homeschool journal

what we did:

• began our look at Australian animals in earnest - up this week was the kangaroo, koala and platypus
• took some time out on Thursday to enjoy the sunshine and reconnect with nature
• Brianna went square-dancing with her dad - nothing like combining fine arts and geometry all into one lesson ;)

if there is a mud puddle, a boy will find it and run through it...several times (he also was *this close* to tasting it

 On pretending to be koalas...

To accompany our study of animals, I create a simple table in Word and printed out a number of blank copies. After we study the animals, Brie and Reese fill it out and add it to their binders. Lately, the three biggies have been asking every day what animal we're going to study next and are disappointed on the days (even the weekend!) when we don't do a science unit. 

 so excited about:

• finding this website after reading the book "Kersplaypus"* - love that many of their books have a unit study style teacher's activities. This is an excellent resource, especially for elementary school-aged children - just click on a the picture of the book's front cover and you'll be directed to page with more info on the book, plus teacher's activities, related website links and more. 

other links if you're studying animals with your children:

• Kid's Planet
• National Geographic
• You Tube can be great for animal videos too

discovery:
I'm currently reading "Boys Should be Boys"* by Meg Meeker, M.D. Growing up with sisters and more girl than boy cousins, the world of boys (up until having three of my own) was a foreign land to me. So I'm still learning that much of what my sons do and what they are attracted to are things which God naturally predispositioned them to enjoy.

Case in point: This week Luke did an admirable impression of a machine gun this week although a) he's never heard one in "real" life and b) I don't think he's watched anything with that type of weaponry. And Ben, at a much younger age, was imitating airplane sounds while making a toy plane fly.  Seriously. Brianna never, ever made those sounds as a little girl, nor does she seem inclined to attempt it now. And if I tried to make those same sounds, I would fail miserably at it. Which is probably a good thing, since I'm a girl and all. ;)

And the whole gun thing itself and turning AN-Y-THING into a weapon completely stymied me. Thankfully, I'm learning, by experience, and through this book, that this is a good thing. In the book, Dr. Meeker shares that boys play at war, in part, to shape their moral code and need to act out good overcoming evil.(She does distinguish, though, that there is a big difference between boy playing at war in their imaginations and living that out through video games.)

So, as much as my mother/girl self still cringes at the idea of shooting and killing, I am able to breathe a little easier now and not worry that all this war play means my boys are destined to be men of violence and destruction. I just need to trust that God created them as He wanted and trust that He will guide my husband and I in how to train them in the way He wants them to go.

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