Quiet Moments

I know I have been posting mostly about all the big, fun projects we have been doing lately, but I've decided that as much fun as all of that is for me, it is really the quiet moments that make this experience so rewarding. Here are a few examples:

The other day we were sitting in church and Evie took out her notebook to entertain herself. After doodling for a while like she normally does, she turned to a fresh page and began writing a few of the words she has learned in school. I sat smiling proudly at her, tears in my eyes, when suddenly I noticed Graham look down at her paper. He looked up at me in astonishment and I nearly lost a tear. What a precious moment we shared over that child's golden head, there in the silence of church.

Grayson decided at the beginning of the school year to skip second grade math and go straight to multiplication. Despite a few small concerns over this, I have moved forward with the theory that student-led learning is more effective (a theory you can read about in many educational journals, but hardly practiced in our schools.) Well, we have breezed through the "times tables" and he is just amazing me with his understanding on this subject. What normally would have taken several months in 3rd grade has only taken us three weeks in 2nd grade. Yesterday I introduced the 9s to him and he panicked. I showed him two different tricks and then remembered a third, but he kept saying, "I just don't see it!" Finally, I got out a fresh sheet of paper and wrote as clearly as I could, keeping all the numbers in straight, even columns to encourage the visual pattern in the list of multiplication facts. Then, I asked him to explain to me what I had just said. He did this word for word, but still seemed convinced he didn't understand. So, I gave him a sample problem and showed how I could come up with the answer just by using my "tricks" I had shown him. He got it. He did 5 more problems, including one that was basically algebra to show me how he understood. Wow! We did a happy dance with his sisters to celebrate. Once again, what would have taken a week (at least) in public school had only taken us 10 minutes at home. Incredible.

Today I got the kids started on their lessons and then went to start laundry and return some phone calls. Suddenly, I realized that all the kids had disappeared and the house was eerily quiet. I went upstairs to shepherd them back into submission, but when I opened the bedroom door, the scene that met me nearly melted my heart. The younger two were cuddled up on either side of LilliAnn as she sat in her bed reading Heidi. How could I interrupt such a precious moment?

As I tiptoed away I said a prayer of thanks to God for our new lifestyle and all the quiet little moments of learning and love that now fill our days.