And it all falls together...

Right off I said I never aspired to be a teacher, but when it came time to make a decision on where to send Skip to school, the only logical decision for us was for me to homeschool. While I was nervous at first, and often overwhelmed by the undertaking, I forged forward, determined to try it for a year or so. I learned as I went along, made some mistakes, made some good choices, learned from mistakes, and before long, I was not only confident, but enjoying it. Alot. Seeing Skip read for the first time, and the smile on his face each time he sounded out a word sealed the deal. Why would I want some stranger to be the one to see the pride in his eyes? I was in this for the long haul! And despite two 7-week stints where I taught and he learned "abroad" (in Russia that is), he excelled and I gained momentum. I KNEW I would educate both of them this year. No longer intimidated - I did lots of research and decided on curriculum for both. When it came time for school to begin 7-weeks ago I was up for it. I was confident. I was excited. I was wishing we had a few more weeks of summer - but - I knew this was gonna be a great year. Just a few days into our classroom routine reality hit. Teaching two boys - 20 months apart chronologically, yet double that academically & socially was NOT gonna be easy. And so for the next month or so I juggled, I changed, I improvised, I brainstormed, and I prayed. CONSTANTLY.

I can't say for sure exactly when it happened, but four days into this week, we've arrived. We've got a handle on this beast, and we're on a roll. Suddenly it has clicked and to the untrained eye, it would even appear that we know what we're doing! The boys are enjoying school, power struggles (where Harry is concerned that is) are rare, and we've zipping along, happy as clams. I'm again LOVING my job, LOVING teaching the boys, LOVING the enthusiasm they express, and LOVING the fact that they WANT to learn! Above all they are learning only what WE want them to learn. They'll tell you that GOD created heaven and earth, and all things in it, in six days. No evolution in this school. They know that they must do their best each time they sit down to learn because that is what God commands of us. They know that if they do not do what is expected, they are failing in their duties as God's children. They know that I cannot overlook their laziness because I am commanded to train them to only do their best, and to never give up. They can not only recite the Pledge of Allegiance, the Pledge to the Christian Flag, and Pledge to the Bible - they can tell you in their words, what they mean.

At I.C. A we learn only facts, and nothing but the facts! And we're proud to stick to 'em!