More on "Becoming Jane"

Awesome movie, awesome actors, awesome settings, awesome music and well written! This is an incredible movie and if you're a Jane Austen fan, you truly should see this one. I know I recently posted about this movie, but I wanted to share a few more things about the movie I loved.

THE MUSIC:
Listen to this music while you're reading:

(There are 4 others just like it, so click on over to YouTube to hear the rest.)

THE MOVIE:
From the IMDB site: "The year is 1795 and young Jane Austen is a feisty 20-year-old and emerging writer who already sees a world beyond class and commerce, beyond pride and prejudice, and dreams of doing what was then nearly unthinkable - marrying for love. Naturally, her parents are searching for a wealthy, well-appointed husband to assure their daughter's future social standing. They are eyeing Mr. Wisley, nephew to the very formidable, not to mention very rich, local aristocrat Lady Gresham, as a prospective match. But when Jane meets the roguish and decidedly non-aristocratic Tom Lefroy, sparks soon fly along with the sharp repartee. His intellect and arrogance raise her ire - then knock her head over heels. Now, the couple, whose flirtation flies in the face of the sense and sensibility of the age, is faced with a terrible dilemma. If they attempt to marry, they will risk everything that matters - family, friends and fortune."

THE ACTORS:
Anne Hathaway as Jane Austen


James McAvoy as Tom Lefroy


Julie Walters as Mrs. Austen


James Cromwell as Rev. Austen


Anna Maxwell Martin as Cassandra Austen


Laurence Fox as Mr. Wisley


Maggie Smith


THE QUOTES:
Some of my favorite quotes from the movie:

Tom Lefroy: I am yours. Heart and soul, I am yours. Much good that is.
Jane Austen: I will decide that.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Cassandra Austen: You'll lose everything. Family, place. For what? A lifetime of drudgery on a pittance? A child every year and no means to lighten the load? How will you write, Jane?
Jane Austen: I do not know, but happiness is within my grasp and I cannot help myself.
Cassandra Austen: There is no sense in this.
Jane Austen: If you could have your Robert back, even like this, would you do it?
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Mrs. Radcliffe: Of what do you wish to write?
Jane Austen: Of the heart.
Mrs. Radcliffe: Do you know it?
Jane Austen: Not all of it.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Mrs. Austen: Affection is desirable. Money is absolutely indispensable!
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Tom Lefroy: What value will there ever be in life, if we are not together?
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Jane Austen: [she has just kissed him] Did I do that well?
Tom Lefroy: Very. Very well.
Jane Austen: I wanted, just once, to do it well.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

THE SETTING:

The movie was filmed in Ireland instead of Hampshire, England...the true birthplace of Jane Austen, mainly because the landscape was pretty much unchanged from what it was like in England in Jane Austen's day.

Charleville Castle in Ireland


Higginsbrook House - the setting of Jane Austen's home


Bray, Ireland - where Tom Lefroy died in real life.


Now, go grab yourself a cup of hot tea, a cozy seat in the family room, and pop in the 'Becoming Jane' DVD. If you love it even half as much as I do, you'll enjoy the movie a great deal!

Washington

If you have children in the early elementary grades (K-3), I highly recommend the book "Boys and Girls of Colonial Days".

From the book: "From the young pilgrims in Holland to youngsters at Mt. Vernon this reader will provide today's child with a better understanding of how the events and personalities of colonial America affected the lives of young people who lived during this time of history. Includes great stories about children encountering great Americans such as George Washington. Also includes stories of brave little American rebels who would not stand for British tyranny. Delightful reading for young families."

We have been studying all about early American history this year with the Teaching Character Through Literature series, put out by Beautiful Feet. We are truly enjoying this series as the books have been so enjoyable. Lately we've been learning quite a bit about George Washington and the early days of our country and how it was established...through this simple child's book. I not only love the book, but the illustrations are great as well...they're very sweet.

Today we read about how George Washington was a General, yet a servant. He never used his important role to benefit himself. He always put others first. One of the rules Pres. Washington always tried to live by: "Make sure you are doing what is right with God - then do it with all your strength." The Bible verse we learned during our lesson today says: "He that will be chief among you, let him be your servant." Matthew 20:27

One of my favorite portraits of George Washington was the one painted of him praying beside his horse while at Valley Forge. This may or may not have happened as it's portrayed, but I believe we can surely say that this was a great man of God who did take the time to pray for our country on his knees!

