I did not sleep well last night, after some medical blog-surfing. We had an appointment for Aidan in town. So after the discussion about transitioning this weekend, I decided that today would be an unschooling day for Kieron, and that I’d try Sean on choosing his own work to see what would happen. So he did Math, Greek, and read Our Life in the Church and Celtic Heritage Saints. That is not what I would have predicted, but it was interesting. I can see that he is close to being where he could take the reins for himself. Which is always nice to see. When they are about twelve, mine always go through a restless unenergetic stage (if you can’t imagine both at the same time, can you remember when you were 12? I can) and I fear for the future, even knowing better…. but they do seem to come through on the other side.
Sean continues to go through the Random House Dictionary in his spare moments — he keeps it next to the computer to help him with spelling. Now that he is 14 he is getting more conscious about his writing — spelling and mechanics.
Kieron has been really into writing stories and talking/reading on a bionicle message board. He is rereading the Redwall books.
I made some phone calls and did a little deep cleaning. For Lent I have been trying to get at the little hidden totally yucky places in the house. … places that no one really ever goes and that haven’t been cleaned basically since we moved in (we have a big house). It certainly is penitential.
In the afternoon we went to GI; everything is great so basically it was just a “keep in touch” type clinic. He will see them in 4 months. He was thrilled to see the familiar Canadian leaf and Indian wheel on the wall and then get his traditional Sierra Mist and Cheetos at the cafeteria and play in the playground for a while. The weather was beautiful — 84 degrees already in the valley, and by the time we got back up to our altitude the temp up here was 45. Big difference in about 2 hours!
Kevin bought Viva Pinata for the X Box so the kids are trying it out here. Up here in this indie game paradise in the Sierras, new games are “research” and a family interest… a dream environment according to our acquaintances who have teenage boys. Kevin regularly gets called by acquaintances whose teenagers want to interview him for a school project or for advice on how to make it in the gaming industry.
Aidan is calling “Can I be a crocodile?” That means that he has shampooed his hair and wants me to help him rinse it by tipping his head into the water. Better go since he has been known to come out of the bath with his hair still all plastered with shampoo.
