tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57927212734793945152024-03-14T03:47:49.323-05:00The Monkey DucksA few feathers short of a whole duck.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-84373408916511978042013-02-16T14:04:00.002-06:002013-02-16T14:04:42.908-06:00<table 0="" style="width: 125px;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/?source=88956"><img align="middle" alt="Homeschool Buyers Co-op" border="0" src="http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/images/stories/hsbc125x125-v2.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td a=""><a href="http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/?source=88956">Homeschooling's<br />#1 Way to Save</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have been buying all kinds of great things at the Homeschool Buyers Coop. I am so glad I found out about this wonderful resource for homeschoolers. It is a huge money savers and lets me preview a lot of items and introduces me to resources I wasn't aware of. I've gotten great deals on Thinkwell, Rosetta Stone, Explode the Code, Discovery Streaming and The Bravewriter materials. I'm about the buy DreamBox and BrainPop. I wouldn't be able to afford these if it wasn't for the group buying power of the Homeschool Buyers Coop!</span></div>
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Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-73190692412741024462008-11-12T22:59:00.007-06:002008-11-13T00:06:31.572-06:00A (not-at-all) brief overview of the past month...Once again, I haven't been posting. Yes, there's that contract work but we also traveled which took up some time and energy. You don't believe me? Think I'm just making excuses? Here's proof. We don't have trees or hills like that in Texas.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SRu2geabppI/AAAAAAAAASM/4K7BjYgL5hE/s1600-h/IMG_0123.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SRu2geabppI/AAAAAAAAASM/4K7BjYgL5hE/s320/IMG_0123.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268004858175923858" /></a><br /><br />While we were there, the Monkey discovered his cousins' <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">wii</span>. Here he is bowling. Great form, no? I'll be sure to capture the expression on his face come Christmas morning when there is NOT a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">wii</span> under the tree.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SRu2g_Dd8bI/AAAAAAAAASU/QAQa8edfryM/s1600-h/IMG_0145.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SRu2g_Dd8bI/AAAAAAAAASU/QAQa8edfryM/s320/IMG_0145.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268004866937975218" /></a><br /><br />The kids and I carved some pumpkins. And by that, I mean they helped for the first, oh, 2 minutes, until they saw the goo and seeds that needed to be removed, followed by the flies that were attracted to the goo and seeds baking in the hot <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">October</span> sun. After that, I did all the work while they played in the yard. They would <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">occasionally</span> come over to check my work and evaluate how closely I was adhering to the blueprints they provided. In the end, they were satisfied and I was later paid with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">twix</span> bars.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SRu7ruYQC0I/AAAAAAAAAS0/I1N9CjX9UnY/s1600-h/IMG_0035.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SRu7ruYQC0I/AAAAAAAAAS0/I1N9CjX9UnY/s320/IMG_0035.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268010548998441794" /></a><br /><br />The standard Halloween photo.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SRu2h723ztI/AAAAAAAAASk/OduLkkkSWHA/s1600-h/IMG_0014.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SRu2h723ztI/AAAAAAAAASk/OduLkkkSWHA/s320/IMG_0014.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268004883259707090" /></a><br /><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><br />The Duckling wrote her name for the first time. Meaning she wrote the letters in correct direction and order. More amazingly, she had forgotten the "n," recognized that, and squeezed it in right where it belongs. She's never been shown how to write her name and has never been instructed on how to write her letters, with the exception of asking a few times how to write particular letters. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Unschooling</span> at work.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SRu7sOTD1SI/AAAAAAAAAS8/DlzQj15RDOM/s1600-h/IMG_0022.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SRu7sOTD1SI/AAAAAAAAAS8/DlzQj15RDOM/s320/IMG_0022.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268010557566604578" /></a><br /><br />Kids, don't play with fire!! (unless your mother hands it to you after dipping it in melted wax to create a torch.) There's actually so much to say about this - about how I think it helps them, especially the Monkey, feel in control and independent and how I want to make sure they don't grow up in the bubble of paranoia and fear that seems to have claimed our society. But for now, I'll let the pictures describe the moment<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SRu9gYBA8bI/AAAAAAAAATk/a2Zu4PnpH5E/s1600-h/IMG_0018.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SRu9gYBA8bI/AAAAAAAAATk/a2Zu4PnpH5E/s320/IMG_0018.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268012553040097714" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SRu9gPt-MyI/AAAAAAAAATc/GJc3zpogAUQ/s1600-h/IMG_0009.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SRu9gPt-MyI/AAAAAAAAATc/GJc3zpogAUQ/s320/IMG_0009.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268012550812742434" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SRu9gDLJNWI/AAAAAAAAATU/QlxAMTFgXpo/s1600-h/IMG_0004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SRu9gDLJNWI/AAAAAAAAATU/QlxAMTFgXpo/s320/IMG_0004.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268012547445437794" /></a><br /><div>Remember our ant farm? Here's an update. In case the photo isn't clear, they are indeed all dead. Apparently, digging those two small tunnels took the life out of them. And we missed seeing them dig the tunnels because of the Hurricane. Best money I ever spent.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SRu9f3lLyyI/AAAAAAAAATM/VpVXwbwhzyQ/s1600-h/IMG_0055.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SRu9f3lLyyI/AAAAAAAAATM/VpVXwbwhzyQ/s320/IMG_0055.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268012544333433634" /></a><br /></div><div>The Monkey learned to ride without training wheels this past weekend. Thanks to the wonderful advice from a friend, it took about 15 minutes. He was very proud of himself, and rightly so.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SRu9ftyOSRI/AAAAAAAAATE/bN-V2ab9aoI/s1600-h/IMG_0043.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SRu9ftyOSRI/AAAAAAAAATE/bN-V2ab9aoI/s320/IMG_0043.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268012541703768338" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>As for the homeschooling portion of our lives, here's a rundown:</div><div><br /></div><div>We are a little more than halfway through with Singapore 1B. We are currently finishing up multiplication. It is going well but it is the area that causes the most frustration for both of us, not because of his abilities but because of his <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">distractability</span>. Though, he was much more focused and excited about multiplication so I am hoping the frustration was a result of his boredom from working on material that he clearly knew.</div><div><br /></div><div>We are on week 13 of Writing With Ease but I've skipped a couple of weeks that seemed redundant. That was hard for me to do - to skip something. And it comes back around to my own process of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">deschooling</span>.</div><div><br /></div><div>We are enjoying history but aren't as far along as I thought we would be. I think we are on chapter 8 from Story of the World. We spent a lot of time on Egypt and I am glad I haven't felt the need to rush him through it. He loves history and wants to delve deeply into the topics. If it takes us two years to get through Ancient History than so be it. I want to move at his pace so that he continues to love history.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not moving at his pace for science. I'm moving much, much slower than he would like. He wants to do science every day and I find it to be too labor intensive and I end up not following through. I am working on this, though, and plan to go on an earthworm dig with him tomorrow night. I like our science program so-so (R.E.A.L. Science: Life) though I wish it was more literature based. My ideal science program would be to read a few books about a topic, like earthworms, and then do one lab. I could make this program work like that. I need to evaluate both the program and my own hang-ups with this.</div><div><br /></div><div>We haven't been keeping up with our read-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">alouds</span>, except for picture books with the Duckling during the day. His independent reading has taken off and he is currently on Harry Potter #3. I don't want to pull him away from a book he is engrossed with to read to him. I think we'll get back around to our read-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">alouds</span> once he is finished with the Harry Potter books (I'm not sure how many he'll read - things get a bit dark in #4)</div><div><br /></div><div>He does very well at Mind Benders and enjoys them. I bought him the 2<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">nd</span> book today. We haven't been doing much from Handwriting Without Tears because Writing With Ease seems to give him enough practice. We've only done two lessons from Artistic Pursuits, which is a shame because they both enjoy it. I just haven't been able to fit it in the way I had planned. He is still asking a lot of questions about grammar. Writing With Ease hasn't filled that as much as I would have liked, though it isn't the program's intent. Perhaps we'll start with Growing with Grammar after the new year. