Impromptu Recess

Devotions were done. Math was finished. Penmanship was complete. Phonics was out of the way. And it was only 9:30 am. Rather than move on to history and reading, I mandated a timeout from school work and the kids and I spent the next two hours wandering a local nature preserve. 

Bug spray: check. Nets and buckets: check. Grubbiest clothes we own: check. Camera: fail! In the quick change of gears to move from school at the kitchen table to creek in the woods I forgot the camera. Cell phone pics would have to do.

The boys wanted to jump from rock to rock in the creek and look for frogs and bugs before visiting the lake. In less than 20 minutes of exploring, I kid you not, the following happened:

- Micah face-planted into the water. I'm not sure how, but then again, I never stopped to wonder how because it was Micah. And falling off of a rock face first is a highly probable thing when it's Micah. A quick, "Hop up, you're okay!" and he was smiling while wiping mud and leaves off his hair.

 

 - Annalyse needed to use the bathroom. Even though we'd gone just before leaving the house, I think the bubbling sounds of water hitting the rocks did something to her psyche and prompted an urge. I tried a couple of "You need to hold it and wait" lines, but when her request turned to a begging plea to use the bathroom, I hauled her back in the woods, dropped her pants, and plopped her on a fallen tree. Problem solved... and, mind you, she felt very cool with this new trick.

 

 - Grady Lee had several dragonflies snapped up but was off his game on catching frogs. He went as far as to say, "Probably since it's been winter for so long I'm out of practice for catching them." Possible, I suppose.

 

  - Annalyse hunched over to scoop up water in her bucket and her foot sank in some oozy mud. She lost her balance and, you guessed it, joined Micah in falling face-first into the water. She flopped around and came up with huge eyes and a slight whimper before saying, "I'm all wet!" and actually sounding proud of that fact.

This is when I tossed my camera, er, my phone, on a nearby rock and decided I needed to be fully engaged with the kids. I joined them in hopping on rocks to cross the water. I tried my best to catch a frog. I pointed out a big spider but made no effort whatsoever to catch it. And, I laughed and smiled with my kids as we played and got dirty in God's wonderful world.

Best unexpected school recess. Ever.