School year 2011~2012

UGH!!  It just seems too early to be writing about the next school year.  This summer has just flown by (as it always does!) and I just don't want to give in and admit that fall is just around the corner.  

Our school year is going to be a bit crazy this year.  We enrolled Spud in public school.  He was just having too many problems to continue at our local Christian school.  I really wanted to start homeschooling him this year, but both his psychologist and psychiatrist thought that would not be a good idea at this time.  We need to trust their opinions, so he will be starting public school on Sept. 1.  A new experience for our family.



Sweetcheeks working on a project from Rod and Staff books last winter


Sweetcheeks will continue with her books for schooling.  We are not jumping heavily into homeschooling her yet.  She just turned 5 this month, so we are opting to hold her back a year as far as the school system regulates.  That is the beauty of homeschooling.  We can opt to "hold her back", but if we feel she is ready to begin something we can just start teaching it.  I am excited to begin her homeschooling journey as she is the first child I will homeschool from the beginning.  We started the ABC series with Rod and Staff books last semester, so she will just pick up where she left off.  I LOVE this series!!  It is just simply teaching letters, shapes, and numbers...but in a way that is fun and engaging for little ones.  She is always asking to "do school" and she can't wait until homeschooling begins again!

Sport will have an exciting year as well.  I mixed things up a bit as far as his curriculum goes.  Last year I just ordered a whole curriculum from one company, and although we did like most of it, there were some things both he and I struggled with.  Here is what he will be studying this year...

Bible and Language arts:  Christian Light Education
Science:  Apologia Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Psyiology
Spelling:  Spelling Workout
History and Art:  Notgrass America the Beautiful and Learn to Draw
Music:  Guitar Lessons
Math:  Rod and Staff

He is excited about Science as he will get to do some experiments.  I am super excited about Notgrass' America the Beautiful.  It is an awesome set of books that tells about America's history from the year 1000 until today.  Hubby and I have read much of the books and have found it very interesting.  Mom will be learning some new things (or more likely forgotten things) alongside him this year.  We are going to start on Sept 1 and I'm excited to complete a full year of homeschooling!

Stinkerbelle will continue at the Christian school for her first year of high school.  She started on August 24 and is looking forward to the whole high school experience.  While I really wanted to homeschool her also, hubby and I decided that she could continue going to the school she has always attended.  She had no interest in homeschooling.  I am still struggling with this, but I have been (slowly) letting it go.  We're continuing to hold this in prayer, and maybe we will homeschool in the future.

And we can't forget Sunshine.  He has some learning to do this year also!  We will be potty training him soon.  This is something else I'm struggling with right now.  When he is potty trained, we will not have a child in diapers in the house.  That hasn't happened in 7 years.  He is the first child I have used cloth diapers on, so I really won't miss the diaper pail or cleaning diapers!  I mourn the passing of each stage with our kids, although I still enjoy the next stage.  Our baby is growing up so fast it's hard to believe sometimes. 

So that's our school year in a nutshell.  My greatest desire is that each of our children grow closer to the Lord this year, and closer to each other as well.  I also want to remember to enjoy teaching at home, and enjoy our children.

Have a great day!

Blessings,