Back To School

You are probably wondering why I decided to write on article called 'Back To School', when normal, sane people don't go back to school for another week or two yet. I didn't choose to go back to school this week...though I have to admit it's a nice change in schedule. We normally don't start school until after Labor Day, but this year is different. Although we have finished re-doing the walls on our house, we have the roof ahead of us. We plan on doing that before winter sets in, and that means taking some school-time off to work on it. And thus, we started school this Monday, August 13th.

We do school using Rod and Staff workbooks until 3rd grade, and then switch to computer school, using Switched On Schoolhouse software. Right now, Caleb is in 2nd grade, his last year of workbooks. All the rest of us have separate computers in our bedrooms. Timothy is a 5th grader this year, a very excited and slightly intimidated 5th grader. I am in my last year of Junior High, and am finding 8th grade a LOT harder then 7th. Beka is a freshman in high school this year, but she plans to finish her freshman work early, and complete half of her sophomore year before the school year is over. Matthew is a junior in high school. He is learning Spanish as part of his schoolwork this year, and also has to work through the SAT preparation workbook. He isn't very excited about either of them.

Timmy hard at work. "Rachel, what's an equivalent fraction?" Photo by me.

I haven't done very much school this week. I think I've done three afternoons worth. My computer is the oldest in the house (Windows 98!), and has been causing me various troubles over the last few months. Dad tried to fix it...and you don't even want to know what that led to! To make a long story short, I now have a hand-me-down hard drive, a new computer operating system, new speakers, and a new keyboard. Dad spent four days fixing my computer, and he's not quite finished yet! I'm a little behind in my schoolwork as a result, but I don't think it will take me very long to catch up.

Like I said, I'm finding 8th grade pretty difficult. I'm learning about word parts in English, sets in Math, and post-renaissance science in my Science. My History is not set up yet, as a result of the repairs on my computer. Although it is very un-characteristic of me, I am enjoying my Science most so far. But I don't think it will last...I get to learn all about the metric system and friction and energy in a few weeks.

As for everybody else, they are getting along pretty well. Mom does school with Caleb every afternoon. He is doing very well with his reading...he had a lot of difficulty with it last year. He hasn't yet learned to read with expression. Listening to him read is enough to drive anybody nuts. He leaves out all punctuation, and reads with a flatness that can be humorous if you aren't the one working with him.

Caleb 'slaving away' at his phonics workbook. Photo by me.

Even though I've only done a few lessons so far, I already know that sinking feeling of desperation that I get every year, which means simply: "I don't understand." I can deal with hard problems as long as I understand them. When I don't, and don't think I ever will, I get that sinking feeling. I think Beka shares my emotions at some points. Already I've heard several desperate yells from her room..."But I don't KNOW!" I've given a few of those yells myself.

In our house, when you don't understand something, you use the ladder system. If Timmy needs help with a problem, he comes first to me. If I don't know, he goes to Beka, then to Matthew, and finally to Dad. Very rarely does he have to go to Dad for help. By the time one of us has gone to his computer and read the lesson and scratched our heads long enough, we can usually come up with something. I use the same method with Beka, but she almost always has the answers for me. (I can only remember a few times when Beka stared at my note-book page and said blankly, "I dunno.")

Mom marking Caleb's school. Photo by me.

But, over all, the school year is off to a good start. Tomorrow we can start the second week of it, even though some of us aren't looking forward to it. I know Beka isn't. She has been plowing through lesson after lesson, trying to get as much done as possible so she can have enough time for half of her sophomore year. I don't think Caleb and Timmy are looking forward to it either. I am. Having done only a few lessons this week, I'm still more then ready to get back to school.

The Weekly Bible Verse

Romans 9:17: ..."I have raised you up for the very purpose of showing My power in you, so that My name may be proclaimed in all the earth."

Bits and Pieces

All the potatoes are dug! We are so glad. As usual, we celebrated the completed harvest by going to the Dairy Queen. And, sticking with tradition, Matthew helped dig the last two rows. He hadn't touched a row before then, but we told him if he didn't help us he couldn't join us at the Dairy Queen. Besides, we all wanted to go out for ice cream that night, but we didn't know if we could dig two rows before the Dairy Queen closed. He helped, and we finished in record time. Off we went merrily to the Dairy Queen. Matthew and Beka had milk shakes; vanilla and strawberry, respectively. I ordered a cookie-dough blizzard, Timmy had a cherry sundae, and Caleb got a banana split. We all felt that it was a good reward for our hard work.

A Word About The Weather

It was very hot the first few days of this week, but now it was cooled down nicely. I've caught myself saying, "Boy, I'm freezing!" a few times in the early morning already. Beka says that after the heat she went through during the work on our house, she is never going to complain about cold again. We still need rain.

A Word Of Wisdom

Timmy says that when you go out for ice cream, you must decide what you are going to order before you get there. Otherwise, he claims, you get so boggled by all the choices, you order something silly like a plain cone.

Some of our beautiful potatoes. We've had a superb white crop this year. Photo by me.

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