The best parts of this last week were my classes at the community center-most especially marine biology, math games and today's Wilderness Awareness.  I love being outside and today learned about sit spotting.  Sit spots are a place you go regularly-in the woods, on our porch, where you sit and listen and observe.  Today an eagle passed right over me while I was doing this, it was amazing.  I am going to find a spot in my yard to practice this every day.  I love to watch the world around me, there is so much you miss when you are moving but when you are still it comes to you. 

Back to mom.  Wilderness Awareness is a classic example of why we homeschool.  So little true learning happens by textbook or curricula, so much of it stifles the real joy of learning.  Conor's love of learning comes from real experiences, from many teachers not necessarily certified, the best of whom function to inspire and fire him on.  This has been our best year ever with leapfrogs of learning in science and math, and this is the year we have taken full advantage of community center classes and group classes with homeschool friends.  Sure, Conor still soars through fractions in our Singapore math, but I see much more going on with the fraction games he plays with his homeschool friends.  Our curriculum was a lovely springboard, but mainly inspired us to learn more ourselves.  I know now next year that will be our focus more than ever, and oh, it gets even more fun as his interest grows!