Learning Here, There and Everywhere!

Have you met The Little Travelers?

2010-03-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

We're so happy we've "met" them and think you should too!

About two weeks ago we picked up one of their videos at the library and took it home to watch. It was about traveling to The British Isles and I thought the part on Ireland would be fun with St. Patrick's Day approaching. Watching & listening to these two adorable sisters on their travels was truly captivating for each one of us. They made us feel like we were right there with them and by the end of the video we felt we made new friends, We knew we had to check out another travel adventure with them.

Mom, Angelina Hart, who produces the videos says it best: "What these DVDs lack in 'slickness' they make up for with authenticity. In the same way that a woman with a gorgeous smile, laugh lines and graying hair is authentically beautiful in comparison to a botoxed, lip-injected one, our DVDs have an authentic quality to them that is best appreciated for what they are rather than what they are not."

I agree 100%. It was the "realness" that drew us in. And left us wanting more!

So, we checked out their Bali video and watched it today. It has been a hoot to see my kids trying to impersonate the Bali dancers on the video, especially my 8 year old son. Today he created a "head dress" with a headband and a wooden comb and tried bugging his eyes out and getting the hand movements just right. Of course my 4 year old and 6 year old joined in and there were great laughs around the dinner table tonight. We also talked about where we would most love to travel together as a family. Of course, Italy was #1 on everyone's list. My husband & I went years before having kids and I think we have sold our kids on that particular destination as they see our eyes light up when we reminiss.

So tonight, I searched out The Little Travelers Website to learn more about these wonderful productions. While perusing the site I discovered their Mom's Blog and it inspired me beyond belief to see learn that Angelina has reloacted with her two daughters to the place I wish I could live more than any other: the island of Kauai! She sold/gave away everything and moved there to follow her bliss, her heart...I am sure the island was calling her. Her girls joyfully gave their vast American Girl doll collection to their cousins because they too would rather have the beach. I have seriously fantasized about doing exactly what Angelina is doing. Letting go of all this material stuff we all *think* we need so much and living a truly simple life. Her girls will be unschooled in Kauai - how awesome is that?

If you get a chance check out her Kauai posts/photos and I am sure you too will see the appeal. I go to bed tonight knowing I have found a kindred spirit.Who knows maybe our kids will end up playing on the same beach on our next trip to Kauai...the island has a way of working magic!

Astronomists for the Afternoon

2010-03-18T22:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we spent the late afternoon/early evening hours on the campus of the University of Washington at the Theodor Jacobsen Observatory.

Trying out their telescopes they just built in class.

Six years old and learning Astronomy from two female professors - way cool!

Hey Mom - you're upside down!

Focussing in on planet posters

Enjoying some Space Ice Cream made with Liquid Nitrogen!

Learning how to make Alka Seltzer Rockets...

Heads up!!

The most awesome solar planet tour which was led by a very bright 8th grade girl!! :)

She volunteers at the Observatory and her knowledge was so deep...nothing was scripted, it was all internalized and is obviously her passion. It was so inspiring!

After all that great learning and fun we worked up a great appetite and headed over to...

Chaco Canyon Organic Cafe (one of my faves and now one of hubby's faves too!)

K and his YUMMY pesto sandwich and tabouli salad!

Hubby's soup and lentil burger was also AMAZING!!

J enjoyng a little fizzy "Synergy"...always a good thing and rather perfect since it summed up our fun evening!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

We took a break from our learning activities and made some yummy vegan, gluten-free St. Patrick's Day sugar cookies!

Then we sat for "Afternoon Tea" Irish Style! I guess I should have had green tea - duh! But at this point in the day I don't need any caffeine, and of course the kids never do, so pink tinted tangerine-ginger it was!

Some Inspiration from Wilderness Awareness School Today...

2010-03-12T10:10:00.000-08:00

This was on the discovery table in the barn shelter where my kids gather before they trek off into the woods at their wilderness school with their guides. What a perfect composition and message...I absolutely love it!

