Homeschooling with a New Baby.

Alright we are officially 1 month into our school year, for our second homeschool year.  It was a bit of rough start, just getting into a new routine, different from last year.  We are slowly finding our groove and adjusting where we need to. Our littlest chickadee is 3 months old now, and starting to be a little more of a challenge, in the fact that she wants attention...all the time.  So we have a mobile school system right now...in that we need to be flexible with baby, so we often do school, where she is...in the kitchen, living room, floor, and homeschool room.  It is not impossible, but having a new little one is a challenge to get all the schooling done we would like for the day. But we have our core subjects we do every day, even if the other days we miss out on a few subjects, those include: Math, Reading, Spelling, and Read aloud time with mom.  

4 Little Chickadee's.

We have been doing school in the afternoon, because that is when the Baby has her longest nap, so we take advantage of that time, we use the mornings for exercise, play time and clean up time as well.  Homeschooling with a new baby just means changing up the routine till it works for you.

Some people say I am crazy, and if we are out in the morning we always get the comments, "why are you not in school?"  But Meh...we deal with what comes and tell them the truth, we Homeschool which means we can get out and do stuff and when we have doctors appointments and what have you we go as a Team. That is just how we roll.  In September we went camping and took our school stuff with us, it was fun to do something different.  We enjoyed digging in the dirt and having the whole beach to ourselves...One perk to homeschooling. 

Schooling while camping

We have had to make some adjustments to what curriculum we started out with already, but that is kinda part of it...the difference is in homeschooling, if something isn't working for you, you change it...In school you don't really have that option unless your in the resource Room.  So we changed up our Math, and Social studies as well as Science. I am doing preschool with my middle 2, and they are both picking up on letters and numbers really quickly. They both know their colours, age 2, and 3.  They both love to count, colour and create disasters.  They are really soaking school in.  Lady Tor Tor is doing mostly grade 2 subjects, a couple grade 3 things thrown in the mix, and a few Grade 1 things still as well, just as review for building on the skills she already has.  Lady Tor Tor has really taking a liking to cooking, and mommy and daddy have a hard time with letting her handle Hot things yet, but she loves to watch cooking shows and hopes one day that she could be on a Kids cooking show. 

This year so far I have had my doubts on our decision to homeschool this year, but I think its mostly because I just feel very overwhelmed by the responsibility of it all, but at the end of the day, some how I am getting what I need to done. Its not easy and the sleep deprivation is awful. My go to verse this year is "But the Lord stood with me and Gave me Strength" 2 Timothy 4:17. I have to constantly remind myself I am not super human, I do the best that I can, and take it one day at a time.  We enjoy spending time with our new little one, and doing school too, we enjoy GEMS club, and 4H, and also Dance. So we are busier this year then last, and it feels good, but means a lot more driving, and being prepared to leave the house more often in a week.  Which is no easy task, with 4 little ones, between dodging our 2 dogs, watching fingers in door jams, and getting them all in the car, having to go back into the house at least twice on average to get something we forgot, by the time we are in the car Mommy is exhausted and we still have to get to where we are going.  Physically healing from having a baby this summer has been so slow and a challenge.  With a few bumps and slow downs along the process of postpartum healing, I am slowing getting stronger, and VERY slowly loosing baby weight.  It has been a battle, mentally, physically, and Spiritually.  Satan seems to be working hard to take me down at the knee's and some days it feels like he is successful.  But God's Grace is sufficient, I know that God stands by me, and I am Blessed with a loving husband, supportive family( mostly) ;) I love what I am doing, and I am doing my best to get through every day.  

Blessings

Mommy AK