So far this week we've...
constructed with everything we had at hand,
done math with the help of a robin,
started a love affair with the roll playing game genre,
practiced yoga (?) and spelling together,
and gone in search of fall.
Jon and I woke up as usual every morning this week, dragging ourselves out of bed and into the day as quietly as possible, since we hadn't heard from the munchkin down the hall yet. But do you know where we found him each and every morning? Sitting at his desk in his office, creating. He wrote and illustrated a play one day, he drew pictures of myths another day, and he brought us declarations of a child's love another morning. I love this, that he is driven by his own intentions and his own desires and creating in his own individual way. It is a gift of homeschooling that we are able to approach everything so as to meet those desires. Our son is a character, as all children can be, and I love that his individuality has not been hampered by peer pressure or the like (or by the early arrival of the school bus, for that matter).
I'm sure all homeschoolers have their moments of doubt, and I would be lying if I claimed to be any different. Following an unconventional course can be hard. Rarely is it met with outright approval, more likely it is met with skepticism, argument, and judgement. But researching, contemplating, deciding, and then taking the path that you believe is right? It's priceless. It's worth more than all the approval in the world. And I am reminded at least once every day of why our path is the right one for us, be it by the robin at the table during math, the yoga moves during spelling, the games during lunch, the meandering hikes after, the lazy Lego play in the afternoons, and that's all the reward I need for taking the road less travelled.
It's a beautiful life.