May 4, 2010

Read a chapter of Little House on the Prairie.

Ancient and Modern Athens

P and I talked about Ancient Greece and the acropolis. Reviewed photos of the building and models of what it used to look like. Watched a NOVA special on the Acropolis and attempts to renovate it and what they learned about its construction.

Carousel Horses

Went to library and learned about the miniature (under 27" tall) therapy horses. Heard about a ton of books about horses, but P wasn't interested in checking any out. Instead, we checked out Star Wars and other books.

Circle Camp Finale

After two weeks of our peace talk-themed summer camp, the kids put on an amazing performance complete with drumming, dancing, singing, and skits. Lots was learned in terms of talking with others compassionately and getting to feelings and needs instead of blame and hurt.

Maslenitsa

The family attended Maslenitsa, a traditional Russian celebration of spring, hosted by the Russian studies program at the University of Florida. The children got to watch traditional dancing, singing and dancing.

Hoggetowne Medieval Faire

Visited the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire today. P and his dad participated in a fencing tournament, which P won. P and K rode the hobby horses and looked at dioramas of medieval life. We watched demonstrations of weaving, armor-making, using weaponry, and acrobatics.

Winterfest 2008

HP1: The Vanishing Glass ...

Chapter 2 of Harry Potter, Book 1 has been much more interesting for P to follow. Although it does have a lot of size discrimination references, I am hoping that further discussions will make it clear that assumptions and teasing based on someone's appearance (whatever it is that makes them different) will get through and be stronger than what he reads in books. At the end of our reading, he predicted that the letters that will be coming in the next chapter are from Brazil ....

HP1: The Boy Who Lived ...

P and I started to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone today. We will be reading one chapter a day. At times, he seemed disinterested, but by the end of the chapter, he wanted to know what happened next.

Irish step dancing VS Tap dancing

Conversation led to us deciding to look up just how a "jig" is danced (thank you YouTube!), the kids practiced (with Daddy), and then we looked at some clips of Riverdance (specifically ones with male dancers). Finally, we talked about how it differed from tap dancing, and found a clip that actually had two male tap dancers and three male Irish step dancers "battling" -- it was such fun!

WALL-e drawing

K has mastered drawing WALL-e! We only saw it once, and she's got it down. It is one of her favorite things to draw now.

Co-op Day: Drama.

We made a little play cottage out of a large box, painting and decorating as desired using tempera paints. We read fairy tales, particularly those that center around a house--such as Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks or Baba Yaga -- and acted them out, taking turns.

Peace Camp: Day Ten

The kids spent much of today planning ahead for the Variety Show that they put on for family and friends, but this morning they got to learn how to "toss a pie" by Gainesville's own Satchel. They got to enjoy it, too!!

During the Variety Show, P's camp counselor gave out "awards" (which I felt rather uncomfortable with philosophically). They ranged from "Best Line Leader" to "Best Smile" to "Most Fun to Be Around". The one that P received was "Most Positive" -- considering the others, this was a "good" one, though P did say he wished that he were the "most fun to be around" or "most athletic" like his friends were. And this is why awards are actually punishments.

Today's theme: "You Don't Have To Do It Alone."

Peace Camp: Day Nine

Today's theme: "You Don't Have To Do It Alone."

Peace Camp: Day Eight

Today's theme: "Let the Beauty You Love Be What You Do."

Peace Camp: Day Seven

Today's theme: "Let the Beauty You Love Be What You Do."

Peace Camp: Day Six

P's activities were: Chess, Kickball, Board Games (?)

Today's theme: "What We Know About God is a Piece of the Truth."

Peace Camp: Day Five

P's activities for today: Where the Wild Things Are, Ultimate Frisbee, I U We Can Talk It Out (?)

Today's theme: "What We Know About God is a Piece of the Truth."

Peace Camp: Day Four

P's activities today were: Board Games, Marbles, and Chess.

In addition, P is learning typical "socialized" behaviors, including lunch sharing, name calling, and general potty talk. We discussed in depth the importance of being Kind First, thoughtful and respectful of all, and that some language just are generally inappropriate for people in general (and kids in particular). We also discussed healthy food options based on nutritional values, and made sure to get more input on what we included in his lunch.

Today's theme: "It Matters What You Do!"

Japanese Spring Festival