Brave Writer Weekly Digest Vol. 5

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Hey Mama Friends! Thank's for joining me this week for my Brave Writer Weekly Digest Vol.5!

Herin, I'll read a chapter of The Writer's Jungle and share how we're feathering in the Brave Writer Lifestyle, in addition to using various suggestions of The Brave Writer Lifestyle Plan, and The Brave Writer's Yahoo Group.

If you look up at the top of the blog, I've decided to create a page for future reference to each Volume. I am changing the title of these volumes to Brave Writer Digests, leaving out the "weekly." I started a weekly digest in order to hold myself accountable for actually reading all the way through the The Writer's Jungle, but as life would have it, a few things have changed at home and I no longer have the leisure of reading through it on a weekly basis. Here's Vol 1, 2, 3, & 4.

Monday Charlotte put me in the Driver's Seat and taught me how to play Tennis. I may or may not have twisted my ankle. Not gonna say.

I also switched out our History curriculum . Part of the girls lesson was to make their own cuneiform & hieroglyphics. Talk about going all the way to the first form of writing! The girls really appreciated how difficult and delicate a process it was to write in clay.

By the way, you can totally change out your curriculum mid-year.

Tuesday's Free write was "Shout!"

I HAVE AN ACQUAINTANCE ON FACEBOOK WHO ONLY WRITES IN CAPS. IS SHE YELLING AT ME? DID SHE FORGET THAT THE CAPS WAS EVEN ON? (ALL THE TIME)

With today's free write we talked about how to expressively, AND correctly write about shouting. We also discussed joy, anger, frustration, silliness, being scared. ALL to make a point.

We watched a movie about disabilities called Different Drummers. (This movie is so good.) Then had Big Juicy's about ADHD, wheelchairs and adult bullies.

Wednesday was Art Appreciation and I just so happened to get in the mail the Picture Portfolio's from Simply Charlotte Mason. This term we're studying Johannes Vermeer. I don't know if we'll ever get to see a Vermeer in person so we created one. And lemme tell you, it was fantastic!

Isn't she darling?

The girl's focused so much on the details of the original painting in order to get Charlotte looking *just right* for her pose. 

"She's looking like this, not that!"

"The turban needs to go further back."

"Tilt your head this way, instead."

"The lighting is in the wrong direction, the shadow is facing the wrong side of her face. The light is coming from this side, casting a shadow here!"

With a scrap of blue from an old Elsa dress, brother's dress shirt, a yellow bath towel, and my shawl and earing we created our own "Girl With Pearl Earing." This was by far the best picture study we've ever had! 

Thursday was Poetry Tea Time. This quarter we've been reading from Emily Dickenson, but the girls give me the eye rolls whenever I read, so I may have to change it up. They enjoyed listening when I read aloud her biography, but they're not super impressed with her poetry. I know it's all in the delivery, in addition to simply getting used to reading poetry at all, however keeping the girls attention while reading classical poetry is quite the challenge since they don't genuinely appreciate it. Another thing I'm thinking of changing out is Poetry Tea Time all together. (She said as she sunk down in her chair.)

Here's why; We enjoy tea every morning. One of these days I'll share with you our morning time, but we already read poetry daily with tea. It's not so much a party per se, so without ditching Poetry Tea Time all together, I may just have a once a month Tea Party with the girls that's more of a theme.

Friday I took the day off. It was my daughter Shelby's birthday, and we have a no school policy for birthday's ending in 0-9, or any combination of any numbers in the number system.

Writers Jungle Chapter 4. If you've followed Brave Writer long enough you've heard the term Free Write. If you've asked your children to write a free write, you may have received a wide-eyed blank stare from them. Panic or resistance may set in at the mere mention of writing anything you please. Chapter four of The Writer's Jungle give us the key that unlocks the words.

Reflections:  I'm still working through feeling like I'm doing enough when it comes to writing with the girls. I have a giant teacher's crush on the Brave Writer Lifestyle, but for always feeling like we're behind because of life's hiccups, and considering all the things I did wrong when it came to Garrett's writing during his homeschool years, I decided to purchase a grammar program for my two older girl's. Sometime soon, I also plan on purchasing Jot it Down for my three younger girls. I'm not going to say what, because I'm still working through The Writer's Jungle. I simply want to feel more secure with the process. I don't feel like I'm knowledgeable with the method to keep going with respects to grammar, but to keep the girl's writing, I'm going to park in chapter four of the Jungle for a while, as suggested by Julie. It's not wise of me to try and begin the work without understanding completely what I'm doing. The Brave Writer's Mom's Yahoo emails, and the Brave Writer Lifestyle Plan keep me on track every day on what to do next, and I need that right now. Since I feel like I've been floating for so long, these two gems have been my anchor.

There's still so much I want to add to the girls education, yet I'm constantly feeling like there's no way I can possible add one. more. thing. I want to master teaching each subject well, then feather in as we go. Math and Language Arts are the two most paramount subjects we can teach, yet the most difficult for me to instruct. I can plan all day, every day and have the brightest Gold Star to show for it. But I fail miserly at executing the plan...Please tell me I'm not the only one.

It's sure difficult to write about homeschooling without actually doing the homeschooling. My hat's off to all the mama bloggers who are able to teach and work a successful homeschooling blog. I have taken on a part time job, and started my own cottage business on Instagram. (Be a pal and follow me?)

I'm still trying to find balance between homeschool and blogging, hence my absence.

What about you? How are you processing the Writer's Jungle or Brave Writer Lifestyle? I'd love to know your thoughts!