An Update of Sorts

As I sit here, trying to decide where to start, I realize that really aLOT has happened that I haven't posted on. I'm trying to decide how much of it is appropriate to put on here and how much of it would be TMI (too much info). I think about 70% of it is TMI....for one reason or another. That poses the problem then of, if I don't write that, the rest of it won't make sense! So, here I sit, pondering and pondering.....

Well, this much I can say. I started homeschooling a few of my kids recently. I started with my fifth-grader. She has always wanted to be homeschooled and I've always wanted to homeschool. My problem was, I've always really liked our schools and most of the teachers the kids have had, so I had no reason to pull them. I felt that by going to school, more of their needs are met....from academic needs to social needs. Finally, my daughter had had enough waiting and really pushed for it and I decided, "Why not?"

After I pulled her, the other two elementary girls started pushing for themselves to be able to also stay home and be homeschooled. I waited a week, then pulled my third-grader. Then after a few more weeks and some time to get things in order, see how it all was going to fall into place, I've finally pulled the first-grader. Her first day home is Monday.

I have been enjoying this so, so much! I have some really good resources to draw curriculum ideas and other ideas from. The school has been really supportive as well as all my family and friends.

One added bonus that I wasn't really anticipating is that I'm noticing this really neat transformation in my girls. The older one has been pretty easy-going and an eager learner anyway but our next one down has been a little more high-strung. The first week or a bit more, she would just bounce off the walls, get on everyone's nerves and was a master evader of sitting down to learn. Now, the two girls are just always thinking up new ideas, from Science Photography to Nature/Wildlife Clubs to Imaginary Worlds. They play math games together and love them. They've always avid readers so they are both just thrilled to have now gotten their own library cards that are the keychain version that they've both put on those neck things (like people put their employee cards). We are trying to have a day a week for each subject. We feature Language Arts on Mondays...this includes a trip to the library. Tuesdays feature subject is Social Studies, Wednesday-Health, Thursday-Math and Friday-Science and Art. We have Dad bring them to the gym a few times a week for swimming/P.E. I've just ordered some more material to cover Music and then a complete Elementary software program off ebay to give us lots and lots of lessons for each subject. I also have some books coming that covers each grade to make sure we have them on the right level by the end of the year.

It's been a bit scary on one hand....I worry that I won't keep them at their levels. I've been calming down about that though, I think I have adequate resources and information now to ensure that we keep up.

There, now that covers one topic! I will post some homeschooling pictures maybe this week sometime. We even had our first field trip about a 1 1/2 weeks ago to the Science Museum and Omni Theater. Coincidentally, the film was about the Grand Canyon and we are studying landforms in Science (in the film, there were several landforms mentioned....slot canyons, deltas, caves, and sand dunes). Also, the featured display/lab for the museum was water/the water cycle, etc. That's also something we are covering. We spent 4 1/2 hours there total and all of the kids did very well (except the baby got pretty ornery)! In the van on the way home was another story. THey all had had so much fun but got so tired out, they were all having micro- to macro-meltdowns. :)

Alright...time to wrap up here at work. I would love to update more but running out of time!