We had an impromptu Music Appreciation class last night at dinner.

I had music on in the back ground, and Skillet’s Comatose came on. GeekBoy said it sounded like it would give him nightmares. Well, the intro is kinda creepy because it’s really choppy violins & hardcore keyboard.  But we talked about the different instruments they were using, and listened more closely to the song to try to pick out the Violins, Keyboard, Drums, & Guitars.

Then we talked about the meaning of the song, and how it’s song about the singers relationship with God, and that he has drifted away and feels like without God he’s sleeping (comatose), and that he wants God nearby to help him “wake up” or deal with the stuff in his life. It was neat.

It’s been raining here since last Thursday (March 5th)  Today was the first day it hadn’t rained!!!  But, yesterday we escaped the house and visited the Air & Space Museum nearby.  It fits really well with our chosen Science curriculum, Apologia’s Astronomy.  Plus, It was Military FREEdom Days, so we got in free!  Awesome!!

Anyway, we got there around 1130am, after eating our PB&J’s in the car in the parking garage - hey, it was a nice change of pace from the four walls of our home!    Well, apparently it was Field Trip Tuesday or something.  There must have been like 4 schools there!  The place was packed with rowdy kids running every which way & teachers yelling out to stop them, with the occasional line of highly disciplined kids who weren’t able to see anything other than what the Docent showed them, poor kids.  So it was hairy there for a few minutes, but the schools all left to go get lunch around noon  & we had the place to ourselves.  Well, about as much as you can have a big museum to yourself.  There were people, just not the huge crowds of annoying kids anymore.

We checked out almost everything!  I’ve got a set of photos, but it was fun.  The kids really loved the play area, & the big walk-through plane with all the flight simulators in it.  We also checked out this huge model of an aircraft carrier and talked about some of the things Daddy sees and does everyday at work.  We even checked out this “Mars transport” thing, which was more along the lines of a bad movie with light effects, where you are “along for the ride” as all kinds of craziness goes down on your trip to Mars.  Then the side door opens into the Mars exhibit with the rovers and stuff.  It was kinda cool, but WAY too loud for my bunch.  They lasted like 2 minutes in the video and we hit the button to open the door.   But we had fun, wandered around,  then we hit the gift shop, where we picked up some “Astronaut food” – freeze dried ice cream bars.

After dinner, while they were eating their Astronaut Ice Cream Bars, GeekBoy said he wanted to throw his in the trash.

“I thought I would like it, until I tasted it and remembered how bad it is.”

A funny end to a great day.

Yes.  It’s been busy.  I always feel bad when I don’t get to update regularly.  Even though life gets in the way of posting, the learning never ends.  So, this being the “school” blog, what have we been learning?

Well, October was spent learning life skills.  In between the soccer games and economic talks around the lunch table, I was prepping for foot surgery by stocking the freezer and making meals.  Everything needed to be neatly organized for the coming month when Mom would be on crutches.  Because of that, a new system of organization was put in place in the boys rooms. (thePinkDiva is just naturally good at organization, so she didn’t need a new system.)  The boys learned to clean their rooms and keep it that way.

November was spent learning about compassion, being a good helper, and accepting help (that one I learned).  I was on crutches and needed alot of help.  Gramma had to go back to her home after a week, and Dad shipped out for a few weeks about 10 days after the surgery.  So it was me & the kids for most of my recovery time.  I learned to let go and allow the kids to do things their way.  Like letting BigBoy wash dishes, even if he made a bit of a mess with the water, or letting Diva clean the kitchen floor.   During that time, I realized just how much they are capable of that I was unaware of. GeekBoy even learned to do his own laundry!  He’s 7!

Click here for the whole set.

We also got some “school” work done.  thePinkDiva declared she wanted to learn about writing, so I convinced her she needed to know how to read first.  We combined sight words and writing and lo, she was happy.

We also began a new Thanksgiving tradition this year.  The Thankful Tree.

I got the idea from Yvonne @ Heart of the Matter. Pretty much it’s a tree with construction paper leaves. Every night, well, almost every night, we’d each write out something we were thankful for on a leaf, and tape it to the tree.  My hope was that it would help my children focus less on the “gimmie-gimmie” of the season, and more on being thankful for what they already have.  It seems to have helped, and it was alot of fun to do.

December, we got back to the books for a few weeks.  Geekboy passed his Math Chapter 7 test recently.  Chapter 7 out of a book with only 11 chapters. His aptitude for Math continues to astound me.  Even though we’ve put down the books for the Christmas holiday, he continues to grasp fractions, adding them with ease while we make cookies.

