Courageous Joy

Thursday - Funschooling...

Jodi introduced me to the term "fun schooling" vs. unschooling to explain how we school. (If you want a great glimpse into funschooling read Jodi's blog. I get lots of ideas from watching her school. LOL) I've been working all week to get the books that TOG recommends into our home. Somehow, I felt we were behind because we didn't have the right books. BUT education is taking place....everywhere.

This is a glimpse of what funschooling looks like in our home.

Stacia continues to be incredibly jealous of the older children's school time...

Math U See blocks continue to be a favorite!

I sort of "plant" books.....and they find them and ask if they can read them. I tell them in a sort of reluctant tone, "O kayyyy.....but save some for school". ::snort:: Today our younger 3 students (4th, 3rd, and K) began reading A Place in the Sun, finished Bill and Pete, they thumbed through several books on Ancient Egypt, made pyramids from leggos, and we made Egyptian Paddle Dolls. The only activity that required me was making the dolls. Normally, I WOULD read with them - but today I was still trying to find used books. ::snort::

Painting always makes it a special day

Stacia tastes the paint (she won't do THAT again) then

Stacia wears the paint

Arielle's paddle doll (the boys decided THEIR MAN dolls didn't need hair! Middle aged, I guess! ::snort::)

Stacia insists on trying her hand at beading too

Group Paddle Doll photo

They began learning the vocabulary for studying Egypt, they learned a bit about the Nile, about cobras, Egyptian toys, pyramids and the afterlife according to the ancient Egyptians,....and we're off. We reviewed last year earlier in the week by tying and hanging our history quilt. They've been doing math and spelling on their own. They are picking up books to read. Zander really needs hands on projects, so we'll be doing lots of those again this year. They'll outgrow them eventually.


The older boys are also funschooling - but their idea of fun has changed over the years. Jamin wants to graduate early. He loves writing and so he is doing a LOT of writing and filmmaking, graphic design, Movies as Lit .... He also spent a good amount of time today offering his services to do free book reviews at various magazines and newspapers. No takers yet. He may begin a blog to publish his reviews and such - it's part of a class we are creating. Jared wants to attend the Air Force Academy. His fun is lots of science and math and the Civil Air Patrol leadership/ aeronautical science courses. College has got to be the ultimate funschooling - I don't know why anyone would go if they didn't WANT to be there for some very important reason. ::snort::


Hmmm...though I say we have five students this year, it appears that Stacia is determined to be counted in the mix.


After school we ran to the airport and spent some time with our friends the H family. Steve found out Tuesday that he would be deploying today. Debbie, is the one who took me out monthly while Mike was deployed - you may remember her earlier appearances in the blog. Shoot - Michael was missing last Christmas and Steve will be missing this year. We're sad for them, but oh so very proud of all our troops!!!!!


We had a bit of time between the airport and having to run Jared to Civil Air Patrol. Michael and Nolan worked on rockets.

We had dinner in the Fellowship Hall at the chapel. Michael and Jared are still on base. It will be another late night.


Zander insisted on helping with the windows (Oh yeah - I cut his hair!)
We're about to end the night with another chapter of *Boyhood and Beyond* and a couple more chapters from, "Peter Pan in Scarlett".