My musings on our homeschool, coop, figuring out what our philosophy is anyway, and will I ever make the kitchen curtains? http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:07:00 -0600 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:07:00 -0600 I am doing this as an exercise: because this week I am tired out and cranky.  But I know that I have much to thank the Lord for tomorrow, so I'm mining the blog to find out what that all is again.  I sure don't remember right now. I'm thankful for this blog, and the wonderful bloggers who's lives I enter slightly to commiserate, inspire and fellowship with, quicker than pen pals.  I even got to host a Carnival of Homeschooling this year.  And for comments, I love comments! I'm thankful that sometimes we get outside and the kids appreciate creation (and burn off their wild energy!) That K likes being outside. That we managed to give B a birthday party this year without undue stress. That M is beginning to understand mathematics, at least to verbalize and apply concepts. And Hop scotch them. And talk about them at odd moments. For days when both advances and discouragements happen. For New England leaves, and kind, visiting friends. For B's skills as a sibling entertainer and reader.  In 4th grade, it looked like it would NEVER happen, until I went to China, and while I was gone, B read the first 4 Harry Potter books.  Before that it was easy readers with lots of white space around the print. That K knows where food comes from. And (sort of) how to pick it. For DH and my extended family that help me find good curriculum, and make tools.  For teachers from my past who's lessons I remember.  For DH, again, who took care of me, and had the grace to tell me he didn't know how I do it, when I was off my feet for foot surgery.  And that we got to say goodbye so nicely to Uncle P and Aunt B before they headed back to Brazil.  That we live near my Mom.  That DH gave me time to sew.  And my inspirational mother in law. And DH again, who gave me a night out.  Alone.  Without children.  That we do Christmas decorations at my Mom's house, where K can't eat them. For the quilts my Mother in Law made for the boys.  That my Mom teaches B his Latin - I just couldn't add one more subject for me to learn along with the kids, my brain would have exploded. For funny K, my cuddly, sleepless toddler, who loves to snuggle, nurse, and explore.  She makes me laugh so much, I'm very rich to get to have a toddler again, I sort of thought I'd be done mothering little babies and toddlers by now, but I'm glad I'm not.  And her cute love of shoes and purses. That my foot surgery went well, and that consequently my back and hip feel better (the leg bone connected to the...) That homeschooling gets me to read the books I didn't get to when I was my kid's age. For my church, where we dedicated K to the Lord this year. For the new sidewalk by our house, and the resulting week of big equipment entertainment. For the discovery that I was more organized than I thought I was. For progress on making our apartment into a tidy, neat, functional home.  For our big workshop room.  That my flower garden is getting neater.  That the boy's room has curtains (unlike my kitchen)  For the transformation in our apartment due to our friend K's gift of 7 bookshelves.  For the beautiful quilts My Mother in law made for the boys.  That those shelves of K's fulfilled a "oh someday we will save up for these and what a difference it will make" dream. For field trip days with my Wonderful Cousins in Cambridge. For wonderful opportunities that fall into our laps. For the Boston Children's Museum.  For finding out historical fellow homeschoolers. For C, the amazing lady at co-op. That I'm getting used to some of the strenuous aspects of co-op-ing, and learning from them.  That the research class yielded good fruit for my students.  For the Expo where the boys could celebrate their accomplishments. For a wonderful time at Cousin B's wedding. And staying at Aunt S and Uncle E's house on the way home. That M's Jr FIRST Lego League club finished well.  And they did enjoy themselves...sometimes. That I managed to surprise DH this year at Valentines Day. For good curriculum, like the Story of the World. And SWR.  And ones that homeschoolers made up themselves and shared. For used books. That the "boring" time waiting for B to finish his flute lesson has become a time to hang out with M and K, playing outside and reading aloud. That B's Lego Tournement went well.  (They even got a trophy) For the funny things M says.  For the funny things DH says.  For the funny things my kids and I do. And finally, that the worst trouble my kids got into while I was compiling this list was that K took an (open?) jar of olives and made milk soup with them, while B and M read Hank the Cowdog aloud- it was supposed to be a few minutes while I took a bath, but I got carried away. Thank you Lord, your mercies endure forever. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/747408/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:07:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/747408/ On Monday, the weather report was for pouring rain all day with only a little bit of sunshine first thing in the morning.  