Sick, but not stagnant

Well, I went from three posts in one day to nothing all week.

The culprit?  

The sickies.  

First it was Daddy.  Which meant more work for Momma (an extra person to take care of during the day) and more stress from lack of pay (unfortunately, he is in the line of work that means if you're not working, you're not getting paid).

Then it was Momma.  Which really just meant more of the same.  As I explained to the girls, when you have a "job" (you know, the kind where you actually GO to work), if you get sick, you can call into work, stay home and get rest and get better.  When THIS is your "job", there's no such thing.  UGH

Then it was the Hippie.  She hasn't been terribly sick, but she has the most vibrant personality; you know immediately when she is not herself.  For one thing, there is actually a bit of quiet.  :-)

We're still nursing ourselves back to health.  No one is perfect just yet.  But, hopefully we are on the mend.  

This week was supposed to be the start of a lot of our school year's goodies.  Spanish Club was cancelled due to the illness of the leader (must be going around town).  Handwork, though, was not cancelled, so we missed the first one.  Major bummer.  Then, we had to miss our homeschool group's trip to the Museum of Science & History yesterday.  Double bummer.  

Next week starts our Homeschool Theater Troupe and more handwork and more homeschool adventures.  So, we are just hoping to be all better by then.  Keeping our fingers crossed.

So, for the average kid, when they're sick, they don't go to school, which means (to most people) that they don't learn anything (haha ... as if we can't learn anything outside of those four walls).  

For the average homeschooler, when the Momma is sick, they don't "do school", which means (to most homeschoolers) that they don't learn anything (haha again ... as if we can't learn anything without carefully laid out plans and curriculum choices).

So, what about the family that learns through life?  The family that learns organically, naturally, all the time?  What happens in that family when Daddy is sick or Momma is sick or one of the "students" are sick?

A LOT OF LEARNING, that's what. 

Since the sickies entered the household, we've:

• Learned about worms on Wild Kratt's
• Added fractions while making breakfast (1/2 + 1/4 = 3/4)
• Played library
• Practiced reading (the one who's still learning) by reading the directions on the oatmeal
• Calculated the amount of protein in breakfast by dividing and multiplying fractions (8 is 1/3 of 24, 1/3 of 6 is 2, then added all the grams of protein)
• Both girls have made shirts for Daddy's birthday (a tradition we started last year)
• The Princess painted Daddy a picture for his birthday
• The Princess has written a "thank you card" a day 
• The Hippie made Daddy another birthday gift
• painted the inside of brown paper bags to use for wrapping paper
• The Hippie has written several chapters in her book "Mermaid Dreams"
• drawn A LOT
• worked with Sculpy and then did math to determine how long to bake it (measure its thickness, 15 min per 1/4", so for 3/4" it needs to bake for 45 minutes)
•  painted some more
• the Hippie's drawn an illustration for her book
• the Hippie worked outside, creating what she called a 'dog bowl' ... she stood a gutter up against the roof and attached it to a bucket lid, filled in any holes with weather stripping and said that the rain would travel down the gutter and collect in the lid so that the dogs would always have water
• read aloud at night
• the Hippie worked on making a "bomb" with soap and glue and paint and water and whatever she could find (when they girls tried throwing it at the fence, though, it never would explode ... bummer)
• baked with dirt and paint and glue and leaves outside
• made a "Springs" with rocks and twigs and leaves and water ... talked about why the water kept disappearing (soaking into the ground) and why that doesn't happen at the real Springs
• the Princess wants to be able to read SO BAD ... she doesn't want to read the easy readers anymore, she wants to be able to read the chapter books, the real books about horses ... like Black Beauty and the Black Stallion and Misty of Chincoteague and the like 
• Spurred by the above, she broke out her Bob books and started practicing again, on her own, then sounded out the title to Misty of Chincoteague ... then made the connection that the Misty in that book was the same Misty as the one in the album we have of Marguerite Henry's ... then ran off to draw pictures of Misty and declare that Misty was her new favorite horse
• we've watched The Summer of the Colt
• we've watched cooking shows
• we've played with the kittens 
• we've made smoothies
• the Hippie's continued to read about the Titanic and Picasso
• we all watched an adult documentary on the Titanic today ... it was quite intense, but they wanted to watch it
• We've talked about getting books published and what exactly publishers do
• We've talked about what it means to "edit" your book

I could go on and on.  Reading and drawing and playing and creating and painting and cooking and making connections.  All while we were sick.  Awesome!

