What are all the unschoolers doing today? - Page 2

[cottonwood]

"We talked about the unschooling conference coming to our neck of the woods next year"

Oh, I am hoping to make that!

This morning we woke up to no power, which was really very nice. We cuddled up on the sofa and read books (Edward's Overwhelming Overnight -- I love Rosemary Wells, well except for the "rah-rah school" books :LOL -- and Goodnight Gorilla.) Then I dozed on the couch (didn't sleep well last night for some reason) as the baby puttered around the living room and the other kids played outside -- strangely balmy weather for October. They were especially having fun climbing on and jumping off the roof of the plastic playhouse the grandparents picked up last week at a garage sale. When I got up I opened all the windows and played some piano (a song I'm enamored of right now is Leon Dallin's "Lyric Interlude".)

Later we drove into town in search of a faucet (ours broke yesterday.) We went to a plumbing and lighting store first but I didn't see anything I liked so we stopped at Habitat for Humanity next. Their power was out too, and as soon as we stepped in the door the woman at the counter said, "Oh, our power is out! It's too dark for children to be in here! Tell me what you're looking for and I'll get it so your lovely children don't get hurt!" (There was plenty of light from the windows, I got the feeling that it just made her nervous to have kids in the store. Sigh.)

Next we stopped at the Goodwill and got a great alien costume (not for Halloween though, the boys are both going to be Jedi Knights and Willow is going to be a flower fairy,) some Winnie the Pooh figurines, an UNO deck, a Digimon board game, and a big bag of K'nex. Right now Willow is playing with the figurines, Noah is looking over the Digimon rules, Jake is playing Puzzle Pirates on the internet, and the baby is sleeping on my shoulder as I type.

[ShannonCC]

Bridget likes Tin Tin too! She's getting one for Christmas - shhhhhhhhhhh!

We went to the fairy tea party today and had a lovely time The mom is really sweet and cool. She had her one year old in a sling nursing him as we spoke and we discussed tandem nursing. Bridget enjoyed herself immensely! Owen not so much. I think the little girl his age scared him. When we left he told me the girl was fighting Bridget and I had to explain it was play fighting and they were having fun. I'm not sure if he got it.

Now Bridget is zoning out on Zoo Tycoon and Owen is playing Putt Putt

[UnschoolnMa]

Dh didn't have to go to work until late this afternoon so we ran around a bit until then. We went to the store, Lazerquick to print off some copies, Goodwill (where I scored a huge bag of yarn for $4.99!), and the Social Security office where we checked out a poster with a bunch of different languages on it. Some of them were so neat. Then we went out for a nice lunch before coming home so Dh could get ready for work.

On the way home I drove! Whoo hoo. (Kind of new thing for me. I just got my permit the other day lol) Now we just finished having some friends over.

[ShannonCC]

I was handed a Gideon's Bible once. In the front (or back? can't remember) it has one passage translated into a whole bunch of languages. SO cool to look at and compare to the English! I still have it around here somewhere (uh, I wrote that because of what Unschoolma said :LOL)

Owen did playdough with dh tonight. It's funny how we get into roles here. I'm just not into playdough. I don't know why. I mean, I see how it can be fun, I enjoy it when I do it, but I just don't really have the urge to do it often. Dh will happily sit and play with the stuff. So that's his job :LOL They did that, Bridget played her zoo tycoon and I went on a freecyle quest to get some pants for Robert.

Came home and Owen was begging Robert to "do science". Got them set up with baking soda and vinegar and by the time I came home from walking the dog, Owen and Bridget had abandoned the volcanos and were wildly dancing to Hot Chocolate from the Polar Express soundtrack. They had me repeat the song again and again and again. I lost track of how many repeats . Bridget suggested we burn a CD with just that song on it so I'll ask Robert to do it tomorrow (or maybe I can figure out how to).

