This is our second year of homeschooling our oldest daughter (7) and the first year we've incorporated teaching the next two (5 and 3).  Add in the newborn who made her arrival in July and we DEFINITELY have an adventure!

It has been challenging and at times, rather discouraging.  But then I will overhear the girls playing, incorporating something we learned and I realize, "Hey, they DID learn something!"  I am aware that many, many others also experience these times of discouragement and frustration and that alone makes me feel much better.

I am teaching all 3 of them using the Weaver curriculum (unit studies).  We are currently using Interlock for everything (other than math and language arts) and I LOVE the fact that I can teach all 3 of them Bible, science, social studies and art and they are all learning the same thing!  This hands-on approach is the way to go for my middle 2 girls as they are DEFINITELY hands-on learners.  Being able to focus on one area and teach all 3 of them even though there is a total of 4 years between them has been a real blessing - and fun!  It makes my heart sing when they ask me "Mommy, when are we going to do school today?"

Our oldest is a negotiator and loves to try to negotiate "how much" individual school she will do.  They all love the part of school where we are learning the same thing, but the individual stuff can become tricky.  I've convinced daddy that he needed to help in this area, so he has taken on math with the oldest.  That has been hard for me because math is my favorite subject!  But I get to teach the younger 2 so I'm going to have to be grateful.  This is also a challenge for me because of their learning styles.  They are both JUST LIKE my husband, so he thinks and understands the way their minds work - not me!  My oldest is a lot like I am so explaining things to her is much easier for me than explaining something to the next 2, but God is stretching me and I am learning to think "outside my box".

I've learned to judge my days based on whether everyone seems to be content and I know that I accomplished at least one task that I had planned.  I've also learned to lighten up in the "mess" area.  We bought a very long desk that I have called the "project desk" and that has helped.  It has a laminated top and the rest is wood.  It was used at a daycare center that was closing and I realized it was PERFECT.  I don't care if the top gets paint, marker or whatever on it and play dough doesn't stick!  :)   So using it for our projects has been a blessing for everyone - mommy is less stressed and the girls don't have to be SO careful!  Now I am actually giving them glue and scissors and letting them figure out how much glue is "too much".  That was a difficult one, but it has made them much happier as they all love to do their projects by themselves.  I keep telling myself the more I let them do these things, the less messy they will become - I just have to be patient!

We have also begun lapbooking and that has been a challenge - but something the girls and I are enjoying at the same time.  It is a learning process and I think it will become easier as time goes on and we all become more experienced.  As we finish our lapbooks, I will try to take pictures and upload them to share with you.

I'll try to keep things current on what we are doing and learning.  These are the curricula we are using:

Weaver - Interlock

Wisdom Words (Weaver's Grammar)

In The Hands of a Child (special unit studies)

Daily Language Review

Horizon Math

Horizon Penmanship

1-2-3 Read

Hooked on Phonics

There are others I would like to incorporate and will eventually do so, even if it means our unit studies will stretch out into more days than originally planned.  I'd like to incorporate the following:

The Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide

Trail Guide to Bible Geography

Draw Write Now

Spanish (but daddy has to teach)

Eventually we'll have the system down that works for our family.  For now, we are doing what we can each day as we try to figure out a schedule with a baby as part of the family.  Having her can take my planned day and completely turn it upside down.  Thus, the way I've considered my day a success has had to change.  That is why, for now, I consider my day a success if everyone appears content and I know that I accomplished one task that I had planned.  In another year or so I am sure that will change and we'll be looking again for another schedule.  But for now, I'll try to remember to be content in where I am, knowing that God has promised to not give me more than I can handle (with HIS help).  After all, this is His adventure for our family and I have to make sure He is the one leading us down this path.