Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers. I thought I would celebrate by sharing one of my favorite pictures of my oldest and youngest.

When I "fixed" this photo in Elements it wasn't nearly as light. The color difference will take a bit of getting used to.

Am I a helicopter parent?

I wonder if people think that we are because we are homeschooling. I wonder if real helicopter parents have kids who make satelites out of magnets. Sure, it's to destroy the enemy and maybe a planet, but I surely didn't help him. I realize the kids will need to be able to fail, and learn to get over those failures. But right now they are spending plenty of time creatively making up a world of their own. They often spend three or four hours a day playing. Kids use what they have learned and reinforce it within playtime. Dr. Stuart Brown from the National Institute for Play has recognized the importance of playtime in a Time magazine article:

managers at Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) noticed the younger engineers lacked problem-solving skills, though they had top grades and test scores. Realizing the older engineers had more play experience as kids — they'd taken apart clocks, built stereos, made models — JPL eventually incorporated questions about job applicants' play backgrounds into interviews. "If you look at what produces learning and memory and well-being" in life, Brown has argued, "play is as fundamental as any other aspect.'' The American Academy of Pediatrics warns that the decrease in free playtime could carry health risks: "For some children, this hurried lifestyle is a source of stress and anxiety and may even contribute to depression." Not to mention the epidemic of childhood obesity in a generation of kids who never just go out and play

There is also concern from teachers that kids never learn to do their own work. Well, I can say that my kids do all their own work. I'm sure not going to it for them. As I write this Abraham is finishing his report on invertebrates. It may not be spelled completely correctly, so my decision is whether to have him correct it or let it be. I do sincerely struggle with this point. Is this when I should let go, or should I help him to understand that the work isn't done until it's perfect. But I also don't want to swoop in and fix it for him. With math I have them keep working on a problem until it is correct. That is how is works out in the world, you keep at it until it's right. Well, this may be a mental burp, but just the thoughts whirling around my head.

On another subject, Esther has learned how to say "down" and "thank you." And they actually sound like the words. Amazing, right?! Okay, so not so much. But I am happy that she is trying to communicate.

The soul of it

Yesterday we were making big crayons by melting the small, broken crayons. It was tons of fun. Of course Samuel loved it because he is still a destrucobot. I realize it's not a real word, but that's what he is! However, sometimes I think that he may willing to hand the title over to Esther. (As she is currently trying to destroy books!) Anyway, we were tearing off the paper and breaking them further. Micah, our talker, announced that he knew what the soul of the crayons were. It was white. Only my sensitive Micah would see things that way. We talked about it some more and he explained that white was they really were, that's how they all started. Other colors were added to change the crayons.

Some more pictures

This is at Redfish Lake. It's about 2 1/2 hours north of us in Stanley. We had a great time camping.

This is Samuel's birthday party. We did a campout theme.

The first day of school. Aren't they handsome!
Esther and Reveille getting to know each other. She is such a patient dog, when Esther grabs her ears she just stands or sits there until Esther lets go.