Women's Retreat!

2010-03-05T10:24:00.000-08:00

This evening I will head off to a beautiful cabin in the woods with about 11 other women from my church. This is my first ever Women's Retreat and only the second time I've ever been away from my family in the past 8 years! Although I am excited, I am missing them already and I haven't even left. The kids told me last night they didn't want me to go. I have to admit, life has been so busy lately and my husband has had so much work travel, that I would just prefer a weekend with my family too! I also haven't been feeling that great lately - mysterious stomach ailments and overall tired. Yet, I know that this might be just the thing I need to recharge my batteries and I know they will have a great weekend at home with Dad. He joked with me that he is taking them to Legoland in CA. At least I "think" he was joking! I am sure he will have some good fun up his sleeve! Here's to a fun weekend for all.

There is a beautiful labyrinth on the property that I look forward experiencing in person:

To hubby & kids - I love you guys and will be thinking of you! I look forward to catching each other up on all our weekend fun when I return! xoxo

Learning Fun with Slim Goodbody

2010-03-03T21:52:00.000-08:00

We met up with friends today to see Slim Goodbody's show, Bodyology. It was a blast. My friend and I both commented to each other how impressed we were with his multiple intelligence approach during the whole show. There was story telling, singing, movement, verbal repetition, great visuals, audience participation and lots of great content. The kids were captivated, from my 4 year old all the way up to my friend's 9 year old...and we adults learned a thing or two ourselves! Want to see some of what we learned today? Check out this teachers guide. It is full of interesting facts and fun stuff.

Both of us remember Slim from our youth and thought it was very cool that we got to share the original Slim Goodbody with our children. He looks great and must practice what he preaches about a healthy diet, no smoking, learning all the time & exercise...like he said, we only get this one body and can't go buy another at the body shop, so we gotta take care of it!

Today

2010-03-01T22:48:00.000-08:00

Acting class - K & F received their scripts for The Snow Queen. K will play Kay and F will play Gerda. They are excited!

K finished listening to the unabridged audio edition of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. He loved it. He also took a comprehension test after at Book Adventure. Although he is an avid reader and doesn't need any prompting to get his nose in a book or listen to stories, he LOVES programs like this because he just thinks it is plain fun to rack up points and earn prizes.

F logged herself on to Math Whizz and did three lessons and tests. She scored a 100% on each. Math has always come so naturally to her -lucky girl! We also spent some time on spelling and reading together. I can see that her list of sight words is expanding...she is soooo close to reading on her own, I know it frustrates her because she just wants to be there NOW! She'll get there.

K, also did some drawing homework in his journal for his class tomorrrow at the co-op. Love these entries:

I needed this message on PATIENCE...so good!

2010-02-28T13:00:00.000-08:00

I need to remember to be patient with myself, most of all! :)

Quiet Moments

2010-02-25T21:30:00.000-08:00

These photos I'm about to post weren't taken today. No, today was a busy, busy day. Today we went to our homeschool group and had "non-school" photos taken, hung out, played Battleship and trains and even watched the kids perform a play they wrote on the stage of the old hall where we meet.

Then I had a doctors appt. in Seattle (Yay! I ♥ any chance I can get to go into the city!). My hubby watched the kids, took them to art class and then when I returned, he took the boys to my eldest's Cub Scout Blue & Gold Dinner. I stayed home with my girl where we enjoyed a vegan chili baked potato and vegan choclate fondue for dessert!

Anyway, back to these photos of "Quiet Moments"...I love catching the kids engrossed in some activity and stealthly snapping a pic without them so much as blinking an eye. Tomorrow should be a quiet day around here and I just might catch someone in the joy of their own learning yet again. I'm looking forward to it!

Sew Much Fun!

