what I can't teach them

Sometimes as Hmmmschooler parents, we forget we can't be the ones to teach our kids everything.

I've been playing guitar for 23 years. I've got a lil' collection of bluegrass instruments, and I'm figuring out how to play all those twangy gorgeous things.

Except that fiddle - I just can't get the hang of that one. The fiddle, however, is the instrument Hmmmschooler Ooky wants to learn.

Someone else needs to teach him to play. And that's ok.

Hmmmschooler Iggy is obsessed with gadgets and is always tinkering or building something.

This constant tinkering and creating and inventing will eventually grow into something I don't understand or can't afford to pull off at home.

So someone else may have to step in. And that's ok.

As Hmmmschoolers, we're in a pickle. We've taken on the task of educating our children. We've taken responsibility for their exposure to all things interesting and/or educational. And we work our tail off at that. But sometimes we are so involved in the education that we forget our kids can benefit from learning from other people. Someone besides us.

Wait...homeschooling means learning with mom and/or dad...right?

Hmmm.

There are things our children hear and understand only when they come from someone else. How many times have I told my kids it is important to try, try, try, and failure is ok because it means you're trying, and that's how discoveries are made and inventions are created?

I'll tell you how many times. At least a trillion. And every time my encouragement is met with a roll of their eyes and a whatever and a pouty stomp-off because their latest thing didn't turn out the way they'd hoped.

But if Adam Savage from Mythbusters tells them the same thing...well, then suddenly, they get it.

Sometimes parents jump into homeschooling believing the guidance or encouragement or freedom they can give will be enough. Theirs. Moms and Dads. But sometimes the child needs (or wants) something you can't (or won't) specifically provide for them. What then? I've met homeschooling parents who, at that point, shut down. As if having anyone else teach their kids anything means their kids might as well be in public school.


Hmmm.


Homeschooling, in my opinion, is meant to make the world bigger for a child. To bust through the four walls and ceiling of what public school can be and open the world up wider for exploration and wonder and learning. To do that, we have to count on the help of other people. I'm not saying we should toss our kids randomly to the village...but we do need to have some sort of community to help our kids grow.

So who is helping you teach your kids?

Lessons from the Treehouse

It's the perfect time of year to build a treehouse. And, as a hmmmschooler,  there is so much to learn by doing it!

Besides the measuring...

...and cutting...

...and drilling...

 ...and mathematics involved in the actual building, there's history, science, writing, language, and more!

Wait. All from a treehouse?

Of course.

 We hmmmschoolers just spent the last two weeks reviewing Carol J. Alexander's Lessons from the Treehouse - a wonderful unit study that we thoroughly enjoyed. Not only did it give us the kick in the pants to start building the treehouse the Hmmmschoolers have talking about forever, it also led us down a path of research, activities, and projects that my overloaded brain would have never thought to tie to a treehouse unit.

Nine year old Hmmmschooler Iggy said, It was really fun. I liked finding out more about the trees in our yard and planning out the design of my house.

Eight year old Hmmmschooler Ooky said, I liked researching how trees grow...and I liked trying figure out how to raise the treehouse base up into the tree.

Carol J. Alexander provides 50 lessons for math, language, science (and more) in her unit study. There are things for hmmmschoolers of all ages to explore, as well as hands on activities that work well even if you're not planning on actually building a treehouse. Carol's ideas are great, and also work as a springboard for other activities. My ever-questioning hmmmschoolers found themselves exploring above and beyond to ask things like When were the trees for our treehouse planted, and what was happening in our country at that time? How do they make rosin for violin bows…from trees? Why can’t we grow a lemon tree in our yard?

Carol J. Alexander, who has been homeschooling her children since 1993, hopes to show homeschooling families how easily homesteading can fit into (or become!) your homeschooling lessons. Lessons from the Treehouse is part of the Lessons from the Homestead series which currently includes Lessons from the Henhouse and Lessons from the Seed Catalog. (More to be added soon!) You can learn more about these by visiting Carol at Lessons from the Homestead (where you can subscribe to her free newsletter or follow her blog) or you can find her on facebook.

Our family thoroughly enjoyed Lessons from the Treehouse, and look forward to completing and then spending much more time with the final product of our studies.

Isn't homeschooling great? 

we'll be outside, thank you very much

It was a beautiful day. One of those days where you question why you even have a house because you refuse to go inside.

The boys and I sat outside and talked about a statistic we'd read recently that said American schoolchildren spend, on average, only 30 minutes a week outside.

