Opening the Box

For the first time in my homeschooling experience I feel like I have made some really good moves to make our homeschool experience better. I use to be so scared to pick and choose from different curriculum. I think a good bit of parents are. You have concerns about them not "meshing" well together, or making it more confusing on the children (and yourself). I want to confirm to anyone struggling in this area that it can be done. You just have to put enough trust in yourself that YOU know what is best for your children.

Having a Blast in Their Space Shuttle

Emily shares much more about her homeschool history, encouragement, as well as her Box Day (with more pictures) on her blog.

Read the rest of Emily's Box Day Story here.

It was big step for us to choose Sonlight. Coming from India where education is considered a status symbol, when God called us to homeschool we became "the weird family who is destroying their kid's future". At that time I had only two kids. I knew Sonlight was the right choice because my kids devoured books but fear of no accreditation and "what ifs" pushed me to become a "Jonah" mother. After running away from God and wasting 6 years of my kid's future with accredited homeschools (result - a stress-filled and irritated mother) this year I have decided to obey. So we went ahead and ordered Sonlight.

I checked the shipping everyday and was surprised when it took less than a week to reach us. When the boxes arrived we had "butterflies in our stomach". The first thing we did was put the two boxes in the centre, sat around them, held hands and prayed. Then the kids opened the boxes - taking out the books, I could see the joy in their eyes for which I thanked God and Sonlight many times.

My third kid (I have four kids now) loved the packaging paper that came with it. No, he did not use it to draw ... He pulled the paper out and played with it like confetti. I had no idea paper could bring so much happiness and joy in a 5 year old! (later my 1 year also joined in) Today is day 3 and he still plays with the boxes and paper. We have not had a chance to cut it out into a castle.

The best part of box day is when he came and told me that he is ready to do school.

I am still scared but learning to trust my Lord whom I believe will be faithful to lead me through.

Bless you Sonlight for bringing such joy and peace to my home.

Mini

It's like Christmas in July... or, May.

Of course the books look so good that you have to stop and look through each one. My daughter was fascinated with a number of them and spent the next hour reading or looking at pictures.

Read the rest of the Box Day story here...

Want even more? My Heart Song has posted several times about her family's love of Sonlight on her blog.

Emma with the packing paper

... Of course they both wanted to play with the books immediately. Emma, because she was excited to see new books to look at; Jack, because he likes to do every.single.thing. his big sister does :-)

Read the rest of Heather's Box Day story (and see more pictures) on her blog.

Examining New Books

My hubby is very open minded and sees everything in a positive and completely different way from me. I am more the "reports, exams, strict schedule" kind of gal. Well, at least I was!

I have been so stressed. I've run my poor family up the walls not knowing which direction to go with schooling. My kids are 7 and 4 years old and I'm still "old school" when it comes to strict schedules and exams.

Totally Excited for Homeschooling

Exhausted, I told my husband one night after more research and still having reached NO decision, "I feel like I have to go according to the book."

Hubby turned around and said, "Love, to whose book are you working towards?" I was blown out of the water by that small sentence!

Luckily, I had joined a homeschool group with moms who used Sonlight, so I obviously asked thousands of questions! What kind of scared me about Sonlight was the price. But strangely enough, you pay R1500 more for government schools. Plus, you only get three gray books and one reading book which the child has to draw his own pictures and write his own story! With Sonlight, we chose the Core B package and we paid R1500 LESS and look at ALL the books you get!!! Not to mention the instructors guides and the online tutor help.

Showing Off the Instructor's Guides Binder

Our box day arrived on the 18th of April 2012! That was truly one of the best days ever and it was like a mountain was taken off my shoulders!

I am still waiting for two back order items, so I have given my two kiddies a taste of what is coming and packed the books away until official school starts when we receive the other items!

A Taste of What's to Come

That night when the box arrived, my two kiddies were asleep. Hubby and I could not help ourselves!!!! We sneaked the boxes in, opened them quietly and quickly browsed through the books!!! Are we cruel parents or what?!?

Hubby Opening a Box

I just wanted to thank my loving husband first, for believing that I can home school and for pushing me in this direction. Secondly, I want to thank Sonlight for being the best curriculum so far for me!

Excited Kiddies

Don't forget Mommy!!

Granny and Great granny and grandpa were also included! They are all so happy we found the right curriculum for Arjay and Saskia!

Granny Inspecting the Science Kit

Thank you!

- The B. Family

"I'm going to read ALL these books!" (Fun Tales)

"Can we do this right now?"

"Oh, I have my OWN timeline book like (my brother's) now????"

"Mommy, Can I read this one NOW? (pause) I CAN????" (our 1st grader with a huge smile, running to the couch)

(from my 5 year old, wide-eyed at all the books for his Kindergarten year, in a whispered voice to no one in particular): "This is going to be SO fun!"

"Can we watch 'the purple one DVD' (Discover & Do DVD for Science D) now? OH! This one doesn't have 'the scientist guy' (Justin) on it! It has a scientist MOMMY!"

"Wow! Look at my Math book! It has a K on it for KINDERGARTEN!"

"Mommy, where's MY Math book! I want one with a shark, too!" (repeated by my 3 year old at least 15 times until I searched my shelves and boxes for an outdated book he could call his very own, which he proceeded to write in for an hour AND A HALF, stopping often to show me his "school work.")

"I want to read this one....and this one...and this one..." (Me)

"I could have used this in college." (Me, in reference to interpretative notes in a Core D poetry book!) :)

I just asked my husband, "Hmmm, what did you say yesterday that I can include in our quotes?" He laughed and said, "It was a thought....'Just let me read through this history book already!'" (directed at ME because I interrupted him no less than 18 times to show him MY favorite books while he was planted in the floor studying our son's new Landmark book)

I loved hearing my husband go through the books, stopping to say, "Hey, listen to this!....." (as he read about New Amsterdam and Broadway and Wall Street, among other things)

While I checked the invoice and organized, my guys read the entire Curious George book, listening along with the CDs. (What a great book with notes about the Reys that make us want to head for the library to find his children's book about the stars!)

Thank you for such great selections once again! We are thrilled with our purchases and are so excited about diving into a new year with our guys!

The boys and their favorite picks with "Angry Bird faces" :)

-The C. Family

Deanna reading on the couch.

So instead of a picture of Deanna surronded by books on the floor, we took one of me.

I'm so thankful for Sonlight and all of the amazing books. We can't wait to start reading them (again, in Deanna's case!)

-Kristee P.

PS. She did get excited about building the castle two days later - after I'd put all the books away!

Our Sonlight books arrived today!!

My daughter was very impressed that the box had a castle printed on the inside!

See more pictures and read the rest of the story from Brooke's Box Day on her blog.

Read the rest of Jana's Box Day story (complete with more pictures) on her blog.

The girls eagerly watch as I open the box. Jenny (the toddler) is so excited that she's just a blur!

Emily looks at her new books with delight--and there are still more in the box!

Emily (the older) can't read yet, but she loves looking at the pictures in chapter books and trying to guess the story from them. Jenny is pulling out books by the dozen and exclaiming over each one.

Emily spends a few quiet moments "reading."

"Look at this one!'

-Sarah M.