School, West Virginia, and Community Day

 We are 8 days into my 12th year of educating our children at home. It is nice to be at the point where I can see that my children are well educated, not just hoping that it will all come together. Isaiah is reading so very well. Math is coming together for Anna. Josiah is a Freshman. He is taking Alegbra 1 and Physical Science along with his other subjects this year. Aliza is a Junior. She is taking Algebra 2, Chemistry, and Spanish 2 along with her other subjects. I'm also not using video instruction for a couple classes for Anna and Josiah. This is the first year I've felt up for doing parent led instruction. 

We had some bumps during the first 3 days. By Friday afternoon I was in tears and wondering if I could actually do this and if I was doing it all wrong for a particular child. I was so discouraged. We headed to West Virginia for the weekend (more on that in a second) and I headed into our first full week of school with a bit of trepidation. For as discouraged as I was, I was equally encouraged at the end of last week. There were no tears over school all week. We finished between 1:30 and 2:00 every day (Aliza was a little later.) It was good. It also takes me being 100% present for schoolwork from 9:30-1:30.

Back to West Virginia--there was not an occasion for this trip. It was just time to visit Grandma and Grandpa and Joel and Amanda. Anna loved having fruit for breakfast.

Isaiah got the buddy treehouse cleaned up. I pitched a lot of balls for Isaiah to hit. After he hit me on the first pitch, I took it a little more seriously!

Anna spent Saturday with Grandma. They went shopping, stopped at a yard sale and then Grandma set up a painting table in the garage for Anna to paint a jewelry cabinet.

Anna had the best time painting.

Meanwhile, Jeremy, Aliza and Josiah went to Joel and Amanda's house to meet their new dog and then they went to Shepherdstown to play Pokemon.

Saturday evening I worked up the courage to sew the elastic and ribbons on Anna's pointe shoes. I only sewed one ribbon at the wrong angle and had to tear it out and redo it.

I just found this picture in my camera roll that Anna set up and took. (her pointe shoes beside her new bag) She starting a new dance class this fall and is so excited--and nervous.

Aliza planned a family outing this weekend for a Pokemon event. We went to SU for a couple hours and walked around, did some raids and got really hungry and thirsty. Isaiah and I shared a device. It was perfect. He rode his scooter when we were walking and when we stopped, he played. He LOVED being my "little Pokemon buddy." (his words) He talked his way through every step of the game, appraising each Pokemon he caught right away and deciding whether to keep it or not. He would explain to me his logic for transferring or keeping each one. This is a fun way for us to all be together. Lunch and shakes from Cookout was just the right way to end our adventure.