New desks

I went to Big Lots and was able to score 2 desks for Tater and Jr Bug to work at. They are hard at work learning. I love how they are able to have their own space.

First day of school

So this is the first day of school. We started out with prayer over our coming new school year. This is the first year having Jr Bug as a student. So we needed to be covered in prayers. It was an aersome first day as you can tell from the pictures below. After the day was over we celebrate our first day with a trip to Dairy Queen. We even get ice cream. An even better reason to get started with school. This year is going to be exciting. I can already tell.

They are my life....

From the first picture to the last picture, there is massive growth that has taken place this summer. I am constantly amazed at the level of maturity, growth, compliance, stubbornness, and Grace that these babies of mine often show me. They remind me of what resiliency, love, faith, and dedication look like. On a constant basis they challenge me to be better, humble me before the Throne of Grace, and remind me that life is worth living. And to you God, who has for now, blessed me with these.

The Vine Academy Homeschool Contract

So, since our new school year is gearing up to start, I needed to put together a plan of action. Since we chool throughout the summer in a more relaxed setting, I am able to see what needs to be addressed in our "actual" school year. This summer hs prepared me to change some things in both Tater and I when it comes to school With that in mind I created a homeschool contract. This is a contract between myself and Tater that reflects those changes and will hopefully create a better environment for school. Both Tater and I will discuss this contract and will discuss the outcomes we both expect from this year. So with that in mind, here is the contract for us this year.

The Vine Academy Homeschool Contract

We understand that to be able to home school is a privilege. It is not a privilege given to everyone, but it is given to us from God. This means our faith, our family and our learning work together. It also means hard work, obedience, respect and cooperation. Therefore to honor God in our homeschool, we will agree to live by this contract during school hours.

I, Tater, want to homeschool. To do my part, I with Grace WILL do the following:

• ·         Get started with my schoolwork and stick with it till I am done.
• ·         Sit properly at my desk without being rude to others.
• ·         Listen to mommy without interruption and complete the work as assigned NOT as I wish.
• ·         Obey mommy the first time without delay.
• ·         I will speak properly without whining and complaining while doing my school work.
• ·         I will talk politely without screaming, yelling, or getting frustrated.

If I am unable to behave appropriately in school, I will have to accept my consequences of my behavior. These consequences will be given in love and in grace. My consequences will be as followed:

1. My picture will be moved to the YELLOW part of the chart. I will be given a warning as to my future behavior.
2. If I continue to misbehave, I will move to RED. I will then write 5 sentences about my behavior.
3. If my behavior continues, I will then sit on my BED in my room, with NO TOYS until Mommy tells me otherwise.

I, Mommy, am willing to teach Tater, at The Vine Academy. To do my part, I will in Love and in Patience and in Gentleness do the following:

• ·         Teach you what you need to know about faith, values, family and academics.
• ·         Give of my time to plan, arrange, create, and present ways for you to learn with real curiosity.
• ·         Discipline you to control yourself and to grow in love of God and respect for all that you are blessed with in your life.
• ·         Teach you in both love and in patience.
• ·         Give you fair choices for you to make when it comes to your learning.
• ·         Remind you, and deliver the consequences of your behavior, if you choose to misbehave.

We the undersigned agree to this contract for the 2014-2015 school year at The Vine Academy.

So that's the basis of our contract. I plan to review it as the beginning of the year and then weekly, and anytime that behaviors (hers and mine) warrant the review of the contract. I'm praying that this is a blessing and a tool that will help to remind us of how blessed we are to homeschool. 

Ballet Class

So for PE class this year Tater is taking a traditional ballet class. She is studying the finer arts of moving with her body at Trinity Arts Center. She is very excited about taking ballet. As evidenced in these pictures. Let the school year begin.

The Vine Academy is open

So starting tomorrow the public school kids are in school. I always use that time to reevaluate my decision to home school. I always look back and think is this where we need to be and want to be. Am I fulfilling God's purpose for our lives. Am I on the right track? Are the kids happy and where they need to be?
So I'm going to attempt to dissect those questions here.
When I think of last year and our homeschooling journey I am often reminded that I am blessed to be there to teach my daughter. She has learned to read way above her grade level. Her listening skills have exponentially exceeded. And she is most importantly learning to love Christ. She is growing in God and she is learning to show that love to others. Often reminding her momma that God's love should be shown to others.
But that's only part of what we have learned. Those are the intangible things that can't be measured. Those that don't understand homeschool  think that schooling is all that we do. So I'll touch on that. Tater can successfully skip count. We have worked on that for a long while and we have finally mastered it. Tater worked hard on that concept and I'm glad she mastered it. Tater also mastered her reading on a first grade level. She is now reading books on her own. In Bible studies Tater is able to recite, live, and speak her Bible verses. This is major for Tater. Not only her, but Jr Bug has learned his Bible verses. He is able to recite his Bible verses. These verses are not simple sentences but chunks of Scripture that speaks of how we should live, behave, and be disciples of God's word.
So now we are on to a new year. A new change, a new challenge. Tater is officially a 2nd grader. Jr Bug is now a preschooler. I have both of my little ones in school. Its daunting to me to have both of my littles in school. But I'm excited at the challenges it will hold. This is the year that we are going to use school books to teach. In years before, my Tater has learned using Google and my imagination. But this year and in years to come we are focusing on school books. This will be not because of a lack in my creativity but as she gets older she need the experience. Jr Bug still gets my creativity seeing as he is young. He will get my imagination for 3 more years. So I still get to have fun with him.
Am I doing God's will in homeschooling my children? That is often the question that I struggle. Doing His will over doing mine. I can cite Biblical scriptures that point me in homeschooling. Train up a child...Be not conformed to this world...Be ye not hearers of the Word, but doers also. But there is more that points me to homeschooling. I want my children to be so filled with Christ's love that no matter how many holes the world puts in their buckets they will NEVER run dry from His love. My job is to show them God's love on everything we learn about. Whether its learning about how God loves order and therefore math teaches us order. Where God loves us singing and saying His praise so we must learn our grammar so that we can eloquently wax His praises. Or something as simple as learning about how we fit on our community and how we can show God's love in the places that we live. I want to show them how GREAT God is. And all that He has created shouts His glory. This is why I homeschool. As important as the public schools are, they do not teach these things in the classrooms. They don't care for the grace of God. And I refuse to limit God to the weekend. He didn't limit me to the weekend and I REFUSE to do the same to Him. For all that He has given me I MUST give my children  back to Him. There is no choice in this. I must shape them to be ready to fight the battle for their souls. God has required that of me. And I will obey.
My homeschooling them is ultimately me teaching them to obey God's ultimate calling on their life. Am I willing, yes. Am I capable, yes. With God I can, am, and will be able. After all He is the vine and I am the branch. I can do all things in Him. Apart from Him I am nothing.
Thus with this...the Vine Academy is open for another school year.

Summer Reading Program

This summer the Jonesborough Library had the summer reading Program. My kids participated by keeping track of the number of books that they read this summer. At the end of the summer the library threw an end of summer party.  Tater and Jr Bug both read/listened to 221 books. Jr Bug received a medal for coming  in 2nd place. He won a medal. Tater came in 3rd for her reading. I am a very proud mother for my babies. Very proud.

The story time leader Ms Carey announcing the reading winners. 

Jr Bug getting his award for coming in 2nd. 

Tater told,me next year we are going to read 250 books. That's my girl. Always ready for the next challenge.