Creativity

One of the great things about homeschooling is that I'm not only the kids' mom, but I'm also their teacher. I should rephrase that as: "Sometimes, one of the great things about homeschooling is..." because, yes, there are days when I would like very much to only be Mom. Or only Teacher (which would actually be better because then I could send them on their merry way each day at 3:00 p.m.). But usually, homeschooling is wonderful on all counts--especially on days when we have something fun planned.

That's the thing...I try to make even the "fun" things educational.

For example: We have been immersed in the Civil War this week. It started when Rowdy son unearthed "Gods and Generals" and "Gettysburg" from the 1,000 videotapes we own, saw that they were war movies and begged to watch them with us. Those are long movies, by the way...and he failed to make it through either of them without falling asleep. That meant he missed the battle scenes, so of course I let him watch those the next day (if you are a 13-year-old boy, movies are all about the battle scenes, after all). After all the time invested, he developed quite an interest in Gettysburg especially. We did some extra research, including reading about several of the generals involved. Our family especially loves Joshua Chamberlain, but you can't forget the courageous charge of Pickett's brigades on that day in July, 1863.

I have been kind of excited at Rowdy Son's continued interest. I mean, this is history, after all...and this is Rowdy Son (the one who wanted us to study "Canadian" or "Australian" for our foreign language.)

Fast forward to "fun" in homeschool. We took off yesterday to make little houses with my sister and her children. By "make little houses", I mean, cover containers with royal frosting and every sort of candy and cracker you can think of. The kids were very creative...Sweet Girl had Santa on the roof and Teddy Grahams playing soccer in the back yard. Rowdy Son worked longer on his than he has ever done. It had a red twizzler roof, armed guards in the front with candy cane swords, and a snowball battle in the back. Hmmm. I was just thinking it was a bit warlike for Christmas, but still awfully cute as all the "warriors" were Teddy Grahams, when he said:

"Next week when we make houses again with Perfect Daughter, I want to do something different".

OK. I was picturing maybe two houses? Or maybe a street scene? But no, this is what he wants to make---

A scene depicting the Battle of Gettysburg. In royal icing with Teddy Grahams charging as Pickett's division over the open field on the cardboard cake board we use for the little houses. His eyes gleamed as he described to me how it would be..."I'll make the fence they had to climb over out of pretzels...and cannon with peppermint wheels...and the clump of trees on the hill out of sugar cones. I can see it all now."

I reacted with horror (are you serious? Gettysburg, one of the saddest days in our nation's history, depicted in candy and frosting as a Christmas decoration?) mixed with pride, (he remembered that infamous fence and the distant clump of trees! He likes history! He's my boy!)--but mostly, I just think it was funny.

At least it does combine my two favorite activities--learning and eating (sweets). Hershey Kisses will fit in nicely on the battlefield, I'm sure--possibly as Little Round Top, with Chamberlain leading the Teddy Graham charge.