Learning French....

In case you haven't been reading LONG, one thing that would be good to know is that we are learning French... or attempting to. We are living here, in Lyon France temporarily on business. Our decision to home educate years ago really has been a blessing, affording us the opportunity to travel with the head of our home, my wonderful husband and best friend in all the world. We follow him where ever the good Lord leads, and this adventure has brought us to France.

We did not plan on learning France, we did not happen to study French. Though I adore the methods of Charlotte Mason, and follow her teachings fairly closely, I chose the language of my people, German, to be the first foreign language my children would be exposed to. After they seemed to progress fairly well, we moved on to Latin, and were plugging along nicely... when word came... French was needed.

Isn't it always the case... Utter rebellion will leave you hanging in JUST such a way. Is it rebellious to teach my blessings the language of my people.. NO.. it is not. Is it rebellious to have started Latin... no.. not at all. none of the above... but can I confess... somewhere deep in my gut, I remember studying Charlotte back 7 years or so ago, and having the distinct PANG to learn French... that what do you call it... burden...

I remember actually talking to her manuscript, and saying NO. I do not think so. Why do WE need to learn French. There IS NO REASON that I will EVER need to know this language.

I remember it bothering me... all night... I remember reading and reading, and trying to get my mind around it, that perhaps ANY language would do.. and perhaps any would... but I KNOW that I was supposed to learn French...

And God shall not be mocked... right...

so here we are LIVING in France on an extended business trip for several months... ha ha...

Learning French :) German ... all those years of German they barely remember ANY of it.... ha ha...

and why is that... well, frankly I know why... because I did not take my own advise... have you ever KNOWN something, and taught it, shared it, believed it, and yet when push came to shove, you just didn't follow all the way through on every last detail, and then you saw how right you were, and how wrong it was to have NOT taken your own medicine... so to speak? It really is one of those life lessons that feels a bit like a kick in the teeth... but than again, these moments often pop up in parenting... let's move on...

what am I talking about anyways?

Making inroads into their minds. Think of the mind as a wheat field. Beautiful, lush, golden wheat. Each time we attempt to learn a new thing, we are walking through that wheat field. The more frequent the walk, the more diverse the methods, and directions, the more varied we are, frankly the more creative, the deeper, the wider those little footpaths become. They become like little highways of information in the mind. Now because in life things can come at us from a variety of different circumstances, it is important we make as many inroads and tributaries to the main roads as possible, and get them as firmly entrenched as well. Some will choose a more artistic path, some more musical, some are very visual, some are very audio. This is the basic reason we choose to sing, spell, read and write new concepts to little children. It just plain works. For some children the singing will have little effect where as the writing will have significant, and for others, the learning will simply not click until each sense is fully applied. Each human being have been fearfully and wonderfully made. Discovering how you learn, and how each of your children learn can be quite a joyful adventure in and of itself!

Back to why German did not stick.... we only did Rosetta Stone. Is Rosetta Stone a good program.. YES... Sure we did dozens of other programs BEFORE Rosetta Stone... but, we, or rather I, bought the whole "they are the best" gimmick hook line and sinker, and left those wonderful supplements on the shelf to collect dust. Is Rosetta Stone the Best? They very well MAY be.. you can see from previous posts I happen to be a huge fan. Yet one thing I have to be is utterly honest.

Rosetta Stone is big business, they are smooth, the program is streamlined, very put together, very visual, so very tailored to the visual spacial learner, frankly they are just down right impressive with QUITE the advertising department to boot! As we purchased the 'home school' edition, there were even options for me, the teacher, to decide upon, as to which "course" each of my students should take. This frankly impressed me to NO end, as did the whopping price tag! Sold! And thus I broke my own rule and trusted a single curriculum to do the job, when I am well aware that no curriculum is capable of covering all the basis... (this is my firm and very biased opinion... sorry)

Needless to say I did not see the error of my ways until such time as I purchased Rosetta Stone French. Yes my second program with Rosetta :) Which was in fact, an upgraded version. Having REGISTERED my German program, I was very annoyed to find several friends were able to upgrade at a MUCH reduced price, after receiving notice from Rosetta about the upgrade. I called them to see if I too could upgrade my German program and was ... rather rudely informed that I had missed the 6 month window... ??? how is THAT possible, seeing as I paid somewhere near $300 for this program, and registered it, and YOU didn't call me... or email... or ... Now I began to worry about my French...

