A Typical Sort of Day With My Little Love

I would like to recap our day of 'schooling', which does not look a lot like a 'conventional' and 'institutional' sort of day, but seems much more learning friendly and greatly tells of why we choose to school at home.

Wake up, whenever, but some days earlier than others. Get dressed, say prayers, get breakfast of homemade granola together and sit down to eat as a family (the only time we may not get to is if Papa has a class that may conflict with timing.) We eat and talk together, Katherine clears all the dishes, we get out her art supplies so she can draw during the reading of a Bible story and Psalms, as per routine. This morning, Papa and Katherine laid on the floor and did art together while I read. After a bit of reading and whenever she finished her art, she came to the table for the first of new copy work printed off of the computer. She likes that it has a picture to color related to 'E', I like that she will have practice writing capital 'E' to work on fine tuning her writing skills. She finishes her work, colors the picture and moves on to eating a fresh peach out of the basket from yesterday's basket blessing of fruit after the liturgy for Transfiguration. I find my way outside to the little garden patch while she plays a little make believe until I point out a grasshopper sunning himself on the cucumber plant. She proceeds to find a way to gather him up and, over a process and time, she eventually makes him just the right home so that he is comfortable, all the while observing her newfound critter. She has named him, 'Grassy', and we can all imagine why. Her interest and care are so magnified and marvelous that I find myself having a certain cheer in my heart as she gleefully shows me her little fellow. Unbeknownst to her, she goes to school most days of the year, without fail, even on sick days when we read together and she watches a documentary about Dolphins, or some such.

Every day is not exactly the same, but the routine remains and her curiosity only seems to grow for the world around her. She loves creatures great and small. She loves her friends and playing make believe. She loves helping in the kitchen and making dinner while encouraging us to 'relax' while she takes care of it. She knows herbs and other plants that grow and whether or not you can eat them. She grazes on lemon balm and basil, carrots and chard while she brings the worlds splendor into her realm of childhood that is all but forgotten anymore. She beckons to the sun, the sky and the moon and they bend to her imagination as she adds to their beauty through her innocence and youth. She is practical, a dreamer, a thinker, a storyteller, a grower, an artist and, best of all, she is a child, with a chance to flourish in her natural world and discover what it all means. I have no doubt that she already keeps the secrets of life wrapped up in her sweet little heart that she carried with her in her years of short life. Those secrets already make sense, now to make sense of the surrounding world and its offerings. She is simple, funny, beautiful, astounding...she is my love.