Monica with mobile

At the YMCA

monica — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:25:37 +0000

And the boy, who is gaining on me in height with each passing day, actually waved to me from karate class.

I want to remember it, this moment. So I capture it here.

I wish I could run up to him with mobile lens at the ready like I used to when he was a toddler or little boy. Back when nothing I did embarrassed him.

So I settle for a snap of Respect and Responsibility high on the wall. And write it down.

He’s 12 years old. This boy-almost-teen.

I’m glad he’s still little boy enough to wave hi with a grin to his mom watching on the sidelines.

App review: Math Monkey

monica — Sat, 19 May 2012 13:00:53 +0000

If you are looking for a simple game for your kids to enjoy practicing basic math facts on the iPad, Math Monkey may be for you.

How the game works: Players practice math facts by using a monkey’s slingshot to launch cupcakes at the correct answer.

What I like about Math Monkey:

Like many app games, the beauty of the game is it’s simplicity. There isn’t a lot here beyond the math to distract a child from learning. I’m a big fan of cupcakes – and cupcakes are trendy right now – so that’s good too. The unexpected use of cake adds a nice touch of humor.

I like the idea of the different themes too. Subtraction, multiplication, addition and division are played on different levels -really just different backgrounds for the monkey to pelt the numbers. “Underwater” for subtraction, “Outerspace” is multiplication, “Jungle” theme is addition, and “In the Air” for division.

What I don’t like about Math Monkey:

The music: Odd selection of instrumentals that doesn’t gel with any of the levels, monkeys, cupcakes or math.

Graphics: Images are okay, but not memorable. I’d like to see that monkey come to life and the cupcake make a splat on impact.

Often I couldn’t get that cupcake to hit the correct number due to an object blocking the way. I suspect this is to make the game more challenging, but for a young child trying to get a high score, this might be too frustrating and she may quit using the game.

What my son says about Math Monkey:

Overall, my 9-year-old boy liked Math Monkey. Everything that turned me off, didn’t bother him at all. He announced the game “cool” after playing for several minutes. He did complain of the same problems I found, like an apple blocking a number, yet kept playing. He also said “It’s hard to work the slingshot.” (I agree there is a bit of a technique to make the slingshot work, but it’s not a big deal and easy to learn.)

Now would he pick this game over over Angry Birds? Probably not. With an iPad full of more exciting games, Math Monkey would most likely only be played again if I asked him to drill math facts.

Updates I would like to see: The monkey reacting in an emotional way to hitting the correct, or wrong, answer. A back button to return to menu. Better music. Wish list: leader boards and logins for multiple players. I can see my children turning this game into a math battle fueled by sibling rivalry.

The developers of Math Monkey are on the right track with helping kids practice math and there is still lots of room to improve the game. Hopefully updates will make it more appealing and fix what I consider hindrances to a fun way to drill math facts.

Disclaimer: I received this app for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Writing about iPad apps

monica — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:15:24 +0000

It’s been almost a month since I received this iPad – yes, I’m writing with it right now, lounging on the sofa in the living room. This is something I don’t do with my heavy Dell laptop. It’s nice to be free from the typical writing spot with Desk and Chair.

One the benefits of having this toy.

And I keep saying the iPad is a toy, but that’s not true, is it? We know it’s much more than another screen for watching a movie, taking a photograph or access to email. The potential for learning with the iPad is great: larger screen, more memory, portability, and all the apps.

Friends, I big-puffy-heart-love all the different apps.

You know I like to talk about nifty things I’m learning or reading, how my children learn best and homeschooling. I think blogging about the apps I find for my iPad will go along nicely with those topics.

In fact, I’m working on a review post regarding an educational app. It should be up in a few days. I’m hoping my passion for home education, combined with more opportunities for iPad app reviews, will give new life to this old blog.

More to come.

