First Day?

This is one of the more difficult things about homeschooling. We don't always have a beginning or an ending to the year... I'd like to think that is because we are always learning and growing, but it is not always in ways that are measureable.

Also, the grade thing. It's silly, because at church we just put them in the grade they would be if they were in school. Except for my two October boys who would be held back due to the late birthdays.  But anyhow.  For me to say, Emma is in 7th grade and Caleb is in 6th grade would be true, but also wouldn't totally do justice to the work they are doing. So, I don't know what grade they are technically in, but they are working hard and I'm very proud of them. 

Elijah is doing great in his supervisory role; we also could call him the "joy distraction", because merely the sight of a smile on his face brings joy to the room and at least 15 minutes of distraction.  My favorite kind of distraction.😉

Evelyn will be learning her letters-we just use the flash cards from My Father's World Kindergarten, because it's just too precious for kids to know that the sun reminds us that "Jesus is the light of the world."  Oh, and that the "S" says "sssss".

Judah is still working on Sing, Spell...but he is well on his way through the "first grade" portion and can read small books with simple words. He is also working through Saxon Math 1....but he has been for over a year. Maybe he will make more progress when we remember to do his math....but for now he seems to be doing fine. When I tell Ezra to go jump 100 times on the trampoline, Judah will yell to him, "Ezra, you can also just count to 10 ten times!!!"

Ezra is doing great. He can read just about anything....When he finished up his work before the summer, he was working at about a 3rd grade level across the board. So my challenge right now is finding appropriate things that work for him and how his mind works, but don't overwhelm his little six year old body and require too much writing (his hand gets tired!) or sitting still.  Ezra and Noah are starting back through our history cycle, so we get to study Ancient Egypt again and read aloud some of our family favorites like God King, The Golden Goblet, and Shadow Hawk, as well as some beautiful picture books. We also get to go back to a few of my favorite resources: The Greenleaf Guide to the Old Testament, and Victor's Journey Through the Bible.

Noah has really grown this year. I've been so impressed by him. He completed Rod and Staff 4th grade English last year. This year, I'm using Character Quality Language Arts with both him and Ezra.  Noah also completed Teaching Textbooks 5 last year, and I'm trying to figure out where to go next for him. But he is loving Kahn Academy in the meantime.

Emma and Caleb have a somewhat rigorous year, but I am trying to pace it in such a way that they are challenged but not overwhelmed.  Right now they are reading Chosen by God, and have finished Genesis, and soon we will move on to the Iliad. I purpose to take them through IEW's The Elegant Essay.  Emma is doing Algebra through Teaching Textbooks, and after Saxon 1/2, it has been a true blessing. (I was able to borrow it from a friend-it's so pricey!)

I still haven't quite figured out Caleb-he is starting Algebra 2/Trig.

Still using Visual Latin (Caleb is almost done with year 2), and Rosetta Stone for Spanish.  Both kids loved Lightbearers, which is the curriculum we used last year. A challenge at their stage of the game is that I cannot necessarily keep up with everything they are reading....and much of what they are studying, I have never read.  But, we are using a combination of Veritas Press Omnibus, and Roman Roads Media Old Western Culture. I love the writing the kids are producing, as well as our late night conversations about artwork and culture and God's Word. It's like a dream come true. These two challenge me and I love talking about deep things with them.  I'll leave you with a recent topic of conversation:

This is a picture of Michelangelo's Creation of Man. There is a woman under the arm of the portrayal of God. Eve is painted elsewhere on this ceiling so it is not likely to be her. Who do you think the woman is????