Homeschool Makeover and some great reads!

Josiah and I read this book together this afternoon. It's a pretty easy read for a seven year old but if I take turns reading with him, it makes it more fun and he picks up on my voice inflections, then mimics. Love that! So I read a page and he read a page and so on. This was a great book and I plan on checking out every Dick-King Smith book I can get my hands on!

For the last few weeks, even in the midst of moving, I have been praying about a "Homeschooling makeover" and I believe the Lord has answered. Next year is going to be totally different and I am so excited! We are going all out "Charlotte Mason" style and I could not be happier. This fits me and because it fits me, my kids will be much more fulfilled. I am also switching Math curriculum. Maybe Saxon, maybe A Beka. I love A Beka Math. If you are considering Homeschool or feel like you need some Homeschooling encouragement, check this book out. My friend Rachel bought it for me a few weeks ago and I read it within a couple of days. In my two years of Homeschooling, this book has encouraged me more than any other thing I have read.

This next book I have had for a few years and read it the Summer before Josiah and I bgena the Kinfergarten Journey. Some of it I really enjoyed and it helped tear down all those ideas of Homeschooling being like Public School. It is NOT. It is not meant to be and every single time I feel like a big lump of Homeschool failure is when I have tried to model our days based on my own memories of school days or what I think school days should be. This book will bring joy to your spirit and even make you wish for simpler times. It is truly disturbing to me the way our society has wired this new genertaion to be so geared to media. I have contributed to that as well. I can honestly say that I wish I never would have bought a Nintendo DS for Josiah for Christmas. Call me overboard, that's okay. I am! :)  I am slowly working my kids out of this mindset and I believe the Lord moved us to a new location for me to see and hear a new vision. Thank you Lord for that! So on my nightstand again is this treasure of a book. It now resonates with me in a brand new way. Finally I feel like I am connecting to Homeschool in a way I never thought was possible. I truly feel refreshed. Now if I can just find a group of Homeschoolers to mingle with, smocks or no smocks, that would be incredible! A place where me and my four children will fit in sounds good to me. Praying I find that for next year.

Thank you Lord for answering my "Homeschool funk" prayer. I am sure in years to come I will have many more "Homeschool funks" but I am confident He will answer.