My oldest son, fondly referred to as The Writer, recently turned fourteen. A year into this "mom of a teenager" gig, I've got some new reflections or musings and wanted to share them with you, because some parts of teenager-hood just aren't talked about enough.
We hear plenty of how sullen and moody they are. How they push the boundaries and test the limits and talk back and suddenly develop Attitude. We hear all the horror stories and funny tales about surviving the teen years, and how teen boys have appetites big enough for whole countries. We hear about all of those things, often.
But we don't hear very much about the cool things, the good things, the bits and pieces of watching a teenager unfold, a boy merge into a man, before your very eyes. The mystery and joy of seeing a child grow into an adult, the personality traits that frustrated you in the toddler now making you proud in the teen. "Stubborn" at four really does look like "determined" at fourteen. The baby who thought line drawings of molecules seemed interesting now looks at those same drawings and begins to understand them. The child who recognized his letters, could name them on sight, before he was two is now reading Poe.
Yes, folks; Poe. He's reading Poe. For fun. And mostly understanding it.
In a moment of boredom yesterday he asked if he had anything available to read. I oh so kindly pointed out shelf after shelf of books that live in this house and then realized I had a golden opportunity here to suggest something he might enjoy. My suggestion surprised us both. Well, not really; he didn't know enough about Poe to be surprised. But it surprised me.
I glanced over the shelves, searching for something to capture my boy's interest, yet something that said "I know you aren't a kid anymore and don't like reading the same books as your younger brother these days...." That's when I saw it, the Complete Collection of Stories & Poems by Edgar Allen Poe. Picked up for a song at a library book fair several years ago. Tucked on the shelf for random reading. Moved to the back of a closet in recent times, and then to a bin of "to donate" books that were taking up room I didn't have to spare. The Poe, along with several other books, was rescued from the bin when we moved into the new house and suddenly did have room to spare. And so there it was. Sitting. Waiting. Ready for my boy to pick it up and begin reading.
Even if I wasn't quite. Ready, that is. I mean, sure, I suggested it. I offered it to him and found The Tell-Tale Heart in the contents and turned him to that page. I commented that The Raven was another famous poem if he finished the first one. And I left him to it, not really sure he'd like it, not really sure he'd keep reading past the first page.
But he did. He read The Tell-Tale Heart sitting on the couch while his brothers played. He flipped over to The Raven sitting at the patio table while his brothers debated a dip in the pool. He kept reading random selections while they (very briefly) swam. This morning he had it out again, reading another short story. He was intrigued, I was surprised & mystified. My little boy is reading Poe???
I'm not sure when it happened, but it did. Sure, he admits to not understanding all that he's read (heck, it's Poe. Of course he doesn't understand every single one he reads....), but he's reading grown-up stuff. No more Seuss over and over and over again. No more books chosen for size of text, number of pictures, number of pages between chapter breaks.
It's truly an amazing, wonderful, marvelous, crazy, strange, mystifying, glorious thing. A teenager in the house. Not a scary, frightening, doomed to be miserable thing at all. A chance to watch, to listen, to learn, to grow. To discuss literature. Or politics. Or philosophy.
We've lately included The Writer in our movie-watching, complete with the post-movie discussion period. A movie about lies leading up to the war in Iraq* becomes a chance to discuss how people bend the truth, distort the facts, and why that's a dangerous thing for leaders to do and something to be aware of in every news article you read.
A movie about a strange group of people whose job is to keep your life on track**, making sure you don't veer off The Plan, becomes a discussion of free will, choices, destiny, and if it's good or bad to have total freedom.
And handing a bored teenager a book of Poe's short stories leads to discussions about guilt, the conscience, death, and how to read & understand literature when at first it doesn't make sense.
But what's really going on is a parent, bonding with a child.
A discussion about these things teaches the boy that it's okay to ask questions, that his parents will answer as best they can and not judge him when he asks. A discussion about these things says to a boy "You are becoming our equal in some ways" and gives him the confidence to step tentatively forward into manhood, knowing his mom & dad respect him, value his opinions enough to ask about them, listen to them, hear him out as he speaks his mind. Even when the opinions are still being shaped, molded, tried on & tested --- these discussions let him test & try them on a safe audience.
And so a movie or two, a book of Poe, the discussions that follow....key ingredients in the transition from boy to man. Magic, happening right before my eyes. I say "what do you think about that?" and he hears "I value you, I respect you, what you say matters to me." Magic words. More powerful than any old please or thank-you ever was.
And this magic, this mystery.....this is the side of teenager that should be talked about. Not the grumpies, not the bottomless pit of a stomach, not the big bad attitude. The magic. The growing, not in stature but in maturity. The change, the shift, the subtle differences from one day to the next, the "blink and you'll miss it" growing up, from boy to man, before your very eyes.
Magic. Absolute magic. I would not trade this for anything else in the world.
for those who will ask, the movies were *Fair Game and **Adjustment Bureau. He understood, and intelligently discussed, both. Magic, I tell you. Absolute magic.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Good Citizenship Thoughts from a 10 Year Old....
I want to thank each of you who commented on Son #1's thoughts about being a good citizen, and assure you that I'll address your comments when I write this from my point of view later this week.
Today has been our Independence Day celebration and we've mostly been lazing around not doing much, but I'm finally coming back to share the things that Son #2 thinks are key points of being a good citizen. Please keep in mind, he's 10 years old.
What does The Artist think makes a good citizen?
I think for a ten year old boy he's got a decent beginning, wouldn't you agree?
Today has been our Independence Day celebration and we've mostly been lazing around not doing much, but I'm finally coming back to share the things that Son #2 thinks are key points of being a good citizen. Please keep in mind, he's 10 years old.
What does The Artist think makes a good citizen?
Recycling. Not making a racket when your neighbors are trying to sleep. Playing with little kids. Respecting the dead.Short list, simple things, nothing to in depth but again he strikes right to the heart of the matter -- being a good citizen is kind of like being a good neighbor and treating others as you'd wish to be treated.
I think for a ten year old boy he's got a decent beginning, wouldn't you agree?
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Being a Good Citizen, from Son #1
My boys have daily creative writing for school. I print a calendar of writing prompts from Lakeshore Learning's Teacher's Corner & their Printables page, and the boys write. Easy for me, they enjoy it, and I love learning about my boys through what they put on paper.
A recent topic surprised me with their insight -- "Tell what you think it means to be a good citizen."
As this week marks Brazil's Independence Day I thought it a good time to share on this topic, and will follow up with my own thoughts later this week. For today, what The Writer (almost 14) thinks it means to be a Good Citizen (shared with his permission).
Simple. Basic. Focused on being kind and helpful to our fellow man, with no prejudice or criteria for who deserves our kindness or help.
I think he covered the important parts, don't you?
*look for The Artist's thoughts tomorrow and my thoughts later this week.....
A recent topic surprised me with their insight -- "Tell what you think it means to be a good citizen."
As this week marks Brazil's Independence Day I thought it a good time to share on this topic, and will follow up with my own thoughts later this week. For today, what The Writer (almost 14) thinks it means to be a Good Citizen (shared with his permission).
To be a good citizen is....
To be polite to our neighbors and to follow the law for sure, but it would also be pretty good to recycle and not waste things. Not arguing with your friends or brothers/sisters would also be nice. And also, helping others in need.
Simple. Basic. Focused on being kind and helpful to our fellow man, with no prejudice or criteria for who deserves our kindness or help.
I think he covered the important parts, don't you?
*look for The Artist's thoughts tomorrow and my thoughts later this week.....
Friday, August 19, 2011
I remembered the funny thing The Artist said.....
So, yesterday I mentioned that The Artist puts me to sleep entertains me each night by asking me random questions while I'm trying to get The Adventurer to fall asleep, and I was all set to share one such question with you.....only I forgot.
Except now I remembered, so here you go.
The Artist is studying American History this year, a continuation from last year, and right now he's reading a book called Freedom Train about Harriet Tubman who herself escaped from slavery and then returned to The South over and over again to lead more and more slaves North to Freedom.
Now, having arrived at this, that does in fact mean he's covered the Civil War, a biography of Abraham Lincoln, etc. He knows about the time period, in other words.
So, he asked me why Brazil went and stole slaves from Africa.
I answered that all the countries who had slaves pretty much stole people from Africa, and I didn't know why. Perhaps because the people who were the slave owners felt that someone who looked really different from themselves was less of a person*.
He mulled that over and said something about being glad the US didn't have slaves.
I said that the US did have slaves.
"What?!? You mean.....what?! I thought slaves were just in the South???"
Yes, the south. The southern states of the United States, ie, southern America, not South America.
"Wait....what?? You mean...Texas?? Texas might have had slaves?????"
He was shocked, appalled, horrified, and all sorts of other things.
I was torn between being horrified that he mixed up this little fact so badly and wanting to laugh because it just figures that a kid living in South America would accidentally confuse the two terms. He was, after all, drawing on his personal frame of reference and "south" of the US is S. America, and by extension, Brazil. Honest mistake. Funny, hilarious in my "I just want to sleep" state of mind, but honest.
I did straighten things out, and then we talked about Harriet Tubman walking to Canada, and he did laugh at himself for mixing up "The South (of America)" with "South America" and then it was midnight and I was waking up to head to my bed.
Have your kids ever made little innocent, but hilarious, mistakes like that?
