Thursday, May 22, 2008

The warm weather is slow in coming this year!

For some reason it just seems like we are in limbo or something! It is almost June and the furnace kicked in this morning... we usually have it off at the beginning of April. It is a shame because we put an extra 300 dollars worth of fuel in the tank hoping it would get us through the beginning chilly months next year (300 dollar minimum delivery now... crazy!) but it looks like The frosty nights and mornings have burned through most of that. We had the heat on a month early last year too! That said, I know it is coming. We had gorgeous 30 degree weather for the long weekend and it looks like it may be pretty nice for the rest of this week as well. Typically my beans and peas are flowering by now but they are barely breaking the ground... they could really use the sun!


" School" is finished for the year. Although we are " unschoolers" we are still required to register with some sort of program. We found a wonderful program that has really worked for us well this year. We do our own thing completely, which for son number one, doesnt include using any curriculum. I observe what he does throughout the day and document it ( sort of unnatural like my little research project... but it is worthwhile!) and send away my notes to a learning consultant. They in turn fit what we have done into the categories and guidelines layed out by the ministry. We have easily made all of the guidelines by playing, exploring, cooking, reading( like a madman anything he can get his hands on) being out in the community and following our interests as far as we wish to take them. I feel like T has made such leaps in the " gr 1 year". He went into the year after a crappy kindy year in a distance learning course, barely able to read a simple sentance. Now, 8 months later, he is reading everything. He reads the newspaper daily at the coffee shop, is able to independantly use a dictionary or encyclopedia, is able to safely find info on the net, use indexes and table of contents, and is able to pick the right material to find the info he is looking for. This just opens so many doors for him. That has truly been his biggest sucess this year. What a pleasure to watch him grow!

Since the computer has pooped out and refuses to recognise the memory card for my camera, I will put a couple of pics up from his... using the timer, and as usual, spying on us all all of the time~ I realise how bitchy I sound when I see myself on the video he takes with it " TURN IT OFFF!! I dont feel like being filmed right now!!!" ... but only every single time! lol So for this week... here is some of his handywork!