Sour dough

So, I've officially burned out my husband on sourdough. Poor thing. He says it smells rotten. :-) He likes the pancakes, crepes, and crackers, but he doesn't like the bread, pizza dough, or English muffins. Oh, he also liked the sourdough pasta I made. I guess I should give up the things he just doesn't like and move ahead. Or only have the kids and I eat them. ;-)
I made pasta again today, but it is just difficult to get it the right consistency for my extruder. I guess I should make the regular recipe to try to get the feel for the consistency.
I'm making kombucha. Evan is taking that really well, actually. I think he's curious. I told him not to look at it because it would gross him out, but he did anyway. He said that I'm crazy. ha Good thing I don't always take him seriously.
This month I am hoping to get back on schedule with Nathan's school work; I just really need a few hours without distraction to work on it, and I haven't gotten that yet. :-) We read like crazy, and Nathan is such a thinker. When it comes to sounding out words, though, he totally balks. I am going to take a very slow approach, but I'm really wondering if he's even ready. I've heard enough people talk about their children and reading that I'm not worried that he won't. I'm just worried he won't be reading on his daddy's schedule. And daddy is a little anal about such things. Okay, not a little. ha We've just seen some really bad homeschool examples set, and Evan is determined that I will not homeschool like that. I think the biggest problem is that I've done all the research and reading, and it all makes sense. He just pops his head into our world occasionally (like when he's not in school), and he freaks out because our world doesn't look like he thought it would. :0) If I take the time to really explain my philosophy to him, he seems to get it and relax.
My philosophy? Well, I suppose that, in regards to reading, I think that Nathan is already a well-read child. I was thinking about the books he has already had read to him, and it's quite a list. He loves it, though. His mind, his thinking, is being formed. He has a great vocabulary, and he uses it. He cannot read, though. But the physical act of reading will come when he is developmentally read for it. It's my job to constantly be on the look-out for his readiness. Every day we work on sounding out one word, two or three letters long. He still tries to add letters that aren't there or making ridiculously long words out of three letters. He often looks away while sounding out the word. He's not ready yet. But I really believe that it will come. If his mind is busy making other connections right now, I don't want to force the reading. I read in Endangered Minds that children who are taught the higher-level math skills at a young age will learn to do those equations. Their brains will force a path, no matter how crazy and crooked. However, that path will not be the easiest path, and it will require much mental effort (and often lack understanding) and that is always the path the brain will follow. If the children are taught the higher-level math skills when their brains are ready, their brains make simple paths because all they have to do is build on to what they already understand and what their brains are ready for. Goodness, that was hard to explain, and I'm not sure I did the best job explaining it. Long story short, I believe that when his brain is ready, he will take off. And he will love it. I know two moms whose boys did not learn to read until they were eight years old. By the time they were nine, they had read The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Of course, I doubt they had only had Cat in the Hat read to them up until that time. ;-)
Homeschooling is a huge responsibility. I have to be willing to stay alert. I have to know my child well enough to know when he is not ready for something as opposed to just being too lazy to put forth the effort to do it. But I'm happy because he would not be given the opportunity to learn at his developmental level in school. He would be forced to conform to whatever nonsense standards the schools put out there. He would also learn, like I did even in college, to work a system to get the desired results, which does not always entail learning or knowledge. Of course, I've said nothing about the highest reason why I homeschool; this is just one of the many reasons.
Goodness, I think I've said enough. I wonder how much of this I will agree with in a year. ;-) I'll say this, though, I am so excited to be able to walk this road with my kids. That's why I love the Charlotte Mason philosophy: it involves all of life, created through Him and for Him. There is a purpose. :-) If my kids get that point, I'll be happy.