Homeschooling and Brain Surgery

An 18-year-old, non-homeschooled friend of my son’s was at our house during our Bible lesson with my 13-year-old daughter. He was sitting on the couch not far from the kitchen table where Nora and I sat coloring our Bible lesson. Yes, you read that right… coloring. It’s the BEST Bible curriculum out there, in my humble 16-year homeschooling experience.

“Picture This!” is a walk through the Bible system that has pages for each book with lightly shaded lines for you to draw and color the history from the Word of God. We read Bible verses, then we draw, then we color, and then we read more Bible verses talking about each as we go along.

This is not a sales pitch for the curriculum, but I love it so much I wouldn’t have a hard time selling it. (I am making no profit from this…. in case you thought I had figured out how to make profits off my favorite homeschool ditties. Um… no.)

Here is the page we were working on when our story began:

“This is the covenant I will make with them
    after that time,” says the Lord.
“I will put my laws in their hearts,
    and I will write them on their minds.” Hebrews 10:16

Wanting to always be RIGHT, my daughter asked, “Mom, what color are brains?”

An honest question. I replied, “I think they are sort of pink.”

Nora inquired, “How do you know? Have you seen a brain?”

Then, as most homeschooling lessons go, we veered off to a bunny trail on youtube and watched a video on brain surgery so my girl could see a real live brain. The surgeon was removing some dark colored blob and we could see the blood still pumping through different veins. She thought it was the most supremely awesome video in the history of the galaxy. How is this my child?

Setting my phone down, so I didn’t have to hold all seven minutes of brain surgery in my hand, I concentrated on non-gagging images in my head… like watercolor pictures of flowers and birdies. I get queasy with blood and guts and bones and such. I realize this is surprising to some who know our family’s history of frequent ER trips. But it’s true. I’m an injured-anatomy wimp.

When brain surgery ended, we found another video (like one wasn’t enough!) with a scientist holding a recently harvested brain before it had hardened up. I didn’t realize brains harden up, but they do. I am learning so much from homeschooling. Miss Scientist was naming the different lobes while holding and squeezing it in her gloved hands, and showing the characteristics of a fresh brain. It was so gross to me I had to keep my eyes averted most of the little show. However, my daughter’s dream of becoming a scientist was planted a little deeper in her blood-n-guts loving heart.

Back to the non-homeschooler on the couch… his interest was piqued and he sauntered into the kitchen and viewed the videos with us. His only comment, “I thought you guys were doing Bible?”

“We ARE doing Bible. This is homeschooling.” And back to coloring we went.

Wanted: Moving Boxes

 

Recently I saw a video on YouTube where a man was describing the difference between the brains of men and women.  It was choice!  He described a woman’s brain as a conglomeration of interconnecting wires that have multiple pieces of information flying from here to there at all times.  I believe this is true…. even in my sleep I can’t turn off the thoughts and ideas.  I wake up at 3:27 in the morning and mentally add items to my grocery list.

Then he explained how a man’s brain functions, and I found it to be shockingly true as well.  He said there are many little boxes  in a man’s head.  Each one holds specific information for an event or idea.  But only one box can be opened at a time.  If a conversation shifts gears, he must close the first box in order to open the next box that applies.  AND, most importantly, the box that men usually have open is the empty box.  This explains a lot, doesn’t it, girls?

I used to think my dear husband was hearing impaired when I had to repeat things to him.  Now I realize that he was busy closing the empty box, so that he could open the box I was talking about.  No wonder he gets tired of having in-depth conversations with me!  Think of all the work involved! 

I let my daughter watch the video so that she would have a greater understanding of the opposite sex.  I wish I had known this truth when I was her age.  She laughed, but I thought that was the last of her response.  Au contraire.  On Sunday, we were driving to church and I asked Rick a question about our afternoon hockey activities.  No response.  After a few seconds, I heard a voice quietly drift from the back seat, “Close the empty box.  Open the hockey box.”  Of course Rick didn’t hear that because he was in mental motion.  Then he said, “What?”  And the females burst out with peals of laughter, bringing on another, “WHAT?”  He’s such a dear.  I love him to pieces.