Survived the First Week!!!

Our first week of homeschooling is officially over and we all survived!  There were a few moments of tears and frustrations as we worked things out but over all I think we got off to a good start and the classroom is set up and is slowly beginning to fill up with evidence of our work. 

We made the decision to start off our homeschooling experience with the A Beka DVD program where the twins watch a master teacher teach all the lessons in a classroom setting.  We discovered that this wasn't the easiest way for us to start out since we are beginning in the middle of the year and they don't re-explain classroom procedures and are ahead in some of the subjects of where the twins were in school.  The Math for example - A Beka is teaching fourth grade concepts already in third grade and while the twins were in accelerated Math class in school they are still behind the A Beka program.  So today Ryan and I made the official decision to ditch the DVD's and ordered the teacher guides so that I can go back and start where the twins left off in school and try to get them caught up to A Beka by fourth grade.  We may switch to a different Math program next year but in case we don't I want them to be able to start off fourth grade caught up to A Beka.

I also realized half way through the week that I needed to make school more "fun".  I was trying to do all the subjects back to back and wasn't taking breaks for activities that don't require sitting at a desk or to decompress a little.  The kids are only 8 after all:) so we added in "Centers" where they get to pick an activity to do for 20 minutes - Art, Math game on computer, Science Experiment, or Reading Corner - that helps to break up the morning a little and gets them out of their seats.  We also started doing our history lesson in the "Reading Corner" of our classroom which contains a couch so that they are getting a little break from the desk and chair.

Our schedule for the day looks a little like this (more or less as some days we started later or took more time for Math):

8:00 - 8:15 Bible Lesson
8:15 - 9:00 Math
9:00 - 9:20 Centers
9:20 - 9:40 Language
9:40 - 10:00 Journaling/Penmanship
10:00 - 10:15 Snack break
10:15 - 10:35 Spelling
10:35 - 10:55 Reading
10:55 - 11:15 History
11:15 - 11:30 Health

I've had to remind the twins several times (as well as myself) that the schedule is just a guide and that the beauty of homeschooling is that we can take things faster or slower depending on the day and interruptions that come up:)

After lunch we take time to practice piano, do chores, and read.  We also set up a big puzzle on the dining room table that we've been working on when we have free time.  Once a week (Tuesdays from 1 - 3) we will head into Elgin for Gym and Swim...they have a one hour PE class followed by a swim lesson with some free time at the end to just swim around the pool and play.  We start next week and we are excited to see how it all goes!

Evenings consist of activities:  Ballet, Cheerleading for Kait, Piano for both, and Chess club twice a month for Kenton.

It'll be a learning process this semester of what works and what doesn't for our family and I expect that the above schedule/subjects might change a time or two until we've worked out the kinks!  So far it's been fun and I'm finding that I'm learning Math the second time around like I didn't the first time around!  I've also fallen into bed each night mentally exhausted and I'm exercising brain muscles that I forgot I had:)  I've found that I'm enjoying the teaching MUCH more than I thought I would and the kids are enjoying being done with school earlier and not having homework in the evenings. 

PS)  I'll save Ethan for another post!

I'm having one of my "I can't sleep" moments so I decided to get up and get a few things done that kept rolling around in my head while I was trying to go to sleep!  Over the years of struggling occasionally with insomnia I've learned that sometimes it's better to just get up and get whatever I'm thinking about done (and sometimes it's better to just lay there and "rest" - depending on what the next day holds.)  I keep forgetting to run to the post office to mail a few things so I'm getting it all ready and laid out so that there are no excuses in the morning:)

We have a busy but fun week ahead of us.  The twins are done with school tomorrow and than have the rest of the week off for Thanksgiving.  We are planning on spending Thursday with Ryan's family and Sat/Sun with my family.  I really love this time of year!! 

Kaitlyn started cheerleading this evening.  We signed her up over a month ago, ordered the uniform and then waited for the e-mail to come telling us when her practices started.  And waited.  And waited!  I finally called the rec center last Friday to find out when she starts only to find out that we had already missed two practices:(  She seemed to slip right into it tonight, though and knew one of the girls so she'll be fine.  It's just my mother-heart that feels bad for letting so much time pass before checking into it!

Anyway, better get that "to-do" list started...this post wasn't on it:)  :)

Christmas Spirit a Little Early!

