On Cloud Nine<\/em>. The heart of this math program is \u201cimaging;\u201d it\u2019s visualizing numbers, the number line, and word problems. \u00a0When you see two blocks, say the authors of the program, you should be able to visualize a two in your mind. \u00a0I still don\u2019t completely understand the importance of this particular step, but I like where the program goes down the road so I just went with it as written.<\/p>\nI showed the boys the cubes, and the cards with the numbers on them, and then asked them to close their eyes and get a picture of the number in their head. \u00a0Neither boy could do it. \u00a0When they saw that I was frustrated, they each lied and told me they could see the numbers \u2013 which is equally sweet and horrifying. \u00a0Then I tried to close my eyes to visualize a number myself and realized that I couldn\u2019t do it either. \u00a0A quick trip back to the book and I realized that we were not supposed to close our eyes.<\/p>\n
Does all of this sound ridiculous? \u00a0It did to me too. \u00a0But I ignored that sinking feeling, the one that was hinting that just maybe this was not the right program for us, the one that was accusing me of spending too much money on a program I had doubts about after attending the training.<\/p>\n
We forged on, and I saw hints that things might improve. \u00a0Like the fact that neither boy told me it was \u201cstupid baby work,\u201d even though all we were doing was trying to imagine a blue three or a green five as we air wrote the number and said it aloud. \u00a0I could see something going on in their heads as they tried to \u201cimage\u201d the numbers. \u00a0Just as the book predicted, when they started trying to imagine the numbers, they eyes went to the upper corners of their sockets. \u00a0 What I thought we would fly through because it was too easy was actually in that sweet spot of just hard enough.<\/p>\n
If nothing else, the langue of \u201cimaging\u201d something was helpful as we worked our way through Ezra\u2019s question later in the day in the car.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo why does he say that women too are made in his image,\u201d I asked again on the ride home.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know. \u00a0Just tell us,\u201d they each protested.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, the Bible uses lots and lots of male language for God, like Jesus and Father. \u00a0But it also uses some feminine images, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLike what?\u201d demanded Zach.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, the Bible says that God is like a mother hen gathering her chicks under her wings. \u00a0And there are references to the wisdom of God where wisdom is female. \u00a0And sometimes God\u2019s spirit is referred to with a feminine word, like Ruach<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cThen maybe God has two hearts and two heads,\u201d posited Ez.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe, but I think that God is so glorious, so amazing, that there is no way we can picture him. \u00a0I just don\u2019t think we can imagine anything as wonderful as God.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s too bad,\u201d lamented Zach.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d concurred Ez. \u00a0\u201cHe\u2019s making it kind of hard for people to believe in him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Image problems all around today.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cMom, is God a boy or a girl?\u201d Ezra asked on the ride home from taking my mother to the airport today. \u201cWell that\u2019s a good question. \u00a0What do you think?\u201d \u201cBoy!\u201d both boys shouted in unison. \u201cWell, what does the Bible say? \u00a0When it says that God made man and woman in the image […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":190,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[5,225,226,227],"class_list":["post-794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-homeschool","tag-is-god-male-or-female","tag-on-cloud-nine-math","tag-visualizing-numbers"],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/a>\u201cMom, is God a boy or a girl?\u201d Ezra asked on the ride home from taking my mother to the airport today.<\/p>\n