Thursday, September 5, 2013

Reading Joys!!

One of the things I don't enjoy is teaching the kids to read! 
I homeschool.  What is wrong with me?  I hear moms say how wonderous the task is to cuddle up to their child and listen to them discover the mystery of the printed word.  Nope not here. 
KUUUU aaaaaaaaaaaaa TTT 
KUUUU aaaaaaaaaaaaa TTT
KUUUU aaaaaaaaaaaaa TTT
Cat already!!! let's move onto the next word please and it starts all over again. 
5 minutes to read one sentence.  Bring me the super glue and toothpicks to hold my eyes open.  We have read this mommy to sleep more than one afternoon and sometimes morning as we labor through the process. 
It is miraculous. It is wonderful when they learn to read.  But this miracle doesn't happen with the immediate task of sit down and open a book.  It is a process.  A long one in the midst of life. 

Much to my JOY my younger two have been really quick to take off. 
YEs!!! Smiley face does a happy dance.
The next hurdle to tackle is reading one's Bible and Awana workbooks, not to mention all the instructions on one's school work. 
The Man is hard at work.  Today he has discovered he can read the names of the Books of the Old Testament.  You see to finish last years book, one of the things he must do is recite all books of the Old Testament.  A fact I find humorous, some of the names can be difficult for an adult to say.  Take a tooth losing, lisping, & whistling first grader and have him say all the books of the Old Testament.  Absolutely adorable.  I must say, I have had a few chuckles over my kids mis-pronunciations over the years.  The Man had half of them memorized last spring.
 
 
You know what that means, he has to review and re-learn all of them this fall. 
Since he has to wait for me to sit down and work on his mom-led lessons today, I asked him to work on his memory work, handwriting and math. 
I had no idea he had crossed over and could read/recognize the incredibly long and difficult names of the Old Testament books.  But he has!!!!
He has followed me around EVERYWHERE reciting/reading the Books of the Bible. 
EVERYWHERE.  ALL DAY LONG. 
While I tried to teach Middle School Science, he was across the room, "Did you hear me?" 
"Did I get them right?" 
When we were discussing Romeo and Juliet there were murmurs of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus...
When we left the house, I was captive.
Joshua Judges Ruth.....Nahum, Obadiah 
When I go to the bathroom, there is a closed door, but I am still captive, until I flush and wash my hands. First and Second Chronicles
Then the sound of running waters drowns out all other noises.
All through lunch, all through Thursday activities, while I walk into the house, while I put things away, I hear...
First and Second Samuel, First and Second Kings.......Isaiah, Jeremiah....Zephaniah, Malachi. 
"How do you say this name again?"  Genesis.
"First and Second Psalms"  He knows it is not Psalms but for some reason Samuel and Psalms, well they go together like ham and cheese.
Don't forget Judges...
"I will start over;  Joshua, Ruth..."
"Can I borrow your phone so I can time myself?"  34.8 seconds later he has read/recited all the books.
He tries again.  30 seconds!  Best time yet. 
I asked for 3 minutes so I could type this, just 3 minutes of not being talked to and he humbled me so quickly.  In spite of all the humor and truth I kept reminding myself all day, he is the last one.  There are no more kids to follow you around like this.  This will pass all quickly.  This is awesome.  There was the me, that just wanted to not be talked to for just 10 minutes.  I have been juggling 5 conversations and sometimes more and half a million different tasks all day.  1o minutes of brain rest.
In his most endearing way, "Thank you Mom for listening me say the Books of the Bible"

The war of insanity inside me that just wanted a quiet closet for a minute, melted away. 

And now he is back, asking me, "Are the 3 minutes up?"  Sure are.
"Where is my book?"  Where you last put it. (LOL)
And it begins again....Genesis Exodus....