Educating myself while I educate my children has become increasingly important to me. Finding the time to do so however, while also being a busy (and distracted!) wife and home educating mother is really difficult — but I’ve committed to taking baby steps. My goal is to read for minimum of 30 minutes daily, which, with a little self discipline, has been very doable.

It has been almost 4 months since I began my 12 Books for 12 Months reading plan, and I thought it would be a good time to review my progress!

1/3 of the way through the year, I’m actually 1/3 of the way through my books! Yay!

These are the Books I’ve got checked off the list so far:

The Awakening of Miss Prim – I really wanted to love this book, but I didn’t. It came highly recommended by  my online book club, and it was filled with lovely quotes about education, but there wasn’t a single character I could like, and the “idyllic” setting it presented sounded stuffy, stifling, and pretentious to me.

Surprised by Joy – I haven’t really read a lot of Lewis yet, and this book filled in a lot of background information for me about his life and conversion. I really enjoyed it!

Teaching from Rest – This was a quick and easy read that I enjoyed very much. There is a lot of encouragement here for homeschooling moms!

Jo’s Boys – This was a great little ending to the Little Women and Little Men books which I have read & re-read so many times. I can’t believe I hadn’t ever read it before!

In progress are:

Jane Eyre – This one is not on my reading plan at all, but I’m planning on attending a stage performance with a group of homeschooling mamas in a little over a month. I can’t believe I had never read this classic! I’ve been an Austen lover for years, and I can’t believe I am saying this, but I think this is better than her works! I love it!

Mere Christianity – This is a re-read for me, but it has been many years so it is still seeming mostly fresh to me.

Plutarch’s Lives – This one is NOT going well! I’m not sure if I am going to keep slogging through it or put it aside for some future date when my reading skills and education have progressed enough to absorb and enjoy this classic work. I’ve also been hearing about Anne White’s study guide to Plutarch at Ambleside Online and I may check that out and see if it helps.

 

I’ve also gotten myself this lovely new notebook to replace my trusty and now full Hilroy spiral notebook 🙂

2016 Reading Plan Update

Additional reads:

In addition to the books on my personal list, I’ve of course also been reading with my girls. We’ve done these so far this year, either as read alouds or audios in the car. I’m not counting the picture books though, because I just can’t be bothered to keep track of those, and because Lama Lama Red Pijama would show up about a million times.

Understood Betsy – This is easily one of the dearest books I have ever read! If you haven’t read it before, you need to!

Stuart Little – This is a re-read for Big Sister and I, but was new to Little Sister and we really enjoyed this classic together.

The Family Under the Bridge – Another nice story my girls enjoyed

Shiloh – I wasn’t that fussy for this one, and I found myself editing for language in some places while reading it to my girls. Not that it was terribly vulgar or anything, but some of the language was not quite the type we use in our home.

Anne of Green Gables – L. M. Montgomery is one of, if not the, favourite author from my own girlhood, and I’m so happy to be enjoying these now with my own little girls!

Emily of New Moon – The Emily books are another of my favourites of Montgomery’s works. I really enjoyed listening to them again, but they were perhaps a little too dark and mature for my girls.

Nurse Matilda – Very similar to Mary Poppins (which my oldest adored a few years back).

Do you have any reading or self education goals? What have you been reading lately?

 

 

 

>Living and Learning at Home

Pin It on Pinterest