Back To School Feast

This is our fifth year running on the Back to School Feast and I just love it more and more every year. We made crowns, which the kids loved doing (where in the world did I get such crafty-loving kids??!) and decorated the ceiling, and had a special meal with a special drink to kick off the year and hang up our new quote to memorize.

I wanted our family to focus on the importance of prayer and communication with our Heavenly Father this year so we are memorizing (have now memorized) the poem that has also been memorized by Pres Monson and from the talk We Never Walk Alone (which also refers to a woman whose husband is in residency and really struck a cord haha). 

I know not by what methods rare,
But this I know, God answers prayer.
I know that He has given His Word,
Which tells me prayer is always heard,
And will be answered, soon or late.
And so I pray and calmly wait.
I know not if the blessing sought
Will come in just the way I thought;
But leave my prayers with Him alone,
Whose will is wiser than my own,
Assured that He will grant my quest,
Or send some answer far more blest. Eliza M. Hickok

Starting out in brand new math books---ahhh!

So for some reason blogger is lame and doesn't put anything in order. Adorable Gracie with her adorable brown legs.

First day of school! Ruthie-3rd grade. Will-2nd grade. Molly-Kindergarten.

Our first science unit was a bug unit--because Molly had just got her bug kit for her birthday and they were all so excited. At the end of the unit they got to create their own bug.

We ended our Back to School Feast with Father's Blessings and Sterling specifically told me (in some of the most direct revelation I've ever received) that homeschooling was what we were supposed to be doing. That was incredibly reassuring on this crazy ride!

We chose to homeschool for a number of reasons. Our school was still completely virtual when school started--and that insanity was not something I ever wanted to do again, and this time with three instead of two kids! We knew that when our kids did go back to school there would be a lot of rules that are hard for wiggly, little people to follow-wear a mask, no recess, no lunch with friends, etc. There was also a high possibility that they'd send them back, and then if there were enough cases of COVID they'd shut it down and go virtual again --and we didn't want that yo-yo. So everyone (except Russ who did online speech..kind of...until it went back in person) seemed much happier to be home where we could have lots of recesses, play together, get outside and...have a four day week and one day at the beach! We also had quite a few close friends who also chose this route which was super helpful in making sure we could set up a lot of playdates, art hour, field trips, etc. where our kids could play with friends. The kids were also excited to not have to do school online again, no one like that haha. 

I spent time at Andrea's while we were in Utah asking her all of the questions. Bought some math and reading curriculum. Started Molly in piano. Ordered some online science and social studies packets. And started! Early on, I organized the kids' days into a very simple checklist that I laminated for each individual kid. This was helpful for them to see what had to be accomplished each day so it didn't seem like the school day was never-ending, and also split up piano practice time so everyone didn't need the piano at the same time and made it so that usually I am finished listening to one person read when the next person is ready to read, etc. That pretty much set up our schedule for how we still have it working--they know we have morning devotional (mostly we've learned primary songs and memorized our theme and a few scriptures) and then start math. Move on to reading/writing/piano and then break and we do science or art or geography (one per day) either right before or right after lunch. Ruthie has to read longer and play piano longer than anyone so her day can be quite long. It's been really great, the hardest thing is probably keeping Grace and Russ happy while we work! Luckily, Russ now goes to in person speech for two and half hours every morning and we get a lot of our heavy stuff done while he is gone. Been a different year for sure!