Reflecting on the Semester

I think I will try to do a little Tuesday school update each week, every other week, something like that...

I definitely want to spend some time reflecting, processing, and recording our homeschooling experience, and where else would I do that except for right here, for all the world to read ;)

I am chilling a bit when it comes to teaching Ada to read.  I am realizing that she just may not be at the reading point yet.  She can tell me the sounds of every letter of the alphabet, can name words that start with each letter, and can pick out sounds of letters in the middle of words, but she can't blend.  She's not catching on.  So, for now, I am giving it a rest.  She will be five in August, and will then officially be in Kindergarten, and we will tackle it again then.

In the mean time, we will be focusing on her memory work each week.  She is absolutely capable of memorizing her "facts" each week (as is every four year old--wink, wink), and she likes doing it, for the most part, so that is our focus this year.  The reading will come.  The math will come (this is after much assurance from Ann), our focus this year, at four, is the memory work.  It's not about the facts, by the way, it's about training her mind to memorize.  It's the same concept as training your muscles to run.

We are the end of semester one of Classical Conve rsations, and I am looking at an eight week break for the holiday season (huge bonus of Homeschooling!!!)  We, of course, will continue to review at home, but there isn't any new information to take in.  We can just take our time, review, and get ourselves ready for next semester.

Now that we are halfway through the year, I can confidently say that I love CC.  I really, really do.  I love the community.  I love that I have the support of like minded moms.  I love that Ada can enjoy a classroom setting where she is around other kids.  I love the accountability and the structure.  And I love that the purpose of CC is to know God and make Him known--because that's it, right?  That's why we do what we do!

When we first began the semester, I felt very overwhelmed by all of the information to learn each week, but I see now that it works.  That if I have an off week, there is built in time to catch up, and that it honestly does get easier.  The brain is being trained to memorize, so it becomes routine.  And I am thrilled by all of the facts that I am storing in my brain.  We are only eight weeks in, and already it is so much easier for me to sort history into a correct timeline, and in gaining that information, I am much more equipped to evaluate history.  I am loving re-educating myself!!  So I am especially thankful that Ada is learning how to store this information from the get-go.  And as a family we are memorizing the scripture together, which Ada will then learn to translate into Latin next semester (which is not as crazy as it sounds, I promise!!!)  Scott's doing it, I'm doing it, not John since he is still mastering the English language ;)  I think the word that sums up how I feel is gratitude.  I am so thankful that this is even a possibility for us.  That I am able to be at home with my kids, that I have the freedom to choose how to educate my children, and that I live in a town where CC is available (Tutti, if you by chance are reading this, thank you SO MUCH for getting this started in Henry County!!!)

Before becoming a mom, I was really passionate about education, so now that I am talking about my own children, the passion goes up about a million notches.  And everything that I read about the classical method (and there is much to learn!!!) absolutely makes sense.  It just makes sense, and the more I learn, the more I know that I can't "go back."

So, I apologize for the boring, wordy post, but, like I said, it's helpful for me to process as we move along in the school year.

(Ada and me at CC.  She is presenting her favorite bible story--the students have to do a presentation each week, and it has been so fun to see each of them grow in confidence from the first week.)

School continues. And what I am learning in the process.

 Just as I suspected back when Ada was a baby, and I first began to think through the option of homeschooling, my perfectionist, obsessive tendencies tend to bleed into our school time every single day.  When Ada can't remember the sound of O, even though we have been practicing it for weeks, or she forgets a Latin word that I know she knows, I get frustrated, she gets frustrated, our voices cross over into the land of not so kind, and...she's only four.  She's only four.

 When she can't remember every single bit of her memory work for the week (and it's a lot), and I become convinced that I am a terrible homeschooling mom and we need to immediately enroll her in public school, Scott has to remind me--she's four.  Focus on reading.  Focus on getting used to the routine.  She's four.

 When my house is a disaster.  A disaster (look at these pictures for a visual image of this).  And I read other blogs where moms have perfect morning routines so that their houses are perfectly in order before they even begin school for the morning, I, again, want to throw in the towel.  I am having to remind myself that me as a homeschooling mom is still going to look like me.  I am not an orderly person.  I am scattered and scatterbrained and intense and get it right one day and get it super wrong the next.  I have to know that just because I declare myself a homeschooler, I won't fall into perfect routines right away.  So...I am having to find something that works for us.

 And this is the main reason that I signed up for Classical Conversations.  I knew that I needed something to keep me on track. Accountability each week so that we don't veer completely off course.  But I also knew that I would feel tempted to compare and fret and want to be the best and feel like a failure if we aren't.  So, surprise, surprise...homeschooling is just another way that the Lord is showing me the depth of my sin and my desperate need for the gospel.  Desperate need.

So...how is homeschooling going?  It's going.  It's up and down.  Our goal is to get in three solid days at home (not counting our Tuesday in the classroom).  My goal is to get the main daily chores done before we start school each day.  Sometimes it happens; sometimes it doesn't.

