This past year of homeschool has been *quite* the adventure! Moving across the country (and spending over a month in the process) threw us a curveball, but I'm more grateful than ever to be homeschooling. Instead of it feeling like a major disruption, we were able to plod along and keep making progress as we homeschooled on the road and in our new Texas home. What a gift! 

I wanted to write an update to review our curriculum choices from last year before posting about what we'll be doing for next year. 

You can find all our 1st grade curriculum choices here.

We have truly enjoyed A Gentle Feast. Julie Ross has done a phenomenal job boiling down the best parts of Charlotte Mason's philosophy into a curriculum and presenting it in an easy-to-digest format. We have especially loved the history book choices, the hymns, and the read-alouds. If you're brand new to Charlotte Mason-style learning, this is a perfect first step. A Gentle Feast guides you along with clarity and intention.

If there have been any cons for us, it's been a few of the book choices. Some are simply so "classic" (literally reprints from the 1800s) that they've been hard for us to connect with. For example, The Burgess Animal Book and The Little Flower Book - used for natural history - have been two of them. I definitely see the reason for her choices as they are consistent with Charlotte Mason ideals. But when I gave Liam the option of putting them down and using something else for natural history, he was more than eager to put them aside. If you've followed Ambleside Online, I'm sure you have encountered this style of book as the lists are very similar. I'm just finding that while we can stretch our tastes in some areas to include classic selections, Liam and Lanie do prefer a few things to be more up to date, colorful, and engaging than these classic texts.

One thing I really loved by A Gentle Feast was this book: Cycle 1 Language Arts. It includes copywork, dictation, grammar, spelling, free drawing - basically all aspects of what you would consider language arts - and was the perfect level for our first grader. I recommend it, even if you aren't using the entire curriculum.

If you're on the fence about using A Gentle Feast, my best recommendation is to choose which cycle you're interested in and download the booklist. It's $5 well spent to get a feel for which books you'll be using and if you think they'll be a good fit for your family.

Perhaps you're similar, but the longer we homeschool, the more I find it's hard to put Liam firmly in "a grade" that makes sense for him. He is right at grade level in some areas and above grade level in others, so I want to custom fit his education for how he will learn best. Overall, I think I'm needing a little more leeway to make my own choices for next year instead of an "open and go" curriculum, even though I did love many aspects of A Gentle Feast.

Next year (which will begin as soon as June if we're still in quarantine!), Liam will be in 2nd grade and Lanie will be in Kindergarten. Charlotte Mason does not encourage formal schooling for Kindergarten age, but Lanie is chomping at the bit to get started and is so eager to read, so we will do a little with her. I'm also blending some Classical education elements as I'm finding that's another philosophy I lean toward. More on that later. :)

Reading aloud has quickly become our favorite part of homeschool - and our favorite part of most days. Here are a few favorite books we've read aloud this year (among dozens!):
Poppy by Avi
The Mercy Watson series by Kate DiCamillo (loved by the whole family!)
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

Currently, Liam's favorite series to read on his own are:
Imagination Station by Adventures in Odyssey
The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls by M. J. Thomas
Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne (which he is now reading to Lanie during rest time each day)

I hope that helps! Please let me know if you have specific questions in the comments section, or by emailing me at whitney@elmstreetlife. I'm more than happy to help if I can! I'll be sharing our curriculum choices for next year in the coming days.

This day.

These photos were taken just moments before I realized I was going into labor. Little did any of us know how our lives were about to change in a matter of a few hours. I will cherish these photos - and this day - forever.

Homeschool/Sonlight so far.

Chalkboards via Chalkfullofdesign.com

We're 3 months in, and we've begun to find a rhythm in homeschool. (Yay!) I still feel 100% committed and thankful that we have chosen homeschool for Liam this year. It's working beautifully and we are all thriving. As it's become a more natural part of each day, it's not even something that's always on my mind. It's just something we do: show up every morning, give our best, and (for me) try to listen to my kids' cues for when we should be done for the day.

I wanted to list a few highlights and challenges we've encountered so far. I know I'll love looking back on this at the end of this year (and in future years, if we continue homeschooling), so I thought I'd document it now.

