"Children do not need to be made to learn about the world, or shown how. They want to, and they know how." -John Holt

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Hoe Down Town

Our second hoe down and what a great day for it! Let me tell you, these people know how to throw a party and I would know because I'm a party professional. I really am.

Tons of people,tons of kids, tons of food& drinks (that's the Godfather of the hoe down, BTW...)and plenty to do! Like bounce in the big purple castle...Or watch said purple castle from a distance like this too-shy-to-bounce Munch Man. ;)Gabriel surprised me by lining up to bob for apples. The kid who is addicted to wearing a mask if water is going to come in contact with his face willingly dunked his noggin repeatedly until he sunk his teeth into an apple.I think the kids waiting were counting to 20 per turn but Gabriel wasn't going to budge until he got it. (And no hands were involved!)
Later, another kid was trying unsuccessfully to bob and I heard Gabriel say to him, "Don't give up! You just have to keep trying!" Then he instructed him with the trick of pushing the apple to the side of the barrel. :)Simone, on the other hand, discovered just how frustrating apple bobbing can be... Of course not wanting to get completely soaked may have had something to do with it.But there wasn't time to grump when the next activity was ready to go. Diving for treasure in a hay stack! I couldn't stick around since flying hay aggravates my allergies. What a wuss, eh?Next up, a Three Legged Race with your Daddy who is 20 times (give or take) your size! What fun! What a great idea!
It's all sunshine and blonde hair... until your Daddy turns the name of the game into the Three Legged Drag...and Twist...and Drop to the Ground...But they won. And that's ALL that matters. Do you hear me!? The Niles Family will not tolerate losing!!
Moving on... the hay ride was the highlight for me no doubt. We got to stop along the way for a peek at a few barnyard animals and even though I know Farmer Jess has been put on the back burner lately...let's hear it for the pigs! Oh- I have always wanted a pig. I wonder why I haven't convinced Rich already. Hmmm. Maybe it has something to do with all the cameras and lenses and workshops and Macs... Ill be quiet now.But even more cool was this dude:The horns on this bull were unbelievable. I was mesmerized. So much so, that despite everyone's warnings that I be careful, my camera (and therefore, head) got a tad bonked.No worries though... all is well and the apologetic bull rocked this pic just for me. I love him for it. (And I want him too, don't tell!)Three cheers for the hay ride driver! See ya next year!Sweet dreams Hoe Down, sweet dreams...

Love,

Posted by Jessica at 9:22 PM

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"By nature people are learning animals. Birds fly; fish swim; humans think and learn. Therefore, we do not need to motivate children into learning by wheedling, bribing, or bullying. We do not need to keep picking away at their minds to make sure they are learning. What we need to do - and all we need to do - is to give children as much help and guidance as they need and ask for, listen respectfully when they feel like talking, and then get out of the way. We can trust them to do the rest."
John Holt
"In the end, the secret to learning is so simple: Think only about whatever you love. Follow it, do it, dream about it...and it will hit you: learning was there all the time, happening by itself." -Grace Llewellyn
"What we want to see is the child in pursuit of knowledge, not knowledge in pursuit of the child."
George Bernard Shaw
Real, natural learning is in the living. It's in the observing, the questioning, the examining, the pondering, the analyzing, the watching, the reading, the DO-ing, the living, the breathing, the loving, the JOY. It's in the joy. ~Anne Ohman
"How could youth better learn to live than by at once trying the experiment of living?" -Henry D. Thoreau