First day of school

Today is our first day of school:  4th grade, 1st grade, preschool, and baby (who will be studying – if today is a sample of her planned activities – how to get all of her siblings’ most favorite and treasured things and destroy any and all activities, particularly if they include pencils of any kind). 

We’ve had a pretty good start to the day, beginning with our morning bike ride.  Unfortunately, Naomi has a slow leak in her front tire and my bike did not enjoy its ride on the moving van, so it occasionally just self-changes to neutral unless I hold it in gear.  This makes a bike ride somewhat more tricky.  However, we do have a lovely cemetery nearby, and it’s a great place to bike.  You might think I’m kidding, but I’m not.  There are many wide paths to bike on, and the ground is lightly rolling.  It’s like biking in a beautiful park, and there are rarely cars driving around.  We all love it. 

Most of our school activities have gone very well today, and this afternoon, I was gratified by this interchange when I was reading a Psalm to the kids:

Me:  “For there is no truth in their mouth;
their heart is destruction,
their throat is an open sepulcher,
they flatter with their tongue.”  What is a sepulcher?

Hannah:  A grave.

All right, so we’re doing pretty well on vocabulary this year! 

We’ve already had complaints about math – Hannah because she didn’t want to do it, and Simeon because he did.

We’re not even close to unpacked yet, although the key areas of the house – the kitchen and the beds – are done. Most of the homeschooling supplies are done, but I’m missing a few things. I’m sure they’ll turn up. Right? However, it’s gratifying that we were able to have a fairly typical school day just a couple of weeks after our move.