The First Week

In a nutshell, our school days are broken into three main parts - our morning basket time, our inside work, and our afternoon time outside in nature. Nature time is absolutely one of my favorite things about following Charlotte Mason. We are so blessed to live on a little bit of land - we have so much to explore right outside in our own backyard.

We had such a wonderful and relaxed first week, and I am overwhelmingly thankful that we get to do this! :)

Uke Practice. We weren't good this summer about uke practice, so he's having to relearn a bit!

Spelling lists I'm finding are much more enjoyable for Canaan on a chalkboard or when he spells for me out loud.

Art and an exercise on using imagination. This was Canaan's "Underground Den" for ants. :)

Written narration usually has been happening so far during Lainey's naptime.
So far I've been giving the boys a few options on what to narrate from what we have learned that day. 

Weaving on Grandma Marie's loom.

The boys also had a chance to make "Viking bread" entirely on their own. :)

The first page of another written narration from Canaan. 

Viking's had picnics, right?! :)

Checking out a puffball mushroom that cropped up after the rain.

Puddle jumping!

Lainey is the ultimate mushroom spotter. She has a gift. :)

Emptying his boots. :)

Worms found in the mud. 

One of the little squiggliers. 

Picking blueberries

Pick and eat. Then repeat. 

Climbing trees.

And helping each other climb trees. 

Jumping from a tree branch!

Ezra's turn  jumping!

A New School Year

We have kicked off a new school year!

Canaan is in the 1st grade, and both Ezra and Lainey are in preschool! We are starting our Charlotte Mason journey, with a little bit of Montessori phonics and math thrown in for the little ones. Just one week in and I am so amazed at the difference following Charlotte Mason has made for us all. I have found we have so much more peace, and we are accomplishing so much more than we were able to last year!

I am also getting to experience teaching the kids without the insomnia (paired with chronic fatigue) and pain that I have been experiencing for years (thank you, God!). This has made a huge difference and has enabled me to find so much more joy in our normal everyday!

In addition to our school at home, Canaan will again be going to a local Christian school two days a week while I am working, and we also have Ezra going three days a week to our church's preschool. He has the most AMAZING teacher and during orientation it was so surreal sitting in the same room that Canaan learned in just a few years ago. During that year in early 2014, we were matched with Lainey, and Canaan shared a "picture" of her on P / Pajama day! I dug up that little memory on our old blog here.

I'm SO excited about this year. It's amazing how this life you never expect is sometimes just around the corner. Homeschooling just fits us right now in this stage of our lives, and God has given me such a passion for teaching my kids. It's such a privilege and a joy to be able to have this time with them!

Natural Brushes

Last night on our walk out back to pick blueberries, I collected a few branches and flowers to make natural brushes. I wrapped them with rubber bands and string, which worked out pretty well and the brushes were sturdy enough. It is another hot day, and I'm so grateful for a shaded deck for us to work. I think the favorite was the yellow wildflower brush. :)

Adventure Club

As part of leaning into the Charlotte Mason schooling method, regular time in nature is a high priority, just like math and history. This just fits so perfectly for us and it's one of my favorite things about doing things the Charlotte Mason(ish) way. :)

A couple of our friends are also incorporating nature study into their homeschool plan, and so we decided to get together once a month this school year to spend time together outside. We're calling it "Adventure Club".

This week we met up at the Timberlakes trail for some walking, nature journaling, and weaving. It was hot, and a certain little one of mind was on the crabby side (swim lessons eliminated naps this week), but still so much fun and so sweet to see them exploring together in nature.

Papa Flies In

As a teenager, before my dad had even his driver's license, he got his pilot's license. This says to me two things: that my dad loves to fly, and my grandparents were braaaaaave! :)

My Dad about to take his first solo flight.

With Canaan and BJ out to camp for the week, the little ones were the lucky ones to get to see Papa John and Grandma Sue fly in a few weeks ago. The kids were flipping-out-excited to see them and to SIT in the plane. :)

Ezra's Swimming Lessons

This past week Ezra began swim lessons at the high school (Canaan doing the same last year)! This boy is our wild and free one, our fearless one. But for some reason he's always had a lot of caution (and a bit of fear) about the water. Last year as Lainey and Canaan swam, Ezra would spend more time out of the pool than in (and sometimes not go in at all). But something has clicked this year and he is doing so awesome! This boy brings so much joy and life to our family. We just adore this little man of ours!

 This next pic is what happens these days when I ask him to "smile!" (the picture above is when he thinks he's so funny to make a silly face). :)

Stricker's Grove 2016

Stricker's Grove, two years ago, was one of the first public places we took Lainey after coming home from China, so it carries with it special memories of that time when we were first getting to know each other and bonding. In June our church meets here for a night of fun, and despite the storms, we had such a great time - as we do every year - with our family and friends. And the kids of course were in heaven with the rides, and unlimited ice cream and cotton candy!

Stricker's Grove 2014
Stricker's Grove 2015