Homeschool worries and S.D.F.S.S.

I had sit-down-formal-school-stuff (S.D.F.S.S.) planned, but this morning Isabel was busy building with Legos and Luke was busy as a bee catching bees (little joke there) so I decided that if I were a true UNschooler, I should just let them. While we were studying the bees that Luke caught, I read to them about bees (another thank goodness for the internet moment.)  I also showed them pictures of man made beehives and honeycombs etc. Coincidentally, the Billy Nye the Science Guy that we watched today about populations had beehives on it! Isabel got her Math, Spelling and Reading done early while Luke was out studying plants, building Legos etc. Once again, I really should have just let him be. He is very self motivated and all of the activities he was doing today were learning and great, but I couldn't help myself and I made him a little list consisting of, Take 5 Journal, Math, piano practice, Spelling, and Reading and told him that he just needed to get those things done sometime before his dad gets home tonight.

Right now Isabel is asleep on the couch (Kindergarten nap time!) and Luke is finishing up the last thing on his list, practice piano. It is so difficult to shake the feeling that if I don't have them do their S.D.F.S.S. then they aren't learning. Which is completely not true. Also, Luke and Isabel finish their S.D.F.S.S. so quickly (one to three hours tops) that I worry they aren't learning enough. Once again, completely not true.

How to Make a Robot

Last night my sister Natalie and her famous artist husband, Justin Clayton stayed over. This morning while we were doing our math, spelling, and writing, Justin was in the next room painting "Peppermint no. 2" It was fun for the kids to peek in and see his progress. After getting the basics out of the way first thing, and having a snack break outside, we made robots!!! So here's how to make an awesome robot...

What you need: empty toilet paper roll, aluminum foil, scraps of colored paper, glue, pens, markers and pipe cleaner.

1. Wrap toilet paper roll in aluminum foil, tucking in the ends.

2. Use scraps of colored paper, glue and markers to decorate with buttons, control panels, robot face, etc.

3. Use pipe cleaner for antennae, arms, etc,

And that's how to make a robot!

Today we also watched a Bill Nye the Science Guy about Storms, wrote letters to grandma Kay, and I read Halloween books to Isabel and Sylvia while Luke read his book, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl.

Belly Dancing, Lamborghinis and Playdough

Last night my cousin came over with her three children. Max, Lucy, and Cleo. So this morning the girls got to have a belly dancing class with a professional belly dancer, yours truly (hahaha) while the boys played video games. Needless to say, the girls LOVED dancing with the coined hip scarves and veils. Then my cousin took Luke and Max to see the lamborginis at the Vegas Exotic Car store while the girls served me Playdough cookies and plastic food. We were sad when they left.

In the afternoon we did our Math and I then started reading aloud Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume. While Luke read his The Big Book of Knowledge, I read Isabel the story of Coppelia out of her ballet book.