Highlights:
+ Sonlight has been an enormous gift. I can open my Instructors' Guide on Monday morning with little to no prep over the weekend and dive in. We already own every book that's used, so there's no hunting around in libraries or online for them. I'm continuing to work at the hospital 20+ hours every weekend, so this is such a necessity. I love checking off boxes, and it really helps us all stay motivated knowing our lesson plans are perfectly organized and ready for us whenever we choose to do school.
+ One criticism I've heard about Sonlight from other moms is just how book-heavy it is. With the read-alongs and readers, it is a lot of reading. For us, though, this has only been positive. Liam is an advanced reader for his age, so the books are what keep him challenged and coming back for more. And we've enjoyed all of the choices, most of which I had never heard of before Sonlight.
+ I am loving the addition of Hands-On History, which is a box you can order separately to include several hands-on projects that go along with our history lessons. These kits contain everything you need to make a great project from start to finish.

Challenges:
- There is a lot of Bible reading. I don't mean this as a criticism - I think you know if you read this blog that I love the Word of God. But for a kindergartener, it's a lot to listen to. We're slowly but surely working our way through this book, as suggested, but have slowed it down quite a bit because I've realized that my kids' attention span doesn't last the length of two (lengthy) Bible stories. The book itself is pretty dry, but I'm thankful it tackles not just the popular Bible stories but many that are more obscure.
- The Scripture memory CD that comes with the curriculum is... umm... not my favorite musically. The songs are like listening to Barney, but even more annoying. BUT the songs include the Scripture reference and Liam has had no trouble memorizing a verse for every letter of the alphabet (we are currently on the letter Q) so I really can't complain. I know there are plenty of other Scripture memory CDs, but it's so hard to find them with the reference woven into the song, which is really important to me.
- We are still navigating how to entertain and contain two very energetic younger siblings. Brooks has a knack for pulling all the books off the shelves or finding something tiny and putting it in his mouth the second we sit down to get started. It's easy to get frustrated, and I know it will be a while before he's able to truly participate. Some days are easier than others, for sure. I have to remember that we are all being taught and discipled - even me - and it doesn't have to be confined to the morning hours. There are days that it's just too frustrating to keep persevering with Lanie and Brooks in the room, so Liam and I pick it back up during their afternoon naps. This has been an adjustment for me as I crave that downtime, but it's not an everyday thing.

I'm realizing more and more that it is God who led us down this path of homeschooling, even though it wasn't originally my first choice. For this year, I can't imagine anything sweeter. I am so thankful that Liam has the time and the space to dig deeper into what he's passionate about (currently: animals). I love that he can practice his memory verses while scaling up the doorframe. We tromp through wetlands near our hours, identifying birds and trees and tiny fish from our field guide and count it as "science." Liam looks at the moon each night and identifies its lunar phase. Learning isn't confined to 45-minute blocks. We go on deep tangents (usually involving endangered animals) that we can use to learn math, develop our vocabulary, and deepen our love for our wildly imaginative Creator.

It's a dream come true for this 6-year-old boy with an insatiable curiosity, a hunger for learning, and a huge ball of pent-up energy. To be honest, it's a dream come true for me, too. A dream I never would have known or followed if the Lord hadn't led us to this place.

Our homeschool adventure!

Alphabet Chalkboard from Chalk Full of Design

For those who may not know, we decided to homeschool Liam this year for Kindergarten! It was a prayerful decision, as we wanted to make sure I felt up to the task and that it would be a good fit for Liam. At this point, we hold this very loosely and don't know if I'll homeschool for just this year or for the next 20 years. But for this year, for this child, we feel 100% sure that this is the right decision. We are nearly a month in and Liam is absolutely thriving - and honestly, so am I! It's been a sweet, smooth transition for our family.

Because I'm often curious what other families are using, I wanted to share what curriculum we've chosen and some other great resources I've found in the process. And please hear me say this: I am no expert. I homeschooled Liam for preschool last year using The Peaceful Preschool and that is the extent of my experience. I'm sure I'll look back at this a year or five from now and see so many changes, but for now, this is what we've chosen and it's working! So if you're thinking about homeschooling, perhaps this will point you in a good direction.

The majority of curriculum we are using comes from Sonlight. We chose Sonlight through strong recommendations from friends and family (my sister included) that we really trust. Sonlight is Christian, missions-oriented, literature-based, and has been around for a long time. It's based on using real books - not textbooks - which I especially love. The Instructor's Guide gives us a roadmap to our days and is so helpful.

