Adventures in Homeschooling!

This year we officially kicked off homeschooling full time. The previous year, Isla completed My Father's World Kindergarten with me at home and also went to Pineville Nazarene two mornings every week. I loved MFW curriculum, but being so new to the homeschool mix, I wanted to try out some other curriculum. I also didn't want to proceed fully to first grade just yet and that would have been our next step with that curriculum.

We went with The Good and the Beautiful for literature, spelling and handwriting. It has fit her interests perfectly as she has such a love for art. The curriculum is displays beautiful works of art and teaches to have an appreciation for art. Isla has really flourished since we first began. She's reading really well and so eager to learn. She has truly made homeschooling easy so far because of her constant can-do attitude.

For math, we are continuing in the MFW path and supplementing with the Complete Book of Math for K-3 and also the Complete Book of Time and Money. Right now, she says math is her favorite.

One of my favorite things we have implemented is her daily journal. In her journal, she has to write the day of the week, date and tally marks, but she also has to draw a picture of herself. Which she loves because she loves to draw. We started this to have another way for her to express to me how she was feeling that particular day. It really helps get our conversation rolling and determine what she is feeling. Nearly all the days are filled with happy faces, but occasionally there may be a sad face or a tear appear and we can talk about what it is that is making her sad, ie. missing dad, etc. I've also been dumbfounded at her creativity through this task. She draws her profile, doing an activity and even things that she has dreamed of.

It's been such a blessing to have more time with our kids through homeschooling. I've got to see her knowledge grow, but also her character. I'm growing so much through this process as well. God has blessed us beyond measure.

Happy 1st Birthday Jonas!

I can't believe our sweet boy is ONE! He has truly been a bundle of joy from day 1. He is so easy going, loving, cuddly, sweet, playful and happy. He has brought unimaginable to joy to all of our lives and grown our family in so many ways other than numbers.

He definitely has his father's handsomeness. His eyes are so crystal blue with the longest eyelashes to compliment them. He's always smiling. I love how he pats my back when I carry him around and how he rubs my arm as I nurse him. He's such a gentle boy... (most of the time)

He loves to wrestle and love....we'll see how this develops as he moves more into toddlerhood. When we're all in the floor playing, he'll immediately come over to the girls and lay down on them to show love, but then switch into playful wrestler mode. It's been so sweet to see his boyish ways show at such a young age.

He loves to be chased and the girls love to crawl on the floor and chase him. He's also really started getting into dancing and clapping lately. Isla can make him laugh like no one else. She loves to entertain him. Laylin does too. She wants to see him when we're riding in the van. They are both constantly singing for him, performing for him and doing just about anything to get a giggle out of him.

His first word was momma and he says it frequently now. Especially when he starts getting tired. He loves to climb and open and close things. I can tell he really wants to figure out how things work. He will study an object for so long, investigating all its parts before moving on to the next. He definitely gets this from his father too!

He's a great eater, sleeper and car rider, but I can tell a shift is starting as he moves into toddlerhood and continues with teething.

We can't wait to see what unfolds in the years to come with our sweet Jo-Jo!