I just wanted to give you faithful blog followers a heads up. We will be on a schooling hiatus for a bit. I may have some posts here and there but we won't be doing regular school weeks for the next month or so. (This is not to say we won't be learning, exploring, loving and living!)
We will be back!
See you soon.
Fina's Homeschooling Mama
Wednesday 27 April 2016
Friday 22 April 2016
leading up to April 22
Sorry, dear blog followers. I have been MIA lately. But here I am. Back again!
On Saturday morning (April 16), we just had a lively discussion about Transubstantiation and differences between the concept of Eucharist in the Catholic church and protestant churches. You can not say this discussion happens in every household!
Fina has now decided that she wants to be a nun who teaches music. She is making recordings of this. Here is she is playing playing the piano very softly!
On Sunday, we had a lovely lunch with some good friends of ours from the city, N R and their littles L and C. It was so wonderful to reconnect. I guess Fina didn't realize that L, aged 5, also homeschools. I told her on the drive home. She was very excited! (I'm so glad we met up with them just in time to think about inviting them to Fina's 7th birthday party in a couple of weeks. They are going to come! Yay!)
On Monday, we took a day off school work to go and enjoy a local provincial park not far from our town with our friends J and J.
Here is our bean plant. Those bean pods are quite large!
Our Tuesday morning, we all went to vote in our provincial elections.
And our outdoor playgroup was awesome as always.
On Wednesday, we took the day off to go outside and play. We went for a bike ride. Wet a SLEW of friends at the park throughout the day. We also had some littles come join us. Our outdoor playgroup is about to undergo a growth spurt. Fina lost her tiny Rarity in the pond.
On Thursday morning, I sent Fina upstairs with her first 8 BOB books and she lay on her bed and read them silently to herself. She was so pleased. So was I.
It was a sunny, yet windy, day. Fina did some artwork in the park.
We also got in a few hours outside with some friends.
On Friday, Fina had a really bad stuffed and runny nose, so she just took it easy, without going outside. She was too tired.
I guess we aren't doing much school this week. It has been a busy week. What with the gorgeous weather and the fact that we are leaving for vacation in a week and a bit. Fina really wants to spend the last moments with her friends. She is going to miss them dearly. And they are going to miss her too, I think!
I would like to try finishing up week 16 next week. We will see about possibly starting up again in earnest in June (or when the mosquitoes are holding us hostage).
On Saturday morning (April 16), we just had a lively discussion about Transubstantiation and differences between the concept of Eucharist in the Catholic church and protestant churches. You can not say this discussion happens in every household!
Fina has now decided that she wants to be a nun who teaches music. She is making recordings of this. Here is she is playing playing the piano very softly!
On Sunday, we had a lovely lunch with some good friends of ours from the city, N R and their littles L and C. It was so wonderful to reconnect. I guess Fina didn't realize that L, aged 5, also homeschools. I told her on the drive home. She was very excited! (I'm so glad we met up with them just in time to think about inviting them to Fina's 7th birthday party in a couple of weeks. They are going to come! Yay!)
On Monday, we took a day off school work to go and enjoy a local provincial park not far from our town with our friends J and J.
Fina with her favourite Canadian replica of La Pietà, at the Grotto in St Malo.
At the beach, with their bare feet, on a chilly day!
Here is our bean plant. Those bean pods are quite large!
Ruler just to show scale
Our Tuesday morning, we all went to vote in our provincial elections.
And our outdoor playgroup was awesome as always.
frog eggs
Larry, the frog (or the frog we found before Larry)
Swimming in the creek overflow flood in someone's yard.
They even found a little island.
On Wednesday, we took the day off to go outside and play. We went for a bike ride. Wet a SLEW of friends at the park throughout the day. We also had some littles come join us. Our outdoor playgroup is about to undergo a growth spurt. Fina lost her tiny Rarity in the pond.
Playing in a flooded beach volleyball court (we use this as our sandbox during the summer)
On Thursday morning, I sent Fina upstairs with her first 8 BOB books and she lay on her bed and read them silently to herself. She was so pleased. So was I.
