Vacation Schooling

Can Nutrition and Exercise Cure Dyslexia?

2011-07-04T13:33:00.000-04:00

Campster shows off her color wheel painting

Sorry for my long absence. Following the homeschool conference at MASS HOPE in late April, I had a lot to think about. Having determined that Campster, now 8, is definitely dyslexic, I sought out advice and help at the conference, and from friends and family with experience. What a vast difference in approaches I found! (But more about that in another post to come).

For now, I had my "path forward": Nutrition and exercise. What?! What do nutrition and exercise have to do with dyslexia? Well, first of all, we were able to determine that one of the causes of Campster's dyslexia is that the two sides (hemispheres) of her brain were not talking to each other. Here is a simple test to determine this: Tactile Localization. Campster failed this test horribly. Whereas the other children could do it, no problem.

At MASSHOPE, we were blessed to have the speaker, Dianne Craft, talk about the corpus collosum, that section of the brain in between the two hemispheres. It is made up of mostly DHA. Children who are dyslexic need Cod Liver Oil (full of DHA) in order to build up their mid-brain and allow the communication between the two hemispheres to happen. We have been taking Twin Labs Emusified Orange Flavor Cod Liver Oil, three times a day, ever since.

Secondly, Mrs. Craft talked about doing exercises for the brain, which cross over that mid-line between the hemispheres. At first, Campster could not do this. Wow! We were so amazed. But, within a week of doing "Writing Eights" everyday, she could do it smoothly. We will continue to do these exercises at least four times a week for six months.

Having done these for a couple of months now, Campster is showing much improvement. She is reading with enthusiasm! She tied her own shoelaces, which she has never been able to do before. We have hope that she will be a reader after all!

Wish you were here!

Blessings Revealed by Puanani Burgess — YES! Magazine

2011-04-04T11:19:00.000-04:00

I love this wonderful example of what education could be, if we honored our uniqueness, and encouraged our giftedness!

Blessings Revealed by Puanani Burgess — YES! Magazine

Wish you were here!

Growing Up

2011-02-28T12:05:00.000-05:00

In our family, a working definition of a "grown up" is someone who no longer lives with their parents, and pays all their own bills. It is our desire to see each of our children become grown ups someday. As much as we love our kids, we do not want them living in our home forever. And, have you noticed? There is a lot of that going around.

Please don't misunderstand me. I am not judging those kids who chose to continue living at home or the parents who support them. My dearest friend is twenty-eight years old and still lives with her parents. However, she has an amazing prayer ministry. She cooks and cleans for the family. And she has plans to be a missionary. There are situations where having your child continue to live at home is the wise thing to do.

It may be that when the time comes, one or both of our daughters may choose to stay home. I don't know. Sher Bear says that she will always live with us and take care of us. Perhaps we will need taking care of by the time she is grown. LOL! We will cross that bridge when we come to it. But our intention is for all three of the kids to have the skill set, ambition and opportunity to make their way in the world and move out of our home.

Jor Man turned eleven years old this week. And we took the opportunity to reassess what he is learning. Big Dad and I explained that our intention is for him to use this time to discover God's gifts and talents, and explore how he might use those to support his family someday. He balked. He didn't want to think about it yet. Yeah, well, who really does?!

We ensured him that this is just a time of exploration. He could identify several interests to pursue, and change his mind if he wants. Now is the time to do this. We would like for him to have a good first guess (or two) at his future career by age 13.

Then, at 13, we will begin to pursue appropriate apprenticeship opportunities. Trying out a job before you put your time and money into preparing for it, gives you the chance to find out if you really like it or not - before you've invested "too much" to change your mind.

Hopefully, assuming the field he wants to go into does not require an advanced degree, he will already be working, maybe even in his own business by age 18. Then he will be in the position to move to his own place and support a family.

But for now, exploring the possibilities looks like talking with mom and dad about his interests, praying and asking God for direction, reading books and getting a firm handle on how much life really costs. Our first go around, one thing was for sure, Jor Man want to be rich. (Don't we all?!)

So I decided to begin a unit study in financial stewardship. Here's the plan so far:

Reading The Total Money Makeover, by Dave Ramsey. Jor Man has been reading (and enjoying!) five pages a day, writing down three things he learned in his journal, and then we discuss it together. This has started many interesting conversations about such things as whole vs. term life insurance, car payments, credit card debt, and pawn shops. I love this book because of its biblical basis. It also warns against using debt as a tool for creating wealth. This principal would have saved so many people during the recent financial crises.

We watched Maxed Out, a movie about the debt crisis in this country, on NetFlix. I liked it because it showed many, many real examples of people in debt. It also showed the desire of credit card companies to pray on the poor, and on college students. It is important to me that my kids understand that the credit card companies are not their friends.

I want to go through Richard Bolles classic, What Color is Your Parachute, with him. Perhaps we can further narrow down the field. This book looks at many different areas to determine what job would best suit you.

When we were first married, almost twenty years ago, Big Dad did a form of intensive career counseling, called DOMA. It was so helpful to us in determining that he wanted to get his Masters degree in Human Resource Development, and go into corporate learning and development as a career. Ralph Mattson, the creator of DOMA, has written a book, Discovering Your Child's Design. This book, from a Christian perspective, takes the parent through the process of learning more about God's specific design for each child. We plan to read this and go through the process over the next couple of years for Jor Man.

Next we will read Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki. I realize that there is a teen version of this book. But, really, the grownup version is so "dumbed down" that it is easily accessible to an eleven-year-old - especially when he is checking in with mom and dad every day for comprehension. The book is not well written, but the information is invaluable. I will add the caveat that "Rich Dad" recommends using debt as a tool to build wealth, which I do not agree with. That is why we are reading The Total Money Makeover first.

My favorite book for understanding how wealthy people get wealthy, Rich Dad's Cash Flow Quadrant, is next. Also by Kiyosaki, it carries the same caveat. It explains, in detail, the different ways to create income. I think it will be revelatory for Jor Man, and I cannot wait to hear what he thinks of it.

Lastly, I want Jor Man is read the book, The Duggars: 20 and Counting! I have been reading it, and am inspired by their financial principles. Not only are they debt free, they have no mortgage, and they have passive income from commercial properties. (Rich Dad would be proud). While the book is interspersed with stories about parenting, marriage and faith as well, I was struck by their faithfulness to God's plan to not owe money to anyone. God regularly met their needs, just in time, in miraculous ways.

This has been my experience of God's faithfulness. Countless times, by trusting in God, and doing as He instructs, I have seen God bless me financially. This is not the prosperity gospel. I do not believe that you will be rich if you really believe in God. It certainly didn't work that way for either Jesus or Paul. But I do believe that God is faithful to meet our needs if we will trust Him instead of trusting in debt.

The Campster, with her awesome new reading skills, noticed and read to me the other day from the top of a dollar bill, "In God We Trust". She was amazed to find that on the dollar.

Perhaps our forefathers meant it as a reminder to each one who holds a dollars in their hand, not to trust the dollar, but the Lord.

Wish you were here!

Creation

2011-02-23T15:45:00.002-05:00

I got a good public school, and private university education. If you asked me, ten years ago, where man can from, I would have told you, with all the certainty I had, that men evolved from apes. That's what I was taught. And I didn't see the problem with that versus what the Bible said.

However, about 7 years ago, my dear friend took me to the Institute for Creation Research in San Diego. And that began my interest in Creation. Now we are getting ready to take a trip to the Creation Museum, just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. Can't wait. Everyone I know who has been there says that it is amazing.

Whether you believe in God or not, the question of where we humans came from, is central to our understanding of who we are. Why not find out what the Creationists believe? I dare you to learn more, and let me know what you think.

Recently we have been watching movies about this very subject. So fascinating! Netflix allows us to watch as many of these movies as we like, at home.

Here are the movies we have been loving lately:

Wish you were here!

The January Freak Out

2011-01-27T18:43:00.000-05:00

The girls playing Club Penguin

A fellow Gabby Mom Blogger posted that she experiences The January Freak Out every year. You know, that time of year when you wake up in the middle of the night wondering: "What if I'm not doing this right?" "Should I add grammar?" "Am I ruining my kids for life by not teaching them about (fill in the blank) this year?"

Well, by now I hope you know me well enough to know that I don't do the shoulds or worry much, but I do find myself rethinking things each year. I think we all do. Sometimes my Freak Out doesn't hit until spring. But this year, I am having a January Freak Out of my own.

For starters, computer time has gotten seriously out of control around here. First the girls got everyone into Pixie Hollow, the Disney Fairies online game. And then Huntz introduced them to Club Penguin (also Disney). The games are fun and they really enjoy them. Educational value is next to nothing, except that the girls are wanting to be able to read better so they can understand what is going on in the game. So I am now dolling out computer time in exchange for other, more obviously educational things.

For example, the girls must each do their reading before getting time on the computer. (And, it goes without saying that this can only happen when all their chores are done). I also got composition books with cool covers at Staples for $ .50 each, and each child is expected to write a page each day. About anything. Even about how much they loathe writing in their journal. So far, each has started a story and is enjoying continuing it each day. I don't require them to worry about spelling, grammar or punctuation. It's just to get them writing. Oh, and it doesn't have to be neat, just legible.

Jor Man is wonderful about reading, so I don't ask him to complete any before playing. But he needs to get his writing done. The girls thought this wasn't fair, and I reminded them, for the umpteenth time, that life isn't fair, and they will never be studying the same things as their brother, so get over it. It won't be the same.

So far, Sher Bear is just writing words, Campster has a princess story going, and Jor Man is writing a greek myth. Huntz has not been at the house since the "crack down" so he's in for a surprise when he comes back!

Yup. That's it. That's me cracking down. LOL! It seemed like a big deal at the time, but now writing it, it's not. The kids have gotten into the swing of things, and I feel better about having something to show the "officials" should it ever come to that.

Oh, and attitudes. We are working on some major attitude adjustments. Some negative, whiny, sorry-for-myself attitudes have crept into our home. We are remodeling them. Prayer, discussions, correction, and encouragement are all part of this. A child, who shall remain nameless, was caught cheating at Killer Bunnies the other day. Said child was immediately taken out of the game, and not allowed to play the next afternoon when we had game day at church. Initially this child denied any wrong doing, and was in quite a huff about it.

But by the next day, the same child was overheard telling a friend, "I can't play because I cheated yesterday. Boy, this stinks not being able to play. I'll never do that again." Well, I am not holding my breath, but I am encouraged by the change in attitude. I'll take attitude over academics any day.

Wish you were here!

True Treasures Review

2011-01-24T18:44:00.001-05:00

I have signed on for a dangerous assignment: Reviewing books.

I say dangerous because I honestly don't know what all will be sent my way to read. But, being the adventurous woman that I am, I have agreed to review one book a month for 2011. I received this product for honest review from TEACH Magazine as a part of The Gabby Moms blogging program. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

The first book, True Treasures, is a compilation of "the best" articles from ten years of TEACH Magazine. For those of you not familiar with TEACH Magazine, the acronym stands for "To Encourage And Challenge Homemakers". Well, I like the encouraging part! But I'll admit I had a tough time with the challenging part. TEACH Magazine was recently renamed "Eternal Encouragement" which I much prefer! The book is very lovely. Although I must point out that, unlike the picture below, the book is not hardcover, and it is not thick. But it is full of articles!

Two things came to mind as I was reading the 100 pages of articles. First, I was reminded how tiresome it is to be made to read something. Granted, no one was making me read it. I could have emailed and taken myself out of the group. But I feel that I made a commitment and I want to stick to it. It's been a long time since I have had "homework" and an "assignment". It was good for me to see how it feels to be on the receiving end of such work. Not great! I let myself feel overwhelmed and upset. (LOL!) This was a good reminder to me that I want to be helping my children to find things to read that they love and want to read. Reading something just because someone else says you need to can really zap the joy out of reading. And I find it is much more difficult to remember what I've read if I am not as interested in it. Having the deadline, I did not take my time and savor the great articles. Now that I am done with the review, I will enjoy reading it leisurely and getting more out of it. Once I got over my initial poor reaction, I did enjoy reading it very much. (Note to self: Start the next book much earlier!)

Secondly, I was struck by the language. As I've said before, I don't like shoulds. Here and there in various articles, there was a fair sprinkling of MSG. You know, Manipulation, Shame and Guilt. I love to be encouraged. I really dislike being told I should be like this, or a good wife (or mother, or friend, or Christian) is like so. I am thinking about how to apply that to my parenting.

Okay, now that I have utterly convinced you not to read this book, let me change my focus. There are plenty of wonderful, encouraging articles in "True Treasures". And it is truly worthwhile to read the whole book and glean those encouragements and tips and tricks. I admired the transparency of "Confessions of a Former Doormat" by Jennifer TeGrotenhuis. "Yippee, It's STILL Free!" by Mrs. Lorrie Flem gives a wonderful list of websites giving out free homemaking and homeschooling resources. I could really put the housekeeping suggestions to good use! And I will touch base with Sher Bear regarding "7 Ways to Break the Breakfast Blahs". There's even a recipe for granola!

There are sections on marriage, parenting, homemaking, homeschooling, and godly living. The tips, tricks and encouragement from Christian moms who have gone before us is invaluable. Older women are told to teach the younger (Titus 2). This is what this book is all about. Lastly, I was tickled to see authors whose names I recognized: Cindy Rushton, Cyndi Kinney, and Marilyn Boyer.

It will be interesting to see what book they send me to review for February. I hope you can tell from this review that I will give my most honest opinion, the good and the bad.

TEACH Magazine (now Eternal Encouragement) can be found at www.HomemakingWithTEACH.com . My readers can buy "True Treasures" and get $4 off with the coupon code "GabbyMom" through May 31, 2011.

Wish you were here!

Skiing for the First Time, Ever

2011-01-12T11:50:00.001-05:00

Sher Bear tries on her new long johns, hat and mittens

Ever since we moved from Sunny Southern California to New England, I've been hearing about the wonderful homeschool skiing program at Otis Ridge. This was the first year that we tried it - in fact, it's the first time any of the kids have ever skied.

Such a deal: It was $85 per child for 6 weeks of lessons (once a week), rentals, and lift tickets. And while it is over an hour drive from our home, it is worth it.

Thanks to my Mom, who gave the kids the lessons for their Christmas gifts (at my request). At first the kids were equal parts apprehensive and excited. But as the day drew near, and we began organizing the "stuff" and getting ready, the excitement was winning out.

Everyone had new long johns for the occasion, and several got new gloves or hats. The night before, we laid everything out on the beds to be certain no one was missing any important items.

Huntz on skis for the first time

On that morning, we got up early and had a good breakfast before suiting up and driving out to Otis, MA. I gave myself extra time to get there, because it was my first time driving out to Otis, and the country roads can make everything take longer than one might think.

Campster flying down the bunny hill

I was amazed by the shear number of homeschoolers who were there for the lessons. Because it was closer to Hartford, CT and Springfield, MA, there were a lot more kids there than we were used to seeing at a homeschooling event.

