When I was younger, I loved to read and to learn. But somewhere along the way, my desire to learn cooled. It became just something I had to do as opposed to something I wanted to do. What happened? I guess life intervened with all of it's distractions, much like it does today. But can I just muse for a moment... my sister has pretty much always homeschooled her girls and has always had this contagious energy and excitement for the process. Well, I can happily say I know that same energy and excitement on my own journey. My kids aren't old enough according to the standards of a public school to be "schooled" but they are still capable of learning. Like, Lillie is going to be 4 in September and she already knows her alphabet, numbers to 10, 1 to 1 correspondence, beginning letter sounds, computer skills like none I've ever seen for a 3 year old and does single digit addition. Jackson just turned two and knows his alphabet, how to count to ten and his colors and shapes.
I have a love and desire in my heart to teach my children and that has renewed a desire in my own heart to learn along with them. It's this love that finds me reading a children's picture book long after my kids have gotten bored with me reading it. It's this love that has renewed my awe of God and His creation. Every bird, tree, thunderstorm leaves me running to my bookshelves to find out all I can.
I find myself getting more excited about upcoming unit studies I've planned or science experiments than Lillie does. Some homeschooling mothers never catch the 'homeschool bug'. I don't know that I could do it if I didn't have that excitement and desire about me. I don't do it only because I feel it is the best thing for my children (though that is one of my reasons for schooling at home, certainly.) I do it because I LOVE to do it! And hopefully, by my children observing a love and excitement for learning in my life, they will also develop a lifelong desire to learn.
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