"...For of the evils of modern education few are worse than this-that the perpetual cackle of his elders leaves the poor child not a moment of time, nor an inch of space, wherein to wonder-and grow." This was said by Charlotte Mason nearly 100 years ago!  How much louder today is the "cackle of his elders"?    What brought on this philosophical moment?  SPRING!!!!  As the boys and I drive by schools on our way to a lake, a park, or their absolute favorite destination, a garage sale, someone in the van always makes a comment about those poor souls in the school that can't be in the sun.  Now, I try to be careful with my comments because I don't want my boys to become arrogant, militant homeschoolers.  On the flip side, deep down when they make such remarks I feel relieved that they actually enjoy being homeschooled and view the alternative with distaste.  They probably are tainted because of the stories their dad comes home with from his school.  There is NO WAY they want to be a part of a public system after dad's experiences are shared!  Back to Charlotte's insight- we homeschoolers can be just as guilty of the cackle by constantly talking, drilling, and explaining everything in sight.  Why not take a hike and let the kids finds the deer tracks, or point out the unusual call of a bird?  Well, this post has been way more serious than most.  You can blame the hs cataloges that are arriving for making me assess my "school".  I hope your day is 'cackle light' and full of wonder and growth.