mmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmm!!!

Now that I’ve talked myself down from the homeschool-mom ledge, … :P
As I’ve said, I’ve followed Jordan’s lead and shifted to more hands-on and experience learning than I had originally planned on for this term. Lots of trips and projects. For example, having him plan and shop for his new fall/winter clothes involved planning, list making, decision making, money, math… and of course, coordinating colours ;) When we made fruit cake, he learned to use a kitchen scale and to weigh in pounds and ounces. There was 2 hours worth of conversation about preserving foods (how and why), about immigration to Canada, about traditional foods… When we dyed wool he learned how to use a two-pan chinese scale and to weigh in grams to the half-gram. He learned to name some of the parts of a plant, why a plant might appear one colour but give dye of another…

Jordan goes to goalie school for about an hour every week. He has a 2-hour art class on Tuesdays. There is lots and lots of hockey. He has learned to copy from the cereal box or whatever else he might have just finished off (the boy eats constantly!) on to the grocerly list on the fridge. He mixes his own juice from concentrate now, can cut a bagel (got over a big fear of knives), learned to make coffee and makes me a pot in the morning (totally his idea – the kid is full of great ideas! His secret ingredient is an extra scoop of beans and he has his own special technique for grinding them.) and now he can tie his own skates. In November his reading level took a sudden jump and he is reading much, much better than he was a couple of months ago. He learned about the instruments in an orchestra and we went to the symphony twice. We went to the Royal Winter Fair and the Warplane Museum. He tried oragami. We made candles and beaded Christmas ornaments.
Its been a busy month. And Jordan has tried lots of new things. He has learned a lot. A good month.

This week, we visted Westfield Heritage Village for their Pioneer Christmas programme. It was a hit :)


First, the kids collected their Christmas tree and pulled it by sled to our first stop – the church in the top right.


Inside, they put on a nativity play. The guide offered Jordan the part of Joseph. Jordan said, “Is he an animal lover?” So she let him be one of the shepherds. He was very happy with that :D


Eep! Angels! We’re so scared!


Finale.


In the farm house making ginger cookies. It was here that Jordan told the guide, “My mom can knit and she can spin too!” uhhh… seems they need volunteers to demonstrate spinning. Too bad I don’t have a costume ;)


And finally, a craft in the tavern.

The next day, we went on a tour of the world famous Walker’s Chocolates factory. omg. This absolutely did not suck.


See that table? You know those choclates with the soft raspberry-chocolate centres? That’s the centre! It was everything I could do not to just jump up on that table and swim around in it.


On the way out there was a strange Church of the Chocolate communion ritual. Everyone filed past and was blessed as they were given a single milk mint meltaway. A spiritual experience for sure. :P