An Open Letter as You Leave the Nest

My Dear Girl,

Can you believe the day has finally arrived?! Your Dad and I are excited for all you have ahead of you as you venture out into adulthood.  You've worked hard for this and we could not be more proud. We have taught you many things in the last 17 years, but there are a few things I hope you will carry with you no matter what life brings your way. As important as history, science, math and Latin are, if you remember nothing else, remember this:

1) You are more loved than you will ever know, which means you are called to love more deeply than you think possible. While there is nothing that could make us love you any more or any less than we do, the love God has for you far surpasses anything we can offer. Remember that no matter what: the successes, the failures, the joys, the sorrows - He loved you enough to die for you and will never leave you. There is nothing you can do, or not do, that will separate you from God's love. But, His love for you calls you to love others the same way. That love will bring you joy you can't imagine, and heartache you won't think you will be able to bear. As God chose to love you, we choose to love others. That will mean there are time you will have to choose to love people you would rather not, and walk away from people you want to love. Love is never a feeling. It isn't about what makes you happy, who you feel attracted to (romantic or Platonic), what you are drawn to - it is a choice to honor God above all else. That extends to not just how you treat others, but to how others treat you. Look beyond the words, the feelings, and even the actions, to the heart and soul. Remember: For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, 
nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, 
nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8: 38-39 ESV

2) Look for the Good, the True, and the Beautiful - This next step in your educational and life journey is not about career training, making money, or gaining experience. It is the next step in learning about the nature and character of God. As the creator, designer, and author of all creation, history, cultures, and creativity, His fingerprint is in all you see and study. Stay rooted in His Scripture so you can find and discover His revealing of Himself in all you will study and experience. Whether you are reading Plato, deriving formulas, playing Bach Concertos, sledding down snowy slopes, diving the depths of the sea, or simply walking to the grocery store, His fingerprint is there, calling you closer to Him.  There are times He will brilliantly reveal Himself through the "music of the spheres" and other times He will be a pinprick of light within the darkness, but He is there.
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, 
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, 
if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, 
think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and 
seen in me practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4: 8-9 ESV

3) For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. I Corinthians 13: 12 ESV - There is no philosophy, theology, theory, professor, teacher, theologian, scientist, or teaching that is completely and fully True. That is only found in God, and we are not capable of fully understanding Him. This is a life-long journey of sanctification that requires humility, wisdom, discernment, and study. Don't be afraid to question - and to question everything presented to you. There are very few things we can be completely sure of with our limited human understanding. And those things we can be sure of must be taken in faith because we cannot fully understand them: The Lord is God and He is One; Christ is the only means of Salvation, by grace, through Faith; All Scripture is breathed out from God and is reliable for teaching and rebuke.  Be Reformed and always Reforming. Have the humility to question and be corrected; have the strength to stand up for what is True, and Good, and Beautiful; have the Love needed to walk alongside your fellow life-travelers, all of whom are simply on this journey with you. Some may be ahead of you, and some may be behind, but all are just as reliant on the Grace and Faith granted them by God as you are. One day all will be fully revealed, but in the mean-time, be part of the process of God's revelation to the world. 

As you prepare to board that plane, and literally fly off into the world, I want to leave you with the benediction I heard your Grandfather recite almost weekly. This isn't an end as much as it is a beginning - and we will always be here watching, waiting, and loving you. 

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than 

all that we ask or think, 

according to the power at work within us, 

to him be glory in the church 

[and in you] 

and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, 

forever and ever. Amen. 

Ephesians 3: 20-21

The Road Less Taken

Each year I try to choose a "theme" verse for our school year - a focal point to guide our studies and direct our paths, to keep us on the right path, and moving toward our school's goal "Educating the Future for Eternity".  I've had a very hard time choosing one for this coming school year. Nothing has seemed to fit where we are, where we need encouragement, and where we are on this journey....until I read my devotion a few days ago. It fits. It is exactly what we all need to hear and know, but it is a very unusual choice.

As many of you know, we have had a very difficult year, and from what we can see now, that isn't going to change anytime soon. To be perfectly honest, I have been struggling with anxiety and depression in a way I never have. I have been struggling to trust and hope in anything during a time when very little is within my power to influence or control. For the first time, I am struggling to see positives in anything - and when I look at what needs to be done and decisions that need to be made, my first thought is "what is going to go wrong this time" and "who is going to fail us now".

Within our family, we have been struggling with failing attitudes - the bickering, selfishness, laziness, and unkindness has risen to new heights. To be fair, being pregnant weakens my tolerance, so much of this could be hormonal mis-perception, and add on the other stresses and that level is even lower. But, I find little joy in being with my family because it feels like a constant battle -- and I'm tired. It is easier to just let it all happen, to turn on the TVs, ignore the chores not being completed, and hide in my room with Netflix. Yet doing that heaps on more guilt and stress as it increases, children's hearts are hurt by their siblings' mean words, and we get farther and farther behind. 

So when I opened up Matthew 7 this week, and read verses 12-14, it stopped me in my tracks.