It was a sunny, yet windy, day. Fina did some artwork in the park.
We also got in a few hours outside with some friends.
On Friday, Fina had a really bad stuffed and runny nose, so she just took it easy, without going outside. She was too tired.
I guess we aren't doing much school this week. It has been a busy week. What with the gorgeous weather and the fact that we are leaving for vacation in a week and a bit. Fina really wants to spend the last moments with her friends. She is going to miss them dearly. And they are going to miss her too, I think!
I would like to try finishing up week 16 next week. We will see about possibly starting up again in earnest in June (or when the mosquitoes are holding us hostage).
Saturday 16 April 2016
some thoughts on a Saturday morning (about screen time and outdoor play etc)
ETA to add the following: I hope my post doesn't come across as preachy or judgemental. Everyone has their own ways of dealing with these issues (like all issues related to child rearing, or life in general). It is not my intention to hurt the feelings of my friends, or you, my dear readers!
E(further)TA that we are a highly tech-y family. Dad is a media and communications professor, with a penchant for all things Apple. We have MANY devices, and are highly connected, social media-fied etc. We watch TV (after Fina is in bed) and spend way too many hours of our lives online.
It takes lots of time on the internet to learn about and buy outdoor gear for kids and adults! Plus all the reading and learning about homeschooling things, about raising outdoor kids etc. OK, I know, I'm working on it, (kind of). Then this very blog. My constantly posting pics online for our families (try 23snaps.com - it is awesome!). Listening to homeschooling podcasts. All the books I have access to as ebooks. I floss and brush Fina's teeth with her lying on her bed while listening to an audiobook. Fina and I even do evening prayer in bed on the iPad. So when I say "abstinence" I do not mean living off the grid.
I often admire people who say they aren't on Facebook. I have whittled down my FB use to be more for groups and pages and less about what people ate for supper. But I am still constantly using it.
***********
A good friend shared this link with me about the use of technology with kids. I have heard about this a few times. How parents who work and live in Silicon Valley don't allow their kids to use technology. This article speaks about a Waldorf School in that area. It is an interesting read.
E(further)TA that we are a highly tech-y family. Dad is a media and communications professor, with a penchant for all things Apple. We have MANY devices, and are highly connected, social media-fied etc. We watch TV (after Fina is in bed) and spend way too many hours of our lives online.
It takes lots of time on the internet to learn about and buy outdoor gear for kids and adults! Plus all the reading and learning about homeschooling things, about raising outdoor kids etc. OK, I know, I'm working on it, (kind of). Then this very blog. My constantly posting pics online for our families (try 23snaps.com - it is awesome!). Listening to homeschooling podcasts. All the books I have access to as ebooks. I floss and brush Fina's teeth with her lying on her bed while listening to an audiobook. Fina and I even do evening prayer in bed on the iPad. So when I say "abstinence" I do not mean living off the grid.
I often admire people who say they aren't on Facebook. I have whittled down my FB use to be more for groups and pages and less about what people ate for supper. But I am still constantly using it.
***********
A good friend shared this link with me about the use of technology with kids. I have heard about this a few times. How parents who work and live in Silicon Valley don't allow their kids to use technology. This article speaks about a Waldorf School in that area. It is an interesting read.
I have often wondered when I'd let Fina on the computer/internet. She is turning 7 and has no desire for it. The article suggests waiting to use the computer until the kids are 12, and no internet at all before the age of 16.
Some people are concerned about raising technologically illiterate adults. I can totally see that having "computer skills" for when you grow up is probably less of an issue than we might think. Technology changes so much anyway. What I learned in computer class in high school (do people today even know what DOS is? Before windows or even a mouse!) is not relevant AT ALL today!
And I do think there is something to the addictive nature of iPads, FB etc. (As I sit here at the computer, writing this blog post! A contradiction, I know.)
I can see that once you start "using," it can spiral out of control. Wanting more and more. Setting limits can be hard. Right now, at least, I feel like abstinence is the way to go for her. And I don't feel that I am depriving her of anything.
