Creativity Unleashed

Thought #1:
All morning I've been thinking about the verse from Proverbs, "Train up a child in the way he is 'bent' and when he is old he will not depart from it". I've thought of this often as I plan lessons and learn with our kids. More often though, I forget it. I struggled all day yesterday to get Karis to pay attention. She wasn't one bit interested in what we were learning about. Today, I reflected on the way she is 'bent'. We are focusing on "Earth Day" activities this month - so I took out the book "The Great Kapok Tree" (an absolutely beautiful book about the rainforest). Eden read the book out loud to us all and then we got out the oil pastels and drew pictures of the rainforest. Karis sat and drew for over two hours. No problems with attention. God made her with a passion for art ... I don't want to 'bend' her in anyother way than the way she was created. Still need to read, write and calculate though ... hmmm.

Thought #2:
I am proud of the creativity that the kids show. Justin deciding that he wants to be a "jumper" in the 'Lympics, so he practices over and over off the porch. Eden taking out "litter bug" craft one step further than planned. Karis and Justin jumping in costume on the trampoline.

But that all happens in the house or in the back yard.

What about front yard creativity? What will the neighbors think? "Those crazy homeschooled kids!"

What about the time when Justin tied a rope through his belt strap and pulled Karis up and down the street on the little play car?
What about the time they put leashes on their stuffed dogs and walked them around the block?
What about the time they turned a cardboard box in to a canoe and canoed to Hawiaii where they "surfed" on 2x4's?
What about the time they decorated their bikes with feather boas before biking to piano lessons?
I am proud of their creativity. I am thankful that they have unadulterated time to play and be creative.
Who cares what the neighbors think. Maybe we are crazy. I kind of like it that way!