I know we said we were moving on from WWII and we're trying. We have books about WWI in our house and we've discussed some and watched some PBS films and so forth...but we're also still reading The Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki.
Today we read about how Sadako learned about her fate (because she had not known what disease she was battling, only that she was sick). She was curious, however, so when she came across her file and read her test results it confirmed her fears—that she had leukemia. She spent a minute feeling sorry for herself but then her thoughts turned to others. "How can I help my family? What can I do to make the world a better place while I am still alive?"
So that was our writing prompt for the day (it still counts as a gratitude prompt).
Benjamin said:
Sadako said, "Before I die I want to make the world a bit better."
Three examples are: at Sierra Bonita Park, Utah, my brother fell so I helped him up. At school someone fell sick so I took her to the nurse's office. I gave my sister lessons.
Someone made the world better for me when: my mom gave me lessons, my sister played with me, my brother played with me.
We are working on forming more elaborate sentences. Benjamin is a real short-cut taker when it comes to writing. He likes listing things; he does not enjoy explaining his reasoning. But he's also seven, so I'm sure we'll get there.
Miriam (not a short-cut writer) wrote the most beautiful piece. She said:
One way someone has changed the world for me is by helping me spread my musical wings and helping me fly. That is both my organ and cello teachers. I think they have been very kind to me. I want to make a thank you card for both of them. Another way someone changed the world for me is my mom for being my teacher and the best mom in the world. She is always so funny and is making "mom jokes." Another way someone has changed the world for me is by being inclusive and patient and kind to me. Big shoutout to my friend Hannah Brown. She is so funny and selfless and patient with everyone. I think she is so kind and nice to me.
"I want to make the world a better place before I die," is what Sadako Sasaki said months before she died. Some ways I can make the world a better place is by being kinder and patienter. I can do what people ask me to do (unless it's bad). I can see something on the floor and pick it up. I can stay on task and do my work. I can go the extra mile. Lastly, I can be a helpful and good person.
"And by ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you."
Even when homeschooling feels overwhelming (we're on week 10, by the way), I'm always glad I can see their progress every day. I love reading what they're thinking (even if it's the truncated bare-bones of their thoughts). They're really beautiful people and homeschooling is helping me to appreciate them so much more.
Tonight Miriam prepared a family night lesson for us since we didn't have time for a lesson last night. She talked about 1 Corinthians chapter 3, even though we're well beyond that in our church curriculum by this point. That's where she is in her personal reading, though, so that's what she wanted to teach about.
In church we usually focus on verse 16: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" But Miriam chose to focus on the beautiful verses leading up to that verse.
She taught us that Christ is our foundation, and we are charged with building a house upon that foundation. In the end "every man's work shall be made manifest" and a fire will come and if we built a good building it will stay standing and we'll be rewarded. But if we built a bad building, we'll "suffer a loss" (of the building, presumably, and probably of some pride), "but he himself shall be saved."
And I thought it was so beautiful that she found that and wanted to tell us all about it—that we are all just trying our best, and in the end we'll all be saved (even if even though we mess up all the time).
Today we read about how Sadako learned about her fate (because she had not known what disease she was battling, only that she was sick). She was curious, however, so when she came across her file and read her test results it confirmed her fears—that she had leukemia. She spent a minute feeling sorry for herself but then her thoughts turned to others. "How can I help my family? What can I do to make the world a better place while I am still alive?"
So that was our writing prompt for the day (it still counts as a gratitude prompt).
Benjamin said:
Sadako said, "Before I die I want to make the world a bit better."
Three examples are: at Sierra Bonita Park, Utah, my brother fell so I helped him up. At school someone fell sick so I took her to the nurse's office. I gave my sister lessons.
Someone made the world better for me when: my mom gave me lessons, my sister played with me, my brother played with me.
We are working on forming more elaborate sentences. Benjamin is a real short-cut taker when it comes to writing. He likes listing things; he does not enjoy explaining his reasoning. But he's also seven, so I'm sure we'll get there.
Miriam (not a short-cut writer) wrote the most beautiful piece. She said:
One way someone has changed the world for me is by helping me spread my musical wings and helping me fly. That is both my organ and cello teachers. I think they have been very kind to me. I want to make a thank you card for both of them. Another way someone changed the world for me is my mom for being my teacher and the best mom in the world. She is always so funny and is making "mom jokes." Another way someone has changed the world for me is by being inclusive and patient and kind to me. Big shoutout to my friend Hannah Brown. She is so funny and selfless and patient with everyone. I think she is so kind and nice to me.
"I want to make the world a better place before I die," is what Sadako Sasaki said months before she died. Some ways I can make the world a better place is by being kinder and patienter. I can do what people ask me to do (unless it's bad). I can see something on the floor and pick it up. I can stay on task and do my work. I can go the extra mile. Lastly, I can be a helpful and good person.
"And by ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you."
Even when homeschooling feels overwhelming (we're on week 10, by the way), I'm always glad I can see their progress every day. I love reading what they're thinking (even if it's the truncated bare-bones of their thoughts). They're really beautiful people and homeschooling is helping me to appreciate them so much more.
Tonight Miriam prepared a family night lesson for us since we didn't have time for a lesson last night. She talked about 1 Corinthians chapter 3, even though we're well beyond that in our church curriculum by this point. That's where she is in her personal reading, though, so that's what she wanted to teach about.
In church we usually focus on verse 16: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" But Miriam chose to focus on the beautiful verses leading up to that verse.
She taught us that Christ is our foundation, and we are charged with building a house upon that foundation. In the end "every man's work shall be made manifest" and a fire will come and if we built a good building it will stay standing and we'll be rewarded. But if we built a bad building, we'll "suffer a loss" (of the building, presumably, and probably of some pride), "but he himself shall be saved."
And I thought it was so beautiful that she found that and wanted to tell us all about it—that we are all just trying our best, and in the end we'll all be saved (
Interesting--Janet and I went to the Terryl L. Givens lecture yesterday, and he talked about how the word translated as "saved" often would be more properly translated as "healed"--I cannot say it like he did. But in some of the verses where "saved" seems like not a smooth fit, or a bit melodramatic, try "healed" and there is a kind of beauty in that. I love what Miriam wrote. That was very sweet. And Benjamin's is sweet, too. Your homeschooling is bringing out beautiful things in all of you.
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