I realized that I haven't been logging our activities like I originally wanted to do. The first time I made a list, it felt like I was boasting or something, so I have been shy about doing it again, which is not helpful for making a truthful log. So I'm going back to our calendars and recording lists of some of the things we did.
September:
1. playgroups
2. Trevor's vegetable stand (so great!)
3. Fishing and kayaking with homeschool group
4. Museum class: earthquakes
5. Nature center class (I can't recall what this one was...)
6. Homeschool conference
7. nature center class: life under water- scooped up bugs and other animals from pond, looked at them under microscopes and on overhead
October:
1. Aquarium visit
2. Visited an orchard
3. Museum class: phases of matter
4. Wisconsin trip
5. Homeschool group
6. Nature center class: bats (was Trevor in his element or what?)
7. At home we also made bat houses
November:
1. Went to a ballet (Trevor's famous comment: "You're the funnest mom ever!")
2. Trip to Michigan to see grandparents
3. Zoo (My first time seeing a red panda! Very awesome. Couldn't decide if I thought it was more bear or raccoon. The boys loved the otters and the tiger the most. They weren't so interested in the spider monkeys, which I wanted to watch forever. I guess they watch each other enough...)
4. Visits from Aunt Annie for Thanksgiving and Grandpa Peine for cousin Brooke's blessing
5. Church playgroups
December:
1. Most of the time was spent doing advent stuff (one Christ-centered/service/family activity per day leading up to Christmas)
2. Singing at nursing home
3. Nature center class: dissecting owl pellets
4. Church gym playgroups
January:
1. Physics Circus assembly - so cool! I wish Conrad would have been interested so I could have watched it with Trevor instead of wrangling him in the back. Oh well!
2. Ice Skating
3. Indoor inflatable gym visits
4. Unschooling discussion with homeschool group
5. History class at nature center and snowshoeing (Trevor)
6. Production meeting for spring play with homeschool group
7. Church gym playgroups
If it seems like I'm more interested in the field trips and hands-on experiences and getting out of the house right now, you'd be right. I'm realizing more and more how much our boys thrive on those sorts of experiences. Our bishop recently described Sean as a "man of action" and I realized what an apt description that was. Sean is happiest when he's doing, and it should come as no surprise that our boys are, too. Sean's methods of parenting naturally take him and the kids wood-chopping, bike-riding, even shopping or out to movies, but not usually sitting around doing quiet activities, though he can do that when the situation requires it. I think he was the most accepting and enthusiastic about homeschooling when he realized how many rich "action" experiences the boys were getting. So I'm glad it makes Sean happy, too, because if both parents aren't happy with homeschooling, it can be difficult.
We do a lot at home, but most of the time it's not very exciting to record, or I just forget to. Like I said, I need to be better at this whole record-keeping thing. I don't even write the regular things down, like library visits, storytimes, nature walks, or music time, which we do semi-daily. I guess I try to focus more on the deeper learning processes, like when that random library book sparks lessons from all subject areas and makes all of us feel inspired, or when one question at breakfast keeps us busy searching for answers all day long. Those are the most satisfying days for us.
