Happy Easter

It stopped raining at 4:30am on Easter morning.  I lay awake, looking forward to the day.  It is fun having a child who still believes in the Easter bunny.  Since I was already awake, and knowing Denver's propensity to wake up early, I prepared the Easter baskets.  Then Lady and I went out into the yard with a flashlight and a bag of Easter eggs to hide.  Lady must have thought I was crazy, walking around the yard in the dark dropping eggs; but she didn't eat them! 

At 7am, Denver awoke and jerked into a seated position.  "Happy Easter," I smiled at him.  "I wonder if the Easter bunny came.  Why don't you open the door and look outside?"

Denver ran to the door and opened it.  Eggs.  Everywhere. 

"Yes!," he shouted.  Denver quickly awoke his brothers and his father.  Within minutes, we were all outside in the cool, wet morning.  The boys had a wonderful time.  All too soon, they were back inside admiring their eggs while I made blueberry pancakes. 

After breakfast, we were off to church, while John left on a flight to Philadelphia.  The boys love their Sunday school teacher and their good friend, Quinn.  They seemed to enjoy church even more than usual. 

After a lovely Easter service, the boys participated in the church Easter egg hunt.  As one of the parents who helped hide the eggs, I can tell you that hiding them was almost as fun as watching the children find them!

With tummies full of cupcakes and candy, we then hurried to Mimi and Paw Paw's house for a big Easter dinner.  Mimi had gifts for the boys, and Spencer and Denver played outside with a new toy until dinner. 

It was a fine day.  A day of many blessings:  These beautiful, healthy children.  A fine, warm spring day with flowers blooming and green grass everywhere.  A loving family.  Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude, like the eggs overflowing our Easter baskets!

 

Survival Skills and Sunny Skies

Today the boys enjoyed a beautiful, blue sky day with temperatures climbing into the 60s.  Even better, it was Charlie Elliott Homeschool Day, and the topic was Survival Skills. 

From morning to mid-afternoon, the boys and other children hiked, identified edible plants, tasted dandelion tea, fished in the pond, built wilderness shelters, made fire starters, and learned how to make a fire.  They played games and ate lunch outside in the fresh air.  It was delightful.  

While the boys were having their day in the sun, I enjoyed my day, too!  Another mom and I took a walk, and then I began a wonderful long run with my faithful dog.  Every thirty minutes or so, Lady and I ran by the boys on the hiking trail as we put in our miles.  Lady has learned to be at ease with people when we're away from home, and she allowed everyone to pet her-- finally living up to her name!

Each time we passed the children, they were involved in a new endeavor.  Each time we passed, I could have told them about the deer Lady and I just saw or the turkey, the armadillo, the squirrels, the ducks, or the geese.  It seems every creature enjoyed the warming air and blue skies today.  



Wilderness shelter



After our Charlie Elliott adventure, I came home and collapsed into the bathtub.  It was nice to be done thinking about survival skills, and just relax in the comfort of home.  John Robert folded laundry and read a book.  Spencer and Denver, however, still had energy to burn!  After a brief snack of cheese and apples, the boys joined their dad in outside chores where they shoveled dirt for over two hours!  Spencer then left for Mimi's house to catch up on his Spanish while Denver continued to work outside for another hour (though he insisted that I sit outside and watch him work!).

The boys topped off the day with a mixture of chinese food and Subway sandwiches that John volunteered to bring home.  A strange feast, but they loved it.  Another nice end to a beautiful day.  I saw a butterfly today, too!  We're so glad spring has sprung!   

  

Another Kind of Creation Story

A LEGO Mindstorm robot was all Spencer wanted for Christmas.  He was perfectly fine with it being his only gift.  Yet long after the wrapping paper had been thrown away, the robot (and all of its hundreds of pieces) remained in the box. 

Weeks passed.  Once or twice, I saw that the box had been opened and pieces taken out.  Then the pieces would disappear back into the box.  Spencer said nothing.

In February, I gently asked him about it.  He admitted that he did not know how to use the computer software to program the robot.  He needed help getting started.  Today, thanks to a friend, he got the help he needed.