This passage in Matthew comes after reassurances of "Ask, and it will be given to you: seek and you will find" (v7). "Blessed are the...., for they shall....". "You are the salt of the world....You are the light of the world.", "Your father who sees in secret will reward you". We love these parts of the Sermon on the Mount. They are uplifting, hopeful, and make life seem easy. But most of this teaching is filled with:
"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you..."
"If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out..."
"If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also...."
"Love your enemies...."
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth..."
"..first take the log out of your own eye...."

The Sermon on the Mount ends with the parable of the house on the rocks. The usual Sunday School focus is on how the house stands firm. We don't spend much time talking about the storm, the wind, the floods, and the rain.

It is verses 13-14, and the closing parable, that encapsulate the Sermon on the Mount. "..the way to life is hard, and those who find it are few". "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock".

The promises of life, blessings, and reward come because of  and through the persecution, the constant fight against sin, and the self-denial of revenge, comfort, ease, and wealth. Those blessings are never promised in this life, but are promised as "treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (v20b-21)

Our theme verse for this year is not the most encouraging. It isn't one that is going to inspire a K-Love top 10 song. It isn't going to pack pews on a Sunday morning. But, it is necessary, and it is good, and it is real. The way to true life does not come through blessings, or rewards. It comes through weathering the storm, "work[ing] out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12),  being "poured out as a drink offering" (Philippians 2:17), and "lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith," (Hebrews 12: 1b-2a). 

We are choosing this year to take, in Robert Frost's words, "the road less taken". We are focusing on choosing the hard good things, instead of the easy popular things.  We want to study Latin conjugations, multiplication tables, logic and rhetoric, ancient mythology, biological systems, and systematic theology not for the jobs they may lead to, or personal interests, or college acceptances, but because they build a solid foundation in Christ, in right clear thinking, and wise decision making. We will choose kind words in humility, confession before accusation, and love over personal justice. We will choose to pursue the life of Life through the death of self.

A "Perfect" Baby

Blogging has made its way to the bottom of my priority list in the last few months. Since Christmas, I've had one area of life after another thrown into upheaval. In March, in 48 hours everything we thought life was going to be this year changed when we discovered baby #7 is on the way, 7 years after #6, then received back-to-back overseas orders. As we began to re-adjust our thinking and expectations, we received the phone call every expecting parent dreads.

"Your test results came back, and they are not what we were hoping. Your baby has Down Syndrome."

After that the rest of the conversation seems to be a blurr.  In a split second we were thrown into a world we never imagined would be ours. I've turned down offers to kill our little boy. God provided us with doctors who were very accepting of our refusal, but I do miss my pro-life OB office - no mother should ever be asked if she wants to kill her baby. When the phone rings, I now hope it is specialists and medical care teams ready to help with the next steps in testing and care. Every appointment comes with the chance we will be sent back to the US and uncertainty of what will be found.

So far, at 16 1/2 weeks, our little boy looks "perfect". But, we know he is still so very tiny, and so very much can be hidden inside organs and an extra chromosome. It is the word "perfect" that has struck me. I've heard it from doctors, friends, family, other families with Downs children - no matter what, he is your son, and he is perfect.

But he isn't. It has really bothered me hearing that he is "perfect". At first I thought it was just part of the process of coming to terms with his diagnosis and shifting my expectations - part of the process of thinking about him as a Downs baby to thinking of him as our son, who happens to have Down Syndrome.  It was my youngest daughter who brought me to the realization of why it bothers me. She caught me at a low moment. Giving me a hug she asked why I was sad. When I explained I was sad because I don't know what life is going to bring her baby brother. I was sad because of the things he may not be able to do. She looked straight at me and replied, "Mommy. It's just Down Syndrome. He is still my brother."

What struck me was not the truth of her statement about his diagnosis, but the truth about him, as another new human life. He is just like us - which is exactly why he isn't perfect. There has only been one perfect human, and he was also fully God.  Every single person, since Adam and Eve, except for Christ, has been conceived and born with a genetic defect. It expresses itself in different ways - selfishness, pride, lust. In some people it is more obvious - alcoholism, compulsive behavior. Sin infiltrates every aspect of our lives, our bodies, and ultimately leads to our death.

We've had a major cultural shift in the last 60 years from rejecting and marginalizing those who are different, to expecting everyone will be accepted and integrated. That has been a positive shift - understanding we are each created differently, and those differences add to our lives and communities more than harming them. We need to help each other in our weaknesses. and through helping each other, we are individually and collectively stronger. That shift means our expectations for our son's life are much brighter now than they would have been 60 years ago.

Are we taking that too far? As Christians, who believe there is "no one righteous", do we normalize the effects of Sin, the symptoms of Sin, by blindly telling ourselves we are all this way? It is the way God created us - ignoring that our natural state is deeply, deeply flawed. Not a single one of us is born the way God originally intended His creation to exist. While God has intentionally designed each and every one of us, the very existence of Sin means none of us are "perfect", and our imperfections are intended to turn our eyes toward God, to seek His redemption, and to push us toward complete reliance on Him. When we accept the effects of Sin as normal, as simply human and normal, are we marginalizing and even rejecting our need for God?