Robert read the kids some stories after his workout and then he headed off to bed. The kids played make believe in the backroom for awhile and finally, round 10:30, I got teeth brushed and Owen nursed down. It's about midnight now. Bridget is still reading Calvin and Hobbes and just asked me what surreal means :LOL

We should really get to bed, huh?

[ShannonCC]

Oh, wait, forgot to ask. Habitat for Humanity has stores?

[cottonwood]

Yup, we have two in the area actually. They sell used furniture and building supplies.

Unschoolnma, it sounds like we were at the Goodwill around the same time! Wouldn't it be funny if we passed each other and didn't even realize it? (We were mostly in the Halloween and toy sections today. )

[ShannonCC]

Huh, I didn't know that. You learn something every day :LOL

[oldcrunchymom]

This morning we all woke up pretty late--Hollis around 9, me around 10, and Nan around 10:30 or so. I promised the kids a big breakfast so around noon I made pancakes, sausage (actually soy sausage), and fruit smoothies. By the time we were done eating, getting dressed, etc, it was time to go to the library for the 1:30 Halloween storytime. We were the only ones there. :LOL Hollis was being a grump and a half so I let him go home (we live next door to the library) while Nan did the craft. She made a delightful multi-colored paper bat to hang in her room. I picked out a book to check out.

When we got home from the library, the kids played with their Powerpuff Girls and Yu-Gi-Oh cards for about an hour while I talked to a friend on the computer. Then it was time to take Nan to dance, so she got ready and we all hiked down to the dance center. It was chillier today than yesterday--fall is definitely in the air. Usually on Thursday she has two classes, but today she had three--she is doing a makeup this week and next because of her vacation last week. She had Lyrical (the makeup class) from 4:15-5:00, Ballet from 5:00-5:45, and Acro from 5:45-6:30. Hollis stayed for most of the time, but around 5:45 he got bored so I let him go home ahead of us. He asked if I wanted him to bring me anything back from home :LOL but I told him no, to just stay home and wait for us.

When we got home, we were all hungry so the kids had ice cream and I had a leftover pancake. I was going to make something real but never got off my butt to do it. The kids played for a while longer and then wanted to try cream cheese and olive sandwiches (I'd been telling them earlier how my mom used to make them for me when I was a kid) when they spotted cream cheese in the fridge. I made the sandwiches, to much fascination and compliments on my cooking prowess.

A little while after that we all picked up and then the kids did some "learning." Hollis started reading a calculus book I found him at a tag sale a few weeks ago, and Nan took out a new (used but not filled in) Spanish workbook my mom found. We did a few examples and she learned how to conjugate -AR verbs. After that I read Chapter two of the third Lemony Snicket book to the kids. At one point they couldn't breathe they were laughing so hard... they sure do love hearing about the Unfortunate Events of those poor Baudelaire children. :LOL They took their vitamins and brushed their teeth and got into (my) bed. Hollis continued to read the Calculus book while Nan read a Sponge Bob book and a Berenstain Bears book she got from the library. Then Hollis reread to Nan the part of Lemony Snicket they thought was so funny and they collapsed into hysterics again. He also read her a Dr Seuss book. Then they went back to reading Calculus and Berenstain Bears, and that's what they're still doing. Hopefully they'll go to sleep soon since it's after midnight!

[LeftField]

Yesterday, b/c I'm behind..

Yesterday morning, we did errands (the fabric store, library drive-through, and natural food store). At the fabric store, I bought white fabric for the ghosts that ds1 wanted to make and hang from our tree. It's getting kind of late for this in the season, but ds1 only noticed our neighbor's last week and said he would like some. I'll use the rest of the fabric in the astronaut suit I promised to sew for him.

