Busy Bees

In spite of scheduling nothing more grueling than swim lessons this summer, we have been busier than ever. June is nearly over, Father's Day is nearly upon us and we have nothing prepared. Nothing. Yikes! Time to troll the blogs for amazing, crafty projects to get us through.

Our new policy of unschooling is still going strong. I did weaken a few days ago and asked her to read me a story. She did, albeit unwillingly, which was a good reminder for me. On the positive side, she has been spontaneously reading: at the grocery store, the library, the bookstore, etc., so I'm not hyperventilating anymore (or should I say right now?). I'm thinking of incorporating more writing into our day as a way to promote reading. She likes to write invitations to dance parties and instructions for me to follow, so we'll see what transpires.

I've been reading Dr. Ruth Beechick's books on the three Rs and been inspired to make more of an effort to draw attention to what I normally do in a day that requires reading, writing and arithmetic. So, when we bake, I try to show her the measuring cups and spoons and talk about how much of which ingredient we need. When we go to the store, I talk to her about what we need and make out our list. Reading is no problem because that's what we love around here. Speaking of reading, we just read a fantastic book called The Pirate Girl by Cornelia Funke. I've read a few of her novels and enjoyed them immensely; I had no idea she wrote picture books, too. This one is a good read.