Today was one of those perfect parenting days you treasure even while its happening. We'd just completed a unit on sculptures in the Artist Studies class I began recently. The kids were now able to compare/contrast sculptures based on four categories: size, texture, color, and shape. We'd done a variety of our own sculpting using various craft media I had around the house: playdough, clay, and even perler beads.

I chose a day with good weather and drove them across the state to a well-known sculpture park. It was truly wonderful. My kids, ages 4-6, riding along on the tram with all the retirees, listening to the narrator, observing the art, or making quietly whispered observations to me.

People say kids these days can't sit still, can't focus, can't learn...etc. The problem is not with the kids. Kids today are no different than kids have been for generations. What has changed is the environment they are raised in and their own parent's expectations.

We are raising our kids with books galore and screens at a minimum. We are raising our kids to sit still in church through continual practice of this expectation. We are instructing our children on how to find beauty by patiently teaching them the process of observation and appreciation. We are modeling a life thoughtfully lived and inviting our children to join us.

It was a lovely day when all my best hopes for what this home schooling year can be, came to life. I enjoyed every minute.