I'm in love...

well, sort of...

i am definitely becoming an admirer, and i don't think it will be too long before i am in love.

what am i in love with?

Five in a Row.

i am discovering that i am not the teach at the table with workbooks kind of teacher.

my kids are simply more hands-on kind of kids.

although tic-tac likes his workbooks to an extent, it only holds his attention for say, 10 minutes at best.

and bonobo just can't do them at all... sigh

i was getting so discouraged as of late with our "failure" at staying on task these last several weeks. i had just lamented to my husband about how much i was feeling like i just wasn't capable of teaching our children.

it was a 'bus day' for sure.

you know, when you were wishing you were a traditional schooling family and the bus came and carted your kids away for 8 hours.

i only have them in my most desperate of moments.

and then, like God is so apt to do, an answer came in the perfect time.

a woman who is in my bible study and i were talking and i was just sharing with her my recent frustrations with our curriculum and my, well, my angst over my own abilities.

she asked, have you ever heard of Five in a Row?

i told her we had the first volume, but hadn't done much with it, because i was so stuck in my rut.

she graciously invited me to her home that friday to share in their FIAR co-op! they have been praying for another family to join, so she asked me to come and check it out!

isn't that so like God?

so, anyway. we went and heard a wonderful story, then played outside acting out elements of the story. we also did a craft emphasizing the desert landscape that was so much a part of the story. it was a joy to watch my kids living out the story. it really cemented the elements into their minds.

they talked about it all the way home and then got to share with daddy about how much fun they had.

wow! my eyes were really opened up to the possibilities that exist with FIAR. i am hooked, and just might be in love. thanks, julie, julie and yvette for opening your co-op to me and letting us get creative with you! i had so much fun, and came away with a lot of ideas :) i hope to do it again soon!!

oh, the book we read? Roxaboxen, by Alice McClerran. definitely a keeper!

life school, fall break, and one tired mama

so, we haven't been 'schooling' lately.

at the end of august, we found out we were expecting our fourth little blessing. we have officially crossed over into the big family realm.

you know, when people start to look at you funny and ask silly questions like, "don't you know what causes that?"

ahem. yes.

but i digress.

anyway. this first trimester has been especially difficult. the all-day sickness has been pretty awful. i even lost 7 pounds in the first few weeks. doesn't make the OB too happy. oh, well.

i have been overwhelmingly tired...man, about 1 pm i just want to fall over and stay in bed for the day which i can't.

i am supposed to be schooling my kids.

eeek.

we haven't done a lot of workbooks lately. i have been trying to at least get their Bible in and continue on with the TOG curriculum. we should be well into the 2nd unit, but we are still stumbling along in the 1st.

we are doing more life school and character training, which i think we would have had to do anyway as the boys are really having a hard time being kind to each other these days.

i am feeling pretty down about how 'behind' we are. and then i remind myself that tic-tac is only 6. i think we can slack a little and still do just fine. we will just call it our "fall break"

they have "fall break" out here. i had never heard of it before. they take a whole week off (sometimes 2) just like a spring break. seriously?


happy schooling! i hope you are doing better than we are :)