Well, today was very interesting and elightening. As I wrote about a week ago, opportunies best present themselves when the time has come to take advantage of them. Or, as the old adage goes, a teacher will present themselves when you're ready to learn (even if you did't realized said teacher had actually arrived).
This semester, James' Religious Education classes are focusing on the environment. One aspect is Heiffer International, a non profit organization that helps provide animals to impoverished families. Depending on the animal, it will provide a much needed source of income and sustenance. For instance, a sheep provides wool, milk (excess can be sold), and even meat if you're so inclined. Anway, the teacher had chosen an animal that Heiffer International can provide. Well, in this case I can't really classify it as an animal. Today, the children learned about the silk worm. They learned the life stages, how a butterfly is different from a moth (and the differances), etc. She had even gotten some cacoons for them to handle and she brought in a few articles of silk for them to handle. I even learned a bit about silk that I hadn't known. For instance, you get the nobby raw silk from strands of silk that had been broken vs. the one long strand being unwound intact and then entwined with other strands to spin a thread that is then woven into a silk fabric. Like I said, rather interesting. It really makes one appreciate why silk is so darn expensive. This was the perfect opportunity for her to introduce a couple of fund raising opportunities for Heiffer International that the kids will have an opportunity to participate in starting next Sunday. At the end of the period, any money the child has raised will go to fund an animal through Heiffer International and James is really excited about it, but more on that later. In turn, the day the funds are collected is also the day of our animal blessing at Church, so I'm really looking forward to that.
So, James got to handle several cacoons, even see a dead pupa (I think that's the right term), and his little activity was to make cards of the moths life stages. So little beads represented the eggs, a cotton ball the cacoon, etc. and he quite enjoyed putting that together. His snack today was rice and tea (silk is a major industry in China) that was quite a special treat. Milk, sugar, and cinnamon was provided to put in their rice. Something else found in the rice? A gummi worm! LOL
 Today a load has lifted from my shoulders and things have happened as they should which in turn opened some new paths. I haven't felt this happy, and well, optomistic in a long time. First, I had an opportunity to talk to a dear friend who also happens to be very wise. He set aside two hours of his busy time just for me and I had a chance to talk about all of my frustrations, etc. He in turn helped me step back and see the wider picture. I felt quite silly to realize that some of my problems I've been causing because of my complete inability to actually trust myself. I have almost no self confidence. I'm now well on my way to stop being a doormat and letting people push me around. I for one have gotten quite tired of the negative attitude from my husbands parents about most of my decisions for my childrens' welfare but I can feel myself getting worked up again so enough of that. So, that was one instance where a new path opened up today. And that time ended with me meeting a small squirrel (not the furry little chap of last week whom invaded my stroller) that actually posed for me as I wandered home. Yay. So I was actually quite bubbly and happy when I arrived home. I finished watching a movie with Carey (one of his slow foreign films from the 1940's) and then I was off to a monthly group meeting with some friends. I'm so glad I went. I discovered that I wasn't quite alone as I had thought in a lot of instances and I quite enjoyed myself.
So how does classical education come into this? For those of you that know me well, or that have perused my links with a fine toothed comb, you would have noticed that I'm especially attracted to living books curriculum and the classics. About a year ago, I met a woman whom was also homeschooling her children and she mentioned something she called TJ Ed. I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about but I looked it up when I got home. However, at that time I really didn't know her well at all so although I really liked what I was reading the subject wound up getting dropped. Well, the more I've gotten to know her and the more we've talked about (and the more I've interacted with her extremely bright 8 yo) the more I've wanted to know about this philosophy and how it was applied in the home. The only thing I knew about it was that it was based on the classics, and that the teacher also had to be the student in the fact that they had always be learning themselves to stay one step a head of the said student. Well, I finally got around to borrowing a book (A Thomas Jefferson Education Home Companion) from her to learn a bit more. She pointed out a few chapters that she thought would be especially beneficial in learning a bit more about it and how she felt some I should just ignore because they would completely confuse me at this time. :D So, I came home and read those chapters and they resonated with me so much that I can't wait to learn more. There was one quote that I wanted to share, but for the life of me I've been unable to locate it within the pages once more. However, suffice it to say that for those especially interested in a living books philosophy and learning from the classics that this is definitely an avenue to pursue.
 
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