Guiding a learning lifestyle with young children is chasing a moving target. Interests can grow or wane daily or by the hour. I’ve learned to listen and observe with intention, to know my sons as well as I can and feed their fickle hungers. However, there is one discipline that has consistently grabbed their attention week after week for more than three years.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) has become foundational to our home education lifestyle. They attend classes up to six times a week and we have all acquired important knowledge from Elevated Studios co-owner, Stephen Plyler. After watching and attending several BJJ tournaments, my sons are competing in their first at the Tap Cancer Out 2018 Philly BJJ Open.
As many families, we have suffered painful damage from the diverse effects of cancer. This organization targets childhood cancer research in an effort to protect our most vulnerable sons and daughters. My boys are raising funds and training hard.
I don’t think they could be better prepared for this competition. After visiting half a dozen other schools, I am confident that Elevated is the highest quality training I could find for my sons. Stephen is honest, encouraging, fun, focused, determined, and competitive. He’s been a role model of the utmost caliber for all of his students. We’re all really excited and proud to represent his school in this tournament.
Most of these performances are also open to the public with a required RSVP to (and subsequent confirmation from) INFO@DELSHAKES.ORG.
This special tour has given me the opportunity to take my sons inside a senior center and homeless resource center to experience Shakespeare alongside men and women in a much different place in life. It has been one of the many blessings of our home education lifestyle. Different from volunteering or donating, here we sit together as an audience, sharing a couple hours of laughs, gasps, and a few tears. Before and after each performance is the opportunity to mingle with the actors and attendees, to be a part of the community.
This year, a twenty-minute discussion will be facilitated after each performance to discuss the modern implications of the themes of The Merchant of Venice. There’s even a cheat sheet to get caught up on the controversies surrounding this play and prepare for the discussion.
For our part, I’ve prepped my sons with the outline of the story using some interesting resources. The Merchant of Venice graphic novel by Gareth Hinds offers modernized language without being crass and covers much of the plot. The Thug Notes summary of the play is hilarious, but not necessarily safe for children. He gives the skeleton of the plot and wraps up with a discussion of some of the themes. It’s worthwhile if you need a quick catch-up.
The tour begins tonight and I strongly suggest purchasing tickets to one of the Studio Performances at OperaDelaware on November 17th, 8:00 pm, and November 18th, 2:00 pm, to help support this effort.
Wednesday 10/24 at 6pm Ministry of Caring/Sacred Heart Village (Wilmington)
Thursday 10/25 at 6pm University of Delaware hosted by the Jewish Studies Program (Newark)
Friday 10/26 at 7:00pm Christina Cultural Arts Center (Wilmington)
Wednesday 10/31 at 4pm First State Community Action Agency (Georgetown)
Thursday 11/1 at 7:00pm Siegel JCC (Wilmington)
Saturday 11/3 at 7pm CAMP Rehoboth (Rehoboth Beach)
Sunday 11/4 at 2pm Route 9 Library & Innovation Center (New Castle)
Wednesday 11/7 at 6pm Delaware Center for Homeless Veterans (Wilmington)
Thursday 11/8 at 5:30pm Groves Adult High School – Red Clay (Stanton)
Friday 11/9 at 6pm Latin American Community Center (Wilmington)
Sunday 11/11 at 2pm Dover Public Library (Dover)
Tuesday 11/13 at 5:30pm Group performance for Georgetown-area substance abuse treatment facilities (Georgetown Public Library)
Wednesday 11/14 at 6pm Polytech Adult High School (Woodside)
Friday 11/16 at 2pm Delaware Psychiatric Center (Wilmington)
NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution, Howard R. Young Correctional Institution, Sussex Correctional Institution
Friday, October 19, 5:00 to 8:00 pm Stone Shakers at Foodie Friday The weather looks perfectly autumnal for a family-friendly night of fun tunes and great food at Blue Ball Barn.
The October Foodie Friday features food for purchase from WiLDWiCH, KOI on the GO, and Nude Food. These three food trucks will be competing in a $5 small plate challenge. Vote for your favorite at the Delaware Center for Horticulture table, who are joining us as this month’s partner non-profit organization. The Friends of Wilmington Parks will be selling beverages to wash down your snacks while you listen to the Stone Shakers Band play a variety of unique covers of classics and original songs.
Be sure to take a walk through the Blue Ball Barn to visit the Delaware Folk Art collection and to learn more about the origins of the property. Inside you will also find local artists displaying and selling their handmade creations. This is a great opportunity to get a jump start on your holiday shopping and find some truly one-of-a-kind pieces from Delaware area artists. Featured artists include Eric Zippe, Tim Gibbs, Nicole Kristiana Studio, and Connie Newby.
