Don't you just love it....

Don't you just love it when you get to really see and hear that your kids really are learning?  I've had a few of those moments recently and it is AWESOME!!  We are in the Renaissance period right now. We have been reading like crazy the reading list that came with DD's unit.  She has loved it.  She has read so much.  One of the books was called "Nory Ryan's Song".  It's about a young girl in Ireland.  Anyway, last night at dinner as we were eating our baked potatoes, DD started telling us about potatoes and the Irish and before we knew it we were discussing the British and how they weren't really the nicest people (sorry to any Brits who may be reading here) in the past.  She talked about why "we" left there and came here.  She talked about how poorly they treated the Irish (I wanted to talk about how they weren't treated well here either when they first arrived but didn't get the chance yet).  Before I knew it we were talking about the Native Americans and how badly we treated them.  It was just unreal the knowledge she has.  Well, not really unreal but I guess I just didn't realize how much she had learned and retained.  Her thought process was just amazing!  The reasoning that was going on in her little head and so nonchalantly too.

The same thing is going on with DS too.  I don't remember what we were talking about but somehow we ended up talking about WWII and the different countries involved and he was just showing me up with his knowledge and he was right too!  Again, this was all off the cuff and very nonchalant like everyone should know this stuff, MOM.  I asked him how he knew all this because we haven't really studied this yet (that's next year) and he said, "I know you don't believe me but I read A LOT."  LOL  That cracks me up.  I do know he reads a lot but just didn't know he had read much about this subject.  I've not picked out those books for him yet so I just didn't realize he was reading them on his own.  Both of my kids are readers and I LOVE THAT!! 

I've said this before, but it has been a while so I want to say it again.  If you make it available, with little encouragement, they will eventually pick it up on their own.  Really, they will.  I have seen this over and over with my kids and I'm a true believer in it.  I just wish I had the money to make it ALL available to them.  LOL

The funny part of all this is that these were just normal conversations.  We weren't talking about school, we weren't doing school work, we were just driving down the road in one conversation, just chatting and the other was at the dinner table over baked potatoes.  It just amazes me sometimes.  I guess they are doing okay.  (Notice I said THEY.  They do it themselves with me just providing the books and curriculum and being available if needed but really and truly, THEY do it.)  I have AWESOME kids.... well, most of the time anyway.  :o)

Have a great day!