My Daughter's Classroom of Choice

This photo was taken through the dining room window today. Note the warm and furry ottoman.

School During School

Andy's woodworking school, is now up and running. We are past half way through our first week. Teaching my own students while Andy teaches his is proving challenging, but not impossible.

My job is to cook for the classes, a light breakfast of fruit and yogurt and fresh baked goods, and then a huge hot meal for lunch, plus occasional snacks and non-stop coffee. The way our house is set up, the kitchen is completely isolated from the rest of the world, so I can't just set the kids up where I am working (note: new kitchen countdown is on).

In adjusting to the new scheduling required, including me being very busy during the time that we have typically done school, I have had to get a little creative. Mind you, nothing I have done is terribly creative for a veteran home schooler, but we're talking about me here, folks, The Reluctant Home Educator.

Today, Tano and I listened to his chapter of Robinson Crusoe via audio book while we did the dishes together. Yesterday, the kids followed me around the yard as I watered my poor, neglected gardens, all the while discussing good poetry and brutal Vikings sweeping through English towns. Spanish consisted of the kids planning and rehearsing short conversations they could have with one of the woodworking students who is from Venezuela and speaks fluent Spanish.

It's different, but it is working.

The kids are also getting quite an education in the culinary arts and food service. They are meal planning and cooking and baking with me, learning to serve meals efficiently and attractively, and experiencing how much work it takes to clean up after big feasts. Plus, we are just learning how to work together well, like a team. It's good.

Adjusting to Freedom

You would think that the freedom of no longer being bound by the confines of the traditional school day would be thrilling to me. But you would be wrong. I spent too many years of my life setting my mental clock by the rolling of the buses, morning and afternoon, to just unplug the clock and forget about it.

This week the kids and I have been helping Andy (Daddy) out in the shop, as he gets things ready for his new woodworking school. He is putting up some beautiful redwood wainscot on the walls, which is really attractive, but a lot of work. We have jumped in to help cut the lumber down to size, round off the edges and finish it with hand-rubbed oil so it can be installed.

Tuesday, we did school first and then worked out there on the redwood all afternoon. Wednesday, we worked on it all evening, even setting up flood lights in the yard so I at my sanding station and Tano at his oiling station could keep going after dark. But this morning we really shook things up.

Andy had someone coming to work at nine o'clock in the morning and wanted him to be able to start installing right away. We didn't have all of the wood ready to go yet, though, so we got up early, had a quick breakfast, and went out there, all of us, to finish the job--or at least get enough done by the time the help arrived that he could get started. We worked until lunch time, got it all done, and then did school after that.

Those of you who are accustomed to this home education thing are still waiting for the punchline. But that was it: we worked all morning and didn't start school until after lunch. After lunch!!

I'm still adjusting, folks. Give me time.