9.4.20 Lotsa learning

On a whim I bought a sunflower seed packet.I asked the girls to plant them just for fun. They did at the end of June, and now those seeds have grown into these monster plants. I've hoped to grow sunflower seeds since we moved here, This master gardener got it done!

They are reaping a bountiful harvest for many days spent hoeing. They diligently, tiredly, and happily worked almost every morning, except Sunday of course, in the garden. And now beautiful abundant produce. We are also enjoying cucumbers from the garden right now. 

I do not go garden with them, that is is a special time to learn from and visit with grandma. It has taught me though that continual effort reaps big rewards. It has given the kids confidence and wisdom from the stories she shares and the lessons they just learn by doing. 

As I continue to wrestle with the boss of my kids schooling, this lesson keeps coming to mind. As I worry if home school will be enough? Or real enough? The garden reminds me there's lotsa ways to learn and sure success comes through daily effort with good seeds, not just the habit I've known my entire life. Changing a paradigm is so hard. 

For some reason kids really like to write on white boards. Spelling and sentences are done much more willingly. Math problems seem to fly by. Who knew? I use my white board every time I teach the kids. Livy has wanted to learn cursive writing so I've been working with her through her spelling words. She drew how she felt when she is in danger. 

And some lessons like this one cutting puncture weeds for a neighbor to help cement a lesson just don't happen in a brick and mortar school. Still my responsibility to teach but I have a bit more time to work with when I toss the two hour commute and the endless hours of occupy student time. It's an interesting mix of get the work done and explore, and be in the books show thoughts on paper and "learn." Again hard to change the paradigm that the life we are living is teaching a lot of lessons too. 

This funny duck is learning a lot. I love how he puts the world together in his toddler mind. His go to answer for scripture time- "Satan wants to put us in prison!" Yep that's right he's not a nice being. He was playing football in Harold's super big shoes.

  Another experience full of lessons that were so formative. Living in the country where there is such demand for workers and need for skills sometimes it's easy to loose site of broader ideas. I have no idea which is most needed. I think each kid and their talents and desires required a different kind of learning. It's very overwhelming to look at the whole group of kids and try to meet all their needs and hopes, yet when I go two by two and sometimes one by one we get through the day and If eel confident some important goals were met. This process takes all day everyday, but it's good and it's what I signed up to do. I'm thankful for days when we win, they help me survive the days that we don't. Life is good.