God, life, family, kids, etc…

We did it – first half year of homeschooling completed! We celebrated by doing Pony Camp, which I’ll blog about once I download the pictures.

I feel like it’s been a good year – so much so that we’re planning on homeschooling next year again. The girls want to homeschool again, too, so that’s encouraging. I’m planning on getting involved in the homeschool co-op here next year, which I think will be a good addition to our “program.”

I have really enjoyed the chance to do things like horseback riding and Swahili lessons, without feeling like we’re rushing around everywhere. I like that we can take a day off whenever we feel like it, and that we can finish school in about 4 hours a day. We’ve also had the chance to do a lot of reading – something I wanted to prioritize before, but had trouble making the time to do. We read the Little House on the Praire series (we had read the first 2 books, I think, before we got here.) We’re on the 6th book in the Rose series (about Laura Ingalls Wilder’s daughter.) We have really enjoyed both these series.

We’ve also memorized Psalm 121, a couple hymns, and a rap about the Books of the Bible.

It’s been such a blessing that the girls have so many friends in our neighborhood. They get lots of social interaction, and I get a break. That is one hard thing about homeschooling – being together ALL the time.

Because I wasn’t using the same curriculum as they had at public school in the fall, I started at the beginning with our books, and then skipped some stuff (mostly math) that they already knew. Here was our rough daily schedule (if you really want to read it! ):

1. Read the Bible (we read through Luke and started Acts), work on memory verse or song, pray

2. Story of the World (history) (done together) – we finished most of volume 1. This is an excellent book, and the girls loved it. There are coloring pages and maps, as well as other optional activities, that go with each story. Each one is only a couple pages long, so keeps their attention. I love how they are relating it to things that come up in our lives – we read a nursery rhyme about Rome today and they remembered learning about it in Story of the World.

3. Meredith: A Reason for Handwriting K (finished the book), Developing the Early learner – we completed most of the 4 books. I skipped some early lessons because they were too simple. This is a great curriculum – I also used it for Lauren in Kindergarten, and both really enjoyed it. Get ready for, Set and Go for the Code. Again, finished most of these 4 books (skipped easier lessons.) We also worked on sight words I got from her Kindergarten teacher in the US.

4. Spelling and Phonics for Lauren (she almost finished both books by doubling up on spelling lessons every week.) Realized after a couple months that the spelling lessons were based on phonics rules (oops!!), so started coordinating her phonics to go with her spelling.

4. First Language Lessons (together) – we finished all the first grade material and started the second grade material. I later learned more of the philosophy behind this book, and I think would have done a better job and enjoyed it more with that knowledge.

5. Saxon Math – Lauren did level 2 and Meredith did some of level 1. Again, Lauren mostly doubled up lessons, and we skipped ones she knew, so she was able to almost finish the whole book.

6. Five in a Row – this is a fun reading program that has math, science, art, and social studies activities that relate to a book that you read each day for a week. We did this off and on (depending on whether I could find the books that went with it.) Examples of the books: Make way for Ducklings, Andy and the Lion.

7. Reading – Lauren is really into reading, and reads at night before she falls asleep. She also reads some during the day on her own. She’s loves the Boxcar children and the Magic Tree House series’ right now. Near the end, I tried to focus more on reading with Meredith. That is something we still need to work on, especially in building her confidence in it.

We did some fun field trips, which I blogged about. And we started going to the homeschooling library here, which is really great. Sometimes I panic, thinking we haven’t learned what the kids need to know. But then I remind myself that they finished most of their books for the year, and they know most of the material in them, so they should know what they need to know (I hope!!)

Our old friends Rob and Liz came to visit this week from Tanzania. Rob and I have known each other since we were kids, and Liz and I since college. We got together a few times as couples for Settles of Catan marathons. So it was great to reconnect, and watch our kids also become friends. Bridget is 5, Jack 3 and Amani 4 months old.

While they were here we celebrated Bridget’s birthday by visiting the elephant orphanage, and then going to a place where there are bounce houses and a swimming pool.

We hadn’t seen each other in about 10 years, so it was great to catch up on some of the things God’s done in our lives through those years: various jobs for all of us, finishing medical school (Rob) and NP school (Liz), 6 kids between the two families, and both of us moving to East Africa after dreaming of it for many years.

And one of the best things – anticipating more visits together over the next years, as we both hope to live here long term.

Thursday Lauren turned eight. The night before, I was telling her stories about when she was born: how she was born at 5:30am. How my mom called at about 8am to make sure we wanted them to come visit (we were already home, since Lauren was delivered at a birthing center by a midwife) – Erik was dead asleep from being up all night, Lauren was crying, our dog Kia was barking, I didn’t know what to do with a newborn, and I said “Yes, PLEASE come!!! As soon as possible!!” How she traveled to Uncle Wil and Aunt Amy’s wedding when she was only one week old. It’s so crazy to me that she’s already eight!

For Lauren’s birthday, she had her traditional breakfast out with Daddy, then friends over to play in the morning, other friends in the afternoon, and a party in the late afternoon. She’s been looking through a cake decorating book lately, so picked a couple different pictures from it that she wanted on her cake (flowers, writing, hearts, and an American flag in the shape of a star. I know – random.)

Some current things Lauren loves: reading (she’s always carrying around books – reminds me of myself!), horseback riding and soccer, and her friends. I’ve been so impressed by Lauren’s great attitude lately when potentially disappointed. For instance, I told her she could only open the presents from her friends at the party, and would open the others in the evening (because we have so many things compared to most of her friends), and she didn’t even complain about having to wait.

I’m so thankful for the last 6 months of being able to be home with the kids – not just to not be working anymore, but also having them home since I’m homeschooling. Not that it’s been all fun and games, but I am thankful for the chance to have this time with the kids, to be living our lives together, and to able to relate things from school to the rest of life (and vice versa.) I feel like Lauren has really been thriving, and it makes me so happy.

Yesterday, we picked up our new puppy named Cheza (means “play” in swahili.) She’s so cute, and we’re all loving having her. She’s a Staffordshire Terrior, a medium sized dog who is supposed to be really great with families.

We got her from our friends Erik and Rachel, and so have been visiting her ever since she was born. Coriena begged almost daily to go and “see the baby puppy!” So it’s great to have her here now.

Last night Cheza and Ndevu were playing – I don’t think Ndevu’s played like that in years. Now for the housetraining and “don’t chew on our furniture and shoes” training.

The other day we were discussing what the kids wanted to be when they grew up.

Lauren: I want to be a librarian.

Meredith: I want to teach horseback riding.

Coriena: I want to have babies. I want to nurse them.

So there you have it – I guess time will tell.