My Annual Planning

So today starts the beginning of my annual planning marathon, and, of course, I am writing about it instead of doing it.  My 16yo son is away at church camp and my 10yo is ensconced in his room with an audiobook and Legos.  In my twelve years of home schooling I have usually followed an annual plan with what I call structured flexibility.  Meaning I make a plan and then am flexible when things go awry as they are apt to do or when we need to slow down for mastery.  I also do not go crazy when I have to tweak the plan for the above reasons.  I have also had years when I didn't make a plan for whatever reason and those always end up being bad years.  I love the first chapter of Genesis because the first thing God teaches us is that there really needs to be a plan.  He created the earth from a plan and took chaos and organized it into a world.  So to with us.  We need to make a plan and take chaos and organize it.  I know many people aren't good at organizing, but when it comes to educating children working with a plan is always better than not working with a plan- at least for me!  Pictures of my chaos to follow - just so you see what real life looks like at my house!