where matt became quite tired, thirsty and hot on the trail.
where matt asked me to tell him a story to pass the time as we walked.
and so i did.
suddenly, in the middle of my second story when i said the words, 'enchanted forest', he stopped me and said, 'o, i have an idea. you told me a story, now i will tell you one.'
and so he did.
a big long story... involving people in his life, nature, a beginning, middle and end, a problem to solve, a quest, an adventure and a lesson learned.
he retold the story in the car on the way home to his dad and brothers.
he decided he wanted to write the story down.
and so he did.
as he wrote-every few sentences he would reread it to me and whomever would listen, from the beginning, HIS story... with added characters and new twists and turns.
he asked me about spelling of certain words. asked me to get daddy to photocopy his good copy when it's done. read it to grandma on the phone.
i love this!!!
this is just one example of many that i'm sure many unschooling/homeschooling families can relate to... i just find it all the more meaningful when the kids express themselves creatively and academically - (really in any area- social/physical/intellectual ... ) of their own volition, their own ideas, their own inspiration, their own timeline... because you see the joy then, the excitement, the process and the outcome. You can really get a feel for what sparks them, where they are at and what motivates their determination and focus. I am so thankful for these moments of authenticity and hope that by blogging about them, it will help to lock many of them in my memory and in the memories of the boys as they get older.
as a side note... these pics were taken during our family hike at Mt. Nemo as we walked along the Niagra Escarpment/Bruce Trail to get to a lookout where you can see 50 km into the distance atop limestone cliffs! A great hike, beautiful forest and views... but Crawford Lake is my fave still so far. :)