I just have to share another proud moment in my home.  A morning of proof that the way we are learning is really working! 

This morning, within minutes of waking up, the Hippie runs up to me and says, "Momma, do you know how to say 'omelette' in French?  I do."    "omelette du fromage" 

"Where'd you learn that?"  

"Dexter's Laboratory" (that's a cartoon that would not be considered the least bit educational for those of you who don't already know that)

Ahhhh ... very interesting.

A few minutes later, the girls are eating breakfast and the Hippie tells me to come see.  She has put salt and pepper on the plate and proceeds to rub a pen on her head to create static electricity and then moves the pen slowly over the plate, watching as the pepper jumps up to stick to the pen.  Apparently the pepper is attracted to the electric charge she has created.  

Then, the connection was made that the pepper was just like the little dirt people in her favorite Swiffer commercials.  "So, how does the Swiffer work, then?" "Static Electricity" 

Aaaahhhhh .... 

Connections.  

No lessons planned.  No schedules adhered to.  No worksheets.  No boredom.

Just sickness and lots of fun learning still going on.

So blessed to be a homeschooler!

Learning never ends ...

So, I gather from the school buses on the road and the SLOW speed limits around 3pm that school must be back in session for lots of folks.

What does that mean around here?  

Well, same old, same old, really.  

We're taking a different approach these days.  
  One that makes life about learning and learning about life.  
    One that doesn't separate the two as if they are two different things. 
      Because, really, isn't life supposed to be about learning?  

So, we aren't doing a "First Day of School" thing this year.  
  I mean, if the girls want to mark things, officially, somehow, I will most certainly oblige.  
    
Maybe we can fill in those All About Me things we've done the last two years ~ see what has changed about them ... my guess is that the Princess would say the same exact things ~ horses and pink.  She would just be a bit taller and weigh a bit more.  I wonder what would be different on the Hippie's?  Maybe we will do that. 

The reason we're not doing a First Day of School thing this year is that I wouldn't know when to do it.  I mean, we've been "doing school" all along.  I only started taking note of what all the girls were doing a few weeks ago, but the list is HUGE. 

Just this week ...
  

• The Hippie put on another cooking show for me (with play dough this time)

• The Girls have played with our kittens CONSTANTLY.
• They've made them toys and clothes and "crates" (baskets) and collars.
• We've had some mediation and talk about feelings and how to treat each other.
• We've talked about feeling overwhelmed.
• We've read books galore.
• We've been to the farmer's market and the playground.
• We've been to the library.
• We've practiced reading (the Princess) and have started reading words all over the place!
• The girls have been surfing and improved.
• The girls have been practicing cart wheels and round offs & walk overs (no gymnastics class. just plain fun).
• The girls have been cooking with dirt and leaves.
• The girls have practiced running a restaurant (serving Daddy and I said dirt).
• The Princess (of course) draws horses daily.
• The Hippie's drawn a perfect replica of the Titanic & many Mermaids.
• The Hippie has continued reading her Emily Windsnap books (she is on the 4th one).
• The Hippie has read 3 Ivy & Bean books (each in about an hour or so).
• We've played outside.
• We've walked to pay the water bill.
• They've collected pine cones of all sizes and made a family out of them.
• We've added fractions ... 1 1/3 cups is the same as 4 scoops with the 1/3 cup.
• We've studied Picasso and Mary Cassatt. 
• We've studied Frida Kahlo ... did you know she was married to Diego Rivera? 
• We've listened to classical music ~ and the Hippie recognized a Mozart and the Nutcracker.
• The Princess has started writing her Thank You cards all by herself ... as neat as she can.
• They've tried to play our flute along with a part of a Trevor Hall song.
• We've made granola and soda bread.
• The Hippie played secretary and wrote down our brainstorming for upcoming birthday gifts.
• The Hippie has worked with clay ... starting on said birthday gifts. 
• Both girls made their Uncle Scott a card; the Hippie made him a "bolt can" (he's a mechanic).
• The Hippie did more math ~ bake 15 mins per 1/4" thickness; measure it; how long for 1/2"?
• We've talked about the Titanic a lot and how important it is to learn from history.
• The Hippie has looked through the 20 or 30 Titanic books we have from the library.
• Momma's rekindled her interest in Titanic, sharing what I know.
• Momma's watched a 2 hour documentary on the Titanic.
• The Hippie's also read about Pompeii. 
• We've read aloud.
• Momma's reading for pleasure for a change (The Help ... LOVE IT).
• The Hippie and I have spent an entire morning outside reading, side by side. 
• Momma's read in the hammock while the girls played some make-believe world.
• They've watched their cooking show, Giada at Home.
• They've decorated their scrap books for this year's HAP.

