Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Homeschooling- Murray style!

We had a much less formal "school" while I was pregnant and unable to be out of the bed for very long. Now that we are getting back into the swing of things here, I am going back to the beginning of our curriculum, as a review for 1st grade for my older girls. It is really funny though and I have had to keep myself from laughing at how it would sound to someone listening in on us. Imagine teaching your 6 & 5 yr olds while your 2 & 3 yr olds are playing and you are holding your 3 week old on your shoulder. It sounds like a circus doesn't it? It sort of is.

This is how homeschooling SOUNDS in our house; or at least how it sounded THIS morning.

Mama: Okay, so we know that the sun is a star, but what is it's purpose?
Maryevelyn: It gives us light!!
Mama:That is correct! Very Good! Cooper take the rescue hero off of Ella's head please. Graycen, what else does the sun do?
Cooper: But Mama, Ella is the mountain that the rescue hero is climbing!
Graycen: It shines beeee-uuuuu-tifully in the sky, so that we can see little flowers.
Ella: NO,NO COOPER! I NOT NO MOUNTAIN!! (whack!)
(Cooper crying now)
Mama: Ella NO! Cooper, she doesn't want to be a mountain. Graycen that is correct, but that is a lot like what MaryEvelyn said isn't it? The sun gives us light and that light helps us to see. Can you think of something other than what she said?
Cooper: Can I go upstairs and play?
Graycen: Well...it...well...
Mama: Yes, Cooper you can play upstairs.
Ella: ME TOO!! ME TOO!
MaryEvelyn: Can I play upstairs too?!?!?!
Mama: Yes, Ella you may go upstairs, No MaryEvelyn you may not until after we finish these few things.
(Annagail crying now & Mama bouncing her to get her back to sleep)
Graycen: The sun makes everything grow in Spring!!!
Mama: Yes, it does! What about it make that happen?
MaryEvelyn: But I am done, why can't I go upstairs?
Graycen: IT...
MaryEvelyn: Mama, Mama, Mama, I am done now.
Mama: Please don't interrupt your sister MaryEvelyn.
Graycen: It gets hotter.
Mama: That is correct Graycen. The sun give us heat and like it says in Genesis, the sun and moon are there to help us mark the seasons.
-Graycen and MaryEvelyn high five.
- Ella comes running down the stairs holding Cooper's Thomas the Tank Engine with Cooper hot on her tracks.

And so it goes...

Life here is never boring! That is for sure! The good news is that learning IS happening in some form or fashion. Yesterday, we blind folded each other and experienced darkness. Today we set some grapes out in the sun to see how long it will take to turn them into raisins. I am not sure that Ella won't find a way to get those grapes, as she can't for the life of her understand WHY we would put perfectly good grapes on the grill out back. LOL!!

Have a good Tuesday! Happy Learning!

2 comments:

Erin Emigh Stanford said...

How great is that! I love your stories! You are so very right that life around there is always interesting!!!! Love you!

Ginger DeBusk said...

I feel guilty for complaining about my house being chaotic. Thanks for putting things in perspective for me. Glad to hear things are back to "normal".