As of this past Monday I’m officially a homeschooling mama! Well, sort of. Sky’s only four and not technically in kindergarten until next year, so maybe it’s not official at this point. But instead of sending her to preschool this year, I’m planning to teach her at home.
The homeschooling world is massive and slightly intimidating to me, so for our first year I chose a simple curriculum called Learn Your Letters, Learn to Serve. Our plan is to work through our letters, have some fun, and be a blessing to the people around us. We started Monday with the letter A. See the lovely angels we made out of lollipops, coffee filters, and pipe cleaners? We’ve also been working on our “A” verse—Psalm 42:1. And this morning we took a fresh batch of apple-shaped sugar cookies to our friend, Miss Amy. Since little hands put them together, some of them look more like pumpkins than apples, but I’m sure she’ll find them nothing less than five star delicious. 
I had this little moment on Monday afternoon. While Autumn napped and Micah bounced around in the kitchen, I sat with Sky at the kitchen table singing, “The letter ‘A’ says ‘aaa.'” And suddenly it struck me: I am so happy! I love this. I love being a stay-at-home mom, I love my kids, and now I get to be their teacher too, shaping their character and learning with them on a daily basis.
Later that night I was at the computer when Adam said, “Hey, listen to this,” and read me a passage from C. S. Lewis’s classic The Screwtape Letters, where experienced demon Screwtape advises his young nephew on how to derail his Christian patient: “Work hard, then, on the… anticlimax which is certainly coming. The Enemy allows this disappointment to occur on the threshold of every human endeavour. It occurs when the boy who has been enchanted in the nursery by Stories from the Odyssey buckles down to really learning Greek. It occurs when lovers have got married and begin the real task of learning to live together. In every department of life it marks the transition from dreaming aspiration to laborious doing.”
As Adam and I talked about the quote, my thoughts went back to homeschooling. It made me wonder, is this God’s gentle way of telling me that not every day will be as easy as our first one? That we will probably experience our share of tears and frustration too? And that humility—especially at the beginning of something as big as homeschooling—just might be the most important quality I can possess as a parent?
Once again I’m reminded that it’s good to make plans with our hands open and allow God to direct our steps. I’m thankful I don’t have to know at this point whether we’ll still be homeschooling two, five, or ten years from now. We are today, we’re excited about it, and I know God will lead us from here.
I am so excited for you, your babies and this new journey! You will do awesome
That’s awesome! I’ve been homeschooling for some years and I still feel like a novice sometimes and it can still be so overwhelming (especially with all the homeschooling options out there). But I’m learning to narrow in on God’s plan for the kids instead of everything else and that really helps me focus on what’s important and He always comes through with everything that’s needed. I certainly LOVE it but like you said it’s not always easy :).
Ypu guys were so sweet to bake those cute little apple shaped cookies for us! Marie is enjoying them with me of course. I’m so glad you’re loving homeschooling!
Have you named your school yet? Curington Academy? Gold Star School for the Scholastically Smart? A is for Angels-at-Work Academy? How exciting that you are so happy to be doing it! I know your little pupils will be the best of students.
Ha ha… I’ll leave the naming up to you!
Linni,
This is a great post and it’s so exciting to see you embark on your home-school journey
We are just a few months behind you and I can’t wait to sit and pick your brains over it all at Christmas 
I hope the rest of your week is as wonderful as the first day was!!
xx
I’m so happy you guys are coming! We’re counting down already.
I am so excited for you, and know you and Ad will do a great job! Whether you end up homeschooling for 1 year or many, Sky, Micah, and Autumn are going to have a great foundation from you. Can’t wait to hear more of the learning adventures!
I am so happy to see you homeschooling your little ones. I thoroughly enjoyed homeschooling our two and learning right along with them. By God’s leading, we took one year at a time. I had no idea that it would lead me all the way through high school and was glad that I couldn’t see into the future, for it would have been very intimadating. The Lord gives us what we need for the moment (or school year). The beauty of being in a network is having mentors and peers who can give you a world of support and ideas on how to design each year of teaching for that particular child. Yes, you will have some frustrating days, but the good days will be far more rewarding. Sometimes those frustrating days are a tool to show us that it is time to back up and regroup with a different approach-goals-schedule. The beauty of homeschooling is to have the freedom to do just that. Sometimes it helps to have a fieldtrip day just to get away from the routine and come back with a fresh perspective. God’s blessings on each one of you homeschooling mothers. from a veteran homeschooling mom
Amen to leaving it up to God and taking it one day at a time with the homeschooling. I am doing the same thing. I love this post, thank you. That curriculum seems awesome.
It delights my soul that you are embolding (I guess that’s the right word} what God intended for moms and dads to do from the beginning. Your ‘homeschooling’ actually started the day you first brought Skylar home from the hospital….and so on. The mentoring Holy Spirit has been your ‘silent’ helper, and will continue to do so, because you acknowledge Him, Jesus and the Father…and you are both on the right path.
You and Adam are such good parents, and a JOY to watch, be with and enjoy……and like Terry and other Godly parents ….you will shape the future of your children…..I’m so very proud of each one of you…as a grandmother and observer…..God bless you all!!
Love you so much!!
Thank you GG! It means a lot to hear that you think Ad & I are good parents.