I'm moving closer to figuring out what I want to do over the summer.   Hugs said, "Why don't we get a summer vacation?"  And I explained that we've worked hard at school, and there are things that I don't want to lose progress on (math, mostly).  I said, "In public school, kids end up spending the first month ot two reviewing what they'd learned last year, and I don't want us to forget everything."  He was satisfied with the answer. 

We'll also be doing the library's summer reading program when we get back from vacation.  This lasts from mid-June through early August (about 8 weeks), and I'll discuss a reading goals with Hugs for this program.   He's more into the number of books vs. the length of the book, which I'm fine with because we'll still be doing Sonlight's gr. 3-5 readers.  Oh, and we'll have a couple weeks of swimming lessons and rec league soccer, too.

Smiles: We'll continue to work through the preK program;  he gets so much out of the read alouds and science that I do with Ben.

     I'm (slowly) working through my summary of our 2nd grade year for our annual portfolio evaluation next Wednesday.  This isn't something I have to add into our portfolio, but it gives me a chance to reflect on the positivies/ negatives of our year.  I am so thankful for the wonderful Christian woman who is our evaluator;  I've known her since Hugs was 2 and we started attending a MOPS group where she was the mentor mom.   Last year was our first review (kindergarten is not required here), and it was such a positive experience for me as the teacher!

     Anyway, I thought I'd go ahead and write out our reasons for homeschooling:

1. To Bring God Glory:  In all I do, I want God to be glorified.  In our schooling, especially, I know that I cannot do this without Him in the picture.  We've had days "without" God (no Bible study, no morning devotional reading for me, etc.) and those days are HORRIBLE!!!!  Those days have shown me that I can ONLY do this with his grace and strength.   Additionally, I want my children to understand that God is the creator of everything and in our learning I want them to praise him for all his creation --- math, the arts, the beauty of music, the order of his creation, and his hand throughout human history.
2. To Provide An Excellent Educaton for Our Children: Having spent time in the public schools (I was a speech language pathologist), I have an understanding of what a typical day of school looks like for most children, and I'm deeply saddened by it.  It is not the type of education I want for my children. 
3. To foster a close, trusting, caring relationship with our children:  My 8 year old's favorite part of school is cuddling on the couch with a book to read.  I LOVE THAT ABOUT HOMESCHOOLING!  I was with him when he read his first book, when he "got it" with math, when he discovered he could do a narration!   I love being here with them and going on fun field trips.   I love discussing the books we're reading and learning with them.   My prayer is that this relationship building we are engaged in will continue into their teen and adult years, and they will look back fondly on these times.  I hope that we can grow up together as a family and share all these memories.
4. To build godly character in all we do.  I want my boys to seek out God first in everything they aim to do.  I want to arm them with his Word so they can go out into the world for Him.  I want to raise up a generation that will serve him in anyway He might ask.  I have 3 boys, 3 future fathers and leaders of their families.  They have the ability to impact generations to come, and I want to give everything I have in this task I am charged with:  raising God's warriors. 

     An email group I've been a part of for 4 years has been discussing a thread on homeschooling year round.  Everyone assumes that even homeschoolers follow the public school calendar -- even those businesses that sell to homeschoolers.  This made me start thinking about how we homeschool.

     Ever since I first thought of homeschooling, I imagined homeschooling year round.  Oh, the freedom that would offfer!  We could take weeks off during "odd" vacation months and go on vacation;  we could spend our summers lying around reading books, then go swimming at the pool.

    My ideal school calendar would allow us to take from Thanksgiving to Christmas "off."  This means we'd focus our studies on the Reason for the Season more;  doing advent projects, taking time to make Christmas gifts for those dear to us; writing out Christmas cards, making cookies, etc. etc. etc.   Then, we'd "start" our new subject matter in January and go for a while, taking a week off sporadically to rejuvinate ourselves.  Then, in the summer we'd continue on with a longer break  at some point -- and a vacation week.

     With only 1 child officially homeschooled, it has been fairly easy to flex when we do school during the year.  This year, our quaint "Reason for the Season" break was spent in Disney World in Florida and then spend packing and unpacking our house (we moved)!  Hugs continued his studies in math and language arts.  Instead of taking off "planned" weeks during the winter/ spring, we've taken off a day here and there for those times when we've had piles of errands to do - like the day I realized I had no milk or diapers in the house, and a pile of library books are overdue!  Then, when my family visits, we inevitably take off at least half the days they are here.

     As the summer rapidly approaches, I forsee us taking nearly all of June off;  the boys and I are going to visit my family.  Then, we'll restart our math studies when we return, keep plugging away at the Sonlight grade 3-5 level readers (used to be 2 Advanced), as well as other books for the summer reading program.  I'm hoping to get the kids signed up for swimming lessons as well this summer. 

     I think, for the first time, our studies will align with what my original plan would be: to "start" school in January with our new studies (primarily our history/ geography):

August-November:  finish SOTW 2 (through Renaissance)

November - December: Christmas/ Advent studies; continue with math, Latin review/ drill

January 2008:  Start our U.S. history studies with Ben in 3rd grade.   Begin (if we haven't already) teaching Luke phonics using something, I just don't know what yet.

I want our first year of U.S. history to be full of field trips and excursions to all the historic sites here in New England.  I anticipate lots of road trips!