Week 1 of an Unschooling Summer (2000)
Rebecca Prewett
Monday
Weeding and yard work. Isaac dug holes for 5 shrubs and did most of the planting with some assistance.
Target practice with slingshot.
Bike ride.
Tuesday
Read and discussed several chapters in The Vikings. Studied pertinent geography on world map.
Errands--school supplies, art supplies, presents for Jesse, etc. Isaac bought a model rocket.
Began to discuss ideas for activities and outside projects for coming months.
Installed a played a new auto racing computer game.
Jesse set up chess pieces by himself--correctly except for black king and queen. Completely unaided! Not bad for a child who just turned 3!
Matthew and Miriam wrote journal entries.
Miriam aided in food prep. Afterwards, she wrote to her pen pal.
Older children finished work on recall letters (stuffing envelopes, affixing labels, sealing envelopes, preparing for bulk mailing)
Matthew formulated a plan for personal devotions and "religious studies" for coming month.
Miriam read magazines to Danny--"My Big Backyard" and "Ladybug".
Matthew and Isaac put together a model rocket.
Wednesday
Today seemed like a huge time-waster. We didn't make us much headway in housework as I'd hoped. Benji and Isaac were obsessed with the computer car race game. We decided to pack away all Duplos and a number of the toddler/little kid toys that no one is playing with.
Went to farmers' market and bought produce. Isaac and Matthew began dinner prep.
Typical daily chores.
Benji practiced piano. I urged him to stick to practice stuff and save messing around for later, since we were pressed for time.
Isaac did headstands.
Matthew read the newspaper and took issue with an article about the use of Lego Robots in a local school. It incorrectly identified RCX as a programming language used by professionals, instead of as the "brain" of the robot.
Isaac had a private trumpet lesson with his father.
Isaac asked what causes lightning, so we looked it up in the World Book.
Matthew went online to read stuff on the Lego Mindstorms Forum.
Thursday
Read and discussed more in The Vikings.
Kids played with Playdough set that Jesse got for his birthday.
Miriam read 9 chapters of Genesis (same as yesterday).
Benji practiced piano and had a lesson.
We went to the nursery--looked at a new type of citrus, some raspberries, and assorted other plants.
More play with Playdough.
More car race game on computer.
Went to rodeo.
Friday
Made lists of projects, activities, and things each child wants to do/study for the rest of summer and into autumn.
Finished The Vikings. Consulted map several times.
Miriam practiced harp.
Older kids made soft pretzels. Younger kids played with Playdough.
Harp lesson. Kids played with kids from another harp family.
Miriam went on a bike ride.
More Playdough play.
Benji practiced piano, and also spent some time just "messing" around.
Saturday
Went to Atascadero Zoo with three other families from church. The lemurs were rowdy--lots of loud growling and "roaring" and mock fighting. We'd never seen them like this.
Rode pedal-boats around lake.
Came home--everyone did yard work, mostly weed pulling. Isaac transplanted strawberry plants and planted four tomato plants.
Matthew and his father went to a friend's for their weekly prayer gathering.
copyright 2000, 2003 by Rebecca Prewett
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