Have you heard of Math Gnomes?

Think back to when you were younger.  It's okay I'll wait (lol). How did you learn math? Was it boring, abstract, engaging, fun? Do you even remember??

My boys love numbers.  They just picked it up easily on their own.  I can't tell you how or why except that they are naturally curious and for our family math isn't a separate subject in school.  Numbers are just part of our life like letters and reading.  I am very blessed and happy about that!

So the gnomes... I'm getting to that.

A while back TJ mentioned that he missed the stories we used to read (ones from the Waldorf curriculum we have).  We talked about a few other things he'd like to bring back into our rhythm and I asked if I could add in a few things too.  I did ask if he'd be willing to try a bit of structure and school type stuff for a few weeks and then we'd discuss how it's going. He agreed so we did a block of fairy tales.  Basically one day I'd read a story and we'd draw a picture.  The next day he would retell and write a very short summary.  He is very proud of his notebook!

After the fairy tales I planed a math block.  The plan was to review numbers 1-10 and discuss them more, then spend a bit of time on each of the four math processes (plus, minus, multiply and divide).  I also have a workbook that we could use for extra practice.

Mommy's Picture and poem for Plus

So here are where these fun little math gnomes come in.  When you introduce the math processes to children with stories and give them each a personality, the kids can make a special connection and really get engaged.  So basically they are a sweet way to introduce the math processes. Now you could use anything like squirrels or bears too.  I like the little gnomes.

First we used a math number story called The Gnome's Gemstones.  We had read this story about a year before so this time we did two numbers a day.  With each number we discusses different ways to say the number (for example two is double, twice, twins, pair, bi...).  We learned the roman numerals and french too.

Next I had to finally pick a math gnome story to go with. I honestly didn't realize how many versions are out there and all of the stories are great!  I have life time memberships to Waldorf Essentials and Earth Schooling.  But these stories also look good too. I picked the Earth schooling ones now and will get to the Waldorf Essential ones when we get to that point as we are reading through the stories from there in order.

TJ's Picture for plus

I looked on Pintrest to find some poems to go with each gnome and made some changes to them myself.  One day I would tell the story of a math gnome, show my drawing and poem, then the boys drew a picture. The next day we practiced that math process with manipulatives and in a work book.

Back when I used to sell items online I had made a sweet little set of math gnomes, but eventually sold them.  So this time I used game pieces from the game Sorry.  You may be wondering what to do with a math gnome?  Well they are basically just figures in a story if you use toys to act it out.  If you are using counters like gems or stones to help with math problems you can put the math gnome figure out to help remind you.

MJ's picture for Plus

Looking back I'd say the fairy tales were a big hit.  The math started off well and TJ enjoyed the pictures.  He didn't so much enjoy doing math problems in the workbook, so I backed off and didn't push too hard. Both boys prefer doing math in their heads or with counters to help.  Both boys wanted jump in to answer questions.

I wonder what the boys will want to learn about next??

Drop the labels and embrace your life!

Labels can be useful.  They can help us to define things, provide a starting point for further research, and allow for clearer explanations.  But, labels can also feel restricting, confining, narrow and stressful.

These days there are labels for explaining behaviour, parenting styles, educational methods and more.  And while I like that there is a name for the variety within each area, trying to fit in to a category or label can also be very limiting. 

Our favourite place to be is in nature.  This is where my boys come alive!

I’ll try to focus more on education although for me, this topic also applies to other areas of our lives such as parenting styles and understanding my children’s personalities etc.

We’d all agree that most parents want the best for their children.  They also want the best education for their kids too.  We are blessed in our country to have options.  Our kids could go to a public school, variety of private schools, some type of alternate education or homeschooling.  Each option has their own set of pros and cons.  There are excellent and not so great schools/teachers within each option available.  Since every family situation is different everyone has to make their own decision about what is best for their family.  Many factors come into play here such as the child’s needs, finances, location, faith, and more.  What bothers me is when people put down some of the options making us feel like their way is best.  Since we all want the best for the kids why can’t we all support and build each other up.  No matter what choice a person makes surely there is some way you can encourage, support, invest in, or build into that child/family.  We all have strong feelings and opinions but these many options for education aren’t going to disappear just because you (and many others) don’t feel they are the best way to learn.   Rather than disagreeing with their choice of educational location or institution maybe we should focus on building into the lives of kids any way we can.  Maybe that is going to see the play your niece’s school class is putting on, or sharing your love of painting with a homeschooled neighbour, or listening to the exiting adventures your grandkids have been reading about. 

