Burbridge St. Homies

Tomorrow, we begin week 7 of our homeschool adventure. I had read this great quote: "There is much to be discovered when where you live is where you learn and where you learn is where you live." I think it's from Charlotte Mason or Edith Schaeffer, I can't remember. Back in July, I received a grocery bag of homeschool books from my sister-in-law. I like to think I've been entrusted with the quintessential homeschool canon-- The Little Lamb's book of art projects, a collection of Aesop fables with amazing illustrations, and this primer from 1933, which suggests that children memorize passages of prose to promote diction and memorization. Our days have fallen into a rhythm: Everyone up by 7, Geoff takes the boys downstairs to start breakfast. I get dressed and go up to the homeschool room (formerly our playroom). Usually, Manny is sent up first and Geoff meets me on the stairs with my coffee. I meet with Manny for a half hour. In this time, we have worked on workbooks, built tangrams together, read aloud together, or just played memory for a half hour. Then I send for Benicio and we do the same. After that, we all go downstairs for breakfast and help Geoff to get to work. By 9:30, we are ready for our circle time-- Clara rings the bell that Mema gave us and everyone knows to come upstairs for songs, stretches and a little calendar lesson. We have been studying our bodies. After a 10 minute lesson about bones or muscles, we move into a group craft or a story. So far, we've had two illustrious guest lecturers and two exceptional yogis have agreed to teach as well.

Everyone asks how it's going: there are things I predicted and things I didn't. What I predicted: that things would relax, that the family clock would slow down, that Manny would begin to read on his own, and that I'd receive new stamina for the kids. I feel like I know each of them better. What I did NOT predict: that there are four voices asking me almost constantly ALL day long. That I would need to prepare lessons just as formally as when I taught at Hollow Reed. That I would need to use PBS as much as I do. And that, at the end of a long day, I am bone-tired and utterly spent.

Anyway, here's to a new season of blogging: I want to record this journey of learning at home. I want to look back at this and remember how this little home school took shape, how the kids and I made our way. I hope you keep reading and as always, go to bat for us in prayer.