shift

i stopped by a friend's house on sophia's birthday. all my kids were in the van strapped in as we chatted for a second. at the end of the conversation she said, 'i remember when my kids were 2, 4 and 6. i felt a significant shift.' i immediately thought, 'yeah, not me. not yet.'

but i have to admit in the last week i have felt that shift.

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on monday, our last day of summer, we headed to the science center. i had promised isaiah we would go this summer, and i had to keep my word. it was a fantastic day. it had been over a year since we had been and the kids LOVED it. each of them kept busy for 4 hours. exploring, playing, building. no one was in a stroller, no one was just sitting and watching. i enjoyed interacting - and just standing back and watching each of them discover.


as if it wasn't amazing enough, they had a special temporary exhibit on narnia. isaiah lives and breathes narnia. we read him the books, and then bought the books on CD. everyday that i would let him this summer, he would listen to an entire book on CD. sitting for hours building his world with bionicals, knights, dinosaurs, and listening to the books.

so the exhibit held a special interest for all of us. we walked in to find a huge wardrobe...that you had to walk through to enter the exhibit. you could see (through the fur coat and pine trees) the lampost on the other side. there was quite a bit of apprehension because it was so real and i think they thought if they walked through they would really enter narnia.


we saw peter's armor, lifted swords, sat in the white witches throne... isaiah was quiet and took it all in. his world was coming to life. such an amazing and unexpected opportunity for all the kids.

there was a shift - new understanding, new depth of understanding - for everyone.

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school started and that means that the boys are gone all day tuesday and thursday. we had a girly day of tea parties, baby doll play and our own school on tuesday. alaythia is more than ready for school, and after 2 days, it's amazing how she just can't get enough. on tuesday when sophia went down for her nap, we had our own preschool. she worked hard and focused for several hours.



we also baked bread, picked carrots from the garden, mopped the kitchen floor together...and at some point in the day i thought 'surely this must be someone else's life.' it all seemed like something i would hear someone else say they did. not me and my crazy life.

but there was a shift - life seeming more manageable, more space, time to do things together.

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the first day of school is an emotional one. but then once you get through the emotion of it all you realize the real work comes the next day when you have to teach. it's a strange dynamic. but this year i was more ready. felt a little more confidence having one year under my belt. we switched to our classroom being in the playroom, where we can all be together.


but this year, instead of the girls just playing as isaiah and i do school, they both want to be involved. they have their table, they want activities too and they did a great job.


last year sophia was taking a nap during school, this year she work on things with us.


last year alaythia couldn't focus, this year she is asking for more worksheets to do.


isaiah sits at his desk (thanks uncle jake) and works hard.


and suddenly i have a classroom of students. and as i watch each of them do their own things at their own pace, a new deep love and gratefulness rises in me. they are all growing, changing, learning - and i get to witness it all.

and there it was again - a realization of the shift.

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we've had an exceptional week. God has given us some fantastic days. i'm grateful. feeling full with the richness of life and the new adventures that are waiting for us as the kids continue to grow.