one of those (wonderful) days

i love my days learning at home with my children.
but if you know me, you know if i say i love something,
it doesn't mean its often easy or always wonderful.
as a matter of fact, most of our days
are "one of those (ordinary) days".
we read a bit, play alot, write a little, bake some,
squabble a fair bit, clean alot, and just try to work together.
but sometimes, we have "one of those (wonderful) days".
the kinds of days you dream about before you begin to homeschool,
and the kinds of days that give you what it takes to stick with it.
well, today was one of those days.
and for posterity,
(yes, i will probably need to read it before next week as a reminder)
and for encouragement (for some of you on this path),
i will try to recount it beginning to end.

i was awake before the kids (always a good beginning),
and able to have a little time with God and joel.
one by one the kids began to tumble out of bed,
and in an effort to get the blog up to date,
we composed the previous post.
we then made our way to the kitchen for breakfast
where a science lesson awaited us.
yesterday we had found a little snake in the garden.
before i could protest, he was becoming a part of the family.
and by nightime, he was occupying the kitchen table in a salad container.
by morning, he had secured his place,
by shedding his skin with impeccable timing.
the kids were shrieking with excitement.
after several minutes of poring over the snakeskin,
we were calm enough for eating.
i love leisurely breakfast on days we have nowhere to go,
so over eggs and toast, we memorized scripture, read poetry,
and read voice of the martyrs newletter for children, children of courage.
they then moved onto chores
(cleaning breakfast, making beds, putting away laundry).
after chores, they all began to play some rendition of superhero make-believe,
which amazingly lasted quite a while...
at least long enough for me to finish my chores for the morning.

then, hungry again...
we returned to the kitchen for a quick lunch,
becuase by now the sun was shining,
and nobody could think of anything else but making a habitat for the snake.
at this point of the day, he had even acquired a name... "slinky".
a new habitat, a little time in the sunny yard, and laundry on the line,
and we were back inside.
they all had a little "rest with books".
this is as close as it gets to naptime for all but jonas,
which is all i needed to rock the baby to sleep.
after laying him in bed, i came downstairs
to find everyone still "resting with books"...
the thrill raising kids who love reading.
now, micah has shown an interest in learning to read lately.
(i'll delve into my philosophy on this at another time,
but suffice it to say, i've thought and read long and hard
on learning to read, and i'm a firm believer in
letting kids learn at their own pace.
elias was 4 1/2. micah didn't show much interst until after he turned 7.)
i see him studying the words in a picture book,
and i say "hey, micah, how about you read that to me?".
he says "i can't." i say, "yes, you can."
(i don't know that i really believe he can, but its worth a try).
i sit down next to him.
20 minutes and 20 pages later, beaming with pride,
micah finishes reading his first full book.
we celebrate with water ice.

now its my turn for reading, and i read from the horse and his boy
while they eat.
from the content of this chapter, we move naturally into a few discussions...
life after death and heaven, fear, and various geographical regions of the earth.
(i know you're lost now... you'll just have to read horse and his boy, chapter 6.)
after this, everyone does a bit of writing
(except for the stellar reader who takes a break to play ball.)
the inspiration, also from our friend, cs lewis, is the longest day of our life.
elias write a comic style story on a computer animation website for kids.
eva and mara dictate stories to me, which i write.
eva goes on to illustrate hers.

by now, jonas is awake and the sun is calling us outdoors again.
we take to the yard, the snake, and the swings.
at the picnic table, i play the boys in a multiplication card game
and the girls in an addition one.

now, daddy is home...
he plays football with the boys while the girls and i fix dinner.
then, everyone joins me to plant a few more veggies in the garden
and, of course, soak one another with the hose.
we manage a short walk to the library
(one of the joys of city life... a library around the corner)
before we return home for dinner.

and as if i needed anything else,
my amazing husband singlehandedly
bathes, reads, sings, and puts all of the children in bed
while i get away to take a pilates class with my sister.

no, most days aren't this picturesque...
but i treasue the ones that are
and then thank God for all we learn on the ones that aren't.