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Hi all,

I'm SOOOOO pleased with HOD. It is meeting all the criteria that I was looking for in a program. Kudos to Carrie. Now, I have some time to turn my thoughts to those jewels that I am yearning to incorporate, but have not yet mastered. What are the jewels? Composer study, art appreciation and nature study. Now we are somewhat successful with nature study, but we hit and miss the others quite frequently. What I would really like is for there to be one more block on the HOD pages that touches on this. Hint. Hint. I like so much how Carrie is able to ease things in and by the end of the week - WOW! I have resources and ideas and even a plan for the nature study, composer study and art appreciation, but it doesn't have the ease to it that HOD does. It needs to be balanced with the other expectation of HOD, especially in relation to sketching and handwriting. The icing on the cake would be for us to somehow touch on these areas and by the end of the week or month reflect the richness of the journey. I keep studying my guides and trying to discern what days I could add a block and what the block would be that would be understandable, doable, meaningful and purposeful. Any thoughts?!

Florence,

I am so glad that you are enjoying your HOD journey and are even able to turn your thoughts to customizing your left-over time in ways that will be unique to your family. That is our prayer for all users of HOD... to feel a peace knowing all your bases are covered (and then some) and possibly glimpse some freedom in your schedule to get in your personal favorites!

I know the ladies will be along to share their wisdom and the things they have added. I also dearly love CM-style nature study (with our own twist), art appreciation, composer study, foreign language etc. At one point, I had plans to write an optional 5th day option which would include some of these wonderful things and could be added to fill your 5th day of each guide. However, with the extra time required to write each new guide, and the addtional little ones who just keep growing up begging to be schooled at our house, we've had to file away the 5th day option for a "hopefully someday" plan. The 4-day HOD plan covers all needed areas, and always includes some music and art, so the the 5th day option was not really a necessary addition (but more just a fun thought).

The board is full of past posts on these areas, so I'm sure the ladies will find you some great links to past threads, or else they'll share their wise ways for implementing these areas.

On a sidenote, for those of you whose schedule is already too full, just cover your ears and say, "La, la, la, la, la" and don't look at this thread. You are doing plenty with your HOD guide already!

Blessings,
Carrie

Carrie wrote: The 4-day HOD plan covers all needed areas, and always includes some music and art,

Carrie,

That's the challenge. The "pieces" that I would incorporate to cover nature study, art appreciation and composer study would be duplication of much of what HOD has included in the other disciplines. My puzzle is how to add the "little bit" that I would like to, without disrupting the balance.

Carrie wrote:
On a sidenote, for those of you whose schedule is already too full, just cover your ears and say, "La, la, la, la, la" and don't look at this thread. You are doing plenty with your HOD guide already!

Blessings,
Carrie

"La, la, la, la"


Thanks for the permission to not feel guilty Carrie. There's already enough stuff we never seem to get too. I would love to quilt and scrapbook with my kiddos...