here

(my bedroom)

and here (dining room)

and here (living room)

and here (Katriel’s room).

With four bigger kids (grades 9, 7, 5, & 3), a preschooler, and a resident messer – school has to be creative. 

We had our first experience in dispersing in 2011 when Johanna was one.  One year olds are hard to contain and hard to ignore.  When Johanna was one-something, we took school to my bedroom.  We did our language and reading on my bed.  And that coziness led to a tailbone injury for me.  So then we got a table in my room. 

We decided to SKIP the tailbone injury this time and go straight to the ugly-table mode.  This allows the youngest member of our family to continue her exploring and playing on the entire first floor.  Whichever sister is available keeps a general eye out for her.  Or in the case of a few days this week, her adoring Nan keeps her safe. 

 

New this year are some preschool items for Johanna.  She LOVES her “school” time (a/k/a dedicated Mommy-time).  Mrs. Soanes from church blessed us with some Bible-based teaching tools and we are loving them. 

John and Stewart have been meeting at 5:30 A.M. to do biology.  John is not a biology expert or anything, but he’s a great dad.  The idea behind getting Stewart up so early is to ensure him more quiet time for his studies, and the chance to work on some higher level work with the support of his father.  Dad also introduced him to the joy of coffee.  He likes it.  (I’m not a coffee drinker.)  Stewart’s attitude has been STELLAR.  Just fantastic.  He’s also working on Algebra this year (started in July) and is doing well.  Math was his worst subject in the primary grades and he has grown to not only tolerate it, but also master it. 

Speaking of good attitudes, Nigel has the “Bathroom Zone” as his six month zone for cleaning.  A week or so ago, he and I put aside about 45 minutes so that I could instruct him in what I wanted to see accomplished in each room.  He has accepted this chore with not just resignation, but with complete ownership of the expectations.  Frankly, the bathrooms have not been this clean in a few years.  And – he commented that it might even be fun to be a janitor.  I concur.  And if God calls him to that job someday I would be glad to know he did it to serve the Lord.  (He’s been setting a great example!)

I did buy a new tote and move  some faux plants to make our bedroom workspace less congested.  This is SO ironic, too.  See, I’m picking up some extra hours this fall so that we can hopefully buy a new carpet for our bedroom early next year.  I want to throw out our holey bedspread (we’ve already turned it over and are using the back side of it) and use the beautiful one I bought 8 years ago before we moved that has been in a closet all this time because it clashes SO much.  So – the idea of “sprucing up” our master bedroom amidst language arts, mathematics, and the like is sort of comical.  🙂  And something other homeschool families can understand I am sure. 

Stewart has had a table in the boys’ bedroom two years now.  Nigel now is using the table I set up in Katriel’s room.  Marie does most of her school work in the evening before it is due.  And Tabitha does some of hers in the morning in different places, and most of it one-on-one with me while Katriel naps. 

We flex.  We bend.  But with God – we will not break. 

Can I get an Amen?

Planning for the new school year is always a chore.

We keep UPS busy.

Pack up last year’s work.

And start filling the school crates anew for the next year.  All the while hoping Jesus comes back.

Really.