What a week!† We have been doing anything but “HOME“schooling.†† I love this opportunity to teach Kei at home in the real world.† September, October and November are the best months for finding cool things to do.
Friday we went to the Oka Kapassa Festival.† Oka Kapassa, a special Native American gathering, is held in Spring Park, Tuscumbia, Alabama to celebrate the culture and traditions of American Indians who once thrived in north Alabama.† Friday was Kid’s Day and also opened to the general public.† There were school children everywhere, most in matching shirts and standing in lines.† Did I mention I love homeschooling?
This man said the coolest thing to Kei.† The PS kids moved from station to station while we just wandered around.† After a group left Kei sat down and said ‘hello’ to this man, Freeman Owle [isn’t that the greatest name???].† Then he asked her and her friends where they were from and they all said something different.† Kei said, “We are homeschooled” and he said “I KNEW you were homeschooled when you sat down and said ‘hello’.”† Come to find out he is a PS teacher who left to homeschool his kids until they graduated.† We heard stories all day about homeschool kids.† The lady who led the dancers homeschooled her children.† The Park Ranger who showed the animal skins homeschooled her kids…it was just a homeschooling lovefest. 🙂
It was a great day.† The weather was perfect, the sky was beautiful, there were costumes and music and laughter and learning and friends.† On the way there and back Kei and I listened to “The Hunger Games” which we are L O V I N G!†
Saturday we woke up early to go to the Athens Art on the Square.† We go to this every year.† Athens courthouse is beautiful and it is a true center of a square.† We love downtown Athens and visit there often.† Saturday they had tons of artist from all over.† Ahhh I wish I was rich.
Sunday after an amazing church service we went to visit with Kathy and Sophie.† We had a great day.† We rode around and saw their neighborhood and Sophie’s school.† She goes to private school in Huntsville.† We then went to Providence.† Providence is like a small village in a big city.† It has its own school, shops, grocery, restaurants and more.† And the houses are awesome.† You can chose from a house, a townhouse or a loft.† I promised Kei as soon as I won the lottery we are moving here!
It was such a great afternoon and we left with promises to come back soon.
Now before you think we only played† this week, think again.† There were Math lessons and India and Mohammad and watching videos about India’s beginnings.† There was Science and writing and grammar and book reading and play rehearsal and timelines and lizards and reading parables and so much more.† It is amazing what you can accomplish when you aren’t in a brick school for 8+ hours a day.
Homeschooling Rocks!
Karen
“I have used the words “home schooling” to describe the process by which children grow and learn in the world without going ….to schools, because those words are familiar and quickly understood. But in one very important sense they are misleading. What is most important and valuable about the home as a base for children’s growth in the word is not that it is a better school than the schools but that it isn’t a school at all. “
