School Days Begin

Gabriel, Isaac and Amaya ~

Oh, how my heart overflows with love for you three.  Today began another year of homeschool, another season of Bible reading and memorization, Latin prefixes, cone and sphere volumes, multiplication tables, rises and falls of empires, synthesis of atoms and molecules, sentence diagramming, muscle and bone anatomy, Beverly Cleary novels, classical literature, and wonderful tales of the Medieval world.

I am much less nervous than I was a year ago.  You seem more laid back, too.

It’s a delight to me as I watch each of you struggle to grasp new concepts, then glimpse the ah-ha moment as understanding dawns.  I welcome the sense of purpose a schedule provides, how your fussing covers up the relief that you, too, feel as we swing back into gear.

I see enthusiasm in you, Isaac, as you plow through 30 math review problems at breakneck speed, smugly proud you remembered all your facts.

I love the curiosity in you, Gabriel, as you shared with me an ancient European chemistry experiment attempting to transform lead into gold….and how it challenged you to explain, chemically, why this transformation could never be.

My youngest, precious Amaya.  How you laughed this morning as we read John Peterson’s timeless favorite, The Littles, and learned the six-inch-tall female characters will curl their tails when they wished to look exceptionally pretty.  Your writing already looks so careful and precise!

I’m not sure how long our homeschooling journey will last.  How thankful I am we had today, and Lord willing, another tomorrow.  I will make the most of every moment.  I will remember to listen well, to speak gently and patiently, to wait for you when you’re taking longer than I think you should, to understand horseplay is often how you love one another.  I will savor spontaneous hugs as you pass me by, tousle heads bent over a good book, and let you take breaks to watch a funny video text from your cousin.

We will eat yummy homemade things, go for walks on cool September mornings, pray together over lunch, and wrestle with Dad when he’s home with us.

And I will love every single moment of my time with you.