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Monkey is doing well with piano lessons and the Duckling enjoys her <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Kindermusik</span> class very much. They both enjoy their nature classes and it is quite interesting to watch the Duckling go through the same class that the Monkey did. She is very different from him in a way that I didn't expect. She is reserved and quiet during the class, rarely answering or asking questions, and sticking close to me. It is very unlike her and I wonder if it is from being expected to be quiet while her brother was in the same class just last year. Or, it may be that her interest in the subject isn't as high as his. Whatever the reason, I find it intriguing to notice the differences. </div><div><br /></div><div>All in all, all is well. </div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-28895357786239785072008-10-18T12:29:00.004-05:002008-10-18T13:00:25.836-05:00The Big QuestionWe had a very relaxed week. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Very</span> relaxed. A highlight of our day yesterday - no, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">the</span> highlight of our day - was spending 20 minutes watching the Duckling's beloved lamb go round and round in the washing machine. They both had fits of the giggles whenever they caught sight of her peeking out at them.<div><br /></div><div>The Monkey spent a lot of time reading this week. And when I say a lot, I mean he read two chapter books yesterday plus a variety of picture books as well as what we call "learning books" (mostly books about Egypt these days.) In one sitting, he read a 100+ page Geronimo Stilton book and at another point during the day, he read the book <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">A Grain of Rice. </span>Ironically, I worry about his reading because he seems to be reading too fast to absorb the information. But, when I ask him to tell me about the book, he does. And, when he's reading a book like Geronimo Stilton, he is laughing out loud. I check in with him often and ask him to read me a page from whatever book he's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">finished</span>. He seems to read fine but he does skip some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">occasional</span> words that he isn't able to sound out. I talked with him about the importance of reading all the words so that he doesn't miss important information. I gave him the example of when I read Harry Potter and get excited and can't wait to find out what happens. But, if I read too fast and skip parts, I end up missing information and then have to go back and re-read. We'll see if that helps him slow down his reading at all. Or, maybe it isn't a problem at all and I'm trying to get him to read the way <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">I</span> read, rather than what is his natural reading style. Oh, there's that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">de-schooling</span> rearing it's ugly head again.</div><div><br /></div><div>One of the books he's had in his hands a lot this week is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Its-So-Amazing-Babies-Families/dp/0763613215/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224351559&sr=8-1">It's So Amazing</a>. I had read most of it to him before he started reading but we skipped the section on sexual intercourse, as I wanted to wait until he was a bit older. He knows all the basics already – the egg, the sperm, the body parts, etc., as well as how both he and his sister were conceived with the help of a donor. Well, he read the whole book this week and here's the conversation that followed:</div><div><br /></div><div>Monkey: Mama, I read that chapter that you had said I wasn't old enough for. Is it okay that I read it?</div><div><br /></div><div>Mama: Yes, that's okay. Did you have any questions about anything you read?</div><div><br /></div><div>Monkey: Well, I don't really understand what they meant by the word, um, six?</div><div><br /></div><div>Mama: Do you mean "sex?" </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">feeling nervous again about his reading comprehension</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div>Monkey: Yes, sex. What does that mean?</div><div><br /></div><div>Mama: It's a way that grown-ups love on each other. Sometimes, when a man and a woman have sex and love on each other, they make a baby. It doesn't happen every time and there are other ways to make babies. </div><div><br /></div><div>Monkey: Oh, okay.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mama: Do you have any other questions about sex or what you read about?</div><div><br /></div><div>Monkey: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Gets very pensive and lost in his head </span></div><div>Yes, mama, I have a question.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mama: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">My head starts spinning and I get nervous about what question is going to come next and how much detail he'll be asking for. </span></div><div>Okay, go ahead.</div><div><br /></div><div>Monkey: Mama, did the Egyptians use anything in between the big stones to help them stick together? Like glue or something?</div><div><br /></div><div>I was reminded that kids absorb the information they are ready to hear. Exposing them to information about sex or any other topic that we, as adults, consider "difficult" is exactly what they need and we, the adults, need to trust their abilities to absorb and comprehend this information when they are developmentally ready to do so. I was also reminded that it is better to approach these topics from a general view point and then narrow down the details as necessary and as they request it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Okay, I am a little relieved that I didn't have to answer any specific questions. </div><div><br /></div><div>He seems to have moved on from the book but it will, of course, remain available to him and to the Duckling. </div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-9041498329226463272008-10-12T18:06:00.007-05:002008-10-12T19:11:00.400-05:00Back in the GrooveAfter a few weeks off due to our Hurricane preparation followed by our Hurricane evacuation followed by our Hurricane recovery, we are finally back in the swing of things. The Hurricane came almost a month ago. Thankfully, we were pretty well stocked and didn't have to do too much prep work. We bought ice, a few groceries, and some plywood for the windows. It took a days work to prepare the house and yard and get all of our supplies together and organized, in case of an emergency evacuation. We stayed in the house for the storm and, thankfully, the kids mostly slept through it. The Duckling woke up but not because of the storm. She was awake for a few hours because she wanted to swing outside. Yup, outside, at 2:00 a.m., in the middle of a Category 2 Hurricane. After an hour and half of hearing her whine about it, I almost said yes. <div><br /></div><div>After checking our house for damage and cleaning up our yard, we packed up the car and headed to a small town called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Hutto</span>, north of Austin. It was the only hotel we could find. We stayed there for almost two weeks, courtesy of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">FEMA</span> (not sure how we were approved for that, given how poorly I filled out the application). The hotel was nice. It had just opened so we were the first guests so it was very clean, which was great since hotels can make me feel a little dirty. It had a fridge, microwave, and, most importantly, electricity and air conditioning. We found some nice parks, flew kites, went into Austin to the nature center and botanical gardens, met up with fellow evacuees, and discovered a great donut shop. We tried to make the most of it and turn it into a mini family vacation. It was quite enjoyable until <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sharyn</span> had to leave after a week to get back to work. Then, it didn't feel like a vacation as much as being trapped in a 12'x12' room with my kids for 3 days straight. I cried when I got the call that our power came back on.