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[Moonbeam]

Over the last year I have been explaining to my children how some people make rules that actually hurt others. This started over some questions they had as to why I could get in trouble if they were not “properly secured” in the car. Just planting the seeds of liberty…

Anyway, one day we were watching an episode of The Rifleman. The sheriff had to go away on business and agreed to deputize one of the local business owners. A man rode into town to tell his friends about the birth of his son. He celebrated by shooting straight in the air (another discussion, I know). The acting sheriff confiscated his gun and the next day he posted a sign saying that anyone entering the town must turn in their guns, to be returned when they left town, or they would not be allowed to enter the town. Of course, Lucas McCain said, “um, no I keep my gun.”

Well, wouldn’t you know it?! Some bad guys were in the saloon and pointed out how all the holsters were empty thus they would be free to conduct their bad guy actions!!

I took the opportunity to expound on the groundwork already laid about rules that actually hurt people. I explained that the “bad guys” could hurt others because the “good guys” could not defend themselves or others because the “good intentioned” sheriff had taken away their guns. I kept it simple (we’re dealing with first graders here), but even a couple of six year-olds understood the idea. Makes a mom proud to be able to be around her Little Ones in such a way that life-lesson opportunities like this can be seized!

[bennie]

I always like the little lessons on The Rifleman.

[Moonbeam]

This will fall under the "what I learned teaching homeschooling...."

We're finishing up our Zoology I studies (flying creations) and though I will never be an entomologist, and in general I'm not an insect-loving kind of girl, I do appreciate God's creatures in general and I am so amazed at what scientists have studied! I repeated to the kids throughout this course, "Someone had to observe this! Someone had to dissect these creatures! Someone had to observe this!" But, I repeat myself in my excitement. So here's a couple of things I thought were particularly interesting.

- Bat poop (called guano) contains certain chemicals that are extracted for use in laundry detergent and other products. [Okay, who was the first guy that thought, "let's use this poop stuff in our laundry!" And I'm too afraid to look up what "other products" are exactly...

- Termites cannot digest cellulose (one of the main components in wood). So when they are born, and whenever the nymph molts, they must eat other termite feces, which contains little creatures called flagellates that can digest the cellulose. Ugh and fascinating all in one!