I had to record this!
For science, we are putting together Xai's new periodic table puzzle while he reads us facts about the elements from a book that came with it. (Thanks, Usbourne Books!) He finished reading about a particularly potent element that disintegrates EVERYTHING...."even human cells."
Elijah paused and looked up from his section of puzzle. "Even ketchup??"
Yup. Even ketchup.
******
I love being home.
I really enjoyed my precious two weeks reveling in the joy of being able to just love my grandson and his parents in Hungary and was able to recenter.
I can connect with God daily in the morning through prayer, feeling His peace as I make plans.
I can seek to love first, without fear, and for the first time in, well, ever, I am enjoying parenting without fear of the future. Feels so great.
I enjoyed waking up slowly from the couch I currently sleep on next to Liesl in their room as I try to help her stop wetting the bed at night. I also linger there so that I am there when she wakes up. (The two weeks away was pretty traumatic for her. When people asked her last Sunday when we were coming home, she told them, "Never." So sad!) I did have to sneak out to wake up Maia, Havala and Xai so they could finish their dinner help from the night before. (Okay, it was before 7 am...they weren't thrilled.) I threw on some peppy church music--starting with "Good Day"--and went back up to the couch to savor some scriptures and journal a bit, recording impressions from the night before and during my morning thoughts to organize my day.
With this fun music flowing and the motion felt, Elijah also started stirring from his bed next to Liesl. "Are they watching something without me??" was his first sentence of the day. Talk about built-in FOMO, lol! "Nope," I answered. "They are just doing their dinner help with some jammin' music!"
After a couple seconds, he replied, "I want to help!" A quick prayer together and making his bed got him off to a good start and then he was down helping Xai sweep with such a great attitude.
Wow. Didn't see that one coming.
Liesl woke up more slowly, but I didn't mind studying about the first years after creation and the fall of Adam. So much to think about! Main take-home point: involve God in the process and it'll be AWESOME. Not without pain and suffering and even death, but perfect. (Greek root of "perfect" meaning ="complete"!)
Got going with basics and kids--brushing teeth, critical shower for me, self-care. We had bacon, eggs and "mom's pancakes" (whole wheat--yum!) for a later breakfast and tucked in a CNN 10 for good measure. Nothing like a little COVID update! Also, some terrible stuff going on in Kazakhstan. So grateful for the peace we enjoy and praying for them!
Devotional after breakfast included a video from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints youtube channel about the creation and then a creation scavenger hunt. Each team of kids had five minutes to find something to represent each of the seven days of creation. So fun!
Xai loves to give speeches, so he gave one about the creation. (Super stirring with some great analogies between the sun, moon and stars and Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost respectively...love that kid.) We had a great song for our closing song, our favorite dance version. Quinn came in the middle of me and my middle-age uncoordinated body trying to dance like a cool kid. (He definitely had a smile on his face.)
After devotional, our new schedule includes a jump into math. Everyone does their own. Xai and Maia did multiplication practice...appropriate after our discussion of the creation, right? Get it? "Multiply and replenish the earth?" Multiply? Awesome. The other kids did their things and then we headed out to run. Every day. We run. The kids have different routes--older and younger. There is an ice cream bucket set out at the turn around point by the fastest person from the day before and everyone else takes a bandana with them of a distinct color and drops them off in the bucket of their age group...indicators that they made it that far. They can actually walk...or even crawl...if they wanted to. But I've learned that their is no "inspire not require" for running in this house. (TJEd reference.) Running is a form of work and it's just something we do. The kids have actually really loved it, surprisingly. Elijah had run there and back before any of the rest of us even left the first day! I go out and back with Liesl running and Penelope in the stroller, all bundled up. ("No such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing..." shameless endorsement of a fantastic book.)
Maia ended up getting into it slowly, as she was planning on taking some of our excess eggs to a neighbor that loves to buy them from her. I enjoyed a leisurely walk back with her since I hadn't bothered to change after putting on non-exercise clothes after my much-needed shower from earlier. Embracing it! We walked back to where she stowed the eggs and on a whim I decided to walk up with her to the house.
Good thing!!
I got the best soil prep lesson I could have ever got from someone who not only taught it for years, but actually lives next door and applies it! AND he's going to give me blackberry starts!!
His son, Jim, who lives across the way was up there and gave us a few pointers as well then headed home. As we walked down the driveway with our heads full of ideas, we heard Jim call out, "Come on over if you want to see a brand new calf!!"
So cool!!
We spent the next hour and a half learning about cows, pigs, meat chickens and pigs while watching this new little calf enjoy its first moments of life. SUPER cool. And another one was born while we were there! Talk about great science opportunity for the morning!
We headed home to Xai's much anticipated previously referenced Periodic Table lesson, complete with Drew's perfect prep song:
Xai faithfully read through a book full of difficult words and ideas while we did the puzzle...well, I got sidetracked recording this one in a million great homeschooling day so I didn't do much of the puzzle. I helped Liesl on the side with her Elsa puzzles that we brought back for her from Hungary. As she put it, "You LOVE this puzzle because you love me!!" Amen, sister! Always remember that...
When we reached something in Xai's book that referenced "radioactivity" we all decided that the following song would be the perfect mood music:
A little behind my loosely structured schedule but totally happy. Chose the highest truths, the best paths and feel peace. I love the little rudder in my heart that tells me I'm on course. Peace is the indicator. (Great video about that to follow!)
As President Russell M. Nelson says, "The only way we will survive these last days is by learning how to receive and act upon personal revelation." Love it. And I love that loving my children--and not fearing about all the things I am NOT doing--is among the highest truths I must honor right now. To love without fear. So beautiful.
I am learning that I can follow where my heart wants to take me and not always second guess it with all my years of learning about different learning styles, systems and "ways to raise your kids the best." I can just trust my heart and the way that leads to the most peace. That is all I can do. And I can be happy doing it.
*NOTE: I have to say that Hyrum, Piper and Lily are doing AWESOME in their three week tour of Europe. I am so proud of them and happy for them! They even handled getting pulled over by a policeman without breaking too much of a sweat...ended up just being a check for passports as they crossed a border. I can't wait to hear all their stories when they get back. Lily created a great photo journey on her Instagram account that reflects her ability to capture art. She has the knack! I will be so happy to see them next week.
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