TJ asked daddy to help him figure out how many letters were in the alphabet.  Then we made secret codes up for each other.

For our family we have chosen to homeschool our children.  It is a decision we consider regularly to see if that is still be best fit for our children and situation at the time.  When I first started researching about homeschooling methods I was rather surprised to find out that there are so many different methods, styles and pedagogy to choose from!!  I took my time to read about each one to find out what resonated best with me.  This is where all those labels came in handy.  It helped me to further my reading and distinguish one thing from another.  I could let go of that which didn’t fit with our family and pursue those that did. 

Where I went wrong was to try and pick one method that I felt was the best fit for my family and go all out.  I felt that if I strayed from being a purist (or as much as I could) in that method then I’d be doing it all wrong and not be as effective.  It became very stressful, expensive, and I didn’t like who I was becoming.  In my mind I felt our way was best, and I began to tolerate others but look down on them for not choosing the same way.  I narrowed my range of possible connections too.  When we did something with the children that wasn’t inline with what I thought I should do, I felt guilty, worried and tried to swing the other way to make up for it.  Eventually I would abandon that method entirely and try something else. Now most of this was all up in my head but still I really didn’t need that stress in my life.

Learning can happen any time any where.  It can also be just plain ol' fun!!

This year I decided to drop the labels and embrace what worked best from everything that I had read or tried in the past.  Again each method or pedagogy has its benefits otherwise so much time and effort wouldn’t have been put into developing it.  But since we are all different and complex I don’t feel one specific way is going to work for our whole family forever.  Since learning comes naturally let us also follow the rhythms of nature.  There is a time and a season for everything.  There are seasons of our life that we may be outside more, exploring, working on gross motor, and building.  Other times of our lives we are very interested in a project that engages most of our time.  Some days I have a mini panic attack and want to check in where my kids are at so we may do some workbooks.  For us winter brings us to inside a little more to books, board games, research projects, TV, documentaries, artistic pursuits and handiwork.  With the new baby coming this summer I am sure that our focus and attention will turn to caring for this new little one and welcoming him into our family for a while.  Now that I have stopped worrying so much about following a specific method or worrying about what others will say about it, we have found true joy in learning at home together.

When I dropped the labels and embraced learning as an organic flowing journey, I also began to accept, encourage and support others in their journey too.  We are all in this together so lets not put each other down or make them feel like they aren’t doing enough.  Stop comparing our children with each other.  They are going to be different even within one family.  I am not using the same educational model as you and that is okay.  Let us look for ways to build into the lives of our family, friends, neighbours and children.  What skills do you have that another could benefit from?  Do you have supplies you aren’t using that could be passed on?  Could you gather together to go on a field trip?  Is there a resource that your community of learners need?  Let us drop the labels and start living life more fully.

The boys and their homeschool friends directing their own play and negotiations

You may also enjoy reading about:
A day in our life
Learning Naturally
Homeschooling: Making it your own

Tell me what do you need right now?  How can I support you?

I’d love to hear your questions, worries, prayer requests, and thoughts. 

You can post them in the comments, our Facebook page, message me on Facebook or contact me by email.  All our contact info is in this post also.

This post is linked to:

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The Happy Home Life Link-up

Our Week: Happy Easter

Happy Easter!!

We've been up to lots over the last two weeks.  The weather has been all over the place.  The boys have been enjoying some spring sunshine.  We've also been getting ready for Easter.

The boys passed another level of swimming.  They are very proud and have been doing so well.

Almost daily MJ has been making farms out of paper, stickers, cardboard and everything. He loves to recreate farms and tractors with lots of details.  TJ too has been joining us in our creative times.  He is very interested in the Mars rovers.  I love his attention to details.  He is sure to show which ones are still working.

TJ has been practicing reading with everyone who comes by.

One night TJ asked how many letters were in the alphabet.  He wanted to count them all.  My husband was so wonderful in his approach.  TJ wasn't sure how to get started. Daddy helped by writing out the alphabet with spaces for TJ to write all the numbers.  Later we practiced writing in secret codes.

We had a wonderful time visiting the local nature centre with my mom and the boys together.  They had a fabulous frog exhibit.  We say all sorts of different frogs, and had some interactive fun.

