A Tire and a Tent

Survival class #6.  I should have stayed outside in the heat with the boys to learn how to do this...but I really wanted them to have their "guy" time!

Do you know how to change a tire? After this experience at least these boys have participated in the act of changing a tire but I'm sure they'll have to repeat it when they get their first car!

Putting up the tent was a little more difficult...

Not enough tools...Samuel, why are you hammering with an ax? And looking away?

And this was the best they could figure out. Failure....

It just means they will try again next week!

Mommy...I miss school!

This is probably the post you have been waiting for ever since you were appalled at my Unschooling ideas...

But I have to be honest.  These were Samuel's words to me a few weeks ago. So I asked him, what is it you miss about school?

We were without a schedule unless we had to be somewhere. I spent the time cleaning (!) or working (!) or just doing my own thing, allowing him to do his.  He continued to work on his trip planning and weather watching, but apparently he wanted more.  So I asked him, what is it you miss about school?

"Mommy...we never cuddle and read on the couch anymore."

Amazing!

So, for the last two weeks we have been cuddling on the couch  for one or two hours. I've noticed that when we are consistent with our couch time Samuel is always full of ideas.  Yesterday I asked him what he would like to do when he grows up and since then he has come up with at least three complete plans that he has presented to me. They all have to do with travel...

So here is what we are doing now...

Some days we read about World History , I still panic about  math so he continues with Timezattack  and Math 5 which lately he has been very interested in. After his piano lesson last week he's enjoying the new repertoire and sits at the piano often. He is also currently on book 5 of  this series of 5 books.

Other days we read a Science book on Zoology which reads like a story book. Yesterday after touching a chicken he ran around screaming "Mommy I think I have a zoonotic disease!". Funny.

Geography books are always around.  How do you find something to read to a 10 year old geography lover? He knows all the countries, their capitals, flags, population and place on the globe.  He knows all the states in the U.S., capitals and locations too. So here is what I found and he thoroughly enjoys it.  Explorers Who Got Lost, Around the World in a Hundred Years, and Geography for Every Kid.

Summer School!

It has been such a fun time with cousins, water and hot weather!  So what about school?
We school year-round and take off whenever we need to.  Plus we finished our "Simply Charlotte Mason" Term 1 ahead of schedule, just in time for Grandma's arrival and a visit from Justin, Samuel's cousin's cousin, who is also 9  years old.

Even so, we tried to continue with daily chores, piano practice and math everyday.  But then Samuel was in bed with  "Strep"...and all we can do now is ease into our routine because Escuelita starts again on Monday July 25! And it seems I am the only one excited about it...Oh well, that's the life of a teacher.

This is what Samuel has learned during summer school:

• About illness and death. Two family members of close friends have died.  Samuel visited them when ill at home and hospital, went to funeral home, funeral service, burial site and handled it incredibly well.  Tonight we go to another. He has always had a choice whether to go or not. He wants to.
• About money. Samuel sat through a family finance meeting and asked A LOT of questions... Could not believe how much it cost just to live week to week.
• About big families. Samuel remembers only mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, 2 aunts and 2 uncles.  All adults. No kids but himself.  Now all the adults are still here but there are 5 more kids ranging from 10 months to age 3. Wow! It is not quiet around here anymore!
• Obey right away and with a smile.  Still working on this. Seems to be the most difficult.

I bet that if you took the time to think about it, you would have long list of things you have learned this summer!

The Ombu Tree

Samuel's task at the Huntington was to visit the Jungle garden and complete the following:

Find the Ombu tree (it took us about 30 minutes of up and down, winding jungle walk to find it!).

Botanical name: Phytolacca dioica

Country: Argentina

Age: 95 years (planted in 1914)

What is interesting about it? "Many trunks coming out of big roots and a hole in the trunk."

Draw a picture of it: Well, here is a real picture. The one he drew is in his notebook...

We are grateful that Uncle Ben came to pick us up! We did not have the energy to walk a mile back home, after playing in the Children's garden and enduring the hot sun.

We hope to go back again on Wednesday!

Summer Piano Camp

In Samuel's words..."finally I am in piano class!"

For a whole week in June he attended Summer Piano Camp for 2 hours a day with 5 girls. They were sure to inform him that he was in a "girl trap"... Oh my!

During each class there is time for "keyboard sharing" and each student gets a chance to play a song at the piano, which is Samuel's favorite part of class. He chose to play Mouse, Mousie in D major.

Enjoy.