Education in Hawaii

"Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life." Charlotte Mason

We don't homeschool according to the Charlotte Mason method per se, but maybe we should. Sometimes I get so caught up in workbooks and what "should be taught" that I forget what is important. Sometimes I focus on knowledge instead of wisdom, on actions instead of character.

When we came to Hawaii mid-school year, we didn't bring our "curriculum" with us. Instead we picked four unit studies to work on. And, while we have tried to be diligent in our studies, we have had way more fun enjoying the outdoors. And along the way, we have learned as well. I have learned that with a laptop and an inquiring mind, anything can be turned into an learning experience. Ethan has journaled many of his experiences here and Charlotte Mason's"Nature Journal" comes to mind. We always think to do it at home, and it gets put to the back burner. Here it has become part of what we do.

Here are some of the interesting things we have learned:

• There are only about 1100 Hawaiian monk seals remaining (they are an endangered species), and we were fortunate enough to see one in the wild. Well, not exactly the wild, as it sunned itself on the beach of a resort... but you know what I mean, not in captivity.

• The Gold Dust Day Gecko is so pretty and was introduced from Madagascar. The feet of geckos aren't really sticky or suction cups. They can climb walls with the help of tiny bristles or hairs, kind of like velcro.

• Centipedes can have anywhere from 20 to over 300 legs (I didn't stop to count the legs on the one we found, maybe that will be school for tomorrow), and they have an odd number of pairs of legs. They can grow up to 12 inches (ours is 7).

• Some cockroaches carry around their egg sacks until the nymphs hatch (or get squeezed out by a centipede). The grossest thing I've ever seen, but "Awesome!" to a 7 year old.
• Sea cucumbers are so much nicer to look at and hold, but not nearly so interesting as the centipede.

So this is what I hope to take back with me. Enjoy God's creation. Take time to have fun. And let the boys lead every once in awhile even if it means feeding cockroaches to centipedes.

Ohana

We are thoroughly enjoying our stay in Hawaii. It is so wonderful to be surrounded by, not only the beauty of the islands, but the beauty of family and friends as well. Although I did not grow up here, and Steve and I only lived here three short years, Hawaii will always feel like home. I am so thankful that we have been able to share the Aloha of Hawaii with our boys.

Ohana means "family", and we are blessed with a beautiful family. It is hard for the boys to keep everyone straight, especially since everyone in Hawaii, even those not related are "auntie" and "uncle". It is so amazing to see four generations all under the same roof. From my strong, healthy 94 year-old grandma to sweet baby Alethiea (my cousin's daughter) who the boys(including Steve) adore. We were also able to welcome a wonderful new cousin-in-law and attend their ocean-side wedding.

Outsiders looking into our family are amazed at the closeness, the love, the lack of bickering. It all is the result of the love of Jesus that we all share. What a blessing to be a part of this family and to be able to share the legacy with our boys.

My Tiger Cub and Me Too's

My big boy, E, is now officially a TigerCub, isn't he handsome? He looks so grown up in his uniform. I was skeptical at first, knowing that I would probably be adding something else to my plate. But I am, in fact, really excited about his first year in Cub Scouts. We will be working on so many fun things, and E is so eager to get started.

And here are our "Me Too's". Don't know if they will follow in brother's footsteps, but I imagine I have many years of Scouting ahead of me.

Homeschool Curriculum 2010 - 2011 School Year

I was so excited to see that Heart of the Matter is sponsoring a Not Back-to-School Blog Hop. The first week will be all about curriculum so in addition to trying to jump back in to blogging (not to mention trying to figure out how to make it all work), I am going to try to join this Blog Hop.

One of the biggest hurdles of a fairly new homeschooling family has been choosing curriculum (after, of course, making the decision to actually homeschool). After using a very eclectic approach our first year of homeschooling, we have decided upon a more "structured" curriculum for this year (at least stuctured for me with a teacher's manual and lots of resources and ideas laid out). We are so excited to be using My Father's World as our core curriculum. E will be starting Adventures in My Father's World...

I'm excited about the read-alongs in this program, many of them my childhood favorites like In Grandma's Attic and Farmer Boy. To supplement, we'll be doing Singapore Math, Primary Language Lessons, Spelling by Sound and Structure and Rosetta Stone Spanish.

A will be doing MFW's Kindergarten program...

...and hopefully K will be able to learn along with us. Although A is just 4, I think he is ready to start this program. We will take as long as it takes to get through this (one of the blessings of homeschooling) and have fun along the way.

I am excited to see what others are using and am looking forward to seeing blogs next week on the School Room.

Rediscovery of a blog

So I found our old blog and got a little teary eyed seeing how little E was and how fast the years fly. Since my last post, I have added two more and have been preoccupied living life as a busy mom of 3 boys. E has gone from talking about "baby rogs" to discussing such things as nebula, tourmaline, the esophagus and other grown up subjects. A is beginning to sound out words and will be reading soon. And K, my baby, insists he is a "big boy". We are excited to start this new school year using My Father's World curriculum - Adventures for E and Kindergarten for A. Hopefully, K will follow along and learn his letters, numbers, colors as well.

I will update pics soon, and I am determined to keep a record of our lives and not let so much time pass between musings.

"Baby Rogs"

One evening last week as we were taking a neighborhood walk, we came across a puddle of water. As we walked by it, I saw these moving forms so I leaned over to take a closer look. They were tadpoles. I went back home to get some cups to scoop with and with my sister's help, we captured six tadpoles and brought them home where we placed them in a pie dish. Adele then proceeded to find insructions on raising tadpoles on-line. So we are now raising "baby rogs" as Ethan likes to call them. He loves to look at them, and he helps feed them. Already, they are starting to grow their legs (these two long stringy things floating behind them), but their tails are still quite long. I know, at almost two, Ethan doesn't really understand that they will soon be frogs/toads, but he is excited about them anyway. Seeing the world through his eyes is quite an experience!

Mommy's Little Helper

"Ethan helping Mommy. Ethan helping Mommy." How many times a day do I hear that phrase? Not only does Ethan parrot what comes out of my mouth, he imitates the actions I do. He loves to "help" me do laundry, cook, sweep, vacuum, wash dishes. Hopefully, he will take over the housework soon. And my future daughter-in-law will thank me over and over for encouraging him to help out around the house. Of course, he's not quite two and he may just outgrow this stage. So for now, even though it takes me twice as long to get things done, I will enjoy having my "Little Helper" by my side.