Week 2

Week 2 of homeschooling... we are just beginning to get settled into a routine. I'm impressed at how well the kids have transitioned from summer time freedom to school days filled with activities and schedules. It has certainly not been without it's tantrus, whining, and complaining, but not as much as I had thought there would be. Not to mention throwing the wrench of daycare into the mix. It adds a large family feel to our home, that I seem to love more and more each day.

This week in MFW we studied Christopher Columbus. We read stories of his travels, made ships out of foil (again with the foil! haha). And sailed them on the ocean blue... well, the bathtub. The kids enjoyed sailing the ships with lego men in the tub for quite awhile, acting out the stories we had read all week of angry men getting frustrated about sailing into the unknown for months, while Christopher insisted they'd land in the Indies. :) Too bad he never really knew that what he found was America, a whole new world. My children are fascinated by this.

This week in FIAR, we did "When I was young in the mountains" by Cynthia Rylant. We studied Appalachians, read appalachian folk tales, talked about being content with what we have, and finished the week off with an appalachian dinner of Corn Bread, Pinto Beans, and Fried Okra. Luckily Nelson, seeing the shopping list before him decided to pick up some fried chicken too, knowing that him nor the children would actually enjoy pinto beans or okra. Hahaha. He was right. At least we're trying new things.

Homeschool Journey

This is my first post about homeschooling... probably one of many to come. We chose to begin homeschooling our children last year. Given the baby (Logan) on the way and other factors, we choose to use a traditional style curriculum, along with videos to help the year go smoothly. It worked wonders for our family, and Abigail really came to love learning at home. Homeschooling is not a lifelong choice for us. Simply a year-to-year decision based on what is best for our family. Well, this year, we have chosen to do it again. Except now, we'll have 2 kids in school, and I'm operating a small daycare in my home to supplement the budget. AND, I've decided we need a different approach this year. We are going to give the 'living books' approach a try, with an ecclectic feel. Definitely more hands on. We've chosen to use Adventures in My Fathers World for Abigail (3rd), and Five in a Row for Dominic (K). In addition, we're adding Singapore Math, Primary Language Lessons by Emma Surl, Teach your Child to Read in 100 easy lessons, Powerglide Spanish, computer keyboarding lessons, and Spectrum Spelling. We are SO excited about this school year. Crafts, recipes, read-aloud stories, and fun activities will fill our days. We've also decided to get more involved with activities for social exposure this year. Both children will be participating in a weekly homeschool co-op in which they'll have the opportunity to take up to 3 classes. They'll also be joining AWANA, which I'm really excited about. Additionally, Dominic will be taking up soccer and Abigail will continue with horseback riding. I've kept our afternoons free for Occupational and Physical Therapy, especially since the daycare children will all need naps. I am beginning to wonder if we've filled our schedule too full, and not allowed enough margin. I pray this is not the case, but will not hesitate to trim down our obligations if family time is not abundant.

This week, my goal was to visit the New Hanover County Library, because the Brunswick County Library does not have sufficient resources to meet our needs. (Ie. NHC has 31 of the 33 books I need for Dominic's FIAR curriculum, as compared to BC - 13!) We had to pay $30 for library card... but it was well worth it. I can actually turn in my book lists for the whole year, with dates for picking them up, and the childrens department, will find all of my books (even through inter-library loan if needed), as well as add supplemental books they see fit, and I just pick them up. This will take hours of work off my plate. Praise God!

Well, today is Saturday... our year will kick-off in 2 days on Monday. To celebrate the occasion, we made "name" pancakes this morning with each pereson getting mini pancakes in the shape of each letter of their name. "Mom" and "Dad" included. I wish I had thought to take a picture! This week, we'll be learning about Jesus' name... our names... The pledge of allegiance... and reading "Harold and the Purple Crayon".