{captured}

The boys are rapidly growing in their independence.  At a freshly turned 5 and 7 years old respectively, bathing, snack & drink seeking/rummaging and outfit selections have fallen into the category of monitor in my mother world.  They do.  They get.  They make it happen with a minimal amount of spills and mismatched socks in between.

And, one of the privileges they have received with this new found independence is hands-on camera time.  I am trying to encourage them to be cognizant observers of life.  Little things and big.  I want them to be individuals who find beauty and art and as Eli would say, "Dude, that is sick {Mom, that means it's good.}"  kinda things around them.

Of course, that means that there are lots of silly pictures of grass and bugs and dirt.  There's photo shoots of bike tricks in medias res all blurry and distant too.

But, then there are pictures like the one you see above.  Allow me to explain.

Casey, finished with his math computer time, wandered out onto the back porch to reenact the latest episode of the Duke boys while Eli and I continued on with his individual reading time.  These are the times that I cherish our decision to homeschool.  Eli and I chose to pile up on the couch and snuggle while he read.  This is one of our favorite ways to read with a close second being the front porch on sunny afternoons or under covers during rainstorms.

I had our back porch double doors open as the spring breeze and sweet sunshine kept knocking.  And, well, what good hostess wouldn't invite them in?  Sounds of Casey's car squealing and "Luke, what do you think we should do about Roscoe" impersonations were intimate & close which made it even more reassuring in my Eli reading nestle time.

He is currently reading The Dragon in the Sock Drawer by Kate Klimo and Spiderwick Chronicles Lucinda's Secret by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black.  He reads and I listen.  We both discuss and wonder.  He reads a little of both each day.  Today's 1st choice was to see what would happen with Emmy the Dragon and if, in fact, Dr. St. George would really slay and drink her blood.  The book was getting so good.

I love this time with each of my boys so.  It is precious.  I listen to each decode & uncover, increase in fluency, laugh at silly happenings and become mystified at unique twists their books take.  I do this all while soaking in the sweet smell of their hair {unbeknownst to them} and rubbing their little fingers {dirt lodged under fingernails and all}.

This is how we read.

And, in this peaceful afternoon of home, Casey spotted something.  He came in through the open back doors to grab another car.  But, just before skedaddling out, he decided this image was one worth observing.  Cognizant and careful with mama's camera, he collected the above memory from his eyes.  So enticed in the book, Eli and I didn't even notice his decision to snap until we heard the click.

{captured}

I am.  

{in Eli's story telling}

{with Casey's observant eyes}

{in their growing independence}

{with my place in it all}

.mac :)

{week 38}