Vancouverish Tribe - Now is the month of May! - Page 6

[widemouthedfrog]

Alison's mom, have you checked with the Council of PPPs? Our preschool is quite well managed, but does have a fabulous fundraising program and it does get grants for things. That certainly helps. I do have access to the budget, but I don't know if I can share it.

[ememers]

westcoastmom, my kombucha scobies are going gangbusters--I'd be thrilled if you took one off my hands! PM me if you're still looking for one.

I'm very interested in the discussion about the different home learners programs. Filing it all away for someday when we have kids. I actually stumbled on a similar program through my part-time job--Silbury I believe it's called. Don't know anything about it, so not endorsing or questioning, just wondering if anyone knows about it.

--ememers

[artparent]

ah, come to my thread on homeschooling while working at home :


ps i just read that little pull down menu 'notification type' as "instant email gratification". totally.

*

[flowmom]

Originally Posted by ememers

I actually stumbled on a similar program through my part-time job--Silbury I believe it's called. Don't know anything about it, so not endorsing or questioning, just wondering if anyone knows about it.

I've heard a bit about their programs -- they sounds really interesting. I understand correctly, they specialize in courses for gifted children, but they don't run a full DL program.

[Piglet68]

hey everyone! Back from our trip to McLeese lake (just north of Williams Lake) and it was really lovely. The kids basically just roamed free all day and I got to relax quite a bit. And it was our first time using the trailer - sooooo nice! A very comfortable way to travel, and definitely makes packing a lot easier. I am hoping to do lots of trips this summer, even just for an overnight nearby.

I'm loving the discussions on the different DL programs. Silbury offers classes that you can sign up for - as many or as few as you want. They are not a DL program but the classes are pretty neat. We thought about doing some but the commute from here would be nasty! While they are for "gifted children" what this really means is that the classes are highly focussed and allow for progression beyond the usual school-age level.

DD isn't taking any classes right now and I go back and forth as to whether this is good or not. The community centre type classes all seem pretty simplistic for her, and I hate that the hours are always after-school hours, which is when we like to end our day. She is very self-directed in her learning and seems to lose interest when the agenda is someone else's, even if it's a topic she likes. Thing is, she is perfectly happy not going and she is definitely learning lots and progressing in her reading/writing etc.

We might do some science camps this summer at Capilano University (which is practically next door) but I'm not sure she could do five days in a row of something. DD doesn't have very high social needs and never complains about not seeing friends. We meet fairly regularly with other homelearning families we've become friends with, and she enjoys Hula Hoot. Self Design has worked super well for us and DS will be joining this year with the same LC that DD has. He will almost certainly start doing some kind of sports activities, especially martial arts. I'm really not sure what sort of things "float his boat" right now, so I guess it will be a process of discovery for both of us!

One thing about being a homeschooling parent is you're often worrying that you are not doing enough - and yet somehow the kids seem to learn and thrive and grow regardless.

[widemouthedfrog]

If anyone out there (Piglet's dd or otherwise) would like to join the Ecology Centre's Young Naturalist's Club, we meet the second Sunday afternoon of the month (not in summer, though). It's for the whole family.

And if you're considering it, I am making the brochure for the fall/winter season and I'd LOVE to know what things you'd like to learn about. We bring in guests who are experienced in a particular field of natural history. Please PM with ideas!!!!!

[tiffani]

The one way that Silbury is linked with a DL is that they have a special deal with self-design (I don't know the details at all) to give SD kids maybe a special deal on silbury classes or something? I'm not sure how it works exactly, but they are in cahoots in some way or another... the thing that I love about silbury (theoretically, as I have no experience with them) is that they are geared toward gifted kids, therefore the 'behavior issues' that gifted kids often bring to the table seem like they would be well supported there -- robugmum's son attends full-time, maybe she would like to chime in with her thoughts on all things silbury?

I have been sick, sick, sick for a week!!! I have some kind of head and chest cold that is just taking it's sweet time leaving my system, though I have heard rumors from other weta wives that they had similar experiences their first winter with NZ virus's... on top of that I'm taking birth control pills for relactation purposes, and I feel like I have morning sickness ALL THE TIME!!!! blech. I just found out, though, that the little girl we're hoping to adopt didn't come to the orphanage until she was about 15 months old (not sure if her mom was alive all that time or not) so I'm hoping she nursed until then and will pick up where she left off with me....eventually...

