apple picking.

I have mentioned in previous posts that we are lucky to have three fruit bearing trees in our German back yard! Every summer, we enjoy cherries and plums and in the autumn, apples. The weather this year has been perfect for big, juicy apples! I thought they might be ready for eating, so we went to explore the tree. We found numerous ladybugs and tons of perfect looking apples. I thought they tasted great, if a bit tart and perfect for baking! Iris had different thoughts, and I captured the range of her experience in photographs. 

She perked up again when I asked her to draw me a hopscotch! 

currently.

Reading... The Shining. I have seen the movies (the Stanley Kubrick film, as well as the made for tv mini series) and have also read the book before. However, I don't do well with the horror genre so I'm reading very tentatively. When I first read it as a teenager, I'm fairly sure I kept the light on every night for about a month... Iris is reading letters, repeating the sounds they make, and learning to sound out words.

Watching... or rather, rewatching one of my favorite shows of all time, Battlestar Galactica. Iris is currently working her way though Pokémon. On a more serious note, I recently watched a documentary called Auschwitz: The Nazi Final Solution. It's an amazing production that shows in gross detail and description the horrors of the holocaust. Through interviews from both survivors and from former Nazi party members, the viewer gleans a well rounded perspective on how and why this travesty occured. For anyone who is interested in this particular history, this is a must see.

Learning... lots of new things with Iris in homeschool. I generally do an informal homeschooling session every day, Monday through Friday. Iris' most recent favorite lesson focused on coconuts - where they grow and how to open and eat them. We watched a few videos of people and even monkeys picking coconuts from the trees, looked at diagrams of the different layers of coconuts, and then we cracked one open ourselves! While I broke a fingernail trying to get the darn thing open, Iris drank the coconut water and then finally ate quite a large quantity of the meat. Now she wants bottled coconut water every time we go to the market!

Eating... lots of interesting things, speaking of coconuts. While Iris does ask for ketchup for dipping (a request which is most often denied), she also has a taste for flavors which are usually considered more mature. For example, she loves sushi, olives, a variety of aged cheeses, and caper berries.

Anticipating... getting the tattoo on my leg finished. I finally have a followup appointment with Sebastian Brade this Friday! Sebastian's work is based in Berlin, which is about nine hours away from us by car. He is guesting at a tattoo shop about two hours from us (which is how I got my outline done almost two years ago), so I am able to finish what was started! Definitely looking forward to this - though not so much the knee area - ouch! 

our favorite shows for babies and preschoolers.

Around the time Iris was born, Marius and I made a decision to cancel our cable and basic television subscriptions. We switched to streaming from Netflix and buying any of the other shows we wanted to watch. Part of our reasoning for this was because in our opinion, much of what is on tv these days is junk. It's loaded with commercials, so even watching a good show or two at night was tedious for us.

Like most parents, we are choosy about what shows we allow Iris to watch. The lack of regular tv has allowed us to research and choose exactly what media Iris ingests. Below is a list of  the shows we feel are the most educational and emotionally intelligent shows for kids to learn from and enjoy.

Harold and the Purple Crayon was Iris' first television show when she was a baby. The main character, Harold, is easy for small children to relate to. Harold is a young boy who imagines "what if..." scenarios and draws them out with his purple crayon. Each short episode is full of fun and song, while still being unflashy and simple to understand. The show teaches that it's a good thing to ask questions, and that exploring the world is a wonderful experience. Harold creates his own adventures while learning about life - just as we all do!

Based on the books by Maurice Sendak, Little Bear follows the simple and heartwarming experiences of the main character, Little Bear. The show focuses on Little Bear's personal relationships with his family and friends, each of whom has a unique personality.  Iris has always gravitated to Little Bear's soft music and gentle way of walking through emotions and situations. Serene, is the best word for this show. Little Bear is actually more like reading a book, than watching a tv show.

Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood intends to continue the legacy of the beloved Fred Rogers. Daniel is the son of characters in Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, and the show takes places in The Land of Make Believe. Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood continues to spread the messages that Fred Rogers is so well loved for. Iris has learned all the little "jingles" each episode provides to explain feelings and ideas to children. For example, "when we do something new, let's talk about what we'll do!"  This show encompasses a great deal of the gentle, honest way of life taught by Fred Rogers.

The Magic School Bus, paves the way to a love of science. An eccentric teacher called Ms. Frizzle takes her fourth grade class on field trips to explore the world in depth. Each episode focuses on a new aspect of science, during which the kids are learning by experience. I'd say the show targets age 5 and up, though Iris still loves this show and she grasps a basic understanding. From tide pools to outer space, to the digestive system - the magic school bus can go anywhere! It's never too early to start learning!