Baking and Building Boys

While I am too busy this week, I am trying to devise ways to keep The Boyz busy - does that make sense? I'm too busy and they're not busy enough!

One of my favorite activities to encourage the boys to engage in is 'following directions'. I don't care what activity it is, as long as there is a process of independently following written directions, a video, a recipe, or a schematic.

From the earliest ages, I look for toys that present lots of these opportunities. Some of my favorite commercial toys are Lego Products, K'nex, Rokenbok and Keva Planks.

I have 'heard' some discussion on the internet lately about building products that are geared especially for girls. Lego also introduced sets appealing to girls.  I know there are innate and biological differences that affect what boys and girls are drawn to and excel at, but maybe sometimes parents just don't think to bring lots of building toys into a house of girls - if you haven't - why not get some? Yes, Dennis and I bought baby dolls, kitchen sets, and dollhouses into the house from the time Ethan was a toddler. Some things were played with, others were hit on the head with tools ;)

Learning to follow directions is a progressive skill, so I start small - when they are small.

Lego 'Mosaics'

 Building on these skills get you bigger and better creations - with motors!

K'Nex

'Screamin' Serpent'

Another great way to follow someone else's directions is on youtube or Instructables. Recently, Gavin found several videos that explain how to 'modify' his Nerf guns for better function, different ammunition and further distances. He has created paper Ninja Stars, a functioning paper crossbow, learned origami, and countless other skills from online sources.

Another great way to introduce and refine 'direction following' is to provide them with recipes. It is construction of a totally different kind! I love that they need to develop attention to detail and can contribute a loaf of bread to dinner. 

'Amish White Bread'

This is one of those times that I realize this is a skill I completely lack myself. I get halfway through a project only to realize I don't have all the equipment and leave ingredients out recipes. But that does not mean I cannot help them to surpass my shortcomings - I will continue to point them in directions to seek these skills for themselves. 

Just for the record - some of these toys and sets can be very pricey. I obtain almost all of them from thrift shops and various resales. Also knowing what types of items I want for the boys, I have asked for them as gifts over the years - so don't let $$ get in the way of your fun! Build on.

12~12~12 and Random Acts of Kindness

There was a little bit of buzz in our house as to whether there was an interesting way to mark the last repetitive date we would see in our lifetimes. I know it doesn't sound like much, but we take any excuse to make a production. I had been coming up blank until I looked at our 'Things to Do' Board and saw 'Random Acts of Kindness Day' still hovering around undone. 

If you are good about volunteering or have a regular way of showing your kids how to give to others and put a little love out into the universe, you're doing better than me. I have not pinned down a regular way to volunteer myself or give that bug to my kids. It's a New Year's Resolution - yes, I make them (and of course, I break them). So I asked the boys over breakfast if they thought we could make 12-12-12 '12 Acts of Kindness Day'. They were a little hesitant, but when they thought up a contribution of there own, they are willing participants. 

We made a short list, gathered some supplies and headed of on our adventure. 

Our first task was some mail. We made index cards with inspirational quotes on them and folded them up in cards for mailing to random people from the phone book. The boys put 'This is a random act of kindness - Have a great day!' in each card. We talked about how someone could get a quote that speaks directly to them and take it as a sign. We sure hoped so. 

We then piled up some coloring the boys had been doing for colorasmile.org. The coloring pages are sent out to various agencies and distributed to people who might enjoy them. Many make their way into the hands of recipients of home meal distribution programs like Meals on Wheels.

We then moved on to the task the boys thought up. They wanted to put quarters in the vending machines at the thrift shop, turn the handles and leave the toys for unsuspecting kids - they thought that was just one of the best things that could happen to a kid!

We waited for quite some time to see if they could catch a glimpse of a kid doing it. Gavin's friend said, 'what's with all these well-behaved kids holding their mother's hands and not begging for toys!' We never got to see it, but we imagined later that it did.

We then made a run to collect and drop off food to the Somerset County Food Bank. We have been made aware several times lately that they are REALLY low on food, so that was something we could do. I armed them with the list the food bank provides and set them loose.

We visited our local library and brought cookies for our librarians who find us books on every subject imaginable and rescue our holds that should be sent back, but they give us a little extra time! We also left two envelopes with $2 each for the next two people that have fines.