One of the boys' friends is a thirteen year old budding engineer and LEGO maniac.  He agreed to come over after church and help get Spencer started.  It was a joy!  All the Degonia boys sat around their friend as he guided the construction and helped Spencer understand the programming.  They took the laptop upstairs, and used it to design and program the new robot, whom Spencer named Wack.

Two beautiful hours passed.  Eventually, the other boys moved on to other things-- Nerf gun wars and sword fights-- but Spencer remained devoted to Wack's development; and thanks to his friend, he could do much of it himself.  Late into the evening, Spencer continued to explore his new creation.  His eyes sparkled.  He wanted his picture taken with Wack.

Amazingly, Spencer's brothers seemed to understand what an important event this was for him.  Although they watched intently, and helped a bit in the construction and programming tests, they allowed the robot to be under Spencer's control and respected his needs.  I am grateful to them for their understanding.  I know it wasn't easy to show such restraint!

It isn't always easy to know when to help and when to wait and watch.  Today, I'm grateful to have found just the right person to assist Spencer in his learning; and I love that I could be there-- waiting and watching-- to see yet another of my boys' learning experiences. 

Singing in the Rain

Normal people sleep late when they can.  Normal people get up and drink a cup of coffee while sitting in a comfortable chair on a lazy Saturday morning.  Why not me?

At 5am, 5:30, 6:00, 6:30, and 7am, I looked at my watch, and looked out the window.  The forecast was for cloudy skies, 40 degrees, and rain after 9am.  Torn between going for a run and lying under warm covers, I weighed my options. 

If I wanted to go for a run outside our subdivision, this would be my only chance.  John is scheduled to leave on a flight to Las Vegas today, and he isn't scheduled to be back until Tuesday.  Without John to watch the boys, my exercise is limited to what I can do in the house and what I can do in our subdivision.  If I wanted to try out that new trail, this would be my only chance until his return.

I dragged myself from my cocoon, stretched my legs, and put on my running clothes.  I grabbed juice, a snack, car keys, and my cell phone.  Lady, as always, was by my side and ready to go.  As we stepped out the door, I noticed the porch was darker than usual.  Rain.  Already.  I went back and grabbed my rain jacket.  Maybe I wouldn't need it.  It wasn't supposed to be raining for another two hours.  I guess the clouds hadn't checked the weather channel.

As I pulled into the parking lot, I felt like a goofus.  What kind of idiot goes running in a cold, hard rain?  What was I trying to prove?  Lady seemed to have similar questions as she looked out the car window.  Maybe I should just turn around.  Maybe go get donuts.  But then I saw two runners flying by in their rain gear.  If they can do it, why not me?  That's the funny thing about doing crazy things: when one person does it, it's crazy; when more people do it, it becomes a movement.  And that's what I needed-- movement.



My faithful girl who never, ever complains
about where we run or when.

Lady and I ran five miles in the rain before breakfast.  It was cold.  My legs were stiff, and they never really warmed up.  The rain overcame all of my layers-- a jacket and two shirts, drenched my hat, and even soaked through my running bra.  But the only runners I had seen were long gone, and Lady and I had the trail to ourselves.

It was beautiful.   The rain glistened on the wooden bridges.  Except during the hardest downpours, birds kept singing.  The rain made a little river down the trail, and we ran until our feet were soaked.  It was a perfect start to the day.


As mom and wife and judge and teacher-- there is very little of my day that isn't centered around someone else's needs.  Running-- and a hot bath afterward-- has become my time.  It is nearly non-negotiable.  I think Lady understands that.  And she's with me all the way.  Well, except for the bath.  She's not into that!       

When does school start? When does it end?

As principal and lead teacher at the Degonia School for Adventurous Boys, I marvel at the amount and variety of learning taking place-- especially on days when I don't teach!

As often happens on my court days, the boys were allowed a lot of freedom today.  Did they choose to play videogames or watch TV?  No.  They chose the library.  Spencer chose adult books on robotics and military aircraft; Denver chose four beginning reader books; and John Robert chose a book on military aircraft and a new science fiction novel.  They spent most of the day reading or playing outside.  Denver asked me to read his beginning reader books to him (he'll be reading them himself by next week), and then Spencer offered to read several more books to him.  They read on the couch together for over an hour!