"But that's only...like...four minutes a day," Iggy said.

Yup.

We digested that bit of information while we stared at the trees and looked at the clouds and waited for birds to come to the feeders.

We decided we wanted to write down all the reasons we liked to be outside and all the billions of things we can do while we're outside (which also translated into "Why I'm glad I'm homeschooled, because I get more time to be outside...)

"I don't care where you go write, but let's do it outside..." I said as they ran off with their paper.

The next thing I saw made me belly laugh.

Apparently "writing outside" meant "writing while riding a bike".

Of course, why didn't I think of that?

It is good to be outside. :)

hmmmschooler bakes: cheesecake cupcakes

I have a hmmmschooler who likes to bake. Especially if his lego-built Pikachu can tag along.

Today we are making fabulous cupcakes that are just in time for picnic season. A special kinda cupcake that's wonderfully yummy, but won't leave your fingers all messy with frosting.

Cheesecake Cupcakes


Ingredients:
1 pkg chocolate cake mix (and ingredients listed on box to make it)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup chocolate (or other flavored) chips

Directions:
Mix cake as directions on box state and fill 30 paper baking cups in muffin tins 2/3 full...as the hmmmschooler and Lego Pikachu so kindly demonstrate above.

Next, cream together the cream cheese, sugar and egg. Stir in whatever chips you have chosen to use. In our case it was...

...the almighty peanut butter chip.

Drop this cream cheesy mixture by teaspoonfuls onto the cupcakes.

Bake these at  350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes.

You can eat them straight out of the oven (don't ask me how I know), but Hmmmschooler Ooky and his Lego Pikachu would like to inform you they taste even better when they are allowed to cool and the cheesecake part sets up completely.

Hmmmschooler Ooky and his Lego Pikachu dare you to eat one. And only one.

Yum! It's great to have a hmmmschooler who loves to bake!

all is fair

For those who are concerned that I gave up on my quest to be an equal opportunity educator, I'm happy to announce that all is fair on the farm front.

For those who need to be caught up, Hmmmschooler Iggy's ninth birthday (the first of his here at the farm) was celebrated by him getting two orphan pigs.

(They aren't that small anymore.)

Hmmmschooler Ooky's eighth birthday was celebrated just a couple weeks later and his farmish wish was to have two goats.


You know, because that would only be fair.

Well, surprise - wouldn't you know it, Ooky's birthday came and two goats showed up in our barn.

Strange how that happens, eh? ;)

You'll be happy to know that Hmmmschooler Iggy is enjoying the fair and balanced life he currently leads with his goats, Willy and Waylon.

They keep each other busy.

They're perfect for each other.

Sometimes I'm not sure who is leading who around. I sometimes can't tell who is the one showing the other the sights. But then that's pretty normal in a hmmmschooling kind of life. Don't you think? :)

little business man

It was a bright and sunny morning. Iggy bounded full speed from the house, came back to the dining room with a long stick and sat down.


Mom, can I have the bag of rubber bands? Iggy asked.

The Hmmmschoolers are always building things. But the plans are generally secret.

Sure, I said. What are you making today?

You'll see...came the answer.

 Ah. I think I know...

Why, yes. Of course. A weapon. :)

One was not enough. In fact, Iggy was so enthralled with his bow and arrow design that he made several of them, named them all, and then tried to sell them to his brother.

After I found out he'd actually made three bucks off his brother, I asked him if he planned to pay for the rubber binders I'd let him take.

Huh? he said.

Well, you have to pay for the materials you use when you're making a product, I explained. And then you have to figure that into your price so you still make a profit.

Oh, he said.


And, I reminded him, I thought I saw your brother helping you tie the rubber binders on a few of the bows you made. So I think you should pay him a liveable wage for helping you.

Hmmm, he said. He was really stuck on what to do. But  after some thought, he figured it out.

I guess I'm going to have to raise my prices.

Yep. He's a business man. :)

running, but not hot

It's so fun to watch kids learn something, isn't it?

The hmmmschoolers were so excited when we got the water faucet in our barn up and running. It meant, on this particular almost 70 degree day, that they had easier access to water for filling up their infamous blue barrel. They hooked up a hose, filled up the barrel halfway and then dumped bubble solution in to pump up the fun.

Um, guys...?
 

The thing about the last time they filled this barrel (at the old house) was that they ran buckets of hot water from the house to fill it.

And...well, barns don't generally have a hot water option.

But you know what?

I'm guessing they figured that out.  I love it when the lesson is self-explanatory. :)