BRILLIANT CREATIONS: March 2011

After all the cold, snowy and home-bound days over the past couple months we are happy to change gears!! We took the opportunity to go full force during the "snow days" with our school work so that we could go in a different direction for awhile. I wanted to see where it would take us. We started participating in "Go North!". It's an adventure-based learning opportunity that is completely free and so exciting! We are following a group of sled dogs as they go on a 4 month journey along the coast of Alaska. Along the way we are learning so much information!! We are able to integrate our history, geography, social studies, literature, spelling, vocabulary and science. We just finished our 3rd week of the polar husky unit and we have already learned about maps (including the history of them, how they are used/made, how to read them), the importance of observation, phenology (including charting our own phenology daily from our "one small square" in our backyard), latitude, longitude, sea ice, snow goggles (including how/why they were invented and the science behind why they work), dog sled commands, traditional Inuit tents (including the science of the arch), and how a snowflake is formed (including the different types of snowflakes). What a wealth of information!! The team Go North! has provided a teachers guide for each age group along with literature recommendations and science experiments. We are digging it! We're also getting together with our friends who are participating in the adventure to do the group activities. For the first module the kids created human arches, measured to see how much space is in the average tent (and saw how much they could/couldn't fit inside), played "sled dogs" where one of them got to be the musher calling commands to the pack, and carved soap stone figures. They had a blast, and I'm happy I broke out of my shell to take this on!!

For math we've completed our transition lessons into the new curriculum from Rightstart Math. Within 4 transition lessons BabyGirl was already understanding the concept of "borrowing" (which Rightstart calls "trading") better than she ever did before. Don't get me wrong...she could DO it before...but she really and truly GETS it now. The use of the abacus, games, manipulatives and different vocabulary is so much better to me than anything we've tried before. I wish I would have known about it sooner....and best of all....she loves it. What more could you ask for??

I've recently realized (yes, it's taken THIS long) that I have what it takes to decide what my child needs to be studying and when. Wow. What a realization. All these years of reading the guidelines...freaking out so that we fit in every single detail to the T....making sure we are "on track"...sigh. It's exhausting. I put myself in this little bubble of expectations....of whom?? Me, that's who. Well, after reading ahead to what my "3rd Grader Needs to Know" I saw she would basically be learning the same thing we learned in 1st grade...only with a little more detail. So, I read some of what my "4th Grader Needs to Know" and saw she would be repeating what we learned in 2nd grade...only with a little more detail. This year we covered everything she needed to know in great length, paying attention to details. She doesn't want to study that again....the same way!! Boring. So, I sat thinking and thinking about what to do. Realizing I have the authority to take us in any direction. To teach her anything she wants to know. As long as we want. And, guess what?? She will NOT be behind! In fact, she will be worlds away from others her own age! The day after I had this realization BabyGirl says "Mom, I love watching the shows on History Channel about Jesse James. I like outlaws. Hey!! I want to learn all about Oklahoma history and heritage!!" I said "Okay. Sounds good." as I continued to do my chores. Then, all of the sudden, a light came on!! I said "Hey...you want to do Oklahoma history this fall for as long as you want...from the very beginning??" She yells.."YES!" And there you have it. I researched online, found a fabulous Oklahoma history curriculum we can use that is totally inclusive in every area (and free!). I also found that Oklahoma public schools teach OK history for 1 semester in 4th grade, then again in 8th grade. So there. We are ahead of schedule anyway. And, we are excited (as a family!) to learn more about this great state (because we are, after all, products of the public school system and retained nothing of our OK history), travel to some historical places, and enjoy learning together about something that gives us passion!!! I can't wait. WE can't wait! Now, the future is limitless.....look out world...here I come!! (I already have ideas about our history/geography and science for the next 2 years!) :) I'm looking forward to taking these concepts into other areas of my life as well....

Little Man is growing so fast. I cannot believe how big he is getting. Really. We took him to get some summer shoes since he's walking everywhere now. We had to get 6W!! In September/Oct he was a 4WW. That is amazing! He is so full of spunk and enthusiasm for life. I love to watch him play! He will just walk over to the play kitchen, put a few things together, walk them over to you and "feed" you his invention. It is so cute! He also loves, loves, loves more than ever any kind of ball. He will making a throwing motion and say "ball" over and over until you find him one. Needless to say we have many on hand at all times!! He loves to throw one...walk over...squat (showing his big man walking skills)...pick it up...and start all over again. It's just adorable. Another cute thing is his "poo poo" talk, but, I'll leave that one for your imagination....LOL!! He's got 2 molars now, and is eating so well with a fork and spoon! He doesn't need any help at all!! He loves to play outside in the dirt, gathering acorns and rocks. He also loves to go down the slide over and over until my back is worn out. He is all boy, and I'm so glad he's mine. He is my Little Man, and I just adore him to pieces! We all do... :)

Here are some pictures for our update....

Here is a lion dance being performed by BabyGirl and her 2 friends at a Chinese New Year Party...