Outdoor Play

Waldorf education puts a strong emphasis on natural play, using natural things to play so that it brings forth a good imagination.  I know that isn't the exact wording of Waldorf methods, but it's pretty close.  The girls like playing outside, and they were fussing at me to turn on the electronics, so I moved us all outside to enjoy the beautiful weather.

Megan making a shelter for her toy chinchilla.

The chinchilla peeking out from under it's shelter.

A leaf crown.  I showed the girls how to make them and they made more things.

 

A chinchilla pen, to keep it safe.

Choosing a leaf to use is serious work.  Notice the yarn in the tree, another part of their playing.  

Sami loves to make "lakes" in the pea gravel.  

Rose and Hugo loved the action of the gurgling water.  They played in it, too.  

Totoro watched from the swing with me.  He's a mama's boy.  

They played outside for a long time and were happy.  I listened to a "Hands of a Child" lecture from Rudolf Steiner and fell asleep in the swing. 

Sewing Lessons Today

We are having sewing lessons again today, but today it's my turn to sew.  The last two times have revolved around the wood sprites getting their chance to cut, piece together and sew.  Today I get to sew, or at least that's the plan.  I already know the very basics of sewing, but I've got so much more to learn. 

Sometimes the girls see me learning a new skill, such as knitting, and then they want to try it too.  I love showing them new skills, but sometimes they have to be patient while I learn the ropes (or yarns).  At their age and skill level, it's hard enough to teach them knitting unless I know what I am doing as well. When I barely know what I am doing in knitting, it makes it hard to show them and correct them in proper technique.  When they are older, we'll be able to do more in this area. 

With sewing, it's been nice to have someone else who already know the ropes who can help them jump right in and get started.  It's been fun learning sewing together.  I think it's good for them to see a parent excited about learning as well.  It also demonstrates that learning happens throughout one's life.

Learning should be natural and fun, and I think we accomplished that with sewing.  

Learning Styles

I thought I knew about different learning styles.  I was never an expert, but I thought that I knew enough to help my girls be better learners.  For example, I know that my girls hate workbooks and worksheets, so I avoid them as much as possible.  I also knew that they love to use their hands and move while learning. 

After listening to some podcast from www.homeschool.com, I realize that I still have a lot more to learn.  Mariaemma Willis, David Laezear and Pat Farenga each had a lecture recorded, and each stressed that there are more learning styles than just auditory, visual and kinetic. 

They mentioned how some children wiggle and have to move while learning.  That is definitely what my girls do, and I knew that already.  Sometimes I try to curb it a little, and I found out that I shouldn't do that and I should just let them move. 

When I used to use worksheets (I plan to get back to them someday for math), Sami used to doodle all over the pages.  I would get onto her for not concentrating on her work and not paying attention.  She would spend more time drawing than doing the actual work, and it took three times as long as it should have taken.  The speakers said that is a style of learning where the child HAS to doodle to concentrate on the work.  I'll keep that in mind when we get back to worksheets. 

I also accused the girls of not paying attention when I'm reading aloud to them.  I'll be reading away (or we'll be listening to a book on CD), and they'll ask some off-the-wall question that has nothing to do with the story.  Apparently some children hear something in the story that triggers a thought of something else that might trigger a thought of something else, so then they ask a question about that other thing.  I can definitely understand that, as it happens to me all the time.  I should have picked up on that one on my own.

I plan on listening to these two speakers again, and I am also going to find more resources at the library.  Even though we unschool, these speakers were a valuable resource to me and in turn will help the children. 

Apple Works

We took a trip to the local apple orchard here called Apple Works.  They don't just grow apples.  They have a small petting zoo, a barn with a big slide and rope swings, nature trails, and a shop to buy their products.  In the fall they offer field trips to explore the orchards and pumpkin patches while explaining the apple growing processes.

We went with friends and had a really good time exploring everything.  While both my kids enjoy being outside, Sami especially enjoys it and can stay outside for hours.

  

Megan wore her witch's hat and cape. 

Sami really likes feeding the animals.  She tries to "talk" to them.

This is the barn where they can explore, go down the slide,

and swing on the rope swings.

Waiting for a friend to come out of the slide.

The straw bales were fun to climb.  Megan waited patiently

for her friends to climb up with her. 

Four friends waiting for their mothers to quit taking their picture. 

The sunflowers, while not a tall variety, were very pretty. 

Exploring.

Focusing on Projects

The girls had another sewing lesson with their Aunt Amy yesterday.  This time the lesson was at her house.  What we didn't anticipate was that sewing at Amy's house, while fun, is really full of distractions. 

The girls were able to finish their aprons by putting on pockets and a little sewing-machine embroidery.  They did a good job and the aprons are beautiful.  We don't work on time-limits, but it did take the girls a lot longer than it could have (notice I didn't say, "Should have").  Every conversation Amy and I had, and every side project we had going, the girls would stop what they were doing and join in with our conversation.     

