Life and Living

 

We’ve had a busy few weeks here!

Several of us came down with a respiratory virus which has been a real hanger-on-er.  But we’re getting there! 

 

We’ve had more snow,

 

more time outside,

        (Alix and our neighbor riding right up to the front door!)

   

 

more time with family and friends,

  

 

and more school. Of course.

 

Although the kids are often hoping for a good reason to do only part of school, or maybe none (!) at least once a week, I am a stickler and we keep on keeping on.  I usually remind them that Spring and warm weather will be here, sooner or later, and then they will be glad they kept up with school because they will have more time to be outside.

School has been the main focus of my days for so many years now!  14 years so far! 

Although certain aspects of our school day have changed here and there, some things have stayed the same.  Like reading the Proverbs.  When the older kids were little, I read a chapter from Proverbs to them each day at the beginning of our school time.  But over time, it has moved to all of them reading it as well.  As each new reader has gained the ability to make out the majority of words, they have been added to the rotation.  We go in order of age, to keep it easy, and read one chapter every day.  Then the kids will say which verse stuck out to them that day.  This is sometimes harder than it sounds!

When we finish all 31 chapters, we start over! 

It’s amazing to me how this has impacted us.  The Proverbs contain so much wisdom and instruction, and much of it is repeated over and over throughout the chapters.   I don’t think there’s a day that goes by where someone doesn’t repeat something they’ve learned from reading Proverbs.  They either say it for themselves, or as a reminder to one another. 

 

Last week, while Kate was reading, Izzy scooted close to her for a better view of the words.

 

 

 

I loved how sweet they looked together, but I was suddenly struck with the importance of what we were doing.  The wisdom of Proverbs is wisdom for life, and for living.  Lord willing, they will reap blessings from these years of reading the Proverbs, in ways not visible to them now; and God will use it all for Himself.

 

 

“I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”  3 John 1

 

 

Have a wonderful day!

Homeschool Days

I don’t often take the time to grab the camera and get a few shots of school in progress here.  Mostly because I don’t think about it.  I’m busy teaching, encouraging, or exhorting.  But one day last week, I happened to walk in the school room after working with one of the older kids for several minutes, and I perceived things looked slightly different than they had when I left the room.

Actually I can’t say for sure that Olivia didn’t already have on her yellow ballet recital tutu from 3 years ago while she practiced her piano songs

But Noah seemed to have changed quite a bit.  What’s that he’s wearing?  And Kate looked somehow different, too.

 

They told me what they were up to, and I knew I had to stop for once, and get some pictures.

Kate and Noah had just finished reading The Unaborted Socrates  for our Omnibus course.  If you’ve never read it, maybe these pictures will convince you that you should.

So Kate and Noah decided to do one of the optional activities found at the end of the lesson.  The one where they pretend to be Socrates and his followers, plus one brave Christian trying to help Socrates see the errors of his thinking.  They may have made that part up themselves.

Here is the poisoned drink before being given to Socrates.  Along with a farewell cookie to sweeten his exit.

   

I think it must have been one of his loyal pupils who penned the thoughtful note.

Here is the faithful Christian and 2 of Socrates’ students talking with him as he lay calmly awaiting his end in this world.

And at last, after much debate and discourse about the importance of the physical body, and something about Opposites..

The Jailer arrived with the tray of poison and the cookie.  If you look closely, you can see “Jailer” written very importantly on her… clown hat.

There… can you see it?

The poison is delivered.

The followers are much distressed.

Socrates quietly drinks the poison while one particularly anguished follower watches.

Socrates dies quietly, surrounded by his faithful students, a concerned Christian, and one interested Jailer.

In the aftermath, there was a lot of sobriety.

 

Hope you have a great Monday!