Edumacation

As a nomadic family, educating our children has always been a huge priority for us. In addition to the meeting people of the world, seeing new lands, learning new languages, and the street smarts that come with world travel; we also want to expose them to an educational curriculum rich in what we value. This entry reflects our many teachers along the way and some of what we've all learned.

Greek Mythology

In their last year at school, our kids did an amazing interactive lesson (including a  play and their own Olympics) about Greek Mythology. I had studied it in high school and welcomed revisiting a topic that totally mesmerized me back then. And so, almost every night, over a period of four months, we have read D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Mythology. The way the book is written and the fantastic pictures are compared to none. Ask my kids about almost any major or minor Greek God and most of the mortal descendants of Zeus.

Here is an entry I wrote that first day we cracked the book open:

"So... Kobi is now reading to the kids Greek Mythology (what a cool education my kids are getting!). I'm sitting here on the floor and listening and loving it. Up until now, we have now learned that Gaea (Mother Earth) and his husband Uranus (the sky) had 12 kids. Dad threw 6 of the ugly ones in a pit and Gaea was furious. So she asked the first 6 sons (the Titans) to fight their father. only the youngest Cronus was willing to fight his father. He did and dad ran away. to make all the long and amazing story short Cronus swallowed his first five sons to be sure none of them would be more powerful than him. When she bore son number six, Raea his mom, gave Cronus a stone to swallow and hid the son, Zeus, on the island of Crete. Every time the baby cried, Mother Earth (Zeus' grandmother with experience in husbands who destroy sons) sent sprites to make noise so that cConus would not hear the child crying."

The Three R's (sort of)

Actually, up until now we've focused on English, Hebrew, and Math. Now, we are continuing with these, and adding to it Spanish, Geography, and art classes. If we get the books I really want, we'll also go into Norse Mythology and Astrology. And..... we continue reading to our kids great literature... Currently, we are reading the Chronicles of Narnia series, and in a few weeks, we hope to get The Gammage Cup.

Unreal Spanish Lessons

With Wilson...
Ok ladies. What kind of fantasies are we tickling here when a drop-dead gorgeous 25 year old Spanish-speaking soccer player teaches you the words to Spanish love songs AND teaches you to dance merengue? Mine!

Here is what I studied last night with Wilson... soooo cool (i know!) of course, I`m pinching myself over and over again. I bolded my favorite lines. 

Without You Without Me by Ricardo Arjona

   

what is sex doing on the internet,modesty in a bidet?what is a porch doing in Tel Aviv?a pygmy in an igloo,doubt in a guru,what is Frida doing without suffering?

yes as if someone didn't want the thing,a missile is more apt to shoot roses than you a 'perhaps' that's what I get for being addicted to your kiss.

but the moon is not made of cheese,nor is your mouth a souvenir, what is a celibate doing in a motel,what is a genie doing in the barracks,and what are you doing ... without me?

what are you doing,what am I doing,auctioning off on the market,such improvised kisses,with contempt for the bearer,what are you doing,what am I doing,wasting on any bed,whatever we want,to get even with each other.

what is a Monday doing in the summer,a Jew without his Jewish people,and what am I doing ... without you.

what is a hippie doing in an office, a killer whale in a pool,a nun at a carnival?what do you do when you're alone,bathing in waves of a past gone,what do I do when it is Sunday afternoon, and the champion is acting cowardly, and asks where you are?

I'm not up for Neruda verses anymore,if [her being] on my bed is not a possibility,or a good kiss for rent, what is light doing without the Monalisa, a nudist with a shirt on;and what am I doing ... without you?

what are you doing,what am I doing,auctioning off on the market,such improvised kisses,with contempt for the bearer. what are you doing,what am I doing,wasting on any bed,whatever we want to get even with each other.

what is a thirty doing in February, what is a king doing without an heir,and what am I doing ... without you
(translation from http://www.lyricstranslate.com/)


With Kendall...
So this is where I am getting my formal Spanish studies from, Kendall, the super star singer, artist, volunteer-coordinator, klaf-kid-card-player; is also now, a Spanish teacher. Tonight's assignment, I write sentences in Spanish, and he translates to English and vica versa. That way, I work on my Spanish and he works on his English. It's one of those lovely God-sewn win: win situations.

Here are my sentences:
(just for the record: When it takes me ten minutes to conjugate and write each sentence and someone like Kendall or Kobi is there to correct my grammar things look great, but for me to actually say these things live while I am speaking to an actual person, NOT A CHANCE!)

Let's make this fun! The first three people who translate my sentences correctly (no Kendall, no K, you can't play) will win something cute from the Klaf's and Kendall!

1. Mi' sombina hablo' con el director ayer sobre su hija.
2. La silla gris se cayo' despues que el viento soplo'.
3. El empleado viejo que estaba trabando con la compania por trienta anos lloro' cuando el jefe le dijo' "vete a la casa!"
4. La gente sudaran cuando el sol de el verano les sonreira'.
5. Nosotros los vaqueros subiremos la montana hasta que el inverano llegue.

 Notice how Kobi, after a little bit of wine, becomes remarkably talented in his Spanish grammar. who knew that all that lay hidden from when he minored in Spanish would come gushing to the surface when slightly intoxicated. Keep following us to find out other little known facts us. :-)

Posted in: World-Schooling