*please rest assured that he knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, of the wrongness of this sort of thinking. By stating a historical fact I am in no way endorsing such a view. See previous post on Backing a Winner for my views on Equality for All should you have any doubts as to my thoughts on this.
Except now I remembered, so here you go.
The Artist is studying American History this year, a continuation from last year, and right now he's reading a book called Freedom Train about Harriet Tubman who herself escaped from slavery and then returned to The South over and over again to lead more and more slaves North to Freedom.
Now, having arrived at this, that does in fact mean he's covered the Civil War, a biography of Abraham Lincoln, etc. He knows about the time period, in other words.
So, he asked me why Brazil went and stole slaves from Africa.
I answered that all the countries who had slaves pretty much stole people from Africa, and I didn't know why. Perhaps because the people who were the slave owners felt that someone who looked really different from themselves was less of a person*.
He mulled that over and said something about being glad the US didn't have slaves.
I said that the US did have slaves.
"What?!? You mean.....what?! I thought slaves were just in the South???"
Yes, the south. The southern states of the United States, ie, southern America, not South America.
"Wait....what?? You mean...Texas?? Texas might have had slaves?????"
He was shocked, appalled, horrified, and all sorts of other things.
I was torn between being horrified that he mixed up this little fact so badly and wanting to laugh because it just figures that a kid living in South America would accidentally confuse the two terms. He was, after all, drawing on his personal frame of reference and "south" of the US is S. America, and by extension, Brazil. Honest mistake. Funny, hilarious in my "I just want to sleep" state of mind, but honest.
I did straighten things out, and then we talked about Harriet Tubman walking to Canada, and he did laugh at himself for mixing up "The South (of America)" with "South America" and then it was midnight and I was waking up to head to my bed.
Have your kids ever made little innocent, but hilarious, mistakes like that?
*please rest assured that he knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, of the wrongness of this sort of thinking. By stating a historical fact I am in no way endorsing such a view. See previous post on Backing a Winner for my views on Equality for All should you have any doubts as to my thoughts on this.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Books: The Diary Quilt Wouldn't be Complete Without Them....
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| Books What do you think -- add titles to the books, or leave them blank? |
I teach my boys at home. With books.
I've been reading since I was four, and have rarely been without a book since.
When we moved to Brazil, one-third of the boxes we packed and shipped over contained books, and that was the barest of the bare essentials; we did, painful as it was for me, leave some behind. Even gave some away.
I read on a Kindle now, but anything I already own in paper form is staying. I still read those, too.
This block is about all of that. About me, about reading, about my passion for reading. About teaching my boys, using books. Real books. Books they read over and over and over again.
It's a tribute to the many people in my life who helped me fall in love with reading. A tribute to the literature rich curriculum we use in our home school. A tribute to the years of bonding over books that I have had, will have, with my boys. A tribute to the friends, real life & on-line, who've helped me along the way, encouraging me in my teaching endeavors. It's a tribute, most of all, to the single thing I love most in this world (as far as objects go): Books.
To all the friends, characters in print, who filled my teenage years.
To good and untame lions and a world on the other side of a wardrobe door.
To Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern.
To a wise lawyer, raising his tomboy girl & football loving son, teaching them to climb inside someone's skin....or stand on his front porch....and see the world through someone else's eyes.
To a tight-knit band of teenage boys, fighting against society, who taught me what being Golden is all about and then made me cry like never before when a gallant young man was shot beneath a street light.
To a Bulldog and his Prince, now out of print and my copy ruined, who endured much at the hands of a boarding school headmaster who was a little bit "off," yet who found true friendship in each other.
To a young college graduate, who died too young but taught me that love means not having to say you're sorry. Because you're forgiven before the words leave your lips.
To the friends I didn't make until later.
A boy who grows from 11 to 18, learning what it means to do the right thing, to believe in something and to stand for something bigger than yourself.
To Pooh, with no shirt, and Piglet in green, and saying goodbye to Christopher Robin, the most poignant goodbye in literature if you ask me.
To a little Chinese immigrant to the United States, who learns baseball and how to mimic cartoon characters and how to make her American classmates laugh, and who helped me help my boys learn to live in Brazil.
To a real life mariner who lived a heartbreaking life and made me cry buckets.
To the Austin family and Charles Wallace and Meg and adventures that moved me way beyond.
To a clockwork man, and the boy who built him, who was introduced to me by my oldest son, a friend that he discovered on his own.
To elves and dwarfs and hobbits and men, who together journey an impossible journey to destroy the greatest evil they've ever known, and to my Chemist who first made me read of their tales.
To so many more, old friends, new friends, yet to come friends. Because nothing's better than books.
What is your favorite book? And how many of mine do you recognize? And, most pressing, should I embroider titles on the books in the block, or leave them blank.......and if I should, how on earth do I narrow it to six books??
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Book Review (by my 10 year old): Harry Potter Deathly Hallows
The older two boys have been reading the Harry Potter series in anticipation of the release of the final movie installment. Both boys are determined to finish the full series before the July 15 debut of HP7pt2, or Harry Potter 7 Part 2. We fully intend to see the movie opening weekend if at all possible.
While The Writer is not yet done, The Artist, age 10, finished Book 7 this past week. He was thrilled. I was thrilled. We've had a few (very brief) conversations about the book -- things like, "What was your favorite part??" answered by, "Umm, the end." And, "Was it sad? What did you think about......was that surprising?" answered by, "Yea."
In order to find out a little more, I handed The Artist my newest Secret Weapon for school -- a Book Review Book Mark. The boys will fill one out for every school book they read this year, fiction and non fiction. Sometimes they'll have to turn these comments into an actual paper in paragraph form, but for Harry Potter I decided the book mark was enough.
Without further ado, here's what The Artist, age 10, thinks about Harry Potter - Deathly Hallows.
Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Author: J. K. Rowling
Type of book (mystery, sci fi, etc.): fantasy
Setting (where/when): Hogwarts, London
Main Characters: Harry Potter, Ronald Weasely, Hermione Granger
Brief Summary: It's about three teenage wizards going on an adventure to stop a great evil
Rate the book from 1 (best) to 10 (worst): 1
Describe your favorite part of the book: the end and the epilogue
Describe your favorite character in the book: I like Harry Potter cause he defeats You Know Who
Explain why you would or would not recommend this book: (no answer given)
So, wow. I feel a bit bittersweet that my boy has read this most wonderful book. I have to tell you, The Artist was around 6.5 yrs before he started reading and 7 at least before he was reading fluently. So, for him now, at 10, to be reading books like Harry Potter.....just wow. Helps the bittersweet that it is a book series that has had a pretty big impact on me....the emotion in book seven gets me every time.
But this isn't my review, this is The Artist's review, so I'll stop typing now. Except, let me just say that I love love LOVE his brief summary: "...three...wizards going on an adventure to stop a great evil." Yep, I'd say he got the gist of it.
What about you? Read it? Or not? Love it, or hate it? Interested to hear what you think on the matter!
While The Writer is not yet done, The Artist, age 10, finished Book 7 this past week. He was thrilled. I was thrilled. We've had a few (very brief) conversations about the book -- things like, "What was your favorite part??" answered by, "Umm, the end." And, "Was it sad? What did you think about......was that surprising?" answered by, "Yea."
In order to find out a little more, I handed The Artist my newest Secret Weapon for school -- a Book Review Book Mark. The boys will fill one out for every school book they read this year, fiction and non fiction. Sometimes they'll have to turn these comments into an actual paper in paragraph form, but for Harry Potter I decided the book mark was enough.
Without further ado, here's what The Artist, age 10, thinks about Harry Potter - Deathly Hallows.
Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Author: J. K. Rowling
Type of book (mystery, sci fi, etc.): fantasy
Setting (where/when): Hogwarts, London
Main Characters: Harry Potter, Ronald Weasely, Hermione Granger
Brief Summary: It's about three teenage wizards going on an adventure to stop a great evil
Rate the book from 1 (best) to 10 (worst): 1
Describe your favorite part of the book: the end and the epilogue
Describe your favorite character in the book: I like Harry Potter cause he defeats You Know Who
Explain why you would or would not recommend this book: (no answer given)
So, wow. I feel a bit bittersweet that my boy has read this most wonderful book. I have to tell you, The Artist was around 6.5 yrs before he started reading and 7 at least before he was reading fluently. So, for him now, at 10, to be reading books like Harry Potter.....just wow. Helps the bittersweet that it is a book series that has had a pretty big impact on me....the emotion in book seven gets me every time.
But this isn't my review, this is The Artist's review, so I'll stop typing now. Except, let me just say that I love love LOVE his brief summary: "...three...wizards going on an adventure to stop a great evil." Yep, I'd say he got the gist of it.
What about you? Read it? Or not? Love it, or hate it? Interested to hear what you think on the matter!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Another Accomplished Scholar: The Writer
As you can probably guess from his blog nickname, my oldest son The Writer is more in tune to his literary side than his math side. I won't go so far as to say he's more right-brained than left-brained; the boy is phenomenally good at things like building and constructing (with Lego as well as any other material you hand him), and he's quite the engineer, really.
But math, which he's good at when he let's himself be, is not at all his favorite subject. He'd much rather be doing, well, anything else. Anything but math.
And this year, his 8th grade year, he started Algebra I. Today, he had his first Algebra test. He scored a 90, an A. And I couldn't be more proud.
(side note: I seem to say that about my boys pretty often.....)
