Classical Conversations - Cycle 1 Book List for Foundations

In my enthusiasm for next year's curriculum with Classical Conversations, I have been searching out books. More specifically, read aloud books! I just started researching the topics for Cycle 1 and have found a wealth of books that I am completely geeked out at this moment! Yes, I love my books. Yes, I love sharing books with others, especially children. And yes, I get so excited about books that I feel like a kid that has been let loose in a candy store! Yee-Haw!!!

My list of books doesn't correlate with the book list that Classical Conversations puts out. Although a few of my books are on that list as well. Enjoy the plethora of books for Cycle 1 that I have compiled thus far! Be sure to check back though because I plan on adding to this list of fun books!

Books for Classical Conversations - Cycle 1

Afternoon Reading Program

*MSB = Magic School Bus

1.   The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus - Aliki
2.   The Pompeii Pop Up Book - David Hawoock (timeline)
3.   The Prince and the Spinx - Carl Meister
4.   Isis and Osiris - Carl Meister
5.   Who Was King Tut? - Roberta Edwards (timeline)
6.   Ancient Egypt: An Interactive History Adventure - 
- Heather Adamson
7.   Black Ships Before Troy - Rosemary Sutcliff
8.   Gladiators and Roman Soldiers, Fierce Fighters -
- Charlotte Guillain
9.   Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - Mary Hoffman
10. Mystery of the Roman Ransom - Henry Winterfield
11. The Librarian Who Measured the Earth - K. Lasky
12. Temple Cat - Clements
13. Gilgamesh the King - Zeman
15. Archaeologists Dig for Clues - Duke
16. The Trojan Horse: How the Greeks Won the War - E. Little
17. Henry the Navigator: Prince of the Portuguese Exploration - 
- Aniganello
18. Fierce Fighters Aztec Warriors - C. Guillian
19. Where Butterflies Grow - J. Ryder
20. MSB: Inside the Earth
21. Let’s Go Rock Collecting - R. Gans
22. MSB: And the Climate Change - J. Cole
23. MSB: On the Ocean Floor
24. Snowflake Bentley - J. Briggs Martin (award winner)
25. A Drop Around the World - B. McKinney (award winner)
26. The Egyptian Cinderella - Shirley Climo
27. The 5,000 Year Old Puzzle - Claudia Logan (King Tut)
28. The Great Wonder - Annabelle Howard
29. Mara, Daughter of the Nile - Eloise Jarvis McGraw
30. Tutankhamen’s Gift - Robert Sabuda
31. World History in Verse - David Manley
32. Multiplying Menace - Pam Calvert
33. Adventures in Ancient Greece - Linda Bailey
34. Alexander the Great: Ruler of the Ancient World -
- Andrew Langley (timeline)
35. Anthanasius - Simonetta Carr
36. Pompeii... Burried Alive - Edith Kunhardt (timeline)
37. Saint Paul - David Self (timeline)
38. Francis: The Poor Man of Assissi - 
- Tomie DePaola (timeline)
39. Joan of Arc - Dian Stanley (timeline)
40. John Calvin - Simonetta Carr (timeline)
41. The Making of a Knight - Patrick O’Brien
42. Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World - 
- Paul L. Maier (timeline)
43. Son of Charlemagne - Barbara Willard
44. Sir Cumfrence and the First Round Table - Neuschwander

Campfires & Fireflies

We had the wonderful privilege to stay in one of the Sundancer Cabins , in Gleenwood Arkansas recently. Our particular cabin, the Dream Catcher, was incredibly beautiful and comfortable. When we arrived we felt like we had come home - that's how comfortable the cabin is. We were right on a river and the cabin was nestled between the forest and a big open field. Again, I must stress how beautiful and comfortable this place was!

A nice, and very welcomed, surprise was Violet had a lot of freedom to explore and roam around without her Daddy or myself watching over her like a hawk! She would spend her time either at the cabin or at the river, where her Daddy and Grandpa and Uncle were fishing. If Violet decided to return to the cabin, Gregg would either call or text me that she was on her way. And I did the same with him when she decided to go back to the river. Violet didn't know we were communicating this way but it sure was helpful at easing our minds and let us relax some.

