Motivating - No One Size Fits All Solution

Potty training has to be my least favorite part of parenting.  It is messy and stressful.  And oh the pressure I felt from friends, the culture and myself.  Ugh.

After a couple of messy starts with my oldest, I waited until he was good and ready and then accomplished the feat of diapers-to-underwear, in a weekend with only an occasional accident afterwards. "Naked time" proved to be the trick for him.  My extended family found it a little disturbing, but it worked and I wasn't left with soiled underwear or carpet.

Fast-forward to Keegan.  I knew enough this time around to wait.  As a seasoned parent, I now knew EXACTLY how to do this! Sure enough shortly before his third birthday he showed signs of being ready.  Confidently, I planned for our weekend.  My hubby took Xander and Treyton out for the morning, so we could focus. {Oh my heart leapt at the thought of being oh so very close to less diaper changing!}

The weekend was a flop.  This son of mine hated naked time, could care less about his pride or my carpet and refused to 'try' when I asked him too.  Frustrated and convinced that this stubborn son of mine would be in diapers forever, I started to put the train, airplane and dino undies away...  Keegan balked.  As cheerfully as I could I got down at his level and explained that it was ok, but he wasn't ready.  With three little boys running around, mommy didn't have the patience or inclination to deal with wet underwear and carpet.  Keegan persisted in asking for the underwear.  Finally, in a moment of Providence, I agreed to give him one more chance.  I calmly told him that he could wear underwear, like his big brother, as long as he kept them dry.  With a steady, focused gaze, this nearly 3 year old son of mine agreed to my bargain, grabbed the underware and got dressed.  That week he potty trained himself.  This boy of mine was self-motivated.  When he put his mind to a task, he was tenacious.  While Xander thrived on words of affirmation and having me there for guidance and encouragment, Keegan simply wanted to be left alone.


And then son #3.  Don't get me started...  This happy-go-lucky guy took his own path.  A messier one.  But we survived.


What I learned through all of this was to value them as unique human beings. They each had special temperaments and abilities.  What ultimately motivated them was as unique as they were.  I'm learning day-by-day to embrace their distinct personalities.  I'm learning to rely on the Holy Spirit in communicating with them and reaching their hearts.

When it comes to homeschooling, these same lessons apply.  There are moments when I just sit, befuddled.  How do I teach this one?  What am I doing wrong?  This 'technique' or that 'approach' worked for 'so and so', etc...  Just like with the potty training example, I'm learning that each of my children are wired differently.  God created them special and unique.  He entrusted them to me which means that God is going to provide me the means to figure them each out. 

And you know what?  He's going to do that for you too.  As you read, pray and try new things with your children, He is going to provide.  He always does.  Sometimes we live such noisy, distracted lives that we don't hear it. 

I've been praying a lot lately for wisdom in how to motivate these unique human beings that I'm called to train and educate.  And God dropped this little nugget in my lap.  I found this great article by Marilyn Boyer on the 4 Motivational Types of Learners.  She talks about 4 primary motivational categories:

• the self-directed learner
• the sensitive learners
• the slothful learners
• the steady learner

In addition to describing characteristics that apply to each, she also gives a treasure trove of ideas on how to motivate them.   It was eye-opening, encouraging and practical.  This mama of 14 {no, that is not a typo} would know a bit about unique learning styles, wouldn't she?  I need to print this off for my lesson-plan binder.  I also enjoyed the reminder to embrace their differences when I read her related post on Struggling Learners.

Pause, pray and then move out in faith.  If God has called you to teach these children of yours, He will give you the grace and ability to do it!

Reading About Heroes of History and Faith: the Sower Series

Not only do we drink tea or eat popcorn while we read...  We also love to draw and paint!  This week served as a fresh reminder that busy hands, help encourage focused minds...

As I mentioned last week, we are reading about Johannes Kepler.  It is a pretty heady book, especially for the 4 and 6 year olds. Painting {and eating and drinking} help keep them interested!