On Palm Sunday we didn't quite make it to church, so the boys and I organized our own family service.  TJ helped with the order of service and the craft (he helped us to make palm leaves), MJ did the music and I read from the children's bible.

I've been trying to get the boys outside a lot more now that the weather is getting better.  TJ tried his stilts and is always on his bicycle.  MJ loves the mud and dirt.  He is constantly digging.  There is no point trying to clean their coats and splash pants.  I just wait till they dry and get the kids back out again.  

We dyed hardboiled eggs with a kit I got last year from the dollar store.  Oh the boys were having so much fun!

TJ and I also went to the church up the street to do the Stations of the Cross activities they had set up.   We had such a lovely time.  TJ has a tender heart and was very insightful and sensitive as we moved through the stations.

We love going to the forest in our front yard.  The boys enjoy noticing changes in the seasons and visiting familiar spot.  We went to a spot with an awesome hill/pit for the boys to climb in.  They had an awesome muddy time.

We planted our seedlings.  The boys chose which veggies they each wanted and enjoyed planting the seeds.

TJ also made it halfway to his reading goal!  25 books hurray!!  With each book, TJ gets stronger and more confident in his reading skills.

We went with our outdoor playgroup to the lake front.  The children were so enthralled with the swans, geese, and ducks.

Later we heard the ice cracking and melting.  The children were so excited to see the ice pushing up on the shore. We explored outside for more than two hours!

I am thrilled that the weather is finally starting to warm up.  I feel that getting outside has been a huge difference for all of us.  I have had the sense recently that we are all getting on each other's nerves.  I'm hopeful that patients, better communication and such will continue to improve.  The boys are getting older and we are all getting used to these new stages for everyone.  

We have more projects and interests coming up. I can't wait to share with you.

What have you been up to??

Learning to read naturally

Here is our story of how TJ (turning seven in May) has been learning how to read.  There are so many different ways to learn how to read and lots of research about those many methods.  Take time to figure out what works for your child and family.  This is what worked for our son and we are so proud of his accomplishments.

When TJ was around 3 or 4 we borrowed the Leap Frog Letter Factory movie from the library.  Something clicked after watching the movie a few times and he learned his alphabet and the sounds.  Oh sure we sang the alphabet song together, did a few work sheets and letter recognition activities but a lot of that felt like review for him.  It did help with his writing as he got a bit older.

Over the next few years we explored different methods of homeschooling and unschooling.  TJ did have some direct instruction, games with sight words and help sounding out words.  He always did his best and enjoyed learning from different people (mommy, daddy, my mom and my sister). To be completely honest though we didn't do any of these things consistently or too in-depth.

Part of our goal/hope for our boys is to allow their natural curiosity to lead them into learning what they need to in their own time.  We didn't want to pressure TJ into reading (he often backed away when he sensed that).  In my research I have learned that children learn best when they are interested and want to be doing a certain activity.  So while I'm sure my boys would pick up some great reading skills if I directed the learning I know that it would stick more if the desire came from within. Also because our boys are still quite young I wanted to give us all some time to explore child-led learning first hand to see how that would actually work for our family.  So we gave TJ time and space this year.

What we discovered was delightful.  My boys both love rhyming and often play with words and sounds during breakfast.  Even my 4 year old MJ is always asking me if certain words rhyme.  We also found that TJ's mind is more clear when he is moving.  One day when he was only about 5 or 6 he was swinging upside down on our rope swing and started sounding out words.  He spelled 'hand', 'sand' and a few others just for fun.  We have taken time to explain some blends to him such as sh, ch, and oo so that he can recognize them better.  Daddy also found a cool toy/game at the thrift store.  It is a spelling game that you twist the dial to spell words.  We gave it to TJ just for fun and he loves it.  He zips through several levels in one sitting.  The repetition is nice for him as he often starts at the beginning each time he plays.

Motivation is really something that we found key in letting TJ come into reading more naturally. This winter TJ has been playing on the Wii more (it's been really cold outside!!).  He wants to be more independent so he has figured out how to set himself up, select and play games and follow the instructions.  I hardly ever have to go in to help anymore.  I know he has figured out what a lot of the words on the screen say.  We also let the boys choose whatever topic they are interested in and support that through the internet, library books and field trips, and videos.  Seeing certain words repeatedly has helped with reading and going into more depth into a subject is increasing their vocabulary.