Of course, in typical Writer fashion, he pulled some answers out of thin air. Or, more accurately, he flipped a coin for at least one of the True/False questions. (he got it right). And he let me know, though not too loudly, when a problem was tripping him up. I've come to expect that kind of thing and just ignore it. Or tease back.
When he really showed himself? The last question was a word problem, asking "If the Henderson family traveled 782 miles, at an average speed of 68 miles per hour, how many hours did the trip take?"
The Writer added the following:
As proud as I am of his 90% on the test, I have to admit I laughed, out loud and for real, at his final answer. Truthfully? His creativity there makes me just as proud as the A in Algebra.
I really am Mom to a fantastic bunch of boys, and my oldest is leading the way. What has someone done lately in your family to make you smile?
But math, which he's good at when he let's himself be, is not at all his favorite subject. He'd much rather be doing, well, anything else. Anything but math.
And this year, his 8th grade year, he started Algebra I. Today, he had his first Algebra test. He scored a 90, an A. And I couldn't be more proud.
(side note: I seem to say that about my boys pretty often.....)
Of course, in typical Writer fashion, he pulled some answers out of thin air. Or, more accurately, he flipped a coin for at least one of the True/False questions. (he got it right). And he let me know, though not too loudly, when a problem was tripping him up. I've come to expect that kind of thing and just ignore it. Or tease back.
When he really showed himself? The last question was a word problem, asking "If the Henderson family traveled 782 miles, at an average speed of 68 miles per hour, how many hours did the trip take?"
The Writer added the following:
(*pssst, Mom, the answer is 11.5)"Adding the time it took for each stop light, toll booth, traffic, and bathroom (or lunch) breaks, Who knows?"*
As proud as I am of his 90% on the test, I have to admit I laughed, out loud and for real, at his final answer. Truthfully? His creativity there makes me just as proud as the A in Algebra.
I really am Mom to a fantastic bunch of boys, and my oldest is leading the way. What has someone done lately in your family to make you smile?
Saturday, May 14, 2011
A Story by The Adventurer, Boy Genius (aka, the story that blogger ate)
I have a guest post today! Yes, my very own 6 year old son, with some commentary and translation by me. It promises to be hilariously fun, so set down your drink (far, far from your computer) and enjoy.
The scene starts with my not-yet-literate 6 yr old, The Adventurer, asking to "play Type" on the computer. That is 6 yr old code for "I want to type in Word, please." I, being the fun wonderful mom I am, said Sure.
Here is an excerpt from what he typed (the full document is a few pages long....), with pertinent translation by me.
Okay, now we see the really billions of moneys that the Sensei in fact took from the kids, and thus did not kill them, since they gave him their money. Aren't we relieved that the little children are only threatened, not really killed?? Yes, I was too.
Also, do you notice the winking emoticons? Those are the super really happy kids, winking at each other and "making their eyes like this (insert goofy 6 yr old winking face here)" because they are so super really happy.
And do you also notice that string of asterisks? That is not code for swear words, that is a snowball fight from one emoticon little boy to the other. Brilliant, I tell you. Brilliant.
One final clip, just to prove my boy's genius beyond a shadow of a doubt. This comes at the end of page four...
In case you are not well versed in emoticons, that's a sad face, and a happy face. Between them? That's an open book. The happy face emoticon is reading to the sad face emoticon, and the final line of this story by The Adventurer reads, once translated, "Wow, that was scary. What would have happened if the sensei had taken our money??"
Yes, you read that right. My not-yet-literate (except in emoticons) son just typed up four pages of gibberish that are his efforts at telling a story. Not just any story, but actually, when we get to the end of it, a story within a story.
Boy Genius, I tell you. Pure Boy Genius.
The scene starts with my not-yet-literate 6 yr old, The Adventurer, asking to "play Type" on the computer. That is 6 yr old code for "I want to type in Word, please." I, being the fun wonderful mom I am, said Sure.
Here is an excerpt from what he typed (the full document is a few pages long....), with pertinent translation by me.
THBIBYYINNNHGTHGHGHHTIBHU(:&9900000MVJVBUBYDYGYFYVNLNYUIRYVYRYRYVGRRYGYUGYRGWhat that part says is that an Evil Sensei has just threatened to kill some little kids if they don't give him their money. Note the smiley face, which indicates the Sensei is quite gleeful about this. Also note the "billions and billions of moneys" he plans to take from the kids. Clearly my son is genius.
9999990000000000000000000000TURUHYUHIRUTUIHUHUTHRUGHUHYHYRYTHTH(((;************(((;
Okay, now we see the really billions of moneys that the Sensei in fact took from the kids, and thus did not kill them, since they gave him their money. Aren't we relieved that the little children are only threatened, not really killed?? Yes, I was too.
Also, do you notice the winking emoticons? Those are the super really happy kids, winking at each other and "making their eyes like this (insert goofy 6 yr old winking face here)" because they are so super really happy.
And do you also notice that string of asterisks? That is not code for swear words, that is a snowball fight from one emoticon little boy to the other. Brilliant, I tell you. Brilliant.
One final clip, just to prove my boy's genius beyond a shadow of a doubt. This comes at the end of page four...
:( < :)
In case you are not well versed in emoticons, that's a sad face, and a happy face. Between them? That's an open book. The happy face emoticon is reading to the sad face emoticon, and the final line of this story by The Adventurer reads, once translated, "Wow, that was scary. What would have happened if the sensei had taken our money??"
Yes, you read that right. My not-yet-literate (except in emoticons) son just typed up four pages of gibberish that are his efforts at telling a story. Not just any story, but actually, when we get to the end of it, a story within a story.
Boy Genius, I tell you. Pure Boy Genius.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Last Day of School!!!
Yes, folks -- today was the last day of school for the boys.
We are celebrating by eating chips, watching movies, playing Nintendo, and having a nice, quiet craft hour.
There might also have been some snuggling in the hammock, and an extra cup of coffee because it is freezing outside.
(by freezing, I mean 20*C/68*F. Which is seriously cold.)
What are you celebrating today??? (if the answer is "nothing," feel free to make something up!)
We are celebrating by eating chips, watching movies, playing Nintendo, and having a nice, quiet craft hour.
There might also have been some snuggling in the hammock, and an extra cup of coffee because it is freezing outside.
(by freezing, I mean 20*C/68*F. Which is seriously cold.)
What are you celebrating today??? (if the answer is "nothing," feel free to make something up!)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Speaking Portuguese: Are We Fluent Yet?
We get asked, often, if we speak Portuguese, are we fluent, are the kids fluent, and any other variation on that question that you can possibly imagine. I was asked this again recently by fellow blogger Ray, a Brazilian living in the US.
Since I get the question all the time, and the answer is really too long for a reply comment, I thought I'd put it out here for all of you who maybe wonder but haven't asked yet.
The short answer is "Yes." And "Not really." Any of you who currently live outside your home country, or ever have, will understand that, but for the rest of you, let me explain a bit.
Language learning comes in waves and layers, and the first step to answering the question, "Do you speak the language?" is really understanding what the asker is actually asking. Does he mean, "Do you speak enough to get around?" Does he mean, "Do you speak like a native?" Is he really interested in "At what point between 'not a word of it' to 'like a native' are you currently in your language learning process?" See what I mean? It's not an easy question to answer.
If we draw a line, with "not a single word" on one end and "like a native" on the other, and understand then that I'll spend most of my time somewhere between the two, creeping ever so slowly towards that elusive "like a native" endpoint, you'll understand how the answer can vary so greatly.
Most people who ask the question mean, "Can you get around in town? Do you really have to do everything in Portuguese?? Are there no English speaking people most places, really???" The answer to that one is yes, I do everything in Portuguese (outside of the home), and no, most places, there aren't English speakers to help out.
Some people then ask, "Are you fluent??" and I haven't honestly figured out how to answer that, because "fluent" can mean something totally different to each person. For me, I keep "like a native" as the ever-present, seemingly unattainable ideal. In that case, the answer is no. Not even close. But, the situations where I have to pause and admit I have no idea what word I want, or I have to use a different phrasing than I would use in English, because I can't translate exactly -- in other words, the times I find my communication skills lacking or hindered -- those are fewer and fewer every day.
Do they still happen? Do I still sometimes resort to pantomime and made up sign language? Yes, of course. Do fast talkers still hopelessly trip me up? You betcha. Do technical situations, with language I don't use in the everyday course of life, scare the bejeebies out of me?? Yep, they sure do. But, can I muddle through and successfully, even if awkwardly, navigate my way through pretty much any situation, all in Portuguese? Yes, yes I can.
Does that make me fluent, though??? I don't know.
As for the kids, which is what Ray really asked about, the older two boys have had far more formal lessons than I have had. Their grammar is far better than mine, because I learned most of my Portuguese on the street, talking to the vendors at the fruit fair or the hippie fair. The boys, on the other hand, have had over a year's worth of lessons from a native speaker who comes to the house twice a week. Luci works with each boy for an hour at a time, two times a week. She's made sure to teach them educated Portuguese, proper grammar, and she doesn't let them slack off. In that way, they speak better than I do.
But they don't use their Portuguese as much. So, I muddle through, learning as I go, and sounding every bit the clumsy foreigner when I do speak the language. Meanwhile, my boys are quietly in the background, sometimes correcting me when I make mistakes. When the opportunity comes up, and the motivation is there, they seem to be further down that line towards "like a native" than I am. They just don't always have the motivation to actually speak in Portuguese.
