First Week

Wow, what a week!  I wasn't sure what sort of expectations to have this week.  I knew it could be one of two things....we'd love it because of the newness of it or we'd all struggle with it.  We landed somewhere in between.  Here's what I've learned after our first week of homeschooling...

*Homeschooling does not mean I have to bring the classroom into the home.  Homeschooling gives us so much freedom to learn in ways that are not given in public school classrooms.  I need to take advantage of that.  I realize that being flexible is ok!
*If I follow the curriculum exactly, my kids may not be challenged enough.  I realized we needed to skip several math lessons since this is the subject the boys excel in.  It's time to learn some NEW concepts!  I also wasn't happy with the handwriting curriculum I purchased so I threw it out after a few days and dove into cursive writing. Isaac loved it!
*Be patient with a 5 year old!  Monday was a rough day for Kaleb but each day got better and he's learning how to adjust to this new routine and environment at home.
*Having a plan keeps my sanity!  I do not necessarily follow my lessons plans but I'm so thankful to have sat down a few weeks ago to plan out our first 9 weeks.  I will have to make adjustments since we've skipped ahead about 2 weeks worth of Math lessons to give the boys more challenge.
*My house is a wreck.  My cleaning ladies came this week so its clean but so cluttered.  The laundry is washed but not folded, I know where most things are in my office but not in the order I prefer it to be and my homeschool papers have yet to find a home.  Plus many other rooms need my attention.  I'm focusing on the most important things and praying that I'll either be able to hire more help soon or get into a new routine to keep up.
*I'm doing exactly what the Lord has called me to do.  I can't say I love everything about this and I know there will be days when I will want to throw in the towel but there is a deep peace and joy that I have knowing I am doing what the Lord desires.  This journey is not for everyone but I believe its suppose to be our journey now and I'm thankful for that!
*This is a family journey.  I love it that Jeff will be taking on science experiments.  They did their first one together this week.  Plus we'll be doing field trips as a family as much as we can since Jeff only works 1/2 days on Fridays.  Looking forward to many new memories together.    

I'll post some pics later of our first week!