life learning

Last Friday, we had a homeschool park day. (Yes, yes, we're so very often outside of our home doing our learning.) At one point, a man toting a metal detector started sweeping through the park. He was like a mother duck with a line of ducklings following with all of the kids trailing behind him. Y'know, something like this:


(from Google Images)

We thought the kids might bother the guy, but he didn't seem to mind the entourage. At one point, they were all gathered around in a circle, kneeling, faces close the grass and dirt. They had found thirty-five cents and a nail. The parents stayed in the table area, watching the kids listen to an explanation of the metal detecting process. Shortly thereafter, the prospector left and the kids picked back up with their various pursuits.

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On Saturday, I went out to lunch with a friend (so nice!) and Cardo and Pic went to Sierra Trading Post Outlet. There were a couple of other young kids there and they were asking Pic what school she goes to. Cardo says she responded, "I homeschool. The whole world is my school." I am hoping she still has this same attitude in ten, twenty, thirty years, and so on. I hope we all do.

musical monday: 'as the book of reason burns'

There was a time in my life when I was obsessed with this album. I listened to it pretty much nonstop. Okay, so not quite, but it felt like it. I've finally found this song here in on the interweb, which I had thought would fail me in my quest to find it.


"Show of Hands - Time Passes"

on gift-giving

Cardo and I were sitting on the couch last night watching the Groundhog-Day Stargate SG-1 (the actual episode title is "Window of Opportunity," I believe) when he turned to me and said, "We've been thinking about what to do for Pic's birthday, but I haven't even figured out what to get you for Valentine's Day yet."

I looked back at him and replied, "Are we doing that now?"

"I don't know," he shrugged.

"Do you want something for a Valentine's Day gift?"

"No."

"Neither do I."

So, that's settled. We've never exchanged Valentine's Day gifts, so I'm guessing he just feels obliged to get me something because TV and such tells him he should. I don't know.

computer bugs

Pic has been using the computer since she was four. It started very slowly. Just some PBS Kids at first. She still mainly uses the computer for that. She also was interested in Sprout for a very small period of time. Right now, she likes to switch between PBS Kids and an online dress up games site. I don't worry about the PBS Kids site, but the other has ads and plenty of available links. So, I explained to Pic that we only click on certain parts of the screen and I explained why. (I question just about everything, and I don't like arbitrary or unexplained rules.)

When I asked Pic the other day to explain to me why we don't click on the links or ads, she told me, "Because we don't want the computer to get influenza."

Indeed, we don't.

wordplay

Today, Pic and I were getting ready to head out on a walk. I had gotten the wagon out of the trunk when I realized I had some car grease on my hand.

Pic asked, "What's grease, again?"

"Sludgy oil stuff from the car," I responded, oh so eloquently.

"Like that blobby?"

"Huh?"

"Jumbo with the Hat?"

"Who?"

"Y'know, like the cookie. Jumbo with the Hat. That's his name."

"Oh, you mean Jabba the Hutt."

Fun times.

welcome february, o shortest of months

I've often read blog posts about how February seems to extend out into eternity. These posts were written by people who experience snowy, dark winters.

Here we are at the beginning of February, and, instead of feeling like it'll trudge along forever trying to meet the horizon, I feel like it's going to zip right by like it can't wait to meet up with March.

In my tiny world, so much is going on this month that I'm already thinking that the next time I come up for air, it'll be March. I'll not rush it (as if I could rush time).

There's so much to look forward to this month: the birthday of a certain small one, the birth of someone even smaller (one would hope), intellectual and strategic challenges, making food at home. What more? Snow? I think many other parts of the country have taken over the snow thing for now, but we can't possibly be quit of it here. Walks will be taken. Books will be read. Then, the lion of March will pounce on tiny, little February and we'll move into spring. And, there I go rushing and anticipating.

So, here's to February, O shortest of months.

from the mouth of the babe; or, 10Xs sugar bacon...mmm

Pic just informed me that Cardo is making bacon for her. When I was trying to confirm what she said, she told me, "Well, he's not making it, like with powdered sugar and stuff, he's just cooking it. I don't know how you make bacon."

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We've had a lot of conversations recently about meat being animals and I've been repeatedly asked why people can't just make bacon and such without killing any animals. She'll still eat poultry (our bacon is turkey bacon) and she'd probably eat red meat if she liked the taste. She's curious about the concept, but doesn't seem too concerned about it.