A Start with Natural Sciences Home Schooling

These are a couple of pics of Skye doing slightly less formal home schooling. I am in charge of educating her about two subjects. One of which is Natural Science. I have brought my old microscope up with me, and we have some pretty fun and exciting reference material to work through.What should be nice for her is that we can do so much of this practically. I noticed a short section on Solar Power in her text book. Well, we have a solar power system that she watched me build and she sees it operate everyday.
This was one of her first lessons. We went for a walk on the beach and collected a number of shells, seaweeds and other interesting items for identification and discussion. Besides working through the test books supplied, she is also keeping a birding list, a list of shells, a list of seaweeds, and spending lots of time exploring, understanding and learning about rock pools, forests, insects, chickens, bees, and various life stock. I think this will give here a good base. During the first lesson I sat down with her, and together we came up with a list of objectives for the first quarter of 2009.
She is very interested in this subject matter, and as long as one keeps it interesting, and down to bite sized lessons, she learns very well.

There is a path that runs right past our hut that is used quite a lot. This means people are always passing by and stopping for a quick chat. This is very social and we love it. This is why it is good to be a male in the village.

Segewick is still with us

After tormenting me with body odours for two days while we were driving up to the village, Segewick must have thought that he had died and gone to heaven.
One of the very, very many reasons that I am not fond of him is his fondness for rolling in all things fecal.

Well let me tell you something.
Our entire floor at the cottage is made of cow dung.
He strutted into the cottage like lord muck, and then proceeded to roll around from room to room, on what can only be the biggest cow patty he has ever seen.

He has also got a new friend, who the kids have unoriginally named Domino. He is a pretty good dog with a bit of Collie in him.

What makes Segewick happy, is that "Collie" is not all that Domino has in him.
He also has a very broad and progressive approach towards cross gender relations.
He obviously feels that boundaries are old fashioned and is happy to act a eunuch to Segewick all day.

Odd and dirty children.

I have had two days of meetings in East London, so Sonja and the kids have come down with me as we needed to get various medical check up's done over the next couple of weeks anyway, and some city shopping for item we couldn't get, and it seemed like a good idea to get it all done in one go.

Our kids are definitely getting acclimatized to living in the village. They are doing some odd things in an urban environment.

When we got to the little cottage we are staying in, Skye was thirsty and wanted a drink. I told her that I was busy, and to get a cup from the kitchen and help herself. She looked at me like I was a bit slow (why do kids always think the old man is slow), and then asked (with a semi-silent Duhhh) "Where must I get the water from Dad?" She has got so used to having to get water out of either a tank or a jerrycan, she completely hadn't thought to turn on a kitchen tap.

And then when each of the kids in turn took a toilet break, they each first asked, "Can I wee and poo in the loo dad?" This comes form having a separate loo in the village for peeing in. And I am like a stuck record, going "don't poo in there, don't poo in there..." So it was like heaven for them being able to poo and wee on the same loo.

Caleb has developed a nasty habit of dropping his pants and pooing at will, regardless of the location. In the village we do use a loo, but because he has had a bad tummy bug, he does use the bush and a small spade quite a lot.
Sonja took all three kids to an outdoor play area while I was at a meeting, and Caleb, bless his dirty little village heart, took off his pants and crapped like royalty right in the centre of the play area amongst all the other kids.

Sonja crapped herself.

Out of embarrassment.