Homeschooling's perfect example!

When we started homeschooling, I had the routine down! I would start the day out with all three kiddos. The, then, 9mo old would sit and listen to the opening book, watch her brother and sister say the pledge, do the weather, count the days, add to the calendar. All was well. She'd lay down for a good 2 hour nap, and school was quiet and calm... Then she turned ONE! and that morning nap isn't 2 hours anymore. So as hard as I have tried to work around her and continue our schedule, she has proven to me that she'll make it harder on me than I could ever expect... and just when I get the routine down, she'll change it.

Today was the perfect example of how chaotic homeschooling can be, and just how wonderfully pleasing it can be as well.
We start late because the 1 year old has decided to dump all the paints (lids on) and all the pattern blocks. I want the kids to learn in clean areas, its only fair, right! One mess after another. I sit down with Lily and start her writing lessons as Zech does online reading lessons. I walk in to check in on Zech to notice the basket of laundry I had folded was now strewn all about the living room... the CLEAN living room! I gather the clothes, tell her a stern no (as she grins, and struts her 1 year old stuff!) I scoop her up and try for a morning nap.
I return to Lily who has now mastered the writing of the # 2 and is as proud as a 4 year old can be! My 5 year old is standing on a chair waving his arms around as he completes his level of reading with a fabulous score and is ushered into the next level of reading. Oh the joys of seeing them learn... and be happy about it!
We officially begin our day in school with our morning routine (book, calendar, days of the week, weather, pledge, memory verse, prayer...) all while little miss 1 year old screams in her crib. Violet no longer sings the good night songs, Ruby is fully awake.  I let her up thinking she can handle just one nap.
This is how it went.
Me: reading with Lily
Lily: Reading (READING! A BOOK... really well!)
Zech: Doing seat work (he LOVES seatwork, and is learning to sit quietly and diligently do his work)
Ruby: DESTROYING!
Me: "hold on Lily, keep your finger at your place, I need to keep Ruby from knocking over the Wii" or "Oop, Lily, hold it there, let me get your sister before she eats the pattern blocks" or "Keep reading, Lily, I can hear you! Let me just grab Ruby before she climbs up the bookshelf!"
But the joy in it all, is how quickly Lily picked up the words she didn't know. How easily she learned to follow the words with her finger as she read. How her confidence rose with each passing page. As she sounded out words right and left creating a complete story all on her own. She can now read to herself all those books she's been stacking since she was 2 years old! What a joy, what an honor, what a blessing to know that I TAUGHT THIS TO HER!  I was there the moment she got that "AHA" moment and could figure this reading thing out! I love teaching them!

Then, its Zech's turn. He has a new book to read. We are focusing on reading with ease. If he has to sound things out, that's fine, but then he has to go back and reread it smoothly. And with voice inflection. With emotion.
Me: listening to Zech read
Zech: reading with the cutest little tones
Lily: Seat work (she thinks she's SO big!)
Ruby: eating a crayon!
Me: "UhOh! Keep reading, let me grab that crayon!
Me: "Ruby, come listen to Zech's story"
Ruby: Arching her back, slapping the book, screaming to get down
Zech: Reading louder, neck crooked, arms flailing to block the occasional blows from his sister.
Me: Lets Ruby go... tries to focus on the reading wonder boy! He struggled at first. I was so scared when I began teaching him that I would have no clue how to teach the boy to read. Last year at this time he knew the letter sounds, but not really "how to read". But he caught on quickly, claims he doesn't like it, but loves the way he feels when he closes that book knowing he's read it all by himself. He amazes me when he can read with such fluidity words I never knew he knew. When he sees the words "grandma" or "favorite" for the first time, how does he know that's the word? I close my eyes and praise God for the brains my kids must have gotten from their daddy! Just then, KABOOM! All the toys on the "activity" shelf are down!
Ruby: laughing in wicked delight as she has reached from a "taller than her" shelf all the fun toys she couldn't play with before... hence the reason they were kept high up.
UpWords tiles to clean, paints, paintbrushes, flashcards, counting chips, dominoes... now all over the floor.
Zech finishes up his book. The packers won the big game, Zech now has a new favorite book that he tucks away in his bedroom to read later. (oh how this brings me joy!)
The older two get some free time, Ruby and I clean up.
Then I take time for her. I get out a puzzle and we look at all the pictures.
Chicken goes "bahk bahk bahk"... She says "babababa" This makes me happy!
Sheep goes "baaa baaa baaa"... She says "Baaa hahahaha" This makes me laugh!
Duck goes "Quack Quack" She says "ack ack ack"... this makes me so proud I text Dave with her accomplishments!
Here we are, all in one room... a VERY messy room, as happy as could be!
If this day (this little 3 hour homeschool day) isn't the perfect example of the life of a homeschooler, I don't know what is. The stress of doing it right, the chaos of having 3 kids at very different levels of learning, catering to them all in one group, but also separately on their own level added with the pure joy of seeing them learn. Seeing each one grasp what they've been struggling to accomplish, then beam with pride. This is what homeschooling is... the ups and downs, the constant moving to keep up... the moment they learn something, whether its to read with fluidity and comprehension, or the sound a cow makes... they are all so very joyous!
I am SO happy I made this decision...