Unschoolish Weekend in Progress

With Quester focused on his recording session with the band, the kids and I have been spending the first part of the weekend together. Yesterday they went up the coast with my parents, to see an old ship that's docked in one of the quaint little coastal towns. Then, after I was done work, we went to our SpiralScouts meeting. We're working on the birding badge, learning about birds in preparation for a visit to a bird sanctuary. Before the meeting, Crow was making some notes about the upcoming Beltane holiday. We listened to and talked about jazz on the way home. They had a late dinner and then we read. I'm reading them a Hardy Boys mystery, and "Eldest" by Christopher Paolini.

This morning (Saturday) Quester and Crow went to help clean up the town baseball fields in preparation for the start of the Little League season. ElvenTiger and I worked on some more bird pictures, and I read to her.

When it was time for some more recording, the kids and I headed out for the afternoon. First we did a short hike (more of a nature walk, really, just a couple of miles). It was a warm day, cloudy with the sun peeking through. We had fun. Then we went to get my brother a birthday gift; we're celebrating at my parents' house on Monday night. We also got a few groceries. After that we went to the movies and saw "Ice Age 2." I thought it might be lame, being a sequel and all, but it was delightfully goofy and hilarious. We had fun, laughing throughout the movie.

We came back and, since the band was taking a break, I helped with some dinner preparations and other chores, and read a bit. The kids played outside. Dinner was homemade pizza, and I think some "dinner table math" was involved, too. After dinner, ElvenTiger played with a magnet set, and Crow conversed with one of the band members about the Great Depression and the Bonus Army March. We read our chapter books and now they're all settled in for the night.

Tomorrow they'll be with my parents again, as Quester and I are going off on a "real" hike (i.e. longer than ElvenTiger's legs would be able to tolerate, especially as she's still recovering from the flu). It'll be lovely to have some "just the two of us" time. Not sure what the grandparents have planned for the kids, but it's usually something cool.

Lots of the neighborhood kids are now starting a "school vacation." We just "do school" as a part of life, and our next week will be filled with as much fun and learning as all of them are.