2010-02-24T21:46:00.000-08:00

My 6 year old was in her glory this afternoon when our friend Miss T , "the best sewing teacher in the world" came by for a visit. The last time Miss T worked on sewing with my girl and her friends, she totally won her heart. I remember my daughter came home so excited & proud over what she made that Saturday:

A blanket for her ZumZum and other beloved stuffed creatures & dolls.

Well, today Miss T came to our house and gave our girl a one-on-one lesson. I also had fun chatting with Miss T, sipping tea, and admiring her mad sewing skillz!

I was warmed by Miss T's presence in our house. Sadly, we have no grandparents around to dote on our children and there is something so very special about seeing that kind of relationship in action. Miss T has just one son and he lives out of state and does not have any children yet. So, we are a great fit for each other. As I watched Miss T and my daughter interact I was filled with a wonderful mix of emotions: happiness, sadness for missing my own mom who died 4 years ago and was definitely a doting grandma, and gratefulness that God has brought Miss T into our lives. After watching for a bit with my sons, I went upstairs with my eldest to read the next chapter in our Story of the World book, one on one, cozy on the couch. My youngest headed off to play with his webkinz online (his latest craze). All the while, I heard wonderful conversation flowing between Miss T & my daughter and the hummmmm of the sewing machine. It all filled me with such a sense of peace.

planning out their project for the day

My daughter has been taking sewing classes with other girls at our local quilting shop and although she has learned a lot and enjoys them, she said she would rather keep working with Miss T at our house. I think the relationship has a lot to do with it. I can totally understand & relate, dear daughter of mine. And I am so proud of you!

My daughter and her finished purse project for the day - plus a lil' "Linus" with his blankie in the background! :)

Unschooling Defined and Looking Back on Unschooling

2010-02-24T01:14:00.000-08:00

Gluten Free Diet Prescribed at Doctor's, Son's Foot is Okay, Lunch at Flying Apron Vegan Gluten Free Bakery, The Woodland Park Zoo, Fantastic Weather, Dinner at Q'doba, Whole Foods, Petco and finally ...home - what a day!!

2010-02-20T22:47:00.000-08:00

It's 10:30 pm, the kids are well asleep in bed, I paid a few bills and am so tired that I am tempted to let that long winded title suffice for today's post. That was our non-stop day from 10:15 this morning till 8:30pm.

Well, a few seconds have now passed and now I'm sold on that idea of letting the title speak for itself...off to put my flannel PJs on and curl up with my brand new copy of "Celiac Disease and Living Gluten-Free". Cozy, huh?

Maybe tomorrow I'll post some poor quality camera phone photos of our fun day (yes, I forgot the "real" camera). I had you at "poor quality", didn't I?

Well, it was an incredible day, with the highlight being "the most awesome" gorilla viewing at the zoo. My God, how I love those creatures and could sit and watch them all day! It makes me so sad to think they are becoming an endangered species- this is simply not right. Man needs to stop being so greedy and leave their habitats alone! I must be so tired that I'm delirious - stepping on my soapbox at 10:46 pm. Okay, good night. May you have sweet gorilla love dreams.

Books About Homeschoolers

2010-02-19T23:56:00.000-08:00

IMHO, it's really important for kids to "see themselves" in the books they read. This is a list of books I have seen here & there on the internet under the heading, "Books About Homeschoolers". Some we have read and some we have not. I post it here so I easily find it again and so that you, dear homeschooling parent or wannabe homeschooling parent , can use it too. This is a work in progress...feel free to comment with your finds too. Happy Reading!

