As far as time goes, our mornings are like gold. Everyone’s brains and bodies are fresh in the morning, so we aim to accomplish as many chores and as much schoolwork as possible before noon.

Every so often, however, we make an exception. The other day was one such time. At 7:30, the boys were gathered around the table, setting up their Settlers of Catan game.

I figured I’d let them play for an hour, and then we would dig in to academics. The problem was, they were getting along marvelously…and character-building trumps academics in situations like this.

So five hours later, after playing straight through with no breaks, they completed their game. And they were better friends afterward than when they began. Their schoolwork wasn’t going anywhere, so we didn’t fret. It was accomplished eventually!