Truly, Violet has never had that much freedom in her short seven years of life here on earth. We don't live in the same world that Gregg and I grew up in. There are hidden dangers lurking around every corner. Some of the dangers don't look dangerous at all! Without a prior record that you are personally aware of, how is it possible to know someone is a murderer or pedophile just by looking at them? Some of the biggest pedophiles in our history have a squeaky clean look about them! Call me paranoid, because I totally am, but it's mine and Gregg's job to ensure Violet's safety. In order to do that to the best of our abilities is to watch over her every move when we're outside our home. Knowing there wasn't anyone around us for miles gave us the opportunity to relax and allow Violet to have freedom to explore her surroundings and to somewhat be out from under the watchful eyes of her parents. It was a wonderful experience for all of us! Violet thrived in this environment and I hated to take her away from it.

Gregg, my Dad, and Gregg's Uncle, along with Violet, spent the majority of their time trying to catch some fish. I have to give her credit, Violet lasted a lot longer than I thought she would while fishing. And if tadpoles were counted as fish, she would have beaten the men in their great fishing adventure. The only fish we ate that week were the fish we consumed at a local restaurant in town! But it wasn't for a lack of trying. The men were at the river all day, every day, trying to catch fish.

My Mom and I hit almost every single consignment shop in the town. We found several great deals. Violet and I have a real tea party that we're attending next month. Everyone is to bring their

own tea cup and saucer. So, we had a mission while at the stores - find tea cups and saucers! We found three beautiful sets and I adore them. Those are mine and Violet's souvenirs from our trip. I found several great clothing finds for Violet. She should pretty much be covered for her summer attire. And I found a cute giraffe print purse with red trim - totally opposite from everything I own, but I love it!

These steps were a part of our scenery from the cabin's deck area. It was so tranquil.

The picture on the right is of a humming bird that is obviously preparing to lay some eggs. We kept trying to find her nest but  never had any luck with that. She was a beauty!

One of our favorite things of our trip were the campfires we had each night. We would gaze at the stars that were shining so brightly and listening to the symphony of frogs, cicadas, crickets, birds, and the occasional coyote.There were nights that I debated sleeping outside so that I could soak up all the sounds but always ended up in the comfy bed that was in our room. And to be honest, I have never slept better in my whole life like as I did last week! It was hard to leave when our last day rolled around and I'd love to be back at the cabin right now!

If you ever have a chance to go to these cabins please do so! Trust me, you will not regret going. The cabins are fully furnished, have cable and wifi, are comfortable and are a great place to get some R&R.

Tonight's Conversations - Little Monsters

While getting Violet settled into bed tonight, she asked me a series of questions. I have several teacher friends and family who would appreciate her response...

Violet - Mommy, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Me - Well, I wanted to be a lot of things.
Violet - Like what?
Me - I wanted to be a veterinarian, a lawyer, a teacher, just to name a few.
Violet - Why would you want to be a teacher? You would be surrounded by little monsters all day.     

I busted out laughing with that response. I'm not sure where she picked that up from since we homeschool but I'm sure several of my friends and family might agree with Violet's assessment after having a rough day with their students.

Heart Issues

The past few days have been a bit of a challenge for our little family. Violet has been testing her limits to see if she can get away with something she couldn't have a few months ago. As a result, we've been having to say NO a lot more than usual. And, unfortunately, we have to watch her more closely than what we've had to do in the past (which was constantly in the first place). Many people would say her actions are a behavioral issue and needs to be punished appropriately. While I don't think they are entirely wrong, there are consequences for our actions, I don't think they are entirely right either. No, the underlying issue here is a heart issue. My precious daughter has been looking at outward things, activities and items, as more important than her relationships and respect for them. 

 Look at how sweet and innocent she was at two months of age!  Where has the time gone?

Now, don't get me wrong, I have an incredible kid! But I also know that she is not a perfect creation. No one is. And we have to remind ourselves quite often, and others as well, that she is only seven years old. She looks older than she is (she's tall for her age) and is well spoken for a child her age. Because of that, people think she is closer to ten than eight. Unfortunately, because of these things, people expect more from her than what she is emotionally capable of. I'm not making excuses for her behavior. I'm just putting things into perspective. You can't expect a seven year old to behave like a ten year old!

