Homeschooling Girls vs Boys

This is Katrina in 2nd grade, and Heather preschool learning about liquid measures.

And.... Jonathan learning about liquid measures (also 2nd grade)....

I believe that about sums up the differences between homeschooling girls vs. boys!

Christmas break

We have been enjoying having Katrina at home for the last month, from Nov. 26. She returns to school in a few days on January 3rd.  December has been a great time to reconnect as a family.  We have gone shopping (grocery shopping mostly!), baking, cooking, reading together, watching movies, swimming, taking a weekend trip to Dar, celebrating the advent of Christmas, and just talking.

Katrina hadn't been home since March 1 off this year, when we left for the US for home assignment.  When we returned to the field, she went straight to RVA, her boarding school.  She had a great first term, and her favorite part was helping with costumes for the school play.  This term, January-March, she will be a goalie for the JV Girls' field hockey team.  That will keep her busy, along with her studies!  We have loved having her home, but know that she is where she needs to be at RVA for high school.
She usually calls us once a week, on the weekend, but we usually text back and forth every few days. I write her a letter every week to keep her informed of what is happening at home.  We are able to follow her grades online, can see her sports and class schedule and even what they are serving in the cafeteria.
RVA is a year-round school, which means they have three "terms" that are three months long, with a one month break in between.  So, she was home for all of December. She will be off for the month of April for Easter and off for the month of August for "summer".  She will have a new roommate when she gets back to school. She shares a room with one girl, and her dorm has a dorm mom that lives in an apartment attached to the dorm.  Her dorm mom, Aunt Candace, has been great.

Now, as she prepares to leave again, it is bittersweet.  I will cry when she goes, but I am happy for her.  She is making friends, involved in sports and doing well in school.  So, good-bye again, Katrina for now.

Homeschool Memories

Flashback time!

First year of homeschool 2008-2009

Katrina 1st Grade

My first year of homeschool, I had no idea what I was doing!  Also, how to keep Heather age 4 busy. I am also pregnant with Jonathan.  Halfway through the school year, we returned to the US to have Jonathan and entered Katrina into public school.

2009-2010 School Year

Katrina 2nd Grade, Heather Pre-K

Finally, Heather gets to do "real school"! She was so happy to learn to read like her sister.  

Same school year-- Jonathan joins in on the school day.  Keeping him busy was quite a task.

School Year 2010-2011

Katrina 3rd grade, Heather Kindergarten

We moved to Nairobi, Kenya for a year.

Homeschool in Kenya

School year 2011-2012

Katrina 4th Grade, Heather 1st Grade

We have moved back to Tanzania. 

                                                       Same school year.  Katrina learning the recorder

(School Year 2012-2013 we returned to the US.  Katrina was in 5th grade and Heather in 2nd grade in public school.)

School Year 2013-2014

Katrina 6th grade, Heather 3rd grade, Jonathan Pre-K

We are back in Tanzania

School Year 2014-2015

We moved to the coast of Tanzania

Katrina in 7th grade

Heather is 4th grade

Jonathan in Kindergarten

School Year 2015-2016

We did most of the school years in Tanzania, but had to finish up the year back in the US when we returned for home assignment.

Katrina 8th grade, Heather 5th grade, Jonathan 1st grade

That was our last year homeschooling all of the kids.

This year-- School year 2016-2017

Katrina is at Rift Valley Academy (Kenya) for 9th grade

Heather 6th grade- back in Tanzania

Jonathan in 2nd grade

Missing Katrina in homeschool this year!  

Winding down

With only 3 1/2 weeks left in the States, we are starting to wind down.  I use that term very loosely.  We are going to be traveling up until the last week before we leave, giving us one week to pack and prepare to return to our home in Tanzania.  

         This summer has had many memorable experiences.  Now, we begin to prepare mentally, and logistically for the return to Africa. 

At Lincoln's Memorial, Washington, DC

In front of the Ark Encounter, near Cincinnati, OH 

The Things We Leave Behind

It seems like every trip we make, I leave something behind.

       -a Kindle
       -a jacket
       -a necklace
       -a sock
       -underwear
     
The more trips we make, it seems like I leave more things behind!  No matter how carefully I check the room, house, or hotel before we leave, it seems like I am always leaving something behind.

             This can also be taken symbolically.
 A little bit of me is left behind at each place we visit.  With every church, family member and friend, I feel like a part of my heart is left behind with them as we visit them and then move on.

                We are so blessed to have so many people who love us, and it is hard to not be able to see them very often.   Everywhere we visit, I wish we had more time to stay and visit.  It never feels like enough time.   I wish we had weeks to spend with everyone, but we are lucky to have one day sometimes.

      If we haven't been able to see you, or if our time with you seemed too brief, we feel you!!  Just wish we had more time.

                 We head back to Tanzania in 6 weeks and most of that time is pretty heavily scheduled with trips (Nebraska; southern Indiana; Cincinnati; St. Louis; Anna, IL; McLeansboro, IL; Jackson, TN; Fairfield, IL; Crown Point, IN; and Dyer, IN).  

We are already on the "wrap-up" mode of this home assignment, and getting geared up to our return to Tanzania!  Blessings!

On the Road Again

This summer is one long road trip for us!  In the month of July alone, we will be driving 3,377 miles (for a total of 54 hours of drive time).  With this much traveling, I'm glad that we are on summer break from school!  It is a big blessing to be able to see churches, friends and family that we don't often get to see.

              Even though we aren't doing "school", the kids have been learning alot.  We visited the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and learned a lot about Lincoln and the Civil war.  We visited the St. Louis Botanical Gardens and learned about different species of flower and plants.  We visited the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and learned about fish and oceans.  We have gone to see the Dunes in Indiana.  The kids have worked in the garden, fished, read a lot and swam.  Heather is at horse camp this week.

 Sometimes I joke with the kids and say, "Uh-oh! You're learning something and it's not even a school day!!"  Katrina rolls her eyes and says, "Mooooom!  You don't just learn in school."   :-)

Summer begins

School's out for the summer!

                   
                                   We have officially finished our homeschool year.

For Katrina, she has finished homeschooling, and is preparing to go to boarding school in Kenya at the end of August.

         But, for now, we are enjoying summer.  We are doing a LOT of traveling this summer, visiting many churches, as well as family and friends.  This month alone we will be in four states, visiting four supporting churches, doing one VBS and presenting to a potential supporting church.
                         
             Let summer begin!