Reality Check with Nicole

The hallmark of homeschool is that each individual's education is tailored to his or her needs, interests, strengths and weaknesses.  This gives a homeschooling family great flexibility in carrying out the task of educating its children. I don't personally know any homeschool families who run their affairs identical to any other family.  A child's education ought to be meaningful, full of purpose, and foster an intense desire to learn more.  In my opinion, these goals are more easily reached when the children themselves are permitted to offer input and encouraged to assist in designing their own education.  It is for this reason that I interviewed Nicole.  (We held an interview last year, and it wasn't nearly as fruitful as this year.)


What is most important to you?
Family
Being a good person (by being nice and obeying the commandments)
Church and learning the gospel
Jesus


What kind of person do you want to be?
Smart at lots of things
Healthy (eat good food, go running, and ride bikes)


What would you like to do more? (This question didn't elicit the sort of answers I anticipated.)
Play "Capture the Flag"
Spend more time playing with my family
Shop (look who's been hanging out with pre-teens!)

What are some talents that you would like to develop?
Play the guitar
Climb trees
Sew dolls and doll clothes (like her Grandma Ramona -- I suppose it might be genetic)
Cross stitch





For several weeks, I have been mulling over this concept of reconfiguring the way we spend our days.  I want to be sure to allocate enough time each day for the basics (math, reading, etc.), yet still allow ample time for the most important things, which is subjective (hence, the interview).  Instead of waiting for a new school year, we're trying out our new system right now.  I want the kids to experience "real" life.  First-hand experiences more than second-hand experiences.  See and do and touch and make.


A long time ago (almost seems like a former life to me now) when I taught French, my mentor insisted that we only present our students with "authentic" texts, that is words written by French for the French.  Nothing was dummied-down or scripted for ignorant Americans.  What our students gained in return, besides an incredible rate of acquisition of French, was an understanding of French culture, and of feeling as if a part of it belonged to them and would never leave.  The students internalized the stories, the songs and the poetry, and they always wanted more.  This is what I want for our homeschool: authenticity.  


My poor mother couldn't stand to look at our snake photos.  But answer me this: which lessons are engraved in the minds of children -- those which are studied at a distance from a book or those which are held in the palms of their little hands?  How soon will my children forget the silkiness of the snake's skin?  How long will they remember the surprising weight of the snake in their grip?  Will the Burmese python from southeast Asia (where Nicole hopes to never visit) be the largest snake my kids ever behold with their own eyes and stroke with their own fingers? 


I don't know how I could possibly go more and do more with the kids, but that's precisely what I'm going to do, even if it means that something else gets cut from our schedule. 

In the end, what matters most does not consist of cramming factoids into little brains and then asking them to regurgitate on command.  What matters is that they LIVE life and experience all the best of their surroundings.  Develop a personal relationship with God, attend symphonies, hike mountains, visit art museums, keep a nature journal, travel to new places, develop talents, spend time with loved ones, serve family and community and have fun.  

Everything else will fall into place.

Scotty Presents ... (in Nicole's pink slippers)

A Poem on the Wrong Track
by Louis Phillips

You Won't Believe What We Did!

We held a ball python in our hands!  Grant was first.  En route to the outdoor expo, I told Grant that we might be able to see some snakes.  He excitedly said, "I want to hold one!"  I was surprised, and I wondered to myself if he would really follow through, and if there would even be an opportunity to do so.  He got his chance soon enough because the snake exhibition was located at the entrance of the expo.  And coming from someone who knows very little about snakes (and who has very little interest, I might add), we found the display to be quite impressive.  Grant found the man with the snake, walked right up to him, held out his arms and asked, "Can I hold the snake, too?"

Grant was really loving the snakes.  He asked if we could get one. (Not in this lifetime.)  Now I have another possible career to add to Grant's list: Steve Irwin replacement.

Nicole was shocked to see her baby brother holding a snake all by himself.  Not willing to be outdone, Nicole scrounged up the courage to hold it herself. Although, if you ask me, it looks like she was having fun, too.

I'm the biggest chicken of them all.  But at the very end of our long day, right before leaving, I thought about living with my cowardice, and I decided it was time to face my fears.  I instructed the snake man to not leave my side, then I forced a smile for the camera whilst speaking through my teeth to tell Nicole to make sure the pictures weren't blurry and also to hurry up.  All of this goes to show that you can teach an old dog new tricks as long as the old dog feels like it.