You get the idea.

So, when do we start school?  
  When do we STOP? 

How are you learning these days? 

Living Math that works ...

This morning was yet another example of how well Unschooling works with the Hippie.

I knew that I had a pretty long "to-do list" today, so I suggested that the girls pick out a game for us to all play together.  "I'll play a game with you guys, which gives you time and then you guys can play and give me some time to get some things done, okay?"
 
Great plan.  

They brought me Yahtzee Deluxe to play.  

I decided to just sort of help ... or, according to them, I was "on the Princess's team".

This one game was a fantastic MATH LESSON for both children.  

Throughout the game, each girl got to practice addition, multiplication, counting by 2s, 3s, 5s and 6s.  They got to add doubles, think about strategy, probability (where to put that ZERO ... which of these are you LEAST LIKELY to get) and so much more.  

I was pleased as punch to watch as each of my children multiplied 6 x 4 and 5 x 3 and add one number to another to another and so on ... all in their heads.  

Now, if you asked one of them "Do you know your times tables?" or "Do you know what multiplication is?", they may look at you with a bit of a blank stare.  

But, can they DO IT (you know, the part that actually matters)? 

Absolutely.  In the context of something useful and fun ~ a game.

Anyway, I would have been pleased with just that, but I decided to attempt to take it one step further.  

When the game was over, the Princess ran off to draw (her millionth or billionth horse drawing, I'm sure), and I asked the Hippie if she'd like to add up the scores to see who won.

Keep in mind, a month or so ago, I attempted to show her how to "carry" while adding two digit numbers where the ones place added up to more than ten ... she was not having that at all!  

In that context (a worksheet), she freaked out and said I was "blowing her mind".  So, I backed off.

Now, today, I showed her how to add the scores and she did it with no problem, no freaking out, no "blowing her mind".  

She added columns of numbers, she carried numbers ... she did this up to the hundredths place. 

And, did it well.  

Awesome!

She did this:

  15       15       105      70         22       143         6         73      
  25       16       +92    +35         25     +108       12       +35   
  30       15       197     105        50        251       16       108    
+22     +24                               25                    15
  92       70                            + 21                   +24
                                             143                     73

Needless to say, I was one pleased Momma today.  And, the really fantastic thing was that the Hippie was one pleased little learner today!  She was so excited to realize how much she'd learned and done today, with ease.  Especially when I pointed out that it was the same thing she had turned her nose up to only a month ago as being "too difficult" and "blowing her mind". 

So, my plan for the coming year?  I'm leaning towards a Living Math approach ... books, activities, games, fun, cooking, baking and more games and even more fun!  

Why?  

Well, duh.  Because it works! 

p.s.  In case you were wondering, the Princess won the game .... but, the Hippie won at her own math challenge today!  

Summer School Week In Review ...

Summer School is in full effect.  

The girls are LOVING it!  Nothing but fun stuff.  Awesome.