So decided to rush the kids through breakfast, forgive the chores, and go to the pond first thing in the morning.  We even walked Daddy to work - and slowed him down considerably. But he was patient and K looked like Cindy-Lou Whoo. Approaching the land preserve from the mill building parking lot, the boys remembered that there were paths made by the air soft guys that we hadn't explored yet. Getting to them involved crossing the small, stagnant  channel near the old turbine site.  There used to be a long board you could cross.  "Swallows and Amazons." I told myself, more adventure...but that board had rotted, and there was now parts of a pallet, very narrow to cross on.  B suggested that he leap the channel, I hand K across, and he help M.  "Swallows and Amazons." I told myself.  I told M, "Now, your brother is just going to help your balance, not carry you." He got half way across, then jumped for B's arms. "They are both going in," I thought, and closed my eyes.  Splash!  Splash! They both went in. We were about 5 blocks from home, one parking lot away from Daddy's work, but I realized that I'd locked us out of the apartment.  So we trouped (shivering) to Daddy's work.  The lab manager met us at the door.  DH was back in the noisy part of the lab with the vibration tables, but the manager paged him for us. "M, what happened?" he asked.  M looked at me with that "help, I'm so embarrased!" look, so I answered, "He fell into some stagnant, scummy water." "M," said the lab manager, "You REALLY KNOW how to Have FUN!" M grinned broadly and started smiling and talking. Swallows and Amazons. Yeah, it's the way to go.  And the scum washed out, and the boys cheerfully drew in their nature books, again, after we went home and changed, and walked back to the pond. B even carried K partway home when she got heavy.  OK B, I'll write it: What would I do without you? http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/747403/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:38:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/747403/ This week my dishwasher broke, and it turns out that I broke it (so don't be like me- rise or scrape your plates really well!) and so we paid the landlord for the new dishwasher.  In addition to breaking the dish washer, the day he delivered it was the day I left the mess in the kitchen so we could visit the used kids clothing store/Target and grocery store before K's nap time, so he REALLY noticed the state of the kitchen floor while he was lying down installing the new dishwasher. I've mentioned before that I hate criticism?  Especially when I deserve it?  Well, he was very kind, and I'm trying to be a grown up.  DH took the kids with him as he passed out invitations to church door to door, and I scrubbed the floor, then walked downtown to the hardware store to buy floor wax, a new mop head, and contact cement - the rubber toe kicks have come down from the kitchen cabinets.  One has come loose again, so I'm going to try my hot glue from the crafts desk - not so stinky. The first coat of wax is drying, K has not yet woken up.  M was delighted to crawl under the displaced table to get his snack, and no one has left tracks. Now if only my landlord would come by while it looks good. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/746541/ Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:02:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/746541/ M and K cannot function without lots of exercise outside.  Getting them outside enough is a big challenge; because how can I cook, tidy up, wash laundry, and do sit down school outside?  The weather is less of a challenge; they have good coats and can usually find hats and mittens.  Working around nap time and now the early sunset is another problem.  We stop kitchen table school at 11 most mornings and go to the play ground.  I've been realizing lately that I also need to get them into natural spaces too, as Annie was thinking, and the Circe institute lectures mentioned.  So, Today, tataratare!  We got outside in nature. We walked a few more blocks than usual and went to the Larsen Purchase of the Attleboro Land Trust.  M and B grabbed their long neglected nature notebooks (long neglected because Mom has not taken them along on walks in a very long time), some colored pencils, and a field guide to New England wildlife (it's even got sharks in it). K walked most of the way there, I carried her home on my shoulders, which are now a bit stiff, so that must count as weight training.  The boys ran past the waterfall, paused to watch a mallard swim to the falls, then fly down over the rough bits.  This used to be the beginning of a lock leading to turbines in the basement of the mill building DH works in.  Then the boys ran ahead to the sandy point on the mechanics pond.  Two swans swam up, probably looking for bread.  I cautioned the boys not to get too close (I got a really impressive bruise off a swan bite once, for not forking over my sandwich I think.  