On most days since February, Coulter and I spend the bulk of our days together. Being naturally unsuited to homeschooling, this took some patience and transitioning on both of our parts. We agree that we have arrived at a successful rhythm to our days, although Coulter still says that he prefers real school. Knowing that this is a short-term endeavor, we have learned to thrive and I have enjoyed this special one-on-one time with my teenager.
Coulter has become extremely disciplined with his studies. He has certainly kept me on task! He usually starts seminary or a morning devotional at 7 each morning and then goes for a run while I walk the girls to school. He is back to his desk to read the news by 9:30 and begin his coursework by 9:45. I’m usually still completing morning household chores. At first I oversaw his work carefully but I have learned to step back and let him ask for help as he needs it, and he usually just asks for a good reading on his papers or goes to Rick for help with math. His passion and talent lie in historical studies, bar none. Try asking him anything (literally anything) about history and he will fill you in on something that you certainly didn’t know. His bedroom contains stacks of books on all the World Wars and especially the legendary saga of New Zealand’s involvement and loss at Gallipoli. I used to think he was only reading history books, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings books, at night; however, I have learned (and confirmed) that he has also read Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Dickens’s Great Expectations, Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and a host of NZ fiction. I tell him he has a knack for English because he certainly loves to read. I’ve been especially impressed with his BYU HS English course and I love it when he grabs me to read poems together. I’m reading several books along with him—Michael Shaara’s The Killer Angels and Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. This is all very fitting since Dunedin is an official UNESCO “City of Literature,” a prestigious international designation.
A statue of the famous poet, Robert (“Robbie”) Burns, stands in the center of Dunedin’s beloved central octagon, a reminder of the city’s Scottish antecedants. The city is home to a host of celebrated writers, literary journals, publishing houses, and a rare and precious book collection. Impressive for a remote city of only 123,000 people. As a first class literary center, the public library takes pride in the many successful regional and Kiwi writers. I have enjoyed borrowing books from the Kiwi section where all of the spines are labeled “City of Literature.” Coulter and I have taken a few refreshing field trips downtown, which we are increasing since we are running out of time. We like to eat at the cafes, go to the library, and visit the museums. He is awesome at museums because he likes to read the signs and go through the exhibits in a sequential order (unlike many other members of our family). We made a recent visit to the botanical gardens and I took great pleasure in watching Coulter watch the birds at the aviary. The birds and Coulter seemed to have some kind of secret language going on!
Lunch time is a fun and relaxing time for both of us though we keep it to an hour. We usually cook up a quick lunch and visit for a bit while we eat. We are big fans of CNN Students News and we have gradually watched some fun series together—documentaries, The X Files, and BBC’s Great Expectations. Sometimes we’ll play a short game or walk down to the beach. Coulter is always back at his desk by 12:45 and I try to also be sitting down and working on my poetry collection. I am pleased to have put together a collection of 43 poems which I am calling Tracks. I plan to enter them in some contests for possible publication or self-publish them. I have loved this creative time in my days and Coulter’s example has helped me to be disciplined with taking the time to develop my work.
Each day, by 2:45 Coulter heads over to Brighton to pick up the girls from school. Sometimes he’ll take them to a park or to the dairy for ice cream. They enjoy walking home by way of the beach and I often go out to meet them.
With the limited social life of our homeschool environment, Coulter has been really grateful for the church programs. He usually goes over for “sports night” once a week at the church and for mutual once a week. He has a young YM leader (in his early 20’s) who lives close by who has helped with transportation and who has become a great friend to Coulter. Bless you Josh Solomon!
I’m so grateful to be spending these days with Coulter as it is a unique time for both of us and reminds me of the special times I had with him before he started first grade. I’ve decided to share some poems from my collection that are inspired by Coulter and I hope that you will enjoy them.
On Your Birthday
You are the magic
sparkle
as you know
what’s tucked
in your pocket
or closed
in your fist.
You are everything
with your comrades—a walrus
or fish, a rippled hero
with articulating knees.
At night you prop
them on your bedside
shelf, ready for a midnight
rescue or a morning
feat.
At Home in September
In the evening light
I find our blonde boy—giggles
and kicks, puckered lips—blowing
handfuls of feathered seeds to the reddening
sky. Wind-lifted swirls beyond this red brick house.
Apraxia
You say nothing
of the deep
beneath
your brightened eyes, so full of words
unblinking.
Your mouth
opens
and gropes; your chin
tilts
to the side,
trying to summon
the sound.
Why won’t it come?
Light
turns to tears
for words that are high
for a voice far
below.
They will come.
They will come one day like a mid-summer rain
and your voice
will be a trumpet
from this steep and cragged terrain.
from this steep and cragged terrain.