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Friday, March 23, 2012

Day Forty Five

Environmental science 101.  I'm getting chickens.  Well, I really really really WANT to get chickens.  Husband doesn't actually know yet, he's going to, um, love it.  He's in AZ on business and will come home to the plan in place and the Banker duly amped with blinding "oh now I can have a happy happy life" excitement.  We have a screened gazebo on a slab in our yard that we've never done anything with; I say it'll be a sweet coop. 


Husband used to make things out of wood, I think this will encourage him to make small, useful, items that the Banker can help with.  Gadzooks, could they actually do something together that didn't involve husband buying him something?  I'd faint!  It'd be yet another massive home school perk for our little threesome.


I'm going to get the pine shavings for the floor, for when are they ready to go outside.  I'm going to prepare a small dog crate we have that will open so we can mount a heat light (which we have) on the corner so the little darlings don't freeze to death and die.  I'm going to start talking seriously to Lola (https://www.facebook.com/pages/LOLA-and-The-Duck/314095541974827) about how she really, truly, shouldn't kill and/or eat any baby chicks.  She chases (and catches) squirrels, cats and birds in our yard but I have solid faith she'll be able to determine a difference between those ratty old animals and our new additions.  I think she's going to think they are her babies.  Walter won't care, I'm sure.  Bless his heart, I wonder if he'll notice.


I've read about chickens and chicks but really, in the scheme of things, they are $2/piece, um, I'm willing to risk a few lives. Yeah, circle of life, kiddo.


The Banker is vibrating with excitement. (well, he doesn't know I'm willing to sacrifice)


We had another talk about messing around with the schedule and decided we don't want to.  We are still on the fence, for next year, about doing the 7/day or the 4/day twice a week system.  I am going to let him pick, it doesn't matter to me.  He dives further into subjects he enjoys and we have an extra day built into the week for moving courses to if he finds something he wants to continue investigating and experiencing, plus the fact his day is about 4 hours of work long, he has copious amounts of time to do additional/different/further/deeper work into any subject.


He has finally figured out the break in the day!  Up until this week, he has come to the table, sat and worked for 4 hours, stood up and that was his day.  He has FINALLY figured out he can go read his Nook upstairs, he can review DNA videos sitting in the recliner, move his laptop to the dining table, bar, studio table if he wants a change of scenery.  He figured out he can decide his brain is full, get up, harness up Walter and off they go for a walk. Joyful, this is joyful.  


He is so very happy and, after he just stood (excitedly) and showed me his pages of notes on inertia and explained the mathematics and details of it to me, my daily worries of having broken him are the furthest from my mind as they have been.


We had the unveiling of the potato catcher eco system experiment today.  That was cool.  You hollow a potato, put it back together with tooth picks, lay it in the ground with small holes on each side level with the ground (lay it in a small divot or trowel out a small hole) and grab it 24 hrs later and check what you have inside.  Banker caught about 20 potato bugs (go figure) and loads of poop looking stuff, very cool.  We will do the same experiment in different areas of the yard and see what we come up with.  It's nice to do something outside and off line.


We had a 'moment' today about "Day 5"  HE seems think the day on the schedule with no official course lists is a day off, *I* was very specific about listing choices for the day, following up cool stuff he learned through the week, field trips (today we are going to see The Hunger Games) working on any stuff he didn't finish in the week, redoing things he could have done better.  He's been sitting there, I thought working only to discover he's been playing MineCraft spouting, "but it's day FIVE!  I'm OFF!" *include preteen eye roll and "you're an idiot" harumph.  OH I don't THINK so, Banker-boy.  I will be altering next week's schedule packet to INCLUDE work for Day5, you can't figure out work for yourself, I'm more than happy to assign it to you.  *argh*


We are leaving to do an 11:30am showing of the movie (bonus!) then errands then playing with a friend then happy hour at the local Mexican joint for snacks and margaritas.  


Husband is back from his travels so the weekend will be weird and formal.  I may raise the chicken plan, we'll see.  Whether it comes up or not, he'll be "relaxing" and sleeping in the recliner while the grass is up to our knees and I'll be working frantically in the house to stay busy.  So, I am playing while I can...I am not going to let a Banker snit interrupt my solid expectation of thoroughly and completely enjoying my day.


/Tracy



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