That time of year again...

That time of year is coming upon us again....school! I had hopes of starting this week, but with the sweet corn just about ready, I figured I'd better wait until the bulk of that was finished. We will have a lot at once for cutting and freezing, and then we have more that will be more staggered for fresh eating. So it looks as though school will be starting next week.

Larissa will be in fourth, Alaina second, Charlotte first, and then two toddlers. Yes, Anne is now toddling around! And Landon is a big three year old. I am not sure how the morning time will go with a very busy boy and a little girl who will be transitioning out of morning naps at some time during the year. It feels as though there is some kind of change going on.

The girls will be doing Math U See for math this year. Language Arts, Alaina and Charlotte will be doing Sing, Spell, Read & Write. Larissa will be finishing up her SSRW from last year, and then starting Simply Grammar by Karen Andreola. We are doing Sonlight for history this year. We will be doing American History. Science will be Apologia's Land Animals of the Fifth Day. I got the lapbook CDRom for that and so we will have a little crafty time, hopefully on Friday afternoons.  They will also be working on printing/cursive and I thinking about spanish. I don't know. Between piano, dance, riding lessons, Awana, and co-op starting in September, I feel as though we will be plenty busy. Too busy. How does that happen?

Something different I am doing this year is I got each of the girls their own planner. I want to try and write out the week's assignments so they can see what they have to do and then can check it off when they are done with that day's assignments. Some of them do well with the idea of checking off a list. We'll have to see if this mom can keep up with it. (smile)

The next big thing is figuring out the house cleaning routine and fitting it in with schooling so it's not all done on one day. I would like to spread it out, yet feel unsure about how to do it. And the school schedule too. I want to try and do our main subjects, math and language arts, in the morning, and then after lunch doing history, science and their own reading. It sounds and looks so simple on paper, yet trying to stick to it is the hard part.

I am also still trying to fit in ladies bible study and worship team practice....so it feels as though our plate will be full. Full of good things. Yet I am praying as we go into this year, it will be with an open hand and that when I feel the nudge to cut something, I won't be afraid to do so. Wisdom, a discerning spirit, patience, flexibility.....oh how I need all of this!

Here's to a productive, inspiring, hope-filled year!!!