Unschooling Support March - Page 2

[TEAK's Mom]

That website is brilliant! We're just happy to be seeing grass again as the snow is receding.

[Earthy Mama]

Hi! We just got back from a trip to Ohio-the girls actually got to play in some REAL snow!

I bought the girls some math workbooks today-they really like them! I had to stop myself from telling them to take a break.

Maddie is writing a book about our trip, and trying to dissect our convoluted family tree! I just found out the my grandmother married her ex husbands ex brother-in-law some 40 years ago! I never knew that my dad's stepbrother was also his cousin!

We found a cool Harry Potter Haiku page
and she is learning how to write her own haikus.

Oh, she also learned two more chords on the guitar....

[UnschoolnMa]

Oooh I love Haiku! Fun subject too.

My Dd loves workbooks too. Ds not so much, but even he has been turning to Dd's as he prepares for the GED.

Today was laid back. I made some vegan chili early in the day so we didn't have to do much later. It turns out we ate most of that for lunch so I made pancake right before American Idol. (It always seems I'm working in the kitchen when it comes on grrr!) We watched that and then really enjoyed the premiere of "New Amsterdam" that followed.

Dd was having fun watching Japanese anime and trying to learn some of the words from it. Ds walked to the store a bit ago to get some soda, and now he's upstairs playing Guildwars or something.

[Wildflower]

I've been indulging my historical novel lust, reading The Queen's Fool by Phillipa Gregory. It somehow symbolizes to me my new-ish inner state of trust in dd's unschooling--for months this fall/winter I felt unable to pick up a good novel, like if I had spare moments I should be madly researching ways to sneak in learning or planning activites. Sigh...It's so lovely to just read and read while I nurse the baby through his three hour nap, meanwhile taking peeks at dd as she (yesterday and the day before) created a huge sculpture with a jar, glitter, and sculpy dough entitled "Ocean of Love", randomly picked up books and checked for things she could read alone, dressed up in her bellydance clothes and took a movie of herself, and wrote a note to an elf with adorable invented spelling. I couldn't have 'planned' it better myself!

[alima]

Originally Posted by TEAK's Mom

That website is brilliant! We're just happy to be seeing grass again as the snow is receding.

You have grass? In Alaska? In March?

Jeez, Manitoba sucks :

It's -20 today, -30 with the wind chill. There is still 3 feet of snow on the ground. Our spring thaw doesn't start till the end of April, sometimes not till the end of May.

On a brighter note, ds announced last night that he's been thinking it over and he wants to learn to play the bass. With no previous discussion, even hint that he's even interested in an instrument

So today we went out and checked out guitars and decided on a nice little cheap package with amp and accessories. He put down half the money today (I pitched in half, so 1/4 actually) and he'll pay it off over the next two paydays. He's hoping he'll have enough money to pay off the bass and pay off his pre-ordered copy of Smash Brothers Brawl, that's he's been (very im-)patiently waiting to come out for 2 years He's really enjoying this whole having an income of his own thing

My best friend's brother happens to play bass, and is pretty serious about it as an instrument, so I'm hoping he can at least give ds some pointers on how to get started, and some direction in what sort of style he'd like to play. If it works out that they're comfortable with each other to do lessons, that would be super cool, but ds is really resistant, initially, to lessons (he likes to know what he's doing before he starts asking questions and taking direction), and my friend's bro is terminally shy and socially very, um, not timid, resistant, he doesn't like to talk, he likes to play bass and fool around with cables and such, so don't know how he'd feel about giving lessons. I see the two of them being more like a "ask questions, get advice" kind of partnership.

Hey UnschoolnMa, what anime is your dd watching? What sites does she use? Ds obsessively checks Anime Junkie about 20 times a day, checking for updates. He watches about 10 or 15 shows at a time and is always waiting for updates on some of them There are a few other sites he watches, but he says this one is the best.

I was a huuuuge workbook fan as a little girl, the feel of fresh, unsullied paper, the smell of a new book... ahhhh

And then I'd get bored on about page 3 and go back to colouring Drove my teachers nuts I just didn't want to spoil the wonderful book with, you know, writing and stuff.

Ds never liked workbooks, colouring books, anything like that. He couldn't see any point in a book that wasn't for either a) reading, or b) wrecking

[doulajewla]

So since we dont have guitar hero, I thought for others who dont either might like this: http://www.addictinggames.com/supercrazy2.htm


Ds has been playing this for a few weeks now and finally mastered it! Every level he has gotten through--what amazing eye hand coordination he has! his fingers FLY!

