Veni, Vedi, Vici

Next week John will begin studying Latin.

Latin is a key component to a classical education. Why Latin? I appreciate the explanation Susan Wise Bauer gives.

"Why bother with Latin? It is, after all, a dead language (a pejorative phrase) - no literature is being produced in it, no one's speaking it or doing business in it.

We bother with it for a number of reasons.

Latin trains the mind to think in an orderly fashion. Latin (being dead) is the most systematic language around. The discipline of assembling endings and arranging syntax (grammar patterns) according to set rules is the mental equivalent of a two-mile jog. And because Latin demands precision, the Latin-trained mind becomes accustomed to paying attention to detail, a habit that will pay off especially when studying math and science.

Latin improves English skills. The grammatical structure of English is based on Latin, as is about 50 percent of English vocabulary. The student who understands how Latin works is rarely tripped up by complicated English syntax or obscure English words...

Latin prepares the child for the study of other foreign languages... The child who has been drilled in Latin syntax understands the concepts of agreement, inflected nouns, conjugated verbs, and grammatical gender not matter what language these concepts appear in (Bauer, The Well-Trained Mind , 189)."

It is recommended that a child begins to study Latin in third grade, and now that we've got a school semester under our belt, we're ready to start.

**Thank you, Julianne, for passing on your Latin curriculum. We are excited to begin.**

I really love this book.

We are using the Usborne Art Treasury as part of our art curriculum this winter. I adore this book because it presents an artist, one of their works, and a corresponding art project for the children. Each section begins with a brief history of both the artist and the piece. Some of the artists in the book include Van Gogh, Monet, O'Keeffe, Degas, Havercamp, as well as many others. A simple art project is then given, allowing the child to work with techniques and mediums similar to the artist and piece. This week we worked on winter scenes based on Havercamp's paintings. The kids were quite intrigued that Havercamp was both deaf and mute - one of his only forms of expression was through painting.

It's been a great place for us to start our journey into art history. Madi is especially looking forward to our Van Gogh project, the 'swirly one' as she likes to call it.

School has begun once more. Though I'm sad the holidays are past, I am happy to be getting back into a rhythm again.

With the new year, I thought I would offer a few of my thoughts on homeschooling, a reality check if you will.

1. I need to be a much better protector when it comes to my little homeschool. Though I relish the flexibility homeschooling brings (starting school an hour late after a long night, taking vacations/field trips while others are in school, dropping everything and playing in the snow that only comes every few years, etc), I need to make sure that we aren't pushed in our flexibility. We must have our dedicated school time, which just like public school, cannot be interrupted. Too many times this fall I let other things crowd in and take over the time that should have been our school time. Too many times we were rushing to get the work done so that we could get to x,y, or z instead of taking the time to enjoy the process. This year one of my goals (I have 20 New Years goals, just looking at them makes me exhausted. I know, I'm crazy) is to be the diligent protector of my school. I will have to make some tough choices, but I feel strongly that this is something I need to do.

2. My academic views have evolved considerably over the last few months. I have found myself well rooted in the classical education methodology. Our school is going to be considerably more academically rigorous this semester, and we are excited. The kids enjoy being challenged and it's time that I challenge both of them a great deal more.

3. I am so glad I have a semester under my belt now. It was so hard to know what would work and what wouldn't work before the year started. Some things that I thought would be fantastic fell flat on their face, while other things I wasn't convinced about have been amazing. Experience is a marvelous thing.

4. Homeschooling is work. Trying to provide the best education I can to two different children at two different levels with two different learning styles can be tricky at times. Sometimes I get really, really tired. But when exhaustion is about to overtake me, I try and remember this quote by Sister Julie B. Beck (she's pretty much my hero) -

"Families mean work, but they are our great work—and we are not afraid of work."

5. I worry. I worry that my kids will suffer socially from being homeschooled. I worry that I am not teaching them enough. I worry that I am going to miss something really important in my teaching - like how to multiply or something like that. I worry that they are bored. I worry that I won't be able to meet their various and assorted needs. I worry that others are judging my family just because we homeschool without really knowing us. I worry that some days I am a lot less patient than I should be. I worry that my kids won't have any friends (though at the moment they are both playing at their friends house), I worry that my kids are going to be 'weird' when they grow up (Corey assures me that homeschooling doesn't make kids weird. Kids who are weird have weird parents. Weird kids are going to be weird whether they are homeschooled or not. Then the question becomes - Are we weird parents? Corey assures me we aren't... if you think we are, please don't tell me). Basically I worry that I am ruining and depriving my children (Again, Corey reassures me that he will not let me ruin our children).

6. When the kids don't know something, I have no one to blame but myself. More than once I have found myself shaking my head and saying, 'I have failed.'

7. I wish I had more people I could bounce ideas off of, I get lonely sometimes.

8. Homeschooling is worth every second. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I am closer to my children now than I was a year ago and that has been worth every moment of heartache, worry, exhaustion and work. We are in this together and it has been one of the most fulfilling, treasured things I have ever done.