So, Ezra is obsessed with rockets. I just want to record what all this has led into so far (that I can think of)
-thousands of rocket and launchpad drawings, mostly on his Doodle Pro, but also with markers and occasionally paints
-organizing his very own Rocket Party all by himself (I was not invited, but I heard it was very well-executed!)
-interest in Russia, Japan, and India because of their space programs.
-learning the numbers 1-10 in Russian, plus some Russian letters and a few other vocabulary words.
-interest in math "because he needs it to become an aerospace engineer."
-lots of computer know-how (he has taught me quite a few things!) because of figuring out how to look at and save youtube videos of launches and photographs of space shuttles.
-some geography, of the states and countries relevant to rocket launching.
-astronomy, of course.
-physics, like friction, gravity, speed, etc..
-interest in John F. Kennedy's speech about going to the moon.
-memorization of many songs about rockets, including my favorite, "Zoom Rocket" but also "Afternoon Delight" and "On Eagle's Wings" which is played during a Youtube tribute to the Space Shuttle Challenger astronauts who died in the explosion.
Well, that's what I can think of off the top of my head. I'm sure there is so much more. . . in which case maybe I'll add it later.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Jane Goodall Talking with Animals Video
We watched a really cool video last night that I couldn't resist when I saw it at the library. I am such a huge Jane Goodall fan, and this video is featuring her, but mostly talking about the capabilities of animals/pets and the importance of human relationships with them.
There was some really cool stuff in there! One thing was an Amazon Gray parrot, who has a vocabulary of over 1,000 words and just chatters away about his thoughts and desires to his owner. Also this owner can communicate telepathically with the parrot (or the parrot with her - whichever).
There is also a section about whale communcation which was fascinating - apparently whale songs evolve "just like pop music"!
And I loved a long section on search and rescue dogs and a juvenile jail program called POOCH which pairs up "troubled teens with troubled dogs" - saves dogs from euthanasia and gives the boys the responsibility of rehabbing and training the dogs so they can be adopted out. They said there is a 0% re-offending rate of the teens that have come out of the program so far!!
They have tons of other interesting stories, too, like about training rats to (safely) detect land mines in Africa and about animals' abilities to detect earthquakes and tsunamis.
I could go on and on!
As soon as the movie was over, I told my husband maybe he might want to get a search and rescue dog to use for Tornado damage. He always says he feels guilty going to areas that are hit by tornadoes, because it might seem like he's just gawking (even though severe weather is his field!) Anyway, I suggested if he had a search and rescue dog, he could survey the damage and be helping look for victims in the process. He is not a dog person, though, so this idea did not strike him. I'll keep working on it, especially because I have a keen sense that my two boys are going to need a canine companion soon (once we get those 80 acres!)
One thing that was sad to me about the movie was that it was just brushed over that "maybe humans could have these abilities" and the truth is that they DO. They just aren't used by civilized society, so the only people who have developed them are considered freaks. However, there are entire tribal societies who can do a lot of these things - anyone interested in this might like to read Original Wisdom by Tom Wolff or watch Rabbit-Proof Fence, an excellent (but tragic) movie about the aborigenese of Australia. There is also quite a bit of information about human potential in the book Magical Child by Joseph Chilton Pearce, and a little more about latent abilities in The Continuum Concept by Jean Liedloff.
There was some really cool stuff in there! One thing was an Amazon Gray parrot, who has a vocabulary of over 1,000 words and just chatters away about his thoughts and desires to his owner. Also this owner can communicate telepathically with the parrot (or the parrot with her - whichever).
There is also a section about whale communcation which was fascinating - apparently whale songs evolve "just like pop music"!
And I loved a long section on search and rescue dogs and a juvenile jail program called POOCH which pairs up "troubled teens with troubled dogs" - saves dogs from euthanasia and gives the boys the responsibility of rehabbing and training the dogs so they can be adopted out. They said there is a 0% re-offending rate of the teens that have come out of the program so far!!
They have tons of other interesting stories, too, like about training rats to (safely) detect land mines in Africa and about animals' abilities to detect earthquakes and tsunamis.
I could go on and on!
As soon as the movie was over, I told my husband maybe he might want to get a search and rescue dog to use for Tornado damage. He always says he feels guilty going to areas that are hit by tornadoes, because it might seem like he's just gawking (even though severe weather is his field!) Anyway, I suggested if he had a search and rescue dog, he could survey the damage and be helping look for victims in the process. He is not a dog person, though, so this idea did not strike him. I'll keep working on it, especially because I have a keen sense that my two boys are going to need a canine companion soon (once we get those 80 acres!)
