Return to Routine

This is now my 4th year of helping Mommy with the homeschooling of my sisters. I was talking to Mommy the other day and commented on the fact that I began to teach Cosette when she was in 2nd grade and now she is in 5th grade. How fast time flies! These have been blessed years for me and, though there are times when I begin to wonder what God has for me in the future, I am confident that this is where He wants me right now and I am very thankful to be here.

This year is a little different than the previous years. For one thing, I have added Leisel (who is in 10th grade) to my list of students. In previous years, she was doing computer school, but this year Daddy and Mommy decided to have her go back to doing book school. Another thing is that I have decided to work independently of a school curriculum. Leisel and Lynnae are both doing Saxon Math while Kayleen and Cosette to Rod and Staff Math and Science. I am teaching Writing to them all this year using a Writing book by Susan Bradrick. It is very helpful and gives them many opportunities to put into practice all of the grammar skills that you learn in a normal English textbook. They all have a remarkable talent for writing and I am exciting to see them improve over the coming year.

For History, I found a program on AIG that I decided to use this year. It was put together by Diane Waring and is written for grades 6-12 so that all of the girls are able to do it together. Since History is my favorite subject, I am really excited about the program this year. Our study book is Romans, Reformers, and Revolutionaries and this month we have been studying the fall of Rome and the rise of the early church. In the process, the girls have written a research paper on a subject of their choice, listened to lectures, and been able to do some fun activities such as skits mocking several of the emperors of Rome.

Piano and violin lessons have begun again and practice is getting into a routine. Leisel's teacher is going to be teaching her how to improvise on hymn playing and so I am going to sit in on Leisel's lessons so that I can learn all that I can. I can easily play the hymns, but none of the complicated furbelows come very naturally to me.

We are still in our rental home waiting for the Lord to show us the next step, but we are confident that he is directing our path. It feels good to be in a routine again and I try not to think to much about how nice it will be to be finally settled in a place that we can call our home.

The results of helping the chief baker clean up a chocolate caked spoon.

Several weeks of beautiful autumn weather has made it possible for the little ones to get out and play in the back yard. The yard is small and they have to run laps in order to get the proper amount of exercise, but, since it is fenced in, Mommy feels much more comfortable letting them run around by themselves. They have enjoyed the extra time outside.