Hooray it's back to school time...

Why am I cheering you ask? Is it because all the kids will be off the playground during the day? No! Is it because I am looking forward to more questions about why Johanna isn't in school during the day? No!
Crayons folks..It's all about the crayons. 4 packs of Crayola crayons for ONE dollar. That's right the medium size box of 24 beautiful perfectly tipped waxy rainbowness on sale for ONE dollar.
Oh and let's forget notebooks, marble notebooks, looseleaf paper, folders..oh the joy that is Staples back to school sale.
I know my kids have very little use for notebooks and paper b/c they are so young but some day they will. Ok Ok it's for me. I love the perfection of new paper..new marble notebooks..did I tell you that you can TWO not one but TWO notebooks this week for 25 cents????
Ooo now..what should write in them???
Decisions decisions....

I hate defending homeschooling!

I really just stink at it. What I love about homeschooling is the lack of pressure on kids, the lack of labels, the infinite number of chances kids have to be kids and learn academics later. I love that my kids can take their time to look at the bugs and not have to fill in a fact sheet about that bug.
I love that my kids can play and use their imaginations ALL day.
I really believe that their childhood should be about learning to love nature and pretending and climbing and running and NOT ABCs or counting.

Yet when faced with, "Oh how's home schooling going?" Do you guys use a curriculum? How do you teach math?

I get all caught up in school mind and talk about education and how Johanna can recognize words and is on the cusp of reading.
I talk about statistics and how homeschoolers are being sought out by high end colleges b/c of their ability to self learn. UGH!!

I want to say..homeschooling is great. We played Alice in Wonderland today. Johanna shared her Alice dress with Michael. I want to just say..."If you want to homeschool and are looking for help I would love to help you but if you just want to question what we do then please don't ask"

I don't.

and no we don't follow a curriculum and no we don't sit down each day at the kitchen table except to eat.
and no..I am not worried about college.
and to answer, "have you started?" yes we never stopped. From the day they were born we were teaching them. "do you stop for the summer?" No life and learning never stop.

I am amazed how indoctrinated people, myself included, are in the school mentality. I know what I am doing seems odd but truthfully if you look at the facts what I am doing is really normal. It's sending kids away that should be questioned.

Read to you!

I am pretty sure that Johanna's first full sentence was, "read to you". she said it meaning ; "read to me"
This kid LOVES books! she was beyond simple board books before she was 1. I read the book C is for cookie before every nap and who knew that if read a book over and over it can actually make you nauseaus and even thinking about that book years later you will get queasy all over again.

A friend gave me the book Stellaluna as baby gift when she was born. We read it many nights and it soon became a favorite. I read this to her while she was in my lap on the glider chair. She wasn't even 1. she loved it (and still does) and I can still do most of it by heart.
For her 2nd birthday she received her 1st "chapter' book, The sign on Rosie's door" from Rachel, chloe and Ellie. It quickly became her favorite and we read it almost every night. I knew so many of her books by heart that I could read them outloud while falling asleep. Me falling asleep that is...not her! she has never fallen asleep listenning to a book and I often wonder if that is just in the movies.

Now we are into longer chapter books. We have read, charlotte's web. The mouse and the motorcycle, James and the giant peach, Wizard of Oz , The Lion the witch and the wardrobe and of course,Alice in wonderland and Through the looking glass.

I like the nightly chapter books and often if I am working at night I ask Johanna to have daddy read a different book b/c I want to hear the next chapter, too.

the cool thing is that I am reading a lot of classic stories and we try to read the story beofre we see the movie.

Some times this works out great. We compared the book version of Alice in wonderland to the Disney movie and to another live action version of through the looking glass. Other times it is probably best to stick to the movie versions. I don't mean like how we both preferred the movie Wizard of oz to the book version but more like I how scarred my daughter for life reading the real Hans Christian Andersen version of "The little Mermaid"

I had no idea the real version contained bloody feet, sharp knives unrequited love, death and such sorrow.
Sure some argue that the Disney version is sexist and yeah the little mermaid disobeyed her father...which she did NOT do in the book but the real version is downright creeepy.
This homeschooling is giving me a real education as well.

Music lessons....

My kids are enjoying this Sesame street counting CD and they want to listen to it over and over. So we have bad music covered over here...however we also have some good ol Rock N Roll going on.
I am pretty sure there isn't a Kindergarten teacher anywhere who teaches her students, "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Starship.
I also know that is a good thing. However, really how can I help it when Johanna is so involved with Alice in wonderland ? We have read the book a couple times and she really loves it.
So how could I resist?
So if I have the choice of listening to, "My favorite number is 6" by Bert and Ernie or a little Grace Slick...I choose Grace every time.