We interrupt this program to introduce the newest Pam family member!

In case you missed all the references to travel and Ethiopia in previous posts.....we went, we were forever changed and we have returned with another student for our classroom. He is Kibru Todd Pam and he is our 5 year old son from Ethiopia. We waited exactly one year for him to come home. We are overjoyed and slightly overwhelmed by the journey and all it took to get here. He is amazing and already joining on on school - anything that I could print that he could trace or color- he was game.  We love him so much!

A little note on curriculum progress: We made it through the Greek material up to Week 29 before we brought our son home. We did a broad sweep of the material after Week 30 focusing on a book about Alexander the Great, Aesop's Fables, review of our memory verses.  Other subjects like Math, Wordly Wise, Grammar, and Explode the Code will be finished in the upcoming weeks of summer. That part usually takes about 45 minutes a day so.... right after breakfast until the neighborhood kids come a-knockin!

A few highlights from the weeks between trips to Ethiopia:
- Reading the Greek Myths was a huge hit and my 3 students took to acting them out and pretending to be the gods and goddesses in their free time. We also read aloud the Percy Jackson series to further our knowledge of the Greek heroes and myths.
- Memorizing scripture verses turned out to be something we could do anywhere, including airplanes and hotel rooms.
- Taking their journals on the trip allowed them to draw or write about their new experiences as they happened.

 Harper's drawing of the myth of Perseus and Medusa.

Mackenzie writes about the prophet Elijah.

Harper: statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream

Mackenzie writes out Psalm I for memory practice

School in 1 hour a day

Yep, that's the extent of the schooling since we returned on May 21st with K. We are all obviously adjusting to the new foursome and the myriad of appointments that come with a child who enters the country at age 4. Doctors, dentists, specialists and the like are now on speed dial.

I have loved watching the kids adjust to a new family member and am honestly amazed at their patience, love and excitement to finally have him here. I am so proud of them and so thankful to God for the size of their hearts.

 All the 'firsts' that come along with having a new brother are so thrilling for everyone.
He has learned to pedal which took a few attempts. His bike has training wheels that won't be coming off anytime soon.

Proof that he is cool on a bike :

I love the concentration! This is a local museum where they have a bike track, he loved it and spent an hour on perfecting the course.

First spectator sport ( baseball/softball games):

First school day with the family:

It may take a little longer to complete the curriculum with all the changes at the end of this year. We are still committed to work on it a little each day.
5th grade, 3rd grade, 1st grade and Pre-K coming up in the Fall!

I also started looking at curriculum for next school year. My instinct is to the stick with what works and we have been enjoying My Father's World for 3 years.
 Rome to the Reformation is next in line and it sounds pretty exciting to study Rome, the birth of Christ, Paul's teachings and Medieval Times with knights and castles!