a mingling of seasons..

It's that strange time of the year when the seasons are mingling, and I'm just never really sure what to do. There are gourds and a pumpkin from the garden sitting next to impatiens on the porch. The nurseries are selling mums but the summer flowers are still mostly vibrant and clinging on to life. The chilly morning air requires a sweater which is then quickly stripped off only an hour or two later. Time is tugged back and forth between garden preservation and getting on with the new endeavors of autumn. 

With two weeks of homeschooling tucked under the belt, we are getting ready to dive into the full swing of fall schedules. Music lessons, co-op classes, art class, community group, and the other activities that fill up our moments. And my yearning for some fiber work has been creeping back in over the last several weeks as the mornings and evenings have grown cooler and the days just a tad bit shorter. I am finding myself scrambling to finish up the few projects I left languishing over the summer so that I can break through into fall with a fresh project. Socks? A sweater? A poncho? All things that have flickered through my mind. 

And a tizzy of preserving and canning has had me falling into bed exhausted every night lately. It's a good kind of exhaustion, stemming from long, productive days of work. And that freezer and can cellar is filling up with all manner of homegrown and homemade goodness. And if I shall be frank, this girl here is quite possibly looking forward to the fall and the change it brings. A bit of a break from the endless harvesting and a time to just draw in a bit more and concentrate on some cozier activities.

the eternal importance of motherhood...

The light this morning was amazing as the sun rose up over the hill across the pastures. Morning is my favorite time of the day. The day presents itself full of potential and promise. There is the quiet and stillness as the world begins to stir awake.

As I type this post, one child is pounding notes out on the piano and the other is outside caring for the goats and chickens. I'm sipping on lukewarm coffee, the cup of a busy mom. In a few moments, we will gather on the couch, like we do every morning, for the start of another school day.

This is how I love to start our mornings. Together. Books. Coffee. Reading words out loud and hearing my children begging me to "read just one more chapter."

This is only our fourth official day of our new homeschool year, and I've already found myself mentally reminding myself to calm down and face the day as the journey it is, not a checklist that my mind so easily makes it. This is the lifestyle we have chosen as best for our family. Spending time with one another. Reading good books and learning so much through the words of so many authors. Using our hands to make things and create things. Filling our home with the beauty of music, literature, and God's world.

Be present, Amber.

We did not choose this homeschooling lifestyle to rush through it, checking off boxes as we accomplish things.

We chose it for the closeness it brings. The experiences. The breathing in of life at a steady pace. The beauty and messiness of living a life here on this soil where God has planted us. Learning how to live life peacefully with one another (and, oh, that can be tough and must be learned over and over again) and learning, together, how to live more like Jesus.

And so I ask myself, "How do we glorify God in the midst of this ordinary day? In the midst of crumbs and dirty dishes and math problems and chores?"

By being present. By remaining humble and grateful for all the blessings He has given to us. By resting in the knowledge that this is the calling He has placed upon my life during this season. By thanking Him for the children I have who produce all of this dirty laundry. By being full of gratitude for the ability to chop and stir and prepare dishes of food that fill the bellies that gather around the table each night. (Because, to me, food is love.)

My kids are growing. Each day that passes is one less day that their presence will grace our home. So I want to grasp onto each day and live it fully.

This is what I yearn for ~ a heart that can be still enough and quiet enough and content enough to be fully aware of the opportunities God has given me right here in the moments of my ordinary life. Because this ordinary life is the one He has placed me in, and He has placed me here with an eternal purpose in mind. And, oh, if I could just remember that, my ordinary life wouldn't perhaps feel so ordinary. Right? Eternal purpose can never be ordinary.

back into rhythm...

I am so ready to start our new homeschool year. Well, except I'm not physically ready to start because I'm still doing the planning part. I had the bulk of this coming year's books ordered by the end of last May. I was patting myself on the back. I had great intentions of starting our Latin study the first part of July and getting multiple days under our belt and on the clock before our official term started in September.

Then I had a kid sick with Lyme's for weeks as well as an intestinal virus for another week. Then the other kid got that virus as well as another one. We spent many days in the car running from here to there (and how is it that I cannot exactly remember where I was even driving to on those days????) And I'm not complaining about this, although I am feeling a bit depleted and out-of-sorts. It was a full, busy, fun summer. We got to spend a lot of time with friends. The kids had opportunities to volunteer. It was amazing being out and not cooped in the house. It was a pretty amazing summer, despite the few bumps. 

But Latin? Didn't happen. All the read-alouds we were going to do? Didn't happen. (Although I read a TON of books myself.) Field trips? Nah. (Unless doctor offices, hospital ER's, and grocery stores count.) 

So August 1st rolls around, and I'm feeling the heat. The "I haven't even clocked any school days yet!" voice was screaming in my frustrated little head. 

Okay, okay. So the kids did volunteer. Ian put in thirty-seven hours so far. And they did have their music lessons, not to mention the hours they put into practicing and playing at home. And, of course, there were many other learning opportunities that occurred that I didn't document. In other words, I reminded myself to chill out.

This morning during the drive to church, I announced to Brad and the kids that this week was going to be my dedicated homeschool planning week. It's gotta be. We're starting next Monday. Time to get serious about this thing.

After church, the boys went to ultimate frisbee and Lily went to play with her cousin, so I sat down at the kitchen counter with my planner, my papers, and the laptop and got started. I'm definitely not a rigid planner. I am definitely not one of those homeschooling moms that plans out the year or even a month at a time. I find that kind of planning too restricting and stressful, and then I completely feel overwhelmed when I get off of schedule a day or two. I cannot handle that type of scheduling.

Instead, I like to sit down and get a general overview of the year. I like to figure out how many days we will need to finish each curriculum. I like to pick out our read-aloud books (some based on what we are studying in history, music, and art and others just for fun) as well as books for the kids to read on their own. 

I like to get a very casual planner put together with pages to keep track of attendance, document the reading log and field trips, write down goals and aspirations. Just a laid back guide book that works well for me. 

So after spending an incredible two months full of laid-back, come-as-we-want, take-it-easy days, I'm ready to bring some order back into my days. And to speak the truth, so are the kids. 

We'll still be taking advantage of the warm days of summer, and the garden, and outdoor time. We have a Maine trip coming up next month, and I have a few painting projects here at home that need to be done. But, wow, am I looking forward to waking up in the morning knowing that our day will have more of a regular rhythm. I always appreciate the long summer break, but I also really appreciate the start of a new school year and the routine it brings.