Big Bird Goes To China

Did you know that YouTube has anything and everything? You probably did. I did too, which is why I searched for Big Bird Goes to China. I remember watching it in school when I was a kid (did you know it came out in 1982?), and learning all sorts of interesting things. I though it was maybe 10, 15 minutes long, turns out there are over 7 segments! So we watched it yesterday, which the kids thoroughly enjoyed. It had Barkley in it too. I hadn't seen Barkley in years! So they learned about the Great Wall, the glass chess board (fields of rice) and the Phoenix bird. After we did that, they worked on their Great Wall of Lego and we made Chinese food for supper, yummy broccoli with beef. And I found some chopsticks to eat with. That was interesting, as they aren't that easy for a five year old to use. Reading the book everyday I can see is a great benefit, because now James knows some of the words and phrases. Next up: I'll be trying to find out how to write their names in Chinese. That'll be a fun craft!

Yesterday.

So yesterday was fun, we read The Story of Ping, a FIAR story. FIAR (Five In A Row) is an awesome program where you read the same story five days in a row, and each day you do something different based on the story. So yesterday we talked about buoyancy, in the bathtub. Figuring out what sinks and what floats and why. It was so much fun. The Story About Ping is an awesome story about a Chinese duck who avoids punishment and gets into way more trouble. It provided a lot of opportunity to talk about listening. Today we are going to learn a bit about China, and the Great Wall of China, and probably build it out of Lego or something. I also discovered yesterday that James likes math. At 7:30 am. Bring on the coffee! But as much as I complain about being up early, we had a great time together learning about math without the Emilie Distraction.

7:30 am? Seriously?

Got up this morning at 7:20 to find a very eager five year old at the table, trying to open the new bin of bear counters. "Mommy, can we do math right now? I want to play with these bears." I am very thankful for curriculum that details each lesson what to do. I am also thankful for tea with caffeine, and the teacher guide.

The Beginning.

So here I am, at the beginning of a new road. A new road that involves choosing the education for my children. Yes, I am becoming a homeschooler. While I am very nervous about this, I am determined to make a success of it. As James has done half the year of traditional kindergarten, this does present some challenges, but I am confident that I can pick up where it's been left off from school. So here we go, off on a brand new journey of education!