Bananas Over Blueberries

Homeschool e-mails are coming fast and furious now; my two homeschool groups are planning lots of activities and enrichment opportunities. All our curriculum has been purchased, the boys are excited, and the teachers happen to be pretty excited too (Don and myself, LOL).

Rosey doesn't know it yet, but she's starting her preschool career soon. Now that she's down to one nap, which starts around 12:30, we really have to include her in the learning festivities. She will paint (oh, the mess will be fun!), scribble, dance and clap, help bake or cook, have recess and snack, and play with puzzles and manipulatives. She likes to feel like a big girl! Doing something the boys get to do, or participating in something that Mommy and Daddy do just gives her a glistening-eyed, giggly thrill.

The way God planned seasonal climate change is just so brilliant! About every three months, humans seemed programmed to be ready and eager for change. Each season brings with it so much that feels new and thrilling. After summer, uniquely designed to be a take-it-easy, less-than-structured time, it feels good to get back to routine.

In the next few weeks, we plan to squeeze what is left of the carefree summer, as Mommy starts working, after bedtime, on the biggest challenge of all. A master schedule. That enormous task looms before me. Oh, how good I will feel when it's completed!

Today though, I put all thought of it behind me. Daddy took the day off and this morning we went on a blueberry-picking adventure. It went wonderfully! Rosey was even content, and actually seemed excited during the 35 minute car ride to the picking farm. Car rides can be challenging with her, but today we got blessed.

All the children happily picked quite a few blueberries, with Daddy patiently helping Emily Rose find the ripest ones. More and more, I see her attention span growing, thank the Lord. Earlier on, I feared she was another hyperactive one. Now she's more focused and eager to buckle down and learn new things. Like Daniel, she prefers the sounds and sensations of the outdoors. I'm guessing that's due to their auditory and tactile-kinesthetic leanings. In fact, before leaving the blueberry farm, Daniel caught a huge black cricket that pleasantly chirped for us the whole way home! Rosey and Daniel were thrilled at this outdoor-style music!

When we arrived home, Daddy started on a batch of delicious blueberry pancakes, which we ravenously gobbled up for lunch. It's such a blessing that such wonderful times can come so cheaply, thanks to God's wondrous creations. We still didn't entirely get through our piddly $60.00, which has to last until payday. Best of all, we learned that this farm also has blackberries, available to pick on Tuesdays, through mid Sept. We'll be there! It'll be our first field trip of the year.