Review of the Past Week

This is what homeschooling looked like this week:

So is this:

We went to the New Britain Museum of American Art, and saw the current exhibit on Maurice Sendak.  We spent 2 1/2 hours walking around and discussing the different types of art, and some of the artists Rich and I were familiar with.  The kids looked at sculptures, portraits, collages, murals, and other types of art.  They asked intelligent questions, made great observations, and learned a lot while there.  They adored the Maurice Sendak exhibit, and noticed work from artists we had seen displayed at the Florence Griswold Museum.  We talked about Andy Warhol, Mary Cassatt, and Georgia O'Keefe, as well as Maurice Sendak.  It was a great day.

Today however, we are in pajamas, doing tracing and handwriting practice, using pattern and shape blocks, and learning about Egypt.  We were supposed to have a playdate, but alas, sickness is making the rounds.  We have been reading all about Egypt, doing science experiments, and chronicling them in our science notebooks, playing with playdough, playing outside, doing puzzles, building legos and tinkertoys, reviewing map skills from a workbook, watching educational tv, using the computer to practice skills and use starfall.com, playing first grade games on the kindle, putting on pretend plays and circuses, observing the seasonal changes, charting the weather, doing cutting and pasting practice, and playing lots of board games.  We watch Rube Goldberg machines on youtube.  We play addition games, and read words all over, wherever we go.  Most importantly we ask and answer questions, and talk to and with the kids all the time.  Even when we are busy, and we are not the parents we want to be our kids are still learning, and we learn what works and what doesn't.  One day last week we did nothing but snuggle under blankets and read books together.  Some days we do a ton of "school" and other days we just don't.  But when I watch them play I see and hear all that they are learning, and how inquisitive and interested and wonderful they are.  It makes this journey joyful and special and amazingly worthwhile.