Also, we limit screen time of any kind. We have since she was a baby. When she is awake, the tv is off. We watch maybe 2 movies a month with her. Not the highest quality or anything. Just Disney movies, Narnia movies and Narnia BBC mini-series, some old Paddington 5 minute tv episodes, or more recently some BBC Animated Shakespeare episodes!
I don't know. It is hard to do. It does help to surround ourselves with friends who don't watch tv or play video games either. But as she gets older, it might be more of a challenge.
Right now, I am happy that she loves to play outside, and that she loves to play independently. And maybe I am just exceedingly blessed, but she has never once in her life said to me "I'm bored." (I remember my brother and I always saying we were bored to my mom.) Maybe it is just the kind of kid she is. It probably helps that she doesn't watch tv. But I'm not saying that is a magic pill.
(That being said, I am a big proponent of letting them be bored and letting them figure out something to do on their own. I don't try to structure her play. I just tell her to go and figure out something, whether we be inside or outside.) If you get the right group of kids outside together, you will never hear them ask you "what should we do?" And I love that about our group of friends. It is wonderful!
If anything, Fina runs out of time to do the things she wants. The other night, after having played outside for 6 hours after doing school in the morning and having eaten supper, I told her it was time to go to bed. And she was upset because she hadn't gotten to play with Lego and she REALLY WANTED TO PLAY with Lego. There aren't enough hours in the day for her, and I love that!
It always saddens me when we are playing with friends outside who ask to go home because they want to play on the wii or whatever else it is they would rather be doing rather than playing with their friends. It does happen more often than I would think and it always surprises me.
This being said, Fina does use technology in the following ways:
- she does do yoga on youtube
- we do a good amount of Facetime with my family members who live 2500 km away
- we use the iPad for audiobooks (with it closed, not looking at it or manipulating it), though if she has to pause it for something, she knows how to do that and how to swipe, enter my password and start it up again
- Fina will take pics with my iPad
- we use youtube for listening to bird calls and looking up things like that
- I do use ebooks to read to her, even for our school work, and if there are illustrations, I show them to her
- Fina uses the iPad to record herself singing, playing the piano, or reciting Shakespeare. As a hand-held tape recorder replacement
See how much tech we DO use! More than plenty, I'd think.
I am so grateful that Fina's brain is free to explore regular life, rather than already being stuck in the internet / technological life.
I'd love to hear your thoughts!
I am so grateful that Fina's brain is free to explore regular life, rather than already being stuck in the internet / technological life.
I'd love to hear your thoughts!
leading up to co-op on April 15
On Wednesday April 13, after school, Fina spent a good chunk of time outside. We had our lunch at the park and various moms and kids showed up for some play time throughout the day.
Her friends K, T and S and their moms came out in the afternoon and the kids played barefoot in the muddy frog pond. They had a great time! Fina stayed out til 8:30 that evening, coming in only for a quick supper.
On Thursday, Fina and I went to dad's school for the moms group. She also spent the afternoon painting a bunch of paintings in the art area there. (She painted alone for over an hour, while I went to some wonderful student presentations.) She played outside for a few hours in the evening.
Here she is with her painting that they hung up outside of dad's office. It has been quite a hit.
On Friday, we had such a wonderful co-op. This was our 6th meeting.
We learned "O Canada" in French. I have NEVER heard Fina participate in song so loudly ever in her life. Not at co-op, not at home during our school work, not even singing at church. It was wonderful!
The children recited various passages they have memorized. Fina recited Orsino's passage from Twelfth Night, "If music be the food of love, play on." as well as "Corner of the Street" from A.A. Milne's When We Were Very Young. We had them stand up to recite. Fina said that there was a lot of "elo, elo, elo, elo, elo. What was that word that E taught us last time? Elocution!" So funny!
EF led us in a wonderful nature study about robins and their eggs and nests.
We looked at this self-portrait by Rembrandt.
Fina said that he was holding a sceptre and looked very "dignified." The children had a lively discussion about the portrait.
Our handicraft was a continuation of stitching from last time. They also worked on making little tiny satchels.
