Vocabulary Word Target Practice with Nerf Guns

So we've had our sights on vocabulary words, so to speak. Let me explain.

Over the past six months, my little guy has become obsessed with Nerf Guns. He has a stash of about seven (maybe one of which we have bought him and many that he has traded for or bought himself with his allowance). He and his friends play with Nerf Guns practically every day and talk their crazy Nerf lingo that I barely understand.

I know some people get all uppity about toy guns. We've had people criticize us for it before (despite Aidyn being a super sweet guy who doesn't use Nerf Guns to hurt people or animals or even to pretend to do so). So, if you are of the opinion that "toy guns are evil," you might want to hit the little X in the corner of your screen so that I don't accidentally sway you with a different opinion.

Let me clarify that we don't hand Aidyn toy guns and say, "Have at it, kid!"

We don't do that with anything. There is an ongoing conversation about his interests, things he's exposed to in life, on television, with friends, with family members, with society, with his emotions, etc. because we want to help him establish his own moral compass rather than helicoptering all over him and dictating his interests.

If you're on the fence about it, check out this PBS article about boys and guns.

As I dismount my little soapbox, let me show you this game we made up to combine the Love O' Nerf and Reading. I set up several word cards on the closet doors (any flat surface would do).

Right in the middle of doing school, I very seriously told Aidyn that now I needed him to "pick out [his] best Nerf Gun and make sure it's loaded." He was like one of those cartoons characters that leaves a cloud of dust when they take off fast.

First, he read the words posted in front of him. Some were in the middle, some down low, and some super high. I used a stopwatch to time his target practice, announced a word, and he scrambled to find and shoot it as quickly as possible.

The first round, he scored:

• 5 words per minute
• 5 words per minute
• 7 words per minute

Then I added more vocabulary cards and he got:

• 4 words per minute
• 5 words per minute
• 4 words per minute

The next day I added even more cards, but his scores remained about the same.

I foresee that we will play this game for the rest of our lives  the school year. It has just occurred to me that a game like this could get him suspended from public school, even if he only used a hand gesture to simulate a gun...Reason #324 to homeschool!

Second Grade: Week One

We had an amazing first week of second grade, and, quite to my surprise, the transition back to school was not fraught with screams of agony and despair easy and smooth.

Our "first" day of school was spent spelunking at the Moaning Caverns. Because we can't spelunk ourselves crazy every day, the rest of the week was spent tackling the 3 Rs with a splash of history, science, and copywork.

Math:

We began Saxon Math, and already Aidyn is enjoying math again. During first grade, we used a colorful, busy textbook with poor connections between chapters, so we switched this year, much to our mutual excitement. There may be a colorful-math-textbook-burning party later.

We start out the morning with calendar work, daily temperatures, a review of the hundreds chart and birthday graph before the day's lesson. After the lesson, we do one page of math in the morning and the corresponding back page later in the day (and if we completely forget, first thing the next morning, I swear).

Phonics/Grammar/Handwriting/Reading:

Aidyn has progressed to Sadlier Phonics C, and this week was spent reviewing beginning and ending sounds, autumnal words, and getting back in the habit of writing.

We also started grammar, which excites the very essence of my grammar-loving soul, with Easy Grammar. During some days, we rock out to "Schoolhouse Rock" videos and brainstorm examples of parts of speech.

If you squint at the verb brainstorm (which Aidyn supplied ALL the verbs for), you can see "fart." Oh, boys.

This 'n' that:

• We are also still practicing Victory Drills, aiming for a reading speed of 55 wpm.

• We've started a handwriting program to help him with his doctor-like penmanship as well.

• He's done some easy independent reading with an I-Spy book and one of his phonics books. I'm trying to lean more heavily on library books than his phonics books this year.

Science:

We are reading from The Usborne First Encyclopedia of Our World, which focuses on earth science.
So far, we have read, broadly, about the planet Earth and our solar system.

History:

We are using Story of the World: Volume 1 and have read the first sections: What is History? and What is Archaeology?

We've also read from Virginia Burton's In the Beginning: Creations Stories from around the World and had an interesting conversation about Christian myths.

Memory Work:

This year we have begun memory work to sharpen his memorization and recall skills and eventually introduce him to Latin phrases. We started off easy with a famous quotation:

"Birds of a feather flock together."

We talked about its meaning, rehearsed it over and over, and he wrote it out on note paper. On Friday, he "performed" it for his dad, grandma, and me, but totally forgot what it meant until we coached him to the right answer.

