As I've mentioned many a time, I plan. And, most times, I overplan. I'm good at adjusting plans and building plans that fit my unique kids, but my strength is not being adaptable in the moment. Master of Spontaneity, I am not. My friend once teased me about it, and I said, "I can be spontaneous...as long as I plan to do it." It actually made sense in my head.
Anyway, recently, my son has totally just bulldozed some of my plans with his darn curiosity and love of a good story! I adore the Chronicles of Narnia, but I thought he might still be just a tad young for them. (Sidenote: One of the challenges I've had in the past reading them to kids in the States was the British English--lots of unfamiliar terms and phrases for things. Seeing as how Isaiah is around quite a few Brits here, and most often printings of English books we buy or borrow from a school library here are UK printings, so that has actually been not very difficult at all.)
So, I had planned them to be our end of the curriculum year/summer/fun multi-disciplinary unit for next June. It's written very clearly in my planner, and I was very much looking forward to it.
About a month ago, when we were at the children's home we've been visiting weekly, Isaiah went downstairs with the kids. I thought they went down to play, but I found him with them watching Prince Caspian (the Hollywood version...in Hindi, mind you). Given that they seemed to have turned it on right before the huge battle scene (and we would have been very unlikely to have let him watch it), his eyes were as wide as saucers. On the way home, he started rattling off questions about it. Well, I certainly couldn't let that Hollywood flick be his sole impression of Narnia! So, I told him about the books, and he begged to read them. I was hesitant (hadn't he realized they were not on the calendar for 10 more months?!), but we started The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and I half expected that he'd still not quite be ready for them, but he could not get enough of it and would have gladly sat straight through reading them, one after another, if I had let him. Inside, I kind of panicked! I wasn't prepared with any of the wonderful activities I wanted to do with the books! This was supposed to be our whole plan for next June (because, you know how kids hate to read beloved books more than once!). I had other books planned for us to read.
Thankfully, I was able to reign in my type-A crazies and have thoroughly enjoyed reading these books with Isaiah! They are such wonderful stories. How on earth could I ever think this was a problem to have a kid who can't get enough reading and can't tear himself away from a great story? How could I honestly think it's a problem as I watch his vocabulary expanding and his imagination inspired and stretched?
It is not always an easy part for the personality, but this is one of the true joys of homeschooling--I can let my boys DELIGHT in learning and watch them gleefully engage with books that capture their hearts and minds. I've even done some fast thinking and pulled out some fun activities to go along with our stories (which I'll share in other posts), much to the further delight of Isaiah. We are having fun. With books. Some of our other stuff got set aside a bit for awhile. Independent quiet times have turned into reading marathons while little brother is less likely to interrupt. And, once I finally let go of my precious agenda, I've have had SO much fun with little bookworm, as we've been swept away together into the magical world of Narnia!
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Anyway, recently, my son has totally just bulldozed some of my plans with his darn curiosity and love of a good story! I adore the Chronicles of Narnia, but I thought he might still be just a tad young for them. (Sidenote: One of the challenges I've had in the past reading them to kids in the States was the British English--lots of unfamiliar terms and phrases for things. Seeing as how Isaiah is around quite a few Brits here, and most often printings of English books we buy or borrow from a school library here are UK printings, so that has actually been not very difficult at all.)
So, I had planned them to be our end of the curriculum year/summer/fun multi-disciplinary unit for next June. It's written very clearly in my planner, and I was very much looking forward to it.
About a month ago, when we were at the children's home we've been visiting weekly, Isaiah went downstairs with the kids. I thought they went down to play, but I found him with them watching Prince Caspian (the Hollywood version...in Hindi, mind you). Given that they seemed to have turned it on right before the huge battle scene (and we would have been very unlikely to have let him watch it), his eyes were as wide as saucers. On the way home, he started rattling off questions about it. Well, I certainly couldn't let that Hollywood flick be his sole impression of Narnia! So, I told him about the books, and he begged to read them. I was hesitant (hadn't he realized they were not on the calendar for 10 more months?!), but we started The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and I half expected that he'd still not quite be ready for them, but he could not get enough of it and would have gladly sat straight through reading them, one after another, if I had let him. Inside, I kind of panicked! I wasn't prepared with any of the wonderful activities I wanted to do with the books! This was supposed to be our whole plan for next June (because, you know how kids hate to read beloved books more than once!). I had other books planned for us to read.
Thankfully, I was able to reign in my type-A crazies and have thoroughly enjoyed reading these books with Isaiah! They are such wonderful stories. How on earth could I ever think this was a problem to have a kid who can't get enough reading and can't tear himself away from a great story? How could I honestly think it's a problem as I watch his vocabulary expanding and his imagination inspired and stretched?
It is not always an easy part for the personality, but this is one of the true joys of homeschooling--I can let my boys DELIGHT in learning and watch them gleefully engage with books that capture their hearts and minds. I've even done some fast thinking and pulled out some fun activities to go along with our stories (which I'll share in other posts), much to the further delight of Isaiah. We are having fun. With books. Some of our other stuff got set aside a bit for awhile. Independent quiet times have turned into reading marathons while little brother is less likely to interrupt. And, once I finally let go of my precious agenda, I've have had SO much fun with little bookworm, as we've been swept away together into the magical world of Narnia!
My little Narnian Kings, ready for battle
Nice! I love it.
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