The Experiment...Week 1

So we have been in Texas for one week! It has been a week of adjustment for us all!

The kids are enjoying roaming the countryside! They have acres to run and play and they are using them to their fullest potential. After 1 week they have a clubhouse, a neat swing, and fun stories to tell already; like seeing a puma! That was a little scary for me, considering I feel like he could eat my 3 year old in a bite and a half. The game warden wasn't as concerned as I was....imagine that!

I'm doing well in the trailer, better than I expected, I think I will live with a minimal amount of stuff for the rest of my life. We really don't NEED as much as I think! We NEED very little!

The most excruciating thing happened this week to prove this point! On Tuesday I was ready to crack open the school box to get our books out to begin our studies! I was excited, the kids were excited (a little), we were ready to go. Hubby went a hunting through our boxes...winter stuff, summer clothes, reference books.....that is it.

Hubby comes meandering in and says, "Hey, what did you label the school box?"

Me: Oh nothing, it was so big and open I didn't think it needed to be labeled.

Hubby: Oh, the one with the sides taped up so that it could all fit, the one with the pencils, books and such...

Me: Yeah, that is the one..

Hubby: Oh, that one...

Me: Yeah, that one

Hubby: You sure you couldn't teach with some reference books...

Me: Stop being silly, I'm ready to get started.

Hubby: Oh, I'm not being silly! That box with the pencils and books and such is in storage...in CALIFORNIA!

Me: whhhaaattt??????????

Hubby: Can you teach with a bunch of reference books?

All I could think was OH NO, all my researched books...my wonderful collection of Well Trained Mind stuff... and my 3 R's collection.... and oh, my Abeka handwriting what will I ever do????? (I tend to take this stuff a little seriously sometimes!)

I was sad and pouty for about 2 minutes until hubby said let's take a trip to Mardel's and see what we can do! That made me happy - Mardel's is wonderful and I could get lost in there among all the wonderful books. The education section is full of fun things.

So off to Mardel's we went and I was up to my eyeballs in possibilities....oh we could explore Texas history, we could study about Alaska, we could.........

So it went for about an hour until I started to come out of my euphoric state over new school supplies and was being rational. I didn't want to buy books I already had and I couldn't spend too much money....what to do.

So after rationalizing over it, praying about it, and calling a close friend to lament to, this is what I decided....I decided to spend the next couple of months strengthening my base and not working on building my towers taller! (That is almost a direct quote from my dear friend!) We are going to work on our weaknesses. DS needs to work on handwriting and some other fine motor skill, 6 yo DD is going to work on reading skills, 10 yo DD is going to work on math!

I did purchase a Core Knowledge series book, but other than that we already have everything we need! I guess I can teach with a bunch of reference books....and the library of course!

Living simply and I love it!