That is a huge stack of Valentines my children made this past week. We signed up for a swap with a number of families who also use Oak Meadow curriculum.
There were A LOT of families. Fuss and Bug decided they wanted each child to have their own. Then Fuss became completely disillusioned when he realised he didn’t have the time, resources or energy to send each one an entire fully-rendered scene. Basically he wanted to send each of the 94 children on the list a storyboard. A complex storyboard.
He decided if that was not to be, he would not participate at all and stomped off with his markers. So, Bug had to completely the monumental task. Which she did. Without complaint and while smiling the entire time. Phew. I thought I was going to end up making 94 Valentines.
Tonight is Valentine’s and my husband took me out to see Avatar. I was really keen to see it based on all the reviews. I usually like to wait for them to come to the movie network, since I pay for that and would like to make it worth paying for. Actually, I pay less per month for that than for one movie ticket.
I felt that Avatar needed to be viewed in 3D on a large screen. I believe I was correct, however I didn’t really like the movie. I was upset by the gratuitous violence and just generally completely overstimulated.
We came home after to relieve the sitter. She was planning to go out with her family and we had to see a later movie than we anticipated since the one we wanted to see was sold out. Sold out 9 weeks after coming to theaters. What an accomplishment.
So, once home, Colin took our sitter home and then went to pick up dinner. Taking a three-year-old along to pick up dinner seems to do wonders.
I thought that was about the cutest pizza I’ve ever seen!
I’m now off to bed to read a book and see if I can wind down from the wild ride that was Avatar.
Enjoying the journey, Amanda
February 14th, 2010
Since Fuss was very small, I’ve been using a ‘curriculum’ called Slow and Steady, Get Me Ready by June R. Oberlander. I don’t remember how I first found it, however it is listed as the suggested preschool curriculum in The Well Trained Mind which I read long before I had children! So, perhaps someone mentioned it and it triggered my memory. It is hard to find up here in Canada, so my mother brought a copy up from her Florida library. It looked easy enough, so I purchased a copy.
We’ve been using it, and neither Fuss nor Bug have missed a week, although it’s not always when we are supposed to be doing them. We will skip some weeks and then do a couple for a few days to catch up.
I find the book really, hmmm….I’m not sure of the word I should be using.
The book is set up so that each week the parent does a developmental activity with the child. So, it starts at year 0, week 1 and continues until the week prior to the 5th birthday.
Usually the activities are things I would have come up with on my own just through regular play. Sometimes they are things that Fuss or Bug come up with on their own during play.
Then, sometimes, the amount of work involved to set up an activity is so time-consuming - for an activity that might last 5 minutes - it’s just really not worth it. But, I persist.
For a while it was nice because it was not much of anything and I could feel as though I had accomplished something. Then, I noticed that the book on occasion expected way too much of a child at the particular age. For example, a child should be able to say ‘marble’ at 10 months. Well, not in my house. Nope. I don’t know if Bug is even able to say marble at 24 months. Fuss couldn’t and he has the largest working vocabulary of almost any four year old I know - with one notable exception….a little girl friend of his who has a remarkable command of the language and has from an exceptionally early age.
Also, there was an activity once that had Fuss walk on a line I had taped to the floor (or chalked on the ground, I can’t remember what season this was). Then he was supposed to walk one foot in front of the other. At his stage at the time there was nooooo way this was going to happen. So it didn’t. I set it up, put it to him, he looked at me and walked away. That was that. I think sometimes my lack of enthusiasm contributes to the luke warm reception on the part of my children.
However, a few months later, Fuss hopped up on a high, narrow ledge and walked the entire length of it unassisted - one foot in front of the other.
There are some lovely activities - one in particular dealing with shadows. Suggested are various ways to make them on the wall, also to do a drawing of the profile of your child using his shadow, and to do a chalk drawing of the child’s shadow outside - each hour from the same place so that it’s obvious how the body is blocking the sun, and also how the sun is moving.
Fuss loved these sorts. Plus anything to do with lacing, sewing, etc….
The fact that the hands on activities, particularly the nature-based ones, spoke to him most strongly has furthered my resolve to maintain (and enhance) our waldorf-inspired homeschool. I’m really excited to get even more into this next year.
However, to finish summing up S&S: I somehow, despite all my negativity, would recommend it to someone new to homeschooling and looking for something. I wouldn’t recommended it without being prompted, though. Again, it gave me some sense of direction while being really, really slow and non-pressure (at least the way I used it). The prep was far more time consuming than the actual activity most of the time, but at least I felt we were doing something worthwhile (or I was).
I’m decidedly neutral on the curriculum! Will I use it for future children? I can’t say for sure. We’ll have to see. It’s harmless, for sure. But, at the same time, perhaps not worth the effort. However, I have a cupboard with all the prep work done (I saved them from when I did them for Fuss). If I had to go back to when Fuss was tiny, I think I might pick it up again. It certainly didn’t do any harm, and it left lots of time for play. It’s actually presented as play - and since they take about five to ten minutes, if one does not feel they are playing, it’s not taking too much away from play time.
I would definitely say it wont do harm if one feels like they are not doing enough with their child. Pick it up, do what speaks to you and leave the rest - no need to be as anal as I am and get every activity in!!!
So there is my long winded review of Slow and Steady!
Enjoying the journey (with or without this book), Amanda
March 31st, 2008
I got an e-mail today from a woman I met in a baby gym class when Fuss was very small. She had twins at home and an older daughter who was in school. I lost track of her when the gym class ended. We exchanged a couple of e-mails, but it went no further.
I just got an e-mail from her today saying that she ran into a homeschooling friend of mine at the museum today. Funny thing is that she signed off her e-mail by saying ‘hope to see you at some homeschooling events’. I was so excited!! I would have been thrilled to just get an update, how are you sort of e-mail, but one that she is also homeschooling!! Too much! I’ve e-mailed her back because I would like more details and am anxiously awaiting her response. I can imagine there would be challenges homeschooling twins, but some aspects would be easier. She also has an older daughter. I look forward to catching up with her.
On a ‘discovery cottage’ homeschooling note, we use a nature curriuculumthat I just love. (This is only the second month, so I’ll keep you posted.) This week is about kindness to animals which is very needed around here. There is a story about St. Francis that is to be included in circle time. I always turn away from any religious aspects, but this curriculum is not religous and where it might seem so, it’s simple to change it to suit our family. I do have a soft spot for St. Francis, so I included the story. For some (surprising) reason, Fuss is finding it very grounding. He sits silently while I read it (this story is in 4 parts which is perfect as Daddy is home on Friday), and is really responding. We have a squirrel who thinks we are his family. He sit on the windowsill or the door frame and waits for us. He follows us to our car and sits there while we get in. I wonder if he was a pet who was released once he ate a couch leg or some such thing.
Fuss is inclined to chase the squirrel while screaming at the top of his lung, which drives me nuts. Well, we started the story of St. Francis on Monday and today he just walked out to the car with the squirrel. Once we started to back out of the driveway, he said ‘oh, mum - isn’t he just so cute’? Ah….progress.
I should add quickly - we are considered suburban, on the very edge of a major metropolis, so a friendly squirrel is not overly common.
On a separate note, Fuss found a pile of coins while routing around somewhere in the house. He brought them to me and we made an impromptu math lesson out of it. He got to keep the coins he identified properly. Then we added the coins he ‘won’ in various way. It was fun and he feels rich with his 26c.
Bug has developed some new words. ‘Bowl’ and ‘cat’ to be specific. Unfortunately, everyone is now ‘cat’. Oh well.
Enjoying the journey, Amanda
October 2nd, 2007