Getting checked in was a bit tedious, as was getting skis and boots for the kids, and trying everything on. But once the kids were all properly equipped, we headed outside where the real fun began.

Jor Man has the hang of it

Campster, Huntz and Jor Man, going around in circles

At first, they had all the beginners wear only one ski and go around in a circle to get the hang of it. I'd never seen so many kids staring down at their feet! Funny!

It was difficult for me to watch Sher Bear struggle with her skis, but soon I turned to my friend, realizing my tendency to hover, and we made a break for the lodge. Better to let the professionals teach the skiing. I don't ski anyhow. I wouldn't have anything truly helpful to add.

I was surprised, and a little disappointed to find that from there the kids were basically left to their own devices. At various points all the kids fell into ditches or just tipped over and couldn't get up. It was hard watching them, and seeing no one was coming to their rescue.

Eventually, everyone did get up on their own, and learned something in the process. As much as I am all for kids learning on their own, I guess I still want a little more instruction when it comes to skiing. What do you think?

In the end, Campster and Jor Man really took to skiing. Both skied from 10 am until 3 pm, and then left only on my urging. They flew down the hills and absolutely loved it.

Huntz had a more difficult time, but seemed to enjoy himself. I believe he will get the hang of it this week, and be skiing with the others.

Sher Bear (who apparently takes after her mom) much preferred being warm in the lodge, drinking hot cocoa and eating chili cheese fries following her one hour lesson.

To kill time waiting for the "big kids", Sher Bear and I played the Thankful Game from "My ABC Bible Verses" and I allowed her to use my digital camera to take some pictures.

In preparation for the next lesson, we went to the library and checked out some children's books on skiing. I am also looking for some videos to watch with them (preferably ones without big crashes or tragedies). I am also getting helmets for each child. (I kept thinking of Sonny Bono as they came flying down the hill.)

Sher Bear, in full gear, tries one ski

Knowing how afraid I am of skiing, I didn't want to pass that on to the kids. Recently, I was telling my mom how much I love thunder storms, and she confessed that she was always terribly afraid of them. I never knew.

I am thrilled that the kids seem to take after Big Dad in their love of skiing and their athletic abilities. I called him from the lodge with tears in my eyes, and said, "You really ought to take next Thursday off and come see the kids ski. You won't believe it."

They are growing up!

Wish you were here!

Always be Prepared to Give an Answer

2011-01-06T07:05:00.001-05:00

I have a New Year's Resolution: To have an answer ready when people ask about what we are studying in our homeschool. As often as I get asked that, I still stumble over my answer.

Some people just want to know that my kids are learning something. Other people are just being kind and making pleasant conversation. And still others are really curious about homeschool for themselves and would like to know that it is not as difficult as they imagine.

Usually, I really do know which is which. I know when telling someone that we just "wing-it" at my house, would set off every internal alarm they have, rending them a tad bit argumentative. And I can usually tell when someone is just being nice, and doesn't really want my treatise on the state of the failed public education system.

And there are the occasionally truly curious people who really want the full answer. But, alas, they are few and far between.

And I have been treating them all the same. Ask me a dixie cup sized question, and I will douse you with a whole pitcher full of answer. Hmmm. Why is it that I work so hard to let my children be delight-led in their learning, but with everyone else, I bring out the sledge hammer?

So here's my new answer: Jor Man is studying Ancient Greece. Sher Bear is fascinated by Ancient Egypt. Campster is concentrating on her reading skills. Huntz is reinforcing his times tables, and doing science experiments. And we are all working on kindness. That seems to be the theme of the new year.

It's still not a short answer, but I like how I didn't have to explain how we got there. If someone wanted to know more, I could explain that the kids are all starting skiing lessons today, and the boys are beginning their electric guitar and drum lessons tonight. Oh, and next week, we will begin our study of Jewish holidays.

That feels much better to me. People don't always want to know my whole educational theory. That's okay. I don't have to explain myself to everyone. (Just you readers!)

What's your "short-ish" answer for what your homeschool is studying right now?

Wish you were here!

Reading is a Super Power!

2011-01-02T22:35:00.001-05:00

Halloween 2008, Camster as Ariel with "red" hair

There are two things you should know about Campster. Both are recent changes for her.

The first is that, while she used to be a blond, she is now a red head. Really. She has wanted to be a red head since she could say red head. She's been very consistent about it. And, as providence would have it, she's got the right coloring for it, just not the "right" hair color.

Two years ago for Halloween she was Ariel, the Little Mermaid. And she wanted very much to have red hair for that. So we dyed her hair using a semi-permanent (washes out in 28 shampoos) hair color and only left it in for a few minutes. The result was barely noticeable, but was definitely red when the light hit is just right. She was thrilled.

Campster emptying her stocking. Note the dye, left

Fast forward to this Christmas: Campster again was asking for red hair dye, and Big Dad thought that Santa ought to oblige her. So guess what she got in her stocking.

We used the exact same dye as last time. But, for whatever reason, (poor judgment, bad memory, living on the wild side), I left it in longer this time. Now her hair is truly, really red. Thankfully, she loves it again, and has vowed not to shampoo so that it will stay that way.

Okay, now for the second change. She's a reader. For Christmas, she got "Come Back, Amelia Bedilia" and before any of us could read it to her, she decided to read it herself. And she did. She went from sounding out each and every word, excruciatingly slowly, to reading this book with no problem. She even read words and phrases she's never encountered before. It was amazing. This from my kid who told me the one thing she did not want to do this year was learn to read.

Campster's new red hair!

I wish you could have seen her face. She was so proud of herself. "Mom! Dad!" she would shout, "I'm reading! It's like I have a super power! I can read! Reading IS a super power!" She proclaimed.

And she's right about that. Reading is a super power. It changes everything. Now that she knows she can read, there's been no stopping her. She's not attempted a chapter book yet, but I'm sure that will happen soon enough. She's reading every street sign, every magazine cover (uh oh!) and everything she sees.

So, for my red headed super hero reader, 2011 is going to be a super exciting year!

Wish you were here!

Gratitude

2011-01-01T15:00:00.001-05:00

Clockwise, from the left, Sher-Bear, Big Dad, Campster, Jor Man and Huntz - all hard at work on thank yous

Christmas is over. The tree is down, and all the trimmings put away. Time for thank yous!

Stamps are a fun way to decorate a thank you

Do your kids moan like mine when you ask them to write a thank you note? This year we combatted the moany-groanies with a couple of new strategies. First of all, we all sat down at the table and wrote our thank yous together. Modeling the behavior you wish to see in your children is always a helpful step.

Secondly, we told them that any gift without a thank you would be put away until next year. Perhaps next year they will feel more thankful for it! Happily, no gifts were confiscated this year.

Everyone wrote and then decorated their thank yous with drawings and colorful stamps.

Campster using her spelling book while writing her thank yous

Another new strategy we implemented was the spelling book. Each child was given a spiral bound note card book, and any time they asked how a word was spelled, we wrote it in the book with a Sharpie marker.

Lastly, we wrote up a mock letter as an example to the children. We emphasized that this was just the start of a thank you, but it gave them an opportunity to learn parts of a letter.

Being thankful, really grateful for what we have, is a short cut to happiness.

Wish you were here!

Where has all the Creativity Gone?

2010-12-23T10:45:00.000-05:00

According to Newsweek Magazine, creativity in America is declining. It is a huge problem. And the reason: Rote memorization and standardized curriculum. Children no longer know how to think for themselves. They are taught that thinking out of the box means you get the answer wrong.

We are finding that to be true with our new student, Huntz. While he is clearly a very bright boy, he gets bored very easily. He wants to be told what to do. And it bothers him to not be "doing school". It will take a while until he feels comfortable and safe enough for him to figure what he wants to do. His imagination has been effectively drummed out of him.

Jor Man, on the other hand, asked me this morning to help him with some research. He has a theory about the Ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses actually being the descendants of Noah and the flood. This is the heart of creative intelligence - taking two things that had previously not been connected, and finding some way that they go together. Jor Man theorizes that Cronos, and his three sons, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades were in actuality Noah and his three sons, Shem, Ham and Japeth.

We have been reading Genesis: Finding Our Roots as a family each morning. What a wonderful book! From this we have learned much more about Noah and his family. In addition, Jor Man has been reading D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths on his own.

Jor Man wanted to know if I would help him with finding maps of Ancient Greece and of the world. No problem. This is the sort of thesis that doctoral theses are written about. And he is (according the world) in fifth grade.

Do you suppose I ought to tell him that he should stop "doing school" because it is Christmas?

Wish you were here!

Playing games beats going to school

2010-12-16T15:06:00.001-05:00

I'm just giddy!

New research shows that playing board, card and computer games for an hour and fifteen minutes, twice a week for eight weeks, raised IQ scores by an average of 13 points.

The kicker is, that, on average, a child's IQ is raised 12 points for a year of going to school.

Playing games twice a week is better for your IQ than going to school for a whole year!

The raise in IQ was in direct correlation to the areas that the games were focused on. That's so cool.

"The games chosen were card games like SET, the traffic-jam puzzle Rush Hour, and Qwirkle, a cross between Dominos and Scrabble. For the Nintendo DS, they chose Picross and Big Brain Academy. There were also two games for the computer one called Azada, another called Chocolate Fix."

We play SET, Rush Hour, Big Brain Academy and Chocolate Fix at our house. I will have to check out the others.

Now, get off the computer and go play some games with your kids. :)

Wish you were here!

Free Homeschooling

2010-12-13T11:11:00.002-05:00

Homeschooling doesn't have to cost anything. Really.

(Although, I do recommend that every homeschool family have an HSLDA membership. It's important to protect yourself, and your membership helps keep homeschooling legal in all 50 states.)

I absolutely adore curriculum. It's really fun to look at and play with and plan for. But in reality, sometimes the kids like it. But more often than not, we spend a whole lot of money on something that looks great, only to find that, after a day or two, the kids are no longer keen on it, and the haranguing begins.

Cause if I've spent a lot of money on some curriculum I thought was going to be wonderful - well, then we must use it, right?

On the other hand, if I get my stuff for free, then I don't much care whether the kids love it or never want to play with it again. I have the freedom to let them enjoy it or not.

Please be aware: While I have personally looked at all of these websites - it is not possible for me to have looked at all of the games/links as there are literally thousands. Please, please, never let your child access the internet without your supervision. Computers with internet access should be in a common area, where you - the parent - will be aware of what your kids are being exposed to. I know of several Christian, homeschooling families who trusted their kids to know what not to look at - and their kids were inadvertently exposed to, and subsequently addicted to porn. Be careful!!

Here are some free curriculum sites (in no particular order):

MULTIPLE SUBJECT, GRADE SCHOOL AGE GAMES:

Starfall: Early primary phonics, math, silly learning games. My kids love it.

Learning Games for Kids: Like the name says, lots of games in all areas. Let them choose and you sit back and watch them learn. :)

Gamequarium: More games for elementary school age.

Game Classroom: Kindergarten through sixth grade games in all areas. These games are developed to match state standards. (Is that a good thing? - LOL!)

Arcademic Skill Builders: More K-5 games in all areas.

ABCya!: Lots more great games. I like playing the one where you fit the United States in the map, one state at a time. My high score is 320 on hard.

Fun Brain: Reading and Math games for grade school age.

Sheppard Software: Hundreds of educational games, activities, quizzes, articles and more!

Funschool: Worksheets, online games, craft videos - it's got it all. But I detest the commercials.

PBS Kids: Games, coloring sheets, and worksheets associated with all the PBS shows. Mostly fluff and commercialism, but some good stuff.

HISTORY/SCIENCE:

National Geographic Kids: Lots of interesting things to do and see. Plus some learning games. Warning- definitely a site that believes in evolution and that the world is billions of years old. If you, like me, believe in young earth and that God created humans - then you will want to be sure your kids understand that this site does not support that.

Answers in Genesis kids' section:  Fun videos, worksheets, coloring pages, crafts, etc. Love it!

Usborne Quicklinks:  Links to educational websites galore!

MATH:

A+ Math: Math games, worksheets, flashcards.

Timez Attack!:  Teaches all the multiplication facts, 2 x 2 through 12 x 12. Fun!!

Manga High: Lots of math games for upper elementary and middle school students.

Cool Math:  Higher level math games, primarily for older kids (and adults).

Sum Dog: Math games that cover 100 numeracy topics at 10 levels.

The Math Worksheet Site: Make up worksheets and charts based on what your kids are currently studying.

TYPING:

Learn2Type: Like it says, free online typing tutor.

SPELLING/VOCABULARY:

Spelling City: Spelling and vocabulary for all levels. Use their suggested lists or make your own list and convert it to word searches, games, and tests.

READING/BOOK LISTS:

Book Adventure: This Sylvan sponsored site offers both reading suggestions for all ages, and quizzes to check for comprehension. If your child is an independent reader, you can set up rewards for him/her to get when then read a certain number of books and score well on the tests. Nice!!

Ambleside Online:  Book lists (some are free online and some you get at the library) and guidelines for the popular Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling. Great place to get inspired.

GEOGRAPHY:

Seterra: Fun online geography practice. Better than just a quiz - actually helps you learn the major citys, countries, etc.

Wish you were here!

2010-12-09T09:31:00.001-05:00

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, represented as a pyramid, most basic needs at bottom

I've been thinking a lot lately about Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. If you've ever taken any early childhood development or psychology classes, you'll remember this simple concept: Basic needs must be met before higher needs.

Maslow theorized that physiological needs, like food, warmth, and sleep needed to be met first, and then security, and so on.

I don't know that I agree 100% with this, but it is worth thinking about, nevertheless.

The red section, safety, stands out to me. I think this is primarily because I was bullied in school as a child. If school is not a safe place to be, if a child needs to look out for him or herself, and cannot relax and feel safe, how can they learn? The same can be said of home life. If a child feels belittled, picked on, unwanted or unloved, how can they learn?

When Big Dad and I discussed becoming parents, one of the things that was most important to us was this: That the children would know that they are wanted, loved, okay with us, and that we are glad to see them. Please understand, this does not mean that we do not correct or discipline. Rather, we do it from a place of love - wanting the best for them. We are careful to build them up in love at all other times.

One of the ways this happens at our home is around sleep. When the kids are going to bed, Big Dad spends time with them reading stories, praying and talking with them. This is also my time to be by myself and relax.

In the mornings, we reverse it. The kids all join me in bed for snuggles. Big Dad is up and enjoying a quiet morning downstairs, while the kids and I are snuggling and chatting. It is a wonderful time to connect.

We make sure to tell the kids individually that we love them, that we are glad for them. We spend special times with each during the week, doing something they would like to do. We value their opinions and their ideas. All these things make for that sense of belonging and love. And we zealously protect them from harm. They feel safe and loved.

What do you do in your family to promote safety and love?

Wish you were here!

We Have a New Student!!

2010-12-02T10:13:00.000-05:00

Our family met a nine-year-old boy at Vacation Bible School this summer, and we think he's something special. We've all been praying for him, and befriending him. And two weeks ago, he was baptized at our church.

