Homeschool updates....

I have been wanting to write this blog for about a week now. We hit a MAJOR school milestone last week. Mya learned to read! Yes, really reading. Sounding out the words! This was the one thing I was SO nervous about when I decided to homeschool my kids. Jordan already knew how to read since he went to public school for 1 1/2 yrs. Mya though, did not so I would be her teacher when it came to reading. We have been doing the Bob Jones K5 curriculum. We have been truckin away at writing the letters and learning some letter sounds. Then before I knew it we were putting those letters together and making words! granted she only knows a few words. (it, is & in--but she is also learning letters she can use in front of those words to make new words such as sit, hit, tin, sin, etc). Then she has some sight words she is learning which are: here, Mother, the. Believe it or not with those few words she can read a WHOLE book! Of course the book was written for this curriculum. But still, it's a book and she was reading it. Sounding out each word and she got thru each page! Now she can read thru that book like nothing (i'm sure she has it memorized). I know it doesn't seem like THAT big of a deal. But to me it is. I was SO nervous about this and to already have her reading makes me feel so confident that we can REALLY do this.

Jordan has been doing good. The work is STILL pretty easy for him. He is really enjoying his heritage studies. Right now he is finishing up learning about farming in the early days and about to start learning about the "Early Colonies".

Mason is ALL about doing his own school work. He has some workbooks I bought at dollar tree that he uses for his work. Most are WAY too advanced for him (he's not even 3 yet) but he likes to act like he's doing his work. He will ask me what he is suppose to do so i tell him and he writes all over the page. SO CUTE! We have been working really hard on his colors and I found a cute workbook for that.

Gracie...oh Gracie, Gracie, Gracie. She is our...umm...what's the word?? Challenge maybe??? She wants to be right up in the middle of the table while the kids are working. She will grab their pencil boxes and crayons and throw them as hard and far as she can (which surprisingly is really far!)She likes to grab at books and work books and tear pages. She is a MESS!!!! To solve this problem I try to hold her for a little bit while I don't really need my hands. Then the rest of the time I put her in her high chair and give her markers--not crayons..cuz she just eats those. I give her a yellow, washable marker and a piece of paper. It doesn't show up on her skin or clothes as much and she doens't eat it. That keeps her occupied and when that doesn't a small snack usually does. Sometimes she gets SO loud that we just have to take a break so she can get her energy out. Usually a break is needed by all 4 kids so it works out well. Naptime is also a good time to get lots of school work done.

I've thought lots and lots about homeschooling lately (not just because it's what I'm doing). I'm not going to lie. Some days I would ask myself if it's even worth it. My kids are grumbling about what I'm having them do or when I see Jordan having issues with sitting still and staying focused on his work I get SO frustrated with him at times. Sometimes I just want to quit! But then reality sets in and I realize that those times when it's hard do not compare to the amount of JOYFUL times we have homeschooling. Not to mention the one on one attention my kids get. I see the exact area they are struggling in and can change our schedule and curriculum to accomidate what they need, when they need it. I get to expirence HUGE milestones, like watching my child read for the FIRST time. All of that makes it SO worth it. I don't just think of it as a "thing" we decided to do. It's SO much more than that. I feel it's a calling. Yes, I feel God called us to homeschool our kids. What a ministry! I feel SO unequipted to do this but I know God will give me what I need to fullfill his calling on my life. So, when we hit a rough spot and I just want to throw in the towl, I need to remember that God has called me to this and to not give up. I LOVE HOMESCHOOLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So that is a little update on our homeschooling adventure. Gosh, I don't even have a picture to go along with this. that bugs me. lol. I need to get better at taking pics for blogging purposes. Next time.