Companionship in the homeschool

Today I decided to put more companionship into our homeschool.

I have loved the children doing nature drawing. One of the first things they did was go outside looking for something to draw. I have decided that from now on, we will go together - the children and I.

So we did.

We went for a walk to the gate.

Three quarters of the way to the gate, there was a proliferation of a common vine with glorious lilac flowers. (I am going to buy a Field Guide to Australian Wildflowers.) We picked some of these and brought them back joyfully.

I placed these on the little table and picking up paper and pencil commenced. My daughter did likewise. I sketched the outline of the vine and started working on the shape of the flower, lost in the soothing pleasure of it. Nearby, the rubber was called for.

"Mum, I can't get this right" was heard along with some groans.

I looked at her work, which was better than mine.

"Neither can I but that doesn't matter. I am enjoying this."

I glanced over and saw a new determination in her hands and an expression that told of a will. Sketch finished, I brought the Prismacolours in and started selecting colours. The youngest showed me her work. She had been sketching the cactus on the little table.

We all coloured. We talked about the flowers and the leaves, identfying parts and form, referring to science texts when needed. And took notes on our page. The girls press some of the flowers too for The Flower Press Book we have.

We talked about the spiritual lessons and quoted Isaiah 40:8 "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."
We remembered the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:28 "And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

We discussed the lesson of faith that the flowers teach. I assigned them a paragraph to write about we had discussed. Then we can work on some other.