Jul. 15, 2004 - Treasure Hunting...

It all started with a trip to the Thrift Store. I was on a quest for school books for Jordan. There were hundreds to choose from, so I made a comfortable little spot on the floor, and dove in. Workbooks were abundant, but I didn't find much. Most of the other material was geared towards a higher grade level. I felt really lucky when I came across a few Usborne books and tossed them into the cart. Adrian, the baby, was with me, and found the book tossing quite amusing. That usually ended in a big grin and even the occasional chuckle. Little did he know, he too would someday be chided as he learned to study and learn the things that would make him a successful man one day.

I waded through more books, and found a couple on the Romans. This would good, as it would go quite nicely with the "Stories of the World" I had purchased for History. I also managed to get a book on Trappers and Traders, Pioneering, and a few other history related gems.

The quest was still on as I searched for science books. Per the teaching method we are using, I wanted some nice books on animals. Whatever animals that Jordan might enjoy, and I didn't think something like a muskrat was going to keep his interest very long. So, I dug and dug, and Adrian watched in fascination as a few books were lucky enough to make the cart. Bingo! There it was, shining back at me. A book on Spiders. Now, they give me the willies and chills, but Jordan, a 6 year old, would *love* it. So, naturally, I bought it. Filled with colorful pages of various spiders, and their types of webs, it was a treasure chest of information. I was delighted to bring it home. I began to think of different activities and crafts that we might be able to do; none involving *real* spider watching, mind you.

It was no surprise that this book was Jordan's favorite book. He wanted to read it immediately. I opened the cover, and a large Wolf Spider stared back at me as I began to read the words on the page. Jordan's eyes danced across the colorful spread as he pointed at this and that. His little brother, Cayden, peeked over his shoulder. After the book was all done, Jordan narrated a few short sentences back to me, which we put in his notebook. He even colored a great picture of a Silver Garden spider on an orb web. He thought the orb webs were very cool because, "That's what Spiderman has". Okay. Enough about Super Heroes already. I was diligent about keeping his mind on track.

This morning, he's up and about, drawing pictures of Spiders. Maybe he'll even remember to give them 8 eyes. I watch him from afar, and I smile to myself. This is what education is about. I found a little gem, and he's enjoying the heck out it.