Guess what we have been up to? I posted these pictures on Facebook a while back, but no one took the bait. . .
Since July 22, two days after the books came in we have been quietly minding our own business and doing school at home. Yep, you heard me! The Williams' are homeschooling this year. The decision came out of the logistics of our move. I have never had a problem with the idea of homeschooling, but I never felt like it was for us. Morgan went to public school last year (in WV) for 1st grade and did really well. Our move here has come it two stages and that would have meant two different school systems or else a 20 min drive to and from school each way for half the year. We decided that if we went the homeschool route then we would at the very least eliminate switching schools and at best enjoy ourselves in the meantime. Well, happy to say it has been the later. Morgan will tell you that she likes it better, and every morning when the school bus drives by at 645am and comes back at 345pm I am thankful as well. . . If you know me at all, you know that this lady don't do mornings. . .unless I have worked all night. . . either way, mornings are for sleeping!!! Amen.
Since I am a crazy person and working full time right now, we went with a curriculum that has the lessons already laid out for us. I am the primary teacher, but Wayne usually takes over one day a week while I sleep off the night shift. I find that I worry less now that she is doing school at the kitchen table. I know exactly what she is learning. I know exactly what she is doing well in and what she needs to work on. I know exactly what she eats for lunch every day. . .she used to come home from school saying, "I ate A nugget and TWO carrots. Oh, and I drank my milk!" I couldn't figure out why she wasn't eating until my husband went to the birthday lunch in March. . .the kids got 30min for lunch. . .to line up, walk to the cafeteria, wait in line, find their seat, eat their food (and in my daughter's case chit-chat of course), clean up their trays, line back up and then head back to the classroom. . .if any of you have a 6 year old, you know those things don't happen quickly or smoothly. . .the end result was that she had 10-15min to get her food in. . .anyway, be being a person that thrives on knowing my family is fed and fed well, I love sitting down with her each day and sharing a meal with her.
The other thing I have loved about this school year is the simplification. We have breakfast, get dressed, have school time, play time, together time. No rushing to get to the bus, no driving her places, no extra homework at 4pm. When schoolwork is done for the day, schoolwork is done for the day. . .the Awana verses that were always a struggle to find time for (shouldn't that be a clue when you are too busy to teach your child a Bible verse each week?) are now a part of her school day. No struggling to find time to take the kids to the library. . .it is now a part of the school week. I have found that I can even get more done in a day because I can be doing my household chores while she is working on her lessons, pausing to help her when she needs it. Andrew has even thrived having her home. When she takes her breaks he has someone to play with and is not needing as much attention from me. Bottom line is that something I thought would make my life more complicated has actually brought peace to my days off.
We plan on taking this whole thing one year at a time. Will we send her to the elementary school that is 1/2 mile from the farm? If we finish the year out as well as we started it, the answer is. . . probably not. So for now I guess I can add teacher to my resume. . .
and my sweet girl can continue to have days like these.
