Beauty Subjects & Morning Baskets

 For this year, I wanted to try something a little bit different from what we had before. This year, we have beauty subjects. 

My Big and I did something akin to this our first year of homeschooling, which was his 5th grade year. I wasn't so much as studying the works of art or music themselves; but more of a study of the composers biographies and the various types of music through the ages. I found that very cool to put together, but if my Big remembers anything from that, time will tell. I had tasked myself to find clips of each musical piece as background to a cartoon or movie clip that my Big was familiar with. That was a scavenger hunt I will not easily forget- even I learned a few things about the music we hear without recognition. Needless to say, there were a lot of Bugs Bunny or Looney Tunes clips he watched. I won't complain about that, because who doesn't love a good Looney Tunes episode. (Especially Elmer Fudd singing to the tune of Ride of the Valkyries. Best cartoon moment ever.)

But I digress. 

This year, we are studying music and art from many of the greats. For my preschooler, we are learning about the artists and composers that are highlighted in the Gentle & Classical Preschool curriculum. Which also, we are using that for his "play school." He seems to really enjoy the poems, nursery rhymes, songs and stories that are laid out so beautifully for us. 

For my Big, We are also using Gentle & Classical's Morning Virtues curriculum. Erin has done a wonderful job of creating an easy to follow plans. Morning Virtue's include read-alouds poetry, affirmations, scripture, folk songs that correspond to a virtue. For instance, we have started with Courage. the biographies of the artist and composer chosen, display courage in their own form & fashion. The story of Renior having the courage to push through his work while suffering with arthritis- was a little mind-blowing for my 12 year old. 

Each of these has music to listen to as you go. So I have created a playlist that includes both the Morning Virtues songs and the preschool songs. Both boys seem to enjoy all of the selections and they both seem to be benefitting from the sweet messages of the preschool songs and morning routine. 

This is probably my favorite time of the day. It is a slow intro to the harder tasks of the day for them and gets those little gears turning. Not to mention, I love watching them both draw or color and use their creativity with no agenda other than to "be".

Now I see why so many homeschooling moms subscribe to adding this routine.