These are of all different reading levels:

A Time to Fly Free - Stephanie Tolan
Allison's Story: A Book about Homeschooling - Jon Lurie
Alice, I Think - Susan Juby
Armageddon Summer - Jane Yolen and Bruce Coville
Brian's Hunt - Gary Paulsen
I am a Homeschooler - Julie Voetberg

Islander by Cynthia Rylant (~ages 8-12)
Kandoo Kangaroo Hops Into Homeschool - Susan Ratner

Kensuke's Kingdom - Michael Morpurgo

Little Women - Louisa May Alcott

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli (ages 8-12)
Monster of the Month Club (Series) - Dian Curtis Regan

My Family and Other Animals - Gerald Durell

My Side of the Mountain - Jean Craighead George

Nim's Island by Wendy Orr (~ages 6-11)
Olympus: It's Not Just a Game - Scott W. Somerville

Pippi Longstocking (Series) - Astrid Lindgren
Ruby Slippers School (Series) - Stacy Towle Morgan
Sarah, Plain and Tall (Series) - Patricia MacLachlan
Skellig - David Almond
Stargirl - Jerry Spinelli
Surviving the Applewhites - Stephanie Tolan
Touching Spirit Bear - Ben Mikaelsen

Also, I read that there is a tv program on Nickelodeon called "The Wild Thornberries" (they travel all over, they are homeschoolers). I haven't seen it myself, but good to know.

A Full Day, A Fun Day!

2010-02-19T23:33:00.000-08:00

Today we woke up and hit the ground running. We ate breakfast and then the kids spotted our Operation Rice Bowl on the counter. We read a few articles on the charity and the kids decided they wanted to contribute with whatever was collecting in their piggy banks. My 4 year old and 6 year old practically filled it up with their piggy bank savings and announced, "We'll have to get another bowl, Mom!"
I love it!

Next, went on a walk with our jack russell terrier in the neighborhood and then it was off to the post office to pick up a package. The package contained Star Wars Legos, so my 8 year old son was super excited and couldn't wait to get home and start building. Well, he had to delay his gratification a bit because we were needed elsewhere...

After the post office we headed to our local Catholic Church. Once a month, on the 19th of each month, along with other volunteers, we gather to make sandwiches for the Lazarus Day Center in Seattle. The church provides the ingredients to make more than 200 sandwiches each month. On the following day, the 20th of each month, volunteers take turns driving the sandwiches into Seattle. This is probably the fifth time my kids & I have participated and they really enjoy helping in this way. As homeschoolers, it works out great for us. Eventually, I want to go work as a family in a homeless center, but for now with the ages of the kids, this is a great way to get involved.

Today, my youngest (age 4) was dubbed "The Meat Man" because he did such a great job balancing a tray of ham in one hand and placing a slice on each piece of bread with mustard with the other hand. This title of "meat man" was cracking our family up considering we are all vegetarians/vegans!

My older daughter & son did various tasks like spreading the mayo, opening cheese slices out of their packets and bagging up sandwiches. It's such a neat experience because the sandwich making group is usually comprised of elderly parishoners and one or two families with children. It is nothing short of delightful to see these generations working side by side. And for us (who have no grandparents around) it is nice to have that interaction. Plus, it's for a great cause and the kids are understanding the gift of helping others.

Needless to say, even though we don't eat meat & cheese sandwiches ourselves, we worked up an appetite after working at the church. We were able to stop a nearby Mongolian Grill and make our own veggie/tofu stir-frys - YUM! Then it was off to a home school class called. "Architects and Engineers" at a children's museum. It is part of a hands-on math/science series and they absolutely love it. While my eldest two are in class, I get to hang out with my youngest in the museum.

waiting outside the classroom with a friend wearing their wavy gravy lab coats!

Today was extra special because I had the pleasure of hanging out with a wonderful mom friend and her 4 year old who has quickly become my 4 year old's BEST friend! We all had a blast, talking & playing, playing & talking...and before we knew it, time was up. It was a gorgeous day, so we picked up our older children from class and headed up to the rooftop playground - fun times!!

good buddies driving from town to town!

By the time we got back home, we were all hungry & tired. Daddy has been out of town and everyone has been missing him (me included, of course!!). We were so excited to see that the copy of Nim's Island he ordered was at home waiting for us in the mailbox. It was a no-brainer as to how the evening would unfold: MOVIE NIGHT, of course!!