After our lesson, I had Sweet-Pea draw a picture of President Washington. So...without further ado...here he is....the 1st president of the United States of America...



Gotta love it! I think this version would look better on the dollar bill, don't you?

Lost in Austen

Sweet-Pea and I watched TV this morning while eating our breakfast. Lionel is away for the day at a quiz meet with church, so we are having a girl's day while watching Jane Austen. What movie did we watch?? None other than the great movie Becoming Jane....a movie all about Jane Austen! Sweet-Pea is almost as passionate about Austen and her books as I am. (I'm working on it. ha ha!)

I'm trying to find a great curriculum that incorporates the wonderful classic Jane Austen novels with school. If anyone knows of anything, please post a comment. I'd love to read through them all with Sweet-Pea and use them as a learning tool. I've got unit studies for three other great series of books....Little House on the Prairie, The Chronicles of Narnia and Anne of Green Gables. I think a Jane Austen one is in order, don't you!?!

If you're vaguely aware of any of these people and places, you just may be an Austen fan too.....

Pemberley, Mr. Darcy, Barton Cottage, Tom LeFroy, Mr. Bingley, Anne Elliot, Captain Wentworth, Mansfield Park, Elizabeth Bennett, Netherfield, Lady Catherine De Bourgh, Lady Bertram, Lady Dalrymple, Bath, Norland Park, Fanny, Sir John Middleton, James Morland, and Col. Brandon.

OK, time to go watch more Austen. If you're not sure what movies to watch, here is the list in order:

• Sense and Sensibility (1811)
• Pride and Prejudice (1813)
• Mansfield Park (1814)
• Emma (1815) 1996
  
• Northanger Abbey (1817)
  
• Persuasion (1817)
  

Once you've completed that list, watch these...

• Becoming Jane
• Miss Austen Regrets

There are many different versions of each movie. My favorites?

• Sense & Sensibility -1995 version is the best, but the new 2008 is also good, but some parts are a little different though. I personally like Emma Thompson as Elinor better.
  
• Persuasion - 2007
  
• Pride & Prejudice both 1995 and 2005 versions are great, but the 2005 is the best one.
  
• Mansfield Park - 1999 is the better version
  
• Northanger Abbey - 2007
  

Have fun getting lost in 'Austen'!

Who doesn't love a good book?!?

Unless you have young kids, you probably don't read many children's books. Personally, I think they're timeless. You're never too old to read a good book, regardless of how many words there are, how big those words happen to be, or how many chapters there are! Many children's books are filled with lessons about life and character building, something you don't often find in adult books. Of course you DO have to pick and choose...there are some pretty bad ones out there too, but for the most part, they are sweet and enjoyable.

Sweet-Pea and I are reading a lot of books this year for her Literature class, and already I found a couple to add to my 'favorites' list. I'm not a writer, but I will share my thoughts on what I love about these particular books.

The first book is entitled "Brave Irene"...by William Steig

From the book: "Brave Irene is Irene Bobbin, the dressmaker's daughter. Her mother, Mrs. Bobbin, isn't feeling so well and can't possibly deliver the beautiful ball gown she's made for the duchess to wear that very evening. So plucky Irene volunteers to get the gown to the palace on time, in spite of the fierce snowstorm that's brewing - quite an errand for a little girl.

But where there's a will, there's a way, as Irene proves in the danger-fraught adventure that follows. She must defy the wiles of the wicked wind, her most formidable opponent, and overcome many obstacles before she completes her mission. Surely, this winning heroine will inspire every child to cheer her on."

The book mentions things that made me wonder 'what was the author thinking?!?' The fact that the mother allowed her young daughter to go off on her own in the cold snowy weather to deliver a dress was a poor choice....reluctant or not. There's no way I'd allow Sweet-Pea to do that. Yikes! On top of that, the mother went to sleep for the night, now knowing where her daughter was. Hello?!? Can you cay Child Protective Services?!?

