School Days, School Days

Here Elijah is "helping" his look alike brother! He really loves to sit here and watch Jeremiah hard at work. Below, Nate is at his desk doing some copywork into his nature notebook, probably his favorite part of school, he loves science and nature, especially birds.

It is getting to be that time of year when I am waiting for spring time. It is also that time of year when I look at all we have learned this year during school time (and count how many pages we have left to do in the spelling book!) I am so thankful for how well Jeremiah is doing this year. He has a hard time sitting still and concentrating, but he is really learning to read and is even getting to the point where he can look at familiar words and not have to sound them out phonetically anymore! He spends hours drawing pictures of the Revolutionary War, and loves American History.

Nate is having a great year too. We are starting multiplication already! I am not sure if I am ready for this, I just now mastered my addition and subtraction flashcards! We are learning about the fifty states- today was Michigan. We are doing them in order of ratification of the Constitution. Nate does alot of work by himself during the morning and then at naptime he and I spend time doing a math lesson, history reading and science and Bible. It works best to do this when the little ones are tucked upstairs and quiet.

Homeschooling makes my days so much more busy. It is sometimes hard to juggle errands and other homemaking things with a full and busy day of school lessons., But I love it. I love how Benny and Rachael join in the "kindergarten" class and sing the songs with Jeremiah and I. I love how Nate helps Jeremiah out with Bible verses he remembers from two years ago. I enjoy watching Elijah help by eating crayons, and crumpling papers and just looking cute! I love how I get to spend time with all my kids, not have to rush some out the door for the school bus.

I am trying to think ahead to next year and how I will organize the day and the subjects to be able to teach a kindergartener (Rachael! I can hardly believe that) and a first grader and a third grader. Each year I worry about how I will be able to do it, but Joel and I feel that this is God's plan for us, so I know that as He did this year, he will give me the grace that I need to do what he is calling me to do each day. I am looking foward to it!