For "Morning Time" (the most important first hour of our homeschool day), we are following Sonlight's recommendation and reading from a storybook Bible and practicing that week's memory verse. Liam loves writing it on the chalkboard and reciting it each morning. I also just started reading from Long Story Short, which includes 10-minute family devotionals that are gospel-centered and point back to Jesus (even in the Old Testament). I love it so far. I just ordered the Church History ABCs to add in an introduction to key figures in our church's history throughout the year. And on a weekly basis, we practice the catechism using New City Catechism (the free app is wonderful!). Eventually, I'd love to incorporate some hymn singing during this time.

After that, we move into History and we are using Sonlight Core A (with the level 2 readers). After History, we move on to reading aloud. Liam and Lanie have quickly learned our routine: as soon as I pull out a book that I'm going to read to them, they pull out the art cart (more on that in another post soon). I've filled a small rolling cart with art supplies that I feel comfortable with them using unsupervised. So while I read, they create and work with their hands. They might cut and glue paper, draw a picture with crayons, or glue feathers onto paper. It keeps them quiet and occupied while I read from our stack of read-alouds. This is probably all of our favorite part of the day.

We then grab a snack and move onto science. We are using Sonlight Science A and love it so far. We just completed a unit on weather and I learned so much! I feel like homeschooling is a selfish endeavor (in the best way) because I get to go back to school, too!

Depending on Brooks' nap schedule, we usually take a break for playing outside and prepping lunch. After lunch, while Lanie and Brooks go back down for naps, Liam and I work on Horizons K Math (we also ordered the math manipulatives which Lanie also enjoys using to learn shapes and numbers).

For handwriting, I have him practice for 10 to 15 minutes a day using Handwriting Without Tears K. I ordered the level 1 book as well, knowing he will blaze through this one but still need more practice this year.

For phonics, we have the Explode the Code workbooks 1, 2, and 3. Liam worked his way through the first workbook in about 2 days (oops), but he thinks it's a game and enjoys working through them.

I also encourage Liam to read on his own quite a bit, but I usually don't even need to remind him. He is the most self-motivated learner I've ever met. He reads encyclopedias for fun. He was already reading very well prior to starting Kindergarten, so I feel ahead of the curve and very thankful in that regard. As long as I provide him with plenty of nature books (he's currently obsessed with animals), he could spend hours reading. (For those who are curious, we used Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons for Liam to learn to read. It worked beautifully!)

For art, I have these art cards (I've yet to incorporate them). I also love these two books for art project ideas:

The Artful Parent by Jean Van't Hul
Art Workshop for Children by Barbara Rucci

Art is something we do regularly anyway so I don't have a set schedule or curriculum. I really just want them to create and explore using good materials and enjoy the process. I'm often reminding myself this is Kindergarten, which takes a lot of pressure off.

For geography, we do very little formally (although the history curriculum does take us around the world to many cultures). I have this 50 States book which has so many fun facts, and we also have a blow-up globe from Dollar Tree that Liam loves. I call out a country and he finds it. Geography... done!

Whew. That sounds like a LOT. But in our day-to-day, it typically takes 2-3 hours or less. We have a lot of free play time, meet up with friends quite a bit, and snuggle up and read for hours. We also do normal house things like cooking and cleaning and laundry. I thought homeschooling would be such a drain on me, but honestly, it's been just the opposite. Having a routine with Liam and Lanie has been life-giving. An answer to prayer.

I've found that one of the most important things is for me to stay filled up and motivated. I've read several books written by homeschool moms that have been so encouraging:

Teaching from Rest by Sarah Mackenzie
Better Together by Pam Barnhill
Mere Motherhood by Cindy Rollins
The Unhurried Homeschooler by Durenda Wilson

And two books I'm currently reading:

The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie
For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay

Creating our homeschool space was a labor of love. We put it all together in about a week and it's now our favorite spot in the whole house! I knew it would be so important for me to love being downstairs - we live in a split-level house and the downstairs has not always been my favorite place because it doesn't have a ton of light. We worked on the lighting, found bookshelves from Craigslist and got organized and it is truly an inspiring place now.

I hope this has been helpful! I am happy to answer any questions or to hear other recommendations more experienced homeschool parents might have. Feel free to leave both in the comments!

Lanie Lou.

