Spending Time WIth my Favorites

We haven't done Friday Fun Day in a while. I have missed it. Over the summer, we spent most Fridays at the beach. Since school has begun, it seems like "something else" comes up a lot on Fridays. And as hard as I try not to over schedule, we are gone 3 mornings a week. That feels like a lot to me. By Friday I need to slow down.

Of course, with 3 littles running around, it isn't like I can sit down on the couch with a book and relax. Relaxing looks different these days. Most of the time it involves heading to a outdoor destination where we can walk and talk, enjoy the sun and the wind and just being together.

For this Friday Fun Day we headed to the Bolsa Chica Wetlands.

The boys loved the bridge leading across the water. We spent a lot of time there, watching birds and fish. Seeing this big fish was a real treat.

I brought our binoculars for bird watching. The boys are getting the hang of them. They were able to identify a Blue Heron and a Snowy Egret. We also saw lots of sea gulls and pelicans. But spotting the egrets and the herons always feels like such a special find.

See, isn't he great?

Something I really appreciate about the Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling is the emphasis on time spent outdoors. It is so relaxing to get outside with my children after a morning spent inside. We often don't even last until noon. Usually we head out around 11, eat lunch outside and then explore. Being out in the sunshine and fresh air opens our minds and our hearts. Even after such a short time of "official" schooling, I can't imagine doing this any other way.

Another thing I can't imagine is not home schooling these 3. I always knew I wanted to home school, but the reality of it is far better than I imagined it would be. More and more,I love the time I spend with them. Oh yes, there are times when I desperately want a break, and I need to be away from them for a bit, but more often, I like to be with them.

Can you imagine?

It's true. I don't just love them. I like them. I like the deliberate time set aside just for them; the time spent focusing on them, not the dinner that needs to be made or that tub that I should have scrubbed last week. Sitting together on the couch, reading, singing, learning memory verses, filling their heads and hearts with good things, it brings me a joy like nothing else.

It is the best part of my day.

And these Fridays, they are often the best day of my week. I like it when it is just the 4 of us. We like to be together. Much of what I do, I do with a long term plan or goal in mind. This is no exception. I am building a culture of togetherness. I am making it ordinary and also delightful for the 4 of us to spend the day together. We spend lots of time with friends. But it is nice to be just us, too.

I also relish Friday Fun days because I know how fleeting our time is. I often think of how soon they will be gone. Someday it will just be me again. I will have all the free time that I long for now. And I am sure I will long for the time when my days were so full.

I am so thankful for these days when I get to spend time with my favorites.