So... slight change of plans. The more we've been thinking about Aidan's schooling situation for the fall the more 1. at peace I've been about "sending him to school" which is a good thing, and 2. questioned the choice of school we planned on sending him too... not so good, but not necessarily a bad thing either.
Last year, before I made the decision to homeschool, we applied and had Aidan test at a particular school. This school has THE BEST reputation, GREAT curriculum, GREAT athletics, lots of kids from our church go there, it's connected with the seminary that Darren is attending.... I could go on and on. Well, when Aidan was tested, they said he wasn't ready for kindergarten, that he would struggle keeping up etc... So, like any parent I know, I was a bit miffed. WHAT!?!? Are they kidding, Aidan not ready? Whatever. So, that along with several other reasons propelled me into homeschooling last year, and I'm SO SO SO glad that I did. I taught Aidan to read, I taught him the fundamentals of math, watched him excel and got to experience many "light-bulb" moments when he had some sort of realization and things clicked for him. Those times and memories are precious. But I'm convinced a "traditional" school setting is better suited for Aidan, at least at this point in time when considering our family dynamics.
So when we began exploring our options this year, we kind of just ignored our "original choice" of schools, because I was still a little irritated, especially seeing first hand how Aidan has grown and excelled and is just simply WAY ahead of most any graduating kindergartner I know. Along with being the "best" this "original" choice is also the most expensive. Of course, at nearly $8,000 a year, chump change right? Especially being in the midst of an international adoption. So, we searched around and found a very small, reformed Presbyterian school. Darren went and met with the headmaster and we thought we'd made a final decision. But a few weeks ago I just started feeling uneasy, I don't know why really, and then I started thinking: Why did we make this choice? Did we let finances dictate this situation? As there is a $2000 tuition difference. Can you put a price on your child's education? Am I just too miffed to send Aidan to the school we had picked out last year? Because that's not the right reason to send him somewhere else. Then we drove by the school on Sunday as I'd never seen it in person, and immediately I thought, how on earth can this school meet the needs of all it's children? It is SMALL, how does science work? Do they have lab rooms? What do they do for PE, I see no gymnasium? And when the kids are older there is only 2 options for sports, neither of which I can see Aidan being interested in. We knew they didn't have a registered nurse and I thought I was okay with that, but the more I thought about it, the more uneasy I became, especially thinking about being gone for 3 months... I'd want him somewhere that had a nurse. Then I started thinking about our original choice, they have a full time registered nurse, they have a gymnasium, they have a large campus, all kinds of athletic programs and because they are connected with the college campus and the college campus is an International University, it has strong international ties, and I LOVE that! In fact a portion of the students that attend the Middle/High School are International students as well. THEREFORE they have an ESL program, that we could explore as an option when V comes home. AND because the school is larger they have more resources and there's a chance they could work with mild learning disabilities IF that's something we have to face. Whereas the other school, the one we thought we'd decided on is so small there is NO WAY, they said so themselves, that they could meet such needs.
Our final concern was that the school we THOUGHT we'd settled on, was definitely totally and completely reformed in it's theology and what is taught. Whereas the school we had considered last year and are now leaning towards again, is considered Non-Denominational. Now, there isn't necessarily anything wrong with that, but Darren and I have had some bad experiences with non-demoninational churches being um... hookey. So.. I kind of unexpectedly found out that the lady I just LOVE and admire most at our church sends her children to this school we are now considering. That right there brought me a great sense of peace from the get go, and then we talked with her about it and our concerns regrading the theology. She told us that they never correct the student on what the student believes, but different viewpoints may be presented. For example, the difference between infant baptism and believer's baptism, but she's had her three children in the school, two of which are in the High School now and have never had an issue with the theology. Nothing at all has come up in the elementary level, and there's only been a few things that have brought about discussion with her oldest children, but it seems those "issues" are primarily in discussing the differences in way denominations worship. Nothing that would have us overly concerned by any means... And so, we are now in the process of re-applying to the school, setting up Aidan's testing for entering 1st grade, and applying for financial assistance.
And... I'm trying not to freak out about 1.my little boy going off to school, and 2. money.
Maybe my lesson this year will be to trust, and relax... as it's been the last, well, as long as I can remember..
Monday, May 24, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
I can't freeze time... and a big decision made. Basic ramblings.
My chubber buggie is 6 years old. He's mostly done with his kindergarten curriculum, a week left in reading/phonics and he have completed all his "mandatory" level K (and then some) work. This year has been.... interesting to say the least. I remember being petrified at the start of the school year, wondering how on earth I could ever teach Aidan anything. But... as the school year comes to a close and I look back on the year I am SO thankful for the decision I made.
The first semester-August-January was mostly awesome, we had a set routine, we both knew what to expect, and I was on top of lessons planning. Oh, and Asher was still napping. This second semester, basically since we've been back from Russia has been... less then stellar, and pretty much a constant struggle. We lost our routine, I can't seem to stay up to date on lesson plans, Asher WILL NOT cooperate unless I stick him in front of the television for 2-3 hours (because he no longer naps). Aidan has lost his focus and I've lost my patience. We went from doing daily Prayer, Pledges, Bible, History/Social Studies, English and Math, with a Science Experiment the first semester, to English and Math this second semester. Pretty much I feel like a failure this semester. Darren tries to remind me that we've had A LOT going on, Asher has had ear infection after ear infection which doesn't help anything, we had our amazing paper chase going on for the adoption dossier, but still I feel like a lousey mom and teacher. In fact I feel like I deserve the "most screamy mom" award for the last 5 months.
