Home, the spot of earth supremely blest, A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest. ~Robert Montgomery
Beautifying this house with that covered entry- so welcoming and strong. It is amazing what a difference the smallest additions can make to the overall feel of a house. Simple yet ornate, I can't wait to turn on a perfectly placed light fixture, illuminating that entry so warmly in the early dusk waiting to welcome home a family for this space. I will snap a few close up shots of the detail when the work is finished this week. A coat of paint and a bit of cleaning and this baby is done. It has been delightful to have so many neighbors and passerby's stopping to compliment the work. Always rewarding to hear praise on something you have put effort into.
Having Amaya at the job sight always makes the day brighter. Our little helper, so full of ideas and a zest to put them into action.
Every visit to the jobsite starts with a conversation about safety.
She is getting to the point of understanding those lessons now that when Zeke or myself do something she feels is not within the guidelines we have taught her, she will shout out a warning, "Mom! Don't hold a screw in your lips! You could trip or cough and accidentally swallow it, then it could cut your esophagus and get stuck in your stomach and you would need surgery to get it out!" Touché Amay, touché. Can you tell she's a very direct and visual learner?
And every once in a while, we have to give her a reminder of what is safe or not. Little explorer ;)
Calm communication
One of my most frustrating experiences in a public school was the lack of application for what we were learning. What the heck do you need fractions for? And why in god's name would you ever need to add, subtract, multiply or DIVIDE them?!
It wasn't until high school woodshop and home ec that we experienced the need for that knowledge but by that time I had filed away the information in a folder marked, "Material used for torture- not real life application." and it was to never be opened again. I'm hoping that by letting Amaya explore and create using these tools, she will learn from a young age that this information is actually valuable, and being able to apply the methods, it will all make sense.
~ You go girl ~
Then there's this guy. Our little scientist from the git.
Reminding me on the daily what the scientific method is:
Make an observation
Form a hypothesis
Perform the experiment <---- Note Milo above ^
Analyze the data
Report your finding
In Asia Citro's book The Curious Kid's Science Book, she talks about how babies are born scientists. Constantly forming questions and experimenting to learn about the world around them. Milo likes to experiment with every bit of anything and everything he can get his chubby little fingers on. Big rock, little rock, stick, pinecone and please oh please tell me that was dirt and not poop, again....
Trying to nurture the curiosity babies are born with throughout the toddler and kid years can be a challenge. I actually had to talk Amaya out of eating this recently departed beetle. She said it was so shiny and pretty and probably had a lot of nutrients in it!
Holding back my gag, I told her with as much nonchalance as I could muster Hunny, some insects can make us sick because of a natural defense mechanism- poison or toxin of some sort, that keep predators from eating them. We don't know what kind of beetle this is, so until we find that out, lets wait to eat it (please oh please accidentally lose this beetle before we get home)
"We can best help children learn... by paying attention to what they do: answering their questions... and helping them explore the things they are most interested in." -John Holt
