This Moment

"I love this moment," I told my ten year old tonight.
This moment that I can hold your hand, kneel by your bed and pray for you.

A Dramatic Answer

My ears know it's there but my eyes just can't find it.
That in a nutshell describes my nature walks.
I pick things out with my ears and then usually tell whomever I am with to look in a certain direction for a particular bird or animal.
 If I am fortunate, they in turn will be able to describe to me exactly where to look and I will be able to find it before it takes off.

Tonight however, I opted to stay on the boardwalk while the rest of the family went to Kawartha Dairy for ice cream.

I so wanted to see the beaver but dark water and dark beaver just don't work for me. So I prayed, "Lord, You know how much I want to see Your creation, but I just can't see it. Will you please help me locate the beaver?"

SPLASH!

Right at my feet. That got my attention!

So, I got wet, and my eyes got directed to the beaver. In all the time that we as a famly had watched the beaver, and others had come and gone, he hadn't thumped his tail. Only when I stood silently alone having just finished uttering my prayer, did he choose to give his tail one slap. 

I still had some trouble following him when he started to move, but eventually located it and got so close I saw his nostrils open and close!

 I am so appreciative of God's compassion and unique methods of answering prayer!

A Few of My Favorite Things

This is one of my favorite times of year. 
Yes, I love summer weather.
Yes, I love that we aren't controlled by schedules.
Yes, I love the vacations, the cottage, the travel, the family time...
These are some of my favorite things.

But, one of my very favorite things at this time of year is seeking God's plan for Anna-Lee's schooling for the next year.

Yesterday, I sat by the lake asking God what He'd like Anna-Lee to spend her time doing next year. It is so much fun to have an idea then float into mind. 

Anna-Lee loves reading. One idea that I am now researching is to focus on different types of writing. For the first part of next year we will study writing in the form of plays as well as studying the playwrights. That of course then gets us into to all things drama. Did you know that "intermission" began in theatres when the theatre companies moved indoors and needed time to resnuff, replace and relight the candles! They used that time to start to sell food such as oranges and liquor and economically it was a boon. Intermission has remained. Fascinating!

This whole process of custom designing curriculum, custom designing the days and weeks and months is truly a joy. God surely knows our kids better than anyone, and we parents know our kids the next best. Working together, education becomes a truly beautiful process. 
One of my favorite things!

Clarinet music spilling across the lake. Another of my favorite things!

 

Eye Opening Experiences

I've heard the stories and I've met the familes, but now I have a weeks worth of experience!
What am I referring to?

School!

Anna-Lee is at a Music Day Camp for two weeks playing her clarinet in wind ensemble, band, and orchestra and she even gets to take a percussion class! She is gone from 7:45 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. each day (travel included as the school is way out in the east end). On the whole she is enjoying the experience and learning lots.

I however...

• am experiencing waking my daughter up each morning and her being so tired that on Tuesday she fell back asleep - reminds me of the Zits cartoon.
• am experiencing making her breakfast to go - she eats it in the car on the way as it's just too early for her to sit down and eat before she goes.
• am experiencing making zip lock bag lunches every morning.
• am experiencing getting things done around the house in the day and even having time for some extras.
• am experiencing having to get supper on the table as early as possible so she can go to bed on schedule.
• am experiencing homework - she's working all day and they want her to practice at night. Are you kidding me?! She needs to go swimming and get some exercise. I think homework (and school for that matter)  is the root of obesity in children!
• am experiencing a turn to prayer all day in a new area as she eats in the cafeteria with other girls in her class and is being exposed to the concept of peer pressure with people I have never met.
• Most of all I am experiencing missing the quality and quantity of time I am used to spending with my daughter.

On the other hand this is only for two weeks and she is learning lots. We are making sure we have our story times each day at the dinner hour. Instead of asking "What did you learn today?" which I am told from others is a useless questions, I ask her "What stories do you have to tell us?" and there are always lots. 

Certainly these experiences have given me a new gratitude and appreciation for our precious homeschooling way of life.

Story Time

 This summer is a new season - Anna-Lee is off to a music day camp for two weeks. She's gone from 7:30 a.m. until about 5:00 p.m. For a homeschool Mom this is a major change in lifestyle.
I miss her, but it is such a joy to have "story time" over the supper hour - and it definitely stretches to the hour (or two) as everyone has their chance to tell their stories of the day.

I believe stories are what binds hearts, families, and generations together.

Both my girls love to hear stories of family from long ago - my recollections of my Grandparent's houses, games played, school days, friends and holidays. As we spend time telling and listening to each others stories we are binding ourselves to one another more and more.

And on a precious note: each morning before Anna-Lee leaves, she slides a note of love under her sister's door for her to find when she gets up. Sweet.