Summer is over in New Mexico. I thought it would be fun to look back.
Wow, I forgot how much we had done until I looked up all the pictures.
If you are new to this blog, here are the links to various trips we took.
Happy last day of September!
-Sofija
Recently I started teaching German to a 7 year and 9 year old. They are my friend’s children and they have no prior knowledge of German. It was tricky finding the right curriculum. I was surprised that there are actually choices for children younger than High-School. We first tried a middle school curriculum but soon decided it was too dry and and hard. Then I found this Mc Graw Hill program for ages 3-10.
It comes with a lesson book that track with two CD’s. There is also an activity book to practice their learning. The way it works is that children listen to the lesson on CD and use their course book to answer questions. Each lesson has simple songs, though cheesy at times, that help with the memorization. There are no home-work assignments just a list of vocabulary words to memorize.
There are 10 lessons covering introducing yourself, going to school, counting, going to the supermarket, etc.
Here is an example of the activity book.
I find this to be a great introduction for younger kids. The games and song keep the kids interested. The lessons are about 20 minutes long, just right for their attention span. Before every lesson I spend about 10 minutes of review and conversation. The program does not do reviews, which to me are essential for retention.
The program is designed for children to learn on their own, but I would say it would be much more helpful if they had someone to practice and review with.
For those of you who like me are German native speakers trying to teach your children: I have been including my 9, 7, and 5 year old during classes. Here is an assessment on them. This program is too easy for my 9 year old. He is not learning anything new. Still I have him there to review and realize how cool it is that he knows so much and he can help his friends. Part of cementing what you learn is teaching others. The program is perfect for my 7 and 5 year old. My 7 year old knows some but is learning right alongside. My 5 year old is learning a lot. I can see how lax I have been teaching her….
They like it, its fun, not dry at all.
I bought the program on Amazon.
Viel Spass beim Lernen!
-Sofija
This year’s fall collection by Benetton caught my eye because of the pig they used for their photo shoot. My 7 year old Ella LOVES pigs. You might say she is pig obsessed. Take a look.
I’m liking the combination of stripes, stars, neon, and the military boots (taking me way back to my Doc Marten days). Add a little bit of fluff and frills, perfect!
You can find last year’s fall collection here.
Have a great day,
Sofija
“Don’t talk to me, I’m busy!”
We have been hearing that a lot lately. She has been very busy…
-Sofija
Friends,
the nights are getting cooler here, I have turned off my air conditioner for good, the Balloon Fiesta is in two weeks. You know what that means: fall is close. My favorite time of the year. Growing up in Germany falls were pretty spectacular. And here in New Mexico it is the best season as well. Hooray for boots, sweaters, and apple cider.
The next best thing to the real deal is pinning fall pictures. Here are my favorites.
Have a lovely day,
Sofija
Picture credits top to bottom
browndresswithwhitedots.tumblr.com/post/3453323173
heathenwoods.tumblr.com/post/24800473555
2.bp.blogspot.com/_DcS7H4Wh194/SLXdSkDEqvI/AAAAAAAAEDI/HOaQOj7GQLA/s1600-h/countryhomefall2.jpg
cioccolatogatto.blox.pl/2013/07/Muffinki-ala-szarlotka.html
browndresswithwhitedots.tumblr.com/post/3453323173
loretablog.blogspot.com
The picture above was taken from an airplane with the view of the storm that flooded parts of Colorado last week. Wow, to me it is a miracle that anyone survived this.
Rain is a big deal in the southwest. We usually pray for more of it. With several years of drought and wildfires everywhere we were so relieved that this summer we finally got a good monsoon (yes, they call it monsoon here) season and that it lasted longer than usual. Last week we had almost a whole week of cloudy days and rain; this never happens. Because of the previous fires and drought the soil couldn’t absorb all that water. My heart goes out to those who got flooded and lost everything.
-Sofija
I have been wanting to share the these beautiful serene pictures from Lithuania for some time. The cooler fall weather seems perfect.
Found via Muku.
Have a lovely day,
Sofija
This is a first for me, posting someone else’s post. But it was just too inspiring to pass up. You might remember my post on our friends, the Hollands, who are schooling their children while traveling the US? Well this family takes it to another level.
“Abigail went to Transylvania, Romania to research the prevalence of bats and the myth of Vlad the Impaler and Count Dracula.”
Roadschooling is the only way we can travel and educate our kids at the same time. A lot of people ask about entrance into university when the kids get older and we finally had the chance to prove it.
When Abigail applied to study at the Polytech (Community College), the teacher wanted more substantial proof that she had not been sitting on a couch watching episodes of South Park for the last few years of her roadschooling. So I sent her a letter . . . Here is the main section.
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In the past 4 years, Abigail has visited many countries in which she took advantage of learning opportunities, cultural immersion, language training, historical studies, etc. She learned from experts in the countries and from daily schooling activities as well as completing directed projects assigned to her by her parents.
Highlights of these recent educational experiences are as follows:
– Abigail studied ancient Chinese history at the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China.
– She studied ancient Egyptian history at the museum at Cairo and on location at the Giza pyramids under the tutelage of Ibrahim Morgan, historian and Egyptologist. Of special interest was King Tut, who was about the same age as Abigail and, like Abigail, had ear plugs.
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Hello,
Today is my 200th post! Wow, I thought I would have run out of ideas by now. But when you post about life, children’s fashion, travel, and school there is always new material. And you guys keep encouraging me, always on days when I really need it.
I have gotten over 7,000 views since I started. What really makes me happy is that this blog is truly international just like I hoped it would be. The top 5 countries who view this blog are:
1. The US
2. Germany (Vielen Dank, dass ihr euch die Muehe macht, Englisch zu lesen!)
3. United Kingdom
4. Canada (hello Kate!!)
5. Turkey
Here are my top 5 posts.
Here are the blogs that inspire me:
Flannery O’kafka
I encourage you to check them out!
Thank you for your support,
Sofija
Friends,
Meet Fuzzy, the Monchichi. Do you ever relive your childhood through your children? I certainly do. Boxes and boxes of Playmobil, Barbies (I don’t like to admit to those very often), and Pippi Longstocking movies are all proof of that. And then I came upon a whole section of Monchichi paraphernalia at the toy store on my last trip to Germany. Did you have one of these adorable, cuddly dolls from Japan when you were a child? My sister was with me and she had to laugh while I was piling the dolls in my shopping cart for my girls. She has two boys so she can’t indulge in nostalgia with me when it comes to girl toys. Never mind that my girls hardly play with their Monchichis, except for my youngest (see above). I’m convinced that their childhood is complete now. Well, not quite yet. They are still missing the wooden grocery store and the puppet theater.
You can buy Monchichi on Amazon (of course) but I found them to be cheaper in Germany. If you happen to go there…Or you can place an order with me next time I go.
How about you? What was your favorite toy growing up? Do you tend to buy toys you like or do you stick to what your children like? And do you have any friends who’s taste in toys you admire? I have a neighbor whose play room is just a dream come true, with the wooden kitchen and the reading nook, and at one point she even owned a puppet theatre.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Sofija
Teach Where You Live 