Old Maid

"How do you get through 30 years of life having never played Old Maid?" I asked my husband. That's like going through childhood and never seeing a Radio Flyer or drinking water from a hose or playing with a Lite-Brite.

...or it's like how I've never learned to play dominoes (except to line 'em up and knock 'em down) or backgammon. Come to think of it, I still don't know how to play shuffleboard, though many a good joke has been cracked about the mysterious game.

So yesterday, David and I played a round of Old Maid while Aidyn was galavanting with his pals outside. I mean, what else were we going to do, keep watching Lost episodes? After that, at Granny's goading, we learned to play dominoes.

Once we did happen to wrangle call Aidyn in, I invited him to a match of Old Maid.

I'm aware that I might be teaching Aidyn something disparaging about older, unmarried women, but honestly it's not my intent. At least he'll understand Sue Ellen's tears whenever it is that he watches Gone with the Wind  and sees her balling because Scarlett took her man.

Anyway.

(climbs up on my bitty soapbox)

Playing old card games like this isn't just fun for the family, but it teaches kids how to follow game rules, how to respect turn-taking, how to be a gracious winner or a "good" loser, and how to negotiate and play fair. It also helps with fine motor skills (fanning out cards, plucking chosen ones, laying down pairs neatly). But mostly, it's fun.

What games do you like to play? What classics will never die?

How Do Ya Bubble in Riding Bikes and Scaling Fences on This Here Standardized Test?

Anyone who has decided to homeschool has, as a result, tormented themselves with weighing the pros and cons, scouring books upon books on the subject, confessing to  friends and family, and bashing themselves over the head just wishing they could prognosticate the outcome.

It wasn't an overnight whim, in other words.

After prechool-homeschooling Aidyn, we sent him to public school kindergarten (mostly because I was full-time at my uni and working), but we kept a running dialogue about returning to homeschooling.

Ever since deciding (as in not signing him up for first grade at his previous school and instead enlisting at a home-based charter school), I've let some outside concerns trickle in.

The most common is what about socialization?

He did build a good circle of six-year-old pals there, and I worried about whether he'd be exposed to as many social situations.

But, as I've been worrying, he has spent his time (on most days from about noon  until we force him inside  to 8 o'clock) playing with the neighborhood kids, riding bikes and scooters, winding toy trains through self-paved dirt paths, "playing school" with the two little girls that frequent the area, having dance-offs, and bursting in the house every other hour for help solving a social gaffe.

And I feel silly.

Even the other day at work, someone asked about the ins and outs of this here charter school and the field trips they organize.

This coworker offered, "Well, at least he can socialize with other kids once in a while."

Yeah.

I think I've taught more social ettiquette in these few weeks of summer break than ever before, but it's a slippery slope. I don't want to be the orge of social reform. I want Aidyn to learn to handle squabbles and cooperative play on his own.

Around 4pm on many days, I see the abandoned chapter books on our coffee table and debate whether or not to call Aidyn in to read.

(As an aside, no one ever says, but what about ed-u-CA-tion?)

But I realize that, through play, he is learning so many things that I cannot quantify, measure, or bubble in on a standardized test. Through the course of these summer days, I see him learning about friendship, building common bonds, the development of physical skills (like scaling the fence and giving his mother a heart attach. I'm better now), negotiation, and delving into a land of make-believe.

I've also learned that, most importantly, I need to just chill out.

New Road

Today we are going to an orientation at a local home-based charter school. I had been stalking researching their site for about a year, admiring their connectedness and regular field trips. What I love is that they offer extracurricular classes (like horseback riding, for goodness sakes!), the use of materials, and field trips in which the whole family is invited. Being part of a home-based charter school also helps to ease the judgements of our well-meaning family and friends who worry about "socialization."

Social Playtime

Yesterday, Aidyn accompanied me to my writer's club meeting. Since Tabbitha has a painfully adorable and chipper little girl, Aidyn found himself an active playmate. The two chased each other, built up and smashed blocks, and shared a viewing of Cars. Good times!

Effie Yeaw Nature Center and Homeschool Hike

Yesterday, as a birthday present to a dear friend, Aidyn, my friend and her two children, and I traveled to the Effie Yeaw Nature Center in Carmichael. It was a delight to find this place teeming with educational opportunities. Inside the actual center, animals in various stages of rehabilitation are housed and the kids peeked in at them with excitement. Further inside the center, a touch-and-feel museum about California Indians and indigenous animals invited the kids to explore. Once we went outside, we followed a scenic nature trail with springtime blooms, flitting butterflies, and roaming families of deer. Stopped on a bench for lunch, we spied the brave family of deer meandering near us, picking leaves off trees and crossing the fields. While Aidyn was munching, I asked him questions about the area and jotted his observations down in our journal. Later, we followed the two boys as they ran down the thin paths. Happening on a pond, we explored the area and tested the boundaries of the muddy shoreline. The nature trail, on the whole, was beautiful and rich with nature reserves fit to study and simply observe. Although we stayed just a short while, comparatively, there was so much to soak in. I'm definitely making a mental note to revisit this wonderful place!

Social Fun and Penguin Launching

Yesterday Aidyn had an absolute ball with cousins. By the time I returned home from work, I found them laughing, squealing, and playing in his room, toys everywhere. He loves playing with other kids and often gets wrapped up in a world of carefree play. When the trio calmed down, I brought out our leopard gecko and let Aidyn tell his cousins about his new pet. I answered the older cousin's questions about geckos and allowed them all to pet and hold her. We talked about how she's nocturnal, what she eats, how she behaves, and her personality and temperament.

Later the three amigos played with these penguin-catapult toys. After trying to assemble the toy, they eventually began launching penguins in the air with great hilarity. I asked Aidyn why would these penguins need a catapult in the first place. He looked quizzically at the toy and said, "because penguins can't fly and these ones want to." Ah, out of the mouths of babes. : )

Playtime

Like most Tuesdays these days, Aidyn played with his cousins, Susie and Julia. They all decided to play dress up, so Aidyn became a stormtrooper, Susie was a monkey, and Julia was a black cat. For a good half portion of the day they scampered and cavorted together.

Later, Aidyn helped me water the front and back yard though most of the time he was the one directly in front of the hose. So we had to outdoor water play until Aidyn was a soakin' mess.

Now Aidyn is running around dressed as a stormtrooper. Ah, it has quite an imagination. : )

Social Fun

Today Aidyn spent the better part of the day playing with his cousins Julia and Susie. They talked, laughed, played hide-n-seek, and poked around on Mother Goose Games. Aidyn showed Julia all his favorite games including Jack Be Nimble, Babies Tap 'n' Type, and the Cow that Jumped Over the Moon. At one point, we all watched the classic Sesame Street African Alphabet song. Throughout the day, Ladysmith Black Mambazo played on the cd player. Right now, Aidyn is going down for a late nap while watching Anansi. We plan on going to our mini-goal destination this Saturday, and I have an idea to end Africa month with a diarama of our craft animals.

I also need to plan out next year's curriculum. With a wonderful adventure-destination in mind, next year is sure to be a blast!