Well all was fine until, God in His Sovereignty, chose to allow my computer to get hit with a virus, and then a Trojan horse, and then with 13 Trojan horses... all within a few weeks... I was unaware that each time i reinstalled Rosetta Stone (both versions) due to my computer being wiped out, that I lost a licence, and would not be able to install it again... Not with out a drama of a phone call, during their nice comfy hours mind you... It was through this process that I learned, regardless of the fact that I purchased the "home school edition" I did not have enough licences even for each of my users computers... and to purchase additional licences (very afford ably done with certain software companies) was in fact to repurchase the $300 product all over again!!! Well that means when I hit the road for France (like we are now) my whole family can only use this computer to do French... The kids can not do their studies on their own PCs. This is NOT always functional...

Well... They may be the best of the Best... and I can attest to the rapid learning of my children, I can also say, they lost a LOT in the drama with the licences, which they should not have, and they simply did not retain hence... I deduce that I think it is essential for additional materials to supplement. And frankly, I hope the homeschooling community really takes a look at some of Rosetta's policies. As for this family, we are.

As for additional supplements we are using with Rosetta :) YES we use Rosetta. It is great! I hope nothing I wrote makes you think otherwise. I think they have bad policy writers, and their customer service department needs some attention for sure, but the program is good, just perhaps NOT worth quite that much money... but the market dictates, and it is only worth what people are willing to pay... and frankly right now, folks are willing to pay pay pay!

We really have had fun with Speak in a Week

There are four weeks to go through, and really you learn more than you think you will. It starts from the assumption that you know nothing. Even though we had been doing French a little while, I liked this presumption, and am glad I bought all four, as it covered things in a very funny way, and in a very different approach than Rosetta. This was great in the car, in the house, really anywhere, because we could do it together. It was not one person in front of one computer alone. This took our family's individual learning and made it corporate for the first time! Something we had been doing with Latin, but NOT with German. hmmm ... It is audio, and the speaker speaks the phrase in English and then in French twice with time for you to repeat after. The flip chart shows funny cartoons so you can follow along. This is so NOT sophisticated, just practical, charming, and frankly helpful... They have several languages so check them out too!

Yet speak in the week could only go so far, as could our little pocket books and so the hunt here in France began... yes I know... what is a mom to do... We really stink at French, and the only "French" people talking to us... REALLY are mostly people like US who are from other countries all together, who speak French as a second, third or even fourth language. We still are not .... connecting... and my face goes blank at the grocery store, because now that I go enough, they want to be friendly, and I really, haven't a clue what the nice gal said to me... my book didn't cover that, and I needed help!

Bein-dire to the rescue! I hope :) Bein-dire is From France for learners of French! As I understand it, those that put this together are NOT native French, but those who came here to live and discerned that which was lacking in their own French, and what they REALLY needed to live and breath! This is a Lyon based company, and they have hired real Native speakers for all their audio CD's :) Makes me think, it really sometimes is a blessing to talk to someone who's BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT... and here is a company that is all about that, ya really can learn to get by with a little help from your friends. If you expand YOUR definition of friend to include those great folks that make up the staff at Bein-dire !

They have curriculum, a newsletter, and a magazine! The great thing about THIS magazine is, their are vocabulary sections for those words you are working on, and for a bit more euros you can get a CD to come with it, and have the whole thing read to you, so you can learn how it should sound!!! Fantastic yes?! This is perfect not only for the adult learner, but for the student as well. They even have discounts for Group Subscriptions. Ordering outside Europe is a bit more money, but well worth it. There are only 6 subscriptions in a year. You CAN order back issues, get a discount on a full year, or if you are unsure, order a 4 issue subscription! Again, this is a magazine that you can get with or with out the CD! How cool is that!!!

as far as curriculum goes, this IS the perfect supplement! Taking the Speak in the Week gang to the next level. They have NO English spoken, It is pure unabridged FRENCH from the start, and have a variety of topics to choose from...

some are

Master French Numbers ~ The Good Pronunciation Guide ~ Social Conversations ~ Dialogues pour tous les jours ~ La Politesees ~ Bon Appetit! are some of those that I purchased :)

Each of these comes with a CD and a booklet to read along as you go, these are fabulous. I can't tell you how helpful it is to listen to the French speak a conversation, and to READ along... Reading French is easier than listening to it, and if you can see it, and hear it, wow! This is one thing that helped with Speak in a Week. Bien-dire hit's it on the mark!

