Mother’s Day Pizza With a Hole In It and Oregon Trail Card Game

 Mother’s Day was awesome. We got to spend time with multiple generations and extended family, and my family treated me to an afternoon of thrifting, dinner and a game. It couldn’t have been improved!

For dinner, we went to our local favorite pizza parlor which serves New York style pie. There’s always a long wait, so we cozied up at a booth and took on a game we’ve never played before- Oregon Trail card game. I found it for $1.99 at the Goodwill. It was a bit complicated. No one knew who died of dysentery and everyone just got tired of it and hungrier with each calamity. 

The pizza arrived with a hole in it and an apology and a promise of a free smaller pizza on the way to make up for the hole. It was still amazing.

I wouldn’t have traded it for anything! As for the card game… well… some things might just be better left as the original version! 

Mother Charlotte

 As mentioned, I am knee deep in planning year 4 and 9 curriculum plans from Ambleside Online, using Charlotte Mason teaching methods. I finally came up with the plans for both girls. I think, I’m scared to dive in, as is a common experience per the web site forum. School with hardly a text book. Is it enough?

   Many people ask about the old books being used. Why use such antiquated books? Some truths never change, and are worth studying and have stood the test of time. We do plan on using Saxon Math textbooks and Easy Grammar alongside AO recommendations as well as Easy Peasy All In One homeschool online curriculum site (free!). 

   Now that the books and curriculum have been determined for the new school year, I am studying up on the actual Charlotte Mason method. I am immersed in all things Mason, learning her principles, philosophies and methods. The teacher has become the student. That is VERY Charlotte Mason, whereas she hoped to foster a lifelong thirst for self education. So yes, we are a Charlotte Mason family and we shall see how this fall goes. It will be experimental. If it doesn’t go well, I have a plan B.

Bronner Bath ALL ONE!

 

Ever seen the Dr. Bronner’s soap bottle with all the wording to include “ALL ONE!!” all over the bottle? I’ve always made our own foaming hand soap with Bronner’s Castile soap diluted with water and Thieves oil. It’s fantastic and works really well.

  My daughter was amused with all the sayings on the bottle. She took it upon herself to read everything on the bottle, which then led her to a trip further down the Bronner rabbit hole. And it is an odd one, indeed.

  I assigned her a descriptive essay for her end of year assignment and she will be writing about Bronner soap, it’s famously eccentric maker, and its colorful history. She has been immersed in Bronner history, and even found a documentary on YouTube called “Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap Box”. 

  The documentary covers the history of the soap company and Emmanuel Bronner, and shows footage of him talking about everything from his “all one” beliefs to tips on using his products. He particularly promotes the peppermint Bronner’s soap, and its delightfully tingly sensation.

 Emmanuel gives the procedure for his recommended sink bath. He said to open the window, put on your birthday suit, fill the sink with hot water, add a couple drops of the peppermint soap, grab a smallish towel, dip it in the mixture and wipe yourself down from the top of your head, to your feet, always rubbing towards the heart. He said it is refreshing and kept him young for a long time.

  I liked this idea. Honestly, as a busy mom, there are days I don’t get a shower. So this is a great quick little refresher between showers. The day I tried this out, it was snowing out. Nonetheless, I opened our window, followed the steps with the exception of peppermint soap, since I didn’t have that scent of Bronner’s. Results- it woke me up quickly and was very refreshing! I vowed to try the process with the peppermint soap next.

  The girls tried the Bronner bath too and reported similar results. Could also be good for camping, etc… There is a modified version for bed bound people as well- add some soap to a spray bottle with water. Spray the mixture on and wipe off with a wet wash cloth. Very refreshing.

 I did buy a bottle of the peppermint and used a couple drops in the shower as a body wash. It smells great, is pretty tingly and is cooling to the skin, when you step out of the shower and the cool air hits you. 

  Next, I will try two things: the sink Bronner bath with the peppermint soap, and the spray bottle routine. I will definitely give an update.

   My daughter continues down the Bronner rabbit hole and is discovering all kinds of interesting facts about him, and the story behind his infamous bottle labels. Even his gravestone says “ALL ONE!”.

  It is a pretty great product, can be used for many things, and is all natural. The peppermint soap is where it’s at though. ALL ONE!

The Charlotte Mason Experiment

It's been a long time since I’ve posted anything. Thought I would get back into the swing of things by talking about the planning of next school year.

  I am in the weird time of the homeschool year where I am already planning for next year, but trying to finish out this year, and losing steam with both!

  Next school year is pivotal for both of the girls- one starting 9th grade, high school, and the other starting 4th grade, upper elementary. 

  We’ve run into curriculum issues with both girls, so I’ve been researching different types of curriculum and stumbled into a Charlotte Mason online free curriculum called Ambleside Online. 

  We have been considering ourselves eclectic homeschoolers- we use a blend of classical, Charlotte Mason, and traditional curriculum/methods with a dash of unschooling here and there. I’ve always used a curriculum which had a daily lesson plan for me and made it easy for me. This was my training wheels.

  Well, this year it looks like it’s time to rip those trainers off! Ambleside Online (AO) does indeed have plans for each level, however they are weekly, and it is up to you to decide how to spread the work daily. 

  I’ve been down the AO and Charlotte Mason rabbit hole now every night for at least two weeks. I’m obsessed! 

  I thought I knew how Charlotte Mason worked until I ran into this site. I’ve learned so much from this deep dive that is currently consuming me(in the best kind of way).

  So, I am planning on implementing full Charlotte Mason next year for fourth grade and ninth. It’s a world of classic literature, Plutarch, Latin, Shakespeare, composers, artists, narration, nature study, copy work. It’s not the easy path. It’s not extremely well laid out either. Plans are presented, and it’s up to me to decide weekly how to proceed. 

  We will also be juggling co-op and equine science ranch day along with this new method. It will be a very interesting fall semester. Not to mention two potential trips! What am I thinking?!

  A friend told me “are you going full Charlotte Mason?”, which I replied “well I guess I am”!

  It’s taking a lot of research on my part, but it seemingly is a better fit for my family than boxed curriculum.

  I plan on posting updates as this experiment rolls along. I am currently still in the “seriously entertaining this” phase along with “how did I get here” phase.

  Well, off to research McGuffey Readers Grammar from the 1800s 😜.