On the Trail of Ancient China

Jnr has a strong fascination with the late Empress Dowager Tsu Hzi. After much rooting around on the internet, this is what we found.

We found a whole series of documentary on the Forbidden City and it's long line of Emperors and Empress.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCefoa3CFUQ&feature=related

We're museum-ed out!!

We went to Colchester for 2 days early this week.

First stop was the Natural History Museum, housed in an old church. It was small but interesting enough to keep Jnr occupied. There's alot of info on stag beetles and there's a huge electronic metal stag beetle that moves when you press it's switch.

We then moved onto the Colchester Castle. It's a castle, and naturally it is intersting to be walking the same passage ways, and touching those same stone walls that's been standing for over 2,000 years. Sadly to say, this is only my opinion, and not Jnr's LOL! He was only interested with the moat, of which he had a fabulous time playing in. We got in on home-ed rate of £2.90 for child/ FREE for adult. There's a Chinese artifacts exhibition going on but not very impressive and very basic.

We then visited the Holly Trees Museum, which is on the same ground. Unfortunately we never go the chance to stay long because Jnr spotted the playground at the back of this mansion!

We didn't make it to the Temperly Clock Museum, which was shut on Sunday and Monday.

The next day, we went to Ipswich Museum, about 20 minutes drive away. It was FANTASTIC. It's natural history section houses a life size woolly mammoth, tusk and all. Stuffed Giraffe, Rhino, Zebra, Lion and many, many more. A truly magnificent showcase of the old Victorian hunting passion and taxidermy. Lots of artifacts that links back to the old colonial world of Africa and Asia. We had a very informative afternoon and Jnr was hooked every step of the way. And it's Free.

The parking was expensive tho. But I supposed I can't complained considering the 2 day's visit is basically nominal cost.

Tracey's Poem

Here's a lovely poem, courtesy of a fellow unschooler.

> We want to autonomous
>
> We want to be anonymous
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> We want to run and play and shout
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> And not sit still filled with self doubt
>
> We want to learn in our own time
>
> Surely that can't be a crime
>
> Our lives are filled with praise and love
>
> Not censure coming from above
>
> And most of all we love to learn
>
> It doesn't stop at the end of term
>
> We carry on learning every day
>
> It's nothing new it's just the way
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> That generations before us learned
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> About the way respect was earned
>
> So here's our plea to the powers that be
>
> HOME ED WORKS SO LEAVE US BE!

Naomi Aldort "If children played all their childhood, they would be ready for life"

Another book to my collection.
Naomi Aldort, Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves.

I'm so pleased to have found Naomi Aldort. Even tho I'm reading what I already knew, her writings comforted me by re-affirming my unusual ways of parenting my child, and unschooling him. She help me word my thoughts in a more professional way, so that the next time I'm to share about our unschooling, I'll come out sounding more focus and polish LOL!

She's so spot-on with this line:-

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"For me, child rearing has been a continual test to my ability to trust. Should I physically make sure that my child learns to crawl? Walk? Talk? How about "Talk and Walk Class for Toddlers 101"? Interestingly, language is the hardest thing to learn, and children do it all on their own. In fact, the speediest learning in humans occurs in the youngest years, when children generally play all day. Maybe nature didn't goof - maybe I can trust.

So I trusted in nature from day one and noticed an interesting thing: children play, and their best learning happens through play. Children are designed to be curious. From birth on, they want to know and figure out everything. Children are driven to succeed. They are constantly challenging themselves and can actually accomplish it all through a biologically implanted process that we call play.

If children played all their childhood (I mean it), they would be ready for life. They would be emotionally strong (providing no other damage has been done), and would have all the basic skills to handle life."

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She has just helped me by pointing out why I'm so sure and steady about my child's continous playing and no worries about lessons or colleges and uni.

This is the very core of our unschooling, Play equals emotionally strong for life.

Searching for a sport activity.

I'm trying to get a sporting activity that we as a family can do together.

Today we've went kite-ing. Papa borrowed a kite off his office mate, off we went to the local kite-ing hill. Jnr's not very happy today, and was moaning all the way as we make our way to the top of the hill. But he was enthusiatic enough tho, to go running over towards the horizon to see what's over there.

Anyway, found a sppt we liked, and after much un-tangling and laying out of the kite, we're ready and Jnr's kinda gone bored with it already, even before we started. The wind was not blowing at all, but the occasional breeze was enough to get the kite up and swooping and crashing to the ground. We met 13 years old Khalid. He was also kite-ing, and he help us by showing us how to do it. He was a very helpful and informative young man.

After a few chase after his dad, Jnr gave up and slump to the lovely soft grass and just lay there, slumbering on the ground. He was complaining about a pain on his calf, so me and Papa ended up piggy backing him all the way back to the car, which was a rather long way, and Jnr's grown over the summer and is no longer tiny and light anymore.

Well at least we've accomplished something today. We've tried kite-ing and decided it's not it. Next time, we'll try golfing. Jnr has consistently stuck with golfing, so maybe it's time we take him seriously and buy him a proper golf set and take him onto the golf course.

On the way home, Jnr complained about feeling bored. I do agree, I am feeling bored too. Time for some new interest but what?

I'm losing grip on our unschooling ways...again.

We're going through an academic drought.

It's been roughly 5 weeks now (I think) that Jnr is resisting any form of pc curriculum. He still insist that he likes Time4Learning but has yet make any attempt to take me up on my offer to visit that site together. I admit I am beginning to feel shifty and unsure about this, but i supposed I can "wait and see" alittle bit longer.

I'm wondering why this is happening. Maybe perhaps we have learnt everything there is to learn, for now. Maybe he's taking a break before the next level of realisation kicks in? Well whatever it is, it is obvious his interest is focus on playing. I can't say we're not doing much, for we are doing lots. Like watching more tv, creating more Lego structures, talking more, surfing more internet, playing games (interesting enough video gaming is on the low side too) I am wondering if this laid back attitude coincides with this learning drought? Maybe I should try board or card games.

Anyway I can't see anything new academically for him to learn for now, so I'm thinking really, maybe in school they are doing more about mastering thru practises, rather than learning new stuff? Maybe this is why we seemed like we're not doing much.

I need to re-assess what's the defination of learning. I am sure he is still learning on a daily basis, but just not dipping his toes into any academic part of learning. Ohhh...I really need to start working on letting go some more!!!

The level we are on right now:-
Maths (addition, subtraction, division and multiplication). On-going money maths, calendar dates maths.
Reading and history goes together, for reading from books is an on-going process.
Science is an on-going lesson too- we're still experimenting with fire.

We are talking about different ways to make money for son is money obsessed for the moment. So we have been looking at different type of jobs Jnr can do when he grows up. Working for The Lego Company could be one option.