Work and Play (but especially play...)

Here's a shot of Grace and I bonding online as our respective characters in WoW. She is a Level 22 Tauren, and I am a level 49 Blood Elf. No...I don't look like this in real life;) (But I wish I did...) Grace's Father got us matching broomsticks for Halloween!

Here's a shot of Grace tracking while she reads. She's doing well, but we are still going to put her into vision therapy, as we feel it will just make the tracking issue easier for her. Who wouldn't want that, right?

Legacy

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a little boy named Carl, and he loved to take apart machines...
(Fast forward to present day...)




Grace spent about 1 hour taking apart a cell phone this morning.It was spectacular. She was delicately removing the circuit boards, computer chips,micro switches, buttons and connectors! The highlight was the LCD screen and camera lens. "I think I may have just hit upon a new love", says Grace.
Plans are currently underway to head to Daddy's office this afternoon and take apart the old computer he has there.


Similarly, in another part of Far, Far away land, a little girl named Forte loved to doodle scientific processes... ( The human female reproductive system comes to mind...)
(Fast forward to present day...)


This is a drawing that Grace did the other evening in response to me having a hushed discussion with Carl about her not retaining the lesson information from that day on Epigenetics. The double helix has base pairs lined up correctly, histones and an example of methyl groups attaching to regions of genes which are being turned on and off depending. I recanted immediately after seeing this;)

Forte

Hello everyone! This is me, Forte, as seen by Grace. Yes. I really am this friendly and intense in person. Where do you think Grace gets it?!? In any case, I thought it would be a good idea to let people who don't know me "see" the face behind the mask. I am a very visual person, and so do very well with people's faces. If I see you once, I'll know you. ( Your name is a completely different story...LOL)

This week's post and trip got me thing about what exactly "giftedness" is. I must admit that most of the time the definition is nebulous for me. I've read all of the requisite books, and listened to the experts, but I think, somehow, we must all arrive at our own definition of "Intelligence". Kids, or adults for that matter, do not fit into neat little boxes with bright red ribbons on them, with affixed note cards reading "MG" or "PG".

I enjoy meeting new people and finding out that he or she has had three careers so far. I enjoy finding out that their secret hobby is Biophysics or Ancient Greek. I certainly love to find out that a person has a "secret identity" as a role-playing character or a model airplane pilot! What glorious diversity this world has? I would love it if these small nuggets of treasure from a person's life were cause for celebration in my culture in stead of being case for a sideways glance! For now, I will hang out with the "core group" I have built up around the secret house and await the newest member daily:)

Happy, brisk, inviting Fall!
Alli

I Love Fall!

Carl, Grace and I went away to Pennsylvania this weekend to visit a State Park in the Poconos with a group of friends! It was an absolutely glorious weekend to be there, as the leaves were at their peak, and the weather was crisp and clear. Grace took park in an Orienteering class and walked the length of a glacial boulder field as well as played and swam with the other children! What a fun time it was for everyone. I really enjoy being able to "connect" with other adults on these trips and I eagerly await the next trip!

Forte

What a MONTH!

Hi all:) We've been really busy for the second post in a row! I guess it's just Fall. I seem to remember this time last year was very busy as well...
Grace has had piano, drama class, art class, nature hikes, beach classes, spiral scouts, a trip to a working Grist Mill and , of course, school!

We also went to Mt Gulian in Beacon, NY. The children learned about the Dutch Traders in the Hudson Valley in colonial times, as well as the Native Americans with whom they traded goods and services!
Here's the photo page: http://web.mac.com/david_dentry/gulian/Photos.html

Grace has also been diagnosed with a condition called "Convergence Insufficiency", which is impairment of certain eye muscles which help in focusing and tracking. Anyone who knows us for a while knows that Grace has had issues with her reading, because, although a very "early" reader, she was choppy and slow for quite a while. It is interesting that I brought up the same concerns at her last eye appointment with the regular eye doctor but he didn't see fit to check her convergence then...

We are also continuing to unpack here and there, and we need to completely redo the closets for book storage, but I figure it will all come in good time!

A House is a Home There's Love Running Through it...

What can I say? The house is a work in progress, but I sure love it! The way that the campus housing works here is that they split up buildings for multi-purpose usage. Our "House" is actually along the bottom of the large Victorian, a where all of the glassed-in porch part is. It is about the size of a decent ranch house, and Grace gets use of the entire lawn, side lawn and the rest of campus;) It's a pretty sweet deal for where we live, and we are making the most of it! Currently, our "painted lady" is getting a bit of a face lift and she also just got a new roof. It is a 5 minute walk to the beach proper, but to the harbor, it is only 1 -2 minutes. There is an area where herons live and fishing is popular off of the sea wall nearby! It's wonderful! Grace and I have been walking/scootering daily up the road and doing some of her lessons in interesting places! Carl just got a private office facing the harbor, so we visit him sometimes too!
Forte

September Fun...

Hi Everyone! Grace and I have had a REALLY busy September! These are just some pictures of things we've been doing! This doesn't include 90% of it all, but at least it is a post! Right?
As predicted, our homeschool year has become more relaxed, and we are really getting along at this point. Grace is reading Peter Pan and a biography about Teddy Roosevelt. ( Pronounced "Teedie", BTW...He hated to be called "Teddy" as in bear!)
She's really having a good time with her tutor for Math so far and will begin her Friday 2 hour lessons in October. She's practicing her piano hard, and she's been working hard learning about the health of fresh water bodies and watersheds. his should be an enjoyable year!!

Forte