Grasshoppers

So, we're supposed to be front loading our school year with American History, finishing up with our trip to Boston in November, and then saving all of our Science lessons for the Winter and Springtime. On a whim; however, we snuck in a day on grasshoppers. The night before we had been reading all about the Old Green Grasshopper in James and the Giant Peach, and as we walked all of the preschool kids out to their cars, we couldn't help but notice a large number of grasshoppers flying through the grass. What the heck, I thought. Let's get a jar and see if we can't catch a few. Then we can see if they are the short horned or the long horned variety, and therefore decipher what kind of music they might play. (see James for more detailed info.) So, we all grabbed some shoes and a Mason jar and went on a grasshopper hunt. As it turned out, these little suckers are harder to catch than we first thought. We didn't realize, until looking them up later, that they have a compound eye that lets them see in all directions, and that they are experts at alluding predators--be they birds or boys. Eventually, however, we caught a few, and brought them inside for a closer look.











We soon discovered we had the short-horned variety in our area. We also learned all sorts of other fun facts, particularly about their music. Then I whipped up a quick worksheet on labeling the grasshopper body parts--giving us a quick review of the 3 parts of insects, and I even found a grasshopper life cycle print-out to further review metamorphosis. Then, just for the heck of it, we read the fable of the Ant and the Grasshopper, (we did a low-key fables unit over the summer so this was also review) and I let the kids watch A Bug's Life. Our grasshopper class added an unexpected four hours to our homeschooling on that particular day, but oh well. That's the joy of homeschooling, right!

The Pilgrims and the Indians

After completing our first week of school, which was primarily a week of reviewing and getting into the groove of things, we picked up right where we left off last year. One of the subjects I was most excited to get into was the Pilgrims and the Indians. Although we had talked about the Pilgrims and the Indians our first year at Thanksgiving time, and we will continue to always remember and reverence the Pilgrims and the Indians every year at Thanksgiving time, we decided to still cover them again as part of our American History chronology. We read all sorts of books talking about both the Pilgrims, and the Indians, and the Pilgrims and the Indians. We read the actual Mayflower Compact, and I bought William Bradford's History on Plymouth and read the kids excerpts from his writings as well.

Several times during our class I couldn't help but breaking down into tears. I developed such a love for the Pilgrims, and their role in being the foundation for a people "Under God." I was struck this time around by how much they sacrificed. They suffered hardships before they fled England for Holland. They were persecuted, mobbed, their homes and possessions were destroyed, and they were driven about. (Sound familiar Mormon history fans??) Eventually, they made it safety to Holland, but after 11 years, decided that they again needed a change. So, rather than staying safe in Holland, they decided to depart for the new world so that their children would be safe from the negative cultural influences and be able to be raised in a wholesome, god-fearing community.

Then their hardships started all over again. They suffered on the journey to America, they suffered once they arrived, and half of them died during that first winter. Still, when the Mayflower sailed back to England the next Spring, not one of the remaining Pilgrims asked to return. Instead, they watched their only escape sail off into the sunset. This group of 50 people were then deserted in a new world. They had little supplies, no skills or knowledge of the land, and a giant question mark as to what their relationship would be with the Indians. They had, however, insurmountable faith, and they consecrated this great land to be a land of God, where a chosen people could be raised up. They saw themselves as the forerunners of something great. As Bradford said in his journal:

Thus out of small beginnings greater things have been produced by His hand that made all things of nothing, and gives being to all things that are; and, as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation; let the glorious name of Jehovah have all the praise! (Of Plymouth Plantation, p. 236)

I feel so indebted to these great men, woman and children. And studying them this time around strengthened my testimony of the Lord's hand in forming and guiding the destiny of this country. I love this great country! And did I mention I love history too? I love history too!

I wanted to include a few pictures for histories sake too. Over the summer, we put our previous learning to use by planting our garden in the three sisters method used by the Pilgrims and the Indians. (Squanto taught the pilgrims how to use this method.) For those of you who are unfamiliar with this method, let me explain. The Indians made little mounds of dirt to plant their corn in. Then when the corn was four inches high, they planted pole beans in the mounts between the corn, and planted pumpkins between the mounds. This way, the beans can use the corn stalks as their "pole" and the pumpkins keep out the weeds. I thought it would be kind of fun to try doing this, but had little idea how successful it would be. It was amazing how the beans wrapped all the way up the corn and how little weeding was required. The kids and I loved it--showing it to anyone and everyone who entered our back yard. It also turned out to be one of our best years for growing pumpkins, and the only time in our six years of having a garden that we had multiple meals from our corn and beans. Now we will be forever indebted to those Pilgrims and Indians for one more thing.

First Day of School

After seven wonderful weeks of summer vacation, it was time again to kick off another school year, this time with Maddi AND Spencer as students. (Spencer wasn't officially a kindergartener last year, just unofficially.) The kids and I were both really excited-maybe me most of all. Even though I had an extremely productive summer--there's just so much you can't get to when you're homeschooling--I still felt this hole in my life. I really couldn't believe how much I missed teaching while we were off. And how much of a disconnect I felt by always being too busy for time with the kids. Don't get me wrong, they needed outside time and time with friends, but I just felt like I was always shooing them away while I was working on this or that. It felt wrong, and I was so glad to lay everything aside for another nine months and be ready to focus just on the kids for a while.

And so, on the day after Labor Day, the same day as their public school classmates, we kicked off our school year. The kids were darling about it too. We went and bought new school clothes and school supplies just like everyone else. And they got their notebooks and folders, outfits and shoes laid out the night before. Maddi even begged to have her hair hot-rolled for the first day. Even Emma wanted to be a part of it all, even though she doesn't start her preschool until next week. It makes me laugh, because after all, we're just staying home, but it's all they know. And it's wonderful. Here my little cuties are at the end of the first day.



Here we go again!