Has our cultural shift mirrored a spiritual shift from a lack of grace, to a rejection of a need for Salvation? Instead of hiding those who are obviously imperfect, we now glamorize and idolize what was never intended.

My daughter's comment led me to realize, maybe, at the deepest part of my heart, my grief, my sorrow is not about my son's diagnosis - it is about my own. His imperfect genes are written on his face; mine may not be as obvious, but are just as powerful and real.

My hope is all this comes from knowing: my grief over my son's condition is only an imperfect reflection of my Heavenly Father's grief over my condition. Just as my love for my unborn son pushes me to do everything I can to help him, my Heavenly Father was driven to the point of death on the cross to not just help, but to cure my condition. Every tear of sorrow and joy, every setback and triumph, every time we cry out for help for our son and rejoice in the achievements is a reflection of how God rejoices over me and mourns over my failures. I have no need to kill my son, because God killed His - for me, for my other children, for you, for my unborn son.

We don't have a "perfect" baby, but the "flaws" in his design are no different than the flaws in my own design - and they are there to point us toward the perfect baby in a manger, the sacrifice and pain of the cross, the joy of resurrection, and the hope of completed redemption when all things will be made new - and perfect.

2018 - 2019 Curriculum Plan

I've been putting off doing this yearly blog because life has thrown us a couple curve balls in the last couple weeks. While all our material for next school year has either been delivered or is expected in the next few days, exactly how I am going to use it may be changing. While there are going to be some significant changes in our school, I'm pretty certain the materials we will be using will be staying the same. They are bought and paid for! Our biggest change is moving from Tapestry of Grace, to single-spine History and a Great Books approach to literature.

10th Grade:
     Monarch (Alpha Omega Publisher) - this has been a success this year so she will be continuing with it. She will be taking:

• 10 Grade English
• World History
• Algebra I
• British Literature (we discovered Monarch's english courses are grossly deficient in literature. They focus on grammar and writing, so we are adding in a literature elective to fill out the curriculum.)
• Spanish 2 - this is still up in the air, depending on where we are living. She needs a live class, but with our school location not certain, we do not yet know what will be available to us.
• Biology

   Culinary Arts - we are looking into some on-line options, but hoping our new location will provide opportunities for either an apprenticeship or in-class instruction.

9th Grade

• Ancient History - History of the Ancient World by Dr Susan Wise Bauer with the student study guide. This will be combined with Literature for cross-subject integration. 
• Biology - Biology for the Rhetoric Stage (Elemental Science)  
• Great Books: Ancient Literature - this is a course I've designed based on Great Books lists from "The Well Trained Mind", Mortimer Adler, Tapestry of Grace, and "Timeline of the Classics". This self-paced course will take her through researching the history surrounding each piece, a biography of the author, placing each work into its historical and literary context, and simply learning to enjoy great pieces of literature. She will be covering many ancient authors and works from Gilgamesh, to Homer, to the Bible, Plutarch, Josephus, and Aristotle. We are including some Philosophy, some of which will begin to count toward a Philosophy credit she will earn through her 4 years of high school.
• Rhetoric I - This will include both IEW's Advanced Communication and completing Analytical Grammar
• Algebra I - Math U See: Algebra I
• Reformed Theology - Pilgrim Theology
• Koine Greek - her choice for her high school foreign language! I am thankful Dad is heading to shore duty, so he will be around to oversee this one. 
• Trumpet Performance I - continuing trumpet lessons, either private or with a band depending on our location and available resources. 
• Fine Arts - we are waiting to see where our school will be located, hoping to use local resources for drawing and painting instruction. 

7th Grade

• Ancient History - Kingfisher History Encyclopedia; library resources; primary sources  I have gathered. I will explain in a separate blog how this is going to work. 
• Ancient Literature - This is also a list of literature I have put together from the resources above, but on a middle school reading level. It includes not just Greek and Roman mythology, but Japanese, African, Chinese, and Indian mythology and a first introduction to Plato. (Yes, middle schoolers can read and understand Plato!) 
• Analytical Grammar (see above for the link) - 2nd season
• Spelling You See
• Writing with Skill Level 1
• Biology - Biology for the Logic Stage (Elemental Science)
• Math  - as Math U See is self paced, exactly what course he will be taking will depend on how skills come. I anticipate he will complete Zeta, setting him up for pre-algebra in 8th grade. We are also adding in Beast Academy for enrichment and higher order thinking. 
• Latin for Children C - this will complete his elementary Latin, preparing him to begin High School Latin in 8th grade. 
• Bible - their Dad and I have put together a plan to read through the Bible along with our history studies. The goal is not just basic Biblical literacy, but learning to read Scripture within its historical and literary context and learning to see how each chapter and verse fit into Redemptive history, especially in its relation to the person and work of Christ. We are also going to work through the Westminster Shorter Catechism using Training Hearts, Teaching Minds
• Clarinet 
• Fine Arts - Artistic Pursuits: Middle School 
• Logic - The Art of Argument
• Vocabulary - Wordly Wise on-line

5th Grade -  based on age, not on content (as you will see) She is becoming my Classical Academic Press poster child. Their material teaches the way her brain works!

