Spontaneous learning...

Monday this week we had to take a day off from homeschool. Wonder Woman had a fever (though you won't be able to tell from these photos), and I had a to-do list a mile long.

Those darn lists...make me happy and overwhelmed all at the same time. It's a strange juxtaposition of emotions. The joy I feel in checking things off...well, it's a joy all its own. And yet, the anxiety that comes from a list too long with too many deadlines...it's an anxiety all its own as well.

So, we stopped. Just for a day. And it was nice. Even if we were busy all day. In the car and out. The bank, the vet, Hobby Lobby, baseball practice, phone calls. It was nice.

And a special surprise was when my rockstar husband came home early. Happy kids.

So, the spontaneous learning...well, that happened right when dad came home and Homerun Kid asked to make a volcano in the backyard.

At first, I balked. I was tired. Oh, the mess. Cleaning up. Excuses, excuses.

And I then I stopped.

And realized this is the beauty of homeschool. This kid didn't know it, but he was learning...to follow a recipe, to clean up, to get stuff out, to put stuff away. The chemical reaction.

 And I enjoyed watching him do it...take ownership, put it together and make it happen.

And this little guy loved watching, as did Wonder Woman. They both wanted to make their own once he was done. But we ran out of supplies. (Another item on my to-do list: grocery store).

Daily I'm reminded that I have them for such a short time. And the cleanest house in the world does not compare to how precious the time is that I spend with them.

And today, we were back at it...Wonder Woman is still sick, but we got back to it. She slept until 11, so I got finished up with Homerun Kid and then got started with her. Again, the beauty of homeschool.

I thank God every day for this precious gift...my daily time with them.