A Week, Briefly (Eclipse week)
We had a good week--with lots of informal learning.
It is a good season for us.
Monday
The best moment of the eclipse came after it was over, for me.
Before the eclipse, I used Beowulf as the moon, Mister Man as the sun, and Little Princess as the earth (because they were wearing appropriately colored shirts) to model how the moon revolves around the earth and how the earth revolves around the sun and how the eclipse would happen.
Later, when the eclipse was over, and we were looking at pictures of it, Beowulf yelped and pointed and shouted, "Look, that's me! I'm the moon! I'm in front of the sun! That's me!"
I think he may remember the eclipse forever because he was the moon for a minute or two.
At one point in the day Nature Angel and Little Princess were mad, mad, mad at me because I would not let them type on the computer, and it was storming wildly outside, so they had to stay in. I told them to go find something creative to do.
They stomped off, muttering angrily about mean moms and how boring their lives are.
But later I found them totally engaged in building the sweetest little house. With huge smiles on their faces they showed me what was primarily Nature Angel's construction; Little Princess felt pride of association.
My face was numb for close to 8 hours after getting a couple of cavities filled, but I managed to read to almost everyone--Sir Walter Scott read to the Beowulf and Brother--and then I sent them off to bed because early morning seminary started the next morning!
Tuesday
My medium -sized girls found a stash of previously undiscovered craft sticks, so they went to work building. I hardly saw them; they were so engrossed in their creating.
Mister Man and Baymax came to me mid-morning and told me, "We made a garden in the sand-pit."
"Oh? Let's take a picture!"
"No, we already covered it up, but we dug and raked and planted seeds . . . they were pretend . . . and we pretend watered them . . . and then we were done."
"Wow! Sounds fun!"
"It was."
And then they were off to do something new.
Ladybug and Brother had a hard day. They refused to follow some house rules, and they experienced the consequences of their refusal. I've made it as easy as I know how for them to follow the rules, and they know these rules cold. They even started out obeying, but then they deliberately changed to disobeying--it was not just a case of kids losing themselves in play.
It made for a hard afternoon.
We were supposed to have our first round of piano lessons, but we didn't. For one, Super Star was busy babysitting (we were helping out in an emergency), and the baby was fussy, so Super Star helped her nap by napping with her. :)
For another, Ladybug and Brother were busy with their issues.
Thirdly, Nature Angel and Little Princess were so engaged in their creating, that they were unaware of the passing of time.
And lastly, I was so tired that I forgot . . . during quiet time I sat in a chair and read a book. A really cute teen romance that I read because my daughters are reading it, and I like to know what's going into their minds and hearts.
Belle was the only teen that worked on school for the day. She worked very hard. I spent a few moments with her helping her with a grammar review, but otherwise she worked industriously and independently.
In the evening, Rose Red went to work (because the new schedule she submitted hadn't been approved) while the other teens went to youth activities at the church. The younger kids and I read stories and went to bed early.
Wednesday
My turn to be the licensed driver in the car while Rose Red actually drove the 3 oldest to early morning seminary.
That left Belle at home with 9 kids and a dog to take care of. The ninth kid being our little babysittee who still couldn't go back to Nana and Papa's house because of flooding.
We're just tickled to have her.
I left breakfast ready to serve, and Belle managed everyone admirably. I came home to happy, fed children who were dressed and had done their chores.
No small feat for anyone--but especially for an introverted 13-year-old.
Then I took everyone to the beach.
Everyone but Rose Red, Super Star, and Belle.
Rose Red spent the day watching YouTube videos to teach herself how to play the ukelele she bought in Florida.
Super Star read library books.
Belle did school work and took care of Theo.
At the beach we had our moments when one kid teased another occasionally, but there's something about the beach that inspires peace in my kids' minds and bodies. Over and over again I marveled to watch them think, create, build, explore, and play in a state of beautiful peace.
They swam, dug clay out of the sand and crafted snails (the animal du jour, I guess), collected bottle caps, "cooked," and excavated.
Mister Man told me, "I love collecting. I'm a collector. I look for things to collect because I love collecting things."