It rained all afternoon. We had our lunch under the picnic shelter and then the kids ran around in the rain while we moms got to have such a wonderful time chatting and getting to know each other better. Some boots came off (Fina voluntarily took hers off in solidarity with little E who had gotten her winter boots stuck in the frog pond and was forced to go barefoot. That is not a stretch for Fina. )
There was a lot of running around and playing. Free play in the rain - at its finest! What a marvellous day!
I read "Bushy Bride" from The Red Fairy Book as we were waiting for people to meet us.
Her friends K, T and S and their moms came out in the afternoon and the kids played barefoot in the muddy frog pond. They had a great time! Fina stayed out til 8:30 that evening, coming in only for a quick supper.
On Thursday, Fina and I went to dad's school for the moms group. She also spent the afternoon painting a bunch of paintings in the art area there. (She painted alone for over an hour, while I went to some wonderful student presentations.) She played outside for a few hours in the evening.
Here she is with her painting that they hung up outside of dad's office. It has been quite a hit.
On Friday, we had such a wonderful co-op. This was our 6th meeting.
We learned "O Canada" in French. I have NEVER heard Fina participate in song so loudly ever in her life. Not at co-op, not at home during our school work, not even singing at church. It was wonderful!
The children recited various passages they have memorized. Fina recited Orsino's passage from Twelfth Night, "If music be the food of love, play on." as well as "Corner of the Street" from A.A. Milne's When We Were Very Young. We had them stand up to recite. Fina said that there was a lot of "elo, elo, elo, elo, elo. What was that word that E taught us last time? Elocution!" So funny!
EF led us in a wonderful nature study about robins and their eggs and nests.
Fina really enjoyed seeing the real nest!
We looked at this self-portrait by Rembrandt.
Fina said that he was holding a sceptre and looked very "dignified." The children had a lively discussion about the portrait.
Our handicraft was a continuation of stitching from last time. They also worked on making little tiny satchels.
It rained all afternoon. We had our lunch under the picnic shelter and then the kids ran around in the rain while we moms got to have such a wonderful time chatting and getting to know each other better. Some boots came off (Fina voluntarily took hers off in solidarity with little E who had gotten her winter boots stuck in the frog pond and was forced to go barefoot. That is not a stretch for Fina. )
There was a lot of running around and playing. Free play in the rain - at its finest! What a marvellous day!
Wednesday 13 April 2016
April 13, AO year 1, week 16
We had a wonderful outdoor playgroup yesterday. The kids had so much fun, digging, exploring, wandering, showing eachother things, sharing their treasures, gathering, building. It was awesome!
We saw some interesting things as well for nature study as well (though the kids were too busy to look, another mom L and I had fun!)
It was such a wonderful day!
Today we started our school work with Chapter 13 of our catechism program.
We made our way through our memorization box. Fina learned lines 5+6 of the passage by Viola and the Captain from Twelfth Night. We read "The Alchemist" and "Growing Up" from When We Were Very Young.
I read "The Leap at Rhodes" and "The Wild Board and the Fox" from Aesop's Fables. Fina narrated them well.
We did 7D in our math.
Fina re-read 1:8 "Muff and Ruff" from our Bob books. It took a bit of work, but she did it. She didn't want to move on to the next one yet, so that was fine.
We sang through our folksong, "I've been working on the railroad," and our hymn "A Place at the Table" together.
Fina spent some time with our current picture study. She sketched this. How is that for attentive looking!
Fina and her friend gathered vines to make crowns.
The whole crew of them, in a MB "tide pool" in our creek
Shells!
taking a break on an "island"
Bare toes in the sandy mud!
With a lot of determination and over 10 minutes of team work,
they got this giant log into the creek!
We saw some interesting things as well for nature study as well (though the kids were too busy to look, another mom L and I had fun!)
Beaver's around, we never get to see them though!
Woodpecker, we think
It was such a wonderful day!
Today we started our school work with Chapter 13 of our catechism program.
