Being Headmistress over the education of our sons is my role no matter where they school, at home or at a traditional school facility. But I am learning that for them to learn well, the one who must first learn is me. I need to be a student of my students. A learner of how God created them to learn and what He created them to do. I watch Brody (4) and his ability to creatively express himself. I see his long attention span and deep imagination. In learning him, I learn how to lead him as a learner himself. It is time I read some good, rich books to this precious boy of mine. He's the perfect age for Trumpet of the Swan and The Magician's Nephew.

I watch Asher pick up vocabulary every moment of every day and know that it's time to play some color, shape, and letter games with my third-born smarty pants.

As for Caleb, it's ironic that my easiest learner has become the one I've had to work the hardest to learny. His inability to calm down and focus has increased this year. While researching "strong willed children" and ADHD characteristics, I am learning that Caleb's diet needs to change. So far I have eliminated dairy and products that contain high fructose corn syrup. Even in this first week I am seeing an increased ability to calm down and focus better at both school and home.

But the point is this, as the primary care-giver to these three miracles, it is my primary goal to learn them. In learning them I learn there needs, their strengths, their giftings. And then I teach them how to learn themselves. It's all very simple, really. And yet so difficult at times.

God knit these young ones together in my womb; that I know for certain. And He gave them to me. And He gave me to them, as Mother. And since He hung the stars in perfect balance and has ordered the seasons with purpose and harmony, I will trust Him that He is over our family as we learn and grow together as well.

To God be the Glory as I learn how to love these boys!

I have not been purposeful in "teaching" the boys these past months.  I have been a bit worried that Caleb will be bored in Kindergarten if he is too advanced a reader.  And so we play, and I read to them, and when the opportunities present themselves, we count, and sound things out, and talk about the world around us. 

Still I continue to be amazed at how well Caleb effortlessly picks up facts.  But more so, how he understands concepts.  You don't have to teach a child multiplication when he knows that cleaning his bathroom gets him a candy... for surely cleaning two bathrooms will bring twice the treats.  

It looks as though we are going to Go For It!  We found a private school that we really like nearby called "Calvin Christian."  It is the first time we have visited a school with Caleb and found him excited about it.  He looked at me after we peeked into the kindergarten class and said, "this is where I am going to go to school."  And their Pre-school curriculum is exactly what I would choose for Brody.  

I still love the idea of Home-schooling the boys, but see that there are resources out there that they would THRIVE with. And I think that I will thrive as a mother, utilizing those resources as well.  

I've had many people ask me "why home-school" or "why a Private Christian school when there are such stellar public schools within walking distance from your home."  The answer is simple for me:  In our home the boys learn that they are incredibly loved by God, and that God is not only an idea or something to believe or not believe,  but truly present in all we do and think, as well as learn.

Learning this from us is marvelous!  And then it is reinforced at church where their teachers speak the truth of God's love into their hearts.  But when they go to a big school and are taught by teachers and surrounded by children who also share the same world view, a biblical world view, then in these formative years, I believe, they are more apt to fully understand and believe it as well.

And that is what I desire for my boys above all.  

More than our financial comfort; beyond the approval of friends, neighbors, or family; even more than an incredible education from the world's standards (which we desire as well, don't get me wrong) is that we long for our sons to know God as creator over all they are learning, and as the Savior who came to demonstrate His love for them.  

I've learned so much from this year of "home schooling."  I've learned to be more intentional.  I've learned an incredible amount about my very individual sons as well as my (very individual) self.  I had to relinquish my desire to gain the approval of those I love, in order to seek God's approval in this area of my life.  Yes, in so doing I learned a lot about our responsibility as stewards of these marvelous boys who we get to see to manhood.  

Still their head mistress... when they sit, and when they rise, and when they walk along the way...

Wondering why I haven't updated this blog in eons?  I'm just too busy!  And I don't mean to sound idyllic as though we're in constant motion between Charlotte Mason-esque nature walks, family reading time, sports camps, home-schooling co-ops and field-trips, and a myriad of exciting, enrichment opportunities for our boys.  I mean my life as mother, wife, teacher, house-keeper is much too much to manage.  My baby is perfect and I long to send the boys away for a few hours each day so that I can just love on my third-born miracle; my second born is all imagination and play and I never sit and PLAY WITH HIM, I'm just too busy it seems.  I feel as though I am failing everyone for the sake of teaching Caleb.  And, once again, don't misinterpret... Caleb's not getting all that much outta me these days either.  If Caleb has 3 or 4 times a week with my undivided teaching attention, he's getting more than the rest!

And yet... and yet Caleb learns so easily.  Every time we sit down with our hooked on phonics workbook and readers, he just naturally comprehends what I'm explaining and proceeds to read.  We don't really do math, I just talk aloud as we naturally do life in mathematical situations like cutting apples, counting his change, telling time, climbing stairs.  The other day I was counting out the kids' vitamins and there is one type that Caleb gets four of and his brother gets two of another brand that he likes the taste of better.  Caleb asked, "mom, why don't you give me two of mine and one of his?"  He just gets things.  All the time.

