House Guest: The Spirit

Part of educating at home is assuming household responsibilities at a young age.

As three year olds, they are invited to match socks for 5 cents a pair. This helps teach them matching and the reward for doing something of value to others in the house. It really is of value because if they don't match, we all wear mismatched socks. I love doing laundry for six people but I loathe socks. They get tossed clean into a bin for the little matchers.

Pretty quickly, matching grows old and requests for more important chores are made.

I try to allow them whatever chores they are interested most in doing. I also try not to insist they perform chores they don't like. This keeps a positive feeling associated with household work and in my experience, creates an environment of helpfulness.

I have a weekly garage sweeper, two children who like to clean car interiors, a few who like to dust. No one chooses to clean bathrooms but they are responsible for wiping down their own space and is a part of their deal of schooling at home.

The older ones receive a small allowance in exchange for certain chores they pick each week. They keep track of chore completion and may choose to skip their allowance if things go undone. When their father and I are ready to pay more in exchange for more help around the house, we meet and discuss the opportunity and usually find enthusiastic kids who want more to do.

Twelve year old daughter empties the dishwasher thrice each week and is a helper to me with vacuuming, mopping and whatever room I'm working on that week.

Ten year old son washes, dries, folds and puts away his own laundry. He actually chose laundry as his weekly chore. He loves doing his own laundry! He also sweeps the garage once a week.

Six year old daughter loves to dust and clean mirrors and wipe down bathroom sinks. She actually scrubbed off some sticky tape glue that was on my mirror for years because I couldn't get it off. Without my asking, she just tackled it.

Three year old son... well... I suppose he is comic relief and moral support and of course, Chief Sock Matcher.

When I am organized with a weekly list of things I'd like done around the house and an idea of what time of day it should happen around schooling, the house runs like a well oiled machine. In contrast, when things feel disheveled or messy, I get this feeling of overwhelm being home. In those moments, I can see how I did not order our day well. In those moments I see that it is me who can do a bit better.

When our shared space is tidy and clean, the rest of our day goes well. The Spirit of learning, of helpfulness, of cheerfulness, of knowing seems to dwell easier in our home on those days.

In the Spirit of Sisterhood..
ciao

Annapolis and The United States Naval Academy

 Loving spontaneity, we changed plans a time or two once we hit the road.  We settled on ANNAPOLIS!

Annapolis is a charming little town. Home of the United States Naval Academy.We ate the best mussels and crabcakes - ever!  Hands down better seafood than we have experienced in Boston and Gloucester.  Really.  There are great gift shops, cheap toy stores for the kids and ice cream parlors open on Sunday mornings!  We had ice cream in waffle cones for breakfast on Sunday morning! 

 I know it is early for college visiting, but we are noticing that it does get the kids' wheels turning...thinking about POSSIBILITIES...and restores motivation for their education at home and hard work. So much of what we do at home is self-guided and our success relies entirely on their self-motivation, as I cannot carry this burden for them.  It is amazing what exposure to the world and its possibilities does for their hearts, and my efforts with them at home. 

 

The USNA campus was smaller than I thought.  There are about 4000-5000 students there.  One must pass through security with a valid US ID to get into.  It was quiet on a Sunday, except for the reverent dressed Midshipmen attending chapel services.  

There is a cool 13 minute video at the Visitor's Center that the kids enjoyed, giving them a glimpse into the life of a Midshipman, the name for students who attend.  Ten year old son was inspired.

 The quad was pretty in bloom.

The USNA is also the resting place for the father of the America Navy, John Paul Jones - read up on his interesting story of how this Scottish immigrant began apprenticing on a ship at age 13, rode up the ranks with some luck, defeated a mutiny, evaded the law and rose up to commandeer the first ship in the Continental Navy.  America sure was built with a few renegades, wasn't she? 

The U.S. Navy took great pains to locate and exhume his body in Paris and return it to the Crypt at the USNA located under the Chapel.  

Ten year old son pummeling four year old brother in front of the USNA Rotunda.  We really have a peaceful family, so this is an enactment for your entertainment.

 There is this rotunda which is one of the main attractions, and I imagine balls and banquets are held here.  We know some dignitaries visit here.  We saw a small motorcade come through security with some Euro looking body guards intimidating us out the windows as they passed by us.  We discovered that someone very important from Russia was coming into the USNA on that quiet Sunday.  We had fun imagining all of the reasons they could be doing there and it prompted a family discussion of, "What is the current status of US/Russia relations?" 

 

 I love the naval slogan "Don't Give up the Ship" and it's greater application.

 Meet John Ripley "Rip".  A tale of Vietnam bravery and single-handed heroism that earned him the Navy Cross.  It was inspiring and caused us to have another family discussion of "Would you have done the same?"

Amidst the fortress-feel of the USNA, this tattered flag was a reminder of a close call once upon a time and how vulnerable the United States has been at times, and how vulnerable we are now.

 Ciao!