We got home just in time to eat lunch and go to Gymboree. I cannot wait for our membership to expire (in Dec), because I'm really getting annoyed with the format and related issues. But the kids love it and I'm worried they'll ask about it when it's done. The class is a "global kids" class, but the org doesn't have a great sense of geography. Yesterday, they had us yodel and told us we were doing the Alps, but then we talked about Greece as well. It was like the week we did the Pacific Rim and tacked on India. At any rate, ds1 loves the dances and movements. Ds2 loves the art portion although he's getting intolerant of certain textures and sensations. The teacher kindly put a clothes-pin on his sponge as a handle, since he didn't want to touch the wet sponge.

There's someone in the class that I have issues with, going back to when she led an art class for ds1 over a year ago. She's one of those types that is very into comparing children and her sons are 6 months old than mine, so she's keeps track of what mine do. She has asked me how old they are on multiple occasions. Particularly, she watches what my ds1 draws...She praised my son for something he drew the week before (I'm not a big praiser and I don't draw attention to the kids in public), and then immediately told her son what great progress he was making in drawing and went on and on about it; it seemed very comparative. Yesterday, she commented on ds1's artwork again and then asked her son to draw what mine did. She then did her ds2's art for him by drawing shapes for him, quizzing him on what they are and loudly praising him for being correct. I don't know why I let it bug me. I guess it's because I keep bumping into her.

Her 4yo also spoke to my 2yo rudely repeatedly, trying to shoo him away whenever he came over. I've noticed that it's a pattern. So I spoke to ds1 about it in the car. I told him that ds2 is very little, but that he's a person too and that people should speak to him as such. I told him how happy I was that he spoke to ds2 with respect and that the two of them got along so well. I wanted to mention it, because I don't want my ds1 to think that it's normal. My kids are very attached to each other, minus some occasional squabbling, and we don't have an funny age-segregated ideas. I cannot wait for December.

They watched a show while I made lunch. Then ds2 napped. During the nap, I read the Magic Treehouse Ninja book to ds1 and three chapters of the Amazon one. We've already read the Amazon one, but ds1 is adament that we have to read them in order.

When ds2 woke up, we went outside and played. Ds1 pretended the fort part of the playset was a space-shuttle, but ds2 argued, "Afwica! Afwica!". Usually, it's a boat to Africa, and ds2 apparently has really latched onto that. That was funny. We played until dh came home. At night, they played "tiny" Legos with dh. Then, it was bedtime.

Today, I hope to make those fabric ghosts. I was also going to show ds1 how to make a bookmark, since we're always scrambling for a scrap of paper for his chapter books. I think I have a laminating kit upstairs. I'd also like to carve a pumpkin, since I'm getting requests for pumpkin bread. I bought it at a charity fund-raiser and so it's not a pie-pumpkin as such. I hope it works.

Right now, they're drawing in the kitchen, so I should go check on them.

[UUMom]

Originally Posted by UnschoolnMa

On the way home I drove! Whoo hoo. (Kind of new thing for me. I just got my permit the other day lol) Now we just finished having some friends over.

Congratulations!! (My oldest got his the other day as well). Cool for you!

[Girl Named Sandoz]

So far, this morning, we have built a big imaginary landscape with a Thomas & a Brio trainset and a road, watched a bit of a BBC documentary on underwater life (whales, dolphins etc.) on DVD and done some puzzles on the computer. We've recited nursery rhymes together (by memory) and played counting games with our fingers. DS also spelled out the word T-O-K-I-O on a t-shirt I was wearing for bed this morning.

He's having his afternoon nap right now. We'll go in the garden and play some ball games when he wakes up - it's lovely & sunny right now.

[UUMom]

My youngest woke up about 10 minutes ago. My 13 yr old has worked on Neopets.com, made smoothies, is 'doing math' by figuring out how many days and hours until she can get a different Neopet. I have no idea what that means. No idea at all.

My sister is coming over for lunch and then we are going on a hayride, picking pumpkins and doing a corn maze at a local farm.

We also plan a library run to get movies for the weekend, and my youngest ds has a soccer game at 3:30 we're going to.