• History, Literature, Science, Logic, Fine Arts, Spelling, Bible, and Vocabulary will be the same as 7th grade. Spelling and vocabulary will be at her level. 
• Grammar - Well Ordered Language Level 3 (to be released this summer) We have been working through Level 2 this semester, and I am thrilled with this grammar program! It has been perfect for my logic loving child who needs to be challenged. (Classical Academic Press)
• Writing - Writing and Rhetoric (Classical Academic Press)  I am starting her in Book 4, knowing we may make it through 5 and possibly 6 depending on her pace. 
• Ancient Languages - our very highly motivated girl wants to tackle Koine Greek. Mom and Dad want her still taking Latin (for the english, grammar, and logic skills it teaches). So we are going to work through both at her pace. Latin for Children B and Greek for Children A (Classical Academic Press) It may take 2 years to get through each book, but we are very proud of her for wanting to take on this challenge! 
• Math - Math U See Epsilon - fractions. She will also supplement with Beast Academy for enrichment. 
• Piano (maybe violin depending on available resources)

2nd Grade - also based on her age, not skills or content.  Her curriculum levels vary from typical 2nd grade up through 4th.

• Ancient History - Story of the World Vol 1, Story of the World Activity Book, library resources. 
• Ancient History based Literature - the goal is to introduce her to ancient mythology and Homer. While I have a rough list based on the resources listed for my 9th grader, exactly what she will read will depend on her growing reading capabilities and interest. 
• Completing the Explode the Code series (if she hasn't by the end of the current school year)
• Spelling You See (see link above) 
• Writing Through Ancient History Level 1 Manuscript - Charlotte Mason based writing
• New American Cursive
• First Language Lessons Level 2 (we have the older edition) Depending on her development and skill acquisition she may transition to Well-Ordered Language mid year. 
• Life Sciences - she and I will be working through human anatomy, animals, and plants. DK First Human Body Encyclopedia and Usborne Animal Encyclopedia are her main spines. Exactly where it will go will depend on her interests. I've re-arranged a few things so we are working in conjunction with 7th and 5th grade. Plants is up in the air until I know where we will be living. Ideally, we will plant a garden and take a lot of nature walks. 
• Math - She began Beta mid-way this school year (multiple digit addition and subtraction) so I anticipate she will move into Gamma (multiplication) sometime during the school year. She also will supplement with Beast Academy. 
• Bible - she and I will work through a similar reading plan to the 5th and 7th graders, taking it a little slower and focusing on the character of God. She will also supplement with the What's in the Bible with Buck Denver series. Absolutely the best children's resource for biblical literacy (historical, literary and redemptive history) She will also work through the Westminster Shorter Catechism with us. 
• Latin - Prima Latina
• Piano
• Fine Art - Artistic Pursuits Elementary School book 1 and The Story of the Orchestra

It looks like a lot written out like this, but it isn't as bad as it looks when you consider many subjects work together across grade levels, history, literature, and Bible are integrated, and most of my children can now work independently. Most of these programs can either be self-taught or come with dvd instruction. My primary job now is overseeing it all, evaluation, and helping as needed. I hope to soon explain how we will use many of these resources, especially history, literature, and Bible, since we are no longer following a pre-planned curriculum. I also hope to get into how I plan on recording and documenting all the work they are doing, progress they make, and transcripting high school.

Art of Education and Worship

Have you ever taken children to an art museum? It can be an incredible experience or a disaster - or both. Art museums are one of my favorite field trips. Watching the look on a child's face the first time a great piece of art jumps out at them is beautiful. The look of wonder and amazement of a heart and soul touched in a way only art can makes the trip worth every ounce of effort.

You can take children to an art museum with little or no preparation, and they can enjoy it. But more often than not it takes some training. They need to know how to quietly look and observe - skills that are sorely lacking in many modern children accustomed to constantly moving images and sounds. Having a basic understanding of history, mythology, and Biblical narrative is helpful as they recognize stories in paint and sculpture.

Visits are also more enjoyable when children can participate in the art. One of my favorite homeschool memories is 8 children sitting in a Medieval ceramics exhibit enthralled in sketching a favorite piece or quietly telling me the "story" they imagine going on in a Renaissance painting. Some of my favorite photographs are of children imitating sculptures.

Repeated trips to the same exhibits deepens their appreciation and wonder, if between visits they have learned more about technique, color, perspective, artist, and style.  Monet's "Waterlilies" is incredible the first time you see it. Come back to it again and again after learning about painting techniques, Monet's home and life, and the use of light and color, and the depth of appreciation for the piece grows!

Few people think to take children to art museums because they think it will be boring. The problem isn't the nature of the museum, or the children, but a lack of preparation and skills needed to participate in the experience. To take a group of children raised on fast paced movies and video games to the quiet, sedentary art gallery is often a disaster waiting to happen. On the other hand, to spend hours studying technique, style, biographies, and facts without ever taking the time to simply enjoy is a sure fire way to undermine developing any love for art.

