Post Category → home schooling

interruptions and rest.

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee
Ev’ry hour I need Thee…

So true. And some hours, the needing is extra-strong.

There have been a few of those the last few days. Thursday evening, as I was putting dinner on the table, I realized that a part of me was still just waiting to get the day started. I had been “catching up” on the stuff of life all day, just waiting to get things caught up enough to begin our day’s routine. And it never happened.

Huh.

Good thing we get to try again every 24 hours!

But the really, really good thing?

That those days that never get “started” because they’re so “interrupted” — those days can still count. Interruptions and unexpected happenings are only interrupting and unexpected to us. God knows our days. Our times are in His hands. And His beautiful, good, profound work in our hearts and in the lives we touch — that doesn’t get interrupted by any curve balls life throws our way.

And when our cranky response to those curve balls does threaten to stall His work? We don’t have to wait 24 hours to try again. Repentance, grace, and help are always right there. Wide open. Just waiting.

*****

Some goodness:


Stop. Are you kidding? Those perfect fingers, plump cheeks, sweet lips? Beautiful.


Jameson left our second freezer wide open, and I discovered it 24 hours later. Yup, that was my Thursday. London broil for dinner, chicken baked and stashed in the freezer for another day, roasted turkey and lamb for the work crew down the road at my Mom’s. And interruption that worked out to be a blessing.


Me, feeling badly about not getting the school books out while cleaning the mess of a thawing freezer and cooking meat like a madwoman — look over and realize Jameson has created a football field from paper, duplos, and Lego men, and he and William played all day. That was way more creative than any lesson plan I had.


Two handsome boys. Two. Ready for the first day of Friday School. So big.


And so cute.


Beautiful CSA bounty. It feels like the best gift, every single week.


Cooking. I like to be in my kitchen.


And this? No matter how busy the day, no matter how little I get to just sit with my baby, I know that this will eventually happen. I love my Fiona-girl.


Her aunties love her, too. Her sweet face popped up in my feed last night. I said to myself, Yes. Yes, she is beautiful.


This morning, she woke up and celebrated her 6th week with us. It’s raining and cold and very October-ish. So she wears the sweater knit just for Dunphey #4 by my friend, Carol. It’s just the thing for a sweet babe.


And while Daddy and Jameson showered and dressed and headed off to church, the rest of us got wool socks and sweatshirts to layer on our pj’s. Vitamin C, chicken broth, afghans, and rest.

Rest.

Even on the busy days. The interrupted days. The I-can’t-quite-catch-up-days. There is an invitation to just rest.

pause

I just go. Non stop.

So do you, I bet. You know. You fall into bed and wonder where the day went, remember how you meant to do this and that, and somehow you never even had half a chance to remember. Does it count as forgetting if you never had a fighting chance??

But some days, I get to pause. And sometimes, in highlights, it looks like beautiful sunrises during early walks, homeschool opportunities right out your own window, babies who love each other, simple lunch turned into a end-of-summer hurrah, a spontaneous trip to the playground with friends, and beautiful boys who play their hearts out and enjoy each day until they just can’t keep their eyes open another minute.

them

And while she grows and sleeps and wins our hearts…

the others have begun the grand adventure of another school year!

We jumped back into our routine of chores and such on Monday, just to get our souls back in shape, and then Wednesday was the Big First Day.

Jameson began second grade, and Yo. He is just Too Cool For School. At least, that’s the vibe he’ll give when you ask him about what grade he’s in.

How cute is that kid??

He loves math — again. He begins any writing assignment with gusto, and rather quickly tires of it. He’s reading SO well, which is just plain old fun for me. I love hearing him read things out loud, imagining what it must be like when suddenly the world is full of WORDS that you can READ! I don’t remember that moment in my life, but it’s been so fun to watch it happen for him. He’s proudly reading his first chapter book at rest time, and loves to report to William and me about what’s happening in the story.

He also loves Legos, so (don’t laugh) two days into our first week of school, I ditched the morning routine and let them just keep building. He came up with this tractor trailer all by himself and was proud as anything.

Then there’s our kindergartener. Is there anything as fun as a kid proudly holding up their first work book?

For two years, he’s sat at the table and done coloring, puzzles, dollar store workbooks — anything I’ve asked of him — with total enthusiasm. But to finally be doing school!

I’ve been scared silly of his left hand and teaching handwriting, but after talking to some lefties, I finally decided to just take a back seat and let him sort of find his way — and he has!

