New Co-op

Today is our planning meeting/picnic before we start co-op officially next Friday. I'm really excited to meet all the ladies I don't know, especially the young lady so willing to work with my two littles :o) I also get to meet the babies that I will take care of in the nursery! If you couldn't tell, I LOVE BABIES! My Mom was teasing me (surprise), that maybe this would satisfy my desire for more babies, either that or fuel it! ;o)

It's raining miserably right now, so please pray that the rain would at least hold off a bit so the kids can play a little. There are pavilions at the park, but that isn't a lot of fun for the kiddies. Plus the rain kills my bones, ugh.

Our first week of homeschooling has ended. I schedule lessons for Mon-Thurs. so we have Friday for co-op and don't have to stress about getting work done before or after. On the Fridays we don't have co-op we can make up any work that needs made up, review, do a field trip, do any random lesson we want, or have a long weekend. Either way, I'm excited about our plans for this year. Joey has started out strong, I just pray it stays that way. I pray I stay strong and keep on top of his lessons daily, that is a big reason we got behind last year. I didn't keep up like I should have and didn't realize he was behind a bit and was having difficulty with math. He kept telling me everything was done and "no problem". By the time we got home with Jonathan, the holidays were past, we had a trip to PA to introduce Jonathan to all of Bob's family and life was settled to some type of "normal", we were in a pickle!

This year fifth grade math will be done by the half way point and sixth grade math will be completed in the second half of the school year. That's my plan/goal anyway, we'll see how it goes. Joseph does have some learning disabilities in math and writing, so I'll have to play it by ear, I'm not progressing on until he has mastered each area that he is in. Since math builds upon previous skills, there's no sense in forcing the issue, it will only cause stress and result in failure. I'm blessed that I have this option. I will teach Jonathan and Anah this way as well.

I always hated school! I was painfully shy, no one that knows me today can believe it! But truthfully, I was, terribly, my Mom will testify to it, lol. School was never fun or enjoyable for me. I really can't remember anything positive about it, other than my graduating a year early! I do NOT want my children to feel that way. Unfortunately my eldest, Amanda does, but she's at least going on to college to get a degree. PJ realizes it's a means to an end, Joseph is having fun mostly, (except math and writing) and praise God Jonathan and Anah will think everything is fun!

Yesterday Jonathan started standing all by himself. Letting go and not leaning on anything. He would stand there with such a big smile on his face, oh so proud, lol. I'll have to try get a pic today. He's come so far in ten months! From a baby would couldn't hold himself in a sitting position and could barely hold his own head up, to a whirlwind crawling, walking along furniture, standing by himself, eating food (real food off a spoon or fork). He wouldn't make eye contact at all, we thought he was autistic, to a little boy who lovingly looks in our eyes and talks up a storm to (not that we can understand him ;o) ). He didn't play with any toys, only looked at his hands, now he plays with all kinds of toys, stacks things, puts things "in", takes things "out", rolls a ball, rolls ON a ball, presses buttons, pulls levers etc.! Can you tell I'm so proud of his accomplishments!?

Anyway, I better go get ready for my picnic in the chilly rain, ugh! I'll try and update later as to how our meeting/picnic went. Have a blessed day.