Around Our House Week 24

Last weekend we had a blast exploring the beach for father's day! The weather was fantastic with no wind. The kids waded in the ocean and played in the sand. It was exactly what we needed!

Harvest by Stefanie Bittner & Althea Harampolis

Summer is finally here on the Oregon Coast. My garden is drying out, my plants are coming back to life in earnest. We had a long, wet winter. Honestly, it's hard for me to feel inspired to plan a garden when everything is muddy and soaked outside. On stormy days, this wonderful book by Stefani Bittner and Alethea Harampolis, was a great motivator.

Harvest is full of practical, but unexpected ways to use different plants from the garden. Featuring 47 different plants from early, mid and late season in the garden. The projects and recipes really are unique and creative. I found myself learning new uses for plants I already grow and adding a few new plants to my wish-list. I never would have thought of pickling rhubarb or turning apricots into a facial mask.

The instructions for each project are simple and easy to follow. The ingredients needed are clearly listed and each step thoroughly explained. I made the calendula-infused oil and rosewater facial toner, both with great results. I also really appreciated the list of alternative ingredients at the back of the book. The instructions in the Terms and Technique page were helpful as well.

I know sometimes it can be overwhelming when you start actually harvesting from the garden. In late August it feels like I have an abundance of everything and am running our of ides for how to use it. This book provides ample inspiration and is a delight to look at and read. Harvest helps new and long time gardeners find new uses for their harvest.

Around Our House Week 23

We have had a few days of rain and the garden is loving it! It has been nice to take a break from watering, even though the slugs are back.

The kids seem to be impervious to the rain and continue their summer fun. Lately they have been making forts in the field next to our house. The grass is taller than me! They come in with grass seed in their hair and scratches on their arms and smiles on their little faces. 

Memoria Press Prima Latina Complete Set *REVIEW*

  Latin has always seemed like something totally inaccessible to our family. I learned a little bit of Latin in high school, and always found it helpful and interesting. However, it was not comprehensive enough to make me a qualified teacher. I was scared of messing up the pronunciations and grammar. I knew if I was every going to teach Latin, I needed a program that was really going to hold my hand and do the teaching for me, and Prima Latina Complete Set by Memoria Press does just that.

Prima Latina is intended for 1st-4th graders. It is perfect for younger students and takes things slowly with lots of review. There are 25 lessons. Each lesson is intended to be spread out over the week and has four corresponding student pages. In each lesson the student learns new grammar skills, a practical Latin phrase, five vocab words, and one line of a prayer. In total there are four Latin prayers learned, Sanctus, Doxology, Table Blessing, and Pater Noster.

The Prima Latina Complete Set has everything any parent needs to give their child a great start in Latin. The set includes:

• Teacher's Manual- The Teacher's Manual contains all the answers to the Student Book as well as all the tests and keys. There is also a sample lesson plan which I found really helpful.

Student Book

• Student Book- This is a spiral bound book that contains all the lessons and activities for the students to complete. I really liked the larger text and writing spaces, perfect for early elementary. While the rest of the materials can be re-used for another student, I'll have to purchase another workbook for my younger daughter. The price is pretty reasonable though.

• Flashcards- This set comes with a huge stack of flashcards. These can be used for Prima Latina and Latina Christiana (the next curriculum intended for 3rd-6th graders). These are printed on thick cardstock and obviously made with students in mind. The cards are two sided- one side has the English word and the other has the Latin, lesson number, and any derivative. These cards are really helpful and get used frequently throughout the curriculum. As you can see in my picture, there are a lot of cards!
• Instructional DVD- This DVD is really what sold me on this curriculum. The lessons are 20 minutes each and taught by Leigh Lowe. She does a great job. She is very clear and easy to understand. There is a lot of review covered in the DVD, which has been really helpful for my son.
• Pronunciation CD- The CD is set up to accompany the student text and drills. Students can hear their vocab words, and the lines from the prayer they are working on.

I have been really pleased with the amount my son has learned from this program! On Monday we watch the DVD and then go through the workbook the rest of the week. He is only 6, so it is a lot of writing for him. However, he has been able to keep up. A few times life has gotten very hectic and we have stretched the one week lesson into two. The CD really helps with review.

What I think really sets this curriculum apart is its many components. You don't only write Latin, but listen, speak, and watch someone else speak. This has really helped my son to retain the information. Leigh does a great job teaching in the DVD and really takes care of the part I was scared of. I am so thankful for this curriculum from Memoria Press. It has truly made Latin accessible to our family.

Click the banner below to find out how other families are using Prima Latina or to see reviews of these Memoria Press Curriculums, Latina Christiana, First Form Latin, Second Form Latin, Third Form Latin, Fourth Form Latin, The Book of Trees or Nature's Beautiful Order

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Around Our House Week 22

We did something we rarely do last week, we went to the park! We have so much room outside for the kids to play, going to the park just doesn't usually happen. My dad met us in town for a picnic and some play time and it was a blast. I always forget, how simple things like that, can make a regular day a special day.