We’re a week into schooling – and the structure of the day is holding up, for the most part, to distractions, spontaneity, and all the little things in life!

We start the day with breakfast..well, the kids start the day trying to intrude on my early morning time, actually. They’re supposed to stay in bed until at least 7 while I instagram (@beautifulcrows if you’re interested), journal, make coffee, and pray..this is a new system, so it’s taking time to adjust to for Ilya who is used to running around like a wild man in the morning asking for ban’a and fig. Yarrow loves it though, she reads quietly in her bed, I read quietly at the table.

At breakfast though, when everyone is permitted to be up and we have bowls of oatmeal or plates of toasts with almond butter and grapefruits before us, I read books from our ‘morning basket’. We start with the Bible, a few poems, and then there could be selections from the art book, people around the world, our current saint book, nature reading, catechism, Spanish, alphabet books, or history. I try to mix it up so that there are a few books that are just on Ilya’s level and a few that challenge both of them. The books that I want Yarrow to narrate from after reading I read last, and right after an Ilya book. I also invite him to narrate as well – because he loves feeling big! – and give him lots of help.

Right now, we’re reading Matthew in the Bible, such inviting language for the kids! Two or three poems from our favorite Sing a Song of Popcorn poetry book; or two poems in both Spanish and English from The Tree is Older than You Are; Tomie dePaola’s Life of Mary (we love starting tbe school year with Her); an illustrated book called People by Peter Spier; The Story of Painting by the Jansons. And occasionally, selections from A Gospel of Wild Flowers, Star Maps, and Dahlov Ipcar’s ABC books. For Catechism Yarrow is currently reviewing the Faith and Life first and second grade books and Ilya is listening to My First Catechism: the Catholic Faith for Little Ones. But Faith and Life has gotten super dull for Yarrow, and I’m thinking of switching us to My Catholic Faith, an early 20th century catechism text that seems more interesting. History texts are still up the air..

We don’t read all this every day, right now so much is just review..but we love having a book-heavy start to the morning, and a cozy early morning with coffee, books, ideas, and all the pretty pictures is such a gentle way to get little minds working again after a long night of dreaming.