first things FIRST.

we started school "again" last week. (if you know me, i'm always starting again - i've decided that's just part of schooling year-round. which is nice. because new beginnings are awesome.) anyway, after a summer of crazy running around and having lots of friends and family to visit, we're finally settling in, and we like it, a lot.
funny, i hear lots of kids moaning and dreading "school starting" in a week or two, and while i've certainly been there (read my previous post!), i've discovered that being "in school" for this homeschooling family brings a beautiful rhythm to our daily life.
it's amazing how rhythm and routine go hand-in-hand. "routine" sounds so mundane, and kind of scares me with its unspoken expectations, but "rhythm" sounds so beautiful and artistic; much more to my liking. yet you really can't have the rhythm without the routine. as we puttered and rushed and wandered and flew through this summer, i noticed the days were missing some of their beauty and sweetness. but as we begin to build back into "now it's history read-aloud time," and "it's time for quiet time," i'm noticing even my children began to relax and settle into the day, and enjoy its beauty. for instance, my j, who always sends me running to the Throne (oh, goodness, i mean the Heavenly one, not the porcelain one!), seems to have a calm about him this week. he really looks forward to snuggling on the couch to read together, or camping on his favorite air mattress hideout for an hour of lord of the rings all to himself. matter of fact (and this is nothing new) they all often ask me, "is it quiet time yet? can i go read/play/listen to the (florida late-afternoon) thunder?" and can you believe, they're checking the cabinet list to see what to make for breakfast today, and starting their math assignments on their own?! well, a couple days, at least. but there's something MUCH sweeter i've noticed.
as i mentioned a few days back, it's been a bit "dry" around here, spiritually speaking. my Papa reminded me that even though history and grammar and logic and math and science and stuff are all very important, they pale in comparison to the importance of HIM - and of daily meeting with Him and bringing my children with me. so we've come back where we belong, starting every morning on the couches and rug in the living room, with our Bibles, reading aloud to each other and discussing what God's saying. i determined that baby-nursing-season and keeping my wee-small-hours computer time wasn't conducive to early rising, so each afternoon i'm attempting to meet Abba on the couch and read from Him. noting also that #4 is getting into some trouble at quiet time when he really needs to nap a few days, i brought him in to camp on the other couch. well, somewhere about day three, i got everyone else settled and came into the living room to find my pillow, a throw blanket, and my Bible neatly stacked on one end of "my" couch, while E snuggled on the other, "playing possum," as if he'd had no part in setting up my little Chapel.
oh, God, how awesome are you? please, let this legacy be the one You leave through my broken, inconsistent mommy-ing. teach me, call me, draw me to put
first things first.