Favorite quote from movie? Nim: "I don't have to go to school. I'm homeschooled. Well, island-schooled." Ahhh, yes...that's our dream someday too, Nim!

Everybody is cozy in mom & dad's room watching Nim's Island

Checking in before Turning In...

2010-02-18T23:09:00.000-08:00

Oh , there's so much to say and yet I promised myself that I would get to bed earlier tonight. Tomorrow we have a a full day starting off with a post office visit, sandwich making for a homeless shelter, and then a homeschooling math class at a somewhat nearby Children's Museum!

I promised myself I'd log in here regularly to document what we're doing...so here we go, bullet style:

Math Whizz continues to be a hit with my 8 year old. He gladly logs on every day and knocks out a couple of lessons (sometimes more). I love it because I can log in anytime and view his progress & understanding. My daughter is doing a better job of logging in daily, but she has made it clear that 2 lessons is her limit.
My 8 year son finished reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Now he wants to check out more Jules Verne books.
The kids have kind of lost their mojo for their blogs already - "it's no fun when no one comments!"
I'm reading Nim's Island with my daughter. She picked it out for her free KCLS library book. Nim's Island is her fav movie (one of mine too), so she has been enjoying the book and there are already lots of differences to talk about just in the first four chapters.
We did some Reader's Theatre this week using Mother Goose Readers Theatre for Beginning Readers. This has been great for my 6 year old who LOVES acting but resists anything that smacks of a structured reading lesson. My sons have enjoyed it too. It's great for developing fluency in my eldest and just plain fun for my 4 year old to participate and "act" with his big brother and sister.

My son has nearly completed his study of Ancient Eygpt and is putting the finishing touches on his presentation board. Soon he will give the family a presentation on all his findings. I might try video taping it, or at least a portion and posting it here later.
We had heard so many good things about the Story of the World history books that we decided to check volume one out from the library and give it a go. We all love it so much that I ordered our own copy along with the activities book to go along with it.The first volume is all about Ancient Times, which is perfect considering my son has been and still is fascinated by ancient civilizations and people.
Much to my surprise, my son told me that for certain subjects, he actually likes working from work books. I am not a work book lover myself, but hey - if it works for him, then that's what counts, right?! He's been having fun with Harcourt's Spelling Skills. He especially likes that each lesson includes a document with many punctuation mistakes that he gets to search for and correct. I bought my daughter a Sight Word work book too and it's nice because they both pull out these books and work side by side, usually in the mornings while I am making their breakfast. It works well, because I'm within earshot if they have a question and they are familiar enough with the pattern of the lessons that they can work on their own - nice!

Okay, there's more I could add about the last week...journal writing, the fabulous co-op we've been attending, etc., etc., but I am REALLY getting tired, so it will have to be another time! Good night! :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-12T19:59:00.000-08:00

Today our local homeschool association had a BIG, fun party. There were lots of crafts for the kids to do, yummy treats that the moms made, and time to socialize and exchange valentine's. A good time was had by all!

Adding glitter to our homemade valentines back at home the day before the party. Brave or insane? I'm not sure which. :)

The first craft table we visited at the party - lots of foamy things to create picture frames & puppets.

My eldest's puppet monster creation - I love it!

A room full of fun!

Crafts as far as the eye could see...I was impressed with all the choices. Great job, moms!

Making some cards for friends back in our neighborhood.

Beading bracelets, necklaces and magic wands!

Passing out valentines

Happy Valentine's Day to You!

February Fun!

2010-02-09T19:48:00.000-08:00

Can't believe it's already February! I swear homeschoooling makes time fly even faster than it normally does. Must be due to all the fun! Here are some February highlights that we managed to get on camera:

Our daughter using her large flip chart & CD to read songs. She loves to learn things musically, so this is her kind of reading fun!

All three of my kids mixing glue,coloring & borax together in order to make...SLIME!

