Well, folks…it’s official: WE ARE HOMESCHOOLERS!!
I must tell you that the prospect of teaching Cole (with all of his various and sundry learning disabilities) had all of the appeal of hanging from the lip of the Grand Canyon by one fingernail. But with the help of our stalwart education therapists, Olivia and Jonathan Dunker, we are sailing smoothly over the homeschooling seas! I cannot say enough about these two; they are so amazingly brilliant and full of imaginative ideas to help Cole learn. They have truly been the greatest!
The best news is that Cole is crazy about the two of them, which makes learning so much easier. And the adventures! Wow! So far we’ve done two outdoor classroom sessions in Franklin Canyon where we identified plants from a guidebook, saw three different kinds of ducks, spotted a pile of slider turtles, toured a Native American shelter and made a depth gauge from a pine cone and a palm frond (which in turn sparked a conversation on non-standard measurement.) We also talked about the WPA cement structures that were all over the park and what FDR’s program meant to the country then and how it relates to what Obama is doing to try to stimulate the economy now.
We’ve gone on Cole’s first fishing trip and Jonathan is planning to take him surfing for his first time May 3. A camping trip is scheduled for later in May where they will make bows and arrows and identify edible plants and do all sorts of boy stuff. (Just found out: more big fun coming up! They’re doing a summer camp for just 8 kids, which runs from June 22-July 31.)
We’ve gone up to Griffith Observatory to learn how to make a comet and will be returning in June to look through telescopes at a public star party.
On Earth Day, we visited my friend’s brand new self-sustaining front yard farm. Cole wrote a great report on it and you can see the pictures here.
In short, leaving behind the public school system (going there every day was about as fun as swimming with hungry sharks after taking a dip in a chum bucket) has been the greatest decision we ever made as a family. We are exceedingly busy but really enjoying it all! And no getting up at 6:15 a.m.! Woo-hoo!
Enjoy the pictures!
Michelle, Nick, Cole and Ilia
Cole is the man!!! You make teaching and learning fun; together as a team we will do everything you have ever dreamed of accomplishing. Cole you spirit and enthusiasm for life are contagious and will take you to great heights…get ready to shred some waves; your in good hands with dad, myself, Life Rolls On and other helpers.
Your buddy,
Jonathan