So...after I explained to Sweet-Pea how the Mother was wrong in her thinking, we got to the 'real' lesson in this book. Irene pressed on and did whatever it took to complete a task she promised she'd do, even when things went wrong. Irene was determined! This book teaches young children to work hard and to not let difficulties get in the way. Overall, it's a great book and the illustrations are very sweet! The best lesson which I incorporated into the lesson for Sweet-Pea was from Philippians 3:14. "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

The second book is entitled "Miss Rumphius"...by Barbara Cooney

From the book: "Alice Rumphius wanted to travel the world when she grew up, and then to live by the sea - just as her grandfather had done. But there is one more thing, he tells her: she must do something to make the world more beautiful. Young Alice does not yet know what that will be..."

What the review doesn't tell you, is that Alice traveled the world and became great friends with many people and experienced many things she wouldn't have if she never traveled. When she finally did settle down, she planted flowers, which in the end, spread all over town and made it look beautiful. This was her way of fulfilling what her grandfather asked her to do. Personally I think the story has a much deeper meaning.

There's a better lesson to be learned. We are to go out into the world and do what God wants us to do. Whether it means travel to a foreign country (as a missionary would), or to stick around home. When all is said and done the question is "How have you made an impact on others for the sake of Christ?"

"When I reach the end of my days, a moment or two from now, I must look backward on something more meaningful than the pursuit of houses and lands and machines and stock and bonds. Nor is fame of any lasting benefit. I will consider my earthly existence to have been wasted unless I can recall a loving family, a consistent investment in the lives of people and an earnest attempt to serve the God who made me. Nothing else makes much sense." Well said Dr. James Dobson.

A couple other great books we've read... "The Library" by Sarah Stewart, "Time of Wonder" by Robert McCloskey, and "Boys and Girls of Colonial Days" by Carolyn S. Bailey.



So...why not head on over to your local library and hit the kids department just for fun. I dare you!!!

Reading History

I love books!!! I love reading!!! I truly want to instill the love of reading in my children. Unfortunately, Lionel is not a big reader. He does enjoy it, but he's not a self motivated reader unless it's a magazine or is a book about things that interest him directly...trains, World War 2, etc. We have a house FULL of great books, but he doesn't read on his own 'just for fun' like I do. I believe Sweet-Pea will become a reader as time goes on. She likes books more than Lionel ever did, so I'm hopeful that she will fall in love with reading. Only time will tell.

We have always loved the Beautiful Feet curriculum for our History lessons in school. We have done the following:

• Early American History (x2)
  
• US & World History
• Medieval History (x2)
  
• History of Horses

This particular curriculum combines classic literature with history which enables you to learn while enjoying great books. It's the 'living book' approach to learning. This year, Lionel decided that reading a lot of books was not going to be fun, so we decided to change to Bob Jones for his 10th grade World History class. It's working out well and we love the curriculum, but it's so different...more like a public school textbook, but that's more like his learning style, so it's a good thing.

Sweet-Pea is using Beautiful Feet once again and we love it. The Study Guide I chose to do this year, "Teaching Character through Literature", is not necessarily filled with historical events and facts even though it's her 'history' class. . We did the History of Horses curriculum last year because she loves horses so much and wanted to learn all about them. It was a tough class for her but she learned quite a bit!! We are taking it 'easy' this year though and are enjoying every minute of it. We have read many books so far...mostly simple elementary level books, but they are so sweet and full of life lessons. A few books we've read are:

• The Time of Wonder - McCloskey
• The Runaway Bunny - Brown
• Boys and Girls of Colonial Days - Bailey
• The Clown of God - dePaola
• Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge - Fox
• Rachel and Obadiah - Turkle
• When I Was Young in the Mountains - Rylant
• Miss Rumphius - Cooney
• The Library - Stewart
• Brave Irene - Steig

The study guide that comes with the curriculum gives you Bible verses and life applications to apply to each lesson, and I love that. We are moving quickly through this book and I know I'll have to supplement with other books later on this year, but they do give a huge reading list of other books to read. I highly recommend this company and their study guides/literature packs. Beautiful Feet has been fun, and I look forward to reading all the books I read with Lionel once again as Sweet-Pea gets older.

