It must have been three years ago that the snow came and captured Atlanta for a week. School was cancelled and the city shut down right after the New Year giving the city another week of holiday break. We were all ready to gear back up for school when Tuesday rolled around and stopped everything. We were more prepared back then. The city and weather services had forewarned us. No one was on the roads. The streets were silent as the sun glistened on the snowy white covered everything. As the week passed, we played outside so much and I saw a new trait in my kids that I had not given thought to before. My kids were brave sledders and creative players, making the week a surprisingly pleasant experience. That was first time I thought, "I think I would love homeschooling".
The next year I homeschooled just one of the four kids and loved it. We appreciated the flexibility it gave us. The next year, we decided to homeschool them all through a hybrid program called Veritas and here we are. So much has changed.
This week in 2014 the snow once again gripped Atlanta and we were given cause to stay home. I have to admit....I LOVE staying home. It taps into all that I love about centering my life on things that matter most...and I hate getting four kids in the car to go anywhere. I have consequently raised some homebodies without really meaning to. I admit it is a growth area of mine to venture out.
In the last few days we have cleaned out the basement and created an entire Lego room dedicated to recreating the set of the new Lego Movie (which we have not even seen yet). We cleaned out the laundry area and made a craft room. We have taken inventory of dress up clothes and have bagged up so many clothes to give away. We have parted the waters of toys to designate which ones to give to those less fortunate. We have slowed down and paid close attention to each other, giving voice to a few dreams that would have otherwise been covered up. My favorite dream was that we give away ALL that is in our basement and create secret tunnel of walls for a hideout. Brilliant. I am considering it.
I seriously needed this. I desperately needed to be cleaned out, sifted, and reordered. I needed to listen and refocus. I am so grateful that God knows my heart.
Let it snow!