Let me share with you some of the stuff we did this week.  Pretty much all activities were "As A Family", so I'll just write them instead of designating. 

In addition to the fun stuff below, I did spend 15 minutes with the Princess a few mornings this week on her reading lessons.  We've covered short vowels, long vowels, the silent "e" and blends.  She also went ahead and colored her "Word Book".  We will start the "real" lessons next week with "Rain is Falling All Around". 

The Hippie completed several lessons in her Queen Language Lessons book.  She is currently copying Robert Frost's poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening", two lines per day.   


The Hippie also read some in her Reading Literature Second Reader book this week (whenever she finished something else before I was ready to start).  On Monday when she was reading a poem to me, she came across a word she didn't know the meaning of (a drake).  I didn't know what it was either, so I showed her how to look it up in our old fashioned Webster's Dictionary.  Funny thing ~ she mentioned how it was SO OLD ... I had her look up the copyright ... only 1987.  Haha ~ I guess that IS old to her!  Anyway, in case you didn't know it, a drake is a "male duck".  We kinda figured so from the context of the poem, but we wanted to find out for sure.  She's also been reading Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle on her own time ~ she's on chapter 7, I believe.  And, she started Pippi on the South Seas on Wednesday and finished it Friday afternoon!

We finished the James Herriot's Treasury for Children.  This was such a lovely book!  And, thankfully, it is one we own, so they girls can read it over and over (the Hippie has already read many of the stories on her own after we read them together).  We are still working through The Black Stallion at night, but are almost finished. 
 

What about the fun stuff?

Art

This week we studied Monet's painting "Cliff Walk at Pourville".  It is now hanging on the cork board with the others.

We also read and narrated The Magical Garden of Claude Monet.  

The girls watched Linnea in Monet's Garden on Monday.  I have the book and we are going to read it as well, but I was pretty excited to find the DVD at my library.  It was cool to see the real footage of Monet's actual garden!  


** Side note ~ We decided that we wanted to see how far Monet's Garden is from Nanu's house (my mom lives in Germany), and if it's reasonable, the girls want to go there whenever we get to go visit her next year! 

Science/Nature Study:

On Monday we read "The Century Plant's Wish" out of our Outdoor Secrets book.  The girls narrated it to me then and also told Daddy about it at dinner that night.  


On Tuesday we looked at this website to see pictures of a real Century Plant growing.  We then looked around the internet at other pictures of Century Plants.  We just happen to have an aloe plant at home, so we also took a look at that and compared it to the pictures of the Century Plant.  After all of this, we came inside and the girls drew pictures of the Century Plant in their Nature Notebooks.  The Hippie also copied a small quote from Shakespeare, "How poor are they who have not patience!" into her Nature Notebook.

On Thursday, we read A Desert Scrapbook and talked about all of the life in the Sonoran Desert.  Afterwards, we all drew pictures in our Nature Notebooks.  The Hippie chose to draw a desert tortoise and the Princess and I both drew a Saguaro with a desert sunset in the background.

Here are some pictures of our Science & Nature studies this week ...

The Hippie's

The Princess's

The Hippie's

The Princess's

Momma's

 
Math:

We've had such a fun time with this this week!  And, I am quite impressed with my ability to make this a group activity and just adjust the level of difficulty for each child's ability.  

On Monday we read Polly Plus and spent some time practicing adding up jewels.  The princess added single digit amounts of jewels to get sums no greater than 10; the hippie added up double digit jewels, starting with the ones.  After some fun practice, we went to the table and we all drew pictures of Polly Plus in our Math Main Lesson Books.  The Hippie also added an equation to show how it is done.  She then did some more practice problems that were written out vertically (I just slid the practice sheet into a page protector and let her do them with wipe-off pens).

