This unschooling thing is pretty cool too!

While we're not really unschoolers, I love all the "sneaky" little ways you can get early learning in with young kids. Grandpa's here for a visit, so I've taken full advantage of our flexibility in homeschooling to ditch official classes for a few days.

However, when you're five, even if you're an accelerated five, you can get all sorts of learning in by doing the simplest everyday tasks. While I don't think we'll be getting in any history, here's a brief overview of what Becca's already covered this morning.

Reading: Reading several fun books to Grandpa
Logic: A couple of rounds of Guess Who?
Math: A game of cards, similar to War - which number is bigger?
Spelling/Handwriting: Writing out a shopping list for our lunch

Et voila! While I don't think we'll become unschoolers any time soon, it's gratifying to see how much learning goes on under the guise of simple play and daily activities.

I can't handle this question so early in the morning!

"Mommy, are we polytheists or monotheists?"

Yeah... Becca hit me with that this morning. We've studied Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) recently, the pharaoh who brought monotheism to Egypt whether they liked it or not. They didn't, incidentally. So Becca learned about polytheism and monotheism, or at least their definitions. She just had a little trouble figuring out where we fit in!

Sylvia is beginning to read. I can hardly contain my excitement!!! She sounded out "box" last week, so I figured it was time to break out the BOB books. She read the first book in the first set to me today. She'll proceed as she wishes - right now I'm trying to find my Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Kindergarten software so she can play with that. Like before, this is self-initiated. I am here to facilitate her and present her with the next "step," but there's obviously no rush for Sylvie. I'm just proud of my "weetle bear."

The girls surprise me every day. Some days (like yesterday) I want to just tear my hair out, I will not lie. But other days... most days, once I've unwound, I'm so glad to be able to teach Becca at home and I'm happy to see Sylvia so interested in participating.

Isn't this the cutest picture ever??

One little bumblebee, all tired out from trick or treating...