RE (aka: Religious Education)

I had the pleasure of recently attending a 'Parents Only' evening in the company of several other Home Ed local mums, and though I was running on fumes that day thanks to several nights of insomnia, AND I knew I'd have a hard time driving home thanks to severe night-blindness AND as mentioned in previous post, I have this little problem with Agoraphobia......I am SO glad I went and enjoyed the evening amongst like, yet different, minds.  The conversations flowed with a respectful acceptance that although we may be humming in harmony, we are most certainly singing from different song sheets.

Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

One topic that came up was initially called 'RE', which I learned (upon inquiring) is 'Religious Education'.  I've met many who home ed so they can embrace religious education full speed, and I meet others who keep it at arms bay. There's Creationist, there's Evolutionists, and there's 'Who Cares?'.  I think I already posted about my spirituality somewhere in this blog, so won't bore you again, but to sum up:  I think it's an individual experience that the ages bring new wisdom to. I wish folks would stop trying to put so many labels to what should not be labeled. However, I did stop to ponder:  What RE are my children experiencing?

And the answer is 'LOTS'! For example, just tonight, my children and I were exploring the rock pools at the beach as the sun set. the beauty of it all made me want to kiss the sky.
Whilst the girls were scattered here and there trying to make new friends, Zephyr walked along side of me.

He piped up with 'Mommy, I know how the ocean was created.......there was a big flood.  it rained and rained for a REALLLLLLY long time'. That prompted me to respond with 'well, maybe that is true, Zephyr.  there's a really old story about a flood from when it rained 40 days and 40 nights'
(insert moment of thinking silence)
'Well, Mommy, that's right, sort of. at least that's what that the cartoon talks about'
I couldn't help but ask 'would that cartoon be Animaniacs then?' (because, honestly, those cartoons are GENIUS at teaching kids history)
'Yes!' responds Zephyr, who goes on to explain to me 'there was this man who knew about the flood and he built a big boat'
'Oh' I say, 'was the mans name Noah'?
'Yes', says Z 'a big cloud talked to him and told him about the flood and the cloud told him to build the big boat.  well, the cloud had a name, but I can't remember it'

See! Religious Education from Animaniac cartoons.  RE is everywhere. Indigo even had a valuable lesson from a former sitter who watched the children a few hours during the day whilst I worked upstairs in my office and stay-at-home-dad hubby 'had a break'. One day, after the nanny had gone home, Indigo mentioned 'God', and I asked 'oh, what do you know of God'.  She then pointed to her forehead and said 'well, the nanny says God is here', and then she pointed to her chest and said 'and that God is here'. Hmmmmmm, I thought.
Well, actually what I thought was 'How DARE this woman mention such things to MY children!'
But, I think I distracted the conversation with something like 'oh! who wants to go get an ice cream?'
The next day, our lovely Cypress was having some serious allergies with serious sneezing.  At one point, she let out the biggest sneeze that produced the biggest, nastiest, green slimy snot shooting out her nose and getting stuck half-way, just dangling there for all us to get grossed out at. When Indigo blurted out 'Look Mommy!  See! Cypress has GOD coming out of her Nose!'
(now, I suppose this could be RE, though I must admit I was quite impressed that Indigo, who was 6 then, knew that the head and chest produced junk that came out of your nose. she'd make a great doctor!)

yes, this is a real book

So, there ya go. RE does exist in this household. As I mentioned to another HE mum, my children hear all about it when their daddy and me have convo's at the supper table about religion.  Maybe not in the same context as RE in national curriculum, but it's RE nonetheless.