In due time, we will reap a HARVEST

School is well under-way. We had 3 weeks off in August, but the kids did their French, music and Math pretty much all summer. Language, music and math are hard to take a big break from. And I'm glad for their progress. We leave Saturday for 2 weeks on the beach. I'm so looking forward to it. Except for our hot, buggy, muggy week in Cape Hatteras (not ON the beach) , and one day in July, I haven't had quality relaxing time at the beach this summer and I've missed the sound and smell that soothes me. I am so grateful for time away from the scorching desert, and yet I am also grateful for our oasis here at home.

Here's a little summary of academic life:

Alexandra (16)

Sonlight core 400 which is Civics/American Govt. (Institutes of Biblical Law, Tools of Dominion:the Case Laws of Exodus, Basic American Government. Biographies and Historical Fiction including the Shadow of the Almighty (Jim Elliot) Black Like Me, Up from Slavery, Lies My Teacher Told Me, the Dry Divide, The Scarlet Letter, Walden and Civil Disobedience, My Antonia, Bud,Not Buddy, and the Giver.

Literature in co-op includes Uncle Tom's Cabin, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, To Kill a Mockingbird and Fahrenheit 451.

Institute for Excellence in Writing with co-op and Art/Art History.

She and Dexter also go to Chemistry every week for 3 hours.

Algebra 2 (reviewing it. Might start Geometry instead! Need to do some testing to determine.

Alex has guitar lessons, plays in the church orchestra and love taking French with my father.

Dexter (14) is in his 3rd year of doing classes with the high school co-op. So he's doing what Alex does, including Chemistry, except at home he is doing Sonlight Core 100, American History in Depth. Also starting Algebra 2 and doing French with my father. So great!

Emma (12) has Literature, Art/Art History and IEW in co-op also, but she is reading The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Johnny Tremain, Across Five Aprils. She is doing Core 7 in Sonlight which has 36 books to read and read aloud! Yikes. She's doing the Story of the World Early to Modern Times and the Modern Age. She is starting Saxon 8/7, loving piano and French.

Lizzy (9) has Literature, History/Geography, Apologia Sea Mammals and IEW also. They are going through the Chronicles of Narnia this year. Making beautiful lap books for the Sea creatures, learning about all the states in geography, even sampling specials foods from each. At home I have to do all their reading for history. We are in Core 3 for them because it is the Intro to American History so all the kids are pretty much studying America this year.

I also do Teaching Reading and Writing at Home to the 2 youngest, and do spelling with all the others too.

Jefferson (8) is keeping up very well with Lizzy. So great to have them do the same work, or I'd go crazy. His handwriting is even better than hers actually. They chose different readers just because it's hard to share the book. He's reading Squanto and she's reading Pocahontas. Then we're reading the Sign of the Beaver out loud. Funny how all the other kids come and listen also.

Lizzy and Jeff are taking piano from my mother. She has done that with all the kids up to a point. They are doing so well.

Each year I have to evaluate how much to get done in Sonlight and how much of co-op. But it's our responsibility to choose and I love the freedom of being with my kids, traveling, learning as we go and training when the need arises instead of waiting and finding out about it later!

My favorite part about this year so far is our Family worship time. We have tried to do family devotions through the years, and it was sporadic, but we plugged along. We are finally in a habit of it and it feels strange to miss it! I love the time of Alex playing on the guitar and we sing, we read out loud 3 nights a week. Then every morning we're reading through Matthew as a family. It is such a blessing and gives time to look into kids' eyes and hearts.

I wouldn't trade these days for anything. My mom made me a beautiful apron for my birthday and tucked into the pocket was my year's verse. Only she didn't know it was my year's verse.

Galations 6:9 "Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up!"

Happy Sowing and Reaping!