Here’s what happened with Ethan
June 9
Morning jog. 
He brought his magnifying glass and a piece of paper to try lighting the paper on fire. 
It didn’t work. 
Found a ladybug that he wanted to keep but decided to set it free so it could eat and live the way it’s supposed to. 
Ethan’s not allowed to use the computer at the moment because he hasn’t been good about keeping his stuff cleaned up and tidy. So he’s reading his books to learn. He practiced squaring two-digit numbers after reading Secrets of Mental Math. 
He worked on a giant version of the origami design that turns into a rectangular box. 
Time to head out for his violin performance today. 
After he got home, he watched Engineering an Empire and then made these stacking pyramids. Not sure if he was inspired by some of the engineering in the documentary. 
Having some well-earned cake. 
Here’s the giant origami thing.
June 10
On our morning jog, we were greeted by a heron on the totem pole. 
A great way to spend time together early in the day. 
Ethan was actually looking at the log. 
Dong Eun and Ethan started a contest to see who could collect the most sea glass. They will weigh how much each person collects. 
Ethan created a chart to keep track of who’s winning. 
This is two swords fighting each other and was made during a free folding session. 
These are erasers given to Ethan. He figured out how to put them back into a star. 
Ethan hasn’t been very good about cleaning up and being tidy so he put this sign up to remind him. He’s actually banned from using his computer until he “cleans” up his act. 
This is a result of talking about how one must think before acting and it lead to asking this question. 
Ethan often answers questions with “I don’t know” because he doesn’t want to consider the answer or doesn’t want to engage in conversation. We talked about how he’s old enough to be more articulate and should practice being more engaged when we speak to him, as it’s also a way to demonstrate respect and empathy towards others. 
He added more detail to his timline. 
He did his music notation homework. 
We went to the library and borrowed books on algebra, philosophy and science. 
Ethan, and both Dong Eun and I are fascinated by this book called “The Philosopher Files” because it asks a lot of tough questions and makes us think about what we believe. For example, the chapter on whether it’s ok to eat meat was very interesting.
June 11
Very low tide today during our jog but a very clear, beautiful day. 
I think the tree has moved. Ethan’s not so sure. 
Now that Ethan isn’t allowed to use his computer, he seems even more engaged by learning with books. Here, he’s learning about selenium and charcoal with an experiment about burning a Brazil nut. 
Today, Dong Eun and Ethan managed to collect exactly the same amount of glass. 
He loves this book. 
Out for a walk after dinner. 
Seems interesting. He found spirit.
June 12
Morning reading. 
Collected sea glass. Recording how much he got compared to his mom. 
Wanted a fidget toy? 
Beautiful day. Perfect to hit the beach. 
Working on algebra problems from a “Dummies” book. 
June 13
Sorting and recording today’s sea glass. 
Ethan’s room has gotten pretty disorganized and he’s kept a lot of stuff for no reason. So his big task is to clean up and keep his room clean. He was actually banned from using his computer because he neglected his responsibility to keep his stuff clean and in order. 
Really into this philosophy book. Apparently, this book is used in college classes in South Korea. 
After taekwondo, we stayed at the community centre and watched the Raptors win their first ever championship. It was a lot of fun. 
Really into the philosophy books.
June 14
Out for our morning jog. A little cloudy today. 
Washed up on shore. Ethan tossed it back in. I told him he needed to throw it as far as possible because a seagull was eyeing it. As soon as Ethan threw it, the seagull tried to get it but luckily, or unluckily, the seagull couldn’t find it. 
Ethan is trying to memorize the periodic table of elements. Dong Eun is quizzing him. 
Worked more on his history timeline. 
Working on more elements and trying to memorize them. 
Really loves this book. And pasta. 
Making element cards. 
Timeline is filling in nicely.
June 15
Last day of Debut Strings. They had a party with the other groups. Ethan will be back again in the fall. One of the moms was really surprised by Ethan’s unschooling experience.
What a week! It’s been great to see Ethan getting out and enjoying the nice weather and time with us in the morning. This is something that’s really special about unschooling. Until next time!
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