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>Things are back to normal now, except for a huge tree limb that is still stuck in one of our trees that we can't get down. I'm not willing to pay to have it removed yet. We had some water damage to a window sill that needs to be replaced and I am slowly re-stocking our fridge and freezer. Our deep freezer hasn't been plugged back in and I avoid looking it and the reminder of how much food was lost. Of course, it is all replaceable and nothing important was lost. </div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>We are back into our routine for homeschooling. We usually head to the work room at about 10:00 a.m. for an hour or so of sit down work. Of course, by "sit down", I mean I get up about 15 times – The Duckling has to pee, the Duckling needs more <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">playdoh</span>, The Monkey is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">thirsty</span>, etc. etc. This seems like it would break it all up nicely but each time it is a struggle to get the Monkey's attention back. The hour usually includes Math which takes WAY too long because of how easily he gets distracted. After that, we do a little handwriting practice and some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">copywork</span> or narration. Then, we move to the couch for reading history or science, his favorite part. Fridays look different because we do logic, maybe some art, mad libs, etc. </div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>Our afternoons are full of activities. The Monkey has piano on Monday afternoons, which he seems to be enjoying and doing well with. Tuesday is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">homeschool</span> PE followed by the Duckling's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Kindermusic</span> class, which she loves (and it is her first class without mama!). Wednesday is nature class for both kids and Thursday is back to PE. We are free on Fridays but often meet at the playground with a playgroup or friends. Somehow, I'm suppose to clean but that hasn't been working out very well so the woman who cleans our house will start up again this week. I do manage to cook dinner and grocery shop. In the evenings, I am often working on contract work for a few hours while <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Sharyn</span> is getting the kids ready for bed. </div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>We may have found a babysitter, the idea of which makes me giddy! I love my kids and I enjoy my days with them and can't imagine them being gone for 7 hours each day. But, jeez, I don't need to spend every minute with them, you know? My kids aren't known for their hours of independent play. When I pee, they follow. When I shower, they stick their hands in to show me their L<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">ego</span> creations. When I get the mail, I trip on them when I turn around to come back in. When I cook, I step on their heads (seriously, it's happened more than once.) A woman who lives down the road from us may come once a week for a few hours. She is an older, grandmother-y type but very active. She works a lot with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">homeschooled</span> children but we made it clear that we only want babysitting (I suspect she is going to try to "teach" the Duckling so we'll have to have clear boundaries.) Although, she is free to read our supplemental science and history books all she wants! I have a hard time forking over the cash for what seems like an unnecessary expense but I try to remind myself that avoiding burnout is necessary. But I seriously don't know what I will do with myself. All of my ideas involve spending money or eating, both of which will stress me out in the long run. I'm committed to figuring it out. </div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>Now, some pics. </div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKMwUYDNGI/AAAAAAAAAQU/-E_903c6F6E/s1600-h/IMG_0007.JPG"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; " src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKMwUYDNGI/AAAAAAAAAQU/-E_903c6F6E/s320/IMG_0007.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256418476825982050" /></a>Our new ant farm. They did dig some tunnels but a lot of them are already dead. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKMwTTIScI/AAAAAAAAAQc/4_qnjjzx1hE/s1600-h/egypt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKMwTTIScI/AAAAAAAAAQc/4_qnjjzx1hE/s320/egypt.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256418476536908226" /></a>The Monkey made his name in cunniform in clay.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKMwsRGEDI/AAAAAAAAAQk/XHSLZch8z90/s1600-h/inatree.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKMwsRGEDI/AAAAAAAAAQk/XHSLZch8z90/s320/inatree.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256418483239260210" /></a>At our favorite playground in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Hutto</span>. The Monkey spent a lot of time climbing this tree.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKMwn_44AI/AAAAAAAAAQs/QXwQBZsySyc/s1600-h/feedingduck.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKMwn_44AI/AAAAAAAAAQs/QXwQBZsySyc/s320/feedingduck.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256418482093350914" /></a>The Duckling feeds the ducks. HA! Well, really, this is the Duckling chasing the duck and throwing bread at it. The Duck wasn't hungry but that didn't stop her!</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKMwsDaZFI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/qBZuQQAU8rM/s1600-h/fishing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKMwsDaZFI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/qBZuQQAU8rM/s320/fishing.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256418483181872210" /></a>They're fishing. With sticks. I'm not sure what they were planning on catching.</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-61405261883990434592008-10-12T18:01:00.000-05:002008-10-12T19:00:58.438-05:00More pics from our evacuation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKOh8ArloI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/94O30uVTLJA/s1600-h/post-ike.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKOh8ArloI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/94O30uVTLJA/s320/post-ike.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256420428790601346" /></a>Our yard the morning after IKE. <div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKOh3ffELI/AAAAAAAAARE/q9KcMbgMz9U/s1600-h/botanical.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKOh3ffELI/AAAAAAAAARE/q9KcMbgMz9U/s320/botanical.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256420427577626802" /></a>This one and the ones that follow are all from the Botanical Gardens in Austin.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKOh2MypLI/AAAAAAAAARM/PCCkdu1F8SI/s1600-h/bothbotanical.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKOh2MypLI/AAAAAAAAARM/PCCkdu1F8SI/s320/bothbotanical.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256420427230782642" /></a><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKOh9mGryI/AAAAAAAAARU/GsND9g67EGs/s1600-h/bridge.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKOh9mGryI/AAAAAAAAARU/GsND9g67EGs/s320/bridge.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256420429216001826" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKOh_Z3oAI/AAAAAAAAARc/RgNe-zE6-d0/s1600-h/butterfly.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKOh_Z3oAI/AAAAAAAAARc/RgNe-zE6-d0/s320/butterfly.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256420429701554178" /></a><br /></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-49703115459307238782008-10-12T18:00:00.001-05:002008-10-12T19:10:13.158-05:00A few more nature shots<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKRwhgzhXI/AAAAAAAAASE/zY6QhFkETRI/s1600-h/lizard.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKRwhgzhXI/AAAAAAAAASE/zY6QhFkETRI/s320/lizard.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256423977910502770" /></a>A big lizard. They kept creeping up on us when we were sitting on some benches. <div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKPXo2IMXI/AAAAAAAAAR8/EH3wV34kZzI/s1600-h/dragonfly.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKPXo2IMXI/AAAAAAAAAR8/EH3wV34kZzI/s320/dragonfly.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256421351359000946" /></a>Can you see the dragon fly on the flower?<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKPEHjg-EI/AAAAAAAAARk/aGXHvdpMrrQ/s1600-h/matingdragonfly.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKPEHjg-EI/AAAAAAAAARk/aGXHvdpMrrQ/s320/matingdragonfly.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256421016005048386" /></a>Some funky dragons flies. I love how you can see their reflections so clearly and distinctly, but they are almost invisible.<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKPEA4NNBI/AAAAAAAAARs/0BK_dkSNMSg/s1600-h/spider.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKPEA4NNBI/AAAAAAAAARs/0BK_dkSNMSg/s320/spider.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256421014212785170" /></a>Big spider!</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKPEBQaU6I/AAAAAAAAAR0/KNEe61_YpgA/s1600-h/withmom.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SPKPEBQaU6I/AAAAAAAAAR0/KNEe61_YpgA/s320/withmom.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256421014314308514" /></a>My sweet family.</div></div></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-15457515541998018532008-09-06T18:06:00.006-05:002008-09-06T19:01:31.586-05:00We love the big outdoorsWe've been doing a lot of critter exploring lately. Mostly it has been great, but sometimes nature has not been so kind to us. I learned that the slime on my leg was pecan snot, the Monkey learned that it hurts like hell when a squirrel throws a pecan <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">grenade</span> at your head from 15 feet above, and the children learned that I am useless when it comes to identifying any species of caterpillar. See all the learning we've got going on?<br /><br />As part of our first unit from R.E.A.L. Science: Life, we did a plot study. Basically, we marked out a square meter of wild land and observed it for signs of living and non-living things. This is the point you are meant to pause with wonder at my motivation and dedication to my children's education. If we had started this curriculum three weeks ago when it still blazing hot outside, I would have skipped this activity, without even a mention of the possibility to the Monkey Ducks. As it turns out we've had some low-humidity, beautiful mornings so I enthusiastically provided my children with a meaningful learning experience.