not dark yet

i’ve been slowly reading through karen andreola’s “a charlotte mason companion”.  this summer i’ve decided to gradually prepare for the school year ahead, instead of my usual time-crunch-cram method.  i thought i would share some insightful passages that i found inspiring.

“Rather than feeling it is our duty to pass children through a system, it should be our duty to ask ourselves how our children can acquire knowledge. ” p. 36

“It should not be ‘How much has our child covered?’ but ‘How much does he care?’ and ‘About how many things does he care?’. p. 37

“A true intellectual life is not achieved by exercising children’s minds as if they were nothing but memory machines.” p. 43

“Self-education by means of real books, narration, first-hand experience, and observation is such a very satisfying and rewarding process that it naturally continues throughout life.  Self-education is not dependent on a system of artificial rewards, prizes, and grade scores, because it is not bound to a system of education, but a method of learning. A system and a method are two different things. A system depends on a cycle of tedium: read the textbook chapter, find the facts, and record them as answers to the chapter’s list of questions, take the test, get the grade, get it over with. A system makes the process more important than either the information or the learner. On the other hand, a method emphasizes the process by which the goal is attained. If the goal is an educated child, a variety of means will best achieve it.” p 44

well, it just keeps getting better.  you’ve read of my slow conversion to a particular moms group (MOPS).  it came out in a conversation with kate and ended a month later with the realization that i had yet again been a dummy about the whole thing.  over the past two years of being involved, i might even use the word flourish to describe the way my heart would responded every other friday after our meetings.  

and this weekend it goes even further: a retreat with other like-hearted moms, preparing for the next year of meeting together, as discussion facilitators (i prefer facilitator to leader).  you know the prep work we had to do?  TAKE THE MYERS-BRIGGS TEST!  was fun to revisit those questions, although i have to admit that i couldn’t answer most of those questions without pause and a sense of “well, sometimes i gravitate toward the center of a room…and sometimes i’m leaning against the wall”.  

i wonder if the test outcomes are compromised if the testee (ha-ha-ha) has kids they’re chasing around or is always functioning in ministry mode.  often times, i’d much rather sit back and observe the friendship occurring at church, marvel at the complexities, & go home and write about it.  BUT: i feel compelled to contribute to the connection between people because i love them, i want to know them more deeply, and because our time together is limited.  and when i get home, i’m getting my rambunctious crew ready for la-la-land.  necessity draws the E out.

we went to a candy shop in washington last week.  the variety was amazing.  the kids picked lots of gummy candies.  i ended up with 80 cents worth of chocolate covered espresso beans.  we visited a game shop across the square and decided to get some dinner from taco bell & enjoy some time at a little park nearby.  it was so nice to get out of town and relax.  i can’t wait for vacation.

i remember how reassuring it was to be cuddled next my mom and dad during a thunderstorm.  they couldn’t calm the storm, but being next to them made me feel safe & padded.  nothing could get to me without getting through them first.  and it’s that way with friends, too.

this morning we met up with some dear, dear friends of ours–phil & polly (and their 6 kids)–for a breakfast at the park.  bagels, fruits, coffee, swings, skateboards, frisbee, laughing, catching up, admonishing, reveling, etc etc.  we haven’t seen them in nearly 5 years and they’re passing through from arizona to philly, enjoying friends & loved ones along their route.  let me tell you, i felt lifted, propped, sustained by their presence in town.  they’re folks that i admire, i think about a lot (just like these and these), and that i wish i could be near enough to have some long-standing inside jokes, prank wars, and some crazy bit of competition.  i wouldn’t be competing for most kids, mind you, but something else…

I’ve become so fickle in my selection of fiction.  I almost want a written guarantee from the publisher, or whoever is recommending the work, that i will be completely satisfied when the last page is turned.  I’ve been wanting to read something-Kingsolver for awhile, and when a friend said, “You should read ‘The Bean Trees’. The main character reminds me of you.”, I couldn’t resist.  It wasn’t the vain idea of seeing myself in fiction that lured me in, but rather the chance to see if this characters grows, changes, adapts, triumphs.

I’m not sure how to sing the praises of a novel without giving a trite summary or listing themes like ingredients.  Or like a recipe–  Toss together:

handful of people that are all away from home

1/4 C. heartache

3/4 tbsp. Arizona heat

2 babies

whole lotta desire for love, purpose, freedom, friendship, & money

I loved this book.  You will love it.  Have I ever steered you wrong?  That should serve as your guarantee.

I’m only stating a fact when I say that most of the people we know ’round here are perpetually, really, extra busy.  And I can now say from experience that it’s hard not to get busy when everyone you know is busy, doing good works & involved in the community & helping others.  I suppose I’m just considering our own particular make-up as a family & how a busy calendar week-after-week drains us.  And so, after a really long week, we’re spending another evening on the sofa.  J is playing games on the ipod touch & I’m lining up details for a roadtrip & eating raisin bran.  I can’t wait to get outta town.

we’ve spent the past two saturday mornings, dim & overcast, at t-ball games.  it’s fun to watch little kids try new things.  i hope i can always help my kids explore with curiosity & wonder and little trepidation.  

so i can’t get over the busyness thing.  life feels lackluster when we’re busy.  i live with lots of dread when i’m operating in lots of administrative roles that really aren’t my gift/interest/delight.  what should i do about it?  i’m tired…otherwise i wouldn’t be posting this on ye old blog.  maybe i should go to bed.  farewell…and hello again in the morning.