Week One

Our first week is past, and though I have no pictures (I know, boring, right?) I just thought I would update that we have started our schooling and we had a good week, for the most part, and I am excited for the year!
We started Monday morning with lots of expectations! The first day was great. The kids were wonderful and loved the routine and activities. We realized quickly that timers don't work well for us. Things quickly became a race, and Aaron, as competitive as he is, could not handle the pressure. So, we put the timers in the cabinet. Lexi uses hers for her piano practice, but that is it for the timers. Who knows, maybe I will actually use them for Eli's timeouts, seeing as though he is in them alot right now. I think the adjustment has been hardest on him. I keep him with us all morning and give him puzzles, playdoh, books, colors, etc., but it seems as though he would rather steal pencils and the kids spelling books, creating chaos as best he can. But, he IS adjusting and my time with him, inbetween, is great.
We keep busy from 8:30 am till lunchtime, and then we eat and play, practice piano, do some fun projects read and rest a little. Thursday was tough. I think I might have become that mean teacher who threatened to never let us go home (yes, my 1st grade teacher threatened that a time or two, okay everyday, and made me cry). Not really, but I didn't feel like I was holding it all together very well. But we made it through and after a great day at the library (great except for Eli's horrendous 2 fits) we are all excited for the weekend.
Perserverance was the word for the week. I realized this week how easy it is to just give up when things don't go as planned. I think I probably give up on things rather easy in life. When things get hard, it is easiest to either change course, or just give up. We think, in this culture we live in, that if it doesn't work right off the bat, we just should quit and do something else. I learned this week, with the encouragement of great friends, that we are going to be tempted to do just that, especially when God is wanting it for us, and we believe it is, at this point in our life, what He wants. So, I kept to our schedule and to my lesson plans, no matter the resistance and I prayed alot, and cried a little, just a little. Eventually, they will understand that this is what life looks like, and it won't be so hard. The Lord brought about complete joy today. I know that this is not going to be easy, but I am thankful for this time of engaging my kids and I am enjoying it (even when they are not ;-)). But they did. I know because I heard them tell their Daddy all about it.
The kids made candles, canvases of rainbows, took spelling quizzes, learned Philippians 2:9-11 (earning a jewel in their crowns) and learned all about light and authority this week. And so did I. Like, for instance, I found out that our sun is getting bigger and bigger as time goes on, and in another 5 billion years it will swallow everything surrounding it. (So, why are we so surprised the earth is getting warmer?) I know you all probably knew all about that, but I did not. Exciting, I think. I have this strange feeling I won't be around to see that happen.