Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Another Year Begins

We entered our eighth year of homeschooling today. Normally, our year begins in mid-August, but due to fostering other children, our start time was delayed. So here we go. I now have a junior, an eighth grader, fifth grader, and first grader. Oh, and a baby and toddler.

The day moved smoothly. We got out on time for the big girls' classes that they take elsewhere; the little kids did well in getting a good portion of their work done at my mom's house. The babies were amazingly cooperative and accommodating to our crazy morning schedule. My toddler took a long afternoon nap, which gave me some extended time to do some direct teaching with my kids.

We have some exciting things to learn together. It warmed my heart to see how much my little ones remembered from last year. My princess is a little nervous to hold the eighth grader position, but is approaching the year with a positive attitude. Angel is just glad that her schedule does not match last year's. She is entering new territory with an online course at Cedarville for dual credit. My little man wowed me with his work today. I am hoping that his fifth grade year does not rival his sisters' years. They were not fun! My first grader is not all that eager to go to school for some reason. I think she would just prefer to sit on the couch with me and listen to me read to her. She has not yet developed the love of reading for herself despite her ability to do so. I have enjoyed reading quite a bit lately and hope that I can continue that pattern (as long as the energy resources are not too depleted.) So goes our life in homeschooling.

Teaching is a job. Parenting my children is a job. Fostering children is a job. Being a mother is a privilege. God is working on my heart and teaching me quite a bit in this journey. It is all good. I am thankful that He has chosen our family for this time to minister in this way and that I can minister to my own family while teaching them at home. That is not to say that it is not overwhelming at times. Riding those waves of emotional surges can swamp me, but eventually the tides calm, the winds lessen, and the skies clear. God holds all things together. He will hold me, too.

1 comment:

Brooke said...

Wow! I thought my plate was full. God bless you for being open to his leading even if it means getting on and off a roller coaster. Hope you have a great weekend, Sandy!