School Daze

One of the joys of homeschooling is the flexibility that is allowed in a single day!  Take for instance, today...Izzy started her day with horseback riding lessons. This was the lesson she had looked forward to all year--actually going out on the trail vs. the normal inside arena riding.  Unfortunately, plans changed so she won't hit the trails until next week but she did have some abnormal excitement in her lesson. She was able experience using spurs for the first time which made Mr. Professor bolt suddenly leaving Izzy holding onto the horn looking as if she had seen a ghost.  She quickly gained control and was a bit more cautious after that when using the spurs.

Following horseback riding, we headed  in town to run a quick errand and popped into Jack-in-the-Box for a cold drink while studying Spanish!  How do you say Dr. Pepper in Spanish??

We always carry our school books with us wherever we go just in case we ever get stuck waiting someplace and have the opportunity to carschool. Just trying to "Redeem the time!"

We returned home to study Algebra using the online Aleks program which Izzy loves.  It keeps a running account of finished work with a visual pie which each day gets more and more filled in as Izzy progresses through the material.  I love to kid her each morning by reminding her that Aleks is waiting for her upstairs:)

Speaking of pie, we took a break and headed into the kitchen where Izzy put together some raspberry jello with chopped pears from our pear tree so it would be ready for dinner!  Izzy loves to cook and frequently will make, not only yummy desserts, but a variety of dishes to share with the family.

Back to the books, Izzy settles at the kitchen table for some English.  She reads her Literature book and finishes a grammar page. Together we are reading the Chronicles of Narnia series, specifically the Prince Caspian, our second book this year. Her new writing curriculum just arrived so she will be adding a DVD writing course to her daily studies, Excellence in Writing, with Andrew Pudewa which looks excellent for a gal who detests writing!It wasn't too bad today as she researched and wrote an essay on her new pets, Ginny and Dane.

Lunch is here before we know it, and Dad bursts in the door hungry for food and eager to see the family after working all morning over in his water consulting office in Fairfield.  We take thirty minutes to hang out together and share what our busy mornings have been like. How blessed we are to have him working close enough to have lunch with us most days.  At 12:30 we like to listen to Laura's pastor, Lance Hahn from Bridgeway Church(bridgewaychristian.org), teach on the radio.  We jokingly call it our "Lunch with Lance" time!  Today he talked about "Learning to Worship" and the blurred line between sacred vs. secular music from Psalm 88.

Back to the books, we hit a few more textbooks and then before we knew it it was time for Izzy to head to Gold's Gym where she assists with the Swim Team.  What an opportunity as Izzy wants to teach swimming lessons next summer and is getting trained three days a week by her mentor teacher and dear friend, Diane.

Once we arrived home, Izzy was eager to put on her running shorts and take a few laps up our quiet country road preparing  for the mile run she will be timed for in the near future for PE.

Izzy came in pink cheeks and dripping!  After a quick shower, she came back into the kitchen to put together some Habenero Chili Hot dogs for delicious, Spicy Pigs in a Blanket, which was perfect with her raspberry jello.  And I wonder why big sis, Sarah, only eats raw veggies.:)

After dinner and dishes, Izzy took out her two bunnies, Ginny and Dane, and played with them out on the grass watching them hop and explore!  They are a hassle to take care of some days but she really enjoys sharing them with her nieces and nephews who adore them!!

      
Most every evening, big sis, Sarah faithfully comes into Izzy's zebra-striped bedroom and completes her final, but most important, subject for the day--Bible. They read the Bible together and Sarah patiently explains to Izzy the meanings of some of the harder parts answering Izzy's questions, and they discuss how a passage applies to Izzy's life.  We all pray as a family and Izzy's off to bed listening to a favorite book on CD to drift off to sleep!I


SWEET SISTERS--SARAH (18) AND IZZY (14) AT FEATHER RIVER CAMPING

Home education is not for every family, I know, but I absolutely love it and so cherish the time I get to spend with Izzy each day helping her be prepared for whatever God calls her to do in this life!  It's challenging and requires more discipline that I possess, but together we are learning and growing with a smile!