Knowing that his family life is challenging, and he has some special needs, we have been praying for things in his life to get better. Imagine our surprise when we were told that he was being taking out of school (he was being bullied) and will be homeschooled from now on!! Go God!

We have often wanted to adopt a boy Jor Man's age. And while this is not adoption, it certainly is wonderful to have another boy around for Jor Man to play with. I need to think of a "blog name" for him, and get permission to post pictures.

Yesterday was our first day with him homeschooling at our house. We love having him be a part of our "school". We rearranged some of the chores, and he will be helping with the chickens, and making lunch. (Campster, who was previously making lunch will now focus on desserts.) We also did the List with him, and were excited to know that while he does not want to do anything with textbooks anymore, he is very interested in learning at Ulysses S. Grant (an ancestor of his) and the World Wars. Today we will go to the library and get some books and videos on these subjects for him.

We all recognize that it will take the Love of God to help us through this transition. And we are excited to see what God will do next.

Please do keep us all in your prayers as we figure this out.

Wish you were here!

Flashlight Egyptian Tomb Tour

2010-11-26T09:42:00.000-05:00

Camster (left in coral), Sher Bear (blue floral) and Jor Man (right)

Littles and their mom at the mummy diorama

The Fitchburg Art Museum, in Fitchburg, MA, opened their new Egyptian exhibit last week. And we were among the lucky home schoolers who got to be the first ones to see it. This was another of the programs organized by the Family Resource Center. I am so grateful for them, as I would not have known about this museum otherwise. We are making friends at these outings, as many of the same kids and parents were also at the Rhode Island School of Design the previous week.

The museum staff did a marvelous job of keeping the kids (and the parents) interested and curious about the exhibits.

Everyone's favorite part was the flashlight tour of the "tomb". A corridor was painted with the story of what happens after you die (according to the Ancient Egyptians). We sat in the dark hallway while the docent pointed her flashlight at the walls, pointing out the various gods and goddesses, and telling their stories. It was a captivating presentation for all but the very youngest of the visitors. There was a tunnel you could crawl through, which the girls loved.

She did an excellent job of explaining mummification

Following the flashlight tour, the docent took us through the exhibit and showed us the large collection of artifacts, including a real mummy, uncovered. The kids were all sharing their knowledge of Ancient Egypt - and it was really fun to see how much they have assimilated into their knowledge already. Sher Bear told everyone about our mummified chicken. LOL!

Using Hieroglyphics to decorate Obelisks

We took a lunch break before going on to the arts and crafts room to make Obelisks and Egyptian Necklaces. The girls were so excited just to color and cut out the paper necklace. It reminded me that they love to do crafts, and I want to incorporate more simple crafts into our days.

Everyone liked using hieroglyphics to write their names and simple phrases. Sher Bear found a chart of them in one of our Egypt books, and has been writing things in hieroglyphs ever since.

The educator explains how to fold the Obelisks

I was very impressed with this museum and their staff. Following the official class, we toured the rest of the museum on our own. I have been to some museums where they have been visibly uncomfortable with the children being there, and I have felt rushed to leave. This was not the case at Fitchburg. Everyone was warm and welcoming to the kids. They talked with us, and gave us suggestions as to what to look for. Upstairs, they had a monoprint exhibit, with a film explaining monoprints. We were all so fascinated, that we want to do some monoprints now.

I cannot believe that I forgot my camera that day! But I did. And the Director of Docents at the museum was kind enough to send me these pictures to include in my blog. Thank you, Ann!

Wish you were here!

Jiminy Peak

2010-11-23T09:46:00.000-05:00

Sher Bear climbs the rock wall

Jor Man at the top of a double flip

Campster flying

Jor Man, Campster and Big Dad all ready to go up the Mountain Coaster

Sher Bear patiently waits for her turn

Campster and Big Dad come speeding down the mountain

Camster climbs to the top - again!

My Mom came to visit recently, and took us up to Jiminy Peak for a couple of nights. Jiminy Peak, in Adams, MA, is a ski resort, primarily. But in the non-snow months, they have what they call Mountain Adventure Park and Aerial Adventure Park. With all our crazy adventures in Guatemala this summer, the kids felt they had already done the Aerial Adventures, that consisted of zip lines, and a ropes course. So we opted for the Mountain Adventure.

For one price, we got bracelets which allowed us to go on any of the rides for the whole day. Actually, the first day the weather was too cold and rainy. So, after about 20 minutes, we gave up and turned in our bracelets to try again the next day.

And the next day was glorious. The kids all enjoyed the kid zone, with the usual bounce house, a mini ropes course, a playground, and a spider web climber. Then they moved on to the rock wall. Jor Man and Campster mastered the rock wall - making it to the top on all the levels multiple times.

Big Dad and Jor Man went in the big swing. I didn't get a picture of that - but let's just say you don't want to do that one right after eating. No one tossed their cookies, although I nearly did just watching them.

We broke for lunch - which consisted of the largest plate of Nachos I have ever seen. Yum!

The bungy-jump followed, with Jor Man able to do a double flip before he was through. Campster was flipping singles. Sher Bear just loved to fly up high.

The mountain coaster and luge (two separate rides) were the hands-down favorites. I gave up counting how many times they all went up and down. Big Dad did double duty as only one of the girls could go with him at a time, and they weren't tall enough to go on their own. (Nope, I didn't do it.) I stayed with the non-riding child.

At the end of the day, the hotel pool and wonderful hot tubs were happily received by all. What a great place. We will be back. Thanks to my Mom who made it all possible. :)

Wish you were here!

Sowing Love

2010-11-20T12:13:00.000-05:00

Recent events have only served to remind me of some of the reasons why I homeschool. Children are being bullied to the point of suicide. There is a lot of hate going around.

How do we, as Christian parents, stand firm on what we believe the Bible says about sexuality, while still teaching that hate is not the response God calls us to?

Last week I got to see an old friend. He was in NYC to see some shows, and we arranged to meet him at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. My children have many people in their lives who are gay. But because they are children, and are so innocent, they do not yet know.

They know about sex. We answer all their questions openly and honestly. They see the chickens mating. They have a natural curiosity about such things. And we have always emphasized to them that sex is for marriage only, and between a husband and a wife. I understand that others see this differently.

As I thought about our upcoming visit with my friend, I knew that he had "married" his partner and would it would probably come up in conversation. I didn't want him to have to hide it - but I also wanted the opportunity to discuss it with my kids beforehand. I knew that they would pick up on it.

Jor Man poses with the Medieval weaponry

So we talked with the kids about it. I explained to them that there are actually many people in their lives who are gay. This was met with groans and "Yuck" faces. I continued, "Even though we understand that this is not what God would want for them, we need to remember that we also do things that God says not to do."

"Like what?" Jor Man asked, unbelieving.

"Like being unkind to your sisters." I answered. "We all fall short and do things that God tells us not to do. That is what Jesus died for. To love us anyway." I explained that some kids in America had been bullied for being gay. "Is that how God wants us to treat people?" I asked.

"We should love them," was Sher Bear's reponse. Jor Man was least comfortable. I assured him that we would not ever put him in harm's way.

The whole idea of loving people who were openly doing what God said was wrong was difficult for them to "sit with". We will need to revisit it again and again, I expect.

But the day came, and we went to the Museum. I met my friend, and informed him of our little experiment. I told him that I wanted them to have the opportunity to meet someone, knowing that they are gay, and see that they can still choose to be loving of him.

My friend was glad to go along and be the "guinea pig" in my social experiment. I told him that if my kids made comments that were rude, I hoped he would forgive it, and point it out to them. Thankfully, that wasn't necessary.

At first when they met him, they were a bit afraid. They hung back a bit. But within five minutes, they were fighting over who got to hold his hand, and Jor Man was regaling him with Greek Mythology.

The kids, my friend and I, in front of a Pollock

Somewhere, amidst all the paintings, and pottery, the statues and the lunch, they forgot that he was gay, and just enjoyed him. When we left the museum, I asked the kids what their favorite thing in the museum was. "Bill!!" They all cried out. I think it was a success.

Wish you were here!

Gifts

2010-11-14T16:10:00.001-05:00

Fairy princesses making fairy houses at Sher Bear's birthday party

Sher Bear had a birthday this week. Yup! She's FIVE. I wish you could see her do it - her hand so proudly foisted forward, palm out, fingers at attention, face all smile and eyes.

Fairies deliver "dew drops" through the Fairy Obstacle Course, designed by Jor Man

Lately, there has been considerable discussion amongst my friends about gifts and how to handle them. So here's how we do birthdays and Christmas. I'm not saying my way is the right way - just sharing how we do things, because I understand it's a little different than the norm.

A pixie and her dew drop in the tunnel

First off, now that the kids are getting a substantial allowance for doing their "helping hands" it is expected that they will buy presents for birthdays and Christmas. So, for Sher Bear's birthday, both Jor Man and Campster chose and purchased presents for her with their own money. Creativity is fine. They can make something instead of buying something. This helps keep the focus on the giving rather than the getting. They really love giving their gift, and seeing the joy in response.

Sher Bear and her Fairy cake

On the child's actual birthday, they get to chose what we do that day. For example, Sher Bear chose to have coffee cake (homemade and gluten free) for breakfast, waffles (ditto) for lunch and (get this!) popcorn with chocolate chips and marshmallows for dinner. She didn't have to do her chores that day. And she got to decide what games we played, what movies we watched, etc. She ate it up! Jor Man was wonderful about it. Campster learned a lesson in humility. It was hard for her to have Sher Bear get her way all day.

For her birthday party, Sher Bear got to invite five friends (and their siblings and parents) because she is five years old. She picked the menu (Cranberry everything!) and the theme (Fairies). We went all out, and did it up really nice for her. And, as usual, that was her present from Mom and Dad. The party IS the present.

Playing Fairy Freeze Dance

We do a similar thing at Christmas. We all get little presents for each other, but for the kids, Mom and Dad do the stockings. Our kids know "the truth about Santa" from the very beginning. So they know that Mom buys the presents to put in the stockings. And the stockings are their Christmas presents from Mom and Dad. They have plenty of other presents to open on Christmas day - and, again, we want the emphasis to be on Jesus and on giving.

To that end, each child chooses the gifts that they bought and wrapped, and hands them to their recipients. This makes it special between the giver and the giv-ee.

Fairies playing "Hot Potato" with the "Take Home" bags

I was surprised by how many people I shared this with who thought that they had to get their kids presents on their birthdays. Expensive stuff. Nope. Not here. We simply can't afford it. And I know that a lot of other families can't right now, either. And yet we feel that our kids have to have stuff that they don't need and we can't afford in order for us to feel like "good" parents. Let yourself off the hook.

Wish you were here!

Museum of Art @ Rhode Island School of Design

2010-11-10T08:30:00.000-05:00

The kids at Brown University

The girls wanted me to take this picture of the public art at Brown.

The leaves were so lovely against the old buildings at Brown.

Autumn leaves

Campster and Sher Bear admiring the Egyptian sarcophagus

Sher Bear's jaw dropped when she saw a real mummy

Model of an Egyptian Boat

Ancient Buddhadista - wooden statuary

Huge Japanese Buddha Sculpture in Wood

Campster wanted me to take a photo of this Tibetan, gold dagger for Jor Man, who was on the older kids tour.

Sher Bear wanted me to take a picture of this "beautiful jewelry"

This Babylonian wall art depicts the false goddess Ishtar as a lion.

The girls listen intently as our docent explains the battle story told by the intricately carved, marble sarcophagus.

Jor Man took this picture of Athena

A Gryphon carved on a stone casket

This is the marquis for the First Baptist Church in America. I really liked it!

Yesterday, the kids and I drove to Rhode Island. I don't know that I have ever been to RI before. It's lovely. I particularly liked Providence with its old, historic buildings on steep hills. Jor Man thought it would be great for skateboarding (if you want to die young!), and Sher Bear had fun stuffing her pockets full of all the beautiful leaves she found along the way.

Since we got there a little early, we walked over to Brown University and looked around. It was very nice. Everyone was quietly studying away. Jor Man and I talked about the different types of architecture represented in their quadrangle. Campster insisted that I take pictures of the art.

The First Baptist Church in America

Then we walked back down the hill to the Rhode Island School of Design's Museum of Art for a tour. This tour was arranged by the Family Resource Center. They have an amazing collection of art from all eras. But our tour focused specifically on art from ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. Although we also saw their collections of modern, Chinese, Japanese, textile and Tibetan art.

It had been a while since we had been on a long drive, and I was surprised how much the kids enjoyed it. I had told them I would get them up at 6:45 am, but they were all up and dressed at 6:10 am! I guess they were excited. It was nice to realize that we do travel well, and fall into a certain rhythm in the car. So, were going to do it again, soon!

Wish you were here!

Double Pharaoh Crown of Egypt

2010-11-08T12:02:00.000-05:00

Walk like an Egyptian.

Because Sher Bear really wants to study Egypt this year, we are getting together with another homeschool family and doing projects every so often. First we did cave paintings, and next we made Pharaoh Crowns.

Sher Bear rocks the Pharaoh crown.

Originally Egypt was split into the Upper and Lower Kingdoms. The Pharaoh (or king) of the Upper Kingdom wore the white crown. And the Pharaoh of the Lower Kingdom wore the red crown. When the Upper Kingdom was victorious over the Lower Kingdom, the conquering Pharaoh wore a double crown, also called a sekhemty. (For more info on the history of Egyptian crowns, see this website.)

Our crowns were made out of foam sheets, and colored duct tape. We used the pattern in the book,
Historical Headgear, Hats and Helmets.

Jor Man making Pharaoh faces.

Campster's crown needs to be adjusted.

Pharaoh fun!

Wish you were here!

Train Your Child to be Unhappy

2010-11-06T07:34:00.006-04:00

A Happy Sher Bear

Did you know that you can train your child to be unhappy? Yup.

I saw this post on BlogHer this morning, and I gotta say, I really take issue with the whole assumption behind the post.

Now I don't know if the link above will work for you or not, so, here's a quick synopsis: The mom writing has a three-year-old and is pregnant with her second child. Like most parents, they went all out on the first kid, including getting a 3D ultrasound from one of those private companies (not doctor prescribed). All of which I have no problem with.

Now she is realizing that, while she really excited about the second child, she doesn't feel the need to get the whoop-dee-do ultrasound for $200 this time.

Her question is, and I quote: Will my January baby someday feel slighted (or even unwanted) because we skipped the fancy ultrasound? Is it unfair of us to not give the same gift to our January baby that we gave to Gracie (a DVD of her in utero)?

In response, people have written in about their experiences as a child with not getting equal treatment as their siblings. And on the whole, it's split about 50/50 as to whether they were upset about it or not.

I think they all miss the point.

Is the point of parenting to make certain that your child is happy?

Not that we wouldn't all want our children to be happy. Of course we do!! But is that something that we can achieve by making certain everything is fair?

Say it with me: Life isn't fair.

It occurs to me that the happiest people I know are not the ones who get things their way all the time. No, they are the people who have learned to roll with it. They understand that life has its ups and downs, and they don't get all bent out of shape when things don't go like they expected.