Even though we are on our traditional Christmas break, when you make learning a way a way of life, it never stops.

We don’t fit in any mold.  I don’t follow any one theroy or philosophy of education, a la Charlotte Mason.  We aren’t as unrestricted as Unschoolers, yet are no where near as demanding as Classicals.

My philosphy of education is:

Do whatever works.

That said, what worked last week may not work this week. Heck, what worked yesterday may not work today!  But we keep trying.

The only problem with this approach, is that it is very easy for me to get discouraged while reading through “support group” emails and newsletters.  Homeschool has become a big business.  There are catalogs to look through, and advertisements every where all claiming that with this product your life as a homeschool will be so much easier.  Don’t fall for it.  I love this quote:

“No curriculum will miraculously turn you into the happy teacher, or your children into the happy taught, because those roles are won only with much prayer and relationship-building.” - Jenni @ One Thing

Because it’s so true!  The same is said for approaches, methods, and educational philosophies.  There is no one sizes fits all package.  It gets discourageing to read about the child prodigy who was reading before he could even speak.  (exaggeration, yes…  but only slighty.)  It’s like that book I read a few months ago, Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe, I so need to re-read this one, on an almost weekly basis until the truth settles in.

So while it seems so hodge-podge and so much like we aren’t doing a blessed thing…  The proof is there.  Whatever it is we are, or are not doing…  It works.

GeekBoy is steadily blowing through 3rd grade math and masters the concepts at an almost frightening speed.  Keep in mind, he’s only 7, and according to the state should be in 2nd grade.  He is requesting more Science experiments, and is a whiz at complex games.  True, our history is sorely lacking, but he understand economics better then most of our Nation’s Senators, including the ones running for President!  In today’s world, a firm grasp on how our country’s economy works is far more importnat then knowing who started Babylonia back in the BCs (Hammurabi, btw, we just covered that in Story of the World).

ThePinkDiva can read, when she wants to.  She can also add and even subtract, when she wants to.  The key there is “when she wants to.”  Believe me, if she is not feeling it right now, it will do you no good to press the matter.  She will do it when she is good and ready and not one milli-second before that.  She’s proven, by reading the text on her video games, that she is light years ahead of our phonics program’s sticker chart.  But try to get her to read a book is like pulling teeth!  She likes to just make up words instead of reading what’s on the page.  It’s frustrating!  It’s maddening!  It’s just like my baby sister was at Diva’s age.  I remember it was me who got Nani to focus on the pages in front of her to “find the fun” 20 years ago.  Diva laughs at me.  I think I’ve lost my touch.

BigBoy.  He’s my baby, but don’t tell him I said that.  His little face is my solace after a morning of fighting and arguing.  He’s also very, very physical.  And he’s another one that can do things when he’s not really thinking about it…  Example, I asked him to count to ten, and he couldn’t.  He got to five, then skipped to 9, 12, 16.  Not a big deal, I mean, he got the order correct even if he skipped a few.  So we started working on counting to ten.  Then, a few days later, while waiting for me to get his snack, I told him I need I minute, and he began counting super fast! 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16! Well, ok he missed 13, but dangitall if he can’t count all the way to 12!!!  And again got the order correct all the way to 16!!  When did this happen?  I surely have not been working on this with him.

So the proof is there.  What we are doing is working.  If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!  Now I just need to keep reminding myself to utilize that delete key and quit beating myself up.  They are thriving.  That’s what counts.

BigBoy had a great time kicking the ball around until the other parents took the field with their kids. There was like two parents for almost every kid!  We had two dads drag their screaming 3 yr olds on and insist they were going to play, and another mom rolled her stroller on the field… and keep in mind the whole “field” for the 2-3yr old is maybe 5 ft wide & maybe 10 ft long. Not very big, so with all the grown ups, the kids didn’t have much room!  Then there was the dad who decided that while the 3 yr olds were kicking balls into the goal, he would play goalie, and he kept blocking them! They are 3!!  AHHH!  Next week, I swear I’m taking more control of BigBoy’s side of field, and kicking off the parents and organizing the kids.  But whatever, the chaos was enough to make BigBoy decide he was done.  So we left & went to watch GeekBoy’s game.

