These are sweet, sweet days. I find it a privilege and a joy to spend my mornings in the pursuit of learning (and a lot of other things simultaneously, as is the reality of life as a mother) with this boy. On the very best days, I find myself seated with a cup of coffee, Beethoven playing, working through math problems or a writing exercise with my handsome and lovable student. To be fair, we're doing kindergarten, and although much of the curriculum we have on hand and are working through is at a first grade level, we keep it light. Just the basics, and lots of free time to play and imagine and work and read (reading has fast become a self-selected leisure time activity, and that is thrilling). Of course, the days aren't always this optimum scenario; there are days when one of us is out of sorts and tempers are sour, when I'm trying to rein in an unwilling student or force a distracted boy to focus, when other urgencies present themselves and learning time is squeezed, etc. But those aren't the norm, and I'm so enjoying the norm.
One of our primary motivations for giving Asa another year at home, and choosing to put him on the oldest rather than the youngest end of his class next year, was to give him this year to be with his little brother, who has rapidly grown from a detached little sibling to a playmate and friend. I have a hard time saying no to, "May I play with Julian for 10 minutes before I start school?", and usually playtime prevails, at least for a time.
Philosophically, there's much in home school that appeals to us. The practice of keeping our children home longer has proven to be a joy, although it does put us out of step with the mainstream around us, particularly in this culture where children generally enter school full time at the age of 3. These years pass so quickly, and they are priceless. I sometimes ponder the possibility of longer term home schooling, but know that there are particulars in our setting that make that even more challenging than it might otherwise be. I'm also aware that God has provided a place that is nurturing and life-giving, full of opportunities to learn and grow in community, in the school that Emmy goes to, where we plan for Asa to go next year. So for 4 more months, I'm savoring these days with two little boys and a bird.