So is it a bad thing that they took longer but enjoyed conversing with us?  No, it is a good thing.  Women have sewing circles and quilting bees to do the exact same thing.  The girls just aren't at the skill level where they can do both at the same time.  If they had been at school, they would have not been allowed to talk and focus on the project only.  Doing it our way, relaxed in a home, they were able to learn a skill and enjoy the experience. 

The next sewing lesson will be at Amy's house as well, but this time it will be for me to learn to sew.

Some Army Perspective

After spending 22 years in the Army, I should have picked up on this sooner.  I've been contemplating how I tend to focus on the negative, and how I am trying to change that.  Well, I don't think I will ignore the negative, as that is also an important part of life.  I will try adopting the Army way of After Action Reviews (AARs), where we had to list "3 Up, 3 Down."  In other words, we couldn't just complain, we had to mention things that went well.  I'm not going to stick to just three if things are going really well.  :) 

UP:
*Mom's tests came out GREAT and it turns out she has really bad allergies.
*We had bacon.  YUM!
*We get another sewing lesson today.
*I got an MP3 player FINALLY after waiting two years, because it was a close-out model on sale.  YEAH!
*I started Meg's birthday shopping already.
*We are going to Apple Works tomorrow with friends.
*The girls have been creative on their own with unschooling.  Reading, playing outside, LEGO's, bird research, books on CD, model rocketry research...

DOWN:
*I woke up with a headache (still here).
*So far today I spilled my coffee, dropped a piece of bacon, and dropped the waffles...I have the "dropsy's."
*I need to fold and put away laundry (which I probably still won't do).
*I have a pile of dishes to do.
*Tried to get Megan to use the typing CD to learn to type faster, and she freaked out and wouldn't do it. She just hates canned curriculum.  :(

So far, my UP list is much better than the DOWN.  Life is good!

I Don't Need to Keep that Surly Mood

I admit it.  I wake up on the wrong side of the bed sometimes.

I'm nearly always an early riser, and I love having my early-morning private time...that is after I  feed the kittens, put out the hummingbird feeder, let the big cats in and out and in and out and in and out, let one bunny out (set up bunny gates first), get the big cats out of the kittens' food, pee and make coffee.  After all that, then my day begins.

I drink coffee, surf the net and watch Fox News.  Pretty simple morning routine.  I do have to eat pretty early because of my hypoglycemia or my blood sugar crashes and I feel like a monster.  That is something that is within my control.  If my routine gets messed up or something upsets me first thing in the morning, it gets me going in the wrong direction.  It doesn't take much to upset me, but today I kicked myself in the butt and started over.  The girls don't need me grumping (Brown County colloquialism).  I need to set a better example. 

I made myself be nice, and it turned out that I felt nicer.  :)  I even made Sami cinnamon toast cut out in fun shapes (Meg was full from cereal), and the kids are happy and playing together nicely.  Megan is even wearing her pirate patch and "hook" in honor of "International Talk Like a Pirate Day." 

Today I am working on keeping my glass half full.  It's worth it.

What is Going Well?

It occurred to me this morning that I've been writing way too much on what is bothering me or troubling me.  I think that goes hand-in-hand with my personality...I'm a "glass half empty" kind of person.  I say, "Enough of that!"  I'm going to start dwelling more on what is going well and even great with our homeschooling and our lives in general.  Starting with today:

The girls are interested in knitting/crochet and are making great attempts.

I figured out how to download Miro and use Pirate Bay (I'm self-taught on the computer).

Megan has a new game on her Nintendo DS to figure out.

We're healthy even though people around us are sick.

I downloaded Firefox so that I can upload pictures on this blog (since Microsoft Internet Explorer won't let me).

I got to play some computer games.

We got to talk to my hubby in Iraq and figure out his next care package (which will include cigars he ordered and his favorite Mochatonix drink).

The girls and I are going to my in-laws tomorrow for BBQ ribs.  MMMMmmmmm!!!!!

My mother is doing much better from having the flu/migraines/nausea.  

I might get time to either knit or take a nap or both this afternoon.

The weather is GREAT, even though I would love it if we got some much needed rain.

How is your day going?  Is it going well, or even better?

Knitting and Crochet...Again

The girls and I are picking up knitting and crocheting again this fall.  We've tried it before, but never managed to keep it up.  There are several reasons for our not keeping up with yarn work:

• Me trying to make a piece perfect even though I'm a novice
• Inability to read patterns, therefore only able to make a scarf or washcloth. 
• Constant interruptions from family, phone, pets
• The girls trying to make something and the subsequent meltdowns when their projects aren't perfect
• One girl needing instruction at the same time as the other girl, interrupting each other and my project as well
• Girls losing my knitting and crochet needles and scissors as they carry their project through the house and lay them down (and finding the needles days later as they work their way down to the floor under the recliners)
• Going to the hobby store to buy yarn or needles and the girls want to buy everything and it turns into a "no, no, no" session. 

