Learning and Education

I have been voraciously reading Peter Gray's articles over at psychology today dot com since about 5 this morning.  That man has some insight, which is kind of rare in someone who has had so much education.

He talks about this concept, Trustful Parenting, which has been around in one form or another since...always.  The most vocal group of late are the attached parenting folks.  I admit, when I first read about attached parenting, I was put off by the amount of TIME it involved.  I did not want to be with my kids that much simply because I could not fathom being with my own parents that much.  Of course, I also seriously questioned my homeschooled cousin-who had built his first car, a 69 Mustang, from a wreck and a book by himself and drove it back and forth from Alabama to the university in Florida he attended on full scholarship.  Not about homeschooling so much as HOW did he learn to drive without taking driver's ed?  I mean, without that form signed by a teacher, did you really KNOW anything about it?  I needed grade point average proof.  I needed that for many years.

I knew, growing up with a teacher for a mother, that it was a big game.  Yes, there are involved teachers, but they have SO many hoops that after a few years, it's hard to find one that stands out or that has all that energy for the extras.  Or...a place FOR the extras in the 'teaching the test' school system.  Talking to teachers locally, it seems they work up the test until April, then spend May watching movies.  One mom told me she took her kids out to homeschool because when they went to the video store for family movie night, they could not find a dvd her kids had not already watched at school.

Another pulled her son out in October of his kindergarten year because at the open house, the teacher stressed the fun stations around the room and the reality was, the 5-year-olds sat at their desks all day working on penmanship and reading.  And often lost their 15 minutes of recess due to someone talking or fidgeting.  She said after 3 months in school, her son had not even opened his box of crayons.  Play and creation have no place in the No Child Left Behind system.

What IS getting left behind?  With all the emphasis on grade levels, test scores, numbers and performance-where is the individual?  The CHILD?

March One

Well, I am not actually huddled and shuddering, so this first of this month beats the first of last month so far!


I spent the weekend moving things around, cleaning, tossing, recycling, stacking to give away and so on.  I went through my closet, bedroom, living room, the back porch and the kids did their rooms.  The kitchen is my eh zone.  I did clean out the drawers and cabinets, but the fridge needs some scrubbing and I have all the camping gear stacked under the laundry table at the moment.  I will go through that maybe during this week, or next week.  The last thing I want to do is haul it out and make a mess and lose interest!


I am very pleased with what's left, with all I have gotten done and mostly with the marked decrease in winter gunk like dust, pet hair, spiderwebs and dead ladybugs that hide underneath everything we own.  


I have started a list of what's next-sealing the tiles and replacing caulk around the tub and checking the windows.  I want to wash the windows inside and out, I want colorful curtains and a couple big throw rugs.  I want to recover the couch and fix the saggy seat where the fabric ripped out of the middle part.  I found directions I can actually follow in a magazine Matt's sister sent us this weekend.  She hooked Chan up with a half-dozen t-shirts and skirts, which kind of makes me sick both ways in that my daughter and SIL can share clothes.  That Erin is so scrawny and that Chan is that big.  LOL  


I will do pics this evening, the lighting in this house is horrible during  the day.  It's either blinding or black.  


In other news, all the snow is gone in Animal Crossing.  Jake gave his game slot to Matt, who has been as bad as I was at the start about playing.  I had to use the mommy voice the THIRD time he got on there yesterday when I needed help moving furniture!  Chandler and I installed sidewalks all over town to mark a path of most use, hoping to get some more grass to grow.  We have been planting trees and flowers every single day, but still the environmental score is 'D, maybe a C'.  We did manage to contribute enough money to get a new bridge, but of the 3 choices, NONE were where I wanted one.  

Today marks the arrival of 4 new bugs and 4 new fish as well as the departure of mole crickets, string fish and  pond smelt among other fish-I think octopus are gone and squid and bitterlings.  I have been forbidden to get on the game until someone is home from work because he wants to catch the new stuff first.  *sigh*  


I have my final mortgage paid off and now I have a flagpole that I can change the flag design on by using my phone to call Rover.  It uses your own selection of designs, which you can edit anytime you want.  I love it.  My flag is currently bright purple with a big blue E on it.

Beach, Baby!

We had a very quick beach visit, just to be sure it-and the sun-were still out there in the Universe.

Here are a handful of pics, the rest are at the camping website.

Part 2

On the way home:

Ah, nothing like a view with...power lines.

If you squint, you can see the aquarium!

The Craven House

View from the launch point of the Lookout Mountain Hang Gliding.

We stopped in Mentone at the Log Cabin Deli

Sunset over the river

Chattanooga

On Saturday, we had enough being home and decided to head out to do something.

We talked over options and decided the Aquarium had several advantages-it's close, it's indoors and since we have a pass, it's free.  Even though we have been many times, it's always relaxing to see all the fish and there is always something new to see, even in the same exhibits.

Afterward, we planned to go to the Chattanooga Nature Center, I even checked their website to be sure they had winter hours.

We got to Chattanooga around 10:30 a.m. their time, got a parking spot right behind the Aquarium for $3 for 4 hours (2 hour increments, Matt ran down to plug the meter again as we left the River side)

My favorite thing at the Aquarium!

Sea dragons don't eat people.

Chan's favorite critter.

These guys were REALLY active Saturday!

Ah, sunlight filtered through water.

Hey y'all!

You can see this little inset from the walkway on the other side.
So the kids held Ben up, who pretended to be drowning and trying to attract help from behind the glass.

This is a four-eyed turtle

These are moss frogs.

Oh, snack-necked turtle.  Gives me the willies!

Look at the one on the left, snoozing away under the heat lamp.
The kids often discuss what animal they would like to be.
I have to say, a turtle in a big, safe enclosure with a heat lamp and a buddy does not seem like a bad choice...

SHARK!

This guy played for us as we looked at the turtles, double cool!

I can see my van from here!
Between buildings, Matt headed down to pay the parking meter.

There is a great joy in seeing butterflies while there is snow on the ground.

Ben loves penguins!

Upside-down jellyfish
They have these in Cayman!

This is what the kids want me to make for them to sleep in at home.
I'll get RIGHT on that, kiddos!

Oh no! Shark Attack in the gift shop!