We had another good Father's Day. On Saturday, Rich played in his summer league tournament. His team had won all their games all season and went on to win the tournament. They played in Mira Mesa. Zach and I attended the first game and then came home at noon. Rich went back and the games lasted until 5 p.m. or so.
On Sunday we started with breakfast. Zach helped me make waffles, enjoying cracking the egg into the bowl and helping to measure. He loves to stand on his chair and help cook. We then went off for a few chores and movies in the afternoon. Rich and Ira went off to see the new Star Wars film. Zach, Marie and I went to see Madagascar. I was not overly impressed with the movie but it was Zach's 2nd movie ever (the first being Polar Express) and he was of course in awe and loved being in the theater. He behaved extremely well and chowed down loads and loads of popcorn. He and I both made it through the movie without needing a potty break, in itself a miracle! Marie treated us to snacks and I had a large cherry icee, a current craving this pregnancy since early in the first trimester. :-)
Today has been quiet and I haven't been pushing myself. It is my cleaning day and I did some but far far less than usual. I have relaxed, run some errands and read while Zach napped. I finished up John Holt's How Children Learn. To be honest, I was not overly impressed, perhaps because I had unrealistic expectations due to all the hype. It was interesting in parts but repetitive and just not all that interesting to me, surprising as I usually love most homeschooling books and this one has quite a loyal following. I did enjoy his insights but I have read better books. I found his resistance to formal research outdated and narrow minded in terms of his dislike of laboratory testing to study brain research and so forth. While I agree on observation as a very valid method of learning, and probably better in the case of what he wanted to study, to declare laboratory methods as being without value I do not feel is correct. They also have much to teach us, but perhaps not the same things, at least at the same time or in the same manner. That gave me a negative start to the book but I finished nonetheless and am glad I did. There was still much to enjoy.
I think I am going to start on The Well-Trained Mind next by Jesie Wish and Susan Wise Bauer, something Holt would not agree with, to get a differing perspective. This also has a large and loyal following so I'm eager to read it and see for myself if I agree or not, or which parts would be applicable to Zach.
Today is Monday so tonight is story time at the library. Zach is very eager to go as the story teller on Monday nights is really wonderful with instruments and interaction. I like going too because Rich and I go together but Rich takes the larger responsibility for monitoring Zach, leaving me free to roam in the library, a privilege I rarely have and take advantage of! I also use this time to get the week's theme books for our themed schedule of Zach's learning. This week is birds so I hope to get a lot of science/nonfiction books applicable to his level. He likes to see real pictures. Last week's books on different transportation and machines were well received.
Marie has offered to take Zach Wednesday of this week for a special outing and I also look forward to that as I am tired easily as I near the end of pregnancy (week 32). I welcome the relief and he welcomes the chance to be with her and spend some fun time with her. I'm glad she lives nearby for that.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
6/8/2005
A few days again. Each day I think about things I want to record in my blog but lose track of time and then am so anxious to get to bed each night that I put it off another day.
Okay, pregnancy update: Had a really bad day Monday, exhausted, felt like crud, BH contractions, exhaustion, struggled to breathe. Yesterday, much better. Today I feel good again. I focus on hydration and eat many light meals and have switched over to Ovaltine or breakfast replacement drinks for breakfast, to get my fluids plus some vitamins without solid food as it makes me breathless in the morning. Doing better and feel better. Sciatica/groin pain is still a big problem. At 30 weeks today and scale is up 15 pounds from original weight (up 20 pounds from lowest weight during pregnancy). I have another appointment tomorrow with a sono to check fetal growth. I'm anxious to see Noah again on the sono and am anxious to hear what position he is in. Given how much more comfortable I am than with Zach I'm guessing he is head down and doing well. Still little to zero swelling or water retention so that is great for me. Sleep is more and more of a problem, both waking to use the potty and just getting comfortable in my hips. That will be with me until the end I know.
Rich is on travel again, left last night and gone until Friday. I miss him. Zach behaved well today but it usually hits hard on the second day Rich is gone so we will see. I hope for the best. At least it is within the US so he can call often and talk to Zach. That makes a big difference.
