Homeschooling

It's going pretty well right now. We just discovered www.worldmathsday.com and Michael is suddenly liking math! Though he has informed me he can't wait till he's done with his writing lessons so he can rip up his writing book. Hmmm.

Remember though, Michael is very dramatic, so you can really just take that as his mild distaste for writing. He say he "hates" something, but if you or I had the same dislike for it we might say we "don't enjoy it very much". He still amazes me with his ability to soak in everything he's presented with for learning.

Gideon isn't as quick a reader as Michael has been, but he's already jumped ahead to 1st grade math! It seems to come pretty easy for him. The only thing I really have to help him with are the word problems, I read them out to him and he gives me the answer right away. He loves work books and could do them all day sometimes! Of course he also loves to be outside playing as well. He waits outside by the mailbox almost every day waiting for the mail carrier. Our mail carrier calls Gideon "Buddy" and always takes the time to step out of his truck and hand Gideon the mail over the fence.

We switched gears mid-year with Michael. I did have a lot of work book based curriculum for him and it just wasn't working, so now I am trying to do more videos, audio, and reading aloud with him. Since Gideon loves workbooks I can just saved Michael's unused workbooks for him.

I'm looking forward to next year as well. Gideon will be in 1st Grade and Michael will be in 3rd.

I'm going to go with Math-U-See for math. It uses video and manipulatives and I think it will work well for both boys.

I want to get A Reason for Handwriting for both boys, and am considering going with A Reason for Spelling for Michael.

Apologia sounds like the best choice for Science. I've heard many good reviews on it and am excited about trying it out.

I'm up in the air about History, I hear mixed reviews on all of the curriculum. I want something from a Christian World view. I do have Drive thru History, but I'm not sure thats enough. We'll see.

For Reading I will have Gideon finish "Teach Your child to read in 100 easy lessons". Both boys will be in Book-it again.

I've already got plenty of health and manners books to keep them busy for a few years.

I'm still looking for a Bible curriculum I like. This year we've learned about the books of the Bible and learned a few verses but not as many as I would like. I want a curriculum that will have them memorizing verses and learning about the Bible as well. Something that they can both do and I can include Jason in as well would be nice. AWANA is a posibility. We'll have to see whats available when we get to Georgia.

I want to have all of this sorted out before we move so that I don't have to think about it till School starts in the fall.

As for this year, we will be finished the last week of April. That will leave the whole month of May to get packed for the move.

Michael told me today that he's going to work really hard so he can be done with all of his school work early. I'll be very happy if he does that! I'll have to make up new school work for him to get in his 180 days but that's ok. I've been able to find ways for him to do school work without knowing its school work.

Now I'm off to write progress reports for them. I don't have to, but I like to for my own records.

Ready for spring

Warm.

Sunny.

Longer days.

Hanging laundry on the line.

Flowers blooming.

The tree out front budding with new leaves.

A breeze blowing in through open windows.

Celebrating the resurrection of my Lord.

Watching birds eat from the feeders my children made.

Hearing the birds sing.

I am looking forward to spring.

Nothing like....

...seeing a small unidentified critter running through your bedroom to throw you into decluttering mode! Yikes!

So far we've gotten the closet emptied and vacuumed and refilled. We've gotten the co-sleeper emptied and put away (since we never use it anymore). Now to work on the pile of "too little" clothes that need to be packed away and redistributed.

I also want to clear off the bookshelf in the room. Silas has taken to pulling all of my papers off the shelf on a daily basis so I need to break down and put them away instead of just having them clutter up the shelf. Hmm, maybe I should keep some of his toys on there instead.

First I'm going to take Gideon to the grocery store to get something we need to go with lunch and then I'll get back to work.

I must say, its so much nicer cleaning my room with my husband by my side. Thanks for helping Archie!

Rainy day

What is it about rainy days that make me not want to do anything?

I guess they do make me want to do some things. They make me want to sit by a window and watch the rain fall. They make me want to boil water for hot chocolate. They make me want to stay in bed. They make me want to wrap up in a warm blanket and watch Anne of Green Gables or read a good book. They make me want to bake bread and eat it hot with butter and honey.

Chores? School? Errands? Usual, daily tasks? Nope. Don't feel like doing any of that. But I guess I have to. Perhaps when its all done I can steal away at least a few minutes of quiet rain watching.

Church

I love going to church. I think I always have! I hate to miss a service. Sundays, Wednesdays, and any day in between that I have the opportunity.

Its not a chore for me. Its a privilege and a pleasure to gather together with my brothers and sisters in Christ. To Worship God together, to fellowship together, to lift each other up, to pray for one another. I never get tired of it, I never think of something else I'd rather be doing.

