This day has been marked on my Google calendar for weeks: "First day of school." Even though learning has been happening all summer in various ways, for us there has to be a day when our structured school time returns. When asked by strangers, Jeremiah doesn't know what grade he is in, but we are working mostly on 1st grade material. Nathaniel is eager to learn his ABC's and numbers.
The day starts slow. Nathaniel rises early and Jeremiah sleeps late. The storms of the night before have ushered in the coolest morning we have had in weeks and I can't resist sending the boys out to play before the heat returns. Breakfast is fried eggs and homemade granola. Around 9am we take out the school things and Jeremiah decides he wants to do Math first. Nathaniel has a hard time doing some coloring on his own when I need to focus on Jeremiah. We move between the dining room table and the sunroom trying find a new rhythm with the new curriculum. We do a lot of reading snuggled up on the sunroom couch looking at bright, engaging books.
I manage to stay patient and calm, which is really my biggest goal for the morning. I breath deep and tell myself to stay present. Be fully here. Notice these moments that feel endless but really are fleeting.
Around 11am we are finished with the bulk of our work. We will do our "read-alouds" before nap time. I make a snack and send the boys to play again. Jeremiah dresses like a cowboy while Nathaniel puts on his Transformer costume. Some kind of battle is happening throughout the house as they attack a "super evil fly guy." I smile and start to think about preparing lunch. Home schooling is something I never planned on doing, but turns out it works pretty good for us right now.
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