Homeschool Organization--The Planner

I'm going to be doing a couple of posts on homeschooling, since it's the time of year we're looking forward to getting started up again. Now, I realize that these posts are going to interest only a few, but that's ok. If you're not a homeschooler, go ahead and skip it!

I love organizing. And I love teaching. (Just don't ask about the regular housework I also have to keep up on!) Jaron is entering 6th grade this year, so I've had a few years to work on and perfect a system. It's what works for us, and works well... and I'm hopeful someone else will benefit from what I've learned.

I always start my planning by deciding when I want summer break to start. I find it MUCH easier to get the kids to sit in the late summer than spring, so I like to be done in early May. Then I start counting backwards, adding in breaks and holidays as needed, to arrive at our start date, usually early August.

School year overview

Next I lay out our calendar of the months we're doing school. I actually draw out the calendars because it allows me to be a little more creative, but I've also used school year planners for students. Then I start writing in lesson numbers in their days, realizing that this is just a general guideline. We use a lot of Abeka, so we stick to their 170 lessons for the school year length, and I work in our other curriculum around that.

Our general weekly plan is science (Apologia) Monday and Tuesday, history (History Revealed) Wednesday and Thursday, and then a short day and/or art/field trip/finishing a hands-on project on Friday. On Friday we clean our school room for the weekend, and I plan out school for the coming week. That includes writing out the lesson schedule for the upcoming week, usually what's on the monthly calendar but not always since some break days we end up jockeying around due to doctor appointments, all day field trips, etc., that I couldn't plan for at the beginning of the year. I take this time to make sure we have the supplies we need for any projects and that I know what's coming up for each child.

My daily task list

A sample of a child's overview of what needs to be done for their grade that year.

Schedule of Bible class

History lesson plans

Science lesson plans

I also have begun a separate planner for Jaron, since he has a bigger variety in his curriculum and I want him to start being responsible for doing what he's supposed to be doing without as much oversight from me... eventually. Since I'm starting Candi with some preschool stuff this year, I need Jaron to start being more independent as I just won't reach around with all 4 children in school!

Jaron's planner above and below

We also have a sticker rewards system. For every day the child completes their work with a good attitude, they get a sticker and some "prize money". If they manage 5 or 10 consecutive days, they get more "prize money" as an incentive to keep things going well. IF I can get all my boxes checked during the week, on Friday once everything is cleaned and prepped for the next week I treat myself to a little something too.

So far I LOVE how this comes together. And that's my planner!

Homeschool post #2: http://lifeonhegehill.blogspot.com/2018/08/homeschool-organization-big-dreams.html
Homeschool post #3: http://lifeonhegehill.blogspot.com/2018/08/homeschool-organization-papers-papers.html

It's the country life!

As I was waiting for the water trough to fill for the horses this morning, I spent some time walking across the pasture and just looking all around. Most of my life I've spent dreaming of something better. More of this, less of that. But really, as I looked around, I don't think it gets better than this! Rich green grass, a bright blue sky with some fluffy white clouds for accents, a cool, refreshing breeze, warm but not hot... a hay field just over the fence, freshly cut and baled and safely stored away. Acres of fields and woods for the kids to play in. A huge, mostly level yard perfect for ball games and picnics. Relatively quiet country roads. Horses and cows contentedly munching the grass. Roosters crowing in the background. And glorious sunshine pouring in over it all.

And as I reflect, I feel tears starting to well. I'm so, so grateful. Last night, to be honest, I cried myself to sleep. I felt like such an incredible failure. The kids have done nothing but bicker and fight the last couple of days. The oldest has been resisting taking responsibility for himself. I've been doing a lot of cleaning, unpacking, decluttering, and basically moving in after 2 years of existing in this house, but it seems like dirt and clutter just gravitate back to the same old spots. It feels like an endless losing battle. School is starting very soon, and I need to finish getting everything organized and together. I'm not spending the time with the kids they want, doing fun things together over this summer break. The garden has weeds in it, and the green beans should have been picked but weren't. Several projects I was determined to get done this summer are still unfinished. I'm just not enough. I don't reach around. The demands on my time and energy are bigger than the resources at my command, and the pressure to perform it ALL is crushing.

But in it all, I still find gratefulness to overwhelm my reflective moments. More and more thanksgiving is replacing my old habits of doubt, worry, fear, and keeping up appearances. All the sermons I've heard and books I've read encouraging, even demanding, thankfulness meant nothing to me except one more thing I was doing wrong. One more failure. More discouragement piled on top of the already unbearable load.

So, where was the grateful heart hiding all these many years? 

It was hiding under the pile of condemnation. The feeling that I had to have all my ducks in a neat, smiling little row, and if I didn't, well, I wasn't a very good Christian. Obvious, right? 

Well, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Sincerely trying to do my best to look the way I was taught Christians look, to do what good Christians are supposed to do, was a slap in the face of the One I claimed to serve. My heart was distressed, sad, broken. I chased that elusive dream of perfection so hard, and never caught up. All the while believing God was disappointed, even upset, that I wasn't fully glorifying His name. Until I couldn't run anymore, and crashed. Then I was right where God wanted me. You see, He had a plan. He wanted me broken. He wanted me to see that nothing I could do was good enough. That my attempted righteousness was like filthy rags. Oh, He had saved me and cleansed me, no doubt about that! If I had died on the operating table the day Treasure was taken from us, I had full assurance and peace that I would be going Home to see Him. But life is a journey, and we aren't finished yet. The journey that I am walking had to bring me to a place to see just how little I could do to meet the demands I had been taught all my life were "Christianity". When that was stripped from me, I saw I had been chasing a mirage that did nothing to give life. And I gave up. I chose to face, and embrace, my failures, my brokenness, my hurts, my pain. He chose to cut the chains and give life. 