I've always been a lover of books, especially older books where the history hasn't been re-written in order to erase evidence of Christian influences.  Even before my kids were born, I would scour used book fairs for out-of-print books that portrayed accurate history.

At the same time, I'm also a big fan of the library.  I love free books and not having the responsibility to store all of them. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by many of the books and videos we found this last year during our study of early American history.

My kids loved the Liberty's Kids DVD series. They are very patriotic and we enjoyed watching them every once in a while during our intense summer afternoons last year.  I couldn't help but feel a little sad that all references to faith had been removed.  It wasn't anti-Christian, but the silence spoke in profound ways. 

On a bright note, we found and fell in love with this children's biography about Nathan Hale.  It was easy enough that Xander was able to read it on his own last year and yet captivating enough that I ended up re-reading it to everyone.  We were thrilled that it included how he wrestled with his faith and the opportunity to spy for his country.  After he was captured and awaited trial, we were all inspired as we read of his unswerving faith in God and of his request to meet with a pastor and pray before the British carried out his execution.  It was such a cool opportunity to discuss with the boys how our faith plays a role in decisions we make.  In a culture that segments out faith from having any real impact on our lives, I find it is so important to intentionally wrestle with these issues and help our children see how they can apply their faith to everyday living.

This experience inspired me to be on the lookout for books that we could incorprate into our studies that delve into matters of faith and how that intersects with the calling God has given men and women throughout history.  That's why I'm so excited to share how much we've enjoyed reading books in The Sowers Series.  This series gives an engaging glimpse into the lives and accomplishments of these famous men and women and oftentimes uses direct quotes from their wrestling with integrating their faith and their vocational calling. My parents bought many of these books when we were growing up.  We enjoyed them as teens and I even borrowed the book about Susanna Wesley when I was in the thick of trying to find how time with the Lord was possible in the midst of mothering.

Now with our study of astronomy, Xander and I love reading about Johannes Kepler. These books are geared for 9-14 year olds, so they are a bit of a stretch for the younger boys, but they have provided us so much to talk about.

I plan on making sure we have every book in the series and look forward to incorporating them into our studies!  Our children are in desperate need of inspiring role-models and I love how they get to read, about the faith of so many important men and women. 

Check out the many biography options this series offers.  I promise, you won't be disappointed!

*Disclosure: this 'review' is entirely my own opinion, based on years of experience with these books and most recently our delightful last week with the Johannes Kepler book.  This post does, however, contain affiliate links.  Should you make a purchase after clicking one of these links, I receive a tiny commission that helps to support this blog and my book-buying habit.

Discovery Learning is...

FUN...

Well, in hindsight anyways!  There is something about the struggle to figure a problem out that gives intense satisfaction afterwards.  Join me over at Tips4Mom as I discuss the trials and triumphs of discovery learning and how important it is for us to take a step back and not do all the mental work for our kids.  Instead we can and should give them the TIME to discover how NOT to do something which is part of the process of discovery.

Learning how to view 'failure' can have a dramatic impact on their life and we have opportunities each and every day to help change our children's perspective that will pay life-long dividends!

See you over there!

Thinking OUTSIDE the School Desk

There is just something about 6 year old little boys, or at least my 6 year old little boys...  They have a high desire to practice their spelling and improve their reading skills, but very little desire to pick up that little pencil.  The desire is especially potent right now because my middle son wants to join his big brother in playing Ticket to Ride.  But his reading skills need to improve a bit more before he can play completely on his own without help...

So penmanship practice took place largely outdoors this summer - even in our intense summer heat.  ICE kept us cool for about 15 minutes before we meandered back indoors, leaving our words to quickly fade away.  Even the 8 year old begged to do his spelling words outside too afterwards!  The four year old lasted a couple of minutes before abandoning ice in favor of his stick horse and some far-off battle.  And of course Greta is pleased to be wherever we are and happily played next to us...

The beauty of homeschooling is that you don't have to be tethered to a desk.  We can go outside, write with ice-cubes, spray messages with squirt bottles and take advantage of any and every location imaginable!