And, being honest with you, it's turning out to be more of a time commitment than I realized.  It's a bit overwhelming.  I sometimes feel a bit like I am drowning, and I need to run far away and find a little corner where I can just be alone.  But, my conviction hasn't changed.  I have no doubt that this is what God has called our family to do, so I am trusting that His grace is sufficient.  He will equip me.  Right?  (please, Lord, help me do this).

I have also realized this year, as my time is stretched thin over various commitments, that next year, my one commitment needs to be homeschooling.  It's full time, and if I am going to do this, I have to do it.  I am sure there are other women who can handle more than me, but for me, for us, I will not take on nearly as much next year.

So, there you go... a little school update.

Bottom line.  We are learning as we go.

School Begins...

Here is miss Ada on her first day of school.  She was so eager.  So excited.  So sure that she would love school so much.

Things didn't quite go as planned.

I have the class of four year olds at CC.  Which means that for most of them this is their first experience with a classroom setting, other than Sunday School, or other settings which probably lasted, at the most, an hour.  At CC, the students are in their classrooms from 9:15-12:00.  (We have a fifteen minute large group opening).  And Ada and I got there at 8 am to get the classroom ready.  After about 30 minutes in the classroom, I started to "lose" the students, including my own child.  At one point, when Ada was supposed to do her "presentation" (the students do a short presentation every week so that by the time they graduate high school they are very comfortable speaking in front of people--you can imagine what this looks like in the 4 year old class), but she didn't want to present, she just lost it.  Tears streaming down her face, declaring that she is hungry, she wants to go home, etc. etc. I asked another mom (the moms are in the classroom with their children) to take over, and Ada and I had to step out in the hall to have a little chat.  I really didn't think she was going to be able to get it together.  In her defense, I think she was in change overload.  She had spent only two nights in the new house after being gone for a week, the day before we had begun keeping a friend's little boy, and now she was in her first day of school with her mom as a teacher, and she just had a meltdown. She pulled it together, and we managed to finish the day.

Yesterday, her second day of class, went much, much better.  I think since each of the students now knew what to expect, things naturally went much better.  And Ada even managed to present (though she was barely audible as she talked about her family).  I am crossing my fingers (and praying lots) that each week will get better.

As far as school at home, it is going well.  I just have to figure out a routine for us.  We are managing to fit in school each day, but I wish we had more of a set schedule.  I have found that I can keep Ada's complete attention for 20 minutes and after that the information is in one ear out the other.  So, we are doing school in 20 minutes increments through out the day--for now.  I assume that as she gets older, the time she can pay attention will increase.

Through CC, we are covering Latin, Math, English, Science, Geography, History, and History Timeline (which is separate from history).  On our own we are doing a phonics program.  Though that make look like a lot, most of that is just a sentence that Ada has to memorize each week.  Or, for Latin, just a few words.  It is the grammar stage--so Ada is learning the "grammar" of each subject--the building blocks, so to speak.

For example,  week 1, Latin Prepositions--Ada learned four latin prepositions, I would say the latin word, ex. apud, and she would say the English word--with.  And that was all we did with Latin.  This week she is learning three Latin conjunctions.  For History, English, and Science she memorizes a sentence each week.  So, it's really not that time consuming.  Phonics is the most time consuming at this point, but to me, also the most important--because if she can't read, it's going to be hard for her to learn ;)  So, I am being realistic with myself, since she's only four, and our two goals for this year are that Ada learns to read well and that she learns to be disciplined and work hard.  She often says she doesn't want to do school, and I want her to learn that it is a good, God-honoring thing to work hard even when we don't feel like it.

And, on a funny note, Ada loves doing her history sentence and timeline cards.  She can spout them out, no problem.  I say, "tell me about Columbus" (last week's history sentence), and she says, "in 1492, Columbus made the first of four trips to the Caribbean on three Spanish ships named the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria." No problem.  Her English sentence however, she never gets it.  She doesn't like doing it.  It's work to get through it each day.  Sad day for this English major mama.  She doesn't like English!!!  How can this be?!!!  But, it's fun to see that already she is loving History.

Okay, I could go on and on about school, so I will stop there.  If anyone ever has any questions about CC or the classical method, I would love to share more info.  I believe so strongly in the classical method, so if anyone is on the fence, I would be glad to persuade you ;)

As for John, he is loving trains and stacking cups.  That is what he spends hours on each day--playing with his trains and cups.  He has started taking a train with him everywhere--one in each hand, and I already have visions of a train themed second birthday.  What could be more perfect for a little boy?

He continues to be so moody.  


I was just looking at this on google reader, and I realized that blogger had left off an entire paragraph of my post.  I didn't mean to end the post with such a negative view of John.  Bless his heart.  He is moody, but I also talked about how I know God has given him many strengths and how I am praying that God would show me how to encourage those strengths and not let John's melancholy tendencies define him.  Anyway...I just wanted to clear that up ;)

Birthday and Open House

I'll go in order.

Thursday night was open house for Classical Conversations, and Ada was fired up.  This girl is ready for school to start; I hope it doesn't disappoint.  It was a fun night of meeting the other families who will come alongside us as we begin the homeschooling "journey."  I am eager to get started.

