The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

I know it's Tuesday and I should be teaching something constitutional.  But I have nothing.  I'm trying to get ahead on my To Do list and I'm still busy taking my Christmas decorations down.  However, I will let you know that I am reading the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.  I really like it.  I'm reading it because it's the first selection in the Harvard Classics.

"The Harvard Classics?" you ask.  Yes, the Harvard Classics.  About 10 years ago my husband somehow came across a volume of the Harvard Classics.  He was determined to get the whole set.  They aren't that hard to come by, but the problem was that we were newlyweds and we didn't have any money.  Every weekend we would go on a hunt for Harvard Classics at thrift stores and garage sales.  Finally, we found a used bookstore that had a whole set (an old one).  The owners of the bookstore were very nice and they let us buy two volumes per week for $2.60 per book.  So since there are about 50 volumes, it took us about six months to get the whole set.

For the past several years the set has been sitting in our garage.  On Saturday we brought it into the house. Supposedly if you read the books, it's suppose to be like getting a college education, or something like that.  You can read more about it here.  Anyway, I was recently inspired to maybe try to read these books.  By nature I'm kind of the type of person who likes to watch The Bachelor and read People magazine, and the subject of history has never really been my "thing".  But learning about the Constitution and our Founder Fathers has been an enlightening experience.  I'm am thirsty for more knowledge in this subject area.  I was excited to find that the first selection was good 'ole Ben's Autobiography.

I also came across a homeschool method called the Thomas Jefferson Education.  I am partially adopting this method for our family.  It's basically a method that uses classic books instead of textbooks to teach your children.  Of course there is more involved, but that's the jist.  Several of the selections in the Harvard Classics are also classics included on the list of recommended reading for the Thomas Jefferson Education.

So there we have it.  Today's lesson is that I'm reading the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.  Ben Franklin was a Founding Father.

Oh, and did you happen to see Congress read the Constitution last week?  I sat with my kids and we watched it on C-Span.  The media kind of criticized that they left out certain parts that had been altered by amendments, saying that they were overlooking part of our country's history.  I say, "whatever."  I think it's cool that it was read and I hope it helps bring Congress to a remembrance that we should have Constitutionally sound legislation.

One more thing.  This weekend we took a tour of a local attraction.  It's where our state ratified the constitution.  I got to take the kids' picture by a framed copy of the Constitution.  They were excited to see it.