We are having a very good day.
Banker gets up out of bed with such joy every day, knowing he is facing another day of home school, self teaching, Internet research, testing and copious amounts of note taking yet...he dances and sings when he walks down the stairs. How did this get so right? Sometimes, as ridiculous as it sounds, I get a little teary at how incredibly lucky I am to have this child with this joy of learning and happiness in his heart. Sure, we get surly preteen angst, stroppy storm away flashes but really, I hardly ever truly want to cook and eat him.
Today is math test day, next pre-Algebra chapter. Then it's science day. DNA unit, Khan and NASA astronomy and cosmology unit, environmental science unit and then some physics. The Banker loves science day. He's working through, easily it seems, the math chapter test, excellent.
Husband is wandering around not telling us whether he's staying here today or leaving, it's terribly distracting. Some days he leaves at 8:30 and some at 10, it's hard to get a handle on keeping our own schedule. I try not to obsess but it drives me crazy. Pick a time and go to work. Banker and I don't settle in well to our groove until he's gone so right or wrong, it affects both of us.
However, I am really proud, again, of how enthused Banker is about learning and how easily he gets tucked into work, seriously and with notebooks and excitement. He cheered when he realized he could do science day today. Like the singing and humming and dancing, it really doesn't get any better than that.
He is a really dedicated kid and hasn't tried to cut corners or goof off, I didn't think he would turn into a slacker or a 'just get it done already' kid but I'm very pleased he hasn't.I think, still, we are finding and staying into a pretty sweet groove. I like the feel of these days, he seems to and says often he really enjoys the one subject per day. It surprises me how many more hours he will give to a day without thought of the time when it's just (for example) "English" that day as opposed to the 7 or 8 subjects we were doing before. Even though he is flipping between English, grammar, literature, diagramming sentences, doing both his workbook and online class, he doesn't check the time now or think he's doing more than just the one thing. He told me he really likes keeping his head on one subject stream and he thinks he's learning more, easier, and I agree wholeheartedly.
He moved his computer and work into my studio (sewing room) saying he needed the privacy for math the other day, I agreed but then noticed he hadn't moved back out. This morning he set up shop in there and, um, no. I like him here in the kitchen. I'm not so distracting and I like being available in the same room for questions or comments or conversations. I work at my computer, for now, and he works at his while we face each other. We are both quite silent workers which cracks me up considering husband is eternally telling both of us to be quiet in everything we do. He dislikes conversation at the dinner table or in the car or watching TV, anywhere actually. I don't let him shut us down, life is for enjoying, for singing in, for laughing about and the Banker and I are cut from very similar cloth and constantly crack each other up, and will continue to do so. Sometimes poor husband doesn't stand a chance.
I have a few ideas for my own work in the studio, I lay in bed thinking about designs and ideas for things to make to love and to sell. To be truthful, again, I have lost some confidence in that department which I am working to regain but that's a different story on a different blog.
I feel like I am still setting him, and us, up for a really exciting and challenging time in the 8th grade. I have his literature, history, math and some English already planned...science is the thing that is doing me in. I need to do some research to get that organized. Maybe today. When I research some AISD middle school teacher blogs about what they are doing the rest of the year, wow, I think he's mostly done the academics his contemporaries will complete by the end of 7th grade. I love that he hasn't lost any fire or joy from learning and it feels as though we are really finally getting into new topics and new information rather than just review and reworking information he's already been given. It's an exciting leap into the new. I'm ready and he's ready and I hope I don't screw this up.
I have made the summer decision, I'm not going to just stop in June and restart in August. We will continue to do school, either one "full" day or 2 mornings a week, half math and half English/reading. If he wants to continue through any other subject (graded) he most certainly can but he'll have to make a commitment. k Also, if he wants to continue through any subject for fun he can, obviously, and I think that's what he'll do.
I'm going to hook us up to NetFlix (for the documentaries, no, seriously, for the documentaries!) today, there is a one month free trial but for $7.99 and for the fact we can watch on our laptops and iPads, I think it's totally worth it. I'm going on a group date with my husband tonight, to see Jake Shimabukuro at One World Theatre tonight, I'm looking forward to getting out with adults.
/Tracy
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