Wow! It has taken us three weeks to get back into history. We have been busy. We took a trip, welcomed some dear friends, finished swimming lessons and the Summer Reading Program, kept up with our violin and piano practice and lessons… The summer break is finally over. I am thankful. Summer can be so crazy busy, it’s good to get back into a school routine.
It was hard to get the kids into a routine for the first week of school, which is why history had to wait. But now, we are on it. Last night, I read Chapter 3 to them, about Christianity coming to Britain. They colored (three different coloring sheets in this chapter!) and then worked on the map. Today, we made a monk meal according to the directions.
It was funny to introduce them to concepts like monks and monasteries. In their innocence, they replied with, “What? That’s crazy!” about a life spent going to church seven times a day and never marrying. My children have both already expressed the desire to get married and have a family one day, which I think is very healthy.
Growing up, I did not have warm, fuzzy feelings about family life. The unhappiness of married couples all around me was not the best commercial for marital life. Thankfully, as I became a Protestant and discovered biblical criteria for choosing a mate and for family life, my heart changed and I changed my view on marriage. It is gratifying to see that my children enjoy our family life enough to want to create one when they grow up.
The crafts were a little too involved and I am trying to keep things simple this year when it comes to history. So I preferred to cook the monk meal instead: lentil soup, homemade crusty multigrain bread (thank you, bread machine!), cheddar cheese slices, a glass of water, chopped up fresh spinach, and slices of peach. Ms. Bauer recommended apples or pears but I just did not have any on hand.