Anyway, so far our "December Off" is going really well. Cady and I have read several picture books about Hanukkah, which inspired the pointing out of things like roadside menorahs, and checking out the dreidles at the book store. We've all been playing a fun dice game called "Lumps," designed by elves to use up leftover coal! We plan to read "The Nutcracker" before going to see it at the ballet next Saturday. The kids are asking lots of questions about Santa and plan to track his route on NORAD's web site http://www.noradsanta.com/. We will also be studying the physics of Santa's ride, which might put some skepticism into the kids' brains if it wasn't already there!
We are baking and cooking a ton, we are playing board games and doing crafts, and we plan to write lots of Christmas cards and Thank You notes. Also, the kids have been practicing diligently for their Holiday choir performance at church. I downloaded the audio version of Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol," and I'm sure we will watch at least one version on Netflix. We already saw a funny street performance of the classic tale right smack in the middle of Woodward Avenue during Noel Night! But the kids love theatre, so we might catch a local production as well. We will plot that on our map and time line, too.
Today Cady decided to go to work with Dad for the afternoon, where she got to help with lots of things and also got a personal tour of the chemical manufacturing plant. Meanwhile, I took Asher to Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum. http://www.marvin3m.com/ It was amazing! We got to try an "arcade machine" from 1905 that you had to crank to see a clip of "Phantom of the Opera," drop coins into a "magical magician" game from 1910, and test our luck at all kinds of old and new games! We even got to talk to Marvin himself, who praised my son for being one of very few who actually beat the chicken at the tic-tac-toe game! I would recommend this place to anyone who is in the West Bloomfield area. It truly is a gem, especially for kids who are gamers at heart. It was awesome to see the changes in technology over a century.
My gamer-kid, who is currently restricted to an hour of screen time a day, is getting his fix by reading books like "You-Tube" (all about how it was invented), and "Career Building Through Interactive Gaming." Yes, these info books were his pick and he reads them voluntarily. We are also signing him up for an enrichment class at Schoolcraft that will teach him how to build his own 2-D computer game, which he will get to take home on a thumb drive at the end of the course. http://www.schoolcraft.edu/ Hey, if he loves computers, why not turn that passion into something lucrative? Isn't that what home schooling is all about?
Things seem to be mellowing out a lot. Asher is initiating self-calming techniques like breathing and asking for hugs when he is frustrated. THAT's a huge accomplishment... in fact, it was one of the goals of bringing him home. We are all looking forward to neighbors and friends having two weeks off for Winter break. We plan on participating in a Solstice celebration, learning about Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, having Christmas with my dad, and of course celebrating our favorite Winter holiday... New Year's Eve!
A time for reflection, for appreciation, and for looking forward into a new year.
i think i know that roller rink! what you're describing is a recipe for unschooling at its best. the most difficult ingredient to come by is the parent who relaxes enough to see what is really happening in terms of their kid's passion and unhindered curiosity. i applaud you, and take this blog entry as a reminder to myself to be that ingredient in my own family recipe!!
ReplyDeletelots of love,
your lurker pal in nyc,
j.
I love my lurking friends. ;)
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