Brody on the other hand just turned three last week and when I ask him about his shapes and colors he either responds, "I don't know, you tell me.." or he gives me a ridiculous answer and laughs like a mad animal!  I know I need to spend more one on one time with him, that is my main focus now, but I'm trying to be okay with his dirty-little-critter ways.  It's as though God made him with the marvelous purpose of BEING IN THE DIRT!  he's always been at home in a mud puddle with a bit of blood or drool seeping out of some place on his precious little body.  If I want him to learn anything I think I outta take it to the dirt.  Maybe draw shapes in the sand, build sand castles and count the buckets full of dirt, draw our numbers in the garden bed while wiggling our toes amidst the worms.

Baby is just happy to be playing, nursing and sleeping.  I try to read to him like I did his brothers, but he is much happier to be eating the books!  He reminds me so much of Caleb... only more of a people magnet like Brody.

So, I'm learning my kids.  Busy busy learning them.  I wish I had some help in making everything come together better.  I just feel unable to make it all happen.. to meet everyone's needs.  I wish we had the money for a private school education.

I wish I knew the mind of Christ in all of this.  

Caleb is loving his home school experience.  He gets really excited when he meets another child who is schooling at home.  When we were in McCall Idaho, we went up into the mountains and meet a family who oversees a historic miner's town and hot spring.  the 7 year old girl named Ester rode around the camp bareback in the rain. Caleb kept cheering her on, "make him run!  make him run!"  

Caleb love his horse back riding lessons and his Soccer class, lots of time with his Brother Brody, and tummy time with Mommy.  Tummy time is when we lay on our tummies on the bed and have a reading lesson.

Our $40 hooked on Phonics box set was the best investment I made this year.  Caleb is reading through the beginning readers one at a time.  I find it interesting how exhausted he gets sounding each word out.  It's a work out for his four year old brain!  But now that he is learning more sight words, he's going smoother and faster.  And with ease comes confidence and with confidence pride in his ability to do this marvelous Big Boy thing!

Outside of reading, he is also tracing and copying his letters.  But his favorite way to practice his writing is to just go for it free-form.  The other day he wanted apple juice and we were out so he got a piece of paper and started writing. 

"What are you doing?"  I asked.  

"making you a shopping list" he replied.  

the list included Apple juice, Sunny D, bars, and grapes.  The essentials!

Every Friday the boys and I also go to a preschool Co-op for "class day."  There are some really nice kids in the group and the moms are all so creative.  Caleb learned more about bees that day than I could have taught him, and this week it was Spiders!  They are also learning to be "Secret Agents" at school... which is a crucial life skill that I am glad he's acquiring so young!  

one of my favorite parts of home schooling right now is when we sit to do some paper work at the table and Brody wants to join in.  Caleb will draw the hands on the clock and write what time it is... and then Brody will color it in.  "Nice Job" they compliment one another.  

Asher and I just got back form our first CHEA Conference (Christian Home Educators Association.)  I walked away well rested (as Matt had the two big'uns at home) and more secure in this decision to home school.  

Primarily I went because I needed to feel part of something larger than myself.  The convention offered me just that.  There were thousands of people (mostly mothers) attending three days worth of workshops and exhibits, and the most amazing thing of all is that the majority of these mamas looked just like me.  Now I know that I may be setting myself up for criticism here, but I was going into this arena expecting every woman to have long, long hair, and a trail of little daughters behind her all dressed exactly alike in their home-made threads.   Okay, there were two or three like that, but for the most part they were people who were just like us, only themselves, living in this same culture, opting out of public education and looking for resources to educate their children as best they can.

I learned some from the teachers there, but mostly enjoyed perusing the exhibit hall and asking questions about different curriculums.  I also learned a ton from the book "100 top curriculum picks for home schoolers" by Cathy Duffy.  She helped me understand my teaching philosophy, my teaching style and Caleb's primarily learning style, then laid out curriculum that supported these truths.  

The main area I am now praying about / reading about / and seeking advice over is if and how much Christian curriculum should be included in our "studies."  That component would be a part of our lives wherever the boys were schooled, because we love and talk about the Lord as a family each and every day (Deuteronomy 6) so now that I am teaching them at home, do I add more Bible and Christian world view perspectives into all of their lessons?  I don't feel that their phonics lessons needs to be tied to a Bible based first reader... Sam sat on Mat is silly, I know, but fine by me.  However, there are some subject as they mature where I will naturally do this, because it is who I am and what our family is about.  I just don't know about Christian curriculum yet.  And still... I am totally open to it.

On the learning front, Caleb just had his first "telling time" lesson this morning and traced his letters around a paper clock.  We also finished reading "Stuart Little" yesterday, however, we were both  disappointed with the ending.  Kind of a downer.  Sure, it sparked conversation about Stuart's disappointment when the canoe was broken and how his poor attitude stopped him from going off and having fun with Harriet, as well as talks about if we thought he'd ever find Margalo, but still it just felt incomplete.  Unfinished!  

However, we have more books on the shelf and are eager to start reading about "Billy and Blaze" today!

P.E.