The Greener Grass

There are days, thankfully not many days, but days when I do wonder what our lives would actually look like if the children went to school.

Let's see. . . well, rather than a mother who awakens at 4:00 a.m., my children would have a mother that would wake up at 6:00 a.m., prepare them breakfast, get them dressed, and i guess have them at school by 7:30 (is that what time it starts? I'm not sure). Said mother would then go back home, get a work out in, and then proceed on to work while they were in school. Said mother would pick them up with a smile on her face. . . so glad to see them from missing them all day. We'd get home and there would be homemade cookies waiting on them. We'd all sit down and do homework together. Afterwards we'd sing koombaya (sp???), and all would be bliss. They would see a mother who was happy all the time, full of energy, full of life, no frustrations. They would get along exceptionally well because they would have not seen one another all day.

Well, at least this is how I imagine it anyway.. . .

Can't our imaginations do that to us, set us up for disappointment and not reality? The reality of the above scenario is that it doesn't exist, and I'm so thankful for Jon and his encouragement over the 10 years we've been homeschooling. Otherwise, I would have put all the chidlren in school many years ago. But . . .if they were in school I'd miss out on this.

The looks of their little faces (yes, even the 14-year-old) as they learn.

I'd miss out on long lunches when we ask one another silly questions and learn even more . . . about one another.

I'd miss out on their fighting . . . and trying to teach them how to resolve things and point them to Christ and the cross.

I'd miss the giggles.

I'd miss out on the endless, and I do mean, endless chatter.

I'd miss them being on my heels all day. . . for one day I will blink and they will be no longer be on my heels, only my heart.

I'd miss trips to the grocery store and knowing every.single.food they like, dislike, what makes them smile, what makes them gag.

I'd miss the opportunities to teach them to honor me. . . not because I say so, but because God says so.

I'd miss the tattle telling. . . well, I'm not really sure I'd really miss that one.

I'd miss the odd stages of life (like the 11-year-old right now) teaching them to navigate muddy waters and find out who they really are.

I'd miss them telling me really cool stuff they are learning about.

I'd miss the time. . .

For although MUCH is required of me, much more than just researching curriculum, putting together lesson plans, grading papers, teaching, the discipline to both work and homeschool. . . the MUCH of that is my time. And, do you know how children spell love?

T-I-M-E

So, although there are days when the grass on this side is dull, lifeless, lacking in vibrancy, and the mom on this side of the hill is just craving some time all to herself. . . that will come, much sooner than I think and much sooner than I want. Prayerfully and hopefully I am making a great impact on my children for the kingdom of Christ . . . that they will grow in Him and be mighty warriors for Him. . . all for His glory and honor.

Until then, I'll keep my tent pitched on this side of the hill. . . no matter how much more greener and vibrant the other side looks.

Welcome to Our School

I always start school on a Friday. It is a relatively "fun" day. . . well, if you are 7 and 10 it is fun, but if you are a 14-year-old boy it is lame. . . although that is a bad word in our house. He doesn't say it, but his attitude certainly reflects it. However, he does participate in my "fun day".

Every year we start out with a school supply scavenger hunt. I always try to make my clues rhyme, which really I crack myself up. . . I'm someone between a bad poet and a cornball.
Wanna know what I mean? Here's some of our clues.


Flying creatures big and small. We know that God made them all. Find me where you put the cords to charge things on which you can call.

Bright, dark colors oh how nice. . . find me where there is kept sugar and spice.

Reading, writing, and arithmetic, you do this well, and anything will stick. Find me in this room where friends abound, good food is found, and plates are sure to be licked.

Every year we buy plenty of these things galore. However, they will all be gone if you keep them on the floor. Cookie will chew them and they’ll be torn to shreds. Find them where Mom and Dad lay down their heads.


What, you say, we will use 150 of these? Oh, before our year has completed my dear, we will find in these we will have great need. Look for these from the source that we feed. -This clue really stumped the kids. Hanna said, "Where is it, Wal-mart?", to which I laughed out loud. Nope, it was packs of paper hidden in the refrigerator.

My sweet 5th grader in her chair she wakes up in every morning, hanging tightly onto her clues.
Here are their clues
Alec found one.
Hanna was so very excited.
Ash loved it too!
Cookie is so funny. . . when everyone starts running around the house he thinks we all want to play with him. He likes our scavenger hunt as well. . . ha!ha!
What a pretty girl. I love her pretty smile!
One of the many books we'll read this year.
We are using Sonlight for the first time, and so far I'm really loving it.
These two would stick their brains together to figure out the clues and their hidden corny meanings.
Remember when I said if you look in my pantry or my purse that it is a good idea of how my brain looks? See? P.S. That is not wine. That is Angela's "Master Tonic". I always feel such a need to tell everyone that :)
The fridge is really as bad as the pantry.
Next, we always fill out an "About me"- favorite color, food, restaurant, place to be, best friends, what I want to be when I grow up. I love looking over how their answers change and remain the same over the years.



Here is our book shelf of all of our history and literature books (oh yeah, and Alec's Spanish).
These are their folders where they each have their assignments. When work is completed, it goes into their folder. At the end of the day I check their work and go over with them their grades, what they have to redo, etc. If they have to redo problems, their first grade sticks. However, they have to correct what they missed.
Ash doing her Math.
Here is my sweet 3rd grader counting on her fingers.
Here's my 9th grader pouring over his studies. He's been really on top of things this year. He is still 14 and has an attitude at times, but he has really been motivated as far as school goes.
For lunch I did something different this year. I had this word scramble menu. The kiddos had to circle 3 things they wanted for lunch.
I had much more fun with this than they did.
I laughed so hard at them trying to figure out the words.
After all, when you have a mom who drinks "swamp water" (my drink featured on an earlier post from the weekend), hummus, and all kinds of gross food. . . you're liable to get anything in this house.

Alec ended up with this.
The girls joined forces and ended up with this.
A hot ham/turkey and cheese is one of my kiddos favorite foods. Alec was so mad (seriously) about what he ended up with. It was very over dramatic, and, if I'm completely honest I allowed his negative attitude affect me. Our house went from my laughing to me being silent (which my kids hate).
Later, however, Alec did "pipe" up and tell me that he enjoyed the day. Teenagers!!!!! So.very.emotional. His "emotional" just happens to be anger. He's a good boy and is obedient. . . just controlling those turbulent emotions is hard for him now.

All-in-all it was a good day. . . and, here, we go again. . . entering our 10th year of homeschooling. I can't believe I've hung in here this long. It truly is only by God's grace that I've been allowed to take this journey. I am grateful.

Here's a rundown of what we are using this year.

History/Literature/Geography/Bible - Sonlight

Grammar - Shurley

Math - Saxon

Science - Apologia