School Is Cool...Even in the Summer

We moved into our new house the weekend after Adah and Maggie finished school in Milpitas. Monday morning I was still busy unpacking and the kids were ready to go back to school. Well, they at least were interested in making their own school at home.

Teacher Adah (or "Mrs. Ashburg"--notice her name badge, just like a real teacher) set up the living room as her classroom. She's also looking official in her tie. She used the chalkboard on Maggie's easel for lessons and had stacks of leftover workbooks and other school materials.

Student Maggie has on her pleated skirt and is also wearing a tie. I think they were part of the official school uniform. Adah began reading Johnny Tremain aloud to her students and gave Maggie the homework of writing a summary. This was serious school, I tell ya.

Nine o'clock was the announced time for the second day of Adah's school to begin. Gunnar, in his obligatory tie, was very excited. He got up, ate breakfast, brushed his teeth, got dressed, donned his backpack, and then sat on my bed to wait for 9:00.

He was sitting on my bed because that way he could stare at my clock. You can't make it out in this photo, but the clock says 8:17. He was very eager. I think I finally convinced him to do something else for the next 40 minutes...or maybe I convinced Adah to start school a little earlier that day.

The kids kept at their school pretty seriously for many hours those first two days and made grand plans to continue it all summer long. However, by day three there were conflicts over a proposed teacher co-op (i.e. Maggie wanted a turn to be the teacher; negotiations with Adah did not yield a solution satisfactory to all parties) and some classroom management issues. School was disbanded. While I loved the teaching, learning, and cooperating going on, I convinced them that it was okay for them to take a break from school and to just really take a vacation from school during the summer. 

They finally agreed.  Stay tuned for reports on all our summer fun.