Sonlight Box Day!!

We FINALLY opened the boxes!

They've been sitting in our living room, staring at us, silently begging me to open them - urged on by the audible pleadings of my children.

But other things had to take priority - until this week.

We are preparing for overnight guests, so I motivated my children to clean their rooms with a promise to be allowed to help me unload those Sonlight boxes in the living room. (For the record, this is a job I usually keep to myself, so it's a BIG DEAL.)

The girls' room was cleaned in record time.

The boys missed out. Although they tried to sneak in here and there.

Anna's job was to unload the boxes and show me the books so I could check the packing list.

Lydia's job was to take pictures.

It got a little crazy, especially since we had to chase the boys out of the living room about every 15 minutes (usually after Anna or I or Lydia would exclaim loudly, "Wow! Look at this book!")

But, the books are on the shelf, ready for school Monday. Last years' books are packed away, waiting for their turn with the younger two.

My friend Barb even stopped by yesterday to help me put together the Instructor's Guides, although I didn't get any pictures.

The best part was this morning, when Isaac said to me, "Mom, why can't we start school today? I mean, I'm getting bored of summer break."

I mollified him by listening to him read Nate the Great out loud.

rags

I wish I had a picture of my parent's "rag bucket" to go along with today's poem. It was a tall, narrow, semi-translucent plastic barrel stuffed full with old t-shirts, underwear and other scraps of clothing which had outlived their usefulness as coverings for our bodies. It is still, I believe, stored in my dad's basement workshop. When we made big messes as children, we were sent to fetch a rag to clean it up.

It was always a bit scary as a child. I would run barefoot into the cold, sparse room of my dad's, with it's rough concrete floor and single light bulb the switch turned on. The sub-pump is in that room, and sometimes it would kick on when I was there searching for a rag quick! and scare the beejeebers out of me.

I'm reading this poem by Valerie Worth tomorrow to my older two children in school. I'm amazed at her ability to create art based on little things we see or use every day without even thinking about it. Who knew that just by reading a few poems out loud to my children every week for school I could develop an appreciation for poetry? Sonlight did - and I'm grateful that they included all the small poems and fourteen more in their Core 5 curriculum.

rags
Stuffed away into
An old pillowcase,

Dragged forth again
In crumpled clods,

Torn to wash windows
Or tie up tomato plants,

Thrown out at last -
Poor sad gray wads

That once were faithful
Flannel pajamas,

Favorite pink-
Flowered underpants.

Click here to read other poetry selections and include one of your own.

The House of Sixty Fathers

Meindert Dejong is probably one of the best children's literature authors you may have never heard of. I had never heard of him before I started using Sonlight's homeschooling curriculum.

Over the past few years, we have read Wheel on the School, Shadrach, and Along Came a Dog in school, so when I saw this year included a Meindert Dejong book, I was excited.

The House of Sixty Fathers is an excellent book. It's set in China during World War II and the Japanese Invasion of China. The back of my copy says it's for children ages 10-14, and I would agree with that.

The main character, Tien Po, is separated from his parents during the war. This book is about his journey to find them and the unexpected help he gives and receives along the way. It is set during a war, so Tien Po witnesses some awful things younger children may not be ready to process.

We finished reading The House of Sixty Fathers this morning. Actually, Anna finished reading it because I couldn't. They thought I couldn't read because I was laughing too hard. Au contraire! I was crying too hard! But I won't tell you why and ruin the ending.

Throughout the entire book, we were trying to figure out why it was called The House of Sixty Fathers. We ventured many guesses, but didn't discover the answer until nearly the last chapter - and then it all made sense.

This is a great book to read aloud to your children if they are 10 or older, unless your child is especially sensitive to emotional distress of separation and fear. My older children and I really enjoyed it.

The Pleasure of Books

The boxes are waiting...

 

Opening the first box

 

Look at that beautiful binder!

 

Pulling out the books

 

I am unusual, I suppose. Most stories I hear about 'Sonlight Box Days' involve the children and the mom opening the boxes, oohing and ahhing over the books all together.

Me - I invite my friend Barb over for the momentous occasion. While my kids are gone, and someone's home to watch her son. It's just the two of us.

We oooh and ahh over the books as we go through the packing list. Wonder that yes, I will read all these books by next summer. She exclaims over books she's read about online, but hasn't seen in person. I get excited when I see titles I've always wanted to read, but haven't - like What Ever Happened to Penny Candy? - or when I see beloved books from my childhood - like Star of Light or King of the Wind.

We hole punch the stickers to help me, and the children, identify school books and take the time to painstakingly peel those backings off and stick them on the books.

I empty the shelves of last year's books - putting away Core 4 in a plastic container until the younger children are ready for it and packing Core 1 into the empty Sonlight box to take to a friend for her to use this year.

Opening the container with Core 2 is almost as exciting as pulling the brand-new Core 5 out of the Sonlight boxes. I comment on which books I loved most, pointing out to Barb which books she should read to her son this year, and telling her which books we will for sure be listening to instead of me reading aloud. (I love The Little Princess, but I cannot read it aloud. I have to listen to someone else read it.)

Two hours later, the books are on the shelves, complete with stickers. I've not put together the Instructor's Guide yet - still trying to figure out exactly how I want to organize it this year. But oh, did I savor the moments with the books. These books I will read aloud to my children, creating memories, learning things I never knew before. These books I'll read for the second time to my younger two - the books that are so delightful that my older two will happily sit and listen to them again.

Then, the children rush in. My niece is here this week and asks me, "Aunt Michelle, why are they acting like they've never seen these books before?"

"Well, Priscilla, because they haven't! At least for a long time."

My nine-year-old asks, "Hey Mom! Can I read A School Story? Please?"

"Yes, but please be sure to return it to the school shelf when you're done."

She finished it before bedtime. Her 11-year-old brother has already reread Amazing Bible Facts, and perused the shelf with his school books.

They're already asking, "When does school start?"

I'm itching to start too.

I love Sonlight because my kids love school. And so do I.