Plans for the New Year...I Think

Well, my summer vacation is coming to an end, and I think I might possibly be ready to start the new year. I have to say that it is with much anxiety that I am starting this year. This is the first time ever in the three year history of the The Wicks Christian Academy that I am surrendering our home school journey to the Lord. I have to admit that I have not...and it's been very painful.

This is how the journey has progressed:
Stage one: "Why me, Lord?"
Stage two: "What do you expect me to do with all of this?"
Stage three: "I give up! I can't take it anymore! YOU do it because I quit!"

So, finally, I am right where He wants me, surrendering my white-knuckled grip on my babies, their future, and my carefully crafted Ivy League worthy educational plans.

I asked, "What should I do?"

He said, "Raymond Moore, Charlotte Mason, Whole-Hearted Child" all sixty or so times I petitioned his doorstep.

Of course, I then hastily replied, "Um, no. That's not what I'm looking for. I'll come back tomorrow." Silly me.

Time has proven that my all-knowing God is right. So, here are my plans.

I am taking the ages and stages in Raymond Moore's Home Grown Kids and exposing them to everything that I might have missed or haven't gotten to in those stages. This will involve lots of hands on learning: baking, telling time in every day life, astronomy, charting the moon, digging in the earth, going out into the community, nature journals, great literature, service projects, wood-working, and life-skills development (including how to fix a faulty appliance as needed, and so much more. If I learn how to add documents and pictures, I'll post the charts I created based on this information.

Then I'm mixing it with Charlotte Mason's principles of short lessons, lots of time in nature, narration, dictation, light copy work, excellent literary works, habits formation (my favorite aspect of the philosophy), and relevant assignments.

Finally, I'll season it with Whole-Hearted Child's (Clay and Sally Clarkson) belief in learning, love, and joy being an on-going combined organic concept everyday in the life of a family.

This is new for me. I am throwing out the expensive curriculum I purchased last year, while keeping some of the great books to incorporate in God's plan for my home school. When I have done all that he is currently directing me to do, then I will go back up to the mountain top and ask for the next set of instructions. At the end of the day, he is the Master Teacher of the The Wicks Christian Academy, not me. Please pray for my obedience to what I know is His will for our home school journey.