A Day Spent Out In Nature

A day spent outdoors, or as I like to call it, THE REAL WORLD.

You see, so many people are concerned that homeschoolers dont live in the real world. Because as we know, the real world is about being with people of all the exact same age, social demographic, following the orders and whim of a single philosophy and agenda. Oh.

Barf.

So the real world that we live in is, in part, what we choose to make it. It is also the actual real world. Look out your door. Or out the very small, sealed shut window of your classroom. A world is out there- no climate control, no rules written on the blackboard, no bullies in the washroom. Just the real world.

That is where we spent our day.

So what did we find in the real world today? Some things of life past and some things of life to come!

Crinoids!

More crinoids! We called them Indian beads when I was a kid.

Illinois Prairie Seeds!

 What else did we experience in the real world today? The children listened to two news reports covering the same event. Yesterday President Obama was interviewed informally by 'regular folk'. Both Ave Maria Radio and National Public Radio picked up on Obama's compelling religious biography. Our president says that he was not raised in any particular religious path, but came to know and choose Jesus as an adult. He even said that Jesus Christ is his savior and that he is a sinner as are all humans. Wow! Ave Maria Radio doesnt always report favorably on Obama, but today they did. The kids found this interesting.

Big Sister also found interesting an NPR report on truth in political advertising. She began to recall different political ads she has seen or heard and analysed what might be truthful or exaggeration in those ads.

The children played for a long time in a creek, hosting a hedge-apple throwing contest, as well as an exploration of a small, gurgling stream that led to an expansive, wide creek.

Big Sister picked up our weekly veggie box, managing the exchange with the organic farm owner.

Little Brother prompted a discussion about Easter and Christmas, pondering the specialness of each holy season, inquired about what makes a good marriage mate, and then constructed working vehicles from Legos.

Each child dressed themselves, cared for their bodies, prepared food for their day... all the usual stuff that people in the real world do. I think we managed to cover all the important stuff: religion, politics, food and entertainment!

Yellow Coneflower