Just looking at the responses to the blog post - everyone who responded was writing about a time when things were not equal between them and their siblings. Yet half of them chose to assume that one must be upset about such injustice, and the other half didn't think it was a big deal. Any bets as to which half is happier on the whole?

So how does this play out in our day-in, day-out parenting? I find scripts to be helpful tools. So here are two scripts. In this first script, the parent is training their child to use unhappiness to try to motivate themselves and others in their life. The parent has the best intentions, but they are not able with this method to achieve the happy child that they were after.

Kid: Mom! Sister got a better doll than me. That's not fair.

Mom: Your doll is nice. (Trying to convince child they are wrong, and it is fair.)

Kid: No, it's not. It's stupid. Hers is bigger and has fancier clothes.

Mom: Well, it was her birthday. Maybe you'll get a bigger, fancier doll on your birthday. (Agreeing that it wasn't fair, and should be. But encouraging her to wait.)

Kid: I want a nice doll now! (Whines, stomps foot, pouts.)

Mom: (Convinced that child is unhappy, and wanting to "fix" it.) How about we go and order a new one for you?

Kid: (Smiling.) Okay!! Thanks, Mom!!

Can you see in the above example how this child now knows that being unhappy will get them what they want? Next time they want something (give them a few minutes!) they will try being unhappy again. Meanwhile, Mom is believing that child is happy now, and that she's done her job by "making" the child happy.

Now let's try an example of Mom not training her child to be unhappy.

Kid: Mom! Sister got a better doll than me. That's not fair.

Mom: Yup, she did. (Not denying reality.)

Kid: I want a nice doll! (Stomps foot, whines, pouts.)

Mom: Don't you stomp your foot at me. If you want something, use a nice voice.

Kid: Mom? (turns on the charm) May I please have a nice doll like sister's? (Smiles a fake happy smile.)

Mom: Thank you for asking in your nice voice. Sure. If you want to save your allowance, I'd be happy to help you buy that doll.

Kid: That's not fair!! I want a nice doll, now!! (Tries stomping and whining again.)

Mom: Please go to your room. That is not the way we behave in this house.

Kid: (Growling on their way.)

After a short while, Mom goes to Kid's room.

Mom: Are you ready to come out and be happy?

Kid: Yes, Ma'am. (Not looking super happy, but no longer angry.)

In this scenario, it's harder for Mom to feel like she's done "a good job" in helping her child to be happier. But in the long run, this kid will choose to be happy or not - but they will know that being unhappy does not work to motivate Mom.

Perhaps, if the doll was really something that they wanted, they will save up and get the doll. But the doll is not the important thing - the heart is.

I find myself shaking my head at the whole idea of some one thinking about spending $200 they wouldn't otherwise spend, just in case a child, who isn't born yet, might decide to feel offended at some point in the future. I don't want to spend my years as a mom walking on those kind of eggshells.

So can we get rid of that should: Everything SHOULD be fair and equal among siblings?

I have.

(For more information about Happy Parenting, please check out www.option.org - that's where I learned it.)

Wish you were here!

Sitting in the chair

2010-11-05T09:58:00.001-04:00

This painting of a rustic chair, by Heidi Hafemeister Dagen, now hangs in our dining room.

We want our kids to fall in love with Jesus. The problem with this is that we cannot see God. We are asking them to believe in an invisible superhero, who loves them. How can we demonstrate God's love in a way that they can see?

Imagine that there is an invisible chair. We might tell others about the chair, but without seeing it, they would not be likely to believe. We could describe the chair in detail, but they would still not be seeing.

The only way for others to "see" the invisible chair is for us to sit in it. And put our feet up. When we are resting all of our weight on the chair, then others are able to see it supporting us.

It is like this with Jesus. We can talk about Him, describe Him, tell stories of what He has done. But it is only when we are completely dependent on Him, with nothing else supporting us, that those around us can see Him. Then, and only then, are they likely to be willing to sit in the chair themselves.

As parents, we often want to shield our children from our fears, our concerns, and our troubles. But in order for them to see Jesus at work in our lives, we need to pull back the curtain a bit, and let them see our dependence on Him.

When life is full of trouble, sit down and put your feet up. "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:29

Wish you were here!

Pen Pals

2010-11-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

When I was young, my travel agent parents arranged a pen pal for me. She lived in Vienna, Austria and wanted to practice her english. So we sent letters back and forth for a long time.

Now I am trying to think of ways to encourage Campster to write. She made a good friend last year at Aquarium School. The two girls were inseparable every class. So I suggested to the other girl's mother that they become pen pals.

We certainly could have done it over email. And they could have even talked on the phone. But I think there is just something special about getting an old fashioned letter in the mail.

So Campster and her friend have been writing back and forth. Her letters are brief, and covered with artwork. She's had the opportunity to practice letter writing and addressing envelopes. She gets to work on her penmanship and spelling. And when the letter arrives, she gets to read and practice that all important skill of deciphering someone else's handwriting. Of course, Campster doesn't realize any of this. She just thinks it's fun, because it is.

The internet could come in handy when finding a pen pal. There are so many Christian Homeschooling blogs and sites up - If you want to find a pen pal for your child, just ask around. You could also have Grandparents, Aunt or Uncles or cousins write.

By the way, the purpose of these letters is not to have them be perfect. Don't ruin the fun by insisting that their penmanship be neat, the words spelled correctly, or even the sentences complete. It's all about writing for fun and for the joy of relationship.

You could decorate some plain paper with stamps to make "Stationery". Postcards are fun for older kids with smaller handwriting. Think of including photos or artwork as a part of the letter. Talk with your child about the process of getting to know someone and making chit-chat.

Wish you were here!

Vote Early, Vote Often

2010-11-03T11:04:00.001-04:00

Sher Bear writing her name on her ballot

I grew up in Chicago, where "Vote Early, Vote Often" was more of a tradition than a mafia joke.

But, seriously, if you are an American, did you vote yesterday? We did.

After breakfast, we took the kids to Town Hall and up the stairs to the polling place. One of the benefits of living in a small, rural town is that we knew almost everyone, and they were fine about the kids being there - reminding us politely that the kids were not to touch our ballots. They gave each of the kids their own "Sample Ballot" same as we had, but printed on bright yellow paper so as not to be confused with the real thing.

Then we all went into our little cubbies and got to the voting. The girls filled out their ballots, too, copying Mom's and Dad's. And Sher Bear even wrote her name on her ballot. (I'll have to talk to her about how voting is supposed to be anonymous).

If you voted yesterday, kudos to you! I hope you took your kids with and talked about the process, and the privilege we have in the US. I commented to the kids as we crossed the street after voting, "We are so blessed to be able to vote at all. Blessed to be able to vote as women. And blessed to be voting without threat of violence for having done so." How nice to realize that there we no guns on the streets on election day.

Campster carefully considers her vote

If you didn't vote yesterday, please make sure to register to vote this week and do so next time. I believe it is important to instill in my children not only the right to vote - but the responsibility. Please understand me, I am not saying that this is a should. I am saying that voting is a use it or lose it proposition. If enough of us fail to vote over the years, our children will not see the value, and we lose that wonderful privilege. Please make sure you are registered to vote, and take your kids with you so they see how it's done.

Regardless of whether you voted or not, take time over the next few days to share the election results. My kids were excited to compare their "ballots" with the election results. I won't tell you how we fared, because, excepting where your rights to homeschool or parent are concerned, this is not a blog about politics.

But most states (I'd hazard a guess that all) require that you teach your children federal, state and local government. And here's your opportunity. Talk with your kids about why you voted the way you did. Explain your choices and do your best to express the alternate viewpoint and what you see as it's shortcomings.

Ideas for next election: Get involved early. Candidates would love your help stuffing envelopes or delivering fliers. Visit your state capitol building and talk about how it all works. If you need a refresher course, here is a great website explaining how our government is set up. Or, break out your Schoolhouse Rock DVD and dance around the living room while you learn about how bills turn into laws.

Lastly, I want to share ParentalRights.org with you. Please take a moment to go over to their website and get familiar with what your rights are as a parent, and how they are in jeopardy. It's important, and most parents I know didn't have a clue about these important issues until I told them.

Apres Voting. Jor Man is camera shy.

Wish you were here!

How to Hear God's Voice

2010-11-02T11:24:00.000-04:00

Big Dad and Jor Man on a recent camping trip

Big Dad has often complained in the past that he does not hear from God. I can think of a couple of times that he did - like when he knew I was pregnant with Jor Man before I did. But on the whole, he didn't hear much.

Over time, he's come to realize that he didn't want to hear. He was afraid of what God might say or ask him to do. For the past year, Big Dad has been working deliberately on his relationship with God - especially trusting Him. As a part of that effort, Big Dad ordered "How to Hear God's Voice" by Mark Virkler. He's been loving it.

Recently, there was a webinar, and Big Dad and I did it on four consecutive Monday nights. I must admit - I went in skeptical. After all, I have been able to hear God's voice on and off since I was a child. It's not something I learned to do - it just was. So I wondered about a class that claimed to teach it.

But, surprise, surprise! It was really good. Funny, warm, informative, accessible and helpful. Better yet, it works! It works because God really wants us to hear his voice. After all, Jesus himself said "My sheep know my voice."

Jor Man concentration on reeling in the big fish

The kids became interested in our webinar. Jor Man sat in on it for three of the sessions and had a good experience. It was past the girls' bedtimes, so they asked us to share with them what we had learned.

Now every night as they are going to bed, Big Dad leads them in being still before God and listening. Campster and Sher Bear both hear God's voice really well. The other night, Campster was quiet before God and saw herself walking down a road. Jesus and his disciples were walking ahead of her. She ran to catch up, and when she got close enough, jumped up on Jesus' back in a hug/tackle. He turned his head to face her and laughed. "Hi Cam! I'm Peter. Jesus is over there." And they all laughed. Jesus has a sense of humor.

Sher Bear asked Jesus "Why did you have to die on the cross?" And Jesus answered her, "Because my Father wanted me to, and because I didn't want you to be punished for your sins." I love that. If she had given just her Sunday School answer, I would question if she were making it up. But doing what the Father told Him to do, is above what I believe Sheridan would have answered if we had asked her just five minutes before she prayed.

I love what Becky Fischer says in her book "Redefining Children's Ministry in the 21st Century." -Would you rather your kids know how many stones David used to slay Goliath, or recognize the voice of God?

For me, the very most precious gift I could ever give my kids is a personal relationship with Jesus. I can't make them receive it. But I can share my relationship with God with them, and I can give them the tools to make it much easier.

Wish you were here!

Na No Wri Mo

2010-11-01T08:36:00.003-04:00

I have taken the plunge and am writing my first novel. I have always wanted to write a novel, but never even began one before. Now I have 1,091 words down and 48,909 to go.

National Novel Writing Month, or Na No Wri Mo is a great website where you can sign up to write a novel in a month. Not just any month - specifically November.

So between now and November 30th, I will be typing until my fingers fall off! For people over the age of 13, they set a 50,000 word goal. That's 1,667 words a day. Younger writers can set there own goals.

You can check my widget from Na No Wri Mo to track my words, and see how I am doing. Any other homeschoolers out there want to write this month? My kids showed a little interest and then waned. Actually, I am glad. I want them to learn to type first, so that I am not doing the typing for them.

As I was thinking what to write about, several ideas came to mind, but none had endings. Perhaps, in the future, I will write one of those and see if an ending presents itself.

I have decided to write about my father, specifically my memories of him and our relationship. I think it will be a good process for me. He died 7 years ago from prostate cancer, and I miss him every day. His life had an ending.

I want to keep blogging, so I will. These are two separate projects. Na No Wri Mo suggests that for the month of November - just write. Turn off your internal editor and just get the words on paper. So that is what I am going to do. Come December, I can decide if I want to edit it then, or set it aside for a while. In any case, you won't see it until it's done and edited. If then.

I just love that as an unschooler, I have time to tackle projects as they sound exciting. At the end of this month, I will have written a novel. And my kids will have seen that this is possible. I wonder what they will do?

Wish you were here!

Coins

2010-10-29T08:24:00.000-04:00

Children have a natural curiosity about money. I wonder if they sense how much we value it? I wonder whether our connection to money fuels their interest in it?

One of the things that Campster expressed an interest in learning about this year is money. She has gone in two months from not really knowing her dimes from her nickels, to feeling pretty confident about adding sums in her head.

Here she is doing a project from a great series called "Math By All Means". A wonderful friend handed down a bunch of these books to me, and we pick them up from time to time to do a lesson from them. This fall we've been doing the Money book, and the girls have been loving it.

I have a change jar that I use for these lessons. Campster first sorted the coins into Quarters, Dimes, Nickels and Pennies. Then, taking just the pennies, she used a magnifying glass to identify the date on each one. We wrote the dates on Post-its and lined them up in order on the dining room table. Then we added our families birth years as well. We talked about which pennies are older than Big Dad (that's really old!) and which ones were younger than Sher Bear. She learned about dates and became very comfortable with identifying pennies.

I am finding that I will sometimes think that a particular lesson from the book is silly, or won't hold the kids interest. But when I try it, Surprise! The kids actually love it.

On the other hand, sometimes I will be really excited about a certain project, only to find that the kids couldn't care less about it. The tendency used to be for me to try to talk them into it. But I am learning that it is better to just say "Okay, I can see you are not interested in doing that." Then I can move on to something else that might be more exciting for them. Or just take a break from that subject for a while.

By the way, please do notice the torn and worn wallpaper in the picture. We have just repainted the dining room - and I will be posting "after" pictures soon. :)

Wish you were here!

Cave Paintings

2010-10-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

Campster working diligently on her cave painting.

Sher Bear is completely focused on this activity.

A good friend is also studying the Ancients this year. She is using The Story of the World and the accompanying Activity Book. We used these with Jor Man when he was K4 - but they are really very appropriate for K - 3 or even older. Since Campster is in 2nd grade this year, and Sher Bear, the kindergardener wanted to study Egypt, we are doing some of the activities together with our friends.

This particular day was warm, so we headed to our local lake and enjoyed the beach with three other families for an end of summer play time. My friend brought kraft paper (the kind you get if you order stuff from Amazon.com), and some black paint and brushes.

The beach was the perfect no mess place to do this activity. If anyone decided to paint themselves, we sent them into the water to wash off.

A friend and Campster share the meat tray paint palette.

Wind, waves, sun and friends. Beats normal school any day!

Campster has painted a cave person and their "Kill"

To prepare my kids for this activity, I looked up "Cave Paintings, France" on Swag Bucks, and found this great website on the Lascaux cave paintings. I love that they have an online tour of the caves. I had seen still shots before in text books. But I had no idea the complexity of the paintings, let alone the shear number of them.

The kids were inspired to create their own "cave paintings". We also read aloud a couple of books which I had purchased from the Institute for Creation Research about creation and early man: Dry Bones and Other Fossils by Gary E. & Mary M. Parker, and Life in the Great Ice Age by Michael & Beverly Oard.

Sher Bear and friend hard at work

Another great resource for materials that fit this time frame is Answers in Genesis. They have a children's magazine that is excellent.

