It’s my very first summer to have my kids at home from school. When you homeschool, you transition from days spent with your kids to…days spent with your kids. The only thing different is not having schoolwork in the mornings. It’s a nice break, to be sure. But the day to day from homeschool to summer break doesn’t feel radically different.
But now? Summer feels positively like a holiday. I can’t remember being this excited for summer since I was a student myself. I’ve missed my kids in a good way. We’ve had enough space from one another to truly desire togetherness. My melancholy, quiet-ish daughter has been all hugs and quality time and chatter. By contrast, my sunshiney, extroverted son is still grieving the end of school but slowly coming around. As for the Cupcake, well, he’s delighted to have his big brother and sister around a bit more. There’s been a lot of fort-building and lego-creating since school got out.
As for me, I feel more intentional as a parent than I’ve ever felt. I ache to love them well and I pray for the grace that will enable me to do it.
This season of transition as a mother has made me terribly emotional. Terribly. I’m just perpetually undone. I cried at the end-of-the-year preschool program, 2nd-grade awards day, and 5th-grade graduation.
My daughter and I cleaned out her room on Friday and we bagged up {oh my word, I can barely type this}…the Barbies. But that’s not all. The American Girl dolls that had been on display were tucked safely in a box at the top of her closet. She’s not acting like a teenager yet; she’s just not acting as much like a little girl. {The whole process reminding me a bit of boxing up the bows.} I was pretty much a wreck over the packing away. I’m still pretty much a wreck.
It’s all going by so quickly and I want to boss time around and make it stand still. But we all know that’s not possible. It’s hard to make the most of the moments we do have but this season of rest has enabled some soul-searching, healing, and proper prioritization. I’m so thankful for it. And I’ll never cease to marvel at how real life re-routes us in ways that feel like failure but are actually grace.
Trust and grace are gradually replacing fear and regret. It’s slow but sure and I cling white-knuckled to the newfound hope I’ve glimpsed as we do life differently.
So here’s to a summer of long days, listening, and grabbing up the small gifts wherever they may be found. Here’s to lightening bug catching, playing wiffle ball well into the dark and reading good books ’til even later.
Sip slowness, experience rest, and love well.
May Grace be your guide, and mine, through these lovely, lazy days of summer.
Holly B says
Such a lovely post. Makes me want to be a kid again. I discovered your blog through an archived post on Emily Freeman’s blog about marriage. That post encouraged me tremendously- thank you.
Gina says
Yes, yes, yes! I relate to that so much, this summer has already proven to be one my favorites with the kids home from school. I long to scoop them up and bottle time and all that just to enjoy these fleeting days with them. Now that they are in school and not home I am so much more intentional as a mom, and I enjoy them so much more. I marvel at God’s grace and timing to move us into this new season, and like you what I thought was failure was truly God’s grace to me. I am so grateful for it!
Enjoy your summer, enjoy your kids and I pray for the grace we both need to mother them well this summer.
julie says
Hey that’s a mighty fine lens you’ve got taking photos of your house!! Just gifted one to my sister. 🙂
Oh happy day!!
I love your post. I am scared, looking forward to, and nervous about the next season of school for me and my kiddos. Letting go is hard but necessary. You are right. After homeschooling all year I transition into just not doing school. Not a big difference. I’m glad you are doing it first so you’ll be solid when I call weeping come Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec……
You get the idea.
Love you dearly.
julie