The kids also learned how to cast, which made me place taking the kids to a lake higher on our priority list.  One of the signs at the expo read, "Go fishing.  It's cheaper than a movie." 

We pet a live alligator.  Even though the alligator's mouth is taped shut, I don't think it diminishes the wow factor even slightly.  Because otherwise, if you think about it, you'd just be nuts to be petting a live alligator! I personally thought the alligator looked really annoyed with the crowd, and would have liked to have taught us all a lesson we'd never forget.

We brushed shoulders with an owl.

We saw so many other neat things as well.  We stroked real furs of rabbits, foxes, skunks, badgers, raccoons, wolves, and bears. We saw live eagles, hawks, and condors, and their eggs. The kids tried fishing from the fish tank, but didn't get any bites.  We saw a gila monster, which is the only poisonous lizard in the United States (it looked like the one from the movie Holes). We practiced bird watching and identified the birds with the handbook.  We walked on a nature hike and learned different animal tracks.  We heard a black-tailed rattlesnake shake its rattle (I had never heard that before).  We read books about the desert and drew pictures of what we saw.

We played in the sun ... and in the dirt.

It was a spectacular day full of learning, adventure and fun!

Sifting Memories

Things I might want to forget:


How Scotty flushes toys down the toilet, some of which get stuck (imagine Dad's elation when he comes home from work and gets to pull the toilet apart for his mid-week project).


How Scotty colors on anything he can find, including the computer desk, walls, blinds, books, and himself.


How Scotty dumps out a basket of clean laundry onto the floor so he can sit in the basket and watch a movie.


How Scotty poured a 16 oz. bottle of water on a shelf of books at the library this week.  He has also done this at home.


How no matter in which bed (or floor) Scotty falls asleep, he eventually winds up sleeping on my pillow by morning.


How Scotty moves furniture to climb higher and reach forbidden items.

How Scotty adamantly refuses to wear shoes or socks.


How Scotty puts everything he can in the microwave (including, but not limited to cell phone, keys, pens, spoons, hair bows, mail).


How Scotty taught himself to open mascara and child-proof medicine bottles.


Things I never want to forget:


When Nicole was two, she used to hold her arms in the air and say, "Hol-ju-me!"  Now little Scotty at two puts his arms in the air and says, "Ju-ju (hold you)."  I always thought he and Nicole were alike.


How Scotty tells Nicole that her painted nails look pretty.



How Scotty never wants to be alone.

How Scotty asks for a drink, and sometimes a little snack in the kitchen, and he kneels down on the tile floor and lets me feed him.


On a good day, Scotty will yell "bye" at the top of his lungs whilst flashing a huge smile to everyone he sees.


How Scotty holds his left elbow with his right fist and places his right arm across his eyes to say prayers.  He mumbles nonsense for a minute, then yells, "AMEN!"


How Scotty eats EVERYTHING (including pizza buried in the sand at the park, pennies, and chicken enchilada), except lettuce, peas, and plain meat (it has to be marinated -- that's my boy!).


How Scotty helps me unload the dishwasher so he can play with the tray.

How Scotty is my only child still interested in helping me switch the laundry around.



How Scotty sits next to me, under the same blanket, while we read a story about trains or cars.  The whole way through, Scotty revs for cars or says, "too, too" for the trains.


How I can kiss his fat cheeks all day long, and he NEVER complains. 

How Scotty doesn't yell (or even talk!) in the car when we're listening to a book on CD.


How Scotty will put himself to "bed," sometimes while wearing nothing at all, always with a car, train or truck, and anywhere he pleases, but only when he's so tired he's ready to faint.


How when he sees someone or something sleeping, Scotty puts his right index finger to his lips and whispers, "Shh.  Ni-night." 


How, one day at the grocery store, Scotty screamed the whole way through and wouldn't stay in the shopping cart.  I had to carry him (still screaming) all the way through the checkout.  When I started placing my items on the conveyor belt, the clerk said, "Oh, so you're the one making all that noise."  This story should be on the "please never remember this horrifying and embarrassing trip to the store," but it's not because half-way through my humiliating trip, a veteran mom stopped and said to me, "At least he's cute."  And he is.  He is so stinkin' cute! And naughty.  But mostly cute.