Sooo - I caved this morning and decided to decorate for Christmas a little early this year!  We aren't hosting Thanksgiving so why not, right??  I was digging into cleaning the house since our recent bout with the flu and thought that as long as I was deep cleaning everything I may as well get the decorations up:)

My biggest challenge this year will be keeping my little one year old buddy away from the tree...hmmmm!

Complete Rainbow

Beginning

We saw the most amazing, complete rainbow this morning!  (The brief sunrise was gorgeous, too)A camera will never do it justice but I just had to try!  Thankfully the twins were up early (no idea why since there is no school today!) so we all went out and rainbow-gazed for awhile.  Some of you may remember the blog post from Singapore when Kaitlyn and I saw the only other complete rainbow I've seen in my adult life.  We were running around in the rain in a field trying to capture it while the Singaporeans were thinking we were crazy!  

End

Middle

 

 

 

A Slow Week For Once!!

Yay!  I have a slower week for the first time in a long time...maybe now the piles and piles of laundry will finally get caught up:)  It's been busy around here with school, piano, activities, babysitting Tayden, preschool, getting spring bulbs planted and fall clean up done...and we FINALLY finished cleaning/organizing the basement (you may remember a post from a LONG time ago that I was working on this project!)  I also got our bedroom painted, the guest room painted, and the loft.  I still have a little touch up work to do so I'm hoping that I'll finally have time for that this week!


The twins have school Monday and Tuesday this week and then are off for the rest of the week due to teacher conferences.  They are worried that they will have to do a lot of work for those 5 days off but I've promised them some free time:)

Changes (Again!)

I have to admit that I'm not a big one for change.  I like my comfortable little section of the world.  So much so that EVERY SINGLE TIME in my life that I have been 100% content with the way things are or where we are at God says, "Time to make another change, Becky!"  You would think that by this point in our lives I would have figured out that nothing stays the same and that life is continually changing!

Our newest (and perhaps most challenging) change is that we have decided to take on homeschooling the twins.  This has been something that we have prayed hard about and have done much research on before making the final decision.  It has come with many hours of talking to other homeschool families, looking at curriculum, making pros and cons lists, and of course PRAYING!

It is something that has been on my heart since before the twins started Kindergarten.  It's something that I thought about again when we were making our move to Singapore and than again when we made the move back to the US.  It recently was laid on my heart again when I spent a few hours alone in the car on a trip so I began to pray about it again.  During that ride a few things occurred to me.  I realized that there were a few doors that needed to "open" before this would even be an option.

1.  I had to have a complete peace about it
2.  Ryan had to be 100% on board  and
3.  the twins needed to be willing. 

That evening when Ryan called to check in (he was out of town) I brought it up to him again.  I talked though all the reasons I had for the "why?" and the "how?" and the "What in the WORLD am I THINKING???"  He listened for awhile before saying that it was something we could start considering.  In the past his reasons for "why" and "how" were different than mine and for the first time we were finally on the same page about it.  So began the HOURS of praying and researching and talking.  I also asked the twins casually what they thought about being home schooled.  Although they were both excited about the possibility it wasn't entirely for the right reasons!  So we talked about what it would be like and what would be required.  They were still interested so now I was down to the peace part...the most important part!

Through the many discussions that I had with Ryan about the pros and cons I realized that God had been going before us paving the way for this moment.  When we first moved back to the US it was really hard for me because I went from having a very active social life to spending more and more time at home.  It was a hard transition but at some point during the past 6 months it went from becoming something that was hard to a new lifestyle that I had accepted.  I was at a point for the first time in my adult life where it wouldn't be such a huge transition from an active social life during the day to staying home with the kids and teaching them.  All the times I had questioned God with "Why haven't I found friends like I had before?" He was preparing me for what was ahead!   And with that knowledge came peace...the final door to be opened!

I realize that the coming days will not be without challenge but I am ready to take on the challenge of teaching the kids at home and I'm excited to get to see their learning and growing first hand!  (I'm also very nervous so ask for any prayers you are willing to send up for me!)  It will be interesting to see how it all goes and I'm sure there will be days that I have to rely on the fact that I KNOW that this is what God wants in our lives at this time:)

Melissa - this is for you!