Charlotte Mason would have been proud...

Today was a very different type of school day.  Firstly, we worked on math first thing this morning and it did help the little kids to concentrate.  The second change was that we went outside and enjoyed nature.  Charlotte Mason would have been proud.  I have been meaning to take a nature walk every week, but it seems that we had not found our rythm yet with our other subjects, or we were all too tired by the end of the day.  So, this week I decided this was to be the week.  Today we went outside, sat in the grass and talked about making observations, then I let the kids walk around and observe.  Aiden chose to observe from his spot on the grass, but we had a very engaging discussion about what is "natural" and what is not.  Noah and Caitlyn explored together, they might have even ventured into the woods (gasp).  When they returned and began writing and drawing, I noticed Caitlyn had listed several things she had observed, but had neglected to place a comma between the items in her list.  So, I made a note to self to go over the rules associated with listing items within a sentence.  She collected a nice, big leaf which she sketched in her journal, fulfilling her art requirement for the day.  I looked through Noah's binoculars at a purple patch at the edge of the wood, and noticed it was wild flowers.  I sent Noah on a mission to sketch them for me.  By that point, Aiden was cutting the grass with the scissors he had included in his backpack, so I figured it was time for lunch break.  One thing I have begun doing lately is playing some sort of documentary during lunch.  I figure they can learn while they chew.  The Secrets of the Tower of London was our program today and we had some great discussions about the logistics of raising and lowering Tower Bridge, and how annoying it would be to live in the Warder quarters and have to walk up all those flights of stairs carrying your groceries.  Then Noah made a clever remark about how King Henry had a poor decorating sense because that head on a spike did NOT go with that gate (Traitor's Gate).  Even I learned something new.  I don't recall ever seeing the, now private, quarters where Thomas Moore was imprisoned.  Interesting stuff.  As we were finishing the program Aiden became very sleepy and snuggled next to me.  When he suggested getting a blanket I told him he better not, or we might fall asleep.  His reply?  Who cares, Mommy???? Yeah, I am with him!!!!  Who cares????  So snuggle away!!  What could be a better way to pass an afternoon!!!!!

We wrapped up school with some reading and before we knew it Catherine was here for our tennis lesson.  We opted to go to the Amish market first where our bounty included mums, pumpkins, apples, plums, peaches, corn, and broccoli which the farmer cut just for us!  Then, back home for tennis, dinner, and book study for Mommy.  All in all a good day!