School Days

Today was our first day of homeschool! I gave myself a week to adjust to Madelynne being gone each day - and though I can't say I've fully adjusted, at least I felt a bit more emotionally and mentally prepared to start school today with Chloe and Lukas.

Chloe is in First grade this year and Lukas is excited to be starting some Preschool work! Here are my two homeschool kiddos (though they are two years apart I am sometimes asked if they are twins!):

Chloe started her Scaredy Cat Reading - Words - today. I'm looking forward to a FUN way of teaching phonics and language (something I think we were missing out on last year!) and this program seems to take such an approach. Today we watched the introductory DVD together and then she worked on putting a list of words in ABC order.

Lukas is working hard here on decorating a name tag for his "school box" (the white basket you see in the background).

Chloe also began the Alpha workbook of Math-U-See and then we worked on some shapes and problem solving with Playful Patterns (from Discovery Toys).

Lukas played with some magnetic alphabet letters and together we found all of the letters in his name - with the exception of the letter "S", as we couldn't find ANY of those - so we just improvised and made our own "S"! Looks like I need to acquire some new alphabet letters...

We joined our buddies, Kristi, Kylie, and Caleb, at the park for a picnic lunch and some fun playing time - it ended up being a beautiful, sunny afternoon.

I asked Lukas tonight what his favorite part of school was and he replied, "When we came home to eat supper...because I was wee-ee [really], wee-ee [really] hungry!" Umm, how about what was your favorite part in the school room??? "Making our name tags and doing centers."

Chloe said she liked everything...but she doesn't really feel like she is in First Grade. "What grade do you feel like you are in?" I asked her. "Second!" Wishful thinking...

This school year is bound to be one of change and growth - and I'm praying God will use it for good. Although I cried each day I left Madelynne at school last week, the lump that has been in my throat and the butterflies in my stomach are subsiding with each day. My eyes just welled up with tears as I spoke with the teacher last Friday about her first week at school; I've cried buckets as I can hear the children playing on the playground during recess from our own backyard, as I grab three plates for the kids' lunch, but now I only need two, as I worry about the friends Madelynne is choosing and how she will be accepted by her peers as a new student - these are just a few of the things that have weighed so heavily on my heart and mind! I know with all of my heart that Madelynne is absolutely loving the transition (we have talked extensively each day about everything from the proverbial "A" to "Z"), we are working at getting to know her teacher and her classmates and their families...these things all take time. I am on one hand relieved to have a bit more of myself to "give" to Chloe and to Lukas - he is an especially complicated, challenging, intricately-made little boy who keeps me praying for wisdom, patience, and grace, and more wisdom each day! Yet on the other hand, I can wrestle with good ol' motherhood guilt, because I miss Madelynne so much and it's been so hard to let go in this way... I know and trust that the Lord, in His sovereignty, will see us through, and I am thankful for that. We are thankful for friends and family who have surrounded us with prayer and support and encouragement - what a blessing!