It’s a quiet morning around these parts. I sip my coffee out of a hand crafted ceramic mug, nice and warm. The stillness in the air is a bit deafening. We’ve just endured a week of violent storms — power outages, raging seas, torrential rain, and gusts of hurricane force winds (130). 

Yet, this is the view this morning from my dining room table. Mirror lake. All of the gulls are back out to sea. Lake birds must be tucked in their nests.

Here at home, this is the first Friday since September that both of my boys are home. Nate’s been taking college classes and has been off to work or school each day. With finals over, this is the first day he’s been able to sleep in all semester. Sure is comforting knowing he is all tucked in downstairs.  He did great with his two classes and will take on 2 more in the next term, 4 total. He has a goal now – and he’s plowing ahead.

Jon – my 8th grader – is also moving along quickly. Long gone are the posts of slow learning, slow reading, no motivation. We still have our best days when I sit with him, two mugs of hot and steamy coffee on the table, pencils and conversations ready. Elbow to Elbow in discovery. There are also days that he is into ‘do the next page’.

For December, I set him up with just that. McGuffey readers for literature, spelling, copywork, history, etc. Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics for some science reading. He really enjoys Jeannie Fulbright’s writing. He thinks she wrote it just for him. I’ve heard him talk out loud to her while reading as well. Makes me smile. Math U See Pre-Algebra has been a dream. Years of Tears with math and this lil fellah are in the past. And finally Wordsmith and Fix it!  – a lesson a day.  It makes it easy. I’ve been using my 2014-15 Schoolhouse Planner. It has a full week two page spread. I can list out the days, and the topics. I fill in each box with our expectations – simple, Page 3, Read 15 mins, talk to mom about labs, Week 12 day 3, Lesson 12 D, etc. Sometime after sunup and before his head hits the pillow, he makes his way through the list. Or not. Easy, simple. He’s not a ‘read for pleasure’ kind of a kid. So this way, I know he’s at least reading some each day. We tried a nature reader series last week, but it was too elementary and boring. Toss.

We have a fresh line of vendors lined up for January. I’m not sure what I’ll beg for, and what I’ll ask to decline. I will say that All of the vendors look pretty amazing this year. It will be hard to focus on the goals of Nate and Jon, balance that with what I want to share with you and discover or try for our home, realistic time restrains with sports and activities – Praying for sure. I have the list printed out and have made some notes. I can’t wait to share with you!!

How are you schooling through December? Simple? Hunkered down with storms and plowing through?