Baby Stepping #2--Full Wednesday Schedule

We did it! Our MWF schedule is the least full. We only do Language Arts (LA) and Math on those days. Tuesday/Thursdays we do Science and Music in addition to LA and Math. Today was more crazy, for sure, since we did Math while the little girls were awake. I just let Maia and Michaela wonder in and out of the room. I set up a coloring and cutting station where Maia went to town practicing her cutting. As far as Math goes, it was more a review for Olivia so she did three assessments. Assessments are the tests you take at the end of the lesson to see if you have mastered the skills from that lesson. When we start getting into new and challenging stuff it should be interesting. We did do some parts of the lessons for fun and just so I could see that she really did have a firm grasp on it and that was fun to hear her talk out her understanding of the subject matter. From start to finish including all the interruptions it took us about an hour.

We also did Language Arts and I have to say that at the moment it is fast becoming a favorite of mine. I think it has to do with both of our loves of reading. And the fact that we did it during naptime so we only had to focus on us. However, Olivia did have plenty of attitudey moments. My mom dubbed them as "Evileen Moments." I must say that I am proud of myself for grinning and bearing it. Humor is indeed my friend.

She finished the book we started yesterday, she wasn't supposed to, but she ignored the stopping marker I put at the end of the chapter and kept on reading. It wasn't a big book only 63 pages but I was surprised at how fast she read it. She zoomed thru straight thru it and totally answered all the comprehension questions correctly. It has been fun to learn new words and do spelling. It took us an hour and half to do Language Arts today.

All that said, though, this is coming from a mother on day 2 of homeschool. I will be sure to write in on day...oh say like day 4 when I decide I was a lunatic for even wanting to do this. We haven't done handwriting yet either or Science nor Music and never done it all in one day with little girls awake.

The next step? Four subjects in one day and to work in a little session with Maia so she is getting good one on one attention. That might not happen tomorrow because I will be gone for a little bit in the morning. But today was a good day, the girls helped me do some cleaning (don't you love that kids like to help you clean walls and windows?) and we got homeschool done. Step #2 complete. Step #3---bring it on baby.

First Lesson

Have I mentioned that we have decided to homeschool this year? Well, we have. Believe it or not ya'll, we are excited about it! This decision has been coming quietly but definitively since Olivia was 3 years old. It all began as little nudges that hinted that we would be homeschooling at some point and it has increasingly felt right ever since. Olivia enjoyed public school last year, it was a childhood dream of sorts for her to go to Kindergarten. She has known that we would be homeschooling but when she was 5 she asked if she could go to Kindergarten. I loved the school, her teacher, the area and so we did it. We loved it.

When we moved into our new home and new area, we loved her new teacher. Olivia made lots of cute friends and had a blast but we felt even more that it was right that we homeschool for 1st grade. We don't know what the future years of school will hold. We are strictly focusing on this year. As our curriculum (K12) arrived, we got even more excited. We have the coolest books and materials.

I have been thinking of how to create the perfect school room or corner and how to get organized. I planned on starting the first week of September but today we went to a friend's house to observe her homeschool. We got home all gung ho. Maia and Michaela were down for their nap and Olivia was reading quietly in the craft room. I looked up her first Language Arts lesson, looked over it, gathered the needed materials and I climbed on the futon with her and we began.

An hour and a half later, we were finished. It was a good first lesson, we enjoyed spending the time learning together. Normally, a full day would consist of 2-4 subjects but we just did the one lesson to get started and get a feel for the subject while the little girls were asleep. Tomorrow, I am going to attempt the full Wednesday schedule. *Crossing Fingers and Praying Hard*

Homeschool baby step #1 down. Phew.

Bedtime Funny by Maia

Sam was reading a book called Journey to the Promised Land to the girls for bedtime. I was in the next room on the computer. He was reading and said,"Nephi's wife tried to help untie him but Laman and Lemuel would not let her." To which Maia replied, "Well then, I would kick them in the face."

She's my no nonsense tough and tiny 25lb almost 4 yr old. I LOVE THAT KID.

Funny Imaginations

Today at lunch, Olivia and Maia got up to the counter in the middle of pretend mode. They have the most adventurous imaginations. So they climb up and get into their chairs for lunch. Olivia says to me," Can you be our mother? Our mother died, we live in the fields and then come here for food." I told her that I would love to be her mother. Then she went on to explain about her previous mother.

"Our mother was a bad alien so she had to be killed." Imagine my shock and then overwhelming urge to crack up laughing. Olivia continued," She used to feed us coffee and wine." Then Maia piped up. "Yeah and guess what else she used to feed us? " I followed suit and inquired with wide eyes about their past meals. "Dirt!" was her reply. And then she continued," Your food is so much yummier than hers and we want you to be our mother now." Phew I am glad I am up to par and am glad they don't think I am a mean alien mother who needs to be killed. Are they hilarious or what? I always wanted my kids to have good imaginations. I definitely got my wish.