Well. It's been an eventful month-and-a-half since my October update, and I'm reminded again that it's good to be consistent and work hard at school when we can, because there WILL be times when we can't.
Firstly, all six of us had Covid (though only Dear Husband and I got positive tests - the children were sick but we did not test them). It was about three weeks before we were all out of our quarantines and ready to re-enter the world of the living. Then Middle Brother broke a bone on his foot and we just finished four weeks of wearing The Boot. Then there was an "interesting" election in which one party has yet to concede their loss, and the different levels of stress and drama surrounding the event. Then I had a few tooth trials and had to spend more time at the dentist than I would prefer. Then we drove to Minnesota for Thanksgiving, which was technically illegal at the time as there is a mandate prohibiting gatherings with people outside your own households, but we felt justified in our rebellion because we had already contracted and recovered from The Plague.
And now we're entering December. I've been contemplating the line from O Holy Night:
"A thrill of hope; the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn."
I don't know about you, but the world sure feels weary to me this year. We're all in need of that Thrill of Hope, but I don't think it's going to come from a successful vaccine or even the end of the pandemic. The only real and lasting source of hope is Jesus Christ himself, and if this year has reminded us - or shown us for the first time - this truth... well, it might not be such a bad year after all.
Which brings us back to December! What a perfect time to slow down and remember Christ's birth and all that He's given us. As usual, when we get to this point in the school year, I'm not too worried about math or phonics. We're planning for a slower, quieter few weeks of school before Christmas - hopefully with lots of reading and cooking and playing games and listening to good music.
I started a tally of every picture book that we've read since December 1st, and we're already over 25. We'll keep tracking them through the end of the month - sometimes just writing things down helps us to see how much we're actually accomplishing. (Not to mention it's extra incentive to say YES when they ask me to read just one more!) Little moments add up quickly.
I also wrote down a "bucket list" of sorts for the next few weeks which will help to direct our days and ensure that we don't get to Christmas Eve and say "Oh no! We forgot to _______!" Some are just fun activities, some family time ideas, some educational or crafty projects, and some service projects to remind us to look around and see others' needs too.
It's been a strange year, a heavy year, but in spite of that - perhaps because of it - I feel a deep sense of gratitude. We can still rejoice in Christ's birth even though our celebrations are different this year! God's truth and God's love give hope, even hope for this weary, weary world in 2020.
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