You know those moments when something dawns on you and it is such a simple solution that you can’t believe it didn’t cross your mind before?  Well, I’ve had a couple of those moment this week…one in relation to Circle Time and the other concerning “free reads.”

I’ve mentioned here on the blog in the recent past how difficult Circle Time has been this year with a disruptive two year old.  Little Mister will literally not allow me to read aloud past the second sentence of anything.  He just demands full attention, making it difficult, if not impossible, to do our group subjects like French, Shakespeare, Artist or Composer Study, etc.  Well, Tuesday morning PJ left early for work, and since I was left flying solo with the breakfast routine here on the homefront I decided to eat first before calling the kids to the table so that I could start our group learning while they ate.  That gave us a good half hour to do our Geography readings, Artist study, and Memory Work.  Little Mister was secure in his high chair and occupied with his breakfast.  It was a wonderful start to the day.  Now why hadn’t I thought of that sooner? 

 That brings me to “free reads”…those books that are not scheduled in our curriculum but that I intend to fit in somewhere.    We can read them slowly.  We can read them quickly.  They are not intended to be narrated, just read and enjoyed.  Either I envision that the kids will pick these books up on their own or we’ll read them aloud as bedtime stories.  Whatever my imaginings, it all too often just doesn’t happen.  Bedtime stories are sporadic at best when evenings include kids clubs, church, meetings, and the like.  I had borrowed a few audiobooks from our local library for a recent road trip, and there was still one we hadn’t listened to so I grabbed it on the way out the door to our recorder lesson this week.  We have about a twenty minute drive there and back every Tuesday.  And that’s when I had my second revelation of the week.  Audiobooks are not just for long road trips.  Audiobooks can help us enjoy that list of free reads too!  Tuesday is really the only day of the week we spend any amount of time in the van, driving around together, so Tuesday will be our day to enjoy literature on the go.  I think we made it about a quarter of the way through My Side of the Mountain yesterday.  It’s a hit so far!  And I’m still asking myself, Why in the world did you not think of that sooner?