Un-schooling Again; 2 moments

Result of a science experiment 

 My two youngest children like to do science experiments, but I hardly ever "get around to it". It is not my area of expertise. I do make an effort every once in a while, so the other day we did a simple one about "beading" of liquids that held our attention for a while. Then the two kids remembered that we had the ingredients to do the bubble experiment again. We had done it many months ago. So, being the pro-active homeschool mom that I am, I left them to it.

glycerin, dish soap, water, a straw.....

Next thing I know, they have relocated to the dining room and are in the dark taking pictures and having a great time. I walk through and see lots of bubbles. It is several days later when I download the pictures off of my camera that I find the most beautiful image of bubbles.....

the dri-erase board does igneous

A few days later:
    I was in some horrible big box store when my son grabbed his sister's arm and said, "C'mon, I just remembered something I want." And they disappeared leaving me looking through racks of cornflakes or socks or car parts; I can't remember what.

When they reappeared, the afore-mentioned son was clutching a small "white board" or "dry erase board" I think it is called. I was skeptical. "How much is it? "  I asked, with an undoubtedly dour expression on my face.
"Oops, I forgot to look," he answered. Off they went again. Upon their return, he announced "$3.99" (or something like that).
I was still skeptical. And then he said, "I wanted to draw plans on it for drawings and also I could use it to write on. "
    Well, those were the magic words: "draw" and "write". This particular son is as artistic as his older brothers, but more focused than either of them on drawing. He is also the most reluctant of the 3 to read. At the advanced age of 12, he is finally interested in devoting a considerable amount of time and effort to the project of learning to read. His brothers both were actually reading by this age. So I looked again at the board and thought, well,  $3.99, is a gamble I can take. At worst, it's an art supply.
And lo and behold, he runs to get it while we are reading together and then he actually will write long and interesting words that we run into on it, something that he had been refusing to do on paper. Call it a gimic, if you will....it's not one I would have thought of.