One thing that was sad to me about the movie was that it was just brushed over that "maybe humans could have these abilities" and the truth is that they DO. They just aren't used by civilized society, so the only people who have developed them are considered freaks. However, there are entire tribal societies who can do a lot of these things - anyone interested in this might like to read Original Wisdom by Tom Wolff or watch Rabbit-Proof Fence, an excellent (but tragic) movie about the aborigenese of Australia. There is also quite a bit of information about human potential in the book Magical Child by Joseph Chilton Pearce, and a little more about latent abilities in The Continuum Concept by Jean Liedloff.
Weekend in Milaca
Well, my husband and I have been thinking of moving to Milaca. Not because there is anything special or even probably tolerable about this small northern town, but just because it has a cool name and therefore we figured we could recruit lots of people to join us there because they would feel proud to say, "We needed to get way out of the city, so we're moving to ***Milaca!***"
So, when a friend of Kenny's said he was having an overnight skating and snowshoeing party there at his parent's place, we took it as a sign. We went to stay at Shelly and Eric's house - they have a really cozy, beautiful, woodsy house with a huge shop attached to the back, in 80 acres of woods with restored wetlands and 40 years of new growth trees (it had been clearcut before they moved there.)
We packed up the kids and got there way too late, in my opinion, but in any case we got to take the kids out on the pond in the woods behind the house, and look at the moon in the dark while other people skated. Later, at around 10:30 p.m., everyone went for a snowshoe-hike in the dark with both kids pulled by my husband in the sled, while I and many others snowshoed out to look at the constellations. That night I went to bed with the kids while Kenny did some sauna-ing and snowjumping, and the next day we snowshoed out to a further pond where some people had built a 7-foot snowman the day before. The kids loved it! Ezra even snowshoed with adult snowshoes on without complaining. Ottar insisted on walking and dragging his sled instead of riding in it, as is typical of him!
Later the woman of the house offered to take us out to see the resident porcupines. So we snowshoed out again and saw the nest and then the porcupine waaaay up in a tree. She told us quite a bit about porcupines and also showed us some wolf tracks and some mouse tracks that ended in the mouse being eaten by an owl (which also left a track). While we were doing this, Ottar was with me and the others, but unfortunately Kenny was back with Ezra, feeding him lunch after he got a little "loopy" and tried to start snowball fights (he loves snowball fights!) with un-amused adults. Since they didn't know if they could catch up with us, they went back to see the snowman, and Ezra had a *very, very* tearful goodbye. He named him Charlie and took pictures of him with his digital camera (after we got home the next day, he somehow figured out how to superimpose Kenny's voice pretending to be Charlie, over the photo. It said, "Hi, I'm Charlie the Snowman. Ezra, I hope you don't forget me after I melt!").
Kenny and I chatted at length with Shelly and Eric about living in the woods, thoughts on schooling/homeschooling, bears, berries, and Tom Brown's and other tracking/nature observation workshops they have taken. Shelly has learned to "hear" the plants she gathers for her native plant nursery.
Right before we went home, we also got to see Shelly and Eric make 2 pairs of snowshoes with their son and a friend. They used to have a snowshoe-making business and estimate that they made between 12,000 and 30,000 pairs. (One of them says 12,000, and the other says 30,000. . . hmmm.) Anyway, they have stopped the business but they still make them on occasion and it was so cool to watch.
I am now interested in snowshoeing after using their snowshoes, which are made in the traditional Cree (?) way and are made for the snows of Minnesota. I had previously been snowshoeing with a rental pair of aluminum snowshoes, but I kept sinking in and I was totally annoyed! Now I find out that those aluminum ones are meant for harder-packed snow, rocky terrain, or icy slopes.
One of the most impressionable things was the conversation I had with Shelly about her efforts to protect the hardwoods and the soil up in the area, and how many of the hardwood trees are cut down specifically to produce computer paper. She also explained how all the logging has depleted the soil so that now the trees have extremely shallow roots (no topsoil) and they blow down easily in storms.
I must say that the drive up to Milaca is mighty ugly, so we are now not too excited to move up there, but on the other hand, it was a very inspirational and educational experience, and it was cool to hang out with people who raised their kids on 80 acres, which is my dream!
