We have so much more fun when company comes!!! This was the train ride through the redwood forrest.
This past week had the potential to be a total nightmare. This is “Finals Week” of the 3rd quarter for Alan, and I’m the kind of person that can only handle all four of my own children, by myself, for so long.
Enter the in-laws. Their timing was perfect. Well, for me it was anyway. They probably would have liked to have spent more time with their son, sure, but I really just needed someone to take my mind off of the nights that Alan had to work late and the cabin fever.
Caleb, soaking in the sights and smells of the forests– and searching for banana slugs. We love banana slugs.
Big shout out to DaddyO and Nonna for helping out this week and for allowing us to drag you around northern California. We had a great time.
Oh! And best of all, Caleb has two whole front teeth again!!! That’s right! Alan and I both got to be there for the oral surgery. DaddyO and Nonna kept the preschoolers and the home schooler. Caleb handled it all really well, and as of today, he can’t even remember it. It’s amazing what good drugs can do.
As I mentioned before, my phone bit the dust, so I have no beautiful Caleb photo to share. 🙁
I don’t think Nonna and DaddyO were quite aware of just how stressed out Alan and I were when they arrived, just 8 days ago, but I think that by the time they left, they were thankful they never had to home school their children.
Bahahahahaha
Okay, so really I’M the one that lives seriously stressed out. I think Alan is fine.
DaddyO and Nonna
Nonna gave me some great organizing tips for home schooling. She was a teacher for 20 years, so I’m always happy to get ideas from her.
We only have ONE QUARTER of our first year of home schooling left to get through. I remember when I first decided to home school. I didn’t want to tell any of my friends in Virginia. Why? Because I knew that as the people who see me everyday, they knew me well enough to know that it didn’t make much sense. I’m a social person with social children. I have four boys who like to wiggle about and have fun. I have a toddler in the mix that needs a lot of attention, so I was practically attempting the impossible.
And I knew my friends would let me know it, so I tried to keep my home schooling ambitions a secret.
You should have heard my friends at supper club.
“Are you SERIOUSLY going to home school? How in the world are you going to do that?”
*Insert feeling of sheepish embarrassment.* I knew they were right. They knew they were right. This would be hard. This would be a little crazy. This would be way out of my comfort zone.
Several people lately have asked me, “Why do you homeschool?”
I throw out this reason or that, mostly stuff about my children’s education and being a control freak. (Ha!) I wanted to help Caleb with reading and Joshua with math. I didn’t want my children to constantly change schools, creating insecurity. I wanted them to have a Christian education rather than a secular one. I wanted to pull them away from so much materialism and worldliness. I just wanted to try it, and Alan was in agreement with me about all of this.
But really there was one big reason. I prayed about it, and God said, “Home school your kids.”
I prayed that four years ago, when Joshua started Kindergarten, and God said, “Send them to school.” Different season, different circumstances. God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit, which he has given to all who have accepted Him. He lives in our hearts.
“Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant which I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them. And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”
Hebrews 10:15-17
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” John 16:12-15
So sweet! Alan still found plenty of time to have fun with us. 🙂
Home schoolers do take the coolest field trips.
I’m just following where the Lord leads. Yes, He gave me more than I can handle. From that, I have learned to rely on Him more and to talk to Him more. I may not always home school, but I hope that I will always simply follow where the Lord leads our family.
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I love out of comfort zone things and homeschooling is something I advocate. Especially for active children as they don't spend most of their day sitting down and the evening when their bodies need to shut down while growth hormone's released, doing activities. I wish I had some adorable little bunnies to homeschool, myself. It would be mostly piano and ballet. We'll see. I hope you're doing okay, SB.
I am honored that you commented. ;) (referencing your truthful and right on blog post that I read earlier tonight) I tell ya, I wish you could teach my kids some piano and ballet. Some times I feel like I'm beating my head against the wall just getting them to buckle down, leave their brother alone, and well, you get the idea. ;) Some days I'm doing great. Some days I don't how I got into this mess, but I adore them to pieces. So yes, I am okay. Maybe ask me again in the summer, and I will say it with confidence. :)
Still trying to come up with ideas for ways to set up learning stations without them being in the way when not in use. Would love to figure a way you could have about a week for us to just plan and work on next years plans and folders. There are so many great internet sites but you don't have time to check them out! A teachers job is never done. You can see why teachers feel so under appreciated and underpaid!
Oh, I definitely agree that a teacher's job is never done, and they are waaaay underpaid and under appreciated. Phew! What a job! I do regularly set out learning stations on the coffee tables. I just take all the books off and replace them with activities. I just need, like you said, more time to plan activities. Daniel and I had a great time yesterday with a brand new ABC puzzle. The boys were so happy playing Timeline road today that Joshua actually said, "I love having you as my teacher. I'm so glad we get to do Timeline instead of math," and Caleb must have hugged me 10 times. Activities go a looong way in winning their approval. The whining started right back up once I whipped out Caleb's speed drill. Oh, well. That's life.
What a great example of faith April. I too have listened when God spoke not quite sure why I should do something, but doing it anyways. I have always been blessed when I did that more than I could even imagine. Sometimes it's not easy, but it is worth it. I am glad you had some extra help this week :)
Thanks, Jen. So true that sometimes we're not even sure why God wants us to do something, and it's always worth it. Great point.Praise the Lord. :)
Aren't supportive mother-in-law's awesome! I'm so glad homeschooling is going well for you!
Yes, both sets of our parents are such a blessing to us. We are so fortunate! Thank you!
Home-schooling is not easy! Even here in SC there are still people who are surprised when I tell them I home-school. My two boys are very active as well and some days feels terrible but I know that this is what God wants. I believe he will bless us and give us grace as long as we seek to honor him. Good post!
Thank you. I agree. God so richly blesses us when we trust and follow his guidance in our lives. :)