And of course, we have a new pre-schooler with us this year. She sorts pencils and crayons, does her best to instigate fights with William, and just loves being with us.

And so we’ve gathered for several mornings in a row, Fiona included, and excitedly zipped through the first hours of book work and projects and read alouds. Legos and football in the backyard and washing our hands a bit more thoroughly are all a part of their learning, but those shiny new books and freshly sharpened pencils (all done by Mama, who is still the pencil sharpening Queen around here) sure do take the cake.

When not in school, these kiddos can most often be found checking up on the Red Sox.

Or actually watching the Red Sox.

It’s fun to be a kid, Yo.

the best thing

We’re rounding the bend on the last lap of Homeschooling, Year Two. Of course, in many ways, I’ve counted this as Year One, since last year was kindergarten and ya just can’t mess that one up. (Find robin’s eggs, collect chestnuts, read favorite stories, look at globes, color and cut and glue, read lots of fun books, answer day-long stream of questions: check, check and fun, fun. Can we just do kindergarten again?)

First Grade is certainly not up there on the list of academically intense school years, but there are some pretty important Big Rocks that have to get in place. And with that big rock concept in mind, I’ve realized there is, hands down, one thing I did this year that was the best thing.

This:

Back in August, as a million ideas were swirling around in my head, and so many different options for which direction to head with science, history, read-alouds, etc, I took my notebook out to a green patch of grass (remember those? Patches of grass?) and asked the Lord to help me focus. I knew there were some Big Rocks I didn’t want to miss, and I also knew that I would need a lot of tethering and reining in to keep from losing track of them. So, prayerfully, I made a list of goals for First Grade.

I kept things simple. I made first thing first. I included not just academic goals, but life skill goals, as well — besides learning information, how else did I want my young boy to grow?

The reason I say this was The Best Thing is because I can’t tell you how many times I have pulled out this list when the waves of discouragement were threatening to suck me under (or had already pretty much succeeded), only to realize, to my shock and amazement, that we were on track!! Impossible! But no — there it was, in black and white, recorded before the year’s craziness and boredom and comparisons could set in.

Write the vision; make it plain.

If you’re like me — an idealist who is never quite measuring up to the lofty dreams that live in my head — then a Spirit-led list can be a tool used by the Lord to reassure and confirm that He is working faithfully in our lives. Lists, when I make them under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (rather than out of the frantic angst and frustration of “I’m always behind”) really help me to be still. It’s true of New Year’s Eve prayer cards, of Goals for First Grade, and also of “Today’s To-Do List.” Really! The sun sets, and I may look around and see plenty of things that didn’t happen, but the three things I felt were important that day did happen, and I’m actually able to hear the Holy Spirit say, “See? Well done. Just be faithful.”

hide it in your heart

I have always tried, with varying levels of diligence and success, to make Bible memory — and meditation, discussion, and application — part of our regular routine. How I decide on which passage to memorize varies, too — sometimes a theme that is particularly applicable to a current challenge, sometimes a simple gospel-in-a-nutshell verse, sometimes a passage I especially loved as a young girl. I want my boys to have truth deep in their hearts, woven into the very makings of who they are — and learning scripture as a child can have that profound, life-shaping effect. (It did for me! Thanks, Dad and Mom!)

Recently, I’ve also been stirred to choose passages that will lay a foundation for unwavering trust in God — His character, His ability, and His love toward them. (Yes, that’s a broad spectrum!) When my siblings were younger, they were involved in a children’s program that largely consisted of earning badges. One badge was called the Bible Smuggler badge, and in order to earn it, a child had to memorize a book of the Bible. The idea behind it is that someday, if they are traveling into a closed country where Bibles are forbidden, they will still be able to smuggle scripture in: it’s in their hearts.

Perhaps that scenario is in my children’s future. But also, looking ahead, I have to really wonder: will this be that country someday? Someday soon? Is it possible that my children will live in a world where every trace of Truth has been, according to man’s best effort, eradicated?

One thing we can count on is change. Also, sin. Also, a prowling enemy. I need to be diligent to teach them as much Truth as I can — and do it with a sense of purpose and priority. (When they encounter change, sin, and an enemy, I want their hearts to rise up with this: But God!)

This week, we’ve started Psalm 46: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea…”

Can anything take you by surprise when that truth is in your heart, alive, giving hope, speaking of love and faithfulness?

(And speaking of faithfulness, my favorite song to sing at bedtime (for them and for me!) is Great Is Thy Faithfulness. Hymns are chock full of truth, too, and with melodies that help it stick!)

