About a week after we returned from spring break we took Cash out of public school (Hugh Ghallagher Elementary) in Virginia City. The fact that it is rated as a decent school is very disheartening for public schools in Nevada in general. I didn't like that they claimed they couldn't incorporate play and music daily because they were too busy trying to meet the requirements established by the system. They were on the computer at least an hour every day, their work consisted of worksheet after worksheet and frequently he came home and told me they were watching episodes of Magic School Bus. The last straw was that on Wednesday that week back we were six minutes after the ending bell in arrival for pick up. We were notified that this late and inexcusable and that next time they'd load him on a bus and send him to an after school program without our approval. We gave it a good go, but between their pathetic attempt at teaching and the attitude of "we own you and you'll do whatever we tell you to" brought us to what we were already going to start in fall a bit sooner.
We've started this book series for reading and Cash has already grown leaps and bounds in that department. We spend ample time outside- flying kites, riding bikes and skateboards, playing basketball and baseball....
We've decided to go with the Waldorf Essentials curriculum. One of the unique features is handwork and art. We've worked on watercoloring
and this month it's sculpture. We started our handwork with finger knitting, next will be either arm or loom knitting. Cash likes making nets for his Spiderman and it works his right hand which is always a plus.
We also make trips to the Catholic church, the park, play dates, and the library so far.
Another one of my edible creations. Indian and Thai food have also become a necessity to learn as they aren't readily accessible unless we want to drive about 45 minutes in to Reno. I highly recommend the Garam Masala seasoning at Raley's.
We've started out garden in earnest. We installed windowsill like boxes, but they aren't held in- just rest on the attachments. With the winds as they are up here I need to figure out a way to secure them or they'll end up on my car below. We have lettuce, beans, strawberries, carrots, squash of some kind and our new crop this year are potatoes.
I hit up an indoor yard sale on main street about a week ago. I got this stuff- perfect for our nature table (part of Waldorf- a mineral, a plant, an animal and something "human"). Also, the lilacs are blooming so we've enjoyed having our pickings decorating the house.
Aside form gardening, we try to cook something each week together, we've worked on coin money values, skip counting and counting backward as well as addition and subtraction with tossing a beanbag, and discovering all the ways one can make a number/arrange families of blocks to form the sum of that number.
Each week we have a story that involves a character called Super Sam. We use blocks and these dolls to act it out. The story introduces some theme to our week- gardening, making hedgehog shaped bread, making flower babies, etc.
About two weeks ago Pherson came down with a three day, really high fever. Needless to say we watched lots of nature documentaries on our new big screen TV while I held him all day. It is freakishly large, but we kind of inherited it from the hotel so at least it didn't come with as large a price tag.
We've been working really hard to start a swing dance scene here. We started teaching on Fridays this month. Our first night we had about twenty, the following week about eleven and this last week we had about thirteen. But news is getting around and we're trying to get out in public more. In fact, we just went dancing this Saturday and came away with a teaching job for June for $75. We also went to the last day of the semester at UNR (University of Nevada Reno) and lindy bombed out front of the student union with another swing dancer from the area. We had the kids passing out free passes. At first Cash was nervous but by the end both he and Tupp were like wolves- they'd run down passerby's.
Another one of my culinary adventures- chia seed pudding. Totally healthy so I don't feel bad if I give the kids loads of it after they've refused a dinner I've made. Coconut milk, chia seeds, fruit of choice (so far I've done bananas and pumpkin) and honey. Oh and cinnamon.
Pherson is such a character. He's cuddly and loveable, but if he doesn't get his way or if he doesn't get his way fast enough he will hit you and scream like a banshee. It drives me nuts. Still trying to train that out of him, but at least he's also got a softer side. If you seem to be in any kind of distress he'll come over and nuzzle you, hug you, pat you- console you. Tuppy was throwing a tantrum and at first didn't want it interrupted but then decided she liked the cuddles and this is what I captured.
He's also a morning person- 5:45 or 6am morning. He immediately wants to get on with his day and signs "food." But if you let him, his first order of business would be to wake up Tupp.
Cash has finally found his bicycle wings. I took off his training wheels because I know he can balance- he was doing it on his pink balance bike. But there was something about the training wheels that deterred him from riding his regular bike. Now he coasts with glee down the VC hills. Next order of business is to do it with his feet on the pedals and then to actually pedal. Baby steps with my cautious child.
Oh, and I took Cash Scottish Country dancing the last Friday in April. He loved it and there were two other boys a tad older than him that took him under their wings. I'd love for him to keep going but that's the night we teach. :( All in good time I suppose. Anyhoo, when we went they had all these used shoes free for the taking. I got dancing shoes for him and Tupp and then nabbed these Irish dance shoes. I've always wanted a pair! :)
Cash in action!
No comments:
Post a Comment