After the library, we went to a favorite Thai restaurant, where the boys sat on couches and read while I had a meeting.  They enjoyed their fried rice, talked, and read without complaint for an hour and a half.  

At home, Spencer and Denver played outside and then came in and made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies together-- doing all the measuring, pouring, stirring, and egg breaking with minimal assistance.  Their cookies were delicious! 

I am amazed at how much the boys learn without instruction.  As a teacher with an education degree, it humbles me and makes me wonder how much my teaching is really needed.  Guidance and support is needed, yes; but not the extensive lesson plans and presentations that I am used to thinking of as part of a teacher's work. 

When curious parents ask about our homeschool schedule, I am hesitant to tell them the truth-- the boys can do their formal schooling in less than three hours (if they work with minimal disruption, which doesn't always happen!).  On a daily basis, formal instruction usually includes math, science, writing, Latin, reading, Spanish, and history.  They also do chores.  After their official work, I notice they do not stop learning.  Not at all.  In fact, it is after their required work that they often seem most engaged: recently, they've been learning about robots, roman war strategy, medieval weaponry, science fiction, studying mammals, and video game characters and strategy.

I learn so much from my children every day that I cannot help but believe they are raising me to be a good parent.  They teach me about patience, observation, and leaving my assumptions at the door.  I am learning to watch them, listen to them, and then make suggestions about what we should do with our time.  Instead of making out a complete lesson plan a month in advance, I leave space for whatever interest is gripping them.  Fascinated with robots?  Let's read a book and work on your Lego Mindstorm.  Interested in knights?  Let's go to Medieval Times to see jousting and then build castles.  Curious about physics?  Let's do some experiments.  Are you struggling with this algebra book?  Let's try this book with a different approach.

I set a baseline for our academics, but they guide "how" they learn.  This is a gift of time, attention, and individualized learning that cannot be given in a standard classroom, but is perfect for our three children in the Degonia School for Adventurous Boys.  When does our school start and when does it end?  I guess it starts when we wake up and ends for the day whenever we go to sleep . . . unless you have interesting dream that gets you started thinking about robots . . .  

My Karate Kid

Yesterday, Spencer recieved his blue belt.  Mimi, Paw Paw, John Robert, Denver and I attended his graduation ceremony at the karate studio.  It was hot and crowded, Denver kept running around with other children and having coughing fits, and John Robert complained the whole time.  But we weren't there for ourselves, we were there for Spencer.  And Spencer was so proud of himself!

Spencer stood before the crowd and performed his sets and forms.  His face was set in its typical angry scowl.  Only his family knows the scowl means anxiety.  Nevertheless, he seemed pleased with his performance.    

After the ceremony, Paw Paw generously bought the boys milkshakes on the way home.   His daddy, who had to work, recieved a full, detailed report of the entire ceremony over breakfast the next morning.  Spencer wanted to tell everything from beginning to end.  It meant so much to him!

A child psychologist wrote that no matter what you believe you have given your child or done for your child, the childhood he remembers is the only childhood he has.  For Spencer, karate provides a deep sense of success.  I couldn't be more grateful.  

   

Growing Up

While running errands yesterday, Denver told me he'd been considering possible careers.  Since we really hadn't talked too much about this, I was intrigued.  "What are you considering?," I asked.

"Well, I don't want to do anything where I might die," he said.  "So I don't want to be a pilot."

"Oh.  Well, Daddy's job can be a little risky.  How about a judge?," I asked.  "That's pretty safe."

"No, too boring.  Just blah, blah, you go to jail; blah, blah, you don't go to jail.  I'm thinking about being a pizza delivery man."

Oh my . . . I really have to get better about seeing these things coming!  I guess when you're six years old the thought of driving a car and eating pizza is about as good as it gets!

I never know what they're going to do to surprise me, but they always do!



Spencer and friend go incognito.