The youngest, on the other hand, understands it well, pretends not to, and mostly refuses to speak Portuguese at all. Except for on the days when he asks me almost nonstop what the word for (fill in the blank) is in Portuguese, but I can never guess when those days will come. His Portuguese skills are largely based on his mood for the day, and as such, are totally unpredictable.
Oh, and as for the Chemist, he speaks and writes worlds above my level. He speaks Portuguese at work all day long, writes technical and professional emails in Portuguese, makes phone calls in Portuguese and I've not seen him stumble over understanding or expressing himself in ages. If you asked me about his level, I'd call him fluent. If you asked him, he'd say no way.
And that's the rub -- the more you learn, the more you realize you don't know and the more often you recognize your own mistakes. Which is why I'll never answer "yes" when someone asks if I'm fluent. No matter how it might seem to the person asking.
*note: this has been about my speaking ability, which is totally separate from my ability to understand the language; the distinction there and the fact there's a difference between the two is subject of a whole nother blog post, one I don't know that I'll ever write. Suffice it to say, just like young children, we often understand more than we can say, except when faced with a fast talker.
Since I get the question all the time, and the answer is really too long for a reply comment, I thought I'd put it out here for all of you who maybe wonder but haven't asked yet.
The short answer is "Yes." And "Not really." Any of you who currently live outside your home country, or ever have, will understand that, but for the rest of you, let me explain a bit.
Language learning comes in waves and layers, and the first step to answering the question, "Do you speak the language?" is really understanding what the asker is actually asking. Does he mean, "Do you speak enough to get around?" Does he mean, "Do you speak like a native?" Is he really interested in "At what point between 'not a word of it' to 'like a native' are you currently in your language learning process?" See what I mean? It's not an easy question to answer.
If we draw a line, with "not a single word" on one end and "like a native" on the other, and understand then that I'll spend most of my time somewhere between the two, creeping ever so slowly towards that elusive "like a native" endpoint, you'll understand how the answer can vary so greatly.
Most people who ask the question mean, "Can you get around in town? Do you really have to do everything in Portuguese?? Are there no English speaking people most places, really???" The answer to that one is yes, I do everything in Portuguese (outside of the home), and no, most places, there aren't English speakers to help out.
Some people then ask, "Are you fluent??" and I haven't honestly figured out how to answer that, because "fluent" can mean something totally different to each person. For me, I keep "like a native" as the ever-present, seemingly unattainable ideal. In that case, the answer is no. Not even close. But, the situations where I have to pause and admit I have no idea what word I want, or I have to use a different phrasing than I would use in English, because I can't translate exactly -- in other words, the times I find my communication skills lacking or hindered -- those are fewer and fewer every day.
Do they still happen? Do I still sometimes resort to pantomime and made up sign language? Yes, of course. Do fast talkers still hopelessly trip me up? You betcha. Do technical situations, with language I don't use in the everyday course of life, scare the bejeebies out of me?? Yep, they sure do. But, can I muddle through and successfully, even if awkwardly, navigate my way through pretty much any situation, all in Portuguese? Yes, yes I can.
Does that make me fluent, though??? I don't know.
As for the kids, which is what Ray really asked about, the older two boys have had far more formal lessons than I have had. Their grammar is far better than mine, because I learned most of my Portuguese on the street, talking to the vendors at the fruit fair or the hippie fair. The boys, on the other hand, have had over a year's worth of lessons from a native speaker who comes to the house twice a week. Luci works with each boy for an hour at a time, two times a week. She's made sure to teach them educated Portuguese, proper grammar, and she doesn't let them slack off. In that way, they speak better than I do.
But they don't use their Portuguese as much. So, I muddle through, learning as I go, and sounding every bit the clumsy foreigner when I do speak the language. Meanwhile, my boys are quietly in the background, sometimes correcting me when I make mistakes. When the opportunity comes up, and the motivation is there, they seem to be further down that line towards "like a native" than I am. They just don't always have the motivation to actually speak in Portuguese.
The youngest, on the other hand, understands it well, pretends not to, and mostly refuses to speak Portuguese at all. Except for on the days when he asks me almost nonstop what the word for (fill in the blank) is in Portuguese, but I can never guess when those days will come. His Portuguese skills are largely based on his mood for the day, and as such, are totally unpredictable.
Oh, and as for the Chemist, he speaks and writes worlds above my level. He speaks Portuguese at work all day long, writes technical and professional emails in Portuguese, makes phone calls in Portuguese and I've not seen him stumble over understanding or expressing himself in ages. If you asked me about his level, I'd call him fluent. If you asked him, he'd say no way.
And that's the rub -- the more you learn, the more you realize you don't know and the more often you recognize your own mistakes. Which is why I'll never answer "yes" when someone asks if I'm fluent. No matter how it might seem to the person asking.
*note: this has been about my speaking ability, which is totally separate from my ability to understand the language; the distinction there and the fact there's a difference between the two is subject of a whole nother blog post, one I don't know that I'll ever write. Suffice it to say, just like young children, we often understand more than we can say, except when faced with a fast talker.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Backyard Bird Count: The Brazil Version
I've learned in the past few years that every February, there's an official Backyard Bird Count in North America. It's a way for amateur bird watchers to help out in counting what species are where, as some study group tracks migration patterns, and are numbers of various species increasing or decreasing or staying the same. It's a fun little thing to participate in, and it happened this past weekend.
Being in Brazil, which of course is South America, I can't go to the Backyard Bird Count website and post my results officially; it's North America only. But I can post here, and since I managed to get photos of almost all the birds I saw, I thought it would be fun to share with you.
We feed the birds in our yard, so all of these are "regulars" to our yard. We often sit out on a Saturday and just watch the birds coming and going. Some have definite personalities, and we've come to know the hummingbirds, even, as "the mean one," "the nice one," "the baby," and "the brown one." I only got pictures of the mean one and the nice one; the baby is too fast and the brown one stays for too short a time. She's very pretty, the brown one, so I hope to someday capture her on film.
Here they are, then, for you to enjoy -- what birds frequent a yard in urban, tropical Brasil in February. You may click on any photo to enlarge it, just remember to click the back button after if it opens in the same window.
I only saw one of these guys this weekend; there are 2 or 3 who come around, but not as frequently as our regular crowd. They are very pretty, though, and I'm disappointed I only got this very blurry shot.
Being in Brazil, which of course is South America, I can't go to the Backyard Bird Count website and post my results officially; it's North America only. But I can post here, and since I managed to get photos of almost all the birds I saw, I thought it would be fun to share with you.
We feed the birds in our yard, so all of these are "regulars" to our yard. We often sit out on a Saturday and just watch the birds coming and going. Some have definite personalities, and we've come to know the hummingbirds, even, as "the mean one," "the nice one," "the baby," and "the brown one." I only got pictures of the mean one and the nice one; the baby is too fast and the brown one stays for too short a time. She's very pretty, the brown one, so I hope to someday capture her on film.
Here they are, then, for you to enjoy -- what birds frequent a yard in urban, tropical Brasil in February. You may click on any photo to enlarge it, just remember to click the back button after if it opens in the same window.
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| The Mean One - and above him, see the little yellow bird peeking out? |
hummingbird: we saw a total of 3 of the blue/green hummingbirds, though at most 2 at a time.
The mean one chases off anyone else when he's around.
 |
| two of the small yellow birds, drinking from the hummingbird feeder |
We have a huge number (for us) of these small yellow birds living in the vine that shades our yard.
The highest count I had at one time was 7+; they are hard to count, as they hide in the vine and move around a lot. I can say for sure there were 7 at one point, maybe more. Most times we can count 5 or 6 before becoming uncertain if we're re-counting the same birds, just moved around.
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| The Nice One, mid-drink |
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| "A Pool Bird" - one of the big yellow birds We are not sure if these are adult version of the small yellow birds (yellow belly) or a different breed. We have TONS of the small ones who hang out all the time, and probably 3 or 4 total of the big ones who come around. We call them "pool birds" because we first noticed them hanging around the pool at the apartment. |
Highest count at one time this weekend was 2 for these large yellow birds.
I'm not sure if they are adult versions of the small ones, or a slightly different breed.
 |
| Two blue birds, eating papaya. I think male/female pair. |
Highest count this weekend was 2 for the bluebirds; sometimes we've had 3 or 4. Usually they come in male/female pairs, as seen here. They are a bit skittish and usually do not come while other birds are present, except for the small brown birds (shown further down).
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| one of the small yellow birds, after taking a bird bath. |
We keep that little basin full of water for the birds to use as a bird bath.
I loved seeing this one all fluffed up and messy, just out of the bath. So cute!
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| 2 blue birds, eating papaya; 2 large yellow/pool birds, waiting their turn. (click to enlarge) |
High Traffic! Two blue birds, two big yellow birds. If the blue birds had seen the yellow ones,
or the yellow ones had moved closer, the blue birds would have left.
Most of the birds do not share the fruit or eat at the same time as other species.
Both of these, however, have lately been feeding each other (the male feeding the female of the pair).
 |
| two big brown birds. |
These big brown birds are Mean! They chase off each other and the other species of birds who try and eat while they are there. Highest count at one time for these was 4, though I've seen up to 6 at one time in the past. They are fun to watch, as they do a lot of posturing, chasing, etc. before settling down and letting one another eat. I just don't like when they do that to the other breeds of bird, too.
