SPRING – Yesterday I peeked outside into the flower bed that outlines our house and noticed the first tiny shoots of an emerging crocus. For over 17 years this resilient flower has been one of natures ways of telling me spring is on the way. There are very few things I welcome more than a coming spring after a long, cold, brown winter.
Of course, it wouldn’t be spring without a little bit of spring cleaning. This month I hope to refresh our outdoor living spaces, clean the windows, and sort through our drawers and closets. My list of to-do’s is long, but I look forward to the satisfaction completing these tasks bring.
This month, “cleanliness” will be the topic of our morning time together. Whether I accomplish the long list of to-do’s or not one thing that is sure to get attention is my heart. Keeping it clean from all my sin that constantly tries to take root and hinder the relationship with my Savior should take precedence in my life. David knew this to be true in his own life. His prayer of repentance will be our scripture focus this month. May we make his prayer our own.
Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean: wash me and I will be whiter than snow…..Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Click here to purchase the March 2021 Morning Time Bundle
MUSIC
This month we will be enjoying a beautiful symphony by Robert Schumann dedicated to the welcoming of spring. If your music study needs to be refreshed I thought this would be a good month to do a quick reminder of some of the ways you can complete a “Charlotte Mason” style music study.
- Study the composer as a person.
- Introduce the music. Listen to the music to become familiar with it. This can be done in short increments at a time, and shouldn’t be done in a “lesson” format or in a way that makes your children bored or squirmy.
- Play the music often: in your car, over lunch, during bath rime, etc.
- Try to learn to play the music by ear.
- Enjoy the music live. (I know right now this is not near as easy as it used to be. Perhaps it will be soon?)
Our March composition can be found here: Symphony #1 in B-Flat Major, “Spring” – Robert Schumann
You can read more about it’s structure here: Symphony #1 in B-Flat Major
You can find our more about our composer here: Classics for Kids – Schumann
POETRY
Our poem this month is a really fun one that touches a bit on the March nature study (the cow) as well as the arrival of spring. ThoughtCo. described it best in this way:
When the lines come together, the full picture is painted. The reader is transported to the farm in spring, the new life, and the chores the farmer doesn’t seem to mind whatsoever.
It is much as we might feel following the pains of a long winter. It’s about the ability to get out and enjoy the season of rebirth, no matter the task before us. Frost is a master of reminding us of those simple pleasures in life.
The March poem can be found here: The Pasture by Robert Frost
Read more about our poet, Robert Frost, here: robertfrost.org
ART
Our artist this month was an American painter named Charles Curran. He is best known for depicting women in various leisurely settings. The one we are studying this month, Breezy Day, won a prize for oils in 1888 and is a very pretty depiction of two women laying linens out to dry.
To view this months art click here: A Breezy Day
For a biography of this months artist click here: Charles Courtney Curran
To view other art pieces by Curran click here: Paintings of Women by Charles Courtney Curran
SCRIPTURE
The scripture focus of our morning time bundle this month is Psalm 51:7-10. Included are some cross references you should explore when memorizing this verse.
Psalm 51:7-10 “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Psalm 32:1-2 & 11 “A Psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile…Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.”
Isaiah 44:22 “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.”
Jeremiah 32:37-41 “Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.
NATURE STUDY
I am incredibly excited about this months study of cattle. Cows have been one of my favorite animals for years. When I was growing up we lived next door to my grandparents and we shared much of our backyard with them. Around 8 or 9 years old, my parents went together with my grandparents and purchased two small calves. We raised them from the bottle feeding stage to full grown.T he memories I have of feeding and caring for them are some of my favorite. I can even remember the smell of my grandpas barn when we brought in fresh hay and feed.
Since then, cattle have always intrigued me and I truly believe they are some of the most beautiful creatures. I hope you find this month’s study as interesting as I do. As always, we will use The Handbook of Nature Study to help direct our learning. The nature study sheet will guide you through this.
The Dairy Alliance has an assortment of virtual field trips you can take here: The Dairy Alliance. They have everything from the nursery, to the feed barn, to the milking parlor, to milk transport. Their website says you need to click on the selections to watch the field trips, but I found you need to scroll down and click on the video you wish to watch.
CRAFT
Echoing our message of cleanliness and touching on milk from the cow, this months craft covers it all. This month we will be making a Lavender Milk Bath. This is probably the simplest craft we have ever created, takes only a handful of supplies, and after you are finished promises a relaxing reward. It truly is a win-win. Be sure to make extra to have on hand for those long days.
CHARACTER STUDY
We are cruising along in our studies of the American Presidents. We are already at the 19th! When I look back at the time frame we have already covered. It is astounding. I never really expected to enjoy the president studies as much as I have, it truly has brought unforeseen enjoyment.
This month we are studying the life of Rutherford B. Hayes.
You can find The Ultimate Guide to the Presidents section for Rutherford B. Hayes here: The Ultimate Guide to the Presidents: Executive Retreat begin around 20:00.
A biography and visit of his home can be found here: Hayes Home
I also found this to be very interesting. Find out what happened to Hayes birthplace here: Atlas Obscura
RECIPE
Finally, one of my favorite parts of the morning time bundles: the recipe. This month’s recipe is a special one to our family. It is the one that my mother-in-law bakes for us when we visit her home in Illinois. She always keeps an assortment of muffins on hand, normally this one and a dark chocolate and cranberry one.
In keeping with past March morning time bundles, the recipe includes the use of lemon. I have always loved lemon in the early spring. They smell and taste clean and fresh, senses that, to me, evoke a feeling of spring. I hope you enjoy!
SCHEDULE
The morning time bundle also includes a guide to help aid you in the implementation of this study. It includes 4 weeks of suggested learning rotation that will help you cover all of the topics included over the course of the month. This is simply a guide. You can add to or take from it as you wish and as your learning leads you.
Thank you so much for your continued support of my small business. I hope that these bundles bless your family time together and that ultimately they draw you closer to Christ who loves you so dearly. Happy Spring!!
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