Practically a Preschool Curriculum for Under 5 dollars.

So, today at the thrift store I invested less than five dollars in our son's pre-school education.  Since we're homeschooling and let's just be honest, kind of poor, I like to keep my eye out for quality books at rock bottom prices. 

Today was a thrifty good day!



I scored a beautiful facsimile of the 1883 edition of Aesop's Fables by Randolph Caldecott for just .50

Also for fifty cents, I found a lovely book of children's verses and chants compiled by Mary Lou Colgin

Chants for Children

There are chants about creatures, numbers, ABCs, food, seasons, holidays, and more.  The illustrations are old fashioned and charming. There's something in here for every age, too.

One amazing find, for a mere dollar fifty, was the book "Feasting for Festivals: Customs and Recipes to Celebrate the Christian Year"  by Jan Wilson. 

  This book is a feast.   Directions on how to make Advent wreaths and calendars, recipes for Christmastime treats including  Saffronsbrod for St. Lucy's Day,  something called a Christingles (a candle holder made out of an orange and dried fruit);  for Lent and Eastertime there are recipes for Hot Cross Buns, a Greek Christian lenten calendar called a Kukaras, a Paschal lamb cake, a Maypole cake for Springtime.  Windmills to make for Pentecost!  That's just a taste of a book that is already making me dream of Christmas cookies in July....


Since I know absolutely nothing about gardening but want to learn so I can teach Gabriel, it was thrilling to find  Wally's Big Book of Gardening .

According to the book, Wally is a mole who knows a lot about gardening.  He promises to show readers, "the natural miracle of plants and the fun of having your own terrific garden,"  That is exactly what Mama needs!  Plus, I have to admit that I love the simple step by step directions and the charming illustrations. Plus, who can beat a mole as teacher?  Especially when the course book costs fifty cents?



Last, but not least, although we are a ways off from learning about numbers or counting in any formal way, I found a fun little book called Math Play:  80 Ways to Count and Learn

Making numbers out of clay? Counting the chirps of birds you hear in your backyard?  This is the kind of preschool math curriculum I can get behind.  Especially when I thrifted this little gem for twenty five cents!

So, we have some literature, some math, some festival celebrations, some gardening...Along with the old La Leche League Playful Learning: An Alternative Approach to PreSchool   

Don't ask me why but this totally makes me giddy to think that I can thrift my way into homeschooling! 

Journey to my authentic self.

I recently discoverered this website by social worker and writer, Brene Brown.  Her area of expertise is shame research and how struggling with shame gets in the way of our becoming ourselves and living lives of authenticity that will allow us to connect more honestly with others.

I knew I really liked this woman when I read her perspective on coolness on her blog.  She calls it an "emotional straightjacket" and writes,

 "The greatest casualty of the endless pursuit of cool is connection. When we don't let people see and know our true selves, we sacrifice connection. Without connection, we struggle for purpose and meaning."

As someone who has been struggling for a sense of purpose and a meaning to my life, along with this nagging feeling of alienation from connection with others, this really resonated with me. 

Am I lonely because I want people to think I am cool more than I want people to know the authentic Sara?   

And am I ashamed of this authentic person?   Where did I get the message that I am supposed to be a certain way, like certain things, feel certain ways?   Why have I been wasting my life afraid to try something, express something, experiment with something because I am not good enough, perfect enough, cool enough?

I want to start a journey of figuring out exactly who the authentic Sara is and to fight against my tendency to abandon what I want to do out of fears of imperfection. 

I bought this book as a starting point.

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown.