Just Because

Feelin' the Love

Me: Don't you like your mama?

Bugaboo: My like mama little bit. (Pointing to the step stool.) My like stool little bit, too.

Education

OK. You asked for it (and if you didn't, and don't want to hear about it or have to think about it, then go ahead and skip this post. My neighbor who I walk with has already told me that I've now made her totally paranoid about her "lack of concern"--her words, not mine-- with her kids education, which is not what I want to do to anyone. And I know I have a lot of friends who are teachers, so please, do not think I'm attacking all teachers, and a lot of what I feel is actually more about the administration and the government, not the individual teachers, anyway.)

I could probably write a post on each of the following ideas, but for now I'm going to try to just throw my ideas out there in a semi-concise manner. So, first of all, the background that got me thinking about schools:

1) I was a good student, but always maintained that I did not need to spend 6 hours a day in the classroom to learn what we learned each day. In elementary school, I spent a lot of time doing extra-credit puzzles and games, reading with my book under my desk when I was supposed to be working on other things, and trying to finish all my homework before school let out for the day (the challenge of a race against the clock made it exciting--probably why my handwriting grades were attrocious). In Jr. high and high school, I took quite a few "mental health days" (I didn't know that was what they were called back then) and still stayed caught up--in fact, if I was feeling overwhelmed by the amount of homework or assignments, the easiest way to catch up was to stay home because I could work a lot faster without the teacher talking in the background. And when I was in class, I was often writing. Not for school, but writing the stories that I had running through my head all the time. Which is why. . .

2) School doesn't let you study everything that you are intersted in. I was VERY interested in creative writing, but I didn't get to take a class that focused on that until my sophomore year of college. And who's decided that essay writing is more important than creative writing (not that we didn't do any of it in school, but I would have loved to have year long classes that could have helped learn to develop my characters and plot more than I figured out doing it all by myself for years).

3) Full day kindergarten--only option here in Charlotte and I'm not a fan. Add in the bus time, and for our neighborhood school, the kids are gone from 8:30 to 3:45 every day. That leaves only 4 hours each night for snack, homework, dinner, bath, bedtime ritual, any music, dance, or sports, oh, and we should have some family time in there, too.

4) Homework--not a fan of that either. I was one of the good kids who usually did mine, but just because I liked getting A's, not because I was learning anything from a lot of it. Daddy-o never was a fan, so he didn't take any convincing here.

5) Grades--Like I said, I liked getting A's and was a very good student, all the way through college. But I don't think I learned near as much as I could have and should have. Because I was one of those kids who would ask, "Is this going to be on the test," and if not, I stopped listening (novels were the one exception. I had an English teacher in HS who would just forget to finish assigning the chapters in whatever book we were reading at the time and I could never understand the kids who didn't want to find out what happened and would just not ever finish the book.) I knew what I needed to do to get an A and that was what I did. Sometimes, I decided a B was good enough and so I just did that amount. Not really the ideal "education".

6) Outdoor time--I love being outside. I think I just wake up when I'm in nature--all my senses work a little better, my brain is more aware and makes connections a little faster. And schools give kids less and less time outside. Less recess, less PE, less field trips. They just don't have time.

7) Creativity--The other thing that schools don't have a lot of time for is creativity. It depends on the teacher, to some degree, but the government has put so many standards that have to be taught at each grade that there isn't always much room to be flexible and to let the kids have time to create. And I have a very creative daughter. I love to see what she will make out of the "junk" that they supply at her preschool--electronics, buttons, old cards, blocks of wood, boxes, sparkly bits and peices. It all comes together to make sculptures. Or she'll paint, one day its abstact art because she was playing with mixing red and blue, the next day she's made a map of a garden, or a portrait of her best friend. In her preschool, they don't have to cut on the line, color in the lines, or make something just like the sample. And they can make several things one day, and none another, if that's what they feel like. I'm not ready for her to have that taken away.