Sher Bear says it's a dear with antlers

Wish you were here!

Marching through History

2010-10-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

My IRL friend, Dorothy, sent me these great pictures of her three sons enjoying Marching Through History. Taking place in Chino, CA, this festival celebrates the various military campaigns throughout history with full costume and reenactments.

Dorothy tells me "Here are some pictures of the marching thru History event we went to in Chino. It is really great.

We spent about 30+ minutes talking to this guy about Roman battle techniques. Including how they could wear these very heavy chain mail. And he showed the kids how they marched and fought.

We also talked to a middle ages mercenary from Germany, who told us how much they got paid and why they did it.

We saw a Civil War re-anactment. Cannons and all.

5 hours and we only talked to 5 people in depth.

Learned all about the first flint guns. Lots of people really into history...

Lots of fun."

It's enough to make me want to move back to California!!

Next years event will be October 1 & 2, 2011. Anybody wanna meet there?

Now, to stack the deck: Notice what time periods were of particular interest to each child. And strategically place books on that period around the house for them to "discover".

I know this works, because my Jor Man, who is fascinated with Greek myths ate up a book that had been on our shelves, but he had missed. Sometimes kids just need to see the cover, or even the inside of the book to get interested. I left D'Aulaire's Greek Myths lying open on the sofa - and the next day, he had devoured it.

How great are these costumes? Getting to play the part adds such richness to the learning experience. Some kids are kinesthetic learners, and really need this type of experience. But everyone can benefit from coming at a subject from many different angles.

I'll bet these boys will always remember this day!

The Redcoats are coming!!

Pirate training!

Current day warriors

Wish you were here!

Hoarding

2010-10-26T09:00:00.002-04:00

We have been cleaning out the basement. So much junk. So many memories. I am learning to treasure the memories and let go of the junk. Watching a few episodes of Hoarders made it clear to me that I really wanted to let a lot of old stuff go. I am not a hoarder. Yet. But my grandmother was. And my father had his own form of hoarding - mostly paper in his case. He kept every note, every email. What a process it was to clear out the stuff when they passed away. I don't want the people who love me to have to do the same (not that I have any plans to die any time soon!).

The kids and I made piles. One pile was stuff to go to the transfer station (dump), one pile was to give away to friends, and one pile was to put away. We were able to clean out half of the basement. Now the kids ride their scooters and bikes down there. This will be especially helpful this winter when it is too cold and wet to play outside.

Some things I found in the basement peaked the kids' interest. This old typewriter was one of those things. It doesn't really work anymore. Some of the keys get stuck, so you can type, just not fast enough to make it worth it.

I was surprised at how it all came back to me. How you roll the paper through, and then open the carriage, and line it up so that the paper will be straight. And how you hit return at the end of the line. I wrote my high school and college papers on this typewriter. It was mine.

The kids all took turns typing on it. It didn't work very well because they ink on the ribbon was dry after 20 plus years of not being used. The kids got a real kick out of hearing about how we used to type things, because there weren't computers.

What old items do you have lying around? What would your kids find fascinating? Take them out, play with them for a while, and then send them to the trash.

Wish you were here!

The Big E

2010-10-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

It's happened. Jor Man is officially too big for a ride at the fair.

The Big E, as it's affectionately called, is officially known as the Eastern States Exposition. It's like the county fair, only it's for all of the New England States combined.

We got free tickets for the kids through MASS HOPE, the Massachusetts Christian Homeschoolers Organization. Big Dad took the day off to spend it with us.

There were rides galore. The kids saved up their allowances and bought wristbands which allowed them to ride all the rides all day long. Good value. It also eliminated the problem of having to choose which rides to go on if you only have so many tickets. The fun houses were a big hit. So were the slides.

The big kids really enjoyed the bumper cars. But Sher Bear did not. Unfortunately, once the ride starts, you have to see it through. Later, she was really adventurous and had a blast.

Campster makes the Maple Syrup Cotton Candy disappear!

And then there was the food!! Of course, things were complicated by the diet that we have been on ever since July. No gluten for us. But there was maple syrup cotton candy. And milk shakes. And baked potatoes.

Jor Man, Sher Bear, and Campster

I was interested in looking at the cows and the sheep. We missed the sheep dog competition. And Jor Man really liked the BMX bikes demonstration.

We will definitely go again next year, and we will be better prepared for the day. I want to schedule things out and plan the day better. This time we just winged it - and ended up walking a lot more than probably was necessary.

The coolest part of the Big E, and what sets it apart from the county fairs, is the States Avenue. There is a whole street with miniature state capitol buildings for each of the New England states. Inside each of the buildings are booths and vendors specific to each state.

Did you know that the US headquarters for LEGO are in Connecticut? Yeah, neither did I! Now my kids are signed up as testers. :)

Wish you were here!

This is a Maine baked potato. Yum!!

The Shoulds

2010-10-24T13:55:00.001-04:00

I haven't blogged in over a month. I thought about it. I thought "I should blog." But I didn't want to. Well, I wanted to a little. But mostly, I thought I should.

So, as you may have noticed, I didn't.

Grace was here for a visit (it's not her fault). And at church one morning a friend of mine made a comment about school and homework. You know what I said. . ."So why don't you home school?" Her answer is the one I always hear. "Oh, I could never do that. I am not disciplined enough. You have to be really self-disciplined to home school." LOL. Umm. No, you don't.

So I turned to Grace, who knows me super well - and I asked her "Would you say that I am disciplined?" She thought about it for a minute and then she said, "Paisley is very good at not doing anything she doesn't want to do."

I took it as the compliment that she meant it to be.

How often do the people around us (I'm talking grownups) complain about all they have to do in their lives that they don't want to do? They are depressed and unhappy about what they "Should" do. And, in effect, we have a belief as a society that this is at the core of what being a grownup is all about - doing the things we don't want to do because we believe we should do them.

School is very effective at teaching people to do what they Should do instead of what they Want to do. And once we are thoroughly convinced that this is the job of all grownups to do the shoulds, we can go one of two ways: regress into being a child forever (35 year olds that still live with their parents) or buck up and make ourselves do the things we think we should and be unhappy about it.

I am working out a third way for myself. It is neither lacking in responsibility, nor is it characterized by unhappiness.

Passion is something that cannot be mustered. But it can be encouraged. I want to live out of my happiest, most passionate self. I want to pursue joy and time with God. I want to make my life a walk with my creator that invites others to meet Him, too.

So, I haven't been writing lately. But I wanted to today. Usually, I have a rule that I don't write on Sundays. But today I am sick, and I felt like writing. What a rebel!!

I am enjoying watching my kids learn about the world and about God and themselves because they want to learn. They want to interact with the information. They are excited about it. They will remember it. They will want to share it.

Are you doing life because you want to today? Or because you think you should? What would you do differently if you only did what you want?

I've been working on listening to God. The other day I was stressing. I have a friend, newly diagnosed with cancer whom I wanted to see. I also was late for a homeschool event. And I'd promised to take the kids to Target. I could feel the stress in my neck and shoulders. I took a moment and sat down to pray. "God" I asked "What do you want me to do today?"

"Tend you garden." Was what I heard. I have a garden. It is in need of tending. But, really, with all that was on my list of things to do? Drop everything and weed?

"But it's cold outside." I complained.

Then I asked again. "God, I am trusting that I will hear from you and no one else. What do you want me to do today?"

"Rest." He said.

Ugh!! I thought. But I promised the kids I'd go to Target. And the homeschool group is expecting me, and. . . and. . ." All shoulds. Hmm.

So, I asked him again. "Are you saying I should stay home today, and rest and weed? Or are you saying that I should go with a restful spirit?"

"Whatever you do today, rest while you do it." Aha!! Rest while you do it. There is a concept.

So off we went. Slowly. No rush. Resting through the day. Savoring it. Enjoying it.

And there was a moment at a friend's house while I was sitting drinking Chai Tea where I saw though the kitchen window - she and her husband pulling weeds from their garden. Chuckle.

The garden still needs weeding. And I came down sick the next day. Guess I really should have rested more. The point is that I rested through the day and enjoyed it, instead of stressing.

Wish you were here!

Not Reading

2010-09-10T09:06:00.000-04:00

John Holt recommended in his book, Teach Your Own, that homeschooling parents ask their kids three questions:

1) What are you already doing (learning about, studying) that you want to keep doing?

2) What would you like my help to do (learn, study)? and,

3) What do you never want to do again?

This time, Campster said that she doesn't want to learn to read this year. Granted, her reading is better than it has ever been. But at 7 years old, she is not reading chapter books like Jor Man was. And she does not feel confident about her reading. She frustrates herself when trying to read. I have wondered if she is dyslexic. She will write whole sentences backwards, from right to left, and not notice the disparity. I have been reading The Gift of Dyslexia in an effort to determine how best to assist her in reading. But I have not yet come to any conclusions.

I assured her that I would not "make her read" at all this year. She was relieved.

So I find it so sweet and wonderful that when Sher Bear was feeling ill, Campster offered to read to her. Nope, no reading in this house! LOL.

Wish you were here!

How to Put Together a Unit Study

2010-09-04T07:50:00.000-04:00

Did you gasp? An unschooler talking about unit studies? Sacrilege! No, not really - unschooling has never been about avoiding learning. It's about being a resource to my kids - whatever they are interested in, I become the docent at this museum we call life - showing them around.

If you imagine for a moment that you are really a docent in a museum, and you have all the resources in the entire world available to you - well, you could just wander the museum aimlessly from time to time. But when your kids show a particular interest in one area, that's the time to gather the resources and make the most of the learning opportunity.

Sher Bear wants to know about Egypt. The last three or four times we have been to the library, she has picked out (by the pictures on the covers) book about Egypt to bring home. So based on her interest level, I have been putting together a unit study on the Ancients.

Thankfully, I have amassed a rather large library over the years. I always keep my eyes open a yard sales, at the "dump" and at the library when they are casting off the old books for free. I also never say no to a homeschool friend who would like to purge a bit.

So my big project this week has been to go through all my books, which are now overflowing the shelves, and pick out the resources we will use for this year. I have also decided that I will be putting books that refer to other time periods away for the year. That way, I will have more space, and the books will be much easier to get to.

I am also entering all my books into LibaryThing. It's a free, online service you can use to catalog your books and then to sort them, and keep track of them.

Here's a widget showing my Ancients collection on LibraryThing:

Now, just because I have the books pulled and some projects planned does not mean that I will get all "teacher-y" and make the kids sit down and learn. Rather, I am tempting them into the subject matter. We have spent the last couple of days reading books, and for now they are all still very interested in continuing. We also have some friends who are also studying the Ancients this year (they are using The Story of the World, which I used with Jor Man when he was four). We will be getting together with them once a week to do crafts and other projects around the subject matter. Next week we are going to their house where my friend will lead "Cave Painting". The week after, I will lead "Mummifying a Chicken".

Washing the chicken

Now the chicken, having been dehydrated in spices for 6 weeks, is oiled.

Jor Man wraps the chicken in linen strips coated with glue

Here are some pictures of when Jor Man and I mummified a chicken. Such fun! I am also hoping that there will be enough money to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see their wonderful Antiquities collection that even includes an Egyptian Temple.

Hiding "golden" jewels in the wrappings

The finished "mummy"

Following this, Jor Man created a "sarcophagus" for the mummy, and it was buried in our yard. Because we have since moved, we often joke about the construction project or idle digging in the future which will uncover our mummy and really have people wondering!

Wish you were here!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

2010-09-03T07:03:00.001-04:00

Despite Campster's serious look, everyone was having a great time.

Libraries in Connecticut sponsored a summer reading program this summer, complete with prizes from Barnes & Noble, Quassy, and Rockcats baseball.

All three kids won free tickets to a minor league, Rockcats baseball game. We just had to pay for the adult tickets ($8 a piece) and parking ($3). The kids even got free hot dogs and waters!

Minor league baseball is, in my mind, so much more enjoyable than major league. There is a strong feeling of community! It's not as crowded, and there is much to see and do.

The view from our seats. Not bad!

Always learning, the kids had fun finding their seats using the numbers and letters on their tickets. Then we talked about the scoreboard, and reviewed the rules of baseball. There's lots of counting involved in a baseball game. We also noticed the sign tracking the speed of the pitch, and the many billboards to read.

At the minor games, every break is time for some other community group to be acknowledged. On the field, children raced, danced, did Tae-Kwon-Do demonstrations, and sang the national anthem.

There were give aways, and the kids all got soccer balls (which we put in the car right away). We even met Miss Connecticut, who was very nice. The girls thought she was a princess, because of her tiara. They had never heard of beauty pageants. Jor Man got autographs from two of the teams three mascots.

Wish you were here!

Asking Questions

2010-09-02T08:54:00.000-04:00

Jor Man has been wanting to see the movie, "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" for some time now. We were finally able to rent it. I think we've watched it five times. The kids love it - and I thought it was very good.

It is scary. Uma Thurman is Medusa. And there is a scene near the beginning that made me jump - something about a fury. Ugly!! But if your kids aren't nightmare prone, this movie is a great example of what unschooling can be like.

Following watching the movie, Jor Man was very interested in learning more about the Greek mythological gods and goddesses. We watched
"The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization" on Netflix. He loved it. This is convenient since I intend to focus on the Ancients this year. And I noticed that there are many more similar titles on Netflix.

We have discussed how these "gods and goddesses" are really false gods or demons. For more ideas about how to talk with kids about this, see Kids in Ministry Internationals website or their curriculum, "Our Amazing God" - which we used with our family and loved.

Jor Man wanted to know - if when a "god" and a mortal have a baby, it's a "demi-god", what do you get if two "demi-gods" have a baby? So we discussed genetics.(Although, who knows if it would work that way. Would "gods" be a dominant or recessive gene?) For the record, two demi-gods would have a 50% chance of having a demi-god baby, a 25% chance of having a mere mortal, and a 25% change of giving birth to a god. Hmmm.

So many questions the kids had about the movie - so many jumping off points and learning moments. It got me thinking - how great are questions?!

In school, kids are told what they SHOULD know, not what they WANT to know. When my kids ask me a question, I know that they are sincerely interested in the subject and want to know the answer. This is totally different than them memorizing the answer to a question they never asked so that they will be able to answer the question when they are tested.

I am attempting to inspire, delight, and create an environment of wonder and curiosity so compelling that I am inundated with questions! Mom, how does this work? Why is it blue? How come?

Inquisitive kids make great learners. I wonder if parents are afraid of questions, though? What if your kids ask questions, and you don't know the answers?

That's when the real learning takes place, as you teach your kids how to find out the answers themselves. Perhaps you show them how to look up a word in the dictionary. Or you search for something on the internet. Or you go to the library, and have them ask the librarian their question.

We want to create life long learners. Not great test takers.

"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing,
but it is the honor of kings to search it out,”
Proverbs 25:22

Wish you were here!

Balancing Act

2010-08-27T07:37:00.001-04:00

Campster and Jor Man on a log and board at a friend's house.

This is just a piece of log and a board, with a screw in the middle. Can they balance?