Have you taken your learning adventures into any new venues lately?

Our Daily Dose of Science!

Monsoon season has a way of luring us outdoors...  The smell of the creosote, the dip in temperature and puddles, puddles everywhere!

I think the boys couldn't be more pleased with the 'daily outdoors challenge'.  They know that if I'm feeling iffy on going outside that they can just bring this up and hold me accountable! :)

We had fun walking the neighborhood, inspecting the retention basins which had a couple of feet of water and we collectively mourned the loss of one of our trees out front in the aftermath of recent storms.

Monsoon season is also when some of our desert wildlife that has been safely hiding underground comes out to play.  A fascinating croaking sound met our ears as we embarked to explore our flooded neighborhood.  While building dams with river rock, we discovered these little toads out and about.  I believe they are Colorado River Toads, sometimes also called Sonoran Desert Toads.  But after listening to the call of the American Bullfrog, I'm not sure.  They were quite busy that night and within two days when we were outside again, exploring the water that was left, the boys discovered TADPOLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh this is one of the beauties of childhood. Memories came flooding back from my childhood and the many instances of wading in the lake behind my home capturing tadpoles and then taking them home for the remainder of their metamorphosis.

There is something so special, so powerful about tangible, impromptu science lessons like this.  We studied frogs last year, but even reading about it in books or doing some fun activity doesn't even begin to compare with the real thing.  Watching the transformation take place before our very eyes is simply amazing.  This morning our little tadpoles merely had two tiny legs. By dinner time, they are sporting tiny arms too.

It is a timely reminder to seize the 'real-life' learning opportunities that come our way because context and experience are potent allies in the learning process.

So we continue our daily outdoor challenge.  I haven't been doing it perfectly, but life is settling back into routine and with it the daily habit of time spent outdoors WITH my children.

Oma's Book Club

In continuing our discussion of books and reading, today I have a guest post from my mother, affectionately called "Oma" by her grands.  She is a gifted teacher.  Literature and discussing great books is one of her favorite things to do.  I feel so blessed that she is passing that love on to her grandchildren!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He knew how to read, loved being read to, read the easy readers, but had not yet discovered the great pleasure of solitary reading, especially reading longer and more complex books.

So Oma’s Book Club was launched.  I wanted to encourage him to devour and savor good books.  This would be more than just getting a reward for reading, we would discuss the books – and thus I would in a natural way teach him the concepts of literature which would cause the enjoyment of good books to soar.  Or at least that was the plan….

When I asked X-man, my 7 year old grandson, if he would like to be in a Book Club with me he excitedly said yes even before I explained it.  (I think his dad had let it slip there might be a treat involved.)

The Plan

     1.       Oma would pick a book to read.

2.       After both reading the book we would have a date to go out and discuss.

The Execution

 1.       The X-man is only 7 years old and I wanted the first book to be a success.  He was skeptical of his ability to read a “long” chapter book.  So we started with Five O’ClockCharlie by Marguerite Henry, a 40 page book.  While not a chapter book, this picture book is beautifully written with rich vocabulary, enchanting syntax, and a lovely story of love, life and grace to an older generation.  Definitely a great book for the beginning of our book club.

Twenty-eight year-old draft horse Charlie is retired by Mr. Spinks who is trying to do his horse a favor; but life is boring to Charlie, who misses the days when he and Mr. Spinks would head to the local pub at 5:00 PM sharp for Birdie's fresh apple tarts. One day, Charlie jumps the fence and trots to the pub where he hopes the cheerful Birdie will give him his own juicy tart. Soon, this jaunt is an everyday routine.

2.       After X-man read the book (two or three times), we headed to the frozen yogurt shop for our treat and discussion.

This was to be a real discussion – definitely not a test, nor a lecture, nor a lesson.  But I did have things I wanted to talk about - quite a number of things.  Nevertheless I was also going to be responsive to him – ready to go on a bunny trail if he desired, ready to drop a line of discussion if he seemed lost or bored.  And ready to quit when it seemed natural, rather than when my “list” was completed.