<br /><br />We packed up our magnifying glasses, field guides and clipboards and headed to the Nature Center. The Monkey picked a plot that had a pecan tree smack in the middle of it. We thought this was great! Oh, the nature we would see. We didn't realize how much we'd <span style="font-style: italic;">feel</span> the nature. Some of the squirrels in and around the tree did not appreciate the interruption to their mid-morning feast. We were soon hit from every direction with pieces of pecan shells. Then, a big glob of what can only be described as a snotty slime fell from the tree and landed on my leg, followed by another blob on my shoulder. I had no idea what this was but I kept my cool and smiled with the kids at how amazing nature is (take another pause of wonder.) I found out later that this slime comes from the inside of an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">under ripe</span> pecan. I am certain the squirrels already knew this. We found some bugs, saw a caterpillar, watched a blue jay, and then the Monkey was attacked. It was a direct hit from a squirrel that had gotten into prime position while we were distracted by some lady bugs (who I now think were in on it.) The squirrel went <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Rumsfield</span></span> on us and dropped a whole, almost ripe pecan straight down onto the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">bullseye</span></span> marked on my son's head. Being the fine mother that I am, I laughed, especially when he started to look a little dizzy. I took it more seriously when he started to cry.<br /><br />So, here's our adventure in pictures.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SMMTSw5Lz5I/AAAAAAAAAO8/TOCcEV9vBMk/s1600-h/caterpillar.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SMMTSw5Lz5I/AAAAAAAAAO8/TOCcEV9vBMk/s320/caterpillar.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243055604272713618" border="0" /></a>A very cool caterpillar that the Monkey found. I tried to identify it but failed. Anyone have any idea what kind of caterpillar this is? It was smooth, moved like an inch work, distinct body segments, and two yellow stripes down it's side.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SMMZQCccXnI/AAAAAAAAAQM/T16Xtt1pJXE/s1600-h/bug.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SMMZQCccXnI/AAAAAAAAAQM/T16Xtt1pJXE/s320/bug.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243062154514161266" border="0" /></a>This is a debris carrying larvae. We identified this last year, when the Monkey said "look, Mama, the dirt is moving." They are very cool little things. They are sticky when born so whatever they are around sticks to them to provide their protection. That's my arm it's climbing on (pause with wonder.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SMMTTuBuGkI/AAAAAAAAAPc/ktZ9dBB3L9U/s1600-h/IMG_0035.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SMMTTuBuGkI/AAAAAAAAAPc/ktZ9dBB3L9U/s320/IMG_0035.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243055620683078210" border="0" /></a>The debris carrying larva crawling on the Ducklings finger with her proud brother looking on.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SMMTTEbTp6I/AAAAAAAAAPM/7MM5FUMspks/s1600-h/ladybug.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SMMTTEbTp6I/AAAAAAAAAPM/7MM5FUMspks/s320/ladybug.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243055609516107682" border="0" /></a>One of the damn ladybugs that distracted us.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SMMTTVG52bI/AAAAAAAAAPU/7IgJN0YjnkI/s1600-h/IMG_0046.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SMMTTVG52bI/AAAAAAAAAPU/7IgJN0YjnkI/s320/IMG_0046.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243055613993933234" border="0" /></a>Let's call him Donald, shall we?<br /><br />Some more nature pictures follow in the next post.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-62155575898711659862008-09-06T18:00:00.000-05:002008-09-06T18:52:51.291-05:00We are all so proudLook at what we did! We are the givers of life. We are the caretakers of the planet. We didn't kill the tadpoles!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SMMWbsj6IEI/AAAAAAAAAPk/2xqoWQnuiLM/s1600-h/IMG_0087.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SMMWbsj6IEI/AAAAAAAAAPk/2xqoWQnuiLM/s320/IMG_0087.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243059056263438402" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SMMWb_U1WxI/AAAAAAAAAPs/k_TWNUmsk38/s1600-h/IMG_0085.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SMMWb_U1WxI/AAAAAAAAAPs/k_TWNUmsk38/s320/IMG_0085.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243059061300484882" border="0" /></a>Isn't he cute? It was quite an amazing process. We checked him yesterday afternoon and observed that he (or she?) had grown some front legs but still had a tail. I checked on them before bed and we had a little toad sitting on the rock with all the other tadpoles looking at him like he was king. We'll release him tomorrow to the nature center. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SMMWcBWLnhI/AAAAAAAAAP0/G1sumVHAbt4/s1600-h/homecat.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SMMWcBWLnhI/AAAAAAAAAP0/G1sumVHAbt4/s320/homecat.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243059061843009042" border="0" /></a>This caterpillar was on our screen last night. And, of course, I was not able to identify this one either (pause here for a different kind of wonder.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SMMWcYgrrdI/AAAAAAAAAP8/QEvXt5Bc3wQ/s1600-h/IMG_0038.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SMMWcYgrrdI/AAAAAAAAAP8/QEvXt5Bc3wQ/s320/IMG_0038.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243059068061068754" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SMMWctyW10I/AAAAAAAAAQE/WrY7jSIOAIA/s1600-h/IMG_0056.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SMMWctyW10I/AAAAAAAAAQE/WrY7jSIOAIA/s320/IMG_0056.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243059073772345154" border="0" /></a>Some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">gratuitous</span> pictures of the kids from the nature center.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-36411305000740254682008-09-03T14:15:00.005-05:002008-09-03T17:12:46.541-05:00We're in the thick of it nowWe are officially homeschooling. Schooled kids went back to school last week. The Monkey would have been going off to first grade, for about 7 hours a day, 35 hours a week. I still feel very good about our decision and I feel certain that it is the best choice for the Monkey and the Duckling, at least for now. I'm not so sure it is the best choice for me, however. It is hard to hear other parents talk about their time to themselves, knowing I don't have any of that. We don't live near any family and our one babysitter just went off to college. The kids are either with me or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Sharyn</span>. I don't want 35 hours a week away from them, but a few hours sounds good. I think I may need to spend some time and energy on finding a babysitter we can call when I need a break or when <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Sharyn</span> and I would like to go out together. But, I hate spending money on that - it feels so indulgent to me. I also need to let go of my general disdain for television and use that to give myself a break. <div><br /><div><div> </div><div>We've developed a nice routine, for the most part. I'm not keeping up with the house chores as well as I would like but we're not living in a pigsty either. The basics are getting done and I'm satisfied with that for now. We spend about 1-1.5 hours a day on "school work." We usually start with some math, then do some writing, then read history or science, followed by some kind of project. We've added all of our subjects and the transition has been smooth. The only struggle has been with the Duckling, who doesn't like my attention being focused on the Monkey. We're figuring it out and making adjustments as we go along. I play with or read to her before doing any work with the Monkey and she is often in my lap while we're sitting together. I bought her some special coloring books that she enjoys. Before we read history or science, I read to her first, or just snuggle, in hopes that she'll let us get through what we need to. The Monkey is working on not interrupting when I'm reading to the Duckling in order to model that behavior to her. It is slowly all starting to come together and it honestly feels quite good and I am a bit proud of myself. </div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>The biggest struggle has been my ability to balance my life. I have been working a lot on contract work, about 15-30 hours a week, and that has been a challenge. I am thankful for the work (check out the pics of our new digital piano that the contract work paid for!) but it is a strain on all of us. I'm not reading to the kids as much because I'm working in the evenings. This has left me feeling very inadequate. More than anything that we are doing, I think Read-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Alouds</span> are the most important and they aren't happening consistently. Our weekends aren't much fun because I'm working. I'm too tired to do much of anything so we've been having crappy dinners, rather than the homemade fare that I enjoy making. I can't remember the last time I made some bread or baked with the kids. And, like I said, the house isn't as clean as I'd like it to be. By 10:00 pm, I'm ready to do something for myself so I end up staying up way too late, watching x-files DVDs. This, of course, leaves me trudging through the next day. While a day-long supply of iced tea helps a lot, I'm burning out pretty quickly and I need to find ways to take care of myself and bring some balance into my life. I'm working on it.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>Okay, now onto the fun stuff. The pictures. </div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SL8KJQchopI/AAAAAAAAANo/vCfRJdGk6DU/s1600-h/IMG_0009.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SL8KJQchopI/AAAAAAAAANo/vCfRJdGk6DU/s320/IMG_0009.