En La Manana

This week I thought to reorganize how we do school. Not too much, just at an administrative level that would give my kids more responsibility and flexibility in their work. So I made this list of everything they do (Reading, Math, Hebrew, Latin, Greek, Spanish, Geography, Chemistry Copy Work and so on) and put the list down the left-hand side of a chart. Next to each entry, I put the number of times it needs to be done.

When I put Spanish 4x, I thought I was pushing it. We haven't particularly made strides with the curriculum I have. It's kind of dull and too often we skip it. I told the kids they could do Spanish any way they like, just so I see something written in the little chart box four times a week.

Well. They pulled out the Spanish picture dictionary and began drawing and labeling pictures in their notebooks, writing stories, and by week's end my Little One even wrote a poem. My own Spanish is a bit hit-or-miss, so I'm sure I haven't provided full proofreading backup here, but this is the poem... right on time for Random Acts of Poetry...

En la manana
temprana, en la
primavera temprana,
semillas crecen.
Gente ven paradas y
barcos de vela
y paracaidas
por la arena patina.
Tambien hacen
tantos otras cosas
se divierten.

Okay, roughly, this is the translation. But I do believe she got the poetic sense best in the Spanish...

In the early
morning, in the
early spring,
seeds grow.
People see parades
and sail boats and
parachutes by
the sand. They
also do so many
other things
to have fun.

Flower photo by Sonia. Used with permission.

Found this story from Eldest Child, also in Spanish. An animal story. Very silly...

Yo vi un caiman en la tina de bano y un perro en el bano de regadera. Cinco pelicanos en mi linterna electrica de mano, y zorros en el bote de basura, ye el pollo en el garaje, y los pollitos en mi jardin de flores. Una jirafa en mis abarrotes, un ganso en primer ano... dos gansos en segundo ano! Y cabras en el corredor, una luciernaga en un sandwich de jamon... las vacas en el miel, un camello en mi chaqueta, insectos en mi casa. El venado en la mermelada, y un caballo en la jalea. Unos peces en el jugo, un canguro en el agujero de la cerradura. Ai!

Loosely translated...

I saw an alligator in the bathtub and a dog in the shower, five pelicans on my flashlight, and foxes in the garbage can, and a chicken in the garage, and chicks in my flower garden. A giraffe in my groceries, a goose in first grade... two geese in second grade! And goats in the hall, a firefly in a ham sandwich... cows in the honey, a camel in my jacket, insects in my house. A deer in the jam, and a horse in the jelly. A fish in the juice, a kangaroo in the keyhole. Yikes!