Inspire, Not Require

I will have to admit, that this is by far the hardest of the TJed Philosophies for me to implement. It isn't entirely that I don't subscribe to it, because I do, but it requires imagination and in my personal belief, Devine inspiration. While I consider myself, creative, it is only because I am great at copying and perhaps tweaking things to suit my own needs. I am just not entirely an original gal. Which makes this concept hard. What works for one family may not (and the chances can be good) that it won't work for another and yet what we do within our own families may inspire another family to take it, tweak it and make it their own.

So this last week, my inspirations were:

Candy Math- (Doing addition and subtraction with the older two kids with Math Wrap Ups and using Hershey Kisses if they needed a help of a manipulative and promising them 10 each seemed to work. They loved playing with the entire bag of Hershey Kisses, lining them up, creatively coming up to see how many were in the bag, adding and subtracting, making lines and shapes with candy. Too bad I can't get them to do that with carrots. Anyhow... Math inspired and accomplished. Candy Math is a hit. Will their teeth suffer though?

Muffin Tin Monday-"Muffin tin what?", you say. That's right. Muffin Tin Monday. Check it out here. Not only has Muffin Tin Monday been a source of inspiration/bribery to get their chores done so we could have our special lunch but today...it took off into homeschool bliss. Muffin Tin Monday went to Thailand. I made Pad Thai and Turkey with Thai Peanut Sauce and served it in a muffin tin. I told them it was food from Thailand. All I got was "Where's Thailand? What do they look like?" And there you have it. A search in the atlas and an adventure online and now... my kids are out in the back yard doing Thai Folk Dancing.

Now I definately need to work on some Divine Inspiration as to what my family needs but we are having a great time around here.

So there you have it. I took an idea from somewhere else, tweaked and made it my own. Perhaps next week we will go somewhere else for Muffin Tin Monday. But this Mamma's inspired. So take a chance. Serve your lunch in a muffin tin and find some inspiration where you least expect it.

H.