Saturday in late September

Sunshine and cool breezes.  Saturday morning sports: golf, football, soccer, football.  There should be another "soccer" in there, but my 7 year old is in gymnastics this year and loving every minute of it.  Our schedule really appreciates the fact that gymnastics is not on Saturday morning!

We have been sick for coming up on two weeks with the nastiest cold/flu that our family has ever experienced.  My husband drove himself to the urgent care at 2am for antibiotics--that bad.

So, homeschooling has been on hiatus.  We have, however, been rediscovering a love for "The Chronicles of Narnia".  My kids are part of a book club at the local library, and they are starting with "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe".  Since I couldn't find our old battered copy of the entire series, which has been read through at least two full times in our children's lives, I pulled out the CD series.  As my children lay limply in fevers, they listened for four hours to the entire second book.  And yes, I was very grateful for the break.

After the club, however, they all wanted copies of the book to read on their own.  We hit Barnes and Nobles and bought three copies of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and a new set of the Chronicles since I still can't find that old copy!  My kids have also launched into Prince Caspian.  We then ordered the BBC version of the Chronicles of Narnia, which my children have been enjoying, but I cannot whole-heartedly vouch for.  I honestly think I prefer the Disney version of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe".  We found that Amazon sells "Turkish Delight" and ordered that to go with the video.  My kids were thrilled.  Our opinion on Turkish Delight is varied...it might have been described as "Turkish De-fright" by someone who didn't prefer it.

So, while the Mom in me is "aware" of the fact that we've missed an entire week of school, the English Major in me is basking in the joy of my children's appreciation of fine literature.  Our lives are immersed in imagination and creativity, as well as fevers and body aches.  As our health slowly returns and we return to the sunny cool Autumn fields of soccer and football, I appreciate this September for what it has brought.   Maybe just one more small plug for home education?  Time off is never a loss.