Fun spelling toy

A few fun things we've done have encouraged his reading, but none were enforced (they were available and just fun to do).  We've done scavenger hunts with words clues using simple words, we have a magnetic poetry kit on the fridge and make up funny sentences, we own a few word/alphabet puzzles and games, we have also watched several other Leap Frog movies that my boys love. I signed the boys up for the website "Teach Your Monster to Read', as I heard it was good.  MJ found manipulating the screen tricky but he enjoyed it. TJ zipped through all the levels quickly but the concepts didn't really stick.  He was annoyed by having to do the reading section again before getting to the games.  We also read constantly as a family using a variety of genres, and we have some sets of beginner reader books out that he can try.  TJ especially enjoys special time reading to daddy in the evenings.

My husband said to me the other day something to the effect that, I'm not sure what you are doing but it's working.  Giving TJ the time and space he needed to develop was jut the right thing for us.  Something has clicked!!  TJ is reading, picking out words, and reading simple stories to us.  As he reads he sometimes sounds out words, or uses the pictures to help him guess he word.  We will wither help him to sound out what he is reading or tell him the words (it depends on his body cues to know how to help him).  I happened to mention that when I was a teacher we used to keep track of the books the kids read and made a reading worm all the way around the room.  TJ was sort of interested so we set a goal.  TJ decided that he wants to read 50 books by the end of April and we'll take him to the books store to choose any book he likes.  He and I made an awesome chart (he has a Mars Rover moving across the stars from Earth to Mars) and spread the news for more encouragement.  On day 1 TJ read 3 beginner reader books!

TJ's reading chart.  His goal is to read 50 books by the end of April.

I am not going to compare TJ to other kids as everyone learns at their own pace.  Down the road in a few years no one will notice if he learned to read at age 5 or 8 or anything.  He is so excited with every new word he sounds out or recognizes.  Just the other night he ran out of his room with excitement to tell me that he knew what the poster on his wall said.  He can see the progress he is making with reading books together right on the family room wall.

Actually it isn't that he came to me and said he wanted to read, it has just become a natural progression.

MJ too is well on his way to becoming a natural reader in his own time.  He sounds out words as we work with big brother.  One night as the boys were settling in bed I noticed MJ talking to himself a lot.  Instead of telling him to be quiet I decided to sneak over and see what he was up to.  My little guy was trying to sound out and read the brand name on the toy he was holding.  After we worked out what it said he settled right down to sleep.  He is fascinated with word sounds and rhyming.  And as reading, writing and learning is just a regular part of our day without setting certain times for each thing I'm confident he'll pick it up too.

So this is how my boys learn to read.  We support them and follow their natural progression.  The same is true for all things like writing, math etc.  We do these things all day and learn from the world around us.

Here is another good article about naturally learning to read.  Do check out the Reading: How children learn link below too.


I'd love to hear about your journey and stories too!!

This post is linked up to

Mom2Mom Monday Link-up 

Laugh and Learn Link-up

Tell it to me Tuesday Link Up

Thoughtful Spot Weekly Link -up

Mama Moments Monday Link-up

Pintastic Pinning Party

Our Week: So much fun!

Wow yet another super week!  Here are only a few highlights (although a lot of photo)...

Finally some warmer weather!  The boys got outside, down and dirty.

I wrote about this one day on our Facebook Page.  MJ takes much longer than his older brother to fall asleep.  We have given him some extra settling time to play and unwind.  With the time change he was up even later but instead of being frustrated I took time to see what he was up to.  MJ had built a pyramid from pattern blocks.  Later he added a pond for sharks.  When I went to bed I turned out his flashlight and discovered that he had added sharks to his pond too.

One day this week I pulled out the science kit TJ had received for his last birthday.  We did the last few experiments together.  After watching for a bit MJ decided he wanted to make his own concoctions.  This went on for a few days as he had them in and out of the fridge and freezer.

The next day was wonderful as we spent a great deal of time at home without having to rush off to lessons, playgroups etc.  I wrote a whole separate blog post HERE.

Even warmer weather came towards the middle/end of the week.  My boys had a water fight with ice cold puddles.  They splashed and ran around enjoying the sun!

