Thirty Days of Gratitude, Day 13

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"It is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy."

from the Hip-chick @ A Collection of Days

I’m a little, okay maybe a lot, lazy today. I am just trying to take things slow, so maybe it isn’t laziness but some sort of weird self-preservation instinct that has kicked in. 

I'm woman, I can rationalize!

Anyway, we are baking for the neighbors. Right now there is a pan of Blonde brownies in the oven. Next on the list we’ll bake a huge batch of oatmeal cookies. I am even going to be nice to the family and fix pizza burgers for a late lunch with a big salad.

I notice many of those participating in the Gratitude Challenge are thankful for Netflix. We don’t have Netflix, but it started me thinking. Over the years, we have learned so much from movies and the older TV programs.

My kids have a better understanding of what their grandparents have told them about the Depression, because they have watched The Waltons.

From the Little House series they’ve learned many things. They know about the one room school houses, that even when holidays are sparse they can be happy, that our relationships with neighbors and friends is important, that hard work is a positive experience, and there will always be people like Harriet Olson.

After years of watching Davy Crockett, we watched a TV show from the 50’s the other night about Jim Bowie and the history of the “the Arkansas toothpick” – the Bowie knife. They immediately made the connection of Jim Bowie being at the Alamo. They know about the Mexican – American War and when we get to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

they will have a better understanding of the time frame surrounding the treaty.

I can’t begin to list the creative antics they gleaned from watching Hal Roach’s Little Rascals. But possibly my favorite “incident” came last December. This is from my journal ~

“We have crossed a threshold of sorts! We have struggled with this homeschooling journey for several years now. There have been ups and there have been downs. Some times I was most grateful for what they "weren't" learning at public school....since they didn't seem to be learning a lot here at home. Still we pressed onward.

The last few days, we haven't done much school. I have been busy and dh has been working on the new well house. The boys have helped with the building of the well house....and that is a positive.

But in their spare time...they have built a two-seater bicycle! Yes, a bicycle built for two and it WORKS! Mind you, they built this from scrap pieces of old bicycles. (Our scrap yard of bike parts is nearly as bad as some of our other junk!) I am so proud of their imaginations and creativity!!!

Not only that, since we haven't been doing "school" per say during normal school hours, now they want to read at night! What???? What's with this? Usually, I have to fight to get them to read! And the one who is the hardest to persuade to read, has started reading the Hardy Boy series on his own! Huh? I am not kidding!!!

So, the lesson here....is never give up! It will happen and once their creative minds take hold, watch out!!!”

Think about the following:

Where did you first learn or hear about Hydrophobia? Old Yeller

Is your child learning Spanish from Dora? When our granddaughter, Chasey, was about three, she kept asking for something but I could not figure out what she wanted. She was persistent, but I didn’t “get it.” Finally, her aunt (dd # 2) came in and said, “I’m pretty sure she is asking for a cookie ~ in Spanish.” I gave her the cookie and she was one happy, Spanish speaking, three year old.

Has your crew learned following one’s dream can pay tremendous dividends? Let them watch the movie Wild America, the true story of "Wild America" host Marty Stouffer and his two brothers photographer Marshall and producer Mark as young boys in rural Arkansas. Together they set out to discover and film North America's endangered wildlife. 

(You might want to preview before showing it to young children.)

And around the house ~

Is your daughter learning fractions by helping with the household’s baking?

Is your six year old becoming more proficient in math by playing dominoes?

Aren’t you grateful, that homeschooling affords you the chance to experience many different learning opportunities, but perhaps the best is it offers our children the ability to know how to learn, rather than merely being “taught.”

And even if your four year old calls you, “Dispectable,”~ thank you, Daffy Duck ~  they are working on that vocabulary!!!

Have a very blessed and wonderful weekend!

Cheryl