There are many things to discuss about a book: Plot, characters, setting (including both geography & time), themes, vocabulary, literary devices, etc., etc.  You never want to cover everything with every book.  That would be tiresome and stilted. There are future opportunities with the next books.

I started with, “Who is your favorite character?”  And I was ready with the follow up questions of “Why did you like him/her? What was he like? Could you describe her to me?” if needed.  These questions were ready just to get him talking – I did not want him to think I was interrogating him!

X-man told me about Charlie first.  When he described him he left out a few things – one of which I wanted to discuss.  The author described Charlie as having “sad brown eyes and shaggy feathers on his feet.”  I reread the line and we looked at the pictures.  I asked X-man if a horse has feathers on his feet.  He was confused and said, “I guess so.”  So I explained with a laugh that he knew birds have feathers, not horses. I explained that this is a metaphor – a description of an object –in this case the long fluffy hair on Charlie’s feet – that asserts it is, on some point of comparison, the same as another otherwise unrelated object- in this case feathers.

Then X-man wanted to talk about the second character whom he really liked: Birdie, the plump cook at the inn.  I laughed about the name Birdie and asked him if he could imagine anyone naming their child Birdie. He laughed, too, and quoted a line from the book, “She would bounce out of the inn like a cuckoo from a clock.”  I then mentioned that this is similar to the feathered feet of Charlie.  Birdie is not a bird – she is a lady, but she is like a bird.

Now he has not really learned similes and metaphors, but I have broached the subject naturally.  It will not seem as strange next time, and he is building an understanding which will undergird the formal learning he will receive much later.

After we finished talking about the characters – mostly directed by him – I read one particular paragraph out loud.

Quick as flies the people would come swarming.  There were teamsters and tailors, carpenters and cobblers, bankers and barristers, goldsmiths, silversmiths and blacksmiths.   

I did NOT discuss the simile with corresponding verb in the first sentence.  I was being careful not to rub his face in the educational aspect of our book club.  But we did talk about each of the professions.  This is pretty complex vocabulary.  He knew some of them, but not all.  Then I reread the sentence to see if he could hear the pattern.  And as I ready I emphasized:

Teamsters and Tailors, Carpenters and Cobblers, Bankers and Barristers

We talked about alliteration very briefly.  He knows about rhyming and I explained this was similar – and it made the sentence lyrical, or almost musical.  He seemed to understand and commented that it was fun to say out loud. He repeated the work al-lit-er-a-tion and the sentence. 

Of course we also talked about the plot.  I let that discussions just run conversationally at his direction and pace.  X-man also wanted to talk about the illustrations.  I had not planned on talking about them at all.  He had thought about them and shared his insights with me!

The theme of the story is that we all need meaningful work, that we need to treat everyone with respect, and that no one is too old to have a rich meaningful life.  If X-man brought it up we would follow his bunny trail.  But I knew going in that I would not chose to discuss it. 

Many times morals and themes are best caught by the story rather than taught by the teacher.  I did discuss it with his mother in case she has the opportunity to catch him exhibiting the positive character traits – then she can comment that he is behaving like Charlie or Birdie. 

Our first book discussion was a great success.  I spent a few hours tracking down the next book I wanted to read. 

My goals?  Good books – good both from a literary standpoint and morally.  A variety of genres and authors. Books that are increasingly challenging while not being overwhelming. 

My next choice?  TheBox Car Children.

Oma’s Book Club… to be continued…..

Colene Lewis

wife, mother, grandmother, speaker, curriculum writer (KONOS Russia curriculum) and currently working for Alliance Defending Freedom.