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| same two big brown birds |
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| blurry, sorry, but only shot of this guy I got. This is a small brown bird, black face and black marking on the chest. There are 2 or 3 of these who come around, though less often than the other regulars. |
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| Quite a crowd! click to enlarge -- there are 3 small brown birds (not the black chested ones) and 1 blue bird eating the papaya/waiting by the shelf, plus another small brown bird on the planter at the right. |
The small brown birds -- highest count this weekend was 4 at one time, and they are all shown in the photo above (click to enlarge). These little ones will also come into the laundry room and use the dog's water dish as a bird bath, and they will land on our picnic table and eat crumbs. Brave little things!
(also in the photo, one of the blue birds)
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| a dove on the neighbor's solar panel, behind our house. |
A lone dove; usually they are around in pairs. We are inundated with doves and pigeons; houses here spray anti-pigeon spray around the roofs and things. They make a huge mess, roosting on your eaves and, well, cleaning up what falls on the ground below them....not fun. Ick, ick, ick.
I didn't go around looking for the pigeons, so don't have a count (can't see them from the yard, since they are on the roof) but there are tons. The doves, not as many, and not as annoying, either.
This is a short video (really audio) clip of the small yellow birds singing in our shade vine.
Turn up your volume, and enjoy! This is our sound track most weekends, all day long.
Did you participate? Did you even know such an event takes place each year?? What birds, if any, do you normally see in your area??
Friday, February 4, 2011
Creativity Times Three: My Three Sons
I have some really creative kids. Seriously. The things my boys come up with, it will sometimes knock your socks off. Today I want to share three of those things, one from each boy, 'cause I think they are all three pretty amazing. The boys and the objects of creativity. I'm fairly sure you'll agree.....
The Writer's:
He'd recently been given a small magnifying glass. A lens in the hands of a 13 year old boy, mixed with tropical sunshine....I should have predicted this one, but he took "burning holes in leaves" to a whole different level. Check it out....
Next up, The Artist's:
He's been greedily snatching up all my scrap fabric, and dabbling in sewing. He made a tree shaped Christmas ornament, a blanket for one of his stuffed animals, and then this - a gift for The Chemist's birthday. As soon as The Artist saw scraps of batting in his scrap bag, he knew just what he wanted to do. Every stitch is his, except for the binding added to the outside. He chose every color, every piece of fabric, planned exactly how to arrange it all -- this is truly his creation, start to finish. I pin for him and draw a straight line for stitching, he does the rest. Not bad for a just-turned 10 year old, is it?
Lastly, The Adventurer's:
This boy is full of creative fun, morning to night. All day long, every day. Sometimes it wears on me, if you want the truth. But sometimes it amazes and delights me. Like this project - "Dubloons," a board game he designed based on a Sponge Bob episode. Start at the boat, roll two dice, move the number of spaces (by jumping on the rocks) until you arrive at the "X marks the spot." He used character legos for pieces, and even a little pick ax (lego) and golden treasure chest (also lego). When you reach "X marks the spot" your character digs with the pick ax and reveals the buried treasure. Pretty ingenious, don't you think? Remember, he won't be six until later this month....
Well, what'd ya think? Pretty creative, my boys. How about you and yours? What creative thing have you or your child(ren) done lately? Grown-ups, go ahead and chime in here too! All tales of creativity welcome.
The Writer's:
He'd recently been given a small magnifying glass. A lens in the hands of a 13 year old boy, mixed with tropical sunshine....I should have predicted this one, but he took "burning holes in leaves" to a whole different level. Check it out....
 |
| a bull's eye, and a smiley face burned into a leaf. He used a magnifying glass, focusing the sun's rays, to do this. |
He's been greedily snatching up all my scrap fabric, and dabbling in sewing. He made a tree shaped Christmas ornament, a blanket for one of his stuffed animals, and then this - a gift for The Chemist's birthday. As soon as The Artist saw scraps of batting in his scrap bag, he knew just what he wanted to do. Every stitch is his, except for the binding added to the outside. He chose every color, every piece of fabric, planned exactly how to arrange it all -- this is truly his creation, start to finish. I pin for him and draw a straight line for stitching, he does the rest. Not bad for a just-turned 10 year old, is it?
 |
| front view (he chose brown because it reminded him of chocolate pudding, and Christmas) (no, we've never eaten chocolate pudding at Christmas....) |
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| back view (he wanted to use one of every fabric he had, thus pieced on both sides) |
This boy is full of creative fun, morning to night. All day long, every day. Sometimes it wears on me, if you want the truth. But sometimes it amazes and delights me. Like this project - "Dubloons," a board game he designed based on a Sponge Bob episode. Start at the boat, roll two dice, move the number of spaces (by jumping on the rocks) until you arrive at the "X marks the spot." He used character legos for pieces, and even a little pick ax (lego) and golden treasure chest (also lego). When you reach "X marks the spot" your character digs with the pick ax and reveals the buried treasure. Pretty ingenious, don't you think? Remember, he won't be six until later this month....
 |
| Caught in the Act this is right after he called me to Come see! since I'd been cutting tape for him all morning, I was curious what he'd come up with. |
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| "Dubloons" board game I have to admit, I'm impressed. I think the frame around it is a nice touch. Plus, math skills, counting all the rocks and taking turns, going the number on the dice. Not a bad work for a morning... |
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Science Quiz: Are YOU Smarter than my 4th Grader?
Okay, okay, cheesy title I know. I couldn't help it. I'm just so proud of my boys!
Today was the last day of our science class for the 2010/2011 school year (which ran from May 2010 to Feb 2011, with various breaks throughout). We've been studying the Human Body, using some of the materials from Sonlight's Science 5 and some additional materials from Home Science Tools science catalog. Plus Frankenstein's Human Body Book which we picked up at Barnes & Noble. It's been a fun year.
For today, our final day, we did the dreaded Reproductive System and concluded with our Major Systems Review. We filled out charts showing dominant genes, recessive genes, and who in our family (mom, dad, boys) has which. We laughed as even five year old Adventurer tried rolling his tongue. We giggled as we compared pinky fingers to see who had straight, who had crooked/bent ones. Jokes were made about hatching from eggs, growing from seeds, cells dividing (since The Artist is just learning long division.....). It was a seriously fun day.
At the end of it all, I handed each of the older boys a worksheet. Down one column, the names of various major body parts & internal organs. Across the top, the names of the major body systems. Their job - put a check mark or an X in the correct column for each body part, drawing only on the memory of what we've been studying all year.
They both did really, really well. One boy got 100%, the other got 89% on the quiz. With no studying. No warning they would have this quiz. Just, "Oh, fill in this chart for me...." And they did. Really, really well.
Here it is in case you'd like to try. Do you know which organs go with each system?
Systems:
Digestive; Urinary; Respiratory; Circulatory; Reproductive; Endocrine; Nervous
Organs:
Bladder; Brain; Heart; Ovaries; Liver; Pancreas; Kidneys; Spinal Cord; Lungs; Small Intestines; Diaphragm; Mouth; Nerves; Testes; Thyroid Gland; Arteries; Esophagus; Cerebellum
So, what's the verdict? Are you as smart as my 4th Grader? Or my 7th Grader? Can you correctly place these major organs?
And, what is your favorite (or least favorite) subject in school? Science has long been a favorite in our house, what with a Chemist for a father and all. What about you?
Today was the last day of our science class for the 2010/2011 school year (which ran from May 2010 to Feb 2011, with various breaks throughout). We've been studying the Human Body, using some of the materials from Sonlight's Science 5 and some additional materials from Home Science Tools science catalog. Plus Frankenstein's Human Body Book which we picked up at Barnes & Noble. It's been a fun year.
For today, our final day, we did the dreaded Reproductive System and concluded with our Major Systems Review. We filled out charts showing dominant genes, recessive genes, and who in our family (mom, dad, boys) has which. We laughed as even five year old Adventurer tried rolling his tongue. We giggled as we compared pinky fingers to see who had straight, who had crooked/bent ones. Jokes were made about hatching from eggs, growing from seeds, cells dividing (since The Artist is just learning long division.....). It was a seriously fun day.
At the end of it all, I handed each of the older boys a worksheet. Down one column, the names of various major body parts & internal organs. Across the top, the names of the major body systems. Their job - put a check mark or an X in the correct column for each body part, drawing only on the memory of what we've been studying all year.
They both did really, really well. One boy got 100%, the other got 89% on the quiz. With no studying. No warning they would have this quiz. Just, "Oh, fill in this chart for me...." And they did. Really, really well.
Here it is in case you'd like to try. Do you know which organs go with each system?
Systems:
Digestive; Urinary; Respiratory; Circulatory; Reproductive; Endocrine; Nervous
Organs:
Bladder; Brain; Heart; Ovaries; Liver; Pancreas; Kidneys; Spinal Cord; Lungs; Small Intestines; Diaphragm; Mouth; Nerves; Testes; Thyroid Gland; Arteries; Esophagus; Cerebellum
So, what's the verdict? Are you as smart as my 4th Grader? Or my 7th Grader? Can you correctly place these major organs?
And, what is your favorite (or least favorite) subject in school? Science has long been a favorite in our house, what with a Chemist for a father and all. What about you?
Monday, January 17, 2011
Organizing the Stuff: Reclaiming Lost Space
As I was gifted with a ton of quilting stuff, I realized that my plastic shoe box was not going to be sufficient to store everything, not anymore. I set out to get organized.