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241919645432259218" /></a>The Monkey Ducks with their new tadpoles, that we caught on the side of the road in front of a stranger's house. Our neighborhood doesn't have standing puddles so we had to find one. Its times like that, when I'm on the side of the road in gutter water, that I wished we lived in the country.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SL8KJjJYfOI/AAAAAAAAANw/7ypLa8548Bk/s1600-h/IMG_0011.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SL8KJjJYfOI/AAAAAAAAANw/7ypLa8548Bk/s320/IMG_0011.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241919650452241634" /></a>Cute, aren't they? One of them already has back legs. We learned that they are toad tadpoles. Who knew?</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SL8KJzD_vuI/AAAAAAAAAN4/wG3EKsSstxA/s1600-h/IMG_0017.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SL8KJzD_vuI/AAAAAAAAAN4/wG3EKsSstxA/s320/IMG_0017.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241919654724615906" /></a>Our new digital piano, purchased after WAY too much on-line research. It amazes me - it really does feel and sound like a real piano. Wow, technology. I've been teaching myself piano and I've learned the major and minor chords and am now working on scales, though I'm not sure if I'm using the correct finger placement. I think I may need lessons. The Monkey takes his first lesson later this week. Maybe he can teach me. Oh, and in the background is some baskets of unfolded laundry, taunting me. I actually moved them into the middle of the kitchen, thinking it would force me to acknowledge them and fold them. Nope, didn't work.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SL8KKA-lV2I/AAAAAAAAAOA/yrXi6Va0EO0/s1600-h/IMG_0018.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SL8KKA-lV2I/AAAAAAAAAOA/yrXi6Va0EO0/s320/IMG_0018.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241919658460010338" /></a>Our first activity from Story of the World - cave paintings. The Monkey really enjoyed this activity and the Duckling enjoyed painting herself. You'll have to look at the following <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">post</span> to see the final product.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SL8KKUCumTI/AAAAAAAAAOI/chgTIGP8h5A/s1600-h/IMG_0020.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SL8KKUCumTI/AAAAAAAAAOI/chgTIGP8h5A/s320/IMG_0020.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241919663577667890" /></a><br /></div></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-45008631341232327922008-09-03T04:10:00.000-05:002008-09-03T17:43:56.713-05:00More pics to satisfy<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SL8RIuJKWRI/AAAAAAAAAOo/n1jYLgY799M/s1600-h/IMG_0030.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SL8RIuJKWRI/AAAAAAAAAOo/n1jYLgY799M/s320/IMG_0030.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241927332805630226" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The Monkey's final product of the cave painting project. <div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SL8RImLhOKI/AAAAAAAAAOg/_4QjHfJjISw/s1600-h/IMG_0024.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SL8RImLhOKI/AAAAAAAAAOg/_4QjHfJjISw/s320/IMG_0024.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241927330668034210" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The Duckling's cave painting project. She choose a different canvas.<br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SL8RIb798dI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/1Aow0ZLhvEQ/s1600-h/Artistic+Pursuits+-+compose"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SL8RIb798dI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/1Aow0ZLhvEQ/s320/Artistic+Pursuits+-+compose" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241927327918453202" /></a><br /><br />Well, I'll try to straighten that out. It's the Monkey's first project from his art curriculum. This is a drawing of some dogs barking at each other in front of our house, drawn in Ebony Pencil. <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SL8RInk5GiI/AAAAAAAAAOY/gZYlIjXWsb4/s1600-h/Artistic+Pursuits+-+Jayna"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SL8RInk5GiI/AAAAAAAAAOY/gZYlIjXWsb4/s320/Artistic+Pursuits+-+Jayna" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241927331042892322" /></a><div>The Ducklings project, also drawn in Ebony Pencil. It's an ice cream cone with sprinkles. That's my girl!<br /><div><br /></div></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SL8RI-Xo-3I/AAAAAAAAAOw/m61HBLcxWT8/s1600-h/IMG_0003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SL8RI-Xo-3I/AAAAAAAAAOw/m61HBLcxWT8/s320/IMG_0003.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241927337161325426" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Finger painting today. Why do all of her art projects end the same?<br /></div></div></div></div></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-17937597405051912982008-08-25T09:11:00.003-05:002008-08-25T09:42:33.022-05:00So, how's homeschooling going?Although I haven't had time to do much blog posting, thanks to the contract work I have stacked up, we have had some fun and interesting times. Here's a photo essay to serve as a guide.<br /><br />Here's the Lego that was stuck in the Ducklings nose for 5 days. Here's the short story. Yes, she told me there was a sparkly green Lego in her nose; yes, I looked, kind of, but didn't see anything, asked her to blow her nose a few times, and then decided she was a crazy story-teller; yes, she complained for a few days about the Lego in her nose but I thought it was sinus problems. You can see how this ends, right? Five days later, maybe four (I really wasn't paying much attention), she said the Lego was starting to come out. I took another look, this time with a flashlight, and, sure enough, a sparkly green Lego was in her nose. I tried tweezers, hoping for the best, hoping I wouldn't have to bring her to the doctor and have to say that it's been in there for four, maybe five days. No luck with the tweezers. She blew her nose a few times and out it came. I hugged her, cried, an apologized profusely for not believing her. I am officially a bad mother.<br /><br />Or am I? Here's the way I'm seeing it now. Yes, there was a sparkly green Lego in her nose for five days and I didn't believe her, despite her telling me repeatedly. Let's look past that part. If I <span style="font-weight: bold;">had </span>believed her, this would have gone down a lot differently. Remember, I didn't see the Lego up there on first inspection. I don't think a light would have helped because it was up very, very high. When she said it was starting to come down, it was still up high, visible this time, but beyond the reach of my tweezers. This is an important point to note. If I had been a responsible mother and brought her to the doctor when she first told me, they would have had to perform a very invasive, uncomfortable at best, procedure to dig that Lego out from the highest peaks of her nasal chamber. That would have been extremely traumatic for her, don't you think? She might never trust me again after that!<br /><br />So, you see, I spared her immense pain and trauma. I patiently waited for nature to take it's course, for her body to gently release the foreign intruder. And that's exactly what happened. I'm not a bad mother. I'm a mother with insight, patience, and a deep trust in my children and their natural abilities. See?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SLLDhwOGVWI/AAAAAAAAAMY/U8pZqK7y2I8/s1600-h/IMG_0024.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SLLDhwOGVWI/AAAAAAAAAMY/U8pZqK7y2I8/s320/IMG_0024.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238464301232444770" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here's how you'll find the Monkey these days.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SLLDiAnGmBI/AAAAAAAAAMg/BYj8P9Dm1r8/s1600-h/IMG_0002.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SLLDiAnGmBI/AAAAAAAAAMg/BYj8P9Dm1r8/s320/IMG_0002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238464305632286738" border="0" /></a><br />Some beautiful whole wheat french rolls I made from scratch, while I patiently waited for my daughter to expel the Lego.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SLLDiC446CI/AAAAAAAAAMo/WUdkykt1cYI/s1600-h/IMG_0005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SLLDiC446CI/AAAAAAAAAMo/WUdkykt1cYI/s320/IMG_0005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238464306243758114" border="0" /></a><br />A caterpillar we caught in our backyard. It died, of course.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SLLDiWAxv-I/AAAAAAAAAMw/AZg0Nm41cOU/s1600-h/IMG_0015.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SLLDiWAxv-I/AAAAAAAAAMw/AZg0Nm41cOU/s320/IMG_0015.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238464311377117154" border="0" /></a><br />The Monkey's Lego creation that he wants me to submit to the Lego magazine. It's a bad guy command center.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SLLDi5wdrcI/AAAAAAAAAM4/_pBc0E8ACHY/s1600-h/IMG_0046.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SLLDi5wdrcI/AAAAAAAAAM4/_pBc0E8ACHY/s320/IMG_0046.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238464320972369346" border="0" /></a>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-70531558043509064762008-08-25T09:10:00.001-05:002008-08-25T09:59:17.374-05:00Some more pics of our week...The Duckling observing the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">caterpillar</span>. This was, of course, before it died. I don't traumatize her regularly!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SLLFlLeGovI/AAAAAAAAANA/MUEtoIDbSvg/s1600-h/IMG_0018.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SLLFlLeGovI/AAAAAAAAANA/MUEtoIDbSvg/s320/IMG_0018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238466559110193906" border="0" /></a><br />The Monkey and I were working on ordinal numbers, but I had to add some trickiness for him. Here are some examples. Can you follow along?