The best part of the day was our lunch at A Better World Cafe. A neighbor who keeps me supplied with interesting tidbits clipped from the paper made me aware of it some time ago. I've always wanted to go, but now we had a good reason to get out and support such a valiant effort. I love the concepts behind the cafe. It is a multifaceted effort combined with Elijah's Promise. They not only provide excellent food in the cafe, but training for people who need it in the food service industry - They give a man a fish, AND teach them to fish!

The meals are all whole foods, local, seasonal and high quality. They believe everyone, regardless of budget, should have access to 'good food' - amen! It was a stark contrast to the processed, boxed items we had left at the food bank - which is necessary - but I wanted to point it out. The paying customers support the 'complimentary meal' of the day and 13% of the cafe's diners order the free meal.

We had an delicious lunch, supported this great cause, learned that we would love to go back and Chef Rachel generously spent several minutes telling the boys about the organization, explaining why cafes like this are so necessary.

The boys seemed to have a great time and got a lot out of spread a little love out into the world! I am telling you about our day, not to brag about the good we did, because I know lots of people that are doing it on a regular basis and so much more. I am inspired when I hear of others efforts and hope you will be too. I would like to make volunteering, donating, service to others and supporting charitable organizations part of our lives for myself so I will have the ability to pass on the habit to the boys. If you do something regularly I'd love to hear about it.

Service to others is the payment you make
for your space here on earth.
~ Mohammed Ali

An Hour of Homeschooling

Believe it or not, we are sometimes home for hours on end and have lots of time to dive into interesting projects and extensive endeavors. Sometimes we only have a little snip-it of time, but that can sometimes be just what we need. 

Today was going to be a busy day, one requiring a bunch of driving and several activities. I knew our time at home was limited, but thought I could make the best of it. We had an hour. 

My boys have very different needs and wants from each other. Gavin wants to be left alone to pursue information as he, Bing, his library books, History Channel and Sal Khan see fit. Mikey needs more purposeful direction and my attention. 

I picked up a library book called 'Pass the Bread' and read it to Mike. It's a super-meaty ;) book about breads from around the world. The book discussed varying countries and cultures, types of breads and their origins, the chemistry behind various manifestations of bread and had beautiful photographs from around the world. It was full of great vocabulary, lots of geography, history and touched on several religions. Carefully selected, living books are an indispensible resource for us. 

Since we were on the 'bread' subject, I asked if he would like to set up a little experiment - really, did I need to ask! We had a discussion about yeast, checked it out thoroughly by looking at it and even smelling it and then filled two bottles with water and yeast. We gave one bottle some sugar and one some salt - he already surmised that by the afternoon, the carbon dioxide would have done it's job with one of the attached balloons - and not the other. 

Once our experiment was set up we took a few minutes to work out of an 'English' book - it's an old-fashioned little thing, but full of simple, practical activities. Mikey copied three sentences out of the book practicing the proper use of 'two', 'to', and 'too'. In 10 minutes Mikey had practiced his handwriting, addressed capital letters and some punctuation and had mastered those three tricky words.  

Mikey played with his Cuisenaire Rods for a few minutes and then I reviewed sets and subsets with him. He was able to tell me about equality and equivalency and I explained that the next activity would be about unions and intersections - yeah! Check out these rods and activity cards - there are a lot of fun with none of the 'math pressure'.

I believe the reason for the ease in this scenario is that my kids pick activities, books, topics, and methods that they enjoy and that interest them. I do not 'force' my kids to complete a certain activity they are not enjoying - there are way to many choices for that!

Our time was up and we needed to run. In and hour and ten minutes we covered some geography and history, a little chemistry, some grammar and a bit of math - and it had been fun and meaningful. Such little time can go such a long way.

Reverse Field Trips

My recollection of field trips as a student is that after having been forced to read textbook entries about a given subject (Ms. Borland - begin at paragraph blah blah on page umteen) and then tested to death about people, dates and facts that were meaningless to me. Then, occasionally, we were permitted to board a bus to a museum to view artifacts about a topic that was already thoroughly boring. I recall caring very little about what I saw - but was very happy to be out from within those four walls.

I like to call my approach to 'field trips' as 'Reverse Field Trips'. We just go - we head out to museums near and far. We go to exhibits and shows freely.

