Homeschool Mother’s Journal

We started school this week. Those words feel wrong coming out, but it is true. For someone who grew up in a region where school started the Tuesday after Labor day starting school in August (actually, the last day of July!) seems absurd! There are a few reasons for our early start (which, turns out, isn’t all that early! A lot of public schools started this week, too!) Our trip to Nigeria in October was a huge reason we started when we did. I want to complete a full term before we leave so we will be squishing a twelve week term into the eleven weeks before we fly out, then upon our return jumping right back in to do six weeks of work (half a term) before our Christmas break.

I’ve decided to jump in to something new – Check back every Friday for my journal update and a free printable!

This first week has been good – we’ve maintained our schedule and routine and I have high hopes that it will stick! On Friday’s the boys are to bring me all of their books and completed work for me to look over and plan for the next week, so that will be happening this afternoon and I have a few tweaks to make for next week to help things run smoother for them. I do keep on top of the work on a daily basis right now, too. I want good habits established from the beginning so I want them to know I am watching and encouraging them throughout each day. A couple friends and I started reading The Broken Way and meeting once a week to discuss it. I am enjoying it SO much and last night we were discussing this verse from Galatians 6 and how it applies to us as mother’s – “do not grow weary of doing good.” And then in verse 10 – “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

It’s a big thought to apply this within our home with our children.
Ann Voskamp discusses how we all want to “save the world” but don’t want to love and serve the individual right in front of us. It made me think of the quote by Mother Teresa;It is a huge charge to care for the hearts of our children but we must be careful that if we are educating them from home we aren’t losing site of the fact that we are to not grow weary of good works. It is Christ’s strength in us that enables us to get through each day’s tasks. His strength is made perfect in weakness and I have found this to be the greatest of comforts in my homeschool journey!

(Note: the Mother Teresa print is my freebie for the week! Click here or on the image to download.)

Another big change we had in the past week is my oldest got his hair cut! The above and below image were taken a week apart!! I can’t believe how much older he looks!This past week we bought Dragon Fruit as our new fruit of the week (see below) and we also bought Rambutan as we enjoy them and found a good price on them. (above) It’s been 6 or 7 years of buying a new grocery item each week and it’s been such a great experience for us! I don’t think my kids give a second thought to food placed before them – they’re willing to try anything once! And we all love the discovery of something new. A post I shared earlier this week that is worth mentioning in case you missed it is this HUGE list of family favorite games – we get told a lot that our games are weird – and it’s true! But they are so much fun and we enjoy them so I’ve collected our favorite board and card games. 

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