I think they really enjoyed this activity!

And of course, we break for juicing!

More fun with SLIME...did you know you can even roll it into a ball and bounce it?

My youngest & I enjoying some tea & vegan treats while my eldest two were at their weekly acting class.

My youngest & I enjoyed a production of The Emperor's New Clothes while my eldest two spent the day in the great outdoors in their wilderness program

Hamming it up, waiting for thre show to begin!

On Sunday, we spent a good part of the day at the beach - Sunset Hill, Seattle

My daughter made a friend right away and had a grande time!

There's nothing like digging and building in the wet sand!

Lil bro agrees with that!

A beautiful end to a fun filled week!

Illness, a Missed Class for Mom, and 2 Blogs for the Kids

2010-01-31T17:19:00.000-08:00

Guess what? I caught Keaton's illness...and boy do I ever feel miserable!, Sore, raw, throat... achey...chilled and then hot... and just plain wiped out. If this is how my son felt, I admire him even more for going on with the show, because I did not. I had registered for an interesting cooking class over at our local Natural Market and just couldn't make it...plus I really don't want to share this illness with anyone, if I really don't have to. The good news is that a friend was able to go in my place and she'l bring me the recipe book and coupon that comes with the class. It was all about using sea vegetables in cooking to boost your thyroid. She said it was an amazing class - can't wait to hear more about it! :)

One nice thing about being sick on a Sunday is that my husband is here to help. I have had time to rest and actually read abook! Today I was reading from Home Schooling Abbey by Carol Plim-Ucci (yes, the award winning novelist, Carol Plum-Ucci who also happen to homeschool!). It's a great read. Her style of homeschooling is anything but traditional and it's been both interesting and inspiring.

I also helped my two eldest children set up their own blogs. My son selected Lego Star Wars as his theme and my daughter selected All Things Girl. This should be a fun writing outlet for them. Just to be safe, we kept their blogs private and are inviting their friends to follow. If we know you and you would like an invite for your child to follow both or either blog, just drop me a note...I know they would love to have more readers and comments on their posts.

Weekly Happenings

2010-01-29T23:32:00.001-08:00

TGIF!!

Yes, even homeschooling families say that. We had a lot of fun this week but also some illnesses with which to contend . Both hubby and eldest son were sick. And both decided the show had to go on. My hubby had an important presentation at work that he felt he could not miss on day 2 of his illness and my son performed in a home school group musical at a nearby elementary school on day one of his illness. He performed just fine, but I could tell he sure wasn't feeling like himself. Still, we were super proud of him for being such a "professional" and his teacher was relieved that she didn't have to prepare one of the other kids at the last minute. My daughter had a blast in the show too. The show was really cute and maybe I'll get around to posting some video clips later. They just take so darn long to upload here! For now, here's a pic of F & K with good friends after the show - love those smiling faces!

We had another highlight this week too. Thursday night was the Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby. My son was really excited to go. Again, he wasn't feeling 100% but his excitement for this long awaited event was enough to carry him. He worked hard on his car this year, the "Sleek Yeti" as he dubbed it. In the first heat, he placed last, but in the next heat he placed first, then third, then second. Overall, he did better than last year and seemed to have a good time. I appreciate that he is a good sport.

Here he is with "Sleek Yeti" and his participation ribbon.

Sleek Yeti came in first in this heat- oh, the thrill of victory!

The track and Sleek Yeti coming in last here...happily, there was no agony of defeat! More like, you win some, you lose some - way to be! :)

Life's Little Curveballs

2010-01-26T16:19:00.000-08:00

Last night (or I should say morning since it was 3am) my 8 year old son, "K" woke up and threw up. God bless him that he tried to make it to the bathroom and "it" landed on the wood floor of the hallway and not the carpet of his bedroom. See, there is always a silver lining. Always. :)
He threw up one more time at 7am eventhough there was nothing left in his poor tummy and felt wiped, looked peaked, and crawled back into bed willingly.

