Today we started back to school! I always love the first day of school. It's full of yummy food, surprises, celebration and thankfulness. I feel so blessed to live this homeschool life, and be able to enjoy and witness my kids' growth over the years, and celebrate their milestones, big and small. I've determined to be purposeful in the rest of the school year to create more days of celebration over school successes, and just becauses. After all, I'm really a party planner at heart. Thankfully, homeschooling allows me to do that as well!
Starting a bit early gives us the chance to take days off during the year so we can go on field trips, vacations, Dollywood, and have fun with friends. We don't start Classical Conversations for another month, so we can get into our routine before adding that. Most of our other activities don't start til August, so I like getting our groove before things start getting hectic.
This was the breakfast table this morning that sets the stage for our fun first day. I admit I do go a little over the top, but it's tradition now. I made coffee cake muffins and homemade granola for parfaits, and purchased donuts with juice and milk. It's important to have a high carb breakfast to get through the school day, apparently.
Then we head to the school room, where there are always more fun school supplies and surprises. I got some really cute things from Oriental Trading that go along with our exploring the countries theme this year. Each child had a little treat box filled with pencils, a bookmark, crayons, and fun little treats. Then there are all the typical notebooks, folders, crayons, markers, pencils. This year I got each child a clipboard and clip the day's work to it so they know what they need to complete, along with a checklist.
After exploring everything, and getting it organized, it's time to get started. Avery was really excited about several things I found at the Dollar Spot at Target - a Jake and the Neverland Pirates paint set, and a dry erase/chalkboard combo. She got started right away on these, while I started with the other two. This year we are doing My Father's World Exploring Countries and Cultures with my older two. This will be the first time that I am using the same core curriculum for both of them. This is also the first year that I will be schooling alongside my good friend, Amy, and her kids. We will be doing the same curriculum and getting together regularly for projects and activities (not to mention we've been planning together all summer and constantly bounce ideas off each other). I am very excited about this, since I have always wanted to do this, but have just never had the opportunity. I think it will be such a fun year together! My Father's World includes geography, social studies, and science.
Avery has made huge strides. HUGE. But my biggest challenge is keeping her busy. She is very interested in school things and wants to learn right alongside us, she just finishes her activities so quickly. I didn't plan enough for her today. She is doing All About Reading for preschool, plus lots of extra activities. She loves these Cuisanaire rods from when Christian was in Kindergarten, and I also picked up several workbooks from the Dollar Spot that she enjoyed, but it still wasn't enough.
Nevertheless, we are able to get a lot done nowadays, and Avery listens to our read alouds as well. Some things the kids can do on their own, and some things they need help with. I switched to A Reason for Spelling for Ansley this year, and on Day One, she proclaimed it awesome. So that's always a good sign. She can complete spelling on her own, so while she was doing that, I taught Christian's spelling lesson from All About Spelling, which he enjoys.
I found a really cool handwriting book for Christian that is all about the presidents. He started it today and was so thrilled. I can't seem to find it anywhere now, but it's really neat. I'll try to get a picture of it.
Then we moved on to Language Arts, where I am using Learning LA Through Literature for both of them. The jury's still out on this one. Sometimes it's really hard to judge something by just looking online. More than once, I've ordered something only to not like it at all, and end up getting something else. That may be the case with this one, but I do hate to judge after just one day. It was a little bit too hands on for me, a bit confusing as to exactly what to cover, and a little too Charlotte Masony. I like Charlotte, don't get me wrong, but there's only so much dictation my kids can take before they are like "can we be done now?!" So I'll have to see how the rest of the week goes on that.
I do love seeing them help each other. Christian enjoys teaching Avery and explaining to her how things work or how to do something. It's very sweet.
We do take several little breaks during our morning, and every spare second Christian was working on his catapult, which was his first day of school gift. He loves this kind of stuff, so I knew it'd be a hit! The girls got Shopkins, which they played with all day as well. Moky really enjoyed the catapult, too.
Christian getting some schoolwork done on the porch. I'm not picky - you don't have to sit in the schoolroom to get your work done. Sometimes they prefer the quieter porch, and the older two come out here to work on things while I'm working with Avery.
If this doesn't melt your heart, your heart has turned to stone. I think I've mentioned once or five thousand times that I love these furry boys, although I can't remember exactly. They are constantly with us, and want to be wherever we are. They are both very "paw-y" boys, meaning they love to put their paws on your face, leg, arm - they aren't picky. While Christian was getting math done today, Moky jumped up and did this. Good grief they are the sweetest.
For math, I use Math U See for both of them. Math is Ansley's roughest subject, and Christian's best subject. So tricky. This year I have learned to have them do math at separate times, because it really frustrates Ansley that Christian finishes so much faster. So, Ansley does it first thing in the morning, and Christian does it after lunch.
I had ordered an Apologia study for Ansley for Science, but after today, I think My Father's World Science will be enough for both of them. As the year progresses, if I think they need more, I will add Apologia, because they both love their books.
They all loved this catapult, and soon were doing experiments on what traveled the farthest, as well as putting the boys stuffed mice in there and sending them down the hall, while Juju and Moky raced after them.
Homemade chocolate pie for dessert, of course. First Days call for things like this. (It was delicious.)
That wraps up Day One. It was a wonderful day, and I so enjoy being home with my kids and learning alongside them. Every day certainly isn't picture perfect, and we will have challenges and set backs, tantrums and tears, and we may even change some things before we get too settled in, but I am so thankful for these three and these days together. They are such a gift!
When do you start school? What curriculum are you using? I'd love to hear!