Week 3: Vacation in Pictures

What an interesting week. This was our first family vacation in 5 years. We returned to Boston where I spent nearly 20 years but haven’t visited in more than eight. Although I was born and raised in New Hampshire, I tend to think of Boston as the place I grew up. In a way it really felt like coming home.

Going on vacation when everyone else is in school is a wonderful perk of homeschooling. Although some places we visited were still pretty crowded – the New England Aquarium in particular, most were very quiet. It was so nice to see the kids exploring the Museum of Science without having to worry that another child was waiting for a chance, they could take their time. One disadvantage to visiting in the beginning of the quiet season we discovered was that in some cases the most popular exhibits were closed for routine maintenance. The Planetarium was closed, the famous electricity demonstration was modified because the giant Van Der Graaff generators were being cleaned. All in all, as a family that avoids crowds when possible, the upsides far outweighed any downside!

Our lodgings for the week

Jellies

Myrtle grabs some air

Smiles!

Thanks for peeking!

Week 2 Wrap-Up: What Worked and What Didn’t

It’s Saturday already so I suppose that means we made it though another week. I don’t want to write a book again so I will mix it up and just comment on what went well this week and what went not so well.

DIDN’T WORK

Science! What? The topic we live for? I do love our science curriculum. I’m having trouble keeping us together and on track. The kids have a tendency to become wild whenever we ‘sit down’ to do science. I’m trying to analyze what is going wrong because lately it’s been nothing but frustration. I’m constantly saying things such as: Come back. Didn’t you just get water before we started? Sit on your bottom not your head. And so much, much more. It is wearing me out to the point that I. don’t. want. to. do. science. Which would be a shame because we all do enjoy it when it goes well.

Worked

EJ continues to rock in math. This week he learned how to use drawing tools; T-square, and 30-60 triangle and was a natural at it. He doesn’t spend much time drawing on his own, but I think something more technical, like the geometric shapes he worked on this week might be more up his alley.

JD is also rockin’ in math. I just started him on Right Start Level A late last week. He’s getting the concept that 5 is special and he learned the days of the week this week. I’m finding that much more than EJ, he needs a cheerleader. Too bad I’m a lousy cheerleader. I’m trying though.

 We had a fun afternoon with our homeschool group on Friday learning about critters that live in the water. It was pretty informal and mostly the kids all had a great time mucking about and collecting tiny fish, tadpoles, and a couple of itty bitty critters. I love seeing them all work together!

“A Vacation spot out of season always has a very special magic.” Max Von Sydow

This coming week we will be in Boston for a fun family vacation. It will be the first time Mr. Hamp and I have been back since we moved from the area eight years ago. It feels just a bit decadent taking vacation when all of the kids peers will be in school. Even though it’s just Boston, I think it will feel like a vacation out of season.

Have a terrific week!

Three Little Words

I have three words to talk about. What do these words have in common? They are words that I am trying to remove from my everyday vocabulary, or at least use less often, with my children because I don’t think they are helpful for any of us.

Photo by Gail Williams

Most of the parents I know seem to be are aware that saying “no” too often, or as the default position isn’t great for kids. It’s hard to remember sometimes, but we try to turn it around into a yes.

A1: No, you can’t have candy before lunch.

A2: Yes, you may have candy after lunch.

It may seem like word games to us. But for kids like my JD, the difference between those answers is the difference between an explosion and calm acceptance. Really, I didn’t used to do this but then I tried it out and it was like a miracle! I explain it this way. How would I feel if I heard ‘no’ as many times in a day as I might say it to my children? I think I would feel pretty defeated and I assume so must our children.

I have been ending statements with this word as long as I can remember.

Finish up what you are doing because it is time to leave. Okay?

It’s similar to when you say: Right? after making an opinion statement.

Vanilla is the best ice cream flavor. (Am I) Right?

In the second case, while I might be hoping for agreement, I don’t necessarily expect it. However, in the first case, I’m not really looking for agreement at all! Certainly there are times when my child might disagree and I’m willing to hear him out. But, I add OKAY because in my mind it turns the statement into a question that has to be answered. Does that even work? I suppose it does sometimes because my kids have come to expect it. Instead, perhaps it would be better to wait for acknowledgment, and only if it doesn’t come, then simply ask if I was heard.

Photo by Tuomas

I have noticed lately, perhaps because my older son replies with “I know, mom” in that annoyed, you are being ridiculous voice (come on, you know the one), that I tend to use the word CAREFUL, and the phrase BE CAREFUL reflexively, and much, much too often.

EJ (8) has made scrambled eggs a handful of times. What is the one thing I always tell him when he gets out the 8″ chef’s knife to chop the ham?

Be careful, that’s sharp!

Sometimes it’s no wonder he doesn’t get all sarcastic on me. “What? Really! I had no idea that this big pointy knife would be sharp mom! Thanks so much for telling me for the 5th time.”

What did I say yesterday after JD, my 5-year-old, flipped over his bicycle handlebars onto his head? (Thankfully he was wearing his helmet and was fine although rather shaken up.)

Please be more careful next time!

