We have been having a wonderful summer here. During my writing hiatus, the boys and I stayed busy without being rushed or stressed. We've visited the zoo and played in the park. We painted ceramics and discovered how the paints change in the firing and glazing process. We hiked a local nature trail, pausing for Kipp to draw the bugs he discovered. When we reached a lake overlook, we snacked and danced for all the world to see on a large granite outcropping. The boys squeezed lemons to make fresh lemonade and baked whole wheat bread, just to watch the yeast rise. We painted with watercolors and played with play dough. One afternoon, the boys assembled a microscope and spent time magnifying whatever looked interesting. Our board games are getting some much deserved use. We learned the effects of too little water and earwigs on our vegetable garden. Yesterday, I set up a small tent in the great room and let the boys discover their own imaginary worlds. And most evenings, the boys can be found playing at the pool, only to come home and listen to stories or read late into the night.
Nor do we intend to slow down. In the coming weeks, we will visit the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco with the boys' grandmothers. We are looking forward to meeting up with our friends to play miniature golf and laser tag and race little cars. Both Kipp and Landry have been earning money, and each is excited to open his first bank account. Later, we will travel to Lake Tahoe for two days of swimming, rafting, and hiking. And I haven't begun to run out of ideas.
I had a conversation with an acquaintance over the weekend which provided food for thought. Her children, who are 5 and 8, are enrolled in public school and just finished in mid-June. However, she commented that they were starting summer school on the day after Father's Day. When I asked why, she said that by staying in school over the summer, her oldest son would not lose time transitioning back into school in the fall.
Now, to be fair, maybe I misunderstood her reasoning or maybe she didn't want to give me the real reason. Furthermore, I am well aware that not everyone has the luxury of spending all of their time with their children, although this would not apply to my friend. And I have no desire to criticize her choice for her children.
However, for myself and my family, I would not trade a moment of this summer with my sons. I do not believe that they are falling behind or losing ground by spending the summer as we are. As the blog title states, we learn at every turn. That happens by visiting museums, counting coins by twos, fives and tens for Kipp, figuring interest for Landry, exploring the world with a microscope and creating new worlds out of little more than a tent and some magic.
More importantly, even assuming the boys aren't learning, so what? I am the last parent to have low expectations for my boys, and I firmly believe that they are happier when appropriately challenged. I will readily admit that I fully expect all three to acquire graduate degrees, and I attempt to give them the skills to accomplish that goal if that is what they choose to do. However, they are children, and I will not deny them their childhood for any reason. Instead, I will trust their abilities to adapt when school starts in August. If it takes a few days to find our groove, I am confident in their abilities to catch up later.
Come to think of it, I've been declining a rather vociferous invitation for a rousing game of Blokus as I type this post. I think I will rethink my priorities.
Nor do we intend to slow down. In the coming weeks, we will visit the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco with the boys' grandmothers. We are looking forward to meeting up with our friends to play miniature golf and laser tag and race little cars. Both Kipp and Landry have been earning money, and each is excited to open his first bank account. Later, we will travel to Lake Tahoe for two days of swimming, rafting, and hiking. And I haven't begun to run out of ideas.
I had a conversation with an acquaintance over the weekend which provided food for thought. Her children, who are 5 and 8, are enrolled in public school and just finished in mid-June. However, she commented that they were starting summer school on the day after Father's Day. When I asked why, she said that by staying in school over the summer, her oldest son would not lose time transitioning back into school in the fall.
Now, to be fair, maybe I misunderstood her reasoning or maybe she didn't want to give me the real reason. Furthermore, I am well aware that not everyone has the luxury of spending all of their time with their children, although this would not apply to my friend. And I have no desire to criticize her choice for her children.
However, for myself and my family, I would not trade a moment of this summer with my sons. I do not believe that they are falling behind or losing ground by spending the summer as we are. As the blog title states, we learn at every turn. That happens by visiting museums, counting coins by twos, fives and tens for Kipp, figuring interest for Landry, exploring the world with a microscope and creating new worlds out of little more than a tent and some magic.
More importantly, even assuming the boys aren't learning, so what? I am the last parent to have low expectations for my boys, and I firmly believe that they are happier when appropriately challenged. I will readily admit that I fully expect all three to acquire graduate degrees, and I attempt to give them the skills to accomplish that goal if that is what they choose to do. However, they are children, and I will not deny them their childhood for any reason. Instead, I will trust their abilities to adapt when school starts in August. If it takes a few days to find our groove, I am confident in their abilities to catch up later.
Come to think of it, I've been declining a rather vociferous invitation for a rousing game of Blokus as I type this post. I think I will rethink my priorities.
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