A few quick pictures of Ada as we begin this thing.

And yesterday, I turned 29.  It was a normal day, as these days tend to be after you have children or just become an adult in general.  Ada was very concerned about my not having a party.  She wanted to know who I was going to invite, what kind of cake I was going to have, etc. etc.  She could not grasp that it just doesn't work that way as an adult.

I did spend the evening at my friend Kate's house for a Thirty-One open house.  And while there, sweet friends loaded a cupcake with 29 candles.  It nearly burned the house down.

I can't believe I am one year away from 30.  I repeat, I will eternally feel 21.  I really think I will.

And in more birthday news, my parents sent me an Amazon gift card, which is super exciting.  And I made a quick decision to use the gift card to purchase a beginner-friendly sewing machine.  (I say quick; I've been thinking about what machine I want for about a year; I had a sewing machine given to me by a friend, but it wasn't very beginner-friendly, so I passed it on to my mom)  I googled best machines for beginners, and this seemed to be the unanimous vote.  (okay, best machines for beginners under 100.00)  I also ordered a sewing book and even looked up you tube videos to see if this specific machine was on you tube.  It is.  I fully believe if I can get the machine and bobbin threaded, I will be good to go.  I think you tube can help me with that.  My ex-fashion design self really wants to get back to sewing (very basic sewing), and I would love to be able to make a few simple things for Ada and John. and pillows.  just a basic pillow cover.  Also, because of my height "impairment" my pants are always too long.  Always.  So, I want to be able to hem pants.  That would be life-changing for me.

And that is what is happening with us.

Moving week is next week.  We are eager to get settled before "school" begins.  We continue to be blown away by gifts from friends.  They just keep coming in, and each one is a huge blessing.  God is so very good, and he has given us such good friends.  (and family).

Let the Schooling Begin...

I have mentioned before that we are planning to homeschool Ada, and our journey officially begins in August when she will be a part of Classical Conversations--a classical homeschool group. 

I am so excited about this!!!  I think that we desperately need a homeschool group if we are going to "do this thing."  I need the accountability, and I think it will be fun for Ada to have an official "first day of school" and classmates and all of that.  You can read more about Classical Conversations here, but basically, we will meet one day a week at a local church, where the classroom tutor will introduce the week's material and review (?) the previous week's material.  I am not sure about the reviewing part.  But, anyway, for this super UNorganized mama, the actual reporting to someone once a week is a huge help.

I was going to go into all the reasons why we are homeschooling, but I decided I just won't.  Bottom line, it's what we feel like God is calling us to do, and as for the education itself, I absolutely, 100% believe in the classical model, so that's the why behind that choice.  If anyone wants to know more I would be glad to share, but that would take so long right now, and really I just want to blog about Ada's BIG accomplishment. 

Today...Ada read a book!!!!

We have been working our way through Phonics Pathways for a while now, but we haven't been able to move past the vowel sounds, which is driving me a bit crazy.  I don't know if it's a developmental thing, and maybe it will come with age, but Ada can't get all the vowel sounds right.  She knows the A sound without question, and she also does O fairly automatically, but the others trip her up a bit.  Well, yesterday, my BOB books (LOVE them) arrived in the mail, and I decided to just go for it with book 1--she only had to know four sounds to read it, and only the A vowel sound, so we tried it yesterday.  She read one word yesterday, and I was so excited, but she burned out pretty quickly. 

Well, we tried it again today, and today, I made her work through the whole book, and SHE DID IT.  If you can't tell, I am pretty fired up about this.  It's just so amazing to watch her sound out the letters and realize it's a word and then read this (SUPER simple) story all by herself. 

I should add, that after reading two pages, she decided she wanted to be done.  When I told her, "no mam, we have to finish the book," this was her reaction

So, it quickly turned into a discipline issue, but we eventually made it through the book. 

I am also slowly introducing some sight words--we are starting with just three--and she is doing fairly well with those.  She can recognize them on the notecard, but she doesn't seem to recognize them in the context of an actual book.  We just started the sight words today, though, so I assume that will come with time. 

So, here we go...we are official homeschoolers.  Yes, I know, mark us down as a weird homeschool family--we can handle the label ;)

Our other school related item of the summer is that I signed Ada up for the reading program at the library.  Now, when I was doing summer reading programs, I think that I got a free pan pizza from Pizza Hut at the end--am I right, mom? other "Book-it" alumni?  So, I pictured it being this big deal at the end of the summer where Ada got to go get her free pizza because we read so many books, etc. etc.  I think all she gets is a certificate.  But, we're doing it anyway, and it has made both of us remember to read books more.  She gets excited to write it down on her list, and, let's be honest, nerdy me also gets excited to write the books down on her list.

And when we're not doing all this "educating," (which takes up like 30 minutes of our day--at the most), Ada and John are busy making silly sounds into the box fan in the kitchen.  Classic summer entertainment.  Ann, don't you remember sitting in our bedroom in the house on Birchwood, making noises into the box fan?  John may not be able to say many understandable words, but he can make silly sounds and crack himself up with the best of them.