CPQ April Newsletter
This is a story about a little boy and the science of relations.
"So, in unlikely ways, and from unlikely sources, do children gather that little code of principles which shall guide their lives."
V.6, p.189
One morning we read about Moses, frustrated with the people, hitting the rock twice. In his narration, my son said, "Mom, Moses' Mr. Hippo was big!" For context you should know we talk a lot about "Mr. Hippo" in our house. When the hippocampus is big, we can't get to the thinking part of our brains, and so we can act and do things out of character. Not only did this show me a perspective that I have never considered in all my years of reading this story, but I saw my son had made a unique connection to his own person.
Another morning we were reading the story of Firefly, the horse who just kicks and kicks, in Parables From Nature. My son stopped me and said, "Firefly is kind of like me. You help me have better habits, so I can learn to control my emotions."
This year has been a year of growth for this little boy. He has come to understand, as much as a nine-year-old boy can, much about his life. I think about Corrie Ten Boom and the suitcase that was too heavy for her, and I have often wondered if it has all been too much too soon. But he has had questions about adoption, about his struggles, and so we have prayerfully answered him.
When he makes connections like this, it causes me to pause and treasure up strange things in my heart. My other children didn't make such deep connections at this age. He is getting at an understanding of his born person, of the hindrances of his mansoul, from these living books--just as much as he is from therapy and our conversations with him--if not more. He is gathering his own little code of principles in the books we read.
To see so tangibly that we are indeed working in cooperation with the Holy Spirit to parent and educate this child has been such a great comfort to my husband and me. I can tell you that out of all the places I thought to look for help for our son, it never occurred to me that help was in our educational philosophy.
Unlikely ways and unlikely sources, indeed.
On The Blog
Seeking an Ordered Heart in the Habits of Obedience
Screens...for my child's sake?
Magazine Overview
In your homes: The Middle issue
Heading to Print: Beauty issue
In Copy-edit: Grand Conversations issue
Articles have been turned in for The Habit of Reading issue
Year 6 themes and main article writers are being planned
Compendium Call-Out
Would you like to be considered as one of our compendium writers for Year 6 of the magazine? Please fill out the form linked below with your name, IG handle (if any), and a 400-word piece sharing with us what you appreciate most about Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy by May 15th.
Each compendium writer will be asked to write four mini-essays, 400 words each, on topics that pertain to our Year 6 themes: Fortitude, Upper Years, Personhood, and Goodness. These essays will be published in the magazine! If your submission is chosen, we will send you essay topics with due dates by May 30th with our picks.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Please note: submissions are not, and will never be, about obtaining any standard of perfection. They are about the reality of living life, building families, growing character, and doing the hard thing of educating our children at home.
Get To Know The Editors
What’s Cara…
Reading: Pre-reading Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie and Words on the Move by John McWhorter for my own pleasure
Thinking about: the importance of dignity as a foundational aspect of a Charlotte Mason education
Planning: a garden
Eating: La Estrella bakery pastries (If you’re ever in Tucson, you must visit)
Watching: Family movies with the kids
Drinking: Bubly water—Mangoyada Raspados
Learning: that God wants to provide and commune with us the same whether we are in a foreign land preaching the gospel or just trying to keep our trash cans in the right place in Urbania. The Lord is near.
What’s Mariah…
Reading: Norms and Nobility by David Hicks and The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes
Listening to: Heart
Thinking about: the balance of mythos and logos in education. I have a boy that leans toward mythos, a boy that leans toward logos, and making sure they are getting that balance is rolling around in my head.
Cooking: Pork and avocado burritos
Watching: Coach Prime’s CU football practices with my husband
Drinking: A huckleberry mule on a date night
Learning: To recognize the little eggs of blessings that are in hard things and write them down. Someday I will want to remember them.
What’s Sarah…
Reading: The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow by Allen French
Thinking about: the best way to tackle school planning for next year with students across five forms!
Planning: A trip to see my four-month-old niece
Cooking: Tom Kha soup (finally a soup everyone likes)
Watching: too many Instagram reels
Drinking: hot chocolate made with Guittard Red-Dutch cocoa powder
Learning: the key to a successful lesson is having a life-giving idea present and accessible to the student
Spring Cleaning
We have found several copies of our Habit of Attention issue!
There aren’t enough to list in the shop, but if you’d be interested in snagging a copy, please send your email and physical address to us at mariah@commonplacequarterly.com and we will get those sent out on a first come basis until they are gone!
What Say You?
We’d love to get your feedback about all things CPQ!
Please take a few minutes to fill out our survey