A Real Day Off From Learning-- Is There Such a Thing?
Yesterday we had friends coming over to visit and play for the day and we spent the morning getting ready. I told the boys they didn't have to do any schoolwork today.
They were so happy to have a day off from learning but I couldn't help thinking of all the things they were learning despite us not having had any schooling today. It got me thinking... is there really such a thing as a day off from learning?
Alec went to his grandmother's and fed her cats, riding his bike there and back. We cleaned the basement and the patio and made some yummy snacks. Ian helped me carry all the food and drinks downstairs.
They spent the morning finishing up the movie Jason and the Argonauts. Alec had read the book and made constant comparisons between the book and movie. All the boys noticed how different this version of the golden fleece was from the one in the Percy Jackson movies. They compared the filming of the Gods and the appearance of various characters too. I just thought-- yeah! more Greek Mythology lessons.
While watching their movie Alec and Ian were working hard on coloring in their contest papers from their karate class which Ian insists is art.
They spent a good portion of the morning working on their loom band bracelets & rings. We used YouTube videos to finish up Alec's starburst bracelet and then we spent a portion of our day teaching Evan to do a basic loop bracelet on the loom too.
We headed outside to wait for our friends and noticed a large bee on our table. It was HUGE! It prompted up to start talking about bees and importance of them.
Alec has a few books that just came in from the library on bees and we really like the one called What if There Were No Bees?
He started talking to us about pollination and what other animals pollinate and how much better bees are at pollinating flowers. He reminded us that most fruits and vegetables start out as flowers too. It was a great mini science/ nature lesson.
While their friends were over the boys all ran, swung, swam, ate and played. They had a great time and worked a lot on their social skills (after all; that's what everyone worries about, right? Those poor un-socialized homeschoolers!). We were sad to see our friends leave but they had afternoon plans and a thunderstorm was rumbling through the area.
We headed out to get more loom bands and stopped at the farmer's market. We wandered around looking at the different offerings of fruits, vegetables and homemade goods.
Ian started planning a small business for himself for next summer. He'd like to harvest his aunt's blueberries and sell them in packages at the farmer's market. I think it's a good idea and told him we'd look into it for next year. He was talking pricing, measuring, calculating the time it would take him to pick blueberries and what his time is worth.
We headed home with another quick stop at our library. We had been listening to our book on CD in the car but had to turn if off for the ride home since the boys were all engrossed in their books. Ian read a book called Gone Fishing and Alec started the 4th Secret Zoo book. I love when they're so excited about library book they just can't wait to read them!
We had my mother in law over for an early birthday dinner and the boys presented her with the completed t-shirt (that we had washed and dried for her too so it no longer smelled like alcohol & she won't have to worry about it bleeding the first time she washes it). She loved her shirt so much she changed and wore it home. The boys were beaming with pride.
They then proceeded to ask her to play some games. Ian wanted to play the Scrambled States of America and they played two games (geography!). Evan and my husband played Memory and then the boys presented her with the cake they had made for her. It was such a great, fun- filled day!
They were so happy to have a day off from learning but I couldn't help thinking of all the things they were learning despite us not having had any schooling today. It got me thinking... is there really such a thing as a day off from learning?
Alec went to his grandmother's and fed her cats, riding his bike there and back. We cleaned the basement and the patio and made some yummy snacks. Ian helped me carry all the food and drinks downstairs.
They spent the morning finishing up the movie Jason and the Argonauts. Alec had read the book and made constant comparisons between the book and movie. All the boys noticed how different this version of the golden fleece was from the one in the Percy Jackson movies. They compared the filming of the Gods and the appearance of various characters too. I just thought-- yeah! more Greek Mythology lessons.
While watching their movie Alec and Ian were working hard on coloring in their contest papers from their karate class which Ian insists is art.
They spent a good portion of the morning working on their loom band bracelets & rings. We used YouTube videos to finish up Alec's starburst bracelet and then we spent a portion of our day teaching Evan to do a basic loop bracelet on the loom too.
We headed outside to wait for our friends and noticed a large bee on our table. It was HUGE! It prompted up to start talking about bees and importance of them.
Alec has a few books that just came in from the library on bees and we really like the one called What if There Were No Bees?
He started talking to us about pollination and what other animals pollinate and how much better bees are at pollinating flowers. He reminded us that most fruits and vegetables start out as flowers too. It was a great mini science/ nature lesson.
While their friends were over the boys all ran, swung, swam, ate and played. They had a great time and worked a lot on their social skills (after all; that's what everyone worries about, right? Those poor un-socialized homeschoolers!). We were sad to see our friends leave but they had afternoon plans and a thunderstorm was rumbling through the area.
We headed out to get more loom bands and stopped at the farmer's market. We wandered around looking at the different offerings of fruits, vegetables and homemade goods.
Ian started planning a small business for himself for next summer. He'd like to harvest his aunt's blueberries and sell them in packages at the farmer's market. I think it's a good idea and told him we'd look into it for next year. He was talking pricing, measuring, calculating the time it would take him to pick blueberries and what his time is worth.
We headed home with another quick stop at our library. We had been listening to our book on CD in the car but had to turn if off for the ride home since the boys were all engrossed in their books. Ian read a book called Gone Fishing and Alec started the 4th Secret Zoo book. I love when they're so excited about library book they just can't wait to read them!
We had my mother in law over for an early birthday dinner and the boys presented her with the completed t-shirt (that we had washed and dried for her too so it no longer smelled like alcohol & she won't have to worry about it bleeding the first time she washes it). She loved her shirt so much she changed and wore it home. The boys were beaming with pride.
They then proceeded to ask her to play some games. Ian wanted to play the Scrambled States of America and they played two games (geography!). Evan and my husband played Memory and then the boys presented her with the cake they had made for her. It was such a great, fun- filled day!
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