One thing that I am learning is that teaching my kids is so natural. Before this year I never intentionally sat down and had a formal lesson to teach my kids all that they now know. They can speak in full sentences, know their alphabet, their colors, shapes, etc without me sitting down and teaching them. I have to remind myself of this daily! I try to teach them naturally through reading good books, cooking together, playing games or just talking to them. I now understand that homeschooling is more of a lifestyle than a isolated activity. I know what I want my children to learn and I have about 13 hours a day to teach them. We may sit down for 20 minutes and do what they call "school" but they are learning all day and night whether they know it or not. They LOVE to read, but don't know that the hours we sit and read together is our "school" or when we go outside and draw with chalk or hang out at the creek that is "school" or when we bake a chocolate cake together that is "school" or when we go to the grocery that is "school" or when we are playing Alphabet GO FISH that is "school".

Here is a glimpse of the excitement of the week.

A raccoon that came to visit.

The kids loved this!

Can you say arranged marriage? You know they do that in Ethiopia!

School on the back deck

Yes, he is Clay's child.

The constant battle....

for a KISS!

PE TIME!

Cute conversations I overheard this week:
Nile: "Lets play football, Bowen."
Bowen: "No, you said earlier you didn't want to play."
Nile: "I change my mind, Bowen."


HOW STINKIN' SMART IS THIS CHILD! Cannot believe some of the things he says.


Later, Nile picks up a marker in the office and looks at me and says, "I know better than that Momma." LOL.

Love, love, love that kid! How could this face not brighten your day! Can't imagine our family without him!

Week One complete!

This week was our first week of homeschooling. The kids learned lots and I was so excited that they had a blast. We are just starting out and I am figuring a lot out as we go. I am starting this year with a pre-planned curriculum called "My Father's World". I chose it because our over all philosophies of education lined up. I lean more towards a literature based/relaxed approach but was a little nervous to do my own thing this first year. I am not into a high pressure, my kids will win the next spelling bee kind of approach. If my children leave my house able to read their bibles and are sold out for Jesus, I will be one happy momma!

We started our week off at the library collecting as many "living" books as possible. We spent lots of time reading books on the couch. My voice was gone by the end of the day. Here were some of our favorites:

This is a must read chapter book that Bowen has loved this week. Bowen asked to read it so much that Nile has been walking around saying, "Mom, I want to read my chapter book." Love it!

One lady that I have admired and loved her philosophies on parenting, media, education and nutrition is Carol Joy Seid.

If you can make it to one of her seminars I would HIGHLY recommend it. She is coming to our area soon to do her second session mainly focusing on teaching older children. She will probably be back next year to teach the one dealing with younger children, which I attended a year ago. I learned so much and made many changes to the way I parent. You can now order her sessions on CD here. This week I found an interview online of Carol. Its is wonderful. Click here and click on the right "listen to Carol". It is a great use of 25 minutes!! It will bless you as a mom and if you can get your husband to listen, she talks also to dads.

Here are some things we have been working on this week:

 

 

 

Yep, how to do dishes! Give me another 6 months and this mommy will be chore free ;)

Next week we will be focusing on: How to give a good massage 101.