He is enough. His blood is enough. His love is enough. I don't need to do anything. Even resting in His arms... He is holding me. And then the thankfulness brings tears to my eyes. He doesn't need me to be perfect. He needs me to be broken. My failures and weaknesses are no stumbling block to Him.  They are a portal for His glory. 

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

My tears and failures so far this week are part of redemption's story. Part of reminding me the cracks remain. An answer to my prayer that I would not be filled with my self, my own importance, what I'm doing right, and the few accolades of men that have threatened to puff me up recently. How well I know it is the work of God, and God alone! He is the light shining through the broken places of this vessel of clay. Plus, I'm still learning how to put the expectations of others behind me and to set aside demands that look good on the outside but leave me empty and unable to do what is most important for myself and my family. Like I said, it's a journey. There's a lot of learning still ahead.

There is oh so much more to the story, believe me! The story of my journey so far has many facets. I will be exploring more in upcoming blogs, so if you want to get the freshest news you can sign up to have the blogs emailed to you after every new release, on the upper right hand corner I believe.

New beginnings

Yesterday, July 15, Jaron chose to be baptized as a profession of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 

We couldn't be more... well, not sure what the right word would be! Proud? Happy? Blessed? Thankful? Awed? There were tears in my eyes as I saw his joy and confidence. Tears of amazement. A lot of excitement. And just a tiny spot in my heart was feeling a bit of a quiver of apprehension. After all, we've never done this before. We've never had the opportunity to disciple a child, now a brother in the Lord. It's a great responsibility and I feel woefully unprepared! How do we lead this little boy, fast growing into a young man, so full of life and hope, visions and dreams? His exuberance, his whole-heartedness in everything he puts his mind to, his total love of people... He is such a blessing!

And it's been a very reassuring journey for me, as well, watching God work. Without constraint, without us pushing, begging, pleading, or even asking, Jaron freely chose to follow Jesus. I credit much of this to the freedom and joy Jere and I have been discovering in the last year or two on our own spiritual journey. Now God has more room to work, and He is proving faithful over and over and over again. We are also slowly learning to change our parenting techniques, to parent with an open hand and allow Jaron freedom to fly, freedom to make his own choices, and the freedom to govern himself. Within reasonable limits for an 11 year old, of course! I'm finding it a little hard to transition from raising a little boy where I oversaw every detail of his life to a young man who has his own choices in life. To find the balance between instruction, command, and allowing him choices... and the consequences, good or bad, of those choices.

One of the biggest things I've been learning lately is in not dictating attitudes. God does not dictate to me what attitude I'm to have, and it's come to the point where I cannot dictate to my son his attitudes either. That's a hard thing when I feel he is being disrespectful and I just want to make him respect me! What a picture of a God Who desires our love... and yet allows us to choose to love, or not. Forcing compliance on the outside has only been netting us resentful respect. However, quietly pointing out the problem "Son, you are having a bad attitude." and then walking away and allowing him to grapple with right and wrong in his own heart has to this point ALWAYS provoked a heart change and a heartfelt apology with a change of attitude and a child who is anxious to love and honor us. Not to say we don't have our clashes and issues, but God is proving faithful to do the work behind the scenes.

Please pray for us as we begin a new chapter in our lives. A fresh, exciting, beautiful chapter... that also has it's challenges ahead. Pray especially that Jaron would grow into a strong and tender man of God, who loves Jesus with his whole heart! And that we as his parents will learn how to nurture and guide through the coming years.

The Redemption of the Past

Looking into the hazy, happy, blurry, dark past, I feel both nostalgic and sad. Until a few weeks ago, there was too much pain to even want to look back. Pain of both what I faced, and what I caused others to endure. Regrets. Sorrow. Hurt. Sadness. It took hard work to remember the good. But nearly nothing to trigger the painful. Life had become an unending blur of gray shadows, bare and devoid of feelings. 

BUT

There is redemption. And it happened to me. 

I really hate changing up the tone of a blog that has been full of cute puppies and even cuter children. Of sunshine and happiness, of that "perfect" family I wanted so desperately to be. I dislike "bait and switch" tactics, and I hope you don't feel that this losing the light and fluffy exterior is a deal breaker. If so, please feel free to not bother to look here again. I tried starting other blogs, but they never made it anywhere and fizzled out quickly. Granted, I've taken a break of a couple of years from this one too. But I'm back... to tell an untold story. Yes, there will still be puppies and flowers, joy and sunshine. Only this time the sunshine is brighter, and the laughter real laughter. And intermingled will be pieces of our journey... my journey. A journey from pain to the redemption of that pain. A look beyond the façade into the heart. A broken heart. A broken life, underneath the prettier but shallow tapestry of appearances. A brokenness that is there to embrace, and watch the Light shine out and make whole. A redemption. I trust it will be beautiful, and I invite you to walk this path with me.