We tend to approach education, and worship, the same way we approach art.  As education is part of our worship, the two are intertwined. We all err toward one of two extremes. Either we have a check list of skills and knowledge that need to be covered, so we push through covering material and rarely stopping to enjoy the process, or we lead them to emotional experiences with little to no knowledge and understanding of what they are experiencing.

In a classroom, or home school room, we have our lists of topics to be covered, skills to be learned, and books to be read and stress when work isn't covered each week, or age/grade based benchmarks aren't reached "on time". We give our grammar stage students pages of math facts, time-line dates, Latin declensions, scientific terms, and Bible verses to memorize, rarely stopping to let them explore and experience the joy and beauty of it all. Or, we give a lot of experiences, living books, free-open-ended play, and don't require mastery of the skills and facts that equip them to fully understand and develop. Both leave students lacking, preventing them from fully delighting in and participating in what it means to be human.

Our churches do the same thing. We have Sunday mornings (or Saturday nights) filled with emotional experiences, bright lights, talented musicians, and inspirational speakers - but it is all emotional experience with no real hard understanding. Years of "1000 Reasons" and "5 Ways to a Happy Marriage" develop egocentric lethargic souls that have replaced the justice and majesty of God with a Being who is there to serve individual desires. Sunday puts us in the right mood for facing the world the rest of the week. In many other churches Sundays revolve around completing a check-list of skills and knowledge - statements of faith, creeds, catechisms, Old Testament readings, New Testament readings, confessions, sacraments. An hour (or 2) of great doctrine and theology, but lacking in Spirit, awe, and glorying in the Creator. God becomes something impersonal and a Being that needs to be satisfied through Sunday morning ritual. Neither bring us to a place of daily worship and deepening understanding of God.

This is not an attempt to advocate for a specific educational or worship style. They all have their benefits and weaknesses. None is perfect and all can be beneficial. My point is that we tend to forget we are physical, spiritual, emotional and cognitive creations. We have been created to know, to understand, and to experience God and creation. We have been commanded to worship in Spirit and in Truth. We are not complete learners or worshippers, until we have participated as cognitive, emotional, and spiritual beings.

As a teacher, don't read about Newton and memorize his laws of motion without taking the time to go bowling - watching how force, mass, and acceleration work and rejoicing in the pins falling down. Don't go bowling and fail to study how the weight of the ball, the force of the throw interact. Struggle with how to figure out what mass and acceleration is needed to get the desired force. Read about Newton, memorize F=MA, go bowling, learn about angles and trajectory, and go back to the bowling alley.

As a christian parent, teacher or pastor, prepare for corporate worship as both a teaching experience and an encounter with God Almighty. Adults and children need to be prepared for corporate worship, and that takes work during the week. Training children in sitting, listening, reading, singing, and doctrine. It means memorizing scripture, learning the catechism, singing hymns and worship choruses, memorizing creeds, and understanding sacraments during the week so they can actively and knowledgeably participate Sunday morning. Corporate worship is "practice" and preparation for heaven - the great marriage feast of Christ and the Church. It is exciting, emotional, and a celebration of who God is and what He has done.  Sunday worship that is an emotional high without theological training leaves us without deepening understanding of God, limiting our capability of celebrating and knowing Him. Sunday worship that is all theology and liturgy without emotional, artistic, heartfelt response leaves us admiring the Kingdom of God without participating in the joy of the Wedding.  Sunday worship should lead us (individually and corporately) to desiring week-day worship and increasing knowledge, which in turn  adds to our Sunday morning worship - a cycle that ultimately prepares us for Heaven.  True worship develops the heart, soul, and mind by using both our cognitive understanding and our affective sensory, bodily experiences.

How are you growing in Spirit and in Truth? How are you leading your children in understanding, participating in, and experiencing the Creator and creation? Are you going to the museum? Are you primarily understanding the Art? Are you primarily experiencing the Art? or Are you striving for both, for being a complete human - heart, soul, and mind? 

Making a Plan

This time every year homeschool moms everywhere are beginning the process of planning for the next school year. For the fortunate few, it will be as easy as getting the next book, the next level, the next package. For many of us, there will be tweeking, re-assessing levels, and switching curricula. Then there are those years where everything gets throws out the window and you start from scratch. For me, it is all 3 this time around. Every year I get multiple messages asking how I do it. How do you plan an educational program for multiple children at multiple levels, meeting everyone's needs, and not going crazy yourself.

The short answer: you can't. Just ask my family - I went crazy years ago. We just all expect Mom's crazy to be "normal" now.

I thought I'd take some time to outline what I do, why, and some of what has worked for us. Just keep in mind that your family and your personality are not mine, so mimicking what I do probably won't work as well for you!

1) Pray. Pray. and Pray some more. That may seem obvious, but it is easy to forget. Or, more likely, to drop that aspect at some step in the process. I have found I need to constantly go back to my children's Creator for wisdom. He knows them better than I do. He sees the future. He sees resources and opportunities that would never cross my mind. I go back to Him before, during, and after each step in the process.

