But then I realize what my kids would miss if they were away from me all day. And what I would miss. The light in their eyes when they learn something new; hearing them sound out their first words. The millions of questions I get asked every day. . .if my boys were gone from me, who would answer them and how would they answer them? "Why does gravity keep us from falling off the earth?" "Mommy, why do things happen?" "When you were a little girl, were there still dinosaurs?" "What happens if I get dehydrated?" "Why do numbers have no end?" "Who made God?"
And then I realize I wouldn't trade these hectic days for anything. They are too precious. The boys' minds are too moldable. These years will be too brief. And so, we continue on here at home. Learning, asking questions, absorbing information. The boys are forming their own opinions and are organizing their own values and beliefs. The foundation is being laid for the adults they are growing into. This is a critical time. I cannot entrust this responsibility to anyone else.
Plus, homeschooling can just be plain fun! We take almost any excuse to make a regular day into a "special day". Election Day was no different. We learned about the election process, the candidates, the role of government and our duties as citizens, but with an 1864 twist.
We dressed up in our 1860's attire, lit the house with candle-light (it was a very dreary and gloomy sort of day) and hung the 13 star flag. The boys helped me with the day-long process of baking an Election Cake (complete with liquor-soaked raisins and candied lemon peel) and we mixed and steamed a round loaf of brown bread and made a big pot of bubbly clam chowder, a nod to the early elections in New England, where I am originally from.
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| Election Cake - Actually quite good! |
When David came home from work we bundled up and headed out to the polls, (little David was disappointed we just went to the local fire station; he thought we were going to the White House!) where the boys watched as we filled the ballot and turned it in. We came home and had dinner, which the boys proudly helped serve up and ate with apparent relish - no leftovers! - while we discussed the election and the various likely outcomes.
I felt a bit of motherly pride when Judah told me he wanted to be president when he grows up. But then he paused and looked at me questioningly. "But how many presents does the present-it get?" he asked. "I want a lot." Perhaps he will make a good politician when he grows up, since even at this tender age it appears he is inspired by greed.
Now on to Thanksgiving! My favorite holiday of the year.
Love,
Sarah
