Switch those babies around…and tell them to stop growing up!

Tomorrow morning, my daughters and I are embarking on an EPIC, 3 week-long road trip that will include all kinds of adventure experiences!  I plan to blog about each one as soon as life allows and hopefully I stay on top of my writing while we travel.  But, I wanted to give you all the heads up just incase I fall behind.  🙂

I am sure you are all on the edge of your seats…

Anyway, I thought I would take the time to answer the most frequently asked question about this 6 month hiatus:

“Are your kids doing school?”

Um…yes…

DUH.

Both of my daughters are currently taking an online high school US history class (Prehistory-Civil War) and my oldest daughter is also in an online Malaysian history/culture class.

We brought their high school critical thinking math books and they are completing 2-4 pages a day.

My girls each work through several books of English curriculum with focuses on vocabulary, writing, editing and grammar.  Those books highlight word roots, origins, and language mechanics.

They read.  And read.  And read.

I also planned several unit studies centered around topics I researched specifically for this sabbatical:  Edgar Allan Poe, the Amish culture, Lewis and Clark, the Civil War, the Revolutionary War, Pay It Forward, The Giver, refugees, social enterprise, the history of Hershey, US government and the Appalachian Trail.

Unit studies involve reading, project-based assignments, “field trips”, hands-on activities, writing, documentaries, relevant movies and games.

At least once a week (sometimes twice), each daughter chooses a recipe from one of our vegan cookbooks and creates/cooks one meal for everyone–while being mindful of likes, dislikes, etc.  They clean the kitchen, too!  🙂

My youngest daughter practices her American Sign Language skills by making videos of her experiences and keeping in contact with her Deaf ASL professor and college peers.

We exercise 5-7 days a week, usually at the apartment gym.  When we return from our 3 week road trip, the girls will start training and conditioning in TaeKwonDo.  I plan to start yoga!

 

Because we all love art–drawing, creating, and building–these are constants in our family.

And, of course, our attempt to complete 100 experience adventures provides my daughters with the best kind of education–real, experiential, holistic, useful, and practical.

 

So, yes…my kids are doing “school”–don’t worry.  LOL.

To read about a few of our adventures, click here and here and here.