Friday, December 14, 2007

Puzzles, Puzzles Everywhere



So yesterday was a puzzle day. P gets in these spurts where he wants to do puzzle after puzzle after puzzle. So that's what we did. Much like the NHM, its fun to see his growth measured by his puzzle performance too. Unschooling true, I sit on my hands and keep my mouth shut as I see him butt unfitting pieces up against one another. Its amazingly hard to just Watch someone learn. But that's blue, and that piece needs red silly! But P doesn't do well with this sort of "help," and that would take away the point of the puzzle anyway, so I sit quietly and watch (if instructed) or cook (if permitted). After a bit he wants me to do it instead and so we take turns. Then, when its finished he immediately tears it apart and moves on to devour another one. No relishing completion here. He realizes what I often forget, the journey is the important part :)

And speaking of journeys. Two of his puzzles came in the cutest little luggage shaped carriers. When he had had his fill of puzzles he announced we were going on a trip and proceeded to carry his "baggage" to the conveyer belt. It went through security. He set off the metal detector. There were many iterations of the conveyer belt and metal detector scenario. Then he stowed them safely beneath his seat, buckled his belt and off we flew. To California. Hours later this game had morphed into him hijacking a plane and getting chased by the cops, replete with jail sentence and his daring escape. Now how he knows about these things in a T.V free house is the real puzzle to me.

1 comment:

Joanne Rendell said...

Jac, I just have to say, you're an amazing mom! you really are freeing P's mind and letting him grow so beautifully. i am so bad at letting myself interfere because i want the puzzle to be finished, or the game to be over, so i can get back to what i think i should be doing. you are an inspiration!