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<< I realized that she was really studying the drawings, sound, voices, and
who
knows what else. >>

When Kirby was little he was fascinated by "voice-work"--singing,
voice-acting for cartoons, voice-overs, ventriloquism, puppetry. He heard
voices in a way I never had. H heard voices like artists see colors. He
would recognize a voice on a commercial and say "that's they guy who does
Michaelangelo on Ninja Turtles," and on Sesame Street he figured out which
all were Jim Henson and which all were Frank Oz.

Once we were in a little-kids' homeschooling chat. I was typing for him; he
was dictating.

One of the kids wrote "Who's your favorite singer?"

In the time he told me to write "Michael Jackson..."
and I did, and he added "Julie Andrews,"
eight or ten other kids had put "Amy Grant."

Nobody else named anyone.

It was a creepy moment in which I felt proud of Kirby and afraid of all other
homeschoolers on earth. That's a weird thing, but it was true at that
moment.

I had tried to expose Kirby to anything and everything. When he was asked
what singer he liked, he scanned his mind for every singer in every style he
had ever heard and picked the two he honestly felt were the best singers. He
was using the knowledge he had in a guileless and open and honest way.

All I could think was the others were naming one of the few singers their
parents would let them listen to, and that when she was no longer the #1
singer in her (very small) field, they would move on to some other temporary
favorite. They weren't listening to singers in anywhere NEAR the way Kirby
was listening, nor in the range of exposure to music Kirby was getting.

Sometimes a moment like that strengthens all resolve and belief in
unschooling and trusting kids to grow IF you encourage and let them.

I repotted some plants I had kinda forgotten about lately. They were dusty
and root-bound and Holly helped me re-pot. Of course every one of them
greened up, stretched out, and showed new growth.

Some people keep their kids in a small pot. Too small and too long.
I have NO idea how those plants grow, what their roots are thinking, how they
process what's in the soil, but I had been starving them in dust. My job was
just to make sure they had good, fresh soil and water and sun. THEY know
what they're doing.

I feel the same way about my kids. If they want more music, I get more
music. More outings? Let's go. More art supplies? Okay. Games? Yes.
Super glue and stuff I don't even recognize? Parts to fix a TV I'd just as
soon throw out? For them it's good, rich material.

Sandra



Sandra

"Everything counts."
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