Baymax helped him collect, and I just laughed when he carefully carried around one soda can top and 2 pieces of blue and yellow cardboard. He gravely gave the can top to Mister Man to add to his collection, and continued carrying the cardboard around. I asked, "Is that one of your treasures?"
"No. It twash," he said.
"Oh. Do you want to throw it away?"
"Yes," and he proceeded to do so.
We got home just in time to make dinner, read stories--the older girls and I are 2/3 of the way through Jane Eyre--and go to bed.
Thursday
A busy day because dance started.
Pixie and I both spent a couple of hours frantically choreographing dances that weren't finished yet, and then she spent a couple more hours doing a math lesson. I took a few kids with me to the store to find some inexpensive speakers so that the music we dance to would be audible for the kids when we hit "play" on our phones.
We had hard-boiled eggs, fresh mangoes, and nut crackers for lunch, and then we headed out the door for our dance adventure.
The experience was full and good.
Pixie received compliments from the mothers about what a good teacher she is, and the kids themselves came out of class grinning.
The kids in my classes all seemed happy, and we worked really hard.
We had pizza for dinner. It is a tradition that need to change due to Beowulf's and Rose Red's special diets (gf for Rose Red due to IBS and gf/df for Beowulf due to autistic behaviors). It took us nearly an hour to buy the various pizzas needed, and it was too expensive to be a weekly tradition. It looks like Thursdays are going to need to be crock pot night instead of pizza night . . . but with what will I fill the crock pot each week that can compete with pizza for kid-pleasure?
Looks like I have some research to do this weekend.
Nature Angel found tracks in the mud in our backyard, and she drew what she found. Later she used a field guide to see if she could ascertain what kind of tracks they were.
She's pretty sure they're raccoon.
She's not sure why she can see 4 toes in some tracks and 5 in others or why some are rounded and some elongated. I feel confident she'll put the clues together in time. (Note: She's been thinking and she says the rounded toe prints might belong to our cat . . . makes sense to me.)
Rose Red went out driving with a friend to get some more practice in--she's really working at getting her permit. She also did minimal schoolwork--at least some math and literature.
The rest of us had our usual bedtime stories and routines . . . poor Jane Eyre . . . her heart is broken.
Friday
We went to the park right after breakfast. It was a perfect morning--cool, breezy, and sunny. I plunked myself down at a picnic table and did some personal studying . . . but I also noticed how the kids reacted to the park. I took some notes on my phone.
At the park, first the kids ran crazy--racing around, screaming, climbing--lots of energy. However, they were organized in a game--a chasing game on the equipment. The older kids helped the littler ones. So, though they appeared and sounded out of control, there was a method to their madness.
In time, they broke into smaller groups and got creative. Ladybug and Mister Man said they were making a bakery in the sand pit.
There was a concentrated effort to learn new skills--especially for Little Princess and Baymax. Beowulf had a hard climb at one point, and he cried a little, but I stood back and offered only words of encouragement, and he did it. His smile threatened to crack his face. Mister Man worked really hard at being able to mount the zip line seat.
This period of time was full of balancing, problem solving, and creating--really focused work.
Then, as the park filled up, I noticed Ladybug and Brother gravitating toward other kids and serving them. They pushed kids on swings, turned the merry-go-round for them, and shared turns. It was sweet to watch.
Mister Man and Brother played with weights on the teeter totter--even another dad at the park commented on how hard they were working on problems solving and engineering skills.
Kids got quieter and quieter and more and more creative as time passed.
We spent about 3 hours at the park. Other families came and went in 30-45 minutes. I'm realizing that isn't enough time for kids to settle in and do the good work that outdoor play inspires.
We came home for lunch and quiet time.
Most of the kids spent the afternoon in the sand pit or in the mud, but Nature Angel and Little Princess both chose to start their math books.
The pure joy Little Princess felt was evident in the fact that she did 8 days' worth of math in a single sitting and moaned when I made her put it away at dinner time.
Belle found a lizard when she got up to take a break from school. It's a 5-lined skink. The juveniles have cobalt blue tails. They are gorgeous, and they are all over our yard right now.