We visit gardens, farms, nature preserves and historical sites without regard to a 'unit of study'. I enjoy watching the boys gravitate to artwork, artifacts, and experiments that fascinate them. I like watching them discover things for themselves.

I visit places with the boys because it's what we like to do. They desire to play with things, experiment, see the sights, view the art, and investigate. I have no agenda for what they need to look at. I have often picked a specific venue for one thing only to find them intrigued by another. I give them time to stay in front of something as long or as short as they like. That can be hard practice if you are not conscious of it. 

I watch to see what peaks their interest. I wait and watch to see what pieces of information they grab on to. Once they've seen and touched something it becomes a much more tangible topic. Gavin and Mikey are very open about what interests them. 'How do architects draw floor plan?', 'How did the Ballentine family get so rich?', 'How old is this art work?', and 'How can air be so strong?' Their questions give me a platform from which to provide them more info. I have a spot on my iPhone and a dry erase board at home that I jot down topics that come up - eclipses, wood chucks, high-altitude cooking, etc.  I use that to decide where to visit, what books to reserve for them, and our favorite - movies, documentaries and websites dedicated to their interests. And people ask where I get 'curriculum' from! Netflix, of course ;)

One of the goals that I have for my kids to being able to pursue knowledge joyfully and on their own accord. I do not want to send them the message that I am the one with all the knowledge and that my job is to 'teach' them - I would fall sorely short of that expectation. I do not believe you can 'teach' someone anything they do not wish to learn. Sure, I could make them memorize something in the short-term, but I do not equate that to embracing and understanding. I could make them sit through videos they don't want to watch or fill in workbooks just because it's the next thing on the list - but I believe that as homeschoolers we have to opportunity to break out of this paradigm and instead of creating a 'school' model at home we can bring them into a model of  life-learning.

The 'Reverse Field Trip' is taking kids to places and exposing them to experiences first and branching off of their interests to facilitate the learning they want to do.

The world can be your classroom - just get out and go, see, touch, do - and learn.

Why Go Do Freaky Things?

I enjoy strange attractions like Ripley's Believe It Or Not and The Mutter Museum. Destinations and pit stops brought to my attention by Roadside America and Weird NJ and Geocaching thrill me. I am interested in the odd and off-beat. I also enjoy passing on my penchant for the weird to my kids.

I recently took Gavin and my niece to see David Blaine stand on a podium, covered in metal chainmaille, the target of 7 Tesla Coils producing 1 million volts of electricity. Gavin pointed out that people who went and saw Houdini perform his stunts, didn't know he would become an icon - or die doing one of his famed stunts! Good point - so we went.

Why go? Why spend the effort and energy and often $$ to see these things?

The Journey

Whether we are headed to a big city or the middle of the country, I just like the process of going somewhere. When we visit NYC, if we are not in a rush, I have enjoyed trying to master the subway system. I don't mind a long car ride and always manage to find other unintended spots of interest. I like finding a new spot to spread a picnic blanket. Getting there really is half the fun.

The Excitement

It's fun to have something to be excited about. Going in search of an obscure landmark or a freaky tombstone (yep!) has a way of breaking up the mundane. I find it interesting to read about something, see pictures of it and then actually get there.  The idea of hearing about something and then seeing the real thing can be really fun.

'Back here you can see her booty and the baby's booty!'

Bragging Rights 

Just being able to say 'Been there, done that!' is great. We are slowly ticking off statues in Central Park as we visit. Lots of people visit for the usual stuff, but I want to make sure we've seen Balto, Alice in Wonderland, The Tempest and Christopher Columbus. There are also lots of 'secret spots' in Central Park'. 

This is not a 'secret' spot - this is strawberry fields, a tribute to the late John Lennon

Of all the people who come in and out of Union Station in Washington DC every day, how many know that the roman soldiers that seem to stand guard had to be reconstructed to add the shields they hold today because the were deemed obscene due to their very conspicuous cod pieces (that you can still see if you can stand just at the right angle - which we did).

Will you be able to say that you've been in St. Joseph's Catacombs, Lucy the Elephant or the wax museum? How about participating in the crowd that stands outside the GMA show?

