New Blog

For the latest update, check out this post on the main blog, His Precious Gems.

Due to the lack of space on this account, I am no longer able to post pictures.  I started a whole new blog connecting our personal lives with our homeschooling life. 

Leave me a comment, email, call, text, rent a plane and write it in the sky, put up a billboard, whatever your choice of communication is and let me know if you would life the link. 

The school year is off to a roaring start

Each year, we start the first day off with a round of pictures.  Last year, Rebecca wasn't as cooperative.  To say the least, she was downright grumpy.

This year was no different.  However, after an emotional morning, we started over on the right foot, putting God first and had a great day.

We completed 3 days of school last week, taking Thursday off to clean and grocery shop and Friday off to celebrate Emily's birthday.  We are not doing a full course load until after Labor Day, savouring the last few days of summer, the pool, and no evening commitments (besides Wed. night church).

Today was day 4 and although I was exhausted by dinnertime, many things were accomplished.  We are reading through the Bible at the breakfast table and that has worked for us so far.  In the past, we have all gone our separate ways when it comes to Bible, each using a different level of a curriculum.  If God is to be the focus of our lives, it is imperative that we start our day together in prayer and scriptures.

After breakfast and Bible, one of the girls starts on math while the other practices piano.  Math was taking hours for Rebecca, not because she doesn't know how to do it (it is all review at this point, goodness), she has a way of procrastinating and acting dumb.  Today, I gave her 45 minutes and 2 helps.  She was finished with 9 minutes to spare.  After math and piano are complete, the girls have done English, Spelling and Vocabulary.

*Emily is loving Wordly Wise 3000 while Rebecca tolerates it.

We will add Science, History, and Geography next week.  I've never taken this slow of an approach to schooling before, but let me tell you, it works for us and we are all enjoying our days here at P.J. Christian Academy.

Treading new water

I feel as if I have left all that is familiar to me and am walking on new ground, so to speak.  I have always had everything laid out for me, as far as lesson plans go. LFBC has no teacher plans, no prep time, just child directed spiral notebooks with text and worksheets included.  It really is a great program if that is what you are looking for.
Last school year, we switched and I had a ton of copying lesson plans from the dozens of A Bens teacher manuals that I had. I spent hours copying lessons down, but in all reality, that was so much easier than what I am trying to do for this upcoming year.
We are leaving the textbooks behind with the exception of math and grammar and really am just coming up with my own things.
I started off with Emily's science and really started to just roll with it.  I guess you could call it charlotte mason with notebooking. I pulled out the topics covered in the A bens text that we will use over the course of the school year.  I started a notebook on the first topic, insects and other creepy crawlies. I spent hours typing up worksheets, looking for notebooking pages and fun activities. We have been to the library and checked out various bug books. And you know what? She has already learned a great deal of interesting facts about this topic just from reading and we haven't even begun our notebook.
I am doing the same for Rebecca's history. I am having more fun researching than she probably will in doing the actual work.
It is July and my house is covered in books. I never have school books out over the summer! Especially during the month of july!  I'm loving it. Love the planning, researching, and writing my own lesson plans!
But enough for today. We have a birthday to celebrate and a day of fun planned at the pool. 

Shea

Hand Art

This lion and elephant were made from Emily's handprint. They are at the zoo in cages. There is walking space between them with benches to sit and look at the animals. Made by Emily

Beautiful Art

'Sparkling Flower' by Rebecca

Keepers of the Faith

Keepers of the Faith is a program that I have wanted my children to participate in for years.  When the opportunity arose with a great group of homeschoolers, I jumped at it.  You may check out the Keepers Club here: Keepers of the Faith

We do it slightly different than the way he program is set up in ha he children earn paper badges o put in their notebook rather than patches to wear on a sash.  The girls meet in the library meeting room for 2 hours once a month.  They have worked on several badges under the great leadership of Mrs. Jen.  She is unbelievably creative and has the patience of Job.  I am so blessed to have her in our lives for the girls to look up to and to emulate.

