Family Education Update

You can no more give what you haven't learned than you can come back from a place you've never been.

~Author Unknown

Family Education has been a life changing experience for our family. We have all worked into the natural flow of our day. Our days do just that, they flow, no hurrying or rushing out the door, and hurrying later in the afternoon to get everything done before bed. We have been busy and it has been amazing to see the results of work and following through with something you know is right. The rewards of having a child come up to me and ask me for the next step in an process of arithmetic because they were ready, or a little guy that wants to learn his letter sounds because the big boys are, or to see them reading and feeling a sense of achievement, and to have a child work out numbers throughout the day with every day things and see the lights come on, or having a child feel inspired to write about something, and amaze me with their ability to write are all rewards that I would not trade for all the free time in the world. The Lord has been with us every step of the way I could not have done this without His guiding and supporting hand. It has not all been easy or wonderful there are good days and bad days, and sometimes the thought comes into mine or Austins' mind it would be so quite and so much easier to send them to school. And then we have a moment of conviction that this is where our family needs to be!

I love when they are all working so good in our school room, they have come so far.

The spirit is so strong on days like this, they are happy and content and learning.

Holdan is so good he always finds something to do while he waits for mom to do his letters with him or play a game. He loves games and will sit through a game of candy land right through to the end, and loves it! Seeing him fall into a learning environment is amazing, it feels so natural to him to read, learn, and do. Because it is what the rest of us are doing.

As part of what Maestin does it has worked great for him to have stewardship over a pen of roping calves we decided to keep over the winter, he goes out everyday and feeds and grains them. It has made a hug difference in how he comes in ready to learn. Often he comes in wanting to talk or write about whatever he was thinking about outside, usually it is pretty enlightening. This day it was really cold outside and I thought it was funny that his cheeks were bright red.

Holdan got these magnetic shapes out and wanted to do them, I got out the pattern for him to follow and he did it all by himself, he had to have a picture of every one that he did. This is a man.

Addler's Bones

Maestin's Bones

At our Bridge Builder's Academy they did a six week course in biology and one of their labs was to dissect an owl pellet. They had to identify the bones they found. This a pictue of bones that they found in the owl pellet. Maestin thought it was cool until we opened up Addlers at home and Addler had a lot bigger bones.

Addler working on his owl pellet

In January they also had the opportunity to dissect worms, they loved this and learned a lot.

Maestin pointing out what little organs a worm does have.

Addler and Maestin dissecting their worms, I actually got to do a lot of dissecting as well it was fun.

I have loved the environment of learning, as I study and learn it gives me strength and fortitude to keep moving forward with courage. I love really knowing my children, I did not know what that really meant until I was spending quality time with my children in varying circumstances. I really know my children and therefore I can better help them through challenges that they are facing. Having this knowledge has been very empowering. Family education is a challenge that has many rewards and we are doing it!

Some people study all their life, and at death they have learned everything except how to think.

~Author Unknown