Since Spring is approaching, I’m getting into garden mode! I’ve done some being about what we’ll plant, and how we need to care for what we’ve got – fruit trees, strawberries and herbs currently. Daniel likes to help outside, he likes being out there generally and I’ve tried to get things for the kids to do outside since we decided to homeschool as they won’t be in a classroom for the best part of the day! After helping to water and feed the garden, Daniel and I fed the canaries. Daniel dropped some food and said ‘uh-oh’. He finished the job by putting the lid on the food and handed it to me to put back in the cage. He then wandered off, and returned with the dustpan and brush and insisted upon cleaning up the mess he made! We’ve given the canaries some cotton and scrap materials to make their nest with and have watched eagerly but they make it, and undo it constantly! Alex also loves his grandfather’s pigeons and on the days I work he spends with them. He tells me all about his special friend and loves when they lay eggs, which is happening at the moment.
Alex and I have played more noughts and crosses, he loves it! Alex really looks forward to ‘special time’ – the time that Daniel sleeps belongs to him alone. I have to try to do a few chores in this time too though. We read together, play games that he doesn’t want Daniel interfering with and watch some shows too.
We visited Scienceworks and bumped into a friend. We had a good day. Alex enjoyed building his futuristic cars, and both kids love the Alice’s Wonderland exhibit.
Alex told me that a unicorn’s heart is in it’s horn, because when their horns are cut off they die. Interesting idea, but the conclusion is definitely logical!
Why is ‘w’ called double U instead of double V like in other languages? Alex confuses w and y sounds because double u he associates to a ‘ya’ and why to a ‘wa’ – it’s quite logical really. It just so happens that letter names and sounds are not related! He seems to be learning sounds by experimenting and just asking, and not by the rules. I did ‘teach’ him about 10 letter sounds before we decided to unschool using montessori sandpaper letters. He didn’t like that. Then I tried the three r’s but quickly gave up! I wish I hadn’t done that, but it’s better to have found unschooling this way than through a school failure. Over a year ago now!