Starting 6th Grade!

Morning everyone!  Today is the first day of school!  We're starting 6th grade.  And, yes, I'm one of the teachers!  In case you've forgotten, we home school -- my colleague, Lori Smith and her son, Ramzy, along with me and my son, Christian.  Our other ministry companion, Susan Seal, also helps by teaching math.  She and the boys have a terrific first-day-of-school tradition -- she takes them to breakfast at Waffle House, where they appropriately have steak and eggs. ???  Boys.  These boys in particular, do not like heavy, sweet stuff for breakfast, so no waffles for them!  And I imagine Dr. Seal had oatmeal, or something equally as healthy. 

I remember my first first day of Sixth grade, some 42 years ago.  We had moved from Itta Bena to Starkville, Mississippi, and I was excited and terrified.  My teachers included Mrs. Leota Cardwell for math and Mrs. Hoyt for English.  I believe there was also a Mr. Washington for history, but I honestly can't remember.  Our school was an old, 3-story brick building, which is now used for administrative offices.  I haven't darkened the door of it for the last 40 years, but I pass it regularly as I drive through town.

That was quite a year -- our family moved, my dad left the local pastorate and started traveling fulltime in evangelism, my maternal grandfather died, my folks bought their first house, and my mother was overwhelmed with becoming a "clergy widow."  Four children between the ages of 2 and 15 were a lot for anyone to handle alone, especially the four of us!  Dad traveled from Saturday night to Friday morning, most weeks, and when he came home, we all scrambled to adjust the schedule to meet his needs.  Those were wild days, with puberty bursting forth. 

I'm grateful that for these boys, the biggest change is a big longer school day and brand new laptop computers.  Actually, maybe I'm grateful for me that these are the biggest changes!  This is our fifth year of home schooling and all of us continue to insist that this is the way that works best for us. 

Anyway, their first assignment in my language arts class is starting a new blog, so I thought I'd update my own.  I'm distracted -- heaving sighs and rolling eyes do not inspire much creativity!!!  Hoping this gets better for all of us! Meanwhile, sixth grade has begun.  Maybe I'll learn something new this year...