ECD

ECD happened to us this week. Friday actually. No, it is not some horrible disease.And it didn't actually happen to us. We voluntarily went.

Letme back up a bit. We were in the final stagesof our first week back to school which went VERY well. At our Friday School registration EMily was invited to ECD practice that evening from 6-9pm.We knew about it but I had never asked anyone but Jacob about going and he said he could care less.(ECD is English Country Dance---like they do in Pride and Prejudice---very old school stuff, but great social fun) Well, EMily was excited, and Lizzy overheard and asked if she could go. I said yes, they could. Well, I took them at 6pm and we got to see the awesome Mike Sager who is visiting for a week while on break from performing Joseph at the Sight and Sound Christian Theater in Branson. It was worth going just to catch up with him. But Jacob had musical theater class until 7pm. While he was in class, Kim decided she wanted to watch his class, but she didn't make it in time, so I offered to take her to watch ECD practice. Jacob and Jordan also decided to go. Everyone ended up dancing except Jordan, who really dislikes that kind of thing. The 4 who danced want to go every month now. At the end of the year they hope to have a big ECD family get together...more formal. I love this SO much more than the homeschool family prom idea. So family friendly and social. Everything is just really nice.
SO next time we go to Rockwall we are going to shop for skirts and dresses ( standard dress for girls at ECD) and some nicer pants for Jacob. He only has one pair that fits right now. And I do believe the kids are literally counting the days until they can go to ECD again!

First Day of School

I started the day with a walk at 6:45am. When I arrived back home at 7:05, i woke the kids (except Jacob who was already up) and got coffee for them. I took coffee with me on my prayer walk. We watched Spongebob and visited and then i made my bed and got breakfast prepped and meat set out to thaw for supper. By 7:30 we were walking the dogs and bike riding in the neighborhood. It was really nice outside. After the walk we came inside and made and ate breakfast. While the kids went outside to play driveway soccer, i cleaned the kitchen. They came in at 8:30 to make beds and brush teeth. We started our devo at 8:40 with beautiful singing, bible reading, memory work and prayer. At 9am the oldest two went to work on their studies and I worked with the youngest three off and on until lunch at noon. Then we did chores at 12:50 and PE bike ride and basic exercises at 1:30-2:15. We are a bit behind right now. We took a jello break....The oldest two are completing science and spanish while the younger ones are about to work on history and have read aloud time. that will wrap up our day. They can play games together until time to clean up, make supper, and go to dance classes.
And that is our first day, in a nutshell.

PHOTO TIME!!!!

Well, I have been mostly posting words with no photos so here are some summer photos. This is just a tiny glimpse of our summer, though. Still, they brings great memories.
riding bikes as a family!
kim gets a new bike (because I ran over the old one)
kim wants to learn more math
kim turns SIX!!!!!
lizzy and sarah hanging out
girls day at church--modesty, boldness, and respect bruncheon
kim and ellie again
lizzy and katy playing girl lego
jordan, jack, and zeb hanging out
kids kung fu panda 2 party
kim and ellie
kung fu panda 2 party
swimming
slip and slide
4th of July fireworks

and still no photos

Ahhh...i am sitting here pondering life in about 3 weeks. Because that is when our homeschool year will begin. As for now, we are just chillin"...but i think we will have to have some structure or the kids might get into trouble. Some of them anyway. Yes, I know my grammar leaves much to be desired in this post, but i'm on summer break, ok?

Here is what I think school will look like this year with a 9th, 7th, 4/5th, 3rd and 1st grader:
I hope to wake and walk with coffee in hand by 7am, and wake the kids before I leave. I hope. And then i HOPE to walk the dogs by 730 and have breakfast ready by 8:10 so we can be into devo by 8:40. We'll see how that works. From there, at 9 or shortly thereafter, i hope the oldest two will beging working independently while I rotate through with the other three, giving two breaks. Lunch should come at noon followed by free time, chores, and PE by 1:30. I plan to have each kid in charge of a day of the week to be lunch and dinner workers. After PE, we have science and electives for the oldest two, and combined subjects of fine arts, spanish and sci/history for the other three. Then an afternoon snack/down time, cleanup, and supper...then extracurriculars and service and family time. Full days, to be sure.
And that about sums it up.
I am looking forward to seeing how it goes the first two weeks.
I can't believe how much homeschooling has evolved for us as we move through the years. I couldn't have pictured it. But I learned a while back to go with the flow and make it work for us. If we are happy and moving toward independent, godly adulthood I am happy. And sad. But mostly happy.

So I am off to enjoy kids and the rest of our day. May God bless you and yours!