I had a plan. A plan that would have been really simple in the US. In the US, I would have marched myself to Target or Wal-Mart, bought a few of those handy 3-drawer storage units (the plastic, desk-high kind), and easily sorted everything into those nice, clear drawers and called it done.
If I had a bit larger budget, or wanted a bit nicer look, I'd have gone to Target and checked out what options there were in the furniture section, and probably come up with something really cool, for not much money, that would keep me organized and classy looking. In either case, an hour at the store (at most), and an hour setting up at home (at most), and $100 or less (way less, most likely) and I'd have been done.
Of course, I'm not in the US, so it wasn't that simple, or that cheap.
I thought I'd found a good deal -- a few weeks ago at our big box store (Carrefour), I did see some inexpensive 3-drawer units, just like I remember from back home. Only R$30 (~$17 US)! Perfect! Except....
Yes, of course there's an "except...". In this case, it's the fact that these wonderful drawer units weren't desk-high like the ones back home; these were half that height. Eighteen inches tall. Fifteen inches wide and fifteen inches deep. Desktop sized, not sit beside the desk size. Not so cheap after all, nor so functional.
I kind of flipped out. I'd gone with The Chemist to do our usual Saturday morning date time (aka, grocery shopping), with every intention of coming home with drawers and organizing my stuff! No poorly stocked, over-priced Brazilian grocery store was going to rob me of that, thankyouverymuch!! I kind of ranted at The Chemist, begging to ditch the groceries (who needs food when there's rearranging to be done?!) and go to the hardware/home improvement store instead, where surely, surely! we'd find something that would work.
As The Chemist does not share my obsessive need to make things neat and pretty (well, he does, but not in this case...), and as he's a bit more practical than I am (at least when it comes to realizing that children have to be fed....), he didn't take me to Leroy Merlin just then. He did make a very convincing promise that it would be done that day, though. Which calmed me just enough to finish the grocery shopping, stop nagging him, and enjoy our date. I mean, really, an hour in a crowded grocery store? Picking through fruit that has gnats (aka, fruit flies) swarming around so that I can find the eight tomatoes that are worth taking home? What could be better, right??? (yes, this is what constitutes a date in my life, thanks for asking....)
Finally, later that afternoon, children fed, groceries put away, fruit scrubbed, naps taken -- we were ready to head to the even more crowded hardware store. Away we went, determined to come home with something that worked. I refused to accept failure. Not an option.
Luckily, I had The Chemist with me, and even if he doesn't share my obsessive need to organize the quilting things, he does love me and did realize this was crucial to me. And, luckily, he's well practiced in thinking outside the box, which is what finally solved my problem. If it weren't for him, I'd still be standing in the aisles at Leroy Merlin, blinking in a trance-like state, awash in bad choices and trying to make one of them, any of them, work for what I wanted and needed. Seriously.
The Chemist rescued me, though. He found a shelf for The Artist's bedroom. See, The Artist sleeps on the top bunk, in with The Adventurer (who, for obvious reasons, has the bottom bunk). The fan, set on the floor and tilted towards the ceiling, does not reach The Artist. At all. And so he swelters in the summer heat in his room.
The Chemist solved that problem by finding a shelf -- a nice, rounded, corner shelf, tall enough that we could set the fan on the top shelf, aim it right at The Artist, and he never has to be hot again. This shelf replaced a stack of decorative cubes, taken from my room but originally paired with the computer desk, that I'd moved in for bookshelf space for The Artist and The Adventurer.
So now I had three free white cubes available to me. Which is what started The Chemist in thinking in the right direction, towards a bookshelf for our room. To replace the three brown cubes which were originally paired with the white cubes which all went with the computer desk.
Leroy Merlin had tons of bookshelves. Tons. Not so many drawer units, which is what I thought I needed. But tons of bookshelves. So after finding the one for The Artist, and after I'd wandered back and forth for thirty minutes, measuring and mumbling, trying to force something to work in the space I had available (next to the computer desk), The Chemist suggested his plan to free up all the cubes. Could I use the cubes, the brown ones from our room, the white ones from the boys' room, and make something that would work?
**a blink, as I slowly find my way to the surface and out of the trance-like state in which I was then wandering the store**
"Could I.....? Would the cubes....? (blink, blink).....ummm, Yeah. Yeah! That could work! Oh, what a good idea!!"
And so that's what we did. I am so glad The Chemist figured out how to solve this problem. We won't discuss that it took 2 hours in two stores, and R$260 or so for the two new shelves (about $150 US), thus making it more complicated and more expensive than in the US. I might mention, later, the fact that "you build it" shelves here are much higher quality (shock!!) than in the US.....almost making them worth the price.
Doesn't it look great?? Don't you just love organizing spaces??? So much more useful now, all of those areas.
What organizing have you been up to lately??
I had a plan. A plan that would have been really simple in the US. In the US, I would have marched myself to Target or Wal-Mart, bought a few of those handy 3-drawer storage units (the plastic, desk-high kind), and easily sorted everything into those nice, clear drawers and called it done.
If I had a bit larger budget, or wanted a bit nicer look, I'd have gone to Target and checked out what options there were in the furniture section, and probably come up with something really cool, for not much money, that would keep me organized and classy looking. In either case, an hour at the store (at most), and an hour setting up at home (at most), and $100 or less (way less, most likely) and I'd have been done.
Of course, I'm not in the US, so it wasn't that simple, or that cheap.
I thought I'd found a good deal -- a few weeks ago at our big box store (Carrefour), I did see some inexpensive 3-drawer units, just like I remember from back home. Only R$30 (~$17 US)! Perfect! Except....
Yes, of course there's an "except...". In this case, it's the fact that these wonderful drawer units weren't desk-high like the ones back home; these were half that height. Eighteen inches tall. Fifteen inches wide and fifteen inches deep. Desktop sized, not sit beside the desk size. Not so cheap after all, nor so functional.
I kind of flipped out. I'd gone with The Chemist to do our usual Saturday morning date time (aka, grocery shopping), with every intention of coming home with drawers and organizing my stuff! No poorly stocked, over-priced Brazilian grocery store was going to rob me of that, thankyouverymuch!! I kind of ranted at The Chemist, begging to ditch the groceries (who needs food when there's rearranging to be done?!) and go to the hardware/home improvement store instead, where surely, surely! we'd find something that would work.
As The Chemist does not share my obsessive need to make things neat and pretty (well, he does, but not in this case...), and as he's a bit more practical than I am (at least when it comes to realizing that children have to be fed....), he didn't take me to Leroy Merlin just then. He did make a very convincing promise that it would be done that day, though. Which calmed me just enough to finish the grocery shopping, stop nagging him, and enjoy our date. I mean, really, an hour in a crowded grocery store? Picking through fruit that has gnats (aka, fruit flies) swarming around so that I can find the eight tomatoes that are worth taking home? What could be better, right??? (yes, this is what constitutes a date in my life, thanks for asking....)
Finally, later that afternoon, children fed, groceries put away, fruit scrubbed, naps taken -- we were ready to head to the even more crowded hardware store. Away we went, determined to come home with something that worked. I refused to accept failure. Not an option.
Luckily, I had The Chemist with me, and even if he doesn't share my obsessive need to organize the quilting things, he does love me and did realize this was crucial to me. And, luckily, he's well practiced in thinking outside the box, which is what finally solved my problem. If it weren't for him, I'd still be standing in the aisles at Leroy Merlin, blinking in a trance-like state, awash in bad choices and trying to make one of them, any of them, work for what I wanted and needed. Seriously.
The Chemist rescued me, though. He found a shelf for The Artist's bedroom. See, The Artist sleeps on the top bunk, in with The Adventurer (who, for obvious reasons, has the bottom bunk). The fan, set on the floor and tilted towards the ceiling, does not reach The Artist. At all. And so he swelters in the summer heat in his room.
The Chemist solved that problem by finding a shelf -- a nice, rounded, corner shelf, tall enough that we could set the fan on the top shelf, aim it right at The Artist, and he never has to be hot again. This shelf replaced a stack of decorative cubes, taken from my room but originally paired with the computer desk, that I'd moved in for bookshelf space for The Artist and The Adventurer.
So now I had three free white cubes available to me. Which is what started The Chemist in thinking in the right direction, towards a bookshelf for our room. To replace the three brown cubes which were originally paired with the white cubes which all went with the computer desk.
Leroy Merlin had tons of bookshelves. Tons. Not so many drawer units, which is what I thought I needed. But tons of bookshelves. So after finding the one for The Artist, and after I'd wandered back and forth for thirty minutes, measuring and mumbling, trying to force something to work in the space I had available (next to the computer desk), The Chemist suggested his plan to free up all the cubes. Could I use the cubes, the brown ones from our room, the white ones from the boys' room, and make something that would work?
**a blink, as I slowly find my way to the surface and out of the trance-like state in which I was then wandering the store**
"Could I.....? Would the cubes....? (blink, blink).....ummm, Yeah. Yeah! That could work! Oh, what a good idea!!"
And so that's what we did. I am so glad The Chemist figured out how to solve this problem. We won't discuss that it took 2 hours in two stores, and R$260 or so for the two new shelves (about $150 US), thus making it more complicated and more expensive than in the US. I might mention, later, the fact that "you build it" shelves here are much higher quality (shock!!) than in the US.....almost making them worth the price.
 |
| the cubes in my room; before |
 |
| New, organized area. Quilt stuff in the bottom boxes, school workbooks in the top left; Adventurer's math stuff top right box. On top - my calendar and the wipe-off boards/markers. Oh, and The Adventurer's cape. Of course. |
 |
| new bookshelf in my room. After. |
 |
| New Shelf in the Boys' room (ignore the messy beds) Fan at head height, organized books, and more space for the bean bag. Perfect! |
What organizing have you been up to lately??