It chased me up a picnic table.  Yes, where you imagine the bruise to be is where it was...)  They got to watch the swans feed, drink by scooping water into their bills then tipping their heads back, and see the silvery color of the juvanile's bill.  K began to want her dinner, so I started her home, while B finished his drawings.  They caught up with us pretty quickly though, K didn't want to walk very much. I was playing the "Oh look, there is a Canada goose dropping, there is a goose track in the sand, there is a lawn mower..."  K played along and said what could have been truck, or duck, I'm not too sure which right now, either could fit. I need to do this more often: the boys loved it, I didn't make them draw or write, and they did both, they looked up swans and ducks and geese in the book, and didn't want to come home, even though they were hungry. They did drop very strong hints that as long as they had the backpack with them, some unlined drawing paper would be welcome, and some cookies and water. Gotcha boys, anything to get cheerful voluntary note taking! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/745745/ Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:26:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/745745/ On a whim, this year we grew Strawberry Popcorn in our three sisters patch.  I think we planed the pumpkins too late, we never did harvest any, but we did get lots of beans.  We got about 7 ears of corn.a spoon made it easier to get the kernels off the cob. The flavor was delightful, but not all of the kernels popped, I think I need to soak them in water to refresh them. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/745732/ Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:13:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/745732/ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/745729/ Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:10:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/745729/ There is the ever popular Making Something Mess The Little Sister Was Here Earlier Mess And the Moving Bookshelves to Access the Phone Jacks and figure out which one is corroded Mess (If you tried to phone us this weekend and got a busy signal...you now know why.) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/745723/ Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:48:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/745723/ And I think I can do this sort of thing some more. We had hide and go seek computers available in a public space Lots of Chinese Take out Parents and younger siblings hung out all over the apartment.  We did "electronically sedate" them with the movie "UP" when they got really excited though That was not too bad.  I haven't even tried a party since M was born.  But now I know I have to do something like it in March for M.  Somehow 7 year olds seem scarier than 12 year olds plus family...but that's quite a while away. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/745715/ Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:37:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/745715/ B was giving "A very Bad Concert." his description, in the kitchen, I was making the pizza dough for tonight's supper, when I lost my coffee.  M was grinning at me, so of course I suspected a gag, but no, I had set it in the sink.  I must be loosing my marbles. A very friendly green and red blob just oozed up to my ankle for patting: M is one contented boy today. Blobs grow up to become Energy Griffons; they also love babies.  This one is lonely because K fell asleep finally, and is not available to play right now. Oh, there goes the kitchen timer, the "Very Bad Concert," is almost over.  He is up to the chromatic scales now. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/745713/ Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:26:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/745713/ A friend whose sister was getting married once said to me, "When you plan a wedding, there is so much work because of course you want everything to work perfectly."  I confidently replied that I hoped something WOULD go wrong at my wedding, because then  I'd have a funny story.  She was sure I'd grow out of that attitude. Well, nothing really did go wrong at my wedding, so I didn't get to test her theory.   But attempting to have a Surprise Birthday Party for B?  Now that was funny. Apparently, our voices sound alike on the phone.  One of his friend's Mom phoned this week, and on hearing his greeting (the same one I use) began right away to ask about "B's Birthday party on Saturday,"  He was in a fix, because he wasn't sure how to interrupt an adult politely!  Eventually he interjected, "Umm, I'm B." He was excited because it was good news, and a party is a party, even if it isn't a surprise.  And knowing why he had to help vacuum was easier today. But our poor friend is so embarrassed.  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/744579/ Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:33:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/curiousities/744579/