2012 Spring Conference: Riding forth from Edoras

February. A month of winter snows or not, as is the case this year. But February still holds some shadow for homeschoolers. It's a short month, heading towards spring, momentum being built after December holidays. As a parent I have my eyes toward next year already, my mind on where we need to finish this year. So for the last three years we take a break in February. Our current schedule has us doing six weeks on, one week off. This is our week off.

For two of these days I'm having a conference. In years past it has felt very scholarly and intellectual to have my own conference. This year I feel like a Rider of the Mark defending my territory against hostile Orcs. I am armed and ready. I feel these days hold more importance. Don't know if that is true, but it feels that way. My planning is taking us into high school this fall. I am excited about high school, Z is excited about a few subjects. We also have a few long weeks ahead of us before we can call this year done. I feel I am preparing for a long journey, one I want to go on, but one I know will hold pitfalls and perils.

This week I have a few books to preview, a few lecture series to preview, some self-education to get out of the way, and I must organize the classroom. Our setup does not allow me to have all my books out, so I'm banishing some to the living room, some to the basement, and organizing the rest. I'm hoping the streamlining will get us to the end of the year.

So I ride forth in my quest to keep the intruders of mayhem, chaos, discord, and confusion out of my lands. I am armed, and I am ready.

A House, A Home, A Hole not in the Ground

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. 

Possibly the best starting line in any book. Some days I want to find a hole and burrow myself down into it. Some days I am in wonder that there isn't a hole in my pantry. I knew teen boys were supposed to be hungry, but, Whoa!, I think Z is gearing up for a big one. At age ten he had trouble finishing a Happy Meal. He certainly eats like a hobbit now. I recently looked at the local high school's schedule. They have four lunch periods. I think Z would love school if he thought he'd get four full lunch periods. Sadly no four lunch periods here, just grazing allowed. 

We're spending a lot of time with hobbits this year as we work through Literary Lessons from Lord of the Rings. I adore the depth of this curriculum. Reading the books is joy enough, and the author has added just enough to not burn out the student on Tolkien lore. We tweak portions (using the first edition), and are currently in book three of LotR. We've seen the movies, Z only remembers portions, but I have them playing in my mind while we read. It's making a full experience for my brain. Today we read through the battle at Helm's Deep. In the movie I can't help but choke up when Gandalf crests the hill astride Shadowfax. I choked up reading it today as well. 

In the meantime we must return to our own reality, very removed from Middle Earth. *sigh* It's February, that month again, but that lament is for another post.