Pleasantly Surprised

Bella and I have now completed our first few days of homeschooling, and I have to admit, I am surprised....but probably not like you think. See, I didn't decide to homeschool on a whim. I didn't wake up one morning and think, "Oh, maybe we'll give that a try." Nope. I did my homework. Literally.

I read books (lots of them!), I emailed people, I joined a homeschool co-op, I gave my patients who homeschool (a surprising and growing number!) the third degree, I went to a convention, etc. So I had an idea of what to expect.

I expected the extra time I would spend each night, getting the next days' lesson ready.

I expected the extra patience I would need!

I expected the difficulty in keeping Abbigail pacified during lesson time.

I expected to have to develop more of a "morning routine".

I expected to make a commitment to have a learning atmosphere in our home, not just "school hours".

What caught me off guard is how much I would love doing it. It's such an awesome thing to teach your child! It's so wonderful to be there to see that little "aha!" moment when the light comes on. Its so thrilling to watch - biting your tongue the whole time!- as they do a phonics page all by themselves...and get all the answers right!

I know we are just starting out on what (hopefully) will be a long journey. I know there will be tough days, and we will both probably feel like throwing in the proverbial towel more than once. But I'm SO thankful I chose this, and I pray the Lord will give me the patience, the wisdom, and the resources to raise godly children.

"A journey of 1,000 miles...

"...begins with a single step." -Lao Tzu , Chinese philosopher (and clearly a homeschooler.)





Today was our first "official" day of homeschool. Official as in I am keeping attendance records, Bella has had her school immunizations, and we are using curriculum. I am calling this year "K4". Kind of a run-up to official Kindergarten. So here's how our first day went:

We got up at seven and had our chocolate milk / coffee fix. Then I fed the girls breakfast and we got dressed and brushed our teeth. We started off with our Saxon Math K, then went over our "Character Quality". This month it is Truthfulness, so we read the definition of truthfulness and also read Ephesians 4:25. Then we read our Bible story, and ended the day with phonics. Bella really liked Explode the Code (ETC), our phonics program. Today we talked about the letter "F" and the sound it makes. We ended the phonics lesson by reading "My F Book" by Moncure. Our art project for today was, of course, a f-f-frog, which we painted green. Tomorrow we will add eyes and a ribbon hanger.

Overall it went really well and I am pleased. I am going to add in our weather chart in a couple days. The biggest challenge was Abbigail, who was pretty fussy this morning. I plan on going to the dollar store in the near future and fixing her a basket of "school time only" toys to play with as she sits at the table with us.

Here are some pics of our first morning of homeschool!

You have now entered the twilight zone...

The other day, I got a terrifying package in the mail. As soon as I saw the plain, brown box on my front porch, I broke out in a cold sweat. The day I dreaded had finally arrived. With a pounding heart, I carried it inside and opened it with trembling fingers. It was just as I had suspected.....

...Bella's math curriculum had arrived.

Okay, okay, so I 'm being a tiny bit melodramatic. But honestly, anyone who was close friend of mine through high school (and lets be honest, that was a small group!) knows how I abhorred math. I groaned and complained my way through every math class my school offered, from Probability and Statistics to Algebra III, and I never learned to like it.

And I'm going to teach my daughter math. And I'm going to do it without ever letting her know how I truly feel about it. I can do this!

The good thing is we are starting at the very beginning, so we can learn (and re-learn!) together. If I were jumping into Algebra II, we would have a big problem. I think I can handle kindergarten stuff. (Please, Lord!)

In the end I decided to go with my first choice, Saxon Math. I'm pleased with the parts of the text I have read over, and I think Bella will LOVE the manipulatives.

For phonics I chose Explode the Code (ETC) and I am really excited about it. I also purchased the ETC wall chart, which is made of felt with a pocket for each letter. There is a little felt item (such as a fish for the "F" pocket) that goes with each letter.

So, I've marked August 4 on the calendar as "D"-day. Yes, that is a Thursday. But due to my work schedule were going to have odd school days. I feel a bit overwhelmed about it right now, but I think once we get a few days under our belts, I'll feel better.

Hot Dog! Its the Fourth of July!

I have to admit I always feel a vague forboding as the 4th of July approaches...not because I'm afraid I'll eat too much (check!), or that at least once during the annual Ayers/Edmonds fireworks display I will fear for my safety (check!), but because it seems once the 4th comes and goes, summer is almost over.

All said and done, we had a great time. Here are some pics:

Me, Bella, and Abbigail at the Jonesborough 4th Parade.
We go every year, although K had to work this year so
Nana went with us. Bella loved the horses, but thought
the marching band was too loud. Abbigail love the snow
cone we ate while we waited!

Sweet cousins! Bella, Kaley, and Aly had a great
time running, playing, and lighting sparklers!