Related Posts on Literacy and Reading:

7 Reasons You Should Read-Aloud to Your Kids

How to Cultivate Read-Aloud Times

The Wonder of Wordless Books

Make Your Own "Life Made Beautiful" wordless book

Of Pediatricians and Patriots

We are knee deep in the middle of our nations fight for independence and the boys couldn't be happier.  Last fall I picked up two pirate costumes at our PE groups clothing swap.  The red velvet jackets with gold braid are a favorite item being worn these days despite the temperatures approaching 100.  Our only two patriot 'coats' are a blue police jacket and my grandmother's cardigan that has really cool engraved pewter buttons.  Buttons aside, the boys think it is a pretty boring stand-in.  But it has provided an opportunity for the them to realize the benefits of being a soldier of the king verses a patriot in a poor fledgling nation.

As we read about these men that made so many valiant sacrifices, they have also been drawn to the beautiful rhetoric.  Their ability to memorize, when motivated, never ceases to amaze me.

Recently, I took Treyton in for his 4 year old well-check.  This new pediatrician is especially thorough and started asking me all kinds of questions about his development.  As she started to ask about his knowledge of the 1,2,3's and A,B,C's I realized that I had come to the point, where I hadn't really thought about it.  I nodded, indicating that he knew most of what she was asking about, but than explained a bit of my philosophy.

Skills like this come surprisingly easily in a home where there is a lot of interaction.  As I dole out a snack, he learned pretty quick how important it was to count.  Counting wasn't merely something he memorized to please someone.  There was a lot riding on his understanding of 1-to-1 correspondence.  He could immediately spot that he only received 10 blueberries while his brothers had each snagged 20.

And don't get me started on the ABC's.  I mean really, what academic advantage does a child have if he can sing the ABC song?  Until he is ready to start alphabetizing, not much.  Now phonemic SOUNDS...  That is a whole different story.

As I sat there in my pediatricians office, I started to share with her the value in learning ABOUT things instead of merely memorizing and acquiring skills.  One of my goals in the early years is to nurture that natural curiosity and insatiable desire to explore the world around them.  Stoking the fire of inborn curiosity and protecting that natural love of learning is so crucial at this age.

For some reason our culture seems fixated on skill acquisition as if memorizing numbers from 1 to 20 (or 50 or 100) somehow indicates 'giftedness'.  So much time is spent on trying to get kids reading or counting that could be utilized in far more effective and enjoyable ways.

I'm not sure how convinced she was, until I mentioned our current study of the Revolutionary War and how fascinated he is by it all.  He may or may not be able to recite his ABC's in the correct order {I've never communicated that learning that was important}, but this kid of mine is soaking up so much. 

I relayed how I was dialoging with my bigger boys, asking them which famous statesman from Virginia spoke these famous words,

"Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?

Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take,

but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!"  

Treyton was trotting by {in costume, of course} and before the boys had a chance to respond, he glibly responded, "Patrick Henwy".

The pediatrician just sat staring.

Then I told her that he was currently really into the life of Paul Revere and the events surrounding the battle of Lexington/Concord.  At this point, Treyton piped up and told her about Captain John Parker and his courageous words to the militia on the Lexington Green that day.

Rest assured, while she might think us a bit odd {and I'm totally ok with that}, I don't think she is worried about his academic development.

Skills will come.  In fact, he's acquiring them without even realizing it.  More important is that his love of learning -that God has placed in each young child, is alive and well.

After re-enacting the battle at Lexington and the 'shot heard round the world,' Treyton wanted me to record the battle for his cousins and grandparents. He is incredibly proud of his make-shift bayonet (a bamboo skewer) and the boys are loving their 'gun smoke' that they've created by filling their popguns with dirt. After reviewing this clip however, I've realized that we need to work on explaining the reality of guns that fire only one shot before needing to be carefully reloaded...

Planning for the Unplanned

Delighting in the adventures of the day. Recognizing their value and promise.

Yes, there are days I feel overwhelmed, under prepared and ill-equipped.

But I serve a God who is all-powerful, all-knowing and never gives us more than we can handle.

Learning happens all the time. Education is an atmosphere. Training opportunities are at every twist

and turn of life's journey.

