Homeschool When No One is Around
Saturday night my motivation vanished. A few hours later it reappeared. I discovered it giving a pep talk to my white blood cells. I decided to go to bed and see who won the fight in the morning. When light streamed into my room and birds welcomed the day, it didn’t take long to realize who won. Headache, sore throat, and achy muscles moaned before I got out of my bed.
Sunshine, my five-year-old daughter, stayed home from church with me. As soon as everyone else left, I passed out on the couch. I woke in a panic wondering where Sunshine was. Thankfully, she was sitting nearby drawing castles and fairy princesses willing me to be better. She watched movies while I tried to keep my eyes open. And now it is Tuesday night, and I still feel woozy and tired.
This morning I felt better. The filthy house bothered me, so I scrubbed the sink and then gathered the children for morning worship. Dance and song and Bible reading. The girls scampered off to play. Bug grabbed his journal. I stretched out and closed my eyes for just a minute.
Two hours later my lethargy slipped away, and I heard the whistle of a toy train and the laughter of my children. My thoughts came into focus and rattled around. I couldn’t believe I had fallen asleep! I haven’t slept this much since the first week of summer break during high school. We had a list of things to do before lunch.
But my children used the opportunity to play together. All of them crowded in brother’s room, setting up the train tracks, watching the miniature locomotive circle around the tiny town. Imaginations soared. My fitful sleep allowed a dream to come true.
My children are making memories together. They are loving one another. That was not written in the lesson plans. It was not on the to do list, but I’m thankful the most important things are revealed in the day to day of living life together.
Very nice. Sometimes when the children are playing well together, I set aside my plans and just let them enjoy each other’s company. It warms my soul to see them getting along and looking out for one another.
Hope you’re feeling better soon!
I fall asleep every time I sit on the couch to read books with James. He thinks it’s hilarious and sneaks off leaving me sleeping;0!
That is so sweet! I love it when my children can play together nicely!
Sounds too familiar right now. I was worried that I have mono with all the sleeping I want to do. I hope you feel better soon.
Jenn
How wonderful. :-)
Doesn’t it just leave you all warm and fuzzy inside? I love these little affirmations that we’re doing something right somewhere.
Sometimes as moms we see all of the bad attitudes in our kids, it’s nice to be reminded of the good! Your kids just knew you needed rest!
Yes, it’s those unplanned moments that are sometimes the best. If my youngest two are having a great time together – contrary to normal – I will quite often just set aside what I had planned so that they can continue to foster those sisterly moments with each other. That will be remembered long after school lessons are forgotten.
Hoping you don’t have the bug we’ve been fighting…nasty, nasty flu and being oh so tired on top of it.
Those sorts of moments are the sweetest. The photo of your children is precious.:-)
I think you should be proud of yourself. Obviously your children have learned how to take care of themselves when they need too, they know to care for others when they are sick, and they know how to play with their siblings without bickering. Maybe you should thank your sickness for providing you with the opportunity to realize it.
Thank you for all of your kind comments.
Dana and Connie,
I’m glad I’m not the only one who pushes lessons aside when the children are playing nicely.
Lizzie,
I’ve done that before. Then I’m awakened by laughter at the silly things I said while dozing. Here’s one example: Sleep Teaching Doesn’t Work.
Jenn4Him,
I hope you feel better soon. I definitely have compassion. I still don’t have any energy.
Kathy,
It’s rare that I get a photo of all my kids together, so these are pretty special.
Wendy,
I’ll try to be thankful for this sickness, but it might be easier after I recover. ;)
Hope you’re all better soon! Great post and picture.
Oh dear…hope you get well soon! The pictures are so sweet. Yes, it’s precious when our children play nicely together. Ha, my son, who has wanted to marry for a long time told me yesterday he wanted to marry his sister. Oh well…for a moment I thought he wanted to tell me the whole idea of marrying mama was silly. I’m glad he really likes his sister though, LOL. Hugs, my friend.
Love those moments when the kids are able to do and be when Momma isn’t herself. Hope you are back to your self very soon!
Oh, how wonderful. Mommy got rest and children held the fort down. Love it!
Excellent post! I hope you feel better though!
I have kept this new on bloglines waiting for time to read and comment. I am a week into your feeling under the weather and pray that you are starting to feel more chipper.
My WBC’s rarely win the fight with a virus. I am better now then when I was younger only because I don’t go to work every day in a germ filled hospital. :o(
Miiko,
We’ve had those types of discussions here. My daughter thinks she should marry her brother when she grows up. He assures her that is not going to happen, but I’m so happy that they are growing in love for one another. And I’m pretty sure those ideas about marrying within the family will change as they grow up. ;)
Julie,
I’m sorry to hear that you have had this for a week. I got better just in time for my youngest to get the flu. Thankfully, she is feeling much better today. It blesses my heart to see her smiling and singing again. She was so lethargic yesterday.
Hope you are recovered as well. Mamas don’t have time to get sick, do they?
I love the yellow!
Heather,
Thank you. I’m still getting used to it, but I really like having threaded comments. :)
[...] Homeschool When No One is Around(It happens all the time!) [...]
[...] Homeschool When No One is Around. That is my kind of homeschool. OK, not really, but what do our children learn when the teacher has a sick day? Every now and again, we have a day like that and school will be postponed. Not because I’m sick, but because the children are engaged in some interesting and creative endeavor in which they are working and playing and giggling together. Life lessons sometimes trump whatever I’ve come up with them to do for the day. [...]
Hope you are feeling better Renae! It’s almost worth being sick, though, when the children are so sweet. I remember one Christmas my husband and I both had the flu. Our oldest two were four and five years old, and when they asked for something to eat, we were both so sick that I had to say, “Go in the kitchen and you may eat anything that you can get by yourself.” Then I collapsed back into my naseous feverish haze, and they spent the rest of the day playing happily together and eating all the apples and crackers they wanted. It’s actually a fond memory, if you can have fond memories of the flu.
Rebecca,
I bet your children have fond memories of that too, unless all the eating gave them a tummy ache. :P
If I told my kids to eat whatever they wanted, I doubt there would be a thing left in the house. :O
Amen! This morning, mine were sitting together and the oldest was “playing teacher” and helping the youngest with the ABC’s and as I watched, I thought,”This is the blessings of homeschool-not just the love of learning, but the sharing and the compassion and the exchange; This is the blessing”.
Then I see the load of laundry and go, “Laundry, begone!” (doesn’t work btw, still piles up)
Love the photo!!
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