Evelyn was busy playing with her letter wheel. She was learning and keeping busy too!
Ethne started this morning by showing us her culinary skills which included slaying a rubber chicken with a spatula. She was very focused on this procedure. It was hilarious to watch.
Peggy spent the night with us last night, and the kids decided that it needed to be a slumber party. I am so glad that Gran-gran is game for just about anything. As you can see, all three kids were delighted to have their Gran-gran here.
OK, we have survived thus far and it wasn't all that bad. Yes, we took the plunge today and officially started homeschooling. For those of you who are homeschooling experts, I'm sure that my children's experience today was not that of perfection. However, we did have fun, and I learned a lot today. I think the kids learned some things as well, but I learned a lot! I learned that little breaks are WONDERFUL! I also learned that an old free computer is a really good treat for kids, and I can use educational games to get them to practice their writing skills. (No, I am not above bribing my children!) Now, I will say that I do have a "mini classroom" set up in my house. I don't mind chaos at times, but I need a bit of structure or I totally lose focus. Elijah is like that as well, so we have our designated little classroom area in the play room. It makes it convenient for breaks and also for reaching materials when needed. The kids were so excited about today, and I hope they keep that enthusiasm. It was also cute to watch Charles with them. He seemed to be more in his "preacher" mode this morning and the kids just kind of stared at him. I'm going to work with him on making a few more applications or activities for the bible devotionals he has planned. We'll see what he wants to do. We're just trying to make weekly plans and adjusting them as needed. My main goal is to not over-plan. I like plans--they make me feel secure. However, I want to tailor each day to my children's needs, so I don't want to feel like I have to get a certain amount done. Since we are going to be schooling year-round, I figured that we would more than likely get everything covered that the public school kids cover as well as a lot that they don't. Plus, opportunities are opening up that we wouldn't get to take advantage of if our kids were in public school. For instance, the Nina and Pinta are going to be in the area in Sept. We're now going to plan a Columbus lesson. I love that I can do things like that. So, please keep us in your prayers, and if you hear of any cool opportunities for learning, let us know. We welcome all suggestions. We might not be able to do everything we hear about, but we appreciate knowing what's available.
I'm so glad you enjoyed your first day! I love your little school area. I am working on ours. We are starting near the end of the month because we have so much going on these first few weeks. In fact we are still ordering some of our materials. I like to be organized before I start something:) I will pray for your days, along with all my homeschooling friends. It is hard some days, but it is something that I'm so glad that we do! Enjoy!
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