November is Almost Over (already??!!)

I'm in a cycle of observing and listening to the kids more. I've been reconsidering my role as teacher in the house, and wondering what happens if I, basically, don't teach. This might sound crazy because if I am not going to teach the kids then WHO is going to teach the kids? I recently came across the acronym W.A.I.T. that stands for Why am I teaching? Or sometimes Why am I talking? I definitely talk too much in classes/scout meetings/homeschool situations, especially if I'm nervous that kids are getting rowdy or are veering off the path of understanding. More talking on my part, of course, doesn't really correct anyone's behavior, and usually I'm saved by the proverbial bell. I don't have any solid conclusions, I've just been trying to think my thoughts instead of saying them out loud to the kids constantly, and asking them more questions. 

Max has been working on a little 3x5 index card that has the days of the week, the word "dinner" and a meal for each day. He started making this spontaneously during a dinnertime conversation in which we discussed our upcoming schedule and meals we might cook. He mostly writes in capital letters. He can read back what he writes. The letter S always seems to confound him for a moment. 

Marko set a goal to improve his writing in November, but he continued to protest about pretty much any writing practice I offered up to him. He doesn't have anything very nice to add to his portfolio, but we'll stick it in there anyway. 

Laurel wanted to focus on the Middle Ages as a topic to study. She enthusiastically dug into this activity book we got last year from my aunt. There were six models to build (things like a castle that showed a cut-away so you can see how the rooms were arranged). The book also contained some basic information about life in Europe in the Middle Ages. We found a website called the Medievalist, which had tons and tons of great articles, a whole podcast series, and links to youtube videos. It is not for children, so has the downside of being pretty technical and academic. However, there is something very compelling about listening to scholars talk about their passion....whether it is how coconut shells were actually widely used in Europe or how the peasant class felt about the Hundred Years' Wars. She also read a few of the Canterbury Tales, with the help of SparkNotes, which is like the CliffsNotes that I remember from my school days, but better. There are nice little charts that show the characters and annotated text. The internet is an amazing thing these days. So much garbage. So much amazing content.

We wrote some letters to friends and family. Marko met with his aunts about the book they are publishing together. Laurel and I had a book club with these same aunts, where we all discussed Raina Telgemeier graphic novels. 

The Brave Writer One Thing topic was Service, and we picked an organization that collects gifts for kids (at the urging of my mom, who organized huge gift collections every holiday season when I was a kid). We didn't really talk much more about service, but we are helping a loved one navigate a really difficult situation, and definitely building our empathy muscles that way. 

Laurel and I toured the Chatham University arboretum with our Girl Scout troop. We went to the zoo with another homeschooling family and had a blast. We finally made it to the library to swap out our books again. My mother taught them all about bones. We finished our homeschool co-op classes, and Gymkhana classes, and took a break from horse lessons, and had some completely free days at home. 

Modge-podge All the Things

Last week, we went on a lantern walk with some homeschool friends. To prepare, we decorated some plastic containers from our recycling bin with colored paper and leaves, and then modge-podged the heck out of them. Our headlamps fit perfectly inside the lanterns and by screwing the lids on, the headbands even made a nice handle. The weather was really lovely that night, clear with a sliver of a moon and many visible stars, even in a city park. On the walk home through the park, it was only about 6:30, but pitch black in the woods. Walking in the dark can be unnerving, but the cheerful colored lights from the lanterns made it feel much less scary. Max observed that his feet work differently in the dark. We were hoping to hear an owl, but only saw deer. We liked the whole experience so much we went on another lantern walk the following night, this time with our next door neighbors, and all week we lit the lanterns in our living room each night when the sun goes down...which is super early this time of year! 

I have a habit of collecting leaves when I go walking and now the kids pick up leaves they think I will like. Today we walked to the bookstore to pick up Laurel's order and she and M got a whole bunch of gingko leaves for me. I modge-podged those ones onto another plastic container for another lantern, as well as onto the cover of my journal. Modge-podge all the things! Humans have a need for creative outlets, and it doesn't have to be high art to meet this need. It's also interesting to see the kids observe the leaves that are always lying around in a pile until they get too dry and crumbly to keep. So many different varieties of maples and oaks. Even leaves from the same tree are sometimes different sizes, or even shapes. I'm looking at you, sassafras trees. The color of the maple leaves this year is particularly interesting, I think due to the fluctuation in temperature this past month. They are more variegated that I can remember from past years, with lots of vein-y yellow streaks in between the red. Absolutely beautiful. (But not good for modge-podging because they get dry very fast.)

This month, we are supposed to be studying the Middle Ages, and playing math games and doing service projects, but there's been a flurry of medical appointments and vaccination appointments and lots of opportunities to play with friends outside and also playing Minecraft with friends on a daily google meet playdates, so at this halfway point of the month I really need to stop and consider if we need a reboot of our academics, or if maybe lots of learning is occurring despite our lack of attention to the plan. 

Here are some things that I would classify as learning but may or may not have been part of the plan...

Max built a simple circuit with M.

Marko wrote 8 things about himself in response to a Brave Writer writing prompt, spontaneously and without me nagging him about it.

Laurel cantered on a horse! She's learning lots of slowing down and speeding up and postures. She also got to go on a trail ride this week which was pretty much her birthday dream come true.

Our Girl Scout troop visited the arboretum at Chatham University and identified about 30 of their trees. 

Marko and M ground some rye berries into flour, with the hand mill. 

We wrote letters to friends and family. 

We are all learning the melody of Little Drummer Boy on various musical instruments we have laying around the house.
The kids learned lots of things about bone health and healing from my mom, who prepared a bunch of wonderful anatomy lessons for them. 

We are learning to throw boomerangs. 

We read the first few paragraphs of the Canterbury Tales at poetry teatime....in Middle English! 

Marko and his aunts had a meeting on zoom about a book they are writing together.

Laurel and her aunts had a zoom book club meeting on Raina Telgemeier. 

We wax dipped leaves with some homeschool friends. 

Laurel dyed a piece of clothing using natural walnut dye. 

We made some of the models in this kit of medieval history we got several years ago. 

We watched a video where modern day kids ate medieval food and reviewed it. Nobody liked the rabbit. 

They all learned lots of Minecraft skills by playing with other kids, watching youtube videos, and finding books at the library.

We are listening to a ton of Greeking Out podcasts.

We raked some leaves at my brother's house and Max read one of my favorite childhood books to his cousin Oscar.