What we’re reading:

I’m halfway through Karen Glass’s Consider This, about how Charlotte Mason’s teaching philosophy manifests the classical model of education. I’ve also been listening to the audiobook of everyone’s favorite Latin American novel: 100 Years of Solitude (Audible Spanish/Audible English). It’s been a while since I read this, and I’d forgotten how funny García Márquez is! This is also the first time I’ve listened to this particular Spanish voice actor narrate an audiobook, and I’m adoring his beautiful diction and melodious voice.

Xavi and I made our way through another Magic Treehouse Book (this time in Spanish): La casa del árbol #5: La noche de los ninjas. It gave us great inspiration for some imaginative play that we did during our hike on Monday afternoon-he and I spent the whole time looking for the “secret cave” where the “Ninja Master” was hidden. (Spoiler alert: we did not find the Ninja Master in our local forest).

What we’re doing:

This week kicked off with a bang—really, more like a bamba—as we got to watch 123 Andrés perform live at our local library!

If you’ve never heard of 123 Andrés, let me be the first to introduce you to one of the best (if not THE best) act in Spanish children’s music today. In 2016, he won a (well-deserved) Latin Grammy for Best Children’s Album for Arriba Abajo and has also produced the excellent album ¡Uno, Dos, Tres con Andrés! Both of those albums are played on heavy rotation in our house, and I think my favorite song is Si tuviera un mariachi/If I Had a Mariachi—but that may just be because I have always dreamed of being serenaded by a mariachi band on my birthday. Best of all, they are bilingual—so if you’re learning Spanish alongside your children, they will be helpful to the whole family!

I cannot stress enough how wonderful this music is for Spanish learners of any age. Not only does 123 Andrés teach Spanish grammar and vocabulary through song, but his songs also represent many different Latin American musical traditions, including salsa, bachata, mambo, and mariachi. I love that my sons are being exposed to these rich traditions from Latin American culture and learning to appreciate them.

As for the concert, Andrés and his assistant Cristina just flat out enthralled their young audience. They were funny, energetic, and wonderful about involving the kids—inviting some up to dance, or even to sing along at the microphone! Xavi was so excited to go on stage with Andrés to boogie down. Andrés and Christina are currently on tour, so check their schedule to see if they are coming to a town near you.

What we’re watching:

First two episodes of Poldark, Season 3. I watched the second episode while awake in the middle of the night with a very sad teething baby, and it definitely made those lonely hours a bit more bearable.

What we’re memorizing: 

Well, we're a little behind on introducing a new poem and verse, but you know, I'm still calibrating these rhythms, so we'll just pick up again next week!