Some ups, some downs, and some time off...

Hey, all! Sorry for the long blogging break. I have no real excuse, just laziness, I guess.

Things on the homeschool front have been pretty good. The last month has brought some illness as well as some really good times. Last week we took a break from regular school work but I still sneaked in some learning on a couple of fun field trips.

Here's the basic update:
Colin continues to do really well in math. We still haven't really reached material that has challenged him but he did enjoy a lesson on finding the mystery number (for example ? + 6 = 10). He thought that was kind of fun. I'm supplementing his usual math with Monopoly Jr. as well as a few other activities. We also regularly review his skip counting from CC. His reading is also good. We've done some read alouds and he also listens to some more challenging books on CD while following along in the book. He finished The Trumpet of the Swan and is now doing The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. His handwriting is slowly improving and his letter reversals are becoming more rare.

For history we've looked though lots of books about ancient Greece and Rome. He (and I) enjoy going though library books together on the couch and he seems to retain the information pretty well this way. It's a pretty gentle learning approach that doesn't involve a paper trail (which bothered me at first but I've gotten over it) but we both have gotten a lot out of these times together. Right now we're starting to learn about Japan and I'm hoping we can put together a book about Japan for him to present to his CC class on Thursday. We'll see.

Science has been lacking other than the weekly science experiments at CC. This week I'm trying to focus more on doing some fun experiments. Today we did the classic blowing up a balloon with the gas created from mixing vinegar and baking soda. It went well. We also blew up a 2 liter of diet Pepsi last week with a roll of Mentos mints. I'm not sure how much valuable scientific facts he got from these but if he decides that "science is cool" from these things I think it's worth it.

With Anna we're still spending a lot of time playing with letters and counting everything. We've been sounding out some simple words when she's in the bathtub using her bath letters and also using her letter blocks. I'm hoping to start her on more formal reading lessons next fall if she's ready. We're also working on some fine motor skills with coloring as well as cutting things out.

Our field trips have included going to the Columbus Science Center (COSI), Cincinnati Museum Center and the Air Force Museum. The kids also came with me to the polls to vote last Tuesday which led to a good talk about why citizens vote and the importance of making your voice heard. My parents were in town for a couple weeks in early October and my mom and I took them to the zoo as well. Also, early this month we had a great trip with other homeschooling families to the local fire station.

Here's a few pics from the last month:

Colin getting his turn holding the fire hose.

Colin at COSI learning about gears.

Anna and Colin with Grandpa doing some research on Ancient Rome.

Astronaut Anna at the Air Force Museum.

Colin sitting in a cockpit at the Air Force Museum.

Pretty Terrible, but Kind of Great

Just a quick post to let you know that there's not too much to report for the week. Beginning last Friday night, an illness swept through our house starting with Anthony, passed on to Colin, and now it has hit Anna. So far I'm the only one who's been spared (so far). We actually got a decent amount of school done considering the circumstances. Had Colin been in traditional school, he would have had to miss all week so I feel like we came out ahead even though we didn't get as much done as usual. Fortunately, our Fire Station trip was rescheduled for next Friday due to bad weather and an emergency the fire fighters needed to attend to.

The good news in all this is that we actually had a pretty good week. We spend A LOT of time together and, in circumstances where we could have easily fallen into irritability and short tempers, we actually all got along pretty well and even had some fun. On Friday night, I felt overwhelmed with joy at the love we have in this house and how much we are able to enjoy each other -- in sickness and in health. That's why this week was pretty terrible, but kind of great.

Please pray that Anna recovers quickly and that I don't get sick. As draining as it can be to tend to a sick family, I would still MUCH rather be the nurse than the patient.

Here's the pic of the week:We've been talking a bit about Ancient Egypt as part of CC and Colin has developed an interest in mummies. We decided to act out the mummification process -- subtracting the removal of organs and the pulling out the brain though the nose with a hook (that part grossed Colin out so badly he didn't even want me to pretend to do it). Anna helped me wrap him up.

When Kids Play, Stay Out of the Way

This post might seem pretty obvious to most people out there but to me this concept has been revolutionary. I've been reading blog posts by psychologist Peter Gray who, despite his somewhat radical and controversial ideas about traditional school, has great points about the importance of play in a child's educational and emotional development.