What!? Because clearly a simple word from me will teach him something that actually flipping over the handlebars didn’t. I mean, come on! How ridiculous and ineffectual is that!

Okay, so these two examples definitely have the potential for real harm. Maybe my warnings are justified? Well, not really. EJ and I discussed the proper way to use the knife the first time he used it and I’ve watched him every time since to be sure he is being safe. JD certainly didn’t expect to flip over the handlebars and of course he knows that would hurt. CAREFUL just isn’t specific enough to be helpful. Also, I use it so reflexively that I say it even when the risk is quite low:

• Someone is running around the house: Be Careful!
• Falls down: Careful!
• Drops food on the floor: Be more careful next time!

I’m sure there are other things I say that would probably be better off unsaid. But these are the ones that I am trying to become more mindful of. I do wonder if I will be successful, will it ever become second nature to bite my tongue when I think CAREFUL, or phrase my NOs in a different way, or stop turning statements into questions with OKAY?

Those are my words. What are some things you hear yourself saying that you wish you wouldn’t?

Week 1 Wrap-Up

The Secret in education lies in respecting the student.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

This was our first week back to our curriculum for EJ who would now be considered a third grader, and a beginning of sorts for JD who would be in kindergarten. I prefer to ease back into our lessons rather than BOOM, try to fit everything in right from the start. Easing back into lessons for me means starting with the basics. For EJ that means math, spelling, printing, and of course reading. For JD, just starting out – it’s math, printing, and pre-reading skills. To round out the week I added in a science lesson about friction.

First some fun stuff. We spent some time at the local nature center with our homeschool group this week. The center catches and tags monarch butterflies in last summer for Monarch Watch and they invite kids of all ages to come, help capture the butterflies, tag them, and then release them. Unfortunately we’ve been having very wet weather so the butterflies weren’t fluttering.  They did get to learn about the tags and watch one monarch be tagged and released.

Today the boys found a red-spotted newt in the pool which was very exciting for them because while frogs and toads are plentiful, they have not seen any salamanders. They actually identified it incorrectly as a tadpole. Oops! I guess we’d better learn a bit more about that.

JD has been eager to “do school” as he puts it. The challenge is that he has his own very strong opinion about what constitutes school. In a way I think he is more playing at school, which is fine, he’s still young and I don’t feel the need to rush him, but sometimes our goals don’t mesh. One of his favorite “games” is for me to act like the dunce so he gets to show off how smart he is. I’ve started him on Right Start math level A which he is more than ready for. We are also working on letter writing, and pre-reading skills using Handwriting Without Tears, and All About Reading Pre-1. He had a good week, I think he enjoys the extra attention and I enjoyed spending the extra time with him.

EJ was also eager to get started particularly when he realized that all of his friends were heading back to school and would not be available to play during the early part of the day. He put in a great effort this week as we muddled through spelling rules that we had both forgotten since the spring, and argued over math. 

Full disclaimer, everything is not always sunshine and rainbows here at the meandering homeschool. EJ and I had quite a row during math one day this week. It is obvious that he is a natural mathematician while I am, well, not! I’m still processing the event but I believe that I need to work on getting out of his way a bit more, work on being more respectful of HIS math process and not let my own math insecurity get in his way.

EJ loves to read but has trouble finding books to his liking. It’s not the only area where he is picky so I suppose I should not be surprised. We recently discovered the series Secrets of a Lab Rat. He loved the first book, No Girls Allowed, and has requested the other two. So that’s a win!. Our literature read aloud, and narration title is E.B. White’s The Trumpet of the Swan. Although I’m very familiar with Charlotte’s Web and even Stuart Little, this book is new to me and quickly becoming my favorite of the three.

Rounding out the week, we took some time out for science. In the spring we concentrated on the physics thread in BFSU and because we only have two more physics lessons I decided to finish them off first. This week we learned about friction. Using a variety of non-round objects they compared how different materials will slide, or not slide, down a ramp. This led to a discussion of rubber, when they discovered that a rubber eraser didn’t slide at all, and how rubber can be used when we want lots of friction. The next day we compared sliding objects with rolling objects and of course found that even the fastest sliding object (the play slice of pizza) was slower than the rolling object. The boys were great during the busy activities, but in hindsight, this lesson needed to have one more day because I felt they got lost a bit toward the end of the second day. Every day is a learning experience in so many ways!

Photo by MemeNH

I’ll close with one more photo of JD looking for Jewelweed seeds to explode. We learned about these cool and edible seeds last week during a foraging for food gathering we had with our  local homeschool group.

Jewelweed, also called Impatiens or “touch-me-nots” grows in damp spots, has lovely little orange flowers, and when the seeds are ripe one only needs to touch the seed pod to see a little mini explosion! This is of course how they propagate, as animals brush past them the seeds are released and are carried on their body or fall to the ground. The tiny seeds are edible and taste like walnuts. The plant also has a sap that can be used to ease poison ivy rash. They have one final secret. If you remove the outer husk the inside seed is robin’s egg blue! How cool is that!

JD looking for ripe seeds to pop.

