills up.

Italian: Italian for Children by Bruzzone, and Muzzy Italian (My husband speaks Italian)

Spanish: Aserin, Aserran, by Erica Busch (I speak Spanish)

Latin: Classical Conversations, and Latin for Children Chant CD

6. Random Songs

States & Capitals by Macho Nacho & Mouth Trumpet, Musical Stew

Classical Conversations Math Songs

Linking Verbs & Helping Verbs: My daughter sang them to a tune suggested in our curriculum, and we recorded it to help us learn them better.

Greek Alphabet

Early Bird by Shirley Temple

The Beautiful Briney from Bedknobs and Broomsticks

Un Marito Per Cinzia- Bing, Bang, Bong, by Sophia Loren

7. Classical Conversations Cycle 1, 2, and 3 Audio CD's.

We also listen to the weekly History, Science, Math, Grammar, and Latin songs/recitations once a day, either while we are driving around town, or as we are getting ready for lunch. They are very useful, and I have found they make a great "learning spine" on which you can plug in everything else you are learning. We focus on one CD a year, then rotate through. I love their website online tutorials. They are expensive, but you can download all you want, and it goes right along with what you're learning from the CD's. You can sign up for a month or two, and then quit when you're done. I put all the info that I download into plastic sleeves and into a binder. I also printout the tutorials and laminate them, (kindof like the Veritas Press Cards), and we display the new one for each week on the wall at home.

Veritas Press Timeline Cards for Classical Conversations:

Timeline YouTube Video 1

Timeline YouTube Video 2

There's an inside to my repetition that helps me and my children learn.

Summary of Nurtured by Love

by Julia Bentley

In the book Nurtured by Love Dr Shininchi Suzuki uses his biography as an

outline for a series of examples to confirm his theory that ability is not

inherited but is taught in the same way that each child learns how to speak. He

believed that people are what they are as a result of their specific

environment, and that a baby is not born musical but can become so through

suitable environmental conditions. Throughout the book Suzuki provides

convincing evidence that, with the right nurturing, any child can develop into a

talented and exceptional human being. He firmly believed that talent is no

accident of birth and that we are all born with the natural ability to learn.

As children are mainly educated in the home, parental involvement is very important.

The purpose of ‘talent education’ is to train children, not to become

professional musicians but to be fine musicians and to show high ability in any

other field they enter. Suzuki concludes his book by declaring that we are all

born with high potential, and if we try hard, any of us can become superior

human beings and acquire talent and ability.

Homeschool Fieldtrip

Took a couple of the kids on a 4H fieldtrip out to the Fairgrounds to a place called Yesteryear Village. Look at how many came! My kids had a blast. I had a blast too, as I arranged something else for the little ones to do so I could take care of the baby too. It's amazing how going on these kinds of things are great with all the kids, when my hubbie is there too. When it's just me, it tends to be a little frazzling keeping track of the 2 year old. Okay, I feel guilty... but not guilty enough to not try it again. I like to pick my battles. :)

Here's me with Little Miss L. in an old schoolhouse at the village. She's 4 1/2 months old now! She just advanced to the saucer, she can now roll over, and somehow looks huge in our tiny crib that we bought for her to save space at home. Oh, and let's not forget that she can now say "Mamma". What a sweetie!

Motherhood Is An Education

I recently heard a talk that gave me cause for reflection on the role of Motherhood.

I am consistently amazed when I pause to think about all that I have learned in just eight years of being a mother.  It is an inspiring calling that requires endless diligence, energy, enthusiasm, compassion, organization, humility, and patience.  Did I mention patience?  

"Motherhood is the ideal opportunity for life long learning.  Mother and child learn and grow together at a remarkable pace.  It is exponential, not linear."

Here is the beginning of an endless list of what you learn:

    

     Child Development

     Nutrition

     Health Care

     Physiology

     Psychology

     Nursing with medical research and care

     Educational Tutoring in:

     Math, Science, Geography, Literature, English & Foreign Languages

     Development of Talents such as:

    Music, Athletics, Dance, Public Speaking

"A mothers opportunity for life long learning is universal.  Don't ever sell yourself short as a woman or a mother." 

"It never ceases to amaze me that a woman is in a form of servitude, and does not allow her to develop her talents.  Nothing, absolutely nothing could be further from the truth."

I have always been grateful for what I learned in college.  It gives me peace of mind that I would be prepared to go out into the work field should our family circumstances require it.  It also allows me to serve others in ways that not everyone can, through Graphic Design and Art.   I am also more confident to home school my children because of it.  However, I have come to realize that I have done far more learning in my role as a mother than I ever did in a University. 

Motherhood is noble if we treat it as such.  It can be as little or as much as we make it to be.  HAPPY MOTHERS DAY (soon) to my Mom.  She set the example of what a "stay at home mom" can be.  It took sacrifice, determination, and a lot of prayer. Thanks Mom.  

