School "officially" begins again in roughly two weeks. Yeah, my boys and I have been schooling all summer... but the new school year starts up again on Aug 8th in our county. For the record, I'm not a mean mama who makes her kids work work work all summer. We had school two or three days a week, and were able to have fun between all the learning. We actually covered a lot this summer. I'm very pleased with Shaun's progress in math and reading, especially.
But the anxiety is creeping in. This is becoming the norm for me at the end of July. I get antsy. Unsettled. Overwhelmed. Just the thought of a new school year scares me sometimes. I love how relaxed we are in the summer time. For the past two years our school months have been pretty relaxed as well. This year's going to be a little different. We've joined a new co-op which meets two days a week, all day long on both days. New people, new classes. I don't do change well, and neither do my kids. After agonizing for months, the Hubs and I decided that this new group is what's best for our kids. What a hard decision. I'm a creature of habit. I love my church and my church friends. I hate that we're separating ourselves from them, even just a little bit. In my heart, I know we heard from God and He's leading us in the right direction for our family. We'll be with a more diverse group of home schooling families. Most of these families share our beliefs. Some do not. The kids will be taking science, history, phonics, literature, PE, art, and health. For fun, Shaun will be in choir and also be taking voice lessons. Jordan will try his hand at karate. This will all take place in a "school-like" environment. They'll be graded. They'll have homework and be held accountable for completing class work and projects. It will be the best of both worlds. I hope!
I feel kind of like I'm back in school myself, getting nervous about the first day and meeting new people. I'm so glad my sister will be by my side!
Jordan's curriculum was delivered last week. 3 big boxes containing loads of smaller boxes filled with manipulatives, text books, readers, and story books. I've gotten everything out a few times with intentions of going though it, but somehow I always get overwhelmed with it all. Hopefully our lesson plans will be posted on the web site this week and I'll have a better idea of what to do.
I must get organized before August 8th. I have a goal to get our school room purged of anything non-school related this week. Then next week I'll organize everything that's left. We might not actually do school in that school room, but at least all of our stuff will be contained in that one room.
The bookshelf is first. I have so many books. Not sure where I'm going to put them. I can't bear to give them away. I'm a book hoarder. I've listed most of them on paperback swap, but I still need somewhere to keep them until they're requested through the web site. One thing's for sure, they're getting out of that school room!
As usual, I've put this off until the last minute. I'm notorious for procrastinating. I have, however, already filed the "intent to homeschool" for both boys... way before they were due. A first for me, and hopefully a step in the right direction for a more organized me.
It occurred to me for the first time yesterday that I'm going to be really teaching two kids this year. I've always taught Shaun but Jordan has kind of been hit or miss. He knows his letters, sounds, and numbers. He can count and of course he knows colors and shapes. He can write his name and letters and we're working on numbers. I must say that his handwriting is atrocious. Sadly, he gets this from me. Thankfully we have lots of Handwriting Without Tears in those boxes of curriculum! I haven't really had to work much with him and I was getting worried that he would be behind when we began kindergarten. Then I looked over his workbooks and realized that he's way ahead of himself already. This was a relief.
Sometimes I think about the huge responsibility we homeschooling families have, and it terrifies me into praying for God's grace and wisdom. Thankfully, that's usually when He sends His peace down to wash over me, and I can think clearly again.
He's good like that, that God of mine.
But the anxiety is creeping in. This is becoming the norm for me at the end of July. I get antsy. Unsettled. Overwhelmed. Just the thought of a new school year scares me sometimes. I love how relaxed we are in the summer time. For the past two years our school months have been pretty relaxed as well. This year's going to be a little different. We've joined a new co-op which meets two days a week, all day long on both days. New people, new classes. I don't do change well, and neither do my kids. After agonizing for months, the Hubs and I decided that this new group is what's best for our kids. What a hard decision. I'm a creature of habit. I love my church and my church friends. I hate that we're separating ourselves from them, even just a little bit. In my heart, I know we heard from God and He's leading us in the right direction for our family. We'll be with a more diverse group of home schooling families. Most of these families share our beliefs. Some do not. The kids will be taking science, history, phonics, literature, PE, art, and health. For fun, Shaun will be in choir and also be taking voice lessons. Jordan will try his hand at karate. This will all take place in a "school-like" environment. They'll be graded. They'll have homework and be held accountable for completing class work and projects. It will be the best of both worlds. I hope!
I feel kind of like I'm back in school myself, getting nervous about the first day and meeting new people. I'm so glad my sister will be by my side!
Jordan's curriculum was delivered last week. 3 big boxes containing loads of smaller boxes filled with manipulatives, text books, readers, and story books. I've gotten everything out a few times with intentions of going though it, but somehow I always get overwhelmed with it all. Hopefully our lesson plans will be posted on the web site this week and I'll have a better idea of what to do.
I must get organized before August 8th. I have a goal to get our school room purged of anything non-school related this week. Then next week I'll organize everything that's left. We might not actually do school in that school room, but at least all of our stuff will be contained in that one room.
The bookshelf is first. I have so many books. Not sure where I'm going to put them. I can't bear to give them away. I'm a book hoarder. I've listed most of them on paperback swap, but I still need somewhere to keep them until they're requested through the web site. One thing's for sure, they're getting out of that school room!
As usual, I've put this off until the last minute. I'm notorious for procrastinating. I have, however, already filed the "intent to homeschool" for both boys... way before they were due. A first for me, and hopefully a step in the right direction for a more organized me.
It occurred to me for the first time yesterday that I'm going to be really teaching two kids this year. I've always taught Shaun but Jordan has kind of been hit or miss. He knows his letters, sounds, and numbers. He can count and of course he knows colors and shapes. He can write his name and letters and we're working on numbers. I must say that his handwriting is atrocious. Sadly, he gets this from me. Thankfully we have lots of Handwriting Without Tears in those boxes of curriculum! I haven't really had to work much with him and I was getting worried that he would be behind when we began kindergarten. Then I looked over his workbooks and realized that he's way ahead of himself already. This was a relief.
Sometimes I think about the huge responsibility we homeschooling families have, and it terrifies me into praying for God's grace and wisdom. Thankfully, that's usually when He sends His peace down to wash over me, and I can think clearly again.
He's good like that, that God of mine.
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