PARTY TIME

PARTY TIME

The Coleman Homeschooling Academy officially starts it's winter break today. We take a break from our regular studies until January 5th. We started this tradition several years ago as we decided we just wanted to enjoy and embrace the holiday season to it's fullest.

As with some homeschooling families and certainly this one, learning is a way of life. Although, I do structure with some light curriculum, we believe strongly that life is learning. Children are natural learners and do so much better learning what they choose instead of what is shoved at them.

So, although we are on break, the projects and learning will most certainly continue. We spend a lot of time cooking, and snugling around the fireplace reading books and catching up on movies. We review traditions and reminisce of seasons past. We tell stories of generations past and traditions that have come forward. We decorate the house in grand fashion and remember the origins of old ornaments and adornments such as the old advent calender that hung in the gray house of Ballard. We joyously sing Christmas songs regardless of our beliefs and sweetly remember the favorites or those gone before us. We cook favorite recipes like Aunt Carla's pumpkin bread and ginger drink, Grandma Maude's apple pie, my mothers sinful sweet potatoes or my father's favorite Christmas eve treat..little smokies. There's Grandma Loretta's collards and Anna's sweet potato pie. We laugh about making Dad cook and eat those nasty chitterlings outside.

We have lot's of projects to design and complete.  The finishing of homemade gifts, sanding wood, cutting fabric, sewing and sawing, and candle making. Painting and stamping, cutting and measuring, keeping secrets and telling legends. Wrapping, tieing bows, taping and packing, making and sending cards. If we are lucky there will be snow angels to make and icicle treats. We can sled down our fabulous hill and visit Pincone Clubhouse in the snow. We will sip hot cocoa and discuss the origins of cinnamon sticks. We will recycle ordinary, everyday trash into beautiful art sculptures reflective of the season.

So...who needs curriculum..we cover social studies, history, language arts, music, art, math, science and religiousstudies. All in the form of a great celebration. Sure makes me think of turning this into a year round way of life.