Educational Value

What?! How can wacky spots across our state and others be 'educational'. When my kids see new things they ask new questions. Because of some of the places we've visited, my kids have investigated interests like electricity and magnets, JFK's assassination, watched countless documentaries (most recently about owning exotic animals), compasses and sundials, art mediums, robotic surgery, the Mayans and Egyptians, anime, lighthouses and other topics. We've seen shruken heads, terracotta warriors, a collection of automata, The Dead Sea Scrolls, the country's first lifeboats, more than a few 9/11 memorials, spots that famous early Americans died in duels and plenty of other obscure items of intrigue.

Why view great works of art? Why watch sporting events? Why shop for clothes or listen to music or watch movies for that matter? Some of these I 'get', and some I don't - mostly don't.

So, do what it is that you like to do, because that's part of what makes life what it is. While you're doing that, I'll be looking for The World's Largest Frying Pan.

Proselytizing Preschoolers in the Park

I forget that the world is devoid of most children between the hours of 8 and 3, because my world is full of them 24/7. I forget how obvious we are in public and there is no escaping it. In the post office, the supermarket, craft store and the park people ask why my kids are not in school. The park is the most conducive to longer conversations and this week alone I had three such experiences.

All the moms I spoke with asked me if it's o.k. to ask me a few questions. I am *always* open to conversations about homeschooling - I blog about it, talk about it, and hope to open up the idea of homeschooling to other families.

The first question I am asked is 'who tells me what to do' and 'what the school district helps me with'. New Jersey does not have any homeschooling requirements or guidelines which means several things. One is that you are free to home school as your philosophical beliefs and your children's educational needs lead you. In NJ, we have the freedom to use an entire continuum of methods. Those range from prepackage, ready-made, highly structured curriculum (there are probably hundreds of options for those) through a method termed Radical Unschooling. There is also every combination of options in between those and different choices for multiple kids in families and different methods at different times during many years of homeschooling.  The possibilities are limitless.

When your children are learning at home, in NJ, the local school district is not obligated to assist with anything. Home schooled children are not enrolled and therefore are not considered pupils. There is no requirement of reporting homeschooling intentions to a school district unless you are pulling them out of school. My kids have never been enrolled and the district would have no knowledge of them. There are also no testing requirements - so my kids are not required to take the NJASK or any other standardized tests.

People often ask how I know if my kids are on grade level and how do I know that they are. They are usually shocked to find out that I am not really interested in that. I usually give them this spiel. Some people are interested in that and there are ways to make sure you are in step with State Core Curriculum Standards, if you so desire - told you, there are unlimited ways of doing this!

Believe it or not, people ask me what I do about Phys. Ed. It is a crazy thought to me. The boys play roller hockey and attend Circus Arts School, they play outside, swing, climb, run, jump, hang, slide, and roll - everyday. They play basketball and kickball. They swim all summer and ski, snowboard and ice skate weekly in the winter. They wrestle just about every day ;) We hike together. I recently purchase them a FitDeck Jr. at their request - they are still asking for a chin up bar. I think Gym is covered!

Another question is how I can stand to be with my kids all day. I have to admit that this question confounds me. It's not that I don't get how kids can 'get' to you. It happens to me. I have always had my kids with me so I have always had chores to do, phones calls to make, books to read, paperwork to handle and errands to run. We have worked out a rhythm that works for all of us. They are used to it - I'm used to it. I am not 'with' them every second or the day. I tell them when I need some time to do things. Sometimes I just notice that we are in as many different rooms on as many different floors that this little house can provide. Quite frankly - I like these kids.

They always ask me if I like it. I really like it. I like how homeschooling has enhanced our life - it's a really good way to live, if you ask me, and someone did. I'm a 'homeschooling missionary' sharing my 'faith' in the park.

Not-Back-To-School-ing

There is an unofficial tradition in some homeschooling circles- at least the homeschoolers I know. The week or two (or three if you're very liberal - which I am) after local school starts, we start celebrating 'Not-Back-To-School' days. How exactly do we celebrate this blessed time of year? I can only speak for myself, but feel free to share what you do with me. There are programs that mark this juncture officially like this and this.

 

The Beach - The best beach days of the year are in September. The water is warm, I mean positively balmy. The premium sand space is sparsley scattered with people and we have often had a beach practically to ourselves. The drives are easy with no traffic, so if the weather is right, that's where we will be. If you want to plan more than a day trip, the prices for staying are fantastic - I know many people availing themselves of that now!

