Reading Brings Us Together

This is a sweet moment that set the mood for the entire day!  This morning started out as a typical morning where we were all upstairs doing our morning jobs of making our beds, getting dressed, brushing our teeth, and reading our bibles.  As usual, I was the last one to get ready for the morning (because mom helps everyone else keep on task first).  I walked out of the room to get myself ready and came back to this!  My precious little ones were reading together in bed.  It looks like a set- up, I know, but it was a special moment and I just happened to have time to sneak downstairs to grab my camera.  The oldest, Quinn, loves to read and sets a great example to the younger children by sharing her passion for books!  I've got to send this photo in to Sonlight (home school curriculum) for their magazine promoting the joy of reading that truly resides in our home!

Sonlight?  Yes, we are a home schooling family and this year was our first year to use the Sonlight program. I have dreamed of reading together on the couch and the kids drooling over the book so much that they ask for more, but really, with little toddlers running around, I didn't think this was possible so I put off Sonlight for a couple years. We gave it a try this year with the kids being 9,7,5, and 2 1/2 years old, and I look forward to another school year in 2013-2014 using Sonlight.  Check it out here at sonlight.com.

Our latest read aloud was Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.  We read it either snuggling on the couch together (because that's just my ideal home schooling family image) or we read it at the dinning room table so the little ones can color while they listen to the story.  This setting is preferred by the kids by far.  Even the 2 1/2 year old likes the story reading time and will ask for it.  Surprising to me, he actually is listening and repeats parts of the story or follows along in games that the older kids will spin off from the book.  And yes, the kids do ask me to read more!

If you are a home schooling family and considering a curriculum for next year, I know this sounds like a commercial, but honestly, we switched to Sonlight this year and we look forward to it again and again!

Right now, in our family, we are going through the process of adopting two children from Ethiopia.  As a mom, it is important to me for my children to have close relationships together, build trust with each other, and build 'teamwork' skills.  If the children have these skills, then they will be more likely to mentor and help their new brother and sister to ease into their new family and also become part of the team of kids.  It's exciting.  I'm proud of the kids for their relationships with each other and very  much look forward to their new brother and sister joining the family as special new members to the team.  Home schooling in our family, has helped us to build this unity and togetherness that otherwise the busyness of life and extra events outside of the home would easily scoop away from us.

Enjoy your time together!  Family counts and builds friendships that will last a lifetime.