At the same time I look back and see, despite my feeling like an absolute loser Aidan has learned soooooooooo much! His reading astounds me, and he'll read anything and everything he can get his hands on, including his daddy's Greek text book. His math skills are impressive (I'll post more about all he's learned in the weeks to come) and his desire to learn new things and ask CONSTANT questions never cease to amaze me. And so I am so thankful I had the time, ability and opportunity to be the one who taught him to read, do math, learn about his forefathers, instruct him in the Word, teach and instill the Creation account.... and if I had been able to keep trucking along as we had the first semester, maybe making a decision about what to do next year wouldn't be so painfully difficult because I would have felt like we ended our homeschool relationship on a good note. But, instead I feel like I failed him, and Asher (because I'd get so fed up his constant interuptions and fussing, that I feel like I did nothing but yell, yell and... yell) for that matter. Because of that I feel like we're ending the year on a bad note and am afraid it's full of nothing but memories of me screaming at them. Sigh.
I don't want to send Aidan to school next year, I want to keep him home with me. But the more time I spend really thinking about what is the best decision I can make for him, the more I take into account his personality and how he functions, the more I consider Asher and add him into the equation, the more I am convinced that the best option for us is to send Aidan to school, and I HATE that. Literally, I HATE it. Oh the school he will attend is GREAT, full of Godly teachers and Christ centered curriculum, but he'll be so far away. AND I'm afraid he'll like his teachers and new school more then me... pretty selfish huh?
But again, I think about it and take into consideration that Aidan THRIVES on a schedule and consistent routine, something that Asher makes near impossible to maintain. Aidan loves to learn and absorb as much information as possible and he's incredibly social. I also take into consideration that Asher is super clingy and needy right now, does NOT like to be left alone, WILL NOT entertain himself and in all honesty I really think he needs some one on one with mom... between the adoption paperwork and time spent with Aidan I know he's "suffered" the effects, so having time to devote to JUST him will be good for the both of us I think.
Then I think, well, if what our facilitator tells us is true, and that we can expect to have a hearing (not sure if he means be assigned a court date, or actually be IN Court) in 4-5 months, then there really is no option but to send Aidan to school, as I'll be gone for 2-3 months. Also something I am feeling incredibly guilty about. But... having had Aidan need medical care during our trip in January, made me realize that I want the boys in the US for just that reason-I would want them to have access to Western medicine and Dr's they are familiar with. Plus when I return, they'll be so many changes that I think it will be VERY GOOD for Aidan to have something separate to call his own... and the time he's in school I can spend with V working with him, and also working with Asher.
Aidan was my first baby though, so maybe I shouldn't be so surprised at how difficult it is to "let him go". I told Darren last night it feels like this is the "beginning of the end"... He said "wow, your a glass half empty kinda girl". Ha. I guess I am, it's just hard to watch my baby grow up... and he's doing it so quickly.
The first semester-August-January was mostly awesome, we had a set routine, we both knew what to expect, and I was on top of lessons planning. Oh, and Asher was still napping. This second semester, basically since we've been back from Russia has been... less then stellar, and pretty much a constant struggle. We lost our routine, I can't seem to stay up to date on lesson plans, Asher WILL NOT cooperate unless I stick him in front of the television for 2-3 hours (because he no longer naps). Aidan has lost his focus and I've lost my patience. We went from doing daily Prayer, Pledges, Bible, History/Social Studies, English and Math, with a Science Experiment the first semester, to English and Math this second semester. Pretty much I feel like a failure this semester. Darren tries to remind me that we've had A LOT going on, Asher has had ear infection after ear infection which doesn't help anything, we had our amazing paper chase going on for the adoption dossier, but still I feel like a lousey mom and teacher. In fact I feel like I deserve the "most screamy mom" award for the last 5 months.
At the same time I look back and see, despite my feeling like an absolute loser Aidan has learned soooooooooo much! His reading astounds me, and he'll read anything and everything he can get his hands on, including his daddy's Greek text book. His math skills are impressive (I'll post more about all he's learned in the weeks to come) and his desire to learn new things and ask CONSTANT questions never cease to amaze me. And so I am so thankful I had the time, ability and opportunity to be the one who taught him to read, do math, learn about his forefathers, instruct him in the Word, teach and instill the Creation account.... and if I had been able to keep trucking along as we had the first semester, maybe making a decision about what to do next year wouldn't be so painfully difficult because I would have felt like we ended our homeschool relationship on a good note. But, instead I feel like I failed him, and Asher (because I'd get so fed up his constant interuptions and fussing, that I feel like I did nothing but yell, yell and... yell) for that matter. Because of that I feel like we're ending the year on a bad note and am afraid it's full of nothing but memories of me screaming at them. Sigh.
I don't want to send Aidan to school next year, I want to keep him home with me. But the more time I spend really thinking about what is the best decision I can make for him, the more I take into account his personality and how he functions, the more I consider Asher and add him into the equation, the more I am convinced that the best option for us is to send Aidan to school, and I HATE that. Literally, I HATE it. Oh the school he will attend is GREAT, full of Godly teachers and Christ centered curriculum, but he'll be so far away. AND I'm afraid he'll like his teachers and new school more then me... pretty selfish huh?