Normally, this would not be a big deal, although I can count on one hand the number of times K has thrown up in his life. It did seem like a bigger deal this time because today he was to be in a musical performance that he & his classmates have been preparing for over the past 4 months!
K has a monologue that kicks off the performance and several solo lines during the show too.

At one point, he was trying to teach his younger sister his lines (she's in the show too) hoping she could carry on for him. We talked with his teacher and she suggested we wait & see if he felt better as the day unfolded. He eventually showered, drank some veggie broth and water and kept it all down. He had a bit of a sore throat and a headache, but no fever. We went back & forth on whether he should be in the show or not. He finally concluded, "the show must go on!"

He never did feel great, but wound up attending the dress rehearsal earlier this afternoon and we are crossing our fingers he feel up to tonight's one & only performance. He did a great job at the rehearsal and I think maybe only those that know him best would notice his drop in energy.

There is a bit of Murphy's Law to this story. The show is part of the district program we belong to, the one my kids really wanted to stop attending long ago. They agreed to wait to exit until the semester officially ended and they could perform in the show. Neither of them wanted to let their classmates or teacher down. I guess illness don't care about good intentions, huh? And aren't illnesses and their timing wild? Just one day later and we would have finished the show and been in the clear!

Wish us luck!

All the world is a stage!

2010-01-25T22:22:00.000-08:00

Today my two older kids had their acting class, which they LOVE attending.

There are about 7 other homeschoolers in the class. The teacher is a professional actress and very good with children. She brings a lot of enthusiasm, patience & humor into the classroom and all the kids just adore her. The new semester just started and they are presently doing a lot of improv games/scenes. Soon they will pick a book to adapt into a play and start rehearsing it with the end goal being a production for families & friends.

Here's a little video of my daughter in last semester's play, an adaptation of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory:

I have lots of video of my son in the play too...he played Willy Wonka/narrator had over 80 lines to memorize over 6 class periods . He did a great job with the memorization, but was a little difficult to hear, especially on the video. My husband & I were thinking back to when we were their ages (6 &8) and can't imagine taking on such roles! One thing I love about this theater is that they discourage "stage parenting" - they really want the kids to own their participation and learn from the experiences. We both think that the skills they are learning in these classes will serve them well, regardless of whichever paths they take in life. I love that husband, who is in the computer business, sees the value of performance arts for overall life skills. I think I'll go hug him now. :)

Ah, the first post!

2010-01-23T21:36:00.000-08:00

We are not new to homeschooling, just new to keeping a blog about it. :)

I figured it would be a good idea since we have taken that BIG step and completely removed ourselves from the school system recently.

Our kids used to attend our district's alternative education homeschooling program that met once a week, but after having a taste of schooling here, there and everywhere, I believe they just wanted more of that. More freedom to learn in ways they learn best, at their own pace, and to be honest, sometimes wearing their PJ's while curled up by the fireplace on a rainy day in the Pacific Northwest.

We appreciate that our district offers such a program and who knows, maybe one day we'll go back. But for now, this is what feels right for everybody.

My kids are excited to start a family homeschool co-op in February that happens to meet on the same day they used to go to school one day a week. It is parent run and qualified teachers are hired each year after families determine what kind of classes they are wanting. It has been fun looking at the schedule and choosing which classes most interest the kids. I have already been attending with my 4 year old son, "J" while my 6 year old daughter, "F" and 8 year old son, "K" are finishing up their last semester at the district program. I also like that parents stay in the building while the kids are in classes and are able to meet & get to know other families.

We will continue with all our other fun activities like acting class, drawing & pottery, wilderness school, science & math camps, and a new sewing class for my daughter. At home we will continue to work on reading, math, writing, science & history, sometimes by a cozy fire with a cup of tea and sometimes on a blanket in the backyard when the weather warms up. Like the blog title says...we are Learning Here, There and Everywhere!