Those are the basics as to why I started reading and looking into our school options. I've read about how kids actually want to learn; how they will remember the things they discover on their own and are passionate about, unlike the facts they memorize for a test; how there really isn't any research that proves homework has any value until at least 10th grade and lots of reasons why it is harmful; how competition in the classroom isn't fostering learning and teaches kids all types of things about social heirarchy that may not really be what we want our kids to learn; and how just because someone has decided that reading, writing, and arithmetic are important, why does that have to mean they are MORE important than art, music, science, nature, physical activity, learning to serve others, and how to be an all-around happy, productive person. I've just started realizing over the years that the education system that we take as matter-of-fact isn't the only way to do it and its made me think about what is most important in my mind that my kids take from being "educated". And I think the biggest thing to me is that they love to learn, whatever it is.

I'll admit that the full-day kindergarten alone was a pretty big concern. But we did look into a local charter school--one where they have a low student to teacher ration, no grades, no homework in the lower grades and only meaningful homework after that (which means they don't get a packet of things on Monday to finish by the end of the week, but might continue a project at home if it requires supplies they don't have at school, or its something that their parents need to help with, like a family history assignment.) The charter school also doesn't have rules about when they can use the bathroom or get a drink or eat, and they have lunch in their classroom, so no nazi lunch lady flashing the lights and telling them to all be silent, or teachers marching them down the hall with one hand on their hips and one hand on their lips (one of the schools here does that--to keep the kids from touching and from talking, but it makes them look like they have major attitude issues when they march around this way.)

Well, for the 38 open kindergarten spots, we were number 372 in the lottery, so its not happening this year. And kindergarten is usually your best shot because once people get in, they don't tend to drop out of this school, so there aren't a lot of openings in the other grades.

I was pretty disappointed, but at the same time, there is a little part of me that wasn't even sure about that school either because the more I've read about unschooling (basically, an approach that assumes kids want to learn as long as we don't get in the way and ruin that natural curiousity and that they can learn in meaningful ways without textbooks and made-up lessons), the more appealing it is, especially for these younger grades.

So, we've pretty much decided to homeschool. I'm nervous about having Bean home all day, everyday. Haven't decided how to fit in my exercise (I can't run with 2 kids in the stroller--I can barely do it with Bugaboo these days), or what we'll do when she and I really need some time apart, but I do think that this will be best for her. We are actually thinking about sending her to her preschool class again next year so she can have some time to play (the other 3 kids who have birthdays after hers are all repeating, and one of them is her best friend, so she'd love it) and I can have some time with just Bugaboo. And then I wouldn't have to buy quite so many art supplies for her to play with. But we didn't find out the results of the charter school lottery until after there was already a wait list for the preschool, so we'll see if she can even get in.

That's pretty much the gist of all of it. I'm still learning and finding new resources every day. I just picked up another pile of books from the library today, and found a couple yahoo groups to join that have local resources and info for homeschoolers. I definitely want to do homeschool as a community project, not hiding away alone in our home (I don't know too many people who do it that way). We'll just see how this adventure goes.

Just Can't Get Enough

I've been on a reading spurt lately. That's a big part of why the crafting has gone to pot. I can take a book out on the deck or driveway with me while the kids play, but its a lot harder to lug out my paper stash or sewing machine. And I've just felt the need to devour books at record speed the last few months. I've actually finished 14 books since the first of the year, and that doesn't include all the children's books we read. (I have to mention our newest favorite children's books for anyone with kids out there: Gooney Bird Greene by Lois Lowry and the sequels--awesome, awesome books that I'm having just as much fun reading as Bean is, and then also by Lois Lowry, The Willoughby's. I didn't read that one to Bean because its a little "older" but I really enjoyed it. Kind of like the Series of Unfortunate Events, which I am a huge fan of. And I'm a big fan of Lois Lowry--I have always loved the Anastasia books.)