Sometimes, these opportunities don't fit in the neat and tidy box that we like to call 'SCHOOL'. But they are very real and of far greater value than the sit at a desk with a text book.

Sometimes it is chasing butterflies outside. Sometimes it is learning how to get along with siblings. 

Sometimes it is learning responsibility and how to properly do chores. 

All are blessings. All are rich with opportunity and promise.

We just need eyes to see it.

“Today is a gift that is why it is called ‘The Present’!”

Today I record those unconventional learning moments in my lesson plans.  While they were not 'my plan', they happened.  Those lessons had value.

In those moments when I wonder what we are doing, what they have learned, I look back and read through what I've recorded in our 'Spontaneous Explorations' category.

Today it was learning conflict resolution and the 'give and take' necessary in making {sibling} friendships work.

Today was learning the why's and how-to's of washing the barf bucket.

Today, it was a discussion of Hagar and Ishmael and how it relates to the Arab-Israeli conflicts that continues to this day. Gotta love having a reader who now asks questions about news headlines.

And I need to remember these moments.

Because they count too.

Facing the Giant...

I'm back!  Rested, relaxed and with renewed focus.  Sometimes, it is so helpful to refocus and take a break from the norm.  But I'm thankful to return and I have so much that I'm eager to write about...

I set out to battle my personal giant - 'the black hole that is the internet', as my sister aptly describes it.  I enjoyed going computer-free for three days a week and plan to continue this habit for the month of March.    

The boys don't have issues with screen time, because I am ever so vigilant to limit it for them.  {Funny how I can be so good about setting limits for them and let slide the same limitations for myself...} Instead, in our focus on the character trait of COURAGE, we literally came face to face with Goliath.

Adding a hands-on element to our lessons goes a long way to solidify learning and increase retention.  How many times do children hear the story of David and Goliath?  I'd venture to guess it is pretty frequent.  As we read the Biblical account this time, I decided to help make it a little more 'real' for them.  So I challenged them to make a life-size drawing of Goliath.  We were all in awe at his size when it was made toweringly visible.  Seriously, he's big, really big.  Albeit, our version was on the skinny side.  As wonderful as a roll of butcher paper is, I guess it does still have limitations.

I try as often as possible to give minimal directions and back-off to see where they will go with it.  They learn so much more when they have to figure things out for themselves.

Armed with a roll of butcher paper and the knowledge of Goliath's gargantuan 9 feet of height the boys grabbed daddy's tape measure to get started.

The {almost} four year old is convinced that he will need armor for this upcoming battle...  hmmm, maybe we should re-read the story again. :)

Mommy did have to step in to hold a discussion on body proportions as their initial estimates were six feet of legs with three feet remaining for torso and head.  They adjusted this a bit before drawing their outline.

Afterwards, we set out to paint 5 little stones for their 'David' role playing that was to come.  We are grateful for non-toxic paint as the {nearly} four year old swiped a painted, stale marshmallow while I wasn't looking.  One was enough and he didn't attempt any more.

We recited this poem to correspond to the colors of our 'stones.'

 

Five Little Stones by Ronda Duvall

Red, Blue, Yellow, Orange, and Green,
These five little stones remind me of many things.

Red means stop and pray for courage.
With God on my side never be discouraged.

Blue means it's okay to feel sad.
But, with the right amount of courage, I don't need to get
mad.

Yellow reminds me to slow down and pray.
Thank God for His blessings every day.

Orange, this stone is very bright.
God is with me, there's no need to feel fright.

Green means for me to get up and go,
God shows me that He loves me so.

Slingshot and {marshmallow} stones in hand, they stepped up to the challenge of taking him on.  We have a new-found respect for David and the courage that God gave him to face this giant. Sadly, our marshmallow stones did not stand up well to the rigors of being squeezed in our traditional slingshot.  Large pom poms stepped in as default 'stones'.  {While I like to think of myself as a 'fun' mom, I draw the line at anything that could damage windows, lamps, etc...}

This handy little verse card seen below can be found on Danielle's Place.

