Words on Wednesday:Omaha Homeschool Learning Center day!

Posted another update on facebook:
"Figured another homeschooling update was in order...
Well. It's going pretty smoothly so far. Some days are longer than others. 1st grade (Alaina) and K (Matthew) are easy... I see progress all the time. Matthew has all his letter sounds down (he didn't know any a few weeks ago) and I am trying to get him to blend them.. he's getting there! We're just taking it slow. He can easily count to 100... and by 10's and he's getting his 5's. Alaina is reading more and more everyday as well. They both enjoy working on things together, so I let them as much as I can. Johanna (3rd grade) takes a bit longer to get through the day. If we get started on time (8 am, hasn't happened in about a week..) and she stays on task, we can be done by noon. One day she did school All. Day. Long. because she was off task the whole time. So we have those days, but thankfully not everyday! We are now in the full swing of things with art classes and the 5 oldest being in the Learning Center as well.. plus piano lessons, so days are busy and just fly by. So far it is not too overwhelming. We just HAVE to start early enough! I've noticed that Johanna has great reading comprehension (she has to narrate a lot), she's good at Math (just doesn't like it) and her Grammar/English is pretty good as well! I got her a 4th grade English book by mistake and just thought I'd see how it goes... she's flying through it! The teachers at the church school did AWESOME at laying the foundations down with her. So, thank you, Jeanne and Cheri! She apparently was listening even when no one thought she was. Katie and Danielle are still plugging away at their subjects, I still hear about (and smell) Biology the most!"

So, it's going well... overall.  The busyness of the week has added a special challenge.. but we're working through it.
I've thought and thought about what we could drop and I don't want to drop anything!!!
Chapel - Katie plays piano once a month, and the three oldest will be speaking or back up singing at least two times over the year... and I think those things are good for them to get comfortable doing.  Plus, it's nice to have the little 15 min recess with the friends they made over the years.  We probably won't always go to chapel, but mostly. 
Piano lessons- Right after recess which is right after chapel.  We've been doing them for years.  We do two kids a week, rotating. So each kid gets one every other week.  Mine is every other Thursday at the house.
Art- We've committed and paid for the year.  This lady is a wonderful Christain lady that teaches homeschoolers. She's an excellent artist and has quite the waiting list! We are only in because Jeanne was already taking kids out there from the church school.  I *might* consider dropping this next year... but it's not so bad, I only drive every other week and when I do, we can get  A LOT of school done while there.  Johanna got 3 subjects done yesterday, I think she worked better there than at home! haha!
OHLC- (Learning Center)- Ugh.. I just think it's so fun.  To be around so many like minded people is encouraging.. to watch the little ones to tae kwon do.  If I have to, this is what will go.  I just don't want it to.  Alaina and Matthew LOVE it and Steven really wants them to learn self-defense.  Next semester I want to put Johanna in something that she'd enjoy too (not that she doesn't enjoy PE, but you know).  Katie and Danielle, too.  It's just a nice change from normal, a great way to celebrate hump day!
Friday-Katie babysits all day, she can move on from this whenever she feels she needs to, but right now it's working. I've seen SO much character come out of her and I've seen her grow so much.  I think she's really helping to make a difference in their little lives. 
Teen Serve- One Friday morning a month.  It's just nice to have the opportunity to serve, she spends her time in a nursing home. I am am not able to give her the chance to do this kind of thing, so I think it's great.  Plus it's one morning a month.  Not bad at all!

Anyway, today is Learning Center! Yay!
Everything starts at noon, so we have a short day of school.  Well, for Johanna, anyway.  It's no problem getting Alaina and Matthew done in the morning.  Today in Tae Kwon Do A and M will "buy" a belt with their TKD quarters. :) They are so cute! It's only a half an hour long, but it's long enough!
Well I better get to school.

Simply Saturday: Accomplishments

I posted this on facebook the other day, thought I'd copy and paste it here..

"Here's an update on our homeschooling journey so far (since a lot of people are asking.. :)).... It's going well, overall! We have completed 7 full days (and probably like 3 or 4 "practice days" haha), and I honestly can't believe how smoothly it has gone! I have had a couple rough days... kids that were not focusing, and we've had our share of whining, but overall even that hasn't been so bad. ...We get started at about 8-8:30am everyday and begin with Bible. We do that all together. After that the older girls go work independently and I teach Johanna, Alaina, and Matthew. My goal is to be done by noon, but usually it's about 2. That is with about an hour and a half break for lunch and cleanup. Danielle is thrilled that she is doing two high school classes with Katie (Biology and History) and she's doing really well! You wouldn't believe all the Biology talk going on around here, haha! Alaina's reading is really picking up, she is flying through her book.. the best part is the cuddles I get while practicing! Matthew went from being able to count to only about 20 to being able to fill in missing numbers in a 1-100 chart, and almost count all the way himself. His handwriting is awesome, too! Katie is loving "planning" all her assignments for the week, and enjoying being home more to work on the projects that she wants to do. Johanna is getting to the point where she can do a lot of her work independently now that we have a week completed, she just knows what to expect. Of course there are some subjects I have to walk her through. Elise likes to "do school" too, so she has a couple little work books and does them if she wants to, or Danielle teaches her the letters from time to time. Joshua... well, he just wants me all the time... so that's interesting... haha. None of us have felt cooped up in the house, but even if we did, we have extracurricular activities a couple days a week to help with that. It's easier than I thought it would be, but we are only a week and a half into it, so I expect rough patches.. I did notice it's easier than Friday homeschool days were, I haven't quite figured out why though... hmmm... Anyway, that is my not-so-short update!"

