Yesterday was our first day of school! Waaah! How is summer OVER already!?!?!
I missed the Bigs terribly, but the Littles and I did enjoy our one on one time together!!!!
Avery is a new 5, so her teachers felt it was important for her to wait one more year. They also explained the benefits of siblings not following each other back to back in school. Made sense!
So, rather than do preschool another year, I am homeschooling her. My little over achiever wanted TWO lessons today, so who was I to say no? This is the curriculum I am using, so far I love it! Colorful and fun activities!!!!!! Praise the Lord, it came through Zulilly last week for $14, so I snatched it up! If you aren’t part of Zulily yet, you are missing out.
In addition to this curriculum, I have gotten shoes for Tylan for $8, you will see them in his photo below. Rather than buying one pair for $30, I was able to get him THREE pairs of shoes for less than that last year!!!!!! How fun to have different shoes to go with his different colored uniforms.
I have also gotten some neat, hands on Christmas gifts tucked away, and talk about great photo props! I am in HEAVEN!
If you sign up so that you can receive their emails full of discount boutique items, I would be so blessed if you would use my referral link! http://www.zulily.com/invite/tferguson790
Thank you! 🙂
Back to School morning would not be complete without photographs and collages! They have changed SOOOO much since last year!!!! Take a peek here. Eeek! How is that even possible!?
Destiny is in her LAST year of Elementary school…….
This is Tylan’s first year to be at school ALL day. He was very excited to skip nap time and eat lunch at school ON A TRAY! Too cool!
Avery will be ready for Kindergarten next year! She is such a good little student, blessed to have her home one more year. There would’ve been some serious boo-hooing yesterday morning if I only had one left at home!!!!
And although he was not dressed for the occasion AT ALL, Mr. Pax INSISTED he get a photo shoot too! Ok buddy, you are pretty darn cute in your jammies, pull up, crocs and the ever important noise reducing ear plugs.
Happy Back to School everyone! Here’s to a great year….
~T
4 little Fergusons 
Tonya, I’ve been following your blog around 6 months now & absolutely love you & your family! God spoke to me this morning through your post!! Thank you so much for all you do!! Have you ever considered homeschooling before? I know you LOVE the Christian school that the big kids attend, but I also know how expensive it is. I have 3 little boys, only 1 in school right now, but there’s just no way we could afford tuition for all three eventually. That got me to thinking about you with your 4. I’ve been agonizing for months (possibly years) over whether to homeschool or not, I’m praying & praying & praying, but God’s just not answering either way. So, today, I decide that I’m not going to any homeschooling blogs, maybe it’s just “my” plans and not God’s. I tell myself, “I’m only going to Tonya’s blog today. Her kids are in private school, she loves it there, etc.” I go to your page and see “Back to School Pics” so I’m safe, this is a totally free homeschooling zone and then as I’m reading, I see “I am homeschooling her” and I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, but I finally feel at peace knowing this is something God wants, his plans for my life!! Thank you so much!!
Nice to meet you, and welcome to 4 little Fergusons! 🙂 I do LOOOVE the Christian school my kids attend, there has been someone in my family there for 37 years now. When one student graduates, the next generation of Bontrager descendants comes in. It is my heartfelt desire that our kids are there K-12. However, each and every year is a faith walk and journey stepping into the water, and knowing He will part them……AFTER our feet get wet, just like he did for the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather they be parted like the Red Sea BEFORE I step, so I can see the path. God doesn’t always work that way! 😉
Homeschooling Avery is going to show me just how hard, fun, or amazing this experience is. I was told yesterday, that if you can open up a book and read, then direct, you can homeschool.
I went so far last year, to pick out each child’s homeschool curriculum, because there was “NO WAY” we could afford CCS again. Guess who came through big time?! Yup, the Lord.
He keeps telling me that I have to trust Him in bite sized pieces, that He won’t show me the provision of K-12, but each year, if I ask in faith, He will show me that years answer about Central.
Math U See, Learning Textbook are supposed to be great for hands on math with help for mom as it gets tougher, I looked a lot into Sonlight curric, but found it all very confusing to order. Its pricey, but still way cheaper than tuition at a Christian school, and supposed to be the best of the best. I also read a lot about combining grades and doing school for the big 2, then school for the little 2, so we were only doing 2 curriculums, but we are staggered so. 5th, 1st, prek and toddler It’d probably end up being one for Destiny and another for the other 3.
There is a lot to take in as you start your research, and I know the journey is tedious, but you just step, then ask, then step, then ask. I know He will guide you each and every step of the way!
I am so blessed that our Back to School post could give you the answer you need from the Lord when you least expected it. He is cool like that! lol 🙂
Hugs, T
Yes, I like to see that path, nicely lit, preferably with nice, big, flashing lights that read “GO THIS WAY”. “Some” would say I’m slightly a control freak, I like to have everything in order A, B, and then C. I want to make sure that I’m following God’s plan, but catch myself at times ripping the reigns back away from him. 🙂
Thanks for the curriculum info!! I can’t wait to hear how this school year goes for you guys!
You sound like me! I pray for Him to show me in a way I can understand, and He never fails to! 🙂 I think control freaks can rock some homeschooling though, because of our tendancy to be orderly! I will keep you all posted!!!!! Thank you
Awesome photos of your precious babes. You are so great at getting collages together so beautifully too. Thankful for all your great bargains too…God is so amazing at how HE works in our lives!
Thanks for sharing your very cute kids with us! The braid you did in Destiny’s hair is beautiful!!
Why thank you! I am new to the World of French Braiding, not sure how I survived life with 2 girls without it. So simple and a great way to keep their hair outta their eyes!!!!! 🙂
I have been reading for a while and the comments from Avery’s teacher are intriging to me, siblings not following each other back to back in school. I would love to hear there reasons. I have 2 kids who are back to back and haven’t seen anything negative although as I think about it they have only been together at the same school 2 different years. That may have helped. They are now a freshman girl who is 14 and a sophmore boy who is 15– he was 5 1/2 when he started K and has tolerated school is entire life. She turned 5 7 days after the June 1 cutoff in our old school district and started school in August, she gets mad when there is no homework on the first day of school. She has already stated she will graduate a year early which means she could graduate with her brother and since her name starts with A and his B she will graduate first. I am always fascinated what educators think–Good Luck with the homeschooling–
They just sweetly mentioned it gives each child a chance to shine without being in the other siblings shadow, or having the same teachers back to back who might refer to sibling A without realizing it comes across as comparison. We are in a small school though, so in a big school that wouldn’t be as likely. Mostly, they were concerned about her August Birthday.
Sounds like an interesting dynamic at your house! 🙂 2 teenagers, eek! God bless you! 🙂
Yes it is an interesting dynamic– We have 4 kids they are 18, 15,14, 10 (almost 11, but thinks he should be 18). At several points we had all of them in a different school, based on what was best for them academically and not what was best for our sanity.
I was wondering the exact same thing! So glad you asked!! I think having kids one year after the other may not be as big of a deal when they are different genders–in my experience, most educators know that boys and girls are VERY different! I also think that it can be more difficult for boys when they are the youngest ones in their grade (sports-wise) but in general, I think you just have to do what YOU feel is best for your kid(s) and for your family.
Such adorable outfits and they all are so happy about school!