We made our way through our memorization box. Fina learned lines 5+6 of the passage by Viola and the Captain from Twelfth Night. We read "The Alchemist" and "Growing Up" from When We Were Very Young.
I read "The Leap at Rhodes" and "The Wild Board and the Fox" from Aesop's Fables. Fina narrated them well.
We did 7D in our math.
Fina re-read 1:8 "Muff and Ruff" from our Bob books. It took a bit of work, but she did it. She didn't want to move on to the next one yet, so that was fine.
We sang through our folksong, "I've been working on the railroad," and our hymn "A Place at the Table" together.
Fina spent some time with our current picture study. She sketched this. How is that for attentive looking!
Monday 11 April 2016
April 11, AO year 1, week 16
We started our morning with listening to some Schubert.
Our new hymn is "A Place at the Table" by Lori True, #812 from our church hymnal. It is a lovely hymn about social justice. It brings tears to me eyes every time. Fina likes singing it.
I read the readings for Sunday. Jesus as the Good Shepherd.
We did 7A in our math, continuing to add plus 2.
We sang through our current folksong, "I've Been Working on the Railroad." Here is Pete Seeger's rendition from youtube.
We worked through our memorization box. She now knows "Angel of God" almost. And we learned the first four lines of Viola and the Captain's dialogue from Twelfth Night I, ii, 1-ff. "What country, friends, is this?"
Fina asked why all the Shakespeare voice actors we hear speak with a British accent. I said "because Shakespeare was British." "Oh," she said!
We continued our poetry from When We Were Very Young. Our new poems today were "Bad Sir Brian Botany" and "In the Fashions."
We continued with our learning to read with Bob Books. Fina reread 1:7 as review and then we learned a few new sounds and read through 1:8 ""Muff and Ruff." To quote Fina, "it was hard work!" She is doing wonderfully!
We read "Old Man Kangaroo" from Kipling's Just So Stories. Fina gave an excellent narration afterwards.
We did chapter 12 of our catechism, talking about the Holy Spirit. Fina was all into it today and told me a big story about how she had a sign at church a while ago where she saw a giant cross made of light out the window and now she realized that it is a sign that God wants her to become a nun, she just didn't realize that was what it meant. It was quite the discussion we had.
An hour later she said she also wants to become a nun because no one wants to marry her. Ha!
We had a great school day today. Fina will be out playing with her little friend after PS lets out this afternoon. The forecast is looking good for the next two weeks with high in the low teens above 0.
Our new hymn is "A Place at the Table" by Lori True, #812 from our church hymnal. It is a lovely hymn about social justice. It brings tears to me eyes every time. Fina likes singing it.
I read the readings for Sunday. Jesus as the Good Shepherd.
We did 7A in our math, continuing to add plus 2.
We sang through our current folksong, "I've Been Working on the Railroad." Here is Pete Seeger's rendition from youtube.
We worked through our memorization box. She now knows "Angel of God" almost. And we learned the first four lines of Viola and the Captain's dialogue from Twelfth Night I, ii, 1-ff. "What country, friends, is this?"
Fina asked why all the Shakespeare voice actors we hear speak with a British accent. I said "because Shakespeare was British." "Oh," she said!
We continued our poetry from When We Were Very Young. Our new poems today were "Bad Sir Brian Botany" and "In the Fashions."
We continued with our learning to read with Bob Books. Fina reread 1:7 as review and then we learned a few new sounds and read through 1:8 ""Muff and Ruff." To quote Fina, "it was hard work!" She is doing wonderfully!
We read "Old Man Kangaroo" from Kipling's Just So Stories. Fina gave an excellent narration afterwards.
We did chapter 12 of our catechism, talking about the Holy Spirit. Fina was all into it today and told me a big story about how she had a sign at church a while ago where she saw a giant cross made of light out the window and now she realized that it is a sign that God wants her to become a nun, she just didn't realize that was what it meant. It was quite the discussion we had.
The left is the cross made of light.
The two shapes on the right are the layout of our church building.
An hour later she said she also wants to become a nun because no one wants to marry her. Ha!
