The Great Outdoors

 As I have mentioned before, we live in the most incredible place. Everything we could want (except for the beach) is close. Lakes, ponds, parks, biking trails, rivers, mountains are all very close, most within walking distance or a short drive. It's amazing.

Mostly because Sofi would live outside if she could. She is always playing outside, at least in the summer months. She isn't a big fan of winter. 

So we have been taking advantage of the good days to do our learning outside. We have a lot of smoke right now do to the fires, but not every day is bad. And we have had a drop in temperatures this week.

I have seen a lot of parents have to adjust this last week with the brick-and-mortar schools moving to virtual programs. I am actually amazed at the motivating learning stations these people create for their kids. It is so wonderful to see parents stepping it up to help their child succeed! 

High COVID-five to all you awesome mentors!

K is definitely someone who learns in front of a computer. She will do well this year since her college work will be online. There are definitely kids who can handle it. 

But Sofi does not. She needs to be up a tree.

So we have been studying the planets and this type of lesson can be particularly challenging to a child who isn't able to grasp abstract thought. She can't touch or see the planets, so it's difficult for her to focus on or retain what is being taught. It has to become real in some way. 

So decided to model our solar system at the park!

Here's our sun-

Here's our planets:

Poor Pluto got evicted since I was in school. So now the kids learn-

My Very Excited Mother Just Served Us Nachos

instead of

My Very Excited Mother Just Served Us Nine Pickles

We were able to create a model of the solar system using different sized balls to show the significant difference in the size of the planets, and by taking a certain number of steps between the balls so she could compare the distance between them. 

We went to the park so we had lots of space to spread them out. I took photos but somehow the photos didn't make it home. But she loved the lesson. And she was shocked at how far they were apart.

Here she is "warming her toosh on the sun" (more like incinerating)

As you can see, we had to put Mercury on a piece of paper because the ball bearing was too small to see. Oh why did those other photos not keep? Grr. Such is life.

We also made planetary pizzas for lunch:

I really do encourage my kids to eat healthy sometimes. Those photos never make it either.

Another thing about Sofi is that social interactions are very difficult, especially with people she doesn't know, or with large groups. It sends her into panic attacks.  So part of our "learning" is real life learning too. It's important that she have opportunities to learn how to be around people. 

So off to the park we go!

Coco isn't a therapy dog per say, but he is so wonderful. He never barks or growls or tries to run off. He is just there to give snuggles and help Sofi.

As you can see from the photo, the park is relatively empty. 

Or at least it wasn't packed with kids. But this was still overwhelming. 

She talked all morning about climbing the mammoth. But when we go there and she saw kids, she immediately changed her mind. There were other kids on the mammoth. It took a good 10 minutes for me to convince her to just climb halfway up. Again, baby steps. I am glad she tried. 

These are her happy places. Private places. 

With her dog. And rolling down random hills, because, why not?

(Unfortunately she had a massive allergic reaction on her skin that night.)

Of course, we did a lot of other work too this week. I am really pleased at her progress with math and her ability to recognize traits about Mary in our book The Secret Garden. She is learning a lot of new words and asking a lot of questions. She is beginning to journal, learn about sentence structure and practice her handwriting. We have had a lot of fun learning about the US States and trying to come up with silly ways to remember the US Capitals. Like how Californians eat the sacrament with their toes. hahahah.

I love this girl. I love that she's everything outside as an adventure. I love that she teaches me to slow down and notice things. I love that she tries things that are hard.