The day is beginning to dawn on something that I never thought I would see so soon. Tuesday was my then 4yold’s birthday. (It seemed like he stayed 4 years old for about 5 years!!!) My first son has now turned 5 years old!!! …turning into mommy’s big boy!!! I’m am so proud of him and of the maturity I see in him.

Just to give some background on where I’m coming from…my oldest is 7. She is such a compliant, excited-to-learn young lady that she would sit for as long as the lesson lasted, and I would teach her the alphabet and phonics and by the time she was 4.5yo she was reading short, simple words and sentences. She caught on very quickly and continues to do so. She now reads at a 3rd grade level. Teaching her was so enjoyable and easy!!

Now her younger brother has a heart of gold but has a strong will and is not afraid to be defiant nor of the consequences of such actions….it was not so with him as it was with her with regards to sitting down and learning. I used to pray and ask the Lord how in the world am I going to homeschool him when he can’t(and sometimes WON’T ) sit still for longer than 45 sec.? I had to fight back worry and concern and just let him be and thanks to Teaching the Trivium which I found early in our homeschool journey, I began to focus on ‘discipline’ and obedience with him more so than sitting down learning the ABC’s.

He would not sit still for a story or read-aloud. He’d stay in the room and he’d play with his trucks but he’d jump up to look at the pictures and then go back and play. To my surprise I began to learn that he was listening and comprehending ….he could answer the questions or narrations better than his older sister. So I left him alone…still working on obedience and discipline…it seemed exhausting at times and I wondered if he would EVER get there!!! But yet and still I would tell myself, “he’s only 4..give him time”

He seemed to have no interest in learning his letters until around March this year I would say. I started teaching him phonics and such using Writing Road to Reading by Romalda Spalding. By this time I was fully committed to teaching the Principle Approach method and while I use the methodology in WRR I modifiy it’s application to fit my son and our family. We have not done phonics everyday and when we do phonics we only do as much as he’ll sit still for!! But this is why I rejoice today…

I was in the kitchen this morning fixing breakfast and he marches in with his “boy-toys” in his hands(or so I thought). I hear him say to himself “I have my paper and my superman pencils” After a few minutes I look up to see what he’s doing. He says, “I’m writing my ABC’s”…and he was…they were all about the same size(good!) and they were in a straight line one letter right next to the other one(wonderful!!) all the way up to capital J….it was backwards…that’s okay…mommy, feeling obligated to correct mistakes, decides to tell him the J was backwards and shows him how to write it correctly. I saw the interest and enthusiasm leave his face..not mad or sad…but he jumps down to go do something else…so the INDEPENDENT study lesson was over!! It was as if he did not want me to be teacher at that moment…maybe just mommy!! Well, my bad!!!!! I was sooo sorry for interrupting his independent sense of achievement. I am just rejoicing over the fact that he is showing interest in learning his ABC’s, writing his letters, and guess what? Now he jumps on the back of the couch and props his chin IN(no necessarily on) my shoulder so that he can see the book I’m reading aloud…and he’s staying until the end!!!!

Maybe that’s just how boys are…many have told me that boys mature slower than girls…maybe so…I ‘m just elated to see him maturing and taking initiative to practice what he does know. Yes, he is definitely different from his sister but that is how God Almighty made him …and that is how I love him…just like his is!!!!!

One thing that I desire(besides beholding the beauty of the Lord is to write more on my blog.  I think I”ve decided to keep both blogs although I’m still working on that logic.  I see so many nice, full, informative blogs.  I enjoy many of them and when I spend time reading them I can kind of get a ‘flavor’ of the heart of the blogger…almost like getting to know them.  I enjoy getting to know other sincere, homeschooling moms who love the Lord.  The medium of the internet is a wonderful tool to have access to much information and I do appreciate the homeschool communities that have started on the web.  Used the right way, the internet can be a tool of blessing for many.  God will use it in the lives of His people…many times He has confirmed a word to me thru what someone else has written and vice versa has given me words to encourage someone as I left comments on their blog.

But, it needs to be kept in it’s place.  I find many times that I put off blogging b/c I am so busy at home.  Any time I don’t have the baby pulling at me wanting to play or diaper changed or to eat, etc. I’m washing/folding/putting away laundry, tending to my 2 other children(supervising disputes, supervising room cleaning, bathroom cleaning, personal hygiene maintenance),  figuring out what we’ll eat for dinner next, writing/thinking about next year’s lessons(which start July 6), mopping floors, working out, paying bills, cleaning up, blessing the house, or just plain sitting down talking/enjoying my dh’s company….I don’t see where I have much time to write.

So I think the solution for me is to schedule it!! I know that it does not take a rocket scientist revelation but it kind of was for me.

The only thing is that I find I’m not good with a ’schedule’.  I do better with a ‘plan’ of action, if u know what I mean.  Even when we school I think  do better with just having a ‘list’ of things to accomplish but yet still be free enough to get them done in the way that suits me each day.

So I think I’m gonna aim for once a week.  If ideas come to me to write(which they have)…I put them on an index card sitting on top of my computer … it’s there even as I type this entry) but the children have come in from outside now and I know the time is winding down b/fore one of them will need me…not to mention dh….

…so I’ll wrap this up…and we’ll see how my new blogging commitment/schedule works out…

wish me well!!

I FINALLY got someone from HSLDA to call me back(an attorney) and he assured me they would get in touch with the Super. of the district(he’s out until Monday) and get this resolved. HSLDA’s take on it is that the state of NY allows the parent to do the narrative just with the consent of the Super…along with the fact the disctrict did not notify me of this until I had graduated my daughter and turned in my 4th quarter report AND year end assess… this has gotten kind of crazy but I’m trusting God. These 3 gifts He has given me are His and I’m relying on Him to protect them from whatever however He chooses.

Bottom line is….we’ll know on Monday…