At some point, Nature Angel finished the doll house she was building for Mister Man. She presented it to him, and he was ecstatic!
We read and went to bed early-- the first week of seminary knocked our socks off.
(linking here)
It is a good season for us.
Monday
 |
| We started with watching coverage as early as possible. |
 |
| I put off buying eclipse glasses until it was too late (and too expensive). We had resigned ourselves to watching the live stream from NASA, but then our computer didn't support the broadcast. We were disappointed, but then Rose Red, our mad scientist, gathered half a dozen pairs of sunglasses and a balloon, and looked at the sun. |
 |
| A perfect view! We all took turns using our homemade viewer, and we all oohed and aahed. It was really cool! |
 |
| And then, during totality, a cloud arrived. But we all enjoyed the rainbow effect through the cloud. |
The best moment of the eclipse came after it was over, for me.
Before the eclipse, I used Beowulf as the moon, Mister Man as the sun, and Little Princess as the earth (because they were wearing appropriately colored shirts) to model how the moon revolves around the earth and how the earth revolves around the sun and how the eclipse would happen.
Later, when the eclipse was over, and we were looking at pictures of it, Beowulf yelped and pointed and shouted, "Look, that's me! I'm the moon! I'm in front of the sun! That's me!"
I think he may remember the eclipse forever because he was the moon for a minute or two.
At one point in the day Nature Angel and Little Princess were mad, mad, mad at me because I would not let them type on the computer, and it was storming wildly outside, so they had to stay in. I told them to go find something creative to do.
They stomped off, muttering angrily about mean moms and how boring their lives are.
But later I found them totally engaged in building the sweetest little house. With huge smiles on their faces they showed me what was primarily Nature Angel's construction; Little Princess felt pride of association.
My face was numb for close to 8 hours after getting a couple of cavities filled, but I managed to read to almost everyone--Sir Walter Scott read to the Beowulf and Brother--and then I sent them off to bed because early morning seminary started the next morning!
Tuesday
My medium -sized girls found a stash of previously undiscovered craft sticks, so they went to work building. I hardly saw them; they were so engrossed in their creating.
 |
| Nature Angel's original house with additions |
 |
| The oven door and refrigerator door both open and there are shelves inside! |
Mister Man and Baymax came to me mid-morning and told me, "We made a garden in the sand-pit."
"Oh? Let's take a picture!"
"No, we already covered it up, but we dug and raked and planted seeds . . . they were pretend . . . and we pretend watered them . . . and then we were done."
"Wow! Sounds fun!"
"It was."
And then they were off to do something new.
Ladybug and Brother had a hard day. They refused to follow some house rules, and they experienced the consequences of their refusal. I've made it as easy as I know how for them to follow the rules, and they know these rules cold. They even started out obeying, but then they deliberately changed to disobeying--it was not just a case of kids losing themselves in play.
It made for a hard afternoon.
We were supposed to have our first round of piano lessons, but we didn't. For one, Super Star was busy babysitting (we were helping out in an emergency), and the baby was fussy, so Super Star helped her nap by napping with her. :)
For another, Ladybug and Brother were busy with their issues.
Thirdly, Nature Angel and Little Princess were so engaged in their creating, that they were unaware of the passing of time.
And lastly, I was so tired that I forgot . . . during quiet time I sat in a chair and read a book. A really cute teen romance that I read because my daughters are reading it, and I like to know what's going into their minds and hearts.
Belle was the only teen that worked on school for the day. She worked very hard. I spent a few moments with her helping her with a grammar review, but otherwise she worked industriously and independently.
In the evening, Rose Red went to work (because the new schedule she submitted hadn't been approved) while the other teens went to youth activities at the church. The younger kids and I read stories and went to bed early.
Wednesday
My turn to be the licensed driver in the car while Rose Red actually drove the 3 oldest to early morning seminary.
That left Belle at home with 9 kids and a dog to take care of. The ninth kid being our little babysittee who still couldn't go back to Nana and Papa's house because of flooding.
We're just tickled to have her.
I left breakfast ready to serve, and Belle managed everyone admirably. I came home to happy, fed children who were dressed and had done their chores.