I just got this series so, I will do more on them in the weeks that follow, letting you know how the children and I are progressing in our learning our French. A program is only good if you use it, and try it out. So we need to give it a good hearty try... I think though that this program will be a great supplement to any small group wishing to learn French, to any family, or home school group, especially Charlotte Mason fans, who want to not only speak proper French, but to know what to say to the Fromage Man about his Fromage :) Oui?

It is my understanding that this program also has optional flash cards. I have not seen these, and so do not know if they are visual spacial or more audio sequential cards, if and when I do see them I will make note of that here. So far I would say this program is meant for those who want to know how to "do life" , how to live and breath simply in France. This is not just for the student wanting textbook French on a transcript, but for the person with a heart to learn the language, the mannerisms, the people, so that relationships can be formed, conversations enjoyed, memories shared and made. As is this is a simple book with an audio CD, very audio sequential... The magazine is where things get more visual... Hence this is more a audio sequential supplement, but even with my visual spatial learners I am not dismayed, I am very excited....

More on other foreign language materials used by me, on this great French adventure, coming soon...

Splash into Reading this Summer

Summer is nearly here,

and with it come

Summer Reading Programs!
They come in all shapes and all sizes,

and for many gifted children they can be a real snore.

I know that my children can walk in to the local library,

fill out the card to join,

and walk in the next week with the whole Summer Reading Program Done,

having not broken the proverbial sweat.

Yes mine are readers.

They read and read and read.

These programs are designed to get children who are not readers to read,

as well as reward the reader who does

so as to encourage the reading

that they don't one day decide to just

stop reading...

ok well...

if you too are looking for another

Fun and perhaps MORE challenging

SUMMER READING PROGRAM

for YOUR child

as I always am

check out

The Old Schoolhouse's

Splash

into Reading

There are levels for younger children as well as for older children

it is a 10 week program,

one in which YOU help YOUR child set some goals

meaning...

it can be as challenging

as NEEDED :)

ha ha ha

I LOVE IT ALREADY

perhaps splash is just what your under challenged gifted reader needs...

SPLASH

Jessica Hulcy

Jessica Hulcy,

author and publisher of Konos

homeschooling curriculum,

has been in a terrible car accident

and the family is asking for prayer.

Please click on her name or photo to learn more.

Rosetta Stone LATIN for FREE???

So perhaps you have been wondering WHAT we use to learn French for our trip to France? Well, the same thing we use to learn German! Rosetta Stone of course! We add additional supplements, because, well, I AM the supplement Queen, but I want to address Rosetta Stone right now, because they are offering an opportunity to WIN something ... CHECK this OUT

Rosetta Stone is the fastest way to learn a language and has been the #1 foreign language curriculum among homeschoolers for a while — and you can WIN the *all new* version 3 Rosetta Stone Homeschool LATIN program… FOR FREE! This is the first year you can get Latin in the brand new Version III update.
This is a $259 program (and believe me it’s worth every penny!)This is a computer based curriculum and Rosetta Stone will also include a headset with microphone, and a supplementary “Audio Companion” CD so you can practice lessons in the car, on the go, or where-ever! Students participate in life-like conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program. Rosetta Stone incorporates listening, reading, grammar, vocabulary and writing along with speaking and pronunciation lessons. For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program to allow parents to easily enroll up to ten students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, grade completed work (the program grades the work automatically as the students progress- I love that!), and you can view and print reports for transcripts. Homeschooling a lot of kids at your house? This program is designed to enroll and track up to ten students (five users on two computers) and will work for nearly all ages — from beginning readers up to college students.
To win this most excellent Latin program copy these paragraphs and post them in (or as) your next blog post, and/OR link to the contest from your facebook page and/OR email the information to your homeschool support group – Then go to the original page http://Jeneralities.com and leave a comment saying that you’ve posted about, or have linked to, the contest. Please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post. And good luck!

A good fieldtrip Now and Again!