The following photos are just a sample of activities that the girls have worked on this year.

In this meeting, the girls each brought blank recipe cards.  They were to go down the line, taking 2 different cards to put in their recipe books. 

 Here, Emily is working on her recipe book.  The girls decorated the cover of a photo album to slide their recipe cards in.

Another badge in the Culinary Arts section was to prepare certain snacks.  The girls made trail mix and served it to the boys and parents.  They also made popcorn which smelled delicious!

These two photos are from the meeting that the girls worked and completed the Rubber Stamping and Card Making badge.

As the school year concludes, so must our school activities.

We will have two months off for summer vacation (secretly jumping up and down) before resuming all of our regular activities.

Finally, I can sigh!  After the meeting today, we had our free smoothies at Tropical Smoothie for wearing flip-flops, accompanied with lunch, friends and family, topped off with a couple of hours a the pool.  Ahh! I LOVE SUMMER!

*The "t" key on my keyboard has been acting up so if there are missing "t's" through out the post, please forgive me.  I tried to catch them all. 

Decisions Made!

It's all about baby steps, right?  Today, I went to the free exhibition hall shopping at the homeschool convention for the first time since we started homeschooling in 2004.  Next year, I am definitely planning on going to the convention... at least to the used curriculum sale.  A HUGE thanks for my pal, Jen, for driving me and hanging out with me as I walked around in awe.
So, now that everything except Emily's grammar has been ordered or purchased, I have a better idea of what we are doing in the fall.  Want to have a sneak peak of what the girls are using?

Rebecca- grade 7
Bible- Daily Bible reading as a family and AWANA Trek Bk 2 Sept- May
Math- Saxon 8/7
Grammar- Bob Jones
Writing- IEW
Spelling- Spelling Power
Literature/Vocab- Eclectic mix of historical fiction, biographies, classics, and fun
Science- Apologia General Science
History- Ancient World History
Geography- Trail Guide to US Geography
Music Appreciation- Great Composers
Art/Art Appreciation- Ancient History Art
Piano- Alfred's Basic Piano
Physical Ed

Emily- grade 4
Bible- Daily Bible reading as a family and AWANA T & T Bk 2 Sept- May
Math- Saxon 5/4
Grammar- Bob Jones
Writing- IEW
Spelling- Spelling Power
Literature/Vocab- Eclectic mix of historical fiction (including American Girl), biographies, classics, and fun
Science- Unit studies of insects, plants, birds, matter, energy, geology, astronomy, and oceanography
History- American History through American Girl books
Geography- Trail Guide to US Geography
Music Appreciation- Great Composers
Art/Art Appreciation- Art through Nature
Piano- Alfred's Basic Piano
Physical Ed

I am looking forward to next year.  I have been having fun planning and coming up with my own notebooking pages.  THIS is why we homeschool!  I LOVE IT! 

Your questions answered

Why is it that I do not like discussing homeschooling with non-homeschoolers?  Many are just trying to make conversation.  Many are trying to comprehend why we do what we do.  Often, I feel like others are trying to get in my business, so to speak.  Sometimes, I feel as if I have to defend myself.  I cannot give you a simplified run down of everything we do in just a few minutes.  My best advice for those who have lots of questions concerning homeschooling (with no intentions of hs'ing) or our family as homeschoolers, spend a few hours with our girls and you will get an idea of who we are.
Below is a compiled list of simplified answers to many of the inquiries I have had in the past, and some very recently-