No small feat for anyone--but especially for an introverted 13-year-old.
Then I took everyone to the beach.
Everyone but Rose Red, Super Star, and Belle.
Rose Red spent the day watching YouTube videos to teach herself how to play the ukelele she bought in Florida.
Super Star read library books.
Belle did school work and took care of Theo.
 |
| Pixie begged, "Isn't there another life jacket he can wear? This one knocks him over!" |
 |
| A treasure found in the sand. |
 |
| Building a road |
 |
| Our little friend discovered that sand feels good. |
 |
| Like Beowulf, Brother likes to build when he's in full body contact with the sand. |
 |
| Ladybug dug some clay and discovered that it was perfect to use as frosting for her sand cake. |
 |
| Carrying water for "cooking soup" |
They swam, dug clay out of the sand and crafted snails (the animal du jour, I guess), collected bottle caps, "cooked," and excavated.
Mister Man told me, "I love collecting. I'm a collector. I look for things to collect because I love collecting things."
Baymax helped him collect, and I just laughed when he carefully carried around one soda can top and 2 pieces of blue and yellow cardboard. He gravely gave the can top to Mister Man to add to his collection, and continued carrying the cardboard around. I asked, "Is that one of your treasures?"
"No. It twash," he said.
"Oh. Do you want to throw it away?"
"Yes," and he proceeded to do so.
We got home just in time to make dinner, read stories--the older girls and I are 2/3 of the way through Jane Eyre--and go to bed.
Thursday
A busy day because dance started.
Pixie and I both spent a couple of hours frantically choreographing dances that weren't finished yet, and then she spent a couple more hours doing a math lesson. I took a few kids with me to the store to find some inexpensive speakers so that the music we dance to would be audible for the kids when we hit "play" on our phones.
We had hard-boiled eggs, fresh mangoes, and nut crackers for lunch, and then we headed out the door for our dance adventure.
The experience was full and good.
Pixie received compliments from the mothers about what a good teacher she is, and the kids themselves came out of class grinning.
The kids in my classes all seemed happy, and we worked really hard.
We had pizza for dinner. It is a tradition that need to change due to Beowulf's and Rose Red's special diets (gf for Rose Red due to IBS and gf/df for Beowulf due to autistic behaviors). It took us nearly an hour to buy the various pizzas needed, and it was too expensive to be a weekly tradition. It looks like Thursdays are going to need to be crock pot night instead of pizza night . . . but with what will I fill the crock pot each week that can compete with pizza for kid-pleasure?
Looks like I have some research to do this weekend.
Nature Angel found tracks in the mud in our backyard, and she drew what she found. Later she used a field guide to see if she could ascertain what kind of tracks they were.
She's pretty sure they're raccoon.
She's not sure why she can see 4 toes in some tracks and 5 in others or why some are rounded and some elongated. I feel confident she'll put the clues together in time. (Note: She's been thinking and she says the rounded toe prints might belong to our cat . . . makes sense to me.)
Rose Red went out driving with a friend to get some more practice in--she's really working at getting her permit. She also did minimal schoolwork--at least some math and literature.
The rest of us had our usual bedtime stories and routines . . . poor Jane Eyre . . . her heart is broken.
Friday
We went to the park right after breakfast. It was a perfect morning--cool, breezy, and sunny. I plunked myself down at a picnic table and did some personal studying . . . but I also noticed how the kids reacted to the park. I took some notes on my phone.
At the park, first the kids ran crazy--racing around, screaming, climbing--lots of energy. However, they were organized in a game--a chasing game on the equipment. The older kids helped the littler ones. So, though they appeared and sounded out of control, there was a method to their madness.
In time, they broke into smaller groups and got creative. Ladybug and Mister Man said they were making a bakery in the sand pit.
There was a concentrated effort to learn new skills--especially for Little Princess and Baymax. Beowulf had a hard climb at one point, and he cried a little, but I stood back and offered only words of encouragement, and he did it. His smile threatened to crack his face. Mister Man worked really hard at being able to mount the zip line seat.
This period of time was full of balancing, problem solving, and creating--really focused work.
