beginning a school day

 chanda's beginning schoolwork consisted of finishing a book report about the gulf stream and how benjamin franklin hoped to speed up the mail coming to the colonies by having the mail ships avoid it on their way to america. the book is called the mysterious ocean highway, by deborah heiligman and includes a copy of the original chart franklin made up with his whaling captain cousin around 1769. 

he also did temperature studies, showing how the gulf stream water was warmer than the surrounding waters it passed through.

after morning chores, such as unloading the dishwasher, making the beds, or vacuuming, chanda will sit down at the computer and do her typing and italian on duolingo. then we have breakfast, clear the table, light a candle and say an opening verse (which currently is):

i do behold the world

wherein there shines the sun

wherein there gleam the stars

wherein there lie the stones

the plants, they live and grow

the beasts in feeling live

and man to spirit gives

a dwelling in his soul.

i do behold the soul

that dwells within me,

god's spirit lives and weaves

in light of sun and soul

in heights of world without

in depths of soul within.

to thee o spirit of god

i turn my heart and pray

that strength and grace and skill

for learning and for work

in me may live and grow.

this is followed by several possibilities: a poetry reading, recitation, math problems, spelling words or a review of the previous day's lesson . . today we read a poem and began nicholas nickleby. sometimes this will turn into a craft hour and we'll knit and listen to a book on cd. today she worked on the book report and then we visited payard bakery for lunch before she went to her modern dance class. other times she will practice violin or work on math, latin, grammar or the italian workbook.

well, we did laundry too.

 and then had a sandwich (and onion soup) and plum tart at payard on houston street.

it was nice to begin formal studies again.