One thing that I'm learning about homeschooling is that it doesn't take very much time compared to traditional school and we are often left with large chunks of the day that have no real plan. Again, I'm learning how to not care about "the plan" so much and try to go with the flow. At first, I felt the need to fill those large chunks of free time with something to keep them engaged and entertained. The result was often frustrating because they didn't want to do what I asked of them. The latest strategy is to tell them that it's "recess" time and let them go do as they wish. I've been amazed by the games and pretending they come up with all on their own. Sometimes, they play on their own and other times they come up with games together. I've never really felt like my kids have been very good independent players but I'm starting to realize that it might be because I haven't let them.

Inadvertently, I think I've "interfered" with the play by offering my input on things they "should" do or ways they should "be careful." (Sometimes I have to remind myself: "Who asked YOU?") I think I might have given them the impression that they "need" me to be able to play. Now I simply stay out of the way. If they're being loud, I let them be loud. If they're making a mess, I let them make a mess. Neither of those things are sinful and, as long as they're getting along, I let it go. I've even let a lot of the arguing go and they're learning how to resolve those fights or even to just leave each other alone for awhile. I don't want them to think they "need" me to deal with conflict and they've surprised me in how they've handled it on their own.

This also means that I can feel free to say "no" when they ask me to play with them. As my friend says, "You are not their cruise director on the ship of life." Don't get me wrong, I play with my kids plenty, but my job as their mother is not to keep them entertained. They need to know how to do that on their own.

I can't express the joy I experience when I hear my kids happily playing together. As I type this, they are in the kitchen decorating containers we're going to use to make shaking instruments. I hear them sharing the stickers and talking with each other. Homeschooling means my kids spend a LOT of time together and I love sensing that this will bring them closer together.

We've had a strange week because of illness so we've spent a lot of low-key days at home. Colin had a sick day from school yesterday but chose to do some of his planned lessons anyway. Today his fever has gone down enough to perk him up a bit so we did his lessons as planned. I'm really hoping his fever goes away by this afternoon so he'll be well enough to go to CC tomorrow. On Friday we're scheduled to go to the local fire station to learn about fire safety and see all the cool fire trucks. I'm praying for good health for all of us so we don't have to miss out on anything.

Here's a few pics from the last several days:

Colin and Anna at the entrance to Boonshoft Museum of Discovery. I love the "Explore, Dream, Learn" above the doors.

Creating pictures using shapes on the light table. Colin made a rocket ship.

Colin at the water table learning about how the force of water can make this contraption spin.

For CC, Colin is learning how to skip count. This week he's learning 7s and 8s up to the "times 12." We happen to have 12 steps down to the basement so this is Colin practicing his 8s while climbing up the stairs. Each time he finishes, he turns over two cards and does it again until he can do it all without looking. This is a GREAT activity for a squirmy little boy.

Anna getting some "fine motor" practice in by making a beaded necklace.

A True Mid-West Experience

Homeschooling continues to go well, for the most part. I'm still learning how to relax and not be too intense and try to have fun. The kids are learning how to take turns with mommy as well as counting, math, alphabet, handwriting, reading and all that other good stuff.

This week's special event was going to visit a farm in very small town, Ohio. I stuck with my commitment to be agenda-less and we just took it all in. Among the highlights were picking raspberries (I think Anna ate more than she actually saved); climbing on large piles of straw in a barn; picking corn; eating lunch in a restored log cabin and learning about how people used to live before electricity and indoor plumbing; and sitting on tractors. We also saw cows, a bull, a snake, several cats, and two very cute kittens. The kids got filthy but had a good time.

Here are some pics from our farm trip:

Anna on a porch swing in front of a late 1800s house.

Colin in the corn.

Anna on a tractor.

Colin on a tractor.

In other news, Colin is doing really well at Classical Conversations. The purpose of the Foundations program is mostly to teach kids various facts from all different subjects. At this point, he's learning the "grammar" of each subject which is the first step in the classical model for education. It's not critical that he understands all he memorizes, it's just important that the terms and facts get into his head. The idea is that kids at this age are great memorizers so take advantage and fill that brain with good stuff. Using songs, hand motions, and lots of repetition, Colin has memorized a ton of stuff. He can skip count all the way to the 6s, he knows the five kingdoms of living things, he knows the classifications of living things, he can state all 10 commandments, several Greek and Roman gods, the seven wonders of the ancient world, major events on a timeline, and the definition of a preposition as well as several of the propositions. It's truly amazing. I'M learning a ton in this process and even Anna has picked up on a lot. I'm so excited for him to be gaining so much information that he will be able to apply later.