Then, as the park filled up, I noticed Ladybug and Brother gravitating toward other kids and serving them. They pushed kids on swings, turned the merry-go-round for them, and shared turns. It was sweet to watch.
Mister Man and Brother played with weights on the teeter totter--even another dad at the park commented on how hard they were working on problems solving and engineering skills.
Kids got quieter and quieter and more and more creative as time passed.
We spent about 3 hours at the park. Other families came and went in 30-45 minutes. I'm realizing that isn't enough time for kids to settle in and do the good work that outdoor play inspires.
 |
| Little Princess spent at least an hour working on climbing up and down this rock wall. |
 |
| That's Beowulf at the top--he was so proud of his accomplishment!!! |
 |
| Nature Angel caught and released this dragonfly. It was fierce! She said it bit her as it struggled to get out of her grasp. "It just had the tiniest pincers--it would take a lot of bites to really hurt!" |
 |
| Nature Angel's found treasures. She took a whole bunch of fallen flower blossoms home to dissect and draw . . . though she never did follow through with that plan. :) |
 |
| We found a bunch of fallen cattails, and we had fun taking them apart and looking to see where they grew. Brother said, "They look like corn dogs!" |
 |
| Mister Man had just finished moving all of the weights to Brother's side of the teeter-totter, and it was somewhat of a challenge to get back into his seat to see if they were balanced. |
Most of the kids spent the afternoon in the sand pit or in the mud, but Nature Angel and Little Princess both chose to start their math books.
The pure joy Little Princess felt was evident in the fact that she did 8 days' worth of math in a single sitting and moaned when I made her put it away at dinner time.
Belle found a lizard when she got up to take a break from school. It's a 5-lined skink. The juveniles have cobalt blue tails. They are gorgeous, and they are all over our yard right now.
At some point, Nature Angel finished the doll house she was building for Mister Man. She presented it to him, and he was ecstatic!
We read and went to bed early-- the first week of seminary knocked our socks off.
(linking here)
What a full and wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteFor the pizza replacement - look for pizza soup on Pinterest! You can crock pot it, skip cheese, and enjoy the favorite pizza flavors without a crust in sight.
Looks like an awesome park! Kids are so busy, learning so much! Love hearing about it all...
ReplyDeleteJust awesome, awesome learning and playing going on in your home. I have been living with out an oven for about 4 months, so I am a queen of the crockpot. What about beans and weenies or taco meat and have a taco bar (lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and sour cream) or chili with an all the fixings bar (corn bread, onions, cheese and sour cream). A soup and salad night is fun too. Anything where the kids can add their own toppings becomes exciting.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Dawn
What consequences do you use when the rules are broken? I need help with that. It's not clear for me and therefore my kiddos. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThe consequences depend on the infraction. I always try to relate the two. In this case it was playing in the mud without wearing their mud clothes (swim suits). They had their suits on, then they came in the house, put on their regular clothes, and went out to get into the mud. The consequence this time was that they could not come into the house for lunch (I separated them and served them outside) or quiet time activities (they had to sit quietly outside). The reasoning behind this was that they were completely covered in mud, and mud belongs outside. Once quiet time was over, they were allowed to get up and play outside with the rest of the kids--as long as they put their swimsuits on before they went back into the mud! At dinner time, once we'd bathed everyone, they were invited back inside. Then we reviewed that mud belongs outside and they need to wear their mud clothes if they want to play in the mud.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a very full week. I love the way you recognise how much learning is going on through free play, that you took the time to notice and document it , and that you realise the kids need lots of time to reap the benefits. Makes me miss having little kids.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun to have a little visitor in the house!
ReplyDeleteI was eyeing Jane Eyre at Costco on Friday. We bought Pride & Prejudice last week since they have a series of classics out now. I've seen the movies over and over, but this was my first time reading the book. Now I'm feeling like I ought to add more classic literature to the swirl inside my brain, lol.
I'm impressed with the little houses. I used to build for tiny bears that my aunt made for me. I remember cutting up granola bar boxes to make furniture. And old, mateless socks turned into bear clothes. :)
I love the little houses! Adorable and creative! What a great week of learning through play and real life.
ReplyDelete