[TigerTail]

we are going on a boat ride up the cumberland. the kids are v excited!

susan

[MangoMamma]

May I join in? I realized that I'm more of an unschooler except I hate to admit it my 4 yr old dd who should be in JK in a school is in a pre-school which really is a school readiness programme. : Anyway she never wants to go and hasn't for the past two weeks so I think the unschooling way is the way to go for us.
Sorry for the long preamble.

Today, we read books in the morning. Made heart shaped pb&j sandwiches for lunch. Played with barbies. Listened to music and danced. Fixed my torn jeans with tape. When I am finished checking my email , we are going to take a trip on the bus and streetcar today to buy ruby slippers for her Dorothy from Wizard of Oz costume.

[ShannonCC]

Today I slept a lot I thought it was allergies but now I think I'm actually sick. Again It was raining so we didn't go to the playground playdate that was planned and I took a nice long nap instead (dh is home for the day).

Ok, to back up, dh woke us up to drive him to his eye doctor appointment. We thought he was getting his eyes dilated but it turned out he wasn't so we got out of bed at 9:30 (yes, in the am!) for nothing. We dropped him off and then the kids wanted to explore the office complex so we did. They started hunting shapes. I tell you it was right out of Sesame Street or something, :LOL 7 and 3 y/o running around saying "a rectangle! I found a rectangle!" over and over and over. There were. A lot. Of rectangles.

We got home and realized the rain wasn't letting up so we weren't going to the playdate So we went to Target to get dh some sweat pants and pick out a birthday present for a friend for next week. We got home and that's when I conked out so I have no idea what the kids did for that time.

I had a dream about a ham sandwich for some reason so sent dh out to get the makings for one. Kids and I played Carmen Sadiego USA jr. game. We played it "right" for about 5 minutes and then Bridget wanted to just run all over the map. She told me one of the pieces was her penpal Georgia and asked me where she lived on the map (the penpal who hasn't written her back in over a year by the way - uh hun? Uh . . . nevermind). I told her Georgia lives in Australia so it's not on this map. She said ok, she'd put Georgia in Georgia then :LOL Then she asked where her cousins lived and I pointed out Calif. Then she put a piece on Colorado and I told her that two of her friends used to live there. She said oh, so they aren't Americans? :LOL I explained (again) the concept of states and she said ok, so they aren't New Jersyans and I wasn't sure how to answer that one . She asked where another penpal lived and when I told her she was in NJ with us, she said she'd pretend she lived elsewhere and put her playing piece in Missouri, :LOL

Bridget is back on Zoo Tycoon. The girl is obsessed! She hasn't played the game in months (a year???) and now she's been on it for days. Weird.

Owen asked to watch a Gymboree video and I realized that was the first time in 3 days the tv had been on. Weird! Usually they watch videos every day but they haven't asked lately.

Now Robert is working out downstairs and, after dumping out a bin of toys on the computer room floor, Owen wants to "do an experiment". Why does he always ask at night when I'm tired? Not like it's bedtime or anything, but can't he ask at, say, noon or something? You know, when I'm vaguely like something resembling "perky"? Ok, in the time I took to type this last paragraph, he turned on his construction computer game, :LOL Ah, three year olds. What an attention span!

I hemmed a pair of Robert's pants today and then started to do some curtains and messed up (measure TWICE cut ONCE ). I came here to de-stress after realizing I had screwed up. I can fix it but I'm a bit brain dead and didn't feel like thinking it through

Ok, off to clean up the sewing stuff in the front room, possibly do some volcanoes with the 3 y/o and get bedtime snacks going.

[Dar]

Originally Posted by ShannonCC

Today I slept a lot I thought it was allergies but now I think I'm actually sick.

I hope you feel better tomorrow. It's the time of year to get sick, I think.

Your description of the map/states conversation cracked me up. It's incredible to me that many adults don't realize that some states are part of our country (the United States). I read a great piece during the Salt Lake City Olympics about a guy living in New Mexico who tried to call and order tickets, and the customer service rep wouldn't sell him any because they were only shipping to US addresses at that point... and he tried to explain that New Mexico was part of the US, and she just wasn't buying it.

