Learning all the time

I have a secret. If you're nice to me, I'll fill you in. Shhh, here it comes - Homeschooling scares the crap out of me. It's not that I think any option is any better nor do I feel any desire to do anything other than homeschooling, but you gotta admit, it's intimidating.

The amazing thing that I've learned about homeschooling, however, is that free and breezy, relaxed and laid back is the way to go! Getting stressed out about it backfires such as to make a 1975 Ford Pinto stand up and say, "Whoa, that's a lemon."

Learning should be fun - and so should teaching. In fact, if it's not fun, it's not working.

Yesterday, we read 3 chapters of Charlotte's Web and then had about 40 minutes of role play, pretend, and "what might happen next?"

We did a science project and the kids learned that oil floats on water, no matter how hard you shake it.

We did math flash cards and then played with dried beans to figure out the answers to the problems Duck couldn't figure out in his head.

The boys have a new favorite computer game called Spell It. It helps with reading, spelling, typing, recognizing mis-spelled words. It's amazing. And they love it because it had frogs.

Today, Duck wants to learn to knit.

Stealth wants to learn to play Trivial Pursuit.

Duck likes to dance.

Stealth likes to paint.

They both love books.

Duck likes to cook and build.

Stealth likes to eat and destroy.

It's ALL EDUCATIONAL. IT'S ALL SCHOOL.

They learn from it all. And I learn from them. I've never felt closer to my children. I've never felt more tuned into them. They learn faster than I can teach - so I just sit back and point them in the right direction. Half the time they teach themselves. And I can do it all in my PJ's, drinking coffee, listening to Bob Marley or Ralph's World or whatever. I can say, "Screw it, let's go swimming," if I want. Even on our "off" days when I'm not actively teaching anything, they still learn. They learn all the time. They cannot NOT learn. Duck, at 5 years old, can read and spell words that I struggled with in 2nd grade. Stealth, at 3 years old, is on the verge of reading. They both have amazing deductive reasoning for their age. They're just so darned smart.

I have to let them lead, for the time being, at least. It gets less and less scary as each day passes.

They're learning all the time. And you know what? So am I.