$5 entry fee per adult, gate fee is waived for this event. Family and pet-friendly. Kids 16 and under are free.
Lums Pond State Park
Saturday, October 20, 12:00 to 3:00 pm Harvest Hayride and Crafts at the Nature Center Join us for a fun afternoon of hayrides and fall crafts at the nature center! Cost is $5 per person which includes a short hayride and nature center crafts. Park entrance fee in effect. Please pre-register by calling (302)368-6989
Battery Park
Sunday, October 21, 11:30 am to 4:00 pm Tour or Sail the Skipjack Sigsbee This weekend New Castle welcomes the Skipjack Sigsbee. 11:30 am to 1:00 pm free deck tours, with a family friendly sail from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. $15 for children, $25 for adults, $20 for seniors. Bring your own food and/or beverages.
My sons were in their first years of life when they met Edgar Allen Poe at Brandywine River Museum‘s Picturing Poe exhibition. This Arthur Rackham illustration of “The Tell-Tale Heart” greeted us and I wasn’t sure we would make it much farther.
They survived hearing Vincent Price’s reading of “The Raven” and all the tastefully gruesome artwork. Perhaps they thrived.
To this day, October means Poe. We just watched the inventive animated movie “Extraordinary Tales,” but are most excited for Delaware Shakespeare’s Shakespeare, Poe & Fiends performances this weekend. Tonight’s reading is sold out, but there are tickets available for the following shows:
Three-and-a-half years ago my sons won a month of classes at Elevated Studios Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu. With six youth classes available per week, we were able to sink our teeth into the discipline and see if it was the right fit. But after watching co-owner and lead coach Stephen Plyler instruct for 45 minutes, I was all but convinced that we would be staying.
An introduction to Brazillian jiu-jitsu.White belts earned.
With varying paths, my sons have thrived at Elevated. They’ve watched Stephen train at the fantastic Balance Studios and achieve the top submission of the evening at Philly’s Fight to Win 81. They’ve grown in strength, maturity, and community. When they lost their mother to a sudden illness, Elevated stepped up to support our family in spiritual, emotional, practical, and financial ways. The Roll for Zerbeys was a truly fun and uplifting experience for us and all who participated.
#BJJFamilyNo MercyJust a little deeper…
Now these boys are taking an opportunity to tests their skills and do some good. Both are competing and fundraising for Tap Cancer Out’s Grappling for Good Tour at United Sports in Downingtown, PA, on October 27th. Click on that link to donate and be assured that pictures and stories will be forth coming. Please also consider attending and supporting their efforts on the mat.
I’m not sure you’ve seen a sunset until you’ve seen it fall on these faces.
The Zerbeys grabbed the early-bird special, bypassed general parking, and went right for the VIP lot. We staked out a slice of shade (poor sun-trajectory calculations on my part, it didn’t last) with chairs and a patch of front row with a blanket. My sons were not feeling it and opening acts are rarely the most exciting. I was facing down a short festival day.
By the end of the first set I spotted and old friend and her son. With fingers crossed I introduced the boys and we set up a new little camp near the stage. Soraia got started and the boys went to look for trouble. After an entertaining, yet uninspired, series of Joan Jett and David Bowie covers, the band climbed into their real skin and killed with their own material. Drawn by the energy, my younger climbed onto my shoulders and whipped that beautiful hair like he was channeling his dad in ’96.
ZouZou Mansour of Soraia
As more families showed up, football tosses and a full on soccer match broke out care of the family of a member of Spokey Speaky (check out their site for free music).
Safe to say that Whole Lotta Gelata is our favorite food truck.Montana WildaxeJoey DiTullio’s hair is almost as cool as……my son’s.
These boys are champs. Nine non-stop hours of action and we all got home and in bed without a fuss. We even made it to church and a proper soccer match the next morning!
On Friday night, 8:15 pm, Longwood Gardens will debut their latest Illuminated Fountain show, Be Our Guest, featuring themes from animated movie classics such as Aladdin, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and more. Timed tickets are required and members can enjoy extra savings at GardenShop, The Café, and 1906 as part of Member Appreciation Day.
At 2017’s Taste of Trolley, the Community Art Project was a big hit for this Elevated Studios student.
