Hello Again

Our life has been really busy this school year. We started another year and now Jenna is in Kindergarten. So I am officially homeschooling two kids this year and I started babysitting my neighbor's (and friend) baby. So far, so good! Cade is finishing up his first season of tackle football-last game this Friday. He has enjoyed it but not getting tackled. Ha! Jenna also started gymnastics and absolutely loves it. Cloee and Luke just like playing. Our homeschool week is typically Monday-Thursday. Fridays are reserved for possbile cleaning, fun at the park, etc. Jeff is currently not working on Fridays-the company has had to let a lot of people go, so we're thankful for just a cut in hours. Although I can't see us being able to do that long term. We'll just keep praying! However, it has really been nice having him home on Fridays!! We usually get up slowly and I first do school with Jenna while Cade entertains Cloee and Luke. At this point, Kindergarten does not take very long. Typically about an hour each day unless there is art or a craft to do. Jenna loves it but does not like handwriting! I think it gets boring for her. Cade starts his school after I finish with Jenna. Most of his work he does independently now. I have finally discovered audiobooks and that has helped him tremendously. Cade HATES to read. He has Dyslexia and an Auditory processing disorder that goes along with it. Reading is not fun for him. He is currently reading Johnny Tremain. I found an audiobook on iTunes and bought it for him as well. So while he listens to it on his iPod he follows along in his book. He says it's so much better this way. So from now on, I will try to find audiobooks of the books I have already purchased for him to read this year. Cade's curriculum for this year: ~Horizons Math. I absolutely love this curriculum and hope they will continue to go through high school. They currently only go to 9th grade I believe. ~LifePac Bible. ~Apologia Science ~Rod and Staff English. This is our first year with Rod and Staff and I LOVE, LOVE it! ~ A Beka American History. ~ Wordly Wise Vocabulary-Love this program ~ January we will start a writing program but I forget which one and don't have it handy. ~Missions. Cade will be going on a mission trip in November to Rio Bravo and also for Spring Break. He will also be going with Jeff and I to work on a lady's home who fosters children and needs some sprucing up in the home. That will be the first Saturday in November. So several missional opportunities coming up! Jenna's curriculum this year: ~Heart of Dakota curriculum: this covers everything except handwriting, phonics and math. ~ Math~ Saxon. We are enjoying this curriculum. Each day is calendar work and then some type of manipulative work. ~Explode the Code (for phonics). I really like this program and Jenna is sailing right through it. ~A Reason for Handwriting. I like it and it's easy. She just doesn't like to focus on it for very long so some times we do half at one time and the other half later. It's only one sheet per day. Her curriculum includes many read alouds. Currently we are reading Reddy Fox. The kids are doing great. We seem to be busy! Taking care of Mattie is super easy. The kids absolutely adore her. She's about to be 5 months now and fits right into our crazy family!