dick and jane

Ethan was reading dick and jane again tonight and wow! he did great! i need to get some more of these! he doesnt realize he is reading because if I point to a word and say what is this he shrugs as if he doesnt know and then says it. funny.

A little of this a little of that

last night Ethan was reading dick and jane. he always amazes me. He is biologically 6 but I think he is more like a 4 or 5 year old due to the early years and lack of stimulation. so I am always amazed at the things he learns mostly by himself. With a little guidance he just grabs information and remembers. Maia is doing a little workbook and has done half the book in just this sitting. I struggle with sending them to school for a moment of peace but they learn so well at home. How many other 4 and 6 year olds got to watch the inauguration. I never saw one in my entire life. never in school even! and my kids got to watch the entire thing. This was a historic day as well as the beginning of a new chapter in our country and they witnessed it. They sure as heck wouldnt get that at school. I worry about the older kids. they dont seem to enjoy learning like the younger ones do. Chrysta wants to go to school and Cody doesnt. If/when we move they could do PSEO perhaps. They are doing oak meadow but sort of loosely. it satisfies husband that they are studying enough subjects. since I have cut back on tv and computer time Cody seems to have picked up several intersts and projects. He has the aquarium ready for fish. he took care of all of it. from moving it to filling it and putting together the filter and adjusting the heater. It is totally his baby. He got some books at the library about coins and about wood. So maybe there is hope for him to have SOME interest outside the computer.

honey

I dropped the kids at preschool and on the way home Honey, by bobby goldsboro was on the radio. I cant remember a time I didnt love that song. but it makes me sad. it makes me miss the many people missing from my life. I miss my Carlie, I miss Gramma Peg, my regular gramma, grandpa John, grandpa Grapes. I cried all the way home listening to that song. but honey I miss you. and Im being good. Id love to be with you. if only I could.

its cold, its winter, im melancholy, im lonely, im depressed

we played crazy 8s and go fish this morning. ethan is getting better about taking turns. needs that constant reinforcement I think. Then we made homemade playdough and that kept them entertained for a good hour. Probably ought to get some writing in one of these days.

unschooling at its best.

My older kids were into workbooks. Ethan is so good at just FINDING things that I havent pushed the workbooks. I have some. but I am not sitting down working at them with him. Instead I put them in his room and when he thinks no one is looking there he can be found working on letters and numbers and thinking he is getting away with something. His piano is really something else. every once in awhile he starts out playing and you think OMG! HE IS PLAYING_____________!!! and then he changes and plays something else. he realy NEEDS piano lessons. so far he has taught himself to play winnie the pooh and row row row your boat. In the right environment I think he could take off with music. He used to talk about playing violin, even turning toys into tiny violins but there is just no one here to teach him. Piano would be a good place to start and he can transition to another instrument later. if I can find someone to teach it.....

unschooling at its best

Ethan is great at unschooling. He is writing writing writing all the time, all day every day. I have to ask him to STOP writing and eat. this is very different from brother who went to PS for a few years. I used to have to pull him from under the table when I asked him to write. Ethan has taught himself to tell time. He is learning to read. I do not do much in the way of formal lessons with him. Lapbooks and occasional letter practice is about it. I read to them often. we go to story time at the library. we go to the theater. we sing shoo turkey shoo shoo. its fun. way more so than lessons.

where do we go from here?

it was not a good homeschool day. everyone got upset. C and C didnt want to do anything. I got mad because they take the lazy way out of everything. C of course doesnt want to do any writing. he hates writing. but geez in life you will have to write stuff. and I am so not enjoying this. I so wanted a curriculum that would have it all planned out for us. I thought they would be more independent then. but I have to ride them constantly or they do nothing. I dont want to send them to PS, I really dont. But I dont feel like I am doing a very competent job here. its a battle to do anything. The little ones like lapbooks, ethan is starting to write things and sound them out by himself. but how do I get the big kids to give a shit?how do other people do it? what am I doing wrong? I would like to move toward unschooling more but my husband is so not on board with that. Reading is really difficult for C. always has been. I dont know what to do about that either. feeling very inadequate today. at one point I threw the books on the floor and said I QUIT. go to PS if you arent even going to try.