Sophomore and 5th Grader!

Attention world:  I have an official Sophomore and a 5th grader!

Brishen finished his final final today.  He saved his Chemistry final for last, after having completed Latin III, Composition II, and Pre-Calculus earlier in the week.  He technically has some more reading to do for History/Theology and Doctrine/Literature, but he has until summer camp at Sacramento to get that done.  I'm not letting that take away from all that he was able to accomplish and complete this week.  I think I better get his transcript done.  Wow!  I can't believe his Freshman year is over.  He did so, so well in all his classes.  His Pre-Calculus teacher felt he probably should have skipped Pre-Calculus.  His Chemistry teacher thinks he probably is over-qualified for Physics next year.  He has decided (so far) that he wants to study higher maths in college.  He is beyond excited about the idea that he will be able to take Calculus II and Calculus III in the same year when he is a junior if he does dual credit.  Neither of us knows what math classes follow Calculus III, but he is looking forward to finding out one day.  I can't believe his Latin career is over.  Veritas Press doesn't have a level beyond Latin III, and I'm not sure UTEP will have anything available for dual credit, either.  He's going on to Spanish next year and really wants to take Greek after that.  Here's what he has had to read for History/Theology and Doctrine/Literature (1 credit of each) (and why I'm OK with him taking a few more weeks):

• The Anti-Federalist Papers


• The Federalist Papers


• Of Plymouth Plantation


• The Pilgrim's Progress


• The Social Contract


• A Tale of Two Cities


• The Westminster Confession of Faith
• 
  
• 1984


• Abraham Lincoln: Speeches & Writings


• The Communist Manifesto


• The Great Gatsby


• Mein Kampf


• Reflections on the Revolution in France


• Uncle Tom's Cabin
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer


• The Autobiography of Charles G. Finney


• Benjamin Franklin: The Autobiography


• Frankenstein


• Gulliver's Travels


• The New Foxe's Book of Martyrs


• Pride and Prejudice
• Animal Farm


• Christianity and Liberalism


• Death of a Salesman


• How Should We Then Live?


• The Killer Angels


• Little Women


• Old Man and the Sea


• Postmodern Times

The goal was for me to read all these books this year, too, but, um, I'll need a few more years rather than a few more weeks.  Good thing there's a great student guide for processing all the books.  He has loved the government themed books, which makes this Government-degree-carrying mom proud.  I don't know that he would admit to loving them, but it has been fun to hear him tell me all about what he is learning.  Next year he goes back to studying Ancient History and Literature for one last time.  I even told him that we can do something less challenging than this next year, since it doesn't have anything to do with what fields he is interested in studying in college, but he seems to want to stick with this level of challenge.  That's my boy.  Of course, I will again not be able to even hope to keep up with any of the reading. I'll stick with trying to keep up with the readings for 5th grade.  That's more my speed.

Speaking of 5th grade, Basia started 5th grade on Monday.  I told her this is the year that we have to work together to prove that we can stick with homeschooling (if we buckle down on a daily basis) or put her in a school somewhere.  Both she and I really want to keep homeschooling, so I think we will buckle down.  The reality is that her learning disorders would make many question me moving her ahead to 5th grade, but I know how very smart she is.  She cannot express it on paper,  but she can orally keep up just fine.  She can take a written test and fail but then tell me every detail about the subject matter, and she retains it really well.  She's just not built for traditional schooling, and I'm happy that homeschooling is an option for her. 

Math-wise, she remains two full years behind, as she was even as a kindergartener when there was no way she could understand the concept of patterns.  She has no idea she is two full years behind, though, and we are able to work at her pace in the ways she needs.  I figure that two full years behind won't be a problem at all once she graduates.  She will be able to have had all the math she needs by that time, so there is no rush.  

To Basia's dismay, we will not be signing up for ANY regular morning homeschool activities for the next year.  If it happens in the morning, count us out.  Mornings are for school.  Period.  Once we really buckle down for a year, I feel we will be able to ease up again.  Fostering has made homeschooling properly so difficult, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and an occasional social worker visit should be all that will mess with our mornings, and she can do work by herself for those brief periods.  

This year's school for Basia focuses largely on Asia, which will be a lot of fun, especially since it is something that I have not studied significantly before.  She will learn all about the human body for science, including all that scary 5th-grade-you're-growing-up stuff.  Yes, we have had a discussion of the reproductive system already in week one and will get to discuss it quite a bit more, I have no doubt.  We are using Sonlight's full package curriculum, which is something I couldn't bear to do with Brishen.  Back in those days it seemed so silly to only read a few pages of this book and a few pages of that book when he and I could sit down and finish the whole book in one sitting.  Well, folks, times have changed, and I am loving that they tell us exactly what pages to read today and that there is no need to try to be super-heroic and over-do it.  We will get it all done in time, and it will be a lot more organized than what we have been able to do recently.  I also like that we are able to stick with our beloved Shirley Grammar since their grammar program was an add-on.  The repetition of Shirley is perfect for Basia.  She will blow your minds one day with all she retains!  She will continue to take art classes, hopefully music classes of some sort, and play basketball.  Both she and Brishen want to join the homeschool basketball team this year!  I can't wait!!

My little ones only have one more week of preschool before they are out for the summer.  There is a slight chance that we will have to put them in summer camps, but I'm pretty sure that Sir Smiles turning 2 in a couple weeks is about to ease our burden of needing double childcare providers around here.  That means they can all stay home for the summer, and I CAN'T WAIT!!  Call me a crazy homeschooler, but I prefer to have my kids home for many different reasons.  Because of fostering regulations, 3 of the kids will be going back to preschool in the fall, but I hope to keep everyone home after that unless I decide someone does better in a school setting.  I most certainly know that Zade needs to be home for the time being, so he will not return to preschool in the fall.  Once they are home, we will get to have a test run for the summer of how it works to really focus on Basia's school and also do bits of preschool with the four older little ones.  They beg to do school, and there are plenty of options that are largely based on just reading them great books, which we do anyway.  I will let a couple of them noodle around on the computer, and they can all work on writing their names.  

Oh, and I have updated our memory work folder.  It has always been something we do in our homeschool, and both big kids thrive on it.  Cassia and Thing One beg to do it when they hear the older kids getting a turn.  Even the babies have their own memory work now!  Now that only consists of me saying the same three nursery rhymes each time I change their diaper for a couple weeks, but even The Baby's face lights up now any time I start this week's rhymes.   I change a lot of diapers, so now the whole family can sing, "Lazy Mary, will you get up?"  

We have been homeschooling for so long now.  We have been through a lot, and the number of children we have has more than quadrupled.  I have learned while having four in preschool, though, that homeschooling now is deep in my soul.  It is what I love for MY family.  St. Mark's has been AMAZING to us, and I am so very thankful that we were able to send the kids there for this year and a half rather than Head Start.  I won't guarantee that I will bring every child back home because I'm still considering what would be best for a couple of them.  I just know that the idea of having them all home again brings a smile to my face.  This summer will be a good test as to how we can make this all work.  Good luck to us!