Cows and the Olympics

I realized a couple of days ago that the Olympics start tomorrow...Why I didn't realize this at an earlier date I'm not sure, I rarely watch the networks and since it's being covered by NBC that is probably why. Anyway, I bring this up because I thought it would be fun to have the kids do some stuff about the Olympics as part of our homeschooling adventure. I thought a "fun" unit easing us into it would be nice, so Tuesday I spent the day printing out tons of papers (everything x's 4) about the Olympics, China, Ancient Greece, the sports featured in the summer Olympic games etc and then Tuesday night I sat in bed and put together a Lapbook as an example for the kids. I saw these online and thought it would be a great way to organize what we learn and have fun doing it. We'll see.

Tryphon's unfinished Lapbook

I did mine, and the next morning the kids were begging me (yes..I'm serious) to start "school". So I got out my converted file folder and showed them what a Lapbook looks like..gave them their Olympic packets and set them to work. This is where I noticed the difference in my children.

The boys (who spent most of last year in a private school with teaching methods I truly enjoyed and hope to copy) were excited and chatted away while cutting stuff out and gluing things to their folders...We discussed things that were in their packets about the Olympics..where they started, what countries participated how long there had been Olympic games etc. and we LEARNED. Even I learned. My daughter, on the other hand, who spent the last 3 years in public school and last year in a classroom that..well..I'd rather not get into the logistics..suffice to say I have no idea why this woman became a teacher. Anyway, my Daughter as soon as the packet was placed in her hand started whining.."I don't know what to doooooooooooo" "Can you HELP me?" "I don't know what this meanssssssssssss". I deduce that she pulled this last year..maybe the years previous, I'm not sure..and her "teachers" for whatever reason, "helped" her, I should probably say did her work for her..and now she expects it. It's going to be a long hard road for this little girl. She's not stupid, but she's learned that if she acts like she is she doesn't have to work. It's laziness. *sigh* I'm going to have my hands full I think. Margarita night might be every night once "school" starts :-P


In other news...I haven't left the house all week and I'm surprisingly OK with it. :-P

I was checking out the cows that live across the road from us the other day. These are someone else's cows, they "rent" the field from our neighbor for the summer..usually the put yearlings out or cows that are going to be bred. A couple of weeks ago I was woken up by "spot"..that's what we call her"...Moooing very LOUDLY outside my window, she continued mooing throughout the day and the next day..I remember telling Captain Wonderful (AKA my Husband), as he mooed back at spot from the bedroom window, that she was acting like she lost someone. I also noticed the HUGE udder she developed, but I saw no sign of a calf so I didn't think much of it. Well guess what appeared a few days ago? Yup. Here's Junior:

Is he not the cutest thing ever? :-P I bet if there was an Olympic category for cuteness he'd win...really..wook at dat wittle fwace! OK OK..I'll stop..:-P lol