At times TJ has expressed boredom.  Not with being home with us or anything.  He is going through a transition between being a little kid and becoming a big kid.  It is hard for him and we are patiently helping him through this time.  One day I gave him a few suggestions to get him started on doing something other than bugging his brother.  The two actually came up with the most crazy chalk drawings.  I believe one is of a skidoo with a door at the front, hay bail cab and volcano passenger.  There is a monkey on the back holding another volcano.  Volcanos and tractors have been a big theme for the past few weeks.  The boys have really enjoyed learning all about the different types of volcanos, their names and how they are formed.  They have expanded their vocabulary and imaginative play.

One day while playing farm MJ found his needle felted mouse and was using that.  TJ went on a search for his and our game continued.  Then TJ suggested that we make some more needle felted friends to add to our play.  Of course I said yes!  So TJ made this adorable bunny almost all by himself.

MJ made a tractor almost all by himself.  He was sure to include headlights, tail lights and wheels.  Although, it hasn't survived his rough play as well as I had hoped but he loves it.  He has shown it off to everyone he can.

This week we joined a book club that meets at the library once a month.  There was an opening for the last few weeks of the year.  I told the boys we' go this week just to check it out and then discuss what we thought of it.  Well huge success there!!  It was a group of homeschoolers (mot of whom we already knew).  The topic this month was aliens.  One of the moms had gathered several children's books and read a few to the group.  Next she had planed a fun craft for everyone to make their own space ship and aliens.  Even though we joined late in the year we offered to take on next month as they needed someone to lead it.  Not sure yet what topic we'll choose.

I love Pinterest.  I often find some really cool ideas and then forget to share them with the boys.  On morning I told TJ about these balloon powered Lego cars I'd seen.  He went off to build one but it didn't really go anywhere.  He was rather disappointed and frustrated.  I was disappointed too because all the blogs I checked out said it worked great.  So I made a few different designs for us to test.  It turn out that you need a car that really rolls well.  TJ had the bottom one go all the way down the hall!

After our last trip to the library we changed up all the books we had out.  MJ still took out some tractor books but since he'd read them all he added in some construction trucks too.  On the shelf across from him we noticed the human body section so he took out a book and video from there too.  TJ's new interest is space and he also got some motorcycle books too.

One of TJ's library picks was a movie about the Mars Rovers.  It turns out to be a documentary that he has been fascinated by.  He now knows all the ins and outs of the Spirit and Opportunity space missions.  This I'm sure will lead us to research more on Curiosity and more.  My boys often like to take what they have learned and build a model of it.  TJ wanted to make his own Mars Rover.  He's added great details such as brown dirt, a camera, satellite, and rock collection bucket.

While he got started on that I pulled out a robot kit the boys ere given at Christmas.  It has extra moving parts and things you can add to your own recycled parts robots.  Perfect timing!!  As you can see above the boys made some really creative looking robots.

We also had out play group this week which didn't last long due to a cold wind  But it was nice to get out and see everyone.  On the weekend Grandma and Grandpa Scott dropped by.  MJ helped to make the salad for everyone.  We also checked on the progress of out seed experiment.  We had a great visit and a nice long walk before Grandma and Grandpa headed out.

TJ's been reading a lot more in the past week.  I'll be writing a separate post on that soon.  After telling him how I used to track my student's reading when I was a teacher, TJ decided to do something similar.  He wants to read 50 books by the end of April.  His reading chart is a path from Earth to Mars for his Mars Rover that he drew.  We'll write the name of each book on a star as he reads to us.  In his excitement to get going TJ read 3 books on the first day!!

While out shopping one day TJ say a really cool net with a telescopic handle.  He had to have it!!  Daddy and I did explain that we already had three nets at home in the shed and the handle looked like it might easily break on this one.  But TJ locked on to the idea of having this net.  So we told him that if he had enough money of his own we'd take him to the store.  Surprisingly he had a whole lot of dimes and nickels in his jar.  Pleased with his purchase we went over to the thrift store for something we needed.  MJ wandered to the toy section and was playing for ages with a bag of parts that were open on the floor.  We asked at the front how much this toy was and since there was no price he lady rang it in at $3.  I also happened to get 30% off my whole purchase from all the purging we've been doing lately.  TJ became rather jealous of MJ's new toy.  Oh what a dilemma, what to do... on the way home we talked as a family and decided that as adults we often change our minds about a purchase and are allowed to return it.  TJ had given some more thought and can to the conclusion that he did have other nets at home and would rather spend hi money on something different.  After dropping MJ and I of at home, TJ and daddy went back out to return the net and choose something different for TJ.  