As always, thanks for reading! I love to receive comments so if you enjoyed this post or have a question just let me know!

Wordless Wednesday: The First Dish

I swear I will be back to posting soon. We started in on school work this week after a relaxed summer. In the meantime, here are the boys making scrambled eggs together. This is the first thing beyond cereal, oatmeal, and toast that EJ has learned to cook on his own.

JD grating the cheese

EJ in charge of the eggs...

and of course the cooking...

while JD supervises

Voila! EJ’s easy cheesy peasy scrambled eggs with ham.

Wordless Wednesday: Education Evolution

Via Homeschooling Family Going Sane

How do we know…

Wow! I read terrific post on Pharyngula yesterday that I just want to share.  In Dear Emma B. Myers takes issue with a somewhat canned question asked by a 9-year-old girl about the age of objects, in this case a 3.75 billion year old moon rock.

Emma asks a museum docent “Were you there?” after looking at a moon rock display. Emma has clearly been coached to ask this question because it’s an obvious “gotcha!” This isn’t a question so much as a statement of belief that we can’t possibly know ‘because we weren’t there’. There are a great many events in human history alone that none of us were present for. How can I know they happened? Because there is evidence that they happened. Imagine if you only believed things that happened while you were present. How can we know about the civil war? Ancient cultures? How about dinosaurs? How can we know they even existed if humans weren’t there to see them? (Yes I realize that the same people who fed this non question to Emma also believe that dinosaurs and humans co-existed). The point is, none of us were there so by this logic we simply can’t know. No one really believes this right? It’s a ploy and a cheap one at that.

Myers writes a fabulous letter that will never be sent to Emma, explaining why a better question would have been “How do you know that?”

You could have asked the lady at the exhibit, “How do you know that moon rock is 3.75 billion years old?”, and she would have explained it to you. Maybe you would disagree with her; maybe you’d think there’s a better answer; maybe you’d still want to believe Ken Ham, who is not a scientist; but the important thing is that you’d have learned why she thought the rock was that old, and why scientists have said that it is that old, and how they worked out the age, even if they weren’t there. And you’d be a little bit more knowledgeable today.

He then goes on to explain radiometric dating in a way a young child can easily understand.

One way to think of it is that it’s like an hourglass. You know how they work: you start with all the sand in the top half of the hourglass, and it slowly trickles into the bottom half. If you see an hourglass with all the sand at the top and none at the bottom, you know it was recently flipped over. If you see one with half the sand in the top, and half in the bottom, you know it’s about halfway through the time it will run. And if you look at how quickly the sand moves through the neck of the hourglass, you could even figure out how long until it all runs out.

Read the entire letter. Really, it’s worth 5 minutes of your day. So far, my kids accept the fact the Earth is 4.5 billion years ago. They’ve never asked “how do I know that?” Perhaps our studies have been just that convincing!  It seems more likely it just never occurred to EJ to ask and if so, then I have been remiss. As a secular home educator it’s important to me that my kids understand and think about what they are learning and not just accept what I or anyone else tells them as unquestionable fact. But, they need to have the mental tools to think critically so as to not be tricked by this kind of  “gotcha!” question. Even better would be for someone they know to ask them “how do you know that?” and being able to answer the question.

I’m guilty…

…blog neglect. This is why I will never become rich or famous from my blog. Well, that and the fact that I probably don’t have anything original to say.

Honestly my life is either not that interesting, or I’m too busy to think about something to write. It doesn’t help that I’m a really slow writer with a short attention span and kids that seem to want or need me the second I sit down to write.

So just a quicky today. Our routine has been non-existent lately, EJ convinced me we needed to take the week off from homeschooling because it was his birthday. That’s right, we need a week! This after only starting back up after a long four week break for moving. I’ll admit I wasn’t that hard to convince. But he’s been doing nothing but watching TV, playing the Wii, the computer, and my iPhone. My fault really. Today I told him no more for the rest of the day so he immediately set about looking for a friend to play with. He’s so much the extrovert to my introvert; we are a lot alike in many ways but complete opposite in this way.

Hopefully I’ll get back into the routine and feel like I have more to write about, although perhaps not so much until after the summer. I do have a birthday to write about soon, after the party.

Poppy Microphotography

After learning that we have poppies I ran across these amazing microscope photos at Microscopy–UK. I really love close-up photography and the abstractly beautiful images it can create. Even more amazing once you realize that you are looking at the teeny, tiny hairs of a poppy stigma along with tiny spheres of pollen.

Here’s a rather common flower, a childhood favorite. Do you recognize it?

Now? Do you like butter?

There are many more microscopic views of flowers and crystals. The virtual “Micropolitian Museum” looks like an interesting resource for learning about microscopic beasties or just marveling at the diversity of life on our planet. I’m off to explore some more!

Wordless Wednesday: Our Backyard

I am in over my head in with the landscaping in our new yard! Rather than do the work that needs to be done I decided to snap a few photos (something I’m much more comfortable with).

I need your help! I have no idea what the flowers in the first and last two photos are called. If you know, please leave me a comment. Thanks!