Visiting Grounds for Sculpture

monica — Tue, 08 May 2012 18:24:21 +0000

Last week we met up with other homeschoolers for a long-overdue visit to Grounds for Sculpture. As a lover of art and long-time New Jersey resident, I’m embarrassed to admit this was my first visit to Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey – a mere 52 minutes from my house. Now I can’t wait to go back, because even though we spent a good portion of the day, we didn’t get a chance to see all of the sculptures.

Here are a few of our favorites:

This first sculpture is “Summer Thinking” by Seward Johnson and it was one of the many pieces that we could touch. I had to laugh over this piece because I’m sure I wore this exact outfit as a teen as this young lady in bronze. Does anyone remember banana hair clips?

This was a popular sculpture with the group: “Sleeping Giant” by Eric Schlutz, made with all sorts of found objects like computer keyboards and vacuum cleaners.

I’ve always loved rocks, so any work involving big stone, such as “Cuckoo’s Nest” by Zoran Jojsilov, is a personal favorite.

Over the next few days, I’ll be adding more pictures to my Flickr account. Many of the images were taken by my 7-year-old. She already has a good eye, don’t you think?

Note to iPad and iPhone users: they have an app! I didn’t use it for this visit, because it was rainy and I didn’t want to get my shiny new iPad wet (I know! I’m over protective of my new “baby”) and we did have a wonderfully informed docent to guide us. Next time, the iPad comes with.

43

monica — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 02:24:50 +0000

Today is my 43rd birthday. I’m too tired to write much about it. That’s aging, I guess. The tired trumps desire.

The day in pictures:

This is the card the 7-year-old girlie wrote for me. She’s subtle, this girl. “Mommy, how do you spell hope?” With a sly, backward glance she walks away. Moments later, the card.

Lilacs from our yard, via 12-year-old son. They smell wonderful.

Red velvet cupcakes.

As for the mystery box which I told you about the other day – one final picture:

My husband knows me well, what can I say? I adore my iPhone, but this iPad is a word (and info) girl’s dream.

{Special shout out to The Husband. You have me spoiled. x o}

Great birthday. Very blessed and loved.

Happy. :)

Anticipation

monica — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:45:44 +0000

What could it be? Books? Jewelry? A kitchen appliance?

I always guess household items when it comes to presents and my husband. That vacuum cleaner was a Christmas present years ago, when our house was still new to us, and I needed a good vacuum. Last Christmas, a blender.

I don’t mind practical gifts. I love getting gifts, love the anticipation and surprise.

I think I typically get practical gifts because I’m a no-frills kind of person. Buying my own gifts for holidays and birthdays is usually how it works around here. Not the most romantic or exciting way to celebrate, but whatever works, right?

So when Doc sends me a text like this one, I wonder: what if I don’t like it?

Oh, I just remembered the time he surprised me with the Flip Mino video camera. That was a present well done.

So maybe my present is techy?

Hurry up, Saturday.

Lucy is learning : an Unschooling update

monica — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:12:43 +0000

I played on my laptop this morning, drinking coffee, surfing the web, trying to wake up fully. Lucy, my youngest and newly 7-years-old, used my aerobic step as a desk on the floor next to me. I wasn’t paying too much attention to what she was doing. Like I said, I was trying to wake up.

“Mommy, I want to read my story to you, ” she said.

Ok.

And then she told me the story of the mermaid and the sea and “the girl cool and kind.” Cute, I thought to myself, still only vaguely paying attention. She’d been working in the purple notebook with her birthday Magic Markers since yesterday. She’s a girl who loves to draw, scribble, color and cut. And her big sister loves to tell stories too. I thought I had this conversation before.

Come have breakfast, I said.

“When I’m done, I’m going to write more of my story.”

Later, back at her makeshift desk, she worked again in the notebook.

“Mommy, I’m ready to read you more of my story.”

And she did.

But this time I had enough caffeine, and I’m not distracted by the web or my own goings-on that I give her my full attention. I noticed Lucy sometimes puzzled over what came next, like one does when up against messy handwriting.

Suddenly, her purple notebook and the Magic Marker smears on her cheek and fingers made sense. She’s not telling me a story – she’s reading me the story – written in her own 7-year-old hand, of her own will, for the love of writing and Story.