Monday, January 10, 2011
What Has Sonlight Curriculum Done for Me?
Luke, over at his Sonlight Blog, recently asked "What has Sonlight done for you, the teacher, during your homeschool journey?"
Wow. What a question.
We've been using Sonlight Curriculum for, oh, 9+ years now. We first picked up a Sonlight catalog way back in March of 2001, at the suggestion of my Aunt Nancy, when The Writer was just 3.5 years old and trying to correct me on phonics rules. We've used Sonlight ever since, never looking back, never wanting to try anything else.
The benefits to the boys have been huge, but that's not what this post is about. No, Luke wanted to know what Sonlight's done for me. The mom. The teacher. Well, settle in, this is likely to get a little bit long, because the benefits for me, the teacher, are many.
The biggest benefit to me is the support. Sonlight provides an on-line Forum, a whole community of other moms (and some dads) who are, or recently have been, or maybe are getting ready to, homeschooling with Sonlight. I can go there with any question imaginable, and someone will know the answer.
Not just questions about homeschooling stuff, either. Questions or discussion on homemaking. Health. International living. Parenting. Current events. Entertainment. Subject specific questions. Grade-level/Core program specific questions. Prayer requests. And anything and everything in between. Seriously.
For me, living as an American in Brazil, where homeschool support is, understandably, zero, this has been priceless. I can jump on-line at any time of day (assuming my internet is working) and write a question, like my math scheduling question from my last post. Within a few hours, sometimes a few minutes!, I can check back and someone will have answered. Or lots of someones.
In the past week, I've used the forums to ask about scheduling Miquon math and how to schedule a research paper for The Writer. I've answered someone else's question about what I'd do differently if I were starting over. I wrote a thank you note for advice on what TV shows are good enough to buy on DVD, and safe enough for the whole family to watch. I've read up on how other ex-pats are coping with living outside their home countries, and learned what's going on in the world and how people are reacting to what's going on.
This is the kind of conversation I just don't get here, living where I do. The kind of conversation, the kind of community, that I only get through my blog (thanks to you guys), through email with a few friends back home (hi Robin and JM), and through the Sonlight Forums.
But, aside from this community, what else has Sonlight done for me? I mean, one day I'll be back in the US and have real life homeschool friends again, and community won't be as vital a need for me then. Just like it wasn't as vital a need for me before we came here. Surely there are other benefits, right??
Of course there are! The next big thing I've received from Sonlight is the Instructor's Guide (the IG). Every book we'll use in a year, perfectly scheduled. Two schedules to choose from, even, so that I have flexibility within that structure. Notes, vocabulary words, mapping assignments, timeline assignments. Comprehension questions and discussion questions for many, if not all, of the books. Things so beautifully laid out that I don't have to rearrange unless I just want to (and sometimes I do).
This is worth it's weight in gold (and being a hefty, and heavy, book, that's saying a lot!). So far, with every Core we've used thus, I have been able to pick up the Core, open the IG, and teach. I merely have to check off what we've done, and not turn the page until we've finished everything laid out for that week. Or I can pick and choose if I like. Either way, the bulk of the work is done for me. Love love LOVE that.
Now -- what about choosing books? How do I know they're good books?? Well, I know because I trust Sonlight. I know if they've chosen to include it, it's worth reading. Which means I can, if I want, just hand the boys their books and tell them what to read, when. I don't have to pre-read and make sure everything is safe for them. I love that. Now, I still do pre-read, because, well, they're good books! But if I ever don't, that will be okay. What a relief that is!
The biggest thing, though.....confidence. I've never second-guessed my curriculum choices. I've never worried, "Am I doing enough?? Are they learning enough??" I've never wondered if I can do this job, because Sonlight has fully equipped me, with the IG, to do it and do it well.
I've never wondered if I'm good enough, because I've heard, through the constant encouragement on the Forums, that I am (good enough).
I've seen, if only on-line, kids grow up and graduate after using Sonlight materials for school. I've read of kids, Sonlight Grads, going on to really top notch colleges and universities. I've talked to friends who've used Sonlight, whose kids are older and graduated, and seen that it really does work, and all kinds of people can do this and do it well.
So I don't have to doubt, I don't have to worry or wonder. I know that Sonlight curriculum can, and does, and will work, because I've seen it in action. I know that I can teach it to my children, because so many other moms and dads just like me are doing it, have done it, and done it well.
So, what has Sonlight done for me? Sonlight has given me community. Sonlight has equipped me to teach my children. Sonlight has encouraged me that I can teach my children. In other words, Sonlight has made me the confident, successfuly homeschooling mom that I am today, and given me joy in what could be a chore if I didn't have the right tools and support.
That's what Sonlight has done for me, the mom, the teacher. I hope you like that answer, Luke. It's just the plain, honest truth.
Wow. What a question.
We've been using Sonlight Curriculum for, oh, 9+ years now. We first picked up a Sonlight catalog way back in March of 2001, at the suggestion of my Aunt Nancy, when The Writer was just 3.5 years old and trying to correct me on phonics rules. We've used Sonlight ever since, never looking back, never wanting to try anything else.
The benefits to the boys have been huge, but that's not what this post is about. No, Luke wanted to know what Sonlight's done for me. The mom. The teacher. Well, settle in, this is likely to get a little bit long, because the benefits for me, the teacher, are many.
The biggest benefit to me is the support. Sonlight provides an on-line Forum, a whole community of other moms (and some dads) who are, or recently have been, or maybe are getting ready to, homeschooling with Sonlight. I can go there with any question imaginable, and someone will know the answer.
Not just questions about homeschooling stuff, either. Questions or discussion on homemaking. Health. International living. Parenting. Current events. Entertainment. Subject specific questions. Grade-level/Core program specific questions. Prayer requests. And anything and everything in between. Seriously.
For me, living as an American in Brazil, where homeschool support is, understandably, zero, this has been priceless. I can jump on-line at any time of day (assuming my internet is working) and write a question, like my math scheduling question from my last post. Within a few hours, sometimes a few minutes!, I can check back and someone will have answered. Or lots of someones.
In the past week, I've used the forums to ask about scheduling Miquon math and how to schedule a research paper for The Writer. I've answered someone else's question about what I'd do differently if I were starting over. I wrote a thank you note for advice on what TV shows are good enough to buy on DVD, and safe enough for the whole family to watch. I've read up on how other ex-pats are coping with living outside their home countries, and learned what's going on in the world and how people are reacting to what's going on.
This is the kind of conversation I just don't get here, living where I do. The kind of conversation, the kind of community, that I only get through my blog (thanks to you guys), through email with a few friends back home (hi Robin and JM), and through the Sonlight Forums.
But, aside from this community, what else has Sonlight done for me? I mean, one day I'll be back in the US and have real life homeschool friends again, and community won't be as vital a need for me then. Just like it wasn't as vital a need for me before we came here. Surely there are other benefits, right??
Of course there are! The next big thing I've received from Sonlight is the Instructor's Guide (the IG). Every book we'll use in a year, perfectly scheduled. Two schedules to choose from, even, so that I have flexibility within that structure. Notes, vocabulary words, mapping assignments, timeline assignments. Comprehension questions and discussion questions for many, if not all, of the books. Things so beautifully laid out that I don't have to rearrange unless I just want to (and sometimes I do).
This is worth it's weight in gold (and being a hefty, and heavy, book, that's saying a lot!). So far, with every Core we've used thus, I have been able to pick up the Core, open the IG, and teach. I merely have to check off what we've done, and not turn the page until we've finished everything laid out for that week. Or I can pick and choose if I like. Either way, the bulk of the work is done for me. Love love LOVE that.
Now -- what about choosing books? How do I know they're good books?? Well, I know because I trust Sonlight. I know if they've chosen to include it, it's worth reading. Which means I can, if I want, just hand the boys their books and tell them what to read, when. I don't have to pre-read and make sure everything is safe for them. I love that. Now, I still do pre-read, because, well, they're good books! But if I ever don't, that will be okay. What a relief that is!
The biggest thing, though.....confidence. I've never second-guessed my curriculum choices. I've never worried, "Am I doing enough?? Are they learning enough??" I've never wondered if I can do this job, because Sonlight has fully equipped me, with the IG, to do it and do it well.
I've never wondered if I'm good enough, because I've heard, through the constant encouragement on the Forums, that I am (good enough).
I've seen, if only on-line, kids grow up and graduate after using Sonlight materials for school. I've read of kids, Sonlight Grads, going on to really top notch colleges and universities. I've talked to friends who've used Sonlight, whose kids are older and graduated, and seen that it really does work, and all kinds of people can do this and do it well.
So I don't have to doubt, I don't have to worry or wonder. I know that Sonlight curriculum can, and does, and will work, because I've seen it in action. I know that I can teach it to my children, because so many other moms and dads just like me are doing it, have done it, and done it well.
So, what has Sonlight done for me? Sonlight has given me community. Sonlight has equipped me to teach my children. Sonlight has encouraged me that I can teach my children. In other words, Sonlight has made me the confident, successfuly homeschooling mom that I am today, and given me joy in what could be a chore if I didn't have the right tools and support.
