Today for school we...

Laughed at a beetle's weird face.

Burnt holes in leaves with a magnifying glass.

Identified a crabapple, birch, maple, oak and elm tree.

Looked for seed pods and bark.

Met a tree-hugger vine.

Had a picnic in the grass.

I love homeschooling. :) Happy first day of autumn, everyone!

MIA

I apologize for being MIA on this blog lately. I have had a rough week and have been in "survival mode" (ever been there? It stinks!) I am pulling it together, though. :) Tomorrow we're taking a day trip to a state park with Nanna & Papa (my parents) for some much-needed R&R. It's supposed to be beautiful weather!



Homeschooling has been going well, although it's not been without bumps in the road (resulting in a few bruises to my confidence!) I hear my daughters talking on the phone with their friends from public school and saying, "I wish I could go back to Jefferson". And then I asked them the other day how they have liked it so far, and they said they thought homeschooling was boring. What is interesting is that this came from my older 2, who have been in school before. Claire, my kindergartener, thinks homeschool is fun.



This is something parents need to realize, if they are pulling their children out of a traditional school setting and homeschooling them. It is a big adjustment not only for parents but kids too. When they have been somewhere for 7-8 hours a day with activities planned for every moment, tons of resources available, and teachers whose only job at school is to BE a teacher, they get used to this type of setting. Now, our 2 hours a day homeschooling on the couch seems a little dull. You add to that MORE CHORES around the house (yes, I am making them help me more - I CAN'T do this by myself!). It's understandable why they are feeling the way they do. But I am persevering. Why? Because it is good for them. They are learning LIFE SKILLS along with academics. They are learning that school is not the most important thing in life. It is AN important thing in life but we don't devote 7 hours a day to it. We play together, we fold laundry together, we bake cupcakes, we change diapers, we play trains with little Grant. Maybe the girls don't realize yet that "school" encompasses all these things... bookwork is just a small part of it. But someday I think they will. And I am still learning the routine of things. Once we have a good rhythm, I really believe it will be more enjoyable for them. They are used to more of a schedule, since they have been in public school, and I feel the need to establish more of a schedule here at home. It is hard to do (with the nature of my home business, and with my toddler!) but we are working on it.



I've appreciated so much the encouragement of other moms and also my wonderful CO-OP (which the girls DO love!!). I've met some great moms that I click with and the girls have made some new friends. We will keep at this thing. I pray my girls will grow to love being home... it is an adjustment right now, for them as well as for me. I've tried to be sensitive to the fact that they are adjusting, and give them lots of opportunities for socializing with their friends from Jefferson.



I guess if I can offer any encouragement to first-time homeschoolers, especially those who are pulling kids out of "regular school" - expect some tough adjustments at first, but keep at it! For me, I've decided to keep pushing forward until I feel God directing me differently. For now, I feel this is where He wants us to be. I know I will not regret having the freedom & flexibility this year to take time off and be together to bond after Owen comes home. If nothings else, that is reason enough for me to continue & persevere.

Our Intro

My name is Rebecca, we live in the beautiful Midwest and that is my wonderful family pictured above: my husband Andy, with our 2 year old son Grant on his back, and our 3 daughters: Loren, 10; Emily, 8; and Claire, 5. We also have a 2 year old son, 5 months older than Grant, waiting for us in China. We have named him Owen and he will hopefully be home late fall.

This is our first year homeschooling. But, let me back up... I was homeschooled myself all the way through high school. When I was growing up, it was almost unheard of to educate your children at home. In that way, I guess my parents had a bit of rebel in them (must be where I got it!!) :)

We started our school year Sept. 2. Loren is in 5th grade, Emily in 3rd and Claire in K. So far, it has been wonderful, although we are only a few days in! I love having the kids with me. I am very blessed to have wonderful children who I really enjoy being around. That is not to pat myself on the back, but to give God thanks because He really blessed us with good kids.

For curriculum... we are eclectic this year. I am using a variety and I won't bore you with listing it all out, at least not here. I borrowed all but 1 of our books from a homeschool lending library that we have here locally. We have some Alpha/Omega, some A Beka, some Saxon, some Charlotte Mason... overall I'm shooting for a classical approach but honestly I am not following any one method, book, curriculum, etc. Just trying to make sure my kids are well-rounded. Here is a post on my personal blog about our first day of school, if you want to get an idea of what we are studying.

Besides homeschooling, I juggle a home business, our adoption, and keeping up with our busy toddler... soon to be toddler(S)... and laundry, which never seems to end! Hoping to cross paths with other moms who can encourage me to keep at it!! I'm glad to have Tisra posting, as she is a constant inspiration to me and a good friend.