What are some of your favorite scripture verses to hide in your heart?

(boys, on their way to being men.)

January, in a nutshell.

January was, in many ways, exactly the sort of month I anticipated: slow.

And not just slow. It was definitely a shift into survive where necessary, so that in the important things, we could continue to thrive.

It was a month of many, many naps for me — and lots of days where I never got out of my pajamas. Several mornings found me on the couch, and while my three care-takers perhaps didn’t always contribute to a very restful nap, their tender words and awkward attempts at tucking me in with afghans blessed me so very much. I don’t want to forget William’s sweet kisses on my forehead this past month.

Things had to slip — anything more than basic cleaning had to wait for a second trimester burst of energy, and that’s okay. Getting into a school routine after the holidays took a bit longer than I may have planned, but I don’t think Jameson’s future was too terribly affected. I did not even once want to write on this blog, because there just wasn’t energy for extra thoughts. There are seasons, and I think I’m starting to learn how to receive grace and direction for this tired and yucky one.

Taking our days more slowly, and trying to just hold on to the important things, meant that—amazingly!—I was able to walk almost every morning (save for this past week of sub-zero!) I’m really, really thankful for those 30 minutes of fresh air and exercise each day. I glanced through my journal recently and found an entry in August, praying for the Lord to give me ideas of how I could possibly incorporate regular exercise into my life. So more than being thankful for a morning walk, I’m just thankful that the Lord hears us and answers.

I also am five successful weeks into a Read-Through-the-Bible program. Another huge success, as I’ve utterly failed every time I’ve tried such a thing for the past 15 years. (I read through it so easily when I was 16, and haven’t been able to since!) Laugh if you want, but I googled “Bible plans for moms”, thinking there’d be some bite-sized option out there, and I found Bible Reading Plan for Slackers and Shirkers. Somehow, it’s working, and I’m really enjoying the variety of each day. Another thank you to the Lord.

Regina, my midwife, came this month and brought her handy-dandy list of high-iron foods. I’m trying to get a jump start on my iron levels by downing Floradix like crazy, as well as eating spinach omelets, almonds, bran flakes, apricots, hummus, and lots of other iron-rich foods. Staying on track with such intentional eating isn’t always easy when I’m too tired to care, but the boys remind me to take my Floradix and eat my bran flakes. They’re excited about this baby, after all!

Jameson is doing well with his school work, which we’ve kept very basic this month. He has reached a point in reading where he is inspired by his own accomplishments. Each book that he “conquers” just fuels his passion for learning more. He’s a natural at math. In every subject, his learning curve is focus. He loves to help me, and the “bigger” the job, the better. If he senses that I’m depending on him to take charge of something, he eagerly rises to the occasion. If anything, we have to have talks about being too helpful!

William is just pretty happy all the time. He loves his Playmobil, much more than Jameson (who prefers the mental challenge of a new Lego set to engaging his imagination), and he’s often in a corner of the family room, lost in the world of knights and dragons and castles. He also loves to be read to—still!—and so I try to grab a minute here and there to cuddle with just him and read him a favorite story. He’s less excited about work than Jameson, but he’s learning diligence and responsibility, and he loves to care for Beatrice and me.

Beatrice is changing every day. She runs through the house on her tip toes, clutching her dolly. She is experimenting with terrorizing her brothers, and has perfected her protest of “Noooo!” She’s cuddly and spunky and loves to make us all laugh with her antics. Books are her favorite: she pulls them all off her toddler-height shelf, and then chooses from the pile on the floor. Picking them up is not her favorite thing to do, but obedience in general isn’t her favorite thing. She always sizes me up when I give her a command, determining whether or not I really mean it. Spunky, I tell you!

The absolutely best part of this past month, though, has been watching both boys being drawn by the Holy Spirit, and genuinely responding. Whether it be in worship at church, family devotions, while reading a biography of Amy Carmichael, at a prayer meeting, or listening to a sermon, I have been beyond blessed to see their tender hearts shining in teary eyes. Ryan and I have been asking for fresh passion and surrender to the things of the Lord, and it’s spilling down to our kids. Biggest thank you of all to the Lord.

So, here we are. I’m coming out of my fog, and looking forward to feeling more like my usual self — but at the same time, realizing how much God doesn’t need me and my best self to accomplish His purpose in our lives. I’m so thankful. He holds our days, present and future. That’s a good place to live.