But again, I think about it and take into consideration that Aidan THRIVES on a schedule and consistent routine, something that Asher makes near impossible to maintain. Aidan loves to learn and absorb as much information as possible and he's incredibly social. I also take into consideration that Asher is super clingy and needy right now, does NOT like to be left alone, WILL NOT entertain himself and in all honesty I really think he needs some one on one with mom... between the adoption paperwork and time spent with Aidan I know he's "suffered" the effects, so having time to devote to JUST him will be good for the both of us I think.
Then I think, well, if what our facilitator tells us is true, and that we can expect to have a hearing (not sure if he means be assigned a court date, or actually be IN Court) in 4-5 months, then there really is no option but to send Aidan to school, as I'll be gone for 2-3 months. Also something I am feeling incredibly guilty about. But... having had Aidan need medical care during our trip in January, made me realize that I want the boys in the US for just that reason-I would want them to have access to Western medicine and Dr's they are familiar with. Plus when I return, they'll be so many changes that I think it will be VERY GOOD for Aidan to have something separate to call his own... and the time he's in school I can spend with V working with him, and also working with Asher.
Aidan was my first baby though, so maybe I shouldn't be so surprised at how difficult it is to "let him go". I told Darren last night it feels like this is the "beginning of the end"... He said "wow, your a glass half empty kinda girl". Ha. I guess I am, it's just hard to watch my baby grow up... and he's doing it so quickly.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Decisions decisions
Well...
IF we get a court date in July, which is "possible" (there is a reason the word possible is in quotation marks)then that likely means August, which means I'll be gone approximately the first 3 months of the school year. Not only that, but when I return I'll have a 8 year old, who knows little/no English, that I'll have to begin working with to get caught up, in addition to the most active 3 year old EVER. I know my limits and I know my capabilities, I also know I am NOT supermom, nor have I ever claimed to be.
To that end... what do I do about school for Aidan? We've thrown around several possibilities:
1. We do school over the summer and then take an extended break while I am in Russia
2. We take a summer break and then Darren spends 3 hours each evening doing school with Aidan while I am in Russia
3. Aidan attends the public school that is right behind our house
4. We send him to the ridiculous expensive Christian School with a full time nurse
5. We send him to the less expensive PCA (Presbyterian Church of America) school (that we LOVE) which has just acquired a full time nurse.
6. Aidan stays home and we send V to school.
We also had several arguments for and against each possibility:
For example:
We could go with option 1 as listed above. However, we are ALL (especially with Darren working so much and being gone for most of April) ready for a SUMMER, and IF we end up in Russia the end of summer/fall I can't imagine not having spent the summer focusing on Aidan and Asher and just enjoying time with them. Similarly, we've thought about starting when we normally would (if I'm in the US) and then taking an extended break while I'm gone, but then don't feel that is the solution either, as then I'd have to play catch up with Aidan, begin working with V, and preschool with Asher. No way could I spread myself out and give all three of them what they need.
We've thought about option 2. Continuing to H.S. and having Darren do school with Aidan at night when he gets home from work (while I am in Russia) but we don't feel that is the right solution either as the boys will already be missing me, and then to have Daddy come home from work and spend the next 2.5-3 hours doing school with Aidan would be unfair. Asher wouldn't get ANY time with Darren, and the time Aidan saw him would be spent solely on doing schoolwork.
We've looked at some more Private School's, and found some that are slightly more reasonable then $600 a month we were looking at last year. We would feel comfortable with both the curriculum, care and location and most important, THEOLOGY but just don't see how we could possibly swing the tuition...
That leaves public school, which of course I'm not thrilled about, BUT I personally don't think it's the end of the world either. IF we have to make that decision, it's only 5 minutes from the house (and in case of emergency for my mother in law who will be caring for the boys during the day would be super conveinent) academically it is the best in the state... and Aidan knows enough to stand up for his beliefs and what we've taught him... at Max he'd be there for a year, depending on when we traveled maybe only a semester. My biggest concern is he'd fall behind because he's so far ahead... and I don't want him doing that either, the last thing I need is a "bored" child...
And finally option 6. which is really not an option at all. Aidan is well bonded, well attached, and VERY versed in his beliefs, he's social, he's confident and he's not afraid to tell it like it is. I know he'd ENJOY going to school outside the house. V on the other hand will still be new to everything. New to the family, new to the culture, new to his surroundings, I can't fathom sending him to school for 7 hours a day-I think he needs to be home, I think he needs the comfort and security and one on two (Asher will be here too) attention that I'd be able to give him. I also think it would create a unique bonding opportunity for V and Asher.
Well... to conclude allow me to introduce you to our goal school for Aidan this fall: Covenant Classical Christian School. Perhaps if we sell the house we'll be able to come up with tuition? ;)
The above link is being testy so if it doesn't work for you just copy and paste:
http://www.covenantcs.org
IF we get a court date in July, which is "possible" (there is a reason the word possible is in quotation marks)then that likely means August, which means I'll be gone approximately the first 3 months of the school year. Not only that, but when I return I'll have a 8 year old, who knows little/no English, that I'll have to begin working with to get caught up, in addition to the most active 3 year old EVER. I know my limits and I know my capabilities, I also know I am NOT supermom, nor have I ever claimed to be.
