Home schooling and Legos

The panel discussion went well. I got to hold a microphone. The lady in charge prefaced things with, "These ladies are not experts. They simply want to share what works for their families." The first question came up and none of the other ladies even started, so I took the microphone and said, "I have a microphone. That makes me an expert." Everyone laughed and things went well after that. Sometimes you just need an idiot to make everyone feel better. I don't mind being her on occasion. Both of my girls babysat at the conference and made a whopping $66 EACH! I was impressed. I told them to buy me things and I'd be nicer. They didn't. I guess I'm too nice. I did sell a lot of books and was able to purchase things I need for next year at a significantly reduced price. That always makes a thrifty girl happy. Speaking of thrifty, my friend took me to the German thrift stores. I'm in love. High-end clothing for very little cost. I found 2 dresses, a very nice Italian skirt, and several shirts for less than 20 Euro! That is amazing!

Josh is an expert Lego builder. I am attaching pictures, but they just don't do justice to the boy's abilities. You can't hear the alarm that he built in to his siren system, you can't see that his elevator actually works or that his zip-line is a blast for his Lego dudes. You can't see the various doors and trap-doors he has leading in to the garage and the flight hangar. I can't even begin to describe how much detail he puts into his creations, and the camera doesn't do his creations justice. He's going to be a great builder of things one day. I've been letting him take apart appliances that no longer work. He makes robots out of them. He uses metal wire, pliers, screws, nails, and googly eyes. He amazes me. He can sit there for hours creating things, never saying a word, and his explanations are incredibly thorough. I wish more people knew this side of him. Most people just know he's a very quiet, seemingly shy boy, but he's really not shy. He just won't talk to you unless you listen. Most people don't listen, and kids know when you're pretending.

You should try it every now and then. Look deep into their eyes (hearts) and ask them a question. Then wait and listen. Don't fidget. Don't interrupt them. Listen. You will be amazed at the knowledge that comes out of their little mouths.