That's what Sonlight has done for me, the mom, the teacher. I hope you like that answer, Luke. It's just the plain, honest truth.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Miquon Math: How Do You Schedule This Stuff???
I mentioned in my January Goals post that I need to organize and schedule things for the new school year*.
I'm at a stand-still, and hoping some of you can help me out. My homeschooling readers, put your thinking caps on -- I have a dilemma.
I'm pretty much done organizing the stuff for the big boys. Sonlight materials are easy that way -- open the Instructor's Guide (IG), decide if I want to use the 4-day schedule or the 5-day schedule, put the Language Arts schedule in the right place, pull out the student activity sheets, and, in my wacky world, copy over the IG instructions into the Lesson Plan book I bought. This way I can see the daily assignments for all three boys, right on one two-page spread.
The stuff for The Adventurer has me frozen in fear, though.
I'm using all new things for him. Things I never used for the older boys, because they learn in very traditional ways, and The Adventurer, surprisingly (not), does not.
Non-traditional learning, I have to admit, scares the beejeebies out of me. So much so that, even though I'm going tomorrow to get some storage drawers, I'm terrified to open the packages that constitute The Adventurer's school materials. Because I'm afraid I won't know what to do with them.
Let's start with Math, for instance. With the older boys, I used Singapore Math, a nice, normal workbook based program that's heavy on mental math but still workbook based. It's easy to pick up a workbook, count how many pages there are, divide that by how many days of school there are, and poof, you instantly have a schedule. Every morning, then, you just get up, sit with the child and the workbook, teach the lesson, let him do the problems, done. Easy. Normal.
Naturally, when The Adventurer started Kindergarten I pulled out all the old favorites, all the materials that worked so well for the older boys. And found, almost instantly, that these materials were not going to work for him. He looked at workbook pages which had come almost intuitively to the older boys and decided to do totally different things with them. Or he balked, more than the older two, at having to follow directions.
When asked to draw a line, matching pairs of objects, he'd take the first object on a journey all around the page before his line ended at the correct matching object. When asked to count sets of objects, he'd want to add up all the objects, not just those in each set. So, one set of two; next, a set of three (that's five things); third, a set of four (now we have nine things), and so on. Or he'd also want to count the little picture at the top of the page. Or, or, or. He always had other plans for the worksheet, never content to follow the given directions.
Now, sure, my big boys did this too. To an extent. Instead of circling an object, they'd X it out. Instead of drawing straight lines, they'd do zig-zags and curves. But never anything like this, coming up with whole, entire new sets of directions.
And they never asked me the sorts of questions that The Adventurer asks me.
"What is 2 and 2 and 2?" (six).
"What is 2 and 2 and 1 and 1?" (six)
"What is 2 and 1 and 1 and 1 and 1?" (six)
"What is 3 and 2 and 1?" (six)
"What is 1 and 1 and 1 and 1 and 1 and 1?" (how many 1s did you say?? oh, six...)
And so on.
He does this with all sorts of numbers, everything that can be broken down into factors. See, he's figuring out that "six" can mean lots and lots of things, but that no matter what it looks like, it's still "six." (or seven, or nine, or ten, or whatever number he's chosen for this game).
So, with great trepidation, I'm beginning whole new math courses for him. Materials I've never used before, materials with huge learning curves. And I'm panicking.
So -- finally, the question. Miquon users -- how do you schedule it???? Manipulatives users, how do you schedule it???
We're going to use Miquon as our primary curriculum. We're also going to use Sonlight's brand new MathTacular Manipulatives Activity Kit to go along with it. And extra pattern blocks and pattern block cards. (these are tangrams, to those of you more familiar with that term). And probably I'll throw in games like Uno and dominos, and connect four, and any other math themed thing I can think of.
But how on earth do I schedule it all???
Is it okay (please say yes, please say yes) to write on the schedule "Math Activity" and let him choose something from, say, a designated Math Drawer??? He'll be six at the start of our year, and I'm calling this his First Grade year, if that makes a difference to your answer.
I'm thinking I'll put the Miquon books on his workbook shelf/drawer, put the SL Manipulatives Activity Guide in the workbook drawer, and put all the manipulatives in the Math Drawer. Then, each day, I'll have him choose what manipulative he wants to work with that day. Then I will grab the appropriate workbook or guide book and we'll do some free play, a little guided experimentation, and then more free play.
Those of you who've used Miquon &/or any math program that uses a lot of manipulatives, does that sound reasonable??? I plan to use the mathy board games on Fridays, and maybe as a second session of "School Games" when I need to occupy him.
Someone with more experience, please weigh in here. I feel like a complete and utter "newbie" when it comes to schooling this youngest boy of mine. I'm reading up on learning styles so I can feel educated, but man is it all overwhelming. And I've only told you about the math! We'll tackle the Language Arts (say, teaching him to read????) in a future post sometime. Assuming you guys are helpful this go-round.
I'm at a stand-still, and hoping some of you can help me out. My homeschooling readers, put your thinking caps on -- I have a dilemma.
I'm pretty much done organizing the stuff for the big boys. Sonlight materials are easy that way -- open the Instructor's Guide (IG), decide if I want to use the 4-day schedule or the 5-day schedule, put the Language Arts schedule in the right place, pull out the student activity sheets, and, in my wacky world, copy over the IG instructions into the Lesson Plan book I bought. This way I can see the daily assignments for all three boys, right on one two-page spread.
The stuff for The Adventurer has me frozen in fear, though.
I'm using all new things for him. Things I never used for the older boys, because they learn in very traditional ways, and The Adventurer, surprisingly (not), does not.
Non-traditional learning, I have to admit, scares the beejeebies out of me. So much so that, even though I'm going tomorrow to get some storage drawers, I'm terrified to open the packages that constitute The Adventurer's school materials. Because I'm afraid I won't know what to do with them.
Let's start with Math, for instance. With the older boys, I used Singapore Math, a nice, normal workbook based program that's heavy on mental math but still workbook based. It's easy to pick up a workbook, count how many pages there are, divide that by how many days of school there are, and poof, you instantly have a schedule. Every morning, then, you just get up, sit with the child and the workbook, teach the lesson, let him do the problems, done. Easy. Normal.
Naturally, when The Adventurer started Kindergarten I pulled out all the old favorites, all the materials that worked so well for the older boys. And found, almost instantly, that these materials were not going to work for him. He looked at workbook pages which had come almost intuitively to the older boys and decided to do totally different things with them. Or he balked, more than the older two, at having to follow directions.
When asked to draw a line, matching pairs of objects, he'd take the first object on a journey all around the page before his line ended at the correct matching object. When asked to count sets of objects, he'd want to add up all the objects, not just those in each set. So, one set of two; next, a set of three (that's five things); third, a set of four (now we have nine things), and so on. Or he'd also want to count the little picture at the top of the page. Or, or, or. He always had other plans for the worksheet, never content to follow the given directions.
Now, sure, my big boys did this too. To an extent. Instead of circling an object, they'd X it out. Instead of drawing straight lines, they'd do zig-zags and curves. But never anything like this, coming up with whole, entire new sets of directions.
And they never asked me the sorts of questions that The Adventurer asks me.
"What is 2 and 2 and 2?" (six).
"What is 2 and 2 and 1 and 1?" (six)
"What is 2 and 1 and 1 and 1 and 1?" (six)
"What is 3 and 2 and 1?" (six)
"What is 1 and 1 and 1 and 1 and 1 and 1?" (how many 1s did you say?? oh, six...)
And so on.
He does this with all sorts of numbers, everything that can be broken down into factors. See, he's figuring out that "six" can mean lots and lots of things, but that no matter what it looks like, it's still "six." (or seven, or nine, or ten, or whatever number he's chosen for this game).
So, with great trepidation, I'm beginning whole new math courses for him. Materials I've never used before, materials with huge learning curves. And I'm panicking.
So -- finally, the question. Miquon users -- how do you schedule it???? Manipulatives users, how do you schedule it???
We're going to use Miquon as our primary curriculum. We're also going to use Sonlight's brand new MathTacular Manipulatives Activity Kit to go along with it. And extra pattern blocks and pattern block cards. (these are tangrams, to those of you more familiar with that term). And probably I'll throw in games like Uno and dominos, and connect four, and any other math themed thing I can think of.
But how on earth do I schedule it all???
Is it okay (please say yes, please say yes) to write on the schedule "Math Activity" and let him choose something from, say, a designated Math Drawer??? He'll be six at the start of our year, and I'm calling this his First Grade year, if that makes a difference to your answer.
I'm thinking I'll put the Miquon books on his workbook shelf/drawer, put the SL Manipulatives Activity Guide in the workbook drawer, and put all the manipulatives in the Math Drawer. Then, each day, I'll have him choose what manipulative he wants to work with that day. Then I will grab the appropriate workbook or guide book and we'll do some free play, a little guided experimentation, and then more free play.
Those of you who've used Miquon &/or any math program that uses a lot of manipulatives, does that sound reasonable??? I plan to use the mathy board games on Fridays, and maybe as a second session of "School Games" when I need to occupy him.
Someone with more experience, please weigh in here. I feel like a complete and utter "newbie" when it comes to schooling this youngest boy of mine. I'm reading up on learning styles so I can feel educated, but man is it all overwhelming. And I've only told you about the math! We'll tackle the Language Arts (say, teaching him to read????) in a future post sometime. Assuming you guys are helpful this go-round.
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