Whoever thought the alphabet could be so cute?

And, on that educational note...let me share a few home schooling tid bits that I have learned since starting a new year of school for any of you out there who might be interested.

Samuel is doing really well with home school. I started him on a new curriculum that I had never used before (crazy,huh?). It's called Explode the Code. Anyway...I was a bit nervous when I started looking at it because it is not like a "traditional" Language Art's book that teaches the letter and sound but pretty much sticks just to learning and writing the letter. Explode the Code immediately starts putting the letter "A" right into words. Pat, rat, sat, ran, pan...teaching the letter in the context of other letters. Samuel has done GREAT with it! Maybe it's because he is older and can grasp more than a typical kindergartener would? He came to us knowing his alphabet...but only the capital letters and not the sounds that they make...but he has really flourished under this curriculum and is learning many letters and sounds all at once without even realizing it.

In the morning,after Bible, I start Micah, Grace and Faith with their penmanship, spelling and reading comprehension books (which they can usually do without much help) so that I can work one on one with Samuel and that seems to be working out really well. We are taking it slow with math...a couple of numbers a week and shapes!

I also wanted to tell you about another AMAZING History book by Christian Liberty Press. Last year I used their "History for Little Pilgrims" and it often brought me to tears with how God and His plan came shining through each page...after all it is truly HIS story! Even if you don't home school, I would strongly encourage you to pick up a copy (CBD, ebay...it's really cheap!). It reads like a book! Well, I enjoyed the book so much that I got another history book for this year by them called, "Our Nation Under God". I LOVE it! What history book do you know of that starts the first chapter talking about all the governments that God has set up...including family gov. and church gov.? What a great time it was teaching the kids about how God established the family and the order of how things should work in the family and also in the church, the family of God.

And my newest discovery may seem like no big deal to you...but I think it is going to prove to make this year much more enjoyable. In the past, I have always felt free to plan things in the early afternoon (dr.'s appt., etc...) because I home schooled in the morning. But knowing that I have something that we have to be at right after lunch always created an impatience in me...."Hurry up kids", "You need to get your school work done quicker"...I just felt rushed and pushed that on to the kids, sadly, too.

I have learned that the day goes much smoother when we do not have something going on right after lunch. I may not always be able to follow that rule...but I am going to try to stick to a more typical school schedule (at least on paper)...not planning activities or appointments until after 2 pm.

I am learning that sometimes it can be the smallest of changes that can reap big blessings. Often the "small change" is simply my attitude!:)