Feathers for Lunch

Image courtesy of ALSC blog

We ready a really cute picture book today, "Feathers for Lunch" by Lois Ehlert.  If you haven't come across it before, I highly recommend checking it out.  It tells the story of a cat who escapes the house and goes through the garden looking for birds to catch.  On each page there is a really cool life size picture of a common North American bird and some interesting facts to learn about each of them.

After reading the book, we felt pretty inspired and ventured outside to look for birds in our neighborhood.  We spotted some little birdies that were not featured in the book (they were blackbirds, although Silas insisted that they were Orioles like the baseball team--it sure must be tough for him to have a teacher-mother who is wrong all the time).  We also enjoyed observing quite a few insects buzzing around, including some really fascinating dragonflies.

Of course, my proud feelings of being very scientific and taking advantage of teachable moments lasted about two minutes before Silas ran back inside to grab his bat and ball.  In his mind, it's always a good time for sports and watching for birds is far too quiet of an activity. 

I am recognizing the potential need to brainstorm how to relate all subjects to a sporting event of some kind...

Teacher, I Ain't

 I've had people say to me that because I have a background in education I am better equipped to teach my child.  Just to let you know, a degree in Secondary Education: History and Economics does not seem to be very helpful to homeschooling my Kindergartener.  Really, since I've become a parent, I find that anything I picked up in my "schooling to school others" has really been thrown out the window. 

If we're being honest, I think my Psychology Major husband has a distinct advantage (with all his experience training computer program lab rats) in this game.

It has been my experience (so far) in parenting that has given me the most insight into how to teach my child at home.  I think the most helpful thing in homeschooling is knowing your child.  Knowing how your child learns and how they respond in situations are going to be the best tools in teaching your child. 

Through Parenting, things I have learned about Silas (and myself):

Lesson 1: It doesn't matter how many warnings are given or attempts are made at making positive transitions, if something fun ends sooner than Silas wants it to, it ends poorly.  It happened when he was a babbling toddler who would throw himself on the ground instead of calmly leaving the park, it happens now when he's a four and a half foot five year old with a wiggly tooth. 
Lesson learned: We can't do anything fun.  Period. 

Lesson 2: I have come to realize I am a much better care taker than I am parent.  I feel quite confidant  in meeting physical needs and helping my children avoid physical harm (Judah combing his hair with Daddy's razor aside--see previous post).  Parenting, however, requires much more logic, planning, reason and strategy.  I am daily afforded the opportunity to be stretched in my parenting skills by having a kid old enough to try talking back, procrastinate, attempt to negotiate and find every single loophole...
Lesson Learned: Homeschooling is stretches your parent muscles much more than building a teacher muscle

Too Busy for Busy Bags

 I met with a group of homeschooling moms from my neighborhood last night over a slice of pie and was sharing how I feel like a real underachiever at homeschooling because I am not crafty. 
"You know what your problem is," one of the (very insightful) moms commented "you read too many blogs."  Guilty.  I have fostered my inferiority complex by seeing blog stalking these amazing mothers with highly successful blogs who talk very offhandedly about how they "just whipped up a busy bag for my toddler and then made a homemade felt board complete with an entire doll family and all accessories."

I am busy bag incompetent.  While I am attempting to work with my Kindergartener, I have a 19 month old who (instead of playing with his toys which I was hoping would be perfectly sufficient) emerges from my bedroom with three toothbrushes (none of them his) in his mouth and combing his hair with Daddy's razor. 

Mom of the Year right here, Folks, Mom of the Year...

Oh, Boy, Here We Go Again...

I can't believe I've just set up another blog...If you happen, you can wander over to my little pet project in cooking and hospitality, Myopenfridge.blogspot.com.

Last night, I was having a hard time falling asleep and I was feeling a prompting that I need to start recording my (mis)adventures in homeschooling.  Seems like a pretty ideal time since I just started homeschooling my oldest for Kindergarten last Monday.

If you care, join me through my successes and failures, meltdowns in my closet and fumbles through this crazy process of educating my children at home.

Quotes from Silas about homeschool (so far):

• "So who else is coming to my homeschool?"
• (Upon finding out it is just me, him and his little brother creating mayhem in the background): "If we find any kids who don't have a school, can they join mine?"
• "Um, why is my classroom not decorated?" (because, my Dear, your mother is craft impaired)
• "Isn't learning about God more important than Reading and Math?" (Touche, kid, I'll see if we can do some more of that)  
• "Tell me again, why do I not get to ride on a bus???"