What WAS the first week of school...

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Our lazy days at the beach quickly vanished as we returned to figure out what the heck we were doing with school.

The County kept pushing back their decision date on school. I attended hours and hours of summer meetings about how everything could work, what it might look like, etc. And I heard not one thing discussed that would impact my particular kids. While I'm grateful to live in a country that provides a public school system where the most disadvantaged kids can be fed, where ESOL children can still learn, and where those with IEPs can have their needs met, I could not see a scenario where the County has the resources and training to meet OUR kids needs this year. So we pulled them out and enrolled them in a Classical Christian Online Academy that's been doing distance learning for years. It's what they do. It's ALL they do. It's their expertise and their passion.

Sometime their actual first week of school...

I had no idea how getting up to speed, class selection (including placement tests), waitlists, book orders from 5 sites, etc. would consume July and August, but I'm so very grateful we sacrificed the time to make it happen.

Matthew, being only in 2nd, did not have the same options. The two academies Andrew and Margaret are in start in 3rd and 4th grade because it's simply not normal for 7-yr-olds to learn in this fashion. But Matthew took placements tests with them and aced the 3rd entry standards for Math and Language Arts, so there he is. I attend all classes with him because they move so fast and assist in all homework (answering questions, grading, proctoring quizzes, etc.) and "teach" history and science through two purchased curricula.

There are challenges we're facing that are new for all.

The rigor and pace is incredible.

The organization required is right up one child's alley, a steep learning curve for another and solely in tandem with me for the third.

I am relearning how to diagram sentences along with them! Do YOU remember all six part of speech jingles or the 24 Helping Verbs song?!?!

But here we go...only a week late...

Excited about what we're doing, but sad that it means everyone has their own laptops now (which comes with another whole set of rules and privilege/reward system), that we've had to fast-track the typing skills we started working on last winter with M and M, and I had to teach a 7-yr-old how to manage his inbox:-( They're still kids. Shouldn't need all of this yet:-( It should be more like...

To keep things extra exciting during these weeks that we're trying to learn what the heck we're doing, how to manage the courses, find the assignments, submit the homework, take the quizzes, Susan ended up having open-heart surgery to repair several valves (recently diagnosed with a prolapsing mitral valve) and Molly was casted with a broken digit (has to be carried on stairs and to go out, weekly vet check-ups, etc...all the fun!). Michael's back on the road and my work just increased my hours. Bring it on, life! Bring it!

Grateful for prayer to get us through it all...and to start every class:-)

Love classical Christian school. No better way to start class.