Well, here's what's going on in my corner of the world:

For the past two years I seem to have this anxiety crisis right after the holidays.  You know the "am I doing enough" questions really start to harrass me.  When I started this school year, I had a plan, a philosophy in mind, but I've had moments (days) of doubting  myself.

I call my learning philosophy " A Season for Everything".   When my ds1 was 6 I tried to teach him to read.  He wasn't interested or ready.  So we waited.  Last year as he was 7, turning 8, he was ready.  So our main "school" focus was phonics.  We did a litle handwriting, and a little math, and those were our priorities, in that order.  By the end of the year he was reading Level 2 readers . Now he loves to read and his skill is increasing by leaps and bounds, without much direct instruction from me.  I have no idea how it happened.  It was just the right season.  But last year I had severe anxiety over math. For two months I agonized over how much math we weren't doing.  It was hard to remind myself that it wasn't the right season.

So this year is the season for math.  If we do no other "table time" work, I try to do math 3-4 days a week.  He is progressing solidly.  We take our time to understand concepts and computation.  IT feels natural.  I hold myself back from rushing through subjects so he won't be "behind".  I remind myself that some seasons last longer than others, but they all have a purpose.  He told the cashier at the grocery store the other day that math was his favorite subject, and that he's good at it!  No math anxiety here!  It is the right season.  You can't plant bulbs in the winter and expect tulips in the spring.  The ground has to be ready to receive the seed.   I know this in my heart, I really do.  But now, I am anxious over his writing/grammar. 

School-aged kids at his age are writing papers and essays.  My son still needs help spelling!  He labors at copywork.  Now verbally, he can tell you a 20 page story, but he struggles to write one.   I try to calm myself by reminding myself that next year will be the season for writing/spelling/composition. 

Thankfully, I have some wonderful internet friends (like Home-Grown Kids) who have travelled this road long enough to assure me that me and my kids will be okay.  That Solomon knew what he was talking about, there is a season for reading, math, writing.  But buidling relationships, sharing God's word with your children, sowing into their hearts and minds,  creating strong family ties,  tending their character and attitudes - those things are always in season.  That's what I'm trying to learn today. 

Well, I thought that our break from our homeschooling schedule was going to be a short one.  But it turned out to be a couple of weeks.  For days I kept trying to get back on track with our math lessons, and history  and handwriting.  But something kept getting in the way - field trips, or the kids wanted to work longer on their Bible activities, or they got really into a math (what??) activity, or they were just having so much fun in imaginative play that I hated to break it up.  They were arguing less, cooperating more.  It was to good to be true.  My plans had gone awry, I had lost control, lost control to the Holy Spirit, and it was a good thing!

This week, we're back into our regular flow, and to my surprise the kids are less resistant, and I am less pushy.  I am praying daily that God will show me His plans for our days, and help me to be obedient to follow it.  I sat down Sunday night and wrote out our weekly plan and goals, and then I prayerfully surrendered it to God.  He is trying to teach me something, I am trying to be a good student.  I think it has something to do with surrendering, and submitting.  Not two of my favorite subjects, but definitely ones I desire to learn.     I pray I earn a passing grade!

For those who have never been tickled, or wrestled to the ground - you cry uncle when you just can't take the torture/pain/gigles any longer. 

For about a month everyone in my home has been in various stages of getting over and catching colds.  So for several weeks, I was sleep deprived, yet determined to stay the course in my homeschooling efforts.  For once, we actually started in mid-August, allowing us to gently ease into our weekly schedule.  And for once in 3 years I was consistenly following my plan, being disciplined, and seeing some results (from the kids and myself!).

But one morning a couple of weeks ago, I woke feeling tired and drained.  I prayed - Lord, give me strength today, and show me your plan, because I'm to wiped to carry out mine. - The phrase that came to mind was - "know when to cry uncle".  I didn't know what that meant, until my 2yo came to me mid-morning, as I was trying to move from phonics to math and get my second load of laundry in.  He was begging me to sit down and watch a video with him.  And I heard it again - know when to say uncle.  So mildly frustrated that "my plan" was interrupted, I sat and watched the video.  And I felt the Lord smile.  So, every since that day, I have been listening for the Holy Spirit to tell me, when to let go of my plan, pay attention to what my children really need at that moment, and NOT worry about detouring.