To that end... what do I do about school for Aidan? We've thrown around several possibilities:
1. We do school over the summer and then take an extended break while I am in Russia
2. We take a summer break and then Darren spends 3 hours each evening doing school with Aidan while I am in Russia
3. Aidan attends the public school that is right behind our house
4. We send him to the ridiculous expensive Christian School with a full time nurse
5. We send him to the less expensive PCA (Presbyterian Church of America) school (that we LOVE) which has just acquired a full time nurse.
6. Aidan stays home and we send V to school.
We also had several arguments for and against each possibility:
For example:
We could go with option 1 as listed above. However, we are ALL (especially with Darren working so much and being gone for most of April) ready for a SUMMER, and IF we end up in Russia the end of summer/fall I can't imagine not having spent the summer focusing on Aidan and Asher and just enjoying time with them. Similarly, we've thought about starting when we normally would (if I'm in the US) and then taking an extended break while I'm gone, but then don't feel that is the solution either, as then I'd have to play catch up with Aidan, begin working with V, and preschool with Asher. No way could I spread myself out and give all three of them what they need.
We've thought about option 2. Continuing to H.S. and having Darren do school with Aidan at night when he gets home from work (while I am in Russia) but we don't feel that is the right solution either as the boys will already be missing me, and then to have Daddy come home from work and spend the next 2.5-3 hours doing school with Aidan would be unfair. Asher wouldn't get ANY time with Darren, and the time Aidan saw him would be spent solely on doing schoolwork.
We've looked at some more Private School's, and found some that are slightly more reasonable then $600 a month we were looking at last year. We would feel comfortable with both the curriculum, care and location and most important, THEOLOGY but just don't see how we could possibly swing the tuition...
That leaves public school, which of course I'm not thrilled about, BUT I personally don't think it's the end of the world either. IF we have to make that decision, it's only 5 minutes from the house (and in case of emergency for my mother in law who will be caring for the boys during the day would be super conveinent) academically it is the best in the state... and Aidan knows enough to stand up for his beliefs and what we've taught him... at Max he'd be there for a year, depending on when we traveled maybe only a semester. My biggest concern is he'd fall behind because he's so far ahead... and I don't want him doing that either, the last thing I need is a "bored" child...
And finally option 6. which is really not an option at all. Aidan is well bonded, well attached, and VERY versed in his beliefs, he's social, he's confident and he's not afraid to tell it like it is. I know he'd ENJOY going to school outside the house. V on the other hand will still be new to everything. New to the family, new to the culture, new to his surroundings, I can't fathom sending him to school for 7 hours a day-I think he needs to be home, I think he needs the comfort and security and one on two (Asher will be here too) attention that I'd be able to give him. I also think it would create a unique bonding opportunity for V and Asher.
Well... to conclude allow me to introduce you to our goal school for Aidan this fall: Covenant Classical Christian School. Perhaps if we sell the house we'll be able to come up with tuition? ;)
The above link is being testy so if it doesn't work for you just copy and paste:
http://www.covenantcs.org
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Mom Song by Go Fish Guys!!! Love 'em!
The only reward I seek is to raise Godly children, who in turn, raise Godly children.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Child COURT ORDERED to go to Public School
and we are naive enough to think persecution isn't happening today. Certainly we are not persecuted like our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world, but THIS is certainly a form of persecution.
The Alliance Defense Fund is reporting today on a story concerning a child named Amanda who has been ordered by a New Hampshire judge to go to public school because her divorced parents could not agree on where to send her.
Amanda's mother, Brenda Voydatch is a devout Christian who has home schooled her daughter since she entered school. Martin Kurowski', Amanda's father, who is not a Christian, believes his daughter should be removed from homeschooling and put into public school because of issues having to do with "social interaction".
The court looking into this case found that Amanda's mother Brenda was using curriculum that exceeds all state review standards, and Amanda going to public school for supplemental classes, and having also been found to be well liked, social and actively involved in sports and other things that keep Amanda involved with her peers.
However, this isn't the end of the story. Despite the findings of the court, an investigator working on the case discovered that "Amanda appeared to reflect her mother's rigidity on questions of faith" and her "vigorous defense of her religious beliefs to [her] counselor suggests strongly that she has not had the opportunity to seriously consider any other point of view." Because of this the judge has ordered Amanda into public school.
Now the Alliance Defense Fund is fighting for the parent's fundamental right to make educational choices for their children.
"Parents have a fundamental right to make educational choices for their children," said Simmons. "In this case, the court is essentially saying that the evidence shows that, socially and academically, this girl is doing great, but her religious beliefs are a bit too sincerely held and must be sifted, tested by, and mixed among other worldviews. This is a step too far for any court to take."
If this court feels it has the right to take this step...what's next? Will a Christian school be forced to hire a teacher who engages in homosexual activity to bring "diversity" to their students? Will public school districts feel free to ban Christian clubs from campus because they believe there is one way to heaven? Will Christian students and teachers be forced to remove cross necklaces, "WWJD?" bracelets or T-shirts with a Gospel verse because they might improperly influence other youngsters?
