Getting Ready For a New School Year

Hello again, friends!

It's been such a wonderful summer that my blogging has become less frequent.

But don't think that you all haven't been on my heart and mind!

I just love the connections I've made as a result of this blog, and you all have been so kind to tell me you're reading. 

So, it feels good to be writing again!

I hope you have had a lovely summer!

I've been a busy bee lately...

Finishing up our "Summer To-Do" list with the kids, AND getting the house and our curriculum ready for a brand new school year.

I am happy to say we are ready to begin!

This is our little "School Corner"...

I say corner because we don't actually have a school room.

We've always just used the kitchen and dining room tables.

But Micah made this little table (it's only 19 inches from the ground) for the kids to work at this year.

(Several years ago this corner was just a messy play room. It's fun to look back and see how the house has evolved based on the needs and growth of our family.)

This is the center table arrangement I put together with fresh crayons and pencils...

It's always important, as a homeschool mom, to sit down at the end of every summer and really think and pray over the next school year.

I do this before ordering books and signing my kids up for activities.

I think about the past school year and decide what worked for us and what didn't...

I think about the good habits we've developed that I wish to strengthen in the next year, and about the bad habits we accidentally settled into that I want to eliminate.

I think about the goals I have for my children... what I want them to learn... what I want them to be involved in.

I consider their weaknesses, and make a note to look for a workbook that could help with it.

Recently, I sat down with our daily school schedule from last year, and revised it.

I didn't need to change much.

Overall, I was happy with our schedule and it worked for us.

But I did make a few changes...

(The schedule sits a top our school bookshelf, and is for our "at-home" days.)

This year I've decided to look at our school day in three segments...

1. Arithmetic

2. Language Arts

3. Reading / Writing

I eliminated from last year their morning run and folder worksheets, and instead want to push to have all Arithmetic and Language Arts done by lunch.

That will really free up our afternoons for reading, writing, and playing.

Each child has two Arithmetic books, two Language Arts books, and a handwriting book.

(We're using these wooden file holders this year for their daily work. I had tried the cardboard ones last year and they just didn't hold up.)

I am excited about Nola's cursive workbook this year.

Abeka created a new 3rd grade handwriting book, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.

This is something I would have loved as a child...

Cursive ~ Journaling ~ Imagination ~ Truth

Isn't that great?!

One little tip I can share about Abeka, is to look ahead to the end of the books.

They will sometimes have supplementary worksheets and extra practice at the end.

I mention this because I didn't realize last year, in Nola's cursive book, that these pages were in the back until we were closing out our school year, and by then we missed it!

I never waste curriculum that I've paid money for, so I tore out all the pages and put them in a binder for Soren's handwriting practice this year...

Nola has really beautiful cursive handwriting, so I don't feel she's missed out on anything.

Plus, I've saved a little money not having to buy a handwriting book for Soren.

Perfect!

(We homeschool mamas can sure get creative at times, can't we? *wink)

As for the "extras"... Science, History, Art, Music, etc... We just fit them in here and there.

For example, my children take piano lessons, so I consider that their "Music."

We have History, Health, and Science text books that we use throughout the year. I will read aloud to all the children, or Roman will take a book that's suitable to his grade, and read it quietly to himself.

We also look for activities in the community to help us with these "extras", like STEM classes for Science, museums for History, etc.

We are lucky that we live near a nice community center that offers homeschool classes during the day.

This semester my children will take a sculpting class there once a week, and that will be their "Art."

(At Titletown last night for a little play time after STEM class...)

A new idea I am trying this year is something I'm calling "Sibling Helptime," you may have seen it on the schedule I wrote out.

This idea was birthed from some heightened conflict among the children this summer.

We've been working on deepening our relationships as a family, serving one another joyfully and looking at our homelife as our most important ministry.

So, I had the idea to carve out a little time each day for the kids to pair off...

Roman will take Elsa, and Nola will take Soren.

The older ones will help the younger ones with any school work they may have questions about, or they can use the time to read together.

I think this will accomplish several things.