• God is the center of our focus
• we do homeschool because of our christian beliefs
• my children are socialized
• the state requires testing annually
• I will not discuss their testing results with you
• we school all over the place: the family room, bedroom, kitchen table, library, car, or in public
• we do not attempt to run our school as if we are in a school, just in a home situation
• no, we do not have a schedule
• we are not unschoolers
• no, we do not school year round (I enjoy my summer breaks just as much as the next kiddo)
• my girls are well rounded
• we have participated in several co-ops
• as of right now, I am the predominant teacher
• they participate in several sports
• they partake in church activities
• we dress this way on purpose but it has nothing to do with home schooling
• we are not weird because we do not wear pants
• we are not weird because we do not listen to secular or contemporary music
• no, we will not let them watch certain things on tv because we need to protect their eyes
• yes, it is OK to let girls be girls and not worry about boys or make up
• my house is not always clean although "I am home all day"
• I actually am home during school hours before lunch
• I do not answer the phone during school hours
• we take the responsibility as being the teachers of these girls very seriously
• no, I am not a very patient person
• I am not overly organized either
• YES, YOU can homeschool if you wanted to- it just has to be a priority in your life
• don't think that I am a saint because we have homeschooled for 7 years
• I do not write my own curriculum
• I will take a stab at it this year for the first time :o)
• I do not have a teaching degree past the preschool level
• we spend all morning in our jammies, often not getting dressed until we have to leave the house
• I am not free to babysit, homeschooling is a full time job
• yes, we know lots of different homeschoolers, but I have the authority to pick which ones I want as an influence on our girls
• they know how to communicateand interact with those of all ages
• if Emily does not talk to you, it is because she chooses not to, not because she doesn't know how or is rude
• lastly, YES, we plan on going "all the way" with them unless God makes it clear that it is not His will

Cooking, Cleaning, and School

Could baking brownies be considered a math lesson?  HA!  In this case, NO!

Rebecca will do just about anything to get out of doing her school work.  She even offered to bake cookies and a cake for me today.  After I kindly turned her down, she volunteered to clean. 

A Better Turn Out...

Today was my second used curriculum sale of the season.  Since I am not paying to shop at convention, I am trying to get as much used, but in great condition, as I can.  I drove 35 minutes away hoping that today's sale would be worth the drive.  It was.
I found Rebecca's BJU Press Grammar.  I bought the teacher edition ($55 new), Tests ($14.50 new), and tests answer key ($9 new) for $30.00.  All I need is the consumable for her grammar which will cost $23. 

I also bought a few books on Ancient History.  I want Rebecca to learn ancient history since she has managed to get around it thus far.  She has had some sort of American History each year since second grade.  Knowing that she needs Ancient History, I have spent months of research on what curriculum to use.  There are several good ones out there with a Biblical perspective however, they all require a 3-4 year commitment.  I am only looking for a one year, all inclusive history starting from Creation to the twentieth century.  I can only find that in A Beka and Bob Jones.  I picked A Beka's History of the World in Christian Perspective due to the fact that I can get it off of Christian Liberty Press for a lower cost. 
I think that I have made my decision to use an older version that is on loan to me as a spring board for my own curriculum.  I have been very intrigued in the Charlotte Mason style of education for a couple of moths now.  I have been unsure on how to implement it.  I am a textbook educator.  I am also not one for change.  Well, I am going to go for it! 
I went to the library this evening and found several books on world history.  There is a series of 20 books called The Royal Diaries.  It is fictional books taken from 57 B.C. to 1914 A.D.  I checked out the book Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile.  I'll preview the book and the series to see if it is acceptable to use.  I'm looking forward to combining History, Literature, and Vocabulary.  I also spotted several books on crafts from each time period along with other informational books.  I am really liking the Usborne books that I balked at 3 or 4 years ago.  I will use those to my advantage as well.
So, all of that to say, I did not find too much today at the used curriculum sale but it did help me to solidify some ideas that I have been toying with.
I'm looking forward to see what other subjects I can incorporate CM into.
My final used sale is next week and it is a big one.  Here's to hoping that I find the other things that I am looking for!

A Day in the Life of a Homeschool Student

I love the humor behind this video.  It is a joke/spoof on what our typical day is like.  Take the time to watch it, if you can. 
The cinematography isn't that great, but it is a cute video produced by a couple of teen girls. My favorite scene is the science experiment that demonstrates buoyancy with ice cream and root beer.

http://youtu.be/nylLYRrHrRA

Well that was a bust...

