Togetherness

I think this picture captures it all for me. If homeschooling accomplishes nothing else for my children but brings them together as a close family, then I will be absolutely satisfied!

Last year Katy and I became so close after spending so much time together. I noticed that she showed more respect for me. How else, but by spending your days together will a mother teach her daughters how a life should be lived. How else would I show them what is important to me, how I do things, what kinds of ideas should be embraced?

We start our day at breakfast, together at the table. Then I drive Madyson up to the local public school and the girls clean up after breakfast. They clean off the table, wipe the counters, sweep the floor and put away anything else.

At 9am we sit down at the table in the school area, and we start with a prayer and then bible study, and then we sing a couple of songs or learn a new one.

Next we do History together and talk about the lesson. By this time it is usually around 10:30am, I give the girls a list that has Science, Math, Handwriting, Spelling and Word of the Day on it with boxes to check off when they are complete.

At this point I work one-on-one with Ava Marie by doing a letter lesson or just reading to her. She does towel time while I am with the big girls. Sometimes she chooses a towel time activity to play with me.

By 11am I am in my office and the girls are finishing up the rest of their schoolwork on their own. After they are done they make lunch and play with Ava Marie or watch Math-Tacular or How It Was Made videos. We also set up an art studio in the basement so they like to go down there and work on projects. They love to paint and sew and create little cities out of cereal boxes.

We also have voice lessons on Wednesday, dance on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, and Youth Group on Wednesday night. We are just starting to get involved with a local group called The Homeschool Hookup, a Facebook group that organizes all sorts of activities and fun stuff for homeschoolers. Most are pretty young, but we have had fun in the things we have gone to so far!