Tomorrow we're finishing out the week and I'm hoping for a good morning so we can go back to Boonshoft in the afternoon. The weather has been rainy and depressing and I've been grouchy so we could all use a little fun.

The Art of Being Agenda-less

It was a week of ups and downs. There were days of "What on earth do I think I'm doing trying to teach my kids???" and days of "THIS MOMENT is why I'm doing this!"

This week we shook up the schedule a bit and had a field trip day on Wednesday. We headed to Boonshoft Museum of Discovery in Dayton -- a great hands-on science center/children's museum. We had been there once before but couldn't stay very long and I remember constantly thinking about what time I had to leave. This time was much different and, consequently, much better. We have been talking about science for the last few weeks but I had no specific goals or plans for what we would do or see at Boonshoft. I decided to follow their lead. We went with my friend Sarah and her girls and had almost all day to explore. We had a ball. Kids really do know how to have more fun than adults. We slowly moved from section to section and stayed for as long as they wanted. We didn't see it all but what we saw was totally enjoyed. I can't wait to go back and maybe stay even longer.

The rest of the week brought the usual math, reading, handwriting, and other activites. Anna's poster theme of the week was Kittens and we covered the letter C, the number 3, and the shape of a diamond. CC went well on Thursday and I tried to stay in the shadows while I was in his class as not to "cramp his style." He's doing great with the memory work that's covered at CC and he likes listening to the CD of what was covered in his class. Anna even gets in on the fun. He's becoming good friends with the other boys in his class and Anna is doing great in the child care there.

Friday I had a little surprise up my sleeve but I wanted to make sure all our regular school work got done first. They dragged their feet a bit and seemed easily distracted but all the work was finished and done well so I decided to surprise them with a trip to the zoo. We've gone to the zoo several times this year, sometimes with friends, sometimes just us. We always have a pretty good time but, like our first trip to Boonshoft, many times I feel rushed, wanting to see as much as possible. Today, I dropped the agenda, let them lead the way, and didn't care if we saw tons of stuff or just a few things. The result: our best zoo trip ever. I'm always amazed at how much we all enjoy being together, learning together, and having fun when I can lighten up a bit.

Here are some pics from the week:Anna is picking up on computer skills at the best pre-reading website ever: www.starfall.com. She's doing great!

Colin doing handwriting on the back patio

Anna's diamond necklace

Colin decided, all by himself, that he wanted to make a list of every animal we saw at the zoo. Sometimes it's like pulling teeth to get him to do any writing. This time, he cared enough about the subject to do it himself.

Colin's zoo list. He proclaimed on our way home that when he grows up he wants to be a scientist who designs roller coasters and studies animals. Hey, why not?

"Colin, we can't talk about roller coasters right now. It's time to do science!!!"

OK, so I've always said that this year is a practice year. Kindergarten is supposed to be more about learning how to do school than it is about actual subject matter. There's still a lot of learning through play. We should be having fun and getting used to having school at home.

Turns out that I'm the one who needs the practice.

I should start by saying that I love to plan. And, once I've made the plan, I love it. Yes, I'm a fan of the plan. The plan is safe. It's ordered. I'm prepared to carry out the plan. However, homeschooling isn't, and should never be, about "the plan" no matter how wonderful I think the plan is.

Today we got off to a rocky start. The terrible twos have been replaced by the treacherous threes with my daughter and we have our share of battles every day. She wasn't in the mood to do a thing I asked of her and always seemed to be screaming at me while I needed to focus on Colin, who wasn't really into it either. After a not-very-fun hour, we took a break to go to the Y where we all had a chance to work our frustration off. We came home, I showered, we ate lunch, and then headed back out to the library. I had a few more "fun" activities planned for the day as well as our daily quiet time ritual (not to mention that I was trying to do laundry and needed to grocery shop at some point) and I felt the time was slipping away from me. We got home and all of us were in a state of tiredness and frustration. I decided to get quiet time out of the way a bit earlier (NOT a popular decision) and pick up with our school work afterward.