Something that has been placed upon my heart lately is that parenting isn't always easy. It's not always pretty. Sometimes it is downright ugly. And most assuredly, it WILL be difficult at times! Parenting is not for the faint of heart. It requires patience, effort, selflessness, and the willingness to get down on your child's level and get messy with them. We can't expect great things from our children if we aren't first willing to pour all of ourselves into them! I want Violet to be the better parts of her father and myself and that means we have to give those things to her.  

To pour life affirming grace into our child it requires us to be there in their lives, actively participating in it. It means setting down your iPhone, book, dinner preparations, or whatever is stealing your time and attention, and listening to what your child is saying - whether that be with actual words or with their actions. What is your child doing? Who are they with? What are their dreams? What's their favorite color? Their favorite food? Just as it does with everyone in our lives, it takes work to get to know your child! And just as it is with every relationship in our lives, you get out of the relationship what you put into it. 

I must confess, we have been greatly distracted around here the last two weeks. Violet's normal daily routine has been turned up-side down lately. And I have not been the mother I want to be or can be to the precious gift God gave me in a daughter. Some of the issues we are dealing with in Violet's behavior are the direct result of my not being more in-tune with my child. She is not the only one at fault here as I have my share of the blame. Ouch, that really hurt.

I don't believe anyone could question whether I love my child, because I do. With my whole heart. But being in this human frame I am in, I often act, well human! I mess up. I screw up. Daily. Hourly. I am child of God living in a fallen world and I can't raise my daughter without the grace and mercy that Christ has provided for me on the Cross. If I am to make a positive, lasting impression on Violet's heart, one that will make a difference in her life and thus in this world, I have to love her the same way Christ loves me - mercifully, freely offering forgiveness and grace, and instructing her on how to live a life based on God's Word and the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. 

Stepping Through Time

 My homeschool co-op had the privilege to tour the George Ranch Historical Park today. We had a most wonderful day filled with demonstrations and home tours. If you ever find yourself in Richmond, Texas, I urge you to go check out this treasure of history.

We stepped back through time to the 1830's, the 1860's, the 1890's and the 1930's. So much history happened during those time periods and it was a real eye opener to see how families lived back then. The first home we visited was the 1930's George Ranch home. This home was my favorite for many reasons. There were so many details in the George Ranch home that had me mesmerized.


This beautiful chandelier greets you upon entering the home...

The detail on this hallway entrance truly mesmerized me. Look at the detail, that was all carved by hand.

Apparently A.P. George really enjoyed his Tabasco hot sauce. It seems that he used the sauce on everything from meats, soups, fruits and vegetables. I think he had figured out the heat from the sauce helped keep his sinuses clear! This is what an 82 year old bottle of Tabasco looks like...

I have a deep appreciation of old fans. What I wouldn't give to have one just like this...

The 1870's Davis Victorian Mansion was beautiful. While the home was very pretty, I actually preferred the George Ranch House the most. This one seemed a little too stuffy for my tastes. This home is Victorian in style and the Davis family adhered to the Victorian lifestyle. Corssetts, suits and dresses required as dinner attire, and so forth. Like I said, it was too stuffy for me, yet I can appreciate the details of this home.

                           
This is a formal table setting with fine bone china and crystal goblets. They took their table etiquette very seriously. If a child broke one of the table rules, they would be dismissed from the table and not allowed to eat with their family for a month. 
                       

This is my favorite room in the Davis Victorian Mansion. This was a grandmother's room. The furniture in this room was beautiful. I loved the details on everything and the color of the wood. 

The Ranch is still a working ranch and farm. While we were there we got to see cattle...

We saw some horses and got to talk with a horse wrangler...

And we even saw an alligator searching for his next meal...

And finally, one of my absolute favorite things about the ranch - the trees! They are as old as the homes on the ranch and they are beautiful. 

I can only imagine the stories these trees could share if they were able to. 