Do you see a pattern?  I do.  We are waaaaaaaaaaay to serious about this and need to back it down a notch and just have some fun.  It is fun to knit, but we are so anxious to have a finished product that we lose the joy.  I plan to find some videos online to show how to do a simple project that isn't just a square or rectangle. 

I also plan to get each girl her own supplies and make them responsible for their own needles.  We've been sharing our supplies due to economics, but I would like to make them responsible for their own sewing basket so that they learn more responsibility.  A bonus (actually my real reason) is that I can quit going crazy looking for my things.  I think a small skull-and-crossbones sticker on my supplies might work (it worked on my "special pens" box).

 This is a small Webkinz scarf that Sami is working on. I'm going to work with her today to relax and just have fun.  She keeps pulling out rows because they aren't "right" and I haven't been able to spend one-on-one time with her to help her through the humps.  With my mother being sick this week, I haven't had time to help her much, but we'll fix that today.

Library Books

As most homeschoolers know, the library is a great resource of learning.  We can read books without having to spend money on buying the book, which is a great money saver.  But is it right to feel guilty to not read a book that we have checked out?  I didn't think about this much until I read another blogger that was having those feelings.

I have checked out books numerous times that have never been read.  Sometimes I run out of time, and sometimes I just don't have the time.  Sometimes I just don't want to read it after I picked out the book, perhaps because I checked it out on impulse.  The problem is, I feel guilty for it.  I feel guilty for using the library's resources, and I feel like I let myself down.  Well, I'm not going to feel that way anymore.  It's just silly. 

The girls have no problem checking out many, many books.  Sometimes they check out the same book more than once, and still don't get around to reading it.  I used to try and curb their book-checking enthusiasm by limiting how many books they could get, but then I realized that I was limiting their access to something that might interest them in a week or two.  Unschooling is about giving them easy access to their many interests, and that can't happen if the book isn't here to read.

After I started letting them check out as many books as we could carry without dragging the bags on the ground, I found that they often did get to those extra books and that they were worth checking out.  I would watch the library book piles, lamenting the fact that certain books weren't getting touched, but by the end of the check-out period most books did indeed get looked at and even read. 

I think that my frugal self was equating mega-book-borrowing with being wasteful, and that is just fallacy.  I'm letting them check out as many books as the library will allow and I'm letting them enjoy it.

Taking Care of the Elderly

The girls and I help take care of the elderly. In this case, it means taking care of my parents. Mom and Dad are not decrepit and hunched over, and are doing better than 90% of others their age, but they are still getting more fragile each day.

I am thankful that they are able to do so much on their own in their early eighties. They still work on their own home, do their own lawn work and run their own errands. Unfortunately, the dark side of turning older is creeping in on them.

Mom has fallen down three times (that I know of). I'm not talking about falling on her bottom. I'm talking about falling and landing on her knee replacement and finishing off with a face-plant and busting her nose and can't lift herself backup. Dad loses his balance easily now and has fallen once or twice himself. Dad's diabetes makes it so that he can't rotate or lift his right foot so he can't drive, which is killing him. Dad's bout with cancer and diabetes weakened him considerably, but he still charges on.

The latest round is Mom getting sick with a cold. Mom has low lung capacity and gets bronchitis very easily, and she can't afford to be around anyone who is even suspect of being sick or she gets it. Every cold is devastating to her. She did indeed get sick again, but insisted on taking herself to the doctor yesterday. She got medication to help her, and is still doing poorly, but insists on taking Dad to his appointment today. Originally I was going to take Dad to his appointment in Franklin and Amy was going to drive him home.

It is hard taking care of elderly parents, especially when there are so few other people who can or are willing help for reasons unknown to me. It is difficult in the best of circumstances for Mom and Dad to do everything on their own, and when Mom gets sick, then they are both housebound. They need help at this point in their lives, not extra burdens.

In this, the girls are learning compassion. The girls are learning to help others, even if it is hard to fit it in our schedule. The girls are learning that helping someone else doesn't need to be be paid in anything other than good feelings. The girls are learning to be considerate of others.

My parents help me out anytime I ask. Now it's my turn to return the favor, even when the help isn't asked for, and teach my girls to do the same.

Sewing Lessons

The girls got their first sewing lessons yesterday, and it went GREAT!

Amy thought they would lose interest after a couple hours of practice sewing, but the girls pressed on and wanted to keep going. They ended up sewing from about 10 AM to 7 PM, and they both have aprons to prove it.

