Welcome to our house. It's our 4th week back to school, but everybody's still here. We don't go to school, we learn at home. So what does our day look like? Here's what it looks like today. I am up at 6:30 - well, not really UP, but in bed praying. By 7:30 I'm usually downstairs in my big chair for mom time with God.  Today I'm still in bed doing that.  Staying connected with God is the only way to live peacefully and joyfully while I mentor my kids.

I have three boys using three different levels of work this year, ages 13, 10 and 6. There's no more combining them. Yikes. Two are using an all inclusive curriculum called Sonlight. The little one is doing Five in a Row. I teach a co-op class on this once a week to make sure the little one doesn't get forgotten. Sonlight has thirty-six weeks of reading, history, Bible, geography and discussion planned out for me, so I just have to monitor and add intelligent discussion about it all. It's hard to let go of discussion EVERY lesson, but they are growing up and I can't keep up on it all. We accomplish a lot through our morning Bible reading and read-aloud discussion. There is still much to add to that. I have to schedule and teach math, grammar, poetry, piano and writing. My super man husband is teaching the kids Robotics and manning the First Lego League team this year and a family from the robotics club returned the favor by offering their skills in another class, so we have a Christian philosophy professor from Bethel College tutoring my oldest in Logic this year with his son. I am so excited about that! Friendship and wisdom are a great combination. May they grow together in it this year.

Would it be easier if they were on the bus? I can't say it would. What would I lose by giving up every waking hour of the day to the demands of a school system? Both would have little time to be anything but students. I love the way we get to talk about life issues through the day, like what was the motivation of the Spaniards when they explored America and what was Jesus thinking when He talked about the plank in our eye needing removal. Teaching thinking skills in light of God's wisdom is something I wouldn't have time to do if I traded my life for the rat-race of the public school mania. My kids wouldn't spend their day in a Holy Spirit filled place where they are challenged to bring every thought into the obedience of Christ. I am challenged in the same way. This year is full of new challenge, but we are sailing along as the Spirit of grace is poured out on us through the day. His presence is all I seek, and through it, I see things in a more colorful way. Praise God for his generosity, kindness and miraculous intervention all things we give to Him.

It is a new day. I'd better get dressed.