Find Joy. Seek Truth. Be Kind.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Wanted: Normal Children.... nah

We're having a snow day today.



Yes. Even homeschoolers can have snow days, but they might not look like a school kids snow day. Actually, I don't think anybody's snowday could look like ours.
I'm pretty sure that's a good thing.

Setting the scene:
Me? I'm standing at the sink washing the fingerling potatoes we rescued from the garden a couple of weeks ago.


My 8 yo walks up to me to chat.

8yo: "Mom? What if there are free floating electrons? Are there ever electrons just hanging out but not attached to an atom?"

Me: "Yes, I think that's what electricity is, electrons moving."

8yo: "No, not moving. What if they're just floating around? Do they ever do that?"

Me: "Hey, are you going to build a snowman?"
(Notice how quick I am to get myself out of that one? There's more than one kind of smarts.)

8yo: "What about the electrons?"

11 yo walks up.

11yo: "My bomb just went off in the house. " (he sighs)

Me: "Did you clean it up?"
(I'm not too mad. Did you notice what a great distraction he provided? I'm not up to par with these #@! electrons.)

11yo: "I got it into the bathroom before it exploded. It could have been dangerous, but it was just messy."

Did you notice he didn't mention if he cleaned up?

8yo: "What would happen if there were free floating electrons?"

Me: "Do you need help zipping your coat?"

I still haven't looked at the bathroom.

Friday, October 16, 2009

This is your brain, learning all the time

I know, I have been quite delinquent in my posting, or rather, lack there of. In my defense, I'm BUSY! Coaching an FLL team, doing music with the children for worship on Sundays, rehearsing and performing with two choirs, and oh ya, homeschooling three kids.... Which means while I have a lot I could post about, I don't have any time to post it. :^P

I've been reading some fascinating stuff recently. I can't quite tell where I'm going with the synthesis of it. One area I've been reading about is brain function and plasticity. With books like "The Brain That Changes Itself", "Proust and the Squid, the Story and Science of the Reading Brain", "Predictably Irrational" and then this video series:
http://www.worldsciencefestival.com/video/notes-neurons-full

It's worth watching the video series, if nothing else just to hear Bobby McFerrin.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009