First of all, my plate is full. I am using this as a way to delegate and have the big kids help me with the littles. Even if it's just 20-30 minutes a day, I can use that time to prep supper or finish the laundry.

Also, we all know that the best way to really learn something is by having to teach it. So, I'm hoping this will go both ways, and everyone will benefit.

And lastly, I want to give my older kids a little more responsibility in our family.

I think this may allow them to get a little skin in the game and feel they have purpose here.

I am really looking forward to this next school year!

My intention for writing about homeschooling on this blog is to not only have a record for our own use, but to also show that nothing special is needed for a homeschooling life.

Anybody can do it!

You don't need to be skilled. You just need to have a heart for it.

I hope that my posts communicate that.

I don't feel qualified or called to do it. I just have the desire to do it, and the Lord has blessed that.

"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act."

- Psalm 37:5 

Thanks for taking the time to stop by my blog today, friends.

How do you get ready for a new school year?

Maybe we can learn from each other!

xo,

~ Courtney ~

Mealtime Inspiration

"There are so few opportunities for pleasure in life and food is the only one we can rely on. Three times a day we are able to take some joy for ourselves - breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Why would anyone waste that chance, throw it away on unsweetened coffee and dry breadsticks if he could afford to eat anything he chose?"

(An excerpt from Nicky Pellegrino's When in Rome.)

I have a confession to make...

I do not get along well with food.

Yes, I know that's weird.

I've never written about it here on my blog.

I guess it's because I don't feel anyone would care to know.

But the truth is, eating gives me stomach aches.

I've lived this way for many years so I am used to it.

I try not to let it affect my relationships and my family, so I've always thought my long standing disagreement with meals never hurt anyone but me.

And I can live with that!

But conviction (and also inspiration!) can come at the most unsuspecting times, and in the most random of ways!

I began a new book yesterday.

A friend recommended When in Rome by Nicky Pellegrino, and I dove into it just yesterday.

I do not read books, I devour them.

I'll have it completed in no time, I'm sure.

One portion of it in particular really intrigued me, and left a gnawing inside of me. A feeling like maybe I've missed out on something really special in life.

It was this...

"Food is one of our strongest memories. When I look back on my life what I recall best are the meals I ate. I grew up in a village in Campania and we didn't have much but in the winter there was always soup to warm us, heavy with beans and pasta, usually flavored with a hock of ham. In the cellar my papa cured prosciutto and in the summer we ate it with the sweet juicy melons that grew in the garden. I remember the cake my Nonna made for my twelfth birthday, honeyed and dense with almonds. And the feasts she'd cook on Sundays. She would blister red peppers over hot charcoal and serve them with a scallopine of veal. At springtime she fried courgette flowers in the lightest batter and then when the weather was cold she made stews of oxtail and celery. In my family eating was love and comfort. It was how we made each day different from the last."

I do not feel this way about food.

But what a beautiful description! 

I can picture a warm and loving kitchen, fragrant with wonderful cooking smells. Maybe a little green plant sitting on a sunny windowsill by the family table, and a cat curled up sleeping in the corner.

'Nonna' would have her hair pulled back and she would be wearing a faded work apron, of course.

Yes, this book transports me into their world when I open it.

And reading this made me wonder if my kids will suffer from my total disregard toward meals.

I do feed my children everyday. But I confess I have often viewed mealtime as a burden... as an interruption... as something I want to hurry through in order to get on with the day.

I want to do better with that!

So today I decided to use my new food inspiration for good, and make a nourishing meal for my family.

It was a delight, and I enjoyed the process.

I boiled eggs and placed them in a bowl of salad.

I made chicken in a skillet of butter, parmesan and garlic, and had mashed potatoes on the side.

For dessert, Elsa helped me make a fruit crisp and we whipped up real cream.

It was a lot of work and a lot of cleanup, but I think it was worth it.

Interesting how a fiction novel (that is really not even about food) could prick me in this way.

It reminds me that inspiration can present itself at any time, and we would be wise to follow it! 

Stomach ache or not.

(*wink)

What about you, friends?

What types of meals do you make for your family?

You are welcome to leave a comment.

Maybe I can learn something from you.

xo,

~ Courtney ~