More Stories from Grant

Grant's computer reputation is spreading.  Yesterday, at Aunt Shari's house, Sam wanted to play a new game on the computer.  She couldn't find the older kids to teach it to her, and someone suggested Grant help instead.  Grant was summoned, and when he arrived at the computer, he said, "OH!  This game will blow you away!"  And then the master instructed.

*****

Tonight at prayers, Grant asked me to pray that "no monsters will come into his room."  After prayers, he told me that "alligators can walk on their feet, and if they come into my room, I will step on their backs and jump on their tummies, and then I will sork them (stab them with forks), and then they will bleed all over the carpet and the walls, and then I will clean up the blood with toilet paper and baby wipes.  Does that sound like a good idea, Mom?"  Yes, honey, that's exactly what you should do if an alligator walks into your room tonight.

*****

Grant likes his pillow a particular way, and occasionally he'll treat me to a pillow prep before I go to bed.  He fluffs the pillow, turns it five times, then fluffs it again.  I must say, it is comfy after all of that attention.

My Little Granti-grew

Grant is a stubborn little boy.  He doesn't say initial /f/ sounds, such as in the word "fun." Since the /f/ and /v/ sounds are related (one is aspirated, one is vocal), Grant also doesn't pronounce initial /v/ sounds, such as in the word "very."  These little nuances created a bit of laughter for me (and frustration for Grant) one day when he tried to tell me that a movie was "hairy sunny" (very funny).  I teased him more than I should have, but I just liked hearing him say, "NO, it's not HAIRY SUNNY, it's HAIRY SUNNY!!!"

Anyway, just yesterday Grant pulled me aside and said, "Mom, I heard some people say 'sine' like 'fine.'  See?  They just say, 'OK, fffffine!'" 

Today, just for kicks, I made him tell me again the way that some people say 'sine.'  It worked.  One problem behind us.  Indefinite amount to go.

*****

While watching 101 Dalmatians (a new family favorite), Grant said to me, "Mom, quick!  Close your eyes.  This part is hairy scary!  Cruwellwa is going to get new eyes!  I'll tell you when it's over.  Phew!  That was a close one.  OK, you can open your eyes now.  I kinda like that part, only not, because it's scary."

A minute or so later, Grant said, "Mom!  Close your ears!  Crewellwa is going to say some bad words!  OK, it's over now.  She just said, 'stupid,' and 'idiot,' and Jazzman (Jasper) says, 'shut up.'  We don't say those words, Mom."

Nicole's First Piano Recital

I organized a piano recital for our homeschool group. We had 14 children play, ages 4 to 12, and they all seemed to have the best time! Here's a picture of all of the performers:

Nicole and Daddy, pre-show:

Our homeschool group is Christian-based, and they always begin events with a prayer. Since I was in charge, I designed the program with two of my favorite bible verses.

Without further ado, here is Nicole playing "Camptown Races."



We missed the first part of "The Holy Ghost" because Clint had to walk around the back so he could film her face.


Grant and Scotty, due to poor form at the science fair, were not invited to the piano recital. Other people brought their young'ens, and they spent half the time outside. I can't remember the last time Clint and I took Nicole somewhere by herself. It was probably before Grant was born, I would guess. Anyway, this was Nicole's special night. She said on the way home, "It feels like I'm an only child."

Unlucky Clovers

Sometimes at school we like to read a poem, then rewrite it.  Grant was sitting at our table making his collage clover, and piped up with a poem of his own!  (It's not every day that Grant's chipper enough to pen poetry!)

Nicole's clover was also made of tissue paper, but she cut it into one inch squares, wrapped them around her pencil eraser, and glued them on so that it's "fuzzy, like grass."

Nicole also wrote her own version of the "unlucky clover."

Scotty's Giggle

I love to hear a baby giggle.  I especially love to hear my babies giggle.

Everyone is asleep right now, except my late-night partner-in-crime Scotty and me.  I set Scotty up on our large reading chair with our portable DVD player to watch 101 Dalmatians while I tidied up the classroom.  I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to Scotty until I heard him burst out laughing.  I ran to see what was so funny, but I had to rewind a bit to see the scene.  When it replayed the maid throwing a teapot at the burglar, Scotty started laughing all over again.  We rewound it five times, and each succeeding time was funnier than the previous one.

I love to tickle Scotty.  He has a contagious laugh, and he's always a willing victim.  Last night after Scotty's bath, I tickled him until he couldn't breathe any longer.  I paused for a moment, to give him a chance to recover.  He drew in a long breath, smiled and said, "More!"