The Parks - The summer camps and recreation programs have all ceased and that leaves the parks barren and silent. Sure there are the occassional preschoolers, but we mostly have the places to ourselves. I have been to 3 'homeschool park days' this NBTS season and I am sure there will be more unofficial ones to follow. We do get strange looks from the walkers and joggers who wonder what we are doing out of school - but I love it.

The Museums - Yup, empty. September is not a popular time for teachers to plan field trips, so we are free to browse as if we had reserved the space just for us. We hold several memberships this year and will be using them frequently, but now is the best time to launch our own personal field trips. If you have not had the good fortune of being in a near-empty museum, give it a try.

Zoos - The zoos are great in the next few weeks. I believe the less oppressive weather makes the animals happier and more active. We always see more antics from the animals in the cooler weather - we've been to zoos on rainy and snowy days too. They are certianly quiet during those times. 

 

You get my point - most places frequented by children are fairly desolate once school starts. I keep a running list of places I want to take the kids - things we both want to see and do. As summer is creeping to an end, (remember, I maintain that the 22nd is the official 'end') I began moving a couple of my sticky notes into their own catagory. "Things-I-want-to-do-when-school-begins-but-the-weather-is-still-beautiful". Currently topping that list are Bowman Tower and their Wild Flower Preserve, The Philadelphia Zoo, New Jersey Botanical Gardens, Children's Museum of Manhattan and The Grounds for Sculpture. 

 

We do have academics that we like to tackle and structured lessons to complete and we spend time doing that too. But I know after 7 years of homeschooling, we can focus on these things more intensely when the sunny 70 and 80-somethings aren't beckoning us to soak up as much sun and fun as we can - before the dingy days of late fall and winter

 

If you're kids go to school, pull them out and enjoy some of this too - you will have a great day and earn 'Super-Awesome-Mom-Points'. God knows I am ALWAYS in need of those. Aren't you? 

September Starts

September, for us, does not hold the same foreboding that it did when I was a kid or that it does for many families. Fortunately, ours is a little more relaxed. If you don't happen to find September daunting, hurray for you!

 

End of the Summer golf/boardwalk/rides/pizza night!

We are so grateful that The Midland School exists and provides exactly what Ethan needs and wants. He looks forward to going. He thrives on the structure and opportunities provided to him there. He likes his friends and likes his day to fall neatly into the boxes on his schedule. He wants his routine to be enjoyable - and to Ethan, that means predictable. Thank God Midland has a 'No Homework' policy - because our family does too!

 

Ethan's new 'LunchBlox' System - love it!

So we said 'goodbye' to Ethan on Wednesday as he happily ran to his bus!

 

Although the other boys are homeschooled, we continue to have a strong connection to the September 'start'. Their hockey league starts practices and scouts begins meeting again. Our homeschool playdate and cooperative start up again, as do classes at The Circus Place.

 

This year, we think they boys need a little more structure and a tighter routine for their day. Our boys have serious focus 'issues' - oh, where did they get that from?! Gavin, in particular was able to articulate that he often does not get done what he hopes to in a given day. Who hasn't experienced that? I wouldn't function without a list. We sat with the boys and talked about some things that they are interested in accomplishing. We discussed interests and desires, and how busy they want to be. We looked at what was 'scheduled', like existing classes, and started plugging in some blocks of time for them to accomplish other tasks.

 

This preschool has a 'shirts optional' policy - heck, it has a 'clothes optional' policy!

I expected some of their requests - like time for computer games and juggling, continuing on Khan Academy and time to read. Some things surprised me - like Mikey's request to learn about the United States and cursive. I was surprised that Gavin decided to take over teaching himself from The Story of World.  When Dennis and I presented them with lists and routines on paper I thought they might balk at first (turned out only I did), even though we were sensing they needed a little more support in their days. "Looks good!", they said. Hmmmmm, I guess there is a season for everything.

 

So here we are in September, with a new season about to emerge, in more ways than one.  I am not fond of fall or change or lots of structure. I am hoping we can find just the right balance for the season we are in.

 

"Not-Back-To-School-Day at Turtleback Zoo