We are very grateful to Shelly and Eric for their generosity, conversation, hospitality, and patience with our kids.
I hope to post some pix soon!
So, when a friend of Kenny's said he was having an overnight skating and snowshoeing party there at his parent's place, we took it as a sign. We went to stay at Shelly and Eric's house - they have a really cozy, beautiful, woodsy house with a huge shop attached to the back, in 80 acres of woods with restored wetlands and 40 years of new growth trees (it had been clearcut before they moved there.)
We packed up the kids and got there way too late, in my opinion, but in any case we got to take the kids out on the pond in the woods behind the house, and look at the moon in the dark while other people skated. Later, at around 10:30 p.m., everyone went for a snowshoe-hike in the dark with both kids pulled by my husband in the sled, while I and many others snowshoed out to look at the constellations. That night I went to bed with the kids while Kenny did some sauna-ing and snowjumping, and the next day we snowshoed out to a further pond where some people had built a 7-foot snowman the day before. The kids loved it! Ezra even snowshoed with adult snowshoes on without complaining. Ottar insisted on walking and dragging his sled instead of riding in it, as is typical of him!
Later the woman of the house offered to take us out to see the resident porcupines. So we snowshoed out again and saw the nest and then the porcupine waaaay up in a tree. She told us quite a bit about porcupines and also showed us some wolf tracks and some mouse tracks that ended in the mouse being eaten by an owl (which also left a track). While we were doing this, Ottar was with me and the others, but unfortunately Kenny was back with Ezra, feeding him lunch after he got a little "loopy" and tried to start snowball fights (he loves snowball fights!) with un-amused adults. Since they didn't know if they could catch up with us, they went back to see the snowman, and Ezra had a *very, very* tearful goodbye. He named him Charlie and took pictures of him with his digital camera (after we got home the next day, he somehow figured out how to superimpose Kenny's voice pretending to be Charlie, over the photo. It said, "Hi, I'm Charlie the Snowman. Ezra, I hope you don't forget me after I melt!").
Kenny and I chatted at length with Shelly and Eric about living in the woods, thoughts on schooling/homeschooling, bears, berries, and Tom Brown's and other tracking/nature observation workshops they have taken. Shelly has learned to "hear" the plants she gathers for her native plant nursery.
Right before we went home, we also got to see Shelly and Eric make 2 pairs of snowshoes with their son and a friend. They used to have a snowshoe-making business and estimate that they made between 12,000 and 30,000 pairs. (One of them says 12,000, and the other says 30,000. . . hmmm.) Anyway, they have stopped the business but they still make them on occasion and it was so cool to watch.
I am now interested in snowshoeing after using their snowshoes, which are made in the traditional Cree (?) way and are made for the snows of Minnesota. I had previously been snowshoeing with a rental pair of aluminum snowshoes, but I kept sinking in and I was totally annoyed! Now I find out that those aluminum ones are meant for harder-packed snow, rocky terrain, or icy slopes.
One of the most impressionable things was the conversation I had with Shelly about her efforts to protect the hardwoods and the soil up in the area, and how many of the hardwood trees are cut down specifically to produce computer paper. She also explained how all the logging has depleted the soil so that now the trees have extremely shallow roots (no topsoil) and they blow down easily in storms.
I must say that the drive up to Milaca is mighty ugly, so we are now not too excited to move up there, but on the other hand, it was a very inspirational and educational experience, and it was cool to hang out with people who raised their kids on 80 acres, which is my dream!
We are very grateful to Shelly and Eric for their generosity, conversation, hospitality, and patience with our kids.
I hope to post some pix soon!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Why we unschool
I suppose I should bother to explain why we chose unschooling. Or at least why *I* chose unschooling, and my husband agreed.
*******
Once upon a time I was on an international parenting forum where a 14-yo unschooler was posting along with all the adults, and he sounded way more engaged, interesting, opinionated, politically involved, inspired, etc. than most people I know who are in their 30s. So, that pretty much sealed the deal right there. The end.
*******
Once upon a time I was on an international parenting forum where a 14-yo unschooler was posting along with all the adults, and he sounded way more engaged, interesting, opinionated, politically involved, inspired, etc. than most people I know who are in their 30s. So, that pretty much sealed the deal right there. The end.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Maniac toddler = Florida vacation?
