In February of last year I started a blog for my children. I had just been diagnosed with a cancer which had spread locally but doctors couldn’t tell me if it had spread systemically. I wanted a way for the children to be able to look back and remember all the wonderful things we did together. I wanted them to know years down the line, if anything should happen to me, how completely and utterly I loved them. How special and precious every moment with them was and is. People other than my children read my blog – I’m not sure I expected that! It has evolved from something personal to something less so, and more home school orientated. I’m alright with this. On reflection, however, I do still want a touch of personal with the memories of special moments etched into history for good and also a place Gary’s family can be part of our lives, albeit online. I’ve decided that my weekly wrap up will be that place. The rest of my blog I’ll share our school posts, but on a Friday I will look back at the whole week, not just the school week, to record the magic that happens in between lessons.
This week our home school for the preschoolers has been all about bears, whilst the older one’s started their middle age history studies in earnest when they learnt a bit about historical enquiry and hypothesising. I wrote about our Beowulf studies and also looked back to when we covered Ancient China. However, this week as I went about snapping up lots of lovely memories, I noticed how much my 5 genuinely enjoy each other’s company. Here is this week captured and kept so we can look back:
The moment A4 clapped eyes on her baby sister changed her life forever. She fell in love for the first time. Utterly. Completely. And nothing has changed.
She is, without a shadow of doubt, her BIG sister. A4 has a full understanding of her role in her baby sister’s life. It is one that has come completely naturally, without any instruction from the rest of the family. She is there to ensure B1’s safety, happiness and security. She is to be her play mate, her mentor and, most importantly of course, her sister. And A1 loves her back with a passion:
Together they can conquer anything:
One of my greatest pleasures is the close siblings relationships developing day in and day out. It has always been a parenting goal of ours that the children be each other’s best friends and they truly are:
I think it is simply time that allows for this gentle unfurling, this deep love, and it’s time that homeschooling gifts us. I will NEVER regret the decision to keep the children at home. I am seeing a fulfillment of all our dreams for our family:
It is through the day-to-day care, love and tenderness (not to mention the odd annoyances!) that sharp edges are knocked off and trust grows:
Time is the most precious commodity on earth, and to spend it as we choose is a huge blessing and responsibility. For what we build today in terms of relationships, knowledge, understanding and memories is what will form us for our tomorrows.
And of course it’s time that allows for dress up before breakfast:
and fighting the odd Holy war before lunch:
Before retiring to bed, content that you have fought all your ‘enemies’, yet are heading upstairs best of friends:
And when life gets a bit noisy, you can always snuggle up and read a good book, any book in fact:
And when you find yourself at a loose end, with nobody to play with, you take what you can find…..in the form of a child’s slipper:
I hope you all have a wonderful, joy filled week ahead!