God is bigger in our eyes now and there is a calm assurance that He will fill us with courage to do incredible things!

Exploring the World of Walt Disney

I can't help myself...

Life is full of learning opportunities and with grandparents taking us to Disney World for a Christmas gift this year, I took advantage of the opportunity to help prepare them.

So while I was speeding my way through The Unofficial Guide to Disney World with Kids (which I highly recommend), the boys were learning about the man behind the kingdom...

I just love how there are opportunities to learn, discover and enrich our lives, especially when it comes to special trips!  They learned about Disney's creativity, entrepreneurship and of course his art.  We had a geography review as we mapped out our trip (heading to St. Louis first and then Orlando).

Knowledge enriches life.  It adds a layer of enjoyment and it is a delight to cultivate the habit of discovery and exploration in my children.  And of course it is fun for Rich and I as well!

It was so cool to hear their squeals of delight every time they found a photograph or statue of Mr. Walt Disney this last week.

Speaking of learning enriching our lives, Treyton was so excited to see a 'real' portcullis as we passed through the castle. Sure we got some strange looks as he kept shrieking "Portcullis, mommy. There's a portcullis." But as I thought back to our time learning about that last year when he was only two years old, I couldn't help but smile and thank God for the opportunity we have to learn as a family! 

Although I was sick all week, we had a fun time.  I'm super proud that we made it through without losing any children.  And the sling totally made the trip so much more fun.   Greta was able to nap as we hopped on and off rides! And having grandparents there also meant extra hands so we were able to pass her around for some of the more 'exciting' rides!

Getting to see their eyes open on wonder and their imaginations run wild was a real treat!

Today was a mountain of laundry, restocking the fridge and getting Greta back on track.  Tomorrow {hopefully} finds us resuming our normal routine!

While Disney World was fun, I must say I'm enjoying the peace and {semi} quiet. 

Homeschooling --> Family Learning

~ ~ Blogger had some issues over the last few days and erased any changes or posts uploaded during that time.  I apologize for those of you who have subscribed to this blog for the repeat post... ~ ~

One of my favorite perks of homeschooling is that learning becomes a family adventure!

I remember as a girl my mom getting giddy about understanding something we were studying in a fresh way. She would always tell people that she loved homeschooling because of the great education she was getting.

As an adult, who received a fabulous education growing up, I can still vouch for that. While there is certainly a lot of me imparting instruction and training to them, much of it is a joint learning venture. And as I've learned with even the giving instruction and discipling process, there are still lessons for me.

Nothing quite brought this home recently like our study of the military a few months ago. I grew up in a home of three little girls. When it came time to study the military, we had no interest. I'm kicking myself now, especially since my Opa and his father were both career Army and my dad's father served briefly in the Navy. But no, that didn't appeal to little girls...

Times have changed and with three little boys, there were great whoops of excitement when this topic was introduced. We did boot camp, drills, awoke to reveille. They marched, learned how to make their beds military style, thanks to my hubby, an expert bedmaker.  I'd probably be discharged for poor bed-making skills alone...  One of their favorite parts was learning to properly salute from my Opa.

We learned details about how the military is structured and its various branches. I finally have a fairly good understanding of ranking now. Although the boys were too young for some of the information, I still found myself reading some of the 'older' kids books and gleaning information that I could then pass on to them. This was most definitely a JOINT venture.

The end of our unit perfectly coincided with an airshow that happens only every two years at Luke Air Force Base. {providence} We were all primed and ready...

The boys sat in the cockpit of a helicopter...

...and I genuinely marvelled at the controls!

The boys and I were all giddy and could tell the difference between an Apache and a Black Hawk helicopter. My husband has an amazing knowledge of military aircraft. He was able to fill us in on even more during this particular adventure!

Little guys practiced their salutes!

We talked to air force pilots...

And of course watched the show...

Oh the joys of homeschooling!!!

It provides the time, opportunity and adventure of on-going learning - as a family!

So what have YOU discovered lately in your learning adventures?