I happen to be a HUGE David Macaulay Fan! His books are so detailed, so well thought out for the more inquiring mind, even for the not so inquiring mind. Frankly he goes through the trouble of answering questions that no one else bothers to answer. He does NOT have ALL the answers, sometimes he leaves you with more questions than you could imagine, but that is all part of the wonder, the delight that we call LEARNING.... that we desire in the process that IS Education....
As Yeats said.... Education is NOT the filling of a bucket, but rather the lighting of a fire... I am indeed paraphrasing.. the POINT is still the point, and Macaulay, is a fire starter. Seeing as we were on our way to France I packed many of my Macaulay collection leaving behind things such as ....well Ancient Egypt, we rather don't need the pyramids RIGHT now... This week I decided to really delve into the book he wrote called Cathedral. I plan on re addressing it further next week. We read it, chatted about it, and THEN, we went walking to our local Cathedral HERE in Lyon... we don't have any in America... none quite this old, built around the same century Macaulay is writing about anyway! What was fun too, was the "imaginary Cathedral" written about in this Caldott winner, is indeed located in France !!!

What I had the children do, was to locate certain things from the book, I wanted them to find for me... Reason we will do further work NEXT week? Well, I didn't make it challenging enough, and left the book at home. I went from my fallible memory, on what I THOUGHT were important... the Rosetta window, the Arched doorways, the Flying Buttresses, things like this, but David gives far more details the children told me, and we COULD make quite a game out of it IF only MOTHER would TRY a little harder... I thought I WAS trying... Thankfully they are sweet children :) really, and eager to sprinkle grace, and go after the game again next week! Wonderful!!! Above is one of the 3 doors See how large the door is compared to the people... Please note that I will not change the zoom of the people for the Rosette window.

We estimate the Rosette window is about 3 people tall, perhaps four, it is difficult to tell for certain, because of the height, because we do not know the average height of the person at the time it was built... Isn't it magnificent?

Here is my attempt to show the gargoyles.... Not grand I know, but it would seem they were water spouts, like gutter spouts, so when the rain ran, it would appear the water was shooting out of their mouths... Spewing sort of... I wonder what the Biblical reference for creating these creatures on a House of the Lord IS exactly...... David left the children wondering that ...

This was a special Clock.... we heard a rumor that there is an astronomical clock located close by, but we are uncertain as to where, and this does not appear to us to be it... we are uncertain, if anyone of my readers can tell if it IS that would be most helpful.. As my French gets better, I am sure I will discover where that clock is... If this is indeed THAT special clock, I will inform YOU... Otherwise, let us note.... there IS a clock on the church!

There is a priestly looking man atop of the church blessing it, or so it would seem... I wish my zoom was better to determine all the fancy things upon the church... My son informs me he can zoom on the computer and google what things are... well that is helpful.

The church with it's well before it... From here you can see the Tri doors... Inside would be the LARGE opening with the two more narrow openings but still airy thanks to the flying buttresses!

This is part of the original very first church of Lyon. It is a ruin that was discovered, and the year slips my memory..

The flying buttresses taken from the side of the church! How exciting to have read in David's book HOW these were constructed, How a church like this could take at LEAST 100 years to build, where as I believe this on took over 200! Amazing the perseverance of the Saints.... to hold fast to the dreams of their forefathers, to stay true to their parents and grand parents and great grandparents generations.... so Odd so foreign in our day, when each man seems to live for self.

here is a close up a a gargoyle or some such creature spitting out the water at the well. The well was four sided, each side having a creature spewing fresh cold water.

Here is the original baptismal place. It was excavated when they found the original church. I thought this was pretty neat! It is enclosed in glass protection, I was able to get my lens in the opening.

The children thought this was terrific. So wonderful to read a book like this one and then to go explore history of something like it and dissect it, hunting it down like spies or something... It was grand. I have no intention on heading to Egypt any time soon. But I do have his book on Castles... so, perhaps.... we need to do that soon too...

Is there something you could explore with your blessings, some grand adventure that awaits you? Is it time to find some living books, and build a fire in the hearts of the children in your life?

May education be like a bonfire in your life this season.... may your whole family gather about you, may the roasting of marshmellows commence before summer is over!

Traveling with these Gifts abroad!

Well, here we are in the Gastronomical Delight of France, that IS Lyon. It is such a pleasure to be here. Such a wonderful opportunity, we are so glad to embark upon! I highly recommend traveling with your children whenever an opportunity presents itself, Carpe diem! We have with us no electronical toys to amuse them, other than their laptops for school, and old fashioned CD players to listen to their music... (we are still so uncool as to not have ipods..... oh well) Yet still, their is little grumbling, little irritation, little but anything but enthusiasm and eagerness to embrace this beautiful experience! This is a view of Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon) as looking across the Saone River!