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SLLFlUrHJ3I/AAAAAAAAANI/fYLyLQ3DJUE/s1600-h/IMG_0006.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SLLFlUrHJ3I/AAAAAAAAANI/fYLyLQ3DJUE/s320/IMG_0006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238466561580672882" border="0" /></a><br />Q: If the red toad is the 1st toad and the purple toad is the last amphibian, what is in 5<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">th</span> place? <br />A: A red frog.<br /><br />Q:What's first?<br />A: A purple frog.<br /><br />Q: What position is the blue frog in?<br />A: 7<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span><br /><br /><br />This was while the Lego was in her nose. See, she's fine.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SLLFlcHy8QI/AAAAAAAAANQ/UJBKiYkcY1s/s1600-h/IMG_0051.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SLLFlcHy8QI/AAAAAAAAANQ/UJBKiYkcY1s/s320/IMG_0051.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238466563580031234" border="0" /></a><br />We made our family tree. The kids lost interest once it was colored and their names were put on it. The Monkey appeased me by staying but I could hear his fingers tapping.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SLLFlptwQPI/AAAAAAAAANY/hR6moEeuq5o/s1600-h/IMG_0065.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SLLFlptwQPI/AAAAAAAAANY/hR6moEeuq5o/s320/IMG_0065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238466567228899570" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SLLFlv70w3I/AAAAAAAAANg/POFdR4qYLp4/s1600-h/IMG_0070.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SLLFlv70w3I/AAAAAAAAANg/POFdR4qYLp4/s320/IMG_0070.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238466568898528114" border="0" /></a>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-81246533509071379782008-08-18T09:21:00.003-05:002008-08-18T09:53:25.203-05:00No hot frogs hereThe Monkey has been having an especially difficult time the last few weeks. He's been chewing up a storm (thank goodness for his new necklace, though we've already had to replace the tubing and I need to get some more soon), struggling with his ability to pain attention, and is generally more physically and emotionally sensitive than usual. The world is a tough place for the Monkey. Things that most would not find hurtful cause him great emotional pain, whether it is unkind words from a friend, a television commercial that is scary, or the image of a wounded animal. Some would say that his <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">acute</span> sense of empathy for all living things (seeing the trees get trimmed brings tears to his eyes) is a gift. Perhaps that will be true later in his life but, for now, it is a hardship. <br /><br />Many well-meaning people, people who care for and love the Monkey, have suggested that he needs to build thicker skin, that it would be good for him to face the harshness of life (or school) in order to get used to it, to learn to deal with it. My instincts have <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">repeatedly</span> guided me away from this strategy, leading me instead to keep him close, to help him learn how to protect himself in a safe, loving environment. We trust that, as he matures, he'll have the strength to live in the big, bad world but we<span style="font-weight: bold;"> want</span> his sensitivity to remain intact so that he can be a compassionate adult who has the skills to change this world, rather than accept its harshness. Some would say that we are sheltering him, but I think of it as providing a safe-haven.<br /><br />I received the following e-mail last week and it reassured me about our decisions regarding the Monkey Ducks. It came at a great time, as we watch our cultural hype about "going back to school," and that small voice of doubt starts to get louder as it screams to follow the crowd. But, now I can remind myself that we don't want any hot frogs here!<br /><br />THE DAILY GROOVE ~ by Scott Noelle<br />www.enjoyparenting.com/dailygroove<br /><br />:: "I'm Not A Frog-Boiler!" ::<br /><br />When you reject authoritarian, coercive parenting in<br />favor of non-punitive, pleasure-oriented parenting,<br />critics and naysayers will warn you that your child<br />won't be able to cope in the "real" world.<br /><br />The assumption is that "it's a jungle out there" and<br />we should gradually toughen up our kids and get them<br />used to suffering so they won't be shocked when they<br />venture out into the big, bad world.<br /><br />It's like that famous experiment where they tossed a<br />healthy frog in boiling water and it leaped right out.<br />But if they put the frog in cool water and raised the<br />temperature gradually over several days, the frog<br />would be able to *adjust* and stay in the water.<br /><br />The slow boil seems more humane, but that<br />"well-adjusted" frog eventually *died* from the heat!<br />Whereas the non-adjusted frog's intact sensitivity<br />protected it from being boiled.<br /><br />Today, look for evidence that your child's sensitivity<br />is intact (e.g., negative reactions to unwanted<br />conditions) and be *grateful* for it! Tell yourself,<br />"My child will *never* get boiled!"<br /><br />http://dailygroove.net/frog-boiler<br /><br />Feel free to forward this message to your friends!<br />(Please include this paragraph and everything above.)<br />Copyright (c) 2008 by Scott Noelle<br /><br /><br />"Inspiration & Coaching for Progressive Parents"<br />http://www.ScottNoelle.com<br />http://www.EnjoyParenting.com<br /><br />1044 Water Street, Suite 342<br />Port Townsend, WA 98368<br />USAHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-54983623000296074872008-08-17T20:36:00.003-05:002008-08-17T20:45:50.264-05:00Olympic momentsI really am working on that post about de-schooling. I've been bogged down with contract work but I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. And, strangely, the end of the tunnel has a big "DE-SCHOOLING" sign. Weird. I thought that light was suppose to be, um, something a little... more.<br /><br />In the meantime, here's some commentary from the Monkey Ducks about the Olympics.<br /><br />While watching the women's marathon...<br /><br />Duckling: They are very good at running. Look, they don't even trip!<br /><br />Monkey: Wow, they've been running for 55 minutes. I bet they've run, like, a whole mile already.<br />(and the expression on his face was priceless when we told him they were running 26 miles.)<br /><br />And, not an Olympic moment but still worth writing down...<br /><br />ME: It's time for lunch guys.<br />Duckling: I am NOT a guy. I am a queen!Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-89971766401909774202008-08-10T01:02:00.001-05:002008-08-10T01:04:38.535-05:00Am I An Unschooler with a Math Book? (Or, my educational philosophy)I’ve been grappling with the labels of homeschooling. Am I an unschooler with a math workbook? Do I have to keep it hidden? Am I eclectic? Am I relaxed classical? Do we practice child-led learning? What’s the difference between homeschooling and school-at-home? Self-definition is always overwhelming, especially with so many choices. The Internet has made self-definition much more complicated than it used to be. In the end, or rather, at the beginning, I’ve realized that labels are irrelevant. What I’ve really been grappling with is my educational philosophy; identifying my reasons for homeschooling, what I hope to achieve and what path is best for us on the journey.<br /><br />Unschooling has a wide range of definitions, ranging from radical unschooling to what many would describe as child-led learning. I am not a radical unschooler. I set limits for my children in areas where I think excess can be detrimental. We limit (but don’t deny) television, video games, junk food, violence, etc. I hope, though, that we educating more than we are controlling. We discuss the reasons for the limitations and that, to me, is considerably different than limits without explanation. I believe we are planting seeds and I see it come to fruition as my children choose books over television and apples over cookies (at least some of the time.) <br /><br />I’m not a radical unschooler but am I an unschooler? In short, I think unschooling is following the interests and needs of the child. With that definition, I’m an unschooler… with a math book. I’m also a relaxed homeschooler with leanings toward classical education. Can I be both? There are things I want my children to learn. I want them to have a firm grasp of mathematics. I want them to understand history, and not just the short history of the United States. I want them to read quality literature for their own enjoyment and also as a model for quality writing and language. I want them to be able to think and problem-solve, to express themselves in different ways, and to form and test their own hypotheses. Above all, I want them to have a deep-routed, intrinsic love of learning that will last them a lifetime. That is a primary reason why we are homeschooling. It is also the reason we don’t school-at-home.<br /><br />When many people think of homeschooling, they picture a school-at-home scenario, a day that mimics those found throughout public schools across the country, but without the peer groups, bullies and pad-lock combinations. The “schooling” is scheduled, happens within “normal” school hours (as defined by the public school system), and is, in essence, instructor driven. Perhaps the children are expected to be up by a certain time, be sitting at a desk, and following a list of assignments that will later be graded or tested upon. Or, perhaps they are learning from instructional DVDs or the Internet. I know that these methods of homeschooling work very well for a lot of families. I don’t think it is in the best interest of my children and family (but, my motto for homeschooling is, “never say never.”)