Inspiration

E has been somewhat worried these past four months that I have not been giving the children ample opportunities for learning. He isn't here during the day when I am offering them things to do and they are shutting me down cold. They won't do anything that resembles a class except art and sign language. Owen doesn't want anything to do with any book. Bridget doesn't want anything to do with any school book. I can't blame them and I can't expect them to magically change their feelings overnight.

I haven't given up on them enjoying learning one day. E thinks I may be headed down the wrong path. He is still worried they are going to sit in front of the TV and computer forever because I am a bad role model. Today, as I sat role modeling 'sitting at the computer', I read an email from Pam Genant with a blog link to her 'Our Greener Pastures' blog. I had read Pam's Meanderings of Gentle Gull before and was so inspired, I couldn't resist reading her blog about homesteading/green living. A few posts back I found this listing of all the seeds she is going to plant this year. Wow! I had a small garden in my back yard a few years ago, but never anything this ambitious. Obviously, she has a mini-farm and I have less than a 1/16 of an acre to plant, but I want to plant it all!

In my excitement, I announced to the kids that this year I was going to plant a garden. (I think I completely forgot this was still January.) If they wanted me to plant something for them, or if they wanted to plant something on their own, they could let me know. I would be happy to include them in my plans. They both jumped in excitement. My book-loather, Owen, ran up to the bookshelf in my bedroom and returned with my gardening book. "We have to study!" he said. "We have a lot to learn about seeds and plants before we can get started."

So it is still in there. His love for learning still exists. We haven't lost it yet. At the very least I made E's day, "That's the best news I've heard all week." I always knew Owen still had it in him. Now, I have proof.