Mariah, what you said about kids learning despite our best efforts to neglect them is ringing so true for me today -- I've been so sick for over a week, and mostly what I've been up to is watching LOST (never seen it before) from the beginning, and the kids have been just playing and watching lots of movies and tv on the internet, etc, etc... they've been sick too, just not as bad as me, so very low key and vegetative... then today I was feeling a little better, they were feeling better, and everyone was so eager to practice spelling and writing, reading, violin... just a really motivated day after so much guilty lethargy -- it's amazing how nice it is to just let those lazy days (weeks? ) happen and see what emerges at the end!

now I have to feed these little people something that doesn't make me want to vomit... fruit and crackers kids? :

[widemouthedfrog]

sorry you're sick, Tiffani. I've been sick all spring, and it's wearing on me.

Sage mamas, please come to my thread about homelearning (even if you're not a homeschooler). I'd like to know if any of you have tried a "trial run" of homelearning earlier than age five. Yes, I'm nuts.

[Piglet68]

Not to create competition, lol, but the Lower Mainland Homelearner's Chapter of the Young Naturalists Club offers field trips during weekdays, usually around 10 am, for those who like to keep their weekends free. I just took over as an executive after the chapter almost folded, so now I'm in promo mode!

[artparent]

: going to paris in june : know any great websites for teaching french to kids?

*

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by Piglet68

Not to create competition, lol, but the Lower Mainland Homelearner's Chapter of the Young Naturalists Club offers field trips during weekdays, usually around 10 am, for those who like to keep their weekends free. I just took over as an executive after the chapter almost folded, so now I'm in promo mode!

Is there anywhere I can get more info on this, Mariah? DD really likes the Ecology Center programs, but if we can find more for her, that would be good.

On a practical level, though, her activities are going to fairly severely curtailed until September, I think. Baby arrives June 26th, and my mobility is already pretty restricted. June is going to be pretty limited for us. I know from experience that it will take me at least two weeks to be reasonably mobile after the c-section. So...mid-July, at best.

On another note, is anybody interested in coming to our choir concert?

The info is here:
http://www.burstinwithbroadway.com/

If you want tickets, and let me know before Sunday, you can get a $5.00 discount on adult tickets and a $4.00 discount on student/seniors/children.

This is Music Mommy's choir - I'm just one of the herd.

[widemouthedfrog]

Originally Posted by Piglet68

Not to create competition, lol, but the Lower Mainland Homelearner's Chapter of the Young Naturalists Club offers field trips during weekdays, usually around 10 am, for those who like to keep their weekends free. I just took over as an executive after the chapter almost folded, so now I'm in promo mode!

Oh, that's great, Piglet! One of the members just told me it had folded, so I'm glad that you're taking it on. We just had them in for a field trip in...April? March?

[robugmum]

Originally Posted by ememers

I'm very interested in the discussion about the different home learners programs. Filing it all away for someday when we have kids. I actually stumbled on a similar program through my part-time job--Silbury I believe it's called. Don't know anything about it, so not endorsing or questioning, just wondering if anyone knows about it.

--ememers

Yup, my ds is at Silbury full time. Its been a fabulous "educational home" for my twice exceptional boy. He absolutely loves it there, can't wait to go everyday and misses it a lot when school's not in session. You don't have to be "gifted" to go there and there are at least as many part timers as full timers (more, when I think about it!).
Any questions? Ask Away!:

[Intuition]

Thanks for the info on Silbury. I had always thought it was for gifted students, and I see now that my son might be a great fit someday. We'll see how our first year with SelfDesign goes first, but I love that I now have that option.

Is anyone going to the Home Learning Expo in Abbotsford tomorrow? I registered and I'm planning to leave here early in the morning, but I am unsure how busy it will be with regards to parking. I am not going to the Keynote address first thing, but if I go slightly later than that, I wonder if there will be any parking left. I'm also slightly concerned with how the closeness and amount of people will affect my eldest, but I guess we'll just wing it. I'm really excited, and I am taking a friend along to help me wrangle my guys.