<br /><br />Our new “workroom” has a math curriculum (two actually), a history curriculum, science, writing, and even art. Yet I still consider us to be, in the wider definition of the term, unschoolers. I choose the curriculum we are using in partnership with my son. I talked with him about his interests, what he hoped to learn, and how he wanted to learn it. Honestly, he is an ideal candidate for “true” unschooling but I wasn’t able to keep up with the breadth and intensity of his interests. He truly is a natural learner and I wish I had the energy and resources to help him pursue each branch of his interests. I don’t see this as personal failture but as an honest appraisal of who I am and what my skills and strengths are. I don’t expect my children to be anyone other than who they are and I hope to model that by remaining true to myself. Perhaps “true” unschooling is an option we will consider together in the future (remember, never say never.) <br /><br />I know I wasn’t meeting his intellectual needs and, as an unschooler at heart, it is my desire to follow the needs and interests of my children. Having more (but still not a lot of) structure in our day and having a plan to follow seems to be the best way to meet the Monkey’s intellectual interests. (For now, the Duckling is still thriving with a lot of imaginative play, art supplies, puzzles and books.) Now, when he asks me one of his 100 daily questions, I am able to answer, at least for some of them, “we’re going to cover that soon in history” (or science, math, writing, etc.). I think he likes that answer a lot more than “I don’t know.” Of course, in an ideal world, every “I don’t know” would be “I don’t know. Let’s look into that together.” For us, that only worked for the first 10 or so questions of the day and then the dishes in the sink started to smell. Of course, this will only work if the subjects we have planned are ones that he is interested in. We discussed what he wanted to learn and what I wanted him to learn, I researched, I talked with him and we made our decisions together. He said he wanted to learn grammar so I bought an excellent grammar program. Upon further discussion, I realized that he really wanted to learn about writing (punctuation, specifically) so the grammar program has been put away (I’ll write another day about my process of de-schooling myself in order to put it away!) I thought he needed phonics but he said it was boring (which makes perfect sense since he is reading proficiently.) Nothing is set in stone. <br /><br />We had a trial run during the summer. We studied pre-history, from the Big Bang to the early humans. Our only goal was to get through it during the summer months. We are almost finished – just a few more library books to read and some stickers to put on a timeline we made. We didn’t do it every day. We took tangents when his interests were especially peaked (the Big Bang, the Ice Age, human evolution.) He talks often about Australopithecus and Homo Erectus. He works outside making stone tools from scraps of our concrete driveway. Early humans are the most recent dinnertime hot-topic and Lucy is talked about like an old friend (a VERY old friend.) There were no worksheets (thanks to that de-schooling I’ve been working on), no grading sheets and no set schedule. But, there was a history book, an overall plan and a library card. I expect our study of Ancient History, Life Science and even math will have that same overall approach. <br /><br />I can honestly say that we wouldn’t have learned all we did if we were unschooling in the stricter definition. This wouldn’t have been because of his lack of interest or motivation, but because of my inability to follow those whims. His questions about pre-history would have been a scattering amongst the plethora of his questions. I may not have even taken notice. Instead, I choose a path that would allow me to meet his needs (or at least some of them) in a more complete way. He is very grateful and I am thrilled to have learned it along with him (did you know that if you sat down to count to a billion, it would take 95 years?!) At the end of our summer experiment, his love of learning is not only intact; it has been ignited. Is it unschooling? Well, it doesn’t really matter; it works.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-71303311024919562402008-08-06T12:53:00.005-05:002008-08-06T15:57:49.541-05:00Wordless WednesdayThe Duckling's idea of a good time.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Playmobile Boot Camp</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SJnlX2vIf2I/AAAAAAAAAMA/r0bSk3D1QKY/s1600-h/IMG_0019.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SJnlX2vIf2I/AAAAAAAAAMA/r0bSk3D1QKY/s400/IMG_0019.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231464640160497506" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Back to the Barracks</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SJnlX6vaodI/AAAAAAAAAMI/S6bLjpcOLIU/s1600-h/IMG_0029.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SJnlX6vaodI/AAAAAAAAAMI/S6bLjpcOLIU/s400/IMG_0029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231464641235427794" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Hands outstretched for lone balloon</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SJnlXxrNsoI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/oyeGmqlIT00/s1600-h/IMG_0034.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SJnlXxrNsoI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/oyeGmqlIT00/s400/IMG_0034.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231464638801883778" border="0" /></a><br /><br />No, I'm not worried.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-10267837648965619832008-08-04T19:00:00.013-05:002008-08-05T10:52:14.332-05:00One down, 6,999 to go!<span style="font-size:100%;">That 6,999 is approximate, though I did use a calculator (for those questioning my math, that's 36 weeks X 15 years to get the Duckling through, minus one.) It makes the big assumption that I will stick with this homeschooling thing. I have signed no pledge. There is no written or oral contract. We take this day by day.<br /><br />Here's day one. I was showered, dressed, and eating breakfast by 8:30 a.m., with a load of laundry in the wash (I'm not sure I can do another 2,699 days of THAT.) By 10:00 a.m., another load was in the wash, the Monkey Ducks were dressed and ready, the bathroom sink was wiped down, the kitchen cleaned up, the kitchen floor swept, and the floor mopped, which was not part of the plan. Whew! I was lucky I wasn't burned out before we started!<br /><br />Here's a picture of the kids sitting down to "start." It became clear that the Duckling was expecting me to do something </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >homeschool-ish</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> with her. My plan was that she was going to sit at the little worktable and play with puzzles, draw or color. Um, let's just say she wasn't up for that. She's no fool; she knows the hot action was at the </span><span style="font-size:100%;">big worktable.<br /><br />We started with Singapore Math. We reviewed number bonds since that is a concept that is used often in Singapore and one we haven't spent time on. We used the linking cubes but they were mostly used by the Duckling as a building tool. She counted the cubes in her tower so now I can check "count to 16" off the list. Phew! That took a load off. The Monkey took a break from Singapore to build a shooter guy out of the links. There is a picture of him chewing on his necklace, made by my friend Mandy for this very purpose. The boy needs to chew and this option is so much better than his shirts, his fingers, or his sister's hair.<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2FTheMonkeyDucks%2Falbumid%2F5230834785237373697%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br />Math took about 20 minutes, if that. We moved into the living room and read some history. We started with First Families from the Usborne Internet Linked Encyclopedia and then finished up some library books on the Ice Age and Woolly Mammoths. We mixed in some books that the Duckling brought to us. The reading took about an hour and then the kids asked to paint. Rather than say what I was thinking, I said yes (no matter what I buy, it is still a pain in the ass to clean up the paint.) The Monkey painted a picture of a Roman soldier in a chariot being pulled by a horse. I have no idea where he got this idea from because, as I said, we are only up to early humans in our history book. The Duckling painted an abstract.<br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2FTheMonkeyDucks%2Falbumid%2F5230836325498987857%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br />After painting we ate lunch and then learned that we're in the path of a tropical storm, potential hurricane. This isn't something I'm worried about but it seems the forces are trying to derail my efforts. A hurricane, on only the 2nd day of official homeschooling? A message, perhaps, to reconsider unschooling? Thankfully we have bottled water in the pantry and I threw some bread into the bread machine so now we have food.<br /><br />After a trip to the bank, we went to the library to get Monkey his first library card. It is, after all, the first day of first grade (arbitrarily decided by me) and getting a library card is the rite of passage for this occasion. I know I totally made that up, but the Monkey thought it was very official and was THRILLED to get his card. He checked all of our books out on his card, which was a good thing since my card expired and I couldn't renew it without paying my fines.<br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2FTheMonkeyDucks%2Falbumid%2F5230836452421952961%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br />The last pictures are from this evening. The Monkey Ducks were helping Sharyn put the outside equipment in the garage in case we get heavy winds when they found a toad. The kids were too scared to touch it, especially after seeing the large quantity of toad pee dripping down Sharyn's hand. Wimps. Okay, I was also too scared to touch it. Whatever.