Sunday--a changed perspective

I wanted to take a moment to blog about how home-schooling has changed my perspective on learning. Earlier in the week, I put our old Oreck vacuum cleaner into the car to drop off at the local Orek dealer to use for parts. I've had the (very, very expensive) vacuum cleaner for 15 years, and I decided not to spend the money to have it fixed yet again. I bought a cheapo vac at Wal-mart instead. Then Connor found the discarded vacuum and declared it a national treasure. If you read last weeks' blogs, you saw my comment about Connor taking apart the vacuum and researching how to make motors etc. He wants to use the motor to make a rotisserie for the grill.In Myrtle Beach we ate pineapple cooked on a rotisserie, and he's sure he can duplicate the recipe if only he can build the right motor.

Yesterday, I stopped by my dad's apartment to load up the van with junk the tenant left behind. After I dropped off the junk at the dump, Connor lamented that I didn't let him keep the old bi-fold closet doors for his fort. Oh yeah, that WOULD have been cool. Why didn't I think of that?? I've never been one to hoard stuff, and I hate junk with a passion, but now I finally see its value as an educational tool. On Mother's Day, Uncle Charlie was loading scrap metal into his truck to take to the metal recycle place. While the other kids decided it was "work" to help Uncle Charlie load up, Connor found great pleasure in going through the junk. He came home with an old metal saw, a copper planter, assorted wire, and other interesting stuff. To the budding inventor, these are treasures! Though I cannot change my perspective overnight, I am at least starting to see the world through my son's eyes; it's a cool place to be.