Jor Man comes in to the middle, and Campster out to the edge. Almost got it!

Ta Da!!

Wish you were here!

Space in Time

2010-08-26T07:38:00.000-04:00

Sher Bear is really good at cracking eggs!

In a previous post, I told you how four-year-old Sher Bear is now in charge of breakfasts. For the record, everyone is doing an outstanding job with their new posts. If I made a listing of everything they have cooked, you wouldn't believe me. So perhaps I need to get my camera out more often.

Here, Sher Bear is cracking eggs for scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese. We use a dozen eggs for our family at breakfast, so she is cracking all twelve.

About three eggs into it, she noticed: "Hey, Mom, I cracked three eggs and there are (counts). . . nine eggs left!"

"Yes," I say "because three and nine make twelve." Now she is onto something. And she stops after every egg broken to count and reassess the situation.

I didn't get my camera out until she was down to four eggs. She sits on the floor as she cracks them, because that is easier for her.

This is the quintessential unschooling moment. Counting eggs while cooking. Never mind that it delayed breakfast. It was worth it. And that got me thinking.

How much learning is missed because we are too busy and hurried to take advantage of it? When I started homeschooling with Jor Man six years ago, I was very into the schedule. We had our days packed, and it wasn't easy fitting in all those subjects along with driving to this meeting and that class.

The times when I stressed and feeling like I am needing to be somewhere or do something - I am not available and aware of the learning moments. And when I am not present and in the moment - that is when I am gruff and short tempered.

Our schedule has changed drastically due to my illness last year. There was a while there when I couldn't drive, and I needed to take things one moment at a time. I couldn't plan things into our schedule, because I didn't know how I'd be feeling. So we just learned to flow through the day. First we would do one thing, at whatever pace necessary, and then we might move on to the next. But I was easy and gentle with myself, and with the kids. Now that I am better, we've kept the slow schedule, and it is working much better for us.

Wish you were here!

The Boy and The Moon

2010-08-24T21:57:00.000-04:00

Recently, we attended a BBQ at my friend's house. Among other things, we were celebrating the publishing of her hubby's book. He is an accomplished artist, whose illustrations have been in magazines. The Boy and the Moon is his first book. And it is wonderful.

The story is so cute, and has a clever turn at the end. In fact, you may find yourself discussing homonyms. You will also enjoy a discussion of the moon and its phases.

But what will really bless you, are the amazing illustrations. You know how the moonlight has a mysterious, glowy, dreamy quality to it? Jim captures that in his illustrations. They are so beautiful! And it reminds me of the fun, fanciful "Where the Wild Things Are," but without the scary monsters. I hope that he will be nominated for a Caldecott award. (Note to self: Find out how to nominate someone.) I might have to get two copies so I can rip the pages out of one and frame them.

Beauty Mom, Fun Friend, and Awesome Artist

The book will be released on September first. I really want you to go to Amazon and preorder one. Not because the author/artist is my friend's husband (although. . .) - because you will LOVE it. And then you will know what to get for all those kids on your Christmas list.

Please comment when you have the book in your hands, and tell me how much you love it. I'll pass your comments on to Jim. This is one of those books that you will keep on your shelf after you've culled out the twaddle.

Wish you were here!

First Concert

2010-08-23T20:31:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, Big Dad and I took Jor Man to his first concert. Train and John Mayer each performed just outside of Boston. I had been thinking, the last couple of times that I was at a concert, how much Jor Man would like it, and we finally decided to make it so.

We also thought that it might be nice for Jor Man to have some time alone with mom and dad. After all, he hasn't had us to himself since, well, since Campster was born and he was three-years-old.

I was surprised how apprehensive he was. So many questions: Would it be safe? Would I stay right with him the whole time? How many people would be there? How long would it be?

I answered the questions to the best of my ability and assured him that Big Dad and I would not be taking him some place that wasn't safe for him. But, it would be a very late night. And he would see some very odd behavior.

Sure enough, there were people tailgating in the parking lot and getting really drunk. Some of the women were scantily clad. We had discussed alcohol in the past. I cook with wine, but don't drink. We've talked about drunk drivers. Jor Man thinks drinking is stupid and bad. And while I am glad he does not revere it, I think he a bit judgmental.

I decided to take the opportunity to talk about drugs. I explained that there would be people smoking marijuana at the concert. I said I wasn't sure if we would see anyone smoking it, but that we would certainly smell it. Jor Man was shocked and appalled! So cute how innocent he is. But I don't want him to be naive. We talked about what marijuana does to the body and the mind. He asked me to describe the smell. I couldn't. But I promised to tell him when I smelled it.

Sure enough, I did. And I calmly told him so. He didn't smell it at first. And then his nose shriveled up a bit, and he got a sickened look on his face (always the drama king!). "Oh, yuck!" He cried. "Why would anyone want to smell that?"

Both bands were magnificent - really impressive drums and guitar. John Mayer is amazing - reminds me of Jimi Hendrix. Jor Man was properly inspired. We haven't been able to get him off his guitar and drums since. I've noticed he is hearing music differently now - searching out the guitar lines, and differentiating between single notes and chords.

Technically, I was in my first concert. It was sixth grade, and I was singing in Carnegie Hall with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I was blessed to grow up in the town where the Children's Chorus sang with the CSO under George Solti and Margaret Hillis. Doreen Rao, mother of the children's choir movement was our director. I still have the piece, Mahler's Eighth Symphony, memorized, all these years later. Even though it was in latin and in german, it stirred my soul.

Great music does that - whether classical or contemporary. I hope you will make the effort to take your children to see some really great music performed.

The video below is not me, and not even the CSO, but it is my favorite part - the finale of Mahler's Eighth. Enjoy!

Wish you were here!

The New Chefs

2010-08-22T15:33:00.000-04:00

Campster's Gluten-Free, Butterfly-Shaped, Pepperoni Pizza

My kids have always liked to help out in the kitchen. Now that I am done with my chef job, and back to my full-time mommy job, I decided I'd like the kids to do more of the cooking.

Cooking is the perfect unschooling medium. It involves planning the menu and writing it out, reading the recipe, shopping for the ingredients, economizing the purchases, coordinating the time it will take to cook with the time it will be served, measuring ingredients (fractions!), time and temperature, safety training, nutrition. . . I'm sure I've missed some, but you get the idea.

We have conversations about why eating only mac & cheese for three meals a day would not be good for your body. We talk about carbs, proteins, fats and sugars. We categorize foods into meats, dairy, grains, vegetables and fruits. We pick fresh produce from the garden. And we butcher our own chickens. Lots of botany and biology going on.

For now we have settled on Sher-Bear cooking breakfast, Campster cooking lunch, and Jor Man cooking dinner. They plan the menus out a week in advance and help with the grocery list and shopping. I encourage them to think ahead a couple of days and see what they might need to either defrost or to prepare in advance. For instance, on Sundays we always have a potluck lunch after church. So Campster needed to prepare the pot roast (crock pot overnight) and the brownies the night before. And Jor Man is making Coq Au Vin for dinner Monday night, so it will start cooking Sunday afternoon.

This morning, Sher Bear cooked scrambled eggs and bacon for us. I supervised, but she did most of it herself. Before we eat, we all say "Thank you" to the chef, (who is beaming) and then we give thanks to God for the food.

Wish you were here!

Delicious and Nutritious

2010-08-14T06:53:00.000-04:00

Hair nets are not flattering!

If you've been wondering why I haven't been posting as much, there is a reason. I have been working. (Gasp!!) I haven't worked outside the home since before getting my promotion to MOM. It's been over 11 years. But given that Big Dad wasn't working but a few hours a week, and my friend wanted help, I said "Yes!", and I have been working as a Sous Chef for a few weeks.

My friend is the Head Chef at The Option Institute, and she was a little short-handed for their busiest season. I was joking when I asked if she wanted me to come and help her cook. But she wasn't concerned about my lack of professional training and experience. She'd been to my house and she knew I could cook.

I have one week left to work there. The fantastic news is that Big Dad now has full-time (albeit temporary) work. So I get to do my Mommy Gig full-time again! I confess, it has been challenging, and fun to work again. But my kids miss me (they tell me over and over!) and I miss them. The girls even drew pictures of me as a chef which we hung up at Option.

Sher Bear drew me wearing a chef's hat.

I've always loved to cook. And I take cooking for my family very seriously. I have often thought that giving my family the nutritious food they need to grow and be well is one of my most important charges as a mother. But while making my famously delicious Cheesy Potato Soup yesterday, I was thinking.

When I am cooking at Option, I want the food to taste fabulous. I don't get to choose the menu, the recipes or the ingredients. So I am not focusing on the nutritious aspects of the cuisine. I am focusing on how it tastes. I want the food that I cook at Option to be delicious. Good enough doesn't cut it. I am shooting for over the top scrumptious!

And then it occurred to me, I don't do that at home. Why? At home, I focus so much on the nutritious aspects of the food that I am content to leave it at that. I know the food I serve at home is fresh, organic and has all the nutrients a growing body could want. I am, in fact, pretty hard core about that. But if my kids don't like how it tastes - eh? I haven't really cared so much. I figure, if they had their way, they'd eat pizza, hot dogs and mac and cheese all day long. Eating is about supplying nutritious food to your body - it's not about joy. Or is it?

Campster's drawing has me a bit cross-eyed!

Working as a chef has made me think differently about food. Sure, I still want the best food for my family. I won't buy fruits and veggies that have pesticides sprayed on them, or milk that has been pasturized and homogenized. I want my beef to be grass-fed. But now I am focusing on how I can make it really delicious, too. Because eating is about sharing the joy of food, not just a dull exercise in filling up the stomach. I don't want my kids to learn to dislike eating.

Which got me thinking about learning. So many of us do the same with our home schools. We focus so much on getting "the good stuff" into them - as if they are buckets to be filled - that we stop focusing on the wonder and the joy of discovering the world around us together.

I am going to seek this year to make our learning together delicious and nutritious. Bon appetit!

Wish you were here!

Vacation Bible School

2010-08-10T07:21:00.001-04:00

Last week was spent at Kidz Kamp, our church's version of Vacation Bible School. We meet each morning from 9 am to 12:15 pm. I lead the theater class and a Bible class for 3rd and 4th graders.

This year, Jor Man chose to do "Tech" class again, and loved it. They figured out (the teachers didn't tell them) how to make motors. Then they made blimps and finally submarines. Jor Man was entranced. He came home every afternoon eager to show Big Dad and I what he had discovered. We begged the instructor to know where he got his projects. This website has lots of fun experiments and projects in technology.

Campster and Sher Bear adored their "Younger Crafts" class as usual. Next year Campster will be old enough to possibly try something else. But she really loves the crafts, too.

The teens serve as CTs (Counselors in Training) and it is an opportunity for them to experience ministering to others, as well as being on the team together. In addition to assisting the teachers, (and sometimes being the teachers), they lead worship, put on skits, and set the tone for the whole camp. This year's CT group was phenomenal. Jor Man is looking forward to being a CT in three more years.

I love how our little church really turns out for this event each year - people take their vacations to be able to share this week with the kids. It's free for the families, and so we draw many children from the surrounding area who do not usually attend our church.

I especially loved my Bible class, where the kids asked tough questions: "How good do you have to be to get into heaven?" and "Why did they kill Jesus?" I love their honesty and their willingness to get real.

Some of the kids who came to camp were not well behaved. That gave me an opportunity to talk with my kids about how we treat others who are not nice to us. They were able to pray for, and love these children, and now they are friends. That's Jesus' love in action!

Wish you were here!

Skills

2010-08-02T15:55:00.001-04:00

Jor Man with the Coconut he found and opened

Dakota's comments on the last post really made me smile. I love ALL your comments. Keep them coming. But what you may not know is that Dakota and I know each other in real life. In fact, she's the person who encouraged me to start writing this blog - and the person I am usually thinking of when I write it - My audience of one, and the rest of you are all gravy!! Wonderful gravy. Dakota challenges me with her questions and makes me think about why I am doing what I am doing. Not that I haven't thought about it before, but putting into words clarifies it for me.

But back to Dakota's comments. For the record, I also started out as a Classical-minded, Charlotte Mason leaning educator. I still am. I love the classics and good literature. I read "The Well-Trained Mind" through several times before my oldest child turned 3!! We have a lot in common, Dakota and I. (The two best ways to totally overwhelm yourself before starting homeschool are to read through The Well-Trained Mind, and to browse through the Rainbow Resource Curriculum Guide. The options are indeed endless.)

It is so easy for me to fall back into that - it's deliciously comforting to me in theory. I love the idea that I could educate my children in such a way that they would have read all of those wonderful books, and had a very rigorous and thorough education. It's just that when I tried, I found a different reality hitting me in the face.

At Auto Safari Chapin in Guatemala

I didn't like the struggles with my kids (mostly Jor Man, since he was the ~~guinea pig~~ first born). It broke my heart to see his initial joy and enthusiasm toward learning turning into a grimace, a pout and then all out defiance.

Reading John Holt's "How Children Fail" was such a revelation to me. I was expecting my children to produce a certain result. And this had slowly become so much more important to me than the fun of learning. I saw in that book that I was producing for some unseen (and some seen) critics of my homeschooling. I felt I had to produce brilliant and well-schooled children in order to "prove" that my choice in homeschooling them was somehow justified. (As if I could convince anyone who doesn't want to believe in homeschooling.)

Hitting the wall came for me in fits and spurts. I noticed how much they learned when life created a necessary school break. Instead of "regressing" when we took a break, they excelled. It got downright embarrassing. They did better when I didn't teach them than when I did. Hmmm. So much for proving myself.

Sher Bear's drawing of the boy we met carrying his parrots on a stick

I noticed the "teachable moments" - those times when they were really excited about about a beaver, a fly or a plant they found in the yard. I noticed how a movie could open up a whole discussion about something, that (prior to the movie) they had not been interested in.

Piece by piece, I realized that my teaching them was not the joyfilled, fun experience we were all hoping for. I organized, planned and imagined wonderful times of learning - and in practice, there was arguing, groaning and (yes) yelling on my part.

I considered sending them all to school. Perhaps it was just that I was a poor teacher. Or perhaps teaching and parenting was too much for me.

After digging for Mayan artifacts in the mud, Sher Bear does her "yucky" face

But I found something else. I clung to the moments of wonder. Instead of urging them to get back to the table and finish their worksheets, I entered into their questioning of the world. Discovery became an adventure - OUR adventure. And they started asking me for help.

"Mom, could you help me figure out how to skin this snake?" Umm, ugh, okay. "Mom, can we find the chicken's brain?" (while slaughtering our chickens) "Mom, how do you spell Birthday?" "How do you make a B?" "How many quarters do I need to buy my doll a backpack?"

This Monarch butterfly is one of the many Campster will catch this summer.

All the subjects flowed naturally from their curiousity. I no longer needed to coerce them into learning. I just needed to be willing and flexible. Suddenly, I was the best "teacher" ever. They were learning, and I was helping. I wasn't getting in their way.