On Saturday, 1:00 – 5:00 pm, the 4th Taste of Trolley will see many of Trolley Square’s businesses open their doors and show off why this is such a popular Wilmington neighborhood. Beer, wine, and spirit tastings will be paired with small plates and many businesses will participate in the Retail Scavenger Hunt.
With live music, celebrity chef demonstrations, and over 50 restaurants participating, Sunday’s Taste of Newark party proves to be a good time. 12:00 – 3:00 pm, Newark, Delaware.
As the home education community grows, more organizations are reaching out to provide enrichment opportunities. This is obviously great news for those looking to educate their children outside of the school setting, but it also strengthens the broader community. When there are more places to gather for fun and learning, families are more likely to put down their devices and engage with their neighbors. We become better equipped to communicate with one another, constructively share grievances, and solve problems.
I applaud local libraries for creating programs geared toward the home-education community.
Homeschooling 101 and Homeschooling 101 Science Fun Wednesday, October 17th, 6:30 – 8:00 pm: I am very excited about this pair of events for parents and children. A panel of home-educating parents will present information and answer questions about the process in Delaware. Topics will range from the details of Delaware’s laws and regulations and curriculum options to the wide variety of educational philosophies that are being implemented. This will be great for those who are curious as well as those who have already decided to take this journey. Home education is constantly changing and there is always something new to learn, no matter where you are on the path.
And, in true homeschool fashion, you won’t need a babysitter for children ages 5-12. Science activities will be available and children of all educational stripes will get to interact in a separate space during the program.
Art School for Homeschoolers Tuesdays, October 2nd, November 13th, and December 4th, 1:30 – 2:30 pm: Exercise your imagination, creativity, and fine motor skills using various art media. Ages 5-12.
Book Club for Homeschoolers Tuesdays, October 16th and November 20th, 1:30 – 2:30 pm: Dive deeper into a book through activities and discussion. Stop at the Youth Reference Desk for the current title. Registration is suggested. Ages 8-12.
Elements Home School Co-Op Teen Meet-up New teen homeschool group: Beginning Friday, September 21st, Elements will host a weekly teen game/activity group for area homeschoolers. Teens will be meeting in the Teen Loft at the Dover Public Library each Friday from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. Come play games and socialize with other area homeschoolers ( DE, MD, VA, NJ, PA). Drop-ins are welcome, ages 14 (or 8th grade) and up.
Homeschool Show and Tell Tuesdays, September 25th and October 30th, 2:00 – 3:00 pm: Bring in an item from home and practice your public speaking skills by sharing it with the crowd. Instruction provided. All ages are welcome to participate.
Elementary Homeschool Art Class Note: This program is currently full, but worth keeping an eye on for future iterations. Art classes will meet every 1st and 3rd Tuesday from October 2nd – April 16th, except January which will be the 2nd and 4th Tuesday due to the New Years holiday (no classes in December). There is a limit of 12 students per class and you must be able to commit to the entire series as each class builds upon the next. Open to students in elementary grades. Registration is required.
Middle/High School Homeschool Art Class Note: This program is currently full, but worth keeping an eye on for future iterations. Art classes will meet every 2nd and 4th Tuesday from October 9th – April 23rd, except January which will be the 3rd and 5th Tuesday due to the New Years holiday (no classes in December). There is a limit of 12 students per class and you must be able to commit to the entire series as each class builds upon the next. Open to students in middle and high school. Registration is required.
Homeschool Book Club Thursday October 11th, 1:00 – 2:00 pm: Enjoy a new book that will include discussions and a fun activity. Open to students in 1st – 8th grade. Registration is required.
Delaware rests interminably on the division between snow storms and rain storms, flooding hurricanes and quiet spectating. We also have a tenuous relationship with fall. We could have weeks of a changing palette against the sky or 48 hours before a storm whips through and makes it look more like winter.
Fortunately, we are blessed with museums in and around our state that provide many ways to enjoy the season.
At Delaware Art Museum there are the final Thursday evening Summer Happy Hours leading up to the Peace Week Delaware and Fall Equinox Labyrinth Walk on Saturday, September 22nd, at 6:00 pm. Celebrating the change of seasons with a meditative stroll into and out of the Labyrinth will help you refresh for the fall. Level of meditation available will depend on how many children you have in tow.
Fall Family FUNdays at The Delaware Contemporary on select Sundays, 1:00 to 3:00, are open to all ages and offer a variety of engaging activities and art-making opportunities. Attend all four and receive a FREE family portrait taken by a professional portrait photographer during the December 16th Free Family FUNday.
Keep checking back here to read more about local events to enjoy with your family this fall.
