Adjusting our schedule - a lesson in flexibility

Thank the Lord, we are home with Lincoln this week! He was only in the hospital for 2 days and is improving quickly at home. It was, however, quite a test for me in scheduling school. I already feel a bit tight this year due to having taken time off to have Lincoln. I was hoping to get at least one more week of school in before Christmas. But as though of you who have homeschooled longer than I already know, things don't always work out the way we plan! I guess we will just be using this week to focus on getting Lincoln completely well (and Reagan as well - this week it's conjunctivitus for her!), decorating for Christmas (yes - I am really this late), baking (and eating, of course) cookies, and catching up on housework and other things that I let go while in the hospital.



I also need to make sure that I have our books in order for history and science when we start back into those after Christmas. We are currently reading as many readers as I can get my hands on from the library. Jefferson is still a reluctant reader - it just doesn't go smoothly enough for him to enjoy yet. I really hope that we can move on to simple chapter books by the end of first grade! So I need to remember to keep him reading, reading, reading every day - even when he doesn't want to. Currently dh is reading him "Captain Courageous" at bedtime - he loves the action! They will move onto Prince Caspian soon since that movie will be coming out in May. Be sure to check out the preview - I can't wait to see it!

Looking for input for keeping track of the books we have read this year (my first year of structured teaching - 1st grade). Any ideas are welcome! Should I write down every single book we read together, every one that he reads, every one that we get from the library or only the ones that relate to our studies? I need to figure this out so I know what to do for next year and for each of my other kids. I don't want to get bogged down with details, but I want to save myself having to look up the same books in the coming years with the other kids. I think a simple spreadsheet would work for this and the library prints out a list for me with each visit so .....

Since we aren't doing school this week, I thought I could take this time to post an answer to a tag from Trivium Academy. I'm new to blogging to forgive me if I've just stolen this tag rather than actually being 'tagged'. I just thought it was cute and good way for readers to get to know me! So here goes :

8 Things I'm passionate about
my marriage (it's priority)
my kids
homeschooling
nutrition
homebirth (women's choice in labor)
scrapbooking
God's beautiful creation - nature
music

8 Things I Want To Do Before I Die
make bible time a solid daily habit
earn a black belt in karate
see my children marry godly spouses and train up their kids in God's word
learn to speak, read, and write fluent Spanish
learn to use sign language fluently
to have a strong relationship with my children as adults
make exercise and good nutrition a daily habit (conquer my gluttony)
become an amazing piano player who can play in front of others
organize my life and house - I love being organized
overcome my fears and speak to others about Jesus more freely

8 Things I say Often
Focus, Jefferson
Holy cow!
...the size of Montana! (don't know where this one came from)
Shut it!
Whatever (yes the kids get this poor attitude from me!)
If you fuss, you don't get what you want!!
Yes, I forgive you because I love you.
Are you dry? (Reagan still having pee-pee accidents 1 to 5 times a day!)

8 Books I've read recently
A Bride Most Begrudging (Deeanne Gist)
The Well-Trained Mind (Susan Wise)
Raising Healthy Kids in Spite of Your Doctor (Dr. Robert S. Mendehlson)
The Measure of a Lady (Deeanne Gist)
Allergy Free
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth (Ina May Gaskin)
The Maker's Diet (Jordan Rubin)
Approval Addiction (Joyce Meyers)

8 Songs I could listen to over and over
Cecelia (Simon & Garfunkel)
Yellow (Coldplay)
He's My Son (Mark Schultz)
I'll Be Here (Steven Curtis Chapman)
I am the Moon with No light of My Own? (Ginny Owens?)
Claire de Lune (Claude Debussy)
Billy the Kid (Aaron Copeland) - lots of nostalgia with this one!
The Four Seasons (Vivaldi)

8 Things I've learned this year
I can't do EVERYTHING
I am not in control - God is sovereign
Having a baby at home is an awesome experience!
God's grace will cover my children from my inadequacies
Homeschooling required lots of organization
I love to be with dh and kids more than anywhere else in the world!
Good nutrition makes a huge and noticable difference in my life and my family's too
I miss scrapbooking and should take more time for me do this creative release

8 people to tag
new to blogging and don't have enough people to tag yet!

Whoever would like to do this, just put the link in the comments.