Encouraged

What a difference a week makes! After some much needed modifications our school routine is significantly better.
This week we had a good and natural blend of me imparting information to them, and the kids pursuing their own interests and agendas.

J, O and myself are memorizing Isaiah 58 from the NIV and have made it through verse 5.

We read in the Bible about Israel demanding a king, Saul's rise and fall, his fluctuating relationship with David, Jonathon and David's friendship, and David's journey to the throne.

During a discussion about the world's major rivers and how ancient civilizations began around them growing crops like corn and rice in the rich soil, we had time to follow a tangent and watch some youtube videos about what rice fields look like and how rice is harvested. We They learned what tributaries are.

All of them wrote and illustrated 2 books entitled: If Kids Were in Charge and When I Grow Up. (The younger ones had help.)

Jayla researched and wrote a (one page) report on shihtzu dogs. Onyx wrote one on the planets. He spent hours online reading on about outer space and learned things like, "stars are just really big balls of gas!" His great grandpa, who was a WWII pilot, taught him that in the night sky, stars twinkle and planets don't.

Jayla checked out some cook books from around the world at the library. She tried a recipe from Poland (honey cake) and one from Italy (dead bone cookies) this week - needing to double them of course for our brood - she liked them so she typed and printed them to put in her own book of recipes. She also made a house and tree from popcicle sticks and egg cartons during her quiet time.

They watched an hour of Planet Earth and did their Saxon Math assignments.

Tyden is working on naming the 7 continents. He is consistently naming 5 and usually misses 1 or 2.

Meadow is writing her numbers to 30 without an example to follow and she can spell Deutsch (no small task!) ! Flint can copy sentences and is working on his letters. His handwriting is very neat and he has excellent focus!

Onyx helped me make pear banana pancakes for breakfast yesterday and I had various supper helpers throughout the week.

They are all working hard on their contributions to the family through chores and responsibilites.

The older kids read to the younger at various times throughout the day.

On the nights he is home, Bobby is reading Swiss Family Robinson to us before bed. He finished chapter 9 this week.

I am humbly, incredibly grateful to God for reassurance, wisdom concerning how to proceed, and *more* peace *than last week*
He is good to me. I am fully reliant.

We are meeting friends at a park in town this morning to enjoy this beautiful weather. Because we can. :)