I feel that for the next two weeks or so, we are going to relax a little on our daily table time, and do a little more field trips and outside activities to enjoy the coming of Fall.  Yes, it is a detour in my plan.  I wasn't planning on taking a break until the end of the month.  But I feel it's what the kids need right now, and me too!

Today was one of those "I love homeschooling days!", one of those days when what you believe in theory begins to happen in practice. 

We've homeschooled for 3 yrs and every since I was introduced to the philosphy of "relaxed learning", "identity-directed" or "lifestyle of learning" homeschooling, I have known in my heart that this is what is right for my children and family.  Yet, it has taken me these three years to really start to release some of my old thinking and embrace this new way of thinking about learning.  Well, today, I saw some of the fruit. 

My oldest son (almost 9yo), asked me to buy him a small notebook.  When I gave it to him today and asked him what he was going to use it for, he said he wanted to take notes, like a reporter.  I casually mentioned that if he wanted to, we could work on a family newsletter.  He has watched me do a newsletter for a moms group I belong to.  His eyes lit up!  He immediately began to interview his brother (5yo) about his first Pee-Wee football practice tonite.  I watched him carefully write out a few more questions (with very neat handwriting and working very diligently on spelling), then preceed to write out ideas for a couple of stories.  This is the kid who can't seem to come up with one sentence on his own for captions for his own drawings!   I went about my own business, only giving direction when asked (which is very hard for me!).  It was so exciting to see how his interest in a project or topic motivated him to work on skills or knowledge by his own choosing, not mom's pushing. 

While all of this was going on, my 5yods was using the Cuisnaire Rods to build a model of our downtown skyline, complete with all the major sports arena's (he's an avid sports person).  After building it, he commented that he had to move the stadium away from the rest of downtown because it was closer to the lake, not close to some other buildings.  I laughed to myself as I was just contemplating using some worksheet activity to introduce him to maps and instructs the child to draw a map of his room, or his neighborhood.  Here my son was doing it on his own, in 3-d no less! 

They happily engaged in their activities for over an hour.  I was encouraged and inspired to keep believing in this relaxed learning/delight-directed way of learning.  As of today, I have just relaxed a little bit more.

I am always amazed how God uses my children to convict or confirm something that He has already told me.  It happened again today. 

Last weekend I was browsing through one of my favorite books - The Read Aloud Handbook - and I read the section about the effects of television on children and their reading.  For about a month the Holy Spirit had been whispering to me that I had let the tv viewing get out of control (again!).  After reading the section I knew that I really need to reign in the kids time with the tube, and mine as well, and my husband could use some trimming down as well (but that's another matter!).  So I started contemplating the how's and when's and what would be the replacement.  Then the very next week 2 of my favorite Christian radio programs aired programs about going on a TV fast for the month of August.  I knew the Holy Spirit was really talking to me then!  So I kind of decided that while we weren't ready (ok, I'm not ready!) for a full fast, we could definitely establish some set times for no TV.   I mentioned it to my oldest son, who is eight (and a half).   I explained it wasn't as a punishment, but I felt God was telling me that we needed to turn off the tv, and I asked him to pray about it. His reaction was compliant but not enthusiastic.  So I continued to pray that God would give us all strength! 

Today, my son said two things that has confirmed that we're going to do a "partial" tv fast.  First he pointed out to me that he had been spending more time drawing and reading and looking for other things to do besides watch tv.  Then as he finished some extra chores around the house to earn money, his comment was ..."you know, it feels good to do some work.  And since we're going on a TV fast, I'll have more time to work and help around the house." 

So, that's it!  Starting August 1 we are going to significantly reduce our TV time.  Right now I'm thinking no tv until after dinner.  Later I'll confess how much tv I've been letting my kids watch (maybe), and how things are going!