Momma's

The Hippie's

The Princess's

Tuesday was the best.  After we'd finished up our fun with the Century Plant, I had the girls go dress up as Polly Plus and grab a basket.  I set out a jewel treasure hunt around the house (it's too hot and smoky due to wildfires outside or we would have done this outside).  I set out single jewel piles for the Princess to find (sums no greater than ten) and I set out bags and singles of jewels for the Hippie to find (bags contain 10, so each bag equals 1 in the tens place).  I gave them each a clipboard, a pencil and a blank practice sheet with the following all the way down it:

_____ + _____ = _____

We went on the hunt and each time they found jewels, they counted the first pile, wrote the number in the first blank, counted the second pile, wrote it in the second blank and added them together.  Sometimes they could do them in their head and sometimes they just counted their jewels.  They had SO MUCH FUN!  The Princess kept saying "we'd never get to this in a school!" and the Hippie (much to my surprise since she is older) really got into her role as Polly Plus.  She brought them all to King Divide at them end ... Then, they each counted jewels to make sure that we again had 10 in each bag and they stuck the sheets they had filled into their Math MLBs.  Such a fun day!

 On Thursday, I had the Hippie copy a little poem into her Math MLB to remind her to start with the ones when she does her addition.  She also worked on some practice problems that I made up for her.  She did use her jewels to do these, but then I showed her how it worked on paper, too.

** Another side note.  It almost seems as if the Hippie read somewhere that she would begin to love cooking when she approached the "9 year change".  She has never really cared much about helping me in the kitchen (though her sister has always loved to help cook), but suddenly she is ALL ABOUT COOKING.  No joke.  The girl is hooked.  She has somehow gotten hooked on Giada at Home and wants to watch it every afternoon with her snack (it comes on at 4:30 here on the Food Network).  She also wants to make SOMETHING in the kitchen like several times a day.  I've had to reel her in just a bit ~ we can't afford for her to use up all of our food, nor can we afford for her to make some of the concoctions she's run by me ... if they didn't turn out to be edible, we'd have to toss them and we simply can't have that!  The girl does NOT want to follow any directions or recipes; she wants to be creative and make up her own things.  So far lately, she's made us a peach & mango cobbler, and apple pie dessert, a fruit salad, some little cucumber, cheese and herb snacks, a berry-aid slushy, a cherry-almond crunch smoothie, an apple cobbler, peanut butter/banana/chocolate chip cobbler  ...

Our summer Library event took us to China on Tuesday.  We went to the library and watched Kung Fu Panda and did Tangrams.  This led to some Tangram play at home on Wednesday morning (we have a set of wooden Tangrams at home).

Wednesday morning met us with sneezes, sniffles, a few coughs and still terrible smoke outside due to the nearby wildfires.  We were all tired and just didn't feel like doing much, so after our morning walk, we snuggled up on the couch to watch Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Movie.  We had popcorn and watched a movie ... at 9:00 in the morning.  Ahhhh, nice.  And, hey, it was set in the depression era, so that could count for history, right?  LOL  Other than that, we did some cleaning, some reading and just sort of took it easy.

A Pioneer Sampler also arrived in the mail on Wednesday.  I ordered it to use in planning my third grade year, but the Hippie was tickled pink to spend some time reading it.  She LOVES the Laura Ingles Wilder books, and this book was a perfect supplement, showing her how people of the 1800s lived.  She eats that stuff up.  I'm gonna have to pry it from her hands to get any planning done!  :)

Friday was another relaxing day.  I'm not sure if it's cold symptoms, allergies or just all the smoke from the wildfires, but Momma was just feeling a little blah.  Oh, and that time of the month thing ... aahhh, being a woman.  

Anyway, even though we did not do "official school", the Hippie still managed to fit in "the three R's", as they say.  She did a page of math practice (two digit addition), finished reading Pippi in the South Seas, did some Tangram puzzles and baked (again) a banana, peanut butter, chocolate chip cobbler ... YUM!  As usual, the measuring spoons needed were not all clean, so she easily added fractions on the fly to figure it out.  She's gonna make me fat(ter) with all this baking!


Three full days and two relaxing, yet educational ones ... not bad for a week of SUMMER SCHOOL!

And, I'll leave you with some other pictures from our week ...

The Hippie made Gnomes

The Princess made Momma & Daddy