Time seems to go by faster and faster these days.....or maybe its just me...either way school time is upon us once again...time to figure out what we will use and begin thinking about schedules, supplies etc...This is a pretty easy task for me...This year we will continue in our 'relaxed' method of schooling utilizing worksheets from the net, and a few work text that I purchased last year...I think the only thing I will do differently this year is to put a weeks worth of table time worksheets in a folder for each subject for dd to work on daily...I have been reading alot lately about all the preparation that many moms put into getting ready for the next year...Ahhhhh....I all to well remember those days...the stress over what was the best curriculum, making sure we had all the latest supplies and taking mental notes of what other moms were using so we could 'stay in the loop'...it was really no fun at all...I am so thankful that the Lord has led us to be relaxed HOMEschoolers and that I gave up my notion of what true education was and instead allow the Lord to teach and guide ME...We spend so much time telling our children how to learn and what to learn that we lose focus.....we as moms, need to also have an open and teachable spirit...once we allow the Lord to lead and guide in our own lives we become much more able to teach and guide our children in the things they need to learn...Its not easy or even desirable in the realm of homeschoolers to be 'different' in our philosophy of education...its easy to get sucked in to the school at home, buy this or that  curriculum, use what everyone else uses type mentality...when really our focus needs to be on what our children as individuals need...Just because a curriculum is being used by "everyone' and is all the latest craze doesn't mean it will be what your child/ren need. Instead of pouring over catalogs, reading reviews and comparing ourselves to other homeschool moms, we should instead humble ourselves before the Lord and ask for his leading and guidence....Textbooks are certainly useful in the homeschool, but I do not feel they are all there is...they should only be used as a guide and a tool...If we just allow God to lead and guide US as moms then we can surely never go wrong leading and guiding our children in their schooling careers!

~Kris