Last Easter the girls were so excited to have fifteen baby chicks as an addition to our family. The chicks were so small and fragile and needed constant warmth and care. It took almost six months before they started laying eggs but the girls still checked the nests daily.

In Linda Papov's book The Family Virtues Guide, she describes patience as "a quiet hope and expectation based on trust that, in the end, everything will be all right." She also states that patience is . . .

If you were to ask me today how homeschooling is going, I would say, "great." Today the girls woke up happy and did their chores without reminders. Sarah helped me make french toast and everyone pitched in to clean up. I was even able to catch up on a little work when the girls walked over to the library for reading time. One of the perks of living in a small town is that everything is so close. The library is around the corner, Nana and Papa live across the street, and we can sit on the front porch and see everyone in town as they come to pick up their mail at the post office. We just had lunch and now the kids are busy making towers with blocks. They have learned to balance the blocks in a pattern that is quickly approaching the ceiling. Today is good! I feel grateful for my family and can see the joy in even the simplest things.

Yesterday was another story! By noon I was crying and threatening, in my mind, to send the kids back to public school. The girls were fighting, grumpy, and didn't want to do any learning. I couldn't seem to find a way to . . .

If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient attention, than to any other talent.
Isaac Newton