Finally, feeling like we've got this!

So, as a lot of kids were out of school this week, we were not!  That doesn't mean we didn't have any fun having snow days, we just did school before or after.  We were more lax than normal.  We slept late, it was after all, cold and dreary outside.  Caleb in usual form, excelled at school and continued to blow my mind with his understanding.  Some times he doesn't even let me finish the questions before he answers.  Christopher had a major breakthrough with understanding how multiplication/division work together.  Another huge milestone was an unplanned "State Assessment Simulation" test.  We do not participate in state testing, but since it was available, my curiosity got the best of me.  I sat Christopher down with the Language Arts test given in 3 sections and told him, I was not going to read it to him.  He immediately started fidgeting.  I reminded him that if he were indeed at public school that this is what would be required.  He gulped, and dove in.  Before I knew it, he had read the whole passage, read each question, and then answered and made 100.  I was giddy with disbelief.  He was overwhelmed that he had actually completed it.  To see that light bulb come on, and the accomplishment he suddenly felt was the exact reason I chose to home school my children.  We also changed up things this week with how we complete each day.  We did a lot of work together.  Instead of being on different subjects with each boy, we studied the same subject and the same subject matter, just on different levels.  This seemed to really please the boys.  They started making preparations each day for where we were going to study, and they were excited to do it together.  It requires a little more prep from mom, but you know what?  If that's all it takes for them to find this enjoyable, I am game!  I feel like we really turned a corner this week.  I'm excited to see what the next week brings, and i'm enjoying reading some of my other homeschool friends are posting.  There is so much good material out there.  Go find it, it's worth the work!  Check out http://courtneysix.blogspot.com/2014/01/weekly-wrap-up-winter-break-snow-days.html, or   #wfmw new blog post Lunch - It's the best part of the day

http://t.co/VFy5D7yQ8L via @sharethis by Tina Fussell.  

Both of these ladies have inspired me!  So glad to be sharing this adventure with my boys.  Will get pics for next week.  It's a must!  Happy school faces are always fun!

A new view!

So today we started a new plan, a new routine, a new way of seeing things here in our home.  We are stepping back some from all of the "activities" that kept us from enjoying being a family.   Today was spent taking care of our home, making home made food, spending time together, using a new method for school, and just taking in the "new view".  It's been a quiet day!  That's how I like it.  I decided to go old school for the boys.  Teaching two boys is very much different than teaching 1.  I commend parents who teach multiple children.  It's been challenging for me.  So, as I said "old school".  Each night I am preparing "Seat Work" for each boy.  This is helping them know what they need to do each day, reinforces reading, writing, and following directions, and gives one boy something to do independently while I work one on one with the other boy.  They weren't keen on this idea.  However, as they started doing it today, the goal changed from just getting it done to "What's mom got up her sleeve next".  You see, in that seat work, I threw in exercise time, reading time, game time, snack time, etc.... They have to go in order and some things are repetitive for every day. You know, just the basics, write your name and date on your page, review your address, review your phone number (yes they write them).  From there it gets a little more child specific.  Christopher has appropriate math problems for 4th grade while Caleb gets 1st grade ones (he's only in Kindergarten but he blew through that material).  Christopher had questions on Mercury, while Caleb had to draw a food chain.  They actually ended up LOVING it!  Who knew?  They were trying to write legibly, trying to spell correctly, it was in the end a HIT!  So we will see what our new "view" brings tomorrow.  I'm really thankful God has allowed me to be a mom who is involved in my child's education and their every day lives.  Thanks Lord for the view from where I sit!   Life might not be perfect and I know there will be days that don't go as smoothly as today did, but with your help O Lord, we will make it one day at a time!