Things one learns when visiting other cultures! In America we have traveled a bit... We learned in some places in the south, you can buy boiled peanuts at stands; we learned some places in Chicago sell Hotdogs at street vendors; we've been to places that sell, gyros, popcorn, and here in Lyon France the THING that is all the rage, is CREPES!!!!!!!!!! yes! Buy a crepe and YOU choose your filling, sugar, or jam... razzberry, blackcurrant, pear, apple, apricot, who KNOWS what else... and it is quite fun just to stand on the street and watch one of these men make their crepes... rather mesmerizing... It took a few days for us to feel brave enough with our French, but we finally had one each, and OOO la la! Delicious! A MUST have if you ever come to Lyon! The kids were amazed at how he did it, how fast he did it, and how wonderful the flavor... a new flavor each time perhaps for one, and the same EVERY time for the other? I do not care, they are so happy, and it was only $2 Euro each

Here are some photos of a Medevil festival that was held this past weekend in Lyon, they put on quite a production, and it was not just held in this square but through out the whole of Vieux Lyon, there were many political proceedings, people being tried, fake executions, gypsies, artisians, things to buy, and many many people dressed up acting their part... It seemed as if nearly the whole town were in on playing some part or another! The children really absorbed so much! They were so excited to see things that they had only read about in their books ALIVE in the very place they had read about!

Here is one of the Renissance dances! I am amazed at how many connections are being made in the minds of my children, the sights the smells, the colors, the music, the sounds of the French language and the many other languages being spoken about them; the feel of the cobblestone beneath their feet.. all connecting with the countless books, history and literature read over months and months, turning into years and years...... all coming together in these moments.... I am so thankful!

Some fancy men with flags doing some fancy French thing... It is a shame my French is not better! But perhaps it WILL be! All the same, were learned much, and were glued to the proceedings!

Here is a view from the Roman Ruins of the Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere. It was actually built in the late 19th century... disappointing I know...

Here is a photo of the time we went to the open air market! So much to see so much to learn! This really gave the children a different idea of food, where it comes from, and different ways it is bought and sold. The Walmart way of life is but ONE way, and as much as we try to tell this to our children, there is nothing like bringing them to a culture that simply LIVES differently than we do.

Here are the photos of the Roman Ruins. Here I let them explore.... I followed behind, but NOT all together too closely, keeping my REI whistle around my neck, incase I felt as though they or I were lost. Here all their reading, and re reading of David Macaulay's books and various others, really kicked into HIGH gear, as the children began telling me what they had found, what certain things were, why things were laid out the way they were... It was like the flood gates of their minds had opened and the words could not pour out as fast as the thoughts.... We will definately be coming here again and again, picnicing, walking, till they can be here and talk in complete rational sentences ... breathing between words....

Funny that later this past weekend my husband had some collegues from work come and stay with our family in the city. They wanted to see the ruins, it was raining in a bit of a downpour by the time we got there, and some of us decided not to go up and explore, but to stay down below and enjoy the view from a somewhat sheltered spot. The two older of my children however, volunteered to take the one American gentleman who was so interested in history up for a guided tour.. I don't think he expected QUITE that guided a tour... He couldn't believe all the things the children showed him, the tunnels, the secret spots, the chambers, the inner rooms, nooks and spots he simply would NEVER have seen. He hasn't STOPPED talking about the tour they gave, and thinks they'd make grand tour guides... :)

Fear NOT traveling with your gifts, they JUST might amaze you, even IF you have to make a routine out of your day ... (I DO), even if they have health issues (YOU SHOULD just see the medicines we had to bring, the dr note too !) It might not be as impossible as it seems... perhaps ... worthy of prayer and consideration anyway...

For us, these trips have become a way of life... always a bed of roses, thorns and all!

home "schooling" abroad.....

Vie va La France!!!!!!!

We are preparing to leave our wonderful home, our comfortable haven, our hectic all to busy "American" lives, for the great big wide world out there. Our lives as of now, are busy with much packing, cleaning and preparing, for life abroad....
and not just any life...
no
life in France....
and not just life in France,
not just 1/4 a year in France,
but
home educating 3 crazy fantastic kids, with a quench to see, to experience, to read and to discover everything there is to learn. How exciting and maddening is this? VERY!!!