Please remember little Amanda in your prayers... and all home-schooled children for that matter.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Update
Well we are at the end of our 6th week. Aidan got his first two certificates of completion. Awhile back I found packages of award slips in the dollar bins at target, each package has something like 20 awards in it. So I decided that whenever we complete a workbook, or a new concept is mastered, or a theme is finished Aidan will earn a certificate. Then when he gets a certain number of certificates (number is undecided as of yet) he will get a prize (also undecided as of yet). His first certificate came on Thursday when we finished the first book we were using for Bible School. He got the second this morning for finishing up the alphabet in English. He's got all 21 consonants plus the 5 short vowels sounds down! He's also starting to put together some digraphs on his own but we don't officially start those until next week.
I somehow managed to get us so far ahead in math that technically we don't have to do any work until Thursday of next week. I don't know how I accomplished this as it certainly wasn't on purpose... So after finishing up the alphabet with the letter X in English this morning we headed out for our first field trip. We had planned this outing to be the zoo since we have an annual family pass, but of course it was rainy and icky out. So, we ended up at the Children's museum to see the butterfly exhibit. I had planned on getting a family membership for $80 anyway and so it seemed like a good day to go ahead and do that, seeing as if we had just visited for the day and seen the butterfly's it would have been $40.
The butterfly exhibit was ok, I wasn't that impressed with it to be honest and we've heard quite a few people go on and on about it. I mean there were plenty of butterfly's and they were flying around but after you climb around inside a 40 foot child, well a few butterfly's don't seem nearly as exciting.
Yep, we were inside Eddie today. You can climb EDDIE'S vertebrae to his brain, crawl through his heart, bounce around inside his stomach and slide out his intestines. As a model of learning through immersion, EDDIE allows children to use their gross motor skills to discover what’s inside their bodies.
The only problem was that the boys were frightened by some of the sounds Eddie made. When you were in his intestines/stomach I guess the noise was to imitate digestion? Of course you heard the heartbeat when you were in the heart, but the part that really got them was when we got up to the brain, it was very loud and I guess the noise there was to simulate synopsis... that's my theory anyway. There was also A LOT of climbing involved, and a lot of dark tunnels, both boys found this pretty frightening and intimidating the first time through. Then after seeing the butterfly's Aidan asked to go back through, promising not to fuss, so Darren sat with Asher and Aidan and I climbed back through Eddie. Not a peep from Aidan, it was like a completely different kid. When we were finished Aidan was begging to do it again. So he did, this time with Darren.
We also explored a bit in the body works exhibit. They talked about the different types of joints in the body, had a skeleton the boys could control by pulling ropes, a game that determined what/who had the fastest heartbeat: bird, elephant, child or adult. Aidan guessed child, it was acutally the bird. We learned how many bones are inside the body-206! There was also this computerized volleyball thing that put your pictures up on the screen and you had to try to move your real body to hit the computerized volleyball, it was quite difficult actually. The also had an x-ray station, which was perfect since we had gone over the letter x in the morning!
Darren and I were both VERY impressed with the museum, and thought that just the few exhibits we explored were so neat!!! Can't wait to go back!
I somehow managed to get us so far ahead in math that technically we don't have to do any work until Thursday of next week. I don't know how I accomplished this as it certainly wasn't on purpose... So after finishing up the alphabet with the letter X in English this morning we headed out for our first field trip. We had planned this outing to be the zoo since we have an annual family pass, but of course it was rainy and icky out. So, we ended up at the Children's museum to see the butterfly exhibit. I had planned on getting a family membership for $80 anyway and so it seemed like a good day to go ahead and do that, seeing as if we had just visited for the day and seen the butterfly's it would have been $40.
The butterfly exhibit was ok, I wasn't that impressed with it to be honest and we've heard quite a few people go on and on about it. I mean there were plenty of butterfly's and they were flying around but after you climb around inside a 40 foot child, well a few butterfly's don't seem nearly as exciting.
Yep, we were inside Eddie today. You can climb EDDIE'S vertebrae to his brain, crawl through his heart, bounce around inside his stomach and slide out his intestines. As a model of learning through immersion, EDDIE allows children to use their gross motor skills to discover what’s inside their bodies.
The only problem was that the boys were frightened by some of the sounds Eddie made. When you were in his intestines/stomach I guess the noise was to imitate digestion? Of course you heard the heartbeat when you were in the heart, but the part that really got them was when we got up to the brain, it was very loud and I guess the noise there was to simulate synopsis... that's my theory anyway. There was also A LOT of climbing involved, and a lot of dark tunnels, both boys found this pretty frightening and intimidating the first time through. Then after seeing the butterfly's Aidan asked to go back through, promising not to fuss, so Darren sat with Asher and Aidan and I climbed back through Eddie. Not a peep from Aidan, it was like a completely different kid. When we were finished Aidan was begging to do it again. So he did, this time with Darren.
We also explored a bit in the body works exhibit. They talked about the different types of joints in the body, had a skeleton the boys could control by pulling ropes, a game that determined what/who had the fastest heartbeat: bird, elephant, child or adult. Aidan guessed child, it was acutally the bird. We learned how many bones are inside the body-206! There was also this computerized volleyball thing that put your pictures up on the screen and you had to try to move your real body to hit the computerized volleyball, it was quite difficult actually. The also had an x-ray station, which was perfect since we had gone over the letter x in the morning!
