So one thing I looked into in this vein was having our own chickens. I know, I know. So much work and more poop! But I know a few folks who have them and there's truly, truly no smell, and it seems like it's not a huge workload to maintain it. They can eat the food scraps and sabe us money on eggs. But as I said, there's still more to learn. And where I'd put the chickens is where we could put a hockey/basketball court instead.
So we visited a neighbourhood coop:
I'll keep you posted.
Leif is great, we know that. He's working on a hockey list for who he thinks may be on Team Canada at the Olympics. He's rocking out at soccer, aikido, street hockey, Harry Potter.
But this week is about Hannah, people. She's on fire.
Hannah has pulled out our solar system model set. The planets come off their rods so we had them all mixed up. I got out a book that gives the symbols of the planets so she could figure out who goes where (we know the order but the planets have only the old symbol on the bottom, so I chose not to tell her the obvious (mars is red) and let her figure this out herself first). She nailed them all, of course.
She's been plunking away at the piano, figuring out another song from Harry Potter. I'd written the first song they learned on a sheet for them, just using the alphabet letters, not the notes format. CD#A# etc . . Then later on I saw that she had added to that sheet of paper:
"Mary Had A Little Lamb (or Twinkle Twinkle or ABC song)
BAGABBBAAABBBBAGABBB"
How awesome is that? I've put up a picture of where the notes actually fall on a sheet of music, and printed out blank music sheets, so we'll see if that ties in sometime. But otherwise, they're both learning how I did as a child, just by plunking away and memorising where your fingers go. I prefer this method to learning to read music, it's just like the rules to the english language, you can learn the language through immersion without the rules.
Hannah also pulled out this cool thing we have, it's a wooden cube magnetic mosaic thing. You can copy pictures they give you or make your own. Hard work, as you can see:
We've been more this week about giving, and about understanding what can bring us true joy and happiness, and what is just successful marketing. With Christmas approaching I'm looking around at all that they/we have, and that we have more than we need, and there's no room for the few gifts they're going to get anyway! I do not want to be a heavy blanket on their holiday joy by forcing them to donate their gift money t orphanages in Cambodia or anything like that. I do not think that forced giving is giving, and I do not think it teaches kids anything. But I DO want to ingrain in them what is truly great about Christmas and the fall/winter seasons overall. That it is the dark time of year and so we bring light into our lives by being with friends who makes us smile, connecting with family, eating tasty food and doing fun things together that we remember with fondness from years past. That if we focus solely on finding 'joy' in opening our gifts on Xmas morning, we will only end up with sadness when that short moment is over. But if we look forward to tobogganing at Beacon Hill, and family card games, and Christmas baking, and leaning carols, and stockings, and seeing all the lights . . . then we stretch out that festive feeling and find joy in every day.
This discussion was preceded with Hannah's request for another huge lego set, even more expensive than the one she wanted for her birthday. So it's time get this message out. :) Meanwhile I'm going through all of our stuff, again ,to see what can be passed on to create more space. It's amazing what we have to give away. After our chat I impishly hinted that I'm making their gifts again this year, and refuse to give them any hints. This lead Hannah to deciding to make something for Ivy, and give it to her right away. So I cut the felt pieces for her and she found a private space to get to work. We told Ivy she had to stay away for now.
And in less than an hour she'd finished this ball:
Ivy loved it!
I came across these quickie math sheets we printed for them. They got every question right, and we dropped the activity. I love seeing the difference simple maturity makes on a child's abilities. This is Hannah's sheet, full of backwards numbers.
And this is Leif's, everything in order.
But when he was 5/6, Leif wrote and spelled just like Hannah. And in the time since, we've never sat down and had him practice his letters/numbers, in a formal way. He'd just write us notes, letters to Taro, label all his art . . . and as his brain aged, his motor skills improved. That being in school and doing rote exercises over and over does not then produce a different product or outcome. Kids simply mature at diff rates, and their abilities change as they grow. Some may have clearer printing at a younger age than another, some cannot read until the are 10. But it is never for a lack of trying, nor of ability. It is rather that we have expectations that all children are like little trained seals, and they'll all perform 'well' and up to our expectations if we just work them hard enough. I fee badly when friends of ours notice or as if our kids can read, and they both can, and their child can't. But there are other things their children can do, or are interested in. And those things matter just as much. We would never expect each of us to be the same and hold the same skills as our other same-aged adult friends.
I was chatting with Hannah his week about the numbers places, that there's the 1's, the 10's, the 100's, because we were doing some Farmer Brown things and it was 60+60 which she struggled with, because it's double-digits, a whole new terrain for her. And I had the lovely surprise that the explanation I gave to Leif about this same topic was total greek to her. Well of course, she's not Leif, why would she think exactly like him? I appreciated the reminder to give my head a shake , and maybe our LC Dave can offer up some other ways that I can explain this to her.
In the meantime she figured out how she thinks she can earn some cash.
(Please give me some money). Not a chance sister.
While the issue here is party that our camera is on it's way out (and the one we covet is mucho dineiro!), the real thing is that she's just too fast! Here she is at her last soccer class, and every single shot was this blurry.
She has expressed frustration with her soccer class, because the kids do not know how to play. So Steph (her coach) has agreed to let her join Leif's soccer club, Gordon Head, and we'll get her on a team of her peers. She's so wicked good at soccer, it's great to see her so proud of herself.
And Ivy, well she's as radical as ever. Here she is with Puppy, her pal.
And here she is in full goalie gear, after diving for a save in our basement. I love this shot!
I hope this cold weather is forcing you nearer to your fire or your housemate(s) and your pets. It's time for blankets, board games and slippers (okay, beer would fit better, I'll admit it).
Kisses
C
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