First off packing for readers isn't easy.... especially now with weight restrictions on the airlines. I confess we are SERIOUS readers.
Readers of Math,
(as previously mentioned, not only do we DO math, we READ it as well!)
Readers of History
Readers of Literature
Readers for leisure
Readers to research
Readers of our Faith
Readers
pretty Charlotte Mason style readers....
Readers with ferocious appetites.........
So we got ALEKS on our computers to help out a bit...
and
Rosetta Stone to help with German and French!
Spelling, and the wonderful world of http://www.amblesideonline.com/ to help with MUCH of our literary needs....but
readers still read books,
and books we have a plenty, many many books, and put together they weigh a bit... tricky very very tricky... what to bring, what to leave behind.... to be.. or not to be with a particular book............

but it will work out in the end. What i find MOST interesting however, is how MANY folks offer advise to you, when they discover you are traveling on an extended trip, or out of the country... However the sheer volume of opinions on an EXTENDED trip ABROAD, is simply staggering.... yet very little of it helpful... because I have not "bumped" into many people who have traveled on extended trips.... or been out of the country for more than a couple weeks, or who have done either while home educating, eclectic, gifted kids.... yes, I have met some.... who have met one or more of those criteria, and their counsel, I CHERISH!!!!!!!!!!! Another blessing is, that we have done many extended trips for 2 or more months away... and experience... is quite helpful... Don't get me wrong, there is MUCH for me to learn, much that I do not know, and I long for good advise, but some, is simply funny.... some advice given to me, does not take into account who my children are..... and that is something as a mother I must always consider... always.

For example there is the all to frequent..."perhaps you should stop schooling while you are away...." I would heartily agree for a trip of 3 weeks or less; but that would not constitute an extended trip abroad. THAT is a vacation. :) Do people really do this? For 3 months? Do they imagine children coming home from a 3 month "vacation" sometime in July and suddenly desiring to stay indoors to do pre-algebra, history, and some Shakespeare? Mine will want to come home and HAVE a mini vacation, time with friends at the beach, in the pool, at their grandparents house, time to ride their bikes, skateboard with friends, time to just breath, before the crisp autumn air hits their faces....... which in our neck of the woods will come sooner than imagined.... no, taking that amount of time off, would mean summer in doors, chained to a desk.... NOT a healthy place for lively, sunshine loving explorers like mine!

I wondered also at this suggestion..., would you stop eating because it is extended trip.... I think perhaps this is simply a difference with gifted children... books, knowledge, math, computers, it is food for them...Do some children desire a complete BREAK from thinking, learning and discovery? Mine seem to do it all even in their imaginations, even climbing a tree! They often seem like starving children; have a great piece of literature at your disposal to toss their way when the hunger grows, there is a meal for them, some "comfort food" to bring safety and security, we will need that overseas...some semblance of the idea that... "we are still us, even if WE are in this strange NEW place with different food, different dress, different music, and different words and sounds."

Sure, we will be delving into French culture, eating French cuisine, seeing all the French museums, going to the parks, and all the many historical places; we hope to make many French friends, and learn to speak their language, understand their plights, and come away really knowing something about the people of France; the heritage, the history, the heart of this ancient land. Yet in the midst of that, there need be some normalcy, something comforting, from their own home, and "school"; something that is safe, familiar, recognizable, to come to each day, or even every other day...I hardly plan on being the strict teacher demanding eight hours of lessons each and every day...

What I hope to offer my blessings, the MENU so to speak.... :)
Math (living and virtual via www.aleks.com and Life of Fred http://www.stanleyschmidt.com/FredGauss/index2.html)
Literature & History (some books & www.amblesideonline.com )
Geography (BEING in France, having Maps & www.amblesideonline.com has some great resources !)
Art/Music (Being IN France, The Teaching Co.'s Great Courses http://www.teach12.com/ )
Writing (I have each of the older children doing daily journals of our "family adventure" on their own "safe" blogs, )

With no intention of doing EVERY subject every day, I think this "Menu" is a good one, a very feast, with all the basic "academic food groups", for ferocious yet finicky eaters..... add in some Culture, literally LIVING History, (some history in the making) along with getting to see Roman Amphitheaters, Gothic Churches, going to places we have only READ about, walking in buildings from Before the time of Christ our Lord... Museums, fabulous food, a new language and culture; frankly, this shall be the TRIP of a lifetime, an Academic Adventure of a magnificent magnitude, and many memories in the making.....

but with just 8 days to go, till we are "leaving on a jet plane", I best get back to packing! :)
Hope you stop by for our Academic Adventures as we continue to live gifted................