Most of my reading has actually been books about education and how kids best learn. And I think I'll do a whole separate post on that because my reading has led us to some decisions and different paths for educating our children, at least for the next year. But for now, I'll just say that The Homework Myth, by Alphie Kohn, Dumbing Us Down, by John Taylor Gatto, and The Last Child in the Woods, by Louv have really made me think about what is best for kids. I guess I've always been interested in teaching, but this has opened my mind to a whole different way of looking at it. I'm not sure I could ever go back to teaching in the traditional school setting.

I did take a short break from the books (I'm actually getting a little burnt out on the non-fiction books and need to find something a little lighter to read for a bit before I go on to the next group on my library request list) on Saturday and made this nightgown for Bean. I had just recently realized that my little girl is almost 5 and has never owned a nightgown, so I thought I should introduce her to that part of the girly world.

She picked out the material the other day (although we had quite the battle over the matching trim--she and I have very different ideas about what "goes together" and as much as I try to give her artistic vision support, I have a hard time spending the time to sew something that doesn't match in my eyes, so I finally convinced her to go with this pink gingham.) And this dress pattern was surprisingly simple to throw together. It takes a lot of pressure off when I know she's only wearing it to bed.

I think that post wins for the most parenthetical phrases (not sure why I like to put everything in parentheses instead of just making it a sentence--they're all my thoughts, right?).

Random Happiness

I've been really hooked on the fruit and cheese thing lately. Cheddar with apples, gorgonzola with pears, goat cheese on my salad, or any combinations (well, I haven't tried cheddar with pear yet--for some reason that one sounds a little weird.) It's by far my favorite snack, and lunch. I'm probably eating way more cheese than is healthy each day, but its just so good. And no one else in my family will eat the stinkier ones, so it's up to me to make sure they don't go bad. :) This crayon roll is from a couple weeks ago--but the recipient's family are reader's so I had to wait. I love making these--they're pretty fast, and simple so I don't end up frustrated. Directions are here. And the kids help pick out the materials and put the crayons in. Bean loves to debate the color placement--does pink go by the red or the purple? I hope the kids who get them like them as much as we do. I still haven't gotten around to making them for my own. Guess its like the doctor's kids always being sick. . .

This morning I finally pulled out my card making supplies. I'm not sure what it is, but I really like this one. It involved a lot more gluing than I was originally planning on, but it felt good to have sticky fingers again. Maybe I'll even get out the photos and do some scrapping in the near future. One of my friends has been very busy lately and has almost inspired me to quit being so lazy. But then again, its also feeling very spring-like here and that means I really just want to be outside as much as possible. Too many fun hobbies and playthings--what to do, what to do?

And speaking of being outside, this girl makes me smile. She's turning into my little scientist, wanting to do "sperients" all the time. And she's asking great questions about things--makes a science-loving mama proud. Today she brought out paper and started making a bug chart to record the different bugs she was hoping to find in our yard. When she asked me how to draw a centipede, I started getting queasy (Daddy-o had coincidently just smashed one in our kitchen this morning, but she didn't know that). I'm trying to not pass on my fear of some of the creepy-crawlies to my kids. Curious George already has her terrified of bees (he got stung once), which is a problem because we have some very large bubblebees that have been hovering lately. I don't mind bees, but centipedes, huge spiders, and ants all make me very nervous. Actually, anything that surprises me makes me nervous. I like to know what is around me and where it is at all times. So observing it is great, but having it sneak up on me in my house, not so fun.

Signs of Spring

I love what is happening in our neighborhood. Like this plant: I noticed it the other day so I started digging around in the leaves today and surprise! Look what was hiding:

And even though I'm a little apprehensive about the bugs around here, this was a welcome sight today--and the kids had a blast letting it run up and down their arms.

More surprise flowers on the way--kind of exciting since I don't know what any of these are.

It's almost here!

Guess What I Found

I came downstairs and found out that Bugaboo and I weren't the only ones who'd napped.
Apparently, whatever creative endeavor Bean was planning just wiped her out. People always talk about their toddlers falling asleep in the middle of playing. . . well, not this toddler--she has NEVER done this, and now, here she is, almost 5 and 2.5 years after dropping her afternoon nap. She's actually slept more the last couple months than she had for about a year. Maybe preschool has been exhausting, or maybe it really is all the craft projects she's been coming up with. I need to do a post soon with some of her latest.