The Boys and the Bible

Last night, after a full day: trips to the eye doctor, library, Wal-Mart, swim practice, and completing our homeschool; we wandered over to Mimi's house with our flashlight and a bag full of snacks to enjoy the first part of the miniseries, The Bible.  Mimi recorded it for us last Sunday.  As a child, I learned in Sunday School about Noah's Ark, Abraham's sacrifice, Lot's wife turning to a pillar of salt, and Moses leading his people out of Egypt.  When I learned the stories, it was a solemn affair.  We read.  The teacher asked questions, not us.  We colored a picture and ate a cookie and waited for Sunday School to be over.  Not so for the boys.

Their behavior bordered on heresy; and yet, they enjoyed the stories and asked questions afterward.  When Abraham tied Isaac to the alter and told him to trust in God, we all agreed that if we were Isaac, we'd be thinking that our dad was CRAZY.  We also agreed that old Sarah could really cover some ground in her sandals when she needed to!

As Moses' people left Egypt and found themselves trapped at the edge of the Red Sea, John Robert pretended to be Moses, and stated in a deep voice: "I have an idea!  Does everyone know how to swim?"  Then we watched in amazement at the recreation of the parting of the Red Sea. 

They loved the angels who protected Lot's family-- they were warriors!  This especially appealed to Spencer and Denver.  They were less fond of those angels when Lot's wife looked back at Sodom and turned to a pillar of salt.  "Those angels sure are fickle," noted Spencer. 

As we skipped home through the woods after the movie, Denver said, "Wow!  I did not know about all those people!  I thought the Bible was just about Jesus."  He said he liked the stories because they were "actiony." 

It is a joy for me to see the boys learning about the biblical stories in a joyful way.  I remember being afraid to make jokes or ask questions.  I was never invited to imagine myself in the stories or think about what I liked or didn't like.  The boys felt free to express themselves and enjoy the stories.  I love that they felt such freedom to question and wonder.

We'll be back to Mimi's next week to watch the second part of the series or maybe we'll make time to watch it this Sunday at 8pm. 

Stretching our Legs, Arms, and Minds

For the last several weeks, our lives have been dedicated to homeschool routines:
Spencer has been tackling fractions; Denver is reading more fluently; John Robert is ready for a new math book.  It's been good, but we're all aching for summer, and we're tired of cold, windy, rainy weather-- even if the daffodils are in bloom.

This week, the boys took two field trips.  On Monday, they went indoor rock climbing with their daddy in Atlanta.  What I assumed would be just an hour of simple up and down exploring turned into most of the day.  The boys were so exhausted, they all fell asleep on the way home!  John Robert's arms were so tired the next day, he could barely lift his cereal spoon! 

  It was wonderful for the boys to have so much fun time with each other and with their daddy!  He seemed proud of them, too.  It was a day well spent.

My Three Monkeys

On Tuesday, we enjoyed a trip to Fernbank's new exhibit, Extreme Mammals.  Paw Paw came with us, too.  He had never been to Fernbank, and he seemed to have a wonderful time with the boys.  I'm not sure if it was showing Paw Paw all the things they knew, or the seemingly endless parade of cookies, ice cream, and other treats;but the boys had an especially good time.  Of course, Paw Paw commented repeatedly on our boys' intelligence and knowledge. 



Spencer, Denver, and PawPawsaurus



On the way home, the boys each read two books about the rise of mammals and the definition of mammals that we bought at the gift shop.  It was Denver's first study of what makes a living thing a mammal.  He learned a lot, and seemed very proud of himself.  Then again, he always seems pretty proud of himself!   



Denver and John Robert are amazed at the size of the
world's largest land mammal ever-- the Indricotherium. 
It  was as big as four elephants!





After two field trips, we're now settled back into our academic routine; with just a few minor changes.  Since John Robert is back on swim team, his body requires a lot of rest and recuperation.  As a result, we've had more afternoon homeschool this week as John Robert sleeps nearly twelve hours before feeling rested! 

Spencer and Denver love having more morning playtime together.  I love knowing the boys are well rested, and that even if we don't start homeschool until after lunch, we'll still have plenty of time.  After all, there's no school bell, and the learning never really ends.  Frankly, no matter what we're doing, it seems like we're always learning!