It's that time of year again... Used Curriculum Sales
The first one of the season was right in my backyard.  Well, not literally but close enough.  Being a member entitled me to a free table to sell things on!  I had a ton of stuff, mostly preschool workbooks, but still A LOT of stuff to sell.  Yeah, I came home with most of it.   What a waste of time.
What is even more disappointing is that there was nothing that I need to buy for next year.  I usually have great success at this sale.  Hopefully I won't walk away empty handed at the next one.
So here it is, my 14 year anniversary and I spent it with friends, not my husband, making a $24 profit.  "Why am I not with him now?" you may be wondering.  Because he has a paper due and has to turn it into a power point project with a 15 minute speech.  Oh well.  What can you do?
The upside to the evening?  Emily had a blast playing with friends and Rebecca spent the evening with Daddy.  Oh, and I know exactly what I am doing next school year!  So, I guess I'll go and change it on the curriculum page of this blog since I have nothing better to do.
Also, I learned my lesson: only bring 1 or 2 boxes of books with me next year.

Field Day 2011 with SCHE

"Please don't seperate us."

Rebecca won 1st place in the hula hoop contest

crab walk

 Rejoicing over their victory in the egg race!

 First place in the three-legged race!

 Finished off with a picnic lunch and...

a final cruz on the rip-stick.

A Dream Come True

*Sorry for the cell phone pics.  Love the Droid X but the pictures are just lacking!*

Soccer practice was canceled this evening but it was just too nice to stay in.  Rebecca wanted to ride her bike, Emily wanted to play, and the dog wanted to get out and run.  After getting bored in the cul-de-sac, I packed them all up and let them play/ride at the closest elementary school.

 It's always been a fascination of the girls to see inside a public school.  They have been inside a church/school but not a public school.  They usually play there throughout the summer months when the building is closed and rooms are packed away.  It's not uncommon to find them looking in the windows of all the schools we play at.

 Notice the jump rope around Emily's waist?  :o)

I told them secretively to try the door handles.  One was open.  After we saw a lady and her daughter go in, we put the dog in the car and went in.  Now, you just can't realize the importance of this to Emily.  Prior to putting the dog away, Emily went in, ran around the little area by the front door, thinking it was all very exciting to be inside a real school.  It was funny watching them be sneaky and waiting for me to pull her out of there.  So, we went inside and toured the cafeteria, looked in the media room, and some classrooms including the room that I volunteered in while a senior in high school.  Rebecca didn't like being in there and wanted to leave quickly.  She felt like she was intruding without permission.  Well, yep, we were but if anything, they would just ask us to leave.  Emily could have stayed in there for hours!

 Em absolutely LOVED looking at all the bulletin boards in the hallway.  She read everyone that we saw.  It's amazing that almost every room had a poster of No Bullying outside of the door.  Sad that that is such an issue.

 An empty bulletin that appears just to be made for her.

 In the fifth grade hallway, the talent in the artwork is pretty amazing.  Above, Emily is reading another No Bullying poster.

Emily is standing in the doorway of a 5th grade room.  I wouldn't let them enter the room, that just seemed wrong.  Rebecca was feeling guilty about being in there without permission that she refused to let me take her picture and wanted to get out as soon as possible.It didn't help matters that there was a custodian a few rooms down, keeping an eye on us.

Emily's smile really does tell all.  It has been a dream of hers to just see what the inside of a school is like.  I have asked around and found that the schools will give us a tour after school hours.  Well, that doesn't give them the full experience of chaos of a school. 

*Just to inform you- the girls have no desire to attend school.  They are just curious of the unknown.  I was glad that after all this time, I was able to fulfill a dream for Emily, even if it was spontaneous.

Happy Tuesday

 Here's a not-so-great pic of my oh-so-great sixth grader.  (I love my phone but the pics aren't so lovable)
We started doing school together at the kitchen table a couple of months ago and so much more gets accomplished in a day.  We can all spread out and I can keep them under my thumb.  I love that she is all smiles even though she is working on grammar, not a well-liked subject.