Ashlyn and Bella cool off at Nana's before my
family's cook out.

Bella, Abbigail, and Ashlyn in the patriotic outfits!

Abbigail plays corn hole with Memmie Miller

Other notables that I did not get pics of were the fireworks! When I was a kid my sister and I were thrilled with a few Roman candles, some bottle rockets, and a sparkler. My husbands family, however, buys the kind of fireworks that look like mortar shells! They seem to get better each year, and the whole neighborhood comes out to watch. Freedom Hall? Please!

Another memorable event was my niece, Ashlyn, singing "God Bless America" for us at my moms cookout. She remembers the entire first verse and chorus, and does such a great job!

"God Bless America, my Home Sweet Home".

Decisions, decisions...

This past weekend, I was fortunate to be able to attend the Smoky Mountain Home Education Association's (SMHEA) Family Resource Fair. My mom went along for the ride, and we headed down to Crown College in Powell, TN on Friday morning.

The fair featured an exhibit hall and several workshop sessions. We attended one for "New Home Educators". It was very interesting. The speaker is a mother of three (ages 12, 18, and 20) whose oldest two children were homeschooled k-12 and are now in college. Since I have read pretty extensively on the subject of homeschooling, different approaches, etc, some of what she said was review. But it was still good to hear, and so awesome to be in a room full of like-minded parents!

The exhibit hall was honestly a bit overwhelming! There are so many resources, it's hard to know where to start looking! There was a little bit of everying, from Spanish language programs to athletic associations to academic curricula. I got lots of brochures and talked to several people.

I did refrain from buying anything, though, because the last thing I want to do is make an impulse purchase! In fact, prior to the fair I had made up my mind to use Saxon Math. No question. I was sure! This was the one! Then I happened by a display for a program called Math U See. I had heard of this before, and know a mom who uses it, so my mom and I stopped to look at it and talk to the representative. We both really like the system, it uses a approach that is very hands-on and uses written worksheets for review. So, now I am undecided again!

I did purchase the phonics program I decided on, "Explode the Code". I plan on beginning it with Bella in the next two or three weeks, simply because she is ready. I'll let you know how it goes!

Ready for the Show!

One of my and K's favorite places to go has always been Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia. This year, he decided it was time to let Bella in on the family tradition, especially since there was a production of Beauty and the Beast. We saw it a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it, so we arranged for Nana to keep Abbigail, and off the three of us went! After stopping for lunch, we arrived at Barter early enough to take a stroll around town, and tour the Martha Washington Inn.


Me and Bella!

Me and K, who as per his unspoken rule is NOT

smiling good! (I love him anyway!)

Bella, (our own little Beauty!) waiting for the show to start!

We all really enjoyed the play! At almost three hours long (with a 15 minute intermission), it was almost too long for a wiggly four year old. But she did great. The theatre has booster seats for the little ones, but they aren't very comfortable. So after about twenty minutes she ended up in my lap. But that was okay. She loved the singing, and even though she was a little leery of the beast at first, that soon wore off. We look forward to more trips to Barter, especially when little Abby can come with us!

What else is new?

Well, it will shock no one when I say I am (yet again!) way behind with this blog. I really should just give it up, but I really do enjoy it when I have the time to do it! Anyway, the summer is flying by and it has been (mostly) business as usual for the Edmonds. I continue to work three days a weeek (Mon-Wed) as a dental hygienist, Kenneth is working his crazy 12 hour swing shift at Eastman, and the girls are growing like crazy. Their wonderful Nana (my mom) and Mommy Beth (my aunt) take fabulous care of them when we can't.

So far this summer we are trying to enjoy the sunshine, stay out of the heat, and away from the gnats. Sheesh, I almost just left the "g" off of gnat. We have snuck away for a weekend in Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg this summer. We spent two nights and crammed in lots of activities, including Dollywood, the Aquarium, a hike to Laurel Falls, some shopping, good food, and a ride on the chairlift. Needless to say we came home worn out! But it was lots of fun. Here are some pics:


This is at the overlook at the top of the chair lift. Abbigail
was too interested in the slushy to pay any attention to the
nice lady taking our picture. Thats my girl, food trumps photos
any day of the week.

This is me and Abbigail going back down. I admit I

was a bit nervous about holding an 18 month on my

lap, even though it is a chair lift and not a roller coaster.

The solution? Goldfish on the way up, slushy on the way down.

Happy, content, and still baby.

Yes, it was very hot. Yes, she had lots of hydration.

My hubby, valiantly pushing a double stroller up

the (mostly) paved path to Laurel Falls. Abby fell

asleep on the way up and missed the whole thing,

but it was beautiful.

Bella walked a while, rode on the double stroller, and

then rode my back for a while. Best excercise I've had

in a long time!