Well, Anna was difficult during her quiet time (obviously not understanding the point of that time) and I was trying to switch to "go mode" where we get everything finished quickly and as painlessly as possible. Colin and I did a brief art study and he did a beautiful watercolor painting. Then, I had a great science experiment planned about water density and that's when we hit the wall.

Colin's watercolor painting.

Colin, after an experience on a kiddie roller coaster at a festival recently, has become obsessed with roller coasters. It's a welcome departure from his usual Star Wars obsession. I reserved several roller coaster books for him at the library as well as a Popular Mechanics for Kids show about roller coasters. He didn't want to learn about water density, he wanted to look at his roller coaster books and watch his show. That's when I uttered (OK, maybe shouted) the title of this post: "Colin, we can't talk about roller coasters right now. It's time to do science!!!"

I heard my words and stopped cold. What? I'm going to stop Colin from learning more about something he's really interested in to make him do something he could care less about? I realized that I was missing the point. I was teaching according to the plan, not according to my son. He's the priority and what he's passionate about he should be free to explore. That's one of the reasons we chose to homeschool in the first place.

Colin's recent roller coaster ride.

I apologized to Colin for my outburst and we proceeded to watch a great show about the science behind roller coasters. Then we snuggled on the couch and looked through his roller coaster books and had great discussions about why some coasters make you feel weightless, how wooden and steel roller coasters are different, potential energy (when a coaster is at the top of the climb), kenetic energy (when it starts to speed down), and centrifugal force. He then wanted to read to me a book about a boy and his grandpa riding a roller coaster together. Then we found a "design your own roller coaster" website where Colin could choose hills, loops, tunnels, etc to assemble his own personal coaster. Great stuff, all educational, and completely enjoyable to him and me.

I thanked God in those moments for making me the student and reminding me that my plan is not his. I hope the learning continues.

Colin building his own virtual coaster.

Week Two Completed!

We had another good week of school and I'm happy everything is still going smoothly. We seem to be falling into a pretty good routine that the kids are getting used to.

Monday night we did go to the local orchestra performance in the park and the kids really seemed to enjoy it. They sat and listened quietly for the most part and I didn't expect them to be quite so engaged. On the other hand, they might have been pretty tired... Hmm, we'll go with "engaged."

Tuesday we continued with our science theme and did an experiment cleaning pennies with different substances: hand soap and water; vinegar; and dish soap and water. Vinegar worked best. We went over the scientific method to do the experiment. It went over well.

Wednesday was a special day because I hosted a new homeschooling moms brunch and we had a speaker from my friend Sarah's church. It was a great time of adult conversation and good encouragement from a veteran. The kids all played in the basement together while we met. That afternoon we spent just reading library books and relaxing. It was sort of our day off instead of Friday this week.

Thursday we went back to Classical Conversations (CC) in the morning and Colin's class time went really well. There are 4 boys in his class and he seems to like them a lot. They are pretty wiggly, as boys can be, but his teacher does a great job of keeping them active as part of the lessons. He commented to me that he remembers when I used to "just drop him off" at preschool and I think he's not sure how he feels about me being in class with him. I gather it's because I try to "remind" him to pay attention and not goof off. I think I might need to give him a bit more space so he can feel that sense of independence and maybe it'll help for him to be corrected by his teacher instead of me. After class we stuck around for lunch and CC even has a recess time that he was thrilled to be a part of. We ended up doing our homeschool time late in the afternoon which I thought would not go over well but it actually went fine. I'm sure I was more tired from the morning than they were.

On Friday we did school in the morning and then went to a park to meet up with other homeschoolers from our church. The science experiment of the day was about evaporation. We painted in water on the driveway and then observed what happened over time. We tried "painting" on a shady spot and then a sunny spot to see what dried up first. Of course, they just liked playing with water but I think the "evaporation" concept sunk in with Colin.

We're continuing with our science theme for a few more days until we go to Boonshoft Discovery Museum on Wednesday. There's a planetarium there that I can't wait for Colin to experience. The following week we're visiting a farm so we'll change to a farm theme next Thursday and visit a farmers market on Saturday morning as part of our "study."

Here are some pictures from our week:

Anna's color of the week was green so we decided to make green milk using yellow and blue food coloring. Colin said "GROSS!!" and Anna said "MMMM, it's GOOD, Mama!"The evaporation experiment.

The penny cleaning experiment.