“Time is a game played beautifully by children.” Heraclitus
It is not always played so artfully by big people. This past week didn't always feel beautifully timed. Volunteering for a soccer practice run went a long way towards correcting that. It meant an hour with absolutely nothing else to do but becoming utterly drawn into their play. It's awesome. You leave windblown and and breathless and sane and laughing.
Time spent laughing is time well spent.
There was a question this week about how our school days normally run. I have been working on a summing up, but haven't found a minute to write it. Things like this complicate…
The first of our two away game athletes just left for the weekend. When you live in Europe, an "away" game involves a passport, a ferry crossing, a 15 hr bus ride, and three forms of currency. We gathered all that plus snacks, clothes, uniforms, and stuff to do en route. However, our sleeping bags (circa 2000ish and yellow and turquoise : )) were deemed too girly/embarassing/uncool in some way and a small person (by all accounts it was "not Me" who was responsible) managed to change the combination for the brand new duffle bag lock. It's ok though. Every time we do this, it will get easier.
It reminded me of a song I listened to the other night:
And like a newborn baby
Don’t be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk
Sometimes we fall
…so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!
Our days are a lot like this. Mostly going the way we hope they will. Sometimes not. We just put on our game face and give it our best shot. (insert fumble analogy here) Then we do it again the next day. And the next day. And the next day.
It's all good. : )
St. John's church sits nestled among high coastal meadows by the sea. The weather was rather bleak the whole ride there. The rain let up just as we arrived. My husband went to scope out the trail to decide if it was an ok idea yet. While he did that I was was able to check out the church and cafe a bit. And convince a boy he could ask the cafe people directions to the restroom. It's the little victories in life. ; )
I have been wanting to share this breathtaking bit of Cornish coast, but day after day gets swallowed up in sports and grading quizzes and sounding out phonics and practicing cursive capitals and walking my daily miles – which is all pretty cool as well. And I pictures of all that too. : ) It finally came together tonight though and it was so much fun to sit and sigh over these again.
Sandymouth, you stole my heart.
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Phil 4:13
From one morning this week. We improvised games from this book and another favorite. Goes like this….
How many animals are in the pen?
Are there more inside or out in the pasture?
If the farmer has 3 animals and he brings in 3 more how many will he have?
If he sells 4 how many will be left?
The farmer wants 5 more (2 less, none, more, etc) in the pen.
He has three pens with 2 animals in each.
These 8 animals need to split into two pens.
Do you have to add/subtract/multiply/divide?
Can you write a number story for that?
and on and on and on and on : )
Painless review and practice of the four operations and I almost made peace with the Littlest Pet Store critters.
Almost.
"All gardening is landscape painting."
William Kent
I have wanted to snag a picture of a local farmhouse which is being rethatched this summer. The house stands right alongside a busy road however so while we get a good look at it every time we drive by there is no good place to pull over. Problem solved when riding with my husband the other day. He even turned around so I could try again from another angle. You know, like hanging out of the vehicle. : )
So, just a little English coolness because a person doesn't see that everyday.
A pullback showing how very right on the road the house now is. And how absent the idea of "shoulder" is….
My guys pretty much do everything with gusto. I just sat on the ground and cracked up between shots.
Growing up the only connection I made between autumn and spiders was Halloween and that mainly due to decorations. In England, the spiders are impossible to miss come fall. While out walking at dawn the other day the dew showcased all the webs we might have missed later in the day.
Turning around you can see the little pockets of white webs laying all across the lawn. One young woman who still lives at home is sticking to the concrete til the first hard frost…
Starry Sky Journal 