playing school

I've mentioned that Zoe loves writing, and that sometimes, when she's being a very serious (almost 7 year old) girl ;-) , she asks me for help spelling. Other times she writes on her own, and it's really funny and cute. Below is her "schedule" for the day. I will translate below for you.

coloring  break  dress-ups  break

makeover  break  play  break  makeover

break  hide and go seek  break

twister  break  mommy's here

Several aspects of this are funny, like the spelling, of course. Also this schedule presumes that Zoe is in charge (which may actually be kind of true ;-)), and that I am at work away from home, until the end, where I return (obviously not true). I also think it's funny that "makeovers" are a recurring theme - how or where she heard of makeovers is beyond me - I don't even wear makeup. :-)

Also, it's funny that this is sort of Zoe's way of "playing school," which she prefers as a make-believe concept. -I even gave her the option of Options (once weekly public school just for homeschool kids) in a moment of weakness once (i.e. desperate for a break), and she said, "no thanks." She does, however, occasionally ask for some structured "homeschool," meaning she wants us to play school. We sit formally in our places, and I pretend not to be her mommy, calling on her for answers, as if I hardly know her name (of course she raises her hand, very school-like). Or she will tell me we need to work on our journal -That documentation which proves actual learning is taking place is very important to her. ;-) Besides, hello, it's fun!

Likewise, last week she pulled out a fresh, unopened math workbook, which Grama Patti sent her, and without much help at all, she sat down to work on it for at least an hour. It had been months since she did any "structured" math, though she's counting and using money and her calendar all the time ("but that's not 'homeschool' mommy!" -how do you unschool a child who never even made it into kindergarten? -where does she get this stuff from? lol) But there she was. She just took it upon herself that she wanted to learn some math - so she did - nearly the whole workbook, practically by herself. Cracks me up. 

Why did she do a years worth of math in an hour? Because she felt like it. Why did she feel like it? Because she hasn't learned to hate math. Because it's not painful to her. I think she actually enjoyed it... imagine that! ;-)

... And now I have to go see a presentation she's holding in her room. I think there are costumes and music involved... :-)