Not everyone will agree with our parenting choices here.  But we both feel it was a valuable learning experience for TJ.    He started with a jar full of money and all he got was a flimsy net, while his brother spend less on a really cool used toy.  TJ learned that we can sometimes return our purchases, but can not at the thrift store.  He and daddy talked about what might be a better use of his money and he is thrilled with his new purchase (he got a soccer ball shaped pillow and a tire shaped carrying case).  Next time I believe TJ will think more before jumping in and buying everything he wants.  He'll also have to wait a while until he saves up more money too.

Oh super awesome bonus:  I looked online to find out more about what it was ha MJ bought.  Turns out we scored two sets worth $25 each all in one bag.  So that's an awesome $50 construction toy for less than 3!  It really is cool and MJ has been building for hours (even in bed).

Our fun week ended with a joint birthday party for the boys cousins who are now 1 and 3 years old.  This Minion party was so adorable.  They made minion play dough, another fun minion craft, had a minion easter egg hunt and adorable baked minion goodies.  My sister knows how to add special details and a fun party!!!

So there you have it.  Another busy week from us.  What have you been up to?

A day in our life...

There is no typical day in our home.  We do not follow a strict schedule.  Today was actually one of those non-typical typically random days in our home.  We actually were home the whole day together without having an activity to attend. 

This year we seem to be out all the time despite my efforts to keep our weeks simple.  Each week the boys attend swimming lessons and gym play time at the YMCA (that’s two different afternoons out), we also get together with friends for an outdoor playgroup that we only manage to make one of the two dates each week.  I often get together with my family each week or every other week.  Add to that outings, errands, play dates, church group activities and appointments that come up less often and we could be out every day of the week.  I have found that my boys do best when we have only one thing scheduled out of the house each day.

loose parts provocation with pictures of nature mandalas for inspiration

Today the family we were supposed to meet up with all had the flu (I do hope they are feeling better soon).  TJ was so excited to find out that we didn’t have to go anywhere unless we wanted!!  I really think we need more days like this, so don’t be offended if we turn down an invite.

I decided to write down everything we did today for you.  Any other day of the week would be sort of similar to this except that half the day is taken up by getting ready to leave, driving, doing an activity and settling in at home again.

 I woke up to take out the garbage and recycling.  Then I stayed outside a little longer to mediate and pray.  It was not so cold outside so I enjoyed the silence of the morning. 

Mommy's nature patterns

My oldest TJ (turning 7 in May) and I had breakfast, chatted and cuddled.  We talked about how things are going, our days, what he’s interested in.

Younger brother MJ (turning 5 in June) woke up for breakfast.  They watched the rest of the movie they had started the night before while I got daddy’s coffee going and some office work done (I do all the paper work for our family business).

I had an urge to set up a creative provocation/activity for us that I’d seen on Pintrest.  I really wanted to try it for myself and to see if the boys wanted to join in. TJ and I made some lovely nature patterns.

MJ made his own version of a Lego photo we found online

MJ got out the Lego.  He had asked TJ to look at his helicopter to copy but TJ wasn’t really wanting that.  I suggested that I could set up the ipad with pictures.  MJ happily looked at pictures of Lego helicopters on the ipad.  He even used some of our pieces to make a similar scene to what he’d been looking at..  TJ got in on the action too and made a landing pad with Lego for his helicopter.

While the boys played I made some snacks.  We ate and chatted about what we wanted to do with our day.

MJ looking at helicopters to copy and TJ's landing pad

TJ suggested the garden centre to get dirt for the snapdragon seeds .  He also began counting his money to see if he had enough to buy some flowers.  At the garden centre we looked at all the flowers and plants.  We talked about what plants would last longer and their prices.  MJ found two small houseplants on sale that he’d like. TJ really wanted trailing ivy.  He tried to figure out ways we could hang it in our house and to let everyone know it was his.  The tiny plant on sale would take a long time to get to the size TJ was expecting.  I figured why not get the larger hanging basket if we spilt the cost.

Back at home we found the perfect spots for all the new plants.  We also planted the snapdragons into pots.  MJ wanted to cut his dirt and see the seeds so I mentioned an experiment we could do.  We put three different types of seeds into Ziploc bags with wet paper towels.  Then taped them to the windows.  TJ made some predictions and was excited to realize we had made mini green houses.  Let’s see what happens.

MJ wasn’t as into setting up the experiment.  He went to investigate the concoction he had made the day before.  MJ added a few more ingredients, then, set one on the fireplace and one in the fridge.

