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.