This is my favorite picture of Motherhood.  When Corneila is asked where her jewels are, she points to her children.  They are her prized possession.

BE INSPIRED:  This is the talk from Elder Robert D. Hales called "The Journey of Lifelong Learning" for BYU Education Week.  August 19, 2008.       http://byubms.byu.edu/devo/2008/08/devo08192008.mp4

Tea Party South Florida

We went to two Tea Parties Yesterday.  The Boca Party was very low key.  We were quite popular with people taking our picture, as I brought all my kids.  

The Fort Lauderdale Party was much better.  We had a sleeping toddler, so we decided to drive up and down the block with a huge American Flag out our window, and this poster that said:

"Honk If I'm Paying Your Mortgage!"

It was amazing how popular our car was.  As soon as our sign was read, the crowd burst into applause and cheers.  

It was a good lesson for my kids to be a part of.  Freedom of Speech.  Now, lets see if the men on the hill listen.

Click here to see pictures of

The Boca Tea Party.

Horseback riding lessons?

Okay, so about a year ago I was at the Dentist, and after hearing about all of his ski trips that he likes to go on to Utah, just for the weekend, I saw a picture of his daughter during a horseback riding lesson, and I thought... oh man, what luxury are my fillings going to buy his family this time?  

Skip ahead a year now, to Christmas, and my daughter, age 8, decides that the only thing she really wants is a few horseback riding lessons.  Easy enough.  Nothing to clutter the house, and she'll learn something.  A little pricey, but we'll see how it goes.  

We've now been to 3 lessons, and all I can say is that I love them.  I feel like we're getting so much more than just lessons out of the whole experience.  She's learning to groom and take care of the horse, learn good posture while riding, is not being so timid around animals, and her teacher is very encouraging and helps her know that it takes lots of practice to get good at something.  We're also getting a one on one experience with a beautiful horse.  

My boys absolutely love running around in the dirt, (which is so foreign to our techno based home life).  They have a pig, cats, and a dog that all run around loose.  It's like visiting a farm, that is more than happy to explain all the little things that go on there.  I feel like we've received a class just for my boys for free from all the things they're learning from it.  Today we watched the horses get their shoes replaced, and get haircuts.  Totally cool and educational to watch.  They gave them the worn out shoes to take home, and some of the trimmings that we wanted to look at under a microscope to see what they're all about.  It was such an intimate setting also, which made the learning even more fun.

Also, my kids are so motivated to go.  They bring homework in the car, and are willing to do extra stuff around the help, because of the high of being around horses.  I LOVE IT!

Would I say it is worth it?  Absolutely.  The price up front is a choker... but you get so much more out of it than just lessons.  I think it is something worth sacrificing for.  We'll see how long the "horseback high" lasts...  hopefully long enough to build self confidence, and create a child who's willing to take on hard things and finish them.

So, pretty much, I'm re-thinking all of those judgmental thoughts that I had about my dentist's daughter.  I think I just needed to walk in their shoes a bit to see that it is really a worth while adventure.

A Christmas Eve poem

A Christmas Eve Poem... to keep your kids in bed!

Two little boys lay wide awake,

once on a Christmas Eve.

Though their mother has tucked them safe in bed,

and kissed and covered each curly head.

They only played make believe.

We'll lie awake and watch for Santa Claus,

and we won't make any noise.

And we'll hear him drop from the chimney top,

said those naughty little boys.

Soon the house grew lonely, dark, and deep,

and the fire died in the grate.

The clock on the mantel said,

"Tick-tock, Tick-tock, I know, I know."

The chair in the corner looked like a ghost

with clothes all over it spread.

They wanted to scream but they couldn't speak,

for they heard the stairs go creakity, creak,

like the goblins going to bed.

Soon down the chimney came Santa Claus,

fresh from his snowy sled,

but they thought him a ghost from the goblin crowd

and all together they screamed so loud

that they frightened him away.

And they never got anything for Christmas!

A poem remembered by Joy Smith, shared by her mother, Norma Saunders on a Christmas Eve.  - Author unknown.  Picture by Tate Lehenbauer.

I had to post this Christmas Poem.  My mom has it memorized, and would say it every Christmas Eve to us kids to scare us into not coming out of our rooms on Christmas Eve.  I thought it was time to write some of these traditions down.  Somehow I feel like one of the Grimms brothers, trying to capture all of the songs and poems that my family has cooped up in their heads for generations.  Hope you enjoy it! 

Merry Christmas!

Cool Learning Site

Lynda.com

So, it was so easy to use, that I had to pass it along.

It teaches you anything you want to know about digital photography, photoshop, illustrator, any graphic design program you can think of, and best of all, it's cheap, and you can do it at home. Perfect for a mom of 4 who wants to stay current on learning stuff.  Fun stuff.  

Now, my goal is to do it!