2) Evaluate - what worked and what didn't. What brought joy? What brought frustration? What was beautiful? What led to best moments of the year? What led to the worse? It may be curriculum, circumstance, attitudes, skills, or the unexpected moments of life, but you need to really look at how the big picture and each small component worked together. Talk to each child. Talk to your spouse. Talk to others who have observed you and your family. Evaluate finances and how much you can spend. Talk to God. Look at what life is bringing and factors you will need to work around.
We have a big year of change ahead of us - a child leaving for college, a move (but we won't know where until September or later), Dad possibly switching jobs twice but allowing him to be home more, 1 moving into high school, 1 becoming an independent reader and writer, 1 showing signs of transitioning into rhetoric thinking, 1 new dialectic student. 

3) Set Goals - what needs to be accomplished this next year. Absolutely look at academics - skills that have improved, subjects that were over looked, large leaps that were made. But, also look at social, spiritual, and emotional needs. You may have a child who just needs a year of successes. There may be one who needs a major challenge. Set goals for each child and for the entire family. Don't forget to set a target budget.
As a family, we want to see Christ more fully and to see Him in everything. All the children need to work on writing skills. They also need high-order thinking skills in math and literature. L needs to be challenged more. O needs frequent small successes to build confidence. R needs to take more ownership in her learning to build excitement and self-motivation. The number of books and supplies needs to be minimal to keep the packing and moving process simple. Budget needs to be low to prepare for massive expenses when we return to the States. 

4) Organize - find a way to organize your plan. There are a lot of pre-made resources out there. I have found them to inadequate for my needs, so I've created my own Excel spreadsheet. It make minor changes year to year to accommodate for changes subjects (and number of students), but the basic content remains the same. I list each subject with room to record what material I will be using and its retail cost (usually from the publisher's website). I've formatted Excel so it calculates the total retail cost per child, and for the entire school. Next to retail cost is a place to enter my actual cost.  I try to take advantage of sales, used materials, and discounts, and compare multiple vendors, so I can get the best price I can. I include shipping charges associated with any purchase. Those can really add up after a while if I'm not careful! All this give me a quick way to record what I have purchased and spent. It really cut down on double purchases, or missing material the first week of school!

5) Start Curriculum Planning - I always begin with talking with the children - as a group and one-on-one. This is their education and they need to have input as to what they like, what they don't like, what they would like to do or not do. This is especially important with middle and high schoolers! I actually have my high schoolers do some of their own research and choose some of their own material. I get the final say, but I take their opinions very seriously and make sure I have a good explainable reason when I choose something different than they want. (Studying math is not negotiable, how we do it may be.)  The first things to go into the spreadsheet are those things I know will not be changing.  As I go through each child and each subject, I look first at my goals and second at the time commitment it will require from me.First is always figuring out WHAT CAN I COMBINE. History, science, and literature are usually the easiest. There have been years I've been able to combine children in writing, grammar, and Latin. I've never combined math, but I know families who have done it successfully. Don't have more going than you absolutely need to! This becomes the hardest part - finding resources that meet my goals for each child, respect my time limitations, and tailoring for individual learning styles and preferences. Homeschool boards, Rainbow Resources, The Well Trained Mind, and Google are my best friends. I have my favorite publishers, so I tend to go there first and check their store and blogs for new material. When we were stateside, Homeschool conventions were a great way to find new material - and sometimes my best finds were in that small vendor no one else was going to.   As you go through, be sure to record supplemental resources (maps, tests, literature guides, etc..)  Re-evaluate the entire plan as you add in each subject. I will use cells below the actually planning grid to make notes and list alternatives as I go along. This is why I love using Excel - it is very easy to move and change the plan as I work.  Remember to pray through each step and each decision. I often feel as if I'm texting God through the entire process, (even if it is simply "HELP!") but He does respond!
We want more independent learning and for each child to take more ownership of their education - so we are leaving Tapestry of Grace and following The Well Trained Mind very closely for history and literature. There are also fewer books to put into checked baggage during our move. Everyone loves Math-U-See, but we are adding Beast Academy for the problem solving skills. B should be reading independently and copywork she can do while sitting next to me, so I can spend more time one-on-one with writing with other children - so we can move to Writing with Skill and Writing and Rhetoric. Since we are moving to a Great Books literature style, I added a second sheet with my list for each level.   
6) Start planning your days - Read teacher's manuals - even if you've used material before! Yes they can be boring, but more often than not, I find when parents have problems with a curriculum it's because they haven't learned how to use it. Make a curriculum work for you, but know how it is intended to work and why. I use a lot of materials based on developmental skills, so the method is just as important as the content.  I recommend doing that early so if you find it isn't what you thought or it isn't going to work, you can change plans sooner rather than later. I like having all my teacher's manuals in hand by the time we hit the last 8 weeks of the current school year.  Plan how you will keep each child accountable. This changes every year for us. Look at pre-made student planners, on-line planners, ask friends what they do. It doesn't have to be complicated. I didn't use written plans at all when everyone was little. We had daily and weekly routines with curriculum that was open and go. note: I don't plan for breaks or according to the calendar, with the exception of Christmas. School is our priority at all times, but we don't work when Daddy can be home - and I don't always know when that will be. I find we need a break every 6-8 weeks or so, but life sometime demands more, or less. We break when we need to, no matter what the calendar says. That is why I don't use a dated planner. I want the freedom to take off when we need to, and not need to replan.

