Favorite Photo Friday

Playing Hooky

 

It’s been an intense and challenging couple of weeks.  For Boston in general, for our family in particular.   So today I called off all our varied plans and activities and instead we took a day-off, a mental-health day.  We played hooky J.    We rarely do this, and I think that there is something about homeschooling that makes it more difficult for me to call the day off then it would be if my children were in school.  Perhaps it’s that our activities and social opportunities seem particularly precious because they don’t automatically exist, but instead need to be planned and executed by me.  Perhaps we rarely cancel our day because what we have planned is so lovely – and our planned activities for today were quite wonderful (a play date with Homeschool Co-op friends, a hike and building project with others).   But isn’t playing hooky in part the very reason to Homeschool?   We Homeschool so that we can have the flexibility, the time, to really listen and respond to the needs of our children.

The beautiful spring afternoon, my children’s need for time just with me, and my need for a view of the horizon led us to Singing Beach on the North Shore.  And there we were, soaking up the sun and the beauty.  Me, writing and taking photographs.  While my two boys completely engaged themselves in the creation of waterways, dams, pyramids, spillways, and mud farms.  For three solid hours.

Really this is a post about gratitude.  I am so thankful for my beautiful, creative children.  For a spring afternoon at the beach.  For my life, my safety, my family, my friends.  For the sun’s return, the flowers in bloom, the constant changing of the ocean, the expanse of blue sky.   I’m grateful that I listened to the true needs of my children and my heart.  And that we played hooky today.