I used to feel bad if I missed a service, even if it was because I was sick or in pain, or because my child was sick or in pain. I would feel bad. Now I realize that it is not a sin to stay home in those situations. I still am sad when I have to miss out but I am not condemned.

But what a joy it is when I can go! When I arrive and am greeted with smiles and hugs and "how are you"'s. I can ask for prayer and be lifted up right then and there. I can seek advice and receive godly counsel. I can also pray for, counsel, and encourage others. I can learn more about the Lord through His Word being taught and I can worship the Lord along side my family.

Again I say, what a joy!

Leaving my comfort zone

I think it hit me today. I'm leaving California. Maybe for good. Not to say we'll never visit, but I may never live here again.

It is going to be hard. There have been two other times when I've left not knowing if I'd ever be back. I think this time is different though. We are going back to Georgia with plans to settle down. I'm going to be 3000 miles away from my parents and siblings. My kids won't be able to see them as often as we've enjoyed here. That makes me sad. They will be able to see the other side of their family though, and will be able to get to be around some great people.

Its going to be a hard move for me personally. Moving to a different culture. I've lived in different cultures before but never long term. I'm leaving everything I grew up with. I'm leaving the comfortable and familiar. There's going to be a lot of adjusting. I'm going to have to make all new friends. I pray the Lord will bring me a mentor there. An older woman I can look up to and learn from.

I know its right. I know its what God is calling me to. I know that He will bless me and in the end, if I follow Him faithfully, even the hard things will be sweet.

Thinking of packing

The thought deciding what to take and what to leave is a big enough thought in it self. The thought of packing up securely all of the things we want to take is a down right overwhelming thought!

I think I have an idea though. I think I want to clear out the extra bedroom (our TV room) and start packing and storing the things we want to take in there.

Then there is another thought, when do I pack? What can I do without for a few months? And if I can do without it for a few months, do I really need it??? Some things can easily be packed now, such as the clothes that don't fit anyone, the books that we don't need now. Some of the toys (they really don't play with all of them all the time anyway).

At the rate we are going we'll be finished with school the last week of April. Which is really good, that leaves the whole month of may to pack. But do I want to wait till May to pack? I should at least start organizing my things now. Spending a little time each week getting things ready to be packed. Sorting through my "junk" boxes. Finishing up my sewing projects.

It still seems overwhelming. Having to have everything packed up all at once. The last time we moved we had a 2 week overlap between the time we had to be out of the apartment and when we got into the house. We were able to go back and forth and didn't really have to pack up everything. This time we'll have to have everything packed and ready to go all at once. We have a lot more "stuff" going back to Georgia than we did when we came out from there 7 years ago! Of course we've got 3 kids more than we did then too.

Maybe I can find some baby sitters in May. Or ship my kids off to various places for a day at a time. That would certainly help my efforts to pack well. My Mother offered to take them for a while.

At least this time I'm not half way through a rough pregnancy like the last time we moved. That will make things a lot easier.

Now to collect boxes!

In search of...

a moving company. PODS won't deliver to where we are moving, a lot of other companies are way out of our price range. I'm thinking AFB U-pack looks like it might work but I want to call them and see for sure. We aren't taking a lot of stuff but we do have a couple of large items and a lot of books. If we have room we would like to take some of the boys yard toys. We'll see.

We have to figure out what will be easy and inexpensive to replace at our new home and what will not. I'm so tempted to take my china in the van with us. We'll see.

I need to pare down the clothing. I know for sure J and G have way too many shirts.

I'd like to take as little as possible with us in the van so we will be more comfortable on the trip. I'll have to do laundry on the trip of course. I figure 4 outfits a piece should be good for the boys, and since it will be summer we won't have to worry about packing pj's. I'll want to bring along food as I don't want to have to eat fast food the whole trip. We'll keep an ice chest. We will eat out some but hopefully keep it to a minimum.

So if you read this and know of a good moving company let me know! And if you don't, you could always pray with us that we will find the right one.

Graduation and moving

Archie sent off his graduation worksheet, fee, and voice recording today!

I am so excited that its actually coming!

I am looking forward to moving back to Georgia too. We went there last week. The two oldest boys stayed here with my parents but the rest of us flew to Florida. His mom, sister, and brother-in-law live in a beach house there right now. We drove up to Georgia to check things out and make some decisions. We will have to fix up the house some before we can move into it. After we get settled in MIL will come and live with us there.

The boys are going to love it, tons of wide open space! I really want to have a garden and some animals.

We hope eventually we will be able to buy a house closer to town. Something big enough for our growing boys and something with a big yard.

Its going to be a big move with many challenges, but I know its going to be good. I know that the Lord is leading and He is preparing the way.