I may be a textbook teacher but I can incorporate Charlotte Mason in here and there.  Here, Emily is looking at the different types of leaves and drawing them.  She was supposed to do leaf rubbings but with the leaves just beginning to sprout, I didn't want her to pluck them off the trees yet.

Why We Homeschool

Why do we homeschool?  Now, that's a loaded question.

This is my blog and I don't have to have the short version on here so get ready for an earful. Let's go back to the beginning. So, way back when...haha...

I have a degree in early education and preschoolers have always been my passion.  When Rebecca was young, it came naturally to teach her at home.  With her birthday after the school cutoff, she would have started school a year late.  Where she would go was always a question.  Public school was never an option and the Christian schools around here are not what I would want for my child.  Plus, money was an obsticle, or lack of money I should say.  The thought of going back to work to send Rebecca to school was daunting.  Then having to find child care for Emily while I was working was a factor, as well.  What if I had to work after school hours? Anyway, I had all these scenarios and unanswered questions, and I was pestering Jay about it.  He had an easy solution- just homeschool Rebecca and stop talking about it.  The thought terrified and excited me at the same time.  The decision made by the head of the household may have put an end to some questions, but started another round of needing answers to a  different set of questions. 
So, discussion over, I was to homeschool Rebecca in k5.  I was left in complete control of any other decisions that needed to be made.  I chose A Beka because it is basic, familiar, an all inclusive curriculum, and if I failed, she could easily fall back into a Christian school who uses the same program. 
I was also babysitting at the time, and had told the parents that I will hs until Emily, who was 3 at the time, was old enough for school.  Then I would send them to a school that is very conservative and up to my standards.
So, that was my plans.  HAHA  That was God laughing at my attempt to make plans.  Ok, that is my testimony on how we started to homeschool.  Now here's why...  It is also a process that has changed slightly over the years.
The reasons for homeschooling have always been because we feel that it is our God-given duty as parents to be the ones to teach and train our children in the ways of our Lord.  There are many scriptures throughout the Bible that refer to the instruction of our children, the application of knowledge, and the path to wisdom.

Deuteronomy 4:10
"Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children."

Deuteronomy 6:5-8
"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."

Deuteronomy 11:18-20
"Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shall write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates."

Joshua 24:15
"Choose you this day whom ye will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Psalm 1:1-2
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night."

Psalm 25:4-5
"Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach my thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me."

Proverbs 1:2-8
"To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; to give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: to understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother."

Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

Proverbs 4:1
"Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding."

Proverbs 6:20-23
"My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life."

Proverbs 8:10-11
"Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it."

Proverbs 9:10
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."

Proverbs 13:1
"A wise son heareth his father’s instruction."

Proverbs 16:16
"How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!"

Proverbs 22:6
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

Proverbs 23:12
"Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge."

Proverbs 24:3-4
"Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: and by knowledge…filled with all precious and pleasant riches."

Proverbs 29:15
"The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame."

Isaiah 54:13
"And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children."

Ephesians 6:1-4
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise); that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

Colossians 2:8
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."

I Timothy 6:20-21
"[Avoid] profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: which some professing have erred concerning the faith."

II Timothy 2:15
"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

II Timothy 3:14-15
"But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."

II Timothy 3:16-17
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

James 1:5
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God…and it shall be given him."

Needless to say, we chose religious exemption based on our states statute, "A school board shall excuse from attendance at school: any pupil who, together with his parents, by reason of bona fide religious training or belief is conscientiously opposed to attendance at school."

Notice, it states that we are opposed to attendance at school.  Once I starting really thinking about it, yes, I am opposed to sending our children to school!  Jay is in complete agreement with me, but remember that once he made the decision to homeschool, all other decisions after that are left up to me.  I fell in love with homeschooling and unless God changes our course, we will homeschool all the way through.

We met plenty of opposition from friends, family, and even strangers.  I heard it at church, visits with family, and in public places such as the grocery store. 