A Walk in the Park

Little picnic by the lake with Grandma--we love this park. It's not exactly close to where we live anymore, but we were trying to go to the nature museum which turns out is closed on Mondays. So we took advantage of the awesome weather we were having and went for a stroll, had a picnic, and even watched the entertainment that is my offspring.

You can see the guy in the background with his shirt off--he was practicing twirling sticks and chains and other things, so these two crazy monkeys decided they needed to put on their own little show. I just love these spontaneous eruptions of dancing that seem to happen several times a day, wherever we are.

The Circus Comes to Town

Grandma, the Ringmaster!

And the Strongman

And the cutest bear ever! Discovery Place has a great exhibit right now where you can try out various circus tricks and costumes. I did the tight rope last time I was there with the kids, and the time everyone else got in on the fun.

Here's Daddy-o performing some acrobatics. He was pretty sore afterwards--its a lot more work than it looks like.

I'm still catching up on my blogs. This whole Lent thing is really slowing me down. I feel like I could spend all night on the computer sometimes, but I really do like to do other things as well. . . like hang out with my husband, read, maybe even sleep a little.

Grandma Comes to Visit

Daddy-o's mom came out for a busy, fun week with us. We've had lunch at the preschool, spent a couple days playing tourist, and Daddy-o and I even got away for a night in Chapel Hill and a trip to the temple there. While we enjoyed sleeping in and leisurely meals, the kids had a movie night with Grandma, a morning at the park, and pretended they were moving to San Diego (still a favorite game of Bean's.)
Thank you, Grandma! We're going to miss you!

The Biltmore Estate

While Grandma was here, we took a day trip up to Ashville to see the Biltmore house and grounds.

This house is truly amazing--its massive--255 rooms, 175,000 sq feet. We couldn't take pictures inside, but I was really impressed with how much of the house they have open. It seems that most tours let you go to a few rooms and that it, but this one allowed us on 4 floors plus the basement--we saw many of the 43 bathrooms, and 60 bedrooms, several kitchens, the bowling alley, indoor swimming pool, libraries, servant quarters. . . You can really get a feel for what it might have been like to live here.

It was also fun to have Grandma taking some pictures--I'm in more pictures from this trip than ever, even if they document me taking pictures.

The Conservatory

The greenhouses were pretty amazing. The rest of the gardens weren't quite in bloom, but there were plenty of pretty plants and flowers to look at in the several rooms of the conservatory.

There were even a couple ponds with fish in them and the gardener told the kids they could put their fingers in to let the fish nibble. Bean loved it, Bugaboo didn't want to get that close to the wildlife.

The gardens are huge, and it was a beautiful day for a walk. Hard to beleive that it had snowed just 3 days before.

The Farm

I had no idea how much there was to do besides tour the house. We ended up spending all day there and could have used another hour or two at the farm. They have a lot of games and interactive displays for the kids to play with. Bean's favorite was the 4 week old pygmy goat. She chased the goat around trying to get it to sit in her lap. Bugaboo, once again, wouldn't let us put him down. (We really need to get a pet so he can get used to real animals--he loves them in abstract but once they start moving, he gets very nervous.)

Happy Birthday, Dr. Suess!

Do you like green eggs and ham?

I think he does!

We decided to honor the greatness (and maybe psychosis) that is Dr. Suess today. I opted for a ham, spinach and cheese omelet with guacamole, but whatever the form, the green eggs were a big hit.

A REAL Snow Day

Our last two snowdays were just the warm-up--I thought spring was around the corner, but after two days of rain, it started to snow last night and by morning, we had a bout 4 inches of snow. Enough to play in and even try some sledding. And our little "creek" provided a lot of entertainment for Bean and Bugaboo--what's better than walking through muddy water?