Today we didnt do too much . Wrote out a few postcards, watched some mythbusters again. Talked about what kind of things they want to do--and dd told me that she wants to be a vet when she gets older and I said well what do you think we need to do for that and she goes "Play with animals." I told her that sometimes you have to give medications too and you have to decide if you want to that...she just shrugged and said "I want to be a doula too because I love babies." Ds hates math he said. I told him i did too. I still do. I choose not to have a job that requires much math--one reason why i am no longer a nurse.

cello lessons and playdates with friends---and oh i caught dd reading books to dd5 ....pretty educational books about animals, math and then one about fear factor lol! never seen the show, but the book is pretty nasty too!

[KaraBoo]

That Anime Junkie site looks awesome!

I've had a really horrible day and it was all moving related. Yuk.

I'll be glad when we just GET there and get a bed to sleep in and some food in our fridge. Then we can hole up and get over our jetlag and get on with life. Blech.

[majikfaerie]

Originally Posted by UnschoolnMa

Yay a thread for March.

We've been a little busy with doggy raising. He's a little Mr. Chewy right now. He managed to find a tube of green acryclic paint and this is the result! What a silly boy.

so cute U'Ma I hadn't heard the news about your new doggy, having not been online much in the last month. glad to hear it. (and still missing off-with-the-faeries Lexy)

Originally Posted by Dar

I am so tired... I read the thread title and thought you'd been marching in support of unschooling somewhere... I wanted to hear all about the Unschooling March!

ANyway, carry on...

Dar

:
I literally spluttered onto the screen when I read that.
Unschooling Support March.

hey, it's a good idea. I'll be there with placards and banners. and I'll make cakes to share

and in 2 months we can have Unschooling Support May... (May what???)

[nomadmom]

Originally Posted by majikfaerie

and in 2 months we can have Unschooling Support May... (May what???)

, and at Dar's unschooling "march"!

I'm so happy that these monthly threads are continuing. While I'm thrilled to have our own forum, I was a bit overwhelmed at first and missed hearing what you all have been up to.

Ds has been away all week at a holiday camp with an unschooling friend and his family. They first invited him 3 years ago, and it's become an annual trip in March.

Dh and his brother have been working outside our house all day, and dd has been hanging out with them. They're paying her to keep them topped up with coffee, and gave her some scraps of wood which she's using to build a bird house. She's decided she wants a fort, so dh told her to draw some plans and they'll build it together as soon as he has some free time.

Dd and I have volunteered for a toad collecting event in a nearby village. Traffic in the village has increase so much that a native toad species is in danger of not being able to safely travel to the pond where they lay their eggs. So, Countryside Services has organized a team of volunteers to collect as many toads as possible, carry them across the road and release them near the pond. Our first session is on the 15th.

[doulajewla]

Ok y'all are probably tired of me....

I am back again with another question. I am so bad at this.....

I got a letter from the state (VT) that everyone gets this time of year. It outlined what is expected, yadda yadda. Normally, when we were homeschooling I would send in the appropriate things for the end of year assessment. We are unschooling and do not do many workbook pages unless they drag them out and do them..which is never the case.

I called the woman in the office to explain exactly what they are looking for for each subject. They are looking for between 3-5 examples of work, meaning workbook pages or homemade worksheets. What if i dont have this? I definitely have this for social studies and english type things...art is way easy, gym is way easy to document, health easy peasy.....i guess its math. when we play a game we have scrap paper which ive saved so I guess that counts. I asked about games online that ds plays which is a basketball game but to move ahead on the court you have to solve multiplication and division..and it gives you scrap paper to do it on, online complete with numbers and signs to drag. I cant print it though and she said thats not really acceptable. I took a picture of him doing it and she said for fun just send it in if i want. But if thats all i have it wont be acceptable. If i get all wrapped up in worrying about this, i get upset. So far so good...I am not upset and my kids are happily doing what they need to be. Dd has a few math pages so I think that will be enough. Ds doesnt really. He does do top secret adventures so if I look through that I m sure ill find some long hand math to submit.

It seems like everyone here doesnt have to submit--is that true for you all? I wish i lived in a state where I didnt have to submit---they are looking for worksheets, but she also said other forms are acceptable like pictures and field trip documentation. I am so happy unschooling, but I worry that they can force us to do things we just dont want to do. I dont even think there are unschoolers in my area who submit--they all are underground. I wish i knew better when i was young and started homeschooling--i didnt know i could go underground. its illegal in our state, that I know--but most unschoolers here are underground and unknown. I could use a local support group lol!

[dillonandmarasmom]

Hi doulajewla,

Could you talk to your ds about the situation and find some simple pages online for him to work out? I know the "necessities" of the state are a nuisance, but, why make them too big a deal, yk? I am sure you'll be fine with what you all are doing.