If you ever have a chance to visit Richmond, Texas, you should take the time to spend a day at this historical treasure. It is well worth the trip and you won't leave disappointed!

Blame It On the Toe

I think I have now heard the funniest excuse ever. Violet's door just slammed and as I went to check on what happened, and if she was okay, she came running out of her room. The rush of words that came from her mouth still have me laughing.

"Mommy, I promise I didn't mean to slam the door! My toe    tripped me!"

I think that should qualify as the best and funniest excuse of all time! 

You Can Homeschool Too!

Words cannot express how proud I am of Violet at this particular time in her life. She has recently completed her second year, Cycle 3, of Classical Conversations! She may not be a Memory Master, the equivalent of valedictorian, but she worked hard and completed her work. The above photo is of Violet with her fabulous tutor, Mrs. McCarty. Violet loves her tutor and it was a real blessing to be in her class. Mrs. McCarty poured so much hard work and preparation, and love into her eight students! Thank you so much Mrs. McCarty for everything you did for your students.

Violet learned so many things this year. Her school work consisted of the human anatomy, American history,the States and Capitals of the United States (along with distinguishing geography facts), English grammar, Latin, the history time line and Math (skip counting). On top of all of that, she has been doing Saxon Math and learning how to read during our regular homeschool days/hours at home.

Classical Conversations has been a such an incredible blessing to my family's life. It has given us structure, guidance, and peace of mind knowing that we are covering the major topics for our seven year old student. An added blessing to the program is the support and encouragement you get from the families who are in your co-op. This was our second year being a part of Classical Conversations and during that time I have made new friends, gleaned wisdom from families who have been doing this for several years, and have gained a prayer support group. My friends have helped me get through the difficult days. The days when I would have tossed everything in the air and given up. They have also celebrated with our family when something big has happened in our lives. These are women who I hold dear to my heart and whom I love dearly.

This has been a difficult year for Violet and I and our homeschool journey. My health has thrown a horrible kink in our day to day life. I missed out on a few field trips and so would have Violet had it not been for our friends taking her along with them. There were a few times where I didn't feel well enough to actually go to our program on Fridays. Again, friends stepped in and took her to school and were sure that she learned that week's material. You can see what a blessing these women have been to me and my family. I am incredibly thankful to each and every one of them!

Violet has thrived in our group. She has many friends that she sees weekly and gets together with them on play dates as well. She also has friends at church with whom she spends a great deal of time with. Trust me, socialization is a non-issue with my kid. She will talk to anyone who will lend her their ear - children, parents she knows, tour guides, and extended family. She will even talk to a total stranger who is behind us in the grocery isle about the wonderful merits of a home education and the Classical Conversations program. Violet is very talkative and will share her heart and her thoughts with anyone who will take the time to listen.

Gregg and I started praying about Violet's education from the very beginning. "Lord, show us what to do?" was our continual prayer for several years. When the time to make a decision came I was scared beyond words, especially when Gregg suggested Classical Conversations as the program we follow. Me teaching Latin? Really? There is no possible way that THAT would happen. I wasn't qualified to teach that! Yet, Gregg knew I could do it because he knew I wouldn't be doing it on my own. I would immediately have a support system that would actually be teaching me on how to teach that week's material. Still, going in I was a bundle of nerves but when I saw CC (Classical Conversations) in action it all made sense. Things literally clicked in my brain and my "can'ts" changed to "cans".

Do I know everything there is to know? Hardly! But I'm not alone in this journey and that has made all the difference in our lives! I have been told numerous times, "I could never homeschool!" I used to say those same exact words. But guess what? I'm doing it! And if I can school my child at home then so can you! You just have to remember a bit of advice that was given to me several years ago -

"It's not about our ability! God will provide what you need when you need it. It's about being called to sacrifice your time and resources to be the major influence in your child's life. Set aside your fears because God can move beyond them. You just have to take that first step of faith, trusting that God will guide you and catch you if you fall."

I've fallen many times during this journey but God has faithfully been there for me, catching me and encouraging me in ways only He can. And He will do the same for you, every - single - time!