Another Good Week

So, we have finished another week of school. It was a good week. This week we added Community Bible Study and violin lessons to our schedule. The first day was not Sam's idea of a good time, but he is eager to study with me each day and see what the study is like when they have questions to discuss. I am so grateful for that eagerness.

We will be studying the book of John and so hope to deepen our friendship with the Word. Adding in my NILD students in the afternoon doesn't really affect home school much, because we are done by noon every day. It is nice to see people other than just Sam and Dwight now. My students are working hard and willingly. I have an opportunity to teach Geometry to a 17 year old boy. I was contacted by someone other than his parents, so am getting ready to dialog with them to see if schedule, etc. can be worked out. It would ease the budget considerably to be teaching a class--I charge as much for that as I do for NILD (tutoring is somewhat cheaper).

Looking forward to seeing all my relatives and some old friends from way back in another week, but not looking forward to the travel or missing some interesting events here at home.

I have discovered a free (or almost free) activity that is TV and technology free and can be called school, but is adventurous and I think Sam and I will really enjoy it. It is called "Letterboxing." There is another activity similar, which requires a gps device called "geocaching." I discovered that there are letterboxes hidden in parks around Newport News. I think we'll check some places between here and Goshen and see what else we can find (to learn more, check out http://www.letterboxing.org/index.php).

Unusual Day

After having a sleep over on Friday night (his first). And sleeping until 9:30 on Sunday morning, I was very surprised to hear Sam tell me he woke up at 6:00 am. I told him that his teacher does not start work until 8:00 am.

It was his idea to do all his independent work while I slept. When I arose at 8, we did the work he needed me for (spelling, reading aloud together) and he was finished with school by 9:30 am.

Sam loves home schooling! Actually, when I ask him, "Do you love home schooling?" He replies, "Yeah, it's okay." Which probably means it is better than going to a classroom, but playing is still his preference.

We spent the weekend organizing his legos so that his imagination can roam free and he can create more amazing ships. He can spend hours doing upgrades to his space ship. Right now it is a shuttle carrier--the space kind of ship, not the sea kind of ship.

My NILD students start this week, so that will be a bit of an adjustment for us. I think we'll do fine. I have 3 students starting this week and am hoping for a 4th student by Christmas. My business needs 3 paying students and my 3rd student is from a missionary family and we will be bartering for her services. I think we're going to get dinner twice a week and Sam will do creative writing with the parents.

So, life is good, as long as Ophelia stays away--she's acting very unpredictable and so we're watching closely. Don't worry, if she decides to come up the James River we would be packing our stuff and heading out of town.

Starting the Day

School is going very well. We are flying through everything. I think Sam really enjoys the flying part.

The thing that is lacking in our school is a definitive starting time. I am NOT a morning person and so I hate to wake Sam up. Therefore, if he wakes at a different time each day, it is hard for our school to start at the same time. Maybe not having a starting time could be one of the benefits of homeschooling. Problem: we will have a specific ending time starting next week when my NILD students starts.

I am thinking that what is needed is for me to be up and dressed--whether I wake Sam or not. Then when he does wake, he can eat, ride his bike a bit and practice his violin. What I have been doing is getting up, but snoozing on the couch until Sam gets up. Then I'm getting dressed and stuff--which seems to nonverbally communicate to Sam that he can goof off.

This is really hitting me where it hurts. It's like asking an engineer to write using proper grammar, or a middle school student write a doctorate dissertation. It just goes against my nature, but I think this is a place where I need to exert my ego over my id and do it. Pray for me to have the motivation and the ability to act on it. I have been praying Phil 2:13 for myself. God working in me to will--that's motivation, and to act--that's the ability to respond to the motivation.

Reviewing the First Week

Well, our first week of school is behind us. It went very well. Here are some changes we may choose to make:

1. Set a specific time for school to start (or just a specific time for ME to get out of bed)

2. Plan something special each Friday, so the day doesn't slip away without having fun.

Other than that, things are going VERY well. We are going through the Son Light stuff at double speed--I suspected this might happen since the books and materials are both interesting and below Sam's reading level. All that means is we'll start the new level this year--and it's reading level should jump up a bit. It makes school almost twice as expensive, but still incredibly cheaper than private school.