Darren and I were both VERY impressed with the museum, and thought that just the few exhibits we explored were so neat!!! Can't wait to go back!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Oi!
It's been busy around here lately. When I last posted we were at the end of our 3rd week of school and now we are the middle of our 6th week.
School is going...
It is either great or it is horrible. Aidan either puts forth 100% effort or -0% effort, there is NO inbetween. Since labor day I have slacked off on the sticker chart. It worked wonders the week I used it though! Hmm, maybe I should take a cue and start it up again?
Anyway most days school does go just fine. There are a few things however that get up my nose like fingernails on a chalkboard. Aidan has this habit of doing his work and then asking after every single stroke he makes if he is doing a good job, but for crying out loud, I can't even finish answering about the first mark he made before he asks about the second. Therefore, he is not allowed to ask if he is doing a good job until he is finished with an assignment. Besides, he knows when he is doing a good job and when he is not doing a good job, I don't need to tell him.
Our school day is cut in half because it's what works for us. Bible, Math and on Friday's Science too in the mornings, then gym and lunch, then we resume and do English and History/Social Studies. We've been at this long enough that Aidan knows the routine, besides this kid has the memory of an elephant-truly. With that being said I've nixed the asking "are we done with the first part of school yet?" Again, he knows the routine, he knows we're not finished until Math, or Science is done. Also, he wiggles. A lot. He thumbs the pages at the bottom of his workbooks. All the time. He plays with his erasers. These things drive me absolutely bonkers, but I see no proof that they are distracting him-just annoying me, so as of yet he still gets these boyish privileges.
We are nearly finished with our first Bible School Book that our pastor Dr. Sinclair Ferguson wrote. The Big Book of Bible Truths 2. I like it a lot, it's fun for me because he uses some of his Scottish phrases, most of the time Aidan is on the same level as what is being taught or communicated, but there have been a few times I've felt it's just beyond what he can wrap his little mind around.
Math is going so well. At this rate he will need a tutor by 3rd grade. He is so smart. Probably around the time I last posted I began teaching counting by 10's. He caught on so fast it was ridiculous, then all on his own he started counting by 5's which hasn't even been hinted at in the curriculum. He is adding and subtracting crazy big numbers and asking me constantly things like "what's 40 + 40 + 9 +9?" As was my question tonight that made me second guess myself. Then little Mr. Smartypants proceeded to tell me that "yes, that is correct mommy, because two 40's is 80 and two 9's is 18, so the answer is 98." Who is this kid and where did he come from?!? We did introduce place value, which I was so nervous about, but my friend Stephanie who teaches elementary school back in Colorado gave me some great ideas. The first time I introduced the concept he stared at me, but he's caught on and is doing just fine with it now. We've also learned pennies, nickles, dimes, quarters and dollar bills. He knows his ordinal numbers, tally marks.. the kid is a math whiz. He loves it and it shows.
Science... ya. Science I haven't done since my last post. Which I still need to write about, I will-eventually. But we had the labor day weekend, so no school the 4th. And then last weekend I decided to trade Friday for Saturday so Aidan could have Friday with Darren before he had to leave for his drill weekend in Atlanta. When Saturday rolled around I completely forgot about doing science. Plus Aidan really looks forward to having Darren home to do Science with so no big loss there. But as I mentioned in my other blog we've been building an ark in the garage, so I suppose that would give us at least partial credit in Science.
English is our longest subject. We will finish up the alphabet this week with X, Y and Z. Next week we start learning Digraphs. Until today I didn't even know what a Digraph was... Awesome, my kindergartner's curriculum makes me feel stupid. Hurrah! Aidan is doing really well at learning the sounds and it seems like he reads better every day. As part of the curriculum he is required to read a short one page story either before or after our lesson, and then I try at least a few nights a week to spend time reading other books we have around the house with him. I think I am going to introduce spelling tests either this week, or perhaps I'll wait to next week, but he's ready for the challenge. His one issue, and I'm beginning to think it's a boy thing, is penmanship. Now, he actually has very nice handwriting WHEN HE TAKES HIS TIME, does it slowly and stays focused. However, he tends to start off doing a good job but by the time he is halfway through he is so sloppy it's absurd. I don't tolerate this kind of work and typically make him erase it and begin from the beginning, he is less then thrilled with this and I think is beginning to catch on to the idea that if he does it right the first time it really does go faster. I also have learned that this is one of the few areas he needs someone "breathing down his neck" so to speak. As I mentioned he typically starts off writing and does a great job, if I stay right next to him and remind him every so often he needs to do his best, and why(because we're supposed to work as if we were doing our work for the Lord) he stays on task 90-95 % of the time. If however I allow him to work alone he ends of redoing his work 90-95% of the time.
History remains my favorite subject to teach him, I can't say enough about the curriculum I'm using, I just love Love LOVE it! So far we've had 3 memory verses. Genesis 1:1, John 1:1 and right now we're working on Genesis 11:9b. We've covered the Creation week. How sin and Corruption entered the world, and how through that the world became cursed but that God made a promise that He would one day send a Savior. We've talked about Cain and Able and how anger leads to hatred and hatred to murder and how because of that God see's the attitude of hatred and anger as the same as murder. We've discussed the Catastrophy of the worldwide flood and how it was God's judgement on sinful man, and that Noah was saved because he trusted God. This week we'll finish up chapter 3 by learning about Confusion at the Tower of Babel.
