learning work

Monday afternoon homeschool group met at our house last week.  After the play unit, we opted for a very loose version of this.  It's been great fun. 

We built working rockets (oh, the magic of baking soda and vinegar) the first week.  Then Andy had the kids working with great piles of materials (blocks, cardboard, string, boxes, rocks...) to build their very own version of a city last week.  They worked in teams and then practiced their presenting skills by offering an explanation of their building plan (what worked, what didn't etc.) to the rest of us when they were finished. Everyone seems to enjoy this new unit, the only request is for more time..."we need more time!"

Iris told me yesterday that she is so glad she is homeschooled.  Now of course she doesn't have much to compare her schooling experience to, but we'll take it for now.  There are days when they dig in their heals and just don't want to do what we happen to have on our learning agenda for the day.  But most days they roll with it just fine.  It helps that work at the table can morph spontaneously into burying spent jack o' lanterns (filled with things that decompose and things which do not) in the garden- complete with headstones- for later unearthing.  It helps that sitting by the fire with a cup of tea and reading all morning counts. It helps that we can take field trips any day of the year, sometimes multiple trips per week.  It helps that Andy and I love learning too.  It helps that when the day starts with rough edges you can skip school altogether and do something else.  Like ride your bike or bake some muffins.  For us, it's all learning work in the end. 

And even though it makes this post a little random, we wanted to give a shout out to our Nonnie for a very happy birthday.  Thanks for sharing it with us. We love you.