Summer is coming to an end as we all get ready for school to start up.
Brian and I are excited to start our new homeschool year! Last year I created the curriculum as we went and used a lot of Waldorf materials. This was a little more work than I had thought it would be. 🙂 This year, Brian and I have decided to try Sonlight. We are so excited to get it in the mail. Since we’ll be heading to Thailand for six weeks in early 2009, this curriculum seems to fit us the best. And we hear endless good stuff about it.
But the things we’ve learned just playing this summer…the wonder that has been lit in kids’ eyes…this has been so good, so rich. I think one of my favorite memories is the day we found a big old crab on the beach. I just love the total innocence and wonder in Blaze’s eyes. He is focused on whether or not this thing is really dead, looking for the slightest bit of movement.
What is your favorite “wonder” moment this summer that you experienced with the kids? Tell us in the comments.
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Wow, this is cool that you homeschool. You seem like an amazing person – artist, mother, wife and I automatically assumed (as I do with people who succeed at more than I could imagine doing) “well, she obviously doesn’t homeschool”. Even as a relaxed homeschooler (ie: hardly any time spent on curriculum) I struggle with fitting it all in. How exactly do you do it??
By the way, we don’t use Sonlight but have heard lots of praise for it from friends who do. Have fun, home education’s the best.
That picture made me laugh out loud. You are so right about Blaze’s eyes. He looks like he is prepared to run at the slightest movement of that crab.
This is by far my favorite wonder moment… we are at the georgia aquarium and my mom (a volunteer there) go to scuba dive with the whale sharks…. My 3 year old son stood with wonder!
http://www.photoblog.com/abbeyh13/2008/08/07/imagination-points-the-way.html
I love that look in your son’s eyes!! Super shot!
With a 3 year old and a 1 year old, this summer has been filled with wonder. I think, though, that some of my favorite moments have been with my 3 year old in the garden and watching her be filled with excitement and wonder that those green “little trees” are actually growing tomatoes (her ALL TIME favorite). Watching her pick and eat the fruits of our labor has been so much fun! I can’t wait until next year to do it again!
Abbey, that picture of your son is stunning!!!
One of my favorite wonder moments happened last night and I don’t have any pictures of it (but sometimes that’s better, to just enjoy the moment instead of stressing, “Where’s my camera?! How can I get this shot??”). I walked out our back door with Kaitlyn (who just turned 1) and there were two baby deer a few feet away from us, eating apples off the old tree. They looked up but didn’t run. I just held Kaitlyn and we watched them eat apples. She would occassionally murmur and point at them, which would make them pause and look up at her. But it was so neat to be that close to little baby deer and have Kaitie be able to see them.
♥
Oh I love the photo – pascaline is so brave! I wouldnt pick that thing up, no way!
My fav. ‘wonder moment’ was when my two year old started holding his breath under water. He just dips his mouth and nose under water so his eyes are still above and looks around with a completely serious look on his face. Then he comes back up and starts laughing. So cute.
Similar to Denise, I have really enjoyed watching our kids in the water this summer. Last summer our oldest son clung to the side of the pool, barnacle style. This year, I have to beg him to stop doing different dives into the deep end. Peer pressure worked wonders for him. Our three year old daughter decided she could do the same and to see her swimming underwater is hilarious! I wear goggles just to watch her sweet, funny little face light up when she sees us give her “thumbs up” from across the pool.
well….i don’t know so much about “wonder”….but here are a couple of great stories for me that happened this summer….
4 weeks into me growing my very first beard…i was getting the “sign” from sharon to shave…to i was trying to drum up support from the kids…asking them their opinion. jane didn’t like it and wanted me to shave. mary rose liked it…but wanted me to shave (so her). when i asked brady he took a long pause and said…”i knew there was something different about you” SERIOUSLY??? oh yeah…that happened.
just the other day…jane (our 3 year old) while wearing a princess dress, helping me carry in groceries, announced….”you know…princesses don’t carry very many bags”. i know baby….i know. 🙂
seriously, i don’t know what i’d do if i didn’t have them to tell me funny things.
My son is a lil over 2.5 years old. Every day we have new wonders, but I think the one I found hardest to explain recently were commercials. My son doesn’t watch much TV but when he does it’s either a DVD or Noggin. Neither of which have commercials. The other night we were laying in my bed together and watching Madagascar on television. Well when it finally broke for commercial my son was so confused and upset. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t watch his “moobie”. I spent the next few minutes trying to explain to him that I didn’t turn it off it was a commercial break and that it would be back on in a bit. LOL
He was so relieved when it returned, right where it left off. I still don’t think he gets the concept, but maybe it is better that way. He wont start asking for all the horrible stuff they advertise.
sonlight is an AMAZING curriculum !!
i am a homeschool graduate from ’07 and my family used sonlight for many years 🙂 if you like to read (and we did/do) then ya’ll will love it !!
good luck !!
I love Blazes expression!!!
Hmmm…this is a tough one…only because I have a 2 and 3 year…both boys…that are full of questions and wonder…I would say the funniest wonder moment is when my boys were able to watch my friend get a big belly and then one day, there was a baby and no belly…they were intrigued and then preceded to ask me if there was a baby in my belly…hahaha! Guess I need to start workin’ out again.
Look forward to hearing about your Box Day! May this be the best year of homeschooling yet.
~Luke
That’s so awesome you homeschool! I wish I could, but I don’t think I have the patience 🙁
We had an incredible summer, my 3 children (ages 13, 11, and 5) and I. My husband is currently deployed in Iraq, so instead of sitting around the house moping, we went on a 3-week road trip! I could never have done thing with my husband since he hates long road trips, but it was perfect for us!! We drove from Ohio, to Florida, we spent some time at the beach, Disney World, then drove up the East coast, stopping several times along the way, we spent one week in CT before driving back to OH. It was an unbelievable trip, one that will forever be in my kids’ memories, and one that changed me forever. I feel so blessed to be my children’s mother.
Mera…I homeschool as well…this is our first OFFICIAL year…Hope all goes well…I’ve heard wonderful things about Sonlight as well!!!
This is such a great picture! I love their curious little faces! You are amazing, I don’t know how you do it all! My little one just started Kindergarten and I am EXHAUSTED!
We did have a several teachable moments this summer but I think the most unexpected one was our HUGE pumpkin patch that took over our rose bushes this July. Yep, Pumpkins in July, we planted them last fall and boy did they grow. So, it was a fun learning experience for the kids. We are going camping this weekend and taking them fishing for the first time, it should be a lot of fun.
Sonlight IS amazing – I have used it in full or parts over the last four years and love it. When you get that box – it’s like Christmas, really!! We are in our fifth year schooling. I started my homebased photo business last year and that is still working into the equation. God gave me my family first, so my priority lies with them.
My wonder moments come everyday – with a 2-yr old telling me “Mom, can you just be quiet” to my teenager getting his first road kill – a poor helpless turtle. Life is precious isn’t it?!
My son would have LOVED to find that crab! He is fascinated with them. I also hear wonderful things about the Sonlight curriculum.
Girlfriend, if I had the money I would be all over your workshops and DVDs! In the meantime thank you for your inspiration.