Our Homeschool turns 10!

 I realized recently that I am starting my tenth "official" year as a homeschooling mommy.  Wow that makes me feel old.  About as old as the candles on the cake (yummy chocolate inside and out) profess me to be.  I had a wonderful birthday this year.  With a great and needed present of a new camera.  So here they are, Denae, some pics for you with the new Nikon. 

 A class photo.  All my students and our cute little mascots, Luke and Timmy.  We waited until after Labor Day to begin again this year, and I am so glad we did.  We had a wonderful last week of summer.  I admit that I would have put off this first day of school for a while longer, if I didn't know that it would just push the date we finish in the spring back in to June.  We don't want that.  So here we go. 

 Asher is our newest student!  A very cute and excited Kindergartner.  He is five and wants to be a race car driver when he grows up.  He likes to learn to read, and can read short c-v-c words already. 

 Next up is our first grader, Elijah.  He is pretty pleased with his missing teeth and is adamant that there is no tooth-fairy.  He addressed his letter with his missing tooth, "To: Mom".  Elijah wants to be a policeman someday.  Right now he loves to play outside. 

 Benny makes up the third grade class this year.  School is really not a favorite with him, but we are pleased to see him progressing.  He is excited about his Anatomy class this year, and I am pleased to see he retained most of his math facts from last spring.  Benny is all about the military right now. 

 Beautiful and brainy.  That's our Rachael.  She is in the sixth grade this year.  She doesn't really love math, but is excited about her history course this year.  She has a brand new text book (she usually has a hand me down.  I remember being happy to have a book in school that was brand spankin' new instead of all dog-eared and written in).  Rachael is also taking Anatomy and she is enjoying that since she would like to be  baby-nurse before she settles down with lots of babies of her own  This girl is a bit like her momma, just a bit :)

 Our Jeremiah is almost thirteen ! and makes up the seventh grade at M. Christian School.  He likes history the most, especially studying about wars.  He also does a great job with math.  Jeremiah isn't sure what he wants to do when he grows up.  Right now he keeps busy with air-soft, his lawn mowing business and helping me clean and organize, a definite strength for our growing son. 

 I have a High-School er!  How in the world did that happen???  Didn't I just buy My Father's World Kindergarten program for him to breeze through??!  Anyway, Nathanael is the sole student in the High School this year.  He has a lot of work to do, and does it very well.  Nate has always been studious.  He likes history and literature, and doesn't mind math.  He is my "mat-time" master, setting out the mat time activities for the mascots each morning and helping to clean it all up before lunch.  He is also our breakfast chef.  Nate isn't sure what he wants to do when he grows up.  That seems a long way off when you are on day four of ninth grade.  But I know it will be here before I am ready for it. 

 Kindergarten class is called to order.  This little blue school table has seen lots of school work. Witnessed lots of first words read, and math facts mastered.  It has witnessed lots of cheers, a lot of "you need to pay more attentions" and quite a few tears.  I am excited to start the home school journey with my sixth child. 

Rachael holding the class pet, Lucy.  She is growing so big already and is a very sweet little bunny.  I hope she stays that way.  She loves to be held and petted, and as there are lots of hands around to do so, she seems to be getting enough attention. 

So we have begun our school year.  These pictures show such happy faces and excitement.  And the children are really doing well so far this year.  I am pleased with their attitudes and work ethic.  This undertaking is a challenge for me.  I can keep quite busy with just homemaking for my family of ten.  Homeschooling adds in a huge responsibility to my day.  It occupies most of my time from 8:00 am, to 4:30 pm, the hours I have "classes in session".  I spend time with each child one on one through out the day.  The younger ones require the most time, about an hour or more each, but the older ones are more challenging.  I can't do algebra without the answer key :)  Of course our little mascots need attention and direction and correction through out the day.  And the laundry needs to be done (so glad for my up stairs laundry room!) and food needs to be cooked.  And errands pose a special threat.  I wanted to give up before even starting this year.  But I know that "he who called you will be faithful", and since we feel that God wants us to educate and train our children at home, that he will equip me, and strengthen me and give me grace to keep doing this again this year.  Despite all my weaknesses, fears, and attitude problems.  Because when I am weak, He is strong.  The children aren't the only ones learning here at our home school.  I think God is teaching me more than I ever knew about patience, priorities, and laying my life down.  And trusting him.  One decade in to this home school thing and I am glad that we are doing it.  Not giddy glad, but glad that I see the hand of God at work in this family.  Glad that despite really really wanting to quit almost every. single. day, that I know God is here with me.  and glad to see the kids learn.  To be here to break up fights, to talk about important things, and really not important things (much more the latter, with seven boys the conversations don't go "deep" too often).  Glad to not have to send my pint sized five year old off on the bus every day, even when it seems like a great idea as I mop up breakfast mess and see the bus stop right out side my door.  Yes, the bus stop is my yard.  But the good things to do are seldom the easy things to do, are they?  In all areas of life, the good road (and I don't feel homeschooling is always the good road for every family) is the narrow road.  The way that is hard, and steep.  But that is where we lean on God, learn from God and grow as Christians. 

Happy back to school to all of you homeschooling mommies- only 176 more days to go!  Luke would say "Woohoo!"