progress

In Simon's history lesson we were supposed to be talking about the differences that electricity and running water had brought during the 20^th century. This wasn't as easy as it might have been with your average 6 year old living in Europe. We had to look at photos and say what the old object had been replaced with.

We looked at the photo of a flat iron … and I realised that Simon has more often seen one of these (used by our seamstress in the village) than an electric iron. I don't quite dare to plug in ours in case it sends our solar power system crashing (plus I'm lazy and it's hot enough already here!).

Then we looked at the photo of an old village pump.

"What do you think this has been replaced by, Simon?"

"Um … a foot pump like in our village?" (Although at home we have a well, an electric pump, a storage tank on our roof, and therefore running water in the house, the pump in our village was a more obvious equivalent!)

Then there was a picture of a gas lamp, and Simon said, "Candles and battery-powered lamps!" … again, we do have electric lighting installed, but we can't use it all the time! How exciting it will be to visit Europe this summer!!

Still, we have managed to teach him about some things which are not in his everyday experience. In his Art lesson I asked him when people plant fields in Europe and he did know that it was in the Spring. Phew!

Simon at school – we are very blessed to have a room set apart for school in another building on our property.