I’m astonished.

I looked over her shoulder to read what she has written. I pointed out a word missing an “e” and why it’s needed for the correct spelling. Carefully, she added the missing letter, then ran off to play in the other room.

It’s been a long time – over a year – since I gave you a proper update as to our unschooling. Why? Because some days I waver in my unschooling resolve and worry that unschooling is just too unconventionally weird and hit-or-miss to really work. Don’t kids need be taught ?

Like reading.

Like writing.

Apparently not.

Because here is the evidence from my own home:

My Lucy, with little interest in formal phonics instruction (I managed to get up to Lesson 33 in Reading Made Easy; mostly due to my adult, never-unschooled insecurities), yet with a love for stories, books, talking and communicating with others, is beginning to read and write.

How did this happen with barely any phonics or instruction from an adult? Probably because she spends many hours of her day playing on Roblox, Webkinz and Animal Jam, her favorite websites. For months, I’ve watched her use these sites as she tinkers with language. Reading, sounding out, typing a response, asking me how to spell, more reading simple words, then drawing on paper with markers.

She often asks what a word says or how to spell. Years ago, I would’ve attempted to make it into a lesson, telling her to sound it out. Not anymore. Now I just read or spell the word and try to stay out of her way. She refuses to let me type anything for her.

In fact, the story she wrote in the purple notebook is based on a Roblox game she enjoys.

She frequently asks me to read aloud to her from her favorite books. She watches me read thick novels and library non-fiction books. The three big siblings also spend hours engaged with written words, mostly online, so she has their example as well.

Even as I write this, I can hear her down the hall, talking to herself. She sings, grows quiet. Then that unmistakable sound of a new reader making out what the sound should be based on letters. These are the moments of unschooling that make me brave, encouraging me to keep on with this way of learning and life.

Lucy is learning to read and write.

And me – her homeschooling mother has little to do with it.

Read more stories of how unschoolers learn to read by following the above link.

Books-a-weekend

monica — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 02:30:38 +0000

It’s been books, books, books since Friday. Here is the evidence in pictures.

The above photo is from yesterday when I – along with other homeschooling moms – attempted to unload our unwanted curriculum on those in search of a good deal. I made $26, plus spent a few dollars on a few select teaching books.

I’m a sucker for anything for teaching writing and literature.

That was Friday night. Earlier in the day, I drove Susan to her book group which happens to meet at Princeton Public Library.

Have I ever told you how much I adore that library? Such a gem. I think one of the reasons I like it so much is that fact that when I drop my teen for her reading group, I’m free to wander, sit, read or write. All three younger siblings are left home with Doc.

Below was yesterday’s view.

So yesterday was PPL and homeschooler’s used curriculum sale. Today featured an event that I look forward to every year without fail: our library’s annual book sale.

And it just occurred to me: I didn’t take a picture of it. Sorry about that. It’s such a lively scene: the book lovers scrambling (calmly, mind you. It’s only on the roads where I think we New Jersey folk get unbearably rude) for CHEAP books.

For the first time, I only had one of my four children with me. Susan, again. She is truly her mother’s daughter. She loves this book sale as much as I do.

We arrived before 10 am, didn’t leave until 12:30 pm. We took our time.

Our bounty:

I found a Chinese cookbook, Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto, many YA titles. Sharon Creech’s books, much to Susan’s delight.

Tomorrow – we glean. Who doesn’t like free books? I’ll let you know if we bring home more treasures.

Why 9-year-old boys are low maintenance

monica — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 01:37:47 +0000

Exhibit A:

Boy: Mommy! I love you! You let me eat bread and jelly!

I rest my case.

Censoring myself

monica — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:34:31 +0000

Well, I keep attempting to write about our church’s search for a new pastor and I’m finding it difficult to put into words. Difficult because it’s a private matter between Pulpit Committee members (I’m married to one, so I have a bit more information than the average church member) and the applicant pastors.

Makes blogging about re-thinking church not so easy.

So I guess I best not touch the subject until after the process is complete.