 

Yesterday was a good day.  We didn't get ALL of our school done, but we got the core classes done, and that is the important thing.  We got most of the extras done as well.  Plus we had a great playdate with our little friend, Paige, from church, and her Mom, Tammy.  Paige is 10 and homeschooled as well. It was good to get to know them a little better.

Yesterdays accomplishments... I got Johanna to understand the difference between cardinal, ordinal, and nominal number... not that it was that hard for her to understand, but more hard for me to explain because I am like, "WHO CARES!" haha! Not a fan of math.. Either way, she got it.  I was proud of her.  Also proud of myself, because before yesterday even *I* didn't know what they were.. hehe...

The other accomplishment was Matthew counting to 100 all by himself! :) This is huge, because just a couple weeks ago he could maybe make it to 20, but he'd skip 15... So he is doing really well! I think math will come easily to him, though.  Maybe he will be a brainiac like Steven.. ;)

 

I feel discouraged, probably because I look on the negative side, a lot.... I feel bothered by the people that I *feel* are just waiting for me to fail.  It's silly, I shouldn't, because the support is overwhelming on the positive side.. and no one has really said anything negative, directly.  I just feel it's implied.  Mainly that "we won't get out of the house enough" or the kids won't is more like it... I guess no one cares if I do or not, haha.

 

Our usual school week, starting next week, will look like this:

Monday: chapel at 9 at the church school, and then piano lessons for 2 of the girls alternating every week from 10:30-11:30.  We probably wouldn't go to chapel every week, but now that someone will be doing a lesson every week and Katie will be starting to play piano for worship.

Tuesday: Art.. we leave the house at 1:15 and get back at 4.  I will be the driver every other week and Alicia will drive the other times.  The times I am not driving won't be too bad, because I can come home and get things done. Even when I do drive, it's kid-friendly out there where they get lessons so it's fine.

Wednesday: The homeschool learning center. From noon to one K, D, J, A, and M will have lessons and then Katie will stay alone and work on whatever she needs to for that day and have another lesson at 2. I'll pick her up around 3:30, I think.

Thursday: Every other week I will have my piano lesson at the house, but it also my day that I will take one kid out for icecream for one on one time... just something I thought I'd try out.  Except Katie, she's the babysitter, so she'll have to go with me one weekend a month. :) Otherwise it will probably be our "catch up" day for schoolwork..

Friday: We have NO PLANS... so another catch up day for schoolwork.  Except Katie she babysits this one day a week for PJ and Micah. :)

 

If nothing else, I feel this is possibly TOO MUCH... ugh... The only thing that we can give up is The Learning Center after this first semester, which I might do.  Idk... I know we don't HAVE to do all these things.. but I don't want to give up music and art and then I guess the rest is extra... but it's fun, so idk.. we'll see!

Besides, going to school to "get out of the house" isn't my idea of a fantastic time, anyway!

Signing off!

Take on Tuesday: One week later

One week into this homeschool thing. 
Today was a good day.  I really appreciate good days!
Johanna was on task today.. Alaina's whining was minimal.  Katie and Danielle got their studies done before lunch!  Today was also our first day going to art.  I was the driver... I hate the freeways.. especially in The Big White Van.. but I did it, and it wasn't too bad.
Joshie (14m) was naughty at Sharon, the art teacher's house. All he wants to do is nurse.  All. The. Time.  I don't want to quit nursing him, I figure since he is completely unvaccinated (except for the Vit. K shot at birth) he needs the extra antibodies that he can get from breastmilk. At the same time, I really do want to quit nursing him because I feel he is always pulling on me, and thrashing himself around because if I am near, he wants to nurse.  Ugh. So, Idk.  I am going to CO to visit my sweet Grandma Marie, with out kids, so maybe I'll stop nursing then.  I really don't know what I am going to do.  Right now he is on my back in a carrier, messing with the bun in my hair.  It's the only way I can get anything done.  He is satisfied, because I am holding him, yet I am not.. my arms are free.  Stinker baby. :) I love him.  He's such a sweet, chunky, naughty boy! :)
Back to homeschooling.
So far I am loving Heart of Dakota.  It's easy to use.  Almost no lesson planning is needed.  Lessons are quick at to the point, and the best part, very Biblical! Bible is incorporated into all the lessons. I love that, it's great! Also, if I am short for time, if I cut out a part of it, they are not missing out on Bible.. ever.. :)
Tomorrow we will go over to The Homeschool Learning Center for their "Aren't you glad you are not going back to school" get together.. haha.. they will have free eye and hearing tests and school pics I guess.  Also the kids can check out where their new classrooms will be. Katie will be doing Adv. Ballroom dancing.. last year she was in beginners and did really well, they didn't even require her to take a full year like they usually do. :) She will also be taking a Drama class with Danielle.  They are both excited about that, plus they are both taking Art on Tuesdays like I mentioned before.  Their art teacher is a wonderful Christian lady that teaches homeschooled kids. :) Back to The Homeschool Learning Center, Johanna will be taking P.E., mostly because that was the only thing available for her age group in that time period (I wanted them to all be there taking a class at the same time so I am not out all day, Katie will be there longer, but I will just leave her there and pick her up when she's done), but also because the exercise and team work will do her well... she needs it, she's active! Alaina and Matthew will be taking Tae Kwon Do for 5-7 year olds.  They do have one for older kids, which I wanted JOhanna in, but it's not til later in the day.  Oh well... So, we'll see how it goes this semester and decide from that point if we want to do another semester.
Well, I have reached my limit with Joshie.. he's protesting...
Gotta go!