it's official

I have so many things that I haven't had time to put down on paper yet but this week, a few specific things have come into my mind so many times I can no longer hold off on sharing.

Although the kids have been forced to do multiplication tables, handwriting, and other "school" things all summer, this week was officially our first week of homeschool (yes, I'm aware that public school doesn't start until next week but guess what, we're not in public school). The kids and I have been very productive. On the VERY FIRST DAY God blessed me in this endeavor. The day started off a little less organized than I expected, so I had the kids sit at the table and begin reading any book of their choice. I set a timer for 20 minutes and began to gather the few things I realized were not where I needed them (the best part is that the kids just thought this was the plan). For the last few minutes, I even sat down and started reading a book of my own. When the timer went off, I asked each child to share what they had been reading about. Troy was so excited to share I had to cut him off and make him wait his turn. When it was finally his turn, he said, "this is very interesting." I assumed he meant the story but he continued, "this is the first chapter book I've ever tried to read by myself. I love it. It's better than a picture book. You can picture it in your mind and imagine what it would be like. You don't just have to look at their picture. You make your own." So then I asked what he was picturing and the conversation continued.

Now, if you recall, Troy has struggled since 1st grade with reading and every other area of school. I can't even express the feeling of hearing him talk about reading in such a positive way. To top it off, when we finished our morning lessons and broke for lunch, he shocked me even further. He inquired, "so this is free time?" He wasn't quite sure he believed it, so he asked more specifically, "so can I read my book?" Of course I said yes. The entire time I cooked and Raegan and Tyler scammered around Troy sat at the table reading. He was totally engulfed by the book! He was so excited about his new found pleasure that every time he reached a new chapter, he would announce it to anyone in hearing range. And that was just the first day.

Tuesday we got started on time without any delays. We are beginning each day with a Bible lesson. I wasn't really sure how to approach it so back in July I just asked the kids what they were interested in. They unanimously agreed that they would like to read the whole Bible from beginnning to end. So, that's what were doing. We take turns reading. We read the extras in our NIV study Bible. Then to close each day, I read the exact same passages from our King James version. It is a great opportunity for the kids to hear the Old English and it brings up great vocabulary lessons. When they ask what a word means, I ask them to think back to what words the NIV used for the same scripture. Then we discuss the new word and look it up in other sources.

Wednesday brought another new surprise. In the morning, I was going over the days schedule with the kids. I explained that I had to tutor a student at 2:30 (usually it's later but that day was an exception). I told them that if they finished all of their lessons before I had to leave, then we would go to the library when I got home. There was literally jumping and verbal excitement. They worked hard and wouldn't let me forget that they were going to the library when I returned from tutoring. The boys checked out 3 books and Raegan got 4. Mind you, all of Raegan's books are at least 1.5-2 inches thick but I had to convince her that 4 books was enough for just 2 weeks.

Today (Thursday) was great as well. The kids worked hard to get done early again because they wanted to do a long bike ride. We finished almost everything by lunch. After lunch they each did the one thing they had left and then we headed out for our bike ride. We rode for 1.5 hours (with a few pauses and a short break at our turn around point). The kids did a great job. At one point, we had to make a sharp turn (basically a U-turn) to stay on the trail. I was leading the way, so when I turned I looked up to see how far back the last kid was. When I looked back at my path, it was too late. My front tire was already going off the trail and into a rut. It happened very quickly. The best description is that I completely wiped out. I was flat on the concrete. Thankfully, I was only about 40 years from our break spot at a shadey picnic table. We rested about 15 minutes and hit the road to return home. It was so hot! (it was 3pm, if that gives you any idea). I really wanted to vomit! I've often seen people at the end of a run or hard workout bent over, letting it all go. But I've never experienced that. I've never even had nausea or anything. This was a new experience for me. I just prayed for God to get me home before I lost it. Once we got to our neighborhood, the kids knew the way. They pedaled on at their own pace and I just took it moment by moment. Tyler and I rode up the drive way about the same time and I had made it. Once we got inside, the nausea just left me. We had made it! I'm feeling the bruises now. :)

I guess the point of all this is just that I'm seeing this pathway unfold little by little and I'm already loving it! The boys are excited every time they finish a lesson successfully and I'm excited to be there with them. We're all learning so much. In two days I've learned all about Charles V, who was king of 3 different countries (at the exact same time) by the age of 16. It's an interesting story, so if you have no idea what I'm talking about, look it up. I also learned all about Phillip II, Charles' son and Ferdinand, Charles' uncle. They both inherited parts of Charles' empire when he stepped down from the throne. And we learned all about the encomiendas that granted Spanish Conquistadores the right to go to South America and take all the gold. These were granted by Phillip II.

Life is different now but I'm loving it!

One more side note: we have decided to down size and begin getting rid of things we don't need. God has put a lot on our hearts and we want to be obedient. So, on Monday Floyd listed our pool table on Craig's List (yes, our beautiful 8 foot pool table with claw feet). The very next day a man came by and bought it. He actually bought the pool table, the racks, all accessories and both sets of pub tables and stools. The kids and I now have a huge empty room for homeschool and when we eventually downsize our living space, we'll have less stuff to worry about. This is just the beginning!!!