Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Imagine a Day Like This One...

Imagine waking up snuggled between your kids. They always come up to jump under the covers in the morning and talk about the day. Then one gets up to play with his pirate cards, the other goes to the kitchen to get pens and paper and brings up a heart she has drawn for you, colored in red and blue.

Imagine making homemade pizza for breakfast and pancakes for dinner, because your kids want to have "Upside-down day" with dinner first, and breakfast last. Your daughter helps you measure the ingredients because that's her favorite part.

Imagine...

...Going for a run outside in the sunshine while your daughter tap dances with her friends at the studio and your son plays Animal Crossing on his DS with a friend who brought her DS along too.

...Watching your son make Lego animated movies on the computer

...Coming home for lunch. The kids play with the guinea pigs, feed the chickens, then you beat a new level with your son on the Gamecube Lord of the Rings game (but only after laughing your heads off together when he accidentally lowers a drawbridge and squashes your character), you and your daughter do a jigsaw puzzle.

...Going to your daughter's violin lesson. On the way, she decides to change her name to Ella, like Ella Enchanted. She makes sure to let her teacher know to call her Ella now. She always loves to surprise her teacher with something new, this time it's the fact that she can tune her own violin, and also an old fiddle song she's decided to play and is learning by ear.

...Your husband comes and picks up your daughter. They go home to wrestle, pillow-fight, sing silly songs, and make dinner. You and your son go to his robotics class where he puts the finishing touches on the term project, a robot that has to go through four challenges and a battle to the death with its competitors.

...After dinner, you all decide to have a family game night. You just bought Cranium Whoonu (an excellent game, by the way, we give it four thumbs up!) and play for an hour or two. After that, the kids want to try on some new underwear you bought them. They decide to have an "underwear parade" and present each pair in a sort of silly fashion show.

...While you're tidying up before bedtime, your kids play an "imaginary game" they've invented together - a fantasy world that changes each time they play.

... writing this as your son sorts his YuGiOh cards, and your daughter sings "The Twelve Dogs of Christmas" in a pile of pillows. After this, you'll read a bedtime story together and then talk about your day with everyone telling what things they liked best.

Imagine solving any problems or arguments that come up together, finding creative ways to meet everyone's needs.

Imagine that every day is different. Some are soft and lazy and slow, some are busy and exciting. Every day is filled with love and laughter and people following what brings them joy. Imagine that all learning flows from this joyful living.

Imagine an unschooled life

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