These days we spend many hours inside because of the cold. And Ottar spends a lot of time throwing objects, pouring water on the floor, and peeing on the furniture.
Sometimes I think maybe I did something to make him this way.
Then I think, maybe he was meant to be this way, and he just wasn't meant to be inside. Like me (who apparently acted just like him when I was little) he was meant to be raised in a stick hut in the jungle. But something went wrong.
The next best thing *I* can think of is hopping in the car in this -6F weather and driving down to the Florida coast, without thinking about it first.
Unfortunately there is some holdup with my husband's paycheck. But that gives me just enough time to consult with AAA and get the car tuned up. Then, I think we're off. Why not?
Sometimes I think maybe I did something to make him this way.
Then I think, maybe he was meant to be this way, and he just wasn't meant to be inside. Like me (who apparently acted just like him when I was little) he was meant to be raised in a stick hut in the jungle. But something went wrong.
The next best thing *I* can think of is hopping in the car in this -6F weather and driving down to the Florida coast, without thinking about it first.
Unfortunately there is some holdup with my husband's paycheck. But that gives me just enough time to consult with AAA and get the car tuned up. Then, I think we're off. Why not?
Saturday, January 17, 2009
These *lovely* winter mornings
I think it was in 1996, when I met my friend Hilary, that I first became enamored of The Leisurely Morning. She had a job with a 10:00 start time and her boyfriend was in school, so every morning they would set the table with placemats and a little pitcher of syrup and little orange juice glasses, and make waffles and drink coffee and chat. I had never thought of having mornings like this - except on weekends - and I was so excited to give up my rushed early hours. Give or take some months here and there where I had early-starting temp jobs, I must say I have completely transformed myself into someone who lives for the slow-paced breakfast! I had already been living this way for 7 years when my first son was born, and now that he is "school age" I am so glad that I don't have to give this up in order to send him off on the school bus.
Actually, I usually get up before him, with my two-year-old, and he (now 5-1/2) gets to sleep in!
I must admit we rarely eat waffles, but we always at least eat hot cereal, and I get two cups of tea or coffee before leaving for the day. We often make pancakes and sausage. Mmmm. . .
I just talked with a friend who has to get up at 5 a.m. in order to get her daughter ready for school (and she has to drag her kicking and screaming to the bus, and force her to stay on it). She said "I know hearing this is going to make you extra glad you aren't sending Ezra to school."
Amen!
Actually, I usually get up before him, with my two-year-old, and he (now 5-1/2) gets to sleep in!
I must admit we rarely eat waffles, but we always at least eat hot cereal, and I get two cups of tea or coffee before leaving for the day. We often make pancakes and sausage. Mmmm. . .
I just talked with a friend who has to get up at 5 a.m. in order to get her daughter ready for school (and she has to drag her kicking and screaming to the bus, and force her to stay on it). She said "I know hearing this is going to make you extra glad you aren't sending Ezra to school."
Amen!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
A Charlotte Mason Companion
So, I am wading through _A Charlotte Mason Companion_, because I looked on the shelf at the library in the homeschooling section one day and found it the only thing that looked interesting. I have never read Charlotte Mason's work, and I don't think I'd agree with a lot of her beliefs, but I am getting lots of inspiration, nevertheless, from this book.
My new tradition, I hope, is that when I read a relevant book that I like, I will post some of my favorite inspirational or thought-provoking quotes on this blog.
So here are the ones I've gathered so far:
"It should not be "How much has our child covered?" but "How much does he *care*?" and "About how many things does he care?"
"Charlotte urges us to give children a regular feeding of ideas through sweeping tales of history, wonderful inventions and discoveries in science, lives of great men and women, stories that radiate the moral life as well as paintings, plays, psalms, poems, symphonies - and everything else wonderful we can think of."
Here are some of the author's suggestions for family reading time:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Five Children and It
Pinocchio - Italian version
Heidi
The Little Princess
The Silver Skates
Little Women
Swiss Family Robinson
She also suggests we always read "living books" which are loosely defined as "written by an author who takes special interest in his subject", with facts presented in a story form, and "a rather warm and personal forward, preface, introduction, or acknowledgment" (this is opposed to something like a textbook, or those annoying "fact books" that everyone loves these days - (which drive me crazy!!))
