What am I doing?

Field trip before school starts

So this is my 4^th year homeschooling the 3 crazy Es (grades 4^th, 2^nd, and Kinder). Last year I found a curriculum that I absolutely LOVE and it works great for our family. It is My Father’s Word (MFW); I can’t say enough wonderful things about it. I had it all planned out that I was going to use it this year as well. Sometimes thing change.

A dear friend let me know what she was going to do this year for school. She was starting a Classical Conversations (CC) community. Well what was this? I looked at and thought this looks good but I already know what I am doing. I kept being drawn back to it. There were two problems with this curriculum. First, because they go to class one day a week and it is very structured there was a sizable cost involved. Second, was that they were meeting on Mondays. How is that a problem? My husband has every other Monday off and that is our family outing day. We do things like the zoo, beach, fishing, etc. on those days. So I prayed about it and left it in God’s hands. If he wanted me to do this he would provide the funds and change my husband’s days off.

In the mean time I was able to buy MFW used at a GREAT price, so I felt that this is what God has planned for us this year. It was all coming together. I loved that this year we were going to be learning about countries, cultures, ecosystems, and missionary from various countries. This totally goes with what God has been laying on my heart the last few years - MISSIONS. We even have a jar of money that we collect throughout the school year with money we find. It is great when one of the Es finds money in Wal-Mart and starts yelling, “I found money for the missionaries”. We have picked 3 missionaries to pray for and to divide the money amongst. We collect it from September to August so I will know how much we are giving on Friday to each. The kids also love giving to the actual missionaries whenever possible.

So My Father’s World mission statement is “Seeing the World Through God’s Eyes” and Classical Conversations is to “Know God and Make Him Known”. Love both of these. For me I want God to be the center of our curriculum but also the center of our lives.

MFW K

MFW book basket
reading

So which curriculum am I using? Both.  I know what am I crazy?  But I completely felt God leading me to do both. My hold back for CC was funds and my husband’s work schedule. Out of the blue one day Paul asked, “What is this Classical Conversations all about?” I told him it is like a co-op but not a co-op (he is anti-co-op) and handed him an overview of what they will learn this year. He decided that if I can tutor then go for it. I was able to be a tutor and he in the process of working only M-F. He was able to be there for our first week of class, which the kids loved. Since CC is one day a week and I review it throughout the week I am using MFW on a daily basis. I am not trying to squeeze 5 days into 4, even though I could, but I am doing as much as we get through in a day. Last week we did 3 days in 4. And I am OK with that. It is not about getting through the curriculum to check it off my list but to enjoy learning and to actually learn. We have had fun for the most part.

The hardest part of this school year has been to get my 4^th grader to do her CC writing class (called Essentials) homework. She enjoys writing what she wants to write but not the whole process of writing or any part of Language Arts she hates. So this has been a challenge but we are working it out.

She is not happy about this class

In years past I have been involved in my church, handing out tracts at the high school, working with AWANA, going kids club and anything else I could help with or do when I could but not this year. If something doesn’t fit into our school schedule nicely then we are not doing it. That includes extra activities. Last year, we did a PE classes once a week, took swimming lessons, did gymnastics, my oldest took a writing class; piano lessons; and a card making class and we did a Bible study with CBS (Community Bible Study). This year we are only taking the PE class, music lessons, kids are doing AWANA (not me) and doing the Bible study. Since the PE class is in the afternoon after CBS it works out OK. It still sounds like a lot but it is less for us.

Why do I feel we need a Bible study if we have Bible in our curriculum? Community Bible Study is an in-depth Bible study that does verse by verse. The awesome part is that the kids in 2^nd-8^th grade are doing the same study but their questions are designed for their age. I have grown a lot spiritually and it has been great to be studying the Bible with them. A bonus is 2 hours with adultsJ.

A question I heard a lot last year and I am sure I will hear it a lot this year is, “Isn’t that too much Bible?” What is too much Bible? That is how God speaks to us, the more we are in the Word the more we will be in communion with God. My kids love AWANA, CBS, and anything church related. I don’t ask them to do anything I am not willing to do myself. We lead by example. I was looking in MFW catalog this morning and saw this written, “Raising up generations of families who see the world through God’s eyes and live according to that knowledge”. That to me says so much. I am raising the next generation and I want them to seek God and live accordingly to His will. In order to accomplish this is to be in the Word. So is there a thing of too much Bible? I will leave that for you to seek the Lord for the answer.

First day of School 2012