Next school year we are moving from me giving them daily assignments, to them filling in what they have done each day. Each child will be given a blank planner and a weekly routine - this is what must be done each week or day. They will fill in what they did (this is part of the independence and ownership plan). For example - each week my Dialectic students will know they have to: put dates into a time-line, put places and events onto a map, read the assigned pages, create an outline of their readings, write a 1 page summary, do additional research on anything they read about, and complete a project of their choice. Daily they must work on math for 45 minutes, Latin for 30 minutes, and Literature for 60 minutes - we keep those subjects self paced, not book driven. I am putting my own weekly schedule together for the entire year, with readings and content for each subject and each child.  When it is completed I will have a 2 day spread for each week of school with reading assignments, supplies needed,  and a place for my own notes. The back will include a running literature list for each child, so when they complete one book, they can move on to the next. Each child will check my book to get their weekly assignments. I have started simply looking at the number of chapters in each spine or text, dividing by 36, and filling in each week. I find I need to plan the entire year head of time. I don't date anything, to free us from the calendar when life happens, but I also don't have to do weekly planning. I do need to tweek things now and then, but the curriculum I've chosen allows a lot of self-pacing, so "keeping up" is rarely an issue. 

7) Gather supplies. We are now in a position where I can usually gather everything I need for a year or semester at one time.  I have found the more I have before the year begins, the more likely things are to get done. This is especially true with science experiments, history projects, and art. We haven't always been able to do this, so then I made weekly or monthly lists and picked supplies up with groceries.  I spend the weeks before we start a new school year gathering as much as I can, taking advantage of sales and bulk pricing. I have shelves and tubs dedicated to art and science supplies, so they are always easily available. (I even have a tub with pennies, because you know when the chemistry book calls for them I'm out of change!) I try to stock up on crayons, pencils, pens, erasers, and paper for the entire year. The more I can do ahead of time, the more smoothly everything runs - especially when life happens and I don't have time to plan for the next week, or day, of school. As much as you can, get good quality supplies. Beeswax crayons, or even Crayola, last longer and give better results than the cheap RoseArt or dollar store. In the long run, the extra initial expense will save you money. (Yes, I am that Mom in front of you at Walmart with 50 boxes of Ticonderoga pencils when they are on sale!) I buy boxes of copy paper, multiple sets of toner for printers, bulk rubber bands and paper clips - anything I can store to have on hand "just in case".

8) Rest - Part of my yearly planning routine is reading "Teaching from Rest" by Sarah Mackenzie, beginning to pre-read literature at the pool, and recharging myself. Don't forget to plan your own time and space to relax. I now have a running list of books I need to read for the kids' education and those I want to read for myself. When I start reading before the school year, I get to take the time to really enjoy the great literature the children are reading. During the school year, a book from one list or another is almost always in my bag, ready to pick up and read whenever I have a down moment. "Teaching from Rest" helps me start with the right perspective. I also have a spiritual plan for myself - what I am studying, how, and what I need to do that.

I hope this helps. It is a lot of work, but being well prepared helps the school year run much more smoothly. Each year the process is a little easier as I learn what works for us and each child.

Happy Planning!

Legos, Faith, and Education: Building Foundations that Can't be Shaken

Like many families, Legos are very popular in our house. Some of our children enjoy following directions to build a set. Others prefer making whatever pops into their heads at the time, using whatever pieces are on hand. Often, they go back and forth between the two.  There are indefinte ways to play with them, all which have the possibility of resulting in triumphs or failures. But, all require an understanding of both the blocks themselves, how they relate, and a plan in order to produce anything.

Pretend for a minute I hand my 11 year old the Millennium Falcon Lego kit. But, I take all 1,254 pieces out of their bags, remove the instructions, throw out the box, and tell him, "Put it together."  He may be able to get bits and pieces of it together, but putting together a complete Falcon is close to impossible.

Now pretend I hand him the same kit, pieces in bags, instructions ready to go, but give him glasses that prevent him from seeing color, shape, and size. It isn't going to be any more possible for him to be successful!

He must have an understanding of each individual Lego, plus be able to follow directions to put it together.  Each individual Lego a fact. They have definite shape, size, and color that are vital to building anything functional. The directions are the concepts - how each piece fits in relation to the whole to make it work.

From the moment of conception, we are building foundations and walls on which to build lives. Each fact learned, each experience, creates another block with which to build those foundations and walls, but without something to hold them together and directions on how to put them together, they lie in useless piles or unstable structures which will eventually fail. Some will be lost. Others will be damaged. We can build with those bricks, but if they are not glued together with a binding agent, at some point something is going to knock it down.  The only way to maintain each brick is to integrate it into a master plan, and mortar it into place. You cannot build with only bricks. You cannot build with only directions. You cannot build with only mortar. A solid structure requires all 3 masterfully used at the same time.

