Week 1 recap
I always wanted to be a hero–to sacrifice my life in a big way one time–and yet, God has required my sacrifice to be thousands of days, over many years, with one more kiss, one more story, one more meal.
Such a sweet reminder to reflect on as we completed our first school week of the year.
I found myself driving on Thursday and thanking the Lord because it was just such a good week. Not without hiccups. Not without interruptions or confusion or a little chaos. It was just good to be home, good to be “us” again and good to be together learning.
We are enjoying our new curriculum thus far, too. In the past we hodge podged our own together using books and resources from Rodd and Staff, Teaching Textbooks, IEW, Sonlight, The Good and the Beautiful and more. But this year I knew I wanted something different after (almost) two years participating in Classical Conversations and a year of private school education; I definitely wanted to go for Classical, challenging education at home.
Enter Memoria Press. After a friend showed me some of her MP curriculum and I was able to flip through the pages, I went home and researched the company and vision and fell in love. I had heard of them before, just never considered or even really dreamed that I would be changing over everything to them.
My children are reading (not only reading, they have a full literature program to ensure the books are truly understood!) classics this year such as Treasure Island, The Hobbit, Homer Price, King Arthur, Black Beauty, Oliver Twist and more. They are working through the Bible chronologically, learning about the great prophets, Latin references and definitions and memorizing scripture. We will be learning Latin (although I’m terrified of teaching Latin, and I’ve put it off until we have our core classes down and understood) I can’t wait for us all to be challenged in this great language.
My younger two are learning about the cultivation of tea and how to make homemade ink. Basking in books such as Little Bear, Laura Ingles Wilder and Blueberries for Sal. Week 1 in music they learned of Johann Sebastian Bach and in art they recreated their own versions of “5 o clock tea” by Mary Cassatt. Oh, and phonics and math, of course.
Don’t worry. There were plenty of crafts, playing, snuggling bunnies, chores, hobbies and running errands, too. Even a trip to antepartum (baby is well, I’m just an avid kick counter and noticed she usually sleepy one evening!)
(Adam and Piper making Tea after learning about how it’s harvested, neither of them were big fans).
This summer was hard, really hard. This past year itself has been really hard for all of us. There were so many days leading up to starting school that I questioned the decision. Was it time to bring them home? Am I ready to have them home again? Can I mentally do this? How will they do coming from a school they loved and all their friends? Will they be motivated to actually learn? I can keep going but I’ll spare you 🙂
What really kept us on this path is the clear direction we received from the Lord. He truly closed the doors to every other option, and I love closed doors! I love knowing that we are where the Lord wants us to be.
And he is faithful. Of course that doesn’t mean this path is easy or that every week will go so well- rarely does the Lord call us to do things that are easy and smooth sailing ?
But still, he’s faithful in the great and hard.
(We need a larger table or need to put things away?)
On Friday my 4th grader says to me “I think you made the right choice to homeschool Mom.”
They all have been motivated and driven, so far. It’s Sunday night and my 6th grader asked me to go over her writing paper with her and her lesson plan for the week. My fourth grader and I read 2 chapters of a school assigned book together and Piper and Adam have been asking if they can skip ahead to certain things they are looking forward to (like making houses after reading “a house is a house for me”, which isn’t planned for another week.)
My 1st grader has been attentive. And we’ve laughed together more than I’ve had to correct or discipline.
I’m recording every bit as my “stones of remembrance”, knowing the hard will come and I’ll need this encouragement to glean back on.
And until then I’m soaking up every drop ❤️