Dakota, you mentioned skills like reading, writing and math. I know you well enough to know that you read volumes to your kids. They will read. You don't need to teach them. They'll get it. They'll start asking you how to spell words and how to make the various letters. They'll become interested in numbers, counting, and how many. Before you know it, they'll be doing division, and you will have never "taught" them it. That's how its happening in our house.

Campster and Sher Bear climbing the steps of an old chapel

If your kids are begging you to teach them to read, facilitate their learning. Doing it every day is great if you want them to read early - but if they get frustrated - back off. Kids who feel like mom or dad (or teacher) is disappointed in their progress start to shut down. Every time my daughter reads, she's so much better than the last time. It's a natural developmental process. Like talking. Like walking.

When my kids were learning to walk, I sometimes did egg them on. It's fun. And as long as it was fun for them, they would humor me and try. But sometimes, I think, they didn't want to. They resented the pressure. Imagine if there was a school for walking. Imagine we sent our kids to walking school, and they were graded. Some kids were considered remedial walkers. Really - that sounds absurd. Or talking school?! We play with kids when they babble. It's fun and that is how they learned to talk. We talked with them. Can you imagine step by step instructions for teaching your child to talk? "Teach your child to walk and talk in 100 easy lessons". Crazy. So why is reading, writing and math any different?

Jor Man overwhelmed by his club sandwich!

By not teaching my girls these things, I have noticed the natural development that occurs in these three areas if children are left to investigate them at their own pace. It's so amazing. Just like walking, talking, and feeding oneself - children naturally learn to read, write, and do math. It's built into our development.

These are skills. I agree with Dakota. We can place them in a category different than, say, American History. We do use them everyday. Even without trying to. Give your children an environment that is full of real life (not an isolated existence in a classroom full of their peers), and watch them develop naturally - with all the love for learning that God gave them.

Wish you were here!

P.S. - Dakota - I love you whether you homeschool or not - whether you unschool or insist on doing the trivium. Whatever works for you and your kids is wonderful.

Holes

2010-08-01T21:42:00.001-04:00

Campster caught this butterfly in Tiquisate, Guatemala

When I mention to people that we homeschool, invariably they ask how I know what to teach. Wow. There are so many assumptions about learning going on in that question that I hardly know where to be begin.

If you read my blog, you know that I don't claim to teach my children anything. I prefer to view myself as a facilitator or a resource person, rather that a teacher. They do the learning. I help them with resources and supplies. But I don't teach.

The original question also assumes that there are certain things which would be the correct things to teach. As if anything my kids wanted to learn would not be the right things. I ask my kids regularly what they want to learn. I keep a list. I focus my attention on helping them learn what they want to learn. If Jor Man wants to learn about DNA so that he can "clone dinosaurs", I rent Jurassic Park, and get him a DNA kit. If Campster's abundant interest in butterflies means she'd like a new net and a larger habitat for them, I look into getting it. I also got her books on butterflies so she can identify what she's caught. Sher Bear's interest in learning about Egypt lead to books on mummies and pyramids. You get the idea.

Campster and Sher Bear examining a dead dragonfly

But what I think my well-intentioned acquaintances mean by their question is this: "There are certain things that kids learn in school. And if your kids don't go to school, how will you know what these things are so that you can make sure they know them?"

This assumes something commonly referred to as core knowledge: the philosophy that there is a central body of knowledge that people should know in order to be "on par" with their peers and eventually be a well-rounded citizen.

Well, apologies to Ed Hirsch aside, I don't believe in core knowledge. First of all, because I've never met anyone who has said "core knowledge". Rather, everyone I meet has a certain amount of things they chose to remember from school, and most of it they forgot.

This is what John Holt refers to as producing - when a person "learns" something just long enough for the test and then forgets it all. Are we really going to call THAT learning? And if that is what we mean by core knowledge - this all important shared information that we all have - how come we all seem to be doing just fine having forgotten it?

This amphibian was at the door one morning.

Similar to the idea of core knowledge is the fear of holes in our knowledge. Somethings these are called gaps. As if any of us actually knows everything! Obviously, we all have gaps and holes in our knowledge. That's okay. That's what books, experiences, museums and the internet are for. If there's something we don't know, and we decide that we want to know it - we can go and find it out.

Every homeschooling parent I meet is amazed by how much they are learning in the process of home schooling their kids. This means that either they never learned this "all important knowledge" the first time around themselves, and managed to lead a productive life nonetheless. Or it means that what we want for our kids to learn, or what they want to learn, is somehow different than what we learned. But who's to say that different is bad?

So, to sum it all up: I am much less interested in meeting (what I deem to be arbitrary) guidelines or even milestones. I fully expect that my children will have gaps in their knowledge of the world. Ultimately, they choose what they want to learn about and remember, regardless of whether I want them to or not. That would be true whether they went to school or not.

In the end, I want my kids to believe that learning is something that is fun, rewarding and something they can do whenever and wherever they want to. I want them to love to learn. That will serve them their whole lives.

Wish you were here!

Ambience and Fraud

2010-07-27T21:06:00.001-04:00

Sher Bear takes a break from swimming at Tiquisate, Guatemala

People comment that my kids seem well educated. How can they tell that? I wonder. I think it must be their vocabulary. All three kids, but Campster especially, have an amazing repetoire of words they use in everyday conversation.
How did that happen? Here's a few guesses:

1. They don't go to school. Because they are around Mom, Dad, and other grownups most days, their vocabulary reflects the word choices of adults over those of children.

2. They don't watch television. We have a plasma. But we do not have cable tv or sattelite. Instead we watch hand-picked movies from time to time. Everytime I do get a chance to watch tv, I am amazed how dumbed-down much of it is.

3. We read, a lot. Big Dad is especially great about reading to the kids. I prefer books on tape. But one way or another, they listen to or read plenty of good literature. That's not to say that we completely disallow "twaddle", but that is not the bulk of their reading.

4. We don't "talk down" to them. Big Dad and I talk about almost anything in front of the kids. And we discuss it as though we are talking with our adult friends. The kids have great insight and opinions on things. And when they don't understand a word, they ask us.

Like today, in the car, I said the word "ambience". I can't remember what the context was. But Campster asked me what that meant. We had a whole discussion on the feel of certain rooms. And we decided that the ambience in the girls' room is much improved now that the old wallpaper is gone and the new wainscoting and beautiful pink paint is in it's place.

And then this evening, Jor Man and I were looking at a video on the internet, and they said that someone was a fraud. Jor Man wanted to know what fraud meant. We talked about the Wizard of OZ and how he wasn't "The Great and Powerful OZ" after all, but a fraud - a lie.

And since I don't have any great pictures of vocabulary - I thought I'd post this cute one of Sher Bear swimming in Guatemala. She loves swimming!

Wish you were here!

Dressing the Part

2010-07-21T19:30:00.002-04:00

Jor Man as Leif Erikson for Halloween 2006.

Our kids love playing dress up. Costume changes happen several times a day. When we studied the Vikings three years ago, Jor Man wanted to be Leif Erikson for Halloween.

Dressing up naturally leads to acting out the story. And making up new stories, too. Around that same time, we also saw Mary Poppins for the first time. Jor Man decided to write a play in which Erik the Red and the Vikings pillage a town, and then they get on horses that fly away (like Mary Poppins' carousel!). He may have been taking a little poetic license with the history, but he will never forget the Vikings.

Sher Bear laughs at the pinata in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

We bought traditional outfits for the girls in Guatemala. (Jor Man didn't want one!) They love dressing up Guatemalan. They ask to wear their new clothes almost everyday.

Campster gets sun block from Big Dad in Guatemala

Making costumes (or buying them) is an easy way to make learning fun, and connect with another culture.

Campster and her doll posing with a girl in native costume at the Central Market in Guatemala City.

This fall, Sher Bear wants to study Egypt. So I am putting together a study of Ancient Civilizations to do with her and with Campster. I found this cool book at the Homeschool Convention. I think making hats to wear will help make studying the Ancients memorable and fun!

Wish you were here!

Chocolate

2010-07-20T21:34:00.002-04:00

Cacao growing outside of Tiquisate, Guatemala

There, on the tree. That football shaped, greenish fruit growing out of the trunk or branch. That's it. That's a cacao pod. That is where chocolate comes from.

I remember seeing it for the first time when I was nine years old, and thinking it was the strangest thing - stuck there on the side of the trunk.

But, oh, how I love chocolate! Jor Man went through a phase a couple of years ago when he was very interested in making chocolate. We tried it, and failed miserably. It didn't even taste good.

I asked my cousin, while we were in Guatemala, to get us one so that the kids could see for themselves where chocolate comes from. He got us two!! These were yellow (ripe?).

We played with them a bit, first, of course. And then we cut them open.

Campster and Sher Bear playing with the cacao pods

They cut very easily, which surprised me. The skin in hard like a winter squash, but the inside is soft. It's whitish inside, and then there are little beans, cacao beans in the white. It doesn't look a thing like chocolate - or taste like it.

Pretty much every kid I know has smelled unsweetened cocoa powder, or unsweetened baker's chocolate and taken a taste. Horrible bitter stuff! Well, straight cacao beans make that seem yummy!

What the cacao beans look like raw

Jor Man tried tasting one and hated it!! Before the beans can be used, they are roasted. Then they add fat and sugar, and sometimes milk. Well, that's the short-version. If you want to read about how to really make chocolate, The Story of Chocolate is a great book for kids. It has information on the history, geography, and manufacturing process. We read that and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl one year. Of course we watched the movies, too. It's fun to compare the old and the new - an opportunity to compare and contrast. Makes a fun unit study. Delicious, too!

Wish you were here!

Auto Safari Chapin

2010-07-19T10:12:00.003-04:00

Sher Bear looking out the window at the Zebras

Near the south coast of Guatemala, in Escuintla, is a place called Auto Safari Chapin. I am told that originally it was the private collection (of animals) of one man who eventually opened it to the public.

A rhino. It looks like he's going to charge us, but he was actually walking quite slowly.

Sher Bear checks out the giraffes.

The first part is a drive through safari. We saw zebras, lions, hippos, a rhino, giraffes, monkeys, many birds, antelope and even water buffalo. Only for the lion exhibit did we need to have our windows up. Otherwise, our windows were down and we were driving right by the animals - amazing! Not all of the animals were from Guatemala - they had animals from all over the world.

Two lions lounging in the grass

After the driving portion of the tour, we parked and walked through a more traditional zoo. We especially liked the jaguars and pumas. The scenery was lovely. The animals were easy to see and active even during the day. Considering that we used to live 5 miles from the San Diego Wild Animal Park, I thought I was difficult to impress when it came to zoos. But this place was really amazing.

Beautiful Toucan

I believe this is a Puma. It's actually yawning, not growling.

The entire time we were there, we only saw one other family. We had the place to ourselves. Of course, it was during the day on a weekday, during their school year. I understand it's crowded on weekends and holidays.

The kids have discovered the Lagoon.

Jor Man in the bow of the boat

Once we had seen all the animals, the kids noticed the boats on the lagoon. I let Big Dad take the kids because I get a little seasick. They had a great time and saw a lot more spider monkeys.

Don't they look like an ad for "Spy Kids"?

There was also a swimming area. Luckily, we had our suits packed! The kids loved the wonderful pools: a shallow kiddy pool that was perfect for Sher Bear and a larger, deeper pool with a slide for the big kids. By now you know that my children are really fish in disguise. They swam and swam.

All this for the incredible price of $8 for adults and $6.67 for kids. Isn't that crazy?

Campster's first run down the slide to Big Dad. Jor Man looks scared for her!

Wish you were here!

A Leap of Faith

2010-07-16T12:27:00.002-04:00

The rumbly truck that would take us to the top - and shake our fillings loose in the process!

We discussed before leaving for Guatemala that things would not be the same there as they are in the states. We talked about how the food would be different, and it was (sooo yummy!!). We considered that things might not be as clean or well kept as we are used to them being (bathrooms come to mind). We talked about how being on a trip is an adventure - and if you are only going to do the things you are used to or comfortable with, you might as well just stay home.

Sher Bear is ready to go!

Well, that was never more true than when we went to Antigua, and visited Finca Filadefia. My wonderful relatives who planned out all the details of our itinerary told us that we were going on the canopy tour. I asked for some clarification. "It's up in the trees with ropes." Still confused. Is this a ropes course? Or more like a zip line. "Zip line!"

Here goes Jor Man! He loved it!

Well, good. Jor Man has been begging to do a real zip line for some time now. But could little four-year-old Sher Bear go on it? "Oh, sure! The owners' kid has been on it and they are three." So, we boarded the truck for the drive up the mountain. I assure you - that ride was half the fun. The road was rocky and one lane with hairpin turns. The engine sounded as if it might give out up the steep slopes. But the views of the surrounding volcanos were gorgeous.

Campster showing perfect zipline form - leg crossed, knees slightly bent, holding on.

All the way up, Campster asserted that she was not going to do it, and we couldn't make her. Hmmm. This will be interesting, I thought, and asked God for help. When we got to the top, and Jor Man saw the ropes and how high up we were, he began insisting that he wasn't doing it either.

But, Buddy! You've been begging to go on a zip line! "NOPE! Not doing it!" More silent prayers.

We all got suited up with our harnesses and hard hats. And then the lead instructor showed us how it is done. "Watch!" I said to Sher Bear, "it's like a big swing!" And she was so excited. Really. And then the big kids were as well.

Big Dad zips through the trees.

It never even occurred to me, until it was my turn to, well, jump, to be scared. I was so busy talking the kids into doing it, and taking pictures, that I didn't realize how utterly terrified I was until it was really too late. Practice what you preach, right? So I jumped. And it was really cool.

All in all, there were 7 runs. The longest run was 715 feet long and 100 feet off the ground. Everyone loved it. It was amazing. The pictures really don't do it justice.

Wish you were here!

The Bridge

2010-07-14T17:49:00.001-04:00

Sher Bear and Beauty Mom ready to cross

The first time I ever went to Guatemala, I was nine years old. I still have vivid memories of that trip - and I hope that my kids will remember their trip always as well.

One of the things that I remembered from that first trip was the hammock bridge. My family in Guatemala has a farm (una finca) that is now primarily a mango plantation. It was a cattle ranch 36 years ago. In the dry season, you drive through the river to the other side. But this is the rainy season, and the only way to get to the finca now is to go across the hammock bridge.

When I was nine, my mother wouldn't let me do it. At that time only one person could cross at a time. Now many people cross at once.

Just so that you get the full picture - this river was running very high and very fast. And, I am told, has alligators. Although, thankfully, I didn't see any.

Big Dad and Sher Bear on their way back

So we said our prayers and crossed the bridge. Sher Bear had the hardest time, because she could not reach the wires on the side. So Beauty Mom crossed over with her on the way there, and Big Dad on the way back.

The kids loved it! The adults survived it. And we all had a lovely time at the mango farm. Traveling is all about doing the things you don't do in your every day life. We dubbed this the "Indiana Jones Adventure".

