What we've been up to

One reason I love the unschooling idea is that learning happens at no particular time and yet all the time.

A. learned that 2001 is how you write "two thousand and one" from Harry Potter's broom, the Nimbus 2001. She informed me that her broom (she's been riding our kitchen broom around the house) is a Nimbus 2008, eight being her favorite number. She's also been practicing reading numbers by looking through our Harry Potter books and announcing things like "Look, I found Ron's name on page... does four eight make forty-eight?" Or trying to memorize the page number where she can find a picture of Dobby.

In reading Harry Potter to her, I sometimes assume that she'll be annoyed by the words and ideas that aren't familiar. The vocabulary is pretty varied, and (for instance) the social commentary about the Dursleys, or that the Weasleys are poor while the Malfoys are rich, goes over her head. And yet she's clearly not bothered by it, or she'd stop me and ask questions. I have to resist the urge to define words or explain plot elements... I need to learn to relax! Kids are amazingly able to enjoy books and movies even when they comprehend only part of what is going on.

A. is asking questions that stump us, these days. What does 'information' mean? If one travels back in time, what direction is that in? How does a girl ladybug know that a boy ladybug is a boy, when she wants to mate and lay eggs? Why are there two 8 o'clocks in a day?

T. has been dancing to marimba music, which is hilarious. He gets a very serious look on his face while doing this, which is particularly funny when he's waggling his behind. He's also made up a baby sign for music/dancing, in which he spins his upper body back and forth (rather violently) and then looks up at me like "Get it? Dancing?"

T. has also been looking at a lot of books. I don't read them to him, because he seems offended by the idea that anyone but him would decide when to turn the pages. He whacks the pages with exciting pictures, chews on the corners, etc. But hey, he knows the word 'book', and I think he's learning the names of the animals.

Another big hit has been the weather webpage. A. understands the local radar and gets excited about where the rain is going, and whether or not it's headed for us. She also likes to look at the temperature maps for the country, and she gets the idea of blue for cold and red for hot. She gets excited about this too, as in: "Wow, they're going to be really hot in Texas today!"

In other news, this week T. learned how to climb stairs. I can step over the baby gate, but A. can't. And when I go to take it down, T. is right there like a little Houdini trying to make his escape upstairs.

Better get back to the husband and kiddies now.