Our plan is to practice memorization with more quotations, science data, historical data, Latin phrases, and other tidbits.

First Day of Second Grade: Spelunking at the Moaning Caverns

Although we officially start today, we wanted to begin the school year with a field trip that included David. Yesterday, the whole family drove down to Vallecito, Ca. to go spelunking in the Moaning Caverns. We will be studying earth science for the first 18 weeks so a cavern tour was very fitting.

Highway signs have dotted our region for decades, but this was a first-time experience for all of us. We didn't really know what to expect but were willing to venture below the earth anyway.

Aidyn in the gift shop

Aidyn and me

The entrance to the Moaning Cavern sits inside the gift shop where narrow, steep stairs descend between craggy rocks. Soon enough, spelunkers reach a iron spiral staircase that reaches 165 feet into the cavern.

Aidyn, bravely descending the stairs

Aidyn and David, with Grandma trailing behind

My courageous boy

Aidyn and I, down the spiral staircase

Aidyn, me, and Grandma

Once we reached the bottom, it was astounding how far below the surface we were. There were interesting rock formations with funny names (like the Chocolate Waterfalls).

David snapped this picture while I was in awe of the depth

This is what I saw

Safe and sound at the bottom

This is the bottom of the cavern entrance where our tour guide explained that prehistoric people reached the bottom in only 7 seconds... (bones on display in a glass case by the gift shop)

Barely noticeable, this pool of water creates a moaning echo each time a drop of water falls in it

Aidyn is excited to return for zip-lining, which was closed while we were there. When he's 12, he wants to try rappelling into the cavern, but that looked terrifying from our side! 

All in all, not a bad first day of school although atypical. : )

What Our Second Grade Homeschool Schedule Looks Like (while I'm an super full-time student!)

During the whole of Aidyn's first grade year, I was largely at home with only a side part-time job. This year, however, I am finishing up my BA degree (and taking 5 classes!) and working part-time. This is what our second grade schedule (for the first half anyway) will look like, given the extra demands.

Times are arbitrary. We start and stop depending on the situation.

Mondays/Wednesdays:
Mornings:

Memory work throughout the day
Math worksheets (independently)
Sadlier Phonics (ind.)
Break
Read a book and write 2 sentences about it (ind.)
Handwriting (ind.)
Break
Typing lessons (ind.)
Science documentary

Afternoons:
Free for rest of the day
Extracurricular classes-Character class and Lego classes
Chores
Outdoor play with friends


Tuesdays/Thursdays:

Mornings:

Memory work throughout the day
Saxon Math lessons together
Sadlier Phonics and Grammar together
(Thursday mornings) Creative writing class and art class
Break
Reading/Language Exercises together
Victory Drills
Solitary reading time
Break
History (SOTW) read-aloud and activity
Break
Science- read aloud and narration
Read-aloud chapter book and oral narration
Break

Afternoons:
Saxon page Side B
Freetime
Music class
Outdoor play with friends

Fridays:

Morning:

Memory work/Presentation
Saxon Math together
Sadlier Phonics and Grammar
Break
Victory Drills
Solitary reading time
Art
Finish anything not completed during the week

Late morning/afternoon-
Saxon Side B

Saturdays/Sundays:

Field trips
Outdoor play with friends

Steppin' into Summer

Summer has officially begun and, oh, have we celebrated!

On the last day of first grade, I sneaked off to the store and purchased a bag of water balloons, which I filled up while Aidyn and his pals were playing outside. I launched one from our patio, and the kids went wild.

I opened the door and asked, "Is it raining water balloons or something?" and laughed, bringing out two laundry baskets full of colorful water bombs.

The kids separated into teams of three and battled 'til they were drenched.

On the whole, they had a blast, but Aidyn got a bit upset when he was struck on the back with a water balloon. That's the point of the game, dude! : )

I randomly put paint into a Ziplock bag and taped it to the table, waiting for Aidyn to discover it. When he did, he had fun moving, squishing, and mixing the paint without his hands (or my table!) getting messy.

I took Aidyn and his upstairs neighbor-friend to a local library program where Ravioli the Clown was doing magic tricks.

Fire coming out one of his books about dragons...

Ravioli handing out candy to each child individually.

We have also spent many days swimming (though I'm usually in the water and, therefore, not taking pictures). Aidyn has relearned to swim at the level he was at last summer, and so far this summer has ditched the swimming vest for two arm floaties, learned to hold his breath underwater, and learned to "dive" with his goggles and see underwater. Most days his friends are at the pool, too, and they all play and splash together.

