One of the great parts of homeschooling is setting our own schedule. Sometimes we have a slow starting morning or a super busy afternoon and we set the schedule accordingly. Well, this is one of those slow mornings. The kids decided to just play while they waited for mom to get her act together. As they were playing they were doing real life math. They were sorting according to size. When they realized there were too many small and not enough big to be fair. Then they sorted by color and realized there were way too many groups to be fair. Next they decided to count. They counted 30 toys (I know, they have way too many toys) and Katie said, "I think that is an even number. Lets take turns taking one and see how many we each get!" So they each took one then another than another. Then Katie said, "lets count and be sure we have the same number." They counted to 15 (well, Eli had to have some help at #12, but she helped him and I stayed still, eavesdropping!). Then Katie says, "Mom, did you know that 15 plus 15 equals 30?" Home-school math at it's best!
As they were playing and learning together I couldn't help but think of John's writing in 1John 4:20-21. He writes:
If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love
God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.
There is nothing better than when my kids are enjoying each other. I don't just want them to get along, but I want them to enjoy each other. As they grow, I am treasuring these times in my heart and praying their love for one another never grows dim. Because their love for one another is a direct reflection of their love for and relationship with God!
