Something Clicked

Today what seemed like an innocent enough request turned into an adventure in itself.  I sat down on the couch next to Brandon and he asked me to read to him from a magazine he had just received.  Aha!  I thought.  It was Click Magazine, a magazine I had subscribed to but we have not really explored as much as I had hoped.  With much enthusiasm, I read to him about building, how to make things and machinery like diggers and cranes to construct buildings.  I learned quite a few things myself.  In fact, we're inspired to build a bookshelf ourselves now!

We spent the rest of the day in the car and we checked out real cranes, diggers and trucks at a bridge construction site from the road.  Now he wants to play with his toy diggers and cranes in a new, meaningful way.  Previously he's always been into animals, blocks, puzzles, music and books, not into cars or trucks.

Do not give up on those magazines or resources you have thought previously as "the untouchables". Sometimes it takes a few months for one topic, one day and one moment to make it click.  

My revised schedule for Kindergarten

Mondays through Thursdays

Calendar

Math

Poetry

BREAK

Phonics

Reading 

Literature

Friday

Calendar

Theology

Natural Science

Spanish

Piano Lessons (I'm the teacher) at 4 PM

Soccer Practice at 6 or 7 PM

Nature walks 2X week

Sunday

Art

Tuesdays and Thursdays 

Taekwondo 4 PM

Supermarket and Picnic

Today we had a splendid morning. We went to the supermarket with our fabulous playgroup. There Nancy, the founder of our playgroup, read us stories and talked to us about developmental assets, which are factors that help your child in her early childhood to develop better and succeed in later life.  Nancy's toolbox, What Every Parent Ought to Know, is a terrific toolbox of information and inspiration for moms of small children.  I highly recommend it.  I have seen it transform relationships from struggle to connection.  She's also a Christian, for those of you want to support other Christians.

After the book and asset, she handed out a grocery list with large pictures so even the toddlers could participate in picking out groceries.  My son (almost 5) was happy to be able to pick out the groceries, then pay for them himself.  

When we had all our groceries, off we went to a nearby park where we had a lovely picnic under the shade.  The moms talked and shared, while the children played with each other.  These are the days I'm especially grateful that I am a mother who can afford to "just parent" my kids.  It takes a village, it is said.  No better village than a community of caring parents and mothers such as Nancy who truly walk the extra mile to help others. 

Outdoor Hour button
Originally uploaded by HarmonyArtMom.

We're participating in the Outdoor Hour.  Charlotte Mason stressed nature walks throughout a child's education.  In Kindergarten, we will only be taking nature walks to develop the habit of being outdoors and appreciating the wonders of nature.  Next year we'll be doing full-fledged nature studies with the excellent guide Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock.  

Harmony Art Mom has a fantastic blog that details her observations and sketches using Handbook of Nature Study.  The photos are terrific, too.  We will be posting our findings as soon as they are available.