Trivium! I gotta tell ya something....

[Johanna]

I just checked out the shoelace books and i fell in love with her language arts program!
It looks so good, I like how she has the poetry and spelling included in the one language arts book.
You will have to tell me how you like the spelling book when you start it. Everything you are discovering about education is neat to read about because I have really been attracted to these approaches as well. But, then I will find myself (comparing) thinking I am not doing enough, then i will throw another workbooky thing at my dd8 and wonder why "all of a sudden school has become so dreadful for her" (sigh)
Anyways, this is part of the reason that i am making a move to Heart of Dakota (i love her philosophy)!
Well, I just wanted to thank you for the link to these "simply" books....I am really praying about buying them for this year or next.
:)

[Trivium Academy]

I've been struggling with this for a while too, everytime I'd look at other's Ambleside driven homeschools, I'd wonder if it would be a good fit. I didn't know how to find a balance between rigorous academics and gentle learning, but I think we can have high academic goals and reach those goals through gentle learning. At least I prefer to think so.

I think those of us with public school experiences also have the hang-up of releasing those expectations, which seems to be harder because we had the day-to-day experience and expectations put on our children.

I'm so thankful that being so transparent has helped others, it's encouraging and beautiful to consider that a lot of us had "closet" feelings like this. Lol.