Carnival of Homeschooling: Songs Stuck in my Head edition

Ever get a song lyric stuck in your head? That is my life. Songs spin around my brain like a soundtrack accompanying my life. Situations are set to music, or a song springs unbidden to mind and stays there until I stop and listen or look up the lyrics to figure out why my subconscious wants me to hear this right now. I always learn something from the experience. And so I invite you to join me for a lyric-inspired  

Carnival of Homeschooling: 

Songs Stuck in my Head edition!

My girls, baking cookies without me!

"To everything (turn, turn, turn)/ There is a season (turn, turn, turn)/ And a time to every purpose, under heaven." ~ Turn, Turn, Turn adapted for song by Pete Seeger from Ecclesiastes, chapter 3

This spent a lot of time in my head over the past few months. Change seems to be the rule around here for the last year, starting with my daughter's first year away from home at a university, continuing to my husband's job loss and then my own change of taking on a part-time position at the library. Now he has temporary work he does from home and gets to be the stay-at-home parent. Life is about change and transition and seasons.  

~Dewey's Treehouse sees transitions in their house as well. Mama Squirrel thinks "I seem to have worked myself out of a job" in Old Homeschool Moms. 

A unicorn I made from old CDs

"Starry, starry night/ Sketch the trees and daffodils/ Catch the breeze and winter chills/ In colors on the snowy linen land" ~ Vincent by Don McLean

I always loved this song. I introduced it to my kids when I taught them art, as I think it does a good job of capturing the spirit of what it means to be an artist, that relentless need to create.

~It's never too soon to develop a love of art and crafts in your child. Journey-and-Destination offers instructions for your child to make a needlebook in Handicrafts: A Simple 15 Minute Sewing Project.

My kids enjoying a day at the Renaissance fest

"Just do what you love/ Do it for you/ Smile every day..." ~ Do What You Love by Ryan Huston

I read the book "Do What You Love, the Money will Follow" when I was a teen. It guided my life to where I am today. I have taught the principles of this advice to my own kids, and was happy to find Sir Ken Robinson backing me up with talks and books about finding your passion. I do my best to help my children find their passions and facilitate their learning according to those passions.

~ Project-Based Homeschooling was surprised to read an article about why one artist thought "do what you love" is terrible advice, mainly because the article seems to contradict the author's own message. See if you agree in Why Do What You Love is Not Terrible Advice.

A Blue Jay in our yard with its fledgeling

"You who are on the road/ Must have a code/ That you can live by" ~ Teach Your Children by Crosby, Stills, & Nash

I was a little lost when I first started homeschooling 15+ years ago, classical education became my first method of choice. The logic of it appealed to me, and it taught me to love learning as much as my kids did, if not more.  

~Sandbox to Socrates offers a video interview with Dr. Christopher Perrin, publisher of the Classical Academic Press. This is well worth the time. The interview covers a wide variety of topics, including an introduction to Classical Education, the Common Core, and much more in Great Conversations: A Podcast With Dr. Christopher Perrin.

Marking the years in birthday celebrations

"Life is what happens to you/ While you're busy making other plans." ~ Beautiful Boy by John Lennon

 It's interesting watching the back-to-school frenzy from my new position in the library children's room. The library was busy this weekend. Teachers looked for books for their lessons, parents brought children to work on homework, and many seemed to be scrambling to find particular books needed as part of the Core Curriculum. Their days are so full of plans and rushing to get to the next activity. I'm glad I have time to enjoy life with my kids, even with the part time job. The time we have with them as children is very short in the grand scheme of things. We would miss so many wonderful, spontaneous learning experiences if we had to fit our life into a school schedule.

~ Susan at Don't Worry About the Flies doesn't have posed school photos of her daughter. She looks back on her daughter's childhood, a life full of love, adventure, and relaxed learning, in Unschool Pictures.

My daughter with one of her lizards

"I hear babies cryin'/ I watch them grow/ They learn much more/ Than I'll ever know" ~ What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong

It's hard for me to answer the question, "Why do you homeschool?" The short answer is that I love being around my kids and I can't think of a better way to spend my days, but there are so many more reasons I do it. That's why I continue with it, no matter what challenges come up in our lives. 
~ Why Homeschool? shares their reasons for homeschooling in The PEPSI reasons for homeschooling.

I hope this week's Carnival leaves you with a spring in your step and a song in your heart. I want to thank all of the bloggers who contributed posts this week. The Carnival is nothing without the contributions of bloggers like you!

If you would like to join the next Carnival, consider submitting an article to the next Carnival of Homeschooling.