We are finally over the stomach flu (yuck) and have been busy and knee deep in Legos and tinker toys. DS has dismantled our old stereo (I posted a pic in the pic thread) and DD has been figuring out how to draw details on faces, and even gave me a body and legs yesterday (YAY!).
It has been windy here, and we've been out with Gpa flying kites. DH and I have plans to build the playset we picked up last weekend.
Welcoming Spring early (poor tulip tree is so confused), but the kids are more than ready for some sun.

This morning DS drew up some skeletons in chalk on the back driveway. It's always surprising to discover what he has learned...

Lovin' and learnin'!!

[Milakais]

Originally Posted by Dar

I am so tired... I read the thread title and thought you'd been marching in support of unschooling somewhere... I wanted to hear all about the Unschooling March!

ANyway, carry on...

Dar

You're not alone -- I thought the same thing.

[TEAK's Mom]

Originally Posted by alima

You have grass? In Alaska? In March?

Well, we have soggy, muddy brown grass-like stuff that is starting to emerge as the driving rain melts the snow here in Southeast. LOL. I'm trying to be positive.

[doulajewla]

Today we discussed the states requirements together and the kids were really receptive. They both figured that we could come up with enough for everything except math. Though dd has enough samples for math. ds didnt. So he told me where the old 3rd grade book was (it has stuff in it for this years curriculum) and found two pages that he gladly did. He even brought it with us when we took his sister to ballet. Dd did hers and skipped off to play bobble heads (littlest pet shop). Now we have enough we only needed between 3 and 5 samples.

[alima]

Congrats Doulajewla :

Isn't is great to have such a simple solution that meets everyone's needs?

[alima]

Ok, who coughed on their keyboard and made me sick? ::Puke

I'd gone for so long without getting sick, at least a month!

Oh well, ds has been taking care of me today. He did the shopping, made lunch, then we watched our mutually favorite anime, Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro, about a demon detective.

Ds just walked his friend home, and now we're going to tag off making supper (he's not feeling well either, but I can't stand up right now ), and watch some more Neuro episodes.

[doulajewla]

awww im sorry your sick! i hope you feel better!!!!

and yes it feels good to have a nice solution--feels kinda weird to be honest lol...seems "too" easy lol...but its good!

[majikfaerie]

feel better everyone
alima, I was having chronicly recurring colds and flu, every other month or so I'd be knocked out sick for a week. then I started a full immune-boosting regime, with a lot of echinacea and astragalus and chinese herbs. I've been super healthy since I started it, in october.

[alima]

Originally Posted by majikfaerie

feel better everyone
alima, I was having chronicly recurring colds and flu, every other month or so I'd be knocked out sick for a week. then I started a full immune-boosting regime, with a lot of echinacea and astragalus and chinese herbs. I've been super healthy since I started it, in october.

Thanks Majikfaerie! It's great to see you back, have you solved your internet access problems? Or you neighbor problem in general?

I've actually been on quite a lot of herbals for the past 10 years or so, I've been using an echinacea and astragalus tonic for about the last 5. I try not to overdo it too much, though. I've been thinking of maybe going to see a Chinese medicine doctor. I took a lot of antibiotics when I was a kid (doctors prescribing them unnecessarily) and with other effects of my mispent youth , well, my gut has never been very healthy for many years now. What chinese herbs are you taking?

What I really need to do is stick to a whole foods/no sugar diet, but I manage a restaurant in a large arena and I'm constantly surrounded by the worst food possible (pastries by the pallet load, a walk-in freezer filled with nothing but ice cream and popsicles, everything deep fried or dipped in chocolate) and no healthy food of any sort I really just have to put more effort into packing my meals and eating right :

Ds spent the day playing Alien Hominid on the emulator he downloaded. He insists this is the funnest video game of all time. Imagine the sort of video game Calvin would have written and you get the idea

Now he's playing Guitar Hero with a bunch of friends that just came over. I was so looking forward to having a bit of a video game break for a while, but ds is now planning a Smash Bros party to celebrate picking up his pre-ordered copy the day it comes out. He's such a :

Despite all appearances, he does actually read and go outside and stuff, he just usually does that while I'm asleep or at work. When I'm home, he wants to do the important stuff

[UnschoolnMa]

Alima, I was looking at your photo stream and there's a picture of your Ds throwing the "rock horns" and it made me laugh so hard because I have a similar couple of pictures of my Ds. So funny, these boys. Oh and Dd likes Owen's hat in your siggy pic of him.

He's such a

Despite all appearances, he does actually read and go outside and stuff, he just usually does that while I'm asleep or at work. When I'm home, he wants to do the important stuff

Oh that all sounds so much like my Ds too. He's been on wiki, Guildwars, and his new Rachet and Clank game off and on all day.

We are babysitting some young friends tonight unexpectedly, so that's been cool. We made pasta with vegan chicken/alfredo sauce. Boy am I tired though!