Charlotte Mason at the Lilting House

Perhaps it's a year of upheaval that inspires us to turn with open arms towards the matronly Miss Mason.  Perhaps it's seeking simplicity.  I remember the first time I found Charlotte Mason.  I had four children and was expecting a fifth.  I was tired of co-opping--not because of the people but because I couldn't handle the commuting and the conforming to the necessary schedule.  But I craved a rhythm in my new house.  It was a bit of a tilting house, to borrow a term from a very dear friend.

That dear friend and I got a good laugh when we shared with each other just before Christmas that we'd had this altogether unique revelation to return to Charlotte Mason roots.  They are going to begin a Charlotte Mason term at the Lilting House in the Bonny Glen. Since Lissa is already more organized and more articulate than I am where this endeavor is concerned, be sure to tune in frequently at the Lilting House and at her "up close" detail of her day (her idea, first, by the way).

Tweaking the Plans

I've been asking these questions since early December.  And I seem to be getting a lot of letters like these lately:

I am sure you get hundreds of emails, so I hate to add another to the bunch, but I just had a couple of questions...My question to you is this:  You have a large family with many young ones...how do you do it???  OK.. That is vague.  Basically, I wonder how you get through a day and cover what you want to cover with all of the different age groups, without having to make it boring workbook stuff. 

The writer goes on to tell me that she is a regular reader of this blog and has read my book twice. Clearly, something more is needed to convey the daily "how do."  I'm honestly not certain I can DO it and WRITE about it at the same time, but I'll give it a go!  Check in daily to see how I try to be Faithful Over Little Things.

Achieving Peace of Education

Helen sent me a little red book in early December that has captivated me.  It's called  Achieving Peace of Heart by Narciso Irala, S.J. The book is a compelling guide to mental and emotional health and happiness. I hope to write about it later with regard to the sage spiritual advice found there.  In the first few chapters, however, what struck me is how much Fr. Irala sounded like Charlotte Mason. His antidote to the exhaustion and confusion of our fast-paced world is to slow down and concentrate fully on one thing at a time. He wants us to cultivate what Miss Mason calls the "habit of attention."

I've been thinking hard for over a month now about this call to simplicity and concentration.  And I can see how the last year has really been an advent of sorts.  It's been a preparation for a serious commitment to simplicity and attention in all aspects of life--from the spiritual to the academic.

While I will certainly share more about peace of heart, right now, my thoughts have been most definitely on peace of education.  The process--during advent,no less--of reflecting upon Michael's education and preparing college portfolios has given me ample opportunity to assess what works for our family.

Charlotte Mason education works.  It's academically sound and produces a well-educated child. It is a peaceful, integrated education.

The Domestic Church works.  A fully-integrated life of prayer at home with our spouse and our children, celebrating the liturgical year and the life of the church gives children spiritual peace of heart.

That's it.  Living books, narration, nature study, Latin (yes, I said Latin--stop laughing, MacBeth). And God, real and present and tangible.

Sounds like a plan.