Monday was one of those really nice, low-key, unschooling days where there are no real plans and the day can just unfold and flow as we go. We are all in various stages of recovering from the flu, and it was the first day we had all felt like doing anything more than lying down! We were still too pale and red-nosed for any pictures, so I'll just describe our day here.
Riley and I woke up first. We had breakfast together, and then he wanted to play Uno, which we did. When Seth woke up, he joined us as my partner. After the game, Riley went to use the computer, and Seth wanted to play more Uno. We each played with our cards face up so I could help him see his choices for moves and he could see mine as I talked through what I was doing. After a few hands, he went on to watch Dora the Explorer.
Maya woke last and wanted to look at Riley's pop-up version of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Riley and Seth joined us, and we read some of the story and enjoyed the pop-up art of
Robert Sabuda. Inspired by the story, we decided to go make paper fans. After making several, Maya and Seth decided to draw and Riley went off to practice martial arts moves with his fans. He and I went again to the computer to research more about using fans in martial arts.
By lunch time Riley looked pretty wiped out and took a nap. Maya and Seth came to the kitchen to help make lunch. We cut and shredded cheese for mac and cheese, trying a grater, knives, and a pizza slicer. After lunch Maya and Seth went their separate ways to play in their rooms while I did some cleaning. Later Maya and I counted down the days til her birthday and talked about party plans, Seth worked some puzzles, and then the two of them had a jumping contest and set up an obstacle course with the couch cushions in the living room.
We did finally get out to go to tae kwon do since it was Riley's day to lead class. Maya and Seth were wiped out by then and fell asleep on the drive there and slept until we got back home.
After dinner, Maya wanted to work on Valentine's Day cards, so she, Seth, and I did this while Riley and Matt watched a movie.
While Matt was lounging on the beach, er, I mean away on a business trip, in Clearwater, Florida, the kids and I shopped for Webkinz pets and then spent much of the week playing on the Webkinz website. They've been having a blast (admittedly so have I) playing the games and activities to earn points to buy virtual food, clothes, toys, furniture, etc. for their online pets. Today they decided to pool their resources, gathering and cleaning up some old toys and outgrown clothes to sell so that they could each adopt another pet.
We also spent an afternoon at the Cincinnati History Museum at the Cincinnati Museum Center. This was our first trip to that part of the Museum Center. The kids loved the room with all of the models of downtown Cincinnati, playing in the old street car, and seeing the model of the Zoo as it looked when it was first built.