Social Studies thus far has really just been busy work or fun activities, which I'm fine with, and I think is a welcome change for the both of us.
Russian is going well, he is learning... slowly. He does surprisingly well understanding what they are saying, he has a harder time saying it himself... normal.
Phonics... I don't have him use the supplement as regularly as I thought I would, our days are pretty full and I miss playtime with the boys so tonight was the first time he's done phonics on the computer since my last post. But he's doing so well and his English curriculum incorporates and teaches phonics that I'm not going to sweat it. It's just a good resource to have to supplement with from time to time.
Shewww, I think that sums it up. I will post about our last science project, probably this weekend.
For now here are some pictures from the last few weeks.
Working on his phonics computer program, September 2nd.
It tells you the proper placement of your tongue and everything!
Aidan watching President Obama's speech to students. Now don't go getting your panty's in a wad. I think it was a great speech, especially coming from a secular worldview. I am not endorsing everything the man stands for nor do I agree with any or all of his policies or agendas. HOWEVER, he is THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. The Bible clearly states in Romans 13:1-7 "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God" and thus in my house the man will be treated and talked about with respect. Now that I've got that out of the way, when I asked Aidan what he learned he gave me the following report, "we should always do our best, even if we don't like going to school, and listen to our teacher and have a good attitude." And that's where the worldview made a difference, the President encouraged doing a good job so the students can make something of and feel good about themselves, when a Biblical worldview would be something more along the lines of, yes, we SHOULD do those things, BUT we should do those things because by doing our best we are honoring God. Doesn't mean what he said was wrong, he just has a different starting point, Aidan knows the difference, I went over it with him and all was good.
Reading and Writing and so darn adorable! September 9th.
Aidan showing off his reading abilities to Darren. Poor Darren was so tired he could hardly keep his eyes open.
Sneak Peak.
Boys after first day of painting the ark.
Asher has a thing for balls. Have I mentioned this. He LOVES them. Give him a ball and he is good to go. This is how he occupied himself one morning during school.
Working on our timeline for history. So far we've got: Eternity Past, and the first four of our seven C's. Creation, Corruption, Catastrophy and Confusion.
Coloring in his history coloring book. IT IS OF HIS OWN ACCORD TO MAKE IT LOOK IDENTICAL TO THE PAGE IN THE BOOK. In the second picture he is explaining to himself that it's ok if the colors don't match exactly, because after all they're close as he can get.
The finished work. OCD? Perfectionist? Nah... he's not at all like his mama. ;)
Until next time, thanks for stopping by Iz'achestvo Academy!
School is going...
It is either great or it is horrible. Aidan either puts forth 100% effort or -0% effort, there is NO inbetween. Since labor day I have slacked off on the sticker chart. It worked wonders the week I used it though! Hmm, maybe I should take a cue and start it up again?
Anyway most days school does go just fine. There are a few things however that get up my nose like fingernails on a chalkboard. Aidan has this habit of doing his work and then asking after every single stroke he makes if he is doing a good job, but for crying out loud, I can't even finish answering about the first mark he made before he asks about the second. Therefore, he is not allowed to ask if he is doing a good job until he is finished with an assignment. Besides, he knows when he is doing a good job and when he is not doing a good job, I don't need to tell him.
Our school day is cut in half because it's what works for us. Bible, Math and on Friday's Science too in the mornings, then gym and lunch, then we resume and do English and History/Social Studies. We've been at this long enough that Aidan knows the routine, besides this kid has the memory of an elephant-truly. With that being said I've nixed the asking "are we done with the first part of school yet?" Again, he knows the routine, he knows we're not finished until Math, or Science is done. Also, he wiggles. A lot. He thumbs the pages at the bottom of his workbooks. All the time. He plays with his erasers. These things drive me absolutely bonkers, but I see no proof that they are distracting him-just annoying me, so as of yet he still gets these boyish privileges.
We are nearly finished with our first Bible School Book that our pastor Dr. Sinclair Ferguson wrote. The Big Book of Bible Truths 2. I like it a lot, it's fun for me because he uses some of his Scottish phrases, most of the time Aidan is on the same level as what is being taught or communicated, but there have been a few times I've felt it's just beyond what he can wrap his little mind around.
Math is going so well. At this rate he will need a tutor by 3rd grade. He is so smart. Probably around the time I last posted I began teaching counting by 10's. He caught on so fast it was ridiculous, then all on his own he started counting by 5's which hasn't even been hinted at in the curriculum. He is adding and subtracting crazy big numbers and asking me constantly things like "what's 40 + 40 + 9 +9?" As was my question tonight that made me second guess myself. Then little Mr. Smartypants proceeded to tell me that "yes, that is correct mommy, because two 40's is 80 and two 9's is 18, so the answer is 98." Who is this kid and where did he come from?!? We did introduce place value, which I was so nervous about, but my friend Stephanie who teaches elementary school back in Colorado gave me some great ideas. The first time I introduced the concept he stared at me, but he's caught on and is doing just fine with it now. We've also learned pennies, nickles, dimes, quarters and dollar bills. He knows his ordinal numbers, tally marks.. the kid is a math whiz. He loves it and it shows.
