TMI??

During our mini-unit on babies, I may have scarred my children. The video I showed them described the postpartum bosom as hard & as big as as bowling ball. (J & M nearly wet their pants, they were laughing so hard.) And, ya, I rock as a teacher.

WNTW: Homeschool-style

The other day, Micah came downstairs in a very colorful ensemble. Red shorts, blue pants, and a multi-colored shirt were involved. I suggested a few tweaks in the outfit, but he quickly pointed out that the white in the shirt matched the white in the shorts. And the blue in the shorts matched the blue in the pants. I guess the yellow and black in the shirt, as well as the red in the shorts, were just bonus colors. Truthfully, because I knew we would only be around other home-schooled families that day, I let it go. (We're pretty much a non-judgmental group when it comes to fashion.) Later that afternoon, he put on his red snow boots before going out to take care of our chickens. And that was when he announced the ensemble was complete, and perfectly matched. Don't you agree??

Big Brother/Big Sister Class

On Saturday, we took the kids to the hospital for a class about welcoming our new baby. We've been doing sort of a mini-unit on this at home, so I really didn't know if the class would be overkill. Turns out it was a great experience; even the reluctant biggest brothers walked away with (mostly) good things to say about it! I only teared up twice (well, only noticeably twice)... when we were shown two brand-new babies. But I'm nine months pregnant, watching my three oldest children carefully toting around baby dolls while we tour the hospital I am about to give birth in, and listening to visitors and nurses coo about how sweet they were. I really don't think it counts that I teared up when the nurse approached the nursery window and held a precious little newborn to the glass for our children to see. I wish I had remembered my camera; they were all very sweet.

...Except when Gabe wanted NOTHING to do with the baby doll. He pretty much freaked out and practically threw it on the ground. It was pretty large and floppier than most of his sister's dolls, so I am choosing not to read anything into it. He did thank the "home teacher" for the cookies and movie before we left, and is still wearing his "I'm a Big Brother" button he received for passing the class.

I'm also choosing not to be concerned that Micah repeatedly shook his doll, held it upside down, and was generally ridiculous in his handling of it. The teacher eventually suggested he not be allowed to hold the actual baby. But he was the sweetest with Gabe and loves babies generally. So, please. He's 7 and dolls aren't his toy of choice.

They are all very anxious for their little brother's arrival. I'm nearly ready; we just have one more day of schooling to finish up, then it's time for me to really get serious about preparing for this little one. Wish us luck! :)

Daily Schedule

Several people have asked what an average day of homeschooling is like for us. Of course, no two days are exactly alike. It's part of the beauty and also the challenge of homeschooling. But I have found that an organized day makes me a happier mom and better teacher, so we lean toward the more scheduled way of doing this.

In the mornings, after we eat breakfast and the children feed the animals, I send them downstairs to start writing in their journals. This includes writing down the day's date and then writing and/or drawing about a topic (Autumn draws with a little writing, Micah does about half-and-half, and Jonah almost exclusively writes). I've started assigning topics to give them ideas, but sometimes they have other things to record. I love it when that happens! This is when I clear the breakfast mess and look over the day's lesson plans, plus take just a minute or two to get myself mentally ready to begin (i.e., eat a piece of chocolate, look at a blog, check my email; you get the idea.)

Next comes our morning devotional. This is basically a song, prayer, often a recitation of something we're memorizing, then reading scriptures. We end the devotional with a read-aloud. Currently, we're working through the Little House series. And I've learned to let the kids (this is particularly important for my boys) take out toys to build with... it helps them be better listeners!

After our devotional, we jump into our academic subjects. The exact scheduling took a couple months to work out, but our typical morning looks like this:

	Jonah	Micah	Autumn
9ish	Math	Handwriting/Silent Reading/Phonics	Phonics/ Handwriting
10ish	Handwriting/Grammar Workbooks/Spelling/Poetry Memorization (on alternate days, writing workshop)/silent reading	Math	Math/Silent Reading
11 or so	---Language Arts with Everybody---

I'm nearly always working with one child (usually on the couch) while the others are doing independent work (normally at our school table). That was truly my biggest challenge in the beginning. I felt so overwhelmed trying to teach kindergarten, first grade & third grade math lessons simultaneously!! Our schedule has saved my poor brain!

By the time we're finished with this, it's time for recess & lunch. Also, someone always finishes before it's time to move on to the next subject. During that "down-time," they either play with little brother or choose between certain independent activities. Gabe needs that time to be played with; and we need him to be happy!! Today, he was especially grumpy. On days like this, an empty room apart from where we homeschool provides the perfect sanctuary (for playing toys or, like we resorted to this morning, watching a favorite DVD.)

By now, you're probably sorry you (or someone else!) asked. And, because this post seems WAY too long already, I'll share our afternoon schedule tomorrow.

homeschooling: the promised update

After returning home from kindergarten, I could always be found scooping up my stuffed animals and dolls by the armful. We would make the trek, out of the toy cupboard or my bedroom, down the stairs and into the family room. There, rows of chairs and pillows awaited my toys. Only they weren't toys anymore; they were my students. And, armed with chalk and eraser, I taught them my day's lessons. My siblings had long since abandoned the idea of playing school with me, coming to the sad realization that the teacher's position was permanently occupied. This may have disappointed me for a moment, but I eventually found their replacements just as cute, and ever-more attentive.

My eventual decision to major in early childhood/elementary education came as no surprise to my family. And, to be honest, I was reluctant to seriously consider homeschooling our children in large part because I knew I would really enjoy it. I didn't want to make this huge decision , which would impact our children for better or worse, for any selfish reason. In the end, my love of teaching was not a factor when the actual decision-making happened. And, yet, I have to admit how truly naive I was...

The transition to homeschooling has been noteable. Those first few Friday nights, I eagerly flung myself on my bed soon after tucking in the kids(a complete exaggeration, since I had nowhere near the energy to be eager or the strength to fling anything! Plus, I am certain it was my blessed husband that did the tucking those nights.) I have shed countless tears over new curriculum, crazy daily schedules, and feelings of inadequacy. And, yet, somewhere along the way, this new lifestyle has become our lifestyle; this crazy new way of life, our life. And, even though we've only been at it 2 months and 10 days (who's counting??), some beautiful things are happening. Friendships are being rekindled (the best, sibling kind), little one is thriving, olders are learning to nurture, I've come closer to becoming a patient mama, and learning seems to be enjoyable (although no one's made that crazy admission yet!)

So, that's the general update. We're working, we're striving, we're not giving up. And sometime soon, I'll give you more details of this, our crazy wonderful new life. That is, if you haven't all been replaced by dolls....