Learning about Joyfulness

Did you ever play this game? Each person lays their head on the belly of another person and then the first one says, "Ha! Ha!" That first laugh is not genuine, but by the time the second or third person says it, everyone is truly laughing. The more they laugh, the more their heads get bounced up and down. It's really contagious.

The kids and I had fun learning about laughter, comedians and clowns. But the real learning began when I made them think about the difference between happiness and joy. I asked them some really hard questions about where true happiness comes from.

To go along with this theme, we read the classic story of "The Secret Garden." It took us about two weeks to get through it (with me reading it outloud). The kids were not in the habit of sitting still and listening to me read a story, since all of them can read for themselves. I was asked several times why we couldn't just rent the movie. But after just a few sittings, I began to requests to read the story during all times of day. It was exciting for me to see my kids become interested in a classic. The story is so touching at times that I would often tear up. Susanna has now begun to tease my about how easily I cry. But she doesn't yet understand how beautiful it is to see a child discover joy and friendship for the first time.

During this study about joy, my mother-in-law had to go into the hospital. It was a terrible ordeal for her, but it fit in perfectly with my lessons as I tried to teach them the Biblical principle of joy in the midst of suffering. One day I had the children draw pictures for her to put up at the hospital and bring a smile to her face. A couple of times the children visited her at the hospital. And then they visited her at home while she was recovering.

They must have talked non-stop for close to an hour, and it was all so random that I had to try to write it down. Here are the notes I took while it was going on (using the first initial only for each child's name):

As we walk in the door, Clarice starts talking about what we want to be when we grow up: C- nurse for animals; A- inventor of the flying car and the underwater city.

J and A -Explaining to Abuela about size of Jupiter, heat output of larger stars;black holes.

Susanna talks about her dreams of another solar system which Andre thinks might be true if God wanted it that way.

Andre talks about diamonds that are man made.

Susanna goes back to talking about her dream of another solar system and the people who live there.

J. Keeps having dreams of wearing a jet pack that shoots him to Jupiter. Abuela asks if he likes Jupiter and he says, "Yes... Well... I like things that are big."

A. Talks about how far a light year is.

C. Is just sitting on Abuela's lap and cuddling.

S. Continues talking about dream world: "Kid digs in the ground with a fork and finds something. He says "ooh! A penny!" but it was really gold."

J. Dream: Jet pack shot him to an asteroid belt. Sort of like a choose- your-own-adventure book. He magnetized the meteors which were mixed with gems and they came back to earth with him. He crash landed into the neighbor's house (but nobody was living there) and he was ok. Happy ending.

A. Thinks J. might have a good idea: "Magnetized belt can keep a person from flying into space
while at a space station."

S. Dream world: "Kids had jobs not adults. Two kids for each family, but lots of parents."

J. "I can use my head to make static electricity. " He rubs his head on the couch and then says, "this is the wrong kind of couch."

Abuela. Asks about the field trip to the food bank.

A. Explains why we couldn't go in (because most of the group had on open-toe shoes which were not allowed in the warehouse. but we'll go again soon.)

S talks about the people who have to make their own houses on her world

J says susanna's world is like the computer game Spore

A starts explaining about the different civilizations in Spore with input from J

C demonstrates how she can almost do a split

A continues explaining

C starts talking about the types of animals she will have when she grows up, like a nurse shark

A "nurse sharks are not really nice"

J. "Sharks don't really like the taste of human blood."

A. Explains about an episode of Mythbusters involving sharks to test what attracts them: movement or smell of blood

C reminds me that we are supposed to go to the pool

A. Mythbusters episode with robot dog in the water with real scent of dog (tv guy explained that the scent was like the dog's business card)

Abuela- "sniff, you're a plumber! Sniff, you're an engineer." (much laughing)

S. sniff: "I'm a dog who destroys your toilets by licking them!" (much more laughing)

C. "My cat will be named flufffy."

J. "I'm going to have eight kittens."

A. Talking about myth that bullet will be stopped by pizza boxes. Then the myth that two semi-trucks would crush a car between them.

C. Is looking at things all around the room then reminds me of the pool again

A. Still recounting the episode of pancaking the car.

C. Is hanging on me or bouncing next to me saying "pool! pool! pool!"

S. "I can feel the vibrations of Andre's voice in the couch cushions."

A. Demonstrates a sonic boom with his arms and comes close to hitting Johnathan in the face.

Laughing

C. Remembers an episode about London Tipton who accidentally hits someone in the face when she says "London Tipton has arrived!!"

A. Talks about sonic waves

Abuela describes ultrasound procedures

C. Is on my back flipping my hair into my face and asking to go

I say it's time to go

A. Keeps trying to finish the story about the pancake car

J and C start wrestling, then move away

S gets her shoes on and says goodbye




C talks about club penguin

A and J keep talking about sonic booms

Hugs and goodbyes

S. Asks about a green plaque on Abuela's shelf

Abuela Explains

S. Asks about rock. Abuela explains it's a quartz from Nicaragua

J. Asks about a shell. Abuela explains it's a scent box imitating a
treasure box from Anthropology

We leave with Andre still talking as we head out the door.



Another benefit of homeschooling: we had the pool to ourselves!