<br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2FTheMonkeyDucks%2Falbumid%2F5230836544908668017%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br /></span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-39257888131716096462008-08-03T18:13:00.004-05:002008-12-12T14:59:52.625-06:00Wish us luck!We are going to officially "start" tomorrow, though I'm hoping there won't be much of a difference in our routine. Our days are naturally filled with books. The Monkey reads a lot during the day. The Duck likes looking at books and being read to. The Monkey enjoys long read-alouds at night as well as books about science and history. He has really enjoyed our work over the summer on pre-history (from the Big Bang to Early Humans). They both like to build with unit blocks and legos. The art supplies are used often and plentifully. I think if we keep doing what we've been doing, they’ll have a solid educational foundation. The rest is icing on the cake. Who doesn't like icing?<br /><br />The first layer of icing is Math and the week after that we'll add Handwriting, then Writing, Science and Art. I'm hoping to add some structure to our days. Notice I didn't say schedule. I have no intention of ringing a bell to "get class started" or stop doing something we're interested in because the clock tells us our time is done. I am not designating times at all, except for the things we need to leave the house for. I am not scheduling lessons or weekly goals. You won't find a red grading pen in my house, though you will find me covered with marker and glitter at the end of the day. We'll work at whatever pace suits us, delving deeper into topics of greater interest. He is, after all, only 6. His natural love of learning leaves me with very little concern about how much he'll "achieve." Achievement isn't my goal. My goal is to nurture and feed his (and her) innate love of learning. <br /><br />My plan is to be up by 8:00 a.m. (which means go to bed earlier!) and be dressed with my chores done by 10:00 a.m. (Now, that will be a BIG change for me. I'm always surprised when they run out of underwear. The structure is clearly for me.) We'll spend a few hours "homeschooling." We’ll have some time in the workroom with math and handwriting then head to the couch for reading history or science. Then, back to the workroom for whatever activities he is interested in for history of science. We'll finish by lunch so we can have an afternoon with friends, activities, and play. Of course, we'll continue to spend a lot of time reading. If we choose to go to the museum instead, then that's what we'll do. A great day for the beach? Put on the sunscreen kids! Mama has bad PMS? Bring up The Magic School Bus on the DVR. <br /><br />Here's a grid I made so that I have a reminder of what I'd like to get to that day.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SJZBEkECTvI/AAAAAAAAAIc/b0ICqy9_vZo/s1600-h/MasterSchedule.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SJZBEkECTvI/AAAAAAAAAIc/b0ICqy9_vZo/s400/MasterSchedule.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230439563893296882" /></a>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-91164611072590479472008-07-31T21:17:00.010-05:002008-07-31T22:26:09.600-05:00Our new work (or is it play) rooms<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&noautoplay=1&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2FTheMonkeyDucks%2Falbumid%2F5229371490967604545%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br />I'm not calling it a homeschooling room. That's the unschooler side of me; it's the kids' workroom. The other room is the kids' playroom. But, that doesn't really make sense because I'm a firm believer that play is a child's work so perhaps they should collectively be called the workrooms. Oh, but then there's the issue that the whole world is a child's classroom and since I believe children learn best through play, I suppose we should call them, what, classrooms? Learning rooms? Playrooms? Just another room in the world of a child's learning and play? See, naming a room is not as easy as it seems. To ease this confusion, I have settled on "workroom" and "playroom," though the distinction is vague.<br /><br />You can click on a picture in the slide show to view captions that describe the layout. <br /><br />The workroom used to be a formal dining room and was then converted to a messy art/playroom with navy walls. It was dark and cluttered and difficult for the children to get the materials independently. It is now used well and often, especially by The Duckling who spends a lot of time at the green table drawing mermaids. The Monkey sits at the big worktable and writes me secret notes that he delivers in scroll form. The hanging shoe rack makes clean-up easy. My hope is that Monkey will enjoy working in there on sit-down work (the classical education side of me) while the Duck plays at the table. There is a rolling chair at the computer and I plan to roll back and forth between them.<br /><br />The playroom was the formal living room and was rarely used. We moved a lot of the children's toys into the room and put the older furniture in there, perfect for fort building (actually, they build "nests" for themselves). They kids are enjoying it very much. It makes end of the day clean-up easier, though the Legos seem to find their way into every room of the house.<br /><br />We still have some work to do. I need to hang a wire in the workroom to hang their artwork. As we start diving into our homeschool projects, we'll tweak the room as needed. I am already seeing a need for a nature center/corner/table. I think we'll also hang an art wire in the playroom. The playroom still has formal prints on the walls that need to be moved and there is still organization to be done.<br /><br />This did not cost us much. We bought paint and paintbrushes. We bought the big worktable and two small bookcases in the playroom from Craigslist. The shoe rack and hanging workbook holder were bought new from The Container Store. Everything else was here or found in our garage. I literally had to clean out some critter homes from the white bins that now hold our paper.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-7880580090614138682008-07-31T18:12:00.010-05:002008-12-12T14:59:53.090-06:00My Profile Pics<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SJJLIC6wIjI/AAAAAAAAAEI/aLSk9DPWHVQ/s1600-h/Macky%27s+Mama.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SJJLIC6wIjI/AAAAAAAAAEI/aLSk9DPWHVQ/s320/Macky%27s+Mama.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229324718924898866" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SJJLIW4FnEI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/E7--_PDMKoE/s1600-h/Jayna%27s+mama.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SJJLIW4FnEI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/E7--_PDMKoE/s320/Jayna%27s+mama.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229324724282432578" /></a>I have tried and tried to get one of these images posted as my Profile Picture with no success. If anyone has some suggestions for me, please share them.<br /><br />The children each drew a portrait of me. The Monkey drew the top picture and The Duckling drew the bottom. For those that know me, you can see the striking resemblance in both pictures, both showing a different, but equally significant, side of me. <br /><br />On a positive note, this was the first time I've attempted to use the scanner on our printer and, as you can see, it worked, with surprising ease. Up until now, this printer has never done anything with ease. This is the printer that pulls 5 pieces of paper every time it prints, it jams, it tears the paper, it blinks at me for no reason, it leaves strange blank strips across the page, and it sometimes prints things when no one has asked it to. Perhaps the scans are a peace offering, a gesture of good will, the first step toward healing our battered relationship. I will accept it with caution.<br /><br />ETA: Yes, I noticed that the Duck's drawing of me looks a lot like George W. Bush.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5792721273479394515.post-44069525045020922502008-07-30T19:45:00.001-05:002008-12-12T14:59:53.464-06:00And so it begins...<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SJELkx3k_bI/AAAAAAAAAAM/KlFaCDKm34I/s1600-h/IMG_0217.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SJELkx3k_bI/AAAAAAAAAAM/KlFaCDKm34I/s320/IMG_0217.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228973368843500978" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SJENGb0XdoI/AAAAAAAAAAU/Xdm7gn5HWfA/s1600-h/IMG_0073.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0ucaXPGUFqA/SJENGb0XdoI/AAAAAAAAAAU/Xdm7gn5HWfA/s320/IMG_0073.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228975046551631490" /></a><br />A good place to begin, as today is what is known in the blog world as "Wordless Wednesday." From what I gather, this means I am supposed to post only pictures but no words. However, my blog research (conducted during the past 15 minutes) reveals that many people do not adhere to the "Wordless" part of the event. I, of course, will follow the lemmings. <br /><br />My house has been taken over by legos. The Monkey has been working on creating lego sets to market to other children. He builds them, builds companion pieces, defines an age range (this one was part of a 7 and up set, though he's only 6), and then sets his price.<br /><br />And there's The Duckling, modeling her new silk dress-up that she received for her 3rd birthday from Grandma and Grandpa. Thankfully, she got a pair of pink high-heels and a pink glitter purse at her birthday party to complete the outfit.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16527094911015913886noreply@blogger.com3