Campster's drawing of the bridge

I bought journals for each of us to draw and write in on our trip. (I didn't like the pencils I got, because they smeared. I also forgot to bring a pencil sharpener.) The girls especially loved this process of drawing what happened each day. On the left is Campster's picture of the bridge. And below, on the right, is Sher Bear's. I love the alligator!

I love that Sher Bear did not show a parent with her!

Wish you were here!

Writers' Block

2010-07-13T14:16:00.002-04:00

We are back, and we had a fabulous time. There is so much to tell.

And yet, every time I sit down and try to put it into words - I am at a loss. Which got me thinking - What do I do when I want the kids to write? How do I encourage their writing?

When words fail us, or feel too intimidating, pictures can help the process. Perhaps a child does not know where to begin when writing a story - have him or her draw a picture. Then ask them to tell you about their picture: What is happening? How did it start? Who is in the picture? Where is it happening? When did it happen? And what happens next?

If you write down what they answer, you will have the rough draft of the story. Little kids love to have you write out the story they dictate based on a picture. And bigger kids will get the start they need to get a paper or a story going.

So, taking my own advice, here's my picture:

Rosa, Beauty Mom, Sher Bear and Campster with our tortillas

This is Rosa. Rosa is the maid (or in spanish, criada) at my cousin, Ricardo's home. We arrived in Guatemala City in the evening on Sunday. And first thing we did on Monday morning when we woke up was to go into the kitchen and meet Rosa. She is so sweet.

Here Rosa is making tortillas for the family. She taught the girls and me how to make them. It's harder than it looks.

Our tortillas were not round and flat like Rosa's. But they were still edible. The girls made sure that everyone got to try their tortillas!

Rosa does not speak any english. So the girls also got a chance to communicate non verbally with someone. And they began to ask how to say things in spanish.

I took over 600 pictures while in Guatemala. I promise not to show them all to you - just the highlights. But the next few weeks will probably be a lot of Guatemala. It is a lovely place.

Wish you were here!

Hasta Luego!

2010-06-25T22:07:00.000-04:00

The kids' bags are packed. Tomorrow Big Dad and I will pack. I'll mow the lawn. We'll make a run to the transfer station (trash).

Sunday we fly to Guatemala. Lord willing. I am watching the weather down there and wondering. Tonight Big Dad quipped, "Hey, I know! Let's go on vacation somewhere with hurricanes, active volcanos, crime and malaria! That'd be fun!"

But I think it really will be fun. It's an adventure. So I am putting on my adventurous spirit and trusting God that we will all have a really fun, exciting time in Guatemala.

We will be staying with my Guatemalan family, mostly in Guatemala City. But we will also be going to Antigua, Chichicastenango, and Tiquisate. We will be in the jungle and in a mango plantation. We will visit Mayan ruins and watch a volcano erupt (from a distance!). Sounds like Indiana Jones, doesn't it?

I will be "going dark" for a couple of weeks. My cell phone wouldn't work down there anyway. And while we might have some internet access while in the city - we will be traveling all over. So if you don't hear from me for a couple of weeks, you'll know we made it there okay. No news is good news!

When we get back, I'll have pictures and lots of adventures to share with you.

Now off to pack the sketch pads, extra camera batteries, and passports.

Please pray for our health and for the weather to cooperate.

Wish you were here!

The Right Way to Write

2010-06-24T09:05:00.003-04:00

I have been watching something wonderful happening. Sher Bear is beginning to write. This is wonderful because it is such an organic, developmental experience for her.

When Jor Man was that age, we were already doing a full "school" program at home. I did more of a Classical Trivium program with him in the beginning. I read "The Well Trained Mind" all the way through several times. We worked on reading. We worked on writing. We worked on language arts. We studied the Ancients and even mummified a chicken. It was very intentional and rigorous. And for a little while, it was fun.

I think it was fun because it was novel and I was only teaching one child. Campster was there, getting into stuff and learning right along with us. I was fresh and enthusiastic - and that goes a long way into making "school" fun.

Sher Bear writing. Behind her paper are the Abeka blend ladders that a friend gave us.

But then we began to run into problems. Jor Man didn't like to be told how to write his letters. If I wasn't sitting there, watching each stroke, he might start a letter at the bottom, instead of at the top. Or he might make his loops counter-clockwise, instead of clockwise. Oh, the horror of it!

I can joke now, because I have distance and I now know that everything turns out all right in the end. But at the time, I was really stressing myself out. And Jor Man, of course, picked up on my anxiety. He felt pressured to do it "my way" - which I kept telling him was the "right" way. And the more I insisted, the more he balked.

And then there were the backwards letters. Is he dyslexic? What does it all mean? So much worry - and so little fun. Of course, I believed that if he didn't write correctly, it meant something about me as a teacher and parent. And maybe it meant homeschooling wasn't working, and I'd need to send him to "real" school. Ugh.

I got books on reversals, and worked with him. That helped only when we were focusing on getting the letters (and numbers) to go the right way. When he wrote outside of that time, they were all backwards again.

So I gave up. Really. And soon something else started happening. He got really creative with his writing. He started trying to write in cursive (he was 6 or 7 then), and he was pretty good. He liked mimicking my writing, and his dad's. He took an interest in how his writing looked, and soon the letters and numbers were going the "right" way. His writing became incredibly legible.

I think his fine motor skills caught up and his interest in handwriting, now that mom wasn't badgering him about it, brought out the artist in him. He wanted to learn calligraphy. He began drawing cartoons.

Campster taught herself to write. But then I intervened. I tried "A Reason for Handwriting" and she didn't protest. But she liked coloring the pictures more that writing the letters. The letters were sloppy, and she didn't follow their instructions. I could tell she had no interest in learning to write that way - so she wasn't giving it any real effort. Another fail!

She still writes in nearly all capital letters, and usually reverses a letter or two. I don't give it a second thought. She writes a lot - all day calling out "Mom? How do you spell . . .?" The rest will come.

But what I am noticing now, that I find really fun, is Sher Bear's writing. She's 4 1/2 and fascinated by words. She loves to make us cards - I get three or four a day from her. She'll ask me, or her brother or sister for help making a letter or spelling a word. Sometimes, I'll get the magnetic lowercase letters down from the frig to spell something for her. And sometimes I'll write it out myself and let her copy. I might even get a highlighter and write out the words in yellow for her to trace over. But that's the extent of our lessons. I don't "make" her write anything. I don't even have any of that lined paper in the house. But we go through a lot of plain white copypaper!

And I am loving seeing her creative spelling of words and her joy in the process. She wants to write, and read because she sees her family writing and reading. She is teaching herself - just like she taught herself to walk and to talk. I don't correct her, I just enjoy her. The developmental stage she is in now is so lovely. It's just great fun to watch it unfold.

Wish you were here!

Painting together

2010-06-23T17:12:00.001-04:00

We really love to paint around here. I don't just mean that we have the standard preschool easel with paints (although we do), or even finger paints or watercolor. I mean making "real" art.

It all started when Jor Man was three-years-old. Big Dad wanted something special to put over the mantel letting everyone know that we are Christians. I got an idea for a painting of Jesus, in three parts: two hands and his head, on the cross. I sketched it out, and bought the canvases and the paint.

Then, having sketched it in pencil on the canvases, I began to paint while baby Campster was asleep. Jor Man noticed and wanted to "help". I gulped. I didn't really want his help, because I wanted the painting to be "good". Well, he was so excited about painting, that I decided to try it. But I explained to him that I wanted it to be a certain way, and I might "fix" a few things.
Our painting together was great fun. We painted for several days and it turned out just like I wanted. Big Dad was so happy with it.

Fast forward to six months ago. It was Big Dad's birthday. The kids wanted to make him something. I thought he might like a painting of the kids by the kids.

So we went to Michael's and got a canvas and acrylic paints. I sketched the three kids from photos. We'd already begun painting before I realized that it would be fun to document it.

Each child was responsible for painting their own picture. Beauty Mom helped with mixing colors and with suggestions for how to do things. It took several hours which we did over a few days. Better to do a few shorter spurts with good cooperation and fun, than rush to get it all done at once, getting frustrated and impatient with ourselves and others. We talked a lot about colors, and styles of art. We experimented with mixing colors to see what would happen.

One of the best things we learned is that for an artist there is no such thing as a mistake, only an opportunity! Learning to have a good attitude is, I think, more important than learning technique. With a good attitude, technique will follow. But with a bad attitude, technique is really wasted.

We kept it all a secret. On the morning of his birthday, the kids lined up on the bed with the painting on their laps. We hadn't planned it that way, but it was so funny. Big Dad was so surprised! And the kids were all proud and happy with their creation. They asked if we could paint again soon.

I think it is fun for kids to paint in the standard "school" ways that we think about kids painting. But it is really fun, engaging and meaningful for them to be a part of "real" art. Something that hangs on your wall for years, not just on your frig for a few weeks.

When I was little, my mom had an entire wall in our kitchen designated as the art wall. She hung up our very nicest works of art and kept them there. In fact, one of my drawings is still on her frig. Really.

Thanks, Mom!

Wish you were here!

Counting Ping's Family

2010-06-23T09:10:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, the girls were reading "The Story About Ping", by Marjorie Flack and Kurt Wiese, again. It's such a great book. I love all of the opportunities for learning in it. We have discussed geography - the book takes place in China on the Yangtze River. We have found it on our map. We discussed that this is the same country that the movie "Mulan" is based in. There is also reference to the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. So we've talked about directions. Which way does the sun set at our house? Yup. It sets in the west here, too. It's fun to show them this with a compass.

That's a lot of ducks!

I love that Ping disobeys because he doesn't want to get spanked. And how he gets lost from his family because of his disobedience. There is also a boy who disobeys his parents. Perhaps we could decide that this is a good thing because Ping lives - but the family will now go without dinner! (Not okay in my book.) Don't miss the opportunity to discuss the importance of obeying your parents.

In the end, Ping finds his family, but he must decide whether or not to join them, as he knows he will be spanked for being late! He decides it is worth it.

But the part of Ping that the girls picked up on yesterday was the numbers. Ping's family is described several times as consisting of Ping, his mother and his father, two sisters and three brothers and eleven aunts and seven uncles and forty-two cousins. (Love the large family).

Math-U-See Starter Block Set

The girls wanted to know, "How many ducks does that make in all?" So I asked Campster to get the Math-U-See blocks I bought for her at the MASSHOPE convention. These are plastic unit blocks in different sizes and colors. What you can't see in the picture is that there are two layers, and under what you see are four red "100" blocks. The girls are loving using them to figure out any math problems they come up with. I opted this year just to get the blocks. I hear from many friends that the curriculum is wonderful. But I have not used it myself. I showed Campster the blocks at MASSHOPE and she really liked them.

Ping, his mother, and his father.

So we started with a 100 block to place the other blocks on. Then we added one green block for Ping, followed by a green block each for his mother and father. Don't miss the opportunity to recognize that we now have three ducks.

Two sisters and three brothers

Eleven Aunts

Then we added his two sisters (using the orange 2 block) and his 3 brothers (using the pink 3 block). How many ducks do we have now? Campster told me eight. When I asked how she knew that without counting, she told me that she saw that it was two less than ten, and she knows that is eight. (Hmm. Don't remember teaching her that. Could it be that she is learning math without being taught?)

Next we added Ping's eleven aunts. Campster knew that eleven would be a ten and a one. By making the largest block a ten, it shows place value. Now we have a total of ten and nine - which is nineteen - or twenty minus one.

Seven uncles = Six plus one

Forty-two cousins

Next the Campster wowed me with her suggestion. Rather than add a seven block for the seven uncles, she suggested that we do a six and a one and fill in the missing block in the upper right corner. Now we have two rows of ten and six.

Last we added the forty-two cousins. Campster grabbed four tens and a two. Hard to "read" it this way, though. Let's put all the tens together, and then the ones.

Sixty-eight ducks!!

Now we can count six tens and eight ones. Sixty-eight ducks! That's a lot. (We "only" have 51 quail!) The girls felt happy with their successful counting of the ducks. Then we put all the ducks (blocks) back in the box for next time we want to do some math.

Isn't math fun?

Wish you were here!

Here is our King

2010-06-18T10:13:00.004-04:00

Beauty Mom and Sher Bear singing and strumming

Like I said in a previous post, I want to learn to play a David Crowder song for worship. Well, I got the chords off the internet and have been practicing.

It's funny how I can go for a while without touching my guitar, and no one else is really interested in touching it. Then, when I get it out, suddenly all three kids MUST play guitar. This was the scene this morning as I attempted to play. I finally decided to let the Sher Bear strum while I fingered the chords.

Jor Man rocks out!

Now Jor Man has his electric guitar out, and Sher Bear is strumming on my acoustic, singing praise at the top of her lungs. It doesn't take much to get kids excited about making music.

Here's the song I am learning: Here is our King. I hope on Monday, during our drum lessons, Jon will help us each find a part to play so we can play it together. We're not ready to lead worship yet, but it's a start.

The video below is David Crowder Band playing it how it is supposed to sound. :) I like it because it is so worshipful.

Wish you were here!

Summer School

2010-06-17T09:33:00.002-04:00

Sher Bear and Big Dad before they discovered the snake in the boat.

I received an email today from one of the many online homeschool groups that I participate in. A mom was asking what other moms do in the summer to prevent the inevitable loss of learning over summer break. She explained that before summer her kids would know their multiplication tables, and by the start of the school year, they would had forgotten them.

Of course, I know what she is talking about. Having been in public school myself, and having done "school at home" for the first few years of our homeschooling adventure - I know all about the vacuum that is summer break. It seemingly sucks all of the knowledge right out of kid's brains. Why is that?

Jor Man goes out with Big Dad.

Well, now that we have been unschooling, I can tell you we no longer experience this. Summer is just like any other time of our year - only warmer, and with more kids around. I have found that if we leave something alone for a while (say Campster's reading), when we go back to it, she hasn't forgotten - she's made leaps. She's more developmentally ready. She's been processing what was already integrated into her learning.

It begs the question: What is learning? If we "learn" something, only to forget it a few months (weeks, days, hours?) later, did we ever really LEARN it in the first place?

Campster and Big Dad rowing out.

John Holt writes about this concept in "How Children Fail". He defines two different things he sees happening in the classroom: Learning and Producing. Learning happens when kids are engaged and interested in the subject - when they want to learn - when it is driven by their own curiosity and delight. Producing is something kids do to cope with the expectations of others. It has nothing to do with real learning. It may mean guessing at the answer. It probably means picking up clues from the teacher or from other kids. It may even mean choosing to answer incorrectly - failing as a coping strategy. If you haven't read the book yet - and you are actually reading this blog - may I entice you to read it? You'll thank me.

So, going back to the chid who learns their multiplication tables but forgets them over the summer. I'm going to suggest that they never learned them in the first place. They produced them. And then it was summer and they didn't have to produce, so they forgot. Learning is like riding a bicycle. You don't forget how to do something you've learned, just because you haven't done it in a while. You've incorporated it into who you are, and how you see the world. It is part of you.

I want my kids to learn. I have very little use for producing.

In the same email, I read this description of summer learning. Lovely.

Enjoy your summer.

Wish you were here!