Currently have my eleven year old daughter organizing and counting loose change. It's so grand having kids. Not only are they a joy, they are quite useful, i.e. "Honey, please pass the remote. Counts/organize the cents. Pour me a glass of water (with three ice cubes), please. Scratch mommy's back... Thank you darling" etc. xoxo

We are mid doing laundry - with her by my side, is quite helpful. After we extract all the quarters, along with separating all the half dollars, dimes, nickels, pennies. Later on in the week we'll take all the coins to the Credit Union to deposit into our accounts. In my planned homeschool curriculum (Sage), included with various other beneficial and useful subjects to study, I have her learning: entrepreneurship; finance, accounting (husbands occupation), inventory and stocks/bonds. Eventually real estate too. Hours in are day are filled doing something substantive. Time & energy is a precious commodity. "A mind is a terrible thing to waste". [smile]

Basic common sense, critical thinking can be enhanced by giving kids something useful to do. Delegating those things that "seem" too adult for a child to comprehend.  Teach them young how to contribute to family, to community, to planet. My eldest/son started college at fourteen. I believe his precocious proclivities were advanced through both nature and nurture. Fortuned at least two supporting[tive] adults (or guardians) - us, helped make it easier. Same with my daughter.

She and I were privileged a marvelous Tuesday. Started off by attending an early morning yarn social - mostly elderly women, with a few middle-aged ones (including myself), down to the youngest, my daughter. Participants are usually awed by her prowess in yarn crafting - knitting, crocheting, loom.

This day, she assisted this elder woman with her loom. Fantastic to observe. To me, this is a valuable part of her education - following/reading a pattern, intelligently socializing (being shy or awkward is foreign to my kids, thankfully. I was both shy and awkward in my youth which caused me to miss out on great opportunities, I think), creating something beautiful, volunteering/helping others.

Afterwards we went to our local farmers market. Even with empty wallets, we enjoy walking, socializing, learning about an assortment of fruits and vegetables. I encourage her to be respectfully assertive. Speak up and ask vendors questions when needed. Be/stay curious. And if /when we interact with a Spanish speaker -- if person is open, I encourage her to practice her Spanish by using it. I find that most foreign speakers are obliged when they see someone interested in their language or their culture. And me, I'm always fascinated by anything/anyone unique or different. Perhaps because fall under that description in some form or fashion. Rather than conform, I embrace. Digressed...

I love when we have days like this: non stressful, relaxing, productive. Later we ended our outings with a spontaneous trip to the library. Of course, as you've read in previous blogs, this is my most favorite and happiest place to be - surrounded by books. All that knowledge and adventure at my disposal. While here, I encouraged my daughter to utilize the computers. Though we have access to them at home, I prefer her use the libraries as it has a time limit and the environment is that which is a studious atmosphere.

Today is a day where I feel like an energizer bunny. Closer to my previous self at better health, at least I thought. Husband is home now. He goes in the office a few days a week, and work from home the other. His company was so accommodating with the life change/challenge.

The load may be ready. Off I go, until energy declines.