Back to School

Rachel started school last Monday and it is going well. We are trying some new things this year and so far they are all working very well. I am NOT a morning person so for all the years we have home educated our kids, I haven't ever done very well with making the kids get up early. However, things are changing this year!! I am getting up at 6:00 and Rachel is up by 6:30. Our days have been very productive and it feels good to have that sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. We changed some curriculum this year and so far it has been good. Rachel is a good student but she has always struggled with getting her math finished in a timely manner. Some days it seemed that she would never get finished. I was dreading this year because it's time for Algebra I and I knew I didn't want to use the curriculum we used for Allan. We decided to use Teaching Textbooks Algebra I for Rachel and it is amazing. She LIKES doing her algebra. And not only does she like it, it does not take her all day to complete an assignment - what a blessing it is. She is also taking Spanish I, Physical Science, Home Economics, English, Literature, and World Geography. She likes all of her subjects except science. We change from Abeka to Apologia for high school and it doesn't have all the pretty pictures like Abeka and it also requires the student to think a little more. We are "test driving" a four day school week this year with Friday mornings to do home economics projects and Friday afternoons for chores and completing any assignments that might not have been finished by Thursday afternoon. Rachel is doing her own laundry now and Fridays are a good day since she doesn't have ballet!

Allan began his freshman year of college on Monday. His classes are going well so far and he likes his schedule. All of his classes are morning classes and that makes it easy for him to get school out of the way before he goes to work. It has been very different with him gone from home all day. I suppose it is no different from kids who are in public school all day but it is very different from what our last 7 years have been. I am so thankful for the time that we had together for his last seven years of school and that we were open to the Lord's leading us on this path.