Bugs, Birds, & Swiss Family Robinson

 Bugs, Birds, and Swiss Family Robinson

"We are all meant to be naturalists, each in his own degree, and it is inexcusable to live in a world so full of the marvels of plant and animal life and to care for none of these things." ~Charlotte Mason

Not wanting to venture out into the East Texas summer heat for too long I sat on the porch listening to the children chatter about this or that. I look up at the roof and notice this nice little fellow sitting quietly by, listening along with me. He wore a suit of camouflage and at once, I could tell he was a gentleman, nicely folding his hands together as he waited for his dinner

I say "Oh look children! Do you see him?" The kids come bounding up the steps to have a look.
"Mom, do you think he is the one we let go?" Anna questions.

"Could be?" is my reply. I ask them if they see that he is wearing his "camo" outfit today. They giggle with glee as we discuss how he changes colors to blend into the surroundings.

"If he lands on something blue, will he turn blue?" Adam asked with hope.
"No dear, they blend into colors of nature, greens, browns and such. There isn't many blue things he would need to hide on," I answer completely amused at the minds of my children.

"One was in the car the other day," Adam mentions.

"Really? Did he turn burgundy?" I jokingly ask.

Smiling sheepishly, Adam replies, "No!"

Next, we notice an old flower pot we had hanging that Dad had taken down yesterday. Inside the basket was an abandoned bird nest with three eggs in it.
"Do you think they are still babies in the eggs?" Austin worries.

"No, these have been here for a while. The one I tried to pick up crumbled in my fingers as soon as I touched it. Most likely the cats got the parents." regretfully I answer.

"What kind of bird was it momma?" Adam says peering into the basket.

"Looks like a wren, you know the small brown birds we see all the time."

 Adam notices something scaly looking, "Is that a snake skin in there?"

"No, it is the plastic from the basket...see... I thought it was a snake skin at first too. It sure looks like it doesn't it!"

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"Mom, you have to come see what we built with daddy yesterday!" Adam says anxiously. I told him but I don't have my shoes on. He shouts "I will get them!" as scrambles off to go fetch my flip flops. We walk around the house to the wooded area by the garden. "See, this one is Daddy's" Adam says pointing.

"Oh, how neat! This looks like the houses Swiss Family Robinson lived in doesn't it?"

"Uh huh, and this one is mine, but it not so good." Adam says with disappointment.

"Well! I think it is plenty good. With your house, no one will fall through the floor. On Daddy's, I would fall right through!" I encourage.

"That one over there is Anna's"

"Oh, good she and you did the sturdy floor kind!" I talked with Adam about them and reassured him on how well he did.

I believe reading about Swiss Family Robinson is in order!

Now how could some dry text books and an over crowded classroom ever give them this kind of education? It doesn't just teach them facts, but it teaches them to respect nature and love it, to enjoy it and cherish it. We have been picked on about being treehuggers. At first it bothered Austin, but soon we all take it and wear the title as a badge of honor. As my oldest has said, "At least I care about something other than myself!" Ahhh, such words of wisdom from my teen.

The simple pleasures in life mixed with the wonder and excitement of my children confirms in my heart homeschooling was the best decision I had ever made. My children look at the world through innocent eyes and see wonder and amazement, hope and purity. God I thank you for letting me see through their eyes at times because it gives me a peek at how it was supposed to be.

The LORD Looketh on the Heart

Sunday School today was kinda rough for me. My  teacher brought up how he had trained his dog to obey. Well this past Tuesday we laid my best friend, Foxy, to rest.

Rest in Peace my faithful friend, I will miss you.

The good Lord had answered my prayer that He take her rather than let her suffer from the heart worms that had made her so sick, but it was heartbreaking for me to lose my friend.

The lesson was that at first he had to put a choke collar on his dog and teach it to heel. Then eventually he could let it off the chain and just say the word heel and the dog would mind. Through obedience came freedom.

All I could think about was how Foxy didn't apply to that idea. She was a rescue dog and had been abused as a puppy. When we first had gotten her, she would shriek if she thought someone was going to touch her. I would coax her and talk sweet to her until she learned to trust me. Only by having love for her and understanding what she had been through did I get anywhere with her.

It was love and patience and understanding that changed her into my best friend. She didn't do things for me out of fear of being punished but because she loved me so much she wanted to please me. She would freak out if a chain was put on her, I assume that went back to her abuse, but it wasn't something we could do to her. Granted she was no show dog, hunting dog, or herd dog. She didn't win any ribbons or trophies for me to show off to my friends equating her worth. She just simply loved me.

She always wanted to be by my side, because she loved me. If I sat down outside anywhere she was by my side. If I hadn't noticed she was beside me she would daintily place her little foot on me as if to say "Mom, I am here, please love me."

 If I was in the house sitting somewhere, often times she was beneath me under the house... which ever room I was in, she was under. I suppose she could hear my voice to know where I was. When I left in the car and came home, she met me at the gate, yipping with glee that I was home, to let me know she missed me. She nipped playfully at my fingertips to say "hello".  You see she wasn't trained to obey, she was shown how to love and through that love for me, she was my friend, not a servant. Granted she obeyed the rules not to go out in the road or to do things that was not approved of like chasing the cats but all I had to do was scold her in a firm tone. She hated to disappoint me, she would drop her head and tuck her tail and come to me as if to say "I am sorry mom, forgive me."

 You see there was a difference in the way my dog was obedient and how my teachers dog was obedient. I am not saying what he said was wrong, I am only saying there is different ways to teach and different learning styles depending on the background and history of the one being taught.

I thank GOD that (1Samuel 16:7) ...  the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. I also thank GOD that HE knows exactly what we need to be where we need to be in HIM!