Is it that time already?!?

Bright and early Monday morning we will start the new school year! Yup, it's that time already!!! I have to say that I don't feel quite ready for it this year because of our move, but I know that once we start, I'll feel better. Our school room is MUCH smaller than our previous one, but since the kids are getting older, we don't really need the extra space. We have 4 desks and an Ikea shelf unit crammed into a 12'x11' space. It doesn't sound that bad, but my desk is a very large 'L' shaped desk, so it consumes the room! We purchased it for the first home we were going to buy...the house was smaller, but it had a much bigger school room. Since I scrapbook and 'need' the desk space, we decided to still set it up here. The room works, but it's tight. (Photos coming soon).

Despite the furniture, my biggest problem is that I am a huge fan of books. I love to read, love to explore and love to collect books. School books, research books, novels, you name it. The one thing I've had to do in moving into this house was downsize, but books are one thing I haven't gotten rid of yet. My husband and I will go through them together, and hopefully I'll have the will-power to get rid of some. We'll see. Our basement may end up looking like this...



So...when Edward comes home, we will complete our school room, get the kids desks, supplies and books ready, and then we'll be all ready for Monday morning...I hope. This year, instead of using the Homeschool Tracker software I purchased a few years ago to keep track of our school records, I have opted to use the printable planner put out by TOS (The Old Schoolhouse). I love electronics and modern technology, but there's something about seeing everything laid out on paper that eases my mind about our school records. The Homeschool Tracker was confusing, difficult to work with and if you missed one day of school, the entire software was thrown out of whack! I didn't like that...it made me feel trapped. One of the reasons we love to homeschool is that we have the freedom to change things around if we want to. With the Homeschool Tracker, we didn't have that freedom, and that wasn't a good thing! Now, with the TOS Planner, I can print out the pages I want. There are 375 printable pages, not to mention the awesome monthly modules they create to go along with it - just for some extras. The best part about it...I got it free for being the president of our homeschool group! The planner may be purchased by anyone though for $39.00, which is definitely worth it. The planner gives you the option of printing it out 'as is' so you can fill it out on your own, or you can type it out on the computer first, then print it. It's pretty cool and I'm excited to try something new. Click on the photo and it'll take you right to the TOS order page for the planner if you're interested.

Well...it's time to get cleaning....Edward should be home from work any minute now.

Opinions wanted...

We went over to the new house today. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was to be there knowing it was going to be our home in just 16 days! Did you hear me? 16 days!!!!! Yahoo!!!! I'm sorry, I'm just a tiny bit really excited about it.

I'm not the best decorator in town, but I'm not the worst either...yet I would love your opinion on something. Here goes:

Here is a photo of our living room...


Here's a photo of what it will probably look like once we paint a darker shade of brown on the fireplace wall...


It's very pretty, but the windows on that wall aren't easy to work with. They are pretty tall, and yet they're at the shorter end of the room. The ceiling is 9' where the windows are, and it goes up to the top of the 2nd floor as it comes towards the front of the photo. (It's a saltbox style home, higher in the front, shorter in the back.) I need advice on what style curtains to put there. I could use just a valance, yet it would most likely look pretty sparse. I could use tiered swags on either side, but again, not sure how it would look. My thoughts were to just use tailored curtains on either side. I'm not a huge fan of plain 'ole curtains, but I think it would actually look pretty on these tall windows.

So, I had a bit of fun playing around on the computer with the living room photo tonight. Below are 2 photos I came up with. Believe me, I know the details aren't great, but I did it quickly, so I apologize for the not-very-professional photos...the Thomas Kinkade picture isn't at the right angle and the curtains are all funny, but it's just to get an idea of what it'll look like. We are going to hang our Thomas Kinkade picture over the fireplace and put candle wall sconces up, but they will be straight and of the proper scale. =)

Image #1:


Image #2:


This is what our sofas look like...they're a sage green.


So, do you like either of them? Do you think the plaid is better? Plain is better? Neither? Got a different idea for me? I look forward to your responses...thanks for your .02 cents. Every opinion counts and I'm just not sure of what will look the best. Thanks!!!