Our new house plants

I am becoming more relaxed with meals.  As the boys are getting older they can help me make meals and choose foods that they’d actually prefer to eat.  I still help out and make some suggestions that would better suite their food intolerances.

 Over lunch we talked about some friends that would be visiting over the March break.  That led to questions about how long until their baby was due.  I got down the calendar, abacus, and notebook.  We figured out ways to count the days to everyone’s birthdays and baby due dates.  TJ is awesome and great at skip counting.


Next we made a list of all the things we still wanted to do today.  First TJ chose something for us all to do (at this age the boys really like doing things together with me instead of being alone for the most part).  Dance party time!!  We watched fun Youtube videos, danced, jumped on the mini trampoline and had lots of fun.

Planting snapdragons and plant growing experiment

Next up MJ wanted to play Playmobil, so we all set up farms.  We played together until mommy got tired of sitting on the floor.  The boys kept going while I went to say hi to Daddy who was doing office work.

By then I noticed that the boys had lots of energy to spend and we’d been inside most of the day.  I suggested that we all head out to play.  TJ drove he tractor (we have taken off the mowing deck to our lawn tractor and added snow chains for the winter)  TJ is quickly learning how to maneuver the tractor and to pull over for the neighbours’ cars.  Luckily we are on a private laneway and have a large yard for him.  MJ had a blast digging in the muddy sandbox.  There is no point washing his outer wear, just let it dry and go back out tomorrow.

Back inside we settled some arguments and cuddled.  Then had hot chocolate and a snack.

The boys each chose a few books for me to read while we snuggled on the couch.  Today’s books were robots, under the ocean, and poetry.

One of MJ's concoctions...

We’ve (okay mostly just me) have been purging a lot recently.  I’m loving how uncluttered everything is becoming, and how freeing it feels to let go.  I took some time with each boy to go through the shelves in their bedrooms.  They did a great job of deciding what to keep, toss, donate and store away.  The room looks much better.

Opps we lost track of time and forgot to make dinner.  Daddy suggested pancakes and made them.  TJ helped daddy flip the pancakes while MJ and I played with their toy golf set.

After dinner the boys played with some newly discovered toys from their bedroom selves.  TJ had a shower while MJ climbed all over daddy.

Dance party and small world farm play

Every evening the boys watch some TV and have a snack as part of their routine.  Tonight they watched the Disney earth movie about bears.  With teeth brushed and PJ’s on the boys wanted to read stories (most nights I tell a story while they are settled into bed).  TJ was excited to read to daddy so he chose a Biscuit book.  MJ chose a tractor book and made up a story to tell me as he looked at the pictures.

The boys are settled into bed just looking at books, or playing quietly with their toys.  One of us usually stay in the room for a while.  Daddy is having a rest/nap while I’m tying.  After they fall asleep I’ll probably do some sewing or watch TV.

So there you have it, a random day of our life.  No set curriculum or schedule just my boys insatiable curiosity, spending valuable time together as a family and allowing the boys to truly get as much out of childhood as they can. 

TJ on the tractor and MJ enjoying the muddy sandbox

Just a side note for those wondering about ‘learning’ and academics: Did you notice the math in making patterns, counting dates, looking at calendars, counting money and paying for items?  Also the countless times we looked at the clock together during the day.  And there was science in gardening; setting up experiments, making concoctions.  We also read a variety of genres from poetry, fiction and non-fiction.  The boys each read/told stories to us.  Most days some writing occurs too.  These are just a few of the things we did today.  How about the discussions that took place, artistic expressions, critical decision making skills and communication, physical activity and interpersonal skills.  Even real life socialization with talking to the staff at the garden centre.  We also get together with other kids basically every day of the week for different activities. 

WOW!!  It seems like we did so very much today, but really it was a nice relaxing day for us to just do as we pleased and live life.  Don’t get me wrong we also very much enjoy the outside of the home activities we do each week and we have chosen ones that suit our family best at this time.  Those flow nicely with our days too (if only I could get us out the door a little more smoothly).

Thanks for dropping by, I hope you’ll share what you’ve been up to as well.

By the time this post was originally posted, we spent some time as a family at my ultrasound appointment.  What a wonderful opportunity for the boys to see the baby and all the details on the screen.  We are super excited to be adding another BOY to our family at the end of July.

This post is linked to:

A Mama Story