"We are living in an information age. Today's children are exposed to much information, but they come away with little knowledge. Why? first, most schools use books that are purely factual. Such books can actually be an obstacle to acquiring knowledge because they are not the kind of books children naturally "take to," or can narrate from. Children need books written in literary language to narrate from. Secondly, children are persons, not parrots. Workbooks obligate children to parrot back information. Knowledge is not attained through these means because the child really hasn't narrated (or thought the ideas through and made them his own.) Narrating invites children to meditate, that is, to think ideas through to their conclusion. C.M. observed that what the child digs for himself becomes his own posession. Narration develops the power of self-expression and forces the child to use his own mind and form his own judgment." (And I would say this is true for everyone, not just kids. . . )
More about narration:
". . . the mind of a child is best opened by way of his mouth. . . You cannot fill a bottle with the cork in. You may pour your stream of knowledge upon them till you drown them, and not get a drop of it into them because their mouths are shut."
"Why not ask what the poets have to say about whatever you happen to be studying?"
"I invite you to make it an educational goal to raise magnanimous children. . . A magnanimous person thinks great thoughts but also is generous in overlooking injury or insult - for example, he or she rises above pettiness or animosity. His intellectual pursuits do not make him "too good" to do lowly chores."
"Charlotte knew that the self-educated, self-made man is energetic, curious, and enthusiastic. Enthusiasm, more than any other quality, has powerfully and permanently influenced the shaping of mankind. Enthusiasm has swayed the hearts of nations and determined the lives and characters of many individuals."
". . . Nature walks and first-hand scientific observation not only provide the groundwork for all the sciences, but . . . being outdoors - and for children, engaging in the huff and puff of play - provides the recreation that gives us rest so we can return to the indoor work with greater enthusiasm."
I hope you have enjoyed!
My new tradition, I hope, is that when I read a relevant book that I like, I will post some of my favorite inspirational or thought-provoking quotes on this blog.
So here are the ones I've gathered so far:
"It should not be "How much has our child covered?" but "How much does he *care*?" and "About how many things does he care?"
"Charlotte urges us to give children a regular feeding of ideas through sweeping tales of history, wonderful inventions and discoveries in science, lives of great men and women, stories that radiate the moral life as well as paintings, plays, psalms, poems, symphonies - and everything else wonderful we can think of."
Here are some of the author's suggestions for family reading time:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Five Children and It
Pinocchio - Italian version
Heidi
The Little Princess
The Silver Skates
Little Women
Swiss Family Robinson
She also suggests we always read "living books" which are loosely defined as "written by an author who takes special interest in his subject", with facts presented in a story form, and "a rather warm and personal forward, preface, introduction, or acknowledgment" (this is opposed to something like a textbook, or those annoying "fact books" that everyone loves these days - (which drive me crazy!!))
"We are living in an information age. Today's children are exposed to much information, but they come away with little knowledge. Why? first, most schools use books that are purely factual. Such books can actually be an obstacle to acquiring knowledge because they are not the kind of books children naturally "take to," or can narrate from. Children need books written in literary language to narrate from. Secondly, children are persons, not parrots. Workbooks obligate children to parrot back information. Knowledge is not attained through these means because the child really hasn't narrated (or thought the ideas through and made them his own.) Narrating invites children to meditate, that is, to think ideas through to their conclusion. C.M. observed that what the child digs for himself becomes his own posession. Narration develops the power of self-expression and forces the child to use his own mind and form his own judgment." (And I would say this is true for everyone, not just kids. . . )
More about narration:
". . . the mind of a child is best opened by way of his mouth. . . You cannot fill a bottle with the cork in. You may pour your stream of knowledge upon them till you drown them, and not get a drop of it into them because their mouths are shut."
"Why not ask what the poets have to say about whatever you happen to be studying?"
"I invite you to make it an educational goal to raise magnanimous children. . . A magnanimous person thinks great thoughts but also is generous in overlooking injury or insult - for example, he or she rises above pettiness or animosity. His intellectual pursuits do not make him "too good" to do lowly chores."
"Charlotte knew that the self-educated, self-made man is energetic, curious, and enthusiastic. Enthusiasm, more than any other quality, has powerfully and permanently influenced the shaping of mankind. Enthusiasm has swayed the hearts of nations and determined the lives and characters of many individuals."
". . . Nature walks and first-hand scientific observation not only provide the groundwork for all the sciences, but . . . being outdoors - and for children, engaging in the huff and puff of play - provides the recreation that gives us rest so we can return to the indoor work with greater enthusiasm."
I hope you have enjoyed!
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