We have a game called State to State that we picked up at a thrift store when Rain was 4 or 5. The board is a map, and the play involves getting two "state" cards and then trying to build a path of state cards that connects them. I honestly thought it was sort of weak, as a game, but it was one of Rain's favorites for 2 or 3 years. Maybe map fascination is a stage?

Dar

[SagMom]

My kids were stuck on "Snapshots Across America" for a while--another map game. The 5 yr old keeps talking about all the many visits we've made to California--which is funny because the kids and I have never been. He keep confusing California with Pennsylvania. (Because, of course, they are sooo similar! :LOL )


My kids slept in this a.m. The older two were up really late last night (actually, that would have been this morning) Ds was listening to LOTR on audiobook and dd was learning html code. So I spent time on the computer this morning while they slept. Then we all took ds2 to gymnastics, the older two read, ds1 played his Gameboy, and we went to park day where we DIDN'T see Shannon. (Missed you, hon! Hope you feel better soon.) The kids climbed trees, played YuGiOh and Magic and football and ds2 played on the playground equipment and chalked up the sidewalks. Closing games included ds1 running into a fence with his face. (He's okay, no permanent damage.) Then on the way home we stopped into the bird store and brought home a companion for dd's bird. We'd planned on going to the library, but ran out of time--that's now on tomorrow's list. We ended up ordering out for pizza, watched a little tv, played with the birds and dog (separately.) I read a "Bailey's School Kids" book to ds2 and he just fell asleep. We just shared the ghost video from tao with dh (hee hee) and we've sent it to a bunch of unsuspecting folks. Dd and Ds are now BOTH waiting in line for the computer, so that's the Reader's Digest version of today.

[ShannonCC]

Aw bummer. Sorry Joan, it was raining here. I mean, I guess it's good I didn't go anyway and I felt much better after my nap, but we can't make Monday (dentist - part II) and can't make next friday (Halloween Party) so I wish we had gone today.

If map fascination is a stage then I never grew out of it :LOL I've had maps up as decorations as long as I can remember (long before having kids). So you might come into the house and think "oh look, the school-at-homers must be studying geography" but nope, it's just mom's idea of decor I've seen a few more state games and one world map game that I want. They're supposed to be kids games but I want them for *me*. I'm not sure who else will play them with me though. That's a problem a lot here actually. All these really cool games we have and no one wants to play nearly as often as I do. Pout! At least I have the computer to play scrabble against or I'd really whine.

So we finished the day with some experiments. First the regular old baking soda and vinegar but then Owen wanted to add corn starch, and then just corn starch and vinegar and then pepper and salt and various combinations of all of the above. The day ended on a bit of a sad note when Bridget didn't want to play a game with Owen. She found a toy catalog and wanted to look at that instead of playing with him. Poor little dude just fell apart because his sister wouldn't play with him He's asleep on my lap now (as usual).

Bridget just saw a chore sticker chart in the catalog and thinks it would be a cool idea. That kid has some weird ideas sometimes

And despite my hours long nap (ah luxury) I am falling asleep here. I might actually toddle off to bed before midnight tonight

OMG Joan, the ghost in the commercial video? Scared the you know what out of me. I had headphones on too. Just don't send it to any potential heart attack victims, :LOL

[cottonwood]

I love maps too which is funny because I never actually remember where anything is on them. I'm terrible with the states... I'm sure they must have been drilled into me at some point but it sure never stuck.

I really want an upside-down map. http://www.flourish.org/upsidedownmap/

[Dar]

We used to have two great maps, a US one and a world one... and I didn't laminate them and they got ragged and torn and we threw them away I'm looking for cheap new ones... for now, we google a lot and use the globe, but it's not really big enough.

And I love to see other world maps, too... I have an anthropology text with a bunch of them, but that's a good site to bookmark, too.

Dar