Back To School!

So, next Monday, August 31 is our first day of the 2015-16 school year! I am beyond excited and thankful for this opportunity to homeschool all 3 of our boys FULL-TIME this year! I am also giving piano lessons Monday-Thursday afternoons, in addition to Jamie and I being on the worship team, youth group leaders, and in some Bible studies! Malachi decided to join the cross-country team this fall, so that is another thing keeping our household very busy!

We are beginning Term 1 of Ambleside Online (amblesideonline.org if you want to check it out,) based on Charlotte Mason's teaching style and philosophy. I think it is pretty much the best curriculum ever, especially for diversity of subjects, and for the quality of the rich literature and poetry, etc. that it offers. I am so ready to dive in! :) Seriously, check it out if you want to learn more. My Auntie Missy first told me about this curriculum, and after hearing that it's what she uses with their wonderful 11 children, I was sold first thing!

I would love lots of prayer for me to have patience, for the boys to get along, and for us to just be content and love learning and love each other and for my piano students as well, that I would be the best teacher that I can be with God's help. I have never really thought of myself as teacher material at all so this is very stretching for me, but I know that I can do anything with God's help!

Malachi is 10 and will be in Year 5 of Ambleside (grade 5 if public school). Jonah is 6 1/2 and will be in Year 1 of Ambleside online (grade 1 if public school.) Asher is doing Year 0 of Ambleside which is basically just reading lots of great books, because he's only 4 and would have been in 4K if in public school. Charlotte Mason does not recommend pushing any formal learning before age 6, but next year I plan to dive into reading and math a lot more with Asher, as well as handwriting. He will be doing some this year, but only what he wants to do, as he really isn't required to do much yet.

  

We have been doing lots of canning - 100's of jars of applesauce and lots of green beans and hopefully some freezer corn soon. Malachi and his friend went out this morning and picked green beans, peas, tomatoes, peppers, carrots and apples. It's so rewarding to see the harvest of our garden. Hoping that our chickens start laying soon! Fall has come, and so quickly! I am looking forward to fall though! I love the crisp air and the gorgeous colors and am excited for a more regular school and piano lesson routine after the busyness of the summer.