school planning...

this summer i have been busy planning and preparing for our adventure in homeschooling! i have gotten really overwhelmed at times. and everytime i felt like i was going to have a panic attack, God always threw me a lifesaver, a person to encourage or a scripture to remember.

pretty much everyday, i question our decision to do this and like it has been from the beginning - it is fear based. i just don't know what it will look like. i just don't know how i can do this and be good at it. but i feel strongly that God has called me to this. and i am relying on the fact that He will do this through me.

so this is where i am with our homeschool plans...

i spent a great deal of time researching and looking at curriculum and trying to figure out what will work best with my kids (preschool, first and third grade) i finally narrowed it down and picked out what i think would be a good fit. then, i started looking for the best deal before i bought anything. we have two homeschool stores in my area, one is a used curriculum store and one has new curriculum. i made several trips to both before buying anything. and then i bought some things online too. and i still have a few more pieces to add to our collection.

i have begun to transform our dining room into a school room. i don't want the dining room to look like a classroom, but i want to have most of our things right there for when we need them. i have just begun this transformation. we have moved some bookshelves into the room for storage. i have organized some things on the shelves. and i have had two friends who were teachers before having kids offer to help me make some bulletin boards, i think i will take them up on that offer!!! so get ready ladies!

i am going to use the "filebox/workbox" system for each of my kids. i am totally excited about this - i love organizing and i love school supplies!!! basically, each child will have a container with file folders, each labeled with the subjects we are working on. their school books and papers will be filed in there. i am making them notebooks to keep in there too.

i have begun to outline {roughly} what our days will look like. i have made our calendar for the year and we will officially begin on september 1st.

i have made lists upon lists of supplies we need and goals we have for the year.

i have this huge desire that everything has to be done and ready to go on the first day. and i know that is not realistic. i know that this year will be a year for learning and growing for all of us.

i am trying to be flexible and keep this in mind but it is hard. i have been told by many other homeschooling moms to focus on the 3 r's this year and do very little else.

i am nervous, but i think that is normal. aren't most teachers nervous as the first day of school approaches?

i have great expectations on what God is going to do in the life of our family through this adventure. and i can't wait to share that with you!