The first few months of Lanie's life were my hardest as a mom. She wasn't sleeping, didn't nurse well, and rarely smiled... and I took it personally. I told Shawn, "I don't think she likes me" when she'd light up around complete strangers after staring me down all day.

Fast forward through three years and a corrected tongue tie and Lanie and I have a bond I couldn't have dreamed of. She prances around the house just steps behind me and often reminds me, "We're the only girls, Mom... we gotta stick together." We do, my Lou. We sometimes ask her if she's our Prickly Pear, when she's choosy about when and to whom she shows affection. But more and more often, she'll cuddle up in my lap just after she wakes up, her face covered in wavy blonde hair, and nestle into my neck.

Lanie loves makeup and nail polish and wrestling with her brother. The color pink and the most ferocious dinosaurs. Playing tea party and climbing trees. She fills the tiny space between two brothers with brightness and spunk and easily holds her own. She's constantly singing a song and we think she may be our most creative kid.

I knew I'd adore her (and did even when she cried all night long), but had no idea that at three, she'd be just so easy to love. 

January.

It isn't our favorite month, to be sure. We miss the light that starts to fade before 5pm and have been staying mostly indoors, attempting to evade the flu. But looking at these pictures makes me so grateful for what we do have. A stack of library books and a boy who devours them. A deeply dimpled babe who smiles 99% of the day. A spunky little girl who eats hummus in a princess dress and keeps us on our toes. A cabinet full of art supplies. We've been given so much to make our hearts full and warm, even in January.

Because I want to remember...

Liam at 4.5 years old: Compassionate, perceptive, responsible, silly, and the most protective big brother around. Gives a hundred sloppy, wet kisses to baby brother every day. Keeps Lanie in line (or at least tries) and explains the rules and expectations to her. Is learning to read and can read simple sentences and books like "Go, Dog, Go!" Has an enormous imagination. Uses words like "obscure" in context ("Red and blue are basic colors, but gold and peach are more obscure.) Builds paper airplanes by the dozen. Aspires to be a race car driver, a singer, a doctor, and a builder when he grows up. Loves Lego kits, memory games, mazes, and dinosaur trivia.

Lanie at 2.5 years old: Spunky, vivacious, cuddly (on her terms), passionate, emotional. The highest pitched scream we've ever heard. Lover of string cheese and watermelon and "jelly" (Jello). Independent as they come. Has a constant song on her lips: current favorites are Holy, Holy, Holy; Oh Praise the Name; and Can't Stop the Feeling. Funniest Newby by far. Also the clumsiest Newby by far, tripping on something about every half hour. Thumb sucker and blanket hoarder. Says to the Trader Joe's employee who helps us load our groceries into the car, "Bye! I love you! Bye!" 

These two share a bedroom now and bedtime has become quite prolonged. The other night, I overheard Lanie singing (as usual) with some new lyrics to her favorite song:
Lanie: Oh praise the name of the Lord our poop! (Giggles)
Liam: Lanie! I know you're just singing that because you're not a Christian. But that is not ok!

The other day in the car, Liam told me this:
Mommy, I don't fink Lanie understands the Gospel. Can I tell her about it? Lanie, you are a sinner. Do you know what a sin is? It's when you don't obey God and stuff. But Jesus died so you didn't have to die... He died on the cross for all of our sins, not just one. And now He's alive! He's in two places at once: He's in our hearts and in heaven, behind those clouds over there. And when we get to Heaven we will be wif Him all the time.

As a mom, there's nothing more beautiful to my ears. Can't help but adore these two!

Our girl.

Our brand new middle child has been feeling the strongest growing pains of any of us since becoming a family of 5, wrought with tantrums and whining and overall neediness for attention. It's totally expected - she's two and she's trying to find her place since she's no longer the baby - but it doesn't make it any less draining. 

So after I nursed the baby one afternoon last week, I took her out for a rare solo date. We shared snow cones, and afterwards, I threw out lots of ideas for where we could go. Would she like a new book from the bookstore? A trip to the park? The library? The dollar store? 

Every time, her response was the same: "No. I just want to go home." 

"Why, Lanie? Don't you want to do something fun with Mommy?" I pleaded with her.

"I jus' want to go to my home," she said. "I missing my bruhvers."

Perhaps the Lord has been working in her little heart more than I gave Him credit.