On another day, Aidyn and two of his friends came in to paint. We just got a book from the library about how to paint animals using your hands. 

Photo credit

We made peacocks, like the one in the center, but alas, no pictures because my hands were a blue and green mess.

We're having fun this summer, and this is just the start! 

What are you doing this summer?

The Well-Educated Mind: Don Quixote

Blame my generation, but Don Quixote reminds me of Daffy Duck, in knight's armor, with an inflated egocentric imagination. Porky Pig could very well be Sancho Panza, riding a mule and doting on DQ.

I am currently on chapter 19, and DQ has fought windmills he believed were giants, struck unsuspecting carriers with his lance, promises a kingdom to his squire Sancho, charged a group of 20 men when his lanky old horse tries to get frisky with their mares, mistaken a less-than-attractive wench for a beautiful goddess (nevermind her stale fish breath), attacked two groups of sheep he thinks are armies, and vomited all over Sancho's face when poor Sancho checks his mouth for missing molars. 

Oh, DQ, what is wrong with you?

Despite this being a hilarious and engaging read, I can't help but feel duped as a reader. Don Quixote behaves this way, it has us believe, because he read too many books. But I suppose deeper in his psyche he has been unsatisfied with reality. Why else do people make up elaborate stories and adventures to surround themselves?

What I am left wondering is:

• Why are some people just playing along with his crazy antics?
• Why does Sancho believe him at times, especially about his island-kingdom, while other times he thinks he's loony, like when he charges at the sheep?
• Why doesn't Sancho confront him on his fantasies or, better yet, go back to his wife and children?
• Is Don Quixote truly mad or is he fantasizing to the extreme?

The Well-Educated Mind: Cracking Open Don Quixote

It's funny how a particular theme finds itself to you through different facets.

I'm not always proud of my taste in movies, but this last week I rewatched an old fave, Career Opportunities, starring Jennifer Connelly and Frank Whaley.

Photo credit

The movie is about Jim Dodge, the "cool guy" in town, who at only 15, invented the artificial cow heart and works closely with the FBI. Only none of these things are true, except his name. Jim creates his own reality, and the townspeople play along but call him the "town liar" behind his back. But he's likeable and funny despite him being full of shit.

Back up 400 years and Miguel de Cervantes has brought to life Don Quixote, a likeable and funny man who is also full of shit.

Having read mounds of adventure novels, he dreams of becoming a knight-errant to relive the heroism he has only read about. After renaming himself, his bony old horse, and devoting himself to a lady he barely knows, he rides off to pursue his adventure.

“Don Quixote and Sancho Panza” by Honore Daumier (1850) via Wikipedia

I also watched a documentary last night called The Woman Who Wasn't There about Tania Head, the woman who completely fabricated a story about surviving the 9/11 attacks, mourned a husband she didn't actually know, and headed The World Trade Center Survivors' Network, even though (as it came out later)  she hadn't even been to America until 2003.

This woman, like Don Quixote, invented an entire fantasy around her, not for money, but for fame. 

This theme of people inventing crazy realities is circling around me, it seems, which has led to this silly comparison:

Compare and Contrast of Jim Dodge and Don Quixote, so far as the first four chapters of DQ:

Same:

1. Both dream up wild fantasies to make their lives more interesting.

2. Both beef up their rides (Quixote names a beat-up and skinny horse Rocinante; Jim rents a limo to take him to a night custodial job at Target)

3. Both envision themselves the fancy of beautiful women (Quixote/Dulcinea; Jim/Josie)

4. People around them know they are full of shit.

5. Both orate on their greatness.

6. Both wear hand-me-downs. (Quixote his great-great grandfather's rusty and moldy armor; Jim wears Darnell's red coveralls)

Different:

1. Jim "lets" Josie keep her name; Don Quixote renames Aldonza a more "harmonious and significant" name, Dulcinea.

2. Quixote actually goes adventuring, even if he still imagines inns to be castles and whores to be virgins. Jim works the night shift at Target (adventure comes to him later).

3. Jim is young, 21, and Quixote is older, 50.

4. Quixote doesn't seem to really know he's full of shit; Jim knows but gets caught up in the fantasy.

Don Quixote is turning out to be a hilarious book, despite my initial fear of its length and age, and I'm excited to read through more of it.