The 2015-2016 School Year

We are two weeks into our 2015-1026 school year. Well, technically three weeks since I have a few days from summer travels that I'm rolling into this school calendar. Historical sightseeing on vacation? Totally counting those as school days.

Grady Lee is in fourth grade; Micah is in third grade; Annalyse is in kindergarten; and Jaxton is just a big, heaping mess of curiosity and busyness that equals trouble for me.

What are you most excited to learn this year?

Grady Lee: "Anything about American History, but especially things about the American Revolution and about Lewis and Clark's explorations."

Micah: "History and new things on the computer. And reading time."

Annalyse: "Learning to read! But I think it's going to be pretty hard so maybe I'll just like it when I can cut and glue things."

What do you think is going to be tough to learn this year?

Grady Lee: "Math! I'm not very good at it and division and fractions are very hard."

Micah: "Penmanship. I don't want to learn cursive and I don't think writing slowly is very much fun."

Annalyse: "Learning to read is going to be very hard. I know my ABC's already but I can't always remember what sounds they make when I put letters together."

And me?

I'm looking forward to exploring history with the boys - early American History has always been interesting to me. I'm also excited to watch Annalyse learn to read. Teaching letters and phonics and reading is tedious, but once it clicks, whew! There's no better feeling.

I'm not, however, looking forward to the moment-by-moment questions of "Where's Jax?" "What's Jax doing?" "Is Jax okay?" "Can someone help Jax?" I don't want the joys of motherhood to be the frustrations of teaching.

On any given day you'll find Annalyse eagerly arranging her crayons and pencils with an expectant attitude for the worksheet in front of her.

You'll find Micah, likely shirtless, standing while doing his seatwork (wait, huh?) or laying on the floor with his feet flung on the couch or table while reading.

You'll find Grady Lee asking a million and one questions about an assignment because he wants to be sure he understands the directions and has the confidence to do it.

You'll find Jaxton dumping or spilling something, eating or tasting something, or climbing and jumping off something. Or maybe doing all this at once.

And, you'll find me hoping my kids aren't academic delinquents, hoping we make it through the day without injury to bodies or assaults to emotions, and grateful that God extends great patience with me as I try to navigate this wonderfully crazy thing we call homeschooling.