Yes, I still have other children!

I guess I should talk about them occasionally. LOL They are doing great. We have actually had some pretty productive school days this week. Our first of 2010. We are behind, but if we work a little every day we should be caught up by mid February without overwhelming ourselves with too much work every day.

I realized the other day that in September by oldest will be in 6th grade. On a side note, totally baby related, do you know that she will be 13 when Lily is born? Talk about having another little mama around. :) We talked the other day about what a special position she has in this house as the oldest of all of these kids. Sometimes she gets overwhelmed with the responsibility, but then when we talk about how God must have thought she would be just the right person for the job, that helps. I love seeing how she is still so much of a child. Of course she is growing up too and I am trying to figure out how to nurture her in this new season. She needs a little more freedom and independence. I just have to figure out the boundaries there. She is moving past playing with toys and really needs some new things to do with her free time. Something else I am still working through. Any ideas?

I had to take Tamara back to first grade phonics. We just started Saxon Phonics 1. If this does not work I will have to have her tested. I don't know that I ever really properly taught her all of the sounds the letters make. I am definitely taking the blame for this. I should have just followed through with Saxon Phonics like I did with the other kids. I thought I had a different way to teach her and it did not work. So now she is 8 and still struggling.

Note to self: if it works keep using it!

Because of all the interruptions last year we never made it through the first grade math book. Something suggested was to finish that book by this summer. Go over basic 2nd grade concepts over the summer and start Tamara and Adrian in the third grade math book in September. Just as a trial. If they can't do it we will fall back to the 2nd grade book. Not a big deal. Saxon is just repetitive enough that I think we can make it work.

Adrian is doing FANTASTIC in school! I can't believe how quickly he picks stuff up. I think he and Karly are my natural learners. Kelsie and Tamara struggle with it but they have different strengths. Honestly, I think both would struggle a lot in school and I would hate to see that. At home they can go a little slower.

Jonathan started "school" this year as well. He wanted "bonics" or phonics and math so I got Saxon Math K and Saxon Phonics K. I thought he would struggle with Saxon Phonics K but so far he seems ok. Saxon Math I knew he would be ok with because it's mostly manipulative play. It was way too young for my K'ers so I thought it would be perfect for introducing math to a preschooler.

I am looking at starting IEW with Karly in September. I also want to look into another Latin program for Karly and Kelsie. I am going to get this Latin for Tamara, Jonathan, and Adrian. It's more introductory through singing and fun activities. I'm still trying to decide for Karly and Kelsie. I want something a little independent. I don't mind doing it with them, but it needs to be something I can spend a few minutes doing with them and then they can run with.

We have Prima Latina, and it's a great program, just really not working for us. We have tried to do it for three years now. I want them to learn some Latin, some Greek, Spanish, and one other language of their choosing.

Well, that's a lot of our homeschooling journey. I have switched some things up, added and subtracted. It seems like every July and December I do that.

Of course now I have my eye on the coming months and what I will be able to do and not
do. I am so thankful for a supportive husband who is sitting with me during lessons to see how we "do school" so he can help out.

Be Blessed!