This fall

[Loriendil]

What is happening in some of your homes this fall?

My daughter has become fascinated with math (I hope it lasts LOL). She has decided she likes division better than multiplication. At any rate, this has given her impetus to memorize the multiplication tables.

She's reading Lord of the Rings right now. She read The Hobbit last year, but LOTR's style was so different, she felt put off. But now, she's giving it another go.

Gymnastics is down-sized. She no longer wishes to be a USAG gymnast, and is merely doing recreational gymnastics. Since they have no classes advanced enough for her skills, she still works out with the team girls though. Just not all the classes (or tuition!).

There's more going on, but with unschooling, sometimes it's hard to pin it down...

[Lori Smith]

Hi Lee,

Cindy has been working at McDonald's and would like to find another job. She's been there for over a year and a half. She has been busy with projects at the library (especially when they make films), and she enjoys drawing a lot!!! She spends a lot of time on several myspace places as she has something like 8 myspace pages. Many are made up to reflect the cartoon characters she likes (mainly anime). Cindy also reads a lot. She also writes to her pen pals.

Jenna has been busy with friends. She danced last year, but the cost was too much. It is awful what they charge for 1/2 hour a week! She was in Jazz, but this year she is not. She has been playing video games, placing bulletins on myspace (which she enjoys doing), and helping me to babysit grandkids. She does a lot of writing and reading.

Our lives are busy and it is amazing how different each child is.

A few months ago (May), Jenna sat out on our roof (outside her bedroom window) with a pen, paper, binoculars, and a bird field guide. She identified all the birds that came to our feeder. She watched a squirrel make a nest (which she didn't know they did). She drew what she saw. And she spent about 1 1/2-2 hours doing this!!!

When she came downstairs, she was excited and wanted to talk about all that she saw. She was fascinated with the antics and the behavior of the squirrel, his fastidiousness in building his nest, his wariness, and his determination. She was intrigued with the way the birds seemed to play, to fight, to bicker. And she was interested in learning their calls. We discussed all of these things and more. She learned a lot that afternoon just sitting on the roof watching wildlife.

I think it is this kind of stuff that excites me most. I know these are the experiences that will leave an impression and will be remembered forever. This is real learning in action.

Lori

[Loriendil]

Ah, a child after my own heart. I did the same thing as a kid. Not only on a roof, but sitting in the tree in our backyard. I still love birds, but my memory is so lousy, I can never remember the names of more than a few.

[Lori Smith]

I never even knew one bird from another (besides a robin, cardinal, blue jay, and pigeon) when I was a kid! There was no one to teach me and I didn't have a field guide...so I learned as an adult.

I am just enjoying watching as each kid finds their own interests. It is amazing how alike but very different each one is.

Lori

[Ria]

It's so quiet here! I forgot my password, then my computer crashed....it's been a while since I've even been here!
Things are about the same here. I keep my sister's little girl three days a week (when no one's sick), and we take her to the library program, so we've been spending lots of time at the library. My girls join in the activities with the tiny kids...it's sweet to see...and help the librarians, and sometimes we have a game of chess while we're waiting.
On the days we don't have her, we've been fishing quite a bit. We got dd10 a fishing pole for her b-day, then found one for dd12 in DH's stuff, and they've been having a blast fishing. I go along and read and explore on the river bank. So far we haven't kept any of the fish, but the girls are clamoring to keep some and clean them and cook them. They've even been watching the fishing shows on tv! That's one thing I've never been able to get into.

[Loriendil]

Good to hear from you, Ria!

Sounds like the girls are having a great time, and so are you.