Today kicks off the beginning of our homeschool year! Rusty is in tenth/eleventh grade (we homeschoolers don’t like to be pinned down), Ladybug is in seventh grade, Sunshine in third, Eby in K, and Little Man in Preschool. My greatest hope is that our year will be filled with delightful learning.
Since we are heading to REACH Camp on Thursday, we are going to keep it simple this week: Bible, Math, History/Literature, Phonics, and Science classes. We’ll add spelling, grammar, handwriting, etc. later. I am particularly excited about a music class I am doing with Rusty and Ladybug, Sonlight History and Literature with Sunshine, and teaching Eby and Little Man to read.
Have a wonderful Monday!
~Lisa
SOUNDS LIKE FUN…WHAT IS REACH CAMP?
REACH Camp is a wonderful camp for families affected by HIV. This is our fourth year and we are very excited to go.
Sounds very interesting, this camp. Would like to know more. I have two adopted HIV+ kids with RAD. I've often wondered and thought about their link. Basically I can say that the HIV had a lot to do with their RAD as it caused them to be left in the hospital confined to a crib until they were 3 yrs old. Because they were some of the first HIV abandoned babies born in this region of Russia, the orphanages refused to take them until forces. Then 1/2 of the staff put in their resignation papers. A lot of education had to happen before they would agree to take my kids even in the orphanage. Therefore, I see the connection between HIV and RAD first hand.
Hi Dana, REACH Camp is a camp devoted to HIV+ children and their families. It is not oriented toward adoption or adoption related issues, however, there are many adoptive families at camp . It is a wonderful time every Labor Day weekend. You can find more information about REACH Ministries on their website: http://www.reachministries.org
I was very interested to read your thoughts on the connection between HIV and RAD. I have been exploring some of those thoughts myself. Thank you for your comment.
Its so nice to hear about Sunshine and Ladybug! and that "Little Man", I could eat him up!! haha
Have a restful evening!
LOVE homeschooling :) Hard sometimes, but ALWAYS worth it…..a lot like adoption :)
Love the picture! I still have such fond memories of being homeschooled. Keep going strong, Mamma!
what do you use for Bible curriculum? and I'd LOVE a post on what you consider the "musts" for curriculum categories to cover in a given year? :)
Jennifer, great post ideas. Thank you. This year we are reading through the Bible using a children's daily Bible. I haven’t found a formal Bible curriculum that I love, so I tend not to be good at sticking with it. I also plan to have the kids memorize the books of the Bible as well as passages of scripture. Does anyone have a favorite Bible curriculum to recommend? I'm always open to suggestions. I'll get back to you about my "musts" for a year.
I'm curious…what are the details on the music class?
It is a class done by The Teaching Company called How to Listen to and Understand Great Music. There are 45 lectures on DVD. Best of all two friends are joining us for the lectures. We watched the first lecture yesterday and will continue each Monday afternoon.
Just read your essay via the Empowered to Connect e-mail.
You said it all so well! I relate because we had a "first family" of "easy" kids, too.
I usually balk when people start saying they'd "wished they'd known" because honestly – I am SO GLAD I had no clue. Otherwise we wouldn't have adopted. We would not have these four precious people in our family. Including two boys who have always been as easy as our bio kids were. I am so afraid people with think that all older child and/or international adoptions are fraught with troubles and challenges – and I know so many that aren't!
But, you went on to express so well, the incomparable joy that makes it all worthwhile. Thank you so much!
Thank you Annie. I didn't know anybody had read it yet on Empowered to Connect! I appreciate hearing from you.
Now don't they look ready and happy to start school.
Lisa, I just read "Walking Humbly". So true. Thank you.
Thank you Kathrin.
Lisa- Yours was probably the second or third blog I ever read and I hadn't really thought about just how long I've been reading along with your journey until I read this post and realized how big your little ones are getting. I have to stop and thank you for allowing us all to be a part of your life if only virtually. I so often find myself sending prayers in your direction, I never thought I would be so regularly moved by a woman and her family who are in all other senses strangers to me. Thank you for what I can only describe as your hospitality and inspiration!
Thank you for your prayers and for sticking with me so long. I wish we could chat over coffee — one day it would be great to meet my readers who share my life day after day. I find it rather amazing that I've been blogging for over four years!
Recently found your blog. I am so thankful for it as we are having a hard time at our home. Hoping to get some understanding for our girl soon. Thanks for all your great posts!
I love your kids!