Blessed Quietness

Six boys, lots of noise, peace in Him.

Friday, August 6, 2010

John's essentials:

Tricycle, check. Sword, check. Bring on the fun!

Posted by Faith Alterton at 9:29 AM

1 comments:

Sue Metzger said...: Go,John,go!; August 8, 2010 8:52 PM

Welcome

With six boys ours is not a quiet home. Not by a long shot! Fun, but not quiet. We are a homeschooling family who is learning that even when things are wild there is a peace that passes understanding in life with Jesus Christ. I blog to highlight the lovely, share ideas, and keep up with dear friends and family. -Faith, for the Altertons

Nathan Alterton

Spends his days as a civil engineer and evenings with light-sabres and helping with model airplanes. With six boys, he now has the perfect excuse for Sharks games, A's games, snowboarding, camping, paintball - you name it.

Foundational Thoughts - Nathan's blog.

Daniel - 8 years old

Raising the bar for his brothers in bike tricks, tree climbing, sports, and just about everything else. Loves figuring out how things work at the peril of my appliances. Recently discovered the joy of plastic models.

Noah - 6 years old

Critter wrangler, peacemaker, and storyteller. Intuitive with the little guys and always has time to tote Baby where he wants to go. Showing quite an interest in languages and hopes his homeschool will include Japanese, Russian, Italian, German, and Spanish. In first grade. Yikes! (We spell that "J-u-n-i-o-r C-o-l-l-e-g-e" around here). :)

Isaac - 5 years old

Delights in the ridiculous. Finds sunshine in every day and adds so much to our family fun! Has quite the eye for style and accessories and pesters Dad to buy Mom flowers whenever he can. Going to make some lady into a happy wife someday.

Peter - 3 years old

Sweet, thoughtful, and full of joy. So delighted to be included in the big boys' games. Happiest wearing camo and with a drawing pencil in his hand.

John - 2 years old

Serious, precise, and sturdy as a buffalo. Has a special love for balls of all sorts and throws with a wind-up. Brave, but with a tender spot for little Christian.

Christian - 1 year old

Climbing, dancing, cat wrestling, and John's special buddy for mischief. Everybody's favorite!

Baby Seven

Expected mid to late July 2011!

Learning Links

Hello-world Language Resources
Ambleside Online - free, challenging Charlotte Mason Curriculm for grades K-11.
Math-U-See - Math program heavy on using manipulatives (read: blocks) to solve problems.
Librivox - free online audio recordings of classic books - downloads easily into iTunes.
Desert Valley Christian Homeschoolers - homeschool support group in El Centro, Holtville, and Imperial Valley, CA regions

Encouraging Blogs Etc.

Bonny Glen - Melissa Wiley
Building My House - Claire's Blog
Conversion Diary
Foundational Thoughts - Nathan Alterton
Holy Experience - Ann Voskamp
In the Heart of My Home
Large Family Logistics - Not posting at this time, but great archives.
Momma Bug's Blog - Analene
Political Illusion - Greg Alterton
Preschoolers and Peace
The Beauty of It All
The Five Olsons
Waltzing Matilda

Bedtime Read-aloud with Dad

Farmer Boy, by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Reading with Mom (between laundry loads and everything else!)

Burgess Seashore Book, by Thornton W. Burgess - Chapter a day to everybody. Danny Meadow Mouse accidentally ends up on the Atlantic seashore and learns about the sea creatures. Children love the story and learn a ton too.
Beatrix Potter Books - Favorites of everybody, but newly discovered by John. Jeremy Fisher is his current story of choice.
D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths - Old stories retold and illustrated for children. Read over lunch to whoever is interested.
Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll - With Dan. His very first choice from the new third grade books. Got a kick out of Alice and is listening to this one on Librivox.
The Red Fairy Book, by Andrew Lang - Noah's first choice from his first-grade books. Lang was the master of fairy tales. Stories may be grim, but I loved Lang growing up and am really enjoying introducing him to the boys.
The Saturdays, by Elizabeth Enright - To Dan and Noah. Follows the adventures of the four Melendy children as they pool their allowances so that each of them may choose a Saturday outing like no other. Enright wrote children so well!

Books Mom's Reading That AREN'T by Dr. Seuss

Surprised By Joy, by C.S. Lewis - His autobiography, and fascinating.
Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends, by the Mallys - Offers insights and suggestions on helping siblings protect their relationships with each other as they grow. Many good points. Aimed more at a upper elementary or teen audience. Might make a good family read in a few years.
Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison - pre-reading aloud with Nathan for possible use in the boys' highschool. Gives a valuable insight into the life of a fictional black man in the early 1900s. Addresses adult problems and uses quite peppery language, but worthwhile for older readers.
At Home in Mitford, by Jan Karon - reading aloud with Nathan. Such great characters!
Ourselves, Improving Character and Concience, by Charlotte M. Mason. Discusses the importance of knowing ourselves and then making the most of the vast possibilities and the law of God which constrains them. Am pre-reading for possible use in grades seven through ten for the boys. So far very insightful.
The Attributes of God, by A. W. Pink. Reading fifteen minutes at a time, as a devotional while rocking baby Christian. Covers many of the basics of Christian beliefs about God beautifully and succinctly.
The Pursuit of God, by A. W. Tozer. What can I add about Tozer? Clear, simple words beautifully worked together to encourage spritual growth. Am loving it!

Bible in the Morning

Ezra and rebuilding of Jerusalem

Hymns we're singing this week (For you Mom - I know you love them too!)

Amazing Grace, verses one and two - this one is a favorite, but is new to a few of the boys this year.

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