I would like to tell you that today has been a great school day with the most well behaved kids and everything has just fallen into place as if all I could hear were lullabies and the still quiet chatter of my children who are eager to learn. But I can't...
Today started out early with the news that one of my dear friends is fighting for her life to win the battle against lung cancer. This is a lady who was a strength to me when I lost my own mother to breast cancer three and half years ago. I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. It seems like just yesterday we were chatting it up about homeschooling our kids and she was encouraging me by telling how great of a mom I was...during the darkest time I have ever faced. Every day was a challenge to get out of bed, but her smiling voice would come over the phone to pick me up.
After putting myself back together, I got up, showered, dressed myself and the boys and we headed out on the town for "library day". We loaded up our stroller with our backpacks and diaper bags. I tell the kids to hold the stroller as we cross the street. Once we get to the sidewalk, my newborn starts screaming. I had fed him before we left home, but apparently something wasn't right. After making him a bottle, I notice that he has poop all up his back. I head to the tiny bathroom to clean him up. My friend takes my other two to the classroom, and I finally get it together. Then my four year old starts picking fights with his brother during reading time and I have to take him to the bathroom and explain his actions and what my reactions would be and why we can't act that way... you know...
After the reading program I attempted to study with my kids and do their schoolwork at the kid-sized table in the children's reading section. My newborn baby was fussy and my children were fighting and running around the bookshelves playing hide and seek with me every time I would call their name. After gaining control and sitting down, we started our schoolwork again in a more self-controlled manner. A few minutes into our phonics lesson, they began to whine that they were "starving". So, we gathered our books that we had chosen to take home and read this week. I packed up our things and we headed home. Not a successful homeschool moment you say... Well, just wait!
We get home and we eat our lunch. I go to the bathroom to floss and grab a q-tip and stick it in my mouth. That is how tired I am. I laugh at myself and then find the floss to finish. I go back to the table and I heard the most beautiful thing. Aiden came up to me and said, "Mom, can I read those books we brought home?" I said, "Yes, you may." He continued, "Mom, if you can read these books to me, then I can read these all by myself." He took one in his hand and began reading to me "because he wanted to".
That moment was priceless. My boys love to be read to, and Aiden gets a little frustrated because he doesn't like to misread words. So, he hesitates and only wants me to read to him. I have to sit down and make him read most of the time. But today, I told him to pick out six books that he wanted to read this week. He took ownership of the books he picked out and there is a little spark being lit under him to love reading. So, even though we haven't accomplished a whole lot of our bookwork for the day. I would say we have had a pretty successful day so far.
On another note, letting your children know that there are learning opportunities every time we turn around is the best curriculum you never have to buy. While putting in a movie for his little brother, Aiden runs into my bedroom, and excitedly yells, "Mom! Did you know that we can learn things on Madagascar, the movie! Apparently there is a learning portion on the dvd that we did not know about. This is what I love about homeschooling. It inspires children to embrace learning instead of despise learning as they get older. That's good stuff if you ask me! So, even though my day started rough, I have to embrace these imperfect days, because they happen.
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