Not much, usually, when I am in the middle of it all.
Homeschooling is a serious commitment, and a solemn undertaking, and I take it pretty seriously almost every day. There are lessons to learn, books to read, art projects and science experiments to do, and field trips to attend. Most of these tasks require a disproportionate expenditure of MY energy to accomplish.
But the hilarious moments don’t usually happen WHILE we have our lessons out, “home-schooling” – they happen BECAUSE we have chosen homeschooling and are surrounded by our kids constantly.
Telling knock-knock jokes, laying around trying to discover our “natural laugh,” making home movies declaring that “we need more help in Wonderland,” and pounding out piano duets… These moments might have happened after school or on family vacations when we spent time together. But the hilarious moments happened at all hours of the day, unexpectedly and unplanned. And I’m so glad I didn’t miss them.
Homeschooling is hard. Homeschooling with intentionality and integrity is even harder. But all hard work brings a profit (Proverbs 14:23). Some of the rewards of homeschooling are in the far future, but a few rewards are immediate, happening in little moments throughout every day, if we will open our eyes and choose to notice.