High Speed Time Travel with Denver

From one interest to another at light speed-- this week Denver has explored pioneer life, ancient Greek mythology, created Roman wax writing tablets and played gladiator; and now at bedtime . . . Egyptian heiroglyphs on a homemade scroll (from wrapping paper and two cardboard rolls).  Never a dull moment with this guy!  But really . . . a maid would be most welcome :-)

Fasten Your Seatbelts . . . Here We Go!

Spencer's 12th Birthday Party.
Minecraft Themed . . . of course!

After only two months of summer vacation, I was not ready to leap back into homeschool.  I was still enjoying working on my tan and reading my Lincoln biography.  Yet here we are. . . and we're having a ball.

This year, John Robert commutes 50 miles round trip to and from Morgan County High School. There are many good things about this: He is very happy, and has already made new friends.  For the first time, he has several male teachers, and he thinks that is interesting.  The courses are rigorous.  He'll be learning a great deal this year, and I won't have to worry about finding tutors or curricula and classes for him.  

John Robert (in black) celebrating
a wonderful swim season.

John commutes with three other boys from Covington, and the other moms and I share the load of driving 100 miles a day.  All of this is wonderful.

Back to School Week!

The other boys and I are enjoying a leap back into homeschool with more traveling as well.  After a spring and summer with few field trips, this year we are heavily loaded with "outside the books" learning.  

Denver embraces Latin studies with an abundance
of projects-- wax writing tablets, a protective
necklace called a bulla, and baking feast cakes.

On Mondays, Spencer has Civil Air Patrol where he is hoping to learn about flight, navigation, and engineering. Denver is very excited about his new Scout troop.  

On Tuesdays, we travel to Atlanta for homeschool classes in Geography, Robotics, and a course entitled History and the Art of Weaponry. 

We are enjoying two wonderful
microscopes as we explore
tiny living things this fall.

Spencer is amazed at a sample
from inside his mouth!

On Wednesdays, when I must be in court, the boys spend the entire day at the Montessori school.  They bring their homeschool work with them, and participate in music, gardening, lunch and recess with the other children.

Fridays are dedicated to a variety of field trips; something different each Friday of the month-- Shakespeare Theatre, Charlie Elliott Homeschool Days, Art History Workshops in Conyers, and Atlanta History Center Homeschool Days.  Finally, Spencer has his beloved computer coding class in Atlanta on Saturday afternoons. 

Denver (in red) playing with other
 cub scouts after their meeting.

So all of that looks good on paper.  But so far . . . it's a challenge!  I am spoiled by all the free time I've had this summer; and trying to balance the boys' schedule with work, housekeeping, my running and race schedule, dog care (don't forget the dogs!), and the rest of our homeschool curriculum is a challenge.  Oh, yes, I have a husband, too!  And we need groceries!  But we'll get there!

Exploring Fractions

On the bright side, the boys were almost happy to be busier.  We've enjoyed launching back into Latin with a new, kid-friendly curriculum.  The boys are cheerfully doing math, science, history, writing, and everything I've asked them to do.  What a joy!  I am so grateful to have this time with all of my boys.  

Making clay Roman soldiers.

Roman Soldier Denver ready for battle!

One Thing Leads to Another

Denver reading to Apollo in our new lounge.

One thing leads to another.  Each step makes sense, but the outcome is unpredictable.  

This week, the boys' art teacher in Conyers offered to sell us a bookcase.  The price was right, and we came home with it.  We removed our timeline and world map from the wall to accomodate the bookcase.  Then Spencer, Denver, and I decided to move some furniture around to see if we liked it better.  We kept thinking and shifting things until we finally created what Denver calls "The Lounge."  
Today when I reminded Denver about reading, he called out, "Meet you in the lounge!"  As he was reading to me, he said, "I love it here.  This is perfect and so peaceful.  I could sit here and read just like this all day."

Of course, ten minutes later he was running around the house with his Nerf gun; but still, it was a nice moment.  All because of a bookcase.

Top Ten in the State!

A tired John Robert displays his four state championship medals
for his proud momma.  Top Ten in four events!

While Spencer and Denver and I were playing catch, playing at the pool and goofing off today; my oldest son, John Robert, was swimming with an injured shoulder at the State Meet.  After hours of competition, he arrived home tonight exhausted, hungry, and victorious.

He made it into the finals in six events, and earned medals in four: 
8th in the 100 freestyle
6th in the 100 individual medley
6th in the 200 medley relay
6th in the 200 freestyle relay. 
Most importantly, he swam faster this year in every event; and he was EIGHT seconds faster in the 200 individual medley.
He is proud of himself, and ready for Nationals next weekend.

Amazing.

So proud of our guy. 

  

Another Funny from Shorty

This afternoon, Denver and I played catch in the yard for a long time with his new baseball glove and ball.  

He told me all about a new video game that worked like a game of Clue.  I told him all about my ideas for homeschool this year and asked his opinions. 

We were having fun listening to the pop of the ball hitting the gloves and seeing how many pop flies we could catch when suddenly Denver said, "I just love conversatin' while we do this skillful stuff."

To my credit, all I said was, "Me too, Buddy."

Um . . . I guess I'll doublecheck our grammar curriculum for this year?

Knowing Everything in the World

Spencer is enjoying Minecraft computer camp this week.  He has a history of severe stomach aches and anxiety associated with classroom environments.  My eldest son helped me understand why this week is different.

"If you think of computer games as being their own worlds, then it is possible inside the computer game to know everything in the world."

Oh.  I'd never thought of it that way.  

Spencer tries on a new hat.

Spencer is on the verge of mastering the Minecraft world.  His teacher is interested and excited for him.  His classmates respect his knowledge.  He is feeling confident and happy.  

The effect is a smiling Spencer, and a willingness to play hide and seek and other games with his classmates at lunchtime.  The effect is an ability to eat a normal meal without becoming ill.

For some children, mastery of one world can lead to mastery in another.

Little Boy on the Prairie . . . Uh, by the Swimming Pool.

Chillin' at the Pool . . . with Laura Ingalls?

After over eight years of rarely reading anything by choice, and always declaring to anyone who will listen, "I can't read!," Denver decided to pick up Little House on the Prairie last week.

Suddenly, he plopped down beside me on the couch and said, "Guess what?  I can really read."  He was smiling from ear to ear.  He told me a little bit about the story and how he can figure out (nearly) all the words.

He went around the house sharing his miraculous news with everyone.  We all congratulated him and then left him alone to get to know the Ingalls family.

He's been taking his book with him everywhere-- laughing and talking excitedly about the adventures of Ma, Pa, Mary, Laura, and Carrie.

He only reads a page or two at each sitting.  Figuring out all those words can make his head hurt, he says, but the story is good. Occasionally, he spells a word and looks at me expectantly for an explanation.  

Once, I offered to read to him for a little while just to let him enjoy the story.  "Oh, NO!  If you read more than one or two words to me, I'll have to start the whole book over!" he declared dramatically.

Writing with a homemade hawk feather pen,
"Just like Abraham Lincoln," according
to Denver.

Denver uses his clown nose
to block the smell of his
chemical concoctions.

I do what I'm told and try to act like it's no big deal.  After all, I knew he could do it whenever he wanted to-- it's just taken him quite a while to make that choice!

There is a big difference between what we call reading when a child is five or six (knowing basic alphabet sounds and reading three letter words phonetically), and what every child knows real reading is: being able to pick up a book or magazine or menu and know what it says without help. 

Congratulations, Buddy.  You took your sweet time, but you've crossed over.