We are week 1 of Amy's Themed Schedule for Sonlight, doing farms. Zach is enjoying the stories and enjoying the extra attention. Having a schedule helps me make sure I am reading to him as much as I want to so I like that. Zach doesn't like switching from book to book so I may adjust the schedule to accommodate that. I think it is more of the spirited child having trouble making transitions. He wants to stick with the book he has and that is okay. We also chose farm books from the library to read. He loved the story by James Herroit last night we read (the title of which I forget and am too lazy to wander upstairs to get it). It was longest but it held his attention. I love James Herroit myself so will watch for an anthology for kids used.
In my own reading, I'm reading "Homeschooling and the Voyage of Self-Discovery: A Journey of Original Seeking" by David H. Albert. It is very, very good. I am about 1/3 of the way through it. It is obviously written by a well educated and interesting person who loves his children. It is more the unschooling line of though but I enjoy it nonetheless and am getting a lot out of it. The discussion about math and letting the children explore was fabulous. I can hear the author's enthusiam about life and learning and that is a joy to read, a joy and enthusiasm he obviously passed on to his children as well from his description of them. That is what I want for Zach.
I'm also reading "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. This one is also interesting and one I have wanted to read for a while. I'm about 50 pages into it and will probably read it more than once (not right after each other though). It is due at the library next week so I have to hurry up on this one. It will be worth another read though as I miss some due to interruptions and inability to focus 100% during reading. It definitely requires thought and pondering, more so than Zach allows me a lot of the time.
Okay, pregnancy update: Had a really bad day Monday, exhausted, felt like crud, BH contractions, exhaustion, struggled to breathe. Yesterday, much better. Today I feel good again. I focus on hydration and eat many light meals and have switched over to Ovaltine or breakfast replacement drinks for breakfast, to get my fluids plus some vitamins without solid food as it makes me breathless in the morning. Doing better and feel better. Sciatica/groin pain is still a big problem. At 30 weeks today and scale is up 15 pounds from original weight (up 20 pounds from lowest weight during pregnancy). I have another appointment tomorrow with a sono to check fetal growth. I'm anxious to see Noah again on the sono and am anxious to hear what position he is in. Given how much more comfortable I am than with Zach I'm guessing he is head down and doing well. Still little to zero swelling or water retention so that is great for me. Sleep is more and more of a problem, both waking to use the potty and just getting comfortable in my hips. That will be with me until the end I know.
Rich is on travel again, left last night and gone until Friday. I miss him. Zach behaved well today but it usually hits hard on the second day Rich is gone so we will see. I hope for the best. At least it is within the US so he can call often and talk to Zach. That makes a big difference.
We are week 1 of Amy's Themed Schedule for Sonlight, doing farms. Zach is enjoying the stories and enjoying the extra attention. Having a schedule helps me make sure I am reading to him as much as I want to so I like that. Zach doesn't like switching from book to book so I may adjust the schedule to accommodate that. I think it is more of the spirited child having trouble making transitions. He wants to stick with the book he has and that is okay. We also chose farm books from the library to read. He loved the story by James Herroit last night we read (the title of which I forget and am too lazy to wander upstairs to get it). It was longest but it held his attention. I love James Herroit myself so will watch for an anthology for kids used.
In my own reading, I'm reading "Homeschooling and the Voyage of Self-Discovery: A Journey of Original Seeking" by David H. Albert. It is very, very good. I am about 1/3 of the way through it. It is obviously written by a well educated and interesting person who loves his children. It is more the unschooling line of though but I enjoy it nonetheless and am getting a lot out of it. The discussion about math and letting the children explore was fabulous. I can hear the author's enthusiam about life and learning and that is a joy to read, a joy and enthusiasm he obviously passed on to his children as well from his description of them. That is what I want for Zach.
I'm also reading "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. This one is also interesting and one I have wanted to read for a while. I'm about 50 pages into it and will probably read it more than once (not right after each other though). It is due at the library next week so I have to hurry up on this one. It will be worth another read though as I miss some due to interruptions and inability to focus 100% during reading. It definitely requires thought and pondering, more so than Zach allows me a lot of the time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)