GeekBoy played goalie.  They got one past him, but that was it.  I have photos of 7 different saves, and I know there was at least one that I didn’t get a picture of.  So, he had 8 saves.  He was all over that goal line.  Even his coach was impressed.  Coach said he has a natural talent for the position.  We have a few shots where you can see he was on the other side of the goal, and the ball looks like it’s going in, and in the next half a second, he’s behind the ball, and has caught it!  The boy moves fast!  At half time, one of the other boys on his team asked to be goalie.  GeekBoy didn’t mind, so the switch was made.  While GeekBoy was playing somewhere out in midfield he stopped the ball, with his chin.  Poor guy.  It stunned him more then anything, but after a tooth check, and a slug of water, he was back out on the field.  The other boy lasted in goal for all of about 5 minutes before he started yelling for GeekBoy to come take the “penny” shirt and be goalie instead.  GeekBoy didn’t mind one bit, he loves being goalie.

Final Score – Our team - 3, their team – 1.

View the whole set here.

We had planned a field trip for today. We were supossed to go to Williamsburg for the Crack the Code class.  GeekBoy was really looking forward to learning about spies.

But.

A stomach bug hit our home, and at least one of our number spent the better part of the morning on the pot.  Add in mom’s bad foot & arthritic flare-up, and well, it made more sense to stay home, closer to the throne.

So after a quick scramble, and a bit of help from Google, I pulled together some fun Spy type stuff.  Like an encoded message, using the CUPID code, to tell him it was lunchtime.  Here’s some more links for your little spies:

Revolutionary War Spies @ CIA.gov

Colonial Williamsburg Spy info

Revolutionary Spies

A Few Fun Activities

We took a few days off to prepare for what was supposed to be almost a direct hit from a fairly-powerful-Tropical-Storm-which-might-be-a-hurricane-when-it-gets-here.

Well, the storm was a bust.  The almost direct hit wound up being a state & a half away.  But, we had fun learning about hurricanes & weather patterrns. GeekBoy also did a few weather reports.  It was fun.

Enjoy!

So, GeekBoy has decided to play soccer this year.  August 30th was his first day on the field, and yes, I’m just now getting to write this up!  tell you anything about our week?  *S*  Anyway, it was the Opening Day, come meet ur coach type clinic.  Coach K seems to be a nice coach.  He seems very mild mannered and understanding.  “He’s nice & good.  Teaching us good stuff. Showing us how to exercise our bodies and stuff,” says GeekBoy.

Practice was last Thursday.  After a few drill Coach broke everyone up into teams and let them play a little mini-game.  GeekBoy requested the goalie position, and he loves it!

Coach said he’s not nailed into it, but if Goalie is what he wants, it’s all his.

View more photos at flickr: the soccer set.

GeekBoy.  Subtraction.  The two do not mix.  After this mornings round, I decided maybe there is a better way to reach him with this then what I’m trying.  It suddenly dawned on me that he tested for being 61% right brained, and I tested as being a left brained. What’s the difference?  Left side of the brain is more logical, uses facts, & very detail oriented.  Right side is more feelings, big picture, symbols and images, imaginative types.  Essentially, I think in words, he thinks in pictures – that kind of thing.

So I asked the Homeschool group, knowing there are several moms in there with right-brained kids, what do I do???  How do I get this kid to do his subtraction???  The answers I got – well…  I didn’t get anything I didn’t already know.

• Don’t push him.
• Skip it! Right brainers will fill in the gaps as needed.
• Let him pick and chose where to go in the book.
• Real life/living math examples.
• Work with money.

All things that I knew!!!  So why on earth aren’t I doing any of it?

So of course, my confidence is shaken.  It was just a few days ago I mentioned to my husband that for some reason I felt better abt this year, more prepared, etc?  Yea.  I still feel better then I have in the past, I’m not wistfully thinking about that big yellow bus as an answer to my problem.  But my confidence has taken a hit.  I’m not going to throw in the towel, just need to fall back and regroup, you know?

So, I’ve made a deal with him – Pass the test for Chapter 1, and we will skip it all.  Now, there is a page on order of operations (add first left-right, then subtract IE: 70-40-8+5) that we need to go over, so tomorrow we will do that, Friday the test.  And looking at the test for chapter two (multiplying 0-5), if we skip to the order of operations (Multiply first! Then ad & subtract!) I think he can breeze through chapt 2 in a day or so. I’m printing up Book B, so if he wants to skip to Division we can.

Oh, and by the way, on my brain test, I tested as 70% left brained, and the teaching was listed among the occupations I’d probably enjoy most.  Go figure!