Science... ya. Science I haven't done since my last post. Which I still need to write about, I will-eventually. But we had the labor day weekend, so no school the 4th. And then last weekend I decided to trade Friday for Saturday so Aidan could have Friday with Darren before he had to leave for his drill weekend in Atlanta. When Saturday rolled around I completely forgot about doing science. Plus Aidan really looks forward to having Darren home to do Science with so no big loss there. But as I mentioned in my other blog we've been building an ark in the garage, so I suppose that would give us at least partial credit in Science.
English is our longest subject. We will finish up the alphabet this week with X, Y and Z. Next week we start learning Digraphs. Until today I didn't even know what a Digraph was... Awesome, my kindergartner's curriculum makes me feel stupid. Hurrah! Aidan is doing really well at learning the sounds and it seems like he reads better every day. As part of the curriculum he is required to read a short one page story either before or after our lesson, and then I try at least a few nights a week to spend time reading other books we have around the house with him. I think I am going to introduce spelling tests either this week, or perhaps I'll wait to next week, but he's ready for the challenge. His one issue, and I'm beginning to think it's a boy thing, is penmanship. Now, he actually has very nice handwriting WHEN HE TAKES HIS TIME, does it slowly and stays focused. However, he tends to start off doing a good job but by the time he is halfway through he is so sloppy it's absurd. I don't tolerate this kind of work and typically make him erase it and begin from the beginning, he is less then thrilled with this and I think is beginning to catch on to the idea that if he does it right the first time it really does go faster. I also have learned that this is one of the few areas he needs someone "breathing down his neck" so to speak. As I mentioned he typically starts off writing and does a great job, if I stay right next to him and remind him every so often he needs to do his best, and why(because we're supposed to work as if we were doing our work for the Lord) he stays on task 90-95 % of the time. If however I allow him to work alone he ends of redoing his work 90-95% of the time.
History remains my favorite subject to teach him, I can't say enough about the curriculum I'm using, I just love Love LOVE it! So far we've had 3 memory verses. Genesis 1:1, John 1:1 and right now we're working on Genesis 11:9b. We've covered the Creation week. How sin and Corruption entered the world, and how through that the world became cursed but that God made a promise that He would one day send a Savior. We've talked about Cain and Able and how anger leads to hatred and hatred to murder and how because of that God see's the attitude of hatred and anger as the same as murder. We've discussed the Catastrophy of the worldwide flood and how it was God's judgement on sinful man, and that Noah was saved because he trusted God. This week we'll finish up chapter 3 by learning about Confusion at the Tower of Babel.
Social Studies thus far has really just been busy work or fun activities, which I'm fine with, and I think is a welcome change for the both of us.
Russian is going well, he is learning... slowly. He does surprisingly well understanding what they are saying, he has a harder time saying it himself... normal.
Phonics... I don't have him use the supplement as regularly as I thought I would, our days are pretty full and I miss playtime with the boys so tonight was the first time he's done phonics on the computer since my last post. But he's doing so well and his English curriculum incorporates and teaches phonics that I'm not going to sweat it. It's just a good resource to have to supplement with from time to time.
Shewww, I think that sums it up. I will post about our last science project, probably this weekend.
For now here are some pictures from the last few weeks.
Working on his phonics computer program, September 2nd.It tells you the proper placement of your tongue and everything!
Aidan watching President Obama's speech to students. Now don't go getting your panty's in a wad. I think it was a great speech, especially coming from a secular worldview. I am not endorsing everything the man stands for nor do I agree with any or all of his policies or agendas. HOWEVER, he is THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. The Bible clearly states in Romans 13:1-7 "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God" and thus in my house the man will be treated and talked about with respect. Now that I've got that out of the way, when I asked Aidan what he learned he gave me the following report, "we should always do our best, even if we don't like going to school, and listen to our teacher and have a good attitude." And that's where the worldview made a difference, the President encouraged doing a good job so the students can make something of and feel good about themselves, when a Biblical worldview would be something more along the lines of, yes, we SHOULD do those things, BUT we should do those things because by doing our best we are honoring God. Doesn't mean what he said was wrong, he just has a different starting point, Aidan knows the difference, I went over it with him and all was good.
Reading and Writing and so darn adorable! September 9th.
Aidan showing off his reading abilities to Darren. Poor Darren was so tired he could hardly keep his eyes open.
Sneak Peak.Boys after first day of painting the ark.
Asher has a thing for balls. Have I mentioned this. He LOVES them. Give him a ball and he is good to go. This is how he occupied himself one morning during school.
Working on our timeline for history. So far we've got: Eternity Past, and the first four of our seven C's. Creation, Corruption, Catastrophy and Confusion.
Coloring in his history coloring book. IT IS OF HIS OWN ACCORD TO MAKE IT LOOK IDENTICAL TO THE PAGE IN THE BOOK. In the second picture he is explaining to himself that it's ok if the colors don't match exactly, because after all they're close as he can get.
The finished work. OCD? Perfectionist? Nah... he's not at all like his mama. ;)Until next time, thanks for stopping by Iz'achestvo Academy!
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