week 1
On a typical day this week, it snowed.
The kids peered out the window as the world swirled like a snow globe. We ate breakfast quickly, then headed out for a snowy morning walk. After, they played in the yard. They examined snowflakes under magnifying glasses; they used sticks to write letters in the snow; MJ tried her hardest to form a snowman with the snow, but it was too powdery. She was frustrated, but she kept at it, eventually modifying her method by forming a hill-like base with a tiny snowball head. The arms were tricky, too-- the snow, once packed, was hard as ice, and unyielding to her attempts to poke sticks into it. No matter-- she remained undaunted, and, steeling her resolve, managed to poke several sticks into her snow-blob until it resembled an icy alien. I watched, and took photos with her permission, feeling grateful to have a chance to witness her play and the important role it has in the formation of a human person. How much is lost when we forsake giving children time to play, I do not know for certain, but I feel almost positive that the answer is: everything.
Pictures to follow, just wanted to get this down while I had a quick moment. Today, OP is at his Reggio preschool, FH is napping, MJ is for the moment enjoying a rare moment in her (shared with OP) room alone. I made myself a maple latte and had this brief moment to recap some of our week, which I'm learning (contrasted with our last go-around homeschooling) is pivotal in my process as a homeschooling mother: the chance to reflect deeply, to record observations, and then to modify what I find needs changing, is so valuable. We live and learn, right? One of my all-time favorite quotes is attributed to Michelangelo, who at age 90 was asked for advice. His answer? "Ancora imparo". I'm still learning. Indeed. Always learning.
Ancora imparo.
The kids peered out the window as the world swirled like a snow globe. We ate breakfast quickly, then headed out for a snowy morning walk. After, they played in the yard. They examined snowflakes under magnifying glasses; they used sticks to write letters in the snow; MJ tried her hardest to form a snowman with the snow, but it was too powdery. She was frustrated, but she kept at it, eventually modifying her method by forming a hill-like base with a tiny snowball head. The arms were tricky, too-- the snow, once packed, was hard as ice, and unyielding to her attempts to poke sticks into it. No matter-- she remained undaunted, and, steeling her resolve, managed to poke several sticks into her snow-blob until it resembled an icy alien. I watched, and took photos with her permission, feeling grateful to have a chance to witness her play and the important role it has in the formation of a human person. How much is lost when we forsake giving children time to play, I do not know for certain, but I feel almost positive that the answer is: everything.
Pictures to follow, just wanted to get this down while I had a quick moment. Today, OP is at his Reggio preschool, FH is napping, MJ is for the moment enjoying a rare moment in her (shared with OP) room alone. I made myself a maple latte and had this brief moment to recap some of our week, which I'm learning (contrasted with our last go-around homeschooling) is pivotal in my process as a homeschooling mother: the chance to reflect deeply, to record observations, and then to modify what I find needs changing, is so valuable. We live and learn, right? One of my all-time favorite quotes is attributed to Michelangelo, who at age 90 was asked for advice. His answer? "Ancora imparo". I'm still learning. Indeed. Always learning.
Ancora imparo.
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