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  Colossians 1: 16-17 ESV

As Christians we know there is only one thing that holds everything together - God. He is the master builder who not just designed an eternal plan, but created each individual brick in that plan and holds it together in Himself.  He created each individual animal, plant, rock, person, event, and law with purpose. Pull one of those out of context, and the entire picture falls apart. Trying to look at the entire picture without understanding the elements that work together to make it leaves an impression of a work much less amazing than it is. You can memorize every fact in the picture and loose the perfection of the work itself.  Our life is a process of learning to gaze at, worship, and understand the Master Builder through his work.  

So what does this look like?  My youngest child is learning to read, beginning to write, learning about the person and work of Jesus, reading about modern history, experimenting with physics, and adding and subtracting. There are a lot of moving pieces. It would be easy to focus on memorization. Memorize a time-line, some definitions, addition facts, scripture verses, famous quotes, bits of poetry and say "We will put it all together when she is older". It would also be easy to simply read the stories, do fun experiments, pretend to be WWII soldiers, work with the math manipulatives, and hope she remembers the facts through the concepts. In a rare, Providential moment, we had it all come together this week. Some was planned by me or curriculum. Mostly it was orchestrated by God himself - but I had to be looking for the big picture. We've been studying light in science. She has had to memorize visible light, ROY G BIV. In grammar she's been memorizing Robert Louis Stevenson's poem "My Shadow". History we are looking at Ghandi and the conflicts between Hindu and Muslim Indians. In Bible, she is focusing on the teachings of Christ. My job, is to not just make sure she sees each piece, but how it all works together - not an easy task!  She is memorizing John 8: 12 where Jesus talks about being the Light of the World  The connection to science was easy! Just as the sun gives us light to live and move, Jesus lights up a world filled with darkness. He not only created ROY G BIV to provide life to earth, but he gives us life to honor and serve God.

Me - Lets work on John 8:12 "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life". What does that mean?

B - Jesus is our light! He saves us from the dark.
Me - Do you know why he said that?

B - No

Me - Lets look at what happens right before this verse. The Pharisees bring to Jesus a woman they caught doing something very bad. They remind Jesus that God's law demands that she be stoned to death. They ask Jesus what they should do with her. What do you think Jesus says?
B - They need to stone her. That is what God's law says.
Me - It is, but why did Jesus come.
B - To save us from sin.
Me - If Jesus stones her, is he saving her?
B - Oh - no. But how can he obey God and save her?

Me - Jesus told the Pharisees, "If any of you have never sinned, you can throw the first stone."  Was there anyone there who had never sinned?

B - No

Me - Are you sure? No one there had lived a perfect life?
Be - Oh! Jesus. So Jesus stoned her.

Me - Jesus was the only one left. He made everyone else realize they were guilty and that they deserved to be stoned too. But, even though God's law said everyone except him should be stoned, he didn't do it.

B - What?! But that is God's law.
Me - Jesus looked at that woman, and said, "You are forgiven. Go, and don't sin any more."

B - Wow! 

Me - Jesus knew he was going to pay the death penalty for her sin. So he could satisfy God's Law and save the woman. So why does he talk about being the Light of the World right after this.
B - Oh! Because he took away the woman's dark sin and gave her light instead!
Me - Yes! He also showed his light on the Pharisees sin, and showed them that they need a Savior too. Just like visible light of the rainbow shows many different things, Jesus's light shows many things. Our sins are shadows that "go in and out with me; And what can be the use of them is more than I can see" (B giggles). But Jesus is the light that chases the shadows away because he took the death we deserve. It also shows where we are making shadows and where we need to ask for forgiveness.  How do you think the woman felt? What do you think she did?

B - She was happy and went and told everyone! 

Me - I'm sure she did. You see when Jesus's light chases away our sin, it makes us so happy we need to tell others. We talked about how Muslims and Hindus fought over India and a lot of people died. Ghandi told them fighting was not the way to solve their problems and they need to just get along. They tried to divide the country, but that just made the fighting worse. Everything people tried made it worse. Instead of telling people to do good things, Jesus's light makes us do good things. His light reminds us of our own sin, so we turn away from judging others. Instead of dividing us, Jesus brings us together.

B - So why didn't someone just go to India and tell them about Jesus?  Then they would have Jesus light and stop fighting!

She ran off and was done at that point - but this Mommy's heart rejoiced after her. She got the big picture. Somewhere inside of her, every time she sees a rainbow, or a shadow, or hears the story of the woman caught in adultery, or hears reports of war, she will hear the gospel. She is beginning to see that everything from science, to history, to poetry, points to God who holds it all together. We could have only worked on memorizing facts. We could have focused on stories and concepts. But when we brought it all together it mortared together pieces of a strong foundation that by God's grace and Spirit will never be shaken.