[Intuition]

I forgot to say that I wanted to send a thank you to both Elisa and Jessica.

I have had so many health problems, and since being diagnosed as a celiac at the end of last year, have still been feeling really rotten. I have continued to eat well and exercise and I have been meditating, and yet still I could not drop a single pound or clear my head of the fog. I finally decided to jump in and do Bee's diet, and I lost 10 pounds the first week! Sounds like an awful lot, but I am 100 pounds overweight, and I have never felt better in my life. So thank you so much, you two. I am thrilled.

[tiffani]

wow, T, that's awesome!!! I would like to give that diet a try myself... ya know, one of these days...

[Intuition]

I just can't believe the mental clarity I have now. I feel like I have been in a perpetual state of drunkenness until now, funny as that sounds. Truly, once I realised that the thoughts the difficulty of such a diet were all in my head, I found it extremely easy to stick to. It really is simple.

How are you doing down there, Tiffani? I don't come over to this thread nearly enough, but I think about you and yours often.

[artparent]

wow, intuition, that's great!

i'm very excited, i may have a sitter. i'm definitely on the not-having-another-baby-so-i've-got-some-other-kind-of-fever. maybe work-fever, or self-realisation-fever. i almost want to bite someone or something, i want to get my teeth into my own things. anyone going through this?

funny tiffani, you were talking about how you all just suddenly did a lot, we're having some time like that, where we get up and do 100 different interesting things and go to bed happy and tired out today they felted puppies + kittens, built a teepee for peas and trained a vine onto it, learned how to boil + egg (the 8 year old), watered our seedlings + de-aphided the artichokes, pulled out all the bluebell flowers that had finished, made a home for a snail, took turns push-mowing the lawn, wrote letters + mailed them complete with addresses, studied french on the bbc website, pretended like mad, painted, drew, put away the clean dishes, used the timer to tidy up 3 weeks of unbridled crafting, played with playdough out on the lawn, made lemonade from scratch (the 8 year old), watched two films, did our morning + evening routines to completion, rode a bike and played in the playground (the 3 year old), and met a ladybug. we did completely forget to practice the violin, and we almost missed ballet class, we were so involved in what we were doing! i always wish every day were like this, but i guess we'd burn out

*

[widemouthedfrog]

Wow, artparent! maybe it's the weather. that sounds like our day. But I am pretty tired after it. Supposed to be editing, but not feeling like it much. I just finished taking in the laundry off the line in the dark...and planting sage, lemon balm and rosemary after all of mine died over the winter. My neighbours must think I am a bit odd with all of my late night gardening. Does anyone else grow sorrel? I met some sorrel-loving kids the other week, but I've never met anyone else who loves it. It's very lemony.

We had a fun dinner of whopping amounts of sushi and yummy ice cream - our annual tradition when dh is away with his class at outdoor school.

Intuition, great about the diet! I've been working on gradually reducing my wheat intake, and I am feeling far better for it as well. But I'm nowhere near that diet yet (see above) - though I do think that protein and veggies and some fruit are where it's at!

[vancouverlori]

Originally Posted by artparent

i'm definitely on the not-having-another-baby-so-i've-got-some-other-kind-of-fever. maybe work-fever, or self-realisation-fever. i almost want to bite someone or something, i want to get my teeth into my own things. anyone going through this?

... i always wish every day were like this, but i guess we'd burn out

Well I'm tired just looking at that list! But I suppose I was feeling pretty accomplished today too. We read, made ant poison and prepared little traps out of egg cartons, did some stuff on Starfall, practiced some letters, played clone trooper (in costume), made lunch, read (me) and played (ds), went to pick up cat food and meds, had a snack, went roller-blading, ds played at neighbour's house while I cleaned out the kitchen, played video games, made dinner, had another friend over to play and then I went out to a meeting... Phew. There must have been something in the air, or maybe it was some weird planetary alignment.

And I think it's called Spring Fever! I don't know why it happens, but I get it most years. In my teens I used to pace back and forth in the hallway... drove my little sister nuts because the zippers at the ankles of my jeans clicked...

(good tip on the BBC french - will have to tap that resource now that Calvin is interested.)