I recall Jay on the phone with his sister one time telling her facts and statistics of homeschooling.  I was quite proud he had looked it up and done his homework, so to speak.  Yeah, it was all a bunch of made up figures to get her off his back.  Ha!  Ok, maybe that wasn't the best story to tell but I love it.  And I love him!

Now that Rebecca is in the sixth grade and Emily is in the third, my resolve is even stronger than before.  At first, it felt as if it was a last resort, then a wise decision, now a lifestyle.  My children know nothing other than doing school in our home in our jammies!  I would not have it any other way!

There are several different styles and methods of homeschooling.  I am not a classical educator, an unschooler, I am not even eclectic in choosing the materials we use.  I do not believe in umbrella schools, or distance education.  It is NOT for us to learn by DVD as a form of distance learning.  We do not use online courses and for the most part, I do not see us using that form of education anytime in the near future.

I think co-ops are a great way of learning and using the gifts that others are blessed with. 

So what am I?  I am a textbook teacher.  I homeschool our children.  A person on a DVD or online program does not.  I love to teach.  It is my calling and I use it to glorify our Lord.  I feel that those who sit their children in front of tv or computer all day is horrible.  I think curricula that are student taught such as A.C.E. are for the faint of heart or those who are too lazy to invest their time in their children.  Please keep in mind that these are my personal opinions (I also only have 2 children) and with this being my blog, I am free to express them regardless of whom they offend.  I know that my way is NOT the best way for everyone but it is for our family.  I homeschool to TEACH my children, not to have others do it for me.  Granted, we will get to a point where I will not be qualified to teach some subjects and will pay someone to do it for me.  We are blessed with a great co-op just down the road and look at it every year, but cannot justify spending that kind of moola when I can teach sixth and third grade!

I think I got a little off subject there in that last paragraph but, hey, this is my blog, and I can do that! 

So...All of that to say that we homeschool for not for religious reasons but because we feel that it is our God given position to ensure that our children get the best education possible, and are trained in the ways of our Lord to go out and spread the gospel with the lost.  That is the most important lesson that we, as children of our living God, can possess.

Welcome to P.J. Christian Academy in Midlo

After all this time, I have decided to take my home school blog public.  I love to journal about out journey through homeschooling.  I have another blog that I started several years ago solely for the purpose of homeschooling however, I put things on there that would be embarrassing to my children.  Out of respect to them, I will continue to keep that one private and start a new one.

I shall introduce myself and our school.  In our school, we have one superintendent, Jay.  His role is disciplinarian, audience to speeches and presentations, and takes the school on an annual trip to the Caribbean and Walt Disney World.

The teacher, myself, teaches several subjects a day, grades papers, takes field trips, acts as disciplinarian in the absence of the superintendent, housekeeper, nurse, prepares daily meals, gymnastics coordinator, and the list goes on.  I love my job!  Currently, I teach two grades simultaneously- sixth and third.

The students... there are only two students, but that is enough.  Sometimes the responsibility of these two feels like a classroom full of children.  They are smart, pretty, fun, easygoing, helpful, easily distracted, sometimes grouchy, and always desiring what the Lord would have them to do.  They have an arrange of emotions that are expressed in a simgle day from delirious laughter to angry words. 

The school is adequately named P.J. Christian Academy in Midlo.  The P.J. comes from the fact that we homeschool in our pj's.  We do not get dressed until it is time to go to one of our many activities.  Heaven help the person who stops by unannounced. :o) 
We are first and formost a christian family.  Each and everything we do is centered around Christ.  From our schooling to our activities to our attitudes, we strive to like a Christ-like life and let His light shine through us in all that we do.
The Academy and Midlo are pretty self-explanitory.  Academy is a place of study and we do some of that here.  And obviously, Midlo is an abbreviation of our city.

Thanks for taking the time to check out our blog on the many adventures in our homeschooling life.  And thank you for your patience as I set this up.  Please feel free to leave a comment!