Learning

To me, life is about learning and progressing - and about learning to love learning and progressing.  I'm sure my kids will pick up all sorts of things from me (hopefully a good dose of faith, some manners and respect for others and for nature, and strong work ethic, among other things).  But perhaps my top hope is that they will be launched from our home and into the next phase of their lives with a passion for learning and growing and making every day count.

As I sit here working on some Power of Moms stuff, my sweet Oliver just came and sat by me.  He said, "Mommy, I think I need to do some werning today.  I didn't do any werning yet."  What he was really saying was that he wanted my permission to get on the computer and play learning games on PBS Kids.  So now he's happily playing on the other computer next to me.  But I hope that deep down, maybe Ollie's already getting the message that learning is something wonderful and great and that there can and should be an element of learning and growth in virtually every activity - every day.

Isaac just came over and sat quietly next to me.  I think he wants some lunch and it's that time so I need to be done soon.  But I asked Isaac, "What do you think about learning, buddy."  Without hesitation, he said "Fun. Very fun.  Can we eat soon?"  Yeah!  They're getting it!  Let me try Liza.  "Hey Liza, come here.  When I say 'learning' what do you think of?"  Liza: "Easy and fun."

To Isaac and Eliza: "What have you learned in California and up at the Farm this past week?"

Liza: "I learned how they make those sculptures out of that metal at the Getty Museum.  I learned that the green rocks are called emeralds and they're really really rare.  I learned that baby cows can stand up and walk when they've only been alive for a few hours."

Isaac: "I learned how to sketch - I liked how you can look at the lines and shadows and do shading and be like a real artist in that special sketching room.  I learned that if you have your seat belt on and you're going really fast and you crash you won't die from that crash test dummy at the science museum. And at the Bull Sale I learned that auctioneers talk really really fast and that they use cow poo to make the soil better to grow potatoes.  Weird but cool.  I learned about how they give cows shots and saw how some cows have such big muscles that they break the really thick needle when they give them shots.  I learned that baby cows can come out when their mom is standing up and they're OK even though they fall on the floor when they get born - the hay was soft.  I learned that baby cows get born in a sack and their moms lick them off.  I learned how their mom pushes them over to go by her belly where all the milk things are so they can eat."

So I guess they are learning a lot.  And it seems like they're liking it.

This is my favorite thing about motherhood - seeing my kids' surprise and delight as they learn new things and being right there to point things out and expose them to things and experience it all with them.