We had a great school day today. Fina will be out playing with her little friend after PS lets out this afternoon. The forecast is looking good for the next two weeks with high in the low teens above 0.
leading up to April 9
On Thursday April 9, Fina and I got to spend some time in a lovely forest in Winnipeg, Bois des Esprits. I have blogged about it before. What was so awesome was that this time we happened upon what we believe was a doe who was either injured or in the beginning stages of labour. She was lying down and there were 5 or 6 other deer keeping watch over her. None of them ran away from us and the watchers wandered around, making a hedge of protection around her, not allowing us to come near to her. We stood there and watched for 15 or 20 minutes. The doe just sat there looking at us and the rest kept a watchful eye on us as well.
Here are some pics and videos of that wonderful sight.
On Friday and Saturday we got to take part in our town's Cabane à sucre festival, the sugaring off / maple syrup festival. It takes place at our museum, where we hold our outdoor playgroup. So the kids love being on our stomping grounds with hundreds of other people.
They actually tap trees in our little Manitoban town and make maple syrup (in a very small quantity). The festival is a fun time with horse drawn wagon rides, a look into our museum and into Maison Goulet (and old fashioned house from the 1800s, complete with functioning wood oven) as well as local music, soldiers dressed in period costume and the fun of eating tire sur la neige (maple taffy on snow). We always love it.
It was a great time!
Here are some pics and videos of that wonderful sight.
Doe lying down
On Friday and Saturday we got to take part in our town's Cabane à sucre festival, the sugaring off / maple syrup festival. It takes place at our museum, where we hold our outdoor playgroup. So the kids love being on our stomping grounds with hundreds of other people.
They actually tap trees in our little Manitoban town and make maple syrup (in a very small quantity). The festival is a fun time with horse drawn wagon rides, a look into our museum and into Maison Goulet (and old fashioned house from the 1800s, complete with functioning wood oven) as well as local music, soldiers dressed in period costume and the fun of eating tire sur la neige (maple taffy on snow). We always love it.
on the wagon ride
dancing with an interpreter
Tire sur la neige
It was a great time!
Thursday 7 April 2016
April 6 and 7th update
I thought I'd ought to provide an update from yesterday's fairy fire!
We had a lot of fun making a tiny fire, about 12 inches in diameter. Fina gathered her rocks and her sticks (it was a bit too wet out, so it was pretty smokey!). But we managed to get a fire going. And even roast some marshmallows! She used a candle (thanks L!) to light her skewer to light the paper and the fire. She did it many times, what a good exercise!
And being so small, it is easier to control, to add more sticks, and to not feel afraid. She wasn't afraid at all and quite enjoyed it. I'm so glad I thought to try it out (after seeing the idea online).
Fina also played outside for another few hours after our fire excursion with her little friend K. She had a great day outdoors!
And look what we found this morning!
What a gorgeous flower on our bean plant! What colour!
We are off for a birthday adventure for our little friend J who is turning 5 today. Bowling and hopefully to our favourite forest in Winnipeg for some wet and snowy and rainy and drizzly day wanderings!
We had a lot of fun making a tiny fire, about 12 inches in diameter. Fina gathered her rocks and her sticks (it was a bit too wet out, so it was pretty smokey!). But we managed to get a fire going. And even roast some marshmallows! She used a candle (thanks L!) to light her skewer to light the paper and the fire. She did it many times, what a good exercise!
And being so small, it is easier to control, to add more sticks, and to not feel afraid. She wasn't afraid at all and quite enjoyed it. I'm so glad I thought to try it out (after seeing the idea online).
We made a pretty nice little pile of sticks, I think!
Roasting marshmallows
A very burnt marshmallow.
We watched it bubble like a volcano when she put it down on the fire.
Never fear, we had more!
Of course, she got to spend some time splashing through the muddy sand puddles
(in our local beach volleyball court)
And look what we found this morning!
What a gorgeous flower on our bean plant! What colour!
We are off for a birthday adventure for our little friend J who is turning 5 today. Bowling and hopefully to our favourite forest in Winnipeg for some wet and snowy and rainy and drizzly day wanderings!
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