Our new school year is officially up and running! Since Stan and I had our anniversary trip planned, we decided to officially start school the day after Labor Day. Joshua and Bryce started HEED classes on August 19th, so they were busy with that work before our "official" start day. However, as it would happen, on Monday evening about 5:00 pm, Lyndsey spiked a fever of 102 degrees and so our first morning of school was spent in the doctor's office receiving the diagnosis of strep throat. That is always a great way to start the year! Lyndsey actually shook the strep off really fast, and by that afternoon, she was participating in the school day like everyone else. The beauty of homeschooling - "school" can take place right in the middle of the sick bed. Just in case anyone is wondering, I did treat the strep with antibiotics. I haven't used antibiotics on any of the kids since Lyndsey was about 2 and I began to learn how to treat things naturally. Now I know how to use herbs to effectively treat ear infections, upper respiratory infections, colds, and the flu. Strep, however, is one of those things that even "earthy" folk like me thank the medical field for medication to treat it. I am sure there are ways to treat it naturally, but it can be a nasty little bug, often advancing quickly into scarlet fever and even affecting the heart and other major organs. We opted for the antibiotic. It will, however, take me a month and cost me around $60 to counteract the side effects of the antibiotic with probiotic treatments to prevent Lyndsey's digestive system from going haywire and her immune system from being completely wiped out. It is ok, though, she is well and we are very thankful.
That said, today marks the beginning of our second week of school. I posted the pictures to show you all how everyone has grown up since last year. (The little boy in the picture with Graham is my nephew Braxton). Joshua and Bryce are in the 9th grade this year, so we are working harder than ever and keeping detailed records of test scores, lab work, and volunteer hours. The next "big" thing on their agenda is a driver's permit! I am not sure I am ready for that.
Lyndsey has changed so much this summer as well. It is hard for me to believe that she is old enough to bake and cook a meal and take care of things around the house. School is going very well for her as well. She has been my reluctant student - I think every family has one. Most of us in the house would choose reading as our favorite pastime, hands down. We have floor to ceiling bookshelves in one room of our house that are filled to overflowing and stacks of books on every other available flat surface. Between that, magazines, newspapers, and countless trips to the library, there is never a lack of reading material coming in and out of here. Lyndsey has been reluctant to participate in our reading craze, yet already this year she has read two of her assigned history books with barely a complaint and she has had me reading aloud to her some really old books written in the 1800s and she seems to be really enjoying them.
Graham is also shaping up to be a very good student. I truly had no idea what to expect from him, since he is such a little tornado most of the time, rarely sitting still for any period of time. I did not push him last year to learn to read, though we did a lot of puzzles and letter recognition and learning to write. Lyndsey and Graham seem to have a real propensity for numbers, which Bryce and I can not understand, so they have both always enjoyed their math lessons. This year already Graham has proven that he is going to be a quick study for reading. We have already completed the first 10 lessons in his reading book and he proudly read several words to his daddy at lunch today. He has also taken the first two Math tests in his book, and made a perfect score on both of them. I have to say, I am much impressed with the level of concentration he is able to maintain. Especially since he has morphed from Jack Bauer into Walker, Texas Ranger. Every day he wears jeans, with a button up shirt (no stripes, because Walker doesn't wear those), a belt with a pistol stuck in it and goes around the house giving a really hard karate chop to anything within legs reach. I do mean anything - door frames, walls, furniture, or the leg of an innocent bystander! More than once we have had to firmly explain that Walker NEVER karate chops girls, under any circumstances!
Anyway, there is never a dull moment around here and certainly no excuse for boredom. We are having a blast and I am reminded over and over of how richly God has blessed my life. As we embark on a new year, once again I have been reflecting on the fact that homeschooling, which I started out thinking would be my cross to bear, has in fact turned out to be one of God's richest blessings to me. I can not in good conscience really believe that I am doing anything meaningful for my children by keeping them at home with me. The truth is that they are teaching me. They inspire me to be a better person. They give me hope for the future and for our nation. They are strong and beautiful and fiercely determined. They are going to make fine men and women of God and I am so humbled that God has allowed me to watch the change happen.
Two of my favorite verses for our homeschool remain constant year to year. I will share them with you:
Isaiah 54:13 "And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children."
Proverbs 24:3-4 "Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established, And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches."
No comments:
Post a Comment