Having a chair that is the right height for your working desk makes all the difference, even if the right height seems like it would be way too short. A side bonus: a super short chair discourages tall people from stealing your seat.
I reviewed all the European country capitals, and learned all the new capitals in Eastern Europe that weren’t capitals when I studied geography in my youth (so many new little countries!). I really do enjoy geography.
On the lines of geography, Mr. TOF and I learned that there are some really interesting holidays in the country of Luxenberg, and that in the Czech republic, fresh carp is on the menu for Christmas Eve. The carp is so fresh that it swims in the bathtub until it is time to be cooked.
My study buddy and I researched Mont. St. Michel and Neuschwanstein Castle, finding both places to be rather fascinating. I was familiar with the castle, but not with Mont. St. Michel.
We grew bacteria in petri dishes in an incubator. I learned that this is smelly! Also of note: ten year old boys are a prolific source of bacteria.
My study buddy and I were learning about the rise of Islam in our medieval history chapter, and as an aside, we learned about Ramadan. This book was a great introduction for an elementary student. It incorporated engaging text with lots of great cultural photographs.
Mr. TOF researched wolverines, and I gained a lot of knowledge of this animal I knew nothing about previously.
We did a little overview of Renaissance art, and we also had a lot of fun learning about Edward Hopper. It’s fun to be reading about all sorts of famous artists this year and then realize, “Hey! I saw that painting in the Art Institute of Chicago!” I really do love the Art Institute. When the virus finally settles down it will be really fun for my study buddy and to take a trip there someday and see all those paintings in person again. There have also been several paintings that I remember seeing in the National Art Gallery in Washington DC when I was in high school and college. (Isn’t it kind of amazing that I remember and recognize them after all these years! Proof that seeing the paintings in person really do make an impact on a person.)
At the piano I crash-learned an important accompaniment for The Banana and her violin. It was a fast piece with a lot going on, and she somehow learned her part way faster than I predicted, which meant that I was left practice-cramming for about ten days to prepare for a virtual recital where she decided to perform the piece. Yikes. I’m pretty happy that the video for the recital is recorded and I’m off the hook for a little bit.
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