I think that this will be the start of a hobby/activity that they will love. They can't wait till the next lesson, and neither can I because I get to make my apron next. I'm learning just as much as they are.

The bonus was that we got to finally spend some much needed bonding time with Amy. Everytime we get to spend time with Amy there is always a third or fourth or fifth party involved. This time it was just us, and it was wonderful.

Lessons from Outside Sources

When we can fit it into our budget, I like to get the girls lessons for things that I can't teach.

This fall Sami is taking singing lessons and Megan is taking guitar lessons. Unfortunately, we are at the mercy of the instructors and the instructors' schedules. Their first teacher had a complicated pregnancy about two years ago and had to stop (and God blessed her with a healthy son). After nearly two years of waiting for her to start lessons again, she announced she was ready; a week later she announced she was pregnant again and had to cancel again. We were fortunate enough to find a new teacher, but he already has family obligations that came up and pushed us back a month. It's always hard to rely on someone else when you need something from them, but it's even harder when you WANT something from them. I sure hope that our patience is rewarded, because I know that the girls will get a lot from their lessons.

My sister Amy is giving sewing lessons to the girls and me this fall. Just out of the blue, she called me and wanted to do this. We were thrilled! I can rely on her to be gentle with the girls and make it a fun experience, and we can relax and be ourselves and speak our minds. The girls and I have barely sewn before, so we are sure to learn something.

It will also be a nice bonding time with just Amy and us. No other family...just us. We never get to see her hardly unless there are at least twenty other people involved in the gathering, which means that it's chaotic and nerve-wracking. I love the rest of my family, but when they are all together it is pandemonium. No one is mean, but it's so loud and confusing and screechy. I always leave feeling heart broken and sad. This will be a nice change to have some much needed quiet bonding time.

Our lessons start today and I can't wait!

Feeling Inadequate?

Feeling Inadequate? I used to feel that way, and sometimes I still do.

I just got through reading a friend's post on Hawai'ian Dreaming. Apparently she and I both compare ourselves to others, and not in a good way. We both tend to see what other people are doing in homeschooling, and wish we had or could do what other homeschoolers are doing. I used to feel that way a lot, but I find myself in recent months feeling that way less and less often.

This past spring, when I decided to unschool, I felt completely vulnerable. I knew that I wanted to unschool my girls, but the obnoxious logical side of me just kept nagging that it might not work. What if they fell behind? What if they didn't learn a certain skill that the other kids are learning at that age or skill level? Or worse...what if they weren't ahead in every subject making the other kids look like doofuses? Yes. I harbor secret feelings of wanting educationally superior children. *wink*

So how are we different now?

We aren't worried about weekly spelling tests. They write on their own and we work out the spelling of the words they want to write, if they haven't already figured it out on their own which usually happens first.

We aren't worried about memorizing the multiplication tables...at least not yet. They are learning how the numbers work in real life, when they are used, and how they can benefit them. I think that memorizing and knowing are two different things and shouldn't be confused.

We aren't worried about reading the classics. They read what is interesting to them and that keeps the pages turning. Sometimes a classic is interesting, and sometimes I wonder who actually decided that a piece of garbage could be remotely considered a classic.

We aren't worried about diagraming sentences. I'm letting them learn the natural flow of words from their favorite authors as they digest book after book. The same goes with punctuation.

Now that we've been unschooling for a few months, I can see that it is working. I still hear certain catch phrases from other homeschool mothers and read certain accomplishments on various homeschool blogs that make me wonder, but I can see the spark of learning in my childrens' eyes and know that they are enjoying learning now.

I'm over second guessing and comparing our homeschool experience to others. It's much better to love life and enjoy.

International Day: Japanese Origami and French Bread

The girls wanted to do origami Tuesday, so that's what we did.

Megan had just checked out several origami books from the library on Monday. I was a little reluctant to let her check out so many, but I figured that part of unschooling was letting them pursue their interests unabated. So check out we did, enough to stuff my book bag and give me a shoulder ache from lugging them to the car.

All day Tuesday, both the girls got out their origami paper and started creating things. Sometimes they needed help, but I was careful to not take over their projects. They came up with several different creations and new ways of using them.

Megan created bird heads that could open and close their mouths...she used those to pick up her popcorn and put it in origami cups that held her popcorn. They made boxes out of old playing cards. They made Christmas trees. They made snakes. They made butterflies. They used their new characters in pretend-play, like they were dolls, and had them eating paper food and having adventures. The list goes on and on. I read to them while they made a lot of these, but my voice gave out after a while.

I also broke out Dad's bread maker and made French bread with it. It mixed the dough, but we made the loaves and baked it in the oven. I know that part of the joy of making bread is the kneading and working it, but sometimes it's nice to let the machine do the work. Megan doesn't eat bread most of the time, but Sami really enjoyed it hot out of the oven. Once it cooled down, she didn't like it as well.