P.S. The curtains will go down to the floor most likely...I just didn't do it that way in the photo...for whatever reason. =)

Our Curriculum for 2009-2010

It's that time of year again...time to purchase our curriculum for the fall. I am so excited this year...changes are definitely coming!! We have had quite a difficult year and I am ready move on. Don't get me wrong, it was quite a learning experience, but we had many challenges and so much was sacrificed. Taking care of Dad was one of the hardest and yet rewarding things I've ever done (aside from parenting), but he is now peacefully with the Lord, so we can concentrate on our own family.

Since we're moving, we need to pack up our school work and figure out where we stand for the new year. Unfortunately we will have to continue with school through a good chunk of July, but once August hits, we will start the new year, ready or not. Lionel will be in 10th grade and Sweet-Pea will be in 3rd. I can't believe it...we are exactly half way through our homeschooling years. We've done 10 years (with Lionel), and we have 10 left (for Sweet-Pea). I never ever thought I'd be 'in' school for so many years!! ha ha I went to school for 18 years myself, and if you add homeschooling to it, I'll have been in school 38 years total!!! Wow!! How come I don't feel that smart though?!?

That being said...below are our curriculum choices for August. Some choices are simply a continuation of what we used this past year, but others are different. We all enjoy changes now and then, it keeps things fresh and makes learning so much fun. This year should be a total blast with the kids!!! I can't wait to move, unpack, settle in our new home, and then begin a new school year! Summer? Forget it...we've had plenty of days off already! =)

Here goes:

GEOGRAPHY:
This year Lionel won't be doing any formal geography. He's had his share of it in past years...US Geography, World Geography, Bible Geography etc. This year he gets a break! Sweet-Pea will be doing US Geography using none other than Geomatters...our favorite geography curriculum. What's even better is that I didn't have to purchase anything for her since we have all the books.


MATH:
Sweet-Pea will be once again using Horizons for Math. She did Horizons grade 2 last year and really enjoyed it. She likes the colorful books and Edward (who teaches the kids' math) enjoys the way it's taught. Lionel will be working on Geometry this year. He's looking forward to a break from Algebra! I love watching Edward teach the kids, it's a great time of bonding for them and it helps Daddy really get involved in our homeschooling. That's huge!


HISTORY:
History is my absolute favorite subject to teach and to learn about!! It is constant, yet as a result the present is affected and changed because of the past...how exciting! I love learning right along with the kids. This year will be much different from last year. Sweet-Pea won't be doing a formal 'history' as we know it. Instead, she will be using Beautiful Feet for their 'Teaching Character' literature pack. This will not only instill a love of reading in her, it will teach her all about Godly character. We're excited to begin! Lionel will not be using Beautiful Feet as we have in the past. It was a very difficult decision for us since we love that curriculum so much, but he has not developed into the seasoned reader that we envisioned, so he needs something different. This year he will be using Bob Jones for World History. These books look fantastic, and we are happy to try something new. It looks like something he will thrive on, and we are confident that he will learn history with a solid Biblical foundation this way. That's what matters.


SCIENCE:
We haven't finished our entire science curriculum this year, but fortunately most of what they learned was more than what the school systems end up teaching. Sweet-Pea learned a LOT about our universe through the Exploring Creation with Astronomy. This year we are moving on to Exploring Creation with Botany though. I'm SO excited!! We will be learning a lot about plants, trees, flowers etc. She's been excited about planing a garden in our new backyard, so that will help with some of the hands-on learning this year. Lionel's biology has been a challenge to keep up with. We need to complete it before moving on to his Chemistry class, but hopefully it'll be sometime this fall. I can't wait for Chemistry - it was one of my favorite science classes in high school. Yaay! We purchased the books along with the multimedia CD and also the very cool lab kit...so we get to use bunsen burners, beakers, test tubes and chemicals this year!! Hmm, I hope we have enough insurance on our new home to cover any accidents. =)


WRITING/ENGLISH:
This is my downfall. I do not like writing! I LOVE to read books, especially classics, but I cannot write for the life of me. Fortunately though, I have a friend who wrote a wonderful curriculum called Writing Tales. This will be used for Sweet-Pea. She wrote the curriculum for 3rd adn 4th graders - perfect timing!!! The books not only look fun, but I know that Sweet-Pea will learn lots from them. She covers everything from reading to spelling to writing (including grammar) with this curriculum. For Lionel, I am undertaking a very intense English/Lit program in hopes of creating a wonderful writer in him. I'm also hoping I learn from it as well. The program is called Excellence in Writing. It's a well known curriculum which has very high reviews. We'll see how it goes. I have to watch the teacher DVD's before I even THINK of teaching it to him...so this year I too have 'home'work.


