Thursday, October 25, 2012

October days

I'm sitting here with Sam this morning as he eats his cereal and entertains me with his comments.  I snuck in a little video, I look forward to watching 10 years from now.


Life at home is moving and often it feels fast and furious.  Just when I think I have a child figured out there is a whole new thing to learn about them.  We are well on our way in this home schooling adventure and it's hands down the hardest thing I have ever done.  I still think it's very worth it and beneficial to our family.  I am still learning how to regulate my emotions when our day doesn't go as imagined.



Home school room all set up (it's never looked the same again)






My time with each child is so different...Jack, well he loves individual attention with his studies and if I could hold his hand all day and guide him step by step he would be satisfied.  I am working on his independent learning, this is harder for him than any one subject.  Jack has been so sweet in so many ways.  He loves touch, so if we read aloud he likes to be right next to me and he even may rub my arm or back.  It's fun to have slow moments to see some of that come out.  I am learning that Jack deep down likes to feel challenged but on the surface rejects it.  Jack is very insightful and adds to our group learning in great ways if he allows himself to stay engaged. 

Kate, is a hard little worker when she has motivation.  She works well independently on her phonics and math.  Kate can get discouraged easily if she feels like she isn't grasping a concept fast enough.  I often struggle with wanting her to "just get it".  It's been good to slow down and remember I am her teacher now it's my job to explain things in a way she understands.  Kate started piano this fall and seems to be doing well.  Our time together is good because I need all these little learning opportunities to build a relationship with her.  Kate has an incredible imagination so she will play independently tucked away somewhere this in the past didn't create very many opportunities to connect outside of dinner and bedtime.  My desire for Kate is to see a relationship with her that deepens this year and has depth beyond what she's doing at the moment.

Lucy, oh Lu I wish I had more focused time with you!  Lucy wants to "do" school so bad.  I have a workbook for her and coloring pages but she often rejects those.  I think she would like my undivided attention and for me to be purposeful with her.  She knows when I am just handing her busy work and she rejects it.  I need to find a way to have a focused school time with her.  I know this would tell her that she is loved and thought of.  Often when we are doing school Lucy likes to write in her journal, this consists of squiggly lines across the page.  Lucy loves Starfall a online game that ends up teaching her far more than I can right now.  Lucy likes our history, we have a timeline we are memorizing from creation to present day.  Lucy has the events from creation till 1000 b.c. memorized.  I guess things like identifying letters and number will come eventually.  I have a lot of room to grow in my time with Lucy.

We call this our monkey platter it is often our mid morning snack for all to share.
And then there is Sam, he can be so wild some days or just play quietly others.  I try to pull him onto my lap to participate in what we're doing, he's not that kind of child.  He wants to be doing something constantly with his hands.  I had this little picture of what it might be like before we started schooling at home, so far that is a lost dream.  I hoped that Sam would quietly play with the game or toy I gave him beside me while I taught my other children, boy was I wrong.  I love having Sam around he adds so much entertainment.  If I have been in the basement for awhile with the older ones he will often come down with a snack he got for himself.  He definitely keeps me on my toes.

Sitting the way I pictured.
What really goes on.
                 

No explanation.

                                                                         

That's homeschooling with team Davis in a very small nutshell.

Other things happening in the Davis world...we have two young ladies living with us.  Morgan who has been with us for a year now and is getting married soon.  We are so sad to see her go.  We have already experienced having one girl, Jess, move out that was sad for us and our kids but life moves everyone on.  Last week Amanda moved in with us, she is from Seattle and is dating a friend of ours.  We are in the get to know you stages of life with her.  She will be here only until December.  Tuesday Amanda spent the day with the kids and I helping with schooling and care of the children, it was great to have a hand.  I think the Lord knew I needed a little help this season of life.

We got blood drawn for the adoption.
                                               

Adoption update!!  We are so close to completing paperwork!!!!  We have our last home study visit today.  My goal is to turn in the paperwork in December, from there it will be 4-6 weeks until we are officially on a wait list.  That will be the first time our agency can look at their existing children and consider our family as a match.  The excitement is building as we move forward.  I have a another fundraiser planned, it starts tomorrow.  I hope to order 2 ipad minis and raffle off both.  The Lord has been so amazing in the money department.  He continues to lay it on other people's hearts to donate to the adoption.  We have not sent out anything requesting monetary donation yet I receive checks in the mail and people that are not involved in our daily life saying they want to donate.  I feel at complete peace about the money aspect of the adoption.

4 comments:

Susan Holt Simpson said...

Hi! Have to say that I loved reading about your home schooling adventures as you start out and make progress! What an encouragement you are to other families considering the home schooling choice.

*** And that bunny ears photo is PRICELESS! I imagine that photo will come in really handy in about ten years or so! ;0)

s

Linda said...

You homeschool room is beautiful! My homeschool room has to share my dining room right now. Love reading about your adventures! I wish you the best in your homeschooling and adoption endeavors.
Linda
Always looking for new and exciting ways to continue our online homeschooling!

running shoes said...

So great to have seen you last night!
I'm in LOVE with your homeschool room... and where did you get that desk?
Thanks for being real and transparent, but always pointing to Christ through it :)

Inspired by His Love said...

I got the desk at ikea. It's 2 table tops and 4 drawers(legs). Glad we got to chat last week, always good to talk to you!