I will also be using Word Roots and Wordly Wise 10 for Lionel to improve on his Latin and vocabulary skills - in preparation for his SAT's. These books are wonderful and they drill information into you without it being a chore. Lionel enjoys these books and finds them to be an enjoyable way to learn.


FOREIGN LANGUAGE:
A few years ago when we were looking for a good foreign language curriculum, we had already heard of Rosetta Stone, but we thought it was too expensive. So, we found something else and we actually grew to love it even more than RS. We use Learnables. It's put out by International Linguistics Corp. Lionel absolutely loves it. He finds that the drawing photos are a lot funnier to look at than real photos. Of course that's not what is important, but it does help. He has learned useful phrases and sentences, not simply words like you do in most foreign language classes. It's the type of learning an adult could relate to as well as a child, plus it's useful the way it's taught! This past year, he was to continue with the 3rd level, but we spent more time reviewing the 2nd level, so this year we'll finally be able to move on. He will learn the grammatical side of it all, so it will flow and fit together better. By the end of the 3rd book, he should be able to read and understand the language fully without worrying about translation. I took 3 years of Spanish in high school and it got me no where. Lionel is learning so much more at his own pace. He does it all by himself on the computer and in his books. I only grade what he's written, and the answers are all in the back, so it's easy for me. Good thing!

ELECTIVES:
This year we will be learning more about Godly character than anything else! I feel that it's an important part of being a child of God, and learning how to live as He did, is something we all need to strive for! The books we'll be using are Young Person's Character Education Handbook. We'll use this together at the beginning of our school day. Then, Lionel will use 2 other books as well for his personal quiet times. A Young Man After God's Own Heart, and Devotions to Make You Smarter. I haven't decided yet which books I'll be using for Sweet-Pea. Since she'll be learning about Godly Character in her history classes this year, we may not need to use anything else. One possibility is the Beautiful Girlhood book that I've been saving for her. We'll see.



Two other things we'll be using this year are Spelling Power...a wonderful spelling curriculum. I'm a firm believer that the more kids read, the less they need to 'learn' how to spell, but sometimes they simply need that extra push, and this is a great book for just that. We also have been using the Mavis Beacon Typing program, but Lionel got VERY frustrated with it. He'd type things correctly and she'd say he did it wrong and make him do it over etc. So...I looked into other programs and found Typing Instructor. It's WONDERFUL! Both kids have been using it already. Sweet-Pea uses the Kid's version which is very kid-friendly, and Lionel has been starting the grown-up version - still fun and easy to use. I know my kids will learn to type quickly with this program. Both my husband and I are very fast typers, so we're hoping the kids will soon follow suit.



Well, besides violin lessons for Lionel and figure skating lessons for Sweet-Pea, that about covers it. Lionel is in his 6th year of violin and has been doing extremely well. Unfortunately he had no recital this year - it had to be canceled due to a death in his teacher's family, but hopefully nexts year he'll blow them all out of the water after having another year to practice! We are so proud of him for his accomplishments in music. Sweet-Pea is also going to continue with figure skating lessons. She's been taking for almost a year now and has improved quite a bit in that short time. Her first day on the ice was not a pleasant experience (we had tears and sadness), but today, she gets right out there on the ice and does all sorts of things I could never do! We're proud of her as well, and know she'll go far...maybe not to the Olympics, yet far enough to get enjoyment out of it for years to come. =) She also is doing well on the flute. I've been teaching her at home and she's coming along better than I ever expected at such a young age.

That about covers it for our curriculum for this coming year. We have lots of work ahead of us, but we are excited about the changes we've made and the new home in which to enjoy them in!